Basis of Presentation and Responsibility for Interim Financial Statements (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

On January 1, 2020, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13 “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses” and the related amendments (the “new standard”). The new standard changes the methodology used to measure credit losses for certain financial instruments and financial assets, including trade receivables. The approach utilizes an expected credit loss model that requires consideration of a broader range of information to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of an asset, which may result in earlier recognition of credit losses than under the previous accounting standards.

Under the new standard, we record an allowance for credit losses, reducing our trade receivables balance to an amount we estimate is collectible from our customers. The estimates used in determining the allowance for credit losses are based on historical collection experience, including write-offs and recoveries, periodic credit evaluations of our customers’ financial situation, and current circumstances as well as reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions. The adoption of this new standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

The following table summarizes the activity in the allowance for credit losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:


In millions	September 30, 2020
Beginning balance	$	10.3
Bad debt expense	(0.7)
Write-offs, net of recoveries	(0.8)
Other ⁽¹⁾	(0.1)
Ending balance	$	8.7
⁽¹⁾ Other amounts are primarily the effects of changes in currency translations and the impact of allowance for credits.

On March 2, 2020, we early adopted the SEC’s rule titled “Financial Disclosures about Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities and Affiliates Whose Securities Collateralize a Registrant’s Securities,” which simplifies the disclosure requirements related to our guaranteed registered securities under Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X