BASIS OF PRESENTATION

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

The Consolidated Financial Statements (the “financial statements”) of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Berkshire”) have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company is a Delaware corporation, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and the holding company for Berkshire Bank (the “Bank”), a Massachusetts-chartered trust company headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Berkshire Insurance Group, Inc. These financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and the Bank’s consolidated subsidiaries. In consolidation, all significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated. The results of operations of companies or assets acquired are included only from the dates of acquisition. All material wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries are consolidated unless GAAP requires otherwise.

The Company has evaluated subsequent events for potential recognition and/or disclosure through the date these financial statements were issued.

These interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X, and accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared according to GAAP have been omitted.

The results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and disclosures Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. In management’s opinion, all adjustments necessary for a fair statement are reflected in the interim periods presented.

Reclassifications

Certain items in prior financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Recently Adopted Accounting Principles

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles: Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment.” The ASU simplifies the test for goodwill impairment by eliminating the second step of the current two-step method. Under the new accounting guidance, entities will compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, the entity is required to recognize an impairment charge for this amount. Current guidance requires an entity to proceed to a second step, whereby the entity would determine the fair value of its assets and liabilities. The new method applies to all reporting units. The performance of a qualitative assessment is still allowable. This accounting guidance is effective prospectively for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of ASU No. 2017-04 did not impact the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.” This ASU eliminates, adds, and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. Among the changes, entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU No. 2018-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Entities are also allowed to elect early adoption for the eliminated or modified disclosure requirements and delay adoption of the new disclosure requirements until their effective date. As ASU No. 2018-13 only revises disclosure requirements, it did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract.” ASU No. 2018-15 clarifies certain aspects of ASU No. 2015-05, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud

Computing Arrangement,” which was issued in April 2015. Specifically, ASU No. 2018-15 aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). ASU No. 2018-15 does not affect the accounting for the service element of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. ASU No. 2018-15 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's 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” and related subsequent amendments, which replaces the incurred loss methodology with an expected loss methodology that is referred to as the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology. The measurement of expected losses under the CECL methodology is applicable to financial assets measured at amortized cost, as well as unfunded commitments that are considered off-balance sheet credit exposures at the reporting date. The measurement is based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to enhance their credit loss estimates. The update requires enhanced disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an organization’s portfolio. In addition, the ASU amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. For available for sale debt securities with unrealized losses, Topic 326 requires credit losses to be recognized as an allowance rather than a reduction in the amortized cost of the securities. As a result, improvements to estimated credit losses are recognized immediately in earnings rather than as interest income over time. The current expected credit loss measurement will be used to estimate the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) over the life of the financial assets. The amendments in this update became effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019.

As previously disclosed, the Company assembled a cross-functional working group that met regularly to oversee the implementation plan which included assessment and documentation of processes and internal controls, model development and documentation, assessing existing loan and loss data, assessing models for default and loss estimates, and conducting parallel runs and reviews through December 31, 2019.

Under CECL the Company determines its allowance for credit losses on loans using pools of assets with similar risk characteristics. The Company evaluates its risk characteristics of loans based on regulatory call report code with sub-segmentation based on underlying collateral for certain loan types. Loans that no longer match the risk profile of the pool are individually assessed for credit losses. The Company’s lifetime credit loss models are based on historical data and incorporate forecasts of macroeconomic variables, expected prepayments and recoveries. Enhancements were made in the third quarter of 2020 to the Company’s economic adjustment calculation. The Company implemented segment-level loss calculations based on the equation of the fit line which replaced the previous calculation using a range. This allows the model to calculate a specific point estimate for the loss rate as compared to using a mid-point of a range. Additionally, the Company utilized actual loan runoff by segment whereas previously a calculation was utilized for the weighted average life period. The enhancements to the economic adjustment calculation were accounted for as a change in estimate and were not considered material to the overall calculation. Outside of the model, non-economic qualitative factors are applied to further refine the expected loss calculation for each portfolio. A seven quarter reasonable and supportable forecast period with a 1 year reversion period is currently used for all loan portfolios. When the risk characteristics of a loan no longer match the characteristics of the collective pool, the loan is removed from the pool and individually assessed for credit losses. Generally, non-accrual loans above a threshold deemed appropriate by management, TDRs, potential TDRs, and collateral dependent loans are individually assessed.

The individual assessment for credit impairment is generally based on a discounted cash flow approach unless the asset is collateral dependent. A loan is considered collateral dependent when repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral and the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. Collateral dependent loans are individually assessed and the expected credit loss is based on the fair value of the collateral. The fair value is reduced for estimated costs to sell if the value of the collateral is expected to be realized through sale.

The Company has elected to present accrued interest receivable separately from the amortized cost basis on the balance sheet and is not currently estimating an allowance for credit loss on accrued interest. This election applies to loans as well as debt securities. The Company's non-accrual policies have not changed as a result of adopting CECL.

The Company adopted CECL on January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method for all financial assets measured at amortized cost and off-balance-sheet credit exposures. Results for the reporting periods after January 1, 2020 are presented under Topic 326 while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP. On the adoption date, the Company increased the allowance for credit losses for loans by $25.4 million and increased the allowance for credit losses for unfunded loan commitments by $8.0 million (in other liabilities). The increase related to the Company's acquired loan portfolio totaled $15.3 million. Under the previously applicable accounting guidance, any remaining unamortized loan discount on an individual loan could be used to offset a charge-off for that loan, so the allowance for loan losses needed for the acquired loans was reduced by the remaining loan discounts. The new ASU removes the ability to offset a charge-off against the remaining loan discount and requires an allowance for credit losses to be recognized in addition to the loan discount. The impact of adopting the ASU, and at each subsequent reporting period, is highly dependent on credit quality, macroeconomic forecasts and conditions, composition of our loans and available-for-sale securities portfolio, along with other management judgments. The FASB provided transition relief, allowing entities to irrevocably elect, upon adoption of CECL, the fair value option (FVO) on financial instruments that were previously recorded at amortized cost and are within the scope of ASC 326-20 if the instruments are eligible for the FVO under ASC 825-10. It is applied through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings. The Company elected the FVO for the taxi medallion portfolio resulting in a $15.3 million reduction in loan valuation. As of January 1, 2020, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment of $24.4 million decrease in retained earnings, net of deferred tax balances of $9.0 million.

The Company recorded an allowance for credit losses as of January 1, 2020 on its securities held to maturity of $0.3 million.

The Company adopted CECL using the prospective transition approach for financial assets purchased with credit deterioration (“PCD”) that were previously classified as purchased credit impaired and accounted for under ASC 310-30. In accordance with the standard, Berkshire did not reassess whether PCI assets met the definition of PCD assets as of the date of adoption. On January 1, 2020, the amortized cost basis of the PCD assets were adjusted to reflect the addition of $15.3 million to the allowance for credit losses for loans which is net of $11.9 million adjustment for confirmed losses. The remaining noncredit discount in the amount of $3.2 million will be accreted into interest income at the effective interest rate as of January 1, 2020.

The impact of the January 1, 2020, adoption entry is summarized in the table below:


(in thousands)	December 31, 2019 Pre-ASC 326 Adoption	Impact of Adoption	January 1, 2020 Post-ASC 326 Adoption
Assets:
Loans	9,502,428	—	9,502,428
PCD gross up	—	15,326	15,326
Fair value option	—	(15,291)	(15,291)
Total loans	9,502,428	35	9,502,463
Allowance for credit losses on loans	63,575	25,434	89,009
Allowance for credit losses on securities	—	309	309
Deferred tax assets, net	51,165	8,993	60,158

Liabilities and shareholders' equity:
Other liabilities (ACL unfunded loan commitments)	100	7,993	8,093
Retained earnings	361,082	(24,380)	336,702

In December 2018, the OCC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the FDIC approved a final rule to address changes to credit loss accounting under GAAP, including banking organizations’ implementation of CECL. The final rule provides banking organizations the option to phase in over a three-year period the day-one adverse effects on regulatory capital that may result from the adoption of the new accounting standard. In March 2020, the OCC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the FDIC announced an interim final rule to delay the estimated impact on regulatory capital stemming from the implementation of CECL. The interim final rule maintains the three-year transition option in the previous rule and provides banks the option to delay for two years an estimate of CECL’s effect on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology’s effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period (five-year transition option). The Company is adopting the capital transition relief over the permissible five-year period.

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act, which provides relief from certain requirements under GAAP, was signed into law. Section 4013 of the CARES Act gives entities temporary relief from the accounting and disclosure requirements for troubled debt restructurings ("TDRs") under ASC 310-40 in certain situations. In addition, on April 7, 2020, certain regulatory banking agencies issued an interagency statement that offers practical expedients for evaluating whether loan modifications in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are TDRs. The interagency statement was originally issued on March 22, 2020, but was revised to address the relationship between their original TDR guidance and the guidance in Section 4013 of the CARES Act. To qualify for TDR accounting and disclosure relief under the CARES Act, the applicable loan must not have been more than 30 days past due as of December 31, 2019, and the modification must be executed during the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on the earlier of December 31, 2020, or the date that is 60 days after the termination date of the national emergency declared by the president on March 13, 2020, under the National Emergencies Act related to the outbreak of COVID-19. The CARES Act applies to modifications made as a result of COVID-19, including forbearance agreements, interest rate modifications, repayment plans, and other arrangements to defer or delay payment of principal or interest. The interagency statement does not require the modification to be completed within a certain time period if it is related to COVID-19 and the loan was not more than 30 days past due as of the date of the Company’s implementation of its modification programs. Moreover, the interagency statement applies to short-term modifications including payment deferrals, fee waivers, extensions of repayment terms, or other insignificant payment delays as a result of COVID-19. The Company will apply Section 4013 of the CARES Act and the interagency statement in connection with applicable modifications. For modifications that qualify under either the CARES Act or the interagency statement, TDR accounting and reporting is suspended through the period of the modification; however, the Company will continue to apply its existing non-accrual policies including consideration of the loan's past due status which is determined on the basis of the contractual terms of the loan. Once a loan has been contractually modified, the past due status is generally based on the updated terms including payment deferrals.

Future Application of Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, “Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans.” This ASU amends and modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other post-retirement plans. The amendments in this update remove disclosures that no longer are considered cost beneficial, clarify the specific requirements of disclosures, and add disclosure requirements identified as relevant. ASU No. 2018-14 is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. As ASU No. 2018-14 only revises disclosure requirements, it will not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes.” ASU No. 2019-12 removes specific exceptions to the general principles in FASB ASC Topic 740. It eliminates the need for an organization to analyze whether the following apply in a given period: (1) exception to the incremental approach for intraperiod tax allocation; (2) exceptions to accounting for basis differences when there are ownership changes in foreign investments; and (3) exception in interim period income tax accounting for year-to-date losses that exceed anticipated losses. ASU 2019-12 also improves financial statement preparers’ application of income tax-related guidance and simplifies: (1) franchise taxes that are partially based on income; (2) transactions with a government that result in a step up in the tax basis of goodwill; (3) separate financial statements of legal entities that are not subject to tax; and (4) enacted changes in tax laws in interim periods. The amendments in this ASU become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the new guidance on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-01, “Investments - Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Clarifying the Interactions Between Topic 321, Topic 323, and Topic 815 (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)”. ASU No. 2020-01 clarifies the interaction of the accounting for equity securities under Topic 321 and investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting in Topic 323 and the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchased options accounted for under Topic 815. The amendments clarify that an entity should consider observable transactions that require it to either apply or discontinue the equity method of accounting for the purposes of applying the measurement alternative in accordance with Topic 321 immediately before applying or upon discontinuing the equity method. In addition, this ASU provides direction that a company should not consider whether the underlying securities would be accounted for under the equity method or the fair value option when it is determining the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchased options, upon either settlement or exercise. The amendments in this ASU become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, and the amendments are to be applied prospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the new guidance on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” ASU No. 2020-04 provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to GAAP guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burdens of the expected market transition from LIBOR and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates, such as SOFR. For instance, entities can elect not to apply certain modification accounting requirements to contracts affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. An entity that makes this election would not have to remeasure the contracts at the modification date or reassess a previous accounting determination. Entities can also elect various optional expedients that would allow them to continue applying hedge accounting for hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. Finally, entities can make a one-time election to sell and/or reclassify held-to-maturity debt securities that reference an interest rate affected by reference rate reform. It is anticipated that this ASU will simplify any modifications that are executed between the selected start date (yet to be determined) and December 31, 2022 that are directly related to LIBOR transition by allowing prospective recognition of the continuation of the contract, rather than extinguishment of the old contract resulting in writing off unamortized fees/costs. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the new guidance on the Consolidated Financial Statements.