UPDATE OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

UPDATE OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

UPDATE OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIESA summary of our significant accounting policies is included in Note 2 of our 2019 Form 10-K. During the nine months ended June 30, 2020, there were no significant changes to our significant accounting policies other than the accounting policies adopted or modified as part of our implementation of new or amended accounting guidance, as noted in the following sections.

Recent accounting developments

Accounting guidance recently adopted

Lease accounting - In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance related to the accounting for leases (ASU 2016-02). The new guidance and subsequent amendments requires the recognition of assets and liabilities on the balance sheet related to the rights and obligations created by lease agreements with terms greater than twelve months, regardless of whether they are classified as finance or operating leases. We adopted this guidance as of October 1, 2019 using the alternative modified retrospective approach, with no adjustments to prior periods presented. In addition, we elected the practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance which, among other things, allowed us to carry forward historical lease classification determinations. On the adoption date, we recognized right-of-use assets (“ROU assets”) and lease liabilities of $333 million and $357 million, respectively, in “Other assets” and “Other payables” on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. The ROU assets and lease liabilities were primarily related to operating leases. The adoption had no effect on our results of operations or cash flows. The impact of the adoption on our regulatory capital measures was insignificant. See Note 10 for further information.

Derivatives and hedging (interest rate) - In October 2018, the FASB issued guidance amending Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) to add the overnight index swap rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) to the list of U.S. benchmark interest rates that are eligible during the early stages of the market transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) to SOFR (ASU 2018-16). The amendments to this guidance will provide adequate lead time for entities to prepare for changes to interest rate hedging strategies. We adopted the guidance October 1, 2019 and will apply the guidance prospectively for qualifying new or re-designated hedging relationships. The adoption did not impact our financial position or results of operations.

Reference rate reform - In March 2020, the FASB issued guidance to ease the financial reporting burdens of the expected market transition from LIBOR and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates, such as SOFR (ASU 2020-04). The guidance simplifies the accounting for modifying contracts (including those in hedging relationships) that refer to LIBOR and other interbank offered rates. In addition, the guidance allows for changes to the critical terms of a hedging relationship affected by reference rate reform without having to dedesignate the relationship. The guidance was effective upon issuance and generally can be applied through December 31, 2022. We have elected certain expedients for cash flow hedges to assert that the hedged forecasted transaction remains probable, regardless of any expected modification in terms related to reference rate reform. The expedients elected did not impact our financial position or results of operations.

Accounting guidance not yet adopted as of June 30, 2020

Credit losses - In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments (ASU 2016-13). The amended guidance involves several aspects of the accounting for credit losses related to certain financial instruments including assets measured at amortized cost, available-for-sale debt securities and certain off-balance sheet commitments. The new guidance, and subsequent updates, broadens the information that an entity must consider in developing its estimated credit losses expected to occur over the remaining life of assets measured either collectively or individually to include historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts, replacing the existing incurred credit loss model and other models with the Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”) model.  The new guidance expands the disclosure requirements regarding an entity’s assumptions, models, and methods for estimating credit losses and requires new disclosures of the amortized cost balance for each class of financial asset by credit quality indicator, disaggregated by the year of origination. This new guidance is first effective for our fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2020 and will be adopted under a modified retrospective approach. Although permitted, we do not plan to early adopt. Our cross-functional team continues with the implementation efforts. We are in the process of validating our credit loss models and establishing formal procedures and control documentation related to this new guidance. In addition, we are finalizing required disclosures and policies. We continue to evaluate the impact the adoption of this new guidance will have on our financial position and results of operations. The impact will ultimately depend on, among other things, our methodologies, management judgments, current and expected macroeconomic conditions, and the nature and characteristics of financial assets held by us on the date of adoption.

Internal use software (cloud computing) - In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance on the accounting for implementation costs incurred by customers in cloud computing arrangements (ASU 2018-15). This guidance requires implementation costs incurred by customers in cloud computing arrangements to be deferred and recognized over the non-cancelable term of the cloud computing arrangements plus any optional renewal periods (1) that are reasonably certain to be exercised by the customer or (2) for which exercise of the renewal option is controlled by the cloud service provider. This amended guidance is first effective for our fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted, and may be adopted using either a prospective or retrospective approach. We plan to adopt this standard prospectively effective for annual periods beginning October 1, 2020. The impact of this amended guidance is dependent on implementation costs incurred subsequent to adoption.

Consolidation (decision making fees) - In October 2018, the FASB issued guidance on how all entities evaluate decision-making fees under the VIE guidance (ASU 2018-17). Under the new guidance, to determine whether decision-making fees represent a variable interest, an entity considers indirect interests held through related parties under common control on a proportionate basis, rather than in their entirety. This guidance is first effective for our fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2020. Although permitted, we do not plan to early adopt. We are evaluating the impact the adoption of this new guidance will have on our financial position and results of operations.