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Credit Card Activities Manual
Chapter VI. – Purchased Portfolios and Relationships Portfolio Acquisitions VI. Purchased Portfolios and Relationships Intense competition in the credit card industry is often accompanied by high costs to originate new card accounts. As a result, some banks find it more profitable to purchase credit card portfolios. In addition, some banks buy card portfolios to utilize excess servicing capacity, swiftly grow receivable holdings, or diversify assets. Rapid receivable growth could stress the bank if it is not able to properly manage the additional volume of and/or risks of the receivables taken on. Excessive amounts paid for portfolios (as a result of overvaluation) could result in necessary write-downs, and changes in the purchased portfolio's cash flow drivers after acquisition could necessitate write-downs of intangible assets booked in connection with the purchases. Portfolio Acquisitions If subprime loans have been purchased, examiners should confirm whether management followed the March 1, 1999 Interagency Guidance on Subprime Lending. According to that guidance, banks that purchase subprime loans must give due consideration to the cost of servicing the subprime assets and to the loan losses that may be experienced, which are typically much higher than those for prime portfolios. Some lenders who sell subprime loans charge borrowers high up-front fees that are frequently financed into the loan. As such and to the detriment of a potential purchaser, originators could be inclined to produce a high volume of loans with little emphasis on quality. Further, subprime loans, especially from outside the bank's typical lending area, could carry special risk for fraud or misrepresentation (that is, the quality of the loan may be less than loan documents indicate). Examiners should look for evidence that management performed a thorough due diligence review prior to committing to purchase subprime credit card loans and normally only accepts credit card loans that meet the bank's underwriting criteria. Whether the purchased loans are prime or subprime, marked deterioration in their quality or performance compared to the quality or performance expected points to the need for a thorough reevaluation by management of the originators, as well as re-evaluation of the bank's criteria for assessing prospective loan purchases and selecting originators (sellers). It might also highlight a need to modify or terminate the relationship with the seller or make adjustments to underwriting and originator selection criteria. A variety of factors impacts a portfolio's cash flows and, thus, can help determine its purchase price. In general, factors include the portfolio's yield, attrition rates, charge-off rates, funding rates, fee income, and processing costs. Most banks that purchase credit card portfolios maintain automated software models that management loads with portfolio performance estimates. Models typically generate a host of information that can help the purchaser determine whether it should purchase the portfolio and what an appropriate value for the portfolio would be. Purchased Credit Card Relationships Banks can continue to reflect PCCRs for purchased portfolios that are securitized. This conclusion is based on the continuation of account ownership by the bank and the inherent value in the cardholder relationship. Accounting The premium (difference between the amount paid and the sum of balances of the credit card loans purchased) should be allocated between the cardholder relationships acquired (that is, the PCCRs) and the loans acquired. The premium allocated to the loans acquired should be amortized over the life of the loans in accordance with FAS 91, Accounting for Nonrefundable Fees and Costs Associated with Originating or Acquiring Loans and Initial Direct Costs of Leases. After this initial allocation, the PCCRs are carried at amortized cost. In July 2001, FAS 141, Business Combinations, and FAS 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, were issued. FAS 141 requires that intangible assets acquired in a business combination be recognized as assets apart from goodwill if they meet one of two criteria: the contractual-legal criterion or the separability criterion. If an entity establishes relationships with its customers through contracts, such as cardholder agreements, those customer relationships would arise from contractual rights. Thus, customer contracts and the related customer relationships are intangible assets that meet the contractual-legal criterion. The amount to be assigned to PCCRs at acquisition in a business combination is the estimated fair value. FAS 142 addresses how intangible assets that are acquired individually or with a group of other assets (but not those acquired in a business combination) should be accounted for in financial statements upon acquisition. Upon acquisition, these intangible assets are to be initially recognized and measured based on fair value. Subsequent to acquisition, PCCRs acquired in a business combination individually, or with a group of other assets, are to be accounted for in accordance with FAS 142. This is because the nature of an asset, not the manner of its acquisition, determines subsequent accounting for the asset. According to FAS 142, those intangible assets that are not deemed to have an indefinite life (rather, they have a finite life), such as PCCRs, are to be amortized over their useful lives. The estimate of the useful life of an intangible asset is to be based on an analysis of all pertinent factors such as the entity's expected use of the asset and any legal, regulatory, or contractual provisions limiting its useful life. Examiners should verify that PCCRs are being amortized using a method that reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are consumed. For PCCRs, these benefits are consumed as the revenue stream generated by the cardholder relationships is realized. Because the revenue stream normally declines each year after purchase, use of an accelerated method of amortization based on the estimated attrition rate of the purchased credit card accounts generally results. If a usage pattern cannot be reliably determined, which is unlikely to be the case for PCCRs, the straight-line method must be used. The estimated useful life of PCCRs most often does not exceed 10 years. However, in rare cases, a longer useful life and amortization period may be justified. Cases where support for the estimated useful life applied is not adequate or well-documented generally cause concern. Examiners should look for evidence that management performs a quarterly evaluation of the PCCRs, including documentation thereof, and adjusts the carrying value as necessary. They should determine whether management properly considers unanticipated acceleration or deceleration of cardholder payments, account attrition, changes in fees or finance charges, or other events or changes in conditions that may point to the carrying amount of the PCCRs not being recoverable. If the carrying amount might not be recoverable, examiners should verify that management tests the PCCRs for recoverability and, if not recoverable, recognizes any impairment loss in accordance with FAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. The carrying amount is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted expected future cash flows from the intangible asset. The PCCRs would then be written down to their fair value (e.g., the present value of estimated future cash flows from the intangible asset). As of October 1, 2002, FAS 144 applies to long-term customer-relationship intangible assets such as PCCRs that are recognized in the acquisition of a financial institution (as set forth in paragraph 6 of FAS 147, Acquisitions of Certain Financial Institutions). According to FAS 147, those intangibles, which include those acquired in transactions between two or more mutual enterprises, are subject to the same undiscounted cash flow recoverability test and impairment loss recognition and measurement provisions that FAS 144 requires for other long-lived assets that are held and used. Examination of PCCRs normally requires the examiner to review management's original acquisition model, the quarterly cash flow and fair value models, and related data that support management's assumptions. The supporting documentation is the basis which determines the proper amount of PCCRs that should be included in regulatory capital. Capital Limitations for PCCRs
Loan Loss Allowances for Purchased Portfolios In general, when a bank purchases a credit card portfolio, including a portfolio acquired in a business combination, the portion of the allowance for loan and lease losses (ALLL) on the seller's balance sheet that relates directly to, or has been allocated to, the purchased portfolio is carried over and recorded as an increase in the purchaser's ALLL at the time of acquisition. However, as discussed below, if any of the acquired credit card receivables fall within the scope of AICPA Statement of Position 03-03, Accounting for Certain Loans or Debt Securities Acquired in a Transfer (SOP 03-3), an adjustment must be made to the portion of the seller's ALLL that is carried over to the purchaser's books. Other adjustments to the portion of the seller's ALLL that the purchaser carries over generally are not appropriate, except in the limited circumstances discussed in the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 61, Adjustments to Allowances for Loan Losses in Connection with Business Combinations (Codified in Topic 2.A.5 in the SEC's Codification of Staff Accounting Bulletins). Under all circumstances, management should provide adequate documentation to support the amount of the allowance that is carried over as an increase in the purchasing bank's ALLL and a means by which it can be verified objectively. SOP 03-3 prohibits a bank from carrying over or creating loan loss allowances in the initial accounting for purchased impaired loans (i.e., loans that a bank has purchased where there is evidence of deterioration of credit quality since the origination of the loan and it is probable, at the purchase date, that the bank will be unable to collect all contractually required payments receivable). This prohibition applies to the purchase of an individual impaired loan, a pool or group of impaired loans, and impaired loans acquired in a purchase business combination. With respect to credit card receivables, SOP 03-3 provides that accounts of cardholders who have "revolving privileges," i.e., can continue to use the credit card for purchases and cash advances, are not to be treated as purchased impaired loans. Although the credit card receivables of cardholders whose revolving privileges have been revoked must be individually evaluated to determine whether they meet the criteria for being treated as a purchased impaired loan under SOP 03-3, such receivables will normally meet these criteria. The bank that purchases these impaired credit card receivables must determine the amount of the seller's ALLL allocated to the entire purchased portfolio that should be attributed to the impaired receivables because this amount may not be carried over to the purchaser's ALLL. If the seller had not specifically attributed a portion of its ALLL to the credit card receivables for which the cardholders' revolving privileges had been revoked, the purchaser should consider the fact that such receivables likely have additional risk characteristics compared to the credit card accounts that have revolving privileges. As a consequence, within the seller's ALLL allocated to the entire purchased portfolio, the amount attributable to the receivables of cardholders whose revolving privileges had been revoked would be expected to be a larger percentage of the seller's ALLL than simply the percentage of purchased impaired receivables in the purchased portfolio. Thus, management should maintain adequate documentation to support its determination of the estimated amount of the seller's allowance attributable to purchased impaired credit card receivables that cannot be carried over under SOP 03-3. Subsequent to the acquisition of purchased impaired credit card receivables accounted for in accordance with SOP 03-3, the purchaser must continue to evaluate the cash flows expected to be collected on these receivables. If, upon such a subsequent evaluation, management determines, based on current information and events, that it is probable that the bank will be unable to collect all cash flows expected at acquisition (plus additional cash flows expected to be collected arising from changes in estimate after acquisition) on a purchased impaired credit card receivable, the receivable should be considered impaired for purposes of establishing an allowance pursuant to FAS 5 or 114, as appropriate. Loan loss allowances for credit card portfolios are discussed in the Allowances for Loan Losses chapter. Summary of Examination Goals – Purchased Portfolios and Relationships
Examiners should consult with accounting specialists as necessary. |
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Last Updated 05/24/2007 | supervision@fdic.gov |
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