Accounting standard adopted January 1, 2024
Equity Method and Joint Ventures: Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method
The guidance expanded the types of tax-oriented investments, beyond affordable housing tax credit investments, that the Firm can elect on a program by program basis, to be accounted for using the proportional amortization method.
The adoption of this guidance under the modified retrospective method on January 1, 2024 resulted in a change to the classification and timing of the amortization associated with certain of the Firm's alternative energy tax-oriented investments. As a result of the adoption, the amortization of these investments that was previously recognized in other income became recognized in income tax expense. The change in accounting resulted in a decrease to retained earnings of $161 million and increased the Firm’s income tax expense and the effective tax rate by approximately $450 million and two percentage points, respectively, in the first quarter of 2024, with no material impact to net income.
Refer to Notes 6, 14 and 25 for additional information.
Accounting standards adopted January 1, 2023
Derivatives and Hedging: Fair Value Hedging – Portfolio Layer Method
The adoption of this guidance expanded the ability to hedge a portfolio of fixed-rate assets in a qualifying hedge accounting relationship. As permitted by the guidance, the Firm elected to transfer HTM securities to AFS and designated those securities in a portfolio layer method hedge upon adoption. The adoption impact of the transfer on retained earnings was not material.
Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”)
The adoption of this guidance eliminated the requirement to measure the allowance for TDRs using a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) methodology and allowed the option of a non-DCF portfolio-based approach for modified loans to troubled borrowers. The Firm elected this option for all portfolios of modified loans to troubled borrowers except collateral-dependent loans and nonaccrual risk-rated loans, for which the Firm elected to continue applying a DCF methodology. The adoption of this guidance under the modified retrospective method on January 1, 2023, resulted in a $446 million increase to retained earnings.
About New Standards Disclosures
New accounting standards disclosures describe recently adopted pronouncements and those not yet effective, along with management's assessment of their expected impact. This section provides an early warning system for upcoming changes to how a company reports its financial results, often years before the new rules take effect.
Key signals: when management describes a not-yet-adopted standard's impact as "material" or "still being evaluated," it signals potential significant changes to reported metrics upon adoption. Watch for standards that affect a company's core operations — for example, revenue recognition changes for software companies or lease accounting changes for retailers with large store footprints. The transition method chosen (full retrospective versus modified retrospective) affects comparability with prior periods. Companies that delay adoption to the latest permitted date may be struggling with implementation complexity. Compare the disclosed impact assessments against peers in the same industry to gauge whether management's expectations are reasonable.