SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	12 Months Ended
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	Dec. 31, 2018
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Consolidation	Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include those of Moody’s Corporation and its majority- and wholly-owned subsidiaries. The effects of all intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Investments in companies for which the Company has significant influence over operating and financial policies but not a controlling interest are accounted for on an equity basis whereby the Company records its proportional share of the investment’s net income or loss as part of other non-operating income (expense), net and any dividends received reduce the carrying amount of the investment. The Company applies the guidelines set forth in Topic 810 of the ASC in assessing its interests in variable interest entities to decide whether to consolidate that entity. The Company has reviewed the potential variable interest entities and determined that there are no consolidation requirements under Topic 810 of the ASC. The Company consolidates its ICRA subsidiaries on a three month lag.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash equivalents principally consist of investments in money market mutual funds and money market deposit accounts as well as high-grade commercial paper and certificates of deposit with maturities of three months or less when purchased.
Short-term Investments	Short-term Investments Short-term investments are securities with maturities greater than 90 days at the time of purchase that are available for operations in the next 12 months. The Company’s short-term investments primarily consist of certificates of deposit and their cost approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the instruments. Interest and dividends on these investments are recorded into income when earned.
Property and Equipment	Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost and are depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs that do not extend the economic useful life of the related assets are charged to expense as incurred.
Research and Development Costs	Research and Development Costs All research and development costs are expensed as incurred. These costs primarily reflect the development of credit processing software and quantitative credit risk assessment products sold by the MA segment. Research and development costs were $51.1 million, $42.0 million, and $40.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and are included in operating expenses within the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. These costs generally consist of professional services provided by third parties and compensation costs of employees. Costs for internally developed computer software that will be sold, leased or otherwise marketed are capitalized when technological feasibility has been established. These costs primarily relate to the development or enhancement of products in the ERS business and generally consist of professional services provided by third parties and compensation costs of employees that develop the software. Judgment is required in determining when technological feasibility of a product is established and the Company believes that technological feasibility for its software products is reached after all high-risk development issues have been resolved through coding and testing. Generally, this occurs shortly before the products are released to customers. Accordingly, costs for internally developed computer software that will be sold, leased or otherwise marketed that were eligible for capitalization under Topic 985 of the ASC were immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.
Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use	Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use The Company capitalizes costs related to software developed or obtained for internal use. These assets, included in property and equipment in the consolidated balance sheets, relate to the Company’s financial, website and other systems. Such costs generally consist of direct costs for third-party license fees, professional services provided by third parties and employee compensation, in each case incurred either during the application development stage or in connection with upgrades and enhancements that increase functionality. Such costs are depreciated over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis. Costs incurred during the preliminary project stage of development as well as maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Long-Lived Assets, Including Goodwill and Other Acquired Intangible Assets	Long-Lived Assets, Including Goodwill and Other Acquired Intangible Assets Moody’s evaluates its goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, defined as an operating segment (i.e., MIS and MA), or one level below an operating segment (i.e., a component of an operating segment), annually as of July 31 or more frequently if impairment indicators arise in accordance with ASC Topic 350. The Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill using a two-step impairment test approach at the reporting unit level. In the first step, the Company assesses various qualitative factors to determine whether the fair value of a reporting unit may be less than its carrying amount. If a determination is made that, based on the qualitative factors, an impairment does not exist, the Company is not required to perform further testing. If the aforementioned qualitative assessment results in the Company concluding that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit may be less than its carrying amount, the fair value of the reporting unit will be determined and compared to its carrying value including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the net assets assigned to that unit, goodwill is not impaired and the Company is not required to perform further testing. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, the Company will recognize the difference as an impairment charge. The Company evaluates its reporting units for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if there are changes in the reporting structure of the Company due to acquisitions or realignments or if there are indicators of potential impairment. For the reporting units where the Company is consistently able to conclude that an impairment does not exist using only a qualitative approach, the Company’s accounting policy is to perform the second step of the aforementioned goodwill impairment assessment at least once every three years. Goodwill is assigned to a reporting unit at the date when an acquisition is integrated into one of the established reporting units, and is based on which reporting unit is expected to benefit from the synergies of the acquisition. For purposes of assessing the recoverability of goodwill, the Company has eight primary reporting units at December 31, 2018: two within the Company’s ratings business (one for the ICRA business and one that encompasses all of Moody’s other ratings operations) and six reporting units within MA: Content, ERS, MALS, MAKS, Bureau van Dijk, and Reis. Amortizable intangible assets are reviewed for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
Rent Expense	Rent Expense The Company records rent expense on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease. In cases where there is a free rent period or future fixed rent escalations the Company will record a deferred rent liability. Additionally, the receipt of any lease incentives will be recorded as a deferred rent liability, which will be amortized over the lease term as a reduction of rent expense.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation The Company records compensation expense for all share-based payment award transactions granted to employees based on the fair value of the equity instrument at the time of grant. This includes shares issued under stock option and restricted stock plans.
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities	Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Based on the Company’s risk management policy, from time to time the Company may use derivative financial instruments to reduce exposure to changes in foreign exchange rates and interest rates. The Company does not enter into derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. All derivative financial instruments are recorded on the balance sheet at their respective fair values on a gross basis. The changes in the value of derivatives that qualify as fair value hedges are recorded in the same income statement line item in earnings in which the corresponding adjustment to the carrying value of the hedged item is presented. The entire change in the fair value of derivatives that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded to OCI and such amounts are reclassified from AOCI to the same income statement line in earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects income. Effective with the Company’s early adoption of ASC 2017-12, the Company changed the method by which it assesses effectiveness for net investment hedges from the forward-method to the spot-method. The Company considers the spot-method an improved method of assessing hedge effectiveness, as spot rate changes relating to the hedging instrument’s notional amount perfectly offset the currency translation adjustment on the hedged net investment in the Company’s foreign subsidiaries. The entire change in the fair value of derivatives that qualify as net investment hedges is initially recorded to OCI. Those changes in fair value attributable to components included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness in a net investment hedge are recorded in the currency translation adjustment component of OCI and remain in AOCI until the period in which the hedged item affects earnings. Those changes in fair value attributable to components excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness in a net investment hedge are recorded to OCI and amortized to earnings using a systematic and rational method over the duration of the hedge. Any changes in the fair value of derivatives that the Company does not designate as hedging instruments under Topic 815 of the ASC are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations in the period in which they occur.
Revenue Recognition and Costs to Obtain or Fulfill a Contract with a Customer	Revenue Recognition and Costs to Obtain or Fulfill a Contract with a Customer Revenue recognition: Revenue is recognized when control of promised goods or services is transferred to the customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. When contracts with customers contain multiple performance obligations, the Company accounts for individual performance obligations separately if they are distinct. The transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation on a relative SSP basis. The Company determines the SSP by using the price charged for a deliverable when sold separately or uses management’s best estimate of SSP for goods or services not sold separately using estimation techniques that maximize observable data points, including: internal factors relevant to its pricing practices such as costs and margin objectives; standalone sales prices of similar products; pricing policies; percentage of the fee charged for a primary product or service relative to a related product or service; and customer segment and geography. Additional consideration is also given to market conditions such as competitor pricing strategies and market trends. Sales, usage-based, value added and other taxes are excluded from revenues. MIS Revenue In the MIS segment, revenue arrangements with multiple elements are generally comprised of two distinct performance obligations, an initial rating and the related monitoring service. Revenue attributed to initial ratings of issued securities is generally recognized when the rating is delivered to the issuer. Revenue attributed to monitoring of issuers or issued securities is recognized ratably over the period in which the monitoring is performed, generally one year. In the case of certain structured finance products, primarily CMBS, issuers can elect to pay all of the annual monitoring fees upfront. These fees are deferred and recognized over the future monitoring periods based on the expected lives of the rated securities. MIS arrangements generally have standard contractual terms for which the stated payments are due at conclusion of the ratings process for initial ratings and either upfront or in arrears for monitoring services; and are signed by customers either on a per issue basis or at the beginning of the relationship with the customer. In situations when customer fees for an arrangement may be variable, the Company estimates the variable consideration at inception using the expected value method based on analysis of similar contracts in the same line of business, which is constrained based on the Company’s assessment of the realization of the adjustment amount. The Company allocates the transaction price within arrangements that include multiple elements based upon the relative SSP of each service. The Company generally uses management’s best estimate of SSP for its initial ratings and considers all available data points. The Company generally provides initial ratings only in transactions that include monitoring services. The SSP for monitoring fees in these arrangements are generally based upon directly observable selling prices where the monitoring service is sold separately. MA Revenue In the MA segment, products and services offered by the Company include hosted research and data subscriptions, installed software subscriptions, perpetual installed software licenses and related maintenance, or PCS, and professional services. Subscription and PCS contracts are generally invoiced in advance of the contractual coverage period, which is principally one year, but can range from 3-5 years; while perpetual software licenses are generally invoiced upon delivery and professional services are invoiced as those services are provided. Payment terms and conditions vary by contract type, but primarily include a requirement of payment within 30 to 60 days. Revenue from research, data and other hosted subscriptions is recognized ratably over the related subscription period. A large portion of these services are invoiced in the months of November, December and January. Revenue from the sale of a software license, when considered distinct from the related software implementation services, is generally recognized at the time the product master or first copy is delivered or transferred to the customer. However, in instances where the software license (perpetual or subscription) and related implementation services are considered to be one combined performance obligation, revenue is recognized on a percentage-of-completion basis (input method) as implementation services are performed over time, which is consistent with the pattern of recognition for the software implementation services if considered to be a separate distinct performance obligation. The Company exercises judgment in determining the level of integration and interdependency between the promise to grant the software license and the promise to deliver the related implementation services. This determination influences whether the software license is considered distinct and accounted for separately, or not distinct and accounted for together with the implementation services and recognized over time. PCS is generally recognized ratably over the contractual period commencing when the software license is fully delivered. Revenue from installed software subscriptions, which includes PCS, is bifurcated into a software license performance obligation and a PCS performance obligation, which follow the patterns of recognition described above. For implementation services and other service projects within the ERS and ESA LOBs for which fees are fixed, the Company determined progress towards completion is most accurately measured on a percentage-of-completion basis (input method) as this approach utilizes the most directly observable data points and is therefore used to recognize the related revenue. For implementation services where price varies based on time expended, a time-based measure of progress towards completion of the performance obligation is utilized. Revenue from professional services rendered within the PS LOB is generally recognized as the services are performed over time. Products and services offered within the MA segment are sold either stand-alone or together in various combinations. In instances where an arrangement contains multiple performance obligations, the Company accounts for the individual performance obligations separately if they are considered distinct. Revenue is generally allocated to all performance obligations based upon the relative SSP at contract inception. Judgment is often required to determine the SSP for each distinct performance obligation. Revenue is recognized for each performance obligation based upon the conditions for revenue recognition noted above. In the MA segment, customers usually pay a fixed fee for the products and services based on signed contracts. However, accounting for variable consideration is applied mainly for: i) estimates for cancellation rights and price concessions and ii) T&M based services. The Company estimates the variable consideration associated with cancellation rights and price concessions based on the expected amount to be provided to customers and reduces the amount of revenue to be recognized. T&M based contracts represent about half of MA’s service projects within the ERS and ESA LOBs. The Company provides agreed upon services at a contracted daily or hourly rate. The commitment represents a series of goods and services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer. As such, if T&M services are sold with other MA products, the Company allocates the variable consideration entirely to the T&M performance obligation if the services are sold at standard pricing or at a similar discount level compared to other performance obligations in the same revenue contract. If these criteria are not met, the Company estimates variable consideration for each performance obligation upfront. Each form of variable consideration is included in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of any incremental revenue will not occur. Costs to Obtain or Fulfill a Contract with a Customer: Costs incurred to obtain customer contracts, such as sales commissions, are deferred and recorded within other current assets and other assets when such costs are determined to be incremental to obtaining a contract, would not have been incurred otherwise and the Company expects to recover those costs. These costs are amortized to expense consistent with the recognition pattern of the related revenue over time. Depending on the line of business to which the contract relates, this may be based upon the average economic life of the products sold or average period for which services are provided, inclusive of anticipated contract renewals. Determining the estimated economic life of the products sold requires judgment with respect to anticipated future technological changes. The Company had a balance of $109.6 million in such deferred costs as of December 31, 2018 and recognized $38.0 million of related amortization during the year ended December 31, 2018, which is included within SG&A expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. Costs incurred to obtain customer contracts are only in the MA segment. Costs incurred to fulfill customer contracts, are deferred and recorded within other current assets and other assets when such costs relate directly to a contract, generate or enhance resources of the Company that will be used in satisfying performance obligations in the future and the Company expects to recover those costs. The Company capitalizes work-in-process costs for in-progress MIS ratings, which is recognized consistent with the rendering of the related services to the customers, as ratings are issued. The Company had a balance of $10.6 million in such deferred costs as of December 31, 2018 and recognized $40.4 million of amortization of the costs during the year ended December 31, 2018, respectively, which is included within operating expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. In addition, within the MA segment, the Company capitalizes royalty costs related to third-party information data providers associated with hosted company information and business intelligence products. These costs are amortized to expense consistent with the recognition pattern of the related revenue over time. The Company had a balance of $35.0 million in such deferred costs as of December 31, 2018 and recognized $54.0 million of related amortization during the year ended December 31, 2018, respectively, which is included within operating expenses in the consolidated statement of operations.
Accounts Receivable Allowances	Accounts Receivable Allowances and Contract Assets Moody’s records variable consideration in respect of estimated future adjustments to customer billings as an adjustment to revenue using the expected value method based on analysis of similar contracts in the same line of business. Such amounts are reflected as additions to the accounts receivable allowance or to contract assets. Additionally, estimates of uncollectible accounts are recorded as bad debt expense and are reflected as additions to the accounts receivable allowance. Actual billing adjustments are recorded against the allowance or the contract asset, depending on the nature of the adjustment. Actual uncollectible account write-offs are recorded against the allowance. Moody’s evaluates its accounts receivable allowance by reviewing and assessing historical collection and adjustment experience and the current status of customer accounts. Moody’s also considers the economic environment of the customers, both from an industry and geographic perspective, in evaluating the need for allowances. Based on its analysis, Moody’s adjusts its allowance as considered appropriate in the circumstances.
Contingencies	Contingencies Moody’s is involved in legal and tax proceedings, governmental, regulatory and legislative 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. For claims, litigation and proceedings and governmental investigations and inquires 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 may 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, 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 of them, 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. The Company’s wholly-owned insurance subsidiary insures the Company against certain risks including but not limited to deductibles for worker’s compensation, employment practices litigation and employee medical claims and terrorism, for which the claims are not material to the Company. In addition, for claim years 2008 and 2009, the insurance subsidiary insured the Company for defense costs related to professional liability claims. For matters insured by the Company’s insurance subsidiary, Moody’s records liabilities based on the estimated total claims expected to be paid and total projected costs to defend a claim through its anticipated conclusion. The Company determines liabilities based on an assessment of management’s best estimate of claims to be paid and legal defense costs as well as actuarially determined estimates. Defense costs for matters not self-insured by the Company’s wholly-owned insurance subsidiary are expensed as services are provided.
Operating Expenses	Operating Expenses Operating expenses include costs associated with the development and production of the Company’s products and services and their delivery to customers. These expenses principally include employee compensation and benefits and travel costs that are incurred in connection with these activities. Operating expenses are charged to income as incurred, except for certain costs related to software implementation services, which may be deferred until related revenue is recognized. Additionally, certain costs incurred to develop internal use software are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful life.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses	Selling, General and Administrative Expenses SG&A expenses include such items as compensation and benefits for corporate officers and staff and compensation and other expenses related to sales. They also include items such as office rent, business insurance, professional fees and gains and losses from sales and disposals of assets. SG&A expenses are charged to income as incurred, except for certain expenses incurred to develop internal use software (which are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful life) and the deferral of sales commissions in the MA segment (which are recognized in the period in which the related revenue is recognized).
Foreign Currency Translation	Foreign Currency Translation For all operations outside the U.S. where the Company has designated the local currency as the functional currency, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using end of year exchange rates, and revenue and expenses are translated using average exchange rates for the year. For these foreign operations, currency translation adjustments are recorded to other comprehensive income.
Comprehensive Income	Comprehensive Income Comprehensive income represents the change in net assets of a business enterprise during a period due to transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources including foreign currency translation impacts, net actuarial losses and net prior service costs related to pension and other retirement plans, gains and losses on derivative instruments designated as net investment hedges or cash flow hedges and unrealized gains and losses on securities designated as ‘available-for-sale’ under ASC Topic 320 (for periods prior to January 1, 2018). Comprehensive income items, including cumulative translation adjustments of entities that are less-than-wholly-owned subsidiaries, will be reclassified to noncontrolling interests and thereby, adjusting accumulated other comprehensive income proportionately in accordance with the percentage of ownership interest of the NCI shareholder.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC Topic 740. Therefore, income tax expense is based on reported income before income taxes and deferred income taxes reflect the effect of temporary differences between the amounts of assets and liabilities that are recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amounts that are recognized for income tax purposes. The Company classifies interest related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of interest expense in its consolidated statements of operations. Penalties are recognized in other non-operating expenses. For UTPs, the Company first determines whether it is more-likely-than-not (defined as a likelihood of more than fifty percent) that a tax position will be sustained based on its technical merits as of the reporting date, assuming that taxing authorities will examine the position and have full knowledge of all relevant information. A tax position that meets this more-likely-than-not threshold is then measured and recognized at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely to be realized upon effective settlement with a taxing authority. On December 22, 2017, the Tax Act was signed into law, resulting in all previously undistributed foreign earnings being subject to U.S. tax. The Company has provided non-U.S. deferred taxes for those entities whose earnings are not indefinitely permanently reinvested.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company’s financial instruments include cash, cash equivalents, trade receivables and payables, and certain short-term investments consisting primarily of certificates of deposit, all of which are short-term in nature and, accordingly, approximate fair value. The Company also has certain investments in mutual funds in India, which are accounted for as equity securities with readily determinable fair values under ASC Topic 321. Beginning in the first quarter of 2018, the Company will measure these investments at fair value with both realized gains and losses and unrealized holding gains and losses for these investments included in net income. Prior to January 1, 2018, the investments in mutual funds in India were designated as ‘available for sale’ under Topic 320 of the ASC. Accordingly, unrealized gains and losses on these investments were recorded to other comprehensive income and were reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income to the statement of operations when the investment matured or was sold using a specific identification method. Also, the Company uses derivative instruments to manage certain financial exposures that occur in the normal course of business. These derivative instruments are carried at fair value on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Fair value is defined by the ASC 820 as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The determination of this fair value is based on the principal or most advantageous market in which the Company could commence transactions and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions and risk of nonperformance. Also, determination of fair value assumes that market participants will consider the highest and best use of the asset. The ASC establishes a fair value hierarchy whereby the inputs contained in valuation techniques used to measure fair value are categorized into three broad levels as follows: Level 1: quoted market prices in active markets that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the date of the fair value measurement; Level 2: inputs other than quoted market prices described in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; Level 3: unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value measurement of the assets or liabilities.
Concentration of Credit Risk	Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk principally consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, trade receivables and derivatives. The Company manages its credit risk exposure by allocating its cash equivalents among various money market mutual funds, money market deposit accounts, certificates of deposits and high-grade commercial paper. Short-term investments primarily consist of certificates of deposit as of December 31, 2018 and 2017. The Company manages its credit risk exposure on cash equivalents and short-term investments by limiting the amount it can invest with any single entity. No customer accounted for 10% or more of accounts receivable at December 31, 2018 or 2017.
Earnings per Share of Common Stock	Earnings (Loss) per Share of Common Stock Basic shares outstanding is calculated based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted shares outstanding is calculated giving effect to all potentially dilutive common shares, assuming that such shares were outstanding and dilutive during the reporting period
Pension and Other Retirement Benefits	Pension and Other Retirement Benefits Moody’s maintains various noncontributory DBPPs as well as other contributory and noncontributory retirement plans. The expense and assets/liabilities that the Company reports for its pension and other retirement benefits are dependent on many assumptions concerning the outcome of future events and circumstances. These assumptions represent the Company’s best estimates and may vary by plan. The differences between the assumptions for the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and actual experience is spread over a five-year period to the market-related value of plan assets, which is used in determining the expected return on assets component of annual pension expense. All other actuarial gains and losses are generally deferred and amortized over the estimated average future working life of active plan participants. The Company recognizes as an asset or liability in its consolidated balance sheet the funded status of its defined benefit retirement plans, measured on a plan-by-plan basis. Changes in the funded status due to actuarial gains/losses are recorded as part of other comprehensive income during the period the changes occur.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, revenue recognition, accounts receivable allowances, income taxes, contingencies, valuation and useful lives of long-lived and intangible assets, goodwill, pension and other retirement benefits, stock-based compensation, restructuring and depreciable lives for property and equipment and computer software.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” requiring lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability for all leases with terms of more than 12 months. Recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows will depend on classification as either a finance or operating lease. During July 2018, the FASB issued additional updates to the new lease accounting standard. ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases” clarifies certain aspects of the new lease accounting standard. In addition, ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements” provides companies with the option to apply the provisions of the new lease accounting standard on the date of adoption (effective date of January 1, 2019 for Moody’s), and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption, without adjusting the comparative periods presented, as initially required. The Company will adopt the new lease accounting standard as of January 1, 2019 and has elected to apply the provisions of the standard on the date of adoption. Accordingly, the Company will not restate prior year comparative periods for the impact of the new lease accounting standard. The Company will elect the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new lease accounting standard, which permits the Company not to reassess the following for any expired or existing contracts: i) whether any contracts contain leases; ii) lease classification (i.e. operating lease or finance/capital lease); and iii) initial direct costs. The Company is in the process of finalizing the implementation of a software solution, which will support the accounting under the new lease accounting standard. The Company anticipates that the adoption of the new lease accounting standard will result in the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities of approximately $520 million and $625 million, respectively, at January 1, 2019, consisting primarily of operating leases relating to real estate. Pursuant to this transition adjustment, the Company also anticipates recognizing approximately $150 million and approximately $125 million in additional deferred tax assets and liabilities, respectively. The Company does not anticipate that the new lease accounting standard will materially impact its statement of operations or statement of cash flows in periods subsequent to adoption. The aforementioned estimates related to the adoption of the new lease accounting standard are based on the Company’s assessment and best estimates to date. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”. The amendments in this ASU require the use of an “expected credit loss” impairment model for most financial assets reported at amortized cost, which will require entities to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of the instrument. This may result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, an allowance for credit losses will be recognized as a contra account to the amortized cost carrying value of the asset rather than a direct reduction to the carrying value, with changes in the allowance impacting earnings. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-19 “Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses,” which clarifies that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of Subtopic 326-20, but instead should be accounted for in accordance with Topic 842, Leases. ASU No. 2016-13 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted in annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Entities will apply the standard’s provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first effective reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on its financial statements. Currently, the Company believes that the most notable impact of this ASU will relate to its processes around the assessment of the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts on accounts receivable. In February 2018, FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”. Under current GAAP, adjustments to deferred tax assets and liabilities related to a change in tax laws or rates are included in income from continuing operations, even in situations where the related items were originally recognized in OCI (commonly referred to as a “stranded tax effect”). The provisions of this ASU permit the reclassification of the stranded tax effect related to the Tax Act from AOCI to retained earnings. This ASU is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. Adoption of this ASU is to be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the Tax Act were recognized. The Company expects to make adjustments to its opening retained earnings and AOCI balances as of January 1, 2019, to reclassify approximately $20 million of tax benefits from AOCI to retained earnings relating to the aforementioned stranded tax effect of the Tax Act. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting”, which simplifies the accounting for nonemployee share-based payment transactions. The amendments specify that ASC Topic 718 applies to all share-based payment transactions in which a grantor acquires goods or services to be used or consumed in a grantor’s own operations by issuing share-based payment awards. The ASU is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract”, which requires implementation costs incurred by customers in cloud computing arrangements (i.e., hosting arrangements) to be capitalized under the same premises of authoritative guidance for internal-use software, and deferred over the non-cancellable term of the cloud computing arrangements plus any option renewal periods that are reasonably certain to be exercised by the customer or for which the exercise is controlled by the service provider. The ASU is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on its financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, “Compensation—Retirement Benefits—Defined Benefit Plans—General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans”. This ASU eliminates requirements for certain disclosures and requires additional disclosures under defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement plans. The ASU is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 on a retrospective basis to all periods presented, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on its financial statements. In October 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-16, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Inclusion of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) Overnight Index Swap (OIS) Rate as a Benchmark Interest Rate for Hedge Accounting Purposes”. The amendments in this ASU permit the use of the OIS rate based on SOFR as a U.S. benchmark interest rate for hedge accounting purposes under ASC 815, in addition to the currently permissible benchmark interest rates. This ASU will provide the Company the ability to utilize the OIS rate based on SOFR as the benchmark interest rate on certain hedges of interest rate risk. For entities, such as the Company, that have already adopted ASU 2017-12, this ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The ASU is to be adopted on a prospective basis for qualifying new or redesignated hedging relationships entered into on or after the date of adoption. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.