NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1)Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)
New accounting pronouncements:
Fair Value Option
In February 2007, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial LiabilitiesIncluding an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 115, which permits an entity to measure many financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value that are not currently required to be measured at fair value. Entities that elect the fair value option will report unrealized gains and losses in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. The fair value option may be elected on an instrument-by-instrument basis, with few exceptions. SFAS No. 159 amends previous guidance to extend the use of the fair value option to available-for-sale and held-to-maturity securities. The statement also establishes presentation and disclosure requirements to help financial statement users understand the effect of the election. This statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. Fleetwood is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of SFAS No. 159.
Fair Value Measurements
In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements. SFAS No. 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. This statement applies under other accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurement where the FASB has previously determined that under those pronouncements fair value is the appropriate measurement. This statement does not require any new fair value measurements but may require companies to change current practice. This statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. Fleetwood is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of SFAS No. 157 where fair value measurements are used.
Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans
In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 158, Employers Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans. SFAS No. 158 requires employers to fully recognize the obligations associated with single-employer defined benefit pension, retiree healthcare, and other postretirement plans in their financial statements. The incremental effect of adopting SFAS No. 158 on Fleetwoods financial statements at April 29, 2007 decreased accumulated other comprehensive income by approximately $2.1 million. See Note 9 and Note 10 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the effect of SFAS No. 158.
Split-Dollar Life Insurance Arrangements
In September 2006, the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) reached consensus on EITF Issue No. 06-4, Accounting for Deferred Compensation and Postretirement Benefit Aspects of Endorsement Split-Dollar Life Insurance Arrangements. The scope of EITF No. 06-4 is limited to the recognition of a liability and related compensation costs for endorsement split-dollar life insurance arrangements that provide a benefit to an employee that extends to postretirement periods. EITF No. 06-4 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2007. Fleetwood adopted EITF No. 06-4 early, in fiscal 2008, and its adoption did not have a material impact on Fleetwoods results of operations or financial position.
Errors and Corrections
In September 2006, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 108, which provides interpretive guidance on how the effects of the carryover or reversal of prior year misstatements should be considered in quantifying a current year misstatement. SAB No. 108 is effective for fiscal years ending after November 15, 2006. Fleetwood adopted SAB No. 108 in its annual consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2007, and its adoption did not have a material impact on Fleetwoods results of operations or financial position.
Income Taxes
In June 2006, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation (FIN) No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, which supplements SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, by defining the confidence level that a tax position must meet in order to be recognized in the financial statements. FIN No. 48 requires that the tax effects of a position be recognized only if it is more-likely-than-not to be sustained based solely on its technical merits as of the reporting date. The more-likely-than-not threshold represents a positive assertion by management that a company is entitled to the economic benefits of a tax position. If a tax position is not considered more-likely-than-not to be sustained based solely on its technical merits, no benefits of the position are to be recognized. Moreover, the more-likely-than-not threshold must continue to be met in each reporting period to support continued recognition of a benefit. At adoption, companies must adjust their financial statements to reflect only those tax positions that are more-likely-than-not to be sustained as of the adoption date. Any necessary adjustment would be recorded directly to retained earnings in the period of adoption and reported as a change in accounting principle. This Interpretation is effective as of the beginning of the first fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2006. Fleetwood adopted FIN No. 48 on April 30, 2007, and its adoption is not expected to have a material impact on Fleetwoods results of operations or financial position.
Variable Interest Entities
In April 2006, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (FSP) FIN 46R-6, Determining the Variability to Be Considered in Applying FASB Interpretation No. 46R, which requires the variability of an entity to be analyzed based on the design of the entity. The nature and risks in the entity, as well as the purpose for the entitys creation, are examined to determine the variability in applying FIN 46R, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities. The variability is used in applying FIN 46R to determine whether an entity is a Variable Interest Entity (VIE), which interests are variable interests in the entity, and who is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. This statement is effective for all reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2006 and was adopted by Fleetwood at the beginning of the second quarter of fiscal 2007. This statement did not have a significant impact on Fleetwoods financial condition or results of operations.
Life Insurance Policies
In March 2006, the FASB issued FSP No. FTB 85-4-1, Accounting for Life Settlement Contracts by Third Party Investors. FSP FTB 85-4-1 provides for a contract-by-contract irrevocable election to account for life settlement contracts on either a fair value basis, with changes in fair value recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations, or through use of the investment method. Under the investment method, the initial investment and continuing costs are capitalized; however, no income is recognized until the death of the insured party. The guidance of FSP FTB 85-4-1 will be effective for fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2006. Fleetwood adopted FSP FTB 85-4-1 as of the beginning of fiscal 2008, and its adoption did not have a material impact on Fleetwoods results of operations or financial position.
In September 2006, the EITF reached a conclusion on EITF Issue No. 06-5, Accounting for Purchases of Life InsuranceDetermining the Amount That Could Be Realized in Accordance with FASB Technical Bulletin No. 85-4, Accounting for Purchases of Life Insurance. The scope of EITF No. 06-5 consists of three separate issues relating to accounting for life insurance policies purchased by entities protecting against the loss of key persons. The three issues are clarifications of previously issued guidance on FASB Technical Bulletin No. 85-4. Fleetwood adopted EITF No. 06-5 as of the beginning of fiscal 2008, and its adoption did not have a material impact on Fleetwoods results of operations or financial position.
Share-Based Payment
In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123R, Share-Based Payment. Previously, Fleetwood accounted for share-based payments under the provisions of Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees and disclosed share-based payment expense as if accounted for under the provisions of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation. Under the provisions of SFAS No. 123R, a public entity is required to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award. That cost is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award. Fleetwood adopted SFAS No. 123R effective with the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2007, as discussed further in Note 2 and Note 19.
In November 2005, the FASB issued FSP SFAS No. 123R-3, Transition Election Related to Accounting for the Tax Effects of Share-Based Payment Awards. FSP SFAS No. 123R-3 provides an elective alternative transition method to SFAS No. 123R in accounting for the tax effects of share-based payment awards to employees. The elective method utilizes a computational component that establishes a beginning balance of the Additional Paid-In Capital (APIC) pool related to employee compensation and a simplified method to determine the subsequent impact on the APIC pool of employee awards that are fully vested and outstanding upon the adoption of SFAS No. 123R. The impact on the APIC pool of awards partially vested upon, or granted after, the adoption of SFAS No. 123R is determined in accordance with the guidance in SFAS No. 123R. Fleetwood chose not adopt the transition election of FSP SFAS No. 123R-3.
Inventory Costs
In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, Inventory CostsAn Amendment of Accounting Research Bulletin No. 43, Chapter 4. SFAS No. 151 clarifies that abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs, and spoilage should be expensed as incurred and not included in overhead. Further, SFAS No. 151 requires that allocation of fixed and production facilities overhead to conversion costs should be based on normal capacity of the production facilities. The provisions in SFAS No. 151 are effective for inventory costs incurred subsequent to the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2007 and did not have a material impact on Fleetwoods results of operations or financial position.