2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

2.    SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a description of the significant accounting and reporting policies followed in preparing and presenting the accompanying consolidated financial statements. These policies conform with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation - The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of the Company, including its subsidiary Victory State Bank. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions between the Company and Bank have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results can differ from those estimates. The allowance for loan losses, prepayment estimates on the mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligation portfolios, contingencies and fair values of financial instruments are particularly subject to change.

Reclassifications – Some items in the prior year financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents – Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand, due from banks and interest-bearing deposits. Interest-bearing deposits with original maturities of 90 days or less are included in this category. Customer loan and deposit transactions are reported on a net cash basis. Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System requires that Victory State Bank maintain interest-bearing deposits or cash on hand as reserves against its demand deposits. The amount of reserves which Victory State Bank is required to maintain depends upon its level of transaction accounts. During the fourteen day period from December 27, 2012 through January 9, 2013, Victory State Bank was required to maintain reserves, after deducting vault cash, of $5,177,000. Reserves are required to be maintained on a fourteen day basis, so, from time to time, Victory State Bank may use available cash reserves on a day to day basis, so long as the fourteen day average reserves satisfy Regulation D requirements. Victory State Bank is required to report transaction account levels to the Federal Reserve on a weekly basis.

Interest-bearing bank balances – Interest-bearing bank balances mature overnight and are carried at cost.

Investment Securities, Available for Sale - Investment securities, available for sale, are to be held for an unspecified period of time and include securities that management intends to use as part of its asset/liability strategy. These securities may be sold in response to changes in interest rates, prepayments or other factors and are carried at estimated fair value. Gains or losses on the sale of such securities are determined by the specific identification method. Interest income includes amortization of purchase premium and accretion of purchase discount. Premiums and discounts are recognized in interest income using a method that approximates the level yield method without anticipating prepayments, except for mortgage-backed securities where prepayments are estimated. Unrealized holding gains or losses, net of deferred income taxes, are excluded from earnings and reported as other comprehensive income in a separate component of stockholders’ equity until realized. For debt securities with other than temporary impairment (OTTI) that management does not intend to sell or expect to be required to sell, the amount of impairment is split into two components as follows: 1) OTTI related to credit loss, which must be recognized in the income statement and 2) OTTI related to other factors, which is recognized in other comprehensive income. The credit loss is defined as the difference between the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected and the amortized cost basis.

The Company invests primarily in agency collateralized mortgage-Backed obligations (“CMOs”) with estimated average lives primarily under 7 Years and mortgage-backed securities. These securities are primarily issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”) and are primarily comprised of mortgage pools guaranteed by FNMA, GNMA or FHLMC. The Company also invests in whole loan CMOs, collateralized loan obligations (“CLO”) and asset backed securities, all of which are AAA rated at the time of purchase. These securities expose the Company to risks such as interest rate, prepayment and credit risk and thus pay a higher rate of return than comparable treasury issues.

Loans Receivable - Loans receivable, that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff, are stated at unpaid principal balances, adjusted for deferred net origination and commitment fees and the allowance for loan losses. Interest income on loans is credited as earned.

It is the policy of the Company to provide a valuation allowance for probable incurred losses on loans based on the Company’s past loan loss experience, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, adverse situations which may affect the borrower’s ability to repay, estimated value of underlying collateral and current economic conditions in the Company’s lending area. The allowance is increased by provisions for loan losses charged to earnings and is reduced by charge-offs, net of recoveries. While management uses available information to estimate losses on loans, future additions to the allowance may be necessary based upon the expected growth of the loan portfolio and any changes in economic conditions beyond management’s control. In addition, various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the Bank’s allowance for loan losses. Such agencies may require the Bank to recognize additions to the allowance based on judgments different from those of management. Management believes, based upon all relevant and available information, that the allowance for loan losses is appropriate.

The Company has a policy that all loans 90 days past due are placed on non-accrual status. It is the Company’s policy to cease the accrual of interest on loans to borrowers past due less than 90 days where a probable loss is estimated and to reverse out of income all interest that is due but has not been paid. The Company applies payments received on non-accrual loans to the outstanding principal balance due before applying any amount to interest, until the loan is restored to an accruing status. On a limited basis, the Company may apply a payment to interest on a non-accrual loan if there is no impairment or no estimated loss on these assets. The Company continues to accrue interest on construction loans that are 90 days past contractual maturity date if the loan is expected to be paid in full in the next 60 days and all interest is paid up to date.

Loan origination fees and certain direct loan origination costs are deferred and the net amount recognized over the contractual loan terms using the level-yield method, adjusted for periodic prepayments in certain circumstances.

The Company considers a loan to be impaired when, based on current information, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all principal and interest payments due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Impairment is measured on a loan by loan basis for commercial and construction loans. Impaired loans are measured based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate or, as a practical expedient, at the loan’s observable market price or the fair value of the collateral. The fair value of the collateral, as reduced by costs to sell, is utilized if a loan is collateral dependent. The fair value of the collateral is estimated by obtaining a new appraisal, if the loan amount exceeds $100,000, or by adjusting the most recent appraisal to reflect the current market if the loan is less than $100,000 or a more recent appraisal has yet to be received. Loans with modified terms that the Company would not normally consider, and for which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties, are considered troubled debt restructurings and classified as impaired. Large groups of homogeneous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment.

Long-Lived Assets - The Company periodically evaluates the recoverability of long-lived assets, such as premises and equipment, to ensure the carrying value has not been impaired. In performing the review for recoverability, the Company would estimate the future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset. If the sum of the expected future cash flows is less than the carrying amount, an impairment will be recognized. The Company reports these assets at the lower of the carrying value or fair value.

Premises and Equipment - Premises, leasehold improvements, and furniture and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are accumulated by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which range from three to fifteen years. Leasehold improvements are amortized at the lesser of their useful life or the term of the lease.

Federal Home Loan Bank (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. Because this stock is viewed as a long term investment, impairment is based on ultimate recovery of par value, which is the price the Bank pays for the FHLB Stock. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income.

Income Taxes - The Company utilizes the liability method to account for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on differences between financial reporting and the tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. As changes in tax laws or rates are enacted, deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted through the provision for income taxes. As such, 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.

Financial Instruments - In the ordinary course of business, the Company has entered into off-balance sheet financial instruments, primarily consisting of commitments to extend credit.

Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Common Share - The Company has stock compensation awards with non-forfeitable dividend rights which are considered participating securities. As such, earnings per share is computed using the two-class method. Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income allocated to common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period which excludes the participating securities. Diluted earnings per common share includes the dilutive effect of additional potential common shares from stock-based compensation plans, but excludes awards considered participating securities. Earnings and dividends per share are restated for all stock splits and stock dividends through the date of issuance of the financial statements.

Basic net income per share of common stock is based on 1,743,595 shares and 1,767,689 shares, the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Diluted net income per share of common stock is based on 1,743,595 and 1,767,760, the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus potentially dilutive common shares for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The weighted average number of potentially dilutive common shares excluded in calculating diluted net income per common share due to the anti-dilutive effect is 47,506 and 36,902 shares for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Common stock equivalents were calculated using the treasury stock method.

The reconciliation of the numerators and the denominators of the basic and diluted per share computations for the years ended December 31, are as follows:

Reconciliation of EPS
	Year Ended			Year Ended
	December 31, 2012			December 31, 2011
Basic
Distributed earnings allocated to common stock	$	418,463		$	424,245
Undistributed earnings allocated to common sock		752,789			995,275
Net earnings allocated to common stock	$	1,171,252		$	1,419,520
Weighted common shares outstanding including participating securities		1,768,825			1,798,735
Less: Participating securities		(25,230	)		(31,046	)
Weighted average shares		1,743,595			1,767,689
Basic EPS	$	0.67		$	0.80
Diluted
Net earnings allocated to common stock	$	1,171,252		$	1,419,520
Weighted average shares for basic		1,743,595			1,767,689
Dilutive effects of:
Stock Options		—			71
Unvested shares not considered particpating securtities		—			—
		1,743,595			1,767,760
Diluted EPS	$	0.67		$	0.80

Net earnings allocated to common stock for the period are distributed earnings during the period, such as dividends on common shares outstanding, plus a proportional amount of retained income for the period based on restricted shares granted but unvested compared to the total common shares outstanding.

Stock Based Compensation - The Company records compensation expense for stock options provided to employees in return for employment service. The cost is measured at the fair value of the options when granted, and this cost is expensed over the employment service period, which is normally the vesting period of the options.

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”)- The cost of shares issued to the ESOP, but not yet allocated to participants, is shown as a reduction of stockholders’ equity. Compensation expense is based on the market price of shares as they are committed to be released to participant accounts. Cash dividends on allocated ESOP shares reduce retained earnings; cash dividends on unearned ESOP shares reduce debt and accrued interest.

Stock Repurchase Programs – On September 8, 2008, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had authorized a Rule 10b5-1 stock repurchase program for the repurchase of up to 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. On April 21, 2009, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had authorized a second Rule 10b5-1 stock repurchase program for the repurchase of up to an additional 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company has repurchased a total of 200,000 shares of its common stock under these stock repurchase programs, which were completed by the end of 2010. On September 14, 2011, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had authorized a third Rule 10b5-1 stock repurchase program for the repurchase of up to an additional 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. At December 31, 2012, the Company had repurchased a total of 49,200 shares of its common stock under this third stock repurchase program. Stock repurchases under the programs have been accounted for using the cost method, in which the Company will reflect the entire cost of repurchased shares as a separate reduction of stockholders’ equity on its balance sheet.

Retention and Recognition Plan – At the April 27, 2010 Annual Meeting, the stockholders of VSB Bancorp, Inc. approved the adoption of the 2010 Retention and Recognition Plan (the “RRP”). The RRP authorizes the award of up to 50,000 shares of its common stock to directors, officers and employees. In conjunction with the approval the RRP, stockholders approved the award of 4,000 shares of stock to each of its eight directors who had at least five years of service. The director awards will vest over five years, with 20% vesting annually for each of the first five years after the award is made, subject to acceleration and forfeiture. On April 27, 2011, 6,400 shares or 20% of the 32,000 shares of stock awarded to its eight directors who had at least five years of service had vested. On April 27, 2012, an additional 6,400 shares or 20% of the 32,000 shares of stock awarded to its eight directors who had at least five years of service had vested. On June 8, 2010, an additional 3,500 shares of stock were awarded to the President and CEO of the Company, which will vest over a 65 month period, with 20% vesting annually for each of the first five years starting in November 2011, subject to acceleration and forfeiture. On November 16, 2011, 700 shares or 20% of the 3,500 shares of stock awarded to the President and CEO of the Company had vested. On November 16, 2012, an additional 700 shares or 20% of the 3,500 shares of stock awarded to the President and CEO of the Company had vested. On November 13, 2012, an additional 2,500 shares of stock were awarded to the President and CEO of the Company on an equal two year vesting beginning November 13, 2013. Also, on November 13, 2012, an additional 1,000 shares were awarded to seven non-employee directors on an equal two year vesting beginning November 13, 2013. The recipient of an award will not be required to make any payment to receive the award or the stock covered by the award. The Company recognizes compensation expense for the shares awarded under the RRP gradually as the shares vest, based upon the market price of the shares on the date of the award.

Comprehensive Income - Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income includes unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, on securities available for sale which are also recognized as separate components of equity.