CONTINGENCIES	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
CONTINGENCIES	NOTE 19 CONTINGENCIES Moody’s is involved in legal and tax proceedings, governmental investigations and inquiries, claims and litigation that are incidental to the Company’s business, including claims based on ratings assigned by MIS. Moody’s is also subject to ongoing tax audits in the normal course of business. Management periodically assesses the Company’s liabilities and contingencies in connection with these matters based upon the latest information available. Moody’s discloses material pending legal proceedings pursuant to SEC rules and other pending matters as it may determine to be appropriate. Following the global credit crisis of 2008, MIS and other credit rating agencies have been the subject of intense scrutiny, increased regulation, ongoing inquiry and governmental investigations, and civil litigation. Legislative, regulatory and enforcement entities around the world are considering additional legislation, regulation and enforcement actions, including with respect to MIS’s compliance with regulatory standards. Moody’s periodically receives and is continuing to address subpoenas and inquiries from various governmental authorities and is responding to such investigations and inquiries. In a letter dated September 29, 2016, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) stated that it was preparing a civil complaint to be filed against Moody’s and MIS in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey alleging certain violations of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act in connection with the ratings MIS assigned to residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations in the period leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. On January 13, 2017,the Company, along with its subsidiaries MIS and MA, announced that it had entered into a settlement agreement with the United States, acting through the DOJ and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, along with the States of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, and the District of Columbia (collectively, the “States”), acting through their respective Attorneys General or state securities regulator, as applicable, to resolve pending and potential civil claims related to credit ratings that MIS assigned to certain structured finance instruments in the financial crisis era. The agreement also related to certain statements made in connection with Moody’s structured finance rating methodologies and procedures during the same period. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to pay $437.5 million to the United States as a civil monetary penalty and $426.3 million in aggregate to the States. The Company also agreed to maintain a number of existing compliance measures and to implement and maintain certain additional compliance measures over the next five years. The Settlement Agreement contained no findings of violations of law by Moody’s, MIS or MA nor any admission of liability, and is final and not conditioned on court approval. The complete terms of the settlement are reflected in the settlement agreement attached as Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed by the Company on January 17, 2017. In addition, the Company is facing litigation from market participants relating to the performance of MIS-rated securities. Although Moody’s in the normal course experiences such litigation, the volume and cost of defending such litigation has significantly increased following the events in the U.S. subprime residential mortgage sector and global credit markets more broadly over the last decade. For claims, litigation and proceedings and governmental investigations and inquiries not related to income taxes, where it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company records liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and periodically adjusts these as appropriate. When the reasonable estimate of the loss is within a range of amounts, the minimum amount of the range is accrued unless some higher amount within the range is a better estimate than another amount within the range. In other instances, where a loss is reasonably possible, management does not record a liability because of uncertainties related to the probable outcome and/or the amount or range of loss, but discloses the contingency if significant. As additional information becomes available, the Company adjusts its assessments and estimates of such matters accordingly. In view of the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of litigation, regulatory, governmental investigations and inquiries, enforcement and similar matters and contingencies, particularly where the claimants seek large or indeterminate damages or where the parties assert novel legal theories or the matters involve a large number of parties, the Company cannot predict what the eventual outcome of the pending matters will be or the timing of any resolution of such matters. The Company also cannot predict the impact (if any) that any such matters may have on how its business is conducted, on its competitive position or on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As the process to resolve any pending matters progresses, management will continue to review the latest information available and assess its ability to predict the outcome of such matters and the effects, if any, on its operations and financial condition. However, in light of the large or indeterminate damages sought in some such matters, the absence of similar court rulings on the theories of law asserted and uncertainties regarding apportionment of any potential damages, an estimate of the range of possible losses cannot be made at this time.

Moody’s is involved in legal and tax proceedings, governmental investigations and inquiries, claims and litigation that are incidental to the Company’s business, including claims based on ratings assigned by MIS. Moody’s is also subject to ongoing tax audits in the normal course of business. Management periodically assesses the Company’s liabilities and contingencies in connection with these matters based upon the latest information available. Moody’s discloses material pending legal proceedings pursuant to SEC rules and other pending matters as it may determine to be appropriate.

Following the global credit crisis of 2008, MIS and other credit rating agencies have been the subject of intense scrutiny, increased regulation, ongoing inquiry and governmental investigations, and civil litigation. Legislative, regulatory and enforcement entities around the world are considering additional legislation, regulation and enforcement actions, including with respect to MIS’s compliance with regulatory standards. Moody’s periodically receives and is continuing to address subpoenas and inquiries from various governmental authorities and is responding to such investigations and inquiries.

In a letter dated September 29, 2016, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) stated that it was preparing a civil complaint to be filed against Moody’s and MIS in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey alleging certain violations of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act in connection with the ratings MIS assigned to residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations in the period leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. On January 13, 2017,the Company, along with its subsidiaries MIS and MA, announced that it had entered into a settlement agreement with the United States, acting through the DOJ and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, along with the States of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington, and the District of Columbia (collectively, the “States”), acting through their respective Attorneys General or state securities regulator, as applicable, to resolve pending and potential civil claims related to credit ratings that MIS assigned to certain structured finance instruments in the financial crisis era. The agreement also related to certain statements made in connection with Moody’s structured finance rating methodologies and procedures during the same period. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to pay $437.5 million to the United States as a civil monetary penalty and $426.3 million in aggregate to the States. The Company also agreed to maintain a number of existing compliance measures and to implement and maintain certain additional compliance measures over the next five years. The Settlement Agreement contained no findings of violations of law by Moody’s, MIS or MA nor any admission of liability, and is final and not conditioned on court approval. The complete terms of the settlement are reflected in the settlement agreement attached as Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed by the Company on January 17, 2017.

In addition, the Company is facing litigation from market participants relating to the performance of MIS-rated securities. Although Moody’s in the normal course experiences such litigation, the volume and cost of defending such litigation has significantly increased following the events in the U.S. subprime residential mortgage sector and global credit markets more broadly over the last decade.

For claims, litigation and proceedings and governmental investigations and inquiries not related to income taxes, where it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company records liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and periodically adjusts these as appropriate. When the reasonable estimate of the loss is within a range of amounts, the minimum amount of the range is accrued unless some higher amount within the range is a better estimate than another amount within the range. In other instances, where a loss is reasonably possible, management does not record a liability because of uncertainties related to the probable outcome and/or the amount or range of loss, but discloses the contingency if significant. As additional information becomes available, the Company adjusts its assessments and estimates of such matters accordingly. In view of the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of litigation, regulatory, governmental investigations and inquiries, enforcement and similar matters and contingencies, particularly where the claimants seek large or indeterminate damages or where the parties assert novel legal theories or the matters involve a large number of parties, the Company cannot predict what the eventual outcome of the pending matters will be or the timing of any resolution of such matters. The Company also cannot predict the impact (if any) that any such matters may have on how its business is conducted, on its competitive position or on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As the process to resolve any pending matters progresses, management will continue to review the latest information available and assess its ability to predict the outcome of such matters and the effects, if any, on its operations and financial condition. However, in light of the large or indeterminate damages sought in some such matters, the absence of similar court rulings on the theories of law asserted and uncertainties regarding apportionment of any potential damages, an estimate of the range of possible losses cannot be made at this time.