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Capital One Financial 10-K 2011 Documents found in this filing: UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION>
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010
OR
For the transition period from _____ to _____
Commission File No. 1-13300
_______________________________
CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
_______________________________
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (703) 720-1000
_______________________________
Securities registered pursuant to section 12(b) of the act:
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the Act. Yes o No x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a Shell Company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) Yes o No T
The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the close of business on June 30, 2010.
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value: $18,249,844,321*
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Common Stock, $.01 Par Value: 457,346,953 shares
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEX OF MD&A TABLES AND SUPPLEMENTAL TABLES
PART I
Capital One Financial Corporation, which was established in 1995, is a diversified financial services holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Capital One Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) offer a broad array of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through branches, the internet and other distribution channels. Our principal subsidiaries include:
The Company and its subsidiaries are hereafter collectively referred to as “we”, “us” or “our.” CONA and COBNA are hereafter collectively referred to as the “Banks.”
We had $125.9 billion in total loans outstanding and $122.2 billion in deposits as of December 31, 2010, compared with $136.8 billion in total managed loans outstanding and $115.8 billion in deposits as of December 31, 2009. We serve banking customers through branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. In September 2010, we rebranded Chevy Chase Bank, F.S.B. (“Chevy Chase Bank”), strengthening the Capital One brand in the Washington, D.C. region. In addition to bank lending treasury management and depository services, we offer credit and debit card products, auto loans and mortgage banking in markets across the United States. As of December 31, 2010, we were the fourth largest issuer of Visa® (“Visa”) and MasterCard® (“MasterCard”) credit cards in the United States based on managed credit card loans outstanding and the ninth largest depository institution in the United States based on deposits. In addition, we offer products outside of the United States principally through Capital One (Europe) plc (“COEP”), an indirect subsidiary of COBNA organized and located in the United Kingdom (U.K.), and through a branch of COBNA in Canada. COEP has authority, among other things, to provide credit card and installment loans. On December 1, 2010, our U.K. operations transitioned to an Authorized Payment Institution (API), and, as a result, we are no longer authorized to accept deposits in the U.K. Prior to November 19, 2010, COEP was referred to as Capital One Bank (Europe) plc (“COBEP”) and our U.K. business was referred to as the U.K. Bank. Our branch of COBNA in Canada has the authority to provide credit card loans.
Our common stock is listed on the NYSE and is traded under the symbol “COF.” As of January 31, 2011, there were 16,065 holders of record of our common stock. Our principal executive office is located at 1680 Capital One Drive, McLean, Virginia 22102 (telephone number (703) 720-1000). We maintain a Web site at www.capitalone.com. Documents available on our Web site include: (i) Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for the Corporation; (ii) Our Corporate Governance Principles; and (iii) charters for the Audit and Risk, Compensation, Finance and Trust Oversight, and Governance and Nominating Committees of the Board of Directors.
These documents also are available in print to any shareholder who requests a copy. In addition, we make available free of charge through our website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing or furnishing such material to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
Our principal operations are currently organized, for management reporting purposes, into three major business segments, which are defined based on the products and services provided, or the type of customer served: Credit Card, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. The operations of acquired businesses have been integrated into our existing business segments.
Certain activities that are not part of a segment are included in our “Other” category. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”)—Executive Summary and Business Outlook,” “MD&A—Business Segment Financial Performance” and “Item 8. Financial Statement and Supplementary Data—Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information about our business segments.
General
We are a bank holding company (“BHC”) under Section 3 of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHC Act”) (12 U.S.C. § 1842) and are subject to the requirements of the BHC Act, including its capital adequacy standards and limitations on our nonbanking activities. We are also subject to supervision, examination and regulation by the Federal Reserve Board (the “Federal Reserve”).
Permissible activities for a BHC include those activities that are so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto, such as consumer lending and other activities that have been approved by the Federal Reserve by regulation or order. Certain servicing activities are also permissible for a BHC if conducted for or on behalf of the BHC or any of its affiliates. Impermissible activities for BHCs include activities that are related to commerce such as retail sales of nonfinancial products. Under Federal Reserve policy, we are expected to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to any banks that we control, including the Banks, and to commit resources to support them.
On May 27, 2005, we became a “financial holding company” under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act amendments to the BHC Act (the “GLBA”). The GLBA removed many of the restrictions on the activities of BHCs that become financial holding companies. A financial holding company, and the non-bank companies under its control, are permitted to engage in activities considered financial in nature (including, for example, insurance underwriting, agency sales and brokerage, securities underwriting and dealing and merchant banking activities), incidental to financial activities or complementary to financial activities if the Federal Reserve determines that they pose no risk to the safety or soundness of depository institutions or the financial system in general.
Our election to become a financial holding company under the GLBA certifies that the depository institutions we control meet certain criteria, including capital, management and Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) requirements. Effective July 21, 2011, under amendments to the BHC Act enacted under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), we also must be “well capitalized” and “well managed.” If we were to fail to continue to meet the criteria for financial holding company status, we could, depending on which requirements we failed to meet, face restrictions on new financial activities or acquisitions or be required to discontinue existing activities that are not generally permissible for bank holding companies. The Banks are national associations chartered under the laws of the United States, the deposits of which are insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) up to applicable limits. In addition to regulatory requirements imposed as a result of COBNA’s international operations (discussed below), the Banks are subject to comprehensive regulation and periodic examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) and the FDIC.
We are also registered as a financial institution holding company under Virginia law and, as such, we are subject to periodic examination by Virginia’s Bureau of Financial Institutions. We face regulation in the international jurisdictions in which we conduct business (see below under Regulation of International Business by Non–U.S. Authorities).
Regulation of Business Activities
The activities of the Banks as consumer lenders also are subject to regulation under various federal laws, including the Truth-in-Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (the “FCRA”), the CRA and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, as well as under various state laws. Depending on the underlying issue and applicable law, regulators are often authorized to impose penalties for violations of these statutes and, in certain cases, to order the Banks to compensate injured borrowers. Borrowers may also have a private right of action for certain violations. Federal bankruptcy and state debtor relief and collection laws also affect the ability of the Banks to collect outstanding balances owed by borrowers. These laws plus state sales finance laws also affect the ability of our automobile financing business to collect outstanding balances.
New Regulations of Consumer Lending Activities
The Credit CARD Act (amending the Truth-In-Lending Act) enacted in May 2009, and related changes to Regulation Z, impose a number of restrictions on credit card practices impacting rates and fees and update the disclosures required for open-end credit. For example, increases in rates charged on pre-existing card balances are restricted, and rates increased since January 1, 2009, must now be considered for possible reductions. Overlimit fees may not be imposed without prior consent, and the number of such fees that can be charged for the same violation is constrained. The amount of any penalty fee or charge must be “reasonable and proportional” to the violation. Payments above the minimum payment must be allocated first to balances with the highest interest rate. The amount of fees charged to credit card accounts with lower credit lines is limited. A consumer’s ability to pay must be taken into account before issuing credit or increasing credit limits.
State Consumer Financial Laws
The Dodd-Frank Act created a new independent supervisory body, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) that will become the primary regulator for federal consumer financial statutes. State attorneys general will be authorized to enforce new regulations issued by the CFPB. State consumer financial laws will continue to be preempted under the National Bank Act under the existing standard set forth in the Supreme Court decision in Barnett Bank of Marion County, N.A. v. Nelson, which preempts any state law that significantly interferes with or impairs banking powers. OCC determinations of such preemption, however, must be on a case-by-case basis, and courts reviewing the OCC's preemption determinations will now consider the appropriateness of those determinations under a different standard of judicial review. As a result, state consumer financial laws enacted in the future may be held to apply to our business activities.
Mortgage Lending
The Dodd-Frank Act prescribes additional disclosure requirements and substantive limitations on our mortgage lending activities. Most of these provisions require the issuance of regulations by the CFPB or other federal agencies before they become effective. Though we do not expect the resulting regulations to have a material impact on our operations, one new requirement under the Dodd-Frank Act, the requirement for mortgage loan securitizers to retain a portion of the economic risk associated with certain mortgage loans, could impact the type and amount of mortgage loans we offer, depending on the final regulations.
Debit Interchange Fees
The Dodd-Frank Act requires that the amount of any interchange fee received by a debit card issuer with respect to debit card transactions be reasonable and proportional to the cost incurred by the issuer with respect to the transaction. On December 16, 2010, the Federal Reserve released proposed rules implementing this portion of the Dodd-Frank Act, which among other things, would limit interchange fees to no greater than 12 cents for each debit card transaction. The proposal was open for public comment through February 22, 2011, with final rules to be effective on July 21, 2011. If finalized as proposed, the rules could negatively impact revenue from our debit card business.
Dividends, Stock Repurchases and Transfers of Funds
Pursuant to Revised Temporary Addendum to SR Letter 09-4, dated November 17, 2010, we, like all large financial institutions subject to the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program ("SCAP BHCs"), must consult with the Federal Reserve in advance of taking any action that could result in a decreased capital base, including increasing dividends, implementing a common stock repurchase program, or repurchasing capital instruments (“planned capital actions”). As part of that evaluation, the Federal Reserve, in consultation with primary federal bank regulators, will assess capital adequacy of a SCAP BHC and any planned capital actions based on a review of a comprehensive capital plan submitted by the SCAP BHC. Among other things, the capital plan must incorporate a stress testing framework that considers a range and variety of economic, financial market, and operational events to estimate potential capital needs.
Traditionally, dividends to us from our direct and indirect subsidiaries have represented a major source of funds for us to pay dividends on our stock, make payments on corporate debt securities and meet our other obligations. There are various federal and state law limitations on the extent to which the Banks can finance or otherwise supply funds to us through dividends and loans. These limitations include minimum regulatory capital requirements, federal and state banking law requirements concerning the payment of dividends out of net profits or surplus, Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation W governing transactions between an insured depository institution and its affiliates, as well as general federal and state regulatory oversight to prevent unsafe or unsound practices. In general, federal and applicable state banking laws prohibit, without first obtaining regulatory approval, insured depository institutions, such as the Banks, from making dividend distributions if such distributions are not paid out of available earnings or would cause the institution to fail to meet applicable capital adequacy standards. However, we expect that we may receive a material amount of our funding in the form of dividends from our direct and indirect subsidiaries.
Capital Adequacy
The Banks are subject to capital adequacy guidelines adopted by federal banking regulators. For a further discussion of the capital adequacy guidelines, see “ MD&A—Liquidity and Capital Management—Capital” and “Note 13—Regulatory and Capital Adequacy”. The Banks exceeded minimum regulatory requirements under these guidelines as of December 31, 2010.
FDICIA and Prompt Corrective Action
In general, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”) subjects banks to significantly increased regulation and supervision. Among other things, FDICIA requires federal banking agencies to take “prompt corrective action” in respect of banks that do not meet minimum capital requirements. FDICIA establishes five capital ratio levels: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, and critically undercapitalized. Under applicable regulations, a bank is considered to be well capitalized if it maintains a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 6%, a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of at least 5% and is not subject to any supervisory agreement, order, or directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital reserve. A bank is considered to be adequately capitalized if it maintains a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 8%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 4%, a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of at least 4% (3% for certain highly rated institutions), and does not otherwise meet the well capitalized definition. The three undercapitalized categories are based upon the amount by which a bank falls below the ratios applicable to adequately capitalized institutions. The capital categories are determined solely for purposes of applying FDICIA’s prompt corrective action provisions, and such capital categories may not constitute an accurate representation of the Banks’ overall financial condition or prospects. As of December 31, 2010, each of the Banks met the requirements for a well-capitalized institution.
As an additional means to identify problems in the financial management of depository institutions, FDICIA requires regulators to establish certain non-capital safety and soundness standards. The standards relate generally to operations and management, asset quality, interest rate exposure and executive compensation. The agencies are authorized to take action against institutions that fail to meet such standards.
Heightened Prudential and Other Requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act
With the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, because we are a consolidated bank holding company with consolidated assets of $50 billion or greater, we are subject to certain heightened prudential requirements, including requirements that may be recommended by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (the “Council”) and implemented by the Federal Reserve. As a result, we expect to be subject to more stringent standards and requirements than those applicable for smaller institutions, including risk-based capital requirements, leverage limits, and liquidity requirements. In addition, we expect to be subject to new requirements regarding risk management, resolution planning (for orderly resolution in the event of material financial distress or failure), credit exposure reporting, and concentration limits. As part of the Dodd-Frank enhanced supervision framework, we will be subject to annual stress tests by the Federal Reserve, and the Company and the Banks will be required to conduct semi-annual stress tests, reporting results to the Federal Reserve and the OCC. The Council also may issue recommendations to the Federal Reserve or other primary financial regulatory agency to apply new or heightened standards to risky financial activities or practices.
In addition to the provisions described throughout the Supervision and Regulation section, the Dodd-Frank Act imposes new, more stringent standards and requirements with respect to bank and nonbank acquisitions and mergers, affiliate transactions, and proprietary trading (the “Volcker Rule”). It is also possible that CONA will be designated as a "swap dealer" under the Dodd-Frank Act, which would result in oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and more requirements for our current and future derivative transactions. The Dodd- Frank Act prohibits conflicts of interest relating to securitizations and generally requires securitizers to retain a 5% economic interest in the credit risk of assets sold through the issuance of asset-backed securitization, with an exemption for traditionally underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Dodd-Frank Act also includes provisions related to corporate governance and executive compensation and new fees and assessments, among others.
The federal agencies have significant discretion in drafting the implementation rules and regulations of the Dodd-Frank Act. As a result, the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act will not be known for many months or, in some cases, years. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act requires various studies and reports to be delivered to Congress which could result in additional legislative or regulatory action.
Basel II and III
Implementation of the international accord on revised risk-based capital rules known as “Basel II” continues to progress. U.S. Federal banking regulators finalized the “Advanced” version of Basel II in December 2007 and they issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the “Standardized” version in June 2008. Neither the “Advanced” nor “Standardized” version is mandatory for us, but the Advanced version could become so, due to growth in our reported assets or growth in our reported foreign assets. Alternatively, we might elect to comply with either the Advanced or Standardized versions of Basel II in the future. Compliance might require an increase in the minimum capital that we hold and also require a material investment of resources. We will continue to monitor regulators’ implementation of the new rules with respect to the institutions that are subject to them and assess the potential impact to us.
In December 2009, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (the “Basel Committee”) released proposals for additional capital and liquidity requirements, which have been clarified and amended in recent pronouncements (“Basel III”). In September 2010, the Basel Committee announced a package of reforms that included detailed capital ratios and capital conservation buffers, subject to transition periods through 2018. In December 2010, the Basel Committee published a final framework on capital and liquidity, consistent in large part with the prior proposals. The liquidity framework included two standards for liquidity risk supervision, each subject to observation periods and transitional arrangements. One standard promotes short-term resilience by requiring sufficient high-quality liquid assets to survive a stress scenario lasting for 30 days; the other promotes longer-term resilience by requiring sufficient stable funding over a one-year period, based on the liquidity characteristics of assets and activities. How U.S. banking regulations will be modified to reflect these international standards remains unclear, particularly given the forthcoming capital and other prudential requirement regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act and the current Prompt Corrective Action framework. We expect, however, that minimum capital and liquidity requirements for us and other institutions will increase as a result of Basel III, the Dodd-Frank Act and related activity. We will continue to monitor regulators’ implementation of the new rules with respect to the institutions that are subject to them and assess the potential impact to us.
Deposits and Deposit Insurance
Each of the Banks, as an insured depository institution, is a member of the Deposit Insurance Fund (the “DIF”) maintained by the FDIC. Through the DIF, the FDIC insures the deposits of insured depository institutions up to prescribed limits for each depositor. The DIF was formed on March 31, 2006, upon the merger of the Bank Insurance Fund and the Savings Association Insurance Fund in accordance with the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 (the “Reform Act”). The Reform Act permits the FDIC to set a Designated Reserve Ratio (“DRR”) for the DIF. To maintain the DIF, member institutions may be assessed an insurance premium, and the FDIC may take action to increase insurance premiums if the DRR falls below its required level.
Prior to passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC had established a plan to restore the DIF in the face of recent insurance losses and future loss projections, which resulted in several rules that generally increased deposit insurance rates and purported to improve risk differentiation so that riskier institutions bear a greater share of insurance premiums. The FDIC previously had issued a rule that required banks to prepay on December 31, 2009, their estimated quarterly risk-based assessment for the fourth quarter of 2009 and for 2010, 2011, and 2012. In connection with that rule, we have prepaid approximately $462 million, which is included within Other Assets.
The Dodd-Frank Act reformed the management of the DIF in several ways: (1) raised the minimum DRR to 1.35% (from the former minimum of 1.15%) and removed the upper limit on the DRR; (2) required that the reserve ratio reach 1.35% by September 30, 2020 (rather than 1.15% by the end of 2016); (3) required that in setting assessments, the FDIC must offset the effect of meeting the increased reserve ratio on small insured depository institutions; and (4) eliminated the requirement that the FDIC pay dividends from the DIF when the reserve ratio reaches certain levels. In a recent final rule, the FDIC set the DRR at 2%. The FDIC has proposed, in lieu of dividends, establishing progressively lower assessment rate schedules as the reserve ratio meets certain trigger levels.
The Dodd-Frank Act also required the FDIC to change the deposit insurance assessment base from deposits to average consolidated total assets minus average tangible equity. The FDIC recently finalized rules to implement this change and to significantly modify how deposit insurance assessment rates are calculated for those banks with assets of $10 billion or greater. Absent any actions that management may take to minimize deposit insurance assessments, the Banks’ assessments will increase significantly starting for the period beginning on April 1, 2011. On October 14, 2008, the FDIC announced its Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program (“TLGP”), which included the Transaction Account Guarantee Program (“TAGP”). The TAGP provided unlimited deposit insurance coverage for certain non-interest bearing transaction accounts and very limited interest-bearing accounts held at FDIC-insured depository institutions. The TAGP was originally scheduled to expire on December 31, 2009, but, through several extensions, continued through December 31, 2010 for those institutions that chose to participate.
Banks may accept brokered deposits as part of their funding. Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), as discussed in “MD&A—Liquidity and Capital Management”, only “well-capitalized” and “adequately-capitalized” institutions may accept brokered deposits. Adequately-capitalized institutions, however, must first obtain a waiver from the FDIC before accepting brokered deposits, and such deposits may not pay rates that significantly exceed the rates paid on deposits of similar maturity from the institution’s normal market area or, for deposits from outside the institution’s normal market area, the national rate on deposits of comparable maturity.
The FDIC is authorized to terminate a bank’s deposit insurance upon a finding by the FDIC that the bank’s financial condition is unsafe or unsound or that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices or has violated any applicable rule, regulation, order or condition enacted or imposed by the bank’s regulatory agency. The termination of deposit insurance for a bank could have a material adverse effect on its liquidity and its earnings.
Overdraft Protection
The Federal Reserve amended Regulation E on November 12, 2009, to limit the ability to assess overdraft fees for paying ATM and one-time debit card transactions that overdraw a consumer’s account, unless the consumer opts in to such payment of overdrafts. The new rule does not apply to overdraft services with respect to checks, ACH transactions, or recurring debit card transactions, or to the payment of overdrafts pursuant to a line of credit or a service that transfers funds from another account. We are required to provide to customers written notice describing our overdraft service, fees imposed and other information, and to provide customers with a reasonable opportunity to opt in to the service. Before we may assess fees for paying discretionary overdrafts, a customer must affirmatively opt in, which could negatively impact our deposit business revenue. The new rule was effective for all new accounts opened on or after July 1, 2010, and on August 15, 2010, it became effective for accounts opened prior to July 1, 2010.
Source of Strength and Liability for Commonly-Controlled Institutions
Under the regulations issued by the Federal Reserve, a bank holding company must serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks (the so-called “source of strength doctrine”). The Dodd-Frank Act codified the source of strength doctrine, directing the Federal Reserve to require bank holding companies to serve as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary banks.
Under the “cross-guarantee” provision of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (“FIRREA”), insured depository institutions such as the Banks may be liable to the FDIC with respect to any loss incurred, or reasonably anticipated to be incurred, by the FDIC in connection with the default of, or FDIC assistance to, any commonly controlled insured depository institution. The Banks are commonly controlled within the meaning of the FIRREA cross-guarantee provision.
FDIC Orderly Liquidation Authority
The Dodd-Frank Act provided the FDIC with liquidation authority that may be used to liquidate a financial company if the Treasury Secretary, in consultation with the President, based on the recommendation of the Federal Reserve and another federal agency, determines that doing so is necessary to mitigate serious adverse effects on U.S. financial stability. Upon such a determination, the FDIC would be appointed receiver and must liquidate the company in a way that mitigates significant risks to financial stability and minimizes moral hazard. The costs of a liquidation of a financial company would be borne by shareholders and unsecured creditors and then, if necessary, by risk-based assessments on large financial companies. The FDIC is issuing rules implementing this authority.
FFIEC Account Management Guidance
On January 8, 2003, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (“FFIEC”) released Account Management and Loss Allowance Guidance (the “Guidance”). The Guidance applies to all credit lending of regulated financial institutions and generally requires that banks properly manage several elements of their lending programs, including line assignments, over-limit practices, minimum payment and negative amortization, workout and settlement programs, and the accounting methodology used for various assets and income items related to loans.
We believe that our account management and loss allowance practices are prudent and appropriate and, therefore, consistent with the Guidance. We caution, however, the Guidance provides wide discretion to bank regulatory agencies in the application of the Guidance to any particular institution and its account management and loss allowance practices. Accordingly, under the Guidance, bank examiners could require changes in our account management or loss allowance practices in the future, and such changes could have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operation.
Privacy and Fair Credit Reporting
The GLBA requires a financial institution to describe in a privacy notice certain of its privacy and data collection practices and requires that customers or consumers, before their nonpublic personal information is shared, be given a choice (through an opt-out notice) to limit the sharing of such information about them with nonaffiliated third parties unless the sharing is required or permitted under the GLBA as implemented. We and the Banks have written privacy notices that are available through our website, the relevant legal entity or both, and are delivered to consumers and customers when required under the GLBA. In accordance with the privacy notices noted above, we and the Banks protect the security of information about our customers, educate our employees about the importance of protecting customer privacy and allow our customers to remove their names from the solicitation lists used and shared with others by us and the Banks to the extent they use or share such lists. We and the Banks require business partners with whom we share such information to have adequate security safeguards and to abide by the redisclosure and reuse provisions of the GLBA. To the extent that the GLBA and the FCRA require us or one or more of the Banks to provide customers and consumers the opportunity to opt out of sharing information, then the relevant entity or entities provide such options in the privacy notice. In addition to adopting federal requirements regarding privacy, the GLBA also permits individual states to enact stricter laws relating to the use of customer information. To date, at least California and Vermont have done so by statute, regulation or referendum, and other states may consider proposals which impose additional requirements or restrictions on us or the Banks. If the federal or state regulators of the financial subsidiaries establish further guidelines for addressing customer privacy issues, we or one or more of the Banks may need to amend our privacy policies and adapt our internal procedures.
Under Section 501(b) of the GLBA, among other sources of statutory authority, including state law, the Banks and us are required to observe various data security-related requirements, including establishing information security and data security breach response programs and properly authenticating customers before processing or enabling certain types of transactions or interactions. The failure to observe any one or more of these requirements could subject the Banks or us to enforcement action or litigation.
Like other lending institutions, the Banks utilize credit bureau data in their underwriting activities. Use of such data is regulated under the FCRA on a uniform, nationwide basis, including credit reporting, prescreening, sharing of information between affiliates, and the use of credit data. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (the “FACT Act”), which was enacted by Congress and signed into law in December 2003, extends the federal preemption of the FCRA permanently, although the law authorizes states to enact laws regulating certain subject matters so long as they are not inconsistent with the conduct required by the FCRA. If financial institutions and credit bureaus fail to alleviate the costs and consumer frustration associated with the growing crime of identity theft, financial institutions could face increased legislative/regulatory and litigation risks.
Investment in the Company and the Banks
Certain acquisitions of our capital stock may be subject to regulatory approval or notice under federal or state law. Investors are responsible for ensuring that they do not, directly or indirectly, acquire shares of our capital stock in excess of the amount which can be acquired without regulatory approval. Each of the Banks is an “insured depository institution” within the meaning of the Change in Bank Control Act. Consequently, federal law and regulations prohibit any person or company from acquiring control of us without, in most cases, prior written approval of the Federal Reserve or the OCC, as applicable. Control is conclusively presumed if, among other things, a person or company acquires more than 25% of any class of our voting stock. A rebuttable presumption of control arises if a person or company acquires more than 10% of any class of voting stock and is subject to any of a number of specified “control factors” as set forth in the applicable regulations. Additionally, COBNA and CONA are “banks” within the meaning of Chapter 13 of Title 6.1 of the Code of Virginia governing the acquisition of interests in Virginia financial institutions (the “Financial Institution Holding Company Act”). The Financial Institution Holding Company Act prohibits any person or entity from acquiring, or making any public offer to acquire, control of a Virginia financial institution or its holding company without making application to, and receiving prior approval from, the Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions.
Non-Bank Activities
Our non-bank subsidiaries are subject to supervision and regulation by various other federal and state authorities. Insurance agency subsidiaries are regulated by state insurance regulatory agencies in the states in which we operate. Capital One Agency LLC is a licensed insurance agency that is regulated by the New York State Insurance Department in its home state and by the state insurance regulatory agencies in the states in which it operates. Capital One Agency LLC provides both personal and business insurance services to retail and commercial clients.
Capital One Investment Services LLC and Capital One Southcoast Capital, Inc., are registered broker-dealers regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Our broker-dealer subsidiaries are subject to, among other things, net capital rules designed to measure the general financial condition and liquidity of a broker-dealer. Under these rules, broker-dealers are required to maintain the minimum net capital deemed necessary to meet their continuing commitments to customers and others, and are required to keep a substantial portion of their assets in relatively liquid form. These rules also limit the ability of broker-dealers to transfer capital to parent companies and other affiliates. Broker-dealers are also subject to other regulations covering their business operations, including sales and trading practices, public offerings, publication of research reports, use and safekeeping of client funds and securities, capital structure, record-keeping and the conduct of directors, officers and employees.
Capital One Asset Management LLC, which provides investment advice to institutions, foundations, endowments, and high net worth individuals, is a registered investment adviser regulated under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Capital One Financial Advisors LLC is a New York-state registered investment adviser.
USA PATRIOT Act of 2001
The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “Patriot Act”) contains sweeping anti-money laundering and financial transparency laws as well as enhanced information collection tools and enforcement mechanisms for the U.S. government, including: due diligence requirements for private banking and correspondent accounts; standards for verifying customer identification at account opening; rules to promote cooperation among financial institutions, regulators, and law enforcement in identifying parties that may be involved in terrorism or money laundering; reporting requirements applicable to the receipt of coins and currency of more than $10,000 in nonfinancial trades or businesses; and more broadly applicable suspicious activity reporting requirements.
The Department of Treasury, in consultation with the Federal Reserve and other federal financial institution regulators, has promulgated rules and regulations implementing the Patriot Act that prohibit correspondent accounts for foreign shell banks at U.S. financial institutions; require financial institutions to maintain certain records relating to correspondent accounts for foreign banks; require financial institutions to produce certain records upon request of the appropriate federal banking agency; require due diligence with respect to private banking and correspondent banking accounts; facilitate information sharing between government and financial institutions; require verification of customer identification; and require financial institutions to have an anti-money laundering program in place.
Regulation of International Business by Non—U.S. Authorities
COBNA is subject to regulation in foreign jurisdictions where it operates, currently in the U.K. and Canada.
In the United Kingdom, COBNA operates through COEP, which was established in 2000. Effective December 1, 2010, COEP became an authorized payment institution by the Financial Services Authority (the “FSA”) under the Payment Services Regulations 2009. This change involved a variation of COEP’s permissions to conduct certain regulated activities in the U.K. (notably cancellation of its permission to accept deposits, which permission had been retained following COEP’s transfer of its savings business in 2009). To facilitate the change, ownership of COEP’s immediate parent companies (Capital One Holdings Limited and Capital One Investments Limited, both U.K. entities) was transferred from COBNA to Capital One Global Corporation (a new Virginia-chartered corporation), all the shares of which are owned by COBNA. Capital One Global Corporation is subject to regulation as an “agreement corporation” under the Federal Reserve’s Regulation K.
During 2010, the U.K. Government announced plans to change the structure of financial regulation by the end of 2012. As part of this change, the FSA will cease to exist in its current form. The Government will create a new Prudential Regulatory Authority (the “PRA”), responsible for the day-to-day prudential supervision of financial institutions, and a new Financial Policy Committee (the “FPC”), which will look across the economy at the macroeconomic and financial issues that may threaten stability and address the risks it identifies. In addition, a new Consumer Protection and Markets Authority (the “CPMA”) will also be established, responsible for the conduct of all financial services firms. A “shadow” structure is expected to be built during 2011 in preparation for the changes while the Government consults on detailed proposals. This consultation activity includes consideration of whether the U.K. consumer credit regime currently regulated by the Office of Fair Trading (the “OFT”) should become the responsibility of the new CPMA.
Following a review of the credit card industry by the U.K. Government in late 2009, the industry and U.K. Government announced a joint commitment to a package of measures that has been incorporated into the U.K.’s Lending Code. The key measures include allocating customer payments to higher rate balances first; setting minimum payments on new customer accounts to cover at least interest, fees, charges and 1% of the principal balance; creating the option for customers to opt out of unsolicited credit limit increases and to request reductions in their credit line; providing additional communication over re-pricing of existing debt and allowing customers to opt out of the increase and pay down their balance at the existing rate; and providing annual electronic statements to customers regarding the cost to use a credit card over the year. It is still under discussion as to when this final standard regarding annual statements will be implemented.
The U.K. Government has also passed the Financial Services Act 2010 which restricts the issuance of unsolicited credit card checks. This provision of the Act will now come into effect through voluntary self-regulation, rather than proceeding with the commencement order for this legislation, with the changes being reflected in the next edition of the Lending Code, due to be published in March 2011. Lenders agreed to be fully compliant with these provisions by the end of 2010, in line with the other commitments that were agreed with the U.K. Government.
Following the passing of the Consumer Credit Directive (the “CCD”) in May 2008 by the European Commission (the “EC”), the U.K. consumer credit regime, including the laws and regulations with respect to the marketing of consumer credit products and the design of and disclosure in consumer credit agreements, is due to change significantly. The CCD is also introducing new regulations that require certain information be provided to consumers before a credit agreement is entered into and that provide explicit requirements designed to ensure that any such consumer is creditworthy. The new law enacted in the U.K. to implement the CCD became fully effective on February 1, 2011, but lenders could voluntarily comply with the legislation, with the exception of the new advertising rules, starting April 30, 2010.
Cross-border interchange fees are under scrutiny from the EC. The timing of any final resolution of the matter by the EC or the OFT, which has suspended its own investigation into domestic interchange, is uncertain, but it is anticipated that the OFT will await the outcome of the EC court decision before concluding its own investigation.
Following a referral by the OFT, the Competition Commission (the “CC”) launched a market investigation into the supply of Payment Protection Insurance (“PPI”) in the U.K. PPI on mortgages, credit cards, unsecured loans (personal loans, motor loans and hire purchase) and secured loans is included. The CC published its final report on remedies, which included point of sale prohibition, in October 2010, with the draft Order setting out the detail of the remedies published for consultation in November 2010. COEP responded to the consultation and is currently assessing the impact of the proposed new remedies. The final Order is expected in late March/early April 2011.
New rules on PPI complaints handling and redress were published by the FSA in August 2010 and came into force in December 2010. The British Bankers Association has issued judicial review proceedings to challenge the validity of the new rules on the basis that the new rules have retrospective effect. The implementation of the new rules and the outcome of judicial review proceedings may have a material effect on COEP’s PPI complaints handling.
In Canada, COBNA operates as an authorized foreign bank pursuant to the Bank Act (Canada) (the “Bank Act”) and is permitted to conduct its credit card business in Canada through its Canadian branch, Capital One Bank (Canada Branch) (“Capital One Canada”). The primary regulator of Capital One Canada is the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (“OSFI”). Other regulators include the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. Capital One Canada is subject to regulation under various Canadian federal laws, including the Bank Act and its regulations, noted more fully below, and the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.
In 2010, new consumer disclosure and business practices regulations affecting credit cards issued by federally regulated financial institutions in Canada became effective. These regulations, issued pursuant to the Bank Act, established new requirements under the Cost of Borrowing (Authorized Foreign Banks) Regulations and introduced the Credit Business Practices (Banks, Authorized Foreign Banks, Trust and Loan Companies, Retail Associations, Canadian Insurance Companies and Foreign Insurance Companies) Regulations. Among the new requirements are standardized summary "information box" disclosures for applications and credit agreements, increased disclosure for monthly statements as well as for a minimum 21-day grace period and related requirements. New business practices requirements impose restrictions on the allocation of payments made in excess of the required monthly minimum payment, credit limit increases, and collections practices. These amendments could increase our operational and compliance costs and affect the types and terms of products that we offer in Canada.
As a diversified financial institution that markets credit cards and consumer and commercial financial products and services, we operate in a highly competitive environment and face competition in all aspects of our business from numerous bank and non-bank providers of financial services. We compete with national and state banks for deposits, commercial loans and trust accounts and with savings and loan associations and credit unions for loans and deposits. Our competitors also include other financial services providers that provide loans, deposits, and other similar services and product. In addition, we compete against non-depository institutions that are able to offer these products and services.
We compete with international, national, regional and local issuers of Visa® and MasterCard® credit cards, as well as with American Express®, Discover Card® and, to a certain extent, debit cards. In general, customers are attracted to credit card issuers largely on the basis of price, credit limit and other product features, and customer loyalty is often limited. In our auto finance business, we face competition from banks and non-bank lenders who provide financing for dealer-originated loans.
Our businesses generally compete on the basis of the quality and range of their products and services, transaction execution, innovation and price. Competition also varies based on the types of clients, customers, industries and geographies served. With respect to some of our products and geographies and products, we compete globally and with respect to others, we compete on a regional basis. Our ability to compete depends on our ability to attract and retain our professional and other associates and on our reputation. In the current environment, customers are generally attracted to depository institutions that are perceived as stable, with solid liquidity and funding.
We believe that we are able to compete effectively in our current markets. There can be no assurance, however, that our ability to market products and services successfully or to obtain adequate returns on our products and services will not be impacted by the nature of the competition that now exists or may later develop, or by the broader economic environment. For a discussion of the risks related to our competitive environment, please refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
A central part of our philosophy is to attract and retain a highly capable staff. We employed approximately 27,826 employees, whom we refer to as “associates,” as of December 31, 2010. We view current associate relations to be satisfactory, and none of our associates is covered under a collective bargaining agreement.
Geographic Diversity
Our consumer loan portfolios, including credit cards, are diversified across the United States with modest concentration in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Texas. We also have credit card loans in the U.K. and Canada. Our commercial loans are concentrated in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Texas. See “MD&A—Risk Management” and “Note 22—Significant Concentration of Credit Risk” for additional information.
Technology/Systems
We leverage information technology to achieve our business objectives and to develop and deliver products and services that satisfy our customers’ needs. A key part of our strategic focus is the development of efficient, flexible computer and operational systems to support complex marketing and account management strategies, the servicing of our customers, and the development of new and diversified products. We believe that the continued development and integration of these systems is an important part of our efforts to reduce costs, improve quality and provide faster, more flexible technology services. Consequently, we continuously review capabilities and develop or acquire systems, processes and competencies to meet our unique business requirements.
As part of our continuous efforts to review and improve our technologies, we may either develop such capabilities internally or rely on third party outsourcers who have the ability to deliver technology that is of higher quality, lower cost, or both. Over time, we have increasingly relied on third party outsourcers to help us deliver systems and operational infrastructure. These relationships include (but are not limited to): Total System Services Inc. (“TSYS”) for processing services for Capital One’s North American and United Kingdom portfolios of consumer and small business credit card accounts, Fidelity National Information Services (“Fidelity”) for the Capital One banking systems, and IBM Corporation for management of our North American data centers.
Intellectual Property
As part of our overall and ongoing strategy to protect and enhance our intellectual property, we rely on a variety of protections, including copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents and certain restrictions on disclosure, solicitation, and competition. We also undertake other measures to control access to and distribution of our other proprietary information. Despite these precautions, it may be possible for a third party to copy or otherwise obtain and use certain intellectual property or proprietary information without authorization. Our precautions may not prevent misappropriation or infringement of our intellectual property or proprietary information. In addition, our competitors and other third parties also file patent applications for innovations that are used in our industry. The ability of our competitors and other third parties to obtain such patents may adversely affect our ability to compete. Conversely, our ability to obtain such patents may increase our competitive advantage. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in such efforts, or that the ability of our competitors to obtain such patents may not adversely impact our financial results.
From time to time, we have made and will make forward-looking statements, including those that discuss, among other things, strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; projections, revenues, income, returns, accruals for claims in litigation and for other claims against us; earnings per share or other financial measures for us; future financial and operating results; our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; and the assumptions that underlie these matters. To the extent that any such information is forward-looking, it is intended to fit within the safe harbor for forward-looking information provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Numerous factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements, including, among other things:
Any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf speak only as of the date they are made or as of the date indicated, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should carefully consider the factors discussed above in evaluating these forward-looking statements. For additional information on factors that could materially influence forward-looking statements included in this report, see the risk factors in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this report.
This section highlights specific risks that could affect our business. Although we have tried to discuss all material risks at the time this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been filed, please be aware that other risks may prove to be important in the future. In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this report, among the other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward looking statements are the following:
The Current Business Environment, Including A Prolonged Economic Recovery, May Adversely Affect Our Industry, Business, Results Of Operations And Capital Levels
The recent global recession has resulted in a general tightening in the credit markets, lower levels of liquidity, reduced asset values (including residential and commercial properties), reduced business profits, increased rates of business and consumer delinquency, and increased rates of unemployment and consumer bankruptcy, some of which have had a negative impact on our results of operation. Although the overall economic recovery seems to be underway, it has remained modest and fragile. A recovery that is only shallow and very gradual, marked by continued elevated unemployment rates and reduced home prices, may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations as customers default on their loans or maintain lower deposit levels or, in the case of credit card accounts, carry lower balances and reduce credit card purchase activity.
In particular, we may face the following risks in connection with these events:
Compliance With New And Existing Laws And Regulations May Increase Our Costs, Reduce Our Revenue, Limit Our Ability To Pursue Business Opportunities, And Increase Compliance Challenges
There has been increased legislation and regulation with respect to the financial services industry in the last few years, and we expect that oversight of our business will continue to expand in scope and complexity. A wide and increasing array of banking, consumer lending and deposit laws apply to almost every aspect of our business. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in financial, structural and operational penalties, including receivership. In addition, establishing systems and processes to achieve compliance with these laws and regulations may increase our costs or limit our ability to pursue certain business opportunities.
The Credit CARD Act (amending the Truth-in-Lending Act) and related changes to Regulation Z impose a number of restrictions on credit card practices impacting rates and fees and also update the disclosures required for open-end credit. For example, increases in rates charged on pre-existing card balances are restricted, and rates increased since January 1, 2009, must now be considered for possible reductions. Overlimit fees may not be imposed without prior consent of the customer, and the number of such fees that can be charged for the same violation is constrained. The amount of any penalty fee or charge must be “reasonable and proportional” to the violation. Although we did not engage in many of the practices prohibited by the amendments, the rules could have a material adverse effect on future revenues in our U.S. credit card business and could make the card business generally less resilient in future economic downturns.
In July 2010, President Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act, as well as the related rules and regulations adopted by various regulatory agencies, could have a significant adverse impact on our business, results of operations or financial condition. There are a number of provisions in the Dodd-Frank act that impact our business, including the following:
The Dodd-Frank Act contains a number of other provisions that will impact our business. For example, the Dodd-Frank Act required the FDIC to change the deposit insurance assessment base from deposits to average consolidated total assets minus average tangible equity. The FDIC recently finalized rules to implement this change and to modify significantly how deposit insurance assessment rates are calculated for those banks with assets of $10 billion or greater. In addition, under the Dodd-Frank Act, many trust preferred securities will cease to qualify for Tier 1 capital, subject to a three year phase-out period expected to begin in 2013. And the Dodd-Frank Act will most likely subject us to the supervision of regulatory agencies that historically have not regulated our businesses, such as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission with respect to our derivatives activities. These provisions could have an adverse impact on our results of operations or financial condition by increasing our cost of funding, our cost of capital or our cost of complying with applicable laws and regulations.
Certain laws and regulations, and any interpretations and applications with respect thereto, may benefit consumers, borrowers and depositors, but not stockholders. The legislative and regulatory environment is beyond our control, may change rapidly and unpredictably and may negatively influence our revenue, costs, earnings, growth and capital levels. Our success depends on our ability to maintain compliance with both existing and new laws and regulations. For a description of the laws and regulations to which we are subject, please refer to Supervision and Regulation in Item 1. Business.
We May Experience Increased Delinquencies And Credit Losses
Like other lenders, we face the risk that our customers will not repay their loans. Rising losses or leading indicators of rising losses (such as higher delinquencies, higher rates of non-performing loans, higher bankruptcy rates, lower collateral values or elevated unemployment rates) may require us to increase our allowance for loan and lease losses, which may degrade our profitability if we are unable to raise revenue or reduce costs to compensate for higher losses. In particular, we face the following risks in this area:
We May Experience Increased Losses Associated With Mortgage Repurchases and Indemnification Obligations
Certain of our subsidiaries, including GreenPoint Mortgage Funding, Inc. ("GreenPoint"), Capital One Home Loans and CONA, as successor to Chevy Chase Bank, may be required to repurchase mortgage loans that have been sold to investors in the event there are certain breaches of certain representations and warranties contained within the sales agreements. We may be required to repurchase mortgage loans that we sell to investors in the event that there was improper underwriting or fraud or in the event that the loans become delinquent shortly after they are originated. These subsidiaries also may be required to indemnify certain purchasers and others against losses they incur in the event of breaches of representations and warranties and in various other circumstances, and the amount of such losses could exceed the repurchase amount of the related loans. Consequently, we may be exposed to credit risk associated with sold loans. We have established a reserve in our consolidated financial statements for potential losses that are considered to be both probable and reasonably estimable related to the mortgage loans sold by our originating subsidiaries. The adequacy of the reserve and the ultimate amount of losses incurred will depend on, among other things, the actual future mortgage loan performance, the actual level of future repurchase and indemnification requests, the actual success rate of claimants, developments in litigation related to us and the industry, actual recoveries on the collateral and macroeconomic conditions (including unemployment levels and housing prices). Due to uncertainties relating to these factors, there can be no assurance that our reserves will be adequate or that the total amount of losses incurred will not have a material adverse effect upon our financial condition or results of operations. For additional information related to our mortgage loan repurchase and indemnification obligations and related reserves, see “MD&A – Consolidated Balance Sheet Analysis and Credit Performance – Potential Mortgage Representation and Warranty Liabilities.”
We May Not Be Able to Maintain Adequate Capital Levels or Liquidity, Which Could Have a Negative Impact on Our Financial Results
As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and international accords, financial institutions will become subject to new and increased capital and liquidity requirements. While it is not yet clear what form these requirements will take or how they will apply to us, it is possible that we could be required to increase our capital levels above the levels in our current financial plans. These new requirements could have a negative impact on our ability to lend, grow deposit balances or make acquisitions and on our ability to make capital distributions in the form of increased dividends or share repurchases. Higher capital levels could also lower our return on equity.
Recent developments in capital and liquidity requirements that may impact us include the following:
See "Item 1. Business — Supervision and Regulation — Capital Adequacy" for additional information.
We Face Risk Related To The Strength Of Our Operational, Technological And Organizational Infrastructure
Our ability to grow and compete is dependent on our ability to build or acquire the necessary operational, technological and organizational infrastructure. We have substantially completed significant development projects to complete the systems integration of Chevy Chase Bank and to build a scalable banking infrastructure. Implementation of such infrastructure changes and upgrades may, at least temporarily, cause disruptions to our business, including, but not limited to, systems interruptions, transaction processing errors and system conversion delays, all of which could have a negative impact on us.
Similar to other large corporations, we are exposed to operational risk that can manifest itself in many ways, such as errors related to failed or inadequate processes, faulty or disabled computer systems, fraud by employees or persons outside of our company and exposure to external events. In addition, we are heavily dependent on the strength and capability of our technology systems which we use to manage our internal financial and other systems, interface with our customers and develop and implement effective marketing campaigns. Our ability to develop and deliver new products that meet the needs of our existing customers and attract new ones and to run our business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations depends on the functionality of our operational and technology systems. Any disruptions or failures of our operational and technology systems, including those associated with improvements or modifications to such systems, could cause us to be unable to market and manage our products and services or to report our financial results in a timely and accurate manner, all of which could have a negative impact on our results of operations.
In some cases, we outsource the maintenance and development of our operational and technological functionality to third parties. These third parties may experience errors or disruptions that could adversely impact us and over which we may have limited control. Any increase in the amount of our infrastructure that we outsource to third parties may increase our exposure to these risks.
We May Fail To Realize All Of The Anticipated Benefits Of Our Mergers And Acquisitions
We have engaged in merger and acquisition activity over the past several years and may continue to engage in such activity in the future. If we are not able to achieve the anticipated benefits of such mergers and acquisitions, including cost savings and other synergies, our business could be negatively affected. In addition, it is possible that the ongoing integration processes could result in the loss of key employees, errors or delays in systems implementation, the disruption of our ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with clients, customers, depositors and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger or acquisition. Integration efforts also may divert management attention and resources. These integration matters may have an adverse effect on us during any transition period.
Our acquisitions also may involve our entry into new businesses and new geographic or other markets which present risks resulting from our relative inexperience in these new areas or these new businesses. These new businesses change the overall character of our consolidated portfolio of businesses and could react differently to economic and other external factors. We face the risk that we will not be successful in these new businesses or in these new markets.
We Face the Risk of Fluctuations in Our Expenses and Other Costs That May Hurt Our Financial Results
Our expenses and other costs, such as operating, labor and marketing expenses, directly affect our earnings results. In light of the extremely competitive environment in which we operate, and because the size and scale of many of our competitors provide them with increased operational efficiencies, it is important that we are able to successfully manage our expenses. Many factors can influence the amount of our expenses, as well as how quickly they may increase. Our on-going investments in infrastructure, which may be necessary to maintain a competitive business, integrate newly-acquired businesses and establish scalable operations, may increase our expenses. In addition, as our business develops, changes or expands, additional expenses can arise as a result of a reevaluation of business strategies, management of outsourced services, asset purchases or other acquisitions, structural reorganization, compliance with new laws or regulations or the integration of newly acquired businesses. If we are unable to successfully manage our expenses, our financial results will be negatively affected.
Reputational Risk and Social Factors May Impact Our Results
Our ability to originate and maintain accounts is highly dependent upon the perceptions of consumer and commercial borrowers and deposit holders and other external perceptions of our business practices or our financial health. Adverse perceptions regarding our reputation in the consumer, commercial and funding markets could lead to difficulties in generating and maintaining accounts as well as in financing them. Particularly, negative perceptions regarding our reputation could lead to decreases in the levels of deposits that consumer and commercial customers and potential customers choose to maintain with us.
In addition, a variety of social factors may cause changes in borrowing activity, including credit card use, payment patterns and the rate of defaults by accountholders and borrowers domestically and internationally. These social factors include changes in consumer confidence levels, the public’s perception regarding consumer debt, including credit card use, and changing attitudes about the stigma of personal bankruptcy. If consumers develop negative attitudes about incurring debt or if consumption trends continue to decline, our business and financial results will be negatively affected.
We Face Intense Competition in All of Our Markets
We operate in a highly competitive environment, and we expect competitive conditions to continue to intensify. In such a competitive environment, we may lose entire accounts or may lose account balances to competing financial institutions, or we may find it more costly to maintain our existing customer base. Customer attrition from any or all of our lending products, together with any lowering of interest rates or fees that we might implement to retain customers, could reduce our revenues and therefore our earnings. Similarly, customer attrition from our deposit products, in addition to an increase in rates or services that we may offer to retain those deposits, may increase our expenses and therefore reduce our earnings. We expect that competition will continue to increase with respect to most of our products. Some of our competitors are substantially larger than we are, which may give those competitors advantages, including a more diversified product and customer base, the ability to reach out to more customers and potential customers, operational efficiencies, more versatile technology platforms, broad-based local distribution capabilities, lower-cost funding and larger existing branch networks. In addition, some of our competitors are not subject to the same regulatory requirements or legislative scrutiny to which we are subject, which also could place us at a competitive disadvantage.
Fluctuations in Market Interest Rates Or the Capital Markets Could Adversely Affect Our Revenue and Expense, the Value of Assets and Obligations, Our Cost of Capital or Our Liquidity
Like other financial institutions, our business may be sensitive to market interest rate movement and the performance of the financial markets. Changes in interest rates or in valuations in the debt or equity markets could directly impact us. For example, we borrow money from other institutions and depositors, which we use to make loans to customers and invest in debt securities and other earning assets. We earn interest on these loans and assets and pay interest on the money we borrow from institutions and depositors. Fluctuations in interest rates, including changes in the relationship between short-term rates and long-term rates and in the relationship between our funding basis rate and our lending basis rate, may have negative impacts on our net interest income and therefore our earnings. In addition, interest rate fluctuations and competitor responses to those changes may effect the rate of customer pre-payments for mortgage, auto and other term loans and may affect the balances customers carry on their credit cards. These changes can reduce the overall yield on our earning asset portfolio. Changes in interest rates and competitor responses to these changes may also impact customer decisions to maintain balances in the deposit accounts they have with us. In addition, changes in valuations in the debt and equity markets could have a negative impact on the assets we hold in our investment portfolio. Finally, such market changes could also have a negative impact on the valuation of assets for which we provide servicing.
We assess our interest rate risk by estimating the effect on our earnings under various scenarios that differ based on assumptions about the direction and the magnitude of interest rate changes. We take risk mitigation actions based on those assessments. We face the risk that changes in interest rates could reduce our net interest income and our earnings in material amounts, especially if actual conditions turn out to be materially different than those we assumed. See “MD&A—Market Risk Management” for additional information.
Our Business Could Be Negatively Affected If It Is Unable to Attract, Retain and Motivate Skilled Senior Leaders
Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to retain key senior leaders, and competition for such senior leaders can be intense in most areas of our business. The executive compensation provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and the regulations issued thereunder, and any further legislation or regulation restricting executive compensation, may limit the types of compensation arrangements that we may enter into with our most senior leaders and could have a negative impact on our ability to attract, retain and motivate such leaders in support of our long-term strategy. These laws and regulations may not apply in the same manner to all financial institutions, and we therefore may face more restrictions than other institutions and companies with whom we compete for talent. If we are unable to retain talented senior leadership, our business could be negatively affected.
Our Businesses are Subject to the Risk of Increased Litigation
Our businesses are subject to increased litigation as a result of the highly regulated nature of the financial services industry and the structure of the credit card industry, and we face risks from the outcomes of such industry litigation. Substantial legal liability against us could have a material adverse effect or cause significant reputational harm to us, which could seriously harm our business. For a description of the litigation risks that we face, see “Note 21—Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees.”
We Face Risks from Unpredictable Catastrophic Events
Despite our substantial business contingency plans, the impact from natural disasters and other catastrophic events, including terrorist attacks, may have a negative effect on our business and infrastructure, including our information technology systems. The impact of such events and other catastrophes on the overall economy may also adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We Face Risks from the Use of Estimates in Our Financial Statements
Pursuant to United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, we are required to use certain assumptions and estimates in preparing our financial statements, including, but not limited to, estimating our allowance for loan and lease losses and the fair value of certain assets and liabilities. If the assumptions or estimates underlying our financial statements are incorrect, we may experience unexpected material losses. For a discussion of our use of estimates in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, see “Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.”
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Our corporate real estate portfolio is used to support our business segments. We own our 587,000 square foot headquarters building in McLean, Virginia which houses our executive offices and northern Virginia staff. We own approximately 316 acres of land in Goochland County, Virginia which contains nearly 1.2 million square feet of office space to house various business and staff groups. Additionally, we own 72 acres of land in Plano, Texas which includes nearly 600,000 square feet of office space to support our Auto Finance business and other functions. Our Commercial and Consumer Banking segments utilize approximately 4.0 million square feet in owned properties and 5.1 million square feet in leased locations across the District of Columbia, Louisiana, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Texas and Virginia for office and branch operations.
Our corporate real estate portfolio also includes leased or owned space totaling, in the aggregate, 2.7 million square feet in Richmond, Toronto, Melville, New York City and various other locations.
The information required by Item 3 is included in “Note 21— Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees.”
PART II
Market Information
Our common stock is listed on the NYSE and is traded under the symbol “COF.” As of January 31, 2011, there were 16,065 holders of record of our common stock. The table below presents the high and low closing sales prices of our common stock as reported by the NYSE and cash dividends per common share declared by us during each quarter indicated.
Dividend Restrictions
For information regarding our ability to pay dividends, see the discussion under “Item 1. Business—Supervision and Regulation—Dividends and Transfers of Funds,” “MD&A—Liquidity and Capital Management—Dividend Policy,” and “Note 13—Regulatory and Capital Adequacy,” which we incorporate here by reference.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Information relating to compensation plans under which our equity securities are authorized for issuance is presented in Part III of this report under “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.”
Common Stock Performance Graph
The following graph shows the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock compared with an overall stock market index, the S&P Composite 500 Stock Index (“S&P 500 Index”), and a published industry index, the S&P Financial Composite Index (“S&P 500 Financials Index”), over the five-year period commencing December 31, 2005 and ending December 31, 2010. The stock performance graph assumes that $100 was invested in our common stock and each index and that all dividends were reinvested. The stock price performance on the graph below is not necessarily indicative of future performance.
Comparison of 5-Year Cumulative Total Return
(Capital One, S&P 500 Index and S&P 500 Financial Index)
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
We did not have any sales of unregistered equity securities in 2010.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table presents information related to repurchases of shares of our common stock during the fourth quarter of 2010.
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Item 6. Selected Financial Data
We prepare our consolidated financial statements using generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”), which we refer to as our reported results. Below we present selected consolidated financial data from our reported results of operations for the five-year period ended December 31, 2010, as well as selected consolidated balance sheet data as of the end of each year within this five-year period. Prior to January 1, 2010, we also presented and analyzed our results on a non-GAAP “managed basis.” Our managed presentation assumed that securitized loans accounted for as sales and reported as off-balance sheet in accordance with applicable accounting guidance in effect prior to January 1, 2010, remained on balance sheet, and the earnings from the loans underlying these trusts are reported in our results of operations in the same manner as the earnings from loans that we own. While our managed presentation resulted in differences in the classification of revenues in our income statement, net income on a managed basis was the same as reported net income.
Effective January 1, 2010, we prospectively adopted two new accounting standards that resulted in the consolidation of a substantial portion of our securitization trusts. As a result of the adoption of the new consolidation accounting standards, our reported and managed basis presentations are generally comparable for periods beginning after January 1, 2010. We provide information on the impact from the adoption of the new consolidation accounting standards on our reported financial statements and our non-GAAP managed basis financial results in “MD&A—Impact from Adoption of New Consolidation Accounting Standards.” Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. The historical financial information presented may not be indicative of our future performance.
Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data
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