Fair Value Hierarchy for Financial Instruments

Financial Accounting Standards and Reporting · 4:39

Listen on 93

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
When we value assets on the balance sheet
We need a system that's complete
Three levels guide us on our way
To show how reliable our numbers are today
Level One is crystal clear and bright
Observable prices in plain sight
Active markets tell us what it's worth
The most reliable values here on earth

[Chorus]
One Two Three, that's the hierarchy
Level One is what we see
Level Two has some inputs we can trace
Level Three takes modeling's embrace
One Two Three, transparency's the key
Higher levels mean less certainty
Fair value tells the story true
When we know which level we're looking through

[Verse 2]
Level Two steps back a bit from sight
Still observable but not as bright
Similar assets in the market space
Or quoted prices with adjustments we can trace
Interest rates and yield curves too
These inputs help us value what we do
More reliable than models we create
But not as clear as Level One's estate

[Chorus]
One Two Three, that's the hierarchy
Level One is what we see
Level Two has some inputs we can trace
Level Three takes modeling's embrace
One Two Three, transparency's the key
Higher levels mean less certainty
Fair value tells the story true
When we know which level we're looking through

[Bridge]
Level Three relies on what we think
Management assumptions are the link
When markets don't exist or barely trade
Internal models are the tools we've made
Discount rates and growth assumptions here
The least reliable but sometimes all that's clear
Disclosure matters more when Level Three's in play
Help investors understand the judgment on display

[Verse 3]
Financial reporting needs this frame
So every asset's not the same
The hierarchy shows us reliability
And gives investors visibility
From traded stocks to complex derivatives
Each level tells us what perspective gives
The clearest picture of the value that we hold
A story that needs to be told

[Chorus]
One Two Three, that's the hierarchy
Level One is what we see
Level Two has some inputs we can trace
Level Three takes modeling's embrace
One Two Three, transparency's the key
Higher levels mean less certainty
Fair value tells the story true
When we know which level we're looking through

[Outro]
Observable to unobservable we go
Three levels that investors need to know
Fair value hierarchy shows the way
For better reporting every day

← Financial Instruments Classification | Lease Accounting: Right-of-Use Assets and Liabilities →