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Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries which includes First Busey Risk Management, Inc., Deed of Trust Services Corporation and Busey Bank, including Busey Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiaries FirsTech, Inc., Pulaski Service Corporation and Busey Capital Management, Inc. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain various LLCs that hold specific assets for risk mitigation purposes and are consolidated into these Consolidated Financial Statements. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Consolidated Financial Statements exclude the following wholly-owned variable interest entities: First Busey Statutory Trust II, First Busey Statutory Trust III, First Busey Statutory Trust IV, Pulaski Financial Statutory Trust I and Pulaski Financial Statutory Trust II because the Company is not the primary beneficiary.

Use of Estimates

Use of estimates

In preparing the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP, the Company’s management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Financial Statements and the disclosures provided. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates which are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near-term relate to the fair value of investment securities, fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations, goodwill, income taxes and the determination of the allowance for loan losses.

Comprehensive income (loss)

Accounting principles generally require that recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses be included in net income. Although certain changes in assets and liabilities, such as unrealized gains and losses on available for sale debt securities and unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedges, are reported as a separate component within the equity section of the balance sheet, such items, along with net income, are components of comprehensive income (loss).

Trust assets

Assets held for customers in a fiduciary or agency capacity, other than trust cash on deposit at the Company’s bank subsidiary, are not assets of the Company and, accordingly, are not included in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company had assets under care of $9.7 billion and $7.1 billion at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks, interest-bearing deposits with banks and federal funds sold. Cash and cash equivalents have original maturities of three months or less. Accordingly, the carrying amount of such instruments is considered a reasonable estimate of fair value. Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions, interest bearing deposits in other financial institutions and repurchase agreements.

The Company maintains its cash in deposit accounts the balance of which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. Management believes the Company is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.

Securities

Debt securities classified as held to maturity are those debt securities that the Company has the intent and ability to hold to maturity and are carried at amortized cost.

Debt securities classified as available for sale are those debt securities that the Company intends to hold for an indefinite period of time, but not necessarily to maturity. Any decision to sell a security classified as available for sale would be based on factors including significant movements in interest rates, changes in the maturity mix of the Company's assets and liabilities, liquidity needs, regulatory capital considerations and other similar factors. Debt securities available for sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes.

Purchase premiums and discounts are recognized in interest income using the interest method over the terms of the securities. With the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-08, "Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20), Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities" the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium, are amortized to the earliest call date. Gains and losses on the sale of securities are recorded on the trade date and are determined using the specific identification method.

Management evaluates debt securities for OTTI on a quarterly basis, or more frequently, if economic or market conditions warrant an evaluation. Declines in the fair value of debt securities below their amortized cost are evaluated to determine whether they are temporary or OTTI. If the Company (i) has the intent to sell a debt security or (ii) it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the debt security before its anticipated recovery, the Company recognizes the entire unrealized loss in earnings as an OTTI loss. If neither of these conditions are met, the Company evaluates whether a credit loss exists. The impairment is separated into (i) the amount of the total impairment related to the credit loss and (ii) the amount of total impairment related to all other factors. The amount of the total OTTI related to the credit loss is recognized in earnings and the amount related to all other factors is recognized in other comprehensive income (loss).

With the adoption of ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities," equity securities are carried at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings.

Loans held for sale

Loans held for sale include mortgage loans which the Company intends to sell to investors and/or the secondary mortgage market. Loans held for sale are recorded at fair value, as the Company has elected to apply the fair value method of accounting, with changes in fair value recognized in earnings. Fair value adjustments are recorded as an adjustment to mortgage revenues. The fair value of loans held for sale is measured using observable quoted market or contract prices or market price equivalents, consistent with those used by other market participants. Direct loan origination fees and costs related to loans accounted for at fair value are recognized when earned.

Loan servicing

Servicing assets are recognized when servicing rights are acquired or retained through the sale of mortgage and government-guaranteed commercial loans. The unpaid principal balances of loans serviced by the Company for the benefit of others totaled $2.2 billion and are not included in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Servicing rights are initially recorded at fair value which is determined using a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income. Capitalized servicing rights are reported in other assets and are amortized into non-interest income in proportion to, and over the period of, the estimated future net servicing income of the underlying financial assets. The amortization of mortgage servicing rights is included in mortgage revenue. The amortization of government-guaranteed commercial loans is included in other income.

Servicing rights are periodically evaluated for impairment based on the fair value of those rights as compared to book value. Fair values are estimated using discounted cash flows based on expected prepayment rates and other inputs. For purposes of measuring impairment, the servicing rights are stratified by one or more predominant characteristics of the underlying loans. The amount of valuation allowance recognized is the amount, if any, by which the amortized cost of the rights for each stratum exceeds its fair value. If the Company later determines that all or a portion of the impairment no longer exists for a particular group of loans, a reversal of the allowance may be recorded in current period earnings. The Company had no impairment recorded at December 31, 2019 or 2018.

Servicing fee income is recorded for fees earned for servicing loans. The fees are based on a contractual percentage of the outstanding principal and are recorded as income when earned.

Portfolio loans

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or pay-off are reported at the principal balance outstanding, net of purchase premiums and discounts or net deferred origination fees or costs, charge-offs, and the allowance for loan losses.

Loan origination fees, net of certain direct loan origination costs, are deferred and the net amount is amortized as an adjustment of the related loan’s yield. The Company amortizes the net amount over the contractual life of the related loan.

Interest income is accrued daily on outstanding loan balances. Loans are placed on non-accrual status when, in management’s opinion, the borrower may be unable to meet payment obligations as they become due, as well as when required by regulatory provisions. Loans may be placed on non-accrual status regardless of whether or not such loans are considered past due. Past due status is based on the contractual terms of the loan.

Interest accrued but not collected for loans that are placed on non-accrual status or charged-off is reversed against interest income. The interest on non-accrual loans is accounted for on the cost-recovery method, until returned to accrual status. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

Troubled debt restructurings

The Company’s loan portfolio includes certain loans that have been modified in a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”), where concessions have been granted to borrowers who have experienced financial difficulties. The Company will restructure a loan for its customer after evaluating whether the borrower is able to meet the terms of the loan over the long term, though unable to meet the terms of the loan in the near term due to individual circumstances.

The Company considers the customer’s past performance, previous and current credit history, the individual circumstances surrounding the customer’s current difficulties and the customer’s plan to meet the terms of the loan in the

future prior to restructuring the terms of the loan. Generally, restructurings consist of short-term interest rate relief, short-term principal payment relief, short-term principal and interest payment relief or forbearance (debt forgiveness). A restructured loan that exceeds 90 days past due or is placed on non-accrual status, is classified as non-performing.

All TDRs are considered to be impaired for purposes of assessing the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses and for financial reporting purposes. When the Company modifies a loan in a TDR, it evaluates any possible impairment similar to other impaired loans based on present value of the expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s original effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price, or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. If the Company determines that the fair value of the TDR is less than the recorded investment in the loan, impairment is recognized through a charge to the allowance for loan losses in the period of the modification and in periods subsequent to the modification.

Purchased credit-impaired loans

The Company holds loans acquired through business combinations, some of which have shown evidence of credit deterioration since origination. These purchased credit-impaired (“PCI”) loans are initially recorded at fair value on the acquisition date. Accordingly, the seller’s allowance for loan losses is not carried over or recorded as of the acquisition date.

PCI loans are reviewed individually or are aggregated into pools of loans based on common risk characteristics. The Company estimates the amount and timing of expected cash flows and the excess of the cash flows expected to be collected over the recorded investment, if material, is the accretable yield and is recognized as interest income over the life. The excess of the contractual cash flows over the cash flows expected to be collected is the non-accretable difference.

Over the life of the loans, expected cash flows continue to be estimated and any increases in expected cash flows over those expected at acquisition date are adjusted through the accretable yield on a prospective basis. Any subsequent decreases in expected cash flows are recognized by recording an allowance for loan losses.

Allowance for loan losses

The allowance for loan losses represents an estimate of the amount of probable losses believed to be inherent in the Company’s loan portfolio at the Consolidated Balance Sheet date. The allowance calculation involves a high degree of estimation that management attempts to mitigate through the use of objective historical data where available. Loan losses are charged against the allowance for loan losses when management believes the uncollectibility of the loan balance is probable. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Overall, the Company believes the allowance methodology is consistent with prior periods and the balance was adequate to cover the estimated losses in the Company’s loan portfolio at December 31, 2019 and 2018.

The allowance for loan losses is calculated by segmenting the loan portfolio by product type, geography and risk classification. The Company’s loan portfolio consists of commercial, commercial real estate, real estate construction, retail real estate, and retail other loans. Segmentation based on product type captures the risk of credit loss inherent in each category including fluctuations in underlying collateral values, changes in operating cash flows, changes in borrower characteristics, and changes in economic and other factors. Segmentation by geography and risk classification further enhances Management’s evaluation of these factors in the assessment of the adequacy of the allowance for loan loss.

The allowance for loan loss consists of a general reserve and a specific reserve. The general portion of the Company’s allowance is developed based on historical loss ratios adjusted for qualitative factors which management believes capture inherent loss not reflected in historical loss experience. Historical loss ratios are an annualized rate based on the

previous five years of loss history with more consideration given to the most recent loss experience. Qualitative factors are estimated by considering risk factors both internal and external to the Company. Specifically, management considers the following when estimating qualitative factors: (i) Management & Staff; (ii) Loan Underwriting, Policy and Procedures; (iii) Internal/External Audit & Loan Review; (iv) Valuation of Underlying Collateral; (v) Macro and Local Economic Factors; (vi) Impact of Competition, Legal & Regulatory Issues; (vii) Nature and Volume of Loan Portfolio; (viii) Concentrations of Credit; (ix) Net Charge-Off Trends; and (x) Non-Accrual, Past Due and Classified Trends. Management evaluates the probable impact from the degree of risk that each one of these components has on the quality of the loan portfolio on a quarterly basis.

The specific portion of the Company’s allowance relates to loans that are identified as impaired, which includes non-performing loans, TDRs and other loans determined to be impaired. A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable the Company will be unable to collect scheduled principal and interest payments when due according to the 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.

If a loan is impaired, impairment is measured on a loan-by-loan basis for commercial and construction loans based on the present value of the expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price, or the fair value of the collateral less cost to sell, if the loan is collateral dependent. Loans are considered collateral dependent if repayment is expected solely from the sale of the collateral. Collateral values are estimated using a combination of observable inputs, including recent appraisals discounted for collateral specific changes and current market conditions, and unobservable inputs based on customized discounting criteria.

Large groups of smaller balance homogenous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment. Accordingly, the Company does not separately identify individual consumer and residential loans for impairment unless such loans are the subject of a TDR.

The allowance for loan losses is evaluated on a regular basis by management and is based upon management’s periodic review of the collectibility of the loans in light of historical experience, the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrower’s ability to repay, estimated value of any underlying collateral and prevailing economic conditions. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to revision as more information becomes available.

Premises and equipment, net

Land is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation of depreciable land improvements. Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated useful lives for premises and equipment are:


Asset Description	Estimated Useful Life
Buildings and improvements	3	—	40	years
Furniture and equipment	3	—	10	years

Long-lived assets

Long-lived assets, including premises and equipment, right of use asset and intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be

recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows from operations of the asset are less than the carrying value of the asset. The cash flows used for this analysis are those directly associated with and that are expected to arise as a direct result of the use and eventual disposition of the asset. An impairment loss would be measured by the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value.

Other real estate owned

OREO represents properties acquired through foreclosure or other proceedings in settlement of loans. OREO is recorded at the fair value of the property less estimated costs of disposal, which establishes a new cost basis. Any adjustment to fair value at the time of transfer to OREO is charged to the allowance for loan losses. OREO property is evaluated regularly to ensure the recorded amount is supported by its current fair value, and valuation allowances to reduce the carrying amount to fair value less estimated costs to dispose are recorded as necessary. Revenue, expense, gains and losses from the operations of foreclosed assets are included in earnings.

Goodwill and other intangibles

Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred in a business combination over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but is subject to at least annual impairment assessments. The Company has established December 31 as the annual impairment assessment date. As part of this analysis, the reporting unit's carrying value is compared to its fair value.

The Company estimates the fair value of its reporting units as of the measurement date utilizing valuation methodologies including the comparable transactions approach and the control premium approach. Goodwill is considered impaired if the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. There was no impairment as of December 31, 2019 or 2018. See “Note 7. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” for further discussion.

Other intangible assets consists of core deposit and acquired customer relationship intangible assets arising from acquisitions and are amortized over their estimated useful lives.

Cash surrender value of bank-owned life insurance

Cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance

The Company has purchased or acquired through acquisitions life insurance policies on certain executives and senior officers. Life insurance is recorded at its cash surrender value, which estimates its fair value.

ASC Topic 715, Compensation—Retirement Benefits requires an employer to recognize a liability for post-employment benefits promised to an employee based on an arrangement between an employer and an employee. In an endorsement split-dollar arrangement, the employer owns and controls the policy, and the employer and employee split the life insurance policy’s cash surrender value and/or death benefits. If the employer agrees to maintain a life insurance policy during the employee’s retirement, the present value of the cost of maintaining the insurance policy would be accrued over the employee’s active service period. Similarly, if the employer agrees to provide the employee with a death benefit, the present value of the death benefit would be accrued over the employee’s active service period. The Company has an accrued liability, included in other liabilities, for these arrangements.

Transfers of financial assets

Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales only when control over the assets has been surrendered. Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when: (i) the assets have been isolated from the Company, (ii) the transferee obtains the right to pledge or exchange the assets it receives, and no condition both constrains the transferee from taking advantage of its right to pledge or exchange and provides more than a trivial benefit to the transferor, and (iii) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity or the ability to unilaterally cause the holder to return specific assets.

Income taxes

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. federal and various state jurisdictions. The Company and its subsidiaries file consolidated federal and state income tax returns with each subsidiary computing its taxes on a separate entity basis. Tax regulations within each jurisdiction are subject to the interpretation of the related tax laws and regulations and require significant judgment to apply. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state or local tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before 2015.

Under GAAP, a valuation allowance is required to be recognized if it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The determination of the recoverability of the deferred tax assets is highly subjective and dependent upon judgment concerning management’s evaluation of both positive and negative evidence, the forecasts of future income, applicable tax planning strategies, and assessments of the current and future economic and business conditions.

Management believes that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets included in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements will be fully realized. The Company determined that no valuation allowance was required as of December 31, 2019.

Positions taken in tax returns may be subject to challenge upon examination by the taxing authorities. Uncertain tax positions are initially recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements when it is more likely than not the position will not be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities. Such tax positions are both initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement with the tax authority, assuming full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts. When applicable, the Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties in operating expenses. The Company had no accruals for payments of interest and penalties at December 31, 2019 or 2018.

At December 31, 2019, the Company was not under examination by any tax authority; however, Banc Ed, which the Company acquired on January 31, 2019, is under examination by the Illinois Department of Revenue for the 2009 to 2016 income tax filings.

Treasury Stock

Treasury stock acquired is recorded at cost. Treasury stock issued is valued based on the “first-in, first-out” method. Gains and losses on issuance are recorded as increases or decreases to additional paid-in capital.

Stock-based employee compensation

During the first quarter of 2010, the Company adopted the First Busey Corporation 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (“2010 Equity Plan”), which was approved at the annual stockholders meeting on May 19, 2010. During the second quarter of 2015, the Company adopted an amendment to revise some technical terms to the 2010 Equity Plan, which was approved at the annual stockholders meeting on May 20, 2015, and can be found as Appendix C of the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Company grants share-based compensation awards to its employees and members of its board of directors as provided for under the Company’s 2010 Equity Plan. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the First Community 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, the Company may grant awards with respect to First Busey common stock to legacy employees and directors of First Community or its subsidiaries.

The Company’s equity incentive plans are designed to encourage ownership of its common stock by its employees and directors, to provide additional incentive for them to promote the success of the Company’s business, and to attract and retain talented personnel. All of the Company’s employees and directors and those of its subsidiaries are eligible to receive awards under the plans. See “Note 14. Share-based Compensation” for further discussion.

The Company calculates the compensation cost of its non-vested stock awards (restricted stock units) based on the Company’s stock price on the grant date multiplied by the number of units granted. This cost is recorded over a specified requisite service period (i.e. vesting period) ranging from one to five years. As the restricted stock units cliff vest, the cost is recorded using straight-line amortization. The Company does not estimate forfeitures in determining the amount of compensation expense to recognize. Compensation expense for unvested awards that are forfeited is reversed in the period forfeited.

Segment disclosure

Operating segments are components of a business that (i) engage in business activities from which the component may earn revenues and incur expenses; (ii) has operating results that are reviewed regularly by the entity’s chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segments and assess their performance; and (iii) for which discrete financial information is available. The Company’s operations are managed along three operating segments consisting of Banking, Remittance Processing and Wealth Management. See “Note 21. Operating Segments and Related Information” for further discussion.

Business Combinations

Business combinations are accounted for under ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, using the acquisition method of accounting. The acquisition method of accounting requires an acquirer to recognize the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed at the acquisition date measured at their estimated fair values as of that date. To determine the fair values, the Company may rely on third-party valuations, such as appraisals, or internal valuations based on discounted cash flow analyses or other valuation techniques. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the Company will identify the acquirer and the closing date and apply applicable recognition principles.

Operating results are included with the Company’s results of operations since each date of acquisition. Acquisition related costs are costs the Company incurs to effect a business combination. Those costs may include legal, accounting, valuation, other professional or consulting fees, system conversions and marketing costs. The Company will account for acquisition related costs as expenses in the periods in which the costs are incurred and the services are received. Costs that the Company expects, but is not obligated to incur in the future, to effect its plan to exit an activity of an acquiree or to terminate the employment of an acquiree’s employees are not liabilities at the acquisition date. Instead, the Company will recognize these costs in its post-combination Financial Statements in accordance with other applicable accounting guidance.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company utilizes interest rate swap agreements as part of its asset liability management strategy to help manage its interest rate risk position. Additionally, the Company enters into derivative financial instruments, including interest rate lock commitments issued to residential loan customers for loans that will be held for sale, forward sales commitments to sell residential mortgage loans to investors and interest rate swaps with customers and other third parties.

Interest Rate Swaps Designated as Cash Flow Hedges: Starting in the third quarter of 2019, the Company entered into derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the change in fair value of the derivative instrument is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Change in fair value of components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness are recognized in current earnings.

Interest Rate Lock Commitments. Commitments to originate loans held for sale (interest rate lock commitments), which primarily consist of commitments to originate fixed-rate residential mortgage loans, are recorded at their fair value in other assets or other liabilities in the Consolidated Financial Statements, with changes in the fair value of the

corresponding derivative financial assets or liabilities recorded as either a charge or credit to mortgage revenues during the period in which the changes occurred.

Forward Sales Commitments. As a general rule, the Company economically hedges loans held for sale and interest rate lock commitments issued to its residential loan customers related to loans that will be held for sale by obtaining corresponding best-efforts forward sales commitments with an investor to sell the loans at an agreed-upon price at the time the interest rate locks are issued to the customers. Forward sales commitments that meet the definition of derivative financial instruments under ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, are carried at their fair value in other assets or other liabilities in the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company does not designate these forward sales commitments for hedge accounting treatment, and accordingly, changes in fair value of the corresponding derivative financial asset or liability are recorded as either a charge or credit to mortgage revenue during the period in which the changes occur.

Interest Rate Swaps Not Designated as Hedges. The Company may offer derivative contracts to its customers in connection with their risk management needs. The Company manages the risk associated with these contracts by entering into an equal and offsetting derivative with a third-party dealer. These derivatives are carried at their fair value in other assets or other liabilities in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Changes in fair value of the corresponding derivative financial asset or liability are recorded in non-interest income and expense.

Revenue

ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” outlines a single model for companies to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most prior revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. ASU 2014-09 requires that companies recognize revenue based on the value of transferred goods or services as they occur in the contract and establishes additional disclosures. The Company’s revenue is comprised of net interest income, which is explicitly excluded from the scope of ASU 2014-09, and non-interest income. The Company has evaluated its non-interest income and the nature of its contracts with customers and determined that further disaggregation of revenue beyond what is presented in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements was not necessary. The Company satisfies its performance obligations on its contracts with customers as services are rendered so there is limited judgment involved in applying Topic 606 that affects the determination of the timing and amount of revenue from contracts with customers.

Descriptions of the Company’s primary revenue generating activities that are within Topic 606, and are presented in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income as components of non-interest income, include wealth management fees, remittance processing, and fees for customer services. Wealth management fees represents monthly fees due from wealth management customers as consideration for managing the customers' assets. Wealth management and trust services include custody of assets, investment management, fees for trust services and other fiduciary activities. Also included are fees received from a third party broker-dealer as part of a revenue sharing agreement for fees earned from customers that the Company refers to the third party. Revenue is recognized when the performance obligation is completed, which is generally monthly. Remittance processing represents transaction-based fees for pay processing solutions such as online bill payments, lockbox and walk-in payments. Revenue is recognized when the performance obligation is completed, which is generally monthly. Fees for customer services represent general service fees for monthly account maintenance and activity or transaction-based fees and consists of transaction-based revenue, time-based revenue, or item-based revenue. Revenue is recognized when the performance obligation is completed which is generally monthly for account maintenance services or when a transaction has been completed. Payment for such performance obligations are generally received at the time the performance obligations are satisfied.

Leases

Effective January 1, 2019, a determination is made at inception if an arrangement contains a lease. For arrangements that contain a lease, the Company recognizes the lease on the balance sheet as a right of use asset and corresponding lease liability. Lease-related assets, or right of use assets, are recognized on the lease commencement date at amounts equal to the respective lease liabilities, adjusted for prepaid lease payments, initial direct costs, and lease incentives received. Lease-related liabilities are recognized at the present value of the remaining contractual fixed lease payments, discounted using our incremental borrowing rate. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, while variable lease payments are expensed as incurred.

Topic 842 requires the use of the rate implicit in the lease whenever this rate is readily determinable. If not readily determinable, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rate at lease inception, on a collateralized basis, over a similar term. For operating leases existing prior to January 1, 2019, the Company used a borrowing rate that corresponded to the remaining lease term.

The Company’s lease agreements often include one or more options to renew at the Company’s discretion. If at lease inception, the Company considers the exercising of a renewal option to be reasonably certain, the Company will include the extended term in the calculation of the right of use asset and lease liability.

Off-balance sheet arrangements

The Company is a party to credit-related financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. Those instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company’s exposure to credit loss is represented by the contractual amount of those commitments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance-sheet instruments.

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as no condition established in the contract has been violated. These commitments are generally at variable interest rates and generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. The commitments for equity lines of credit may expire without being drawn upon. Therefore, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. These commitments may be secured based on management’s credit evaluation of the borrower.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee the performance of a customer’s obligation to a third-party. Those guarantees are primarily issued to support public and private borrowing arrangements, including bond financing and similar transactions and primarily have terms of one year or less. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities to customers. The Company holds collateral, which may include accounts receivable, inventory, property and equipment, and income producing properties, supporting those commitments if deemed necessary. In the event the customer does not perform in accordance with the terms of the agreement with the third-party, the Company would be required to fund the commitment. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make is represented by the contractual amount shown in the summary above. If the commitment is funded, the Company would be entitled to seek recovery from the customer. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, no amounts were recorded as liabilities for the Company’s potential obligations under these guarantees.

Fair value of financial instruments

Fair value of financial instruments are estimated using relevant market information and other assumptions, as more fully disclosed in “Note 18. Fair Value Measurements.” Fair value estimates involve uncertainties and matters of significant

judgement regarding interest rates, credit risk, prepayments, and other factors, especially in the absence of broad markets for particular items. Changes in assumptions or in market conditions could significantly affect these estimates.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications have been made to certain prior year account balances, with no effect on net income or stockholders’ equity, to be consistent with the classifications adopted as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Subsequent events

The Company has evaluated subsequent events for potential recognition and/or disclosure through the date the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K were issued. On February 5, 2020, First Busey’s board of directors approved an amendment to increase the authorized shares under the repurchase program by 2,000,000 shares. Other than this item, there were no significant subsequent events for the year ended December 31, 2019 through the filing date of these Consolidated Financials.

Impact of recently adopted accounting standards

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02 “Leases (Topic 842)” and all subsequent ASUs that modified Topic 842. The Company made the following elections for all leases in connection with the adoption of this guidance:

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The Company elected the package of practical expedients to not reassess prior conclusions related to contracts containing leases, lease classification and initial direct costs;

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The Company did not elect the hindsight practical expedient;

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The Company elected the optional transition method that allows companies to use the effective date as the date of initial application on transition. As a result, the Company did not adjust comparative period financial information or make the newly required lease disclosures for periods before the effective date;

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The Company elected not to apply the above guidance to short-term leases;

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The Company elected to separate the lease components from the nonlease components and exclude the nonlease components from the right of use asset and lease liability; and

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The Company did not elect the land easement practical expedient.

At the date of adoption, the Company recorded approximately $8.1 million on its Consolidated Balance Sheets to reflect the right of use asset and associated lease liability. The Company utilized its incremental borrowing rate, on a collateralized basis, for the remaining contractual lease term.

ASU 2017-08, "Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20), Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities." ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium, requiring the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. ASU 2017-08 does not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount; the discount continues to be amortized to maturity. This guidance was effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." ASU 2017-12 amends Topic 815 to reduce the cost and complexity of applying hedge accounting and expands the types of relationships that qualify for hedge accounting. The guidance eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness, requires all items that affect earnings to be presented in the same income statement line as the hedged item, provides for applying hedge accounting to additional hedging strategies, provides for new approaches to measuring the hedged item in fair value hedges of interest rate risk, and eases the requirements for effective testing and hedge documentation. This guidance was effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. During the first quarter of 2019, the Company adopted this guidance, reassessed classification of certain investments, and transferred $573.6 million of debt securities from held to maturity to available for sale.

ASU 2018-07, "Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting." ASU 2018-07 expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. This guidance was effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recently issued accounting standards

ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments." ASU 2016-13 implements a change from the current impaired loss model to an expected credit loss model over the life of an instrument, including loans and securities held to maturity. The expected credit loss model is expected to result in earlier recognition of losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 including interim periods with those years. The Company has executed a project plan to implement this guidance. The project plan included an assessment of data, development of methodologies, model validation, parallel runs, refining qualitative factors and forecast periods and evaluating related disclosures. Management is finalizing macroeconomic conditions and forecast assumptions to be used in our CECL model; however, we expect an initial increase to the allowance for credit losses, including the increase in reserve for unfunded commitments, of approximately 25% to 45% above the existing allowance for loan loss levels. The anticipated initial increase to the allowance for credit losses is expected to be substantially attributable to the fair value marks on prior acquisitions and the reserve required on unfunded commitments. When finalized, this one-time increase will be recorded, net of tax, as an adjustment to beginning retained earnings.

Internal controls over financial reporting specifically related to CECL have been designed and are being evaluated; however, all internal controls related to CECL implementation are not operational. The Company is in the final stages of completing the formal governance and approval process. Ongoing impacts of the CECL methodology will be dependent upon changes in economic conditions and forecasts, originated and acquired loan portfolio composition, portfolio duration, and other factors.