American Express 2015 Annual Report Download - page 110

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPREPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY:
In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and the related consolidated statements of
income, comprehensive income, cash flows and shareholders’ equity present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial position of American Express Company and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the results
of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015, in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the
Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31,
2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company’s management is responsible for
these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on
Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements and
on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted our audits in
accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards
require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements
are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all
material respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the
amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal
control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting,
assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness
of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we
considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting
includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail,
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable
assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only
in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect
misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that
controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies
or procedures may deteriorate.
New York, New York
February 19, 2016
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