| **Segment and Geographic Information** | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               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| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]**       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               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| Segment and Geographic Information     | SEGMENT AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION A.       Basis for Segment InformationWe report information internally for operating segments based on management responsibility.  Our operating segments offer financing to customers and dealers for the purchase and lease of Caterpillar and other equipment, as well as financing for Caterpillar sales to dealers.  Financing plans include operating and finance leases, installment sale contracts, working capital loans and wholesale financing plans within each of the respective segments.B.       Description of SegmentsWe have 5 operating segments that offer financing services.  Following is a brief description of our segments.•North America - Includes our operations in the United States and Canada.•Europe -  Includes our operations in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  •Asia/Pacific - Includes our operations in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.  •Latin Americaand Caterpillar Power Finance - 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 - Serves large mining customers worldwide and provides project financing in various countries. C.       Segment Measurement and ReconciliationsCash, debt and other expenses are allocated to our 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 is based on each segment's respective portfolio.  Capital expenditures include expenditures for equipment on operating leases and other miscellaneous capital expenditures. Reconciling items are created based on accounting differences between segment reporting and 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 11 for additional information) and other miscellaneous items.•Timing - Timing differences in the recognition of costs between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting.•Methodology - Methodology differences between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting are as follows:◦Segment assets include off-balance sheet managed assets for which we maintain servicing responsibilities.◦The impact of differences between the actual leverage and the segment leverage ratios.◦Interest expense includes realized forward points on foreign currency forward contracts.◦The net gain or loss from interest rate derivatives.◦The profit attributable to noncontrolling interests is considered a component of segment profit.As noted above, the segment information is presented on a management-reporting basis.  Unlike financial reporting, there is no authoritative guidance for management reporting equivalent to generally accepted accounting principles.Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the years ended December 31 was as follows:(Millions of dollars) 2015External Revenues Profitbefore income taxes InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses Assets atDecember 31,2015 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$1,156 $370 $261 $409 $7 $14,444 $1,118Europe284 96 31 76 3 3,758 136Asia/Pacific285 65 100 21 29 3,924 37Latin America and CPF533 108 152 104 64 7,381 89Mining373 47 54 225 14 2,848 69Total Segments2,631 686 598 835 117 32,355 1,449Unallocated72 (96) 69 1 — 1,847 9Timing(30) (32) — — 2 164 3Methodology— 61 (74) — — (216) —Inter-segment Eliminations (1)— — — — — (247) —Total$2,673 $619 $593 $836 $119 $33,903 $1,461               2014External Revenues Profitbefore income taxes InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses Assets atDecember 31,2014 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$1,067 $355 $240 $361 $3 $13,661 $1,068Europe353 114 52 94 10 4,276 133Asia/Pacific368 129 116 24 35 4,767 34Latin America and CPF594 144 166 118 62 8,001 111Mining461 64 65 272 29 3,161 269Total Segments2,843 806 639 869 139 33,866 1,615Unallocated70 (82) 48 1 2 1,648 10Timing(28) (8) — — (2) 120 2Methodology— 37 (56) — — (215) —Inter-segment Eliminations (1)— — — — — (243) —Total$2,885 $753 $631 $870 $139 $35,176 $1,627               2013External Revenues Profitbefore income taxes InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses Assets atDecember 31,2013 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$946 $283 $259 $293 $— $12,160 $773Europe347 109 59 80 13 4,720 241Asia/Pacific399 156 135 25 9 5,251 54Latin America and CPF572 126 188 99 69 8,295 273Mining474 85 79 272 12 3,441 469Total Segments2,738 759 720 769 103 33,867 1,810Unallocated73 (73) 53 1 2 1,595 10Timing(26) (10) — — (4) 68 2Methodology— 18 (39) — — (189) —Inter-segment Eliminations (1)— — — — — (227) —Total$2,785 $694 $734 $770 $101 $35,114 $1,822              (1) Elimination is primarily related to intercompany loans.Geographic information: (Millions of dollars)        2015 2014 2013Revenues      Inside U.S. $1,330 $1,219 $1,045Inside Canada 198 259 329Inside Australia 200 261 287All other 945 1,146 1,124Total $2,673 $2,885 $2,785       Equipment on Operating Leases and Non-Leased  Equipment (included in Other Assets), Net 2015 2014  Inside U.S. $2,058 $1,696  Inside Canada 572 756  Inside Australia 282 358  All other 716 896  Total $3,628 $3,706          |

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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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