Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1.  Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

PHH Corporation and subsidiaries (collectively, “PHH” or the “Company”) is a leading outsource provider of mortgage and fleet management services operating in the following business segments:

§	Mortgage Production — provides mortgage loan origination services and sells mortgage loans.
§	Mortgage Servicing — performs servicing activities for originated and purchased loans.
§	Fleet Management Services — provides commercial fleet management services.

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts and transactions of PHH and its subsidiaries, as well as entities in which the Company directly or indirectly has a controlling interest and variable interest entities of which the Company is the primary beneficiary. PHH Home Loans, LLC and its subsidiaries are consolidated within the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, and Realogy Corporation’s ownership interest is presented as a noncontrolling interest.

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which is commonly referred to as GAAP, for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In management’s opinion, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments, which include normal and recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented. The results of operations reported for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the entire year or any subsequent interim period. These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

On March 31, 2011, the Company sold 50.1% of the equity interest in its appraisal services business, Speedy Title and Appraisal Review Services, (“STARS”) to CoreLogic, Inc. for a total purchase price of $35 million. The total purchase price consisted of an initial $20 million cash payment that was received on March 31, 2011, and three future $5 million installment payments to be received on March 31, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Upon the occurrence of certain events prior to September 30, 2017, the Company may have the right or obligation to purchase CoreLogic’s interests. The Company deconsolidated STARS and retained a 49.9% equity interest, which is accounted for under the equity method and is recorded within Other assets with an initial fair value of $34 million as of March 31, 2011. The net assets of STARS were not significant. A $68 million gain on the sale of the 50.1% equity interest was recorded within Other income, which consisted of the net present value of the purchase price paid by CoreLogic plus the initial fair value of the remaining equity method investment in STARS. Subsequent to March 31, 2011, the Company will still participate in the appraisal services business through its interest in STARS, and will be entitled to its proportionate share of STARS’ earnings based on its 49.9% ownership interest.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those related to the valuation of mortgage servicing rights, mortgage loans held for sale, other financial instruments and goodwill, the estimation of liabilities for mortgage loan repurchases and indemnifications and reinsurance losses, and the determination of certain income tax assets and liabilities and associated valuation allowances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Unless otherwise noted and except for share and per share data, dollar amounts presented within these Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are in millions.

Changes In Accounting Policies

Goodwill. In December 2010, the FASB issued new accounting guidance on performing tests of goodwill impairment, ASU No. 2010-28, “When to Perform Step 2 of the Goodwill Impairment Test for Reporting Units with Zero or Negative Carrying Amounts”. This new accounting guidance requires that entities perform a two-step test when evaluating goodwill impairment by first assessing whether the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value (Step 1) and, if it does, perform additional procedures to determine if goodwill has been impaired (Step 2). This guidance require entities performing the goodwill impairment test to perform Step 2 of the test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts if it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists based on qualitative considerations. The Company adopted the updates to goodwill impairment guidance effective January 1, 2011. The adoption did not have an impact the Company’s financial statements.

Business Combinations. In December 2010, the FASB issued new accounting guidance on business combinations, ASU No. 2010-29, “Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations”. This new accounting guidance requires a public entity that presents comparative financial statements to disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. This new accounting guidance also expands the supplemental pro-forma disclosures for Business Combinations to include a description of the nature and amount of material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro forma revenue and earnings. The Company adopted the new business combination guidance effective January 1, 2011. The adoption did not have an impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Revenue Recognition. In October 2009, the FASB issued new accounting guidance on revenue recognition, ASU No. 2009-13, “Multiple Deliverable Arrangements”. This new accounting guidance addresses how to determine whether an arrangement involving multiple deliverables (i) contains more than one unit of accounting and (ii) how the arrangement consideration should be measured and allocated to the separate units of accounting. The Company adopted the updates revenue recognition guidance effective January 1, 2011. The adoption did not have an impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Receivables. In April 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-02, “A Creditor’s Determination of Whether a Restructuring Is a Troubled Debt Restructuring”. This new guidance requires a creditor performing an evaluation of whether a restructuring constitutes a troubled debt restructuring, to separately conclude that both (i) the restructuring constitutes a concession and (ii) the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. This standard clarifies the guidance on a creditor’s evaluation of whether it has granted a concession as well as the guidance on a creditor’s evaluation of whether a debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. The update also requires entities to disclose additional quantitative activity regarding troubled debt restructurings of finance receivables that occurred during the period, as well as additional information regarding troubled debt restructurings that occurred within the previous twelve months and for which there was a payment default during the current period. The new accounting guidance is effective beginning July 1, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to January 1, 2011. The Company does not anticipate the adoption of this update will have a material impact on its financial statements.

Transfers and Servicing. In April 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-03, “Reconsideration of Effective Control for Repurchase Agreements”. This update to transfers and servicing guidance removes from the assessment of effective control the criterion relating to the transferor’s ability to repurchase or redeem financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even in the event of default by the transferee. This update also eliminates the requirement to demonstrate that the transferor possesses adequate collateral to fund substantially all the cost of purchasing replacement financial assets. The new accounting guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2012, and should be applied prospectively to transactions or modifications of existing transactions that occur on or after January 1, 2012. The Company does not anticipate the adoption of this update will have a material impact on its financial statements.

Fair Value Measurement. In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards”. This update to fair value measurement guidance addresses changes to concepts regarding performing fair value measurements including: (i) the application of the highest and best use and valuation premise; (ii) the valuation of an instrument classified in the reporting entity’s shareholders’ equity; (iii) the valuation of financial instruments that are managed within a portfolio; and (iv) the application of premiums and discounts. This update also enhances disclosure requirements about fair value measurements, including providing information regarding Level 3 measurements such as quantitative information about unobservable inputs, further discussion of the valuation processes used and assumption sensitivity analysis. The new accounting guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2012, and should be applied prospectively. The Company does not anticipate the adoption of this update will have a material impact on its financial statements.

Comprehensive Income. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, “Presentation of Comprehensive Income”. This update to comprehensive income guidance requires all nonowner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement should present total net income and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that should present total other comprehensive income, the components of other comprehensive income, and the total of comprehensive income. This update also requires additional changes to the face of the financial statements including eliminating the presentation of other comprehensive income as a part of stockholders’ equity, and the presentation of certain reclassification adjustments between net income and other comprehensive income. The new accounting guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2012, and should be applied retrospectively. The adoption of this update will impact the presentation and disclosure of the Company’s financial statements but will not impact its results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.