BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements, including the Notes thereto of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., have been prepared in accordance with GAAP interim reporting requirements, and therefore do not include all information and Notes included in the audited Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP. These unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. The Company’s principal business activity is banking, conducted through its subsidiaries, Citizens Bank, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania.

The unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on net income, total comprehensive income, total assets or total stockholders’ equity as previously reported.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments.” The ASU provides guidance on classifying specific cash flows in the Statement of Cash Flows, including cash flows resulting from debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, the settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments (and other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing), payments on a transferor’s beneficial interests in securitized trade receivables, and other specified sources. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2018. Adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) - Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” Under current GAAP, the Company reflects credit losses on financial assets measured on an amortized cost basis only when the losses are probable or have been incurred. The ASU replaces this approach with a forward-looking methodology that reflects the expected credit losses over the lives of financial assets, starting when the assets are first acquired. Under the revised methodology, credit losses will be measured based on past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of financial assets. The ASU also revises the approach to recognizing credit losses on securities available for sale by allowing entities to record reversals of credit losses in current-period earnings. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2020. The Company is currently assessing the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients.” The ASU supplements the new revenue recognition standard issued in 2014 by addressing certain issues in the guidance on assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10 “Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing.” The ASU supplements the new revenue recognition standard issued in 2014 by clarifying the guidance related to licensing and the identification of performance obligations. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09 “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” The ASU modifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2017. Adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08 “Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net).” The ASU supplements the new revenue recognition standard issued in 2014 by clarifying the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-05 “Effect of Derivative Contract Novations on Existing Hedge Accounting Relationships.” The ASU clarifies that a change in a counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as a hedging instrument, in and of itself, does not result in a hedge de-designation under ASC 815. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2017. Adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 “Leases (Topic 842).” The ASU generally requires lessees to recognize a right-of use asset and corresponding lease liability for all leases with a lease term of greater than one year. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2019. The Company is currently assessing the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01 “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” The ASU requires equity investments (except for those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income. The ASU also requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial assets on the balance sheet or the notes to the financial statements. In addition, the ASU makes several other targeted amendments to the existing accounting and disclosure requirements for financial instruments, including revised guidance related to valuation allowance assessments when recognizing deferred tax assets on unrealized losses on debt securities available for sale. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the impact of this guidance on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.