Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Consolidation

Legg Mason sponsors and manages various types of investment products. For its services, Legg Mason is entitled to receive management fees and may be eligible, under certain circumstances, to receive additional subordinated management fees or other incentive fees. Legg Mason's exposure to risk in these entities is generally limited to any equity investment it has made or is required to make, and any earned but uncollected management fees, except those for which total return swap arrangements have been executed, for which additional risks are discussed below. Legg Mason did not sell or transfer investment assets to any of these investment products. In accordance with financial accounting standards, Legg Mason consolidates certain sponsored investment products, some of which are designated and reported as consolidated investment vehicles ("CIVs"). The consolidation of sponsored investment products, including those designated as CIVs, has no impact on Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Legg Mason, Inc. and does not have a material impact on Legg Mason's consolidated operating results. The change in the value of all consolidated sponsored investment products is recorded in Non-Operating Income (Expense) and reflected in Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests. The financial information of certain consolidated sponsored investment products is included in the Company's consolidated financial statements on a three-month lag based upon the availability of the investment product's financial information.

Certain of the investment products Legg Mason sponsors and manages are considered to be variable interest entities ("VIEs") (as further described below) while others are considered to be voting rights entities (“VREs”) subject to traditional consolidation concepts based on ownership rights. Legg Mason may fund the initial cash investment in certain VRE investment products to generate an investment performance track record in order to attract third-party investors in the product. Legg Mason's initial investment in a new product typically represents 100% of the ownership in that product. As further discussed in Note 3, the products with “seed capital investments” are consolidated as long as Legg Mason maintains a controlling financial interest in the product, but they are not designated as CIVs by Legg Mason unless the investment is longer-term. As of December 31, 2018, March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017, no consolidated VREs were designated as CIVs.

A VIE is an entity which does not have adequate equity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; or the equity investors, as a group, do not have the normal characteristics of equity investors for a potential controlling financial interest. Legg Mason must consolidate any VIE for which it is deemed to be the primary beneficiary.

Under consolidation accounting guidance, if limited partners or similar equity holders in a sponsored investment vehicle structured as a limited partnership or a similar entity do not have either substantive investor rights to replace the manager (kick-out rights) or substantive participation rights over the general partner, the entities are VIEs. As a sponsor and manager of an investment vehicle, Legg Mason may be deemed a decision maker under the accounting guidance. If the fees paid to a decision maker are market-based, such fees are not considered variable interests in a VIE. Market-based fees are those fees which are both customary and commensurate with the level of effort required for the services provided. Additionally, if employee interests in a sponsored investment vehicle are not made to circumvent the consolidation guidance and are not financed by the sponsor, they are not included in the variable interests assessment, and are not included in the primary beneficiary determination.

A decision maker is deemed to be a primary beneficiary of a VIE if it has the power to direct activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits from variable interests that could be significant to the VIE. In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, Legg Mason considers both qualitative and quantitative factors such as the voting rights of the equity holders, guarantees, and implied relationships. If a fee paid to a decision maker is not market-based, it will be considered in the primary beneficiary determination.

As of December 31, 2018, March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, Legg Mason concluded it was the primary beneficiary of certain VIEs, which were consolidated and designated as CIVs, because it held significant financial interests in the funds. In addition, Legg Mason has entered into various total return swap arrangements with financial intermediaries with respect to certain Legg Mason sponsored exchange traded funds ("ETFs"). Under the terms of the total return swaps, Legg Mason absorbs all of the related gains and losses on the underlying ETF investments of these financial intermediaries, and therefore has variable interests in the related funds and, if significant, may be deemed the primary beneficiary. As of December 31, 2018, March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017, Legg Mason consolidated the ETFs with significant open total return swap arrangements, which were designated as CIVs. See Note 13 for additional information.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

Effective April 1, 2018, Legg Mason adopted updated accounting guidance on revenue recognition which provides a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers, improves comparability and removes inconsistencies in revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions, and capital markets. The guidance also specifies the accounting for certain costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer and revises the criteria for determining if an entity is acting as a principal or agent in certain arrangements. The adoption of the updated guidance did not result in significant changes to Legg Mason’s prior revenue recognition practices, except for the timing of the recognition of certain performance and incentive fees, the capitalization and amortization of certain sales commissions for separate accounts, and the net presentation of certain fund expense reimbursements which were previously presented on a gross basis. Each of these changes to Legg Mason’s previous revenue recognition practices is further discussed below.

Legg Mason adopted the updated guidance on a modified retrospective basis for any contracts that were not complete as of April 1, 2018 and recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying the updated guidance for certain sales commissions as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings totaling $12,263. There was no cumulative effect for performance and incentive fees or fund expense reimbursement accounting. The comparative information for prior periods has not been restated and continues to be reported under the prior accounting guidance in effect for those periods. A summary of the cumulative-effect changes to Legg Mason’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 1, 2018 is included below.

Legg Mason primarily earns revenues by providing investment management services and distribution and shareholder services for its customers, which are generally investment funds or the underlying investors in separately managed accounts. As further discussed below, revenues are calculated based on the value of the investments under management and are recognized when obligations under the terms of contracts with customers are satisfied, which is generally over time as the services are rendered.

Legg Mason also has responsibility for the valuation of assets under management ("AUM"), substantially all of which is based on observable market data from independent pricing services, fund accounting agents, custodians or brokers.

Investment Advisory Fees

Legg Mason earns investment advisory fees on assets in separately managed accounts, investment funds, and other products managed for Legg Mason's clients. Generally, investment management services are a single performance obligation, as they include a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and are transferred to the customer over time using the same time-based measure of progress. Investment management services are satisfied over time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits as the advisory services are performed.

Separate Account and Funds Advisory Fees

Separate account and funds advisory fees are variable consideration which is primarily based on predetermined percentages of the daily, monthly or quarterly average market value of the AUM, as defined in the investment management agreements. The average market value of AUM is subject to change based on fluctuations and volatility in financial markets, and as such, separate account and funds advisory fees are constrained until the end of the month or quarter when the actual average market value of the AUM is known and a significant revenue reversal is no longer probable. Therefore, separate account and funds advisory fees are included in the transaction price and allocated to the investment management services performance obligation at the end of each monthly or quarterly reporting period, as specified in the investment management contract. Payment for services under investment management contracts is due once the variable consideration is allocated to the transaction price, and generally within 30 days. Recognition of separate account and funds advisory fee revenue under the updated guidance is consistent with Legg Mason’s prior revenue recognition process.

Performance and Incentive Fees

Performance and incentive fees are variable consideration that may be earned on certain investment management contracts for exceeding performance benchmarks on a relative or absolute basis or for exceeding contractual return thresholds. Performance and incentive fees are estimated at the inception of a contract; however, a range of outcomes is possible due to factors outside the control of the investment manager, particularly market conditions. Performance and incentive fees are therefore excluded from the transaction price until it becomes probable that a significant reversal in the cumulative amount of revenue recognized will not occur. A portion of Legg Mason's performance and incentive fees are earned based on 12-month performance periods that end in differing quarters during the year, with a portion also based on quarterly performance periods. Legg Mason also earns performance and incentive fees on alternative and certain other products that lock at the earlier of the investor’s termination date or the liquidation of the fund or contract, in multiple-year intervals, or upon the occurrence of specific events, such as the sale of assets. For certain of these products, performance and incentive fees may be recognized as revenue earlier under the updated guidance than under prior revenue recognition practices, which deferred recognition until all contingencies were resolved. Any such performance fees recognized prior to the resolution of all contingencies are recorded as a contract assetin Other current assets or Other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheet, depending on the length of time until the contingencies are resolved.

Fee Waivers and Fund Expense Reimbursements

Legg Mason may waive certain fees for investors or may reimburse its investment funds for certain operating expenses when such expenses exceed a certain threshold. Fee waivers continue to be reported as a reduction in advisory fee revenue under the updated guidance. Under prior accounting guidance, fund expense reimbursements in excess of recognized revenue were recorded as Other expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). Under the updated accounting guidance, these fund expense reimbursements that exceed the recognized revenue represent a change in the transaction price and are therefore reported as a reduction of Investment advisory fees - Funds in the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).

Distribution and Service Fees Revenue and Expense

Distribution and service fees represent fees earned from funds to reimburse the distributor for the costs of marketing and selling fund shares and are generally determined as a percentage of client assets. Reported amounts also include fees earned from providing client or shareholder servicing, including record keeping or administrative services to proprietary funds, and non-discretionary advisory services for assets under advisement. Distribution and service fees earned on company-sponsored investment funds are reported as revenue. Distribution services and marketing services are considered a single performance obligation as the success of selling the underlying shares is highly dependent upon the sales and marketing efforts. Ongoing shareholder servicing is a separate performance obligation as these services are not highly interrelated and interdependent on the sale of the shares. Fees earned related to distribution and shareholder serving are considered variable consideration because they are calculated based on the average market value of the fund. The average market value of the fund is subject to change based on fluctuations and volatility in financial markets, and as such, distribution and shareholder service fees are generally constrained until the end of the month or quarter when the actual market value of the fund is known and the related revenue is no longer subject to a significant reversal. Therefore, distribution and service fees are generally included in the transaction price at the end of each monthly or quarterly reporting period and are allocated to the two performance obligations based on the amount specified in each agreement. While distribution services are largely satisfied at the inception of an investment, the ultimate amounts of revenue are subject to the variable consideration constraint. Accordingly, a portion of distribution and service revenue will be recognized in periods subsequent to the satisfaction of the performance obligation.

Certain fund share classes only charge for distribution services at the inception of the investment based on a fixed percentage of the share price. This fixed price is allocated to the performance obligation, which is substantially satisfied at the time of the initial investment.

Recognition of distribution and service fee revenue under the updated guidance is consistent with Legg Mason’s prior revenue recognition process.

When Legg Mason enters into arrangements with broker-dealers or other third parties to sell or market proprietary fund shares, distribution and servicing expense is accrued for the amounts owed to third parties, including finders' fees and referral fees paid to unaffiliated broker-dealers or introducing parties and is recorded as Distribution and servicing expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). Distribution and servicing expense also includes payments to third parties for certain shareholder administrative services and sub-advisory fees paid to unaffiliated asset managers.

Contract Costs and Deferred Sales Commissions

Legg Mason incurs ordinary costs to obtain investment management contracts and for services provided to customers in accordance with investment management agreements. These costs include commissions paid to wholesalers, employees and third-party broker dealers and administration and placement fees. Depending on the type of services provided, these fees may be paid at the time the contract is obtained or on an ongoing basis. Under the updated guidance, costs to obtain a contract should be capitalized if the costs are incremental and would not have been incurred if the contract had not been obtained, and costs to fulfill the contract should be capitalized if they relate directly to a contract, the costs will generate or enhance resources of the entity that will be used in satisfying performance obligations in the future, and the costs are expected to be recovered. Consistent with prior accounting procedures, fund launch costs, including organizational and underwriting costs, placement fees and commissions paid to employees, wholesalers and broker-dealers for sales of fund shares are expensed as incurred, as these costs would be incurred regardless of the investor. However, commissions paid to employees and retail wholesalers in connection with the sale of retail separate accounts are considered incremental, as these fees relate to obtaining a specific contract, are calculated based on specified rates and are recoverable through the management fees earned and are therefore capitalized under the updated accounting guidance. Such commissions were expensed as incurred under Legg Mason’s prior accounting practices. Capitalized sales commissions are amortized based on the transfer of services to which the assets relate, which averages four years. Legg Mason recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 1, 2018, as referenced below.

Commissions paid by Legg Mason to financial intermediaries in connection with sales of certain classes of company-sponsored mutual funds are generally capitalized as deferred sales commissions. The asset is amortized over periods not exceeding six years, which represent the periods during which commissions are generally recovered from distribution and service fee revenues and from contingent deferred sales charges ("CDSC") received from shareholders of those funds upon redemption of their shares. CDSC consideration is generally variable and is based on the timing of when investors redeem their investment. Therefore, the variable consideration is included in the transaction price once the investors redeem their shares and is satisfied at a point in time. CDSC receipts are recorded as distribution and service fee revenue when received and a reduction of the unamortized balance of deferred sales commissions, with a corresponding expense.

Management periodically tests the deferred sales commission asset for impairment by reviewing the changes in value of the related shares, the relevant market conditions and other events and circumstances that may indicate an impairment in value has occurred. If these factors indicate an impairment in value, management compares the carrying value to the estimated undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset over its remaining life. If management determines that the deferred sales commission asset is not fully recoverable, the asset will be deemed impaired and a loss will be recorded in the amount by which the recorded amount of the asset exceeds its estimated fair value. For the nine months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, no impairment charges were recorded. Deferred sales commissions, included in Other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, were $1,380 and $4,047 at December 31, 2018 and March 31, 2018, respectively.

Under the updated accounting guidance, Legg Mason has elected to expense sales commissions related to certain fund share classes with amortization periods of one year or less as incurred. Legg Mason recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 1, 2018, as referenced below, to reflect the expense associated with such commissions, which had previously been capitalized under Legg Mason's prior accounting practices.

Impact of the Adoption of Updated Revenue Recognition Accounting Guidance

The cumulative effect of the changes made to Legg Mason’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 1, 2018 for the adoption of the updated revenue recognition accounting guidance were as follows:

			Adjustment due to Adoption of Updated Accounting Guidance
Consolidated Balance Sheet	Balance as of March 31, 2018		Capitalized Sales Commissions			Deferred Sales Commissions			Total			Balance as of April 1, 2018
Assets
Other, current	$	65,010	$	9,615		$	—		$	9,615		$	74,625
Deferred income taxes	202,068		(1,148		)	—			(1,148		)	200,920
Other, non-current	134,407		10,316			(2,576		)	7,740			142,147
Liabilities
Deferred income taxes	$	139,787	$	3,944		$	—		$	3,944		$	143,731
Stockholders' Equity
Retained Earnings	$	1,894,762	$	14,839		$	(2,576	)	$	12,263		$	1,907,025

The impact of the adoption of the updated revenue recognitionaccounting guidance on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) was as follows:

	December 31, 2018
			Impact of the Adoption of Updated Accounting Guidance
Consolidated Balance Sheet	Balances Excluding the Adoption of Updated Accounting Guidance		Capitalized Sales Commissions			Deferred Sales Commissions			Total			As Reported
Assets
Other, current	$	68,136	$	8,049		$	—		$	8,049		$	76,185
Deferred income taxes	191,015		(1,148		)	—			(1,148		)	189,867
Other, non-current	140,740		10,429			(1,606		)	8,823			149,563
Liabilities
Deferred income taxes	$	95,600	$	3,944		$	—		$	3,944		$	99,544
Stockholders' Equity
Retained Earnings	$	1,712,037	$	13,386		$	(1,606	)	$	11,780		$	1,723,817

Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss)

	Three months ended December 31, 2018
			Impact of the Adoption of Updated Accounting Guidance
	Balances Excluding the Adoption of Updated Accounting Guidance		Capitalized Sales Commissions		Deferred Sales Commissions			Fund Expense Reimbursements			Total			As Reported
Operating Revenues
Investment advisory fees:
Funds	$	362,500	$	—	$	—		$	(1,327	)	$	(1,327	)	$	361,173
Operating Expenses
Compensation and benefits	$	316,330	$	546	$	—		$	—		$	546		$	316,876
Distribution and servicing	108,926		—		(84		)	—			(84		)	108,842
Other	64,328		—		—			(1,327		)	(1,327		)	63,001

	Nine months ended December 31, 2018
			Impact of the Adoption of Updated Accounting Guidance
	Balances Excluding the Adoption of Updated Accounting Guidance		Capitalized Sales Commissions		Deferred Sales Commissions			Fund Expense Reimbursements			Total			As Reported
Operating Revenues
Investment advisory fees:
Funds	$	1,132,311	$	—	$	—		$	(3,651	)	$	(3,651	)	$	1,128,660
Operating Expenses
Compensation and benefits	$	1,041,876	$	1,453	$	—		$	—		$	1,453		$	1,043,329
Distribution and servicing	340,929		—		(970		)	—			(970		)	339,959
Other	174,672		—		—			(3,651		)	(3,651		)	171,021

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash Flow Reporting

Effective April 1, 2018, Legg Mason adopted updated accounting guidance on a retrospective basis which clarifies the classification and presentation of restricted cash, investment activity and other items in the statements of cash flows. The updated guidance requires entities to include restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the cash and cash equivalents balances on the consolidated statements of cash flows and to disclose a reconciliation between the balances on the consolidated statements of cash flows and the consolidated balance sheets. Legg Mason includes cash of consolidated investment vehicles and affiliate benefit trust cash in restricted cash. Legg Mason’s restricted cash balances at December 31, 2018 and 2017, were $30,007 and $26,177, respectively. The updated guidance also clarifies how distributions from equity method investees should be classified based on either the cumulative earnings or the nature of distribution approach. Legg Mason elected to apply the nature of distribution approach when classifying distributions received from equity method investees. As a result of adopting this aspect of the updated guidance, $4,928 was reclassified from Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Cash Used in Investing Activities in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the nine months ended December 31, 2017.

Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Financial Instruments

Effective April 1, 2018, Legg Mason adopted accounting guidance on a prospective basis which requires equity investments to be measured at fair value, with changes recognized in earnings. This guidance does not apply to investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting or underlying investments of consolidated products. The updated guidance also provides entities the option to elect to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values and do not qualify for the net asset value ("NAV") practical expedient at "adjusted cost". Under this adjusted cost method, investments are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently adjusted (increased or decreased) when there is an observable transaction involving the same investment, or similar investment from the same issuer. Adjusted cost investment carrying values are also adjusted for impairments, if any. Legg Mason has elected to measure certain investments under the adjusted cost approach. The adoption of this updated guidance did not have a material impact on Legg Mason’s consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Developments

In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") updated the guidance to clarify accounting for implementation costs incurred for a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract. The update conforms the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract with the accounting guidance that provides for capitalization of costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use-software.  The updated guidance is effective for Legg Mason in fiscal 2021, unless adopted earlier.  Legg Mason is evaluating its adoption.

In August 2018, the FASB also updated the guidance for fair value measurements. The updated guidance modifies disclosure requirements based on the revised FASB Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting finalized in August 2018 to improve effectiveness of financial statement disclosures. The updated guidance will be effective in fiscal 2021, unless adopted earlier. Legg Mason is evaluating its adoption.

In August 2017, the FASB updated the guidance on accounting for derivative hedging.  The updated guidance more closely aligns the results of cash flow and fair value hedging designations with risk management activities through changes to both the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results in the financial statements.  The new guidance also simplifies the application of hedge accounting.  The updated guidance is effective for Legg Mason in fiscal 2020, unless adopted earlier.  Legg Mason uses accounting hedge designation from time-to-time and would only potentially be impacted if derivative transactions were designated for hedging.

In January 2017, the FASB updated the guidance to simplify the test for goodwill impairment.  The updated guidance still requires entities to perform annual goodwill impairment tests by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its related carrying amount, but it eliminates the requirement to potentially calculate the implied fair value of goodwill to determine the amount of impairment, if any.  Under the new guidance, an entity should recognize an impairment charge if the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, in the amount of such excess.  The guidance will be effective in fiscal 2020, unless adopted earlier. Legg Mason is evaluating its adoption.

In February 2016, the FASB updated the guidance on accounting for leases.  The updated guidance requires that a lessee shall recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from lease transactions.  A lessee will recognize a right-of-use asset to use the underlying asset and a liability representing the lease payments.  The updated guidance also requires an evaluation at the inception of a service or other contract, to determine whether the contract is or contains a lease.  In July 2018, the FASB further updated the lease guidance to make certain targeted improvements, including allowing for the guidance to be adopted on a modified retrospective basis.  The guidance will be effective for Legg Mason in fiscal 2020.  Legg Mason expects to recognize right of use assets and liabilities upon its adoption of the new standard and is continuing to evaluate the full impact of adoption, including transition method and practical expedient elections.