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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Equity Method Investments
We have equity method investments in entities that own properties for which we provide management and/or franchise services and receive fees. In addition, in some cases we provide loans, preferred equity or guarantees to these entities. Our ownership interest in these equity method investments generally varies from 10 to 50 percent. The amount of consolidated retained earnings that represents undistributed earnings attributable to our equity investments totaled $3 million at year-end 2008.
The following tables present financial data resulting from transactions with these related parties:
Income Statement Data
Balance Sheet Data
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if:
- it requires assumptions to be made that were uncertain at the time the estimate was made; and
- changes in the estimate, or different estimates that could have been selected, could have a material effect on our consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
Management has discussed the development and selection of its critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, and the Audit Committee has reviewed the disclosure presented below relating to them.
Marriott Rewards
Marriott Rewards is our frequent guest loyalty program. Marriott Rewards members earn points based on their monetary spending at our lodging operations, purchases of timeshare interval, fractional ownership, and residential products and, to a lesser degree, through participation in affiliated partners' programs, such as those offered by car rental and credit card companies. Points, which we track on members' behalf, can be redeemed for stays at most of our lodging operations, airline tickets, airline frequent flyer program miles, rental cars, and a variety of other awards; however, points cannot be redeemed for cash. We provide Marriott Rewards as a marketing program to participating properties. We charge the cost of operating the program, including the estimated cost of award redemption, to properties based on members' qualifying expenditures.
We defer revenue received from managed, franchised, and Marriott-owned/leased hotels and program partners equal to the fair value of our future redemption obligation. We determine the fair value of the future redemption obligation based on statistical formulas that project timing of future point redemption based on historical levels, including an estimate of the "breakage" for points that will never be redeemed, and an estimate of the points that will eventually be redeemed. These judgment factors determine the required liability for outstanding points.
Our management and franchise agreements require that we be reimbursed currently for the costs of operating the program, including marketing, promotion, communication with, and performing member services for the Marriott Rewards members. Due to the requirement that properties reimburse us for program operating costs as incurred, we receive and recognize the balance of the revenue from properties in connection with the Marriott Rewards program at the time such costs are incurred and expensed. We recognize the component of revenue from program partners that corresponds to program maintenance services over the expected life of the points awarded. Upon the redemption of points, we recognize as revenue the amounts previously deferred and recognize the corresponding expense relating to the costs of the awards redeemed.
Valuation of Goodwill
We evaluate the fair value of goodwill to assess potential impairments on an annual basis, or during the year if an event or other circumstance indicates that we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of the asset. We evaluate the fair value of goodwill at the reporting unit level and make that determination based upon future cash flow projections that assume certain growth projections, which may or may not occur. We record an impairment loss for goodwill when the carrying value of the intangible asset is greater than its estimated fair value.
Loan Loss Reserves
Lodging Senior Loans and Lodging Mezzanine and Other Loans
We measure loan impairment based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan's original effective interest rate or the estimated fair value of the collateral. For impaired loans, we establish a specific impairment reserve for the difference between the recorded investment in the loan and the present value of the expected future cash flows, that assumes certain growth projections that may or may not occur, or the estimated fair value of the collateral. We apply our loan impairment policy individually to all loans in the portfolio and do not aggregate loans for the purpose of applying such policy. When we determine that a loan is impaired, we recognize interest income on a cash basis. At year-end 2008, our recorded investment in impaired loans was $157 million. We had a $113 million notes receivable reserve representing an allowance for credit losses, leaving $44 million of our investment in impaired loans for which there was no related allowance for credit losses. At year-end 2007, our recorded investment in impaired loans was $112 million. We had a $92 million allowance for credit losses, leaving $20 million of our investment in impaired loans for which there was no related allowance for credit losses. During 2008 and 2007, our average investment in impaired loans totaled $135 million and $102 million, respectively.
Loans to Timeshare Owners
In accordance with the adoption of SOP 04-2 in 2006, we record an estimate of expected uncollectibility on notes receivable that we receive from timeshare purchasers as a reduction of revenue at the time we recognize profit on a timeshare sale. We assess uncollectibility based on pools of receivables, because we hold large numbers of homogeneous timeshare notes receivable. We estimate uncollectibles based on historical activity for similar timeshare notes receivable from 2004 to the current year. We use a technique referred to as static pool analysis, which tracks uncollectibles for each year's sales over the life of those notes. At year-end 2008 and year-end 2007, our allowance for credit losses associated with "Loans to timeshare owners" totaled $35 million and $19 million, respectively.
Legal Contingencies
We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims, the outcomes of which are subject to significant uncertainty. We record an accrual for loss contingencies when a loss is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. We review these accruals each reporting period and make revisions based on changes in facts and circumstances.
Income Taxes
We record the current year amounts payable or refundable, as well as the consequences of events that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences in how those events are treated for tax purposes. We base our estimate of deferred tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates and, in certain cases, business plans and other expectations about future outcomes.
Changes in existing tax laws and rates, their related interpretations, as well as the uncertainty generated by the current economic environment may affect the amount of deferred tax liabilities or the valuation of deferred tax assets over time. Our accounting for deferred tax consequences represents management's best estimate of future events that can be appropriately reflected in the accounting estimates.
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