Management’s estimate of expected credit losses in the Company’s loan and lease portfolios is recorded in the ALLL and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments (collectively the ACL). Through December 31, 2019 the ACL reserve was management’s best estimate of incurred probable losses in the Company’s loan and lease portfolios based on reviews of certain individual loans and leases, analyzing changes in the composition, size and delinquency of the portfolio, reviewing previous loss experience and considering current and anticipated economic factors. The Company’s methodology for determining the qualitative component through December 31, 2019 included a statistical analysis of prior charge-off rates and an assessment of factors affecting the determination of incurred losses in the loan and lease portfolio. Such factors included trends in economic conditions, loan growth, back testing results, credit underwriting policy exceptions, regulatory and audit findings, and peer comparisons. Upon adoption of CECL effective January 1, 2020, the Company’s ACL reserve methodology changed to estimate expected credit losses over the contractual life of loans and leases.

The ACL is maintained at a level the Company believes to be appropriate to absorb expected lifetime credit losses over the contractual life of the loan and lease portfolios and on the unfunded lending commitments. The determination of the ACL is based on periodic evaluation of the loan and lease portfolios and unfunded lending commitments that are not unconditionally cancellable considering a number of relevant underlying factors, including key assumptions and evaluation of quantitative and qualitative information.

The evaluation of quantitative and qualitative information is performed through assessments of groups of assets that share similar risk characteristics and certain individual loans and leases that do not share similar risk characteristics with the collective group. Loans are grouped generally by product type (e.g., commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, residential mortgage, etc.), and significant loan portfolios are assessed for credit losses using econometric models.

sheet date and forecasted data over the reasonable and supportable period. Known and estimated data include current PD, LGD and EAD (for commercial), timing and amount of expected draws (for unfunded lending commitments), FICO, LTV, term and time on books (for retail loans), mix and level of loan balances, delinquency levels, assigned risk ratings, previous loss experience, current business conditions, amounts and timing of expected future cash flows, and factors particular to a specific commercial credit such as competition, business and management performance. Forward-looking economic assumptions include real gross domestic product, unemployment rate, interest rate curve, and changes in collateral values. This data is aggregated to estimate expected credit losses over the contractual life of the loans and leases, adjusted for expected prepayments. In highly volatile economic environments historical information, such as commercial customer financial statements or consumer credit ratings, may not be as important to estimating future expected losses as forecasted inputs to the models.

The ACL may also be affected materially by a variety of qualitative factors that the Company considers to reflect current judgment of various events and risks that are not measured in the statistical procedures including uncertainty related to the economic forecasts used in the modeled credit loss estimates, loan growth, back testing results, credit underwriting policy exceptions, regulatory and audit findings, and peer comparisons. The qualitative allowance is further informed for certain industry sectors or loan classes by alternative scenarios to support the period-end ACL balance.

There are certain loan portfolios that may not need an econometric model to enable the Company to calculate management’s best estimate of the expected credit losses. Less data intensive, non-modeled approaches to estimating losses are considered more efficient and practical for portfolios that have lower levels of outstanding balances (e.g., runoff or closed portfolios, new products or products that are not significant to the Company’s overall credit risk exposure).

Loans and leases that do not share similar risk characteristics are individually assessed for expected credit losses. Nonaccruing commercial and industrial, and commercial real estate loans with an outstanding balance of $5 million or greater and all commercial and industrial, and commercial real estate TDRs (regardless of size) are assessed on an individual loan level basis. Generally, the measurement of ACL on individual loans and leases is the present value of its future cash flows or the fair value of its underlying collateral, if the loan or lease is collateral dependent. Loans that are deemed to be collateral dependent are written down to the fair value, less costs to sell, if sale of the collateral is expected as of the evaluation date and are reassessed each subsequent period to determine if a change to the ACL is required. Subsequent evaluations may result in an increase or decrease to the ACL, based on a corresponding change in the fair value of the collateral during the period. Any subsequent decrease to the ACL (because of an increase to the collateral-dependent loan’s fair value) is limited to the total amount previously written off for that loan. For retail TDRs that are not collateral dependent, the ACL is developed using the present value of expected future cash flows compared to the amortized cost basis in the loans. Expected re-default factors are considered in this analysis. Retail TDRs that are deemed collateral dependent are written down to fair market value less cost to sell.

Expected recoveries are considered in management’s estimate of the ACL and may result in a negative adjustment (i.e., reduction) to the ACL balance. A loan is collateral dependent if repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral when the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty as of the evaluation date. Generally, repayment would be expected to be provided substantially by the sale or continued operation of the underlying collateral if cash flows to repay the loan from all other available sources (including guarantors) are expected to be no more than nominal. If repayment is dependent only on the operation of the collateral, the fair value of the collateral would not be adjusted for estimated costs to sell. If a loan is considered collateral dependent, the ACL is calculated as the difference between the fair value of collateral (adjusted for the costs to sell if the sale of the collateral is expected) and the amortized cost basis as of the evaluation date. It is possible to have a negative ACL for a collateral dependent loan if the fair value of the collateral increases in a subsequent reporting period. The negative ACL cannot exceed the total amount previously charged off.

Accrued interest receivable on loans and leases is excluded from asset balances used to calculate the ACL. All accrued and uncollected interest is immediately reversed against interest income when a loan or lease is placed on nonaccrual status. Uncollectible interest is written off timely in accordance with regulatory guidelines. Generally, loans and leases are placed on nonaccrual status when contractually past due 90 days or more, or earlier if management believes that the probability of collection is insufficient to warrant further accrual.

Residential mortgages are placed on nonaccrual status when contractually past due 120 days or more, or sooner if deemed collateral dependent, unless guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration. Residential mortgages that received extended forbearance and were subsequently modified as a result of COVID-19 will be placed on nonaccrual sooner than those that were not on extended forbearance, and will return to accrual status only following a sustained period of repayment performance. Loans in COVID-19 pandemic-related forbearance programs continue to accrue interest during the forbearance period; a reserve is established for interest income expected to be uncollectible following forbearance. Accrued interest reversed against interest income for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $8 million and $19 million for commercial and retail, respectively.

The Company estimates expected credit losses associated with off-balance sheet financial instruments such as standby letters of credit, financial guarantees and unfunded loan commitments that are not unconditionally cancellable. Off-balance sheet financial instruments are subject to individual reviews and are analyzed and segregated by risk according to the Company’s internal risk rating scale. These risk classifications, in conjunction with historical loss experience, current and future economic conditions, timing and amount of expected draws, and performance trends within specific portfolio segments, result in the estimate of the reserve for unfunded lending commitments. The Company does not recognize a reserve for future draws from credit lines that are unconditionally cancellable (e.g., credit cards).

Commercial loans are charged off when available information indicates that a loan or portion thereof is determined to be uncollectible, including situations where a loan is determined to be both impaired and collateral-dependent. The determination of whether to recognize a charge-off involves many factors, including the prioritization of the Company’s claim in bankruptcy, expectations of the workout/restructuring of the loan and valuation of the borrower’s equity or the loan collateral. A loan is considered to be collateral-dependent when repayment of the loan is expected to be provided solely by the underlying collateral, rather than by cash flows from the borrower’s operations, income or other resources.

Retail loans are generally fully charged-off or written down to the net realizable value of the underlying collateral, with an offset to the ALLL, upon reaching specified stages of delinquency in accordance with standards established by the FFIEC. Residential real estate loans, credit card loans and unsecured open end loans are generally charged off in the month in which the account becomes 180 days past due. Auto loans, education loans and unsecured closed end loans are generally charged off in the month in which the account becomes 120 days past due. Certain retail loans will be charged off or charged down to their net realizable value earlier than the FFIEC charge-off standards in the following circumstances:


	Year Ended December 31, 2020
(in millions)	Commercial	Retail	Total
Allowance for loan and lease losses, beginning of period	$674	$578	$1,252
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle	(176)	629	453
Allowance for loan and lease losses, beginning of period, adjusted	498	1,207	1,705
Charge-offs	(437)	(406)	(843)
Recoveries	12	138	150
Net charge-offs	(425)	(268)	(693)

Provision charged to income	1,160	271	1,431
Allowance for loan and lease losses, end of period	1,233	1,210	2,443
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, beginning of period	44	—	44
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle	(3)	1	(2)
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, beginning of period, adjusted	41	1	42
Provision for unfunded lending commitments	145	40	185
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, end of period	186	41	227
Total allowance for credit losses, end of period	$1,419	$1,251	$2,670


	December 31, 2019				January 1, 2020				December 31, 2020
(in millions)	Amortized Cost Basis	ACL Balance	Coverage		Impact of Adoption of CECL	ACL Balance	Coverage		Amortized Cost Basis	ACL Balance	Coverage
Commercial and industrial(1)	$41,479	$575	1.4	%	($199)	$376	0.9	%	$44,173	$895	2.0	%
Commercial real estate	13,522	124	0.9		(57)	67	0.5		14,652	472	3.2
Leases	2,537	19	0.7		77	96	3.8		1,968	52	2.6
Total commercial	57,538	718	1.2		(179)	539	0.9		60,793	1,419	2.3
Residential	19,083	35	0.2		95	130	0.7		19,539	141	0.7




Home equity	13,154	83	0.6		73	156	1.2		12,149	150	1.2
Automobile	12,120	123	1.0		83	206	1.7		12,153	200	1.6
Education	10,347	116	1.1		298	414	4.0		12,308	386	3.1


Other retail	6,846	221	3.2		81	302	4.4		6,148	374	6.1
Total retail	61,550	578	0.9		630	1,208	2.0		62,297	1,251	2.0
Total loans and leases	$119,088	$1,296	1.1	%	$451	$1,747	1.5	%	$123,090	$2,670	2.2	%

The difference in ACL as of December 31, 2020 as compared to December 31, 2019 continues to be driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, associated lockdowns and the resulting economic impacts from March to December 31, 2020, as well as the Company’s adoption of CECL on January 1, 2020. Citizens added $451 million in ACL upon adoption of CECL, and has since added an additional $923 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, resulting in an ending ACL balance of $2.7 billion.

To determine the ACL as of December 31, 2020, we utilized an economic scenario that generally reflects real GDP growth of approximately 4% over 2021, returning to fourth quarter 2019 real GDP levels by the last quarter of 2021. The scenario also projects the unemployment rate to be in the range of approximately 7% to 7.5% throughout 2021. While the macroeconomic forecast was slightly improved relative to the third quarter 2020 forecast, we continued to apply management judgment to adjust the modeled reserves in the commercial industry sectors most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, including retail and hospitality, casual dining, retail trade, price-sensitive energy and related, and educational services, as well as in certain retail products.


	Year Ended December 31, 2019
(in millions)	Commercial	Retail	Total
Allowance for loan and lease losses, beginning of period	$690	$552	$1,242
Charge-offs	(140)	(475)	(615)
Recoveries	24	161	185
Net charge-offs	(116)	(314)	(430)

Provision charged to income	100	340	440
Allowance for loan and lease losses, end of period	674	578	1,252
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, beginning of period	91	—	91
Provision for unfunded lending commitments	(47)	—	(47)
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, end of period	44	—	44
Total allowance for credit losses, end of period	$718	$578	$1,296


	Year Ended December 31, 2018
(in millions)	Commercial	Retail	Total
Allowance for loan and lease losses, beginning of period	$685	$551	$1,236
Charge-offs	(52)	(442)	(494)
Recoveries	19	158	177
Net charge-offs	(33)	(284)	(317)
Provision charged to income(1)	38	285	323
Allowance for loan and lease losses, end of period	690	552	1,242
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, beginning of period	88	—	88
Provision for unfunded lending commitments	3	—	3
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, end of period	91	—	91
Total allowance for credit losses, end of period	$781	$552	$1,333

Loan and lease portfolio segments and classes, excluding LHFS, are presented by credit quality indicator and vintage year. Citizens defines the vintage date for the purpose of this disclosure as the date of the most recent credit decision. In general, renewals are categorized as new credit decisions and reflect the renewal date as the vintage date. Loans modified in a TDR are considered to be a continuation of the original loan and vintage date corresponds with the initial loan origination date.

For commercial, Citizens utilizes regulatory classification ratings to monitor credit quality. Regulatory classification ratings are assigned at loan origination and are periodically re-evaluated by Citizens utilizing a risk-based approach, or at any time management becomes aware of information affecting the borrowers' ability to fulfill their obligations. Both quantitative and qualitative factors are considered in this review process. Loans with a “pass” rating are those that the Company believes will be fully repaid in accordance with the contractual loan terms. Commercial loans that are “criticized” are those that have some weakness or potential weakness that indicate an increased probability of future loss. “Criticized” loans are grouped into three categories, “special mention,” “substandard” and “doubtful.” Special mention loans have potential weaknesses that, if left uncorrected, may result in deterioration of the Company’s credit position at some future date. Substandard loans are inadequately protected loans; these loans have well-defined weaknesses that could hinder normal repayment or collection of the debt. Doubtful loans have the same weaknesses as substandard, with the added characteristics that the possibility of loss is high and collection of the full amount of the loan is improbable. Additional credit quality information is discussed below for each loan class.

For commercial and industrial loans, Citizens monitors the performance of the borrower in a disciplined and regular manner based upon the level of credit risk inherent in the loan. To evaluate the level of credit risk, management assigns an internal risk rating reflecting the borrower’s PD and LGD. This two-dimensional credit risk rating methodology provides granularity in the risk monitoring process. These ratings are generally reviewed at least annually. The combination of the PD and LGD ratings assigned to commercial and industrial loans, capturing both the combination of expectations of default and loss severity in the event of default, reflects credit quality characteristics as of the reporting date and are used as inputs into the loss forecasting process. Based upon the amount of the lending arrangement and risk rating assessment, management periodically reviews each loan, prioritizing those loans which are perceived to be of higher risk, based upon PDs and LGDs, or loans for which credit quality is weakening (e.g., payment delinquency). Citizens proactively manages loans by using various procedures that are customized to the risk of a given loan, including ongoing outreach to the borrower, assessment of the borrower’s financial conditions and appraisal of the collateral.

Credit risk associated with commercial real estate projects and commercial mortgages are managed similar to commercial and industrial loans by evaluating PD and LGD. Risks associated with commercial real estate activities tend to be correlated to the loan structure and collateral location, project progress and business environment. As a result, these attributes are also monitored and utilized in assessing credit risk. As with the commercial and industrial loan class, periodic reviews are also performed to assess market/geographic risk and business unit/industry risk, which may result in increased scrutiny on loans that are perceived to be of higher risk, had adverse changes in risk ratings and/or areas that concern management. These reviews are designed to assess risk and facilitate actions to mitigate such risks.

Citizens manages credit risk associated with financing leases similar to commercial and industrial loans by analyzing PD and LGD. Reviews are generally performed annually based upon the dollar amount of the lease and the level of credit risk, and may be more more frequent if circumstances warrant. The review process includes analysis of the following factors: equipment value/residual value, exposure levels, jurisdiction risk, industry risk, guarantor requirements, and regulatory compliance as applicable.


	Term Loans by Origination Year						Revolving Loans
(in millions)	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	Prior to 2016	Within the Revolving Period	Converted to Term	Total
Commercial and industrial
Pass(1)	$8,036	$5,730	$4,180	$2,174	$1,157	$1,980	$17,281	$340	$40,878
Special Mention	34	264	163	84	60	173	771	34	1,583
Substandard	91	195	248	100	81	127	600	22	1,464
Doubtful	65	10	34	38	3	31	63	4	248
Total commercial and industrial	8,226	6,199	4,625	2,396	1,301	2,311	18,715	400	44,173
Commercial real estate
Pass	1,848	2,836	2,810	1,106	566	919	3,271	—	13,356
Special Mention	19	130	121	92	94	48	300	—	804
Substandard	116	2	65	5	53	26	149	—	416
Doubtful	16	26	8	—	—	2	24	—	76
Total commercial real estate	1,999	2,994	3,004	1,203	713	995	3,744	—	14,652
Leases
Pass	455	246	229	139	180	673	—	—	1,922
Special Mention	3	4	2	4	2	18	—	—	33
Substandard	—	2	2	4	4	—	—	—	12
Doubtful	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	1
Total leases	458	252	233	147	186	692	—	—	1,968
Total commercial
Pass(1)	10,339	8,812	7,219	3,419	1,903	3,572	20,552	340	56,156
Special Mention	56	398	286	180	156	239	1,071	34	2,420
Substandard	207	199	315	109	138	153	749	22	1,892
Doubtful	81	36	42	38	3	34	87	4	325
Total commercial	$10,683	$9,445	$7,862	$3,746	$2,200	$3,998	$22,459	$400	$60,793

For retail loans, Citizens utilizes credit scores provided by FICO and the loan’s payment and delinquency status to monitor credit quality. Management believes FICO credit scores are considered the strongest indicator of credit losses over the contractual life of the loan as the scores are based on current and historical national industry-wide consumer level credit performance data, and assist management in predicting the borrower’s future payment performance.


	Term Loans by Origination Year						Revolving Loans
(in millions)	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	Prior to 2016	Within the Revolving Period	Converted to Term	Total
Residential mortgages
800+	$2,687	$1,885	$638	$1,129	$1,615	$1,755	$—	$—	$9,709
740-799	2,931	1,133	398	527	743	904	—	—	6,636
680-739	784	351	162	172	295	458	—	—	2,222
620-679	97	94	44	56	66	223	—	—	580
<620	12	28	35	58	50	185	—	—	368
No FICO available(1)	1	2	1	5	1	14	—	—	24
Total residential mortgages	6,512	3,493	1,278	1,947	2,770	3,539	—	—	19,539
Home equity
800+	2	8	10	7	5	216	4,319	344	4,911
740-799	2	6	7	6	5	180	3,234	331	3,771
680-739	1	6	10	15	8	179	1,632	284	2,135
620-679	—	10	18	21	14	136	402	195	796
<620	1	17	30	29	18	122	105	214	536

Total home equity	6	47	75	78	50	833	9,692	1,368	12,149
Automobile
800+	1,056	812	424	312	169	62	—	—	2,835
740-799	1,514	1,022	531	344	172	59	—	—	3,642
680-739	1,347	889	461	282	138	47	—	—	3,164
620-679	669	484	259	157	84	32	—	—	1,685
<620	140	242	189	137	79	34	—	—	821
No FICO available(1)	2	—	—	—	—	4	—	—	6
Total automobile	4,728	3,449	1,864	1,232	642	238	—	—	12,153
Education
800+	1,817	1,363	849	781	578	777	—	—	6,165
740-799	1,797	1,009	541	387	251	423	—	—	4,408
680-739	450	294	173	127	90	221	—	—	1,355
620-679	26	35	33	28	25	95	—	—	242
<620	2	5	10	10	8	41	—	—	76
No FICO available(1)	2	—	—	—	—	60	—	—	62
Total education	4,094	2,706	1,606	1,333	952	1,617	—	—	12,308
Other retail
800+	461	380	163	77	15	44	341	—	1,481
740-799	620	460	184	81	19	31	638	2	2,035
680-739	495	302	111	48	10	13	561	5	1,545
620-679	248	104	37	14	3	5	174	7	592
<620	24	30	17	6	1	3	77	8	166
No FICO available(1)	54	1	—	—	—	—	272	2	329
Total other retail	1,902	1,277	512	226	48	96	2,063	24	6,148
Retail
800+	6,023	4,448	2,084	2,306	2,382	2,854	4,660	344	25,101
740-799	6,864	3,630	1,661	1,345	1,190	1,597	3,872	333	20,492
680-739	3,077	1,842	917	644	541	918	2,193	289	10,421
620-679	1,040	727	391	276	192	491	576	202	3,895
<620	179	322	281	240	156	385	182	222	1,967
No FICO available(1)	59	3	1	5	1	78	272	2	421
Total retail	$17,242	$10,972	$5,335	$4,816	$4,462	$6,323	$11,755	$1,392	$62,297

When the Company places a loan on nonaccrual status, the accrued unpaid interest receivable is reversed against interest income and amortization of any net deferred fees is suspended. Interest collections on nonaccruing loans and leases for which the ultimate collectability of principal is uncertain are generally applied to first reduce the carrying value of the asset. Otherwise, interest income may be recognized to the extent of the cash received. A loan or lease may be returned to accrual status if (i) principal and interest payments have been brought current, and the Company expects repayment of the remaining contractual principal and interest, (ii) the loan or lease has otherwise become well-secured and in the process of collection, or (iii) the borrower has been making regularly scheduled payments in full for the prior six months and the Company is reasonably assured that the loan or lease will be brought fully current within a reasonable period.

Residential mortgages are generally placed on nonaccrual status when past due 120 days, or sooner if determined to be collateral-dependent, unless repayment of the loan is guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration. Credit card balances are placed on nonaccrual status when past due 90 days or more and are restored to accruing status if they subsequently become less than 90 days past due. All other retail loans are generally placed on nonaccrual status when past due 90 days or more, or earlier if management believes that the probability of collection is insufficient to warrant further accrual. Loans less than 90 days past due may be placed on nonaccrual status upon the death of the borrower, fraud or bankruptcy.


	As of December 31, 2020			As of December 31, 2019
(in millions)	Nonaccrual loans and leases	90+ days past due and accruing	Nonaccrual with no related ACL	Nonaccrual loans and leases
Commercial and industrial	$280	$20	$56	$240
Commercial real estate	176	—	2	2
Leases	2	1	—	3
Total commercial	458	21	58	245
Residential mortgages	167	30	96	93
Home equity	276	—	207	246
Automobile	72	—	17	67
Education	18	2	2	18
Other retail	28	9	—	34
Total retail	561	41	322	458
Total loans and leases	$1,019	$62	$380	$703


	December 31, 2020					December 31, 2019
	Days Past Due					Days Past Due
(in millions)	Current-29	30-59	60-89	90 or More	Total	Current-29	30-59	60-89	90 or More	Total
Commercial and industrial	$43,817	$223	$16	$117	$44,173	$41,340	$45	$27	$67	$41,479
Commercial real estate	14,531	1	85	35	14,652	13,520	1	1	—	13,522
Leases	1,956	9	—	3	1,968	2,498	37	—	2	2,537
Total commercial	60,304	233	101	155	60,793	57,358	83	28	69	57,538
Residential mortgages	19,291	59	21	168	19,539	18,947	35	17	84	19,083
Home equity	11,848	61	28	212	12,149	12,834	91	40	189	13,154
Automobile	11,901	170	65	17	12,153	11,788	227	81	24	12,120
Education	12,255	33	13	7	12,308	10,290	30	15	12	10,347
Other retail	6,047	38	29	34	6,148	6,729	45	31	41	6,846
Total retail	61,342	361	156	438	62,297	60,588	428	184	350	61,550
Total	$121,646	$594	$257	$593	$123,090	$117,946	$511	$212	$419	$119,088

For collateral-dependent commercial loans, the ACL is individually assessed based on the fair value of the collateral. Various types of collateral are used, including real estate, inventory, equipment, accounts receivable, securities and cash, among others. For commercial real estate loans, collateral values are generally based on appraisals which are updated based on management judgment under the specific circumstances on a case-by-case basis. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had collateral-dependent commercial loans totaling $206 million and $85 million, respectively.

In situations where, for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s financial difficulties, the Company grants a concession to the borrower that it would not otherwise consider, the related loan is classified as a TDR. TDRs typically result from the Company’s loss mitigation efforts and are undertaken in order to improve the likelihood of recovery and continuity of the relationship with the borrower. The Company’s loan modifications are handled on a case-by-case basis and are negotiated to achieve mutually agreeable terms that maximize loan collectability and meet the borrower’s financial needs. Concessions granted in TDRs for all classes of loans may include lowering the interest rate, forgiving a portion of principal, extending the loan term, lowering scheduled payments for a specified period of time, waiving or delaying a scheduled payment of principal or interest for other than an insignificant time period, or capitalizing past due amounts. A rate increase can be a concession if the increased rate is lower than a market rate for debt with risk similar to that of the restructured loan. TDRs for commercial loans may also involve creating a multiple note structure, accepting non-cash assets, accepting an equity interest, or receiving a performance-based fee. In some cases, a TDR may involve multiple concessions. The financial effects of TDRs for all loan classes may include lower income (either due to a lower interest rate or a delay in the timing of cash flows), larger loan loss provisions, and accelerated charge-offs if the modification renders the loan collateral-dependent. In some cases, interest income throughout the term of the loan may increase if, for example, the loan is extended or the interest rate is increased as a result of the restructuring.

Retail and commercial loans whose contractual terms have been modified in a TDR and are current at the time of restructuring may remain on accrual status if there is demonstrated performance prior to the restructuring and payment in full under the restructured terms is expected. Retail loans that were discharged in bankruptcy and not reaffirmed by the borrower are deemed to be collateral-dependent TDRs and are generally charged off to the fair value of the collateral, less cost to sell, and less amounts recoverable under a government guarantee (if any). Cash receipts on nonaccruing impaired loans, including nonaccruing loans involved in TDRs, are generally applied to reduce the unpaid principal balance. Certain TDRs that are current in payment status are classified as nonaccrual in accordance with regulatory guidance. Income on these loans may be recognized on a cash basis if management believes that the remaining book value of the loan is realizable. Nonaccruing TDRs that meet the guidelines above for accrual status can be returned to accruing if supported by a well-documented evaluation of the borrowers’ financial condition, and if they have been current for at least six months.

Because TDRs are impaired loans, Citizens measures impairment by comparing the present value of expected future cash flows, or when appropriate, the fair value of collateral less costs to sell, to the loan’s amortized cost basis. Any excess of amortized cost basis over the present value of expected future cash flows or collateral value is included in the ALLL. Any portion of the loan’s amortized cost basis the Company does not expect to collect as a result of the modification is charged off at the time of modification. For retail TDR accounts where the expected value of cash flows is utilized, any recorded investment in excess of the present value of expected cash flows is recognized by increasing the ALLL. For retail TDR accounts assessed based on the fair value of collateral, any portion of the loan’s recorded investment in excess of the collateral value less costs to sell is charged off at the time of modification or at the time of subsequent and regularly recurring valuations.

In 2020, Citizens implemented various retail and commercial loan modification programs to provide borrowers relief from the economic impacts of COVID-19. The CARES Act and bank regulatory agencies provided guidance stating certain loan modifications to borrowers experiencing financial distress as a result of COVID-19 may not be accounted for as TDRs under U.S. GAAP. In accordance with the CARES Act, Citizens elected to not apply TDR classification to any COVID-19 related loan modification performed after March 1, 2020 for borrowers who were current as of December 31, 2019 or the date of their loan modification. In addition, for loans modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns that were not eligible for relief from TDR classification under the CARES Act, the Company elected to apply the guidance issued by the bank regulatory agencies. Under this guidance, loans with up to six months of deferred principal and interest to borrowers who were current as of March 1, 2020 or the date of their loan modification are not classified as TDRs.


	December 31, 2020
	Primary Modification Types
	Interest Rate Reduction(1)		Maturity Extension(2)		Other(3)
(dollars in millions)	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment
Commercial and industrial	1	$—	25	$107	44	$325
Commercial real estate	—	—	1	7	—	—
Total commercial	1	—	26	114	44	325
Residential mortgages	210	39	190	34	73	13
Home equity	143	12	151	12	429	23
Automobile	129	2	104	1	3,003	47
Education	—	—	—	—	465	10
Other retail	2,311	10	—	—	280	2
Total retail	2,793	63	445	47	4,250	95
Total	2,794	$63	471	$161	4,294	$420


	December 31, 2019
	Primary Modification Types
	Interest Rate Reduction(1)		Maturity Extension(2)		Other(3)
(dollars in millions)	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment
Commercial and industrial	3	$—	26	$5	56	$210
Commercial real estate	—	—	1	—	—	—
Total commercial	3	—	27	5	56	210
Residential mortgages	60	12	62	10	120	17




Home equity	196	20	72	11	454	26
Automobile	160	3	21	—	1,250	17
Education	—	—	—	—	272	7


Other retail	3,259	18	—	—	480	2
Total retail	3,675	53	155	21	2,576	69
Total	3,678	$53	182	$26	2,632	$279


	December 31, 2018
	Primary Modification Types
	Interest Rate Reduction(1)		Maturity Extension(2)		Other(3)
(dollars in millions)	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment	Number of Contracts	Recorded Investment
Commercial and industrial	7	$1	49	$22	53	$200
Commercial real estate	—	—	3	31	2	31
Total commercial	7	1	52	53	55	231
Residential mortgages	35	4	61	8	142	17




Home equity	128	11	180	26	584	36
Automobile	158	3	46	1	1,189	17
Education	—	—	—	—	355	7


Other retail	2,313	13	—	—	9	—
Total retail	2,634	31	287	35	2,279	77
Total	2,641	$32	339	$88	2,334	$308

(3) Includes modifications other than interest rate reductions or maturity extensions, such as lowering scheduled payments for a specified period of time, principal forgiveness, and capitalizing arrearages. Also included are the following: deferrals, trial modifications, certain bankruptcies, loans in forbearance and prepayment plans. Modifications can include the deferral of accrued interest resulting in post modification balances being higher than pre-modification.

A payment default refers to a loan that becomes 90 days or more past due under the modified terms. Loan data includes loans meeting the criteria that were paid off in full, charged off, or sold prior to December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. For commercial loans, recorded investment in TDRs that defaulted within 12 months of their modification date for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 were $54 million, $1 million and $63 million, respectively. For retail loans, there were $46 million, $37 million and $40 million of loans which defaulted within 12 months of their restructuring date for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

As of December 31, 2020, under the Company’s COVID-19-related forbearance and other customer accommodation programs that are guided by the CARES Act as well as banking regulator interagency guidance, Citizens deferred payments on approximately $1.4 billion, or 2.3%, of the retail portfolio, approximately $343 million, or 0.6%, of the commercial portfolio, including approximately $53 million, or 1.0%, of the small business portfolio. The vast majority of these deferrals are not classified as TDRs.

Most of the Company’s lending activity is with customers located in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Generally, loans are collateralized by assets including real estate, inventory, accounts receivable, other personal property and investment securities. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, Citizens had a significant amount of loans collateralized by residential and commercial real estate. There were no significant concentration risks within the commercial loan or retail loan portfolios. Exposure to credit losses arising from lending transactions may fluctuate with fair values of collateral supporting loans, which may not perform according to contractual agreements. The Company’s policy is to collateralize loans to the extent necessary; however, unsecured loans are also granted on the basis of the financial strength of the applicant and the facts surrounding the transaction.

Certain loan products, including residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, and credit cards, have contractual features that may increase credit exposure to the Company in the event of an increase in interest rates or a decline in housing values. These products include loans that exceed 90% of the value of the underlying collateral (high LTV loans), interest-only and negative amortization residential mortgages, and loans with low introductory rates. Certain loans have more than one of these characteristics. The following tables present balances of loans with these characteristics: