Notes to the Financial Statements

Note 12. Other Assets

Other Assets as of September 30

(In billions of dollars)	2010	2009
Advances and prepayments	90.8	77.0
FDIC Receivable from Resolution Activity	49.7	32.1
NCUA Loans	10.1	18.4
Regulatory assets	15.2	14.4
Other	17.5	16.8
Total other assets	183.3	158.7

Advances and prepayments are assets that represent funds disbursed in contemplation of the future performance of services, receipt of goods, the incurrence of expenditures, or the receipt of other assets. These include advances to contractors and grantees, travel advances, and prepayments for items such as rents, taxes, insurance, royalties, commissions, and supplies.

With regard to regulatory assets, the DOE’s Power Marketing Authorities (PMAs) and the TVA record certain amounts as assets in accordance with FASB ASC 980-Regulated Operations (formerly) SFAS No. 71, Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation. The provisions of FASB ASC 980 require that regulated enterprises reflect rate actions of the regulator in their financial statements, when appropriate. These rate actions can provide reasonable assurance of the existence of an asset, reduce or eliminate the value of an asset, or impose a liability on a regulated enterprise. In order to defer incurred costs under FASB ASC 980, a regulated entity must have the statutory authority to establish rates that recover all costs, and those rates must be charged to and collected from customers. If the PMAs’ or TVA’s rates should become market-based, FASB ASC 980 would no longer be applicable, and all of the deferred costs under that standard would be expensed.

The FDIC has the responsibility for resolving failed institutions in an orderly and efficient manner. The resolution process involves valuing a failing institution, marketing it, soliciting and accepting bid for the sale of the institution, determining which bid is least costly to the insurance fund, and working with the acquiring institution through the closing process. FDIC records receivables for resolutions that include payments by the Deposit Insurance Fund to cover obligations to insured depositors, advances to receiverships and conservatorships for working capital, and administrative expenses paid on behalf of receiverships and conservatorships.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) provides a variety of loans as a liquidity lender to credit unions experiencing unusual or unexpected liquidity shortfalls. These loans can be either short- or long-term. NCUA also provides loans to stimulate economic development in low-income communities.

Other items included in “other” are purchased power generating capacity, deferred nuclear generating units, nonmarketable equity investments in international financial institutions, and the balance of assets held by the experience rated carriers participating in the Health Benefits and Life Insurance Program (pending disposition on behalf of OPM).