Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

Notes to Condensed Financial Statements (Unaudited)

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

General Electric Company (GE Company or GE) owns all of the common stock of General Electric Capital Corporation (GECC). Our financial statements consolidate all of our affiliates – companies that we control and in which we hold a majority voting interest. We also consolidate the economic interests we hold in certain businesses within companies in which we hold a voting equity interest and are majority owned by our parent, but which we have agreed to actively manage and control. See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 (2012 consolidated financial statements), which discusses our consolidation and financial statement presentation. GECC includes Commercial Lending and Leasing (CLL), Consumer, Real Estate, Energy Financial Services and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).

Effects of transactions between related companies are made on an arms-length basis and are eliminated. As a wholly-owned subsidiary, GECC enters into various operating and financing arrangements with its parent, GE. These arrangements are made on an arms-length basis and consist primarily of GECC dividends to GE; GE customer receivables sold to GECC; GECC services for trade receivables management and material procurement; buildings and equipment (including automobiles) leased between GE and GECC; information technology (IT) and other services sold to GECC by GE; aircraft engines manufactured by GE that are installed on aircraft purchased by GECC from third-party producers for lease to others; and various investments, loans and allocations of GE corporate costs.

We have reclassified certain prior-period amounts to conform to the current-period presentation. Unless otherwise indicated, information in these notes to the condensed, consolidated financial statements relates to continuing operations.

Accounting Changes

On January 1, 2012, we adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-05, an amendment to Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 220, Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 introduced a new statement, the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income. The amendments affect only the display of those components of equity categorized as other comprehensive income and do not change existing recognition and measurement requirements that determine net earnings.

On January 1, 2012, we adopted FASB ASU 2011-04, an amendment to ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements. ASU 2011-04 clarifies or changes the application of existing fair value measurements, including: that the highest and best use valuation premise in a fair value measurement is relevant only when measuring the fair value of nonfinancial assets; that a reporting entity should measure the fair value of its own equity instrument from the perspective of a market participant that holds that instrument as an asset; to permit an entity to measure the fair value of certain financial instruments on a net basis rather than based on its gross exposure when the reporting entity manages its financial instruments on the basis of such net exposure; that in the absence of a Level 1 input, a reporting entity should apply premiums and discounts when market participants would do so when pricing the asset or liability consistent with the unit of account; and that premiums and discounts related to size as a characteristic of the reporting entity's holding are not permitted in a fair value measurement. Adopting these amendments had no effect on the financial statements. For a description of how we estimate fair value and our process for reviewing fair value measurements classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, see Note 1 in our 2012 consolidated financial statements.

See Note 1in our 2012consolidated financial statements for a summary of our significant accounting policies.

Interim Period Presentation

The condensed, consolidated financial statements and notes thereto are unaudited. These statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) that we considered necessary to present a fair statement of our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The results reported in these condensed, consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. It is suggested that these condensed, consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our 2012 consolidated financial statements. We label our quarterly information using a calendar convention, that is, first quarter is labeled as ending on March 31, second quarter as ending on June 30, and third quarter as ending on September 30. It is our longstanding practice to establish interim quarterly closing dates using a fiscal calendar, which requires our businesses to close their books on either a Saturday or Sunday, depending on the business. The effects of this practice are modest and only exist within a reporting year. The fiscal closing calendar for 2013 is available on our website, www.ge.com/secreports.