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Assets and Liabilities of Businesses Held For Sale and Discontnued Operations
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Assets and Liabilities of Businesses Held For Sale and Discontinued Operations [Abstract] 
Assets and Liabilities Of Business Held For Sale and Discontinued Operations

2. ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF BUSINESSES HELD FOR SALE AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

Assets and Liabilities of Businesses Held for Sale

In the third quarter of 2011, we committed to sell our CLL marine container leasing business, which consists of our controlling interests in the GE SeaCo joint venture along with other owned marine container assets, and our CLL trailer fleet services business in Mexico.

 

In the second quarter of 2011, we committed to sell our Consumer business banking operations in Latvia.

 

In 2010, we committed to sell our Consumer businesses in Argentina, Brazil, and Canada, a CLL business in South Korea, and our Interpark business in Real Estate. The Consumer Canada disposition was completed during the first quarter of 2011. The Consumer Brazil and our Interpark business in Real Estate dispositions were completed during the second quarter of 2011 for proceeds of $22 million and $704 million, respectively. The Consumer Argentina disposition was completed during the third quarter of 2011 for proceeds of $41 million.

 

Summarized financial information for businesses held for sale is shown below.

 At
 September 30, December 31,
(In millions)2011 2010
      
Assets     
Cash and equivalents$218 $54
Financing receivables – net 483  1,917
Property, plant and equipment – net 2,054  103
Goodwill 135  0
Other intangible assets – net 37  187
Other assets 30  841
Other 93  25
Assets of businesses held for sale$3,050 $3,127
      
Liabilities     
Short-term borrowings$474 $146
Accounts payable 82  46
Long-term borrowings 1,144  228
Other liabilities 113  172
Liabilities of businesses held for sale$1,813 $592

Discontinued Operations

Discontinued operations primarily comprised BAC Credomatic GECF Inc. (BAC) (our Central American bank and card business), GE Money Japan (our Japanese personal loan business, Lake, and our Japanese mortgage and card businesses, excluding our investment in GE Nissen Credit Co., Ltd.), our U.S. mortgage business (WMC), our U.S. recreational vehicle and marine equipment financing business (Consumer RV Marine), Consumer Mexico, Consumer Singapore and our Consumer home lending operations in Australia and New Zealand (Australian Home Lending). Associated results of operations, financial position and cash flows are separately reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

 

 

Summarized financial information for discontinued operations is shown below.

 Three months ended September 30, Nine months ended September 30,
(In millions)2011 2010 2011 2010
            
Operations           
Total revenues$12 $515 $336 $1,565
            
            
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes$(7) $46 $4 $170
Benefit (provision) for income taxes 21  3  50  (5)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes$14 $49 $54 $165
            
Disposal           
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes$(45) $(1,100) $(86) $(1,666)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes 33  0  309  0
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes$(12) $(1,100) $223 $(1,666)
            
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes$2 $(1,051) $277 $(1,501)
            

 At
 September 30, December 31,
(In millions)2011 2010
      
Assets     
Cash and equivalents$131 $ 142
Financing receivables - net 98  10,589
Other assets 1  168
Other 1,231  1,476
Assets of discontinued operations$1,461 $12,375
      
Liabilities     
Accounts payable$7 $ 110
Deferred income taxes 206  238
Other 1,048  1,833
Liabilities of discontinued operations$1,261 $2,181
      

Assets at September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, primarily comprised cash, financing receivables and a deferred tax asset for a loss carryforward, which expires principally in 2015 and in part in 2017, related to the sale of our GE Money Japan business.

 

BAC Credomatic GECF Inc. (BAC)

During the fourth quarter of 2010, we classified BAC as discontinued operations and completed the sale of BAC for $1,920 million. Immediately prior to the sale, and in accordance with terms of a previous agreement, we increased our ownership interest in BAC from 75% to 100% for a purchase price of $633 million. As a result of the sale of our interest in BAC, we recognized an after-tax gain of $780 million in 2010.

 

BAC revenues from discontinued operations were $264 million and $772 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively. In total, BAC earnings from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $19 million and $56 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively.

 

GE Money Japan

During the third quarter of 2007, we committed to a plan to sell our Japanese personal loan business, Lake, upon determining that, despite restructuring, Japanese regulatory limits for interest charges on unsecured personal loans did not permit us to earn an acceptable return. During the third quarter of 2008, we completed the sale of GE Money Japan, which included Lake, along with our Japanese mortgage and card businesses, excluding our investment in GE Nissen Credit Co., Ltd. In connection with the sale, we reduced the proceeds from the sale for estimated interest refund claims in excess of the statutory interest rate. Proceeds from the sale were to be increased or decreased based on the actual claims experienced in accordance with loss-sharing terms specified in the sale agreement, with all claims in excess of 258 billion Japanese Yen (approximately $3,000 million) remaining our responsibility. The underlying portfolio to which this obligation relates is in runoff and interest rates were capped for all designated accounts by mid-2009. In the third quarter of 2010, we began making reimbursements under this arrangement.

 

Our overall claims experience developed unfavorably through 2010. We believe that the level of excess interest refund claims has been impacted by the challenging global economic conditions, in addition to Japanese legislative and regulatory changes. In September 2010, a large independent personal loan company in Japan filed for bankruptcy, which precipitated a significant amount of publicity surrounding excess interest refund claims in the Japanese marketplace, along with substantial legal advertising. We observed an increase in claims during September 2010 and higher average daily claims in the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first two months of 2011. Since February and through August 2011, we have experienced substantial declines in the rate of incoming claims, though claims severity has been higher than expected and we experienced an increase in claims in September 2011. As of September 30, 2011, our reserve for reimbursement of claims in excess of the statutory interest rate was $739 million.

 

The amount of these reserves is based on analyses of recent and historical claims experience, pending and estimated future excess interest refund requests, the estimated percentage of customers who present valid requests, and our estimated payments related to those requests. Our estimated liability for excess interest refund claims at September 30, 2011 assumes the pace of incoming claims will continue to decelerate, although at a lower pace than recently experienced, average exposure per claim remains consistent with historical experience, and we continue to see the impact of our loss mitigation efforts. Estimating the pace of decline in incoming claims can have a significant effect on the total amount of our liability. Holding all other assumptions constant, if claims declined at a rate of one percent higher or lower than our assumed long-term average, our liability estimate would change by approximately $250 million.

 

Uncertainties around the impact of laws and regulations, challenging economic conditions, the runoff status of the underlying book of business, the financial status of other personal lending companies in Japan and the effects of our mitigation efforts make it difficult to develop a meaningful estimate of the aggregate possible claims exposure. Recent trends, including the effect of governmental actions, market activity regarding other personal loan companies, higher claims severity and consumer activity, may continue to have an adverse effect on claims development.

 

GE Money Japan earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $2 million and $(1,101) million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $2 million and $(1,673) million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

 

 

WMC

During the fourth quarter of 2007, we completed the sale of WMC, our U.S. mortgage business. WMC substantially discontinued all new loan originations by the second quarter of 2007, and is not a loan servicer. In connection with the sale, WMC retained certain obligations related to loans sold prior to the disposal of the business, including WMC's contractual obligations to repurchase previously sold loans as to which there was an early payment default or with respect to which certain contractual representations and warranties were not met. All claims received for early payment default have either been resolved or are no longer being pursued.

 

Pending claims for unmet representations and warranties were $783 million at December 31, 2009, $347 million at December 31, 2010 and $568 million at September 30, 2011. Reserves related to these contractual representations and warranties were $122 million and $101 million at September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. We recorded an adjustment to our reserve of $21 million in the third quarter of 2011 to reflect the higher amount of pending claims and an increase in our reserve for unidentified claims. The amount of these reserves is based upon pending and estimated future loan repurchase requests, the estimated percentage of loans validly tendered for repurchase, and our estimated losses on loans repurchased. A ten percent adverse change in these key assumptions would result in an increase to our reserves of approximately $35 million. Based on our historical experience, we estimate that a small percentage of the total loans WMC originated and sold will be tendered for repurchase, and of those tendered, only a limited amount will qualify as “validly tendered,” meaning the loans sold did not satisfy specified contractual obligations. Uncertainties surrounding economic conditions, the ability and propensity of mortgage holders to present valid claims and governmental actions make it difficult to develop a meaningful estimate of aggregate possible claim exposure. Actual losses could exceed the reserve amount if actual claim rates, investigative or litigation activity, valid tenders or losses WMC incurs on repurchased loans are higher than we have historically observed with respect to WMC.

 

WMC revenues (loss) from discontinued operations were $(21) million and $(1) million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $(21) million and $(4) million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. In total, WMC's earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $(15) million and $(2) million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $(18) million and $(5) million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

 

Other

In the second quarter of 2011, we entered into an agreement to sell our Australian Home Lending operations and classified it as discontinued operations. As a result, we recognized an after-tax loss of $148 million in 2011. We completed the sale in the third quarter of 2011 for proceeds of approximately $4,577 million. Australian Home Lending revenues from discontinued operations were $33 million and $118 million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $248 million and $386 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Australian Home Lending earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $15 million and $14 million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $(65) million and $51 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

 

In the first quarter of 2011, we entered into an agreement to sell our Consumer Singapore business for $692 million. The sale was completed in the second quarter of 2011 and resulted in the recognition of a gain on disposal, net of taxes, of $319 million. Consumer Singapore revenues from discontinued operations were $(1) million and $27 million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $30 million and $79 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Consumer Singapore earnings from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $7 million and $11 million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $333 million and $27 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

 

In the fourth quarter of 2010, we entered into agreements to sell our Consumer RV Marine portfolio and Consumer Mexico business. The Consumer RV Marine and Consumer Mexico dispositions were completed during the first quarter and the second quarter of 2011, respectively, for proceeds of $2,365 million and $1,943 million, respectively. Consumer RV Marine revenues from discontinued operations were $0 million and $52 million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $11 million and $160 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Consumer RV Marine earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $(1) million and $(8) million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $1 million and $(9) million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Consumer Mexico revenues from discontinued operations were $1 million and $55 million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $68 million and $172 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Consumer Mexico earnings from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $1 million and $18 million in the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $34 million and $53 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.