Basis of Presentation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation and Presentation

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of SVB Financial Group and entities in which we have a controlling financial interest. We determine whether we have a controlling financial interest in an entity by evaluating whether the entity is a voting interest entity or a VIE and whether the applicable accounting guidance requires consolidation. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Voting interest entities are entities that have sufficient equity and provide the equity investors voting rights that enable them to make significant decisions relating to the entity’s operations. For these types of entities, the Company’s determination of whether it has a controlling interest is based on ownership of the majority of the entities’ voting equity interest or through control of management of the entities.

VIEs are entities that, by design, either (1) lack sufficient equity to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties, or (2) have equity investors that do not have the ability to make significant decisions relating to the entity’s operations through voting rights, or do not have the obligation to absorb the expected losses, or do not have the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. We determine whether we have a controlling financial interest in a VIE by considering whether our involvement with the VIE is significant and whether we are the primary beneficiary based on the following:


1.	We have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance;


2.	The aggregate indirect and direct variable interests held by the Company have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could be significant to the VIE; and,


3.	Qualitative and quantitative factors regarding the nature, size, and form of our involvement with the VIE.

Voting interest entities in which we have a controlling financial interest or by which we control through management rights are consolidated into our financial statements.

We have not provided financial or other support during the periods presented to any VIE that we were not previously contractually required to provide. We are variable interest holders in certain partnerships for which we are not the primary beneficiary. We perform on-going reassessments on the status of the entities and whether facts or circumstances have changed in relation to previously evaluated voting interest entities and our involvement in VIEs which could cause our consolidation conclusion to change.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentations.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for consolidation to describe the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest held by the entity requires the variable interest entity to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the variable interest entity; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; and the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities that significantly impact the economic performance of the variable interest entity are shared (as defined).

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