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Basis of Presentation
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation
The Company
American Express Credit Corporation (Credco) is a wholly owned subsidiary of TRS, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express Company (American Express).
Credco is engaged in the business of financing certain non-interest-earning Card Member receivables arising from the use of the American Express charge cards issued in the United States and in certain countries outside the United States. Credco also finances certain interest-earning revolving loans generated by Card Member spending on American Express credit cards issued in non-U.S. markets.
Credco executes material transactions with its affiliates. The agreements between Credco and its affiliates provide that the parties intend that the transactions thereunder be conducted on an arm’s-length basis; however, there can be no assurance that the terms of these arrangements are the same as would be negotiated between independent, unrelated parties.
Credco maintains its fixed charge coverage ratio (FCCR) at a minimum of 1.25, which is achieved by charging appropriate discount rates on the purchase of receivables Credco makes from, and the interest rates on the loans Credco provides to, TRS and other American Express subsidiaries. Each monthly period, the discount and interest rates are determined to generate income for Credco that is sufficient to maintain its minimum FCCR, whilst maintaining the intention for these transactions to occur on an arm’s-length basis. Should it be required, American Express would provide Credco with financial support with respect to maintenance of its minimum FCCR. The revenue earned by Credco from purchasing Card Member receivables and Card Member loans at a discount is reported as Discount revenue earned from purchased Card Member receivables and Card Member loans on the Consolidated Statements of Income.
The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Credco’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. If not materially different, certain note disclosures included therein have been omitted from these Consolidated Financial Statements.
The interim Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report have not been audited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which consist of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the interim Consolidated Financial Statements, have been made. Results of operations reported for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year.
The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. These accounting estimates reflect the best judgment of management, but actual results could differ.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
Effective January 1, 2020, Credco adopted the new credit reserving methodology, applicable to certain financial instruments, known as the Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) methodology under a modified retrospective transition. The CECL methodology requires measurement of expected credit losses for the estimated life of the financial instrument, not only based on historical experience and current conditions, but also by including reasonable and supportable forecasts incorporating forward-looking information. Upon implementation, Card Member receivable reserves decreased by $147 million and Card Member loan reserves increased by $7 million, along with the associated current and deferred tax impact of $21 million, and cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings, net of tax, of $119 million. There were no material changes to Credco’s business processes or internal controls as a result of adopting the new guidance. Refer to Note 3 for additional information on how management estimates reserves for credit losses in accordance with CECL methodology.
Other Information
Effective February 1, 2020, TRS removed U.S. Consumer and Small Business Card Member receivables from the Charge Trust and substantially replaced them with U.S. Corporate Card Member receivables in two phases. On February 1, 2020 and April 20, 2020, TRS transferred $5.2 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively, of U.S. Corporate Card Member receivables to the Charge Trust. Since Credco maintains participation interests in the Charge Trust, these transactions resulted in Credco (i) no longer having a $7.2 billion interest in U.S. Consumer and Small Business Card Member receivables and (ii) having an interest in the U.S. Corporate Card Member receivables in the Charge Trust. The settlement of $7.2 billion related to the U.S. Consumer and Small Business portfolio was used to repay borrowings from American Express Company leading to a reduction in Long-term debt to affiliates of $7.2 billion.
In the month of June 2020, Credco restructured a number of its intercompany loan arrangements to further enhance funding flexibility and effectiveness. Credco borrowed $7.1 billion from TRS to repay borrowings from AE Exposure Management Limited of $4.7 billion. The excess of $2.2 billion was deposited with AENB which is reported as part of Cash and Cash equivalents.