SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES *Basis of Presentation* The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Mackinac Financial Corporation (the “Corporation”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013. The unaudited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In order to properly reflect some categories of other income and other expenses, reclassifications of expense and income items have been made to prior period numbers. The “net” other income and other expenses was not changed due to these reclassifications. 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 disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, and the valuation of deferred tax assets, mortgage servicing rights and other real estate held for sale. *Allowance for Loan Losses* The allowance for loan losses includes specific allowances related to commercial loans, when they have been judged to be impaired. A loan is impaired when, based on current information, it is probable that the Corporation will not collect all amounts due in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement. These specific allowances are based on discounted cash flows of expected future payments using the loan’s initial effective interest rate or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. The Corporation continues to maintain a general allowance for loan losses for loans not considered impaired. The allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level which management believes is adequate to provide for possible loan losses. Management periodically evaluates the adequacy of the allowance using the Corporation’s past loan loss experience, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, composition of the portfolio, current economic conditions, and other factors. The allowance does not include the effects of expected losses related to future events or future changes in economic conditions. This evaluation is inherently subjective since it requires material estimates that may be susceptible to significant change. Loans are charged against the allowance for loan losses when management believes the collectability of the principal is unlikely. In addition, various regulatory agencies periodically review the allowance for loan losses. These agencies may require additions to the allowance for loan losses based on their judgments of collectability. In management’s opinion, the allowance for loan losses is adequate to cover probable losses relating to specifically identified loans, as well as probable losses inherent in the balance of the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. *Stock Compensation Plans* The Corporation has three various stock compensation plans which are now expired. One plan was approved during 2000 and applied to officers, employees, and nonemployee directors. This plan was amended as a part of the December 2004 stock offering and recapitalization. The amendment, approved by shareholders, increased the shares available under this plan by 428,587 shares from the original 25,000 (adjusted for the 1:20 reverse stock split), to a total authorized share balance of 453,587. The other two plans, one for officers and employees and the other for nonemployee directors, were approved in 1997. A total of 30,000 shares (adjusted for the 1:20 split), were made available for grant under these plans. Options under all of the plans were granted at the discretion of a committee of the Corporation’s Board of Directors. Options to purchase shares of the Corporation’s stock were granted at a price equal to the market price of the stock at the date of grant. The committee determined the vesting of the options when they were granted as established under the plan. On May 22, 2012, the Corporation’s shareholders approved the Mackinac Financial Corporation 2012 Incentive Compensation Plan, under which current and prospective employees, non-employee directors and consultants may be awarded incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, shares of restricted stock units (“RSUs”), or stock appreciation rights. The aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock issuable under the plan is 757,848. On August 31, 2012, the Company granted 148,500 RSUs to certain members of management and all outside directors at the market value of the stock, which was $7.91. The RSUs were awarded at no cost to the employee and vest ratably over a four-year period. Compensation cost to be recognized over the four-year vesting period is $1.175 million. As of March 31, 2013, none of the RSUs were vested and unrecognized compensation expense was $1.000 million.

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Mackinac Financial Corporation (the “Corporation”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013. The unaudited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

In order to properly reflect some categories of other income and other expenses, reclassifications of expense and income items have been made to prior period numbers. The “net” other income and other expenses was not changed due to these reclassifications.

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 disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, and the valuation of deferred tax assets, mortgage servicing rights and other real estate held for sale.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses includes specific allowances related to commercial loans, when they have been judged to be impaired. A loan is impaired when, based on current information, it is probable that the Corporation will not collect all amounts due in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement. These specific allowances are based on discounted cash flows of expected future payments using the loan’s initial effective interest rate or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent.

The Corporation continues to maintain a general allowance for loan losses for loans not considered impaired. The allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level which management believes is adequate to provide for possible loan losses. Management periodically evaluates the adequacy of the allowance using the Corporation’s past loan loss experience, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, composition of the portfolio, current economic conditions, and other factors. The allowance does not include the effects of expected losses related to future events or future changes in economic conditions. This evaluation is inherently subjective since it requires material estimates that may be susceptible to significant change. Loans are charged against the allowance for loan losses when management believes the collectability of the principal is unlikely. In addition, various regulatory agencies periodically review the allowance for loan losses. These agencies may require additions to the allowance for loan losses based on their judgments of collectability.

In management’s opinion, the allowance for loan losses is adequate to cover probable losses relating to specifically identified loans, as well as probable losses inherent in the balance of the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date.

Stock Compensation Plans

The Corporation has three various stock compensation plans which are now expired. One plan was approved during 2000 and applied to officers, employees, and nonemployee directors. This plan was amended as a part of the December 2004 stock offering and recapitalization. The amendment, approved by shareholders, increased the shares available under this plan by 428,587 shares from the original 25,000 (adjusted for the 1:20 reverse stock split), to a total authorized share balance of 453,587. The other two plans, one for officers and employees and the other for nonemployee directors, were approved in 1997. A total of 30,000 shares (adjusted for the 1:20 split), were made available for grant under these plans. Options under all of the plans were granted at the discretion of a committee of the Corporation’s Board of Directors. Options to purchase shares of the Corporation’s stock were granted at a price equal to the market price of the stock at the date of grant. The committee determined the vesting of the options when they were granted as established under the plan.

On May 22, 2012, the Corporation’s shareholders approved the Mackinac Financial Corporation 2012 Incentive Compensation Plan, under which current and prospective employees, non-employee directors and consultants may be awarded incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, shares of restricted stock units (“RSUs”), or stock appreciation rights. The aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock issuable under the plan is 757,848.

On August 31, 2012, the Company granted 148,500 RSUs to certain members of management and all outside directors at the market value of the stock, which was $7.91. The RSUs were awarded at no cost to the employee and vest ratably over a four-year period. Compensation cost to be recognized over the four-year vesting period is $1.175 million. As of March 31, 2013, none of the RSUs were vested and unrecognized compensation expense was $1.000 million.