| **Segment Information**          | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      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| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              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| Segment Information              | Segment InformationA.       Description of SegmentsOur segment data is based on disclosure requirements of accounting guidance on segment reporting, which requires that financial information be reported on the basis that is used internally for measuring segment performance.  Internally, we report information for operating segments based on management responsibility.  Our operating segments offer primarily the same types of services within each of the respective segments.  The operating segments are as follows:•North America - Includes our operations in the United States and Canada that serve local dealers and customers.•Europe -  This segment includes our operations that serve dealers and customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  •Asia/Pacific - This segment includes our operations in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia that serve local dealers and customers.  •Latin Americaand Caterpillar Power Finance - This segment includes our operations in Brazil, Mexico and Chile that serve local dealers and customers in Central and South America.  This segment also includes Caterpillar Power Finance (CPF), which finances marine vessels with Caterpillar engines worldwide and also provides debt financing for Caterpillar electrical power generation, gas compression and co-generation systems, as well as non-Caterpillar equipment that is powered by these systems worldwide. •Mining - This segment includes large mining customers worldwide.  This segment also provides project financing in various countries. To align with changes in executive management responsibilities, our segment reporting was updated effective July 1, 2015.  Prior year data has been revised to conform to the current period segment presentation.B.       Measurement and ReconciliationsCash, debt and other expenses are allocated to operating segments based on their respective portfolios.  The related Interest expense is calculated based on the amount of allocated debt and the rates associated with that debt.  The performance of each segment is assessed based on a consistent leverage ratio. The Provision for credit losses included in each operating segment's profit is based on each operating segment's share of the Company's Allowance for credit losses. Reconciling items are created based on accounting differences between operating segment reporting and our consolidated external reporting. For the reconciliation of profit before income taxes, we have grouped the reconciling items as follows:•Unallocated - This item is related to corporate requirements and strategies that are considered to be for the benefit of the entire organization.  Also included are the consolidated results of the special purpose corporation (see Note 7 for additional information) and other miscellaneous items.•Timing - Timing differences in the recognition of costs between operating segment reporting and consolidated external reporting.•Methodology - Methodology differences between our operating segment reporting and our consolidated external reporting are as follows:◦Segment assets include off-balance sheet managed assets for which we typically maintain servicing responsibilities.◦The impact of the difference between the actual leverage and the segment leverage ratios is included as a methodology difference.◦Interest expense includes realized forward points on foreign currency forward contracts, with the mark-to-market elements of the forward exchange contracts included as a methodology difference.◦The net gain or loss from interest rate derivatives is included as a methodology difference.◦The profit attributable to noncontrolling interests is considered a component of segment profit.As noted above, the operating segment information is presented on a management-reporting basis.  Unlike financial reporting, there is no authoritative guidance for management reporting equivalent to U.S. GAAP.Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the three months ended September 30 was as follows:(Millions of dollars) 2015Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atSeptember 30,2015 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$291 $99 $66 $102 $(4) $14,078 $292Europe70 29 8 18 — 3,987 31Asia/Pacific66 17 22 5 2 3,921 2Latin America and CPF126 20 36 25 18 7,156 31Mining90 3 13 57 8 2,879 —Total Segments643 168 145 207 24 32,021 356Unallocated18 (26) 17 — (1) 1,891 —Timing(8) (3) — — (1) 27 1Methodology— 14 (18) — — (201) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (221) —Total$653 $153 $144 $207 $22 $33,517 $357              2014Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2014 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$274 $97 $61 $94 $(4) $13,661 $308Europe89 34 12 24 (4) 4,276 41Asia/Pacific94 32 30 6 9 4,767 6Latin America and CPF162 33 43 34 30 8,001 22Mining116 18 16 68 6 3,161 50Total Segments735 214 162 226 37 33,866 427Unallocated15 (22) 12 — (1) 1,648 —Timing(7) (5) — — 2 120 —Methodology— 10 (16) — — (215) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (243) —Total$743 $197 $158 $226 $38 $35,176 $427               Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the nine months ended September 30 was as follows:(Millions of dollars) 2015Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atSeptember 30,2015 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$865 $289 $193 $303 $(2) $14,078 $746Europe216 85 24 57 — 3,987 83Asia/Pacific223 52 80 15 22 3,921 19Latin America and CPF400 69 113 81 58 7,156 74Mining290 43 41 173 10 2,879 69Total Segments1,994 538 451 629 88 32,021 991Unallocated54 (72) 49 — (1) 1,891 —Timing(23) (17) — — 2 27 2Methodology— 41 (55) — — (201) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (221) —Total$2,025 $490 $445 $629 $89 $33,517 $993              2014Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2014 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$786 $264 $176 $261 $5 $13,661 $786Europe271 90 40 72 5 4,276 105Asia/Pacific281 104 88 18 23 4,767 23Latin America and CPF450 115 126 90 44 8,001 82Mining362 51 50 211 27 3,161 208Total Segments2,150 624 480 652 104 33,866 1,204Unallocated53 (56) 35 1 2 1,648 1Timing(21) (7) — — — 120 1Methodology— 26 (40) — — (215) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (243) —Total$2,182 $587 $475 $653 $106 $35,176 $1,206               |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
+ References
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