Ameriprise 2015 Annual Report Download - page 61

intellectual property protection or the inability to secure or enforce the protection of our intellectual property assets could
have a material adverse effect on our business and our ability to compete.
We also may be subject to costly litigation in the event that another party alleges our operations or activities infringe upon
or constitute misappropriation of such other party’s intellectual property rights. Third parties may have, or may eventually
be issued, patents or other protections that could be infringed by our products, methods, processes or services or could
otherwise limit our ability to offer certain product features. Any party that holds such a patent could make a claim of
infringement against us. We may also be subject to claims by third parties for breach of copyright, trademark, license
usage rights, or misappropriation of trade secret rights. Any such claims and any resulting litigation could result in
significant liability for damages. If we were found to have infringed or misappropriated a third-party patent or other
intellectual property rights, we could incur substantial liability, and in some circumstances could be enjoined from providing
certain products or services to our customers or utilizing and benefiting from certain methods, processes, copyrights,
trademarks, trade secrets or licenses, or alternatively could be required to enter into costly licensing arrangements with
third parties, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Changes in and the adoption of accounting standards or inaccurate estimates or assumptions in applying
accounting policies could have a material impact on our financial statements.
Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of
operations. Some of these policies require use of estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported value of our
assets or liabilities and results of operations and are critical because they require management to make difficult,
subjective, and complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain. If those assumptions, estimates or
judgments were incorrectly made, we could be required to correct and restate prior period financial statements.
We prepare our financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. From time to time,
the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC and other regulators may change the financial accounting and
reporting standards governing the preparation of our financial statements. In some cases, we could be required to apply a
new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in our restating prior period financial statements. These changes are difficult
to predict, and could impose additional governance, internal control and disclosure demands. It is possible that such
changes could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in U.S. federal income or estate tax law could make some of our products less attractive to clients.
Many of the products we issue or on which our businesses are based (including both insurance products and
non-insurance products) receive favorable treatment under current U.S. federal income or estate tax law. Changes in U.S.
federal income or estate tax law could reduce or eliminate the tax advantages of certain of our products and thus make
such products less attractive to clients.
Changes in corporate tax laws and regulations and in the interpretation of such laws and regulations, as well as adverse
determinations regarding the application of such laws and regulations, could adversely affect our earnings.
We are subject to the income tax laws of the U.S., its states and municipalities and those of the foreign jurisdictions in
which we have significant business operations. These tax laws are complex and may be subject to different interpretations.
We must make judgments and interpretations about the application of these inherently complex tax laws when determining
the provision for income taxes and must also make estimates about when in the future certain items affect taxable income
in the various tax jurisdictions. Disputes over interpretations of the tax laws may be settled with the taxing authority upon
examination or audit. In addition, changes to the Internal Revenue Code, administrative rulings or court decisions could
increase our provision for income taxes and reduce our earnings.
It is possible there will be corporate tax reform in the next few years. While impossible to predict, corporate tax reform is
likely to include a reduction in the corporate tax rate coupled with reductions in tax preferred items. Potential tax reform
may also affect the U.S. tax rules regarding international operations. Any changes could have a material impact on our
income tax expense and deferred tax balances.
Risks Relating to Our Common Stock
The market price of our shares may fluctuate.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate widely, depending upon many factors, some of which may be beyond
our control, including: (i) changes in expectations concerning our future financial performance and the future performance
of the financial services industry in general, including financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts;
(ii) differences between our actual financial and operating results and those expected by investors and analysts; (iii) our
strategic moves and those of our competitors, such as acquisitions, divestitures or restructurings; (iv) changes in the
regulatory framework of the financial services industry and regulatory action; (v) changes in and the adoption of accounting
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