tickdelta
Sign in

Tickdelta is free for now. Sign up and get Pro free

← Screener

MRSHMarsh McLennan

Financials · Insurance Brokers · NYSE

Marsh is a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. 10-K, Item 1

Headquarters
New York, NY
CEO
John Q. Doyle
Next results
around Jan 28, 2027
Compare with peers → Embed

When the SEC's staff reviews a filing, it writes to the company with numbered questions, and the company answers each one in a letter. SEC publishes the exchange once the review is over, at least 20 business days later. Below: what the staff asked MRSH, and the company's answer to each question, quoted from the letters. A question is not an accusation; most reviews end with the company adding detail to its next filing.

Form 10-K

2023-03-16 to 2023-07-21 · 4 questions · 1 letter from the SEC, 1 from the company
Review closed 2023-07-21
RevenueResults discussion (MD&A)Non-GAAP measuresSegments
Consolidated Revenue and Expense, page 43
SEC asked (1)
We note the prominence and significance of your references to trends in underlying revenue throughout your MD&A, in your earnings press release included in Form 8-K filed on January 26, 2023 and your related earnings conference call. We further note your disclosure on page 43 that underlying revenue measures the change in revenue by isolating certain noted items.
Rest of the question

Please revise future periodic filings to disclose the amount of underlying revenue (in total, by segment, etc.) for each period presented, provide a reconciliation detailing the calculation of underlying revenue and clearly label the measures as non-GAAP. Refer to Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K for guidance and other disclosure requirements. Please provide us your proposed disclosure.

MRSH answered
The Company has considered the Staff’s comment and advises the Staff that it will enhance disclosures related to underlying revenue in future periodic filings. In accordance with Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K and other disclosure requirements, the Company will disclose the amount of underlying revenue for each period presented, provide a reconciliation detailing the calculation of underlying revenue, and label the measure as non-GAAP.
Rest of the answer

The underlying revenue amount will be labeled as “Non-GAAP Revenue” in future filings, to distinguish it from the percentage change (indicated by “Non-GAAP underlying revenue”) and referred to as such in the remainder of this letter. The proposed disclosures are included in Appendix A of this letter for reference.

Read in the reply ↗
In its next report

First report after the company's reply of 2023-03-29: 10-Q filed 2023-04-20 ↗, against the 10-Q filed 2022-10-20 ↗.

Tickdelta does not hold the text of both reports, so they are not compared here.

Consolidated Revenue and Expense, page 43
SEC asked (2)
We note you quantify and attribute the change in revenue between periods to the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations throughout your MD&A. Please tell us in detail and revise future filings to clarify how you quantify the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations. Please consider providing us a simplified example showing the calculation.
MRSH answered
The Company has considered the Staff’s comment and advises the Staff that it will enhance disclosure in future filings to clarify how the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations is quantified. Specifically, the Company will include an explanation in future filings that the Non-GAAP Revenue measure is presented on a constant currency basis, excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The Company isolates the impact of foreign exchange rate movements period over period, by translating the current period foreign currency GAAP revenue into U.S.
Rest of the answer

Dollars based on the difference in the current and corresponding prior period exchange rates.

The proposed disclosure is included as part of Appendix A of this letter for reference. A simplified example of this calculation is also provided below.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A U.S. based entity has a U.K. subsidiary with the British Pound (GBP) as its functional currency. The subsidiary experienced a 20% growth in Non-GAAP Revenue between the current and prior year periods. The calculation of the foreign currency impact would be as follows:

GBP

USD

Current GAAP revenue (1 GBP = USD 1.20)

£1,200

$1,440

Prior year GAAP revenue (1 GBP = USD 1.40)

£1,000

$1,400

Change in GAAP revenue

$40

Foreign currency impact on revenue

(USD 1.40 – 1.20 = USD 0.2) * £1,200

Read in the reply ↗
In its next report

First report after the company's reply of 2023-03-29: 10-Q filed 2023-04-20 ↗, against the 10-Q filed 2022-10-20 ↗.

Tickdelta does not hold the text of both reports, so they are not compared here.

Consolidated Balance Sheets, page 62
SEC asked (3)
We note disclosure on page 70 related to presenting cash and cash equivalents held in a fiduciary capacity as a contra-liability on your balance sheet, since they are not available for corporate use. Please tell us the accounting guidance you considered in determining your presentation and specifically how you determined that cash and cash equivalents held in a fiduciary capacity should not be presented as assets.
MRSH answered
The Company has considered the Staff’s comment and the following provides the Company’s accounting policy election and process related to the presentation of cash and cash equivalents held in a fiduciary capacity (“fiduciary funds”) and fiduciary liabilities. US Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (“US GAAP”) does not provide prescriptive authoritative guidance related to the presentation of fiduciary funds and fiduciary liabilities.
Rest of the answer

The Company’s presentation of fiduciary funds and liabilities on its consolidated balance sheets is an accounting policy election followed consistently since the Company’s initial publicly available financial statements for the year-ended December 31, 1962. The Company’s significant accounting policies, including the election on the presentation of fiduciary funds, are evaluated annually in accordance with US GAAP and communicated with the Company’s Disclosure and Audit Commitees.

The Company, in its capacity as an independent insurance broker or agent, collects premiums from its clients (the insureds) and after deducting its commissions, remits the premiums to the respective insurance underwriters. The Company also collects claims or refunds from insurance underwriters on behalf of clients. Funds collected from clients and insurance underwriters are recorded as fiduciary funds. The corresponding liability to the clients and insurance underwriters is recorded as a fiduciary liability. The use of fiduciary funds collected is restricted by regulations in various jurisdictions, limiting their use to solely the satisfaction of the liability to the clients and/or insurance underwriters for the amounts collected on their behalf. The Company is not contractually obligated to pay the clients and/or insurance underwriters until receipt of the fiduciary funds, at which point, the Company records a liability.

The Company’s presentation of fiduciary funds as a liability informs the users of the financial statement of the unique nature of the brokerage business, the specific direct relationship between fiduciary funds and liabilities (legal liability does not arise until fiduciary funds are collected) and reflects the highly restricted nature of the fiduciary funds. The Company believes that the presentation reflects the restrictions on the uses of fiduciary funds and the direct and explicit relationship to the fiduciary liabilities.

Since the Company’s initial accounting policy election in 1962, no authoritative guidance has been issued specifically addressing the presentation of fiduciary funds and liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Historically, there was diversity in practice related to insurance brokers’ and agents’ presentations of fiduciary funds. The lack of authoritative guidance that led to the diversity in practice was acknowledged by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in 1991 in an exposure draft of a proposed industry accounting guide: Insurance Brokers Guide (the “Proposed AICPA Guide”). While the Proposed AICPA Guide was never finalized, the Company’s elected fiduciary funds presentation policy was included as a recognized practice. With the adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”), ASC 105, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“ASC 105”) permited the continued application of prevalent industry practices applied prior to March 15, 1992 even if those practices were not included in the Codification (ASC 105-10-70-1). There continues to be no change in authoritative guidance, as such, the accounting policy election prior to March 1992 would still be deemed applicable.

Further, ASC 105, states that if the guidance for an event or a transaction is not specified in GAAP, an entity shall first consider accounting principles for similar transactions or events within a source of authoritative GAAP for that entity. The Company considered SEC regulation S-X, Rule 5-02(1) which requires registrants to separately disclose account balances whose withdrawal or usage is restricted and ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash, which provided guidance on disclosures related to restricted cash and cash equivalents when the balances are presented in more than one line item of the statement of financial position. The Company’s fiduciary funds are, therefore, segregated and shown separately in the consolidated balance sheets and the statements of cash flows.

The Company’s fiduciary funds presentation does not rely on ASC 210-20, Offsetting, (“ASC 210”). The offsetting guidance in ASC 210-20 does not apply to cash or restricted cash because it does not represent a contractual obligation between two parties. While fiduciary funds and fiduciary liabilities are both presented in the liability section on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, fiduciary funds and liabilities are presented separately.

The Company discloses the nature of fiduciary funds and liabilities and related presentation on the consolidated balance sheets and as part of Note 1 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies) in item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of the 2022 Form 10-K. The Company believes that such presentation, which has been consistently presented over the years, is most beneficial to the investor given our capacity as an insurance broker or agent and the lack of more specific US GAAP guidance. The Company’s presentation informs the investor of the unique nature of the brokerage business, the specific interdependencies between fiduciary funds and liabilities, and reflects the restricted nature of the fiduciary funds. Presenting the fiduciary funds in successive lines with the fiduciary liabilities in the liability section on the balance sheets and supplemented with narrative disclosure in the notes to the financial statements better reflects the underlying economics of the transaction.

Read in the reply ↗
In its next report

First report after the company's reply of 2023-03-29: 10-Q filed 2023-04-20 ↗, against the 10-Q filed 2022-10-20 ↗.

Tickdelta does not hold the text of both reports, so they are not compared here.

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, page 65
SEC asked (4)
Noting the significance of the impact of foreign currency translation on your financial results, please revise future filings to disclose your accounting policies used to translate foreign currency statements. Refer to ASC 830 for guidance.
MRSH answered
The Company has considered the Staff’s comment and will disclose the accounting policies used to translate foreign currency statements as a significant accounting policy in its future filings. The Company’s proposed disclosure to be included in Note 1 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies) is provided below.

Foreign Exchange

The financial statements of our international subsidiaries are translated from functional currency to U.S. dollars using month-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities, and average monthly exchange rates during the period for revenues and expenses.
Rest of the answer

Translation adjustments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within the consolidated statements of equity. Foreign exchange transaction gains and losses resulting from the conversion of the transaction currency to functional currency are included in operating income in the consolidated statements of income.

Read in the reply ↗
In its next report

First report after the company's reply of 2023-03-29: 10-Q filed 2023-04-20 ↗, against the 10-Q filed 2022-10-20 ↗.

Tickdelta does not hold the text of both reports, so they are not compared here.

Also in this review: closing letter, 2023-07-21

Schedule 14A

2022-09-20 to 2022-11-07 · 3 questions · 1 letter from the SEC, 1 from the company
Review closed 2022-11-07
Controls
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 1, 2022 · General
SEC asked (1)
Please expand your discussion of the reasons you believe that your leadership structure is appropriate, addressing your specific characteristics or circumstances. In your discussion, please also address the circumstances under which you would consider having the Chair and CEO roles filled by a single individual, when shareholders would be notified of any such change, and whether you will seek prior input from
Rest of the question

shareholders.

MRSH answered
We received your comment letter dated September 20, 2022. We will carefully consider these comments in connection with the preparation of our 2023 definitive proxy statement. As we review our disclosures in light of your comments, we will pay particular attention to the disclosures that are required by Item 407(h) of Regulation S-K. One letter for all the questions, without numbered answers. Read the reply ↗
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 1, 2022 · General
SEC asked (2)
Please expand upon the role that your Independent Chair plays in the leadership of the board. For example, please enhance your disclosure to address whether or not your Independent Chair may: • represent the board in communications with shareholders and other stakeholders; • require board consideration of, and/or override your CEO on, any risk matters; or • provide input on design of the board itself.
MRSH answered

See the reply above.

Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 1, 2022 · General
SEC asked (3)
Please expand upon how your board administers its risk oversight function. For example, please disclose: • the timeframe over which you evaluate risks (e.g., short-term, intermediate-term, or long-term) and how you apply different oversight standards based upon the immediacy of the risk assessed; • whether you consult with outside advisors and experts to anticipate future threats and trends, and how often you
Rest of the question

re-assess your risk environment; • how the board interacts with management to address existing risks and identify significant emerging risks; • to whom your Chief Compliance Officer reports; and • how your risk oversight process aligns with your disclosure controls and procedures.

MRSH answered

See the reply above.

Also in this review: closing letter, 2022-11-07

1 other letter: notices that a filing will not be reviewed, requests to declare a registration effective, and the like
  • 2023-07-12 · MRSH: letter · Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. · Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31,...

From the SEC's correspondence on EDGAR: staff letters (form UPLOAD) and company letters (form CORRESP), 7 letters filed since 2022-09-20. Questions and answers are matched by their numbers; topics come from words in each question. The reports are compared word for word (same form, before the first SEC letter against the first report after the company's reply). No AI.

Work on MRSH in a spreadsheet: Excel workbook (a sheet per section, ten years by column, charts, links to the filings) · CSV. For a Google Sheet that stays up to date, paste =IMPORTDATA("https://tickdelta.com/company/MRSH/export.csv") into a cell.