Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of BOK Financial Corporation (“BOK Financial” or “the Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles for interim financial information generally accepted in the United States and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements include accounts of BOK Financial and its subsidiaries, principally BOKF, NA (“the Bank”), BOK Financial Securities, Inc., and BOK Financial Private Wealth, Inc. Operating divisions of the Bank include Bank of Albuquerque, Bank of Oklahoma, Bank of Texas, BOK Financial in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado and Kansas/Missouri, BOK Financial Mortgage and the TransFund electronic funds network.

Certain reclassifications have been made to conform to the current period presentation.

The financial information should be read in conjunction with BOK Financial’s 2018 Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contains audited financial statements. Amounts presented as of December 31, 2018 have been derived from the audited financial statements included in BOK Financial’s 2018 Form 10-K but do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. Operating results for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019.

Newly Adopted and Pending Accounting Policies

Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)

FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) ("ASU 2016-02")

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 to increase transparency and comparability by recognizing lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Lessees are required to recognize an obligation for future lease payments measured on a discounted basis and a right-of-use asset. The Company adopted the new standard January 1, 2019 through a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings. Prior periods were not restated. BOKF elected to apply all practical expedients other than the lessee’s practical expedient to combine lease and non-lease components which would further gross up lease liability and the related right-of-use asset. The implementation of ASU 2016-02 increased the reported right-of-use asset and lease liability by $137 million. The effect on retained earnings was immaterial.

FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Assets Measured at Amortized Cost ("ASU 2016-13" or "CECL")

On June 16, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 to provide more timely recording of credit losses on loans and other financial assets measured at amortized cost, effective for the Company's annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years.

The company has established a CECL implementation team to evaluate the impact to the Company’s financial statements. The CECL implementation team, overseen by the Chief Credit Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer, has developed a project plan that incorporates input from various departments within the bank including Credit, Financial Reporting, Risk and Information Technology among others. The Audit Committee and Credit Committee of the Board of Directors is periodically updated on project progress. In the second half of 2019, the implementation team is focused on design and operation of internal controls over the expected credit losses estimate and formalizing governance and approval processes. This includes finalizing model validation, refinement of model assumptions and qualitative framework, as well as drafting policies, reporting, and disclosures. These activities support our parallel runs and related results. The Company will adopt the standard on January 1, 2020 through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings.

FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2019-01, Leases (Topic 842): Codification Improvements ("ASU 2019-01")

On March 5, 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-01 which amends certain aspects of leasing standard ASU 2016-02. ASU 2019-01 provides guidance for determining fair value of the underlying asset by lessors that are not manufacturers or dealers. The ASU also requires depository and lending lessors within the scope of ASC 942 to classify principal payments received from sales-type and direct financing leases within "investing activities" on the statement of cash flows. For the two issues above, the ASU is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods therein; however early adoption is permitted. Additionally, ASU 2019-01 also clarifies interim disclosure requirements during transition and is effective with the original transition requirements in Topic 842. Adoption of ASU 2019-01 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and Topic 825, Financial Instruments ("ASU 2019-04")

On April 25, 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-04 which clarifies certain aspects of the accounting for credit losses, hedging activities, and financial instruments addressed by ASUs 2016-13, 2017-12, and 2016-01, respectively. Significant amendments made to the provisions of ASU 2016-13 by ASU 2019-04 include providing certain alternatives for the measurement of the allowance for credit losses on accrued interest receivable and clarifying steps entities should take when recording the transfer of loans or debt securities between measurement classification or categories. ASU 2019-04 further clarifies the expectation that entities include recoveries of financial assets in the calculation of the current expected credit losses allowance for both pools of financial assets and individual financial assets. Significant amendments made to the provisions of ASU 2017-12 by ASU 2019-04 include clarification on partial-term fair value hedges of interest rate risk, amortization of fair value hedge basis adjustments and disclosure of fair value hedge basis adjustments. Significant amendments made to provisions of ASU 2016-01include clarification of the measurement alternative practice for equity securities and remeasurement of equity securities at historical exchange rates. ASU 2019-04 includes other amendments which clarify various provisions within the codification. ASU 2019-04 is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods therein. Adoption of ASU 2019-04 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2019-05, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Targeted Transition Relief ("ASU 2019-05")

On May 15, 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05 which provides transition relief for entities adopting the Board's credit losses standard, ASU 2016-13. ASU 2019-05 amends ASU 2016-13 to allow companies to irrevocably elect, upon adoption of ASU 2016-13, the fair value option for financial instruments that meet specific requirements and is effective for the Company for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Adoption of ASU 2019-05 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.