Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Business

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) is one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the United States and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

We have businesses engaged in retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, asset management and residential mortgage banking, providing many of our products and services nationally, as well as other products and services in our primary geographic markets located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Virginia, Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Wisconsin and South Carolina. We also provide certain products and services internationally.

Note 1 Accounting Policies

Basis Of Financial Statement Presentation

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the parent company and its subsidiaries, most of which are wholly-owned, and certain partnership interests and variable interest entities.

We prepared these consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). We have eliminated intercompany accounts and transactions. We have also reclassified certain prior year amounts to conform to the 2015 presentation, which did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, we evaluate the materiality of identified errors in the financial statements using both an income statement and a balance sheet approach, based on relevant quantitative and qualitative factors. The consolidated financial statements include certain adjustments to correct immaterial errors related to previously reported periods. In addition, as disclosed in certain Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, we made adjustments to previously reported periods for immaterial errors

In our opinion, the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements reflect all normal, recurring adjustments needed to present fairly our results for the interim periods. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year or any other interim period.

When preparing these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, we have assumed that you have read the audited consolidated financial statements included in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Reference is made to Note 1 Accounting Policies in the 2014 Form 10-K for a detailed description of significant accounting policies. Included herein are policies that are required to be disclosed on an interim basis as well as policies where there has been a significant change within the first six months of 2015. These interim consolidated financial statements serve to update the 2014 Form 10-K and may not include all information and notes necessary to constitute a complete set of financial statements.

We have also considered the impact of subsequent events on these consolidated financial statements.

Use Of Estimates

We prepared these consolidated financial statements using financial information available at the time of preparation, which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Our most significant estimates pertain to our fair value measurements, allowances for loan and lease losses and unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit, and accretion on purchased impaired loans. Actual results may differ from the estimates and the differences may be material to the consolidated financial statements.

Nonperforming Loans and Leases

The matrix below summarizes PNC's policies for classifying certain loans as nonperforming loans and/or discontinuing the accrual of loan interest income.

Commercial loans
Loans Classified as Nonperforming and Accounted for as Nonaccrual	●	Loans accounted for at amortized cost where:
		–	The loan is 90 days or more past due.
		–	The loan is rated substandard or worse due to the determination that full collection of principal and interest is not probable as demonstrated by the following conditions:
			○	The collection of principal or interest is 90 days or more past due;
			○	Reasonable doubt exists as to the certainty of the borrower's future debt service ability, according to the terms of the credit arrangement, regardless of whether 90 days have passed or not;
			○	The borrower has filed or will likely file for bankruptcy;
			○	The bank advances additional funds to cover principal or interest;
			○	We are in the process of liquidating a commercial borrower; or
			○	We are pursuing remedies under a guarantee.
Loans Excluded from Nonperforming Classification but Accounted for as Nonaccrual	●	Loans accounted for under the fair value option when we determine that full collection of principal and interest is not probable.
	●	Loans accounted for at the lower of cost or market less costs to sell (Held for Sale) when we determine that full collection of principal and interest is not probable.
Loans Excluded from Nonperforming Classification and Nonaccrual Accounting	●	Purchased impaired loans because interest income is accreted by nature of the accounting for these assets.
	●	Loans that are well secured and in the process of collection.
Consumer loans
Loans Classified as Nonperforming and Accounted for as Nonaccrual	●	Loans accounted for at amortized cost where full collection of contractual principal and interest is not deemed probable as demonstrated in the policies below:
		–	The loan is 90 days past due for home equity and installment loans, and 180 days past due for well secured residential real estate loans;
		–	The loan has been modified and classified as a troubled debt restructuring (TDR);
		–	Notification of bankruptcy has been received and the loan is 30 days or more past due;
		–	The bank holds a subordinate lien position in the loan and the first lien loan is seriously stressed (i.e., 90 days or more past due);
		–	Other loans within the same borrower relationship have been placed on nonaccrual or charge-offs have been taken on them;
		–	The bank has repossessed non-real estate collateral securing the loan; or
		–	The bank has charged-off the loan to the value of the collateral.
Loans Excluded from Nonperforming Classification but Accounted for as Nonaccrual	●	Loans accounted for under the fair value option when we determine that full collection of principal and interest is not probable.
	●	Loans accounted for at the lower of cost or market less costs to sell (Held for Sale) when we determine that full collection of principal and interest is not probable.
Loans Excluded from Nonperforming Classification and Nonaccrual Accounting	●	Purchased impaired loans because interest income is accreted through the accounting model.
	●	Certain government insured loans where substantially all principal and interest is insured.
	●	Residential real estate loans that are well secured and in the process of collection.
	●	Consumer loans and lines of credit, not secured by residential real estate, as permitted by regulatory guidance.

See Note 3 Asset Quality in this Report for additional detail on nonperforming assets and asset quality indicators for commercial and consumer loans.

Commercial Loans

We generally charge off Commercial Lending (Commercial, Commercial Real Estate, and Equipment Lease Financing) nonperforming loans when we determine that a specific loan, or portion thereof, is uncollectible. This determination is based on the specific facts and circumstances of the individual loans. In making this determination, we consider the viability of the business or project as a going concern, the past due status when the asset is not well-secured, the expected cash flows to repay the loan, the value of the collateral, and the ability and willingness of any guarantors to perform.

Additionally, in general, for smaller dollar commercial loans of $1 million or less, a partial or full charge-off occurs at 120 days past due for term loans and 180 days past due for revolvers. Certain small business credit card balances that are placed on nonaccrual status when they become 90 days or more past due are charged-off at 180 days past due.

Consumer Loans

Home equity installment loans, home equity lines of credit, and residential real estate loans that are not well-secured and in the process of collection are charged-off at no later than 180 days past due. At that time, the basis in the loan is reduced to the fair value of the collateral less costs to sell. In addition to this policy, the bank recognizes a charge-off on a secured consumer loan when:

The bank holds a subordinate lien position in the loan and a foreclosure notice has been received on the first lien loan;
The bank holds a subordinate lien position in the loan which is 30 days or more past due with a combined loan to value ratio of greater than or equal to 110% and the first lien loan is seriously stressed (i.e., 90 days or more past due);
The loan is modified or otherwise restructured in a manner that results in the loan becoming collateral dependent;
Notification of bankruptcy has been received within the last 60 days and the loan is 60 days or more past due;
The borrower has been discharged from personal liability through Chapter 7 bankruptcy and has not formally reaffirmed his or her loan obligation to PNC; or
The collateral securing the loan has been repossessed and the value of the collateral is less than the recorded investment of the loan outstanding.

For loans that continue to meet any of the above policies, collateral values are updated annually and subsequent declines in collateral values are charged-off resulting in incremental provision for credit loss.

Most consumer loans and lines of credit, not secured by residential real estate, are charged off after 120-180 days past due.

Accounting for Nonperforming Loans and Leases and Other Nonaccrual Loans

For accrual loans, interest income is accrued on a monthly basis and certain fees and costs are deferred upon origination and recognized in income over the term of the loan utilizing an effective yield method. For nonaccrual loans, interest income accrual and deferred fee/cost amortization is discontinued. Additionally, the current year accrued and uncollected interest is reversed through Net interest income and prior year accrued and uncollected interest is charged-off. Nonaccrual loans may also be charged-off to reduce the basis to the fair value of collateral less costs to sell.

If payment is received on a nonaccrual loan, generally the payment is first applied to the recorded investment; payments are then applied to recover any charged-off amounts related to the loan. Finally, if both recorded investment and any charge-offs have been recovered, then the payment will be recorded as fee and interest income.

For TDRs, payments are applied based upon their contractual terms unless the related loan is deemed non-performing. TDRs are generally included in nonperforming and nonaccrual loans until returned to performing/accruing status through performance under restructured terms and other performance indicators for a reasonable period of time demonstrating that the bank expects to collect all of the loan’s remaining contractual principal and interest. TDRs resulting from 1) borrowers that have been discharged from personal liability through Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have not formally reaffirmed their loan obligations to PNC and 2) borrowers that are not currently obligated to make both principal and interest payments under the restructured terms are not returned to accrual status.

Other nonaccrual loans are generally not returned to accrual status until the borrower has performed in accordance with the contractual terms and other performance indicators for at least six months, the period of time which was determined to demonstrate the expected collection of the loan’s remaining contractual principal and interest. When a nonperforming loan is returned to accrual status, it is then considered a performing loan.

See Note 3 Asset Quality and Note 5 Allowances for Loan and Lease Losses and Unfunded Loan Commitments and Letters of Credit in this Report and in our 2014 Form 10-K for additional TDR information.

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses

We maintain the ALLL at a level that we believe to be appropriate to absorb estimated probable credit losses incurred in the loan and lease portfolios as of the balance sheet date. Our determination of the allowance is based on periodic evaluations of these loan and lease portfolios and other relevant factors. This critical estimate includes significant use of PNC’s own historical data and complex methods to interpret this data. These evaluations are inherently subjective, as they require material estimates and may be susceptible to significant change, and include, among others:

Probability of default (PD),
Loss given default (LGD),
Outstanding balance of the loan,
Movement through delinquency stages,
Amounts and timing of expected future cash flows,
Value of collateral, which may be obtained from third parties, and
Qualitative factors, such as changes in current economic conditions, that may not be reflected in modeled results.

For all loans, except purchased impaired loans, the ALLL is the sum of three components: (i) asset specific/individual impaired reserves, (ii) quantitative (formulaic or pooled) reserves and (iii) qualitative (judgmental) reserves.

The reserve calculation and determination process is dependent on the use of key assumptions. Key reserve assumptions and estimation processes react to and are influenced by observed changes in loan portfolio performance experience, the financial strength of the borrower, and economic conditions. Key reserve assumptions are periodically updated.

Asset Specific/Individual Component

Nonperforming loans that are considered impaired under ASC 310 – Receivables, which include all commercial and consumer TDRs, are evaluated for a specific reserve. Specific reserve allocations are determined as follows:

For commercial nonperforming loans and commercial TDRs greater than or equal to a defined dollar threshold, specific reserves are based on an analysis of the present value of the loan’s expected future cash flows, the loan’s observable market price or the fair value of the collateral.

For commercial nonperforming loans and commercial TDRs below the defined dollar threshold, the individual loan’s loss given default (LGD) percentage is multiplied by the loan balance and the results are aggregated for purposes of measuring specific reserve impairment.
Consumer nonperforming loans are collectively reserved for unless classified as consumer TDRs. For consumer TDRs, specific reserves are determined through an analysis of the present value of the loan’s expected future cash flows, except for those instances where loans have been deemed collateral dependent, including loans where borrowers have been discharged from personal liability through Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have not formally reaffirmed their loan obligations to PNC. Once that determination has been made, those TDRs are charged down to the fair value of the collateral less costs to sell at each period end.

Commercial Lending Quantitative Component

The estimates of the quantitative component of ALLL for incurred losses within the commercial lending portfolio segment are determined through statistical loss modeling utilizing PD, LGD and outstanding balance of the loan. Based upon loan risk ratings, we assign PDs and LGDs. Each of these statistical parameters is determined based on internal historical data and market data. PD is influenced by such factors as liquidity, industry, obligor financial structure, access to capital and cash flow. LGD is influenced by collateral type, original and/or updated loan-to-value ratio (LTV), facility structure and other factors.

Consumer Lending Quantitative Component

Quantitative estimates within the consumer lending portfolio segment are calculated primarily using a roll-rate model based on statistical relationships, calculated from historical data that estimate the movement of loan outstandings through the various stages of delinquency and ultimately charge-off over our loss emergence period.

Qualitative Component

While our reserve methodologies strive to reflect all relevant risk factors, there continues to be uncertainty associated with, but not limited to, potential imprecision in the estimation process due to the inherent time lag of obtaining information and normal variations between estimates and actual outcomes. We provide additional reserves that are designed to provide coverage for losses attributable to such risks. The ALLL also includes factors that may not be directly measured in the determination of specific or pooled reserves. Such qualitative factors may include:

Industry concentrations and conditions,
Recent credit quality trends,
Recent loss experience in particular portfolios,
Recent macro-economic factors,
Model imprecision,
Changes in lending policies and procedures,
Timing of available information, including the performance of first lien positions, and
Limitations of available historical data.

Allowance for Purchased Non-Impaired Loans

ALLL for purchased non-impaired loans is determined based upon a comparison between the methodologies described above and the remaining acquisition date fair value discount that has yet to be accreted into interest income. After making the comparison, an ALLL is recorded for the amount greater than the discount, or no ALLL is recorded if the discount is greater.

Allowance for Purchased Impaired Loans

ALLL for purchased impaired loans is determined in accordance with ASC 310-30 by comparing the net present value of the cash flows expected to be collected to the recorded investment for a given loan (or pool of loans). In cases where the net present value of expected cash flows is lower than the recorded investment, ALLL is established. Cash flows expected to be collected represent management’s best estimate of the cash flows expected over the life of a loan (or pool of loans). For large balance commercial loans, cash flows are separately estimated at the loan level. For smaller balance pooled loans, pool cash flows are estimated using cash flow models. Pools were defined at acquisition based on the risk characteristics of the loan. Our cash flow models use loan data including, but not limited to, contractual loan balance, delinquency status of the loan, updated borrower FICO credit scores, geographic information, historical loss experience, and updated LTVs, as well as best estimates for changes in unemployment rates, home prices and other economic factors, to determine estimated cash flows.

See Note 4 Purchased Loans and Note 5 Allowances for Loan and Lease Losses and Unfunded Loan Commitments and Letters of Credit for additional loan data and application of the policies disclosed herein.

Our credit risk management policies, procedures and practices are designed to promote sound lending standards and prudent credit risk management. We have policies, procedures and practices that address financial statement requirements, collateral review and appraisal requirements, advance rates based upon collateral types, appropriate levels of exposure, cross-border risk, lending to specialized industries or borrower type, guarantor requirements, and regulatory compliance.

Allowance for Unfunded Loan Commitments and Letters of Credit

We maintain the allowance for unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit at a level we believe is appropriate to absorb estimated probable credit losses on these unfunded credit facilities as of the balance sheet date. We determine the allowance based on periodic evaluations of the unfunded credit facilities, including an assessment of the probability of commitment usage, credit risk factors, and, solely for commercial lending, the terms and expiration dates of the unfunded credit facilities. Other than the estimation of the probability of funding, the reserve for unfunded loan commitments is estimated in a manner similar to the methodology used for determining reserves for funded exposures. The allowance for unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit is recorded as a liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Net adjustments to the allowance for unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit are included in the provision for credit losses.

See Note 5 Allowances for Loan and Lease Losses and Unfunded Loan Commitments and Letters of Credit for additional loan data and application of the policies disclosed herein.

Earnings Per Common Share

Basic earnings per common share is calculated using the two-class method to determine income attributable to common shareholders. Unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents are considered participating securities under the two-class method. Income attributable to common shareholders is then divided by the weighted-average common shares outstanding for the period.

Diluted earnings per common share is calculated under the more dilutive of either the treasury method or the two-class method. For the diluted calculation, we increase the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding by the assumed conversion of outstanding convertible preferred stock from the beginning of the year or date of issuance, if later, and the number of shares of common stock that would be issued assuming the exercise of stock options and warrants and the issuance of incentive shares using the treasury stock method. These adjustments to the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding are made only when such adjustments will dilute earnings per common share. See Note 12 Earnings Per Share for additional information.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-11, Transfers and Servicing (Topic 860): Repurchase-to-Maturity Transactions, Repurchase Financings, and Disclosures. This ASU impacts the accounting for repurchase-to-maturity transactions and transfers executed contemporaneously with a repurchase agreement with the same counterparty (i.e., a repurchase financing) by requiring secured borrowing accounting. We adopted this accounting as of January 1, 2015. The disclosure requirements were adopted in the current reporting period. Adoption of this ASU did not have a material effect on our results of operations or financial position.