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Risks and Uncertainties
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]  
Risks and Uncertainties Risks and Uncertainties
The outbreak of COVID-19 has adversely impacted a broad range of industries in which the Company’s customers operate and could impair their ability to fulfill their financial obligations to the Company. The spread of the outbreak has caused significant disruptions in the U.S. economy and has disrupted banking and other financial activity in the areas in which the Company operates. While there has been no material impact to the Company’s employees to date, COVID-19 could also potentially create widespread operating issues for the Company.
Congress, the President, and the FRB have taken several actions designed to cushion the economic fallout. Most notably, the CARES Act was signed into law at the end of March 2020 as a $2 trillion legislative package. The goal of the CARES Act was to prevent a severe economic downturn through various measures, including direct financial aid to American families and economic stimulus to significantly impacted industry sectors. The package also included extensive emergency funding for small businesses, hospitals and health care providers. In addition to the general impact of COVID-19, certain provisions of the CARES Act as well as other recent legislative and regulatory relief efforts are expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations in future periods.
The Company’s business is dependent upon the willingness and ability of its employees and customers to conduct banking and other financial transactions. If the global, national or state response to contain COVID-19 escalates further or is unsuccessful, the Company could experience a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. While it is not possible to know the full extent that the impact of COVID-19, and resulting measures to curtail its spread, will have on the Company’s operations, the Company is disclosing potentially material items of which it is aware.

Financial position and results of operations
The Company continues to work with COVID-19 affected customers to waive a variety of fees, including but not limited to, insufficient funds and overdraft fees, ATM fees and account maintenance fees. (See further discussion of fee income in Results of Operations beginning on page 31.) These reductions in fees are thought, at this time, to be temporary, while the COVID-19 related economic crisis persists. At this time, the Company is unable to project the duration or materiality of such an impact, but recognizes that the scope of the economic impact is likely to impact its fee income in future periods. Also, the Company has collected fee income from the SBA for participating in the PPP and processing PPP loans, which will offset the above mentioned reduction in fee income.
The Company’s interest income could be reduced due to COVID-19. The Company continues to actively work with COVID-19 affected borrowers to defer their loan payments, interest, and fees. While interest and fees will still accrue to income through normal GAAP accounting, should eventual credit losses on these deferred payments emerge, interest income and fees accrued would need to be reversed. In such a scenario, interest income in future periods could be negatively impacted. At this time, the Company is unable to project the materiality of such an impact, but recognizes the scope of the economic impact may affect its borrowers’ ability to repay in future periods.

Capital and liquidity
While the Company believes that it has sufficient capital to withstand an extended economic recession brought about by COVID-19, its reported and regulatory capital ratios could be adversely impacted by credit losses. The Company relies on cash on hand as well as dividends from its subsidiary bank to pay dividends to shareholders. If the Company’s capital deteriorates such that its subsidiary bank is unable to pay dividends to it for an extended period of time, the Company may not be able to maintain its dividend to shareholders at the current level. Management continues to analyze the Company's current capital levels and its ability to maintain growth projections and absorb future credit losses while maintaining sufficient levels of capital.
The Company maintains access to multiple sources of liquidity. Wholesale funding markets have remained open to the Company. If funding costs are elevated for an extended period of time, it could have an adverse effect on the Company’s net interest margin. If an extended recession caused large numbers of the Company’s deposit customers to withdraw their funds, the Company might become more reliant on volatile or more expensive sources of funding. To date in 2020, primarily as a result of the deposit of PPP loan proceeds and government assistance payments under the CARES Act, the Company has experienced a significant increase in customer deposits, although that effect will likely be temporary as borrowers spend down their loan proceeds and government assistance payments.

Asset valuation
Currently, the Company does not expect COVID-19 to affect its ability to account timely for the assets on its balance sheet; however, this could change in future periods. While certain valuation assumptions and judgments will change to account for pandemic-related circumstances such as widening credit spreads, the Company does not anticipate significant changes in methodology used to determine the fair value of assets measured in accordance with GAAP.
COVID-19 could cause a further and sustained decline in the Company’s stock price or the occurrence of what management would deem to be a triggering event that could, under certain circumstances, cause the Company to perform a goodwill impairment test, an intangible asset impairment test, or both, resulting in an impairment charge being recorded for that period. In the event that the Company concludes that all or a portion of its goodwill or intangible assets are impaired, a non-cash charge for the amount of such impairment would be recorded to earnings. Such a charge would have no impact on tangible capital or regulatory capital.

Processes, controls and business continuity plan
The Company has implemented its Pandemic and Business Continuity Plans to address the operating risks associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic and has followed guidance as events evolved from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the WHO, State Health Officials and other available resources. Since implementing the Pandemic and Business Continuity Plans, the Company has taken a series of actions to safeguard its employees and customers while continuing to provide essential banking services to its communities. At the onset of COVID-19, the Company developed and executed a plan to decentralize employees, including working remotely, to isolate certain personnel essential to critical business continuity
operations, canceled business travel and outside vendor appointments, limit inter-branch visits, and increase the use of video conferencing to avoid large gatherings. Also, social distancing and enhanced hygiene practices were put into place as well as rigorous cleaning of all bank facilities. Throughout these changes, employees and customers have been kept informed with regular communications.
On May 27, 2020, branch lobby service was reopened to customers following guidance provided by state government as to occupancy limits and social distancing requirements. Branch lobbies had been closed to all customers, under state emergency orders since March 25, 2020. In addition to limited in branch capacity, Union's employees continue to work in a decentralized manner, including working remotely from home or at other banking facilities. Management continues to limit business travel and inter-branch visits.
Management continues to evaluate current events and put appropriate protocols in place to ensure the safety of staff and customers while continuing to provide essential banking services our customers rely on. No material operational or internal control challenges or risks related to COVID-19 have been identified to date. The Company does not anticipate significant challenges to its ability to maintain its systems and controls in light of the measures the Company has taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Company does not currently face any material resource constraints through the implementation of its Pandemic and Business Continuity Plans.

Lending operations and accommodations to borrowers
In keeping with regulatory guidance to work with borrowers during this unprecedented situation and as outlined in the CARES Act, the Company is continuing to approve short-term payment deferrals for its borrowers that are adversely affected by the pandemic. Depending on the demonstrated need of the customer, the Company is deferring either the full loan payment or the principal component of the loan payment for up to 180 days for the majority of the deferral requests. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had executed 406 of these deferrals on outstanding loan balances of $173.3 million. As of September 30, 2020, 75 of these deferrals remained in effect on outstanding loan balances of $39.1 million. In accordance with interagency guidance issued in March 2020 and updated in April 2020, and confirmed by the FASB, these short term deferrals are not considered troubled debt restructurings. In August 2020, the federal banking regulators issued supplemental guidance for working with borrowers as their loans near the end of their accommodation period.
With the passage of the PPP, administered by the SBA, the Company assisted its customers with applications for resources through the program. PPP loans bear a mandated annual interest rate of 1.0%. The PPP was initially launched with loans having a two-year term, but subsequent revisions to the PPP currently allow the maximum term be extended to five years. The majority of the Company's PPP loans were originated with the two-year term and have not been extended to five years. The Company believes that a significant amount of these loans will ultimately be forgiven by the SBA during 2021 in accordance with the terms of the program. It is the Company’s understanding that loans funded through the PPP are fully guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Should those circumstances change, the Company could be required to establish additional allowance for credit losses through additional credit loss expense charged to earnings.
Further, in sensitivity and service to its communities during this unprecedented time, the Company is waiving late payment and overdraft fees on a case by case basis and has temporarily suspended collection and foreclosure efforts on past due loans in accordance with CARES Act guidance and state emergency orders.