Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Company and Nature of Operations - Washington Federal Bank, National Association, a federally-insured national bank dba WaFd Bank (the “Bank” or “WaFd Bank”), was founded on April 24, 1917 in Ballard, Washington and is engaged primarily in providing lending, depository, insurance and other banking services to consumers, mid-sized to large businesses, and owners and developers of commercial real estate. Washington Federal, Inc., a Washington corporation (the “Company”), was formed as the Bank’s holding company in November, 1994. As used throughout this document, the terms “Washington Federal” or the “Company” refer to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, and the term “Bank” refers to the operating subsidiary, Washington Federal Bank, National Association. The Company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The Bank conducts its activities through a network of 234 bank branches located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.

Basis of Presentation - The Company has prepared the consolidated unaudited interim financial statements included in this report. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation are reflected in the interim financial statements.

The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes in the Company's 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2019 Annual Financial Statements”). Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - The significant accounting policies used in preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements are disclosed in its 2019 Annual Financial Statements. There have not been any material changes in the Company's significant accounting policies compared to those contained in its 2019 Annual Financial Statements for the year ended September 30, 2019.

Restricted Cash Balances - Based on the level of vault cash on hand, the Company was not required to maintain cash reserve balances with the Federal Reserve Bank as of March 31, 2020. As of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the Company pledged cash collateral related to derivative contracts of $88,700,000 and $31,850,000, respectively.

Equity Securities - The Company records equity securities within Other assets in its Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Investments in equity securities with readily determinable fair values (marketable) are measured at fair value, with changes in the fair value recognized as a component of Other income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Investments in equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values (non-marketable) are accounted for at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer, also referred to as the measurement alternative. Any adjustments to the carrying value of these investments are recorded in Other income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.