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Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
1.
Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

General
Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) is a Montana corporation headquartered in Kalispell, Montana. The Company provides a full range of banking services to individual and corporate customers in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Washington through eleven divisions of its wholly-owned bank subsidiary, Glacier Bank (the “Bank”). The Company is subject to competition from other financial service providers. The Company is also subject to the regulations of certain government agencies and undergoes periodic examinations by those regulatory authorities.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial condition as of September 30, 2012, the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, and changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the nine month periods ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. The condensed consolidated statement of financial condition of the Company as of December 31, 2011 has been derived from the audited consolidated statements of the Company as of that date.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results anticipated for the year ending December 31, 2012.

Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change include: 1) the determination of the allowance for loan and lease losses (“ALLL” or “allowance”), 2) the valuations related to investments and real estate acquired in connection with foreclosures or in satisfaction of loans, and 3) the evaluation of goodwill impairment. In connection with the determination of the ALLL and other real estate valuation estimates, management obtains independent appraisals (new or updated) for significant items. Estimates relating to investments are obtained from independent third parties. Estimates relating to the evaluation of goodwill for impairment are determined based on internal calculations using significant independent party inputs.

Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of the parent holding company and the Bank. All significant inter-company transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company formed GBCI Other Real Estate (“GORE”) to isolate certain bank foreclosed properties for legal protection and administrative purposes and the remaining properties are currently held for sale. GORE is included in the Bank operating segment due to its insignificant activity.

The Company owns the following trust subsidiaries, each of which issued trust preferred securities as Tier 1 capital instruments: Glacier Capital Trust II, Glacier Capital Trust III, Glacier Capital Trust IV, Citizens (ID) Statutory Trust I, Bank of the San Juans Bancorporation Trust I, First Company Statutory Trust 2001 and First Company Statutory Trust 2003. The trust subsidiaries are not consolidated into the Company’s financial statements.

On April 30, 2012, the Company combined its eleven bank subsidiaries into eleven bank divisions within Glacier Bank, such divisions operating with the same names and management teams as before the combination. Prior to the combination of the bank subsidiaries, the Company considered its eleven bank subsidiaries, GORE, and the parent holding company to be its operating segments. Subsequent to the combination of the bank subsidiaries, the Company considers the Bank to be its sole operating segment. The change to combining the bank subsidiaries into a single segment is appropriate as the Bank 1) engages in similar bank business activity from which it earns revenues and incurs expenses, 2) the operating results of the Bank are regularly reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer (i.e., the chief operating decision maker) who makes decisions about resources to be allocated to the Bank, and 3) financial information is available for the Bank.

Variable Interest Entities
The Company has equity investments in Certified Development Entities (“CDE”) which have received allocations of New Markets Tax Credits (“NMTC”). The Company also has equity investments in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (“LIHTC”) partnerships. The CDEs and the LIHTC partnerships are variable interest entities (“VIE”).

The following table summarizes the carrying amounts of the VIE’s assets and liabilities included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011:
 
 
September 30, 2012
 
December 31, 2011
(Dollars in thousands)
CDE (NMTC)
 
LIHTC
 
CDE (NMTC)
 
LIHTC
Assets
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loans receivable
$
35,480

 

 
32,748

 

Premises and equipment, net

 
15,726

 

 
15,996

Accrued interest receivable
112

 

 
116

 

Other assets
1,167

 
143

 
1,439

 
31

Total assets
$
36,759

 
15,869

 
34,303

 
16,027

Liabilities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other borrowed funds
$
4,629

 
3,639

 
4,629

 
3,306

Accrued interest payable
3

 
5

 
4

 
9

Other liabilities
92

 
148

 
186

 
363

Total liabilities
$
4,724

 
3,792

 
4,819

 
3,678



Amounts presented in the table above are adjusted for intercompany eliminations. All assets presented can be used only to settle obligations of the consolidated VIEs and all liabilities presented consist of liabilities for which creditors and other beneficial interest holders therein have no recourse to the general credit of the Company.

Loans Receivable
Loans that are intended to be held-to-maturity are reported at the unpaid principal balance less net charge-offs and adjusted for deferred fees and costs on originated loans and unamortized premiums or discounts on acquired loans. Interest income is reported using the interest method and includes discount accretion and premium amortization on acquired loans and net loan fees on originated loans which are amortized over the expected life of the loans using a method that approximates the level-yield interest method. The Company’s loan segments include residential real estate, commercial, and consumer loans. The Company’s loan classes, a further disaggregation of segments, include residential real estate loans (residential real estate segment), commercial real estate and other commercial loans (commercial segment), and home equity and other consumer loans (consumer segment).

Loans that are thirty days or more past due based on payments received and applied to the loan are considered delinquent. Loans are designated non-accrual and the accrual of interest is discontinued when the collection of the contractual principal or interest is unlikely. A loan is typically placed on non-accrual when principal or interest is due and has remained unpaid for ninety days or more. When a loan is placed on non-accrual status, interest previously accrued but not collected is reversed against current period interest income. Subsequent payments are applied to the outstanding principal balance if doubt remains as to the ultimate collectability of the loan. Interest accruals are not resumed on partially charged-off impaired loans. For other loans on nonaccrual, interest accruals are resumed on such loans only when they are brought fully current with respect to interest and principal and when, in the judgment of management, the loans are estimated to be fully collectible as to both principal and interest.

The Company recognizes that while borrowers may experience deterioration in their financial condition, many continue to be creditworthy customers who have the willingness and capacity for debt repayment. In determining whether non-restructured or unimpaired loans issued to a single or related party group of borrowers should continue to accrue interest when the borrower has other loans that are impaired or troubled debt restructurings ("TDR"), the Company on a quarterly or more frequent basis performs an updated and comprehensive assessment of the willingness and capacity of the borrowers to timely and ultimately repay their total debt obligations, including contingent obligations. Such analysis takes into account current financial information about the borrowers and financially responsible guarantors, if any, including for example:
analysis of global, i.e., aggregate debt service for total debt obligations;
assessment of the value and security protection of collateral pledged using current market conditions and alternative market
assumptions across a variety of potential future situations; and
loan structures and related covenants.

The Company considers impaired loans to be the primary credit quality indicator for monitoring the credit quality of the loan portfolio. Loans are designated impaired when, based upon current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement and therefore, the Company has serious doubts as to the ability of such borrowers to fulfill the contractual obligation. Impaired loans include non-performing loans (i.e., non-accrual loans and accruing loans 90 days or more past due) and accruing loans under ninety days past due where it is probable payments will not be received according to the loan agreement (e.g., TDR). The Company measures impairment on a loan-by-loan basis in the same manner for each class within the loan portfolio. An insignificant delay or shortfall in the amounts of payments would not cause a loan or lease to be considered impaired. The Company determines the significance of payment delays and shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length and reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest due.

A restructured loan is considered a TDR if the creditor, for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor’s financial difficulties, grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider. A TDR loan is considered an impaired loan and a specific valuation allowance is established when the fair value of the collateral-dependent loan or present value of the loan's expected future cash flows (discounted at the loan's effective interest rate based on the original contractual rate) is lower than the carrying value of the impaired loan. The Company made the following types of loan modifications, some of which were considered a TDR:
Reduction of the stated interest rate for the remaining term of the debt;
Extension of the maturity date(s) at a stated rate of interest lower than the current market rate for newly originated debt
having similar risk characteristics; and
Reduction of the face amount of the debt as stated in the debt agreements.

For additional information relating to loans, see Note 3.

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses
Based upon management’s analysis of the Company’s loan portfolio, the balance of the ALLL is an estimate of probable credit losses known and inherent within each bank subsidiary’s loan portfolio as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. The ALLL is analyzed at the loan class level and is maintained within a range of estimated losses. Determining the adequacy of the ALLL involves a high degree of judgment and is inevitably imprecise as the risk of loss is difficult to quantify. The determination of the ALLL and the related provision for loan losses is a critical accounting estimate that involves management’s judgments about all known relevant internal and external environmental factors that affect loan losses. The balance of the ALLL is highly dependent upon management’s evaluations of borrowers’ current and prospective performance, appraisals and other variables affecting the quality of the loan portfolio. Individually significant loans and major lending areas are reviewed periodically to determine potential problems at an early date. Changes in management’s estimates and assumptions are reasonably possible and may have a material impact upon the Company’s consolidated financial statements, results of operations or capital.

The ALLL consists of a specific valuation allowance component and a general valuation allowance component. The specific component relates to loans that are determined to be impaired and individually evaluated for impairment. The Company measures impairment on a loan-by-loan basis based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, except when it is determined that repayment of the loan is expected to be provided solely by the underlying collateral. For impairment based on expected future cash flows, the Company considers all information available as of a measurement date, including past events, current conditions, potential prepayments, and estimated cost to sell when such costs are expected to reduce the cash flows available to repay or otherwise satisfy the loan. For alternative ranges of cash flows, the likelihood of the possible outcomes is considered in determining the best estimate of expected future cash flows. The effective interest rate for a loan restructured in a TDR is based on the original contractual rate. For collateral-dependent loans and real estate loans for which foreclosure or a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure is probable, impairment is measured by the fair value of the collateral, less estimated cost to sell. The fair value of the collateral is determined primarily based upon appraisal or evaluation of the underlying real property value.

The general valuation allowance component relates to probable credit losses inherent in the balance of the loan portfolio based on historical loss experience, adjusted for changes in trends and conditions of qualitative or environmental factors. The historical loss experience is based on the previous twelve quarters loss experience by loan class adjusted for risk characteristics in the existing loan portfolio. The same trends and conditions are evaluated for each class within the loan portfolio; however, the risk characteristics are weighted separately at the individual class level based on each of the bank divisions’ judgment and experience.

The changes in trends and conditions of certain items include the following:
Changes in lending policies and procedures, including changes in underwriting standards and collection, charge-off, and recovery practices not considered elsewhere in estimating credit losses;
Changes in international, national, regional, and local economic and business conditions and developments that affect the collectability of the portfolio, including the condition of various market segments;
Changes in the nature and volume of the portfolio and in the terms of loans;
Changes in experience, ability, and depth of lending management and other relevant staff;
Changes in the volume and severity of past due and nonaccrual loans;
Changes in the quality of the Company’s loan review system;
Changes in the value of underlying collateral for collateral-dependent loans;
The existence and effect of any concentrations of credit, and changes in the level of such concentrations; and
The effect of other external factors such as competition and legal and regulatory requirements on the level of estimated credit losses in the Company’s existing portfolio.

The ALLL is increased by provisions for loan losses which are charged to expense. The portions of loan balances determined by management to be uncollectible are charged-off as a reduction of the ALLL. Recoveries of amounts previously charged-off are credited as an increase to the ALLL. The Company's charge-off policy is consistent with bank regulatory standards. Consumer loans generally are charged off when the loan becomes over 120 days delinquent. Real estate acquired as a result of foreclosure or by deed-in-lieu of foreclosure is classified as real estate owned until such time as it is sold.

Impact of Recent Authoritative Accounting Guidance
The Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) is the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) officially recognized source of authoritative GAAP applicable to all public and non-public non-governmental entities. Rules and interpretive releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the authority of the federal securities laws are also sources of authoritative GAAP for the Company as an SEC registrant. All other accounting literature is non-authoritative.

In September 2011, FASB amended FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. The amendment provides an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the entity concludes it is not more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. The amendment is effective prospectively during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 and early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the impact of the adoption of this amendment and determined there was not a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In June 2011, FASB amended FASB ASC Topic 220, Comprehensive Income. The amendment provides an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-12, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) defers the specific requirement of the amendment to present items that are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income separately with their respective components of net income and other comprehensive income. The amendments are effective retrospectively during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has evaluated the impact of the adoption of this amendment and determined there was not a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In May 2011, FASB amended FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The amendment achieves common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The amendment changes the wording used to describe many of the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The amendment is effective prospectively during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has evaluated the impact of the adoption of this amendment and determined there was not a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.