For all financial and non-financial instruments accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis, the Company utilizes valuation techniques based upon observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect our market expectations. These two types of inputs create the following fair value hierarchy:

Level 1 –	Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

Level 2 –	Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable.

Level 3 –	Instruments where significant value drivers are unobservable.

The following section describes the valuation methodologies we use to measure different financial instruments at fair value.

Available-for-sale securities included in Level 1 are equity securities with quoted market prices. Level 2 is primarily comprised of our portfolio of corporate fixed income securities, government agency mortgage-backed securities, government sponsored enterprises, certain CMO securities, municipals and certain preferred stocks that were priced with observable market inputs. Level 3 securities consist primarily of CMO securities backed by Alt-A mortgages. For these securities, we use industry-standard pricing methodologies, including discounted cash flow models, whose inputs are based on management’s assumptions and available market information. Significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of CMO’s are prepayment rates, probability of default, and loss severity in the event of default. Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement. Generally, a change in the assumption used for the probability of default is accompanied by a directionally similar change in the assumption used for loss severity and a directionally opposite change in the assumption used for prepayment rates. Further we retain independent pricing vendors to assist in valuing certain instruments.

Trading securities included in Level 1 are equity securities with quoted market prices.