Kroll receives compensation primarily in the form of fees paid by clients. These fees are typically earned on an hourly, project, fixed fee or per-unit basis. Kroll’s revenue is subject to changes in international economic and regulatory conditions, including the levels of mortgage applications and new employment. Kroll is also subject to normal competitive forces such as pricing pressures, demand for professional staff and new product development on the part of competitors, particularly in technology services.
The 2007 consolidated effective tax rate of 34.9% primarily reflects the unfavorable impact of international tax law changes in 2007.
During 2009, MMC contributed $22 million to the U.S. pension plans and approximately $400 million to the significant non-U.S. pension plans, compared with $20 million for U.S. plans and $250 million for significant non-U.S. plans in 2008.
MMC holds investments in public and private companies, as well as in certain private equity funds managed by Stone Point Capital. Publicly traded investments of $38 million are classified as available for sale. Non-publicly traded investments of $53 million are accounted for using the cost method and $189 million are accounted for using the equity method. The investments that are classified as available for sale or that are not publicly traded are subject to risk of changes in market value, which if determined to be other than temporary, could result in realized impairment losses. MMC periodically reviews the carrying value of such investments to determine if any valuation adjustments are appropriate under the applicable accounting pronouncements.
Nature of Operations: Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (“MMC”), a global professional services firm, is organized based on the different services that it offers. Under this organizational structure, MMC’s three business segments are Risk and Insurance Services, Consulting, and Risk Consulting & Technology.
The Risk Consulting & Technology segment provides various risk consulting and related risk mitigation services to corporate, government, institutional and individual clients including consulting services and security services; and technology-enabled services. MMC conducts business in this segment through Kroll. During the second quarter of 2009, Kroll sold Kroll Government Services (“KGS”), which has been classified as a discontinued operation. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the principal operations within the corporate advisory and restructuring business were divested. Additionally, two small residual corporate advisory and restructuring businesses were exited in the first quarter of 2009. Based on the terms and conditions of the divestures, MMC determined it has “continuing involvement” in the divested businesses, as that term is used in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5e. Therefore, classification of the corporate advisory and restructuring businesses as discontinued operations is not appropriate and their financial results in the current and prior periods are included in operating income.
In December 2008 the FASB issued guidance for Employers’ Disclosures About Pension and Other Post Retirement Benefit Plan Assets. The guidance requires fair value plan asset disclosures for an employer’s assets in defined benefit pension and postretirement plans similar to the guidance on Fair Value Measurements as well as (a) how investment allocation decisions are made, (b) the major categories of plan assets, and (c) significant concentrations of risk within plan assets. The guidance is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2009. The Company has applied the provision of this new guidance to its financial statement disclosures beginning December 31, 2009.
In December 2009, the FASB issued new guidance related to the Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities (“VIE”). The new guidance focuses on ‘controlling financial interests’ and requires companies to perform qualitative analysis to determine whether they must consolidate a VIE by assessing whether the variable interests give them controlling financial interests in the VIE. This guidance is effective for transfers occurring on or after November 15, 2009. Provisions must be applied in annual reporting periods beginning after November 15, 2009 and interim periods within that annual period. MMC is assessing the impact the adoption of this new guidance will have on the Company’s financial statements.
In the first quarter of 2009, MMC changed the presentation in its statement of cash flows for the issuance of certain equity shares related to employee stock compensation plans. Previously, such issuances were shown in the statements of cash flows as a reduction of cash from operating activities and a source of cash from financing activities. MMC determined that these issuances should be presented as non-cash items and that the presentation in the prior periods was not correct. The presentation in the accompanying statements of cash flows has been corrected to conform with the 2009 presentation, resulting in an increase in cash provided from operations (or decrease in cash used for operations in periods where there is a net cash use) and an increase in cash used for financing activities as follows: year ended December 31, 2008-$103 million; and year ended December 31, 2007-$82 million.
MMC is required to assess goodwill and any indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, or more frequently if circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. MMC performs the annual impairment test for each of its reporting units during the third quarter of each year. Fair values of the reporting units are estimated using a market approach or a discounted cash flow model. This fair value determination was categorized as level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Carrying values for the reporting units are based on balances at the prior quarter end and include directly identified assets and liabilities as well as an allocation of those assets and liabilities not recorded at the reporting unit level. MMC completed its 2009 annual review in the third quarter of 2009 and concluded goodwill was not impaired.
As discussed in Note 5, MMC has provided certain indemnities related to contingent tax liabilities as part of the disposal of Putnam. The balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits at January 1, 2008 in the chart above includes balances related to Putnam. Following the close of the Putnam transaction, the unrecognized tax benefits of $26 million related to stand alone tax returns filed by Putnam (not as part of an MMC consolidated tax group) have been reclassified and are included as part of the fair value liability for contingent tax indemnities. In addition, at December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2009, $81 million and $73 million, respectively, included in the chart above, relates to Putnam issues included in consolidated MMC tax returns. Since MMC remains primarily liable to the taxing authorities for resolution of uncertain tax positions related to consolidated returns, these balances will remain as part of MMC’s consolidated liability for uncertain tax positions. Any future charges or credits that are directly related to the disposal of Putnam and the indemnified contingent tax issues, including interest accrued, will be recorded in discontinued operations as incurred.
The projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets for the non-U.S. pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets were $451 million, $399 million and $238 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2009 and $555 million, $494 million and $308 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2008.
At December 31, 2009, the aggregate future minimum rental commitments under all noncancelable operating lease agreements are as follows:
Long-term Investments: Long-term investments include available for sale securities recorded at quoted market prices as discussed below. MMC also has certain additional long-term investments, for which there are no readily available market prices, amounting to $53 million and $91 million at December 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively, which are carried on a cost basis. These investments are included in Other assets in the consolidated balance sheets. MMC monitors these investments for impairment and makes appropriate reductions in carrying values when necessary.
These amounts have been excluded from earnings and reported, net of deferred income taxes, in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), which is a component of stockholders’ equity.