HSBC 2009 Annual Report Download - page 371

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2 Summary of significant accounting policies
(a) Interest income and expense
Interest income and expense for all financial instruments except for those classified as held for trading or
designated at fair value (other than debt securities issued by HSBC and derivatives managed in conjunction with
such debt securities issued) are recognised in ‘Interest income’ and ‘Interest expense’ in the income statement
using the effective interest method. The latter is a way of calculating the amortised cost of a financial asset or a
financial liability (or groups of financial assets or financial liabilities) and of allocating the interest income or
interest expense over the relevant period.
The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts or payments through
the expected life of the financial instrument or, where appropriate, a shorter period, to the net carrying amount of
the financial asset or financial liability. When calculating the effective interest rate, HSBC estimates cash flows
considering all contractual terms of the financial instrument but excluding future credit losses. The calculation
includes all amounts paid or received by HSBC that are an integral part of the effective interest rate of a financial
instrument, including transaction costs and all other premiums or discounts.
Interest on impaired financial assets is recognised using the rate of interest used to discount the future cash flows
for the purpose of measuring the impairment loss.
(b) Non-interest income
Fee income is earned from a diverse range of services provided by HSBC to its customers. Fee income is
accounted for as follows:
− income earned on the execution of a significant act is recognised as revenue when the act is completed (for
example, fees arising from negotiating, or participating in the negotiation of, a transaction for a third party,
such as an arrangement for the acquisition of shares or other securities);
− income earned from the provision of services is recognised as revenue as the services are provided (for
example, asset management, portfolio and other management advisory and service fees); and
− income which forms an integral part of the effective interest rate of a financial instrument is recognised as
an adjustment to the effective interest rate (for example, certain loan commitment fees) and recorded in
‘Interest income’ (Note 2a).
Net trading income comprises all gains and losses from changes in the fair value of financial assets and
financial liabilities held for trading, together with the related interest income, expense and dividends.
Net income from financial instruments designated at fair value includes all gains and losses from changes
in the fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities designated at fair value through profit or loss. Interest
income and expense and dividend income arising on these financial instruments are also included in ‘Net income
from financial instruments designated at fair value’, except for interest arising from debt securities issued, and
derivatives managed in conjunction with those debt securities, which is recognised in ‘Interest expense’
(Note 2a).
Dividend income is recognised when the right to receive payment is established. This is the ex-dividend date for
listed equity securities, and usually the date when shareholders have approved the dividend for unlisted equity
securities.
(c) Operating segments
HSBC’s operating segments are organised into six geographical regions; Europe, Hong Kong, Rest of Asia-
Pacific, Middle East, North America and Latin America. Due to the nature of the Group, HSBC’s chief operating
decision-maker regularly reviews operating activity on a number of bases, including by geographical region,
customer group and global business, and retail businesses by geographical region. HSBC’s operating segments
were determined to be geographical regions because the chief operating decision-maker primarily uses
information on geographical regions in order to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing
performance.
Measurement of segmental assets, liabilities, income and expenses is in accordance with the Group’s accounting
policies. Segmental income and expenses include transfers between segments and these transfers are conducted