Mortgage Servicing Rights

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Mortgage Servicing Rights [Abstract]

Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets [Text Block]

MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS

Our portfolio of residential mortgage loans serviced for third parties was $2.10 billion and $1.95 billion as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.  These loans were originated by BancShares and sold to third parties on a non-recourse basis with servicing rights retained.  These retained servicing rights are recorded as a servicing asset on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are initially recorded at fair value.

The activity of the servicing asset for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 is presented in the following table:

	Three months ended September 30					Nine months ended September 30
(Dollars in thousands)	2015			2014		2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	18,162		$	—	$	16,688		$	16
Servicing rights originated	1,857			—		4,446			—
Amortization	(695		)	—		(2,657		)	(164		)
Servicing rights acquired in the 1st Financial merger	—			—		—			148
Valuation allowance reversal	3			—		850			—
Ending balance	$	19,327		$	—	$	19,327		$	—

The following table presents the activity in the servicing asset valuation allowance for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:

	Three months ended September 30					Nine months ended September 30
(Dollars in thousands)	2015			2014		2015			2014
Beginning balance	$	3		$	—	$	850		$	—
Valuation allowance reversal	(3		)	—		(850		)	—
Ending balance	$	—		$	—	$	—		$	—

As of September 30, 2015, the carrying value of BancShares' mortgage servicing rights was $19.3 million. Contractually specified mortgage servicing fees, late fees, and ancillary fees earned for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 were $2.8 million and $8.9 million, respectively, and are included in mortgage income in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Mortgage servicing fees, late fees or ancillary fees earned for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 were insignificant since the majority of the mortgage servicing rights were acquired in the Bancorporation merger on October 1, 2014.

The amortization expense related to mortgage servicing rights, included as a reduction of mortgage income in the Consolidated Statements of Income, was $695 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2015. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 the amortization expense related to mortgage servicing rights was $2.7 million and $164 thousand, respectively. Amortization expense included an impairment reversal of $3 thousand and $850 thousand for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015. No net valuation allowance impairment was recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.

Valuation of mortgage servicing rights is performed using a pooling methodology. Similar loans are pooled together and evaluated on a discounted earnings basis to determine the present value of future earnings. Key economic assumptions used to value mortgage servicing rights as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 were as follows:

	September 30, 2015			December 31, 2014
Discount rate - conventional fixed loans	7.05		%	7.20		%
Discount rate - all loans excluding conventional fixed loans	9.05		%	9.20		%
Weighted average constant prepayment rate	10.41		%	14.25		%
Weighted average cost to service a loan	$	56.61		$	56.02