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ACCOUNTING POLICIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]  
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
2.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The most significant accounting policies followed by the Company are presented in Note 1 to the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. These policies, along with the disclosures presented in the other financial statement notes and in this discussion, provide information on how significant assets and liabilities are valued in the financial statements and how those values are determined. Based on the valuation techniques used and the sensitivity of financial statement amounts to the methods, assumptions, and estimates underlying those amounts, Management has identified the allowance for loan losses accounting to be the accounting area requiring the most subjective or complex judgments, and as such the accounting area that could be most subject to revision as new information becomes available. A discussion of the factors affecting accounting for the allowance for loan losses is included in the “Asset Quality” and “Allowance for Loan Losses” discussions below. Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.
Application of these principles requires the Company to make certain estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates, assumptions, and judgments are based on information available as of the date of the financial statements; accordingly, as this information changes, the financial statements could reflect different estimates, assumptions, and judgments. Certain accounting policies inherently have a greater reliance on the use of estimates, assumptions and judgments and as such have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported. Estimates, assumptions and judgments are necessary when assets and liabilities are required to be recorded at fair value, when a decline in the value of an asset not carried on the financial statements at fair value warrants an impairment writedown or valuation reserve to be established, or when an asset or liability needs to be recorded contingent upon a future event. Carrying assets and liabilities at fair value inherently results in more financial statement volatility. The fair values and the information used to record valuation adjustments for certain assets and liabilities are based either on quoted market prices or are provided by other third-party sources, when available.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards:

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).  The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019.  The Company adopted the new guidance using the optional transition method provided in ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements.  This modified transition method allowed the Company to initially apply the new leases standard at the adoption date and allowed the Company to continue reporting comparative periods presented in the financial statements in accordance with legacy guidance in ASC 840.  See Note 11, Leases.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements:

In March 2019, FASB issued ASU 2019-01, Leases (Topic 842): Codification Improvements.  These amendments align the guidance for fair value of the underlying asset by lessors that are not manufacturers or dealers in Topic 842 with that of existing guidance (Issue 1).  This ASU also requires lessors within the scope of Topic 942, Financial Services - Depository and Lending, to present all "principal payments received under leases" within investing activities (Issue 2).  Finally, this ASU exempts both lessees and lessors from having to provide certain interim disclosures in the fiscal year in which a company adopts the new leases standard (Issue 3).  Issue 1 and Issue 2 are effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years.  Issue 3 is effective for public companies for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018.  The Company adopted Issue 3 of ASU 2019-01 on January 1, 2019, which did not have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.  See Note 11, Leases.

In November 2018, FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses.  The guidance clarifies that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather should be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard.  The effective date and transition requirements are the same as the effective dates and transition requirements in the credit losses standard, ASU 2016-13.  The Company does not expect the adoption of this update to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.  The amendments in ASU 2016-13, among other things, require the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts.  Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to better inform their credit loss estimates.  Many of the loss estimation techniques applied today will still be permitted, although the inputs to those techniques will change to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses.  In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration.  The amendments are effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019.  Early application will be permitted for all organizations for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018.  On October 16, 2019, the FASB voted to delay the adoption of ASU 2016-13 until January 1, 2023 for small reporting companies with less than $250 million in public float as defined in the SEC's rules.  The Company qualifies for this delay in adoption.  We are currently evaluating the potential impact of ASU 2016-13 on our financial statements. In that regard, we have formed a cross-functional working group, under the direction of our Chief Financial Officer and our Chief Credit Officer. The working group is comprised of individuals from various functional areas including credit risk, finance and information technology, among others. We are currently working through our implementation plan which includes assessment and documentation of processes, internal controls and data sources; model development and documentation; and system configuration, among other things. We are also in the process of implementing a third-party vendor solution to assist us in the application of ASU 2016-13. The adoption of ASU 2016-13 could result in an increase in the allowance for loan losses as a result of changing from an “incurred loss” model, which encompasses allowances for current known and inherent losses within the portfolio, to an “expected loss” model, which encompasses allowances for losses expected to be incurred over the life of the portfolio. Furthermore, ASU 2016-13 will necessitate that we establish an allowance for expected credit losses for certain debt securities and other financial assets. While we are currently unable to reasonably estimate the impact of adopting ASU 2016-13, we expect that the impact of adoption will be significantly influenced by the composition, characteristics and quality of our loan and securities portfolios as well as the prevailing economic conditions and forecasts as of the adoption date.

In April 2019, FASB issued ASU 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and Topic 825, Financial Instruments.  These amendments clarify and improve areas of guidance related to the recently issued standards on credit losses, hedging, and recognition and measurement.  The Company does not expect the adoption of this update to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2019, FASB issued ASU 2019-05, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Targeted Transition Relief.  These amendments provide entities that have certain instruments within the scope of Subtopic 326-20, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses—Measured at Amortized Cost, with an option to irrevocably elect the fair value option in Subtopic 825-10, Financial Instruments—Overall, applied on an instrument-by-instrument basis for eligible instruments, upon adoption of Topic 326. The fair value option election does not apply to held-to-maturity debt securities. An entity that elects the fair value option should subsequently apply the guidance in Subtopics 820-10, Fair Value Measurement—Overall, and 825-10.  The effective date and transition methodology are the same as in ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.  The Company does not expect the adoption of this update to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.