Note 6: Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts The following table provides the changes in the allowances for uncollectible accounts for the years ended December 31:
## Table 0 ##
Note 7: Regulatory Assets and Liabilities Regulatory Assets Regulatory assets represent costs that are probable of recovery from customers in future rates.
The majority of the regulatory assets earn a return.
The following table provides the composition of regulatory assets as of December 31:
The Company’s deferred pension expense includes a portion of the underfunded status that is probable of recovery through rates in future periods of $352 million and $270 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
The remaining portion is the pension expense in excess of the amount contributed to the pension plans which is deferred by certain subsidiaries and will be recovered in future service rates as contributions are made to the pension plan.
Removal costs recoverable through rates represent costs incurred for removal of property, plant and equipment or other retirement costs.
Regulatory balancing accounts accumulate differences between revenues recognized and authorized revenue requirements until they are collected from customers or are refunded.
Regulatory balancing accounts include low income programs and purchased power and water accounts.
San Clemente Dam project costs represent costs incurred and deferred by the Company’s utility subsidiary in California pursuant to its efforts to investigate alternatives and remove the dam due to potential earthquake and flood safety concerns.
In June 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) issued a decision authorizing implementation of a project to reroute the Carmel River and remove the San Clemente Dam.
The project includes the Company’s utility subsidiary in California, the California State Conservancy and the National Marine Fisheries Services.
Under the order’s terms, the CPUC has authorized recovery for
Impaired (or nonperforming) loans that are collateral-dependent were measured at fair value based on the fair value of the collateral.
OREO was measured initially at fair value based on property appraisals at the time of transfer and subsequently at the lower of cost or fair value.
Measurement of fair value for collateral-dependent loans and OREO was based on third party appraisals that utilize one or more valuation techniques (income, market and/or cost approaches).
Any adjustments to calculated fair value were made based on recently completed and validated third party appraisals, third party appraisal services, automated valuation services, or our informed judgment.
Evaluations were made to determine that the appraisal process met the relevant concepts and requirements of applicable accounting guidance.
Automated valuation services may be used primarily for residential properties when values from any of the previous methods were not available within 90 days of the balance sheet date.
These services use models based on market, economic, and demographic values.
The use of these models has only occurred in a very few instances and the related property valuations have not been significant to consider disclosure under Level 3 rather than Level 2.
Impaired loans that are not collateral-dependent were measured based on the present value of future cash flows discounted at the expected coupon rates over the lives of the loans.
Because the loans were not discounted at market interest rates, the valuations do not represent fair value and have been excluded from the nonrecurring fair value balance in the preceding schedules.
Fair Value of Certain Financial Instruments Following is a summary of the carrying values and estimated fair values of certain financial instruments:
## Table 1 ##
This summary excludes financial assets and liabilities for which carrying value approximates fair value and financial instruments that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis.
Financial instruments for which carrying values approximate fair value include cash and due from banks, money market investments, demand, savings and money market deposits, and federal funds purchased and security repurchase agreements.
The estimated fair value of demand, savings and money market deposits is the amount payable on demand at the reporting date.
Carrying value is used because the accounts have no stated maturity and the customer has the ability to withdraw funds immediately.
HTM investment securities primarily consist of municipal securities.
They were measured at fair value according to the methodology previously discussed.
Loans are measured at fair value according to their status as nonimpaired or impaired.
For nonimpaired loans, fair value is estimated by discounting future cash flows using the LIBOR yield curve adjusted by a factor which reflects the credit and interest rate risk inherent in the loan.
These future cash flows are then reduced by the estimated “lifeof-the-loan” aggregate credit losses in the loan portfolio.
These adjustments for lifetime future credit losses are derived from the methods used to estimate the ALLL for our loan portfolio and are adjusted quarterly as necessary
improved by $6.8 million compared to 2013 primarily as a result of the termination of the TRS, partially offset by losses on derivative fair value credit adjustments.
During 2015 we recorded $11.9 million of equity securities gains, compared to $13.5 million in 2014 and $8.5 million in 2013.
The decrease in 2015 was primarily a result of decreased income from our non-SBIC investments, partially offset by an increase in gains related to our SBIC investments.
The increase in 2014 was driven by unrealized gains related to appreciation of our SBIC equity investments.
In 2015 we recorded a fixed income securities loss of $138.7 million compared to a gain of $10.4 million in 2014.
During the second quarter of 2015, we sold the remaining portfolio of our CDO securities, or $574 million at amortized cost, and realized net losses of approximately $137 million.
The fixed income securities gain of $10.4 million in 2014 was primarily from paydowns and payoffs of the CDO securities.
Other noninterest income increased by $3.2 million in 2015 compared to 2014 primarily as a result from the gain on sale of a branch in California.
Other noninterest income decreased by $10.0 million in 2014, primarily due to gains in 2013 related to certain loans, which had been purchased from failed banks covered by FDIC loss-sharing agreements, as well as gains from branch deposit and asset sales.
Noninterest Expense Noninterest expense decreased by 3.9% to $1,600.5 million in 2015, compared to $1,665.3 million in 2014.
In 2014 we redeemed considerable amounts of our long-term debt and incurred debt extinguishment costs that were significantly higher than those incurred during 2015.
Other noninterest expense also decreased by approximately $39.5 million in 2015 primarily as a result of reductions in write-downs of the FDIC indemnification asset.
Fees related to professional and legal services declined by $15.6 million in 2015 due to a decline in consulting fees.
These decreases in expense were partially offset by a $16.3 million, or 1.7%, increase in salaries and employee benefits in 2015 as a result of an increase in employee base salaries.
Schedule 5 presents a comparison of the major components of noninterest expense for the past three years.
Schedule 5 NONINTEREST EXPENSE
## Table 2 ##
Salaries and employee benefits increased by $16.3 million, or 1.7%, in 2015 compared to 2014.
The increase in base salaries resulted, in part, from increased headcount related to our major systems projects and build-out of our enterprise risk management and stress testing functions, partially offset by reductions elsewhere.
Staff involved in those projects tend to be in more highly compensated roles than positions in which reductions occurred.
Our
GLOBAL PAYMENTS INC.  CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands)
## Table 3 ##
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Customer-related intangible assets, acquired technologies, contract-based intangible assets and trademarks and trade names acquired during the year ended December 31, 2018 had weighted-average amortization periods of 11.5 years, 6.2 years, 19.3 years and 12.5 years, respectively.
Customer-related intangible assets, acquired technologies, contract-based intangible assets and trademarks and trade names acquired during the year ended December 31, 2017 had weighted-average amortization periods of 16.8 years, 8.8 years, 3 years and 15 years, respectively.
Customer-related intangible assets acquired 2016 fiscal transition period had a weighted-average amortization period of 12.1 years.
Customer-related intangible assets, acquired technologies and trademarks and trade names acquired during the year ended May 31, 2016 had weighted-average amortization periods of 13.9 years, 5.0 years and 7.0 years, respectively.
Amortization expense of acquired intangibles was $377.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, $337.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, $194.3 million for the 2016 fiscal transition period and $113.7 million for the year ended May 31, 2016, respectively.

<table><tr><td></td><td>2018</td><td>2017</td><td>2016</td></tr><tr><td>Balance as of January 1</td><td>$-42</td><td>$-40</td><td>$-39</td></tr><tr><td>Amounts charged to expense</td><td>-33</td><td>-29</td><td>-27</td></tr><tr><td>Amounts written off</td><td>34</td><td>30</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>Recoveries of amounts written off</td><td>-4</td><td>-3</td><td>-3</td></tr><tr><td>Balance as of December 31</td><td>$-45</td><td>$-42</td><td>$-40</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td></td><td colspan="3">December 31, 2015</td><td colspan="3">December 31, 2014</td></tr><tr><td>(Amounts in thousands)</td><td>Carryingvalue</td><td>Estimatedfair value</td><td>Level</td><td>Carryingvalue</td><td>Estimatedfair value</td><td>Level</td></tr><tr><td>Financial assets:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>HTM investment securities</td><td>$545,648</td><td>$552,088</td><td>2</td><td>$647,252</td><td>$677,196</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Loans and leases (including loans held for sale), net of allowance</td><td>40,193,374</td><td>39,535,365</td><td>3</td><td>39,591,499</td><td>39,426,141</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Financial liabilities:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Time deposits</td><td>2,130,680</td><td>2,129,742</td><td>2</td><td>2,406,924</td><td>2,408,550</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Foreign deposits</td><td>294,391</td><td>294,321</td><td>2</td><td>328,391</td><td>328,447</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Long-term debt (less fair value hedges)</td><td>817,348</td><td>838,796</td><td>2</td><td>1,090,778</td><td>1,159,287</td><td>2</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td>(Amounts in millions)</td><td>2015</td><td>Percent change</td><td>2014</td><td>Percent change</td><td>2013</td></tr><tr><td>Salaries and employee benefits</td><td>$972.7</td><td>1.7%</td><td>$956.4</td><td>4.8%</td><td>$912.9</td></tr><tr><td>Occupancy, net</td><td>119.5</td><td>3.3</td><td>115.7</td><td>3.0</td><td>112.3</td></tr><tr><td>Furniture, equipment and software</td><td>123.2</td><td>6.9</td><td>115.3</td><td>8.2</td><td>106.6</td></tr><tr><td>Other real estate expense</td><td>-0.6</td><td>50.0</td><td>-1.2</td><td>-170.6</td><td>1.7</td></tr><tr><td>Credit-related expense</td><td>28.5</td><td>1.4</td><td>28.1</td><td>-16.9</td><td>33.8</td></tr><tr><td>Provision for unfunded lending commitments</td><td>-6.2</td><td>27.9</td><td>-8.6</td><td>49.7</td><td>-17.1</td></tr><tr><td>Professional and legal services</td><td>50.4</td><td>-23.6</td><td>66.0</td><td>-2.9</td><td>68.0</td></tr><tr><td>Advertising</td><td>25.3</td><td>0.8</td><td>25.1</td><td>7.3</td><td>23.4</td></tr><tr><td>FDIC premiums</td><td>34.4</td><td>6.8</td><td>32.2</td><td>-15.3</td><td>38.0</td></tr><tr><td>Amortization of core deposit and other intangibles</td><td>9.3</td><td>-14.7</td><td>10.9</td><td>-24.3</td><td>14.4</td></tr><tr><td>Debt extinguishment cost</td><td>2.5</td><td>-94.4</td><td>44.4</td><td>-63.1</td><td>120.2</td></tr><tr><td>Other</td><td>241.5</td><td>-14.1</td><td>281.0</td><td>-6.4</td><td>300.2</td></tr><tr><td>Total</td><td>$1,600.5</td><td>-3.9</td><td>$1,665.3</td><td>-2.9</td><td>$1,714.4</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2">Year EndedDecember 31, 2017</td><td rowspan="2">Seven Months Ended December 31, 2016</td><td colspan="2">Year Ended May 31,</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>2016</td><td>2015</td></tr><tr><td>Cash flows from operating activities:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Net income</td><td>$494,070</td><td>$137,683</td><td>$290,217</td><td>$309,115</td></tr><tr><td>Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment</td><td>113,273</td><td>53,242</td><td>74,192</td><td>64,918</td></tr><tr><td>Amortization of acquired intangibles</td><td>337,878</td><td>194,329</td><td>113,689</td><td>72,587</td></tr><tr><td>Share-based compensation expense</td><td>39,095</td><td>18,707</td><td>30,809</td><td>21,056</td></tr><tr><td>Provision for operating losses and bad debts</td><td>48,443</td><td>24,074</td><td>27,202</td><td>14,506</td></tr><tr><td>Amortization of capitalized customer acquisition costs</td><td>45,098</td><td>14,982</td><td>1,776</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Deferred income taxes</td><td>-250,670</td><td>-33,523</td><td>-18,162</td><td>81,079</td></tr><tr><td>Gain on sale of investments</td><td>—</td><td>-41,150</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Other, net</td><td>44,070</td><td>32,718</td><td>15,370</td><td>8,249</td></tr><tr><td>Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of the effects of acquisitions:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Accounts receivable</td><td>-14,096</td><td>2,189</td><td>-14,542</td><td>1,248</td></tr><tr><td>Settlement processing assets and obligations, net</td><td>-361,673</td><td>35,599</td><td>218,061</td><td>-78,794</td></tr><tr><td>Prepaid expenses and other assets</td><td>-46,439</td><td>13,997</td><td>-52,254</td><td>5,426</td></tr><tr><td>Capitalized customer acquisition costs</td><td>-82,988</td><td>-58,161</td><td>-11,962</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Accounts payable and other liabilities</td><td>146,327</td><td>121,140</td><td>-81,506</td><td>-69,513</td></tr><tr><td>Net cash provided by operating activities</td><td>512,388</td><td>515,826</td><td>592,890</td><td>429,877</td></tr><tr><td>Cash flows from investing activities:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Acquisitions, net of cash acquired</td><td>-562,688</td><td>-33,865</td><td>-2,034,406</td><td>-355,971</td></tr><tr><td>Capital expenditures</td><td>-181,905</td><td>-88,913</td><td>-91,591</td><td>-92,550</td></tr><tr><td>Net proceeds from sale of investments</td><td>—</td><td>37,717</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Net proceeds from sales of property and equipment</td><td>37,565</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>10,597</td></tr><tr><td>Other, net</td><td>-28,997</td><td>-1,622</td><td>-1,251</td><td>-2,997</td></tr><tr><td>Net cash used in investing activities</td><td>-736,025</td><td>-86,683</td><td>-2,127,248</td><td>-440,921</td></tr><tr><td>Cash flows from financing activities:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Net proceeds from (repayments of) settlement lines of credit</td><td>221,532</td><td>20,582</td><td>-206,009</td><td>198,884</td></tr><tr><td>Proceeds from long-term debt</td><td>1,994,324</td><td>1,299,000</td><td>6,078,230</td><td>2,496,842</td></tr><tr><td>Repayments of long-term debt</td><td>-1,781,541</td><td>-1,381,161</td><td>-3,691,608</td><td>-2,148,907</td></tr><tr><td>Payment of debt issuance costs</td><td>-9,520</td><td>-9,279</td><td>-63,382</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Repurchase of common stock</td><td>-34,811</td><td>-178,165</td><td>-135,954</td><td>-372,387</td></tr><tr><td>Proceeds from stock issued under share-based compensation plans</td><td>10,115</td><td>6,093</td><td>8,480</td><td>22,550</td></tr><tr><td>Common stock repurchased - share-based compensation plans</td><td>-31,761</td><td>-20,390</td><td>-12,236</td><td>-15,690</td></tr><tr><td>Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interest</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>-7,550</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Proceeds from sale of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interest</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>16,374</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Distributions to noncontrolling interests</td><td>-9,301</td><td>-12,365</td><td>-23,308</td><td>-39,753</td></tr><tr><td>Dividends paid</td><td>-6,732</td><td>-3,069</td><td>-5,439</td><td>-5,340</td></tr><tr><td>Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities</td><td>352,305</td><td>-278,754</td><td>1,957,598</td><td>136,199</td></tr><tr><td>Effect of exchange rate changes on cash</td><td>44,408</td><td>-32,338</td><td>-29,251</td><td>-56,288</td></tr><tr><td>Increase in cash and cash equivalents</td><td>173,076</td><td>118,051</td><td>393,989</td><td>68,867</td></tr><tr><td>Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period</td><td>1,162,779</td><td>1,044,728</td><td>650,739</td><td>581,872</td></tr><tr><td>Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period</td><td>$1,335,855</td><td>$1,162,779</td><td>$1,044,728</td><td>$650,739</td></tr></table>

Question: What is the difference between 2017 and 2016 's highest Amortization of acquired intangibles for Year Ended May 31 ?