Introduction and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Introduction and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

Introduction and Basis of Presentation

1.Introduction and Basis of Presentation

CSC is a savings and loan holding company engaged, through its subsidiaries, in wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, money management, custody, and financial advisory services. Schwab is a securities broker-dealer with over 325 domestic branch offices in 45 states, as well as a branch in each of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and London, England. In addition, Schwab serves clients in Hong Kong through one of CSC’s subsidiaries. Other subsidiaries include Schwab Bank, a federal savings bank, and CSIM, the investment advisor for Schwab’s proprietary mutual funds, which are referred to as the Schwab Funds®, and for Schwab’s exchange-traded funds, which are referred to as the Schwab ETFs™.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include CSC and its majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the Company). Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the accompanying financial statements. Certain estimates relate to OTTI of securities available for sale and securities held to maturity, valuation of goodwill, allowance for loan losses, and legal and regulatory reserves. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Principles of Consolidation

The Company accounts for investments in entities for which it owns a voting interest and for which it has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financing decisions using the equity method of accounting. Investments in entities for which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence are generally carried at cost. Both equity method and cost method investments are included in other assets.

The Company evaluates its initial and continuing involvement with certain entities to determine if the Company is required to consolidate the entities under the variable interest entity (VIE) model. For interests in entities other than the Company’s sponsored funds, the evaluation is based on a qualitative assessment of whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the

VIE’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that potentially could be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that potentially could be significant to the VIE.

The primary beneficiary determination for the Company’s sponsored funds is based on a quantitative assessment of whether the Company would absorb a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receive a majority of the VIE’s expected residual returns, or both. Based upon the Company’s assessments, the Company is not deemed to be the primary beneficiary of and, therefore, is not required to consolidate any VIEs.