SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Dollars In Thousands)

Arrow Financial Corporation is a bank holding company organized in 1983 under the laws of New York and registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. The accounting and reporting policies of Arrow Financial Corporation and Subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as “Arrow” or the “Company”) conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and general practices within the banking industry in all material respects.

Principles of Consolidation - The financial statements of Arrow and its wholly owned subsidiaries are consolidated and all material inter-company transactions have been eliminated. In the “Parent Company Only” financial statements in Note 23, the investment in wholly owned subsidiaries is carried under the equity method of accounting. When necessary, prior years’ consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current-year financial statement presentation.

Segment Reporting - Arrow operations are primarily in the community banking industry, which constitutes Arrow’s only segment for financial reporting purposes. Arrow provides other services, such as trust administration, retirement plan administration, advice to our proprietary mutual funds and insurance products, but these services do not rise to the quantitative thresholds for separate disclosure. Arrow operates primarily in the northeastern region of New York State in Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Essex and Clinton counties and surrounding areas.

Cash and Cash Equivalents - Cash and cash equivalents include the following items: cash at branches, due from bank balances, cash items in the process of collection, interest-bearing bank balances and federal funds sold.

Securities - Management determines the appropriate classification of securities at the time of purchase. Securities reported as held-to-maturity are those debt securities which Arrow has both the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity and are stated at amortized cost. Securities available-for-sale are reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, net of taxes. Realized gains and losses are based upon the amortized cost of the specific security sold. A decline in the fair value of any available-for-sale or held-to-maturity security below cost that is deemed to be other-than-temporary results in an impairment to reduce the carrying amount to fair value. To determine whether an impairment is other-than-temporary, we consider all available information relevant to the collectibility of the security, including past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts when developing an estimate of cash flows expected to be collected. Evidence considered in this assessment includes the reasons for impairment, the severity and duration of the impairment, changes in value subsequent to year-end, forecasted performance of the investee, and the general market condition in the geographic area or industry the investee operates in. When an other-than-temporary impairment has occurred on a debt security, the amount of the other-than-temporary impairment recognized in earnings depends on whether we intend to sell the debt security or more likely than not will be required to sell the debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis less any current-period credit loss. If we intend to sell the debt security or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis less any current-period credit loss, the other-than-temporary impairment is recognized in earnings equal to the entire difference between the investment’s amortized cost basis and its fair value at the balance sheet date. If we do not intend to sell the debt security and it is not more likely than not that we will be required to sell the debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis less any current-period credit loss, the other-than-temporary impairment is separated into the amount representing the credit loss and the amount related to all other factors. The amount of the total other-than-temporary impairment related to the credit loss is recognized in earnings. The amount of the total other-than-temporary impairment related to other factors is recognized in other comprehensive income, net of applicable income taxes.

Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses - Interest income on loans is accrued and credited to income based upon the principal amount outstanding. Loan fees and costs directly associated with loan originations are deferred and amortized as an adjustment to yield over the lives of the loans originated.

From time-to-time, Arrow has sold (most with servicing retained) residential real estate loans at or shortly after origination. Any gain or loss on the sale of loans, along with the value of the servicing right, is recognized at the time of sale as the difference between the recorded basis in the loan and net proceeds from the sale. Loans held for sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value on an aggregate basis.

Loans are placed on nonaccrual status either due to the delinquency status of principal and/or interest or a judgment by management that the full repayment of principal and interest is unlikely. Loans secured by home equity lines of credit are put on nonaccrual status when 120 days past due; residential real estate loans when 150 days past due; commercial and commercial real estate loans are evaluated on a loan-by-loan basis and are placed on nonaccrual status when 90 days past due if the full collection of principal and interest is uncertain. The balance of any accrued interest deemed uncollectible at the date the loan is placed on nonaccrual status is reversed - against earnings for interest accrued during the calendar year and against the allowance for loan losses for interest accrued for the prior year. A loan is returned to accrual status at the later of the date when the past due status of the loan falls below the threshold for nonaccrual status or management deems that it is likely that the borrower will repay all interest and principal. For payments received while the loan is on nonaccrual status, we may recognize interest income on a cash basis if the repayment of the remaining principal and accrued interest is deemed likely. We had no material commitments to make additional advances to borrowers with nonperforming loans at December 31, 2011 or 2010.

The allowance for loan losses is maintained by charges to operations based upon our best estimate of the probable amount of loans that we will be unable to collect based on current information and events. Provisions to the allowance for loan losses are offset by actual loan charge-offs (net of any recoveries). We evaluate the loan portfolio for potential charge-offs on a monthly basis. In general, automobile and other consumer loans are charged-off when 120 days delinquent. Residential real estate loans are charged-off upon repossession based on a new appraisal. Commercial and commercial real estate loans loans are evaluated early in their delinquency status and are charged-off when it is apparent that not all principal will be repaid from on-going cash flows or liquidation of collateral. An evaluation of estimated proceeds from the liquidation of the loan’s collateral is compared to the loan carrying amount and a charge to the allowance for loan losses is taken for any deficiency. While management uses available information to recognize losses on loans, future additions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in economic conditions in Arrow's market area. In addition, various Federal regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, review Arrow's allowance for loan losses. Such agencies may require Arrow to recognize additions to the allowance in future periods, based on their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination, which may not be currently available to management.

We evaluate nonaccrual loans over $250 thousand and all troubled debt restructured loans individually for impairment. Impaired loans are measured based on either the present value of 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 if the loan is collateral dependent. Arrow determines impairment for collateral dependent loans based on the fair value of the collateral less estimated costs to sell. For other loans, impairment is determined by comparing the recorded investment in the loan to the present value of the expected cash flows, discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate. If the measurement of the fair value of the impaired loan is less than the recorded investment in the loan, an impairment reserve is recognized as part of the allowance for loan losses. Any further impairment, over time, is also charged to the allowance for loan losses.

Allowance for loan losses on the remaining loans are primarily determined based on historical loss factors adjusted for current trends. Arrow determines the interest income recognition method for impaired loans on a loan-by-loan basis. Based upon the borrowers’ payment histories and cash flow projections, interest recognition methods include full accrual or cash basis.

In management’s opinion, the balance of the allowance for loan losses, at each balance sheet date, is sufficient to provide for probable loan losses inherent in the corresponding loan portfolio.

Other Real Estate Owned and Repossessed Assets - Real estate acquired by foreclosure and assets acquired by repossession are recorded at the fair value of the property less estimated costs to sell at the time of repossession. Subsequent declines in fair value, after transfer to other real estate owned and repossessed assets are recognized through a valuation allowance. Such declines in fair value along with related operating expenses to administer such properties or assets are charged directly to operating expense.

Premises and Equipment - Premises and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization included in operating expenses are computed largely on the straight-line method. Depreciation is based on the estimated useful lives of the assets (buildings and improvements 20-40 years; furniture and equipment 7-10 years; data processing equipment 5-7 years) and, in the case of leasehold improvements, amortization is computed over the terms of the respective leases or their estimated useful lives, whichever is shorter. Gains or losses on disposition are reflected in earnings.

Income Taxes - Arrow accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income tax expense in the period that includes the enactment date. Arrow’s policy is that deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets – Identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination are capitalized and amortized. Any remaining unidentifiable intangible asset is classified as goodwill, for which amortization is not required but which must be evaluated for impairment. Arrow tests for impairment of goodwill on an annual basis, or when events and circumstances indicate potential impairment. In evaluating goodwill for impairment, Arrow first assesses certain qualitative factors to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the goodwill impairment test is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any.

On August 1, 2011, Arrow acquired all of the outstanding shares of common stock of W.Joseph McPhillips, Inc. and McPhillips Northern, Inc. in a tax-free exchange for Arrow’s common stock (90,744 shares, as restated for stock dividends). Arrow recorded the following intangible assets as a result of the acquisition (none of which are deductible for income tax purposes): goodwill ($1,137) and expirations ($720). The value of the expirations is being amortized over twenty years.

On February 1, 2011, Arrow acquired all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Upstate Agency, Inc. in a tax-free exchange for Arrow’s common stock (134,778 shares, as restated for stock dividends) and cash of $2.7 million. Arrow recorded the following intangible assets as a result of the acquisition (none of which are deductible for income tax purposes): goodwill ($5,040) and expirations ($2,854). The value of the expirations is being amortized over twenty years. The agreement provides for annual contingent post-closing payments of Company stock, based upon earnings and retention of certain customers, over a three-year period. The present value of these expected post-closing payments were included in the purchase price at the acquisition date.

On April 1, 2010, Arrow acquired all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Loomis & LaPann, Inc. in a tax-free exchange for Arrow’s common stock (27,838 shares, as restated for stock dividends). Arrow recorded the following intangible assets as a result of the acquisition (none of which are deductible for income tax purposes): goodwill ($514) and expirations ($126). The value of the expirations is being amortized over twenty years. The agreement provides for annual contingent post-closing payments of Company stock, based upon earnings and retention of certain customers, over a three-year period. The present value of these expected post-closing payments were included in the purchase price at the acquisition date.

The carrying amounts of other recognized intangible assets that meet recognition criteria and for which separate accounting records have been maintained (core deposit intangibles and mortgage servicing rights), have been included in the consolidated balance sheet as “Other Intangible Assets, Net.” Core deposit intangibles are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of ten to fifteen years.

Arrow has sold residential real estate loans, primarily to Freddie Mac, with servicing retained. Mortgage servicing rights are recognized as an asset when loans are sold with servicing retained, by allocating the cost of an originated mortgage loan between the loan and servicing right based on estimated relative fair values. The cost allocated to the servicing right is capitalized as a separate asset and amortized in proportion to, and over the period of, estimated net servicing income. Capitalized mortgage servicing rights are evaluated for impairment by comparing the asset’s carrying value to its current estimated fair value. Fair values are estimated using a discounted cash flow approach, which considers future servicing income and costs, current market interest rates, and anticipated prepayment, and default rates. Impairment losses are recognized through a valuation allowance for servicing rights having a current fair value that is less than amortized cost on an aggregate basis. Adjustments to increase or decrease the valuation allowance are charged or credited to income as a component of other operating income. There was no allowance for impairment losses at December 31, 2011 or 2010.

Pension and Postretirement Benefits - Arrow maintains a non-contributory, defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all employees, a supplemental pension plan covering certain executive officers selected by the Board of Directors, and certain post-retirement medical, dental and life insurance benefits for employees and retirees. The costs of these plans, based on actuarial computations of current and future benefits for employees, are charged to current operating expenses. The cost of post-retirement benefits other than pensions is recognized on an accrual basis as employees perform services to earn the benefits. Arrow recognizes the overfunded or underfunded status of our single employer defined benefit pension plan as an asset or liability on its consolidated balance sheet and recognizes changes in the funded status in comprehensive income in the year in which the change occurred.

Stock-Based Compensation Plans – Arrow has two stock option plans, which are described more fully in Note 16. The Company expenses the grant date fair value of options granted. The expense is recognized over the vesting period of the grant, typically four years, on a straight-line basis. Shares are generally issued from treasury for the exercise of stock options.

Arrow sponsors an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) under which employees may purchase Arrow’s common stock at a 5% discount below market price at the time of purchase. This stock purchase plan is not considered a compensatory plan.

Arrow sponsors an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), a qualified defined contribution plan. The ESOP has borrowed funds from one of Arrow’s subsidiary banks to purchase Arrow common stock. The shares pledged as collateral are reported as a reduction of Arrow’s stockholders’ equity. Compensation expense is recognized as shares are release for allocation to individual employee accounts equal to the current average market price.

Securities Sold Under Agreements to Repurchase - In securities repurchase agreements, Arrow receives cash from a counterparty in exchange for the transfer of securities to a third party custodian’s account that explicitly recognizes Arrow’s interest in the securities. These agreements are accounted for by Arrow as secured financing transactions, since it maintains effective control over the transferred securities, and meets other criteria for such accounting. Accordingly, the cash proceeds are recorded as borrowed funds, and the underlying securities continue to be carried in Arrow’s securities available-for-sale portfolio.

Earnings Per Share (“EPS”) - Basic EPS excludes dilution and is computed by dividing income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the earnings of the entity (such as Arrow’s stock options), computed using the treasury stock method. Unallocated common shares held by Arrow’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan are not included in the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for either the basic or diluted EPS calculation.

Financial Instruments - Arrow is a party to certain financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk, such as: commercial lines of credit, construction lines of credit, overdraft protection, home equity lines of credit and standby letters of credit. Arrow's policy is to record such instruments when funded. Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant market information and information about the financial instrument. These estimates do not reflect any premium or discount that could result from offering for sale at one time Arrow's entire holdings of a particular financial instrument. Because no market exists for a significant portion of Arrow's financial instruments, fair value estimates are based on judgments regarding future expected loss experience, current economic conditions, risk characteristics of various financial instruments, and other factors. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment and therefore cannot be determined with precision. Changes in assumptions could significantly affect the estimates.

Fair value estimates are based on existing on- and off-balance sheet financial instruments without attempting to estimate the value of anticipated future business and the value of assets and liabilities that are not considered financial instruments. For example, Arrow has a trust department that contributes net fee income annually. The value of trust department customer relationships is not considered a financial instrument of the Company, and therefore this value has not been incorporated into the fair value estimates. Other significant assets and liabilities that are not considered financial assets or liabilities include deferred taxes, premises and equipment, the value of low-cost, long-term core deposits and goodwill. In addition, the tax ramifications related to the realization of the unrealized gains and losses can have a significant effect on fair value estimates and have not been considered in any of the estimates.

The carrying amount of the following short-term assets and liabilities is a reasonable estimate of fair value: cash and due from banks, federal funds sold and purchased, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, demand deposits, savings, N.O.W. and money market deposits, other short-term borrowings, accrued interest receivable and accrued interest payable. The fair value estimates of other on- and off-balance sheet financial instruments, as well as the method of arriving at fair value estimates, are included in the related footnotes and summarized in Note 21. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, and during 2011, 2010 and 2009, Arrow had no derivative instruments, other than loans pending settlement and loan commitments on loans intended for sale, the amounts of which are not material.

Fair Value Measures – We determine the fair value of financial instruments under the following hierarchy:


•	Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;


•	Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability;


•	Level 3 – Prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (i.e., supported by little or no market activity).

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Trust Assets and Fiduciary Income - Assets held by Arrow in a fiduciary or agency capacity for its customers are not included in the consolidated balance sheets since these assets are not assets of Arrow. Income from fiduciary activities is reported on the accrual basis.

Management’s Use of Estimates -The preparation of the consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Our most significant estimates are the allowance for loan losses, the evaluation of other-than-temporary impairment of investment securities, goodwill impairment, pension and other postretirement liabilities, analysis of a need for a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and other fair value calculations. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

A material estimate that is particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term is the allowance for loan losses. In connection with the determination of the allowance for loan losses, management obtains appraisals for properties. The allowance for loan losses is management’s best estimate of probable loan losses incurred as of the balance sheet date. While management uses available information to recognize losses on loans, future adjustments to the allowance for loan losses may be necessary based on changes in economic conditions.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

ASU 2011-08, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) - Testing for Goodwill Impairment. Under the amendments in this Update, an entity has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, an entity determines it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. We elected to adopt the provision of this update beginning with the third quarter of 2011. The changes did not have any impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

ASU 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) - Presentation of Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 eliminates the option of presenting the components of comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity and provides an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two but separate consecutive statements. The update is effective, retrospectively, for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. However, the changes that relate to the presentation of reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income were deferred by ASU 2011-12. The changes are limited to matters of presentation and will not have an impact on our financial condition or results of operation.

ASU 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. In 2006, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) published a Memorandum of Understanding, which has served as the foundation of the Boards' efforts to create a common set of high quality global accounting standards. Consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding and the Boards' commitment to achieving that goal, the amendments in ASU 2011-04 are the result of the work by the FASB and the IASB to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).The Boards worked together to ensure that fair value has the same meaning in U.S. GAAP and in IFRSs and that their respective fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are the same (except for minor differences in wording and style). The amendments in ASU 2011-04 explain how to measure fair value. They do not require additional fair value measurements and are not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. We have determined that this pronouncement will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

ASU 2011-03, Transfers and Servicing (Topic 860) - Reconsideration of Effective Control for Repurchase Agreements. The amendments in ASU 2011-03 remove from the assessment of effective control (1) the criterion requiring the transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even in the event of default by the transferee, and (2) the collateral maintenance implementation guidance related to that criterion. Other criteria applicable to the assessment of effective control are not changed by the amendments in this Update. Those criteria indicate that the transferor is deemed to have maintained effective control over the financial assets transferred (and thus must account for the transaction as a secured borrowing) for agreements that both entitle and obligate the transferor to repurchase or redeem the financial assets before their maturity if all of the following conditions are met: 1. The financial assets to be repurchased or redeemed are the same or substantially the same as those transferred. 2. The agreement is to repurchase or redeem them before maturity, at a fixed or determinable price. 3. The agreement is entered into contemporaneously with, or in contemplation of, the transfer. The update is effective, retrospectively, for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Currently, we report all of our repurchase agreements as secured borrowings and accordingly, we have determined that this pronouncement will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

ASU 2011-02, Receivables (Topic 310) - A Creditor's determination of whether a Restructuring Is a Trouble Debt Restructuring. ASU 2011-02 provides additional guidance in evaluating whether a restructuring constitutes a troubled debt restructuring. Under this guidance, a creditor must separately conclude that both of the following exist: 1. The restructuring constitutes a concession. 2. The debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. The amendments in this Update are effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after June 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to the beginning of the annual period of adoption. We have determined that this pronouncement did not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.