Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Asset management and administration fees, which include mutual fund service fees and fees for other asset-based financial services provided to individual and institutional clients, are recognized as revenue over the period that the related service is provided, based upon average asset balances. The Company earns mutual fund service fees for shareholder services, administration, investment management services, and transfer agent services (through July 2009) provided to its proprietary funds, and recordkeeping and shareholder services provided to third-party funds. These fees are based upon the daily balances of client assets invested in these funds. The Company also earns asset management fees for advice solutions, which include advisory and managed account services that are based on the daily balances of client assets subject to the specific fee for service. The fair values of client assets included in proprietary and third-party mutual funds are based on quoted market prices and other observable market data. Other asset management and administration fees include various asset based fees, such as trust fees, 401k record keeping fees, and mutual fund clearing and other fees. In 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company waived a portion of its asset management fees earned from certain Schwab-sponsored money market mutual funds in order to provide a positive return to clients. Under agreements with these funds, the Company may recover such fee waivers depending on the future performance of the funds and approval by the boards of the respective funds until the third anniversary of the end of the fiscal year in which such fee waiver occurs, subject to certain limitations. Recoveries of previously-waived asset management fees are recognized as revenue when substantially all uncertainties about timing and amount of realization are resolved. Amounts recognized in revenue for recoveries of previously-waived asset management fees were not material in 2011, 2010 or 2009. Interest revenue represents interest earned on certain assets, which include cash and cash equivalents, cash and investments segregated, receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations, receivables from brokerage clients, other securities owned, securities available for sale, securities held to maturity, loans to banking clients, and loans held for sale. Interest revenue is recognized in the period earned based upon average or daily asset balances and respective interest rates. Securities transactions: Trading revenue includes commission and principal transaction revenues. Clients’ securities transactions are recorded on the date that they settle, while the related commission revenues and expenses are recorded on the date that the trade occurs. Principal transaction revenues are primarily comprised of revenues from client fixed income securities trading activity, which are recorded on a trade date basis. Cash and cash equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less that are not segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include money market funds, deposits with banks, certificates of deposit, federal funds sold, commercial paper, and treasury securities. Cash and cash equivalents also include balances that Schwab Bank maintains at the Federal Reserve Bank. Cash and investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes include securities purchased under agreements to resell (resale agreements), which are collateralized by United States (U.S.) Government and agency securities. Resale agreements are accounted for as collateralized investing transactions that are recorded at their contractual amounts plus accrued interest. The Company obtains control of collateral with a market value equal to or in excess of the principal amount loaned and accrued interest under resale agreements. Collateral is valued daily by the Company, with additional collateral obtained to ensure full collateralization. Cash and investments segregated also include certificates of deposit and U.S. Government securities, as well as corporate debt securities guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program. Certificates of deposit, U.S. Government securities, and corporate debt securities are recorded at fair value. Receivables from brokerage clients include margin loans to clients and are recorded net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Receivables from brokerage clients that remain unsecured or partially secured for more than 30 days are fully reserved. Other securities owned include Schwab Funds^® money market funds, certificates of deposit, equity and bond mutual funds, state and municipal debt obligations, equity securities, U.S. Government and corporate debt, and other securities recorded at fair value based on quoted market prices. Unrealized gains and losses are included in trading revenue. Securities available for sale and securities held to maturity: Securities available for sale include U.S. agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities, certificates of deposit, corporate debt securities, U.S. agency notes, and asset-backed and other securities. Securities available for sale are recorded at fair value and unrealized gains and losses are reported, net of taxes, in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) included in stockholders’ equity. Securities held to maturity include U.S. agency residential mortgage-backed securities and other securities. Securities held to maturity are recorded at amortized cost based on the Company’s positive intent and ability to hold these securities to maturity. Realized gains and losses from sales of securities available for sale are determined on a specific identification basis and are included in other revenue. Management evaluates whether securities available for sale and securities held to maturity are other-than-temporarily impaired (OTTI) on a quarterly basis. Debt securities with unrealized losses are considered OTTI if the Company intends to sell the security or if it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell such security prior to any anticipated recovery. If management determines that a security is OTTI under these circumstances, the impairment recognized in earnings is measured as the entire difference between the amortized cost and the then-current fair value. A security is also OTTI if management does not expect to recover the amortized cost of the security. In this circumstance, management utilizes cash flow models to estimate the expected future cash flow from the securities and to estimate the credit loss. The impairment recognized in earnings is measured by the difference between the present value of expected cash flows and the amortized cost of the security. Expected cash flows are discounted using the security’s effective interest rate. The evaluation of whether the Company expects to recover the amortized cost of a security is inherently judgmental. The evaluation includes the assessment of several bond performance indicators including: the portion of the underlying loans that are delinquent (30 days, 60 days, 90+ days), in bankruptcy, in foreclosure or converted to real estate owned; the actual amount of loss incurred on the underlying loans in which the property has been foreclosed and sold; the amount of credit support provided by the structure of the security available to absorb credit losses on the underlying loans; the current price and magnitude of the unrealized loss; and whether the Company has received all scheduled principal and interest payments. Management uses cash flow models to further assess the likelihood of other-than-temporary impairment for the Company’s non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities. To develop the cash flow models, the Company uses forecasted loss severity, prepayment speeds (i.e. the rate at which the principal on underlying loans are paid down), and default rates over the securities’ expected remaining maturities. Securities borrowed and securities loaned: Securities borrowed require the Company to deliver cash to the lender in exchange for securities and are included in receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations. For securities loaned, the Company receives collateral in the form of cash in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of securities loaned. Securities loaned are included in payables to brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations. The Company monitors the market value of securities borrowed and loaned, with additional collateral obtained or refunded to ensure full collateralization. Fees received or paid are recorded in interest revenue or interest expense. Loans to banking clients are recorded at their contractual principal amounts and include unamortized direct origination costs. Additionally, loans are recorded net of an allowance for loan losses. The Company’s loan portfolio includes four loan segments: residential real estate mortgages, home equity lines of credit (HELOC), personal loans secured by securities and other loans. Residential real estate mortgages include two loan classes: originated first mortgages and purchased first mortgages. Loan segments are defined as the level to which the Company disaggregates its loan portfolio when developing and documenting a methodology for determining the allowance for loan losses. A loan class is defined as a group of loans within a loan segment that has homogeneous risk characteristics. The Company records an allowance for loan losses through a charge to earnings based on management’s evaluation of the existing portfolio. The adequacy of the allowance is reviewed quarterly by management, taking into consideration current economic conditions, the existing loan portfolio composition, past loss experience, and risks inherent in the portfolio. The process to establish an allowance for loan losses utilizes loan-level statistical models that estimate prepayments, defaults, and probable losses for the loan segments based on predicted behavior of individual loans within the segments. The methodology considers the effects of borrower behavior and a variety of factors including, but not limited to, interest rates, housing price movements as measured by a housing price index, economic conditions, estimated defaults and foreclosures measured by historical and expected delinquencies, changes in prepayment speeds, loan-to-value ratios, past loss experience, estimates of future loss severities, borrower credit risk measured by Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) scores, and the adequacy of collateral. The methodology also evaluates concentrations in the loan segments including loan products, year of origination, geographical distribution of collateral, and the portion of borrowers who have other client relationships with the Company. The more significant variables considered include a measure of delinquency roll rates, loss severity, housing prices, and interest rates. Delinquency roll rates (i.e., the rates at which loans transition through delinquency stages and ultimately result in a loss) are estimated from the Company’s historical loss experience adjusted for current trends and market information. Loss severity estimates are based on the Company’s historical loss experience and market trends. Housing price trends are derived from historical home price indices and econometric forecasts of future home values. Factors affecting the home price index include: housing inventory, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation expectations. Interest rate projections are based on the current term structure of interest rates and historical volatilities to project various possible future interest rate paths. This quarterly analysis results in a loss factor that is applied to the outstanding balances to determine the allowance for loan loss for each loan segment. Nonaccrual loans: Residential real estate mortgages, HELOC, personal, and other loans are placed on nonaccrual status upon becoming 90 days past due as to interest or principal (unless the loans are well-secured and in the process of collection), or when the full timely collection of interest or principal becomes uncertain. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, the accrued and unpaid interest receivable is reversed and the loan is accounted for on the cash or cost recovery method thereafter, until qualifying for return to accrual status. Generally, a loan may be returned to accrual status when all delinquent interest and principal is repaid and the loan is performing in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement, or when the loan is both well-secured and in the process of collection and collectability is no longer doubtful. Loans held for sale include fixed-rate and adjustable-rate residential first-mortgage loans intended for sale. Loans held for sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value. The fair value of loans held for sale is estimated using quoted market prices for securities backed by similar types of loans. Equipment, office facilities, and property are recorded at cost net of accumulated depreciation and amortization, except for land, which is recorded at cost. Equipment and office facilities are depreciated on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three to ten years. Buildings are depreciated on a straight-line basis over 20 to 40 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the asset or the term of the lease. Software and certain costs incurred for purchasing or developing software for internal use are amortized on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three or five years. Equipment, office facilities, and property are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Goodwill represents the fair value of acquired businesses in excess of the fair value of the individually identified net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually or whenever indications of impairment exist. In testing for a potential impairment of goodwill, management estimates the fair value of each of the Company’s reporting units (defined as the Company’s businesses for which financial information is available and reviewed regularly by management), and compares it to their carrying value. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, management is required to estimate the fair value of all assets and liabilities of the reporting unit, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is greater than the estimated fair value, an impairment charge is recognized for the excess. The Company’s annual impairment testing date is April 1^st. The Company did not recognize any goodwill impairment in 2011, 2010, or 2009. Intangible assets include customer relationships, technology, tradenames, and other intangible assets and are recorded at fair value. The Company utilizes independent third-party valuation specialists to determine the fair value of intangible assets acquired in a business combination, and does not have any internally generated intangible assets. Subsequently, intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives in a manner that best reflects their economic benefit. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The Company does not have any indefinite-lived intangible assets. Guarantees and indemnifications: The Company recognizes, at the inception of a guarantee, a liability equal to the estimated fair value of the obligation undertaken in issuing the guarantee. The fair values of the obligations relating to standby letter of credit agreements (LOCs) are estimated based on fees charged to enter into similar agreements, considering the creditworthiness of the counterparties. The fair values of the obligations relating to other guarantees are estimated based on transactions for similar guarantees or expected present value measures. Income taxes: The Company provides for income taxes on all transactions that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, deferred tax assets are adjusted to reflect the tax rates at which future taxable amounts will likely be settled or realized. The effects of tax rate changes on future deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities, as well as other changes in income tax laws, are recorded in earnings in the period during which such changes are enacted. The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits, which are included in accrued expenses and other liabilities, represent the difference between positions taken on tax return filings and estimated potential tax settlement outcomes. Stock-based compensation includes employee and board of director stock options, restricted stock awards, and restricted stock units. The Company measures compensation expense for these share-based payment arrangements based on their estimated fair values as of the awards’ grant date. The fair value of the share-based award is recognized over the vesting period as stock-based compensation. Stock-based compensation expense is based on awards expected to vest and therefore is reduced for estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant based on the Company’s historical forfeiture experience and revised in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Adoption of New Accounting Standards Goodwill Impairment Test: In December 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued new guidance on when to perform the second step in the two-step goodwill impairment test, which is effective for all goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2011. Specifically, if the carrying value of a reporting unit, as computed in step one of the goodwill impairment test, is zero or negative, step two must be performed when it is “more likely than not” that goodwill is impaired; under these circumstances, entities can no longer assume that no impairment exists because fair value, as computed in step two, would generally be greater than zero. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, earnings per share (EPS), or cash flows. A Creditor’s Determination of Whether a Restructuring Is a Troubled Debt Restructuring: In April 2011, the FASB issued new guidance clarifying when a debt restructuring by a creditor constitutes a troubled debt restructuring, which is effective July 1, 2011 for all restructurings that occur on or after January 1, 2011. This guidance clarifies that a troubled debt restructuring only exists when a creditor makes a concession in interest rates or payment terms to a debtor experiencing financial difficulties. It provides additional guidance on determining what constitutes a concession, and on the use of probability in determining if a debtor could be experiencing financial difficulty prior to defaulting on payments. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, EPS, or cash flows. New Accounting Standard Not Yet Adopted Testing Goodwill for Impairment: In September 2011, the FASB issued new guidance allowing companies to consider qualitative factors before performing a quantitative assessment when determining whether goodwill is impaired, which is effective for goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2012. Specifically, there is no longer a requirement to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test unless the entity determines that based on qualitative factors, it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, EPS, or cash flows.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Asset management and administration fees, which include mutual fund service fees and fees for other asset-based financial services provided to individual and institutional clients, are recognized as revenue over the period that the related service is provided, based upon average asset balances. The Company earns mutual fund service fees for shareholder services, administration, investment management services, and transfer agent services (through July 2009) provided to its proprietary funds, and recordkeeping and shareholder services provided to third-party funds. These fees are based upon the daily balances of client assets invested in these funds. The Company also earns asset management fees for advice solutions, which include advisory and managed account services that are based on the daily balances of client assets subject to the specific fee for service. The fair values of client assets included in proprietary and third-party mutual funds are based on quoted market prices and other observable market data. Other asset management and administration fees include various asset based fees, such as trust fees, 401k record keeping fees, and mutual fund clearing and other fees.

In 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company waived a portion of its asset management fees earned from certain Schwab-sponsored money market mutual funds in order to provide a positive return to clients. Under agreements with these funds, the Company may recover such fee waivers depending on the future performance of the funds and approval by the boards of the respective funds until the third anniversary of the end of the fiscal year in which such fee waiver occurs, subject to certain limitations. Recoveries of previously-waived asset management fees are recognized as revenue when substantially all uncertainties about timing and amount of realization are resolved. Amounts recognized in revenue for recoveries of previously-waived asset management fees were not material in 2011, 2010 or 2009.

Interest revenue represents interest earned on certain assets, which include cash and cash equivalents, cash and investments segregated, receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations, receivables from brokerage clients, other securities owned, securities available for sale, securities held to maturity, loans to banking clients, and loans held for sale. Interest revenue is recognized in the period earned based upon average or daily asset balances and respective interest rates.

Securities transactions: Trading revenue includes commission and principal transaction revenues. Clients’ securities transactions are recorded on the date that they settle, while the related commission revenues and expenses are recorded on the date that the trade occurs. Principal transaction revenues are primarily comprised of revenues from client fixed income securities trading activity, which are recorded on a trade date basis.

Cash and cash equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less that are not segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include money market funds, deposits with banks, certificates of deposit, federal funds sold, commercial paper, and treasury securities. Cash and cash equivalents also include balances that Schwab Bank maintains at the Federal Reserve Bank.

Cash and investments segregated and on deposit for regulatory purposes include securities purchased under agreements to resell (resale agreements), which are collateralized by United States (U.S.) Government and agency securities. Resale agreements are accounted for as collateralized investing transactions that are recorded at their contractual amounts plus accrued interest. The Company obtains control of collateral with a market value equal to or in excess of the principal amount loaned and accrued interest under resale agreements. Collateral is valued daily by the Company, with additional collateral obtained to ensure full collateralization. Cash and investments segregated also include certificates of deposit and U.S. Government securities, as well as corporate debt securities guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program. Certificates of deposit, U.S. Government securities, and corporate debt securities are recorded at fair value.

Receivables from brokerage clients include margin loans to clients and are recorded net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Receivables from brokerage clients that remain unsecured or partially secured for more than 30 days are fully reserved.

Other securities owned include Schwab Funds^® money market funds, certificates of deposit, equity and bond mutual funds, state and municipal debt obligations, equity securities, U.S. Government and corporate debt, and other securities recorded at fair value based on quoted market prices. Unrealized gains and losses are included in trading revenue.

Securities available for sale and securities held to maturity: Securities available for sale include U.S. agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities, certificates of deposit, corporate debt securities, U.S. agency notes, and asset-backed and other securities. Securities available for sale are recorded at fair value and unrealized gains and losses are reported, net of taxes, in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) included in stockholders’ equity. Securities held to maturity include U.S. agency residential mortgage-backed securities and other securities. Securities held to maturity are recorded at amortized cost based on the Company’s positive intent and ability to hold these securities to maturity. Realized gains and losses from sales of securities available for sale are determined on a specific identification basis and are included in other revenue.

Management evaluates whether securities available for sale and securities held to maturity are other-than-temporarily impaired (OTTI) on a quarterly basis. Debt securities with unrealized losses are considered OTTI if the Company intends to sell the security or if it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell such security prior to any anticipated recovery. If management determines that a security is OTTI under these circumstances, the impairment recognized in earnings is measured as the entire difference between the amortized cost and the then-current fair value.

A security is also OTTI if management does not expect to recover the amortized cost of the security. In this circumstance, management utilizes cash flow models to estimate the expected future cash flow from the securities and to estimate the credit loss. The impairment recognized in earnings is measured by the difference between the present value of expected cash flows and the amortized cost of the security. Expected cash flows are discounted using the security’s effective interest rate.

The evaluation of whether the Company expects to recover the amortized cost of a security is inherently judgmental. The evaluation includes the assessment of several bond performance indicators including: the portion of the underlying loans that are delinquent (30 days, 60 days, 90+ days), in bankruptcy, in foreclosure or converted to real estate owned; the actual amount of loss incurred on the underlying loans in which the property has been foreclosed and sold; the amount of credit support provided by the structure of the security available to absorb credit losses on the underlying loans; the current price and magnitude of the unrealized loss; and whether the Company has received all scheduled principal and interest payments. Management uses cash flow models to further assess the likelihood of other-than-temporary impairment for the Company’s non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities. To develop the cash flow models, the Company uses forecasted loss severity, prepayment speeds (i.e. the rate at which the principal on underlying loans are paid down), and default rates over the securities’ expected remaining maturities.

Securities borrowed and securities loaned: Securities borrowed require the Company to deliver cash to the lender in exchange for securities and are included in receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations. For securities loaned, the Company receives collateral in the form of cash in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of securities loaned. Securities loaned are included in payables to brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations. The Company monitors the market value of securities borrowed and loaned, with additional collateral obtained or refunded to ensure full collateralization. Fees received or paid are recorded in interest revenue or interest expense.

Loans to banking clients are recorded at their contractual principal amounts and include unamortized direct origination costs. Additionally, loans are recorded net of an allowance for loan losses. The Company’s loan portfolio includes four loan segments: residential real estate mortgages, home equity lines of credit (HELOC), personal loans secured by securities and other loans. Residential real estate mortgages include two loan classes: originated first mortgages and purchased first mortgages. Loan segments are defined as the level to which the Company disaggregates its loan portfolio when developing and documenting a methodology for determining the allowance for loan losses. A loan class is defined as a group of loans within a loan segment that has homogeneous risk characteristics.

The Company records an allowance for loan losses through a charge to earnings based on management’s evaluation of the existing portfolio. The adequacy of the allowance is reviewed quarterly by management, taking into consideration current economic conditions, the existing loan portfolio composition, past loss experience, and risks inherent in the portfolio.

The process to establish an allowance for loan losses utilizes loan-level statistical models that estimate prepayments, defaults, and probable losses for the loan segments based on predicted behavior of individual loans within the segments. The methodology considers the effects of borrower behavior and a variety of factors including, but not limited to, interest rates, housing price movements as measured by a housing price index, economic conditions, estimated defaults and foreclosures measured by historical and expected delinquencies, changes in prepayment speeds, loan-to-value ratios, past loss experience, estimates of future loss severities, borrower credit risk measured by Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) scores, and the adequacy of collateral. The methodology also evaluates concentrations in the loan segments including loan products, year of origination, geographical distribution of collateral, and the portion of borrowers who have other client relationships with the Company.

The more significant variables considered include a measure of delinquency roll rates, loss severity, housing prices, and interest rates. Delinquency roll rates (i.e., the rates at which loans transition through delinquency stages and ultimately result in a loss) are estimated from the Company’s historical loss experience adjusted for current trends and market information. Loss severity estimates are based on the Company’s historical loss experience and market trends. Housing price trends are derived from historical home price indices and econometric forecasts of future home values. Factors affecting the home price index include: housing inventory, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation expectations. Interest rate projections are based on the current term structure of interest rates and historical volatilities to project various possible future interest rate paths. This quarterly analysis results in a loss factor that is applied to the outstanding balances to determine the allowance for loan loss for each loan segment.

Nonaccrual loans: Residential real estate mortgages, HELOC, personal, and other loans are placed on nonaccrual status upon becoming 90 days past due as to interest or principal (unless the loans are well-secured and in the process of collection), or when the full timely collection of interest or principal becomes uncertain. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, the accrued and unpaid interest receivable is reversed and the loan is accounted for on the cash or cost recovery method thereafter, until qualifying for return to accrual status. Generally, a loan may be returned to accrual status when all delinquent interest and principal is repaid and the loan is performing in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement, or when the loan is both well-secured and in the process of collection and collectability is no longer doubtful.

Loans held for sale include fixed-rate and adjustable-rate residential first-mortgage loans intended for sale. Loans held for sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value. The fair value of loans held for sale is estimated using quoted market prices for securities backed by similar types of loans.

Equipment, office facilities, and property are recorded at cost net of accumulated depreciation and amortization, except for land, which is recorded at cost. Equipment and office facilities are depreciated on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three to ten years. Buildings are depreciated on a straight-line basis over 20 to 40 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the asset or the term of the lease. Software and certain costs incurred for purchasing or developing software for internal use are amortized on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three or five years. Equipment, office facilities, and property are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable.

Goodwill represents the fair value of acquired businesses in excess of the fair value of the individually identified net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually or whenever indications of impairment exist. In testing for a potential impairment of goodwill, management estimates the fair value of each of the Company’s reporting units (defined as the Company’s businesses for which financial information is available and reviewed regularly by management), and compares it to their carrying value. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, management is required to estimate the fair value of all assets and liabilities of the reporting unit, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is greater than the estimated fair value, an impairment charge is recognized for the excess. The Company’s annual impairment testing date is April 1^st. The Company did not recognize any goodwill impairment in 2011, 2010, or 2009.

Intangible assets include customer relationships, technology, tradenames, and other intangible assets and are recorded at fair value. The Company utilizes independent third-party valuation specialists to determine the fair value of intangible assets acquired in a business combination, and does not have any internally generated intangible assets. Subsequently, intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives in a manner that best reflects their economic benefit. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The Company does not have any indefinite-lived intangible assets.

Guarantees and indemnifications: The Company recognizes, at the inception of a guarantee, a liability equal to the estimated fair value of the obligation undertaken in issuing the guarantee. The fair values of the obligations relating to standby letter of credit agreements (LOCs) are estimated based on fees charged to enter into similar agreements, considering the creditworthiness of the counterparties. The fair values of the obligations relating to other guarantees are estimated based on transactions for similar guarantees or expected present value measures.

Income taxes: The Company provides for income taxes on all transactions that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, deferred tax assets are adjusted to reflect the tax rates at which future taxable amounts will likely be settled or realized. The effects of tax rate changes on future deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities, as well as other changes in income tax laws, are recorded in earnings in the period during which such changes are enacted. The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits, which are included in accrued expenses and other liabilities, represent the difference between positions taken on tax return filings and estimated potential tax settlement outcomes.

Stock-based compensation includes employee and board of director stock options, restricted stock awards, and restricted stock units. The Company measures compensation expense for these share-based payment arrangements based on their estimated fair values as of the awards’ grant date. The fair value of the share-based award is recognized over the vesting period as stock-based compensation.

Stock-based compensation expense is based on awards expected to vest and therefore is reduced for estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant based on the Company’s historical forfeiture experience and revised in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Goodwill Impairment Test: In December 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued new guidance on when to perform the second step in the two-step goodwill impairment test, which is effective for all goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2011. Specifically, if the carrying value of a reporting unit, as computed in step one of the goodwill impairment test, is zero or negative, step two must be performed when it is “more likely than not” that goodwill is impaired; under these circumstances, entities can no longer assume that no impairment exists because fair value, as computed in step two, would generally be greater than zero. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, earnings per share (EPS), or cash flows.

A Creditor’s Determination of Whether a Restructuring Is a Troubled Debt Restructuring: In April 2011, the FASB issued new guidance clarifying when a debt restructuring by a creditor constitutes a troubled debt restructuring, which is effective July 1, 2011 for all restructurings that occur on or after January 1, 2011. This guidance clarifies that a troubled debt restructuring only exists when a creditor makes a concession in interest rates or payment terms to a debtor experiencing financial difficulties. It provides additional guidance on determining what constitutes a concession, and on the use of probability in determining if a debtor could be experiencing financial difficulty prior to defaulting on payments. The adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, EPS, or cash flows.

New Accounting Standard Not Yet Adopted

Testing Goodwill for Impairment: In September 2011, the FASB issued new guidance allowing companies to consider qualitative factors before performing a quantitative assessment when determining whether goodwill is impaired, which is effective for goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2012. Specifically, there is no longer a requirement to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test unless the entity determines that based on qualitative factors, it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The adoption of this new guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, EPS, or cash flows.