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Note 1. Significant Accounting Policies and Practices: (c) Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Policies  
(c) Recent Accounting Pronouncements

(C)       Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

 

In September 2011, the FASB issued guidance related to evaluating goodwill for impairment.  The new guidance provides entities with the option to perform a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount before applying the quantitative two-step goodwill impairment test.  If an entity concludes that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it would not be required to perform the quantitative two-step goodwill impairment test.  Entities also have the option to bypass the assessment of qualitative factors for any reporting unit in any period and proceed directly to performing the first step of the quantitative two-step goodwill impairment test, as was required prior to the issuance of this new guidance.  An entity may begin or resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period.  This guidance was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011.  The adoption of this guidance, effective January 1, 2012, did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In June and December 2011, the FASB issued guidance that requires all non-owner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. For public entities, the amendments were effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and should be applied retrospectively.  This standard only affected the Company’s presentation of comprehensive income and did not affect the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In May 2011, the FASB issued guidance to achieve common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS. Some of the amendments in this update clarify the FASB’s intent about the application of certain existing fair value measurement requirements and other amendments change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. None of the amendments in this update require additional fair value measurements and are not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. For public entities, this guidance was effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance, effective January 1, 2012, did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In April 2011, the FASB issued guidance that amends existing standards with regards to transfers of financial assets under repurchase and other agreements that entitle and obligate the transferor to repurchase or redeem the assets prior to maturity. Specifically, with respect to assessing effective control in such agreements, the criteria that the transferor must have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even upon the transferee's default, has been eliminated; as has the corresponding criterion calling for the transferor to have obtained cash or other sufficient collateral to purchase replacement assets from a third party, which was required to demonstrate such ability. This guidance was effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance, effective January 1, 2012, did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In October 2010, the FASB issued guidance that specifies the accounting treatment for the costs incurred by insurance entities when acquiring new and renewal insurance contracts. The guidance was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance, which was applied prospectively January 1, 2012, had a negligible impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

 

In July 2012, the FASB issued guidance to revise the subsequent measurement requirements for indefinite-lived intangible assets. In accordance with the amendments in this Update, an entity will have the option to first to assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, an entity concludes that it is not more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, then the entity is not required to take further action. An entity also has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any indefinite-lived intangible asset in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative impairment test. An entity will be able to resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period. The amendments in this Update are effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In December 2011, the FASB issued guidance to amend the disclosure requirements on offsetting financial instruments and related derivatives. Entities are required to provide both net and gross information for these assets and liabilities in order to enhance comparability between those entities that prepare their financial statements on the basis of U.S. GAAP and those entities that prepare their financial statements on the basis of International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The amendments in this Update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. An entity should provide the disclosures required by those amendments retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In July 2011, the FASB issued guidance specifying that the liability for the fees paid to the Federal Government by health insurers as a result of recent healthcare reform legislation should be estimated and recorded in full once the entity provides qualifying health insurance in the applicable calendar year in which the fee is payable with a corresponding deferred cost that is amortized to expense using a straight-line method of allocation unless another method better allocates the fee over the calendar year that it is payable. The amendments in this Update are effective for calendar years beginning after December 31, 2013, when the fee initially becomes effective. Management has not yet determined the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.