Commitments and Contingencies

First Federal is a party to financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments generally represent a commitment to extend credit in the form of loans. The instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheets.

First Federal’s exposure to credit loss, in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit, is represented by the contractual notional amount of those instruments. First Federal uses the same credit policies in making commitments as it does for on-balance-sheet instruments. Management does not anticipate any material loss as a result of these transactions.

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established by the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of these commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. First Federal evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis. First Federal did not incur any significant losses on its commitments for the years ended December 31, 2019, and 2018.

The following financial instruments were outstanding whose contract amounts represent credit risk at:



	December 31, 2019		December 31, 2018
	(In thousands)
Commitments to grant loans	$	101	$	625
Standby letters of credit	182		223
Unfunded commitments under lines of credit or existing loans	88,225		98,847

Legal contingencies - Various legal claims may arise from time to time in the normal course of business, which, in the opinion of management, have no current material effect on First Federal’s consolidated financial statements.

Significant group concentrations of credit risk - Concentration of credit risk is the risk associated with a lack of diversification, such as having substantial loan concentrations in a specific type of loan within First Federal’s loan portfolio, thereby exposing First Federal to greater risks resulting from adverse economic, political, regulatory, geographic, industrial, or credit developments. Loans to one borrower are subject to the state banking regulations general limitation of 20 percent of First Federal’s equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income. At December 31, 2019 and 2018 First Federal’s most significant concentration of credit risk was in loans secured by real estate. These loans totaled approximately $730.2 million and $767.6 million, or 82.6% and 88.3%, of First Federal’s total loan portfolio at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Real estate construction, including land acquisition and land development, commercial real estate, multi-family, home equity, and one- to four-family residential loans are included in the total loans secured by real estate for purposes of this calculation. After a period of decline the real estate market has begun to recover, which has helped stabilize nonperforming loans and the allowance for loan losses.

At December 31, 2019 and 2018, First Federal’s most significant investment concentration of credit risk was with the U.S. Government, its agencies, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs). First Federal’s exposure, which results from positions in securities issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies, and securities guaranteed by GSEs, was $223.5 million and $243.4 million, or 69.5% and 77.7%, of First Federal’s total investment portfolio (including FHLB stock) at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.