Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation, Policy

Principles of Consolidation—The accounting and reporting policies of the Company are in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and conform to practices within the banking industry. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, principally the Bank. Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy

Cash and Cash Equivalents—Cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks, interest-earning deposits, and federal funds sold, which have original maturities less than 90 days. The Company may be required to maintain reserve and clearing balances with the Federal Reserve Bank under the Federal Reserve Act. The reserve and clearing requirement balance was $0 at December 31, 2022 and 2021. Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions, investment transactions, federal funds purchased, deferred income taxes, and other assets and liabilities.

Interest Bearing Deposits in Other Financial Institutions, Policy

Interest-Bearing Deposits in Other Financial Institutions—Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions are comprised of the Company’s investments in certificates of deposits that have original maturities greater than 90 days.

Investment Securities, Policy

Investment Securities—Securities are classified and accounted for as follows:

(i)Securities that the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as “held to maturity” and reported at amortized cost.

(ii)Securities are classified as “available for sale” when they might be sold before maturity and are reported at fair value. Unrealized holding gains and losses are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes.

Accreted discounts and amortized premiums on securities are included in interest income using the interest method, and realized gains or losses related to sales of securities recorded on trade date and are calculated using the specific identification method, without anticipating prepayments, except for mortgage-backed securities where prepayments are expected.

The Company has made a policy election to exclude accrued interest from the amortized cost basis of debt securities and report accrued interest separately in accrued interest and other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Investment securities available for sale and held to maturity are placed on non-accrual status when management no longer expects to receive all contractual amounts due, which is generally at 90 days past due. Accrued interest receivable is reversed against interest income when a security is placed on non-accrual status. Accordingly, the Company does not recognize an allowance for credit loss against accrued interest receivable.

Management may transfer investment securities classified as AFS to HTM when upon reassessment it is determined that the Company has both the positive intent and ability to hold these securities to maturity. The investment securities are transferred at fair value resulting in a premium or discount recorded on the transfer date. Unrealized gains or losses at the date of transfer continue to be reported as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income/loss, net (“AOCI”). The premium or discount and the unrealized gain or loss, net of tax, in AOCI will be amortized to interest income over the remaining life of the securities using the interest method. In 2022, the Company transferred $239.0 million in fair value of available for sale securities to held to maturity. There were no transfers in 2021.

Investment securities AFS are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, reported as a separate component of AOCI. For investment securities AFS in an unrealized loss position, the Company first assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more-likely-than-not that it will be required to sell, the securities before recovery of the amortized cost basis. If either of these criteria is met, the securities’ amortized cost basis is written down to fair value as a current period expense recorded on the consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income. If either of the above criteria is not met, management evaluates whether the decline in fair value is the result of credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, management may consider various factors including the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, performance of any underlying collateral and adverse conditions specifically related to the security, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security and any excess is recorded as an allowance for credit losses, limited to the amount by which the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Any impairment not recorded through an allowance for credit losses is recognized in AOCI, net of tax, as a non-credit related impairment.

For allowance for credit losses on investment securities AFS and HTM, refer to the Allowance for Credit Losses on Securities Available for Sale and Allowance for Credit Losses on Securities Held to Maturity sections of Note 3 “Investment Securities” for details.

Equity Investments, Policy

Equity Investments—Equity investments include mutual funds, correspondent bank stock, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (“CDFI”) investments, and Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) investments. The Company’s mutual funds are considered equity investments with readily determinable fair values and changes to fair value are recorded in other noninterest income. The Company’s investment in correspondent bank stock, CDFI investments, and CRA investments are equity investments without readily determinable fair values. Equity investments without readily determinable fair values are measured at cost, less impairment, and are adjusted for observable price changes which is recorded in noninterest income.

Financing Receivables

Loans Held for Sale—Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and residential mortgage loans that the Company has the intent to sell prior to maturity have been designated as held for sale at origination and are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value, on an aggregate basis. Certain loans which were originated with the intent to hold to maturity are subsequently transferred to held for sale once there is an intent to sell the loan. A valuation allowance is established if the aggregate fair value of such loans is lower than their cost and charged to earnings. Gains or losses recognized upon the sale of loans are determined on a specific identification basis. Loan transfers are accounted for as sales when control over the loan has been surrendered. Control over such loans is deemed to be surrendered when (1) the assets have been isolated from the Company, (2) the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets and (3) the Company does not maintain control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.

Loans—Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are reported at the amount of unpaid principal, adjusted for net deferred fees and costs, premiums and discounts, purchase accounting fair value adjustments, and allowance for credit losses. Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. Nonrefundable loan origination fees and certain direct origination costs are deferred and recognized in interest income using the level-yield method over the life of the loan. Interest on loans is credited to income as earned and is accrued only if deemed collectible.

The loan portfolio consists of four segments: real estate, commercial business, residential mortgage, and consumer and other loans. Real estate loans are extended for the purchase and refinance of commercial real estate and are generally secured by

first deeds of trust and are collateralized by residential or commercial properties. Commercial business loans are loans provided

to businesses for various purposes such as for working capital, purchasing inventory, debt refinancing, business acquisitions, international trade finance activities, and other business related financing needs and also include warehouse lines of credit,

syndicated loans, and SBA Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans. Residential mortgage loans are extended for personal, family, or household use and are secured by a mortgage or deed of trust. Consumer and other loans consist of home equity, credit card, and other personal loans.

On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13, or CECL, using the modified retrospective method for all of its loans measured at amortized cost. With the adoption of CECL, the Company reassessed its loan portfolio segments and classes of loans receivable and made changes based on the new allowance for credit losses methodology. As a result, the Company now

discloses residential mortgage loans as a separate segment and class of receivable. Trade finance loans, which were previously disclosed as a distinct segment and class of receivable, are now combined with commercial business loans. Prior period balances have been reclassified to conform with the current presentation.

Generally, loans are placed on nonaccrual status and the accrual of interest is discontinued if principal or interest payments become 90 days past due and/or management deems the collectability of the principal and/or interest to be in question. Loans to a customer whose financial condition has deteriorated are considered for nonaccrual status whether or not the loan is 90 days or more past due. Generally, payments received on nonaccrual loans are recorded as principal reductions. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

Other loan fees and charges, representing service costs for the prepayment of loans, for delinquent payments, or for miscellaneous loan services, are recorded as income when collected.

The Company categorizes loans into risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of borrowers to service their debt, including, but not limited to, current financial information, historical payment experience, credit documentation, public information, and current economic trends. Homogeneous loans (i.e., home mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, overdraft loans, express business loans, and automobile loans) are not risk rated and credit risk is analyzed largely by the number of days past due. This analysis is performed at least on a quarterly basis:

•Pass: Loans that meet a preponderance or more of the Company’s underwriting criteria and that evidence an acceptable level of risk.

•Special Mention: Loans classified as special mention have a potential weakness that deserves management’s close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or of the institution’s credit position at some future date.

•Substandard: Loans classified as substandard are inadequately protected by the current net worth and paying capacity of the borrower or by the collateral pledged, if any. Loans in this classification have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the repayment of the debt. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that the institution will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.

•Doubtful/Loss: Loans classified as doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as substandard, with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or repayment in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, highly questionable and improbable.

Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”)—The Company calculates its ACL by estimating expected credit losses on a collective basis for loans that share similar risk characteristics. Loans that do not share similar risk characteristics with other loans are evaluated for credit losses on an individual basis. The Company differentiates its loan segments based on shared risk characteristics for which allowance for credit losses is measured on a collective basis.

	Risk Characteristics
Real estate	Property type, location, owner occupied status
Commercial business	Delinquency status, risk rating, industry type
Residential mortgage	FICO score, LTV, delinquency status, maturity date, collateral value, location
Consumer and other	Historical losses

The Company uses a combination of a modeled and non-modeled approach that incorporates current and future economic conditions to estimate lifetime expected losses on a collective basis. The Company uses Probability of Default (“PD”), Loss Given Default (“LGD”), and Exposure at Default (“EAD”) methodologies with quantitative factors and qualitative considerations in calculation of the allowance for credit losses for collectively assessed loans. The Company uses a reasonable and supportable period of 2 years at which point loss assumptions revert back to historical loss information by means of 1 year reversion period. For a discussion of the Company’s former incurred loss allowance for loan losses methodology, please refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The ACL for the Company’s construction, credit card, and certain consumer loans is calculated based on a non-modeled approach utilizing historical loss rates to estimate losses. A non-modeled approach was chosen for these loans as fewer data points exist which could result in high levels of estimated loss volatility under a modeled approach. Materiality was another factor in using a non-modeled approach for these loans as in aggregate, non-modeled loans represented approximately 1% of the Company’s total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2022.

The Economic Forecast Committee (“EFC”) reviews multiple scenarios put together by an independent third party and chooses a single scenario that best aligns with management’s expectation of future economic conditions. The forecast scenarios contain certain macroeconomic variables that are incorporated into the Company’s modeling process, including GDP, unemployment rates, interest rates, and commercial real estate prices. As of December 31, 2022, the Company chose a forecast scenario that incorporated the latest projected economic assumptions. The allowance for credit losses at December 31, 2022 utilized the Moody’s consensus scenario, as well as more specific information, including updated market data which reflects the economic conditions that align with management’s view. In the prior year, the Company also utilized Moody’s consensus scenario in its ACL calculation.

Additionally, in order to systematically quantify the credit risk impact of other trends and changes within the loan portfolio that may not be captured by the modeled and non-modeled approach, the Company utilizes qualitative adjustments to estimate total expected losses. The parameters for making adjustments are established under a Credit Risk Matrix that provides different possible scenarios for each of the factors below. The Credit Risk Matrix and the possible scenarios enable the Bank to qualitatively adjust the allowance for credit losses by as much as 25 basis points for each factor. This matrix considers the following seven factors, which are patterned after the guidelines provided under the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (“FFIEC”) Interagency Policy Statement on the Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, updated to reflect the application of the CECL methodology:

•Changes in lending policies and procedures, including underwriting standards and collection, charge-off, and recovery practices;

•Changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio;

•Changes in the experience, ability and depth of lending management and staff;

•Changes in the trends of the volume and severity of past due loans, classified loans, nonaccrual loans, troubled debt restructurings and other loan modifications;

•Changes in the quality of the loan review system and the degree of oversight by the Directors;

•The existence and effect of any concentrations of credit and changes in the level of such concentrations; and

•The effect of other external factors, such as competition, legal and regulatory requirements, and others that have an impact on the level of estimated losses in the Company’s loan portfolio.

For loans which do not share similar risk characteristics such as nonaccrual and TDR loans above $1.0 million, the Company evaluates these loans on an individual basis in accordance with ASC 326. These nonaccrual and TDR loans are considered to have different risk profiles than performing loans and therefore are evaluated separately. The Company collectively assesses TDRs and nonaccrual loans with balances below $1.0 million along with the performing and accrual loans in order to reduce the operational burden of individually assessing small TDR and nonaccrual loans with immaterial balances. For individually assessed loans, the ACL is measured using either 1) the present value of future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate; 2) the loan’s observable market price; or 3) the fair value of the collateral, if the loan is collateral dependent. For the collateral dependent loans, the Company obtains a new appraisal to determine the fair value of underlying loan collateral. The appraisals are based on an “as-is” valuation. To ensure that appraised values remain current, the Company either obtains updated appraisals every twelve months from a qualified independent appraiser or an internal evaluation of the collateral is performed by qualified personnel. If the third party market data indicates that the value of the collateral property has declined since the most recent valuation date, management adjusts the value of the property downward to reflect current market conditions. If the fair value of the collateral is less than the amortized balance of the loan, the Company recognizes an ACL with a corresponding charge to the provision for credit losses.

TDR loans are individually evaluated in accordance with ASC 310 and ASC 326. The concessions may be granted in various forms, including reduction in the stated interest rate, reduction in the amount of principal amortization, forgiveness of a portion of a loan balance or accrued interest, or extension of the maturity date. In order to determine whether a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty, an evaluation is performed on the probability that the borrower will be in payment default on their debt in the foreseeable future without the modification. This evaluation is performed under the Bank’s internal underwriting policy.

TDR loans on accrual status are comprised of loans that were accruing at the time of restructuring and for which the Company anticipates full repayment of both principal and interest under the restructured terms. TDR loans that are on nonaccrual status can be returned to accrual status after a period of sustained performance, generally determined to be six months of timely payments as modified. Sustained performance includes the periods prior to the modification and if the prior performance met or exceeded the modified terms.

With the adoption of CECL, the Company elected not to consider accrued interest receivable in its estimates of expected credit losses because the Company writes off uncollectible accrued interest receivable in a timely manner. The Company considers writing off accrued interest amounts once the amounts become 90 days past due to be considered within a timely manner for all of its loan segments. The Company has elected to write off accrued interest receivables by reversing interest income.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provides banks the option to temporarily suspend certain requirements under U.S. GAAP related to TDR accounting for a limited period of time to account for the effects of COVID-19 if (i) the loan modification is made between March 1, 2020 and the earlier of January 1, 2022 or 60 days after the end of the coronavirus emergency declaration and (ii) the applicable loan was not more than 30 days past due as of December 31, 2019. As such, all modified loans that met the criteria outlined within Section 4013 of the CARES Act were not classified as TDR loans unless the loans were TDR prior to the COVID-19 modification. The balance of active modified loans under the CARES Act and not subject to TDR accounting was $0 at December 31, 2022 and $22.8 million at December 31, 2021.

Purchase Credit Deteriorated (“PCD”) — PCD is a classification of purchased financial assets for which there has been a more-than insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination. The Company adds the allowance for credit losses at the date of acquisition to the purchase price to determine the initial amortized cost basis for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. Any noncredit discount or premium resulting from acquiring loans with credit deterioration shall be allocated to each individual asset. At the acquisition date, the initial allowance for credit losses is determined on a collective basis and is allocated to individual assets to appropriately allocate any noncredit discount or premium. The Company accounts for purchased financial assets that do not have a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination in a manner consistent with originated financial assets. After initial recognition, the Company shall treat PCD assets like all other loans and apply one of the impairment models under CECL for instruments measured at amortized cost. The noncredit discount shall be amortized into interest income over the life of the loan. Subsequent changes to the allowance for credit losses are recorded through provision for credit losses.

Derivatives, Policy

Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Transactions—As part of the Company’s asset and liability management strategy, the Company uses derivative financial instruments, such as interest rate swaps, risk participation agreements, foreign exchange contracts, collars, and caps and floors, with the overall goal of minimizing the impact of interest rate fluctuations on net interest margin. The Company’s interest rate swaps and caps involve the exchange of fixed rate and variable rate interest payment obligations without the exchange of the underlying notional amounts and are therefore accounted for as stand-alone derivatives. Derivative instruments are included in other assets or accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair value. At the inception of the derivative contract, the Company designates the derivative as (1) a hedge of a forecasted transaction or of the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (“cash flow hedge”), or (2) an instrument with no hedging designation (“stand-alone derivative”). For a cash flow hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Changes in the fair value of derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported currently in earnings, in noninterest income. Net cash settlements on derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported in noninterest income. The related cash flows are recognized on the cash flows from operating activities section on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Residential mortgage loans funded with interest rate lock commitments and forward commitments for the future delivery of mortgage loans to third party investors, are both considered derivatives. The Company accounts for loan commitments related to the origination of mortgage loans that will be held-for-sale as derivatives at fair value on the balance sheet, with changes in fair value recorded in earnings in the period in which the changes occur. As part of the Company’s overall risk management, the Company’s Asset Liability Committee, which meets monthly, monitors and measures interest rate risk and the sensitivity of assets and liabilities to interest rate changes, including the impact of derivative transactions.

The Company formally documents all relationships between derivatives and hedged items, as well as the risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. This documentation includes linking cash flow hedges to specific assets and liabilities on the balance sheet or to specific firm commitments or forecasted transactions. The Company also formally assesses, both at the hedge’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivative instruments that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged items. The Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively when it is determined that (1) the derivative is no longer effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of the hedged item, (2) the derivative expires, is sold, or terminated, (3) the derivative instrument is de-designated as a hedge because the forecasted transaction is no longer probable of occurring, (4) a hedged firm commitment no longer meets the definition of a firm commitment, or (5) management otherwise determines that designation of the derivative as a hedging instrument is no longer appropriate. When hedge accounting is discontinued, subsequent changes in fair value of the derivative are recorded as noninterest income. When a fair value hedge is discontinued, the hedged asset or liability is no longer adjusted for changes in fair value and the existing basis adjustment is amortized or accreted over the remaining life of the asset or liability. When a cash flow hedge is discontinued but the hedged cash flows or forecasted transaction is still expected to occur, changes in value that were accumulated in other comprehensive income are amortized or accreted into earnings over the same periods which the hedged transactions will affect earnings.

The Company enters into interest rate collars which is an interest rate risk management tool that effectively creates a band within which the borrower's variable interest rate fluctuates, by combining an interest rate cap (or ceiling) with an interest rate floor. In order for the Company to hedge the Bank’s fixed rate loan portfolio, the Company entered into interest rate collar derivatives as a protection should the Fed lower interest rates in the event of a recession or other economic changes. The interest rate collars are designated as cash flow hedges of floating interest receivables.

The Company enters into risk participation agreements with outside counterparties for interest rate swaps related to loans in which it is a participant. The risk participation agreements provide credit protection to the financial institution should the borrower fail to perform on its interest rate derivative contract. Risk participation agreements are credit derivatives not designated as hedges. Credit derivatives are not speculative and are not used to manage interest rate risk in assets or liabilities. Changes in the fair value in credit derivatives are recognized directly in earnings. The fee received, less the estimate of the loss for credit exposure, was recognized in earnings at the time of the transaction.

The Company enters into foreign exchange contracts to accommodate the business needs of its customers. For the foreign exchange contracts entered with its customers, the Company entered into offsetting foreign exchange contracts with third-party financial institutions to manage its exposure. The fair value of foreign exchange contracts is determined at each reporting period based on changes in the foreign exchange rates. These are over-the-counter contracts where quoted market prices are not readily available.

Other Real Estate Owned

OREO—OREO, which represents real estate acquired through foreclosure in satisfaction of commercial and real estate loans, is stated at fair value less estimated selling costs of the real estate. Loan balances in excess of the fair value of the real estate acquired at the date of acquisition are charged to the allowance for credit losses. Any subsequent operating expenses or income, reduction in estimated fair values, and gains or losses on disposition of such properties are charged or credited to current operations. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company foreclosed on properties with an aggregate carrying value of $938 thousand. The Company recorded $415 thousand in net valuation losses subsequent to the foreclosures during the year ended December 31, 2022, and the Company sold OREO properties for total proceeds of $524 thousand during the year. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company did not foreclose on any properties. The Company recorded $1.6 million in net valuation losses subsequent to the foreclosures during the year ended December 31, 2021, and the Company sold OREO properties for total proceeds of $15.2 million during the year.

Federal Home Loan Bank Stock

FHLB Stock—The Bank is a member of the FHLB system. Members are required to own a certain amount of stock based on the level of borrowings and other factors, and may invest in additional amounts. FHLB stock is carried at cost, classified as a restricted security, and periodically evaluated for impairment based on ultimate recovery of par value. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy

Premises and Equipment—Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization of premises and equipment are computed on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

•Buildings - 15 to 39 years

•Furniture, fixture, and equipment - 3 to 10 years

•Computer equipment - 1 to 5 years

•Computer software - 1 to 5 years

•Leasehold improvement - life of lease or improvements, whichever is shorter

bank owned life insurance

BOLI—The Company has purchased life insurance policies on certain key executives and directors. BOLI is recorded at the amount that can be realized under the insurance contract at the balance sheet date, which is the cash surrender value adjusted for other charges or other amounts due that are probable at settlement.

investment in affordable housing partnership, policy

Investments in Affordable Housing Partnerships—The Company owns limited partnership interests in projects of affordable housing for lower income tenants. Under the equity method of accounting, the annual amortization is based on the estimated tax deduction amounts the bank would receive in the year. The carrying value of such investments and commitments to fund investment in affordable housing is recorded as “Investments in affordable housing partnerships” in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Condition. Commitments to fund investments in affordable housing is also included in this line items but is also grossed up and recorded as a liability.

Lessee, Leases

Leases—Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets represent the Company’s right to use the underlying asset during the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement based on the present value of the future lease payments using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. The Company calculates its incremental borrowing rate by adding a spread to the FHLB borrowing interest rate at a given period. The Company does not capitalize short-term leases, which are leases with terms of twelve months or less. ROU assets and related operating lease liabilities are remeasured when lease terms are amended, extended, or when management intends to exercise available extension options.

Operating lease expense, which is comprised of amortization of the ROU asset and the implicit interest accreted on the operating lease liability, is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is recorded in occupancy expense in the consolidated statements of income. The Company’s occupancy expense also includes variable lease costs which is comprised of the Company's share of actual costs for utilities, common area maintenance, property taxes, and insurance that are not included in lease liabilities and are expensed as incurred. Variable lease costs also include rent escalations based on changes to indices, such as the Consumer Price Index.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy

Goodwill and Intangible Assets—Goodwill is generally determined as the excess of the fair value of the consideration transferred, plus the fair value of any non-controlling interests in the acquiree, over the fair value of the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date. Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized but tested for impairment at least annually. In accordance with ASC 350 “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other”, the Company makes a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying the goodwill impairment test. If management concludes that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the step 1 impairment test is bypassed. Management assessed the qualitative factors related to goodwill as of December 31, 2022 and determined a Step 1 fair value assessment was not required. Based on qualitative assessment, management determined that goodwill was not impaired at December 31, 2022. Goodwill is assessed for impairment on an interim basis if circumstances change or an event occurs between annual assessments that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying amount. The quantitative impairment assessment involves significant judgment. This judgment includes developing cash flow projections, selecting appropriate discount rates, calculation of a terminal growth rate, minimum target capitalization levels, identifying relevant market comparables, incorporating general economic and market conditions, and selecting an appropriate control premium. The selection and weighting of the various fair value techniques may result in a higher or lower fair value. Judgment is applied in determining the weighting that is most representative of fair value. Intangible assets with definite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values. Core deposit intangibles are amortized over a seven to ten year period.

Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets, Servicing of Financial Assets, Policy

Loan Servicing Assets— A portion of the premium on sale of SBA loans is recognized as gain on sale of loans at the time of the sale by allocating the carrying amount between the asset sold and the retained interest, including these servicing assets, based on their relative fair values. The remaining portion of the premium is recorded as a discount on the retained interest and is amortized over the remaining life of the loan as an adjustment to yield. The retained interest, net of any discount, are included in loans receivable—net of allowance for credit losses in the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition.

Servicing assets are recognized when SBA and residential mortgage loans are sold with servicing retained with the income statement effect recorded in gains on sales of loans. Servicing assets are initially recorded at fair value based on the present value of the contractually specified servicing fee, net of servicing costs, over the estimated life of the loan, using a discount rate. The Company’s servicing costs approximates the industry average servicing costs of 40 basis points. All classes of servicing assets are subsequently measured using the amortization method which requires servicing rights to be amortized into noninterest income in proportion to, and over the period of, the estimated future net servicing income of the underlying loans.

Management periodically evaluates servicing assets for impairment based upon the fair value of the rights as compared to carrying amount. Impairment is determined by stratifying rights into groupings based on predominant risk characteristics, such as interest rate, loan type and investor type. Impairment is recognized through a valuation allowance for an individual grouping, to the extent that fair value is less than the carrying amount. If the Company later determines that all or a portion of the impairment no longer exists for a particular grouping, a reduction of the allowance may be recorded as an increase to income. No impairment charges were recorded during the years 2022, 2021, or 2020.

Share-Based Payment Arrangement

Stock-Based Compensation—Compensation cost is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards issued to employees and directors, based on the fair value of these awards at the date of grant. A Black-Scholes model is utilized to estimate the fair value of stock options, while the market price of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant is used for restricted stock awards. Compensation cost is recognized over the required service period, generally defined as the vesting period. For awards with graded vesting, compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

Income Tax, Policy

Income Taxes—Income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax due or refundable and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities represent the tax effects, based on current tax law, of future deductible or taxable amounts attributable to events that have been recognized in the financial statements. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, the projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

A tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. The Company recognizes interest and / or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes a limitation (“382 Limitation”) on a corporation’s ability to use any net unrealized built in losses and other tax attributes, such as net operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards, when it undergoes a 50% ownership change over a designated testing period not to exceed three years (“382 Ownership Change”). As a result of the acquisition on July 29, 2016, Wilshire Bancorp underwent a 382 Ownership Change resulting in a 382 Limitation to its net operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards. Wilshire Bancorp did not have a net unrealized built in loss as of the 382 Ownership Change date. Given the applicable 382 Limitation, the Company is expected to fully utilize Wilshire Bancorp’s net operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards before expiration. However, future transactions, such as issuances of common stock or sales of shares of the Company’s stock by certain holders of the Company’s shares, including persons who have held, currently hold or may accumulate in the future 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding common stock for their own account, could trigger a future Section 382 Ownership Change of the Company which could limit the Company’s use of these tax attributes.

Earnings Per Share, Policy

Earnings per Common Share—Basic Earnings per Common Share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted Earnings per Common Share reflects the potential dilution of common shares that could share in the earnings of the Company.

Stockholders' Equity, Policy

Equity—The Company accrues for common stock dividends as declared. Common stock dividends of $67.1 million and $68.7 million, were paid in 2022 and 2021, respectively. There were no common stock dividends declared but unpaid at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Dividend Restrictions, Policy

Dividend Restrictions—Banking regulations require maintaining certain capital levels and may limit the dividends paid by the Bank to the Company, or dividends paid by the Company to stockholders.

Comprehensive Income, Policy

Comprehensive Income—Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) includes the changes in unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale, unrealized losses on transferred investment securities held to maturity, and interest rate swaps used in cash flow hedges which is also recognized as separate components of stockholders’ equity, net of tax.

Segment Reporting, Policy

Operating Segments—The Company is managed as a single business segment. The financial performance of the Company is reviewed by the chief operating decision maker on an aggregate basis and financial and strategic decisions are made based on the Company as a whole. “Banking Operations” is considered to be the Company’s single combined operating segment, which raises funds from deposits and borrowings for loans and investments, and provides lending products, including construction, real estate, commercial, and consumer loans to its customers.

Commitments and Contingencies, Policy

Loss Contingencies—Loss contingencies, including claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, are recorded as liabilities when the likelihood of loss is probable and an amount or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company believes there are no such matters that would have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 or 2021. Accrued loss contingencies for all legal claims totaled approximately $229 thousand at December 31, 2022 and $52 thousand at December 31, 2021.

Loan Commitments and Related Financial Instruments—Financial instruments include off-balance sheet credit instruments, such as commitments to make loans and commercial letters of credit, issued to meet customer financing needs. The face amount for these items represents the exposure to loss, before considering customer collateral or ability to repay. Such financial instruments are recorded when they are funded. See Note 14 “Commitments and Contingencies” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

Allowance for Unfunded Commitments—The allowance for unfunded commitments is maintained at a level believed by management to be sufficient to absorb estimated probable losses related to these unfunded credit facilities. The determination of the adequacy of the allowance is based on periodic evaluations of the unfunded credit facilities including an assessment of the probability of commitment usage, credit risk factors for loans outstanding to these same customers, and the terms and expiration dates of the unfunded credit facilities. The allowance for unfunded commitments is included in other liabilities on the consolidated statement of financial condition, with changes to the balance charged against noninterest expense.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy

Fair Values of Financial Instruments—Fair values of financial instruments are estimated using relevant market information and other assumptions, as more fully disclosed in a separate note. Fair value estimates involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment regarding interest rates, credit risk, prepayments, and other factors, especially in the absence of broad markets for particular items. Changes in assumptions or in market conditions could significantly affect the estimates.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Policy

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets—The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. If the estimated future cash flows (undiscounted) over the remaining useful life of the asset are less than the carrying value, an impairment loss would be recorded to reduce the related asset to its estimated fair value.

Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets, Transfers of Financial Assets, Policy

Transfer of Financial Assets—Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales, when control over the assets has been relinquished. Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when the assets have been isolated from the Company, the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, and the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.

Use of estimates

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements—The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Reclassification, Comparability Adjustment

Reclassifications—Some items in the prior year financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current presentation. The reclassifications had no effect on the prior year net income or stockholders’ equity.

Pending Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Pronouncements Adopted

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform: Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting”. The amendments provide temporary, optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform. The amendments provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The amendments primarily include relief related to contract modifications and hedging relationships, as well as providing a one-time election for the sale or transfer of debt securities classified as held-to-maturity. The Company adopted ASU 2020-04 during 2022 with no material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In December 2022, the FASB issued 2022-06, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848”, to defer the sunset date of Topic 848 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024, after which entities will no longer be permitted to apply the relief in Topic 848. Topic 848, which was established by the previously issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, provides relief to entities during the reference rate’s temporary transition period by providing optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to certain contract modifications and hedging relationships that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued. Since ASU 2020-04 was issued, the UK Financial Conduct Authority delayed the intended cessation date of certain tenors of US LIBOR to June 30, 2023, which is beyond the current sunset date of Topic 848. The new ASU defers the sunset date accordingly to continue to provide the intended relief. The Company adopted ASU 2022-06 during 2022 with no material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Pending Accounting Pronouncements

In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities From Contracts With Customers”, to address diversity in practice and inconsistency related to the accounting for revenue contracts with customers acquired in a business combination. The amendments require that the acquirer recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with Topic 606. At the acquisition date, an acquirer should account for the related revenue contracts in accordance with Topic 606 as if it had originated the contracts. The ASU also provides certain practical expedients for acquirers when recognizing and measuring acquired contract assets and contract liabilities from revenue contracts in a business combination and applies to contract assets and contract liabilities from other contracts to which the provisions of Topic 606 apply. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Entities should apply the amendments prospectively to business combinations that occur after the effective date. Early adoption is permitted, including in any interim period, for public business entities for periods for which financial statements have not yet been issued, and for all other entities for periods for which financial statements have not yet been made available for issuance. The Company adopted ASU 2021-08 on January 1, 2023 and the adoption did not 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)”. The standard addresses the following: 1) eliminates the accounting guidance for TDRs, will require an entity to determine whether a modification results in a new loan or a continuation of an existing loan, 2) expands disclosures related to modifications, and 3) will require disclosure of current period gross write-offs of financing receivables within the vintage disclosures table. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years and are applied prospectively, except with respect to the recognition and measurement of TDRs, where an entity has the option to apply a modified retrospective transition method. Early adoption of the amendments in this update is permitted. An entity may elect to early adopt the amendments regarding TDRs and related disclosure enhancements separately from the amendments related to vintage disclosures. The Company adopted ASU 2021-08 on January 1, 2023 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Revenue from Contract with Customer

Revenue from Contracts with Customers—With the adoption of ASU 2014-09 (Topic 606), the Company recognizes revenue when obligations under the terms of a contract with customers are satisfied. Topic 606 does not apply to revenue associated with financial instruments, including revenue from loans and securities. In addition, certain noninterest income streams such as fees associated with mortgage servicing rights, financial guarantees, derivatives, and certain credit card fees are also out of scope of the new guidance. Topic 606 is applicable to noninterest revenue streams such as deposit related fees, wire transfer fees, and certain OREO related net gains or expenses.