New Accounting Standards (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

Insurance - Disclosures about Short-Duration Contracts

Insurance – Disclosures about Short-Duration Contracts

In May 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2015-09, Financial Services – Insurance. ASU 2015-09 requires insurance entities that issue short-duration contracts to provide additional disclosures about the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, including disclosure of information about significant changes in methodologies and assumptions used to calculate the liability, reasons for the change, and the effects on the financial statements. These additional disclosures will increase the transparency of significant estimates made in measuring those liabilities, improve comparability by requiring consistent disclosure of information, and provide financial statement users with information to facilitate analysis. The requirements of ASU 2015-09 should be applied retrospectively and are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material effect on the financial statements, results of operations or liquidity of the Corporation.

Cloud Computing Arrangements

Cloud Computing Arrangements

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software. ASU 2015-05 provides guidance to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement environment. The amendments in this Update provide a basis for evaluating whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license to internal-use software, and how to account for the software license element of the arrangement. This update supersedes the existing requirement to analogize to operating lease guidance in accounting for some software licenses. The requirements of ASU 2015-05 are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. A reporting entity may apply ASU 2015-05 either prospectively or retrospectively. The Corporation is evaluating this new guidance and has not yet determined which approach it will adopt to apply the amendments in ASU 2015-05 or the impact that the adoption of this update will have on its financial statements.

Consolidation

Consolidation

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation. ASU 2015-02 changes the analysis that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of legal entities. This update modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships or similar legal entities are variable interest entities (VIEs) or voting interest entities, eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership and affects the consolidation analysis of reporting entities that are involved with VIEs, particularly those that have fee arrangements and related party relationships. The requirements of ASU 2015-02 are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. A reporting entity may apply ASU 2015-02 either retrospectively or by using a modified retrospective approach by recording a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The adoption of this update is not expected to have a material effect on the financial statements, results of operations or liquidity of the Corporation.

Income Statement

Income Statement

In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-01, Income Statement – Extraordinary and Unusual Items. The FASB issued ASU 2015-01 as part of its Simplification Initiative to reduce complexity in accounting standards. ASU 2015-01 eliminates from GAAP the concept of extraordinary items. The requirements of ASU 2015-01 are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. A reporting entity may apply ASU 2015-01 prospectively, or retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The adoption of this update will not have an effect on the financial statements, results of operations or liquidity of the Corporation, as the Corporation has not reported extraordinary items.