Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Consolidation and Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the consolidated accounts of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bank of the Sierra. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior years’ balances to conform to classifications used in 2023. The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and prevailing practices within the banking industry. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company’s investments in Sierra Statutory Trust II, Sierra Capital Trust III and Coast Bancorp Statutory Trust II are not consolidated and are accounted for under the equity method and included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. The subordinated debentures issued and guaranteed by the Company and held by the trusts are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the disclosures provided, and actual results could differ. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant changes in the near-term relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses, income taxes and deferred tax assets and liabilities, and goodwill. In connection with the determination of the allowances for credit losses and other real estate, management obtains independent appraisals for significant properties, evaluates the overall loan portfolio characteristics and delinquencies, and monitors economic conditions. Reclassifications Certain amounts in the Consolidated Income Statements for the prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. The reclassifications had no effect on net income or stockholders’ equity as previously reported. Cash Flows For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash and deposits with other financial institutions with original maturities within 90 days, and federal funds sold. Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions, interest bearing deposits in other financial institutions, and fed funds purchased and repurchase agreements. Securities Debt securities may be classified as held to maturity and carried at amortized cost when management has the positive ability and intent to hold them to maturity. Debt securities are classified as available for sale when they might be sold before maturity. Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are classified as available for sale. Debt securities classified as available for sale are carried at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income, net of tax. Securities designated as held-to-maturity, are carried at the amortized cost basis of the securities in question, which includes purchase premium or discount in addition to any unamortized premium or discount representing the unrealized gain or loss on any individual security at the time it was transferred from the available for sale designation. Notably, the Company has elected the practical expedient under GAAP to exclude accrued interest from the amortized-cost-basis of held-to-maturity securities and does not evaluate accrued interest receivable for an allowance for credit losses because any past due interest receivable on its held-to-maturity portfolio is reversed from income timely. Accrued interest on held-to-maturity securities and available-for-sale securities continues to be included in other assets on the Company’s balance sheet and measured $2.4 million and $12.3 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2023. Interest income includes amortization of purchase premium or discount. Premiums or discounts on securities are amortized on the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments. Gains and losses on sales are recorded on the trade date and determined using the specific identification method. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase and may only change the classification in certain limited circumstances. All transfers between categories are accounted for at fair value. For available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position for which management has an intent to sell the security or considers it more likely-than-not that the security in question will be sold prior to a recovery of its amortized cost basis, the security will be written down to fair value through a direct charge to income. For the remainder of available sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, which don’t meet the previously outlined criteria, management evaluates whether the decline in fair value is a reflection of credit deterioration or other factors. In performing this evaluation, management considers the extent which fair value has fallen below amortized cost, changes in ratings by rating agencies, and other information indicating a deterioration in repayment capacity of either the underlying issuer or the borrowers providing repayment capacity in a securitization. If management’s evaluation indicates that a credit loss exists then a present value of the expected cash flows is calculated and compared to the amortized cost basis of the security in question and to the degree that the amortized cost basis exceeds the present value an allowance for credit loss (“ACL”) is established, with the caveat that the maximum amount of the reserve on any individual security is the difference between the fair value and amortized cost balance of the security in question. Any unrealized loss that has not been recorded through an ACL is recognized in other comprehensive income. At December 31, 2023, the Company had no recorded Allowance for Credit Losses on its securities designated as available-for-sale. Under CECL, held-to-maturity debt securities are evaluated for reserves in the same manner as loans. On April 1, 2022, the Company transferred $162.1 million of Agency, Mortgaged-Backed and Municipal securities from available-for-sale to held-to maturity. On October 1, 2022, a similar transfer of $198.3 million securities from available for sale to held-to-maturity was completed. The securities were transferred at their fair value as of the transfer date, with the related unrealized gain or loss as of the date of transfer included in the amortized cost basis of the transferred security and subject to amortization or accretion over each security’s remaining life. An unrealized loss of $28.4 million, on securities transferred from the available-for-sale to held-to-maturity categorization, remains as of December 31, 2023 and is included in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax. The remaining unrealized loss on the securities transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity, will be accreted over the remaining term of the securities, with the amortized-cost basis of these securities and accumulated comprehensive income each increasing over time. Because of the implicit and explicit guarantees of the Federal Government on the Agency and Mortgage-Backed securities there is no expectation of future losses on any of these securities and no allowance for credit losses has been established for these securities. The Bank’s municipal bonds moved to the held-to-maturity designation all have credit ratings considered investment grade or equivalent. A discounted-cash-flow reserve calculation was performed upon the transfer of these securities into the held-to-maturity designation and is updated on a quarterly basis. As of December 31, 2023, an allowance for credit losses of $0.02 million had been established on the Bank’s held-to-maturity portfolio, a slight decrease from the allowance for credit losses of $0.06 million at December 31, 2022. FHLB Stock and Other Investments The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank ("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 in other assets, and periodically evaluated for impairment based on the ultimate recovery of par value. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income. The Bank’s investment in FHLB stock was approximately $14.7 million at December 31, 2023, and $12.7 million at December 31, 2022. Loans (Financing Receivables) Our credit quality classifications of Loans include Pass, Special Mention and Substandard. These classifications are defined in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements. Loans are reported on the amortized cost basis. The amortized cost basis of the Company’s loans is comprised of the principal balance outstanding, net of remaining deferred loan fees and costs, purchase premiums and discounts, and also net of any write-downs. Notably, the Company elected the practical expedient available under CECL to exclude accrued interest receivable from the amortized cost basis of all categorizations of loans and resultingly did not estimate reserves on accrued interest receivable balances, as any past due interest income is reversed on a timely basis. Accrued interest receivable on the Company’s Loans continues to be included in other assets on the Company’s balance sheet and as of December 31, 2023, measured $5.6 million. Loan origination fees, net of certain deferred origination costs, and purchase premiums and discounts are recognized in interest income as an adjustment to yield of the related loans over the contractual life of the loan using both the effective interest and straight-line methods without anticipating prepayments. Interest income for all performing loans, regardless of classification (Pass, Special Mention, Substandard), is recognized on an accrual basis, with interest accrued daily. Costs associated with successful loan originations are netted from loan origination fees, with the net amount (net deferred loan fees) amortized over the contractual life of the loan in interest income. If a loan has scheduled periodic payments, the amortization of the net deferred loan fee is calculated using the effective interest method over the contractual life of the loan. If the loan does not have scheduled payments, such as a line of credit, the net deferred loan fee is recognized as interest income on a straight-line basis over the contractual life of the loan. Fees received for loan commitments are recognized as interest income over the term of the commitment. When loans are repaid, any remaining unamortized balances of deferred fees and costs are accounted for through interest income. Generally, the Company places a loan or lease on nonaccrual status and ceases recognizing interest income when it has become delinquent more than 90 days and/or when Management determines that the repayment of principal and collection of interest is unlikely. The Company may decide that it is appropriate to continue to accrue interest on certain loans more than 90 days delinquent if they are well-secured by collateral and collection is in process. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, any accrued but uncollected interest for the loan is reversed out of interest income in the period in which the loan’s status changed. For loans with an interest reserve, i.e., where loan proceeds are advanced to the borrower to make interest payments, all interest recognized from the inception of the loan is reversed when the loan is placed on non-accrual. Once a loan is on non-accrual status subsequent payments received from the customer are applied to principal, and no further interest income is recognized until the principal has been paid in full or until circumstances have changed such that payments are again consistently received as contractually required. Generally, loans are not restored to accrual status until the obligation is brought current and has performed in accordance with the contractual terms for a reasonable period of time, and the ultimate collectability of the total contractual principal and interest is no longer in doubt. Due to loans being placed on nonaccrual status, $0.4 million of interest receivable on loans was reversed from interest income for the year ended December 31, 2023. Allowance for Credit Losses - Loans The Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”) on the loan portfolio is a valuation allowance deducted from the recorded balance in loans. The ACL represents principal which is not expected to be collected over the contractual life of the loans, adjusted for expected prepayment, whereas under legacy GAAP the allowance represented only losses already incurred as of the balance sheet date. The ACL is increased by a provision for credit losses charged to expense, and by principal recovered on charged-off balances. It is reduced by principal charge-offs. The amount of the allowance is based on management’s evaluation of the collectability of the loan portfolio, using information from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Adjustments are also made for changes in risk profile, credit concentrations, historical trends, and other economic conditions. The ACL for loans is separated between a collective reserve evaluation, for loans where similar risk characteristics exist and an individual reserve evaluation for loans without similar risk characteristics. The collective evaluation of loans is performed at the portfolio segment level, using call code as the primary segmentation key but also considering similarity in quantitative reserve methodology. The Company’s ACL is categorized according to the following portfolio segments: 1-4 Family Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Farmland & Agricultural Production, Commercial & Industrial, Mortgage Warehouse, and Consumer. Loans secured by 1-4 family residences have a different profile from loans secured by Commercial Real Estate. Generally, the borrowers for 1-4 Family loans are consumers whereas borrowers for Commercial Real Estate are often businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated how these different categories of real estate loans were subject to different risks, which was exacerbated by the widespread work-from-home model adopted by many companies during and since the pandemic. Farmland and Agricultural Production loans are included in a single segment as these loans are often times to the same borrowers, facing the same risks relating to commodity prices, water supply and drought conditions in addition to other environmental concerns. Commercial & Industrial loans are separated into a unique segment given the uniqueness of these loans, which are often revolving and secured by other business assets as opposed to real estate. Mortgage warehouse loans are also unique in the Company’s portfolio and warrant separate presentation as an individual portfolio segment, given the specific nature of these constantly revolving lines to mortgage originators and also attributable to a very limited loss history, even after consideration of peer data. Finally, the Company splits out Consumer loans as a separate segment as a result of the small balance, homogeneous terms that characterize these loans. Management utilizes a discounted cash flow methodology to estimate the quantitative portion of collectively evaluated reserves for the 1-4 Family Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Commercial & Industrial and Mortgage Warehouse portfolio segments. Management utilizes a Remaining Life Quantitative Reserve Methodology for the Farmland & Agricultural Production, and Consumer portfolio segments. Within the portfolio segments utilizing the DCF quantitative reserve methodology, management has made the election to adjust the effective interest rate to consider the impact of expected prepayments. Loans where similar risk characteristics exist are evaluated for the ACL in the collective reserve evaluation. The Company’s policy is that loans designated as nonaccrual no longer share risk characteristics similar to other loans evaluated collectively and as such, all nonaccrual loans are individually evaluated for reserves. As of December 31, 2023, the Bank’s nonaccrual loans comprised the entire population of loans individually evaluated. The Company’s policy is that nonaccrual loans also represent the subset of loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty where an evaluation of the source of repayment is required to determine if the nonaccrual loan should be categorized as collateral dependent. It is the Company’s policy that the only loans where the credit quality has deteriorated to the point where foreclosure is probable are the Company’s nonaccrual loans. Most of the Company’s business activity is with customers located in California within the Southern Central San Joaquin Valley; in the corridor stretching between Santa Paula and Santa Clarita in Southern California, and on the Central Coast. Therefore, the Company’s exposure to credit risk is significantly affected by changes in the economy in those regions. The Company considers this concentration of credit risk when assessing and assigning qualitative factors in the allowance for credit. Though management believes the allowance for credit losses to be adequate, ultimate losses may vary from their estimates. However, estimates are reviewed periodically, and as adjustments become necessary, they are reported in earnings during the periods they become known. In addition, the FDIC and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, as an integral part of their examination processes, review the allowance for credit losses. These agencies may require additions to the allowance for credit losses based on their judgment about information available at the time of their examinations. Allowance for Credit Losses - Off-Balance Sheet Commitments In addition to the exposure to credit loss from outstanding loans, the Company is also exposed to credit loss from certain off-balance sheet commitments such as unused commitments from revolving lines of credit, certain mortgage warehouse lines of credit, construction loans and commercial and standby letters of credit. Because the available funds have not yet been disbursed on these commitments the estimated losses are not included in the calculation of the allowance for credit losses on the loan portfolio. The implementation of CECL also impacted the Company’s ACL on unfunded loan commitments, as this ACL now represents expected credit losses over the contractual life of commitments not identified as unconditionally cancellable by the Company. The Reserve for Unfunded Commitments is estimated using the same reserve or coverage rates calculated on collectively evaluated loans following the application of a funding rate to the amount of the unfunded commitment. The funding rate represents management’s estimate of the amount of the current unfunded commitment that will be funded over the remaining contractual life of the commitment and is based on historical data. Under CECL the ACL on unfunded loan commitments remains in Other Liabilities while any related provision expense has been moved to provision for credit loss expense from its prior presentation in noninterest expense. Prior period expense have not been reclassified for comparative purposes. Premises and Equipment Land is carried at cost. Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The useful lives of premises range between twenty-five to thirty-nine years. The useful lives of furniture, fixtures and equipment range between three to twenty years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the life of the asset or the term of the related lease, whichever is shorter. When assets are sold or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is recognized in income for the period. The cost of maintenance and repairs is charged to expense as incurred. Impairment of long-lived assets is evaluated by management based upon an event or changes in circumstances surrounding the underlying assets which indicate long-lived assets may be impaired. Leases Leases are classified as operating or finance leases at the lease commencement date. The Company leases certain locations classified as operating leases. The Company records leases on the balance sheet in the form of a lease liability for the present value of future minimum payments under the lease terms and a right-of-use asset equal to the lease liability adjusted for items such as deferred or prepaid rent, lease incentives, and any impairment of the right-of-use asset. The discount rate used in determining the lease liability is based upon incremental borrowing rates the Company could obtain for similar loans as of the date of commencement or renewal. The Company does not record short term leases with an initial lease term of one year or less on the consolidated balance sheets. At lease inception, the Company determines the lease term by considering the noncancelable lease term and all optional renewal periods that the Company is reasonably certain to renew. The lease term is also used to calculate straight-line lease expense. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life and the estimated lease term. The Company’s leases do not contain residual value guarantees or material variable lease payments that will impact the Company's ability to pay dividends or cause the Company to incur additional expenses. Operating lease expense consists of a single lease cost allocated over the remaining lease term on a straight-line basis and variable lease expense. Lease expense is included in occupancy and equipment expense on the Company's consolidated statements of income. The Company's variable lease expense includes rent escalators that are based on market conditions and include items such as common area maintenance, utilities, parking, property taxes, insurance and other costs associated with the lease. The amortization of the right-of-use asset arising from finance leases is expensed through occupancy and equipment expense. Foreclosed Assets Foreclosed assets include real estate and other property acquired in full or partial settlement of loan obligations. Upon acquisition, any excess of the recorded investment in the loan balance over the appraised fair market value, net of estimated selling costs, is charged against the allowance for credit losses on loans. A valuation allowance for losses on foreclosed assets is maintained to provide for subsequent declines in value. The allowance is established through a provision for losses on foreclosed assets which is included in other noninterest expense. Subsequent gains or losses on sales or write-downs resulting from permanent impairments are recorded in other noninterest expense as incurred. Operating costs after acquisition are expensed. The Company had no foreclosed residential real estate properties recorded at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2023, there were no consumer mortgage loans secured by residential real estate properties for which formal foreclosure proceeds were in process. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets The Company acquired Sierra National Bank in 2000, Santa Clara Valley Bank in 2014, Coast National Bank in 2016, and Ojai Community Bank and the Woodlake Branch of Citizen’s Business Bank in 2017. Goodwill resulting from business combinations after January 1, 2009, is generally determined as the excess of the fair value of the consideration transferred, plus the fair value of any noncontrolling 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 are tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events and circumstances exist which indicate that an impairment test should be performed. The Company selected October 1, 2023, as the date to perform the annual impairment test for 2023. Goodwill is the only intangible asset with an indefinite life on our balance sheet. There was no impairment recognized for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. Intangible assets with definite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values. The Company’s other intangible assets consist solely of core deposit intangible assets (CDI’s) arising from the acquisitions of Santa Clara Valley Bank, Coast National Bank, Ojai Community Bank, the Woodlake Branch of Citizen’s Business Bank and the Lompoc branch of Santa Maria Community Bank. All of the CDI’s are being amortized on a straight-line basis over eight years. 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. Details regarding these commitments and financial instruments are discussed in detail in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements. Income Taxes The Company files its income taxes on a consolidated basis with its subsidiary. The allocation of income tax expense represents each entity’s proportionate share of the consolidated provision for 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 tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between carrying amounts and tax basis of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. 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 to be realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. We have determined that as of December 31, 2023, all tax positions taken to date are highly certain and, accordingly, no accounting adjustment has been made to the financial statements. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as part of income tax expense. Salary Continuation Agreements and Directors’ Retirement Plan The Company has entered into agreements to provide members of the Board of Directors and certain key executives, or their designated beneficiaries, with annual benefits for up to fifteen years after retirement or death. The Company accrues for these future benefits from the effective date of the plan until the director’s or executive’s expected retirement date in a systematic and rational manner. At the consolidated balance sheet date, the amount of accrued benefits equals the then present value of the benefits expected to be provided to the director or employee, any beneficiaries, and covered dependents in exchange for the director’s or employee’s services to that date. Comprehensive Income Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income includes fluctuations in unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale, net of an adjustment for the effects of realized gains and losses and any applicable tax. Comprehensive income is a more inclusive financial reporting methodology that includes disclosure of other comprehensive income that historically has not been recognized in the calculation of net income. Unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s available for sale securities, net of tax, are included in other comprehensive income after adjusting for the effects of realized gains and losses. Total comprehensive income and the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are presented in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Stock-Based Compensation At December 31, 2023, the Company had one active stock-based compensation plan, the Sierra Bancorp 2023 Equity Compensation Plan (the “2023 Plan”), which was adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors on March 17, 2023 and approved by the Company’s shareholders on May 24, 2023. The 2023 Plan replaced the Company’s 2017 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2017” Plan), which expired by its own terms on March 16, 2023. Unvested restricted stock and options to purchase shares granted under the 2017 Plan and its predecessor the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2007” Plan) that remained outstanding were unaffected by that plan’s termination. The 2023 Plan covers 360,000 shares of the Company’s authorized but unissued common stock, subject to adjustment for stock splits and dividends, and provides for the issuance of both “incentive” and “nonqualified” stock options to salaried officers and employees, and of “nonqualified” stock options to non-employee directors. The 2023 Plan also provides for the issuance of restricted stock awards to these same classes of eligible participants. Compensation cost and director’s expense is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards issued to employees and directors and is recognized over the required service period, generally defined as the vesting period. The Company is using the Black-Scholes model 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. The “multiple option” approach for stock options is used to allocate the resulting valuation to actual expense for current period. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock. The Company uses historical data to estimate stock option exercise and post-vesting termination behavior. The expected term of stock options granted is based on historical data and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding subsequent to vesting, which takes into account that the options are not transferable. The risk-free interest rate for the expected term of the stock option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. No stock options were granted during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. Revenue Recognition Revenue from contracts with customers subject to ASC 606 comprises the noninterest income earned by the Company in exchange for services provided to customers. Income associated with customer contracts generally involve transaction prices that are fixed and performance obligations which are satisfied as services are rendered. In most cases recognition occurs within a single financial reporting period as there is little or no judgement involved in the timing of revenues. We generally act in a principal capacity, on our own behalf, in most of our contracts with customers. In such transactions, we recognize revenue and the related costs to provide our services on a gross basis in our financial statements. Service Charges on Deposit Accounts comprise charges on retail and business accounts. Business customers can earn credits depending on account type and deposit balances maintained with the Company, which may be used to offset fees. Fees and credits are based on predetermined, agreed-upon rates. In some cases, we act in an agent capacity, deriving revenue through assisting other entities in transactions with our customers. In such transactions, we recognize revenue and those related costs to provide services on a gross basis in our financial statements. Debit card interchange income is derived from our customers’ use of various interchange and ATM/debit card networks which are the primary sources of revenue generated in an agent capacity. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In September 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold for credit losses in current U.S. GAAP, and instead requires an organization to record an estimate of expected credit losses over the contractual term for financial assets carried at amortized cost (generally loans and held-to-maturity investment securities) in addition to certain off balance-sheet credit exposure. Under the current expected credit losses (“CECL”) methodology expected credit losses for financial assets are estimated over the contractual life of the financial asset, adjusted for expected prepayments, considering historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Additionally, under CECL the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities is addressed through an allowance for credit losses which is a change from legacy GAAP which previously required the direct write-down of securities through the other-than-temporary impairment approach. The Company implemented CECL on January 1, 2022, using the modified retrospective approach to estimate lifetime expected losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost in addition to certain off balance sheet credit exposures. The January 1, 2022, increase in the Company’s allowance for credit losses, of $9.5 million on loans and $0.9 million in off balance sheet credit exposures, net of the impact of deferred taxes, was reflected in a transition adjustment of $7.3 million to retained earnings. There was no cumulative effect adjustment related to our available-for-sale investment portfolio upon adoption and the company had no securities designated as held-to-maturity as of January 1, 2022. Results for reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2021, are presented under CECL whereas prior comparative periods are presented under legacy GAAP. In March 2023 the FASB issued, ASU No. 2023-02, “Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method.” ASU 2023-02 is intended to improve the accounting and disclosures for investments in tax credit structures. ASU 2023-02 allows entities to elect to account for qualifying tax equity investments using the proportional amortization method, regardless of the program giving rise to the related income tax credits. Previously, this method was only available for qualifying tax equity investments in low-income housing tax credit structures. ASU 2023-02 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2023, and its adoption did not have a significant effect on the Company’s financial statements. On October 9, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-06, “Disclosure Improvements: Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification of Initiative.” ASU 2023-06 amends the disclosure or presentation requirements related to various subtopics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”). The ASU was issued in response to the SEC’s August 2018 final rule that updated and simplified disclosure requirements that the SEC believed were “redundant, duplicative, overlapping, outdated, or superseded.” The new guidance is intended to align U.S. GAAP requirements with those of the SEC and to facilitate the application of U.S. GAAP for all entities. ASU 2023-06 applies to all reporting entities within the scope of the amended subtopics. Note that some of the amendments introduced by the ASU are technical corrections or clarifications of the FASB’s current disclosure or presentation requirements. The effective date for each amendment of ASU 2023-06 will be the date on which the SEC’s removal of that related disclosure requirement from Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K becomes effective, with early adoption prohibited. The Company will apply the amendments in ASU 2023-06 prospectively after the effective dates. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a significant effect on the Company’s financial statements. In November 2023 the FASB issued, ASU No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures.” ASU 2023-07 expands segment disclosure requirements for public entities to require disclosure of significant segment expenses and other segment items on an annual and interim basis and to provide in interim periods all disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets that are currently required annually. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. ASU 2023-07 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial statements. In December 2023 the FASB issued, ASU 2023-09,“Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” ASU 2023-09 requires public business entities to disclose in their rate reconciliation table additional categories of information about federal, state and foreign income taxes and to provide more details about the reconciling items in some categories if items meet a quantitative threshold. ASU 2023-09 also requires all entities to disclose income taxes paid, net of refunds, disaggregated by federal, state and foreign taxes for annual periods and to disaggregate the information by jurisdiction based on a quantitative threshold, among other things. ASU 2023-09 is effective for us on January 1, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. ASU 2023-09 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial statements.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the consolidated accounts of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bank of the Sierra. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior years’ balances to conform to classifications used in 2023. The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and prevailing practices within the banking industry.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company’s investments in Sierra Statutory Trust II, Sierra Capital Trust III and Coast Bancorp Statutory Trust II are not consolidated and are accounted for under the equity method and included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. The subordinated debentures issued and guaranteed by the Company and held by the trusts are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the disclosures provided, and actual results could differ.

Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant changes in the near-term relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses, income taxes and deferred tax assets and liabilities, and goodwill. In connection with the determination of the allowances for credit losses and other real estate, management obtains independent appraisals for significant properties, evaluates the overall loan portfolio characteristics and delinquencies, and monitors economic conditions.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in the Consolidated Income Statements for the prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. The reclassifications had no effect on net income or stockholders’ equity as previously reported.

Cash Flows

For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash and deposits with other financial institutions with original maturities within 90 days, and federal funds sold. Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions, interest bearing deposits in other financial institutions, and fed funds purchased and repurchase agreements.

Securities

Debt securities may be classified as held to maturity and carried at amortized cost when management has the positive ability and intent to hold them to maturity. Debt securities are classified as available for sale when they might be sold before maturity. Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are classified as available for sale. Debt securities classified as available for sale are carried at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income, net of tax. Securities designated as held-to-maturity, are carried at the amortized cost basis of the securities in question, which includes purchase premium or discount in addition to any unamortized premium or discount representing the unrealized gain or loss on any individual security at the time it was transferred from the available for sale designation. Notably, the Company has elected the practical expedient under GAAP to exclude accrued interest from the amortized-cost-basis of held-to-maturity securities and does not evaluate accrued interest receivable for an allowance for credit losses because any past due interest receivable on its held-to-maturity portfolio is reversed from income timely. Accrued interest on held-to-maturity securities and available-for-sale securities continues to be included in other assets on the Company’s balance sheet and measured $2.4 million and $12.3 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2023.

Interest income includes amortization of purchase premium or discount. Premiums or discounts on securities are amortized on the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments. Gains and losses on sales are recorded on the trade date and determined using the specific identification method.

Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase and may only change the classification in certain limited circumstances. All transfers between categories are accounted for at fair value.

For available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position for which management has an intent to sell the security or considers it more likely-than-not that the security in question will be sold prior to a recovery of its amortized cost basis, the security will be written down to fair value through a direct charge to income. For the remainder of available sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, which don’t meet the previously outlined criteria, management evaluates whether the decline in fair value is a reflection of credit deterioration or other factors. In performing this evaluation, management considers the extent which fair value has fallen below amortized cost, changes in ratings by rating agencies, and other information indicating a deterioration in repayment capacity of either the underlying issuer or the borrowers providing repayment capacity in a securitization. If management’s evaluation indicates that a credit loss exists then a present value of the expected cash flows is calculated and compared to the amortized cost basis of the security in question and to the degree that the amortized cost basis exceeds the present value an allowance for credit loss (“ACL”) is established, with the caveat that the maximum amount of the reserve on any individual security is the difference between the fair value and amortized cost balance of the security in question. Any unrealized loss that has not been recorded through an ACL is recognized in other comprehensive income. At December 31, 2023, the Company had no recorded Allowance for Credit Losses on its securities designated as available-for-sale.

Under CECL, held-to-maturity debt securities are evaluated for reserves in the same manner as loans. On April 1, 2022, the Company transferred $162.1 million of Agency, Mortgaged-Backed and Municipal securities from available-for-sale to held-to maturity. On October 1, 2022, a similar transfer of $198.3 million securities from available for sale to held-to-maturity was completed. The securities were transferred at their fair value as of the transfer date, with the related unrealized gain or loss as of the date of transfer included in the amortized cost basis of the transferred security and subject to amortization or accretion over each security’s remaining life. An unrealized loss of $28.4 million, on securities transferred from the available-for-sale to held-to-maturity categorization, remains as of December 31, 2023 and is included in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax. The remaining

unrealized loss on the securities transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity, will be accreted over the remaining term of the securities, with the amortized-cost basis of these securities and accumulated comprehensive income each increasing over time. Because of the implicit and explicit guarantees of the Federal Government on the Agency and Mortgage-Backed securities there is no expectation of future losses on any of these securities and no allowance for credit losses has been established for these securities. The Bank’s municipal bonds moved to the held-to-maturity designation all have credit ratings considered investment grade or equivalent. A discounted-cash-flow reserve calculation was performed upon the transfer of these securities into the held-to-maturity designation and is updated on a quarterly basis. As of December 31, 2023, an allowance for credit losses of $0.02 million had been established on the Bank’s held-to-maturity portfolio, a slight decrease from the allowance for credit losses of $0.06 million at December 31, 2022.

FHLB Stock and Other Investments

The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank ("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 in other assets, and periodically evaluated for impairment based on the ultimate recovery of par value. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income. The Bank’s investment in FHLB stock was approximately $14.7 million at December 31, 2023, and $12.7 million at December 31, 2022.

Loans (Financing Receivables)

Our credit quality classifications of Loans include Pass, Special Mention and Substandard. These classifications are defined in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements.

Loans are reported on the amortized cost basis. The amortized cost basis of the Company’s loans is comprised of the principal balance outstanding, net of remaining deferred loan fees and costs, purchase premiums and discounts, and also net of any write-downs. Notably, the Company elected the practical expedient available under CECL to exclude accrued interest receivable from the amortized cost basis of all categorizations of loans and resultingly did not estimate reserves on accrued interest receivable balances, as any past due interest income is reversed on a timely basis. Accrued interest receivable on the Company’s Loans continues to be included in other assets on the Company’s balance sheet and as of December 31, 2023, measured $5.6 million. Loan origination fees, net of certain deferred origination costs, and purchase premiums and discounts are recognized in interest income as an adjustment to yield of the related loans over the contractual life of the loan using both the effective interest and straight-line methods without anticipating prepayments.

Interest income for all performing loans, regardless of classification (Pass, Special Mention, Substandard), is recognized on an accrual basis, with interest accrued daily. Costs associated with successful loan originations are netted from loan origination fees, with the net amount (net deferred loan fees) amortized over the contractual life of the loan in interest income. If a loan has scheduled periodic payments, the amortization of the net deferred loan fee is calculated using the effective interest method over the contractual life of the loan. If the loan does not have scheduled payments, such as a line of credit, the net deferred loan fee is recognized as interest income on a straight-line basis over the contractual life of the loan. Fees received for loan commitments are recognized as interest income over the term of the commitment. When loans are repaid, any remaining unamortized balances of deferred fees and costs are accounted for through interest income.

Generally, the Company places a loan or lease on nonaccrual status and ceases recognizing interest income when it has become delinquent more than 90 days and/or when Management determines that the repayment of principal and collection of interest is unlikely. The Company may decide that it is appropriate to continue to accrue interest on certain loans more than 90 days delinquent if they are well-secured by collateral and collection is in process. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, any accrued but uncollected interest for the loan is reversed out of interest income in the period in which the loan’s status changed. For loans with an interest reserve, i.e., where loan proceeds are advanced to the borrower to make interest payments, all interest recognized from the inception of the loan is reversed when the loan is placed on non-accrual. Once a loan is on non-accrual status subsequent payments received from the customer are applied to principal, and no further interest income is recognized until the principal has been paid in full or until circumstances have changed such that payments are again consistently received as contractually

required. Generally, loans are not restored to accrual status until the obligation is brought current and has performed in accordance with the contractual terms for a reasonable period of time, and the ultimate collectability of the total contractual principal and interest is no longer in doubt. Due to loans being placed on nonaccrual status, $0.4 million of interest receivable on loans was reversed from interest income for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Allowance for Credit Losses - Loans

The Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”) on the loan portfolio is a valuation allowance deducted from the recorded balance in loans. The ACL represents principal which is not expected to be collected over the contractual life of the loans, adjusted for expected prepayment, whereas under legacy GAAP the allowance represented only losses already incurred as of the balance sheet date. The ACL is increased by a provision for credit losses charged to expense, and by principal recovered on charged-off balances. It is reduced by principal charge-offs. The amount of the allowance is based on management’s evaluation of the collectability of the loan portfolio, using information from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Adjustments are also made for changes in risk profile, credit concentrations, historical trends, and other economic conditions.

The ACL for loans is separated between a collective reserve evaluation, for loans where similar risk characteristics exist and an individual reserve evaluation for loans without similar risk characteristics. The collective evaluation of loans is performed at the portfolio segment level, using call code as the primary segmentation key but also considering similarity in quantitative reserve methodology. The Company’s ACL is categorized according to the following portfolio segments: 1-4 Family Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Farmland & Agricultural Production, Commercial & Industrial, Mortgage Warehouse, and Consumer. Loans secured by 1-4 family residences have a different profile from loans secured by Commercial Real Estate. Generally, the borrowers for 1-4 Family loans are consumers whereas borrowers for Commercial Real Estate are often businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated how these different categories of real estate loans were subject to different risks, which was exacerbated by the widespread work-from-home model adopted by many companies during and since the pandemic. Farmland and Agricultural Production loans are included in a single segment as these loans are often times to the same borrowers, facing the same risks relating to commodity prices, water supply and drought conditions in addition to other environmental concerns. Commercial & Industrial loans are separated into a unique segment given the uniqueness of these loans, which are often revolving and secured by other business assets as opposed to real estate. Mortgage warehouse loans are also unique in the Company’s portfolio and warrant separate presentation as an individual portfolio segment, given the specific nature of these constantly revolving lines to mortgage originators and also attributable to a very limited loss history, even after consideration of peer data. Finally, the Company splits out Consumer loans as a separate segment as a result of the small balance, homogeneous terms that characterize these loans. Management utilizes a discounted cash flow methodology to estimate the quantitative portion of collectively evaluated reserves for the 1-4 Family Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Commercial & Industrial and Mortgage Warehouse portfolio segments. Management utilizes a Remaining Life Quantitative Reserve Methodology for the Farmland & Agricultural Production, and Consumer portfolio segments. Within the portfolio segments utilizing the DCF quantitative reserve methodology, management has made the election to adjust the effective interest rate to consider the impact of expected prepayments.

Loans where similar risk characteristics exist are evaluated for the ACL in the collective reserve evaluation. The Company’s policy is that loans designated as nonaccrual no longer share risk characteristics similar to other loans evaluated collectively and as such, all nonaccrual loans are individually evaluated for reserves. As of December 31, 2023, the Bank’s nonaccrual loans comprised the entire population of loans individually evaluated. The Company’s policy is that nonaccrual loans also represent the subset of loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty where an evaluation of the source of repayment is required to determine if the nonaccrual loan should be categorized as collateral dependent. It is the Company’s policy that the only loans where the credit quality has deteriorated to the point where foreclosure is probable are the Company’s nonaccrual loans. Most of the Company’s business activity is with customers located in California within the Southern Central San Joaquin Valley; in the corridor stretching between Santa Paula and Santa Clarita in Southern California, and on the Central Coast. Therefore, the Company’s exposure to credit risk is significantly affected by changes in the economy in those regions. The Company considers this concentration of credit risk when assessing and assigning qualitative factors in the allowance for credit.

Though management believes the allowance for credit losses to be adequate, ultimate losses may vary from their estimates. However, estimates are reviewed periodically, and as adjustments become necessary, they are reported in earnings during the periods they become known. In addition, the FDIC and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, as an integral part of their examination processes, review the allowance for credit losses. These agencies may require additions to the allowance for credit losses based on their judgment about information available at the time of their examinations.

Allowance for Credit Losses - Off-Balance Sheet Commitments

In addition to the exposure to credit loss from outstanding loans, the Company is also exposed to credit loss from certain off-balance sheet commitments such as unused commitments from revolving lines of credit, certain mortgage warehouse lines of credit, construction loans and commercial and standby letters of credit. Because the available funds have not yet been disbursed on these commitments the estimated losses are not included in the calculation of the allowance for credit losses on the loan portfolio. The implementation of CECL also impacted the Company’s ACL on unfunded loan commitments, as this ACL now represents expected credit losses over the contractual life of commitments not identified as unconditionally cancellable by the Company. The Reserve for Unfunded Commitments is estimated using the same reserve or coverage rates calculated on collectively evaluated loans following the application of a funding rate to the amount of the unfunded commitment. The funding rate represents management’s estimate of the amount of the current unfunded commitment that will be funded over the remaining contractual life of the commitment and is based on historical data. Under CECL the ACL on unfunded loan commitments remains in Other Liabilities while any related provision expense has been moved to provision for credit loss expense from its prior presentation in noninterest expense. Prior period expense have not been reclassified for comparative purposes.

Premises and Equipment

Land is carried at cost. Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The useful lives of premises range between twenty-five to thirty-nine years. The useful lives of furniture, fixtures and equipment range between three to twenty years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the life of the asset or the term of the related lease, whichever is shorter. When assets are sold or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is recognized in income for the period. The cost of maintenance and repairs is charged to expense as incurred.

Impairment of long-lived assets is evaluated by management based upon an event or changes in circumstances surrounding the underlying assets which indicate long-lived assets may be impaired.

Leases

Leases are classified as operating or finance leases at the lease commencement date. The Company leases certain locations classified as operating leases. The Company records leases on the balance sheet in the form of a lease liability for the present value of future minimum payments under the lease terms and a right-of-use asset equal to the lease liability adjusted for items such as deferred or prepaid rent, lease incentives, and any impairment of the right-of-use asset. The discount rate used in determining the lease liability is based upon incremental borrowing rates the Company could obtain for similar loans as of the date of commencement or renewal. The Company does not record short term leases with an initial lease term of one year or less on the consolidated balance sheets.

At lease inception, the Company determines the lease term by considering the noncancelable lease term and all optional renewal periods that the Company is reasonably certain to renew. The lease term is also used to calculate straight-line lease expense. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life and the estimated lease term. The Company’s leases do not contain residual value guarantees or material variable lease payments that will impact the Company's ability to pay dividends or cause the Company to incur additional expenses.

Operating lease expense consists of a single lease cost allocated over the remaining lease term on a straight-line basis and variable lease expense. Lease expense is included in occupancy and equipment expense on the Company's

consolidated statements of income. The Company's variable lease expense includes rent escalators that are based on market conditions and include items such as common area maintenance, utilities, parking, property taxes, insurance and other costs associated with the lease. The amortization of the right-of-use asset arising from finance leases is expensed through occupancy and equipment expense.

Foreclosed Assets

Foreclosed assets include real estate and other property acquired in full or partial settlement of loan obligations. Upon acquisition, any excess of the recorded investment in the loan balance over the appraised fair market value, net of estimated selling costs, is charged against the allowance for credit losses on loans. A valuation allowance for losses on foreclosed assets is maintained to provide for subsequent declines in value. The allowance is established through a provision for losses on foreclosed assets which is included in other noninterest expense. Subsequent gains or losses on sales or write-downs resulting from permanent impairments are recorded in other noninterest expense as incurred. Operating costs after acquisition are expensed.

The Company had no foreclosed residential real estate properties recorded at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2023, there were no consumer mortgage loans secured by residential real estate properties for which formal foreclosure proceeds were in process.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

The Company acquired Sierra National Bank in 2000, Santa Clara Valley Bank in 2014, Coast National Bank in 2016, and Ojai Community Bank and the Woodlake Branch of Citizen’s Business Bank in 2017. Goodwill resulting from business combinations after January 1, 2009, is generally determined as the excess of the fair value of the consideration transferred, plus the fair value of any noncontrolling 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 are tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events and circumstances exist which indicate that an impairment test should be performed. The Company selected October 1, 2023, as the date to perform the annual impairment test for 2023. Goodwill is the only intangible asset with an indefinite life on our balance sheet. There was no impairment recognized for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

Intangible assets with definite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values. The Company’s other intangible assets consist solely of core deposit intangible assets (CDI’s) arising from the acquisitions of Santa Clara Valley Bank, Coast National Bank, Ojai Community Bank, the Woodlake Branch of Citizen’s Business Bank and the Lompoc branch of Santa Maria Community Bank. All of the CDI’s are being amortized on a straight-line basis over eight years.

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. Details regarding these commitments and financial instruments are discussed in detail in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes

The Company files its income taxes on a consolidated basis with its subsidiary. The allocation of income tax expense represents each entity’s proportionate share of the consolidated provision for 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 tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences

between carrying amounts and tax basis of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. 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 to be realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. We have determined that as of December 31, 2023, all tax positions taken to date are highly certain and, accordingly, no accounting adjustment has been made to the financial statements.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as part of income tax expense.

Salary Continuation Agreements and Directors’ Retirement Plan

The Company has entered into agreements to provide members of the Board of Directors and certain key executives, or their designated beneficiaries, with annual benefits for up to fifteen years after retirement or death. The Company accrues for these future benefits from the effective date of the plan until the director’s or executive’s expected retirement date in a systematic and rational manner. At the consolidated balance sheet date, the amount of accrued benefits equals the then present value of the benefits expected to be provided to the director or employee, any beneficiaries, and covered dependents in exchange for the director’s or employee’s services to that date.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income includes fluctuations in unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale, net of an adjustment for the effects of realized gains and losses and any applicable tax. Comprehensive income is a more inclusive financial reporting methodology that includes disclosure of other comprehensive income that historically has not been recognized in the calculation of net income. Unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s available for sale securities, net of tax, are included in other comprehensive income after adjusting for the effects of realized gains and losses. Total comprehensive income and the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are presented in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

Stock-Based Compensation

At December 31, 2023, the Company had one active stock-based compensation plan, the Sierra Bancorp 2023 Equity Compensation Plan (the “2023 Plan”), which was adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors on March 17, 2023 and approved by the Company’s shareholders on May 24, 2023. The 2023 Plan replaced the Company’s 2017 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2017” Plan), which expired by its own terms on March 16, 2023. Unvested restricted stock and options to purchase shares granted under the 2017 Plan and its predecessor the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2007” Plan) that remained outstanding were unaffected by that plan’s termination. The 2023 Plan covers 360,000 shares of the Company’s authorized but unissued common stock, subject to adjustment for stock splits and dividends, and provides for the issuance of both “incentive” and “nonqualified” stock options to salaried officers and employees, and of “nonqualified” stock options to non-employee directors. The 2023 Plan also provides for the issuance of restricted stock awards to these same classes of eligible participants.

Compensation cost and director’s expense is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards issued to employees and directors and is recognized over the required service period, generally defined as the vesting period. The Company is using the Black-Scholes model 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. The “multiple option” approach for stock options is used to allocate the resulting valuation to actual expense for current period. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock. The Company uses historical data to estimate stock option exercise and post-vesting termination behavior. The expected term of stock options granted is based on historical data and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding subsequent to vesting, which takes into account that the options are not transferable. The risk-free interest rate for

the expected term of the stock option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. No stock options were granted during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue from contracts with customers subject to ASC 606 comprises the noninterest income earned by the Company in exchange for services provided to customers. Income associated with customer contracts generally involve transaction prices that are fixed and performance obligations which are satisfied as services are rendered. In most cases recognition occurs within a single financial reporting period as there is little or no judgement involved in the timing of revenues. We generally act in a principal capacity, on our own behalf, in most of our contracts with customers. In such transactions, we recognize revenue and the related costs to provide our services on a gross basis in our financial statements. Service Charges on Deposit Accounts comprise charges on retail and business accounts. Business customers can earn credits depending on account type and deposit balances maintained with the Company, which may be used to offset fees. Fees and credits are based on predetermined, agreed-upon rates. In some cases, we act in an agent capacity, deriving revenue through assisting other entities in transactions with our customers. In such transactions, we recognize revenue and those related costs to provide services on a gross basis in our financial statements. Debit card interchange income is derived from our customers’ use of various interchange and ATM/debit card networks which are the primary sources of revenue generated in an agent capacity.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold for credit losses in current U.S. GAAP, and instead requires an organization to record an estimate of expected credit losses over the contractual term for financial assets carried at amortized cost (generally loans and held-to-maturity investment securities) in addition to certain off balance-sheet credit exposure. Under the current expected credit losses (“CECL”) methodology expected credit losses for financial assets are estimated over the contractual life of the financial asset, adjusted for expected prepayments, considering historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Additionally, under CECL the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities is addressed through an allowance for credit losses which is a change from legacy GAAP which previously required the direct write-down of securities through the other-than-temporary impairment approach. The Company implemented CECL on January 1, 2022, using the modified retrospective approach to estimate lifetime expected losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost in addition to certain off balance sheet credit exposures. The January 1, 2022, increase in the Company’s allowance for credit losses, of $9.5 million on loans and $0.9 million in off balance sheet credit exposures, net of the impact of deferred taxes, was reflected in a transition adjustment of $7.3 million to retained earnings. There was no cumulative effect adjustment related to our available-for-sale investment portfolio upon adoption and the company had no securities designated as held-to-maturity as of January 1, 2022. Results for reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2021, are presented under CECL whereas prior comparative periods are presented under legacy GAAP.

In March 2023 the FASB issued, ASU No. 2023-02, “Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method.” ASU 2023-02 is intended to improve the accounting and disclosures for investments in tax credit structures. ASU 2023-02 allows entities to elect to account for qualifying tax equity investments using the proportional amortization method, regardless of the program giving rise to the related income tax credits. Previously, this method was only available for qualifying tax equity investments in low-income housing tax credit structures. ASU 2023-02 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2023, and its adoption did not have a significant effect on the Company’s financial statements.

On October 9, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-06, “Disclosure Improvements: Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification of Initiative.” ASU 2023-06 amends the disclosure or presentation requirements related to various subtopics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”). The ASU was issued in response to the SEC’s August 2018 final rule that updated and simplified disclosure requirements that the SEC believed were “redundant, duplicative, overlapping, outdated, or superseded.” The new guidance is intended to align U.S. GAAP requirements with those of the SEC and to facilitate the

application of U.S. GAAP for all entities. ASU 2023-06 applies to all reporting entities within the scope of the amended subtopics. Note that some of the amendments introduced by the ASU are technical corrections or clarifications of the FASB’s current disclosure or presentation requirements. The effective date for each amendment of ASU 2023-06 will be the date on which the SEC’s removal of that related disclosure requirement from Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K becomes effective, with early adoption prohibited. The Company will apply the amendments in ASU 2023-06 prospectively after the effective dates. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a significant effect on the Company’s financial statements.

In November 2023 the FASB issued, ASU No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures.” ASU 2023-07 expands segment disclosure requirements for public entities to require disclosure of significant segment expenses and other segment items on an annual and interim basis and to provide in interim periods all disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets that are currently required annually. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. ASU 2023-07 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial statements.

In December 2023 the FASB issued, ASU 2023-09,“Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” ASU 2023-09 requires public business entities to disclose in their rate reconciliation table additional categories of information about federal, state and foreign income taxes and to provide more details about the reconciling items in some categories if items meet a quantitative threshold. ASU 2023-09 also requires all entities to disclose income taxes paid, net of refunds, disaggregated by federal, state and foreign taxes for annual periods and to disaggregate the information by jurisdiction based on a quantitative threshold, among other things. ASU 2023-09 is effective for us on January 1, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. ASU 2023-09 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial statements.