Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Income Taxes
Income Taxes	13. Income Taxes In determining the effective tax rate and tax expense for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company referred to the actual results for the current interim periods rather than projected results for the full year. Projections for pretax income for the full year vary widely primarily due to difficulty in estimating the timing and amount of integration costs for our acquisition of Whitney. Changes in these estimates cause significant volatility in a projected tax rate. Management analyzed the deferred tax assets and liabilities of the Company after the merger with Whitney in order to determine if as valuation allowance was warranted against any deferred tax assets. As a result of the Whitney merger, federal and state net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits were acquired that will be able to be utilized by the Company going forward, subject to certain limitations. Based on the current projections for the Company, and considering the appropriate limitations, the entire federal net operating loss is expected to be fully utilized within the next few years. Based on the Company's history of sustained profitability, combined with income projections and the full utilization of the material tax attributes obtained in the merger, no additional valuation allowances against deferred tax assets were deemed to be necessary. Louisiana-sourced income of commercial banks is not subject to state income taxes. Rather, a bank in Louisiana pays a tax based on the value of its capital stock in lieu of income and franchise taxes. The Company's corporate value tax, related to our Whitney Bank subsidiary headquartered in Louisiana, is included in noninterest expense. This expense will fluctuate in part based on changes in the Whitney Bank's equity and earnings and in part based on market valuation trends for the banking industry. There were no material uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. The Company does not expect that unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease within the next 12 months. It is the Company's policy to recognize interest and penalties accrued relative to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. The interest accrual is considered immaterial to the Company's consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. The Company and its subsidiaries file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return and various returns in the states where its banking offices are located. Its filed income tax returns are no longer subject to examination by taxing authorities for years before 2007.

Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

13. Income Taxes

In determining the effective tax rate and tax expense for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company referred to the actual results for the current interim periods rather than projected results for the full year. Projections for pretax income for the full year vary widely primarily due to difficulty in estimating the timing and amount of integration costs for our acquisition of Whitney. Changes in these estimates cause significant volatility in a projected tax rate.

Management analyzed the deferred tax assets and liabilities of the Company after the merger with Whitney in order to determine if as valuation allowance was warranted against any deferred tax assets. As a result of the Whitney merger, federal and state net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits were acquired that will be able to be utilized by the Company going forward, subject to certain limitations. Based on the current projections for the Company, and considering the appropriate limitations, the entire federal net operating loss is expected to be fully utilized within the next few years. Based on the Company's history of sustained profitability, combined with income projections and the full utilization of the material tax attributes obtained in the merger, no additional valuation allowances against deferred tax assets were deemed to be necessary.

Louisiana-sourced income of commercial banks is not subject to state income taxes. Rather, a bank in Louisiana pays a tax based on the value of its capital stock in lieu of income and franchise taxes. The Company's corporate value tax, related to our Whitney Bank subsidiary headquartered in Louisiana, is included in noninterest expense. This expense will fluctuate in part based on changes in the Whitney Bank's equity and earnings and in part based on market valuation trends for the banking industry.

There were no material uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. The Company does not expect that unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease within the next 12 months.

It is the Company's policy to recognize interest and penalties accrued relative to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. The interest accrual is considered immaterial to the Company's consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010.

The Company and its subsidiaries file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return and various returns in the states where its banking offices are located. Its filed income tax returns are no longer subject to examination by taxing authorities for years before 2007.