Accounting Changes |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2019 | |
| Accounting Changes [Abstract] | |
| Accounting Changes | 2. Accounting ChangesEffective January 1, 2019, the Corporation adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Standard, Leases (Topic 842), as amended. The standard requires all leases to be recorded on the balance sheet as a right of use asset and a lease liability. The Corporation used a transition method that applies the new lease standard at January 1, 2019. The Corporation applied a policy election to exclude short-term leases from balance sheet recognition and also elected certain practical expedients at adoption. As permitted, the Corporation did not reassess whether existing contracts are or contain leases, the lease classification for any existing leases, initial direct costs for any existing lease and whether existing land easements and rights of way, which were not previously accounted for as leases, are or contain a lease. At adoption on January 1, 2019, an operating lease liability of $3.3 billion was recorded and the operating lease right of use asset was $4.3 billion, including $1.0 billion of previously recorded prepaid leases. There was cumulative earnings effect adjustment.Effective January 1, 2020, the Corporation adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s update, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), as amended. The standard requires a valuation allowance for credit losses be recognized for certain financial assets that reflects the current expected credit loss over the asset’s contractual life. The valuation allowance considers the risk of loss, even if remote, and considers past events, current conditions and expectations of the future. The standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Corporation’s financial statements. |