Management’s discussion and analysis In arriving at an estimate of fair value for an instrument within level 3, management must first determine the appropriate valuation model or other valuation technique to use. Second, the lack of observability of certain significant inputs requires management to assess all relevant empirical data in deriving valuation inputs including, for example, transaction details, yield curves, interest rates, prepayment speed, default rates, volatilities, correlations, prices (such as commodity, equity or debt prices), valuations of comparable instruments, foreign exchange rates and credit curves. Refer to Note 2 for a further discussion of the valuation of level 3 instruments, including unobservable inputs used. For instruments classified in levels 2 and 3, management judgment must be applied to assess the appropriate level of valuation adjustments to reflect counterparty credit quality, the Firm’s creditworthiness, market funding rates, liquidity considerations, unobservable parameters, and for portfolios that meet specified criteria, the size of the net open risk position. The judgments made are typically affected by the type of product and its specific contractual terms, and the level of liquidity for the product or within the market as a whole. In periods of heightened market volatility and uncertainty judgments are further affected by the wider variation of reasonable valuation estimates, particularly for positions that are less liquid. Refer to Note 2 for a further discussion of valuation adjustments applied by the Firm. Imprecision in estimating unobservable market inputs or other factors can affect the amount of gain or loss recorded for a particular position. Furthermore, while the Firm believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with those of other market participants, the methods and assumptions used reflect management judgment and may vary across the Firm’s businesses and portfolios. The Firm uses various methodologies and assumptions in the determination of fair value. The use of methodologies or assumptions different than those used by the Firm could result in a different estimate of fair value at the reporting date. Refer to Note 2 for a detailed discussion of the Firm’s valuation process and hierarchy, and its determination of fair value for individual financial instruments. Under U.S. GAAP, goodwill must be allocated to reporting units and tested for impairment at least annually. The Firm’s process and methodology used to conduct goodwill impairment testing is described in Note 15. Management applies significant judgment when testing goodwill for impairment. The goodwill associated with each business combination is allocated to the related reporting units for goodwill impairment testing. performance for all its reporting units. The Firm has concluded that the goodwill allocated to its reporting units was not impaired as of December 31, 2020. The fair values of these reporting units exceeded their carrying values by at least 15% and did not indicate a significant risk of goodwill impairment based on current projections and valuations. The projections for all of the Firm’s reporting units are consistent with management’s current business outlook assumptions in the short term, and the Firm’s best estimates of long-term growth and return on equity in the longer term. Where possible, the Firm uses third-party and peer data to benchmark its assumptions and estimates. Refer to Note 15 for additional information on goodwill, including the goodwill impairment assessment as of December 31, 2020. JPMorgan Chase offers credit cards with various rewards programs which allow cardholders to earn rewards points based on their account activity and the terms and conditions of the rewards program. Generally, there are no limits on the points that an eligible cardholder can earn, nor do the points expire, and the points can be redeemed for a variety of rewards, including cash (predominantly in the form of account credits), gift cards and travel. The Firm maintains a rewards liability which represents the estimated cost of rewards points earned and expected to be redeemed by cardholders. The liability is accrued as the cardholder earns the benefit and is reduced when the cardholder redeems points. This liability was $7.7 billion and $6.4 billion at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and is recorded in accounts payable and other liabilities on the Consolidated balance sheets. The rewards liability is sensitive to redemption rate (“RR”) and cost per point (“CPP”) assumptions. The RR assumption is used to estimate the number of points earned by customers that will be redeemed over the life of the account. The CPP assumption is used to estimate the cost of future point redemptions. These assumptions are evaluated periodically considering historical actuals and cardholder redemption behavior and updates to them will impact the rewards liability. As of December 31, 2020, a combined increase of 25 basis points in RR and 1 basis point in CPP would increase the rewards liability by approximately $215 million. JPMorgan Chase is subject to the income tax laws of the various jurisdictions in which it operates, including U.S. federal, state and local, and non-U.S. jurisdictions. These laws are often complex and may be subject to different interpretations. To determine the financial statement impact of accounting for income taxes, including the provision for income tax expense and unrecognized tax benefits, JPMorgan Chase must make assumptions and judgments about how to interpret and apply these complex tax laws to numerous transactions and business events, as well as make judgments regarding the timing of when For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Firm reviewed current economic conditions, including the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business performance, estimated market cost of equity, as well as actual business results and projections of business Income taxes Goodwill impairment Credit card rewards liability 154 JPMorgan Chase & Co./2020 Form 10-K