Basis of Financial Reporting Recently Adopted Accounting Standards (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force)" (“ASU 2016-15”), which addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified and applies to all entities, required to present a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. ASU 2016-15 became effective for public companies for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted

ASU 2016-15 effective January 1, 2018 and has determined there is no impact on the Company’s Statement of Cash Flows. The Company already presented cash paid on contingent consideration in business combination as prescribed by ASU 2016-15 and does not, at this time, engage in the other activities being addressed in this ASU.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, “Principal Versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross Versus Net)” (“ASU 2016-08”) to clarify certain aspects of the principal-versus-agent guidance included in the new revenue standard ASU 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”). The FASB issued the ASU in response to concerns identified by stakeholders, including those related to (1) determining the appropriate unit of account under the revenue standard’s principal-versus-agent guidance and (2) applying the indicators of whether an entity is a principal or an agent in accordance with the revenue standard’s control principle. The Company adopted ASU 2016-08 effective contemporaneously with ASU 2014-09 beginning January 1, 2018. The impact of ASU 2016-08 was limited to the claims administering activities of one of our businesses within our Services Segment and therefore was not material to the net income of the Company.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“Topic 606”), which provides guidance for revenue recognition. Topic 606 affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets.  It supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and most industry-specific guidance. The standard’s core principle is that a company should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Effective as of January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2014–09, and all related amendments, which established Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606. The Company adopted these standards by recognizing the cumulative effect as an adjustment to opening retained earnings at January 1, 2018, under the modified retrospective method for contracts not completed as of the day of adoption. The cumulative impact of adopting Topic 606 on January 1, 2018 was an increase in retained earnings within stockholders’ equity of $117.5 million. Under the modified retrospective method, the Company is not required to restate comparative financial information prior to the adoption of these standards and, therefore, such information presented for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 continues to be reported under the Company's previous accounting policies.

The following areas are impacted by the adoption of Topic 606:

Historically, approximately 70% of the Company’s commissions and fees are in the form of commissions paid by insurance carriers. These commissions are earned at a point in time upon the effective date of bound insurance coverage, as no significant performance obligation remains after coverage is bound. If there are other services within the contract, the Company estimates the stand-alone selling price for each separate performance obligation, and the corresponding apportioned revenue is recognized over a period of time as the performance obligations are fulfilled. In situations where multiple performance obligations exist within a contract, the use of estimates is required to allocate the transaction price on a relative stand-alone selling price basis to each separate performance obligation.

Commission revenues - Prior to the adoption of Topic 606, commission revenues, including those billed on an installment basis, were recognized on the latter of the policy effective date or the date that the premium was billed to the client, with the exception of the Company's Arrowhead businesses, which followed a policy of recognizing these revenues on the latter of the policy effective date or processed date in our systems.  As a result of the adoption of Topic 606, certain revenues associated with the issuance of policies are now recognized upon the effective date of the associated policy. These commission revenues, including those billed on an installment basis, are now recognized earlier than they had been previously. Revenue is now accrued based upon the completion of the performance obligation, thereby creating a current asset for the unbilled revenue, until such time as an invoice is generated, which typically does not exceed twelve months. The Company does not expect the overall impact of these changes to be significant on a full-year basis, but the timing of recognizing revenue will impact our fiscal quarters when compared to prior years. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the adoption of Topic 606 increased base and incentive commissions revenue, as defined in Note 3, by $26.6 million compared to what would have been recognized under the Company's previous accounting policies. Incentive commissions include additional commissions over base commissions received from insurance carriers based on predetermined production levels mutually agreed upon by both parties.

Profit-sharing contingent commissions - Prior to the adoption of Topic 606, revenue that was not fixed and determinable because a contingency existed was not recognized until the contingency was resolved.  Under Topic 606, the Company must estimate the amount of consideration that will be received in the coming year such that a significant reversal of revenue is not probable.  Profit-sharing contingent commissions represent a form of variable consideration associated with the placement of coverage, for which we earn commissions and fees.  In connection with Topic 606, profit-sharing contingent commissions are estimated with a constraint applied and accrued relative to the recognition of the corresponding core commissions.  The resulting effect on the timing of recognizing profit-sharing contingent commissions will now more closely follow a similar pattern as our commissions and fees with any true-ups recognized when payments are received or as additional information that affects the estimate becomes available.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the adoption of Topic 606 reduced profit-sharing contingent commissions revenue by $6.9 million compared to what would have been recognized under our previous accounting policies.

Fee revenues - Approximately 30% of the Company’s commissions and fees are in the form of fees, which are predominantly in the Company's National Programs and Services Segments, and to a lesser extent in the large accounts business within the Company's Retail Segment, where the Company receives fees in lieu of a commission. In accordance with Topic 606, fee revenue from certain agreements are recognized in earlier periods and others in later periods as compared to our previous accounting treatment depending on when the services within the contract are satisfied and when we have transferred control of the related services to the customer. The Company does not expect the overall impact of these changes to be significant on a full-year basis, but the timing of recognizing fees revenue will impact our fiscal quarters when compared to prior years. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the adoption of Topic 606 increased fees revenue by $5.0 million compared to what would have been recognized under our previous accounting policies.

Additionally, the Company has evaluated ASC Topic 340 - Other Assets and Deferred Cost (“ASC 340”) which requires companies to defer certain incremental cost to obtain customer contracts, and certain costs to fulfill customer contracts. 

Incremental cost to obtain - The adoption of ASC 340 resulted in the Company deferring certain costs to obtain customer contracts primarily as they relate to commission-based compensation plans in the Retail Segment, in which the Company pays an incremental amount of compensation on new business. These incremental costs are deferred and amortized over a 15-year period, which is consistent with the analysis performed on acquired customer accounts and referenced in Note 7 to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company deferred $10.3 million of incremental cost to obtain customer contracts. The Company expensed $0.3 million of the incremental cost to obtain customer contracts for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Cost to fulfill - The adoption of ASC 340 resulted in the Company deferring certain costs to fulfill contracts and to recognize these costs as the associated performance obligations are fulfilled. In order for contract fulfillment costs to be deferred under ASC 340, the costs must (1) relate directly to a specific contract or anticipated contract, (2) generate or enhance resources that the Company will use in satisfying its obligations under the contract, and (3) be expected to be recovered through sufficient net cash flows from the contract. The Company does not expect the overall impact of these changes to be significant on a full-year basis, but the timing of recognizing these expenses will impact quarterly results compared to prior years as such recognition better aligns with the associated revenue. With the modified retrospective adoption of Topic 606, the Company deferred $52.7 million in contract fulfillment costs on its opening balance sheet on January 1, 2018 based upon the estimated average time spent on policy renewals. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company had net expense of $3.6 million related to the release of previously deferred contract fulfillment costs associated with performance obligations that were satisfied in the period, net of current year deferrals for costs incurred that related to performance obligations yet to be fulfilled.

In connection with the implementation of this standard, we modified, and in some instances instituted, additional accounting procedures, processes and internal controls. While the relative impacts of this standard to our revenue streams is significant, we do not view these modifications and additions as a material change in our internal controls over financial reporting.

The cumulative effect of the changes made to our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of January 1, 2018 for the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” and Accounting Standards Codification Topic 340 – Other Assets and Deferred Cost (the “New Revenue Standard”):

(in thousands)	Balance at December 31, 2017		Adjustments due to the New Revenue Standard		Balance at January 1, 2018
Balance Sheet
Assets:
Premiums, commissions and fees receivable	$	546,402	$	153,058	$	699,460
Other current assets	47,864		52,680		100,544
Liabilities:
Premiums payable to insurance companies	685,163		12,107		697,270
Accounts payable	64,177		8,747		72,924
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	228,748		22,794		251,542
Deferred income taxes, net	256,185		44,575		300,760
Shareholders' Equity:
Retained earnings	2,456,599		117,515		2,574,114

The $52.7 million adjustment to other current assets reflects the deferral of certain cost to fulfill contracts. The $12.1 million adjustment to premiums payable to insurance companies reflects the estimated amount payable to outside brokers on unbilled premiums, commissions and fees receivable.

The following table illustrates the impact of adopting the New Revenue Standard has had on our reported results in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of income.

	Nine months ended September 30, 2018
(in thousands)	As reported		Impact of adopting the New Revenue Standard			Balances without the New Revenue Standard
Statement of Income
Revenues:
Commissions and fees	$	1,502,219	$	24,700		$	1,477,519
Expenses:
Employee compensation and benefits	790,902		(3,396		)	794,298
Other operating expenses	243,704		6,996			236,708
Income taxes	91,048		5,309			85,739
Net income	$	270,803	$	15,791		$	255,012