Fair Value Measurements (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Accounting Changes And Error Corrections [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures

The Company follows FASB ASC 820-10, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, (formerly SFAS 157, “Fair Value Measurements,”) which among other things, requires enhanced disclosures about assets and liabilities carried at fair value. ASC 820-10 establishes a hierarchal disclosure framework associated with the level of pricing observability utilized in measuring financial instruments at fair value. The three broad levels of the hierarchy are as follows:

Level I – Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reported date. The type of financial instruments included in Level I are highly liquid cash instruments with quoted prices such as G-7 government, agency securities, listed equities and money market securities, as well as listed derivative instruments.

Level II – Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reported date. The nature of these financial instruments include cash instruments for which quoted prices are available but traded less frequently, derivative instruments whose fair value have been derived using a model where inputs to the model are directly observable in the market, or can be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data, and instruments that are fair valued using other financial instruments, the parameters of which can be directly observed. Instruments which are generally included in this category are corporate bonds and loans, mortgage whole loans, municipal bonds and OTC derivatives.

Level III – Instruments that have little to no pricing observability as of the reported date. These financial instruments do not have two-way markets and are measured using management’s best estimate of fair value, where the inputs into the determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation. Instruments that are included in this category generally include certain commercial mortgage loans, certain private equity investments, distressed debt, non-investment grade residual interests in securitizations, as well as certain highly structured OTC derivative contracts.

Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210), Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities. ASU 2011-11 requires an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position, and to allow investors to better compare financial statements prepared under U.S. GAAP with financial statements prepared under IFRS. The new standards are effective for annual periods beginning January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. Retrospective application is required. The Company implemented the provisions of ASU 2011-11 as of January 1, 2013. The adoption of this pronouncement did not have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Comprehensive Income

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-02, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. ASU 2013-02 requires an entity to report the effect of significant reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the respective line items in net income or as a separate disclosure in the notes to the financial statements. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company has presented a separate footnote (Note 7) as a result of this pronouncement.