Basis of Financial Statement Presentation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Basis of Financial Statement Presentation [Abstract]

Basis of Financial Statement Presentation

Note 1. Basis of Financial Statement Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Century Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Century Bank and Trust Company (the “Bank”). The consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of the Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiaries: Century Subsidiary Investments, Inc. (“CSII”); Century Subsidiary Investments, Inc. II (“CSII II”); and Century Subsidiary Investments, Inc. III (“CSII III”). CSII, CSII II, CSII III are engaged in buying, selling and holding investment securities. The Company also owns 100% of Century Bancorp Capital Trust II (“CBCT II”). The entity is an unconsolidated subsidiary of the Company.

All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company provides a full range of banking services to individual, business and municipal customers in Massachusetts. As a bank holding company, the Company is subject to the regulation and supervision of the Federal Reserve Board. The Bank, a state chartered financial institution, is subject to supervision and regulation by applicable state and federal banking agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commissioner of Banks. The Bank is also subject to various requirements and restrictions under federal and state law, including requirements to maintain reserves against deposits, restrictions on the types and amounts of loans that may be granted and the interest that may be charged thereon, and limitations on the types of investments that may be made and the types of services that may be offered. Various consumer laws and regulations also affect the operations of the Bank. In addition to the impact of regulation, commercial banks are affected significantly by the actions of the Federal Reserve Board as it attempts to control the money supply and credit availability in order to influence the economy. All aspects of the Company’s business are highly competitive. The Company faces aggressive competition from other lending institutions and from numerous other providers of financial services. The Company has one reportable operating segment.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and to general practices within the banking industry. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements, primarily consisting of normal recurring adjustments, have been included. In preparing the financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the balance sheet and revenues and expenses for the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company’s Quarterly report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Material estimates that are susceptible to change in the near-term relate to the allowance for loan losses. Management believes that the allowance for loan losses is adequate based on independent appraisals and review of other factors associated with the loans. While management uses available information to recognize loan losses, future additions to the allowance for loan losses may be necessary based on changes in economic conditions. In addition, regulatory agencies periodically review the Company’s allowance for loan losses. Such agencies may require the Company to recognize additions to the allowance for loan losses based on their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination.

Whenever necessary prior period amounts were reclassified to conform with the current period presentation.