Commercial bank balance sheet data for October 1, 2003, have been affected by consolidations of the assets and liabilities of several variable interest entities onto the balance sheets of the banks that sponsor them. Variable interest entities encompass many entities that have been commonly referred to as special purpose entities. These consolidations were implemented in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46. For more information on these consolidations, please see Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, available at www.fasb.org. Preliminary information suggests that these consolidations have increased H.8 balance sheet item 4, other securities, by about $9 billion, balance sheet item 12, other loans and leases, by about $6 billion, and balance sheet item 24, borrowings from others, by about $15 billion.
