Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

The following table summarizes, as of the dates indicated, the contract amount of off-balance sheet instruments (in thousands):


	December 31,
	2021		2020
Financial instruments whose contract amounts represent credit risk:
Commitments to extend credit	$	3,591,975	$	3,052,657
Letters of credit	29,312		31,748

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of the commitments may expire without being drawn on, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

Letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by United and could result in the commitment being drawn on when the underlying transaction is consummated between the customer and the third party or upon the non-performance of the customer. Those guarantees are primarily issued to local businesses and government agencies. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities to customers. In most cases, the Bank holds real estate, certificates of deposit, and other acceptable collateral as security supporting those commitments for which collateral is deemed necessary. The extent of collateral held for those commitments varies.

United maintains an ACL for these unfunded commitments, which is included in other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The ACL for unfunded loan commitments is determined as part of the quarterly ACL analysis. See Note 1 for further detail.

The Bank holds minor investments in certain limited partnerships for CRA and tax purposes. As of December 31, 2021, the Bank had a recorded investment of $52.7 million in these limited partnerships, which is included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. At December 31, 2021, for certain of these investments, the Bank had commitments to fund an additional $13.7 million related to future capital calls that has not been reflected in the consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2021, the Holding Company also had $10.0 million in commitments for future capital calls to a fintech fund limited partnership that has not been reflected in the consolidated balance sheet.

United, in the normal course of business, is subject to various pending and threatened lawsuits in which claims for monetary damages are asserted. Although it is not possible to predict the outcome of these lawsuits, or the range of any possible loss, management, after consultation with legal counsel, does not anticipate that the ultimate aggregate liability, if any, arising from these lawsuits will have a material adverse effect on financial position or results of operations.