LOAN POLICIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

NOTE 2 – LOAN POLICIES

The loan portfolio consists of real estate, commercial and other loans to the Company’s customers in our primary market areas in eastern Massachusetts. The ability of the Company’s debtors to honor their contracts is dependent upon the economy in general and the state of real estate and construction sectors within our markets.

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future, or until maturity or pay-off, are reported at their outstanding unpaid principal balances adjusted for charge-offs, the allowance for loan losses, and any deferred loan origination fees or costs. Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized as an adjustment of the related loan yield using the interest method.

Interest is generally not accrued on loans which are identified as impaired or loans which are ninety days or more past due. Past due status is based on the contractual terms of the loan. Interest income previously accrued on such loans is reversed against current period interest income. Interest income on non-accrual loans is recognized only to the extent of interest payments received and is first applied to the outstanding principal balance when collectibility of principal is in doubt. Loans are returned to accrual status when all principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured through sustained payment performance for at least six months.

Allowance for loan losses

The allowance for loan losses is established through a provision for loan losses charged to earnings as losses are estimated to occur. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of the loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries are credited to the allowance.

The allowance for loan losses is evaluated on a regular basis by management. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available. The allowance consists of general, allocated and unallocated components.

General component

The general component is based on the following loan segments: residential real estate, commercial real estate, construction, commercial, home equity lines of credit and other consumer. Management considers a rolling average of historical losses for each segment based on a time frame appropriate to capture relevant loss data for each loan segment, generally three and 10 years. This historical loss factor is adjusted for the following qualitative factors: levels/trends in delinquencies; trends in volume, concentrations and terms of loans; level of collateral protection; effects of changes in risk selection and underwriting standards; experience/ability/depth of lending management and staff; and national and local economic trends and conditions. There were no significant changes to the Company’s policies or methodology pertaining to the general component of the allowance during 2018 or 2017.

The qualitative factor adjustments are determined based on the various risk characteristics of each loan segment. Risk characteristics relevant to each portfolio segment are as follows:

Residential real estate – The Company generally does not originate loans with a loan-to-value ratio greater than 80 percent and does not originate subprime loans. Most loans in this segment are collateralized by one-to-four family residential real estate and repayment is dependent on the credit quality of the individual borrower. The overall health of the economy, including unemployment rates and housing prices, will have an effect on the credit quality in this segment.

Commercial real estate – Loans in this segment are primarily income-producing properties in the Company’s primary market areas in eastern Massachusetts. The underlying cash flows generated by the properties may be adversely impacted by a downturn in the economy as evidenced by increased vacancy rates, which, in turn, will have an effect on the credit quality in this segment. Management typically obtains rent rolls annually and continually monitors the cash flows of these loans.

Construction – Loans in this segment include speculative construction loans primarily on residential properties for which payment is derived from the sale of the property. Credit risk is affected by cost overruns, time to sell at an adequate price, and market conditions. Residential construction loans in this segment also include loans to build one-to-four family owner-occupied properties which are subject to the same credit quality factors as residential real estate.

Commercial – Loans in this segment are made to businesses and are generally secured by assets of the business. Repayment is expected from the cash flows of the business. A weakened economy, and resultant decreased consumer spending, will have an effect on the credit quality in this segment.

Home equity lines of credit – Loans in this segment are collateralized by one-to-four family residential real estate and repayment is dependent on the credit quality of the individual borrower. The overall health of the economy, including unemployment rates and housing prices, will have an effect on the credit quality in this segment.

Other consumer – Loans in this segment are generally unsecured and repayment is dependent on the credit quality of the individual borrower.

Allocated component

The allocated component relates to loans that are classified as impaired. Impairment is measured on a loan-by-loan basis by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the fair value of the loan or, if the loan is collateral dependent, by the fair value of the collateral, less estimated costs to sell. An allowance is established when the discounted cash flows (or collateral value) of the impaired loan are lower than the carrying value of that loan. Large groups of smaller-balance homogeneous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment. Accordingly, the Company does not separately identify performing individual residential and consumer loans for impairment disclosures, unless such loans are subject to a troubled debt restructuring agreement.

A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due, according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Management determines the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed.

The Company periodically may agree to modify the contractual terms of loans. When a loan is modified and a concession is made to a borrower experiencing financial difficulty, the modification is considered a troubled debt restructuring ("TDR"). All TDRs are initially classified as impaired.

Unallocated component

An unallocated component is maintained to cover additional uncertainties in management’s estimation of probable losses. The unallocated component of the allowance reflects the margin of imprecision inherent in the underlying assumptions used in the methodologies for estimating allocated and general reserves in the portfolio.