Summary Of Accounting Policies (Policy)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Summary Of Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles Of Consolidation And Presentation

Principles of consolidation and presentation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Snap-on Incorporated ("Snap-on" or "the company"), and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with, and have been prepared in conformity with, the accounting principles reflected in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Snap-on's 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 ("2011 year end"). The company's 2012 fiscal first quarter ended on March 31, 2012; the 2011 fiscal first quarter ended on April 2, 2011.

Snap-on accounts for investments in unconsolidated affiliates where Snap-on has a significant influence under the equity method of accounting. Investments in unconsolidated affiliates of $42.7 million as of March 31, 2012, and $40.7 million as of December 31, 2011, are included in "Other assets" on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. No equity investment dividends were received in the first quarters of 2012 or 2011. In the normal course of business, the company may purchase products or services from unconsolidated affiliates; purchases from unconsolidated affiliates were $4.5 million and $5.6 million in the first quarters of 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements do not include the accounts of the company's independent franchisees. Snap-on's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Snap-on Credit LLC ("SOC") is the company's financial services operation in the United States. Snap-on terminated its SOC financial services joint venture agreement with CIT Group Inc. ("CIT") in July 2009 and subsequently acquired CIT's 50%-ownership interest in SOC. As a result, SOC became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Snap-on and Snap-on began providing financing for the majority of new loans originated by SOC; prior to July 2009, substantially all of the loans originated by SOC were sold to CIT.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for the fair presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the three month periods ended March 31, 2012, and April 2, 2011, have been made. Interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.

Use Of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments

The fair value of the company's derivative financial instruments is generally determined using quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities. The carrying value of the company's non-derivative financial instruments either approximate fair value, due to their short-term nature, or fair value is based upon a discounted cash flow analysis or quoted market values. See Note 8 for further information on financial instruments.

New Accounting Standards

New Accounting Standards

Goodwill

The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued updated authoritative guidance in September 2011 to amend previous guidance on the annual and interim testing of goodwill for impairment; the guidance became effective for Snap-on at the beginning of its 2012 fiscal year. The guidance provides entities with the option of first assessing qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If it is determined, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would still be required. Annual impairment tests are performed by the company in the second quarter of each year. The adoption of this updated authoritative guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Fair Value Measurements

The FASB issued updated authoritative guidance in May 2011 to amend fair value measurements and related disclosures; the guidance became effective for Snap-on at the beginning of its 2012 fiscal year. This guidance relates to a major convergence project of the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board to improve International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and U.S. GAAP. This guidance results in a consistent definition of fair value and common requirements for measurement of and disclosure about fair value between IFRS and U.S. GAAP. The guidance also changes some fair value measurement principles and enhances disclosure requirements related to activities in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The adoption of this updated authoritative guidance had no impact on the company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Disclosures Relating to Comprehensive Income

The FASB issued updated authoritative guidance in June 2011 to amend the presentation of comprehensive income in financial statements. The FASB also issued an accounting standards update in December 2011 that indefinitely deferred certain financial statement presentation provisions contained in its original June 2011 guidance. The guidance, which became effective for Snap-on on a retrospective basis at the beginning of its 2012 fiscal year, gives companies the option to present other comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. Under both alternatives, companies are required to annually present each component of comprehensive income. The adoption of this updated authoritative guidance impacted the presentation of the company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, but it did 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.