Variable Interest Entities

A VIE is a partnership, limited liability company, trust or other legal entity that meets one of the following criteria: 1) the entity’s equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties; 2) the holders of the equity investment at risk, as a group, lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest; and 3) the voting rights of some holders of the equity investment at risk are disproportionate to their obligation to absorb losses or receive returns, and substantially all of the activities are conducted on behalf of the holder of equity investment at risk with disproportionately few voting rights. A VIE must be consolidated by the Company if it is deemed to be the primary beneficiary, which is the party involved with the VIE that has both: 1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE’s economic performance; and 2) the obligation to absorb the losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

The Company’s VIEs are regularly monitored to determine if any reconsideration events have occurred that could cause the primary beneficiary status to change. A previously unconsolidated VIE is consolidated when the Company becomes the primary beneficiary. A previously consolidated VIE is deconsolidated when the Company ceases to be the primary beneficiary or the entity is no longer a VIE.

Consolidated Variable Interest Entities

The Company has equity investments in Certified Development Entities (“CDE”) which have received allocations of New Markets Tax Credits (“NMTC”). The NMTC program provides federal tax incentives to investors to make investments in distressed communities and promotes economic improvements through the development of successful businesses in these communities. The NMTC is available to investors over a seven-year period and is subject to recapture if certain events occur during such period. The maximum exposure to loss in the CDEs is the amount of equity invested and credit extended by the Company. However, the Company has credit protection in the form of indemnification agreements, guarantees, and collateral arrangements. The Company has evaluated the variable interests held by the Company in each CDE (NMTC) investment and determined the Company does not individually meet the characteristics of a primary beneficiary; however, the related-party group does meet the criteria as a group and substantially all of the activities of the CDEs either involve or are conducted on behalf of the Company. As a result, the Company is the primary beneficiary of the CDEs and their assets, liabilities, and results of operations are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The primary activities of the CDEs are recognized in commercial loans interest income and other borrowed funds interest expense on the Company’s statements of operations and the federal income tax credit allocations from the investments are recognized in the Company’s statements of operations as a component of income tax expense. Such related cash flows are recognized in loans originated, principal collected on loans and change in other borrowed funds.

The Bank is also the sole member of certain tax credit funds that make direct investments in qualified affordable housing projects (e.g., Low-Income Housing Tax Credit [“LIHTC”] partnerships). As such, the Company is the primary beneficiary of these tax credit funds and their assets, liabilities, and results of operations are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

The following table summarizes the carrying amounts of the consolidated VIEs’ assets and liabilities included in the Company’s statements of financial condition and 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.



(Dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2019		December 31, 2018
Assets
Loans receivable	$	80,466	80,123
Accrued interest receivable	99		96
Other assets	45,808		45,779
Total assets	$	126,373	125,998
Liabilities
Other borrowed funds	$	14,575	14,527
Accrued interest payable	3		1
Other liabilities	123		125
Total liabilities	$	14,701	14,653

Unconsolidated Variable Interest Entities

The Company has equity investments in LIHTC partnerships, both directly and through tax credit funds, with carrying values of $34,272,000 and $35,112,000 as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. The LIHTCs are indirect federal subsidies to finance low-income housing and are used in connection with both newly constructed and renovated residential rental buildings. Once a project is placed in service, it is generally eligible for the tax credit for ten consecutive years. To continue generating the tax credit and to avoid tax credit recapture, a LIHTC building must satisfy specific low-income housing compliance rules for a full fifteen-year period. The maximum exposure to loss in the VIEs is the amount of equity invested and credit extended by the Company. However, the Company has credit protection in the form of indemnification agreements, guarantees, and collateral arrangements. The Company has evaluated the variable interests held by the Company in each LIHTC investment and determined that the Company does not have controlling financial interests in such investments, and is not the primary beneficiary. The Company reports the investments in the unconsolidated LIHTCs as other assets on the Company’s statements of financial condition. Total unfunded contingent commitments related to the Company’s LIHTC investments totaled $11,362,000 at March 31, 2019, and the Company expects to fulfill the majority of these commitments during 2019. There were no impairment losses on the Company’s LIHTC investments during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

The Company has elected to use the proportional amortization method, and more specifically the practical expedient method, for the amortization of all eligible LIHTC investments and amortization expense is recognized as a component of income tax expense. The following table summarizes the amortization expense and the amount of tax credits and other tax benefits recognized for qualified affordable housing project investments during the periods presented.

The Company also 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 have no assets, operations, revenues or cash flows other than those related to the issuance, administration and repayment of the securities held by third parties. The trust subsidiaries are not included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements because the sole asset of each trust subsidiary is a receivable from the Company, even though the Company owns all of the voting equity shares of the trust subsidiaries, has fully guaranteed the obligations of the trust subsidiaries and may have the right to redeem the third party securities under certain circumstances. The Company reports the trust preferred securities issued to the trust subsidiaries as subordinated debentures on the Company’s statements of financial condition.

Three Months ended

(Dollars in thousands)

March 31,
2019

March 31,
2018

Amortization expense

Tax credits and other tax benefits recognized