ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements:

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-02, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326) and Leases (Topic 842): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 119 and Update to SEC Section on Effective Date Related to Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).  This ASU adds an SEC paragraph pursuant to the issuance of SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 119 on loan losses to the FASB Codification Topic 326. This ASU also updates the SEC section of the Codification for the change in the effective date of Topic 842.  This ASU was effective upon addition to the FASB Codification.  The Company adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), on January 1, 2019.  ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), is effective on January 1, 2023 for smaller reporting companies with less than $250 million in public float as defined in the SEC's rules.  The Company presently is a smaller reporting company.  The Company will apply the amendment's provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings at the beginning of the first period the amendment is effective.  The Company has formed a team that is working on an implementation plan to adopt the amendment.  The implementation plan will include developing policies, procedures and internal controls over the model.  The Company is also working with a software vendor to measure expected losses required by the amendment.  The Company is currently evaluating the effects that the adoption of this amendment will have on its consolidated financial statements and expects that the portfolio composition and economic conditions at the time of adoption will influence the accounting adjustment made at the time the amendment is adopted.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848).  This ASU provides temporary optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform.  This ASU provides optional expedients and exceptions for contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or other reference rates expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform.  This ASU was effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022.  As of January 1, 2022, the Company is no longer originating LIBOR-based loans and is originating new variable rate loans using the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).  For existing LIBOR based loans, the Company is monitoring the development and reporting of fallback indices.  The Company does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848).  This ASU applies to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference LIBOR or other rate references expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. The amendments in this ASU are elective and apply to all entities that have derivative instruments that use an interest rate that will be modified by reference rate reform. This ASU provides implementation guidance to clarify that certain optional expedients and exceptions in Topic 848 may be applied to derivative instruments. This ASU may be elected on a full retrospective basis for any interim period subsequent to March 12, 2020, or on a prospective basis to new modifications from any date subsequent to the date of issuance.  The Company is evaluating the optional election of this ASU for the transition from LIBOR to a new reference rate.  The Company does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In March 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-02, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures.  These amendments eliminate the TDR recognition and measurement guidance and, instead, require that an entity evaluate (consistent with the accounting for other loan modifications) whether the modification represents a new loan or a continuation of an existing loan. The amendments also enhance existing disclosure requirements and introduce new requirements related to certain modifications of receivables made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty.  For public business entities, these amendments require that an entity disclose current-period gross writeoffs by year of origination for financing receivables and net investment in leases within the scope of Subtopic 326-20.  This ASU is effective on January 1, 2023, the same effective date as ASU 2016-13.  The Company is currently evaluating the effects that the adoption of this amendment will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Salre Restrictions.  These amendments clarify that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value.   This ASU is effective for fiscal years, including interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2023.  The Company does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.