Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Northern Trust Corporation (Corporation) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Northern Trust Company (Bank), and various other wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Corporation and Bank. Throughout the notes to the consolidated financial statements, the term “Northern Trust” refers to the Corporation and its subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements, as of and for the periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, have not been audited by the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm. In the opinion of management, all accounting entries and adjustments, including normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and the results of operations for the interim periods have been made. The accounting and financial reporting policies of Northern Trust conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and reporting practices prescribed for the banking industry.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

On January 1, 2023, Northern Trust adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2022-01, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Fair Value Hedging—Portfolio Layer Method” (ASU 2022-01). The amendments in ASU 2022-01 expand the current last-of-layer hedging model from a single-layer method to allow multiple hedged layers of a single closed portfolio. To reflect that expansion, the last-of-layer method is renamed the portfolio layer method. In addition, ASU 2022-01 (1) expands the scope of the portfolio layer method to include non-prepayable assets, (2) specifies eligible hedging instruments in a single-layer hedge, (3) provides additional guidance on the accounting for and disclosure of hedge basis adjustments under the portfolio layer method, and (4) specifies how hedge basis adjustments should be considered when determining credit losses for the assets included in the closed portfolio. Upon adoption of ASU 2022-01, there was no impact to Northern Trust’s consolidated balance sheets or consolidated statements of income.

On January 1, 2023, Northern Trust adopted ASU No. 2022-02, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures” (ASU 2022-02). The amendments in ASU 2022-02 eliminate the accounting guidance for troubled debt restructurings (TDRs) for creditors that have adopted the current expected credit losses accounting standard while enhancing disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancings and restructurings made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. In addition, ASU 2022-02 requires that a public business entity disclose current-period gross charge-offs by year of origination for financing receivables and net investment in leases. Upon adoption of ASU 2022-02, there was no significant impact to Northern Trust’s consolidated balance sheets or consolidated statements of income. Please refer to Note 5—Loans for further information.

On January 1, 2023, Northern Trust adopted ASU No. 2022-04, “Liabilities—Supplier Finance Programs (Topic 405-50): Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations” (ASU 2022-04). The amendments in ASU 2022-04 enhance the transparency about the use of supplier finance programs for investors or other allocators of capital. Specifically, ASU 2022-04 requires that a buyer in a supplier finance program disclose sufficient qualitative and quantitative information about the program to allow a user of financial statements to understand the program’s nature, activity during the period, changes from period to period, and potential magnitude. Upon adoption of ASU 2022-04, there was no impact to Northern Trust’s consolidated balance sheets or consolidated statements of income.