American Express 2008 Annual Report Download - page 17

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2008 financial review
american express company
See Consolidated Results of Operations, beginning on page 22,
for discussion of the Company’s results.
The Company follows U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP). In addition to information provided
on a GAAP basis, the Company discloses certain data on a
“managed basis.” This information, which should be read
only as a supplement to GAAP information, assumes, in
the Consolidated Selected Statistical Information and
USCS segment, there have been no cardmember lending
securitization transactions. These managed basis adjustments,
and management’s rationale for such presentation, are discussed
further in the USCS section below under “Differences between
GAAP and Managed Basis Presentation.”
Certain reclassifications of prior period amounts have been
made to conform to the current presentation throughout this
Annual Report.
Certain of the statements in this Annual Report are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. See Forward-
Looking Statements at the end of this discussion.
15