Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation	1) Basis of Presentation The unaudited consolidated financial statements of Heritage Commerce Corp (the "Company" or "HCC") and its wholly owned subsidiary, Heritage Bank of Commerce (the "Bank" or "HBC"), have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations for reporting on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for annual financial statements are not included herein. The interim statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes that were included in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company also established the following unconsolidated subsidiary grantor trusts: Heritage Capital Trust I; Heritage Statutory Trust I; Heritage Statutory Trust II; and Heritage Commerce Corp Statutory Trust III, which were Delaware Statutory business trusts formed for the exclusive purpose of issuing and selling trust preferred securities. During the third quarter of 2012, the Company dissolved the Heritage Statutory Trust I and the Heritage Capital Trust I. During the third quarter of 2013, the Company dissolved the Heritage Statutory Trust II and the Heritage Commerce Corp Statutory Trust III. HBC is a commercial bank serving customers located in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Benito counties of California. No customer accounts for more than 10 percent of revenue for HBC or the Company. Management evaluates the Company's performance as a whole and does not allocate resources based on the performance of different lending or transaction activities. Accordingly, the Company and its subsidiary operate as one business segment. In management's opinion, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of these consolidated financial statements have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for any subsequent period or for the entire year ending December 31, 2014. *Reclassifications* Certain reclassifications of prior year balances have been made to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or net change in cash and cash equivalents. *Adoption of New Accounting Standards* In January 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended existing guidance clarifying that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. Additionally, the amendments require interim and annual disclosure of both (1) the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and (2) the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdiction. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. For entities other than public business entities, the amendments in this update are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company has evaluated the adoption of the new guidance and has determined it will not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In January 2014, the FASB issued guidance for accounting for investments in qualified affordable housing projects, which represents a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force and sets forth new accounting for qualifying investments in flow through limited liability entities that invest in affordable housing projects. The new guidance allows a limited liability investor that meets certain conditions to amortize the cost of its investment in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits it receives. The new accounting method, referred to as the proportional amortization method, allows amortization of the tax credit investment to be reflected along with the primary benefits, the tax credits and other tax benefits, on a net basis in the income statement within the income tax expense (benefit) line. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014. For all other entities, the guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. If elected, the proportional amortization method is required to be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted in the annual period for which financial statements have not been issued. The Company adopted the proportional amortization method of accounting for its low income housing investments in the third quarter of 2014. The Company quantified the impact of adopting the proportional amortization method compared to the equity method to its current year and prior period financial statements. The Company determined that the adoption of the proportional amortization method did not have a material impact to its financial statements; therefore, the Company did not adjust its prior period financial statements. As a result of the change in accounting method, the Company reclassified $353,000 of low income housing investment losses during the third quarter of 2014 that was previously reported as noninterest expense for the first six months of 2014. The low income housing investment losses, net of the tax benefits received, are included in income tax expense on the consolidated statements of income for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2014. The change in accounting method also resulted in an increase in the effective tax rate to 40.4% and 36.1% for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively, compared to 32.0% and 30.1% for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2013. Under the equity method of accounting for the low income housing investments for the three months ended September 30, 2014, the low income housing investment losses included in noninterest expense would have been $261,000, income tax expense would have been $1,715,000 and the effective tax rate would have been 33.4%. Under the equity method of accounting for the low income housing investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the low income housing investment losses included in noninterest expense would have been $614,000, income tax expense would have been $4,938,000 and the effective tax rate would have been 33.5%. In May 2014, the FASB issued an update to the guidance for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The guidance in this update affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (for example, insurance contracts or lease contracts). The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides steps to follow to achieve the core principle. An entity should disclose sufficient information to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. Qualitative and quantitative information is required about contracts with customers, significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. The amendments in this update become effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We are evaluating the impact of adopting the new guidance on the consolidated financial statements.

1) Basis of Presentation

The unaudited consolidated financial statements of Heritage Commerce Corp (the "Company" or "HCC") and its wholly owned subsidiary, Heritage Bank of Commerce (the "Bank" or "HBC"), have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations for reporting on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for annual financial statements are not included herein. The interim statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes that were included in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company also established the following unconsolidated subsidiary grantor trusts: Heritage Capital Trust I; Heritage Statutory Trust I; Heritage Statutory Trust II; and Heritage Commerce Corp Statutory Trust III, which were Delaware Statutory business trusts formed for the exclusive purpose of issuing and selling trust preferred securities. During the third quarter of 2012, the Company dissolved the Heritage Statutory Trust I and the Heritage Capital Trust I. During the third quarter of 2013, the Company dissolved the Heritage Statutory Trust II and the Heritage Commerce Corp Statutory Trust III.

HBC is a commercial bank serving customers located in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Benito counties of California. No customer accounts for more than 10 percent of revenue for HBC or the Company. Management evaluates the Company's performance as a whole and does not allocate resources based on the performance of different lending or transaction activities. Accordingly, the Company and its subsidiary operate as one business segment.

In management's opinion, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of these consolidated financial statements have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates.

The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for any subsequent period or for the entire year ending December 31, 2014.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications of prior year balances have been made to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or net change in cash and cash equivalents.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

In January 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended existing guidance clarifying that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. Additionally, the amendments require interim and annual disclosure of both (1) the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and (2) the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdiction. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. For entities other than public business entities, the amendments in this update are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company has evaluated the adoption of the new guidance and has determined it will not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In January 2014, the FASB issued guidance for accounting for investments in qualified affordable housing projects, which represents a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force and sets forth new accounting for qualifying investments in flow through limited liability entities that invest in affordable housing projects. The new guidance allows a limited liability investor that meets certain conditions to amortize the cost of its investment in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits it receives. The new accounting method, referred to as the proportional amortization method, allows amortization of the tax credit investment to be reflected along with the primary benefits, the tax credits and other tax benefits, on a net basis in the income statement within the income tax expense (benefit) line. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014. For all other entities, the guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. If elected, the proportional amortization method is required to be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted in the annual period for which financial statements have not been issued.

The Company adopted the proportional amortization method of accounting for its low income housing investments in the third quarter of 2014. The Company quantified the impact of adopting the proportional amortization method compared to the equity method to its current year and prior period financial statements. The Company determined that the adoption of the proportional amortization method did not have a material impact to its financial statements; therefore, the Company did not adjust its prior period financial statements. As a result of the change in accounting method, the Company reclassified $353,000 of low income housing investment losses during the third quarter of 2014 that was previously reported as noninterest expense for the first six months of 2014. The low income housing investment losses, net of the tax benefits received, are included in income tax expense on the consolidated statements of income for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2014. The change in accounting method also resulted in an increase in the effective tax rate to 40.4% and 36.1% for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively, compared to 32.0% and 30.1% for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2013. Under the equity method of accounting for the low income housing investments for the three months ended September 30, 2014, the low income housing investment losses included in noninterest expense would have been $261,000, income tax expense would have been $1,715,000 and the effective tax rate would have been 33.4%. Under the equity method of accounting for the low income housing investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the low income housing investment losses included in noninterest expense would have been $614,000, income tax expense would have been $4,938,000 and the effective tax rate would have been 33.5%.

In May 2014, the FASB issued an update to the guidance for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The guidance in this update affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (for example, insurance contracts or lease contracts). The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides steps to follow to achieve the core principle. An entity should disclose sufficient information to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. Qualitative and quantitative information is required about contracts with customers, significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. The amendments in this update become effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We are evaluating the impact of adopting the new guidance on the consolidated financial statements.