NOTE B - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America 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 reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, business combinations, goodwill, deferred tax assets and the valuation of other real estate owned.

Business Combinations

Business combinations are accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, “Business Combinations.” Under the acquisition method, the acquiring entity in a business combination recognizes all of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities at their estimated fair values as of the date of acquisition. Any excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets and other identifiable intangible assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. To the extent the fair value of net assets acquired, including identified intangible assets, exceeds the purchase price, a bargain purchase gain is recognized.

Assets acquired and liabilities assumed from contingencies must also be recognized at fair value if the fair value can be determined during the measurement period. Results of operations of an acquired business are included in the Statement of Operations from the date of acquisition. Acquisition-related costs, including conversion and restructuring charges, are expensed as incurred.

The acquired assets and assumed liabilities are recorded at estimated fair values. Management makes significant estimates and exercises significant judgment in accounting for business combinations. Management uses its judgment to assign risk ratings to loans based on credit quality, appraisals and estimated collateral values, and estimated expected cash flows to measure fair values for loans. Real estate acquired in settlement of loans is valued based upon pending sales contracts and appraised values, adjusted for current market conditions. Core deposit intangibles are valued based on a weighted combination of the income and market approach where the income approach converts anticipated economic benefits to a present value and the market approach evaluates the market in which the asset is traded to find an indication of prices from actual transactions. Management uses quoted or current market prices to determine the fair value of investment securities. Fair values of deposits and borrowings are based on current market interest rates and are inclusive of any applicable prepayment penalties.

Cash and Due from Banks, Interest-Earning Deposits in Other Banks and Federal Funds Sold

For the purpose of presentation in the statements of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents are defined as those amounts included in the balance sheet captions “Cash and due from banks,” “Interest-earning deposits in other banks,” “Certificates of deposit” and “Federal funds sold.”

Certificates of Deposit

Certificates of deposit are cash instruments that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity and are reported at cost.

Investment Securities Available for Sale

Investment securities available for sale are reported at fair value and consist of debt instruments that are not classified as either trading securities or as held to maturity securities. Unrealized holding gains and losses, net of deferred income tax, on available for sale securities are reported as a net amount in accumulated other comprehensive income. Gains and losses on the sale of investment securities available for sale are determined using the specific-identification method.

Loans

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity are reported at their outstanding principal balance adjusted for any charge-offs, the allowance for loan losses, and any deferred fees or costs on originated loans and unamortized premiums or discounts on purchased loans. Loan origination fees and certain direct origination costs are capitalized and recognized as an adjustment of the yield of the related loan. The accrual of interest on impaired loans is discontinued when, in management’s opinion, the borrower may be unable to meet payment obligations as they become due. When interest accrual is discontinued, all unpaid accrued interest is reversed. Interest income is subsequently recognized only to the extent cash payments are received in excess of principal due. Loans are returned to accrual status when all of the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

The acquired loans are segregated between those considered to be performing (“acquired performing”) and those with evidence of credit deterioration based on such factors as past due status, nonaccrual status and credit risk ratings (“purchased credit-impaired loans”).

In determining the acquisition date fair value of purchased credit-impaired (“PCI”) loans, and in subsequent accounting, the Company generally aggregates purchased loans into pools of loans with common risk characteristics within the following loan categories: 1‑to‑4 family residential loans other than junior liens, 1‑to‑4 family residential junior liens, construction and land development, farm land, commercial real estate (nonowner-occupied), commercial real estate (owner-occupied), commercial and industrial, and all other loan categories. Expected cash flows at the acquisition date in excess of the fair value of loans are referred to as the “accretable yield” and recorded as interest income over the life of the loans using a level yield method if the timing and amount of the future cash flows of the pool is reasonably estimable. Subsequent to the acquisition date, significant increases in cash flows over those expected at the acquisition date are recognized as interest income prospectively. Accordingly, such loans are not classified as nonaccrual and they are considered to be accruing because their interest income relates to the accretable yield recognized under accounting for PCI loans and not to contractual interest payments. The difference between the contractually required payments and the cash flows expected to be collected at acquisition, considering the impact of prepayments, is referred to as the nonaccretable difference.

The difference between the fair value of an acquired performing loan pool and the contractual amounts due at the acquisition date (the “fair value discount”) is accreted into income over the estimated life of the pool. The Company’s policy for determining when to discontinue accruing interest on acquired performing loans and the subsequent accounting for such loans is essentially the same as the policy for originated loans described earlier.

Loans are deemed uncollectible based on a variety of credit, collateral, documentation and other issues. In the case where a loan is unsecured and in default, it is fully charged off.

Non-accrual Loans

Loans are placed on non-accrual when it has been determined that all contractual principal and interest will not be received. Any payments received on these loans are applied to principal first and then to interest only after all principal has been collected. Impaired loans include all loans in non-accrual status, all troubled debt restructures, all substandard loans that are deemed to be collateral dependent, and other loans that management determines require impairment. In the case of an impaired loan that is still on accrual basis, payments are applied to both principal and interest.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The provision for loan losses is based upon management’s estimate of the amount needed to maintain the allowance for loan losses at an adequate level in light of the risk inherent in the loan portfolio. In making the evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses, management gives consideration to current economic conditions, statutory examinations of the loan portfolio by regulatory agencies, delinquency information and management’s internal review of the loan portfolio. Loans are considered impaired when it is probable that all amounts due will not be collected in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement. The measurement of impaired loans is generally based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the historical effective interest rate, or upon the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral-dependent. If the recorded investment in the loan exceeds the measure of fair value, a valuation allowance is established as a component of the allowance for loan losses. Interest payments on impaired loans are typically applied to principal unless collectability of the principal amount is reasonably assured, in which case, interest is recognized on a cash basis. Impaired loans, or portions thereof, are charged off when deemed uncollectible. While management uses the best information available to make evaluations, future adjustments to the allowance may be necessary if conditions differ substantially from the assumptions used in making the evaluations. In addition, regulatory examiners may require the Company to recognize adjustments to the allowance for loan losses based on their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination.

Decreases in expected cash flows of PCI loans after the acquisition date are recognized by recording an allowance for credit loss. For any significant increases in cash flows expected to be collected, the Company first adjusts any prior recorded allowance for loan and lease losses through a reversal of previously recognized allowance through provision expense, and then increases the amount of accretable yield to be recognized on a prospective basis over the pool’s remaining life. Management analyzes these acquired loan pools using various assessments of risk to determine and calculate an expected loss. The expected loss is derived using an estimate of a loss given default based upon the collateral type and/or specific review by loan officers. Trends are reviewed in terms of traditional credit metrics such as accrual status, past due status, and weighted average risk grade of the loans within each of the accounting pools. In addition, the relationship between the change in the unpaid principal balance and change in the fair value mark is assessed to correlate the directional consistency of the expected loss for each pool.

Loans Held for Sale

Mortgage loans originated and intended for sale in the secondary market are classified as held for sale and are carried at the lower of cost or fair value. Upon closing, these loans are sold to mortgage loan investors under pre-arranged terms. Origination fees are recognized upon the sale and are included in non-interest income. Related to the mortgage business, the Company enters into interest rate lock commitments and commitments to sell mortgages to investors. Interest rate lock commitments are used to manage interest rate risk associated with the fixed rate loan commitments, and forward sale commitments are entered into with investors to manage the interest rate risk associated with the customer interest rate lock commitments, both of which are considered derivative financial instruments. The period of time between the issuance of a loan commitment and the closing and sale of the loan generally ranges from 10 to 60 days. Interest rate lock commitments and forward sale commitments are derivative instruments and are carried at fair value. These derivative instruments do not qualify for hedge accounting. The fair value of interest rate lock commitments is based on current secondary market pricing and has been determined to be immaterial. The fair value of the forward sale commitments is based on changes in the value of the commitment, principally because of changes in interest rates, and is included on the consolidated balance sheets in other assets or other liabilities. Changes in fair value for these instruments are reflected in non-interest income on the income statement. Gains and losses from sales of the mortgage loans are recognized when the Company ultimately sells the loans, and such gains and losses are also recorded in non-interest income. The Company does not retain servicing rights of the loans sold and has not included any servicing assets in other assets or recorded any expenses or revenue.

Stock in Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

As a requirement for membership, the Bank invests in stock of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (“FHLB”). This investment was carried at cost at December 31, 2019 and 2018. The Company continually monitors the financial strength of the FHLB and evaluates the investment for potential impairment. There can be no assurance that the impact of recent or future legislation on the Federal Home Loan Banks will not cause a decrease in the value of the Bank’s investment in FHLB stock.

Other Non-Marketable Securities

Other non-marketable securities are equity instruments that are reported at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer.

Foreclosed Real Estate

Real estate acquired through, or in lieu of, loan foreclosure is recorded at fair value, less the estimated cost to sell, at the date of foreclosure. At foreclosure, any excess of the loan balance over the fair value of the property is charged to the allowance for loan losses. After foreclosure, management periodically performs valuations of the property and adjusts the value down when the carrying value of the property exceeds the estimated net realizable value. Revenue and expenses from operations and changes in the valuation allowance are included in foreclosure-related expense.

Premises and Equipment

Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Estimated useful lives are 40 years for buildings and 3 to 10 years for furniture, fixtures and equipment. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the terms of the respective leases or the estimated useful lives of the improvements, whichever is shorter.

Repairs and maintenance costs are charged to operations as incurred and additions and improvements to premises and equipment are capitalized. Upon sale or retirement, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gains or losses are reflected in current operations.

Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts for financial reporting purposes. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for operating loss carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that the tax benefits will not be realized.

Public law No. 115‑97, known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Act"), enacted on December 22, 2017, reduced the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. Also on December 22, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118), which provides guidance on accounting for tax effects of the Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period of up to one year from the enactment date to complete the accounting. Any adjustments during this measurement period will be included in net earnings from continuing operations as an adjustment to income tax expense in the reporting period when such adjustments are determined. Based on the information available and current interpretation of the rules, the Company has made estimates of the impact of the reduction in the corporate tax rate and re-measurement of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities. The provisional amount recorded related to the re-measurement of the Company’s deferred tax balance was $2.6 million for 2017. The measurement period expired prior to December 31, 2018. No additional amount related to the re-measurement of the Company’s deferred tax balance was recorded prior to the expiration of the measurement period. See Note L Income Taxes for more information.

Bank Owned Life Insurance

Bank Owned Life Insurance ("BOLI") is carried at its cash surrender value on the balance sheet and is classified as a non-interest-earning asset. Death benefit proceeds received in excess of the policy’s cash surrender value are recognized to income. Returns on the BOLI assets are added to the carrying value and included as non-interest income in the consolidated statement of operations. Any receipt of benefit proceeds is recorded as a reduction to the carrying value of the BOLI asset. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company held no loans against its BOLI cash surrender values.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the cost in excess of the fair value of net assets acquired (including identifiable intangibles) in transactions accounted for as business combinations. Goodwill has an indefinite useful life and is evaluated for impairment annually, or more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. An impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds the asset’s fair value. For the 2019 assessment, we performed a qualitative assessment to determine if it was more likely than not that the fair value of our single reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. We concluded that the fair value of our single reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount and that it was not necessary to perform the two-step test pursuant to ASC 350‑20. Our qualitative assessment considered many factors including, but not limited to, our actual and projected operating performance and profitability, as well as consideration of recent bank merger and acquisition transaction metrics. No impairment was indicated in 2019, 2018 or 2017.

In January 2017, the FASB ASU 2017‑04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350):Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, was amended to simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment for public business entities and other entities that have goodwill reported in their financial statements and have not elected the private company alternative for the subsequent measurement of goodwill. The amendment removes Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. A goodwill impairment will now be the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. The effective date and transition requirements for the technical corrections will be effective for the Company for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company will adopt the standard for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and does not expect these amendments to have a material effect on its financial statements.

Core Deposit Intangible

The Company considers its core deposits to be intangible assets with finite lives. Core deposit intangibles are being amortized using the effective interest method over six years.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company utilizes interest rate lock commitments, which are considered derivative instruments, in its mortgage banking operations. As of December 31, 2019, the amount of interest rate lock commitments is considered immaterial.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has certain stock-based employee compensation plans, described more fully in Note P. Generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) require recognition of the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments in the financial statements over the period the employee is required to perform the services in exchange for the award (usually the vesting period). GAAP also requires the compensation cost for all awards granted after the date of adoption and any unvested awards that remained outstanding as of the date of adoption to be measured based on the fair value of the award on the grant date.

Comprehensive Income

The Company reports as comprehensive income all changes in shareholders’ equity during the year from sources other than shareholders. Other comprehensive income refers to all components (revenues, expenses, gains, and losses) of comprehensive income that are excluded from net income. The Company’s only component of other comprehensive income is unrealized gains and losses on investment securities available for sale.

Segment Information

The Company follows the provisions of ASC 280, Segment Reporting, which specifies guidelines for determining an entity’s operating segments and the type and level of financial information to be disclosed. Based on these guidelines, management has determined that the Bank operates as a single business segment; the providing of general commercial and retail financial services to customers located in the Company’s market areas. The various products, as well as the methods used to distribute them, are those generally offered by community banks.

Net Income per Common Share and Common Shares Outstanding

Basic earnings per share represents income available to common shareholders divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect additional common shares that would have been outstanding if dilutive potential common shares had been issued, as well as any adjustment to income that would result from the assumed issuance. Potential common shares that may be issued by the Company relate to outstanding stock options. Basic and diluted net income per share have been computed based upon net income as presented in the accompanying Statements of Operations divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding or assumed to be outstanding as summarized below:


	2019	2018	2017

Weighted average number of common shares used in computing basic net income per share	19,016,808	15,812,585	11,763,050

Effect of dilutive stock options	46,429	65,048	63,927

Weighted average number of common shares and dilutive potential common shares used in computing diluted net income per share	19,063,237	15,877,633	11,826,977

At December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, there were 176,600, 122,300 and 121,300 anti-dilutive options, respectively.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The following summarizes recent accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on the Company:

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 applies a right-of-use (“ROU”) model that requires a lessee to record, for all leases with a lease term of more than 12 months, an asset representing its right to use the underlying asset and a liability to make lease payments. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a practical expedient is available whereby a lessee may elect, by class of underlying asset, not to recognize an ROU asset or lease liability. At inception, lessees must classify all leases as either finance or operating based on five criteria. Balance sheet recognition of finance and operating leases is similar, but the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement, as well as the effect on the statement of cash flows, differs depending on the lease classification. For public business entities, the amendments in ASU 2016-02 are effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted this standard during the first quarter of 2019. The impact was an increase to the Consolidated Balance Sheet for ROU assets and associated lease liabilities, as well as resulting depreciation expense of the ROU assets and expense of the lease liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Additionally, adding these assets to the balance sheet impacted total risk-weighted assets used to determine the regulatory capital levels.

In July 2018, the FASB amended the Leases Topic of the Accounting Standards Codification to make narrow amendments to clarify how to apply certain aspects of the new standard. The amendments are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018.

The Company elected to apply ASU 2016-02 as of the beginning of the period of adoption (January 1, 2019) and will not restate comparative periods. Adoption of ASU 2016-02 resulted in the recognition of lease liabilities totaling $9,013,900 and the recognition of ROU assets totaling $9,013,900 as of the date of adoption. The adoption of this standard did not impact beginning retained earnings. Total risk-based capital was adversely impacted by 13 basis points due to the increase in risk-weighted assets, see Note J. Lease liabilities and ROU assets are reflected in other liabilities and other assets, respectively. The initial balance sheet gross up upon adoption was primarily related to operating leases of certain real estate properties. The Company has a finance lease and no material subleases or leasing arrangements for which it is the lessor of property or equipment. The Company has elected to apply the package of practical expedients allowed by the new standard under which the Company need not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are leases or contain leases, the Company need not reassess the lease classification for any expired or existing lease, and the Company need not reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016‑13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, guidance to change the accounting for credit losses and modify the impairment model for certain debt securities. ASU 2016‑13 requires an entity to utilize a new impairment model known as the current expected credit loss ("CECL") model to estimate its lifetime "expected credit loss" and record an allowance that, when deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial asset, presents the net amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. The CECL model is expected to result in earlier recognition of credit losses. ASU 2016‑13 also requires new disclosures for financial assets measured at amortized cost, loans and available-for-sale debt securities. The updated guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Entities will apply the standard’s provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is adopted. On October 16, 2019, the FASB voted to delay implementation of CECL until January 2023 for certain companies, including smaller reporting companies (as defined by the SEC). The Company currently qualifies as a smaller reporting company and is still assessing the impact that this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB amended ASU 2018-13 - Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement topic of the Accounting Standards Codification. The amendments remove, modify, and add certain fair value disclosure requirements based on the concepts in the FASB Concepts Statement, Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting—Chapter 8: Notes to Financial Statements. The amendments are effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. An entity is permitted to early adopt any removed or modified disclosures upon issuance of this ASU and delay adoption of the additional disclosures until their effective date. The Company does not expect these amendments to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

From time to time, the FASB issues exposure drafts for proposed statements of financial accounting standards. Such exposure drafts are subject to comment from the public, to revisions by the FASB and to final issuance by the FASB as statements of financial accounting standards. Management considers the effect of the proposed statements on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and monitors the status of changes to and proposed effective dates of exposure drafts.