Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation. Brunswick Corporation (Brunswick or the Company) has prepared its consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Principles of Consolidation
Principles of Consolidation. Brunswick's consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all majority owned and controlled domestic and foreign subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) requires management to make certain estimates. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. These estimates affect:

The reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements;
The disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and
The reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.

Estimates in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to:

Allowances for doubtful accounts;
Inventory valuation reserves;
Reserves for dealer allowances;
Reserves related to repurchase and recourse obligations;
Warranty related reserves;
Losses on litigation and other contingencies;
Environmental reserves;
Insurance reserves;
Valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets;
Impairments of long-lived assets;
Reserves related to restructuring and integration activities;
Postretirement benefit liabilities;
Valuation allowances on deferred tax assets; and
Income tax reserves.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. These investments include, but are not limited to, investments in money market funds, bank deposits, federal government and agency debt securities and commercial paper.
Investments in Marketable Securities
Investments in Marketable Securities. The Company classifies investments in debt securities that are not considered to be cash equivalents as Short-term investments in marketable securities as discussed in Note 9 – Investments. Short-term investments in marketable securities have a stated maturity of twelve months or less from the balance sheet date. These securities are considered as available-for-sale and are reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses would be recorded net of tax as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss in Unrealized investment losses within Shareholders' equity. Declines in market value from the original cost deemed to be "other-than-temporary" are charged to Other income, net, in the period in which the loss occurs. The Company considers both the duration for which a decline in value has occurred and the extent of the decline in its determination of whether a decline in value has been “other than temporary.” Realized gains and losses are calculated based on the specific identification method and are included in Other income, net, in the Consolidated Statements of Operations
Restricted Cash
Restricted Cash. The Company considers the cash deposited in a trust that is pledged as collateral against certain workers' compensation-related obligations to be restricted cash.
Accounts and Notes Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Accounts and Notes Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. The Company carries its accounts and notes receivable at their face amounts less an allowance for doubtful accounts. On a regular basis, the Company records an allowance for uncollectible receivables based upon known bad debt risks and past loss history, customer payment practices and economic conditions. Actual collection experience may differ from the current estimate of net receivables. A change to the allowance for doubtful accounts may be required if a future event or other change in circumstances results in a change in the estimate of the ultimate collectability of a specific account.

The Company treats the sale of receivables in which the Company retains an interest as a secured obligation. Accordingly, the short-term portion of the receivables sold that are subject to recourse is recorded in Accounts and notes receivable and Accrued expenses in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Inventories
Inventories. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market, with market based on replacement cost or net realizable value. Approximately 53 percent and 49 percent of the Company's inventories were determined by the first-in, first-out method (FIFO) at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. Remaining inventories valued at the last-in, first-out method (LIFO) were $123.0 million and $123.8 million lower than the FIFO cost of inventories at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Inventory cost includes material, labor and manufacturing overhead. There were no liquidations of LIFO inventory layers in 2016, 2015 or 2014.
Property
Property. Property, including major improvements and product tooling costs, is recorded at cost. Product tooling costs principally comprise the cost to acquire and construct various long-lived molds, dies and other tooling the Company uses in its manufacturing processes. Design and prototype development costs associated with product tooling are expensed as incurred. Maintenance and repair costs are also expensed as incurred. Depreciation is recorded over the estimated service lives of the related assets, principally using the straight-line method. Buildings and improvements are depreciated over a useful life of five to forty years. Equipment is depreciated over a useful life of two to twenty years. Product tooling costs are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the tooling or the anticipated life of the applicable product, for a period not to exceed eight years. The Company capitalizes interest on qualifying assets during the construction period and capitalized $2.6 million and $0.7 million in 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company presents capital expenditures on a cash basis within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. There were $35.8 million and $26.6 million of unpaid capital expenditures within Accounts payable and Accrued expenses as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company includes gains and losses recognized on the sale and disposal of property in either Selling, general and administrative expenses or Restructuring, integration and impairment charges as appropriate.
Software Development Costs
Software Development Costs. The Company expenses all software development and implementation costs incurred until the Company has determined that the software will result in probable future economic benefit and management has committed to funding the project. Once this is determined, external direct costs of material and services, payroll-related costs of employees working on the project and related interest costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized. These capitalized costs are amortized over three to seven years. All other related costs, including training costs and costs to re-engineer business processes, are expensed as incurred.

Goodwill and Other Intangibles
Goodwill and Other Intangibles. Goodwill and other intangible assets primarily result from business acquisitions. The Company records the excess of cost over net assets of businesses acquired as goodwill. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.

For 2016 and 2015, the Company determined through qualitative assessment that the fair values of its reporting units were “more likely than not” greater than their carrying values. As a result, the Company was not required to perform the two-step impairment test. The Company did not record any goodwill impairments in 2016, 2015 or 2014.

The Company's primary intangible assets are customer relationships, trade names and patents and proprietary technology acquired in business combinations. The costs of amortizable intangible assets are amortized over their expected useful lives, typically between three and sixteen years, using the straight-line method. Intangible assets that are subject to amortization are evaluated for impairment using a process similar to that used to evaluate long-lived assets described below. Intangible assets not subject to amortization, including trade names, are assessed for impairment at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable. The impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying amount. An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. The fair value of trade names is measured using a relief-from-royalty approach, which assumes the value of the trade name is the discounted cash flows of the amount that would be paid to third parties had the Company not owned the trade name and instead licensed the trade name from another company. Higher royalty rates are assigned to premium brands within the marketplace based on name recognition and profitability, while other brands receive lower royalty rates. The basis for future cash flow projections is internal revenue forecasts by brand, which the Company believes represent reasonable market participant assumptions, to which the selected royalty rate is applied. These future cash flows are discounted using an applicable Discount Rate as well as any potential risk premium to reflect the inherent risk of holding a standalone intangible asset. The Company did not record any indefinite-lived intangible asset impairments during 2016, 2015 or 2014.
Equity Investments
Equity Investments. For investments in which Brunswick owns or controls from 20 percent to 50 percent of the voting shares, the Company uses the equity method of accounting. The Company's share of net earnings or losses from equity method investments is included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company accounts for other investments, over which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence, under the cost method of accounting. The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of its investments.
Long-Lived Assets
Long-Lived Assets. The Company continually evaluates whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate the remaining estimated useful lives of its definite-lived intangible assets and other long-lived assets may warrant revision or that the remaining balance of such assets may not be recoverable. Once an impairment indicator is identified, the Company tests for recoverability of the related asset group using an estimate of undiscounted cash flows over the remaining asset group's life. If an asset group's carrying value is not recoverable, the Company records an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying value of the asset group over the long-lived asset group's fair value. Fair value is determined using observable inputs, including the use of appraisals from independent third parties, when available, and, when observable inputs are not available, based on the Company's assumptions of the data that market participants would use in pricing the asset, based on the best information available in the circumstances. Specifically, the Company uses discounted cash flows to determine the fair value of the asset when observable inputs are unavailable. The Company tested its long-lived asset balances for impairment as indicators presented themselves during 2016, 2015 and 2014, resulting in impairment charges of $2.4 million, $11.9 million and $1.5 million, respectively, which are recognized in Restructuring, integration and impairment charges and Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Other Long-Term Assets
Other Long-Term Assets. Other long-term assets are mainly long-term receivables originated by the Company and assigned to third parties, long-term derivative assets and other long-term notes receivable. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, amounts assigned to third parties totaled $29.0 million and $23.7 million, respectively. The assignment of these instruments does not meet sale criteria as a result of the Company's contingent obligation to repurchase the receivables in the event of customer non-payment and therefore is treated as a secured obligation. Accordingly, these amounts were recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under Other long-term assets and Long-term liabilities – Other.

Revenue Recognition
Revenue Recognition. Brunswick's revenue is derived primarily from the sale of boats, marine engines, marine parts and accessories, fitness equipment and active recreation products. Revenue is recognized in accordance with the terms of the sale, primarily upon shipment to customers, once the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Brunswick offers discounts and sales incentives that include retail promotions and rebates that are recorded as reductions of revenues in Net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The estimated liability and reduction in revenue for sales incentives is recorded at the later of when the program has been communicated to the customer or at the time of sale. Revenues from freight are included as a part of Net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, whereas shipping, freight and handling costs are included in Cost of sales.

Advertising Costs
Advertising Costs. The Company records advertising and promotion costs in Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period when the advertising first takes place.
Foreign Currency
Foreign Currency. The functional currency for the majority of Brunswick's operations is the U.S. dollar. All assets and liabilities of operations with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated at period end current rates. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax. Revenues and expenses of operations with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. Transaction gains and losses resulting from changes in foreign currency exchange rates are recorded in Other income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Stock-Based Compensation
Share-Based Compensation. The Company records amounts for all share-based compensation, including grants of stock options and stock appreciation rights (SARs), non-vested stock awards, performance-based share awards and the compensatory elements of employee stock purchase plans over the vesting period in the Consolidated Statements of Operations based upon their fair values at the date of the grant. Share-based compensation costs are recognized as a component of Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Research and Development. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.
Derivatives
Derivatives. The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage its risk associated with movements in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices. These instruments are used in accordance with guidelines established by the Company's management and are not used for trading or speculative purposes.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements.  The following recent accounting pronouncements have been adopted during 2016 or will be adopted in future periods.

Restricted Cash: In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) amended the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) to address diversity in practice related to the cash flow classification of restricted cash. Under the amendment, an entity should include restricted cash within cash and cash-equivalents on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and provide a reconciliation to cash and cash-equivalents on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amendment is to be applied retrospectively and is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the approach it will use to apply the new standard, but does not expect it will have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Statements of Cash Flows Classifications: In August 2016, the FASB amended the ASC to add and/or clarify guidance on the classification of certain transactions in the statement of cash flows. The amendment is to be applied retrospectively and is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the approach it will use to apply the new standard and the impact it will have on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Share-Based Compensation: In March 2016, the FASB amended the ASC to simplify the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions. Amendments related to minimum statutory withholding requirements and forfeitures will be applied using a modified retrospective approach through a cumulative adjustment to equity as of the beginning of the period of adoption, and are not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. Amendments to certain classifications on the statement of cash flows may be applied either prospectively or retrospectively, and amendments requiring the recognition of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in the income statement are to be applied prospectively. These amendments are to be applied for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the approach it will use to apply the new standard and the impact that the adoption of the new standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Recognition of Leases: In February 2016, the FASB amended the ASC to require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases with terms greater than twelve months. Lessees will recognize expenses similar to current lease accounting. The amendment is to be applied using a modified retrospective method with certain practical expedients, and is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the approach it will use to apply the new standard and the impact that the adoption of the new standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
    
Classification of Deferred Income Taxes: In November 2015, the FASB amended the ASC to require that deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as non-current on the Consolidated Balance Sheets for all periods presented. The Company early adopted this ASC amendment during the first quarter of 2016 which caused the Company to change its method of presentation for current deferred income taxes in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for all periods presented. Current deferred income tax assets of $180.5 million as of December 31, 2015 were reclassified to long-term.

Measurement of Inventory: In July 2015, the FASB issued final guidance to simplify the subsequent measurement of inventories by replacing the lower of cost or market test with a lower of cost and net realizable value test. The guidance applies to inventories for which cost is determined by methods other than LIFO and the retail inventory method. The amendment is to be applied prospectively and is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this ASC amendment, but does not expect it will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value Disclosure: In May 2015, the FASB amended the ASC to update the presentation of certain investments measured at net asset value within the fair value hierarchy. The amendment requires these investments to be removed from the fair value hierarchy categorization and presented as a single reconciling line item between the fair value of investments reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the amounts reported in the fair value hierarchy table. The Company adopted this amendment in 2016 and it did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Debt Issuance Costs: In April 2015, the FASB amended the ASC to change the presentation of debt issuance costs. The amendment requires debt issuance costs be presented on the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability rather than as an asset. The Company early adopted this ASC amendment during the second quarter of 2015 which caused the Company to change its method of presentation for debt issuance costs in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for all periods presented.

Consolidation: In February 2015, the FASB amended the ASC to update certain requirements for determining whether a variable interest entity must be consolidated. The amendment is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods thereafter, beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this amendment in 2016 and it did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition: In May 2014, the FASB issued a final standard on revenue recognition which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. This standard will supersede most current revenue recognition guidance. Under the new standard, entities are required to identify the contract with a customer; identify the separate performance obligations in the contract; determine the transaction price; allocate the transaction price to the separate performance obligations in the contract; and recognize the appropriate amount of revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies each performance obligation. In August 2015, the FASB amended the ASC to delay the effective date to fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2018, from the original effective date of January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted no earlier than January 1, 2017. Entities have the option of using either retrospective transition or a modified approach in applying the new standard.

The Company plans to use the modified retrospective approach in applying the new standard. While the Company continues to assess the impact of the adoption of the new standard on the consolidated financial statements, the most significant impacts are expected to be in the Boat and Fitness segments. In the Boat segment, certain customers are offered retail promotions that are currently recorded at the later of when the program has been communicated to the customer or at the time of sale. Under the new standard, these promotions will now be recognized at the time of sale, primarily upon shipment to customers. In the Fitness segment, certain customer contracts include product rebates recorded in cost of sales at the time of sale. Under the new standard, the Company will no longer record the rebate at the time of sale; however a portion of revenue will be deferred and not recognized until such time that the rebate is redeemed.
As a result, the Company expects a change in the timing of when certain promotions and rebates are recorded; however does not expect a change in the total amount of cumulative revenue recognized for each transaction.