Recent Accounting Pronouncements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued authoritative guidance related to testing goodwill for impairment. This guidance provides that entities may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. If the qualitative assessment results in a more than 50% likely result that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than the carrying amount, then the entity must continue to apply the two-step impairment test. If the entity concludes the fair value exceeds the carrying amount, then neither of the two steps in the goodwill impairment test is required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income. This guidance specifies that an entity has the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In both choices, an entity is required to present each component of net income along with total net income, each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, and a total amount for comprehensive income. This guidance does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. It also does not change the presentation of related tax effects, before related tax effects, or the portrayal or calculation of earnings per share. This guidance is to be applied retrospectively and is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In December 2010, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which modifies the requirements of step one of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts.  This guidance modifies step one so that for those reporting units, an entity is required to perform step two of the goodwill impairment test if it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists.  In determining whether it is more likely than not that goodwill impairment exists, an entity should consider whether there are any adverse qualitative factors indicating that an impairment may exist.  This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2010.  The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In December 2010, the FASB issued authoritative guidance to address diversity in practice about pro forma revenue and earnings disclosure requirements.  This guidance specifies that if a public entity presents comparative financial statements, the entity shall disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination(s) that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only.  This guidance also expands the supplemental pro forma disclosures 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. This guidance is effective prospectively for business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2010.  We intend to apply these required disclosures to any future business combinations.

In January 2010, the FASB issued additional authoritative guidance on fair value disclosures.  The new guidance clarifies two existing disclosure requirements and requires two new disclosures as follows: (1) a “gross” presentation of activities (purchases, sales, and settlements) within the Level 3 rollforward reconciliation, which will replace the “net” presentation format; and (2) detailed disclosures about the transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 measurements.  This guidance is effective for the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the gross presentation of the Level 3 rollforward information, which is required for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010, and for interim reporting periods within those years.  We adopted the fair value disclosure guidance on January 1, 2010, except for the gross presentation of the Level 3 rollforward information which we adopted on January 1, 2011.  The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.