Webster delivers financial services to individuals, families, and businesses primarily within its regional footprint from New York to Massachusetts. Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgage lending, financial planning, trust, and investment services through banking offices, ATMs, mobile banking and its internet website (www.websterbank.com or www.wbst.com). Webster also offers equipment financing, commercial real estate lending, and asset-based lending primarily across the Northeast. On a nationwide basis, through its HSA Bank division, Webster Bank offers and administers health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, health reimbursement accounts, and commuter benefits.

The Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Notes thereto include the accounts of Webster Financial Corporation and all other entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Webster's accounting and financial reporting policies conform, in all material respects, to GAAP and to general practices within the financial services industry.

A variable interest entity (VIE) is an entity that has either a total equity investment that is insufficient to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or whose equity investors lack the ability to control the entity’s activities or lack the ability to receive expected benefits or absorb obligations in a manner that’s consistent with their investment in the entity. The Company evaluates each VIE to understand the purpose and design of the entity, and its involvement in the ongoing activities of the VIE.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements as well as income and expense during the period. The allowance for loan and lease losses, the fair value measurements for valuation of investments and other financial instruments, evaluation of investments for OTTI, valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets, and assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets and the measurement of uncertain tax position, as well as the status of contingencies, are particularly subject to change. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Interest-bearing deposits. Cash equivalents, primarily representing deposits at the FRB of Boston in excess of reserve requirements, and federal funds sold, which essentially represent uncollateralized loans to other financial institutions, are referenced as interest-bearing deposits in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company regularly evaluates the credit risk associated with those financial institutions to assess that Webster is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash equivalents.

Investment securities are classified as available-for-sale or held-to-maturity at the time of purchase. Any classification change subsequent to trade date is reviewed for compliance with corporate objectives and accounting policy. Debt securities classified as held-to-maturity are those which Webster has the ability and intent to hold to maturity. Securities classified as held-to-maturity are recorded at amortized cost net of unamortized premiums and discounts. Discount accretion income and premium amortization expense are recognized as interest income according to a constant yield methodology, with consideration given to prepayment assumptions on mortgage backed securities. Securities classified as available-for-sale are recorded at fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded as a component of other comprehensive income (OCI)/other comprehensive loss (OCL). Securities transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity are recorded at fair value at the time of transfer, and the respective gain or loss is recorded as a separate component of OCI/OCL and amortized as an adjustment to interest income over the remaining life of the security.

Securities classified as available-for-sale or held-to-maturity and in an unrealized loss position are evaluated for OTTI on a quarterly basis. The evaluation considers several qualitative factors, including the period of time the security has been in a loss position, and the amount of the unrealized loss. If the Company intends to sell the security or it is more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the security prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, the security is written down to fair value, and the loss is recognized in non-interest income in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income. If the Company does not intend to sell the security and it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell the security prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, only the credit component of the unrealized loss is recorded as an impairment charge to a debt security and recognized as a loss. The remaining loss component would be recorded to accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax (AOCL) in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The entire amount of an unrealized loss position of an equity security that is considered OTTI is recorded as an impairment loss in non-interest income in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.

Webster Bank is a member of the FHLB and the Federal Reserve System, and is required to maintain an investment in capital stock of the FHLB of Boston and FRB of Boston. Based on redemption provisions, the stock of both the FHLB and the FRB has no quoted market value and is carried at cost. Membership stock is reviewed for impairment as economic circumstances warrant special review.

Effective January 1, 2016, on a loan by loan election, residential mortgage loans that are classified as held for sale are accounted for under either the fair value option method of accounting or the lower of cost or fair value method of accounting with the election being made at the time the asset is first recognized. The Company has elected the fair value option to mitigate accounting mismatches between held for sale derivative commitments and loan valuations. Prior to January 1, 2016, residential mortgage loans that were classified as held for sale were accounted for at the lower of cost or fair value method of accounting and were valued on an individual asset basis.

Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been surrendered. Control over transferred assets is generally considered to have been surrendered when: (i) the transferred assets are legally isolated from the Company or its consolidated affiliates, even in bankruptcy or other receivership; (ii) the transferee has the right to pledge or exchange the assets with no conditions that constrain the transferee and provide more than a trivial benefit to the Company; and (iii) the Company does not maintain the obligation or unilateral ability to reclaim or repurchase the assets.

The Company sells financial assets in the normal course of business, the majority of which are residential mortgage loan sales primarily to government-sponsored enterprises through established programs, commercial loan sales through participation agreements, and other individual or portfolio loan and securities sales. In accordance with accounting guidance for asset transfers, the Company considers any ongoing involvement with transferred assets in determining whether the assets can be derecognized from the balance sheet. With the exception of servicing and certain performance-based guarantees, the Company’s continuing involvement with financial assets sold is minimal and generally limited to market customary representation and warranty clauses covering certain characteristics of the mortgage loans sold and the Company's origination process. The gain or loss on sale depends on the previous carrying amount of the transferred financial assets, the consideration received, and any other assets obtained or liabilities incurred in exchange for the transferred assets.

Loans and leases are stated at the principal amount outstanding, net of amounts charged off, unearned income, unamortized premiums and discounts, and deferred loan and lease fees/costs which are recognized as yield adjustments using the interest method. These yield adjustments are amortized over the contractual life of the related loans and leases adjusted for prepayments when applicable. Interest on loans and leases is credited to interest income as earned based on the interest rate applied to principal amounts outstanding. Prepayment fees are recognized in non-interest income. Cash flows from loans and leases are presented as investing cash flows.

Loans and leases are placed on non-accrual status when collection of principal and interest in accordance with contractual terms is doubtful, generally when principal or interest payments become 90 days delinquent, unless the loan or lease is well secured and in process of collection, or sooner if management concludes circumstances indicate that the borrower may be unable to meet contractual principal or interest payments. Residential real estate loans, excluding loans fully insured against loss and in the process of collection, and consumer loans are placed on non-accrual status at 90 days past due, or at the date when the Company is notified that the borrower is discharged in bankruptcy. A charge-off for the balance in excess of the fair value of the collateral less cost to sell, is recorded at 180 days if the loan balance exceeds the fair value of the collateral less costs to sell. Residential loans that are more than 90 days past due, fully insured against loss, and in the process of collection, remain accruing and are reported as 90 days or more past due and accruing. Commercial, commercial real estate loans, and equipment finance loans or leases are subject to a detailed review when 90 days past due to determine accrual status, or when payment is uncertain and a specific consideration is made to put a loan or lease on non-accrual status.

When loans and leases are placed on non-accrual status, the accrual of interest is discontinued, and any unpaid accrued interest is reversed and charged against interest income. If ultimate repayment of a non-accrual loan or lease is expected, any payments received are applied in accordance with contractual terms. If ultimate repayment is not expected on commercial, commercial real estate, and equipment finance loans and leases, any payment received on a non-accrual loan or lease is applied to principal until the unpaid balance has been fully recovered. Any excess is then credited to interest income when received. If the Company determines, through a current valuation analysis, that principal can be repaid on residential real estate and consumer loans, interest payments may be taken into income as received on a cash basis. Except for loans discharged under Chapter 7 of the U.S. bankruptcy code, loans are removed from non-accrual status when they become current as to principal and interest or demonstrate a period of performance under contractual terms and, in the opinion of management, are fully collectible as to principal and interest. Pursuant to regulatory guidance, a Chapter 7 discharged bankruptcy loan is removed from non-accrual status when the bank expects full repayment of the remaining pre-discharged contractual principal and interest, the loan is a closed-end amortizing loan, it is fully collateralized, and post-discharge the loan had at least six consecutive months of current payments. See Note 4: Loans and Leases for further information.

The ALLL is a reserve established through a provision for loan and lease losses charged to expense and represents management’s best estimate of probable losses that may be incurred within the existing loan and lease portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The level of the allowance reflects management’s view of trends in losses, current portfolio quality, and present economic, political, and regulatory conditions. The ALLL may be allocated for specific portfolio segments; however, the entire allowance balance is

available to absorb credit losses inherent in the total loan and lease portfolio. A charge-off is recorded when all or a portion of the loan or lease is deemed to be uncollectible. Back-testing is performed to compare original estimated losses and actual observed losses, resulting in ongoing refinements. While management utilizes its best judgment based on the information available at the time, the ultimate adequacy of the allowance is dependent upon a variety of factors that are beyond the Company’s control, which include the performance of the Company’s portfolio, economic conditions, interest rate sensitivity, and other external factors.

The ALLL consists of the following three elements: (i) specific valuation allowances established for probable losses on impaired loans and leases; (ii) quantitative valuation allowances calculated using loss experience for like loans and leases with similar characteristics and trends, adjusted, as necessary, to reflect the impact of current conditions; and (iii) qualitative factors determined based on general economic conditions and other factors that may be internal or external to the Company.

Loans and leases are considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due in accordance with the original contractual terms of the loan agreement, including scheduled principal and interest payments. Impairment is evaluated on a pooled basis for smaller-balance homogeneous residential, consumer loans and small business loans. Commercial, commercial real estate, and equipment financing loans and leases over a specific dollar amount and all TDR are evaluated individually for impairment. A loan identified as a TDR is considered an impaired loan for the entire term of the loan, with few exceptions. If a loan is impaired, a specific valuation allowance may be established, and the loan is reported net, at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s original interest rate or at the fair value of collateral less cost to sell if repayment is expected from collateral liquidation. Interest payments on non-accruing impaired loans are typically applied to principal unless collectability of the principal amount is reasonably assured, in which case interest is recognized on a cash basis. Loans and leases, or portions thereof, are charged off when deemed uncollectible. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value, discharged bankruptcy, and the likelihood of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments. The current or weighted-average (for multiple notes within a commercial borrowing arrangement) interest rate of the loan is used as the discount rate, for determining net present value of the loan evaluated for impairment, when the interest rate floats with a specified index. A change in terms or payments would be included in the impairment calculation. See Note 4: Loans and Leases for further information.

The reserve for unfunded commitments provides for probable losses inherent with funding the unused portion of legal commitments to lend. The unfunded reserve calculation includes factors that are consistent with the ALLL methodology for funded loans using the PD, LGD, and a draw down factor applied to the underlying borrower risk and facility grades. The reserve for unfunded credit commitments is included within other liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, and changes in the reserve are reported as a component of other expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income. See Note 20: Commitments and Contingencies for further information.

A modified loan is considered a TDR when the following two conditions are met: (i) the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties; and (ii) the modification constitutes a concession. The Company considers all aspects of the restructuring in determining whether a concession has been granted, including the debtor's ability to access funds at a market rate. In general, a concession exists when the modified terms of the loan are more attractive to the borrower than standard market terms. Modified terms are dependent upon the financial position and needs of the individual borrower. The most common types of modifications include covenant modifications and forbearance. Loans for which the borrower has been discharged under Chapter 7 bankruptcy are considered collateral dependent TDR, impaired at the date of discharge, and charged down to the fair value of collateral less cost to sell, if management considers that loss potential likely exists.

The Company’s policy is to place consumer loan TDR, except those that were performing prior to TDR status, on non-accrual status for a minimum period of six months. Commercial TDR are evaluated on a case-by-case basis for determination of whether or not to place them on non-accrual status. Loans qualify for return to accrual status once they have demonstrated performance with the restructured terms of the loan agreement for a minimum of six months. Initially, all TDRs are reported as impaired. Generally, TDRs are classified as impaired loans and reported as TDR for the remaining life of the loan. Impaired and TDR classification may be removed if the borrower demonstrates compliance with the modified terms for a minimum of six months and through a fiscal year-end and the restructuring agreement specifies a market rate of interest equal to that which would be provided to a borrower with similar credit at the time of restructuring. In the limited circumstance that a loan is removed from TDR classification, it is the Company’s policy to continue to base its measure of loan impairment on the contractual terms specified by the loan agreement. The Company’s loan and lease portfolio includes loans that have been restructured into an A-Note/B-Note structure as a result of evaluating the cash flow of the borrowers to support repayment. Following these restructurings, Webster immediately charged off the balances of the B-Notes. The restructuring agreements specify a market interest rate equal to that which would be provided to a borrower with similar credit at the time of restructuring. See Note 4: Loans and Leases for further information.

Real estate acquired through foreclosure or completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure and other assets acquired through repossession are carried at the lower of cost or market value less estimated selling costs and are included within other assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Independent appraisals generally are obtained to substantiate fair value and may be subject to adjustment based upon historical experience or specific geographic trends impacting the property. Within 90 days of a loan being foreclosed upon, the excess of loan balance over fair value less cost to sell is charged off against the ALLL. Subsequent write-downs in value, maintenance costs as incurred, and gains or losses upon sale are charged to non-interest expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.

Repairs and maintenance costs are charged to non-interest expense as incurred. Premises and equipment being actively marketed for sale are reclassified as assets held for disposition. The cost and accumulated depreciation relating to premises and equipment retired or otherwise disposed of are eliminated, and any resulting losses are charged to non-interest expense. See Note 6: Premises and Equipment for further information.

Goodwill represents the excess purchase price of businesses acquired over the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired and is assigned to specific reporting units. Goodwill is not subject to amortization but rather is evaluated for impairment annually, or more frequently in interim periods if events occur or circumstances change indicating it would more likely than not result in a reduction of the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value.

Goodwill is evaluated for impairment by either performing a qualitative evaluation or a two-step quantitative test. The qualitative evaluation is an assessment of factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company utilizes an equally weighted combined income and market approach to arrive at an indicated fair value range for the reporting unit. In Step 1, the fair value of a reporting unit is compared to its carrying amount, including goodwill, to ascertain if a goodwill impairment exists. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired, and it is not necessary to continue to Step 2 of the impairment process. Otherwise, Step 2 is performed where the implied fair value of goodwill is compared to the carrying value of goodwill in the reporting unit. If a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds fair value, the difference is charged to non-interest expense. See Note 7: Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.

Other intangible assets represent purchased assets that lack physical substance but can be distinguished from goodwill because of contractual or other legal rights, or because the asset is capable of being sold or exchanged either separately or in combination with a related contract, asset, or liability. Other intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized to non-interest expense over their estimated useful lives and are evaluated for impairment whenever events occur or circumstances change indicating the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. Core deposit and customer relationship intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives. See Note 7: Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.

The investment in life insurance represents the cash surrender value of life insurance policies on certain current and former officers of Webster. Increases in the cash surrender value are recorded as non-interest income. Decreases are the result of collection on the policies due to the death of an insured. Death benefit proceeds in excess of cash surrender value are recorded in other non-interest income when realized.

These agreements are accounted for as secured financing transactions since Webster maintains effective control over the transferred investment securities and the transfer meets the other criteria for such accounting. Obligations to repurchase the sold investment securities are reflected as a liability in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The investment securities underlying the agreements are delivered to a custodial account for the benefit of the dealer or bank with whom each transaction is executed. The dealers or banks, which may sell, loan, or otherwise hypothecate such securities to other parties in the normal course of their operations, agree to resell to Webster the same securities at the maturity date of the agreements. The investment securities underlying the agreements with Bank customers are pledged; however, the customer does not have ability to hypothecate the underlying securities. See Note 10: Borrowings for further information.

Webster maintains stock compensation plans under which non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, or stock appreciation rights may be granted to employees and directors. Share awards are issued from available treasury shares. Share-based compensation cost is recognized over the vesting period, is based on the grant-date fair value, net of a reduction for estimated forfeitures which is adjusted for actual forfeitures as they occur, and is reported as a component of compensation and benefits expense. Awards are generally subject to a 3-year vesting period, while certain conditions provide for a 1-year vesting period. Excess tax benefits result when tax return deductions exceed recognized compensation cost determined using the grant-date fair value approach for financial statement purposes.

For time-based restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards, fair value is measured using the Company's common stock closing price at the date of grant. For performance-based restricted stock awards, fair value is measured using the Monte Carlo valuation methodology, which provides for the 3-year performance period. Awards ultimately vest in a range from zero to 150% of the target number of shares under the grant. Compensation expense is subject to adjustment based on management's assessment of Webster's return on equity performance relative to the target number of shares condition. For stock option awards the Black-Scholes Option-Pricing Model was used to measure fair value at the date of grant.

Income tax expense, or benefit, is comprised of two components, current and deferred. The current component reflects taxes payable or refundable for a current period based on applicable tax laws, and the deferred component represents the tax effects of temporary differences between amounts recognized for financial accounting and tax purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect the tax effects of such differences that are anticipated to result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future, when the temporary differences reverse. DTAs are recognized if it is more likely than not they will be realized, and may be reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that all or some portion will not be realized.

Tax positions that are uncertain but meet a more likely than not recognition threshold are initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. The determination of whether or not a tax position meets the more likely than not recognition threshold considers the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date and is subject to management's judgment. Webster recognizes interest expense and penalties on uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense and recognizes interest income on refundable income taxes as a component of other non-interest income. See Note 8: Income Taxes for further information.

Earnings per common share is computed under the two-class method. Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing earnings allocated to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the applicable period, excluding outstanding non-participating securities. Certain non-vested restricted stock awards are participating securities as they have non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents. Diluted earnings per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares determined for the basic earnings per common share computation plus the dilutive effect of stock compensation and warrants for common stock using the treasury stock method. A reconciliation of the weighted-average shares used in calculating basic earnings per common share and the weighted-average common shares used in calculating diluted earnings per common share is provided in Note 14: Earnings Per Common Share.

Comprehensive income includes all changes in shareholders’ equity during a period, except those resulting from transactions with shareholders. Comprehensive income consists of net income, and the after-tax effect of the following items; changes in net unrealized gain/loss on securities available for sale, changes in net unrealized gain/loss on derivative instruments, and changes in net actuarial gain/loss and prior service cost for defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans. Comprehensive income is reported in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity, Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, and Note 12: Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax.

Derivatives are recognized as assets and liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and measured at fair value. For exchange-traded contracts, fair value is based on quoted market prices. For non-exchange traded contracts, fair value is based on dealer quotes, pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques for which the determination of fair value may require management judgment or estimation, relating to future rates and credit activities.

Interest Rate Swap Agreements. For asset/liability management purposes, the Company may use interest rate swaps or interest rate caps to hedge various exposures or to modify interest rate characteristics of various balance sheet accounts. Interest rate swaps are contracts in which a series of interest rate flows are exchanged over a prescribed period of time. The notional amount on which the interest payments are based is not exchanged. Swap agreements entered into for hedge purposes are derivative instruments and generally convert a portion of the Company’s variable-rate debt to a fixed-rate (cash flow hedge), or convert a portion of its fixed-rate debt to a variable-rate (fair value hedge).

Webster uses forward-settle interest rate swaps to protect the Company against adverse fluctuations in interest rates by reducing its exposure to variability in cash flows relating to interest payments on forecasted debt issuances. Forward-settle swaps typically have a future effective date that coincides with the expected debt issuance date. The forward-settle swaps are typically terminated and cash settled upon hedge debt issuance date.

The gain or loss on a derivative designated and qualifying as a fair value hedging instrument, as well as the offsetting gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the risk being hedged, is recognized currently in earnings in the same accounting period. The effective portion of the gain or loss on a derivative designated and qualifying as a cash flow hedging instrument is initially reported as a component of AOCL and subsequently reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument, if any, is recognized in non-interest income.

Interest rate derivative financial instruments receive hedge accounting treatment only if they are qualified and properly designated as hedges and are expected to be, and are, effective in substantially reducing interest rate risk arising from specifically identified assets and liabilities. A hedging instrument is expected at inception to be highly effective at offsetting changes in the hedged transactions attributable to the changes in the hedged risk. The Company expects that the hedging relationship will be highly effective; however, it does not assume there is no ineffectiveness. The Company performs quarterly prospective and retrospective assessments of the hedge effectiveness to ensure the hedging relationship continues to be highly effective and that hedge accounting can continue to be applied. Those derivative financial instruments that do not meet specified hedging criteria are recorded at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in income.

Derivative Loan Commitments. Mortgage loan commitments related to the origination of mortgages that will be held for sale upon funding are considered derivative instruments. Loan commitments that are derivatives are recognized at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in other assets and other liabilities with changes in their fair values recorded in non-interest income.

Counterparty Credit Risk. The Company's exposure from bilateral, non-cleared derivatives is collateralized and subject to daily margin call settlements. Credit exposure related to non-cleared derivatives may be offset by the amount of collateral pledged by the counterparty. The Company's credit exposure on interest rate swaps consists of the net favorable value plus interest payments of all swaps by each of the counterparties.

In accordance with Webster policies, institutional counterparties are underwritten and approved through the Company’s independent credit approval process. The Company evaluates the credit risk of its counterparties, taking into account such factors as the likelihood of default, its net exposures, and remaining contractual life, among other things, in determining if any adjustments related to credit risk are required. See Note 15: Derivative Financial Instruments for further information.

The Company presents derivative receivables and derivative payables with the same counterparty and the related variation margin of cash collateral receivables and payables on a net basis on the Consolidated Balance Sheets when a legally enforceable master netting agreement exists. The cash collateral, relating to the initial margin, is included within accrued interest receivable and other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The Company measures many of its assets and liabilities on a fair value basis, in accordance with ASC Topic 820, "Fair Value Measurement." Fair value is used on a recurring basis for certain assets and liabilities in which fair value is the primary basis of accounting. Examples of these include derivative instruments, available-for-sale securities and loans held for sale where the Company has elected the fair value option. Additionally, fair value is used on a non-recurring basis to evaluate assets or liabilities for impairment. Examples of these include impaired loans and leases, mortgage servicing assets, long-lived assets, goodwill, and loans not originated for sale but subsequently transferred to held for sale, which are accounted for at the lower of cost or fair value. Further information regarding the Company's policies and methodology used to measure fair value is presented in Note 16: Fair Value Measurements.

Webster Bank maintains a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan covering all employees that were participants on or before December 31, 2007. Costs related to this qualified plan, based upon actuarial computations of current and future benefits for eligible employees, are charged to non-interest expense and are funded in accordance with the requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. An asset is recognized for an overfunded plan and a liability is recognized for an underfunded plan. A supplemental retirement plan is also maintained for select executive level employees that were participants on or before December 31, 2007. Webster Bank also provides postretirement healthcare benefits to certain retired employees.

In December 2016, the Company elected to change the approach to estimating service and interest components of net periodic pension cost for the retirement benefit plans. Effective January 2017, a full yield curve approach was utilized to measure the benefit obligation. The Company changed to the new estimate method to improve the correlation between projected benefit cash flows and the corresponding yield spot rates and to provide a more precise measurement of service and interest costs.

Historically the Company estimated service and interest costs utilizing a single-weighted average discount rate derived from the yield curve used to measure the benefit obligation at the beginning of the period. The new method measures service and interest costs separately using the full yield curve approach applied to each corresponding obligation. Service costs are determined based on duration-specific spot rates applied to the service cost cash flows. The interest cost calculation is determined by applying duration-specific spot rates to the year-by-year projected benefit obligation.

Generally, fee revenue from deposit service charges and loans is recorded when earned, except where ultimate collection is uncertain, in which case revenue is recognized as received. Trust revenue is recorded as earned on individual accounts based upon a percentage of asset value. Fee income on managed institutional accounts is recognized as earned and collected quarterly based on the quarter-end value of assets managed.

The Update impacted the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The Update requires the Company to recognize the income tax effects of awards in the income statement on a prospective basis when the awards vest or are settled, compared to within additional paid-in capital. As a result, applicable excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are recorded as an income tax benefit or expense, respectively. The Company elected to present the classification on the statement of cash flows on a prospective basis to better align this presentation with the income tax effects.

The Update also requires the Company to elect the accounting for forfeitures of share-based payments by either (i) recognizing forfeitures of awards as they occur or (ii) estimating the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjusting the estimate when it is likely to change, as is currently required. The Company elected to account for forfeitures of share-based payments by estimating the number of awards expected to be forfeited and adjusting the estimate when it is likely to change, which is in accordance with the Company's previous accounting practices.

The purpose of the Update is to better align a company’s financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities. The update requires a modified retrospective transition method in which the Company will recognize a cumulative effect of the change on the opening balance for each affected component of equity in the financial statements as of the date of adoption.

The Update is intended to enhance the accounting for the amortization of premiums for purchased callable debt securities. Specifically, the Update shortens the amortization period for certain investments in callable debt securities purchased at a premium by requiring that the premium be amortized to the earliest call date. The Update is being issued in response to concerns from stakeholders that, current GAAP excludes certain callable debt securities from consideration of early repayment of principal even if the holder is certain that the call will be exercised.

The Update requires the Company to retrospectively report service cost as part of compensation expense and the other components of net periodic benefit cost separately from service cost in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company currently includes all components of net periodic benefit cost in "compensation and benefits" expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Upon adoption of this Update in the first quarter 2018, only service cost will remain in compensation and benefits expense, and the other components (interest cost on benefit obligations, expected return on plan assets, amortization of prior service cost, and recognized net loss) will be included in "other expense" in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

The Update simplifies quantitative goodwill impairment testing by requiring entities to compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment charge for any amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, to the extent that the loss recognized does not exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

This changes current guidance by eliminating the second step to the goodwill impairment analysis which involves calculating the implied fair value of goodwill determined in the same manner as the amount of goodwill recognized in a business combination upon acquisition. Entities will still have the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary.

The Update addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The Update addresses the following eight issues: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, including bank-owned life insurance policies; distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle.

Current GAAP requires an "incurred loss" methodology for recognizing credit losses. This approach delays recognition until it is probable a loss has been incurred. Both financial institutions and users of their financial statements expressed concern that current GAAP restricts the ability to record credit losses that are expected, but do not yet meet the "probable" threshold.

The main objective of this Update is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. To achieve this objective, the amendments in this Update replace the incurred loss impairment methodology in current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to determine credit loss estimates.

The Change from an "incurred loss" method to an "expected loss" method represents a fundamental shift from existing GAAP, and is likely to result in a material increase to the Company's accounting for credit losses on financial instruments. To prepare for implementation of the new standard the Company has established a project lead and has formalized a cross functional steering committee comprised of members from different disciplines including Credit, Finance and Treasury as well as specific working groups to focus on key components of the development process. In addition, through one of the working groups, the Company has begun to evaluate the effect that this Update will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. An implementation project plan has been created and is made up of targeted work streams focused on credit models, data management, accounting, and governance. These work streams are collectively assessing resources that may be required, use of existing and new models, data availability, and system solutions to facilitate implementation. The Update will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. While we are currently unable to reasonably estimate the impact of adopting the Update, we expect the impact of adoption will be significantly influenced by the composition, characteristics and quality of our loan and securities portfolios as well as the economic conditions as of the adoption date.

The Update introduces a lessee model that brings most leases onto the balance sheet. The Update also aligns certain of the underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in ASC 606 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers", the FASB’s new revenue recognition standard (e.g., evaluating how collectability should be considered and determining when profit can be recognized).

This Update included targeted amendments in connection with the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. The main provisions require investments in equity securities to be measured at fair value through net income, unless they qualify for a practicability exception, and require fair value changes arising from changes in instrument-specific credit risk for financial liabilities that are measured under the fair value option to be recognized in other comprehensive income. With the exception of disclosure requirements that will be adopted prospectively, the Update must be adopted on a modified retrospective basis.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers, which is effective on January 1, 2018. ASU 2014-09 and subsequent related updates establish a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The Update is intended to increase comparability across industries. The core principle of the revenue model is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers control of goods or services to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Update is effective for the first quarter of 2018, and can be adopted through either a full retrospective transition, or a modified retrospective transition approach.

The Update excludes the Company's revenue associated with net interest income, and certain non-interest income line items (loan and lease related fees, mortgage banking activities, increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies, gain on sale of investment securities, net, impairment loss on securities recognized in earnings, and a majority of other income). As a result a substantial amount of the Company's revenue will not be affected.