Significant Accounting Policies

General: Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (“Seacoast” or the “Company”) is a single segment financial holding company with one operating subsidiary bank, Seacoast National Bank (“Seacoast Bank”). The Company provides integrated financial services including commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers through advanced banking solutions, 51 traditional branch offices and seven commercial banking centers operated by Seacoast Bank. Offices stretch from Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach north through the Daytona Beach area, into Orlando and Central Florida and the adjacent Tampa market, and west to Okeechobee and surrounding counties.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Seacoast and all its majority-owned subsidiaries but exclude trusts created for the issuance of trust preferred securities. In consolidation, all significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated.

The accounting and reporting policies of the Company are in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and they conform to general practices within the applicable industries. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Use of Estimates: The preparation of consolidated financial statements requires management to make judgments in the application of certain of its accounting policies that involve significant estimates and assumptions. We have established policies and control procedures that are intended to ensure valuation methods are well controlled and applied consistently from period to period. These estimates and assumptions, which may materially affect the reported amounts of certain assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, are based on information available as of the date of the financial statements, and changes in this information over time and the use of revised estimates and assumptions could materially affect amounts reported in subsequent financial statements. Specific areas, among others, requiring the application of management’s estimates include determination of the allowance for loan losses, acquisition accounting and purchased loans, intangible assets and impairment testing, other fair value adjustments, other than temporary impairment of securities, income taxes and realization of deferred tax assets and contingent liabilities.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks and interest-bearing bank balances. Cash equivalents have original maturities of three months or less, and accordingly, the carrying amount of these instruments is deemed to be a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Time deposits with other banks: Time deposits with other banks consist of certificates of deposit with a maturity greater than three months and are carried at cost.

Securities Purchased and Sold Agreements: Securities purchased under resale agreements and securities sold under repurchase agreements are generally accounted for as collateralized financing transactions and are recorded at the amount at which the securities were acquired or sold plus accrued interest. It is the Company’s policy to take possession of securities purchased under resale agreements, which are primarily U.S. Government and Government agency securities. The fair value of securities purchased and sold is monitored and collateral is obtained from or returned to the counterparty when appropriate.

Securities: Debt securities are classified at date of purchase as available for sale or held to maturity. Debt securities that may be sold as part of the Company's asset/liability management or in response to, or in anticipation of changes in interest rates and resulting prepayment risk, or for other factors are stated at fair value with unrealized gains or losses reflected as a component of shareholders' equity net of tax or included in noninterest income as appropriate. Debt securities that the Company has the ability and intent to hold to maturity are carried at amortized cost. Equity securities are stated at fair value with unrealized gains or losses included in noninterest income as securities gains or losses.

The estimated fair value of a security is determined based on market quotations when available or, if not available, by using quoted market prices for similar securities, pricing models or discounted cash flow analyses, using observable market data where available.

Realized gains and losses, including other than temporary impairments, are included in noninterest income as investment securities gains (losses). Interest and dividends on securities, including amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts on debt securities, is recognized in interest income on an accrual basis using the interest method. The Company anticipates prepayments of principal in the calculation of the effective yield for collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage backed securities by obtaining estimates of prepayments from independent third parties. The adjusted cost of each specific security sold is used to compute realized gains or losses on the sale of securities on a trade date basis.

On a quarterly basis, the Company makes an assessment to determine whether there have been any events or economic circumstances to indicate that a security is impaired on an other-than-temporary basis. Management considers many factors including the length of time the security has had a fair value less than the cost basis; recent events specific to the issuer or industry; external credit ratings and recent downgrades. Management also assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell, a debt security in an unrealized loss position before recovery of its amortized cost basis. Debt securities for which there is an unrealized loss that is deemed to be other-than temporary are written down to fair value with the write-down recorded as a realized loss.

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-1, "Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." Upon adoption, the Company reclassified $0.1 million of accumulated unrealized loss pertaining to an equity investment previously classified as available for sale from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings.

Seacoast Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) system. Members are required to own a certain amount of FHLB stock based on the level of borrowings and other factors, and may invest in additional amounts. FHLB stock is carried at cost, and periodically evaluated for impairment based on ultimate recovery of par value. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income.

Loans: The Company accounts for a loan depending on the strategy for the loan and on the credit impaired status of the loan upon acquisition. Loans are accounted for using the following categories:


•	Loans and leases held for sale


•	Loans and leases originated by the Company and held for investment


•	Loans and leases purchased by the Company, which are considered purchased unimpaired (“PUL), and held for investment


•	Loans and leases purchased by the Company, which are considered purchased credit impaired (“PCI”)

Loans that are held for sale are carried as held for sale based on management’s intent to sell the loans, either as part of a core business strategy or related to a risk mitigation strategy. Loans held for sale and any related unfunded lending commitments are recorded at fair value, if elected, or the lower of cost (which is the carrying amount net of deferred fees and costs and applicable allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments) or fair market value less costs to sell. Adjustments to reflect unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value and realized gains and losses upon ultimate sale of the loans are classified as noninterest income in the Consolidated Statements of Income. At the time of the transfer to loans held for sale, if the fair market value is less than cost, the difference is recorded as additional provision for credit losses in the results of operations. Fair market value is determined based on quoted market prices for the same or similar loans, outstanding investor commitments or discounted cash flow analyses using market assumptions.

Fair market value for substantially all the loans in loans held for sale was obtained by reference to prices for the same or similar loans from recent transactions. Fair market value changes occur due to changes in interest rates, the borrower’s credit, the secondary loan market and the market for a borrower’s debt.

Individual loans or pools of loans are transferred from the loan portfolio to loans held for sale when the intent to hold the loans has changed and there is a plan to sell the loans within a reasonable period of time.

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are considered held for investment. Loans originated by Seacoast and held for investment are recognized at the principal amount outstanding, net of unearned income and amounts charged off. Unearned income includes discounts, premiums and deferred loan origination fees reduced by loan origination costs. Unearned income on loans is amortized to interest income over the life of the related loan using the effective interest rate method. Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis.

As a part of business acquisitions, the Company acquires loans which are recorded at fair value on the acquisition date. Accordingly, the associated allowance for credit losses related to these loans is not carried over at the acquisition date. Any losses after acquisition are recognized through the allowance for loan losses.

These loans fall into two groups: purchased unimpaired loans (“PUL”) and purchased credit-impaired loans (“PCI”). PULs demonstrate no evidence of significant credit deterioration and there is an expectation that all contractual payments will be made. The Company determines fair value by estimating the amount and timing of expected future cash flows and assigning a discount or premium to each loan. The difference between the expected cash flows and the amount paid is recorded as interest income over the remaining life of the loan.

PCI loans demonstrate evidence of credit deterioration since origination and the risk that all contractual payments will not be made. The Company estimates fair value by estimating the amount of loan principal and interest cash flows expected to be collected, incorporating assumptions regarding default rates, loss severities, the amounts and timing of prepayments and other factors that are reflective of current market conditions on a quarterly basis. Probable decreases in expected loan principal cash flows trigger the recognition of impairment, which is then measured as the present value of the expected principal loss plus any related foregone interest cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate. Impairments that occur after the acquisition date are recognized through the provision for loan losses. Probable and significant increases in expected principal cash flows would first reverse any previously recorded allowance for loan losses; any remaining increases are recognized prospectively as interest income. The impacts of (i) prepayments, (ii) changes in variable interest rates, and (iii) any other changes in the timing of expected cash flows are recognized prospectively as adjustments to interest income. Disposals of loans, which may include sales of loans, receipt of payments in full by the borrower, or foreclosure, result in removal of the loan from the purchased credit impaired portfolio. In contrast, PULs are evaluated using the same procedures as used for the Company’s non-purchased loan portfolio.

Under certain scenarios, the Company will grant modifications to a loan when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulties. Such modifications allow the Company to minimize the risk of loss on the loan and maximize future cash flows received from the borrower. Such modifications are referred to as troubled debt restructured (TDR) loans. TDRs are considered impaired and placed in nonaccrual status. If borrowers perform pursuant to the modified loan terms for at least six months and the remaining loan balances are considered collectible, the loans are returned to accrual status.

The Company reviews all loans for impairment on a periodic basis. A loan is considered to be impaired when based on current information, it is probable the Company will not receive all amounts due in accordance with the contractual terms of a loan agreement. The fair value is 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. When the ultimate collectability of the principal balance of an impaired loan is in doubt, all cash receipts are applied to principal. Once the recorded principal balance has been reduced to zero, future cash receipts are applied to interest income, to the extent any interest has been forgone, and then they are recorded as recoveries of any amounts previously charged off.

The accrual of interest is generally discontinued on loans, except consumer loans, that become 90 days past due as to principal or interest unless collection of both principal and interest is assured by way of collateralization, guarantees or other security. When interest accruals are discontinued, unpaid interest is reversed against interest income. Consumer loans that become 120 days past due are generally charged off. When borrowers demonstrate over an extended period the ability to repay a loan in accordance with the contractual terms of a loan classified as nonaccrual, the loan is returned to accrual status. Interest income on nonaccrual loans is either recorded using the cash basis method of accounting or recognized after the principal has been reduced to zero, depending on the type of loan.

Derivatives: The Company enters into derivative contracts with customers who request such services, and into offsetting contracts with substantially matching terms with third parties to minimize the risks involved with these types of transactions.

Loan Commitments and Letters of Credit: Loan commitments and letters of credit are an off-balance sheet item and represent commitments to make loans or lines of credit available to borrowers. The face amount of these commitments represents an exposure to loss, before considering customer collateral or ability to repay. Such commitments are recognized as loans when funded.

Fees received for providing loan commitments and letters of credit that may result in loans are typically deferred and amortized to interest income over the life of the related loan, beginning with the initial borrowing. Fees on commitments and letters of credit are amortized to noninterest income as banking fees and commissions on a straight-line basis over the commitment period when funding is not expected.

Fair Value Measurements: The Company measures or monitors many of its assets and liabilities on a fair value basis. Certain assets are measured on a recurring basis, including available for sale securities and loans held for sale. These assets are carried at fair value on the Company’s balance sheets. Additionally, fair value is measured on a non-recurring basis to evaluate assets or liabilities for impairment or for disclosure purposes. Examples include impaired loans, OREO, mortgage servicing rights, goodwill, and long-lived assets.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Depending on the nature of the asset or liability, the Company uses various valuation techniques and assumptions when estimating fair value.

The Company applies the following fair value hierarchy:

Level 1 – Assets or liabilities for which the identical item is traded on an active exchange, such as publicly-traded instruments or futures contracts.

Level 2 – Assets and liabilities valued based on observable market data for similar instruments.

Level 3 – Assets and liabilities for which significant valuation assumptions are not readily observable in the market; instruments valued based on the best available data, some of which is internally-developed, and considers risk premiums that a market participant would require.

When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required or permitted to be recorded at and/or marked to fair value, the Company considers the principal market in which it would transact and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. When possible, the Company looks to active and observable markets to price identical assets or liabilities. When identical assets and liabilities are not traded in active markets, the Company looks to market observable data for similar assets and liabilities. Nevertheless, certain assets and liabilities are not actively traded in observable markets and the Company must use alternative valuation techniques to derive a fair value measurement.

Other Real Estate Owned: Other real estate owned (“OREO”) consists primarily of real estate acquired in lieu of unpaid loan balances. These assets are carried at an amount equal to the loan balance prior to foreclosure plus costs incurred for improvements to the property, but no more than the estimated fair value of the property less estimated selling costs. Any valuation adjustments required at the date of transfer are charged to the allowance for loan losses. Subsequently, unrealized losses and realized gains and losses are included in other noninterest expense. Operating results from OREO are recorded in other noninterest expense.

OREO may also include bank premises no longer utilized in the course of our business (closed branches) that are initially recorded at the lower of carrying value or fair value, less costs to sell. If fair value of the premises is less than amortized book value, a write down is recorded through noninterest expense. Costs to operate the facility are expensed.

Bank Premises and Equipment: Bank premises and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Premises and equipment include certain costs associated with the acquisition of leasehold improvements. Depreciation and amortization are recognized principally by the straight-line method, over the estimated useful lives as follows: buildings - 25-40 years, leasehold improvements 5-25 years, furniture and equipment - 3-12 years. Leasehold improvements typically amortize over the shorter of lease terms or estimated useful life. Premises and equipment and other long-term assets are reviewed for impairment when events indicate their carrying amount may not be recoverable from future undiscounted cash flows. If impaired, the assets are written down to fair value with a corresponding impact to noninterest expense.

Intangible assets. The Company’s intangible assets consist of goodwill and core deposit intangibles (CDIs). Goodwill results from business combinations and represents the difference between the purchase price and the fair value of net assets acquired. Goodwill may be adjusted for up to one year from the acquisition date in the event new information is obtained which, if known at the date of acquisitions would have impacted the fair value of the acquired assets and liabilities. Goodwill is considered to have an indefinite useful life and is not amortized, but rather tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more often if circumstances arise that may indicate risk of impairment. If impaired, Goodwill is written down with a corresponding impact to noninterest expense.

The Company recognizes CDIs that result from either whole bank acquisitions or branch acquisitions. They are initially measured at fair value and then amortized over periods ranging from six to eight years on a straight line basis. The Company evaluates CDIs for impairment annually, or more often if circumstances arise that may indicate risk of impairment. If impaired, the CDI is written down with a corresponding impact to noninterest expense.

Bank owned life insurance (BOLI): The Company, through its subsidiary bank, has purchased or acquired through bank acquisitions, life insurance policies on certain key executives. BOLI is recorded at the amount that can be realized under the insurance contract at the balance sheet date, which is the cash surrender value adjusted for other charges or other amounts due that are probable at settlement.

Revenue Recognition: On January 1, 2018, we adopted FASB ASU 2014-9, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” and all the related amendments (collectively, Accounting Standards Codification “ASC” Topic 606) using the modified retrospective approach applied to all contracts in place at that date. Adoption had no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements including no change to the amount or timing of revenue recognized for contracts within the scope of the new standard.

Revenue recognized reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for the services provided and is recognized when the promised services (performance obligations) are transferred to a customer, requiring the application of the following five-steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. Activity in the scope of the new standard includes:

•Service Charges on Deposits: Seacoast Bank offers a variety of deposit-related services to its customers through several delivery channels including branch offices, ATMs, telephone, mobile, and internet banking. Transaction-based fees are recognized when services, each of which represents a performance obligation, are satisfied. Service fees may be assessed monthly, quarterly, or annually; however, the account agreements to which these fees relate can be canceled at any time by Seacoast and/or the customer. Therefore, the contract term is considered a single day (a day-to-day contract).

•Trust Fees: The Company earns trust fees from fiduciary services provided to trust customers which include custody of assets, recordkeeping, collection and distribution of funds. Fees are earned over time and accrued monthly as the Company provides services, and are generally assessed based on the market value of the trust assets under management at a particular date or over a particular period.

•Brokerage Commissions and Fees: The Company earns commissions and fees from investment brokerage services provided to its customers through an arrangement with a third-party service provider. Commissions received from the third-party service provider are recorded monthly and are based upon customer activity. Fees are earned over time and accrued monthly as services are provided. The Company acts as an agent in this arrangement and therefore presents the brokerage commissions and fees net of related costs.

•Interchange Income: Fees earned on card transactions depend upon the volume of activity, as well as the fees permitted by the payment network. Such fees are recognized by the Company upon fulfilling its performance obligation to approve the card transaction.

Allowance for Loan Losses and Reserve for Unfunded Lending Commitments: The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when the Company believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance.

The allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments is maintained at a level the Company believes is adequate to absorb probable losses incurred in the loan portfolio and unfunded lending commitments as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. The Company employs a variety of modeling and estimation tools in developing the appropriate allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments. If necessary, a specific allowance is established for individually evaluated impaired loans. The specific allowance established for these loans is based on a thorough analysis of the most probable source of repayment, including the present value of the loan’s expected future cash flows, the loan’s estimated market value, or the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral depending on the most likely source of repayment. General allowances are established for loans grouped into pools based on similar characteristics. In this process, general allowance factors are based on an analysis of historical charge-off experience, portfolio trends, regional and national economic conditions, and expected loss given default derived from the Company’s internal risk rating process.

The Company monitors qualitative and quantitative trends in the loan portfolio, including changes in the levels of past due, criticized and nonperforming loans. The distribution of the allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments between the various components does not diminish the fact that the entire allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments is available to absorb credit losses in the loan portfolio. The principal focus is, therefore, on the adequacy of the total allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments.

In addition, various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the Company’s bank subsidiary’s allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments. These agencies may require such subsidiary to recognize changes to the allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments based on their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination.

Income Taxes: The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and their related tax bases and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are in effect. A valuation allowance is recognized for a deferred tax asset if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in rates is recognized as income or expense in the period in which the change occurs.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Reform Act”) was signed into law. Some of the most significant impacts included a decrease in the highest marginal corporate tax, from 35% to 21%, the repeal of the corporate alternative minimum tax, changes to net operating losses such that they may only be used as a carryforward, with a limit of 80% of taxable income, expansion of bonus depreciation rules, and limitation of the deduction for net business interest expense to 30% of adjusted taxable income. The Company remeasured its deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect the impact of the Tax Reform Act, resulting in additional income tax expense of $8.6 million in 2017.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, which permits companies to reclassify the disproportionate tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income, caused by the Tax Reform Act, to retained earnings. The Company early adopted ASU 2018-02 in 2017, and elected to reclassify the income tax effects of the Tax Reform Act, totaling $0.7 million, from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings.

Earnings per Share: Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share are based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during each period, plus common share equivalents calculated for stock options and performance restricted stock outstanding using the treasury stock method.

Stock-Based Compensation: The stock option plans are accounted for under ASC Topic 718 and the fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with market assumptions. This amount is amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, generally five years. For restricted stock awards, which generally vest based on continued service with the Company, the deferred compensation is measured as the fair value of the shares on the date of grant, and the deferred compensation is amortized as salaries and employee benefits in accordance with the applicable vesting schedule, generally straight-line over five years. Some shares vest based upon the Company achieving certain performance goals and salary amortization expense is based on an estimate of the most likely results on a straight line basis. Forfeitures are estimated at the date of grant based on historical rates, and updated as necessary.