2.2.0.25falsefalse1180 - Disclosure - Concentration of credit risktruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
USD ($)
USD ($) / shares
$D2010http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000018230duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170PureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0USDPerShareDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0SharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2true0cat_ConcentrationOfCreditRiskDisclosureAbstractcatfalsenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalse3false0us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskDisclosureTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1falsefalsefalse00<table style="font-size:10pt; font-family:'Times New Roman',times,serif;">
<tr>
<td>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><b><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">18.</font></b><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt" size="2"> <b>Concentration of credit risk</b></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"> </font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">Financial instruments with potential credit risk consist primarily of trade and finance receivables and short-term and long-term investments. Additionally, to a lesser extent, we have a potential credit risk associated with counterparties to derivative contracts.</font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"> </font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">Trade receivables are primarily short-term receivables from independently owned and operated dealers and customers which arise in the normal course of business. We perform regular credit evaluations of our dealers and customers. Collateral generally is not required, and the majority of our trade receivables are unsecured. We do, however, when deemed necessary, make use of various devices such as security agreements and letters of credit to protect our interests. No single dealer or customer represents a significant concentration of credit risk.</font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"> </font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">Finance receivables and wholesale inventory receivables primarily represent receivables under installment sales contracts, receivables arising from leasing transactions and notes receivable. We generally maintain a secured interest in the equipment financed. No single customer or dealer represents a significant concentration of credit risk.</font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"> </font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">Short-term and long-term investments are held with high quality institutions and, by policy, the amount of credit exposure to any one institution is limited. Long-term investments, primarily included in Other assets in Statement 2, are comprised primarily of available for sale securities at Cat Insurance.</font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"> </font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">For derivative contracts, collateral is generally not required of the counterparties or of our company. The company generally enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting agreements which permit the net settlement of amounts owed. Our exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the counterparties is limited to only those gains that we have recorded, but for which we have not yet received cash payment. The master netting agreements reduce the amount of loss the company would incur should the counterparties fail to meet their obligations. At December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, the maximum exposure to credit loss was $576 million, $514 million and $1,051 million, respectively, before the application of any master netting agreements. Please refer to Note 17 and Table III above for fair value information.</font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"> </font></p></td></tr></table>
18. Concentration of credit risk
Financial instruments with potential credit risk consist primarily of trade and finance receivables andfalsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDescription of any concentrations existing at the date of the financial statements that make an entity vulnerable to a reasonably possible, near-term, severe impact. The entity should inform financial statement users about the general nature of the risk associated with the concentration, and may indicate the percentage of concentration risk as of the balance sheet date. Disclosure of any financial instrument credit risk concentration also should indicate the maximum amount of loss that would be incurred upon complete failure of the counterparty to perform and the entity's collateral policies or other policies that limit the loss exposure. This element may be used as a single block of text to encapsulate the entire disclosure including data and tables.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 107
-Paragraph 15A
Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Statement of Position (SOP)
-Number 94-6
-Paragraph 21, 22, 24
falsefalse12Concentration of credit riskUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue
