EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS [Abstract]

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS [Text Block]

NOTE 19 – EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Corporation maintains two frozen qualified noncontributory defined benefit pension plans (the “Pension Plans”), and a related

complementary post-retirement benefit plan (the “Postretirement Benefit Plan”) covering medical benefits and life insurance after

retirement that it obtained in the BSPR acquisition on September 1, 2020. One defined benefit pension plan covers substantially all of

BSPR’s former employees who were active before January 1, 2007, while the other defined benefit pension plan covers personnel of

an institution previously acquired by BSPR. Benefits are based on salary and years of service. The accrual of benefits under the

Pension Plans is frozen to all participants. 

The Corporation requires recognition of a plan’s overfunded and underfunded status as an asset or liability with an offsetting

adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive loss (income) pursuant to the ASC Topic 715, Compensation-Retirement Benefits.

The following table presents the changes in projected benefit obligation and changes in plan assets for the years ended December

31, 2022 and 2021:

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

(In thousands)

Changes in projected benefit obligation:

Projected benefit obligation at the beginning of period, defined benefit pension

plans

$

97,867

$

108,253

Interest cost

2,614

2,473

Actuarial gain

(1)

(21,265)

(6,699)

Benefits paid

(5,708)

(6,160)

Projected benefit obligation at the end of period, pension plans

$

73,508

$

97,867

Projected benefit obligation, other postretirement benefit plan

182

195

Projected benefit obligation at the end of period

$

73,690

$

98,062

Changes in plan assets:

Fair value of plan assets at the beginning of period

$

103,487

$

105,963

Actual return on plan assets - (loss) gain

(20,590)

3,684

Benefits paid

(5,708)

(6,160)

Fair value of pension plan assets at the end of period

(2)

$

77,189

$

103,487

Net asset, pension plans

3,681

5,620

Net benefit obligation, other postretirement benefit plan

(182)

(195)

Net asset

$

3,499

$

5,425

(1)

Significant components of the Pension Plans’ actuarial gain that changed the benefit obligation were mainly related to updates in discount rates.

(2)

Other postretirement plan did not contain any assets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.

The weighted-average discount rate used to determine the benefit obligation as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, was

5.43

% and

2.77

%, respectively. The discount rate is estimated as the single equivalent rate such that the present value of the plan’s projected

benefit obligation cash flows using the single rate equals the present value of those cash flows using the above mean actuarial yield

curve. In developing the expected long-term rate of return assumption, the Corporation evaluated input from a consultant and the

Corporation’s long-term inflation assumptions and interest rate scenarios. Projected returns are based on the same asset categories as

the plan using well-known broad indexes. Expected returns are based on historical returns with adjustments to reflect a more realistic

future return. The Corporation anticipated that the Plan’s portfolio would generate a long-term rate of return of

4.80

% and

4.43

% as of

December 31, 2022 and 2021. Adjustments are done by categories, taking into consideration current and future market conditions. The

Corporation also considered historical returns on its plan assets to review the expected rate of return. The investment policy statement

for the Pension Plans includes the following: (i) liability hedging assets to reduce funded status risk, (ii) diversified return seeking

assets to reduce equity risk, and (iii) establishes different glidepaths specific for each plan to systematically reduce risk as the funded

status improves.

The following table presents information for the plans with a projected benefit obligation and accumulated benefit obligation in

excess of plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

(In thousands)

Projected benefit obligation

$

48,501

$

195

Accumulated benefit obligation

48,501

195

Fair value of plan assets

$

46,398

$

-

The following table presents the components of net periodic benefit for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and for the

period from September 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020:

Affected Line Item

Period from 

in the Consolidated

September 1, 2020 to

Statements of Income

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

(In thousands)

Net periodic benefit, pension plans:

Interest cost

Other expenses

$

2,614

$

2,473

$

900

Expected return on plan assets

Other expenses

(4,158)

(4,523)

(2,062)

Net periodic benefit, pension plans

(1,544)

(2,050)

(1,162)

Net periodic cost, postretirement plan

Other expenses

8

6

2

Net periodic benefit

$

(1,536)

$

(2,044)

$

(1,160)

The following table presents the weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net periodic benefit for the pension and other

postretirement benefit plans for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and for the period from September 1, 2020 to

December 31, 2020:

Period from 

September 1, 2020 to

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

Discount rate

2.77%

2.36%

2.53%

Expected return on plan assets

4.43%

5.99%

5.98%

The following table presents the changes in pre-tax accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) of the Pension Plans and

Postretirement Benefit Plan as of December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020:

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

Period from

September 1, 2020 

to 

December 31, 2020

(In thousands)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at beginning of period, pension plans

$

5,457

$

(404)

$

-

Net (loss) gain

(3,483)

5,861

(404)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at end of period, pension plans

1,974

5,457

(404)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss at end of period, postretirement plan

(61)

(29)

(28)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at end of period

$

1,913

$

5,428

$

(432)

The following are the pre-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income for the years ended December

31, 2022 and 2021, and for the period from September 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020:

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

Period from

September 1, 2020

to December 31,

2020

(In thousands)

Net actuarial (loss) gain, pension plans

$

(3,483)

$

5,861

$

(404)

Net actuarial loss, other postretirement benefit plan

(35)

(2)

(28)

Amortization of net loss

3

1

-

Net amount recognized

$

(3,515)

$

5,860

$

(432)

The Pension Plans asset allocations as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 by asset category are as follows:

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

Asset category

Investment in funds

97%

98%

Other

3%

2%

100%

100%

As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, substantially all of the plan assets of $

77.2

 million and $

103.5

 million, respectively, were

invested in common collective trusts, which primarily consist of equity securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate bonds and

U.S. Treasuries. The portfolios in both plans have been measured at fair value using the net asset value per unit as a practical

expedient as permitted by ASC Topic 820 and, accordingly, have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy as of December 31,

2022. 

Determination of Fair Value

The following is a description of the valuation inputs and techniques used to measure the fair value of pension plan assets: 

Investment in Funds -

Investment in common collective trusts have been measured at fair value using the net assets value per unit

practical expedient and, accordingly, have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. Fair value is based on the calculated net asset

value of shares held by the Plan as reported by the sponsor of the funds.

Interest-Bearing Deposits -

Interest-bearing deposits consist of money market accounts with short-term maturities and, therefore,

the carrying value approximates fair value.

The Corporation does

no

t expect to contribute to the Pension Plans during 2023.

The Corporation’s investment policy with respect to the Corporation’s Pension Plans is to optimize, without undue risk, the total

return on investment of the Plan assets after inflation, within a framework of prudent and reasonable portfolio risk. The investment

portfolio is diversified in multiple asset classes to reduce portfolio risk, and assets may be shifted between asset classes to reduce

volatility when warranted by projections of the economic and/or financial market environment, consistent with Employee Retirement

Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). As circumstances and market conditions change, the Corporation’s target asset

allocations may be amended to reflect the most appropriate distribution given the new environment, consistent with the investment

objectives. 

Expected future benefit payments for the plans are as follows:

Amount

(Dollars in thousands)

2023

$

6,436

2024

6,292

2025

5,985

2026

5,999

2027

5,860

2028 through 2031

27,411

$

57,983

Defined Contribution Plan

In addition, FirstBank provides contributory retirement plans pursuant to Section 1081.01 of the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue

Code of 2011 (the “2011 PR Code”) for Puerto Rico employees and Section 401(k) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code for USVI and

U.S. employees (the “Plans”). All of the Corporation’s full-time employees are eligible to participate in the Plans after completion of

three months of service for purposes of making elective deferral contributions and one year of service for purposes of sharing in the

Bank’s matching, qualified matching, and qualified non-elective contributions. The Bank contributes a matching contribution of

fifty

cents for every dollar up to the first

6

% of the participants’ eligible compensation that a participant contributes to the Plan on a pre-

tax basis.

The matching contribution of fifty cents for every dollar of the employee’s contribution is comprised of: (i) twenty-five

cents for every dollar of the employee’s contribution up to 6% of the employee’s eligible compensation to be paid to the Plan as of

each bi-weekly payroll; and (ii) an additional twenty-five cents for every dollar of the employee’s contribution up to 6% of the

employee’s eligible compensation to be deposited as a lump sum subsequent to the Plan Year.

 Puerto Rico employees were permitted

to contribute up to $

15,000

 for each of the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (USVI and U.S. employees - $

20,500

 for

2022, $

19,500

 for 2021 and $

19,500

 for 2020). Additional contributions to the Plans may be voluntarily made by the Bank as

determined by its Board of Directors.

No

 additional discretionary contributions were made for the years ended December 31, 2022,

2021, and 2020. The Bank had total plan expenses of $

3.5

 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 (2021 - $

3.5

 million; 2020 -

$

3.0

 million).

On September 1, 2020, the Bank completed the acquisition of Santander Bancorp, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Santander

Holdings USA, Inc. and the holding company of BSPR. Prior to the acquisition date, BSPR was the sponsor of the Banco Santander

de Puerto Rico Employees’ Savings Plan (“the Santander Plan”). Effective on September 1, 2020, the Bank became the sponsor of the

Santander Plan. Overall responsibility for administrating the Santander Plan rests with the Plan’s Administration Committee. Effective

December 31, 2020, the Santander Plan was merged with the Plans. The contributory savings plan assumed in the BSPR acquisition

also provided for matching contribution up to

6

% of the employee’s compensation.