10-K 1 htlf10-k2011.htm HTLF FORM 10-K HTLF 10-K 2011


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K

R ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011

Commission File Number: 0-24724

HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
42-1405748
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer identification number)
1398 Central Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
(563) 589-2100
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Class
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock $1.00 par value
The NASDAQ Global Select Market
Preferred Share Purchase Rights
 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes * No R

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes * No R

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes R  No *

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes R  No *

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. *

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Act.
Large accelerated filer    *          Accelerated filer    R              Non-accelerated filer    *          Smaller reporting company *
 
 
 (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes *  No R

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based on the last sales price quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on June 30, 2011, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $214,440,628. 

As of March 14, 2012, the Registrant had issued and outstanding 16,501,560 shares of common stock, $1.00 par value per share.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III.




HEARTLAND FINANCIAL USA, INC.
Form 10-K Annual Report
Table of Contents

Part I
 
 
 
A.
General Description
B.
Market Areas
C.
Competition
D.
Employees
E.
Internet Access 
F.
Supervision and Regulation
G.
Governmental Monetary Policy and Economic Conditions
 
 
 
Part II
 
 
 
 
 
Part III
 
 
 
 
 
Part IV
 
 
 


 




PART I

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

A.  GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. ("Heartland") is a multi-bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the "BHCA") that was originally formed in the State of Iowa in 1981 and reincorporated in the State of Delaware in 1993. Headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, Heartland has nine bank subsidiaries in the States of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado and Minnesota, (collectively, the "Bank Subsidiaries"). All nine Bank Subsidiaries are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC"). The Bank Subsidiaries listed below operate a total of 61 banking locations:

•
Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Dubuque, Iowa, is chartered under the laws of the State of Iowa. Dubuque Bank and Trust Company has two wholly-owned subsidiaries: DB&T Insurance, Inc., a multi-line insurance agency and DB&T Community Development Corp., a partner in low-income housing and historic rehabilitation projects.
•
Galena State Bank & Trust Co., Galena, Illinois, is chartered under the laws of the State of Illinois.
•
Riverside Community Bank, Rockford, Illinois, is chartered under the laws of the State of Illinois.
•
Wisconsin Community Bank, Madison, Wisconsin, is chartered under the laws of the State of Wisconsin.
•
New Mexico Bank & Trust, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is chartered under the laws of the State of New Mexico.
•
Rocky Mountain Bank, Billings, Montana, is chartered under the laws of the State of Montana.
•
Arizona Bank & Trust, Phoenix, Arizona, is chartered under the laws of the State of Arizona.
•
Summit Bank & Trust, Broomfield, Colorado, is chartered under the laws of the State of Colorado.
•
Minnesota Bank & Trust, Edina, Minnesota, is chartered under the laws of the State of Minnesota.

Heartland has two active non-bank subsidiaries as listed below:

•
Citizens Finance Co. is a consumer finance company with offices in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.
•
Heartland Community Development Inc. is a property management company with a primary purpose of holding and managing certain nonperforming assets acquired from the Bank Subsidiaries.

In addition, Heartland has issued trust preferred securities through six special purpose trust subsidiaries formed for the purpose of offering the cumulative capital securities, including Heartland Financial Statutory Trust III, Heartland Financial Statutory Trust IV, Heartland Financial Statutory Trust V, Heartland Financial Statutory Trust VI, Heartland Financial Statutory Trust VII and Rocky Mountain Statutory Trust I.

Heartland’s subsidiaries are wholly owned, except for Minnesota Bank & Trust, of which Heartland owned 80% of the capital stock on December 31, 2011.

At December 31, 2011, Heartland had total assets of $4.3 billion, total loans of $2.5 billion and total deposits of $3.2 billion. Heartland’s total capital as of December 31, 2011, was $350.2 million. Net income available to common stockholders for 2011 was $20.4 million.

The principal business of our Bank Subsidiaries consists of making loans to and accepting deposits from businesses and individuals. Our Bank Subsidiaries provide full service commercial and retail banking in their communities. Both our loans and our deposits are generated primarily through strong banking and community relationships, and through management that is locally active. Our lending and investment activities are funded primarily by core deposits. This stable source of funding is achieved by developing strong banking relationships with customers through value-added product offerings, market pricing, convenience and high-touch service. Deposit products, which are insured by the FDIC to the full extent permitted by law, include checking and other demand deposit accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, health savings accounts and other time deposits. Loans include commercial and industrial, agricultural, real estate mortgage, consumer, home equity and lines of credit.

We supplement the local services of our Bank Subsidiaries with a full complement of ancillary services, including trust and wealth management services, investment services and insurance services. We provide convenient electronic banking services and client access to account information through business and personal online banking, bill payment, remote deposit capture, treasury management services, VISA debit cards and automated teller machines.





Operating Strategy

Heartland’s operating strategy is to maximize the benefits of a commercial banking model by:

1.
Creating strong community ties through local bank delivery.

•
Deeply rooted local leadership and boards
•
Local community knowledge and relationships
•
Local decision-making
•
Independent charters
•
Locally recognized brands
•
Commitment to an exceptional customer experience

2.
Providing extensive resources to increase revenue.

•
Full range of commercial products, including government guaranteed lending and treasury management services
•
Convenient and competitive retail products and services
•
Extensive menu of wealth management, investment services, insurance, leasing, mortgage and consumer finance
•
Unique approach to consultative relationship building
•
Assistance with management of funding costs

3.
Centralizing back-office operations for efficiency.

•
Leverage expertise across all Bank Subsidiaries
•
Leading edge technology for account processing and delivery systems
•
Efficient back-office support for loan processing and deposit operations
•
Centralized loan underwriting and collections
•
Centralized loss management and risk analysis

We believe the personal and professional service offered to customers provides an appealing alternative to the "megabanks" resulting from mergers and acquisitions in the financial services industry. While we employ a community banking philosophy, we believe our size, combined with our complete line of financial products and services, is sufficient to effectively compete in our respective market areas. To remain price competitive, we also believe that we must manage expenses and gain economies of scale by centralizing back office support functions. Although each of our Bank Subsidiaries operates under the direction of its own board of directors, we have standard operating policies regarding asset/liability management, liquidity management, investment management, lending and deposit structure management.

Another component of the operating strategy is to encourage all directors, officers and employees to maintain a strong ownership interest in Heartland. We have established ownership guidelines for executive management and have made an employee stock purchase plan available to employees since 1996. As of December 31, 2011, approximately 21% of Heartland’s outstanding common stock was directly registered in the name of our employees, officers, and directors.

We maintain a strong community commitment by supporting the active participation of our employees, officers and board members in local charitable, civic, school, religious and community development activities.

Acquisition and Expansion Strategy

Our primary strategies are to increase profitability and diversify our market area and asset base by expanding existing subsidiaries through acquisitions and to grow organically by increasing our customer base in the markets we serve. In the current environment, we are seeking opportunities for growth through both FDIC facilitated acquisitions and non-assisted transactions. Although we are focused on opportunities in our current markets and near adjacent markets, we would consider acquisitions in a new market if it fits our business model and would be immediately additive to earnings. We typically consider acquisitions of established financial services organizations, primarily commercial banks or thrifts. We have also formed de novo banking institutions in locations determined to have market potential and management with banking expertise and a philosophy similar to our own philosophy.

In recent years, we have focused on markets with growth potential in the Midwestern and Western regions of the United States. In August 2003, Heartland and a group of investors opened Arizona Bank & Trust, a de novo banking operation, followed with




a second location in 2004 and a third location in 2005. In 2006, Arizona Bank & Trust expanded by acquiring Bank of the Southwest, a financial institution providing retail and commercial banking services in Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona. A sixth location was opened in 2007.

We acquired Rocky Mountain Bancorporation, Inc., the one-bank holding company of Rocky Mountain Bank in June 2004. Headquartered in Billings, Montana, Rocky Mountain Bank has nine branch locations throughout the state.

In November 2006, we opened Summit Bank & Trust, a de novo banking operation in Broomfield, Colorado. In 2007, Summit Bank & Trust opened two additional locations.

One of Heartland’s strategic goals is to expand its presence in the Western markets to 50% of its total assets, thereby balancing the growth in its Western markets with the stability of the Midwestern markets. As of December 31, 2011, Heartland had approximately 40% of its assets in Western markets.

In April 2008, we opened Minnesota Bank & Trust in Edina, Minnesota. The capital structure of Minnesota Bank & Trust was very similar to that used with our other de novo banks. Heartland provided 80% of the $16.5 million initial capital and the remaining 20% was provided by a group of local investors.

In July 2009, Galena State Bank & Trust Co. acquired the deposits of The Elizabeth State Bank in Elizabeth, Illinois in a whole bank with loss sharing transaction facilitated by the FDIC. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Galena State Bank & Trust Co. purchased $53.6 million of assets.

Lending Activities

General

The Bank Subsidiaries provide a range of commercial and retail lending services to businesses and individuals. These credit activities include agricultural, commercial, residential and consumer loans.

The Bank Subsidiaries market their services to qualified lending customers. Lending officers actively solicit the business of new companies entering their market areas as well as long-standing members of the Bank Subsidiaries' respective business communities. We believe that our Bank Subsidiaries are successful in attracting new lending customers in their markets through professional service, competitive pricing, innovative structures, convenient locations and customer communications.

Commercial Loans

The Bank Subsidiaries have a strong commercial loan base generated primarily through contacts and relationships in the communities they serve. The current portfolios of the Bank Subsidiaries reflect the businesses in those communities and include a wide range of business loans, including lines of credit for working capital and operational purposes and term loans for the acquisition of equipment and real estate. Although most loans are made on a secured basis, loans may be made on an unsecured basis where warranted by the overall financial condition of the borrower. Terms of commercial business loans generally range from one to five years.

Many of the businesses in the communities we serve are small to mid-sized businesses, and commercial lending to small businesses has been, and continues to be an emphasis for our Bank Subsidiaries. Wisconsin Community Bank, Rocky Mountain Bank and New Mexico Bank & Trust are each designated as a Preferred Lender by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These three banks, along with Riverside Community Bank, are also designated as SBA Express Lenders. Additionally, Wisconsin Community Bank has been granted USDA Certified Lender status for the USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan program and, in combination with our other Bank Subsidiaries, was the fourth largest lender in the nation for this program during 2010. We believe that these guaranteed loans help the communities in which we operate and provide us with a source of income and solid future lending relationships with local businesses as they grow and prosper.

Our commercial loans and leases are primarily made based on the identified cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. We value the collateral for most of these loans and leases based upon its liquidation value and require personal guarantees in most instances. The primary repayment risks of commercial loans and leases are that the cash flow of the borrowers may be unpredictable, and the collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value.





In order to limit underwriting risk, we attempt to ensure that all loan personnel are well trained. We use the RMA Diagnostic Assessment in assessing the credit skills and training needs for our credit personnel and have developed specific individualized training. All new lending personnel are expected to complete a similar diagnostic training program. We assist all of the commercial and agricultural lenders of our Bank Subsidiaries in the analysis and underwriting of credit through centralized staff in the credit administration department.

Although the lending personnel of our Bank Subsidiaries report to their respective board of directors each month, we use an internal loan review function to analyze credits of our Bank Subsidiaries and provide periodic reports to those boards of directors. We have attempted to identify problem loans at an early date and to aggressively seek resolution of these situations.

The downturn in the overall economy has negatively impacted Heartland’s overall asset quality since 2008. In response, we have developed an internal Special Assets group to focus on resolving problem assets. All commercial or agricultural loans in a default or workout status are assigned to the Special Assets group. Special Assets personnel are also responsible for marketing repossessed properties and meet with representatives from each bank on a monthly basis.

Agricultural Loans

Agricultural loans are emphasized by those Bank Subsidiaries with operations in and around rural markets, including Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Rocky Mountain Bank, Wisconsin Community Bank’s Monroe banking center and New Mexico Bank & Trust’s Clovis banking offices. Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is one of the largest agricultural lenders in the State of Iowa. Agricultural loans constituted approximately 11% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2011. In making agricultural loans, we have policies designating a primary lending area for each Bank Subsidiary, in which a majority of its agricultural operating and real estate loans are made. Under this policy, loans in a secondary market area must be secured by real estate.

Agricultural loans, many of which are secured by crops, machinery and real estate, are provided to finance capital improvements and farm operations as well as acquisitions of livestock and machinery. Agricultural loans present unique credit risks relating to adverse weather conditions, loss of livestock due to disease or other factors, declines in market prices for agricultural products and the impact of government regulations. The ultimate repayment of agricultural loans is dependent upon the profitable operation or management of the agricultural entity.

In underwriting agricultural loans, the lending personnel of our Bank Subsidiaries work closely with their customers to review budgets and cash flow projections for the ensuing crop year. These budgets and cash flow projections are monitored closely during the year and reviewed with the customers at least annually. The Bank Subsidiaries also work closely with governmental agencies, including the Farm Services Agency, to help agricultural customers obtain credit enhancement products such as loan guarantees or interest assistance.

Residential Real Estate Mortgage Loans

Mortgage lending remains a focal point for Heartland as we continue to build our residential real estate lending business. As long-term interest rates have remained at relatively low levels during the past several years, many customers elected mortgage loans that are fixed rate with fifteen or thirty year maturities. We usually sell these loans into the secondary market and retain servicing on the loans sold to Fannie Mae. We believe that mortgage servicing on sold loans provides a relatively steady source of fee income compared to fees generated solely from mortgage origination operations. Moreover, the retention of servicing provides an opportunity to maintain regular contact with mortgage loan customers. At December 31, 2011, total residential real estate mortgage loans serviced for others totaled $1.54 billion.

As with agricultural and commercial loans, we encourage participation in lending programs sponsored by U.S. government agencies when justified by market conditions. Loans insured or guaranteed under programs through the Veterans Administration (the "VA") and the Federal Home Administration (the "FHA") are offered at all of the Bank Subsidiaries.

Late in 2010, we announced a significant addition to our residential mortgage lending capabilities with the hiring of a mortgage banking team of professionals and executives in the Phoenix, Arizona market. Operating under the brand, National Residential Mortgage, the unit had previously operated as a profitable division of a recently-failed thrift. The unit now provides residential mortgage lending services at all Bank Subsidiaries and serves the non-Heartland markets of metro San Diego, California; Austin, Texas; Reno, Nevada; and Buffalo, Wyoming. Administrative and back office support for these operations is performed by "Heartland Mortgage," a division of our lead bank, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company.





Consumer Lending

The consumer lending departments of our Bank Subsidiaries provide a broad array of consumer loans, including motor vehicle, home improvement, home equity and small personal credit lines. Consumer loans typically have shorter terms, lower balances, higher yields and higher risks of default than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans. Consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and are therefore more likely to be affected by adverse personal circumstances.

Our consumer finance subsidiary, Citizens Finance Co., specializes in consumer lending and currently serves the consumer credit needs of nearly 10,000 customers from ten locations in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Citizens Finance Co. typically lends to borrowers with past credit problems or limited credit histories. Heartland expects to incur a higher level of credit losses on Citizens Finance Co. loans compared to consumer loans originated by the Bank Subsidiaries. Correspondingly, returns on these loans are anticipated to be higher than those at the Bank Subsidiaries.

Trust and Investment Services

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Galena State Bank & Trust Co., Riverside Community Bank, Wisconsin Community Bank, New Mexico Bank & Trust, Arizona Bank & Trust and Minnesota Bank & Trust offer trust and investment services in their respective communities. In those markets that do not yet warrant a full trust department, the sales and administration is performed by Dubuque Bank and Trust Company personnel. As of December 31, 2011, total Heartland trust assets were $2.2 billion, $1.4 billion of which were assets under management. Collectively, the Bank Subsidiaries provide a full complement of trust and investment services for individuals and corporations.

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is nationally recognized as a provider of socially responsible investment services, and it manages investment portfolios for religious and other non-profit organizations located throughout the United States. Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is also Heartland’s lead bank in providing daily valuation 401(k) plans and other retirement services, including Heartland’s retirement plan for its employees.

Heartland has formed a strategic alliance with LPL Financial Institution Services, a division of LPL Financial, to operate independent securities offices at all of the Bank Subsidiaries. Through LPL Financial, Heartland offers a full array of investment services including mutual funds, annuities, retirement products, education savings products, brokerage services, employer sponsored plans and insurance products. A complete line of vehicle, property and casualty, life and disability insurance is also offered by Heartland through DB&T Insurance.

B.      MARKET AREAS

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is primarily located in Dubuque County, Iowa, which encompasses the city of Dubuque and a number of surrounding rural communities. The city of Dubuque is located in northeastern Iowa, on the Mississippi River, approximately 175 miles west of Chicago, Illinois, and approximately 200 miles northeast of Des Moines, Iowa. It is strategically situated at the intersection of the state borders of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Based upon the results of the 2010 census, the city of Dubuque had a total population of 57,637 and Dubuque County had a total population of 93,653.

The principal office of Heartland and Dubuque Bank and Trust Company’s main office currently occupy the same building. Heartland’s operations center is located directly across the street from Dubuque Bank and Trust Company’s main office. In addition to its main banking office, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company operates seven branch offices in Dubuque County, two branch offices in Keokuk, Iowa and one branch office in Carthage, Illinois. In June 2011, Heartland combined its First Community Bank charter with its Dubuque Bank and Trust Company charter. The consolidation of charters was designed to realize efficiencies in operating costs, audits, regulatory examinations and insurance premiums. The First Community Bank offices serve customers in the tri-county region of Lee County, Iowa; Hancock County, Illinois; and Clark County, Missouri. According to the 2010 census, the population of Keokuk, primarily an industrial community, is 10,780 and the population of Lee County is 35,862.

As a subsidiary of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, DB&T Insurance has substantially the same market area as the parent organization.

The administrative and back office support for National Residential Mortgage, the brand name used for residential mortgage lending services at our Bank Subsidiaries, operates as a division of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company from an office facility in




Phoenix, Arizona. During 2011, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company opened residential mortgage loan production offices in metro San Diego, California; Austin, Texas; and Reno, Nevada.

Galena State Bank & Trust Co.

Galena State Bank & Trust Co.'s main office is in Galena, Illinois, approximately 20 miles east of Dubuque and 155 miles west of Chicago. Galena State Bank & Trust Co. also operates a second office in Galena, Illinois, an office in Stockton, Illinois, and an office in Elizabeth, Illinois. The four offices are located in Jo Daviess County, which has a population of 22,678, according to the 2010 census.

Riverside Community Bank

Riverside Community Bank is located on the northeast edge of Rockford, Illinois, which is approximately 75 miles west of Chicago in Winnebago County. In addition to its main banking office, Riverside Community Bank has three branch offices, all of which are located in the Winnebago County area. Based on the 2010 census, the county had a population of 295,266, and the city of Rockford had a population of 152,871.

Wisconsin Community Bank

Wisconsin Community Bank’s main office is located in Madison, Wisconsin, in Dane County. The bank operates three branch offices in the Madison suburbs as well as one branch office in Monroe, Illinois. Based on the 2010 census, the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 568,593 and the population of the City of Madison is 233,209. The city of Monroe is approximately 50 miles southwest of Madison in Green County. Wisconsin Community Bank also has an office in the cities of Sheboygan and De Pere, Wisconsin, which operate under the name of Heartland Business Bank. Sheboygan and De Pere are located in the northeastern Wisconsin counties of Sheboygan and Brown, respectively.

New Mexico Bank & Trust

New Mexico Bank & Trust operates ten offices in or around Albuquerque, New Mexico, four offices in and around Clovis, New Mexico, and two offices in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Located in Bernalillo County, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area has a 2010 population of 907,775 and the City of Albuquerque has a 2010 population of 545,852. Clovis, the county seat for Curry County, is located approximately 220 miles east of Albuquerque, 100 miles northwest of Lubbock, Texas, and 105 miles southwest of Amarillo, Texas, and has a population of 37,775. Santa Fe, located in Santa Fe County, has a population of 67,947.

Arizona Bank & Trust

Arizona Bank & Trust currently operates six offices in Arizona, including the main office in Phoenix, one in Mesa, one in Tempe, one in Gilbert and two in Chandler. These cities are all located in the Phoenix metropolitan area within Maricopa County. Based on the 2010 Census, Phoenix metro area is the 14th largest metro area by population in the United States with approximately 4.2 million people.

Rocky Mountain Bank

Rocky Mountain Bank operates from nine locations throughout the State of Montana. Rocky Mountain Bank’s main office and a second office operate in Billings, which is the state’s largest city and an agricultural, retail and business center. Billings is also the county seat of Yellowstone County, which has a 2010 Census population of 147,972 and the city has a population of 104,170. The bank has one office in northeastern Montana in the city of Plentywood. Its remaining six offices are spread throughout the western corridor of Montana in the cities of Bozeman, Bigfork, Kalispell, Plains, Stevensville and Whitehall. Rocky Mountain Bank recently opened a residential mortgage loan production office in Buffalo, Wyoming and is scheduled to open a second such office in Boise, Idaho in March 2012.

Summit Bank & Trust

The main facility for Summit Bank & Trust is in Broomfield, Colorado. The city and county of Broomfield are located in the northwestern tier of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. The population of Broomfield, according to the 2010 Census, is 55,889. Broomfield is the sixteenth most populous city in the State of Colorado. A second location was opened in June 2007 in Thornton, just west of the Denver International Airport and a third location was added in October of 2007 in the town of Erie, Colorado, which is approximately 25 miles north of Denver.





Minnesota Bank & Trust

Minnesota Bank & Trust currently operates from a leased facility in Edina, Minnesota, a first tier suburb of Minneapolis. The population of Edina was 47,941 in 2010 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Citizens Finance Co.

Citizens Finance Co. is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, with additional offices in Davenport and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Madison and Appleton, Wisconsin; and the Illinois cities of Loves Park, Tinley Park, Crystal Lake, Aurora and Peoria.

The following table sets forth certain information concerning the Bank Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2011:
Heartland Bank Subsidiaries
(Dollars in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bank Subsidiaries
 
 
Charter
Location
 
Year
Acquired
or Opened
 
Number
Of Bank
Offices
 
Total
Portfolio
Loans
 
 
Total
Deposits
Dubuque Bank and Trust Company
 
Dubuque, IA
 
1935
 
11
 
$
778,467

 
$
938,000

Galena State Bank & Trust Co.
 
Galena, IL
 
1992
 
4
 
$
157,398

 
$
243,639

Riverside Community Bank
 
Rockford, IL
 
1995
 
4
 
$
155,320

 
$
264,699

Wisconsin Community Bank
 
Madison, WI
 
1997
 
7
 
$
333,112

 
$
429,062

New Mexico Bank & Trust
 
Albuquerque, NM
 
1998
 
16
 
$
508,874

 
$
690,293

Arizona Bank & Trust
 
Phoenix, AZ
 
2003
 
6
 
$
146,346

 
$
177,457

Rocky Mountain Bank
 
Billings, MT
 
2004
 
9
 
$
256,704

 
$
365,373

Summit Bank & Trust
 
Broomfield, CO
 
2006
 
3
 
$
62,422

 
$
81,224

Minnesota Bank & Trust
 
Edina, MN
 
2008
 
1
 
$
58,058

 
$
66,875


C.  COMPETITION

We encounter competition in all areas of our business. To compete effectively, develop our market base, maintain flexibility, and keep pace with changing economic and social conditions, we continuously refine and develop our products and services. The principal methods of competing in the financial services industry are through product selection, personal service and convenience.

The market areas of our Bank Subsidiaries are highly competitive. Many financial institutions based in the communities surrounding the Bank Subsidiaries actively compete for customers within our market area. We also face competition from finance companies, insurance companies, mortgage companies, securities brokerage firms, money market funds, loan production offices and other providers of financial services. Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, effective in 2000, securities firms and insurance companies that elect to become financial holding companies may acquire banks and other financial institutions. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act significantly changed, and we anticipate the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") will further change when fully implemented, the competitive environment in which we operate. The financial services industry is also likely to become more competitive as technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services. These technological advances may diminish the importance of depository institutions and other financial intermediaries in the transfer of funds between parties.

We compete for loans principally through the range and quality of the services we provide, with an emphasis on building long-lasting relationships. Our strategy is to serve our customers above and beyond their expectations through excellence in customer service and needs-based selling. We believe that our long-standing presence in the communities we serve and the personal service we emphasize enhance our ability to compete favorably in attracting and retaining individual and business customers. We actively solicit deposit-oriented clients and compete for deposits by offering personal attention, combined with online banking convenience, professional service and competitive interest rates.





D.      EMPLOYEES

At December 31, 2011, Heartland employed 1,195 full-time equivalent employees. We place a high priority on staff development, which involves extensive training in a variety of areas, including customer service training. New employees are selected based upon their technical skills and customer service capabilities. None of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We offer a variety of employee benefits, and we consider our employee relations to be excellent. Predictive Index software is utilized to assist with placing potential employees in new positions and with evaluating current positions.

E.      INTERNET ACCESS

Heartland maintains an Internet site at www.htlf.com. We offer our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and other reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) free of charge from our Web site.

F.      SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

Financial institutions, their holding companies and their affiliates are extensively regulated under federal and state law. As a result, the growth and earnings performance of Heartland may be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the requirements of federal and state statutes and by the regulations and policies of various bank regulatory authorities.

As a bank holding company with subsidiary banks chartered under the laws of eight different states, Heartland is regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Each of the Bank Subsidiaries is regulated by the FDIC as its principal federal regulator and one of the following as its state regulator: the Arizona State Banking Department (the “Arizona Department”), the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Banking (the “Colorado Division”), the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (the “Illinois DFPR”), the Iowa Superintendent of Banking (the “Iowa Superintendent”), the Minnesota Department of Commerce: Division of Financial Institutions (the “Minnesota Division”), the Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (the “Montana Division”), the New Mexico Financial Institutions Division (the “New Mexico FID”), the Division of Banking of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (the “Wisconsin DFI”).

As a recipient of Capital Purchase Program (the "CPP") funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (the “TARP ”) established by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the “EESA”) until September 15, 2011, and a participant in the Small Business Lending Fund (the "SBLF") established by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, Heartland is also subject to direct supervision by the United States Department of the Treasury (the “U.S. Treasury”).

Taxation laws administered by the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities and securities laws administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and state securities authorities also have an impact on the business of Heartland. The effect of these statutes, regulations and regulatory policies may be significant, and cannot be predicted with a high degree of certainty.

Federal and state laws and regulations generally applicable to financial institutions regulate, among other things, the scope of business, the kinds and amounts of investments, reserve requirements, capital levels, the establishment of branches, mergers and consolidations and the payment of dividends. This system of supervision and regulation establishes a comprehensive framework for the respective operations of Heartland and its subsidiaries and is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC-insured deposits and depositors of the Bank Subsidiaries, rather than stockholders.

The following is a summary of material elements of the regulatory framework that applies to Heartland and its subsidiaries. It does not describe all of the statutes, regulations and regulatory policies that apply, nor does it restate all of the requirements of those that are described. As such, the following is qualified in its entirety by reference to applicable law. Each of the federal agencies that regulate Heartland and its Bank Subsidiaries is required to adopt regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act. Any such change in regulations or regulatory policies, or further change in applicable law, may have a material effect on the business of Heartland and its subsidiaries.





Dodd-Frank Act

The Dodd-Frank Act, which was enacted into law on July 21, 2010, significantly changed the regulatory framework for banks and bank holding companies, and required significant rulemaking and numerous studies and reports. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act:

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established the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the "BCFP"), with broad authority to regulate providers of credit, savings, payment and other consumer financial products and services;
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significantly reduced interchange fees on debit card transactions;
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made permanent the $250,000 deposit insurance limit on insured deposits, and revised the assessment base for the calculation of the FDIC insurance assessments for financial institutions;
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requires federal banking agencies to adopt regulations relating to compensation practices of covered institutions; and
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requires risk retention on mortgage originations.

Regulations implementing many of the above requirements have been finalized or proposed, and additional regulations or guidelines from the BCFP are expected to significantly change the format of many consumer offerings. The Dodd-Frank Act also requires more far-reaching changes in the regulation of banks and bank holding companies by:

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restricting securities trading activities and support for and investments in private funds;
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creating a new structure for anticipating and resolving troubled or failed financial institutions with enhanced prudential standards, early remediation of financial distress, and enhanced liquidity requirements; and
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requiring the federal banking agencies to adopt new capital requirements.

Most of the regulations implementing, or proposing changes to implement, these requirements are designed to apply to larger institutions: primarily institutions or holding companies with more than $50 billion of assets. In 2011, the Federal Reserve issued a final rule requiring the filing of annual capital plans by banks and bank holding companies with more than $50 billion in assets, that demonstrate projected compliance with capital requirements. In December 2011, the Federal Reserve issued a proposed rule relating to enhanced prudential standards for bank holding companies with over $50 billion in consolidated assets that would include enhanced risk-based capital and leverage requirements, enhanced liquidity requirements, enhanced risk management and risk committee requirements, a requirement to submit a resolution plan, single-counterparty credit limits and stress tests. Further, in June 2011 the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision agreed to revised bank capital adequacy, stress testing and market liquidity risk standards (“Basel III”). In December 2011, the Federal Reserve indicated that it intended to implement substantially all of the Basel III rules for banks with more than $50 billion in assets and would issue proposed regulations to do so in early 2012. Although none of these regulations would initially apply to Heartland, the financial regulatory agencies often expand application once they have experience with a regulatory regime.

In addition to the Dodd-Frank Act, other legislative proposals have been made both domestically and internationally. Among other things, these proposals include additional capital and liquidity requirements and limitations on size or types of activity in which banks may engage.

Heartland

General
Heartland, as the sole shareholder of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, New Mexico Bank & Trust, Rocky Mountain Bank, Wisconsin Community Bank, Galena State Bank & Trust Co., Riverside Community Bank, Arizona Bank & Trust and Summit Bank & Trust, and the controlling shareholder of Minnesota Bank & Trust, is a bank holding company. As a bank holding company, Heartland is registered with, and is subject to regulation by, the Federal Reserve under the BHCA. In accordance with Federal Reserve policy, Heartland is expected to act as a source of financial strength to the Bank Subsidiaries and to commit resources to support the Bank Subsidiaries in circumstances where Heartland might not otherwise do so. In addition, under the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC has backup enforcement authority over a depository institution holding company, such as Heartland, if the conduct or threatened conduct of the holding company poses a risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund, although such authority may not be used if the holding company is in sound condition and does not pose a foreseeable and material risk to the insurance fund.

Under the BHCA, Heartland is subject to periodic examination by the Federal Reserve. Heartland is also required to file with the Federal Reserve periodic reports of Heartland's operations and such additional information regarding Heartland and its subsidiaries as the Federal Reserve may require.





Acquisitions, Activities and Change in Control
The primary purpose of a bank holding company is to control and manage banks. The BHCA generally requires the prior approval of the Federal Reserve for any merger involving a bank holding company or any acquisition by a bank holding company. Subject to certain conditions (including certain deposit concentration limits established by the BHCA), the Federal Reserve may allow a bank holding company to acquire banks located in any State of the United States. In approving interstate acquisitions, the Federal Reserve is required to give effect to applicable state law limitations on the aggregate amount of deposits that may be held by the acquiring bank holding company and its insured depository institution affiliates in the state in which the target bank is located (provided that those limits do not discriminate against out-of-state depository institutions or their holding companies).

The BHCA generally prohibits Heartland from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company that is not a bank and from engaging in any business other than that of banking, managing and controlling banks, or furnishing services to banks and their subsidiaries. This general prohibition is subject to a number of exceptions. The principal exception allows bank holding companies to engage in, and to own shares of companies engaged in, certain businesses found by the Federal Reserve to be “so closely related to banking ... as to be a proper incident thereto.” This authority would permit Heartland to engage in a variety of banking-related businesses, including consumer finance, equipment leasing, mortgage banking, brokerage, and the operation of a computer service bureau (including software development). Under the Dodd-Frank Act, however, any such non-bank subsidiary would be subject to regulation no less stringent than that applicable to the lead bank of the bank holding company. The BHCA generally does not place territorial restrictions on the domestic activities of non-bank subsidiaries of bank holding companies.

Additionally, bank holding companies that meet certain eligibility requirements prescribed by the BHCA and elect to operate as financial holding companies may engage in, or own shares in companies engaged in, a wider range of nonbanking activities, including securities and insurance underwriting and sales, merchant banking and any other activity that the Federal Reserve, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, determines by regulation or order is financial in nature, incidental to any such financial activity or complementary to any such financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety or soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally.  As of the date of this filing, Heartland has not applied for approval to operate as a financial holding company.

Federal law also prohibits any person or persons acting in concert from acquiring “control” of an FDIC-insured depository institution or its holding company without prior notice to the appropriate federal bank regulator or any other company acquiring “control” without Federal Reserve approval to become a bank holding company. “Control” is conclusively presumed to exist upon the acquisition of 25% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a bank or bank holding company, but may arise at 10% ownership for companies with registered securities, such as Heartland, and under certain other circumstances. Each of the Bank Subsidiaries is generally subject to similar restrictions on changes in control under the law of the state granting its charter.

Capital Requirements
Bank holding companies are required to maintain minimum levels of capital in accordance with Federal Reserve capital adequacy guidelines, separate from and in addition to the capital requirements applicable to subsidiary financial institutions. If a bank holding company is not well-capitalized, under the Dodd-Frank Act it will have difficulty engaging in acquisition transactions and if its capital levels fall below the minimum required levels, a bank holding company, among other things, may be denied approval to acquire or establish additional banks or non-bank businesses.

The Federal Reserve's capital guidelines applicable to bank holding companies, like the regulations applicable to subsidiary banks, require holding companies to comply with both (i) a risk-based requirement expressed as a percentage of total assets weighted according to risk; and (ii) a leverage requirement expressed as a percentage of total assets. Although the amount of capital required for holding companies is generally the same as required for subsidiary banks as described under “The Bank Subsidiaries-Capital Requirements” below, historically the form of capital has differed for holding companies and allowed the inclusion of certain hybrid instruments, such as trust preferred, in Tier 1 capital. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, these distinctions were eliminated for instruments issued after May 19, 2010. Although the distinctions are also phased out for trust preferred issued by larger institutions prior to that date, the trust preferred issued by Heartland, as a holding company with less than $15 billion in assets, are grandfathered as Tier 1 capital by the Dodd-Frank Act.

As of December 31, 2011, Heartland had regulatory capital in excess of the Federal Reserve's minimum requirements.





Treasury Regulation-the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010

Bank holding companies that receive funding under the TARP CPP or the SBLF are subject to direct regulation by the U.S. Treasury. The TARP CPP under EESA was created by the U.S. Treasury in 2008 to invest in the senior preferred stock of qualifying U.S. banks and savings associations or their holding companies. Under the CPP, qualifying financial institutions issued to the U.S. Treasury senior preferred stock that was non-voting, carried dividends and could be included as capital, as well as warrants to purchase common stock based upon the amount of senior preferred stock the U.S. Treasury acquired.

On December 19, 2008, Heartland issued and sold to the U.S. Treasury pursuant to the CPP $81.7 million of its senior preferred stock together with a 10-year warrant to purchase 609,687 shares of Heartland's common stock at $20.10 per share. The senior preferred stock qualified as Tier 1 capital under the Federal Reserve's capital guidelines and provided Heartland with considerable regulatory flexibility during 2009 and 2010. Consistent with terms that were set by the U.S. Treasury uniformly among all publicly held banks participating in the program, the senior preferred stock required the payment of dividends to the U.S. Treasury at a rate of 5% per year, increasing to 9% after the fifth year. The senior preferred stock, the agreements under which it and the warrant were issued, and regulations issued under EESA and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, contained a number of restrictions on the payment by Heartland of dividends and on compensation paid to executive officers and highly paid employees while Heartland participated in the CPP.

In an effort to encourage more small business lending by community banks, and as mandated by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, in early 2011 the U.S. Treasury started making available up to $30.0 billion of capital under the SBLF to qualifying banks with less than $10.0 billion of assets. Under the SBLF, the U.S. Treasury purchased from qualifying financial institutions senior perpetual non-cumulative preferred stock with a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share. Like the preferred stock issued under TARP, the preferred stock issued under the SBLF is non-voting (except in limited circumstances) and qualifies as Tier 1 capital under the Federal Reserve's guidelines.

SBLF funding was made available to participants in the TARP CPP as a method to refinance the senior preferred stock issued under the CPP, and Heartland applied for SBLF Funding in March 2011. Heartland's application was accepted in August, and on September 15, 2011, Heartland issued 81,698 shares of its Senior Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C (the “Series C Preferred Stock”), to the U.S. Treasury under the SBLF, and simultaneously used the $81.7 million received under the SBLF to redeem the 81,698 shares of senior preferred stock it had issued under the TARP CPP program. As part of this transaction, Heartland recorded a charge of $2.6 million representing the unamortized discount on the TARP senior preferred stock that was redeemed. Further, on September 28, 2011, Heartland repurchased the warrant to purchase 609,687 shares of its common stock that it issued to the U.S. Treasury under the TARP CPP program for $1.8 million.

The Series C Preferred Stock issued under the SBLF requires quarterly dividends payable to the U.S. Treasury initially equal to 5.00% of the liquidation value of the Preferred Stock. The dividend rate payable under the Series C Preferred Stock is subject to reduction during the second to tenth quarters after issuance (through December 31, 2013, for Heartland) based upon increases in Heartland's qualified small business lending ("QSBL") over a baseline amount, and may be reduced to as low as 1.00% if QSBL increases by ten percent or more over that period. If Heartland's QSBL does not increase by the tenth quarter, the rate will increase to 7.00%. In addition, if there is no increase in Heartland's small business lending by January 1, 2014, (the fifth annual anniversary of receipt of CPP funds) Heartland will be required to pay a special lending incentive fee of 2.00% per year (a total rate of 9.00%) through March 31, 2016. From the eleventh quarter through March 16, 2016, the rate remains fixed at the rate determined at the end of the tenth quarter and will increase to 9.00% if the SBLF funding has not been repaid by March 16, 2016.

Although Heartland is no longer subject to the significant restrictions imposed under the TARP CPP program, it does have ongoing quarterly reporting obligations to the U.S. Treasury under the SBLF that will be used by the U.S. Treasury to determine the dividend rate. The terms of the Series C Preferred Stock also prohibit Heartland from paying dividends on its common stock, or repurchasing shares, to the extent that, after payment of such dividends or repurchases, Heartland's Tier 1 Capital would be less than the difference between (i) 90% of its Tier 1 Capital on September 15, 2011 ($281.2 million), and (ii) net charge-offs and any redemptions of the Series C Preferred Stock. This limitation is reduced by 10% for each one percent increase in Heartland's QSBL over the baseline level. If, however Heartland fails to declare and pay dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock in a given quarter, then Heartland may not pay dividends on or repurchase any common stock for the next three quarters, except in very limited circumstances. If any Series C Preferred Stock remains outstanding on the tenth anniversary of issuance, Heartland may not pay any further dividends on its common stock or any other junior stock until the Series C Preferred Stock is redeemed in full.





Dividend Payments
In addition to the restrictions imposed under the SBLF, Heartland's ability to pay dividends to its stockholders may be affected by both general corporate law considerations, and policies of the Federal Reserve applicable to bank holding companies.  As a Delaware corporation, Heartland is subject to the limitations of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), which allows Heartland to pay dividends only out of its surplus (as defined and computed in accordance with the provisions of the DGCL) or if Heartland has no such surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year. In addition, policies of the Federal Reserve caution that a bank holding company should not pay cash dividends unless its net income available to common stockholders over the past year has been sufficient to fully fund the dividends and the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with its capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. The Federal Reserve also possesses enforcement powers over bank holding companies and their non-bank subsidiaries to prevent or remedy actions that represent unsafe or unsound practices or violations of applicable statutes and regulations. Among these powers is the ability to proscribe the payment of dividends by banks and bank holding companies.

Federal Securities Regulation
Heartland's common stock is registered with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act. Consequently, Heartland is subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading and other restrictions and requirements of the SEC under the Exchange Act.

The Bank Subsidiaries

General
All of the Bank Subsidiaries are state chartered, non-member banks, which means that they are all formed under state law and are not members of the Federal Reserve System. As such, each bank is subject to direct regulation by the banking authorities in the State in which it was chartered, as well as by the FDIC as its primary federal regulator.

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is an Iowa-chartered bank. As an Iowa-chartered bank, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Iowa Superintendent, the chartering authority for Iowa banks.

Galena State Bank & Trust Co. and Riverside Community Bank are Illinois-chartered banks. As Illinois-chartered banks, Galena State Bank & Trust Co. and Riverside Community Bank are subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Illinois DFPR, the chartering authority for Illinois banks.

New Mexico Bank & Trust is a New Mexico-chartered bank. As a New Mexico-chartered bank, New Mexico Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the New Mexico FID, the chartering authority for New Mexico banks.

Rocky Mountain Bank is a Montana-chartered bank. As a Montana-chartered bank, Rocky Mountain Bank is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Montana Division, the chartering authority for Montana banks.

Wisconsin Community Bank is a Wisconsin-chartered bank. As a Wisconsin-chartered bank, Wisconsin Community Bank is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Wisconsin DFI, the chartering authority for Wisconsin banks.

Summit Bank & Trust is a Colorado-chartered bank. As a Colorado-chartered bank, Summit Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Colorado Division, the chartering authority for Colorado banks.

Arizona Bank & Trust is an Arizona-chartered bank. As an Arizona-chartered bank, Arizona Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Arizona Department, the chartering authority for Arizona banks.

Minnesota Bank & Trust is a Minnesota-chartered bank. As a Minnesota-chartered bank, Minnesota Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Minnesota Division, the chartering authority for Minnesota banks.





Deposit Insurance
The FDIC is an independent federal agency that insures the deposits, up to $250,000, of federally insured banks and savings institutions and safeguards the safety and soundness of the commercial banking and thrift industries.

As FDIC-insured institutions, the Bank Subsidiaries are required to pay deposit insurance premium assessments to the FDIC based upon a risk-based assessment system. Under this system, each institution is assigned a risk classification based upon its capital levels and the level of supervisory concern it poses. The rate of insurance premium the institution pays was based on this risk classification and the amount of its deposits until April 1, 2011. Currently, FDIC insurance assessments are based upon average total consolidated assets minus tangible equity of the insured bank.

The aggregate level of assessments levied by the FDIC on depository institutions is dependent upon the reserve ratio of insurance funds available to the FDIC. Due to bank failures during 2008, the reserve ratio fell below the statutory minimum and the FDIC adopted a plan to restore the ratio to its 1.15% minimum. On February 27, 2009, the FDIC announced that it was increasing the quarterly deposit insurance assessment for most insured institutions to a range of 12 to 16 basis points (0.12% to 0.16%) per quarter for the second quarter of 2009. The FDIC also imposed a special emergency assessment of an additional 5 basis points on each FDIC-insured depository institution's assets, minus its Tier 1 capital, as of June 30, 2009, which was due and paid by Heartland on September 30, 2009. On November 12, 2009, the FDIC adopted a final rule requiring prepayment of 13 quarters of each institution's estimated FDIC premiums for the fourth quarter of 2009 and all of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Heartland prepaid the required $19.0 million in December 2009 and had a $9.5 million remaining prepaid balance on December 31, 2011. The expense related to this prepayment is expected to be recognized during 2012 based on the calculation of actual quarterly assessments.

The Dodd-Frank Act directed that the minimum deposit insurance fund reserve ratio would increase from 1.15% to 1.35% by September 30, 2020, and the cost of the increase will be borne by depository institutions with assets of $10 billion or more. The Dodd-Frank Act also provides the FDIC with discretion to determine whether to pay rebates to insured depository institutions when its deposit insurance reserves exceed certain thresholds. Previously, the FDIC was required to give rebates to depository institutions equal to the excess once the reserve ratio exceeded 1.50%, and was required to rebate 50% of the excess over 1.35% but not more than 1.50% of insured deposits. The FDIC adopted a final rule on February 7, 2011, that implements these provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act.

The FDIC established a Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program on October 23, 2008, under which the FDIC fully guaranteed all non-interest-bearing transaction accounts and all senior unsecured debt of insured depository institutions or their qualified holding companies issued between October 14, 2008, and October 31, 2009. Heartland did not opt out of the program and as such, was assessed ten basis points during the first quarter of 2010 and fifteen basis points for the remainder of 2010 for transaction account balances in excess of $250,000 and, since it did not issue any senior unsecured debt during the designated time period, was not assessed the applicable rate of 75 basis points on the amount of debt issued. The guarantee of non-interest-bearing transaction accounts was twice extended by the FDIC, and under the Dodd-Frank Act was extended to December 31, 2012, and made applicable to all institutions, without further assessment. The total assessments paid by Heartland during 2010 and 2011 for participation in the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program totaled $235,000 and $84,000, respectively.

In addition, all institutions with deposits insured by the FDIC are required to pay assessments to fund interest payments on bonds issued by the Financing Corporation, an agency of the Federal government established to recapitalize the predecessor to the Savings Association Insurance Fund. During 2011, the assessment rate was 0.0102% of insured deposits. These assessments will continue until the Financing Corporation bonds mature in 2019.

Supervisory Assessments
Each of the Bank Subsidiaries is required to pay supervisory assessments to its respective state banking regulator to fund the operations of that agency. In general, the amount of the assessment is calculated on the basis of each institution's total assets. During 2011, the Bank Subsidiaries paid supervisory assessments totaling $554,000.

Capital Requirements
Under federal regulations, the Bank Subsidiaries are subject to the following minimum capital standards: (i) a leverage requirement consisting of a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets of 3% for the most highly-rated banks with a minimum requirement of at least 4% for all others; and (ii) a risk-based capital requirement consisting of a minimum ratio of total capital to total risk-weighted assets of 8% and a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to total risk-weighted assets of 4%. For purposes of these capital standards, Tier 1 capital consists primarily of permanent stockholders' equity less intangible assets (other than certain loan servicing rights and purchased credit card relationships). Total capital consists primarily of Tier 1 capital plus certain other debt and equity instruments that do not qualify as Tier 1 capital and, for Heartland, a portion of its allowance for loan and lease losses.





The capital requirements described above are minimum requirements. Higher capital levels will be required if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual institutions. For example, federal regulations provide that additional capital may be required to take adequate account of, among other things, interest rate risk or the risks posed by concentrations of credit, nontraditional activities or securities trading activities. As a de novo bank, Minnesota Bank & Trust is required to maintain higher Tier 1 capital to assets ratios for the first seven years of its operations (through April 2016). Further, under agreements with the FDIC and state banking agencies described below under “Safety and Soundness Standards,” Summit Bank & Trust is required to maintain a ratio of Tier 1 Capital to total assets of 8% and Arizona Bank & Trust and Rocky Mountain Bank are required to maintain both a ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets of 8% and a ratio of total risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets of 12%.

Further, federal law and regulations provide various incentives for financial institutions to maintain regulatory capital at levels in excess of minimum regulatory requirements. For example, a financial institution generally must be “well-capitalized” to engage in acquisitions, and well-capitalized institutions may qualify for exemptions from prior notice or application requirements otherwise applicable to certain types of activities and may qualify for expedited processing of other required notices or applications. Additionally, one of the criteria that determines a bank holding company's eligibility to operate as a financial holding company is a requirement that both the holding company and all of its financial institution subsidiaries be “well-capitalized.” Under federal regulations, in order to be “well-capitalized” a financial institution must maintain a ratio of total capital to total risk-weighted assets of 10% or greater, a ratio of Tier 1 capital to total risk-weighted assets of 6% or greater and a ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets of 5% or greater.

Federal law also provides the federal banking regulators with broad power to take prompt corrective action to resolve the problems of undercapitalized institutions. The extent of the regulators' powers depends on whether the institution in question is “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized,” in each case as defined by regulation. Depending upon the capital category to which an institution is assigned, the regulators' corrective powers include: (i) requiring the institution to submit a capital restoration plan; (ii) limiting the institution's asset growth and restricting its activities; (iii) requiring the institution to issue additional capital stock (including additional voting stock) or to be acquired; (iv) restricting transactions between the institution and its affiliates; (v) restricting the interest rate the institution may pay on deposits; (vi) ordering a new election of directors of the institution; (vii) requiring that senior executive officers or directors be dismissed; (viii) prohibiting the institution from accepting deposits from correspondent banks; (ix) requiring the institution to divest certain subsidiaries; (x) prohibiting the payment of principal or interest on subordinated debt; and (xi) ultimately, appointing a receiver for the institution.

As of December 31, 2011: (i) none of the Bank Subsidiaries was subject to a directive from its primary federal regulator to increase its capital; (ii) each of the Bank Subsidiaries exceeded its minimum regulatory capital requirements under applicable capital adequacy guidelines; (iii) each of the Bank Subsidiaries was “well-capitalized,” as defined by applicable regulations; and (iv) each of the Bank Subsidiaries subject to a directive to maintain capital higher than the regulatory capital requirements, as discussed below under “Safety and Soundness Standards,” complied with the directive.

Liability of Commonly Controlled Institutions
Under federal law, institutions insured by the FDIC may be liable for any loss incurred by, or reasonably expected to be incurred by, the FDIC in connection with the default of commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institutions or any assistance provided by the FDIC to commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institutions in danger of default. Because Heartland controls each of the Bank Subsidiaries, the Bank Subsidiaries are commonly controlled for purposes of these provisions of federal law.

Dividend Payments
The primary source of funds for Heartland is dividends from the Bank Subsidiaries. In general, the Bank Subsidiaries may only pay dividends either out of their historical net income after any required transfers to surplus or reserves have been made or out of their retained earnings.

The payment of dividends by any financial institution is affected by the requirement to maintain adequate capital pursuant to applicable capital adequacy guidelines and regulations, and a financial institution generally is prohibited from paying any dividends if, following payment thereof, the institution would be undercapitalized. As described above, each of the Bank Subsidiaries exceeded its minimum capital requirements under applicable guidelines as of December 31, 2011. Minnesota Bank & Trust is subject to the FDIC's further prohibition on the payment of dividends during the first seven years of a bank's operations, allowing cash dividends to be paid only from net operating income, and prohibiting the payment of dividends until an appropriate allowance for loan and lease losses has been established and overall capital is adequate. Pursuant to agreements with the FDIC and the state banking agencies described below under “Safety and Soundness Standards,” Arizona Bank &




Trust, Summit Bank & Trust and Rocky Mountain Bank may not pay any dividends without prior notice to, and consent from, the FDIC and the state banking regulator.

As of December 31, 2011, approximately $77.9 million was available to be paid as dividends by the Bank Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding the availability of funds for dividends, however, the FDIC may prohibit the payment of any dividends by the Bank Subsidiaries.

Insider Transactions
The Bank Subsidiaries are subject to certain restrictions imposed by federal law on extensions of credit to Heartland and its subsidiaries, on investments in the stock or other securities of Heartland and its subsidiaries and the acceptance of the stock or other securities of Heartland or its subsidiaries as collateral for loans made by the Bank Subsidiaries. Certain limitations and reporting requirements are also placed on extensions of credit by each of the Bank Subsidiaries to its directors and officers, to directors and officers of Heartland and its subsidiaries, to principal stockholders of Heartland and to “related interests” of such directors, officers and principal stockholders. In addition, federal law and regulations may affect the terms upon which any person who is a director or officer of Heartland or any of its subsidiaries or a principal stockholder of Heartland may obtain credit from banks with which the Bank Subsidiaries maintain correspondent relationships.

Safety and Soundness Standards
The federal banking agencies have adopted guidelines that establish operational and managerial standards to promote the safety and soundness of federally insured depository institutions. The guidelines set forth standards for internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits, asset quality and earnings. In general, the safety and soundness guidelines prescribe the goals to be achieved in each area, and each institution is responsible for establishing its own procedures to achieve those goals. If an institution fails to comply with any of the standards set forth in the guidelines, the institution's primary federal regulator may require the institution to submit a plan for achieving and maintaining compliance. If an institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan, or fails in any material respect to implement a compliance plan that has been accepted by its primary federal regulator, the regulator is required to issue an order directing the institution to cure the deficiency. Until the deficiency cited in the regulator's order is cured, the regulator may restrict the institution's rate of growth, require the institution to increase its capital, restrict the rates the institution pays on deposits or require the institution to take any action the regulator deems appropriate under the circumstances. Noncompliance with the standards established by the safety and soundness guidelines may also constitute grounds for other enforcement action by the federal banking regulators, including cease and desist orders and civil money penalty assessments.

During their regular scheduled joint examinations of the Bank Subsidiaries, the FDIC and state banking commissioners cited four of the Bank Subsidiaries for certain deficiencies, including asset quality. In January of 2009, the boards of directors of Summit Bank & Trust and Arizona Bank & Trust, and in the fall of 2009, the board of directors of Rocky Mountain Bank, entered into informal agreements with the FDIC and their respective state banking commissioners, agreeing to submit plans for improvement in the risks associated with any classified asset with a balance of more than $250,000, agreeing not to extend or renew credit to borrowers under loans that are classified, agreeing to review and ensure the sufficiency of the allowance for loan and lease losses and agreeing to submit a business plan outlining the plans to accomplish these measures as well as periodic progress reports against that plan. As noted above, these Bank Subsidiaries also agreed to maintain higher levels of regulatory capital and to refrain from paying dividends without regulatory approval. Each of these Bank Subsidiaries remains well capitalized and has complied with its agreement with its regulators. In November of 2011, the board of directors of Wisconsin Community Bank entered into an informal agreement with the FDIC and its state banking commissioner, agreeing to correct certain consumer compliance violations.

Branching Authority
Each of the Bank Subsidiaries has the authority, pursuant to the laws under which it is chartered, to establish branches anywhere in the state in which its main office is located, subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

Federal law permits state and national banks to merge with banks in other states subject to: (i) regulatory approval; (ii) federal and state deposit concentration limits; and (iii) state law limitations requiring the merging bank to have been in existence for a minimum period of time (not to exceed five years) prior to the merger. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, banks are permitted to establish new branches in another state to the same extent as banks chartered in the other state.

State Bank Investments and Activities
Each of the Bank Subsidiaries generally is permitted to make investments and engage in activities directly or through subsidiaries as authorized by the laws of the state under which it is chartered. However, under federal law and FDIC regulations, FDIC-insured state banks are prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from making or retaining equity




investments of a type, or in an amount, that are not permissible for a national bank. Federal law and FDIC regulations also prohibit FDIC-insured state banks and their subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, from engaging as principal in any activity that is not permitted for a national bank unless the bank meets, and continues to meet, its minimum regulatory capital requirements and the FDIC determines the activity would not pose a significant risk to the deposit insurance fund of which the bank is a member. 

The Dodd-Frank Act prohibits insured depository institutions and their holding companies from engaging in proprietary trading except in limited circumstances, and prohibits them from owning equity interests in excess of 3% of a bank's Tier 1 Capital in private equity and hedge funds. The Federal Reserve released a final rule on February 9, 2011, (effective on April 1, 2011) which requires a “banking entity,” a term that is defined to include bank holding companies like Heartland, to bring its proprietary trading activities and investments into compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act restrictions no later than two years after the earlier of: (1) July 21, 2012, or (2) 12 months after the date on which interagency final rules are adopted. Pursuant to the compliance date final rule, banking entities are permitted to request an extension of this timeframe from the Federal Reserve.

These restrictions have not had, and are not currently expected to have, a material impact on the operations of the Bank Subsidiaries.

Federal Reserve Liquidity Regulations
Federal Reserve regulations, as presently in effect, require depository institutions to maintain non-interest earning reserves against their transaction accounts (primarily NOW and regular checking accounts), as follows: (i) for transaction accounts aggregating $10.7 million or less, there is no reserve requirement; (ii) for transaction accounts over $10.7 million and up to $55.2 million, the reserve requirement is 3% of total transaction accounts; and (iii) for transaction accounts aggregating in excess of $55.2 million, the reserve requirement is $1.335 million plus 10% of the aggregate amount of total transaction accounts in excess of $55.2 million. These reserve requirements are subject to annual adjustment by the Federal Reserve. The Bank Subsidiaries are in compliance with the foregoing requirements.

G.      GOVERNMENTAL MONETARY POLICY AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

Heartland’s earnings are affected by the policies of regulatory authorities, including the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve’s monetary policies have significantly affected the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue doing so in the future. Changing economic and money market conditions prompted by the actions of monetary and fiscal authorities may cause changes in interest rates, credit availability, and deposit levels that are beyond Heartland’s control. Future policies of the Federal Reserve and other authorities cannot be predicted, nor can their effect on future earnings.

ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, stockholders or prospective investors should carefully consider the following risk factors that may adversely affect our business, financial results or stock price. Additional risks that we currently do not know about or currently view as immaterial may also impair our business or adversely impact our financial results or stock price.

Our business and financial results are significantly affected by general business and economic conditions.

Our business activities and earnings are affected by general business conditions in the United States and particularly in the states in which our Bank Subsidiaries operate. Like most financial institutions, the 2008-2009 recession, and the declines in the housing market and real estate values, increased credit defaults, increased foreclosures, and write-downs of asset values, negatively impacted our business and results of operations. Although financial markets have stabilized, the global economies have improved and there has been some recovery in 2010 and 2011, certain segments of the economy continue to be depressed. Further, the economic outlook is clouded by the credit crisis in Europe, and consumer confidence has been periodically shaken by political gridlock, increased energy prices and other events. Further economic deterioration that affects household and/or corporate incomes could result in renewed credit deterioration and reduced demand for credit or fee-based products and services, negatively impacting our performance. In addition, changes in securities market conditions and monetary fluctuations could adversely affect the availability and terms of funding necessary to meet our liquidity needs.





Recent legislation has impacted our operations, and additional legislation and rulemaking could impact us adversely.

The recent recession spawned a number of significant new laws that impact financial institutions, including the EESA, ARRA and Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act is particularly far reaching, establishing the BCFP with broad authority to administer and enforce a new federal regulatory framework of consumer financial regulation, changing the base for deposit insurance assessments, introducing regulatory rate-setting for interchange fees charged to merchants for debit card transactions, enhancing the regulation of consumer mortgage banking, changing the methods and standards for resolution of troubled institutions, and changing the Tier 1 regulatory capital ratio calculations for bank holding companies. The liquidity, capital and stress testing requirements of Basel III in particular, if applied to mid-sized institutions such as Heartland, could negatively impact our operations. Many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act have extended implementation periods and delayed effective dates and will require additional rulemaking by various regulatory agencies, and many could have far reaching implications on our operations. Accordingly, Heartland cannot currently quantify the ultimate impact of this legislation and the related future rulemaking, but expects that the legislation may have a detrimental impact on revenues and expenses, require Heartland to change certain of its business practices, increase Heartland's capital requirements and otherwise adversely affect its business.

Other changes in the laws, regulations and policies governing financial services companies could alter our business environment and adversely affect operations.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System regulates the supply of money and credit in the United States. Its fiscal and monetary policies determine, in a large part, our cost of funds for lending and investing and the return that can be earned on those loans and investments, both of which affect our net interest margin. Federal Reserve Board policies can also materially affect the value of financial instruments that we hold, such as debt securities and mortgage servicing rights. Recent changes in the laws and regulations that apply to us have been significant. Further dramatic changes in statutes, regulations or policies could affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways, including limiting the types of financial services and products that we offer and/or increasing the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products. We cannot predict whether any of this potential legislation will be enacted, and if enacted, the effect that it or any regulations would have on our financial condition or results of operations.

The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect our liquidity and operations.

Our ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships. We have exposure to many different counterparties, and we routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, and other institutional clients. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services institutions, or the financial services industry generally, have led to market-wide liquidity problems and could lead to losses or defaults by Heartland or the Bank Subsidiaries or by other institutions. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of default of our counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral held by us cannot be realized upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the financial instrument exposure due us. There is no assurance that any such losses would not materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

Our business is concentrated in and dependent upon the continued growth and welfare of the various markets that we serve.

We operate over a wide area, including markets in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Colorado and Minnesota and our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows are subject to changes in the economic conditions in those areas. Our success depends upon the business activity, population, income levels, deposits and real estate activity in those areas. Although our customers’ business and financial interests may extend well beyond our market areas, adverse economic conditions that affect our specific market area could reduce our growth rate, affect the ability of our customers to repay their loans to us and generally affect our financial condition and results of operations. For example, although all of our markets have been impacted to some extent by the economic downturn, the markets in Arizona, Colorado and Montana have been more severely affected than most of the markets in the Midwest, creating correspondingly greater impact on our banks that serve those areas.





Our expansion into new markets through National Residential Mortgage could subject us to economic risks in markets with which we are less familiar.

We have expanded our residential real estate mortgage production capability by adding personnel and capacity in our Heartland Mortgage and National Residential unit, and have added residential loan production offices with new personnel in several new geographies. Although we have generally sold the mortgages we originate through National Residential Mortgage into the secondary market, we may elect to retain mortgages in our portfolio in the future, and regardless of such retention have some liability as the originator and servicer of the mortgages. If we inaccurately monitor credit risk in these markets, or retain personnel for National Mortgage who do not accurately report and monitor credit risk, our operations could be negatively affected.

We may experience difficulties in managing our growth and our growth strategy involves risks that may negatively impact our net income.

As part of our general growth strategy, we may acquire banks and related businesses that we believe provide a strategic and geographic fit with our business. We cannot predict the number, size or timing of acquisitions. To the extent that we grow through acquisitions, we cannot assure you that we will be able to adequately and profitably manage this growth. Acquiring other banks and businesses will involve risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including:

•
potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of banks and businesses we acquire;
•
exposure to potential asset quality issues of the acquired bank or related business;
•
difficulty and expense of integrating the operations and personnel of banks and businesses we acquire;
•
potential disruption to our business;
•
potential restrictions on our business resulting from the regulatory approval process;
•
potential diversion of our management’s time and attention; and
•
the possible loss of key employees and customers of the banks and businesses we acquire.

In addition to acquisitions, we may expand into additional communities or attempt to strengthen our position in our current markets by undertaking additional de novo bank formations or branch openings. Based on our experience, we believe that it generally takes three years or more for new banking facilities to first achieve operational profitability, due to the impact of organization and overhead expenses and the start-up phase of generating loans and deposits. To the extent that we undertake additional branching and de novo bank and business formations, we are likely to continue to experience the effects of higher operating expenses relative to operating income from the new operations, which may have an adverse effect on our levels of reported net income, return on average equity and return on average assets.

Our market and growth strategy relies heavily on our management team, and the unexpected loss of key managers may adversely affect our operations.

Much of our success to date has been influenced strongly by our ability to attract and to retain senior management experienced in banking and financial services and familiar with the communities in our different market areas. Because our service areas are spread over such a wide geographical area, our management headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, is dependent on the effective leadership and capabilities of the management in our local markets for the continued success of Heartland. Our ability to retain executive officers, the current management teams and loan officers of our operating subsidiaries will continue to be important to the successful implementation of our strategy. It is also critical, as we grow, to be able to attract and retain qualified additional management and loan officers with the appropriate level of experience and knowledge about our market area to implement our community-based operating strategy. The unexpected loss of services of any key management personnel, or the inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel in the future, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face intense competition in all phases of our business.

The banking and financial services business in our markets is highly competitive and is currently undergoing significant change. Our competitors include large regional banks, local community banks, thrifts, securities and brokerage companies, mortgage companies, insurance companies, finance companies, money market mutual funds, credit unions and other non-bank financial service providers, and increasingly these competitors provide integrated financial services over a broad geographic area. Some of our competitors may also have access to governmental programs that impact their position in the marketplace favorably. Increased competition in our markets may result in a decrease in the amounts of our loans and deposits, reduced spreads between loan rates and deposit rates or loan terms that are more favorable to the borrower. Any of these results could have a material adverse effect on our ability to grow and remain profitable.




Interest rates and other conditions impact our results of operations.

Our profitability is in part a function of the spread between the interest rates earned on investments and loans and the interest rates paid on deposits and other interest-bearing liabilities. Like most banking institutions, our net interest spread and margin will be affected by general economic conditions and other factors, including fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government, that influence market interest rates and our ability to respond to changes in such rates. At any given time, our assets and liabilities will be such that they are affected differently by a given change in interest rates. As a result, an increase or decrease in rates, the length of loan terms or the mix of adjustable and fixed rate loans in our portfolio could have a positive or negative effect on our net income, capital and liquidity. We measure interest rate risk under various rate scenarios and using specific criteria and assumptions. A summary of this process, along with the results of our net interest income simulations, is presented under the heading “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” included under Item 7A of Part II of this Form 10-K. Although we believe our current level of interest rate sensitivity is reasonable and effectively managed, significant fluctuations in interest rates may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We must effectively manage our credit risk.

There are risks inherent in making any loan, including risks inherent in dealing with individual borrowers, risks of nonpayment, risks resulting from uncertainties as to the future value of collateral and risks resulting from changes in economic and industry conditions. We attempt to minimize our credit risk through prudent loan application approval procedures, careful monitoring of the concentration of our loans within specific industries and periodic independent reviews of outstanding loans by our loan review department. However, changes in the economy can cause the assumptions that we made at origination to change and can cause borrowers to be unable to make payments on their loans, and significant changes in collateral values such as those that occurred in 2009 and 2010 can cause us to be unable to collect the full value of loans we make. We cannot assure you that such approval and monitoring procedures will reduce these credit risks.

Commercial loans make up a significant portion of our loan portfolio.

Commercial loans were $1.81 billion (including $1.16 billion of commercial real estate loans), or approximately 73% of our total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2011. Our commercial loans are primarily made based on the identified cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. Most often, this collateral consists of accounts receivable, inventory, machinery or real estate. In the case of loans secured by accounts receivable, the availability of funds for the repayment of these loans may be substantially dependent on the ability of the borrower to collect amounts due from its customers. The other types of collateral securing these loans may depreciate over time, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based on the success of the business.

Our loan portfolio has a large concentration of commercial real estate loans, which involve risks specific to real estate value.

Commercial real estate lending is a large portion of our commercial loan portfolio. These loans were $1.16 billion, or approximately 64%, of our total commercial loan portfolio as of December 31, 2011. The market value of real estate can fluctuate significantly in a short period of time as a result of market conditions in the geographic area in which the real estate is located. Adverse developments affecting real estate values in a few of our markets have negatively affected some of our commercial real estate loans, and further developments could increase the credit risk associated with our loan portfolio. Non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans typically are dependent, in large part, on sufficient income from the properties securing the loans to cover operating expenses and debt service. A weaker economy has an impact on the absorption period associated with lot and land development loans. When the source of repayment is reliant on the successful and timely sale of lots or land held for resale, a default on these loans becomes a greater risk. Economic events or governmental regulations outside of the control of the borrower or lender could negatively impact the future cash flow and market values of the affected properties.

If the problems that have occurred in the commercial real estate markets continue, particularly within our Western market areas, the value of collateral securing our commercial real estate loans may decline and we may not be able to realize the collateral value that we anticipated at the time of originating the loan, causing us to increase our provision for loan losses and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Declining real estate values resulting from the recent recession, particularly in our Western markets in Arizona, Colorado and Montana, caused a decline in credit performance by our commercial real estate loan customers and caused us to significantly increase our provision for loan losses during 2008, 2009, 2010 and a portion of 2011, negatively impacting our financial performance. In light of the uncertainty that exists in the economy and credit markets nationally, there can be no guarantee that we will not experience recurring deterioration in such performance.





Our commercial real estate loans also include commercial construction loans, including land acquisition and development, which involve additional risks because funds are advanced based upon estimates of costs and the estimated value of the completed project. Because of the uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs, as well as the market value of the completed project and the effects of governmental regulation on real property, it is relatively difficult to evaluate accurately the total funds required to complete a project and the related loan-to-value ratio. As a result, commercial construction loans often involve the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment dependent, in part, on the success of the ultimate project and the ability of the borrower to sell or lease the property, rather than the ability of the borrower or guarantor to repay principal and interest. If our appraisal of the value of the completed project proves to be overstated, we may have inadequate security for the repayment of the loan upon completion of construction of the project. Additionally, with the ongoing economic environment and the correction in housing prices that is occurring in many of our market areas, a decrease in demand for the properties constructed by home builders and developers could result in higher delinquencies and greater charge-offs in future periods on loans made to such borrowers.

Our one- to four-family residential mortgage loans may result in lower yields and profitability.

One- to four-family residential mortgage loans comprised $194.4 million or 8% of our loan and lease portfolio at December 31, 2011, and are secured primarily by properties located in the Midwest. These loans generally result in lower yields and lower profitability for us than other loans in Heartland’s portfolio and are generally made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayments from his or her employment and the value of the property securing the loan.
 
Revenue from our mortgage banking operations is sensitive to changes in economic conditions, decreased
economic activity, a slowdown in the housing market, higher interest rates or new legislation and may
adversely impact our profits.

Our mortgage banking division, Heartland Mortgage, will potentially provide a significant portion of our consolidated revenue and maintaining our revenue stream in this segment is dependent upon our ability to originate loans and sell them to investors. Mortgage loan production levels are sensitive to changes in economic conditions and can suffer from decreased economic activity, a slowdown in the housing market or higher interest rates. Generally, any sustained period of decreased economic activity or higher interest rates could adversely affect mortgage originations and, consequently, reduce our income from mortgage lending activities. In addition, new legislation could adversely affect operations.

Deteriorating economic conditions may also cause home buyers to default on their mortgages. In certain of these cases where Heartland Mortgage has originated loans and sold them to investors, it may be required to repurchase loans or provide a financial settlement to investors if it is proven that the borrower failed to provide full and accurate information on or related to their loan application or for which appraisals have not been acceptable or when the loan was not underwritten in accordance with the loan program specified by the loan investor. Such repurchases or settlements would also adversely affect our net income.

Periods of rising interest rates will adversely affect income from mortgage banking activities

In periods of rising interest rates, consumer demand for new mortgages and re-financings decreases which in turn, adversely impacts our mortgage banking division. Because interest rates depend on factors outside of our control, we cannot eliminate the interest rate risk associated with our mortgage operations.

Our consumer loans generally have a higher degree of risk of default than our other loans.

At December 31, 2011, consumer loans totaled $220.1 million or 9% of our total loan and lease portfolio. Consumer loans typically have shorter terms and lower balances with higher yields as compared to one- to four-family residential mortgage loans, but generally carry higher risks of default. Consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and thus are more likely to be affected by adverse personal circumstances. Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit the amount that can be recovered on these loans.

Our agricultural loans may involve a greater degree of risk than other loans, and the ability of the borrower to repay may be affected by many factors outside of the borrower’s control.

At December 31, 2011, agricultural real estate loans totaled $178.8  million or 7% of our total loan and lease portfolio. Payments on agricultural real estate loans are dependent on the profitable operation or management of the farm property




securing the loan. The success of the farm may be affected by many factors outside the control of the borrower, including adverse weather conditions that prevent the planting of a crop or limit crop yields (such as hail, drought and floods), loss of livestock due to disease or other factors, declines in market prices for agricultural products (both domestically and internationally) and the impact of government regulations (including changes in price supports, subsidies and environmental regulations). In addition, many farms are dependent on a limited number of key individuals whose injury or death may significantly affect the successful operation of the farm. If the cash flow from a farming operation is diminished, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. The primary crops in our market areas are corn, soybeans, peanuts and wheat. Accordingly, adverse circumstances affecting these crops could have an adverse effect on our agricultural real estate loan portfolio.

We also originate agricultural operating loans. At December 31, 2011, these loans totaled $84.1 million or 3% of our total loan and lease portfolio. As with agricultural real estate loans, the repayment of operating loans is dependent on the successful operation or management of the farm property. Likewise, agricultural operating loans involve a greater degree of risk than lending on residential properties, particularly in the case of loans that are unsecured or secured by rapidly depreciating assets such as farm equipment or assets such as livestock or crops. The primary livestock in our market areas include dairy cows, hogs and feeder cattle. In these cases, any repossessed collateral for a defaulted loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance as a result of the greater likelihood of damage, loss or depreciation.

Our allowance for loan losses may prove to be insufficient to absorb losses in our loan portfolio.

We establish our allowance for loan losses in consultation with management of the Bank Subsidiaries and maintain it at a level considered adequate by management to absorb probable loan losses that are inherent in the portfolio. The amount of future loan losses is susceptible to changes in economic, operating and other conditions, including changes in interest rates, which may be beyond our control, and such losses may exceed current estimates. Throughout 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, we were required to record provisions for loan losses in excess of our pre-2008 historical experience because of the impact of the economy and real estate values on some of our borrowers, resulting in charge-offs and an increased level of nonperforming assets. At December 31, 2011, our allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total loans, exclusive of loans covered by loss share agreements, was 1.48% and as a percentage of total nonperforming loans was approximately 64%. Although we believe that the allowance for loan losses is adequate to absorb losses on any existing loans that may become uncollectible, we cannot predict loan losses with certainty, and we cannot assure you that our allowance for loan losses will prove sufficient to cover actual loan losses in the future. Further significant provisions, or charge-offs against our allowance that result in provisions, could have a significant negative impact on our profitability. Loan losses in excess of our reserves may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Impairment of investment securities, goodwill, other intangible assets, or deferred tax assets could require charges to earnings, which could result in a negative impact on our results of operations.

We maintained a balance of $1.33 billion, or nearly 31% of our assets, in investment securities at December 31, 2011, and must periodically test our investment securities for impairment in value. In assessing whether the impairment of investment securities is other-than-temporary, we consider the length of time and extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, and the intent and ability to retain our investment in the security for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value in the near term. Under current accounting standards, goodwill is not amortized but, instead, is subject to impairment tests on at least an annual basis or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. During 2009, we recorded $12.7 million in goodwill impairment charges at Arizona Bank & Trust and Rocky Mountain Bank. An additional $1.6 million goodwill impairment charge was recorded at Rocky Mountain Bank in 2010. Although we do not presently anticipate additional impairment charges, if we conclude that additional amounts of our goodwill may be impaired, a non-cash charge for the amount of such impairment would be recorded against earnings. Such a charge would have no impact on tangible capital. A decline in our stock price or occurrence of a triggering event following any of our quarterly earnings releases and prior to the filing of the periodic report for that period could, under certain circumstances, cause us to perform a goodwill impairment test and result in an impairment charge being recorded for that period which was not reflected in such earnings release. At December 31, 2011, we had goodwill of $25.9 million, representing approximately 7% of stockholders’ equity.

Further, our balance sheet reflected approximately $25.9 million of deferred tax assets at December 31, 2011, that represents differences in the timing of the benefit of deductions, credits and other items for accounting purposes and the benefit for tax purposes. To the extent we conclude that the value of this asset is not more likely than not to be realized, we would be obligated to record a valuation allowance against the asset, impacting our earnings during the period in which the valuation allowance is recorded. Assessing the need for, or the sufficiency of, a valuation allowance requires management to evaluate all available evidence, both negative and positive. Positive evidence necessary to overcome the negative evidence includes whether future




taxable income in sufficient amounts and character within the carryback and carryforward periods is available under the tax law. When negative evidence (e.g., cumulative losses in recent years, history of operating losses or tax credit carryforwards expiring unused) exists, more positive evidence than negative evidence will be necessary. If the positive evidence is not sufficient to exceed the negative evidence, a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is established. The impact of each of these impairment matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our mortgage banking revenue can be volatile from quarter to quarter, including as a result of changes in interest rates and the value of our mortgage servicing rights and our loans held for sale, and we rely on Government Sponsored Entities ("GSE") to purchase our conforming loans to reduce our credit risk and provide liquidity to fund new liquidity mortgage loans.

A mortgage servicing right ("MSR") is the right to service a mortgage loan for a fee. We acquire MSRs when we originate mortgage loans and keep the servicing rights after we sell the loans. We carry MSRs at the lower of amortized cost or estimated fair value. Fair value is the present value of estimated future net servicing income, calculated based on a number of variables, including assumptions about the likelihood of prepayment by borrowers. Changes in interest rates can affect prepayment assumptions. When interest rates fall, borrowers are more likely to prepay their mortgage loans by refinancing them at a lower rate. As the likelihood of prepayment increases, the fair value of our MSRs can decrease. Each quarter we evaluate our MSRs for impairment based on the difference between the carrying amount and fair value. If temporary impairment exists, we establish a valuation allowance through a charge to earnings for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds fair value.

We typically use derivatives and other instruments to hedge changes in the value of loans held for sale. We generally do not hedge all of our risk, and we may not be successful in hedging any of the risk. Hedging is a complex process, requiring sophisticated models and constant monitoring, and is not a perfect science. We may use hedging instruments that may not perfectly correlate with the value or income being hedged. We could incur significant losses from our hedging activities. There may be periods where we elect not to use derivatives and other instruments to hedge mortgage banking interest rate risk.

We sell most of the mortgage loans we originate in order to reduce our credit risk and provide funding for additional loans. We rely on GSEs to purchase loans that meet their conforming loan requirements and on other capital markets investors to purchase loans that do not meet those requirements - referred to as “nonconforming” loans. During the past few years investor demand for nonconforming loans has fallen sharply, increasing credit spreads and reducing the liquidity for those loans. In response to the reduced liquidity in the capital markets, we may retain more nonconforming loans. When we retain a loan, not only do we keep the credit risk of the loan, but we also do not receive any sale proceeds that could be used to generate new loans. Continued lack of liquidity could limit our ability to fund - and thus originate - new mortgage loans, reducing the fees we earn from originating and servicing loans. In addition, we cannot assure that GSEs will not materially limit their purchases of conforming loans, including because of capital constraints or changes in their criteria for conforming loans (e.g., maximum loan amount or borrower eligibility). Each of the GSEs is currently in conservatorship, with its primary regulator, the Federal Housing Agency acting as conservator. We cannot predict if, when or how the conservatorship will end, or any associated changes to the business structure and operations of the GSEs that could result. As noted above, there are various proposals to reform the housing finance market in the U.S., including the role of the GSEs in the housing finance market. The extent and timing of any such regulatory reform regarding the housing finance market and the GSEs, including whether the GSEs will continue to exist in their current form, as well as any effect on Heartland's business and financial results, are uncertain.

We may be required to repurchase mortgage loans or reimburse investors and others as a result of breaches in contractual representations and warranties.

We sell residential mortgage loans to various parties, including GSEs and other financial institutions that purchase mortgage loans for investment or private label securitization. The agreements under which we sell mortgage loans and the insurance or guaranty agreements with the FHA and VA contain various representations and warranties regarding the origination and characteristics of the mortgage loans, including ownership of the loan, compliance with loan criteria set forth in the applicable agreement, validity of the lien securing the loan, absence of delinquent taxes or liens against the property securing the loan, and compliance with applicable origination laws. We may be required to repurchase mortgage loans, indemnify the investor or insurer, or reimburse the investor or insurer for credit losses incurred on loans in the event of a breach of contractual representations or warranties that is not remedied within a period (usually 90 days or less) after we receive notice of the breach. Contracts for mortgage loan sales to the GSEs include various types of specific remedies and penalties that could be applied to inadequate responses to repurchase requests. Similarly, the agreements under which we sell mortgage loans require us to deliver various documents to the investor, and we may be obligated to repurchase any mortgage loan as to which the required documents are not delivered or are defective. We establish a mortgage repurchase liability related to the various representations and warranties that reflect management's estimate of losses for loans which we have a repurchase obligation. Our mortgage repurchase liability represents management's best estimate of the probable loss that we may expect to incur for the




representations and warranties in the contractual provisions of our sales of mortgage loans. Because the level of mortgage loan repurchase losses depends upon economic factors, investor demand strategies and other external conditions that may change over the life of the underlying loans, the level of the liability for mortgage loan repurchase losses is difficult to estimate and requires considerable management judgment. If economic conditions and the housing market do not improve or future investor repurchase demand and our success at appealing repurchase requests differ from past experience, we could continue to have increased repurchase obligations and increased loss severity on repurchases, requiring additions to the repurchase liability.

Our growth may require us to raise additional capital in the future, but that capital may not be available when it is needed.

We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. We anticipate that our existing capital resources will satisfy our capital requirements for the foreseeable future. However, we may at some point need to raise additional capital to support continued growth, both internally and through acquisitions. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and on our financial performance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you of our ability to raise additional capital if needed on terms acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations through internal growth and acquisitions could be materially impaired.

Government regulation can result in limitations on our operations.

We operate in a highly regulated environment and are subject to supervision and regulation by a number of governmental regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and the various state agencies where we have a bank presence. Regulations adopted by these agencies, which are generally intended to provide protection for depositors and customers rather than for the benefit of stockholders, govern a comprehensive range of matters relating to ownership and control of our shares, our acquisition of other companies and businesses, permissible activities for us to engage in, maintenance of adequate capital levels and other aspects of our operations. These bank regulators possess broad authority to prevent or remedy unsafe or unsound practices or violations of law deemed to be unfair, abusive and deceptive acts and practices. The laws and regulations applicable to the banking industry could change at any time and we cannot predict the effects of these changes on our business and profitability. Increased regulation could increase our cost of compliance and adversely affect profitability. For example, new legislation or regulation may limit the manner in which we may conduct our business, including our ability to offer new products, obtain financing, attract deposits, make loans and achieve satisfactory interest spreads.

We have a continuing need for technological change and we may not have the resources to effectively implement new technology.

The financial services industry is undergoing rapid technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition to being able to better serve customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience, as well as, to create additional efficiencies in our operations as we continue to grow and expand our market areas. Many of our larger competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. As a result, they may be able to offer additional or superior products to those that we will be able to offer, which would put us at a competitive disadvantage.

System failure or breaches of our network security could subject us to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other liabilities.

The computer systems and network infrastructure we use could be vulnerable to unforeseen problems. Our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our computer equipment against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or a similar catastrophic event, as well as from security breaches, denial of service attacks, viruses, worms and other disruptive problems caused by hackers. Any damage or failure that causes an interruption in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Computer break-ins, phishing and other disruptions could also jeopardize the security of information stored in and transmitted through our computer systems and network infrastructure, which may result in significant liability to us and may cause existing and potential customers to refrain from doing business with us. Although we, with the help of third-party service providers, intend to continue to implement security technology and establish operational procedures to prevent such damage, there can be no assurance that these security measures will be successful. In addition, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments could result in a compromise or breach of the algorithms we and our third-party service providers use to encrypt and protect customer transaction data. A failure of such security measures could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.





We are subject to certain operational risks, including, but not limited to, customer or employee fraud and data processing system failures and errors.

Employee errors and employee or customer misconduct could subject us to financial losses or regulatory sanctions and seriously harm our reputation. Misconduct by our employees could include hiding unauthorized activities from us, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of our customers or improper use of confidential information. It is not always possible to prevent employee errors and misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. Employee errors could also subject us to financial claims for negligence.

We maintain a system of internal controls and insurance coverage to mitigate against operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors and customer or employee fraud. Should our internal controls fail to prevent or detect an occurrence, or if any resulting loss is not insured or exceeds applicable insurance limits, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Negative publicity could adversely impact our business and financial results.

Reputation risk, or the risk to our earnings and capital from negative publicity, is inherent to our business. Current public uneasiness with the United States banking system heightens this risk, as banking customers often transfer news regarding financial difficulties or even failure of some institutions, to fear of financial difficulty or failure of even the most secure institutions. In this climate, any negative news may become cause for curtailment of business relationships, withdrawal of funds or other actions that can have a compounding effect, and could adversely affect our operations.

Our stock price can be volatile.

Our stock price can fluctuate widely in response to a variety of factors, including: actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly operating results; recommendations by securities analysts; acquisitions or business combinations; capital commitments by or involving Heartland or our Bank Subsidiaries; operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us; new technology used or services offered by our competitors; new reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in the financial services industry; and changes in government regulations. General market fluctuations, industry factors and general economic and political conditions and events have recently caused a decline in our stock price, and these factors, as well as, interest rate changes, continued unfavorable credit loss trends, or unforeseen events such as terrorist attacks could cause our stock price to remain volatile regardless of our operating results.

Certain Bank Subsidiaries are subject to informal written agreements with regulators and failure to comply with these agreements could result in enforcement actions against us.

Four of our Bank Subsidiaries have entered into informal written agreements with the FDIC and state regulators, which relate primarily to financial performance and credit quality. These Bank Subsidiaries have submitted three to five year business plans to their regulators and must operate within the parameters of these business plans and submit periodic reports on compliance with these plans. The agreements also require these Bank Subsidiaries to develop plans and take action to address nonperforming assets and watch-list credits. If these Bank Subsidiaries fail to comply with the terms of their respective agreements, the regulators could take enforcement action against them, including the imposition of monetary penalties or the issuance of cease and desist orders requiring corrective action.

ITEM 1B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

As of December 31, 2011, Heartland had no unresolved staff comments.





ITEM 2.

PROPERTIES

The following table is a listing of Heartland’s principal operating facilities:

Name and Main Facility Address
 
Main Facility
Square Footage
 
Main Facility
Owned or Leased
 
Number of Locations
Heartland Financial USA, Inc.
     1301 Central Avenue
     Dubuque, IA  52001
 
 
 
60,000
 
Owned
 
 
 
2
Dubuque Bank and Trust Company
     1398 Central Avenue
     Dubuque, IA  52001
 
65,500
 
 
 
Owned
 
12
Galena State Bank & Trust Co.
     971 Gear Street
     Galena, IL  61036
 
 
 
18,000
 
 
 
Owned
 
 
 
4
Riverside Community Bank
     6855 E. Riverside Blvd.
     Rockford, IL  60114
 
 
 
8,000
 
 
 
Owned
 
 
 
4
Wisconsin Community Bank
     8240 Mineral Point Rd.
     Madison, WI  53719
 
 
 
19,000
 
 
 
Owned
 
 
 
7
New Mexico Bank & Trust
     320 Gold NW
     Albuquerque, NM  87102
 
 
 
11,400
 
 
Lease term
through 2016
 
 
 
16
Arizona Bank & Trust
     2036 E. Camelback Rd.
     Phoenix, AZ  85016
 
 
 
14,000
 
 
 
Owned
 
 
 
6
Rocky Mountain Bank
     2615 King Avenue West
     Billings, MT 59102
 
 
 
16,600
 
 
 
Owned
 
 
 
9 
Summit Bank & Trust
     2002 E. Coalton Road
     Broomfield, CO 80027
 
 
 
14,000
 
 
 
Owned
 
 
 
3
Minnesota  Bank & Trust
     7701 France Avenue South, Suite 110
     Edina, MN 55435
 
 
 
6,100
 
 
Lease term
through 2013
 
 
 
1
Citizens Finance Co.
     1275 Main Street
     Dubuque, IA  52001
 
 
 
5,600
 
Owned
 
 
 
10

The corporate office of Heartland is located in Dubuque Bank and Trust Company's main office. A majority of the support functions provided to the Bank Subsidiaries by Heartland are performed in the facility located at 1301 Central Avenue in Dubuque, Iowa, which is leased from Dubuque Bank and Trust Company.

ITEM 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

There are no material pending legal proceedings to which Heartland or its subsidiaries are a party at December 31, 2011, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to their respective businesses. While the ultimate outcome of current legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, it is the opinion of management that the resolution of these legal actions should not have a material effect on Heartland's consolidated financial position or results of operations.





ITEM 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not Applicable

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The names and ages of the executive officers of Heartland as of December 31, 2011, position held by these officers on that date and other positions held with Heartland and its subsidiaries are set forth below:

Name
 
Age
 
Position with Heartland and Subsidiaries and Principal Occupation
 
 
 
 
 
Lynn B. Fuller
 
62
 
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Heartland; Vice Chairman of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Wisconsin Community Bank, New Mexico Bank & Trust, Arizona Bank & Trust, Rocky Mountain Bank, Summit Bank & Trust and Minnesota Bank & Trust; Chairman of Citizens Finance Co.
John K. Schmidt
 
52
 
Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Heartland; Vice Chairman of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Galena State Bank & Trust Co. and Riverside Community Bank; Director and Treasurer of Citizens Finance Co.
Kenneth J. Erickson
 
60
 
Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer of Heartland; Executive Vice President, Lending, of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company; Vice Chairman of Citizens Finance Co.
Douglas J. Horstmann
 
58
 
Senior Vice President, Lending, of Heartland; Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company
Melvin E. Miller
 
62
 
Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer of Heartland
John J. Berg
 
60
 
Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales of Heartland
Brian J. Fox
 
63
 
Executive Vice President, Operations of Heartland

Lynn B. Fuller has been a Director of Heartland and of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company since 1984 and has been President of Heartland since 1987. Until 2004, Mr. Fuller had been a Director of Galena State Bank & Trust Co. since 1992 and Riverside Community Bank since 1995. He has been a Director of Wisconsin Community Bank since 1997, New Mexico Bank & Trust since 1998, Arizona Bank & Trust since 2003, Summit Bank & Trust since 2006 and Minnesota Bank & Trust since 2008. Mr. Fuller joined Dubuque Bank and Trust Company in 1971 as a consumer loan officer and was named Dubuque Bank and Trust Company's Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer in 1985. Mr. Fuller was President of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company from 1987 until 1999 at which time he was named Chief Executive Officer of Heartland. Mr. Fuller is the brother-in-law of Mr. James F. Conlan, who is a director of Heartland.

John K. Schmidt has been a Director of Heartland since 2001. Mr. Schmidt has been Heartland's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 1991 and Chief Operating Officer since 2004. He has been employed by Dubuque Bank and Trust Company since 1984 and became Dubuque Bank and Trust Company's Vice President, Finance in 1986, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 1991, President and Chief Executive Officer in 1999 and Vice Chairman in 2004. Mr. Schmidt also was named Vice Chairman of Galena State Bank & Trust Co. and Riverside Community Bank in 2004. He also served as Vice Chairman and director of First Community Bank from 2004 to 2007. He is an inactive holder of the certified public accountant certification and worked at KPMG LLP in Des Moines, Iowa, prior to joining Dubuque Bank and Trust Company.

Kenneth J. Erickson was named Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer, of Heartland in 1999. Mr. Erickson has been employed by Dubuque Bank and Trust Company since 1975, and was appointed Vice President, Commercial Loans in 1985, Senior Vice President, Lending in 1989 and Executive Vice President in 2000. He was named Vice Chairman of Citizens Finance Co. in 2004. Prior to 2004, Mr. Erickson was Senior Vice President at Citizens Finance Co.

Douglas J. Horstmann has served as Senior Vice President of Heartland since 1999. He has been employed by Dubuque Bank and Trust Company since 1980, was appointed Vice President, Commercial Loans in 1985, Senior Vice President, Lending in 1989, Executive Vice President, Lending in 2000 and Director, President and Chief Executive Officer in 2004. Mr. Horstmann also served as Vice Chairman of First Community Bank from 2007 until its merger with Dubuque Bank and Trust Company in 2011. Prior to joining Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Mr. Horstmann was an examiner for the Iowa Division of Banking.





Melvin E. Miller was named Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, of Heartland, in 2008. Prior to this promotion, he served as Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, of Heartland since 2000. He joined Dubuque Bank and Trust Company in 1984 as a part-time Investment Officer and came on board full time in 1985 as Assistant Vice President and later was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. A Chartered Financial Analyst, Mr. Miller received his MBA degree in Finance from Ball State University in 1973. Prior to joining Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, he had 12 years of college teaching experience in the areas of investments and portfolio management. He was chair of the Department of Accounting and Business at Loras College. Mr. Miller announced his retirement on February 3, 2012. His retirement will be effective on August 1, 2012.

John J. Berg joined Heartland in 2005 as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales. In 2008, he was promoted to Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales. Mr. Berg’s background includes over 30 years of retail marketing and banking experience. Previous to joining Heartland, Mr. Berg served as Vice President and Marketing Director of First Federal Capital Bank in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. His prior experience includes marketing management positions with commercial banks and savings banks in West Des Moines, Iowa; St. Louis, Missouri; Waterloo, Iowa; and Lansing, Michigan.

Brian J. Fox joined Heartland in 2010 as Executive Vice President, Operations. From 2008 until joining Heartland, Mr. Fox served as Chief Information Officer of First Olathe Bancshares in Overland Park, Kansas. One year after joining First Olathe Bancshares, he was asked to help its principal subsidiary, First National Bank of Olathe, comply with a formal agreement it had entered with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC") and served as its Chief Risk Officer. In October 2011, First National Bank of Olathe was placed in receivership by the OCC. For the eight years prior to joining First Olathe Bancshares, Mr. Fox drew on his 30 years experience at various banking organizations to provide consulting services to over 100 community banks as Senior Consultant at Vitex, Inc. His areas of responsibility have included strategic planning, credit administration, loan workouts, information technology, project management, mortgage banking, deposit operations and loan operations.






PART II

ITEM 5.

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Heartland's common stock was held by approximately 1,500 stockholders of record as of March 14, 2012, and approximately 1,600 additional stockholders held shares in street name. The common stock of Heartland has been quoted on the NASDAQ Stock Market since May 2003 under the symbol “HTLF” and is a NASDAQ Global Select Market security.

For the periods indicated, the following table shows the range of reported prices per share of Heartland's common stock in the NASDAQ Global Select Market. These quotations represent inter-dealer prices without retail markups, markdowns, or commissions and do not necessarily represent actual transactions.

Heartland Common Stock
 
 
 
 
Calendar Quarter
 
High

 
Low

2011:
 
 
 
 
First
 
$
18.38

 
$
14.55

Second
 
17.75

 
13.20

Third
 
16.47

 
12.65

Fourth
 
17.25

 
12.81

2010:
 
 
 
 
First
 
$
16.75

 
$
13.37

Second
 
20.78

 
15.85

Third
 
17.81

 
13.88

Fourth
 
18.11

 
15.04


Cash dividends have been declared by Heartland quarterly during the two years ending December 31, 2011. The following table sets forth the cash dividends per share paid on Heartland's common stock for the past two years:

Calendar Quarter
 
2011

 
2010

First
 
$
0.10

 
$
0.10

Second
 
0.10

 
0.10

Third
 
0.10

 
0.10

Fourth
 
0.10

 
0.10


Heartland's ability to pay dividends to stockholders is largely dependent upon the dividends it receives from the Bank Subsidiaries, and the Bank Subsidiaries are subject to regulatory limitations on the amount of cash dividends they may pay. Heartland is also subject to direct regulatory limitations on the amount of dividends it may pay under the terms of its Series C Preferred Stock issued under the SBLF. See "Business – Supervision and Regulation – Heartland – Dividend Payments" and "Business – Supervision and Regulation - The Bank Subsidiaries – Dividend Payments" and "Note 17 Capital Issuance and Redemption to Consolidated Financial Statements" for a more detailed description of these limitations.

Heartland has issued junior subordinated debentures in several private placements. Under the terms of the debentures, Heartland may be prohibited, under certain circumstances, from paying dividends on shares of its common stock. None of these circumstances currently exist.

There were no unregistered sales of equity securities made during the fourth quarter of Heartland’s fiscal year 2011.





The following table and graph show a five-year comparison of cumulative total returns for Heartland, the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Bank Stock Index. Figures for our common stock represent inter-dealer quotations, without retail markups, markdowns or commissions and do not necessarily represent actual transactions. Heartland became listed on NASDAQ in May 2004. The table and graph were prepared at our request by SNL Financial, LC.

Cumulative Total Return Performance
 
 
12/31/2006
 
12/31/2007
 
12/31/2008
 
12/31/2009
 
12/31/2010
 
12/31/2011
 
Heartland Financial USA, Inc.
 
$
100.00

 
$
65.43

 
$
73.95

 
$
53.04

 
$
66.22

 
$
59.79

 
NASDAQ Composite
 
$
100.00

 
$
110.66

 
$
66.42

 
$
96.54

 
$
114.06

 
$
113.16

 
NASDAQ Bank
 
$
100.00

 
$
80.09

 
$
62.84

 
$
52.60

 
$
60.04

 
$
53.74

 


COMPARISON OF FIVE YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
ASSUMES $100 INVESTED ON DECEMBER 31, 2006

*Total return assumes reinvestment of dividends





ITEM 6.
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2009
 
2008
 
2007
STATEMENT OF INCOME DATA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest income
$
191,737

 
$
198,932

 
$
203,293

 
$
202,585

 
$
215,231

Interest expense
46,343

 
55,880

 
70,530

 
86,899

 
105,891

Net interest income
145,394

 
143,052

 
132,763

 
115,686

 
109,340

Provision for loan and lease losses
29,365

 
32,508

 
39,377

 
29,319

 
10,073

Net interest income after provision for loan and lease losses
116,029

 
110,544

 
93,386

 
86,367

 
99,267

Noninterest income
59,577

 
52,329

 
52,704

 
30,196

 
31,710

Noninterest expenses
137,296

 
129,239

 
132,520

 
102,239

 
97,606

Income taxes
10,302

 
9,846

 
7,196

 
3,312

 
9,409

Income from continuing operations
28,008

 
23,788

 
6,374

 
11,012

 
23,962

Discontinued operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income from discontinued operations (including gain on sale of $2,242 in 2007)
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
2,756

Income taxes
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
1,085

Income from discontinued operations
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
1,671

Net income
28,008

 
23,788

 
6,374

 
11,012

 
25,633

Net income available to noncontrolling interest, net of tax
36

 
115

 
188

 
280

 
—

Net income attributable to Heartland
28,044

 
23,903

 
6,562

 
11,292

 
25,633

Preferred dividends and discount
(7,640
)
 
(5,344
)
 
(5,344
)
 
(178
)
 
—

Net income available to common stockholders
$
20,404

 
$
18,559

 
$
1,218

 
$
11,114

 
$
25,633

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PER COMMON SHARE DATA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income – diluted
$
1.23

 
$
1.13

 
$
0.07

 
$
0.68

 
$
1.54

Income from continuing operations – diluted(1)
1.23

 
1.13

 
0.07

 
0.68

 
1.44

Cash dividends
0.40

 
0.40

 
0.40

 
0.40

 
0.37

Dividend payout ratio
32.52
%
 
35.14
%
 
53.24
%
 
58.13
%
 
23.60
%
Book value
$
16.29

 
$
15.26

 
$
14.38

 
$
14.13

 
$
14.04

Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted
16,575,506

 
16,461,679

 
16,325,320

 
16,365,815

 
16,596,806

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1) Excludes the discontinued operations of our Broadus branch and the related gain on sale in 2007.

*
The selected historical consolidated financial information set forth above is qualified in its entirety by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, Heartland’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, included elsewhere in this report and Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”





SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA (Continued)
For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2009
 
2008
 
2007
BALANCE SHEET DATA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investments and federal funds sold
$
1,326,794

 
$
1,264,564

 
$
1,175,217

 
$
903,705

 
$
689,949

Loans held for sale
53,528

 
23,904

 
17,310

 
19,695

 
12,679

Total loans and leases receivable
2,494,631

 
2,364,787

 
2,363,002

 
2,405,001

 
2,280,167

Allowance for loan and lease losses
36,808

 
42,693

 
41,848

 
35,651

 
32,993

Total assets
4,305,058

 
3,999,455

 
4,012,991

 
3,630,268

 
3,264,126

Total deposits
3,210,113

 
3,034,048

 
3,050,389

 
2,640,232

 
2,376,299

Long-term obligations
372,820

 
362,527

 
451,429

 
437,833

 
263,607

Preferred equity
81,698

 
78,483

 
77,224

 
75,578

 
—

Common stockholders’ equity
268,520

 
250,608

 
235,057

 
230,025

 
230,600

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EARNINGS PERFORMANCE DATA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Return on average total assets
0.50
%
 
0.46
%
 
0.03
%
 
0.33
%
 
0.81
%
Return on average stockholders’ equity
7.77

 
7.51

 
0.51

 
4.84

 
11.88

Net interest margin ratio(1)(2)
4.16

 
4.12

 
3.99

 
3.89

 
3.95

Earnings to fixed charges:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Excluding interest on deposits
2.51x

 
2.43x

 
1.58x

 
1.63x

 
2.26x

Including interest on deposits
1.70

 
1.55

 
1.18

 
1.17

 
1.34

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ASSET QUALITY RATIOS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nonperforming assets to total assets
2.39
%
 
3.07
%
 
2.71
%
 
2.51
%
 
1.06
%
Nonperforming loans and leases to total loans and leases
2.31

 
3.87

 
3.35

 
3.24

 
1.40

Net loan and lease charge-offs to average loans and leases
1.46

 
1.31

 
1.38

 
1.15

 
0.30

Allowance for loan and lease losses to total loans and leases
1.48

 
1.82

 
1.80

 
1.48

 
1.45

Allowance for loan and lease losses to nonperforming loans and leases
64.09

 
47.12

 
53.56

 
45.73

 
103.66

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED CAPITAL RATIOS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Average equity to average assets
8.47
%
 
8.13
%
 
8.4
%
 
6.88
%
 
6.84
%
Average common equity to average assets
6.45

 
6.13

 
6.32

 
6.80

 
6.84

Total capital to risk-adjusted assets
15.87

 
16.23

 
15.20

 
14.92

 
12.48

Tier 1 leverage
14.08

 
14.06

 
13.53

 
10.68

 
8.01

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1) Excludes the discontinued operations of our Broadus branch and the related gain on sale in 2007.
(2) Tax equivalent using a 35% tax rate.

*
The selected historical consolidated financial information set forth above is qualified in its entirety by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, Heartland’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, included elsewhere in this report and Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”






ITEM 7.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following presents management’s discussion and analysis of the consolidated financial condition and results of operations of Heartland as of the dates and for the periods indicated. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the Selected Financial Data, Heartland’s Consolidated Financial Statements and the Notes thereto and other financial data appearing elsewhere in this report. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Heartland and its subsidiaries. All of Heartland’s subsidiaries are wholly-owned except for Minnesota Bank & Trust, of which Heartland is an 80% owner.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This document (including information incorporated by reference) contains, and future oral and written statements of Heartland and its management may contain, forward-looking statements, within the meaning of such term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of Heartland. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Heartland’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "could", "should" or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Heartland undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

Heartland’s ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. The factors which could have a material adverse effect on the operations and future prospects of Heartland and its subsidiaries are detailed in the “Risk Factors” section included under Item 1A. of Part I of this Form 10-K. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. These estimates are based upon historical experience and on various other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The estimates and judgments that management believes have the most effect on Heartland’s reported financial position and results of operations are as follows:

Allowance For Loan And Lease Losses

The process utilized by Heartland to estimate the adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses is considered a critical accounting policy for Heartland. The allowance for loan and lease losses represents management’s estimate of identified and unidentified probable losses in the existing loan portfolio. Thus, the accuracy of this estimate could have a material impact on Heartland’s earnings. The adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses is determined using factors that include the overall composition of the loan portfolio, general economic conditions, types of loans, loan collateral values, past loss experience, loan delinquencies, and potential losses from identified substandard and doubtful credits. For loans individually evaluated and determined to be impaired, the allowance is allocated on a loan-by-loan basis as deemed necessary. These estimates reflect consideration of one of three impairment measurement methods as of the evaluation date: (1) the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate; (2) the loan's observable market price; or (3) the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. All other loans, including individually evaluated loans determined not to be impaired, are segmented into groups of loans with similar risk characteristics for evaluation and analysis. Loss rates for various collateral types of commercial and agricultural loans are established through assigned discount factors based upon the realizable value historically received on the various types of collateral. For smaller commercial and agricultural loans, residential real estate loans and consumer loans, a historic loss rate is established for each group of loans based upon a twelve-quarter weighted moving average loss rate. The adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses is monitored on an ongoing basis by the loan review staff, senior management and the boards of directors of each Bank Subsidiary.





Specific factors considered by management in establishing the allowance included the following:

•
Heartland has experienced an increase in net charge-offs during the past four years.
•
During the last several years, Heartland has entered new geographical markets in which it had little or no previous lending experience.
•
Heartland has continued to experience growth in more complex commercial loans as compared to relatively lower-risk residential real estate loans.

There can be no assurances that the allowance for loan and lease losses will be adequate to cover all loan losses, but management believes that the allowance for loan and lease losses was adequate at December 31, 2011. While management uses available information to provide for loan and lease losses, the ultimate collectibility of a substantial portion of the loan portfolio and the need for future additions to the allowance will be based on changes in economic conditions. Should the economic climate deteriorate, borrowers may experience difficulty, and the level of nonperforming loans, charge-offs, and delinquencies could rise and require further increases in the provision for loan and lease losses. In addition, various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the allowance for loan and lease losses carried by the Heartland subsidiaries. Such agencies may require us to make additional provisions to the allowance based upon their judgment about information available to them at the time of their examinations.

During the first quarter of 2010, we implemented a new methodology, including the installation of new software, for the calculation of the allowance for loan and lease losses. The implementation of this new methodology included the establishment of a dual risk rating system, which allows the utilization of a probability of default and loss given default for commercial and agricultural loans in the calculation of the allowance for loan lease losses. In addition to an enhanced allowance methodology, this software also has the ability to perform stress testing and migration analysis on various portfolio segments.

The table below estimates the theoretical range of the 2011 allowance outcomes and related changes in provision expense assuming either a reasonably possible deterioration in loan credit quality or a reasonably possible improvement in loan credit quality:
THEORETICAL RANGE OF ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN AND LEASE LOSSES
(Dollars in thousands)
 
 
Allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31, 2011
$
36,808

Assuming deterioration in credit quality:
 
Addition to provision
1,638

Resultant allowance for loan and lease losses
$
38,446

Assuming improvement in credit quality:
 
Reduction in provision
(1,851
)
Resultant allowance for loan and lease losses
$
34,957


The assumptions underlying this sensitivity analysis represent an attempt to quantify theoretical changes that could occur in the total allowance for loan and lease losses given various economic assumptions that could impact inherent loss in the current loan and lease portfolio. It further assumes that the general composition of the allowance for loans and lease losses determined through our existing process and methodology remains relatively unchanged. It does not attempt to encompass extreme and/or prolonged economic downturns, systemic contractions to specific industries, or systemic shocks to the financial services sector. The addition to provision was calculated based upon the assumption that, under an economic downturn, the qualitative portion of the calculated allowance will increase due to increase in qualitative risk factors directly affected by the economic conditions. The reduction in provision was calculated based upon the assumption that, under an economic upturn, the qualitative portion of the calculated allowance will decrease due to decrease in qualitative risk factors directly affected by the economic conditions.

Goodwill And Other Intangibles

We record all assets and liabilities acquired in purchase acquisitions, including goodwill and other intangibles, at fair value. Goodwill and indefinite-lived assets are not amortized but are subject, at a minimum, to annual tests for impairment. In certain situations, interim impairment tests may be required if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. Other intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives using straight-line and accelerated methods and are subject to impairment if events or circumstances indicate a possible inability to realize the carrying amount.





The initial recognition of goodwill and other intangible assets and subsequent impairment analysis require us to make subjective judgments concerning estimates of how the acquired assets will perform in the future using valuation methods including discounted cash flow analysis. Additionally, estimated cash flows may extend beyond five years and, by their nature, are difficult to determine over an extended timeframe. Events and factors that may significantly affect the estimates include, among others, competitive forces, customer behaviors, changes in revenue growth trends, cost structures, technology, changes in discount rates and market conditions. In determining the reasonableness of cash flow estimates, Heartland reviews historical performance of the underlying assets or similar assets in an effort to assess and validate assumptions utilized in its estimates.

In assessing the fair value of reporting units, we may consider the stage of the current business cycle and potential changes in market conditions in estimating the timing and extent of future cash flows. Also, we often utilize other information to validate the reasonableness of its valuations including public market comparables, and multiples of recent mergers and acquisitions of similar businesses. Valuation multiples may be based on revenue, price-to-earnings and tangible capital ratios of comparable companies and business segments. These multiples may be adjusted to consider competitive differences, including size, operating leverage and other factors. The carrying amount of a reporting unit is determined based on the capital required to support the reporting unit’s activities, including its tangible and intangible assets. The determination of a reporting unit’s capital allocation requires judgment and considers many factors, including the regulatory capital regulations and capital characteristics of comparable companies in relevant industry sectors. In certain circumstances, we will engage a third-party to independently validate its assessment of the fair value of its reporting units.

We assess the impairment of identifiable intangible assets, long lived assets and related goodwill whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors considered important, which could trigger an impairment review include the following:

•
Significant under-performance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results.
•
Significant changes in the manner of use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the overall business.
•
Significant negative industry or economic trends.
•
Significant decline in the market price for our common stock over a sustained period; and market capitalization relative to net book value.
•
For intangible assets and long-lived assets, if the carrying value of the asset exceeds the undiscounted cash flows from such asset.

We engaged a third-party valuation consultant to determine the fair value of goodwill recorded in connection with two of our Bank Subsidiaries at the end of 2009. Based on this valuation, we determined that the fair value of the goodwill associated with these two subsidiaries was less than the carrying amount previously used for this goodwill and that the goodwill was impaired. Accordingly, we recorded an impairment charge of $12.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 to reduce the carrying value to fair value at Arizona Bank & Trust and Rocky Mountain Bank. During the third quarter of 2010, a calculation error was discovered in the valuation performed by the independent third party consultant and resulted in the recording of an additional goodwill impairment charge totaling $1.6 million at Rocky Mountain Bank. After consideration of both quantitative and qualitative factors, we determined the amount was not material to the financial statements for 2009 and thus recorded such amount in the third quarter of 2010. A different third party consultant was engaged during the fourth quarter of 2010 to perform another valuation of the remaining goodwill recorded at Rocky Mountain Bank. Based upon the updated valuation, we determined that no further goodwill impairment charges were required. Heartland conducted an internal assessment of the goodwill both collectively and at its subsidiaries in 2011 and determined no further goodwill impairment charges were required.

OVERVIEW

Heartland is a diversified financial services holding company providing full-service community banking through nine banking subsidiaries with a total of 61 banking locations in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado and Minnesota. In addition, Heartland has separate subsidiaries in the consumer finance, insurance and property management businesses. Our primary strategy is to balance our focus on increasing profitability with asset growth and diversification through acquisitions, de novo bank formations and branch openings within existing market areas.

Our results of operations depend primarily on net interest income, which is the difference between interest income from interest earning assets and interest expense on interest bearing liabilities. Noninterest income, which includes service charges and fees, loan servicing income, trust income, brokerage and insurance commissions, securities gains and gains on sale of loans, also affects our results of operations. Our principal operating expenses, aside from interest expense, consist of salaries and employee benefits, occupancy and equipment costs, professional fees, FDIC insurance premiums and the provision for loan and lease




losses. During the most recent years, our operating expenses have also been significantly impacted by net losses on repossessed assets.

Net income recorded for 2011 was $28.0 million, compared to $23.8 million recorded during 2010, an increase of $4.2 million or 18%. Net income available to common stockholders was $20.4 million, or $1.23 per diluted common share, for 2011, compared to $18.6 million, or $1.13 per diluted common share, earned during 2010. Return on average common equity was 7.77% and return on average assets was 0.50% for 2011, compared to 7.51% and 0.46%, respectively, for 2010.

Earnings for 2011 in comparison to 2010 were positively affected by increases in securities gains, which were $13.1 million during 2011 compared to $6.8 million during 2010, gains on sale of loans, which were $11.4 million during 2011 compared to $8.1 million during 2010, and net interest income, which was $145.4 million during 2011 compared to $143.1 million during 2010. Also positively affecting net income for 2011 were reductions in provision for loan losses, which were $29.4 million in 2011 compared to $32.5 million in 2010, net losses on repossessed assets, which were $9.8 million during 2011 compared to $15.3 million during 2010, and FDIC insurance assessments, which were $3.8 million during 2011 compared to $5.4 million during 2010. Net interest margin, expressed as a percentage of average earning assets, was 4.16% during 2011 compared to 4.12% during 2010. The effect of these positive factors was offset somewhat by a decrease in loan servicing income, which was $5.9 million during 2011 compared to $7.2 million during 2010, an increase in salaries and employee benefits, which totaled $75.5 million during 2011 compared to $63.4 million during 2010, an increase in professional fees, which totaled $12.6 million during 2011 compared to $10.4 million during 2010, and an increase in other noninterest expenses, which totaled $15.7 million during 2011 compared to $13.4 million during 2010.

Net income for 2010 was $23.8 million, compared to $6.4 million in 2009, an increase of $17.4 million or 272%. Net income available to common stockholders was $18.6 million, or $1.13 per diluted common share, for 2010, compared to $1.2 million, or $0.07 per diluted common share, earned during 2009. Return on average common equity was 7.51% and return on average assets was 0.46% for 2010, compared to 0.51% and 0.03%, respectively, for 2009.

Excluding a goodwill impairment charge of $1.6 million, net income for 2010 would have been $25.4 million, net income available to common stockholders would have been $20.2 million, or $1.23 per diluted common share, return on average common equity would have been 8.17% and return on average assets would have been 0.50%. Excluding the goodwill impairment charge of $12.7 million recorded during the fourth quarter of 2009, net income for 2009 would have been $19.0 million, net income available to common stockholders would have been $13.9 million, or $0.85 per diluted common share, return on average common equity would have been 5.76% and return on average assets would have been 0.36%. The goodwill impairment charges, which are non-cash charges that have no impact on operations, liquidity or capital, were due to the adverse economic conditions in our Arizona and Montana markets. Exclusive of the goodwill impairment charges, net income for 2010 increased $6.4 million or 34% over 2009.

Earnings for 2010 in comparison to 2009 were positively affected by increased net interest income, which increased $10.3 million or 8% over the prior year. Net interest margin, expressed as a percentage of average earning assets, was 4.12% during 2010 compared to 3.99% during 2009. Also positively affecting net income for 2010 was a $6.9 million or 17% reduction in provision for loan losses, which was $32.5 million in 2010 compared to $39.4 million in 2009. Noninterest income remained relatively flat at $52.3 million during 2010 compared to $52.7 million in 2009. The categories of noninterest income experiencing increases during 2010 as compared to 2009 were service charges and fees, which increased $1.4 million or 11%, trust fees, which increased $1.4 million or 18%, and gains on sale of loans, which increased $2.0 million or 33%. The effect of these positive factors was offset somewhat by decreases in loan servicing income, which decreased $2.4 million or 25%, and gains on sales of securities, which was $6.8 million in 2010 compared to $8.6 million in 2009. Total noninterest expense, exclusive of goodwill impairment charges, increased $7.7 million or 6%. The most significant contributors to this increase were salaries and employee benefits, which increased $2.9 million or 5%, professional fees, which increased $1.3 million or 14%, and net losses on repossessed assets, which totaled $15.3 million in 2010 compared to $10.8 million in 2009. The effect of these increases was partially mitigated by a $1.1 million or 17% reduction in FDIC insurance assessments.

At December 31, 2011, total assets were $4.31 billion, an increase of $305.6 million or 8%, over total assets of $4.00 billion at December 31, 2010. Securities represented 31% of total assets at year-end 2011 compared to 32% at year-end 2010. Total loans and leases, exclusive of those covered by loss share agreements, were $2.48 billion at December 31, 2011, compared to $2.34 billion at year-end 2010, an increase of $137.3 million or 6%. Commercial and commercial real estate loans, which totaled $1.81 billion at December 31, 2011, increased $90.5 million or 5% since year-end 2010. Residential mortgage loans, which totaled $194.4 million at December 31, 2011, increased $30.7 million or 19% since year-end 2010. Agricultural and agricultural real estate loans, which totaled $263.0 million at December 31, 2011, increased $12.0 million or 5% since year-end 2010. Consumer loans, which totaled $220.1 million at December 30, 2011, increased $5.6 million or 3% since year-end 2010. Total deposits were $3.21 billion at December 31, 2011, compared to $3.03 billion at year-end 2010, an increase of $176.1 million or




6%. The composition of Heartland's deposits shifted from higher cost certificates of deposit to no cost demand deposits during 2011, as demand deposits increased $156.7 million or 27% since year-end 2010. Certificates of deposit, exclusive of brokered deposits, experienced a decrease of $103.8 million or 12% since year-end 2010. At December 31, 2011, brokered time deposits totaled $41.2 million or 1% of total deposits compared to $37.3 million or 1% of total deposits at December 31, 2010.

At December 31, 2010, total assets had experienced a slight decrease of $13.5 million or less than 1% since December 31, 2009. Securities represented 32% of total assets at December 31, 2010, compared to 29% of total assets at December 31, 2009. Total loans and leases receivable, exclusive of those covered by loss share agreements, were $2.34 billion at December 31, 2010, compared to $2.33 billion at year-end 2009, an increase of $12.8 million or 1%. The loan category experiencing the majority of the growth during 2010 was commercial and commercial real estate loans, which totaled $1.72 billion at December 31, 2010, an increase of $48.9 million or 3% since year-end 2009. This growth occurred at Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Wisconsin Community Bank, New Mexico Bank & Trust and Minnesota Bank & Trust. Total deposits were $3.03 billion at December 31, 2010, compared to $3.05 billion at December 31, 2009, a decrease of $16.3 million or 1%. The composition of Heartland's deposits improved during 2010, as demand deposits increased $119.9 million or 26%. Savings deposits grew $4.6 million or less than 1% since December 31, 2009. Time deposits, exclusive of brokered deposits, experienced a decrease of $136.4 million or 14% during 2010. At December 31, 2010, brokered time deposits totaled $37.3 million or 1% of total deposits compared to $41.8 million or 1% of total deposits at December 31, 2009.

On September 15, 2011, Heartland joined the Small Business Lending Fund ("SBLF"). Simultaneous with receipt of the SBLF funds, Heartland redeemed the $81.7 million of preferred stock issued to the U.S. Treasury in December 2008 under the Capital Purchase Program, a part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program ("TARP"). As a result of this redemption, $2.6 million in remaining unamortized discount on preferred stock was recognized during the third quarter of 2011. Exclusive of this one-time event, net income available to common stockholders for 2011 would have been $23.0 million or $1.39 per diluted common share.

On June 10, 2011, Heartland completed the charter consolidation of its First Community Bank subsidiary located in Keokuk, Iowa, with its flagship subsidiary bank, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, located in Dubuque, Iowa. Through this charter consolidation, Heartland hopes to realize efficiencies in operating costs, audit fees, regulatory examinations and insurance premiums.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on earning assets and interest expense paid on interest bearing liabilities. As such, net interest income is affected by changes in the volume and yields on earning assets and the volume and rates paid on interest bearing liabilities. Net interest margin is the ratio of tax equivalent net interest income to average earning assets.

Net interest margin, expressed as a percentage of average earning assets, was 4.16% during 2011 compared to 4.12% during 2010 and 3.99% during 2009. The continuation of a net interest margin above 4.00% has been a direct result of Heartland's pricing discipline. Also positively affecting net interest margin during 2011 was improvement in the level of nonaccrual loans not covered by loss share agreements, which had balances of $57.4 million or 2.31% of total loans and leases at December 31, 2011, compared to $90.6 million or 3.87% of total loans and leases at December 31, 2010, and $78.1 million or 3.35% of total loans and leases at December 31, 2009. Because deposit rates have been set at close to the bottom of their manageable range, and because the reinvestment rates on maturing securities have fallen dramatically and loan rates are presently impacted by competition for new loans, management anticipates that it will be increasingly difficult to maintain net interest margin above 4.00% during the coming year.

On a tax-equivalent basis, interest income decreased $6.2 million or 3% to $197.7 million during 2011 compared to $203.9 million during 2010. The positive effect of a $44.2 million or 1% growth in average earning assets during 2011 compared to 2010 on interest income, was more than offset by the impact of a decrease in the average interest rate earned on these assets which was 5.43% during 2011 compared to 5.67% during 2010, primarily due to the decrease in the average interest rate earned on total securities which was 3.69% during 2011 compared to 4.17% during 2010. The composition of average earning assets changed as the percentage of average loans, which are typically the highest yielding asset, to total average earning assets was 65% during 2011 compared to 66% during 2010. On a tax-equivalent basis, interest income decreased $3.9 million or 2% to $203.9 million during 2010 compared to $207.8 million during 2009. Growth in average earning assets during 2010 was $157.7 million or 5% over 2009. The percentage of average loans to total average earning assets was 66% during 2010 compared to 69% during 2009.





Interest expense for 2011 was $46.3 million compared to $55.9 million during 2010, a decrease of $9.6 million or 17%. During 2010, interest expense decreased $14.6 million or 21% from $70.5 million paid during 2009. Interest rates paid on our deposits and borrowings decreased significantly during 2011 and 2010. These decreases resulted primarily from an outflow of higher cost certificates of deposit and a reduction in other borrowings. The average interest rates paid on Heartland's interest bearing deposits and borrowings was 1.53% in 2011 compared to from 1.79% in 2010 and 2.34% in 2009. The opportunity for continued downward repricing of maturing certificates of deposit has begun to diminish. For the next twelve months, the amount of certificates of deposit maturing is $347.0 million, or 44% of total certificates of deposit, at a weighted average rate of 1.41%. Additionally, we believe that the rates currently paid on our non-maturity deposits are effectively approaching a floor and that we will have less flexibility to pay lower rates on these deposits in the future.

Net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis increased $3.3 million or 2% during 2011 and $10.7 million or 8% during 2010. These increases reflect Heartland's success in optimizing the composition of its interest bearing liabilities by de-emphasizing higher cost time deposits, which decreased to 35% of total average interest bearing deposits during 2011 compared to 38% during 2010 and 47% during 2009.

We attempt to manage our balance sheet to minimize the effect that a change in interest rates has on our net interest margin. We plan to continue to work toward improving both our earning asset and funding mix through targeted organic growth strategies, which we believe will result in additional net interest income. We believe our net interest income simulations reflect a well-balanced and manageable interest rate posture. Management supports a pricing discipline in which the focus is less on price and more on the unique value provided to business and retail clients. Approximately 40% of our commercial and agricultural loan portfolios consist of floating rate loans that reprice immediately upon a change in the national prime interest rate. Since a large portion of these floating rate loans have interest rate floors that are currently in effect, an upward movement in the national prime interest rate would not have an immediate positive affect on our interest income. Item 7A of this Form 10-K contains additional information about the results of our most recent net interest income simulations. Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements contains a detailed discussion of the derivative instruments we have utilized to manage interest rate risk.

The table below sets forth certain information relating to our average consolidated balance sheets and reflects the yield on average earning assets and the cost of average interest bearing liabilities for the years indicated. Dividing income or expense by the average balance of assets or liabilities derives such yields and costs. Average balances are derived from daily balances, and nonaccrual loans are included in each respective loan category. Interest income is measured on a tax equivalent basis using a 35% tax rate.




ANALYSIS OF AVERAGE BALANCES, TAX EQUIVALENT YIELDS AND RATES(1)
(Dollars in thousands)
 
For the year ended Dec. 31, 2011
 
For the year ended Dec. 31, 2010
 
For the year ended Dec. 31, 2009
 
Average
Balance
 
Interest
 
Rate
 
Average
Balance
 
Interest
 
Rate
 
Average
Balance
 
Interest
 
Rate
EARNING ASSETS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Taxable
$
959,953

 
$
28,195

 
2.94
%
 
$
956,976

 
$
34,507

 
3.61
%
 
$
873,276

 
$
39,782

 
4.56
%
Municipals(1)(2)
300,193

 
18,262

 
6.08

 
264,307

 
16,408

 
6.21

 
186,716

 
12,307

 
6.59

Total securities
1,260,146

 
46,457

 
3.69

 
1,221,283

 
50,915

 
4.17

 
1,059,992

 
52,089

 
4.91

Interest bearing deposits
3,179

 
3

 
0.09

 
3,541

 
14

 
0.40

 
2,943

 
27

 
0.92

Federal funds sold
430

 
1

 
0.23

 
667

 
1

 
0.15

 
835

 
2

 
0.24

Loans and leases:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commercial and commercial real estate(1)(3)
1,747,968

 
99,986

 
5.72

 
1,727,548

 
101,720

 
5.89

 
1,696,794

 
101,854

 
6.00

Residential real estate
198,312

 
10,172

 
5.13

 
203,596

 
10,663

 
5.24

 
219,303

 
12,596

 
5.74

Agricultural and agricultural real estate(1)(3)
255,615

 
15,553

 
6.08

 
258,943

 
15,966

 
6.17

 
259,700

 
16,633

 
6.40

Consumer
216,268

 
20,526

 
9.49

 
224,288

 
20,052

 
8.94

 
232,475

 
20,325

 
8.74

Direct financing leases, net
701

 
38

 
5.42

 
1,572

 
92

 
5.85

 
3,927

 
213

 
5.42

Fees on loans
—

 
4,939

 
—

 
—

 
4,452

 
—

 
—

 
4,085

 
—

Less: allowance for loan and lease losses
(42,693
)
 
—

 
—

 
(45,748
)
 
—

 
—

 
(37,964
)
 
—

 
—

Net loans and leases
2,376,171

 
151,214

 
6.36

 
2,370,199

 
152,945

 
6.45

 
2,374,235

 
155,706

 
6.56

Total earning assets
3,639,926

 
$
197,675

 
5.43
%
 
3,595,690

 
$
203,875

 
5.67
%
 
3,438,005

 
$
207,824

 
6.04
%
NONEARNING ASSETS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total nonearning assets
431,885

 
 
 
 
 
434,692

 
 
 
 
 
374,738

 
 
 
 
TOTAL ASSETS
$
4,071,811

 
 
 
 
 
$
4,030,382

 
 
 
 
 
$
3,812,743

 
 
 
 
INTEREST BEARING LIABILITIES
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest bearing deposits:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Savings
$
1,589,697

 
$
9,090

 
0.57
%
 
$
1,557,658

 
$
13,677

 
0.88
%
 
$
1,282,212

 
$
18,407

 
1.44
%
Time, $100,000 and over
265,664

 
5,928

 
2.23

 
296,325

 
7,534

 
2.54

 
373,159

 
11,202

 
3.00

Other time deposits
590,767

 
14,206

 
2.40

 
649,892

 
17,061

 
2.63

 
754,814

 
23,135

 
3.06

Short-term borrowings
202,183

 
893

 
0.44

 
200,389

 
1,160

 
0.58

 
143,239

 
733

 
0.51

Other borrowings
373,119

 
16,226

 
4.35

 
423,125

 
16,448

 
3.89

 
464,816

 
17,053

 
3.67

Total interest bearing liabilities
3,021,430

 
46,343

 
1.53

 
3,127,389

 
55,880

 
1.79

 
3,018,240

 
70,530

 
2.34

NONINTEREST BEARING LIABILITIES
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Noninterest bearing deposits
667,952

 
 
 
 
 
536,053

 
 
 
 
 
437,468

 
 
 
 
Accrued interest and other liabilities
37,551

 
 
 
 
 
39,363

 
 
 
 
 
36,700

 
 
 
 
Total noninterest bearing liabilities
705,503

 
 
 
 
 
575,416

 
 
 
 
 
474,168

 
 
 
 
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
344,878

 
 
 
 
 
327,577

 
 
 
 
 
320,335

 
 
 
 
TOTAL LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
$
4,071,811

 
 
 
 
 
$
4,030,382

 
 
 
 
 
$
3,812,743

 
 
 
 
Net interest income(1)
 
 
$
151,332

 
 
 
 
 
$
147,995

 
 
 
 
 
$
137,294

 
 
Net interest spread
 
 
 
 
3.90
%
 
 
 
 
 
3.88
%
 
 
 
 
 
3.70
%
Net interest income to total earning assets(1)
 
 
 
 
4.16
%
 
 
 
 
 
4.12
%
 
 
 
 
 
3.99
%
Interest bearing liabilities to earning assets
83.01
%
 
 
 
 
 
86.98
%
 
 
 
 
 
87.79
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1) Tax equivalent basis is calculated using an effective tax rate of 35%.
(2) Includes taxable municipal securities of $109.8 million, $101.2 million and $31.9 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
(3) Nonaccrual loans are included in average loans outstanding.




The following table presents the dollar amount of changes in interest income and interest expense for the major components of interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities. It quantifies the changes in interest income and interest expense related to changes in the average outstanding balances (volume) and those changes caused by fluctuating interest rates. For each category of interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities, information is provided on changes attributable to (i) changes in volume, calculated by multiplying the difference between the average balance for the current period and the average balance for the prior period by the rate for the prior period, and (ii) changes in rate, calculated by multiplying the difference between the rate for the current period and the rate for the prior period by the average balance for the prior period. The unallocated change has been allocated pro rata to volume and rate variances.
ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET INTEREST INCOME(1)
(Dollars in thousands)
 
 
For the years ended December 31,
 
 
2011 Compared to 2010
 
2010 Compared to 2009
 
 
Change Due to
 
Change Due to
 
 
Volume
 
Rate
 
Net
 
Volume
 
Rate
 
Net
EARNING ASSETS / INTEREST INCOME
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investment securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Taxable
 
$
2,743

 
$
(9,055
)
 
$
(6,312
)
 
$
3,813

 
$
(9,088
)
 
$
(5,275
)
Municipals(1)(2)
 
(2,910
)
 
4,764

 
1,854

 
5,114

 
(1,013
)
 
4,101

Interest bearing deposits
 
(1
)
 
(10
)
 
(11
)
 
5

 
(18
)
 
(13
)
Federal funds sold
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(1
)
 
(1
)
Loans and leases(1)(3)
 
385

 
(2,116
)
 
(1,731
)
 
(265
)
 
(2,496
)
 
(2,761
)
TOTAL EARNING ASSETS
 
217

 
(6,417
)
 
(6,200
)
 
8,667

 
(12,616
)
 
(3,949
)
LIABILITIES / INTEREST EXPENSE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest bearing deposits:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Savings
 
276

 
(4,863
)
 
(4,587
)
 
3,954

 
(8,684
)
 
(4,730
)
Time, $100,000 and over
 
(736
)
 
(870
)
 
(1,606
)
 
(2,307
)
 
(1,361
)
 
(3,668
)
Other time deposits
 
(1,484
)
 
(1,371
)
 
(2,855
)
 
(3,216
)
 
(2,858
)
 
(6,074
)
Short-term borrowings
 
10

 
(277
)
 
(267
)
 
292

 
135

 
427

Other borrowings
 
(2,059
)
 
1,837

 
(222
)
 
(1,530
)
 
925

 
(605
)
TOTAL INTEREST BEARING LIABILITIES
 
(3,993
)
 
(5,544
)
 
(9,537
)
 
(2,807
)
 
(11,843
)
 
(14,650
)
NET INTEREST INCOME
 
$
4,210

 
$
(873
)
 
$
3,337

 
$
11,474

 
$
(773
)
 
$
10,701

 
(1) Tax equivalent basis is calculated using an effective tax rate of 35%.
(2) Includes taxable municipal securities of $109.8 million, $101.2 million and $31.9 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
(3) Nonaccrual loans are included in average loans outstanding.

Provision For Loan And Lease Losses

The allowance for loan and lease losses is established through a provision charged to expense to provide, in Heartland management’s opinion, an adequate allowance for loan and lease losses. The adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses is determined by management using factors that include the overall composition of the loan portfolio, general economic conditions, types of loans, loan collateral values, past loss experience, loan delinquencies, substandard credits and doubtful credits. For additional details on the specific factors considered, refer to the critical accounting policies and allowance for loan and lease losses sections of this report. We believe the allowance for loan and lease losses as of December 31, 2011, was at a level commensurate with the overall risk exposure of the loan portfolio. However, if economic conditions should become more unfavorable, certain borrowers may experience difficulty and the level of nonperforming loans, charge-offs and delinquencies could rise and require further increases in the provision for loan and lease losses.

The allowance for loan and lease losses at December 31, 2011, was 1.48% of loans and leases and 64.09% of nonperforming loans compared to 1.82% of loans and leases and 47.12% of nonperforming loans at December 31, 2010, and 1.80% of loans and leases and 53.56% of nonperforming loans at December 31, 2009. The provision for loan losses totaled $29.4 million for




2011 compared to $32.5 million for 2010 and $39.4 million for 2009. Additions to the allowance for loan and lease losses began increasing with the recession in 2008 as depressed economic conditions resulted in increased delinquencies. Particularly affected were our Western markets in Arizona and Montana. The increased, although moderated, provisions continued during 2011 as some individual credits continued to be impacted and updated appraised values of collateral reflected a decline in property values due primarily to a lack of recent comparable sales and an extension of absorption periods.

Noninterest Income

The table below shows our noninterest income for the years indicated:
NONINTEREST INCOME
(Dollars in thousands)
 
 
For the years ended December 31,
 
% Change
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2009
 
2011/
2010
 
2010/
2009
Service charges and fees, net
 
$
14,303

 
$
13,900

 
$
12,541

 
3
%
 
11
 %
Loan servicing income
 
5,932

 
7,232

 
9,666

 
(18
)
 
(25
)
Trust fees
 
9,856

 
9,206

 
7,773

 
7

 
18

Brokerage and insurance commissions
 
3,511

 
3,184

 
3,117

 
10

 
2

Securities gains, net
 
13,104

 
6,834

 
8,648

 
92

 
(21
)
Gain (loss) on trading account securities
 
89

 
(91
)
 
211

 
198

 
(143
)
Impairment loss on equity securities
 
—

 
—

 
(40
)
 
—

 
(100
)
Gains on sale of loans held for sale
 
11,366

 
8,088

 
6,084

 
41

 
33

Income (loss) on bank-owned life insurance
 
1,349

 
1,466

 
1,002

 
(8
)
 
46

Gain on acquisition
 
—

 
—

 
1,296

 
—

 
(100
)
Valuation adjustment on mortgage servicing rights
 
(19
)
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Other noninterest income
 
86

 
2,510

 
2,406

 
(97
)
 
4

Total noninterest income
 
$
59,577

 
$
52,329

 
$
52,704

 
14
%
 
(1
)%

Noninterest income was $59.6 million in 2011 compared to $52.3 million in 2010, an increase of $7.3 million or 14%. Categories contributing to the increase during 2011 compared to 2010 were securities gains, gains on sale of loans held for sale, service charges and fees, trust fees and brokerage and insurance commissions. Noninterest income was $52.3 million during 2010 compared to $52.7 million during 2009, a decrease of $375,000 or 1%. Positively affecting noninterest income during 2010 were increases in service charges and fees, trust fees, gains on sale of loans held for sale and income on bank-owned life insurance. A portion of these increases were offset by decreases in loan servicing income and securities gains. Additionally, noninterest income during 2009 included a $1.3 million gain on acquisition.

During 2011, service charges and fees increased $403,000 or 3% from 2010 to 2011, and increased $1.4 million or 11% from 2009 to 2010. Service charges on checking and savings accounts increased $444,000 or 15% during 2011 to $3.3 million and increased $360,000 or 14% to $2.9 million during 2010 from $2.5 million during 2009. These fees were affected by increased service charges on commercial checking accounts as the earnings credit rate applied to the balances maintained in these accounts were at historically low levels and the resultant earnings credit was not sufficient to cover activity charges on these accounts. Overdraft fees totaled $5.4 million during 2011, $6.1 million during 2010 and $5.9 million in 2009. The $630,000 or 10% decrease in 2011 was primarily due to the implementation of the revisions to Regulation E that were effective August 15, 2010, and the impact of changes initiated to comply with FDIC guidance related to overdraft privilege programs. The Regulation E revisions had minimal impact during the last two quarters of 2010 as our Bank Subsidiaries were able to add 7,000 accounts to their overdraft protection service. Interchange revenue from activity on bank debit cards, along with surcharges on ATM activity, increased $563,000 or 13% from $4.4 million during 2010 to $5.0 million during 2011, and increased $836,000 or 23% from $3.6 million during 2009 to $4.4 million during 2010.

Loan servicing income decreased $1.3 million or 18% during 2011 and $2.4 million or 25% during 2010. Two components of loan servicing income, mortgage servicing rights and amortization of mortgage servicing rights, are dependent upon the level of loans Heartland originates and sells into the secondary market, which in turn is highly influenced by market interest rates for home mortgage loans. Mortgage servicing rights income was $3.7 million during 2011 compared to $5.8 million during 2010 and $8.6 million during 2009. The amortization of mortgage servicing rights was $3.6 million during 2011 compared to $4.1




million during 2010 and $3.6 million during 2009. Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements contains a discussion about our mortgage servicing rights. Long-term mortgage loan rates were at all-time lows during all of 2011 and much of 2010, which resulted in increased residential mortgage loan refinancing activity. Loan servicing income also includes the fees collected for the servicing of mortgage loans for others, which is dependent upon the aggregate outstanding balance of these loans, rather than quarterly production and sale of mortgage loans. Fees collected for the servicing of mortgage loans for others were $3.6 million during 2011 compared to $3.1 million during 2010 and $2.4 million during 2009. The portfolio of mortgage loans serviced for others by Heartland totaled $1.54 billion at December 31, 2011, compared to $1.40 billion at December 31, 2010, and $1.15 billion at December 31, 2009. We intend to continue to emphasize residential mortgage loan origination and expand this line of business during 2012.

Trust fees increased $650,000 or 7% during 2011 and $1.4 million or 18% during 2010. A large portion of trust fees are based upon the market value of the trust assets under management, which was $1.36 billion at December 31, 2011, compared to $1.38 billion at December 31, 2010, and $1.16 billion at December 31, 2009. Those values fluctuate throughout the year as market conditions improve or decline. During 2010, market conditions had stabilized in comparison to 2009. The total number of trust accounts was 1,987 at December 31, 2011, compared to 1,970 at December 31, 2010, and 1,897 at December 31, 2009.

Brokerage and insurance commissions increased $327,000 or 10% during 2011 and $67,000 or 2% during 2010. During 2011, Heartland's customers continued to seek the higher rates offered in fixed income products and also overcame some of their reluctance to invest in equity securities. Consistent with the national market, these commissions were low in 2009 as clients were uncertain about the condition of the financial markets and unwilling to make investments that could result in further losses in their portfolios.

Securities gains totaled $13.1 million during 2011 compared to $6.8 million during 2010 and $8.6 million during 2009. Volatility in the bond market provided opportunities in both 2011 and 2010 to swap securities from one sector of the portfolio to another without significantly changing the duration of the portfolio. One such strategy was the sale of taxable municipal bonds and the reinvestment into tax-exempt municipal bonds in 2011. Another strategy initiated in the second quarter of 2011 shifted a portion of the securities portfolio from agencies to treasuries and shorter-term mortgage-backed securities. Additionally, during the first quarter of 2011, a private label Z tranche security with a book value of $10,000 was sold at a gain of $1.4 million. Seven of these Z tranche securities remain in Heartland's securities available for sale portfolio at a book value of $141,000 and a market value of $3.1 million at December 31, 2011. Management has not determined when any future sales of these securities will occur.

The equity securities trading portfolio recorded gains of $89,000 during 2011 compared to losses of $91,000 during 2010 and gains of $211,000 during 2009. The gains and losses recorded on this portfolio were generally reflective of the overall activity in the stock market.

Gains on sale of loans held for sale totaled $11.4 million during 2011 compared to $8.1 million during 2010, an increase of $3.3 million or 41%. Even though the origination of 15- and 30-year, fixed-rate residential mortgage loans was slower during the first half of 2011 compared to the first half of 2010, the gains on sale of loans increased as a result of better pricing received on the sale of these loans into the secondary market. Beginning in the second quarter of 2011, Heartland began selling a majority of these loans under a bulk delivery method instead of on an individual delivery method. Refinancing activity increased during the third quarter of 2011 as long-term mortgage loan rates again fell to all-time lows, combined with the recent opening of loan production offices, operating under the National Residential Mortgage name, in metro San Diego, California; Austin, Texas; and Reno, Nevada. New residential mortgage loans are originated under the Heartland subsidiary bank brands in current banking markets or under the National Residential Mortgage brand in non-footprint locations. A team of mortgage banking professionals and executives in the Phoenix, Arizona market were hired by Heartland in late 2010. This unit has implemented a highly efficient loan origination process at all Heartland locations. As this unit expands both within and outside the Heartland footprint, management expects to see continued increases in mortgage loan originations from both new purchases and refinancing activity. Gains on sale of loans held for sale totaled $8.1 million during 2010 compared to $6.1 million during 2009, an increase of $2.0 million or 33%. These gains increased during 2010 compared to 2009 as long-term mortgage loan rates fell to historical lows during the last half of 2010 and resulted in increased refinancing activity on 15- and 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage loans which we normally elect to sell into the secondary market and retain the servicing. During 2011, we originated $537.8 million in new and refinanced loans to 2,830 borrowers as compared to $694.3 million to 3,982 borrowers in 2010 and $825.2 million to 4,560 borrowers in 2009. Even though the volume of these types of loans declined year to year, the gains on sale were sequentially higher as a result of more effective pricing on these loans.





Income on bank owned life insurance decreased $117,000 or 8% during 2011 compared to 2010. A large portion of Heartland's bank owned life insurance is held in a separate account product that experienced lower yields during 2011. The change in cash surrender value on bank-owned life insurance resulted in income of $1.5 million during 2010 compared to income of $1.0 million during 2009, as the separate account product experienced improvement in market values during 2010.

Other noninterest income was $86,000 during 2011 compared to $2.5 million during 2010 and $2.4 million during 2009. Affecting other noninterest income were payments due to or from the FDIC under loss share agreements associated with The Elizabeth State Bank acquisition completed on July 2, 2009. Payments due to the FDIC totaled $913,000 during 2011, whereas payments due from the FDIC totaled $652,000 during 2010 and $1.1 million during 2009. During 2010, Heartland recorded other noninterest income for life insurance proceeds of $502,000.

Noninterest Expense

The table below shows our noninterest expense for the years indicated:
<
NONINTEREST EXPENSE
(Dollars in thousands)
 
 
For the years ended December 31,