pre_text: Global Financing Receivables and Allowances The following table presents external Global Financing receivables excluding residual values, the allowance for credit losses and immaterial miscellaneous receivables: (1) Includes deferred initial direct costs which are eliminated in IBM’s consolidated results. The percentage of Global Financing receivables reserved was 1.0 percent at December 31, 2019, compared to 0.9 percent at December 31, 2018. The decline in the allowance for credit losses was driven by write-offs of $64 million, primarily of receivables previously reserved, and net releases of $7 million as a result of lower average asset balances in client and commercial financing. See note K, “Financing Receivables,” for additional information.
table: ($ in millions)
table: At December 31: 2019 2018
table: Recorded investment (1) $22,446 $31,182
table: Specific allowance for credit losses 177 220
table: Unallocated allowance for credit losses 45 72
table: Total allowance for credit losses 221 292
table: Net financing receivables $22,224 $30,890
question: Analyse this data from a financial earnings document. What is the increase / (decrease) in the recorded investment from 2018 to 2019?