Commitment and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure

Commitments and Contingencies

Truist utilizes a variety of financial instruments to mitigate exposure to risks and meet the financing needs and provide investment opportunities for clients. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit, letters of credit and financial guarantees, derivatives, and other investments. Truist also has commitments to fund certain affordable housing investments and contingent liabilities related to certain sold loans.

Tax Credit and Certain Equity Investments

The Company invests as a limited partner in certain projects through the New Market Tax Credit program, which is a Federal financial program aimed to stimulate business and real estate investment in underserved communities via a Federal tax credit. Following the first quarter of 2023 adoption of the Investments in Tax Credit Structures accounting standard, these tax credits, referred to as “Other qualified tax credits” below, qualify for the proportional amortization method. Refer to “Note 1. Basis of Presentation” for additional information.

The following table summarizes certain tax credit and certain equity investments:

(Dollars in millions)	Balance Sheet Location	Mar 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2022
Investments in affordable housing projects and other qualified tax credits:
Carrying amount	Other assets	$	5,765	$	5,869
Amount of future funding commitments included in carrying amount	Other liabilities	1,726		1,762
Lending exposure	Loans and leases for funded amounts	1,625		1,547
Renewable energy investments:
Carrying amount	Other assets	272		264
Amount of future funding commitments not included in carrying amount	NA	444		361
SBIC and certain other equity method investments:
Carrying amount	Other assets	597		596
Amount of future funding commitments not included in carrying amount	NA	597		532

The following table presents a summary of tax credits and amortization associated with the Company’s tax credit investment activity. Activity related to the Company’s renewable energy investments was immaterial.

		Three Months Ended March 31,
(Dollars in millions)	Income Statement Location	2023		2022
Tax credits:
Investments in affordable housing projects, other qualified tax credits, and other community development investments	Provision for income taxes	$	157	$	150
Amortization and other changes in carrying amount:
Investments in affordable housing projects and other qualified tax credits(1)	Provision for income taxes	$	148	$	124
Other community development investments(1)	Other noninterest income	2		19

(1)In the first quarter of 2023, the Company adopted the Investments in Tax Credit Structures accounting standard. As a result, amortization related to these tax credits started being recognized in the Provision for income taxes as of the adoption of this standard. This activity was previously recognized in Other income. Refer to “Note 1. Basis of Presentation” for additional information.

Letters of Credit and Financial Guarantees

In the normal course of business, Truist utilizes certain financial instruments to meet the financing needs of clients and to mitigate exposure to risks. Such financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and certain contractual agreements, including standby letters of credit and financial guarantee arrangements.

The following is a summary of selected notional amounts of off-balance sheet financial instruments:

(Dollars in millions)	Mar 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2022
Commitments to extend, originate, or purchase credit and other commitments	$	215,998	$	216,838
Residential mortgage loans sold with recourse	200		200
CRE mortgages serviced for others covered by recourse provisions	9,829		9,955
Other loans serviced for others covered by recourse provisions	759		723
Letters of credit	6,158		6,030

Total Return Swaps

The Company facilitates matched book TRS transactions on behalf of clients, whereby a VIE purchases reference assets identified by a client and the Company enters into a TRS with the VIE, with a mirror-image TRS facing the client. The Company provides senior financing to the VIE in the form of demand notes to fund the purchase of the reference assets. Reference assets are typically fixed income instruments primarily composed of syndicated bank loans. The TRS contracts pass through interest and other cash flows on the reference assets to the third-party clients, along with exposing those clients to decreases in value on the assets and providing them with the rights to appreciation on the assets. The terms of the TRS contracts require the third parties to post initial margin collateral, as well as ongoing margin as the fair values of the underlying reference assets change. The following table provides a summary of the TRS transactions with VIE purchases. VIE assets include trading loans and bonds:

(Dollars in millions)	Mar 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2022
Total return swaps:
VIE assets	$	1,880	$	1,830
Trading loans and bonds	1,801		1,790
VIE liabilities	118		163

The Company concluded that the associated VIEs should be consolidated because the Company has (i) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses and the right to receive benefits, which could potentially be significant. The activities of the VIEs are restricted to buying and selling the reference assets and the risks/benefits of any such assets owned by the VIEs are passed to the third-party clients via the TRS contracts. For additional information on TRS contracts and the related VIEs, see “Note 16. Derivative Financial Instruments.”

Pledged Assets

Certain assets were pledged to secure municipal deposits, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, certain derivative agreements, and borrowings or borrowing capacity, as well as to fund certain obligations related to nonqualified defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans and for other purposes as required or permitted by law. Assets pledged to the FHLB and FRB are subject to applicable asset discounts when determining borrowing capacity. The Company has capacity for secured financing from both the FRB and FHLB and letters of credit from the FHLB. The Company’s letters of credit from the FHLB can be used to secure various client deposits, including public fund relationships. Excluding assets related to nonqualified benefit plans, the majority of the agreements governing the pledged assets do not permit the other party to sell or repledge the collateral. The following table provides the total carrying amount of pledged assets by asset type:

(Dollars in millions)	Mar 31, 2023		Dec 31, 2022
Pledged securities	$	71,890	$	38,012
Pledged loans:
FRB	75,018		71,234
FHLB	70,766		68,988
Unused borrowing capacity:
FRB	53,291		49,250
FHLB	24,678		20,770

Litigation and Regulatory Matters

Truist and/or its subsidiaries are routinely named as defendants in or parties to numerous actual or threatened legal proceedings, including civil litigation and regulatory investigations or enforcement matters, arising from the ordinary conduct of its regular business activities. The matters range from individual actions involving a single plaintiff to class action lawsuits with many class members and can involve claims for substantial or indeterminate alleged damages or for injunctive or other relief. Investigations may involve both formal and informal proceedings, by both governmental agencies and self-regulatory organizations, and could result in fines, penalties, restitution, and/or alterations in Truist’s business practices. These legal proceedings are at varying stages of adjudication, arbitration, or investigation and may consist of a variety of claims, including common law tort and contract claims, as well as statutory antitrust, securities, and consumer protection claims. The ultimate resolution of any proceeding and the timing of such resolution is uncertain and inherently difficult to predict. It is possible that the ultimate resolution of these matters, including those described below, if unfavorable, may be material to the consolidated financial position, consolidated results of operations, or consolidated cash flows of Truist, or cause significant reputational consequences.

Truist establishes accruals for legal matters when potential losses associated with the actions become probable and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. There is no assurance that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not significantly exceed the amounts that Truist has accrued. Accruals for legal matters are based on management’s best judgment after consultation with counsel and others.

The Company estimates reasonably possible losses, in excess of amounts accrued, of up to approximately $200 million as of March 31, 2023. This estimate does not represent Truist’s maximum loss exposure, and actual losses may vary significantly. In addition, the matters underlying this estimate will change from time to time. Estimated losses are based upon currently available information and involve considerable judgment, given that claims often include significant legal uncertainties, damages alleged by plaintiffs are often unspecified or overstated, discovery may not have started or may not be complete, and material facts may be disputed or unsubstantiated, among other factors.

For certain matters, Truist may be unable to estimate the loss or range of loss, even if it believes that a loss is probable or reasonably possible, until developments in the case provide additional information sufficient to support such an estimate. Such matters are not accrued for and are not reflected in the estimate of reasonably possible losses.

The following is a description of certain legal proceedings in which Truist is involved:

Bickerstaff v. SunTrust Bank

This class action case was filed in the Fulton County State Court on July 12, 2010, and an amended complaint was filed on August 9, 2010. Plaintiff asserts that all overdraft fees charged to his account which related to debit card and ATM transactions are actually interest charges and therefore subject to the usury laws of Georgia. Plaintiff has brought claims for violations of civil and criminal usury laws, conversion, and money had and received, and seeks damages on a class-wide basis, including refunds of challenged overdraft fees and pre-judgment interest. On October 6, 2017, the trial court granted plaintiff’s motion for class certification and defined the class as “Every Georgia citizen who had or has one or more accounts with SunTrust Bank and who, from July 12, 2006, to October 6, 2017 (i) had at least one overdraft of $500.00 or less resulting from an ATM or debit card transaction (the “Transaction”); (ii) paid any Overdraft Fees as a result of the Transaction; and (iii) did not receive a refund of those Fees,” and the granting of a certified class was affirmed on appeal. The Company previously filed a motion to amend the class definition in which it sought to narrow the scope of the class and renewed motions to compel arbitration against certain class members, which the court found were premature. On September 22, 2022, the trial court entered a scheduling order holding that the court will consider such motions after discovery, which is ongoing, is completed. Trial is presently set to commence on April 29, 2024. The Company continues to believe that the underlying claims are without merit.

United Services Automobile Association v. Truist Bank

USAA filed a lawsuit on July 29, 2022 against the Company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas alleging that the Company’s mobile remote deposit capture systems infringe certain patents held by USAA. The complaint seeks damages, including for alleged willful infringement and a corresponding request that the amount of actual damages be trebled, as well as injunctive and other equitable relief. The Company filed its answer and affirmative defenses on October 11, 2022, denying that it infringes any of the patents at issue in the lawsuit and asserting that USAA’s patents are invalid or unenforceable. On December 30, 2022, the Company filed a motion for leave to amend its answer to assert counterclaims seeking damages as well as injunctive relief against USAA for infringing certain patents owned by the Company and practiced by USAA’s mobile remote deposit capture systems, which motion was granted on April 8, 2023. On March 20, 2023, USAA filed a motion for leave to file an amended complaint which would add a claim that the Company’s mobile remote deposit capture systems infringe an additional USAA patent. On April 14, 2023, USAA filed a motion seeking to sever Truist’s counterclaims from the case. USAA’s motions above are both pending. Discovery in the district court proceedings is ongoing, and trial is presently set to commence on March 18, 2024.

At the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the Company filed separate petitions for inter partes review on October 11, November 7, and November 15, 2022 challenging the validity of each of the three patents asserted by USAA in the lawsuit. In addition, on April 13, 2023, the Company filed a petition for inter partes review challenging the validity of the fourth patent USAA is seeking to add to the lawsuit. If institution of any of the petitions for inter partes review is granted, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board will review the validity of the claims in the applicable patent(s).