XML 107 R27.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.20.1
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations

Nature of Operations

Sandy Spring Bancorp (the “Company” or “Sandy Spring”), a Maryland corporation, is the bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank (the “Bank”). Independent and community-oriented, Sandy Spring Bank offers a broad range of commercial banking, retail banking, mortgage and trust services throughout central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the greater Washington, D.C. market. Sandy Spring Bank also offers a comprehensive menu of insurance and wealth management services through its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation (“Sandy Spring Insurance”), West Financial Services, Inc. (“West Financial”) and Rembert Pendleton Jackson (“RPJ”).

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), prevailing practices within the financial services industry for interim financial information and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, the interim financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required for complete financial statements. The following summary of significant accounting policies of the Company is presented to assist the reader in understanding the financial and other data presented in this report. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future periods or for the year ending December 31, 2020. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (comprising only normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been included. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts, as necessary, to conform to the current period presentation. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of the issuance of its financial statements.

 

These statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 21, 2020. The Company adopted ASC 326 – Financial Instruments – Credit Losses during the first quarter of 2020. There have been no significant changes to any other of the Company’s accounting policies as disclosed in the 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sandy Spring Bank, and its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation, West Financial Services, Inc. and Rembert Pendleton Jackson. Consolidation has resulted in the elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, in addition to affecting the reported amounts of revenues earned and expenses incurred during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates that could change significantly relate to the provision for credit losses and the related allowance, potential impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, valuation of investment securities and the determination of whether available-for-sale debt securities with fair values less than amortized costs are impaired and require allowance for credit losses, valuation of other real estate owned, valuation of share-based compensation, the assessment that a liability should be recognized with respect to any matters under litigation, the calculation of current and deferred income taxes and the actuarial projections related to pension expense and the related liability.

Cash Flows

Cash Flows

For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks, federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks (items with stated original maturity of three months or less).

Revenue from Contract with Customers

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The Company’s revenue includes net interest income on financial instruments and non-interest income. Specific categories of revenue are presented in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Most of the Company’s revenue is not within the scope of Accounting Standard Update (ASU) No. 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. For revenue within the scope of ASU 2014-09, the Company provides services to customers and has related performance obligations. The revenue from such services is recognized upon satisfaction of all contractual performance obligations. The following discusses key revenue streams within the scope of revenue recognition guidance.

 

Wealth Management Income

West Financial Services, Inc. and Rembert Pendleton Jackson, subsidiaries of the Bank, provide comprehensive investment management and financial planning services. Wealth management income is comprised of income for providing trust, estate and investment management services. Trust services include acting as a trustee for corporate or personal trusts. Investment management services include investment management, record-keeping and reporting of security portfolios. Fees for these services are recognized based on a contractually-agreed fixed percentage applied to net assets under management at the end of each reporting period. The Company does not charge/recognize any performance-based fees.

 

Insurance Agency Commissions

Sandy Spring Insurance, a subsidiary of the Bank, performs the function of an insurance intermediary by introducing the policyholder and insurer and is compensated by a commission fee for placement of an insurance policy. Sandy Spring Insurance does not provide any captive management services or any claim handling services. Commission fees are set as a percentage of the premium for the insurance policy for which Sandy Spring Insurance is a producer. Sandy Spring Insurance recognizes revenue when the insurance policy has been contractually agreed to by the insurer and policyholder (at transaction date).

 

Service Charges on Deposit Accounts

Service charges on deposit accounts are earned on depository accounts for consumer and commercial account holders and include fees for account and overdraft services. Account services include fees for event-driven services and periodic account maintenance activities. The obligation for event-driven services is satisfied at the time of the event when service is delivered and revenue recognized as earned. Obligation for maintenance activities is satisfied over the course of each month and revenue is recognized at month end. Obligation for overdraft services is satisfied at the time of the overdraft and revenue is recognized as earned.

Allowance for Credit Losses

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses (“allowance” or “ACL”) represents an amount which, in management's judgment, is adequate to absorb the lifetime expected losses that may be sustained on outstanding loans at the balance sheet date based on the evaluation of the size and current risk characteristics of the loan portfolio, past events, current conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions and prepayment experience. The allowance is measured and recorded upon the initial recognition of a financial asset. The allowance is reduced by charge-offs, net of recoveries of previous losses, and is increased or decreased by a provision or credit for credit losses, which is recorded as a current period operating expense.

 

Determination of the adequacy of the allowance is inherently complex and requires the use of significant and highly subjective estimates. The reasonableness of the allowance is reviewed periodically by the Risk Committee of the board of directors and formally approved quarterly by that same committee of the board.

 

The Company’s methodology for estimating the allowance includes: (1) a collective quantified reserve that reflects the Company’s historical default and loss experience adjusted for expected economic conditions throughout a reasonable and supportable period and the Company’s prepayment and curtailment rates, (2) collective qualitative factors that consider concentrations of the loan portfolio, expected changes to the economic forecasts, large relationships, early delinquencies, and factors related to credit administrations, including, among others, loan-to-value ratios, borrowers’ risk rating and credit score migrations, and (3) individual allowances on collateral-dependent loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty or when the Company determines that the foreclosure is probable. The Company excludes accrued interest from the measurement of the allowance as the Company has a non-accrual policy to reverse any accrued, uncollected interest income as loans are moved to non-accrual status.

 

Loans are pooled into segments based on the similar risk characteristics of the underlying borrowers, in addition to consideration of collateral type, industry and business purpose of the loans. Portfolio segments used to estimate the allowance are the same as portfolio segments used for general credit risk management purposes. Refer to Note 4 – Loans for more details on management’s discussion of the Company’s portfolio segments.

 

The Company applies two calculation methodologies to estimate the collective quantified component of the allowance: discounted cash flows method and weighted average remaining life method. Allowance estimates on commercial acquisition, development and construction (“AD&C) and residential construction segments are based on the weighted average remaining life method. Allowance estimates on all other portfolio segments are based on the discounted cash flows method. Segments utilizing the discounted cash flows method are further sub-segmented into risk level pools, determined either by risk rating or Beacon Scores ranges. To better manage risk and reasonably determine the sufficiency of reserves, this segregation allows the Company to monitor the allowance component applicable to higher risk loans separate from the remainder of the portfolio. Collective calculation methodologies utilize the Company’s historical default and loss experience adjusted for future economic forecasts. At initial adoption of the accounting standard for current expected credit losses (“CECL”), management opted for the application of the reasonable and supportable forecast period of two years under stable economic conditions. However, under the current deteriorated economic conditions, the reasonable and supportable forecast period was adjusted to one year, due to the inherent uncertainty in the future economic outlook. Following the end of the reasonable and supportable forecast period expected losses revert back to the historical mean over the next two years on a straight-line basis. Economic variables that have the most significant impact on the allowance include: unemployment rate, house price index and number of business bankruptcies. Contractual loan level cash flows within discounted cash flows methodology are adjusted for the Company’s historical prepayment and curtailment rate experience.

 

The collective quantified component of the allowance is supplemented by a qualitative component to address various risk characteristics of the Company’s loan portfolio including:

trends in early delinquencies;

changes in the risk profile related to large loans in the portfolio;

concentrations of loans to specific industry segments;

expected changes in economic conditions;

changes in the Company’s credit administration and loan portfolio management processes; and

the quality of the Company’s credit risk identification processes.

 

The individual reserve assessment is applied to collateral dependent loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty or when the Company determines that a foreclosure is probable. The determination of the fair value of the collateral depends on whether a repayment of the loan is expected to be from the sale or the operation of the collateral. When a repayment is expected from the operation of the collateral, the Company uses the present value of expected cash flows from the operation of the collateral as the fair value. When the repayment of the loan is expected from the sale of the collateral the fair value of the collateral is based on an observable market price or the collateral’s appraised value less estimated cost to sell. Third party appraisals used in the individual reserve assessment are conducted at least annually with underlying assumptions that are reviewed by management. Third party appraisals may be obtained on a more frequent basis if deemed necessary. Internal evaluations of collateral value are conducted quarterly to ensure any further deterioration of the collateral value is recognized on a timely basis. During the individual reserve assessment, management also considers the potential future changes in the value of the collateral over the remainder of the loan’s remaining life. The Company may receive updated appraisals which contradict the preliminary determination of fair value used to establish an individual allowance on a loan. In these instances the individual allowance is adjusted to reflect the Company’s evaluation of the updated appraised fair value. In the event a loss was previously confirmed and the loan was charged down to the estimated fair value based on a previous appraisal, the balance of partially charged-off loans are not subsequently increased but could be further decreased depending on the direction of the change in fair value. Payments on fully or partially charged-off loans are accounted for under the cost-recovery method. Under this method, all payments received are applied on a cash basis to reduce the entire outstanding principal, then to recognize a recovery of all previously charged-off amounts before any interest income may be recognized. Based on the individual reserve assessment, if the Company determines that the fair value of the collateral is less than the amortized cost basis of the loan, an individual allowance will be established measured as the difference between the fair value of the collateral (less cost to sell) and the amortized cost basis of the loan. Once a loss has been confirmed, the loan is charged-down to its estimated fair value.

 

Large groups of smaller non-accrual homogeneous loans are not individually evaluated for allowance and include residential permanent and construction mortgages and consumer installment loans. These portfolios are reserved for on a collective basis using historical loss rates of similar loans over the weighted average life of each pool.

 

Management believes it uses relevant information available to make determinations about the allowance and that it has established the existing allowance in accordance with GAAP. However, the determination of the allowance requires significant judgment, and estimates of expected lifetime losses in the loan portfolio can vary significantly from the amounts actually observed. While management uses available information to recognize expected losses, future additions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in the loans comprising the portfolio, changes in the current and forecasted economic conditions, changes to the interest rate environment which may directly impact prepayment and curtailment rate assumptions, and changes in the financial condition of borrowers.

 

The adoption of CECL guidance did not result in a significant change to any other credit risk management and monitoring processes, including identification of past due or delinquent borrowers, non-accrual practices, assessment of troubled debt restructurings or charge-off policy.

Leases

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. All of the Company’s leases are currently classified as operating leases and are included in other assets and other liabilities on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Condition.

 

Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease arrangements. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the expected future lease payments over the remaining lease term. In determining the present value of future lease payments, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date. The operating ROU assets are adjusted for any lease payments made at or before lease commencement date, initial direct costs, any lease incentives received and any favorable or unfavorable fair value adjustments on acquired leases. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. Lease expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the expected lease term. Lease agreements that include lease and non-lease components, such as common area maintenance charges, are accounted for separately.