NEWS RELEASE 10/01/02

FASB Issues Statement No. 147, Acquisitions of Certain Financial Institutions

Norwalk, CT, October 1, 2002—Today the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 147, Acquisitions of Certain Financial Institutions. That Statement, which provides guidance on the accounting for the acquisition of a financial institution, applies to all acquisitions except those between two or more mutual enterprises (the Board has a separate project on its agenda that will provide guidance on the accounting for transactions between mutual enterprises).

The provisions of Statement 147 reflect the following important conclusions reached by the Board:

• The excess of the fair value of liabilities assumed over the fair value of tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination represents goodwill that should be accounted for under FASB Statement No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. Thus, the specialized accounting guidance in paragraph 5 of FASB Statement No. 72, Accounting for Certain Acquisitions of Banking or Thrift Institutions, will not apply after September 30, 2002. If certain criteria in Statement 147 are met, the amount of the unidentifiable intangible asset will be reclassified to goodwill upon adoption of that Statement.

   

• Financial institutions meeting conditions outlined in Statement 147 will be required to restate previously issued financial statements. The objective of that restatement requirement is to present the balance sheet and income statement as if the amount accounted for under Statement 72 as an unidentifiable intangible asset had been reclassified to goodwill as of the date Statement 142 was initially applied. (For example, a financial institution that adopted Statement 142 on January 1, 2002, would retroactively reclassify the unidentifiable intangible asset to goodwill as of that date and restate previously issued income statements to remove the amortization expense recognized in 2002). Those transition provisions are effective on October 1, 2002; however, early application is permitted.

   

• The scope of FASB Statement No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, is amended to include long-term customer-relationship intangible assets such as depositor- and borrower-relationship intangible assets and credit cardholder intangible assets.

   

Copies of Statement 147 may be obtained through the FASB’s Order Department by calling 800-748-0659 or by placing an order on-line.

About the Financial Accounting Standards Board

Since 1973, the Financial Accounting Standards Board has been the designated organization in the private sector for establishing standards of financial accounting and reporting. Those standards govern the preparation of financial reports and are officially recognized as authoritative by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Such standards are essential to the efficient functioning of the economy because investors, creditors, auditors and others rely on credible, transparent and comparable financial information. For more information about the FASB, visit our website at www.fasb.org.

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