Accounting Developments

12 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2021

Accounting Standards Update and Change in Accounting Principle [Abstract]

Accounting Developments

Accounting Developments

Adopted Accounting Standards

Income Taxes. In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The objective of the guidance is to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and to provide more consistent application to improve the comparability of financial statements. We adopted the guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and the adoption did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Consolidation. In October 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-17, Consolidation: Targeted Improvements to Related Party Guidance for Variable Interest Entities. The guidance requires indirect interests held through related parties under common control arrangements be considered on a proportional basis for determining whether fees paid to decision makers and service providers are variable interests. We adopted the guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and the adoption did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Internal-Use Software. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software: Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. The guidance amends the definition of a hosting arrangement and requires that the customer in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract capitalize certain implementation costs as if the arrangement was an internal-use software project. We adopted the guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and elected to apply the guidance prospectively to implementation costs incurred after the adoption date. The adoption did not have an impact on our consolidated financial statements on the adoption date.

Defined Benefit Plans. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, Compensation—Retirement Benefits—Defined Benefit Plans—General: Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. The objective of the guidance is to improve the effectiveness of disclosure requirements on defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement plans. We adopted the guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and the adoption did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplifies goodwill impairment testing. We adopted the guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and the adoption did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Financial Instruments—Credit Losses. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The guidance provides for estimating credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost by introducing an approach based on expected losses over the financial asset's entire life, recorded at inception or purchase. We adopted the new credit loss guidance on December 1, 2020 and applied a modified retrospective approach through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings upon adoption. At transition on December 1, 2020, the new accounting guidance's adoption resulted in a decrease in the provision for credit losses of $3.6 million with a corresponding increase in retained earnings of $2.7 million, net of tax. The decrease was attributable to applying a revised provisioning methodology based on historical loss experience for our investment banking fee receivables. The impact upon adoption for our secured financing receivables (reverse repurchases agreements, securities borrowing arrangements, and margin loans) was immaterial because of the contractual collateral maintenance provisions that require that the counterparty continually adjust the amount of collateralization securing the credit exposure on these contracts. For the remaining financial instruments within the guidance's scope, the expected credit losses were also determined to be immaterial considering the counterparty's credit quality, an insignificant history of credit losses, or the short-term nature of the credit exposures. The updated accounting policy for estimating credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost as a result of this adoption is outlined below.

Credit Losses on Financial Assets Measured at Amortized Cost

Financial assets measured at amortized cost are presented at the net amount expected to be collected and the measurement of credit losses and any expected increases or decreases in expected credit losses are recognized in earnings. The estimate of expected credit losses involves judgment and based on an assessment over the life of the financial instrument taking into consideration forecasts of expected future economic conditions. In evaluating secured financing receivables (reverse repurchases agreements, securities borrowing arrangements, and margin loans), the underlying collateral maintenance provisions are taken into consideration. The underlying contractual collateral maintenance for significantly all of our secured financing receivables requires that the counterparty continually adjust the collateralization amount, securing the credit exposure on these contracts. Collateralization levels for our secured financing receivables are initially established based upon the counterparty, the type of acceptable collateral that is monitored daily and adjusted to mitigate the potential of any credit losses. Credit losses are not recognized for secured financing receivables where the underlying collateral's fair value is equal to or exceeds the asset's amortized cost basis. In cases where the collateral's fair value does not equal or exceed the amortized cost basis, the allowance for credit losses, if any, is limited to the difference between the fair value of the collateral at the reporting date and the amortized cost basis of the financial assets. During the year ended November 30, 2021, we incurred bad debt expense of $39.0 million related to a specific default in our prime brokerage business.

Our receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations include deposits of cash with exchange clearing organizations to meet margin requirements, amounts due from clearing organizations for daily variation settlements, securities failed-to-deliver or receive, receivables and payables for fees and commissions, and receivables arising from unsettled securities or loans transactions. These receivables generally do not give rise to material credit risk and have a remote probability of default either because of their short-term nature or due to the credit protection framework inherent in the design and operations of brokers, dealers and clearing organizations. As such, generally, no allowance for credit losses is held against these receivables.

For all other financial assets measured at amortized cost, we estimate expected credit losses over the financial assets' life as of the reporting date based on relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts.