Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies The accounting and reporting policies of Citizens First Corporation (the “Company”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Citizens First Bank, Inc. (the “Bank”), conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and general practices within the banking industry. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the Bank. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates used in the preparation of the financial statements are based on various factors including the current interest rate environment and the general strength of the local economy. Changes in the overall interest rate environment can significantly affect the Company’s net interest income and the value of its recorded assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates used in the preparation of the financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in the accompanying unaudited financial statements. Those adjustments consist only of normal recurring adjustments. Results of interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year. Recent Accounting Pronouncements–In May 2014 the FASB amended existing guidance related to revenue from contracts with customers. This amendment supersedes and replaces nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance, establishes a new control-based revenue recognition model, changes the basis for deciding when revenue is recognized over time or at a point in time, provides new and more detailed guidance on specific topics and expands and improves disclosures about revenue. The FASB subsequently issued additional ASUs to defer the effective date and provide additional clarifications. These amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. Interest income is outside the scope of this new standard and will not be impacted by its adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on categories of non-interest income, particularly service charges on deposit accounts. The Company does not expect the new standard, or any of the amendments, to result in a material change from our current accounting for revenue. In January 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-01 which amends existing guidance on the classification and measurement of financial instruments. This new standard revises an entity’s accounting related to the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities and the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value. The new standard is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company does not expect that adopting the provisions of ASU 2016-01 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 which establishes the principles to report information about the assets and liabilities that arise from leases. This new standard changes the way operating leases are accounted for and reflected on the lessee’s balance sheet. The new standard is intended to increase transparency and comparability by requiring lessees to recognize the financial obligation and right-of-use asset associated with operating leases that have a lease term of more than 12 months on the balance sheet. The new standard is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this new accounting standard on the consolidated financial statements. Based on the leases outstanding at June 30, 2017, we do not expect the new standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-09 which provides guidance on share-based payment accounting. The new standard includes multiple provisions intended to simplify various aspects of the accounting for share-based payments. The new standard became effective January 1, 2017 and did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which introduces the current expected credit loss (CECL) model and replaces the incurred loss model. The most significant impact for financial institutions will be to the allowance for loan and lease losses (ALLL). The standard allows for various expected credit loss estimation methods and is scalable. This standard is effective for public companies for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. We have attended training sessions and are assessing our data and system needs and evaluating the impact of adopting this new accounting standard. The Company expects to recognize a one-time increase to the allowance for loan losses as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the new standard is effective, but cannot yet determine the magnitude of any such one-time adjustment or the overall impact of this standard on the consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization of Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The final standard will shorten the amortization period for premiums on callable debt securities by requiring that premiums be amortized to the first (or earliest) call date instead of as an adjustment to the yield over the contractual life. The standard is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. This new accounting standard is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The accounting and reporting policies of Citizens First Corporation (the “Company”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Citizens First Bank, Inc. (the “Bank”), conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and general practices within the banking industry. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the Bank. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates used in the preparation of the financial statements are based on various factors including the current interest rate environment and the general strength of the local economy. Changes in the overall interest rate environment can significantly affect the Company’s net interest income and the value of its recorded assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates used in the preparation of the financial statements.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in the accompanying unaudited financial statements. Those adjustments consist only of normal recurring adjustments. Results of interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements–In May 2014 the FASB amended existing guidance related to revenue from contracts with customers. This amendment supersedes and replaces nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance, establishes a new control-based revenue recognition model, changes the basis for deciding when revenue is recognized over time or at a point in time, provides new and more detailed guidance on specific topics and expands and improves disclosures about revenue. The FASB subsequently issued additional ASUs to defer the effective date and provide additional clarifications. These amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. Interest income is outside the scope of this new standard and will not be impacted by its adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on categories of non-interest income, particularly service charges on deposit accounts. The Company does not expect the new standard, or any of the amendments, to result in a material change from our current accounting for revenue.

In January 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-01 which amends existing guidance on the classification and measurement of financial instruments. This new standard revises an entity’s accounting related to the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities and the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value. The new standard is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company does not expect that adopting the provisions of ASU 2016-01 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 which establishes the principles to report information about the assets and liabilities that arise from leases. This new standard changes the way operating leases are accounted for and reflected on the lessee’s balance sheet. The new standard is intended to increase transparency and comparability by requiring lessees to recognize the financial obligation and right-of-use asset associated with operating leases that have a lease term of more than 12 months on the balance sheet. The new standard is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this new accounting standard on the consolidated financial statements. Based on the leases outstanding at June 30, 2017, we do not expect the new standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-09 which provides guidance on share-based payment accounting. The new standard includes multiple provisions intended to simplify various aspects of the accounting for share-based payments. The new standard became effective January 1, 2017 and did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which introduces the current expected credit loss (CECL) model and replaces the incurred loss model. The most significant impact for financial institutions will be to the allowance for loan and lease losses (ALLL). The standard allows for various expected credit loss estimation methods and is scalable. This standard is effective for public companies for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. We have attended training sessions and are assessing our data and system needs and evaluating the impact of adopting this new accounting standard. The Company expects to recognize a one-time increase to the allowance for loan losses as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the new standard is effective, but cannot yet determine the magnitude of any such one-time adjustment or the overall impact of this standard on the consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization of Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The final standard will shorten the amortization period for premiums on callable debt securities by requiring that premiums be amortized to the first (or earliest) call date instead of as an adjustment to the yield over the contractual life. The standard is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. This new accounting standard is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.