Note 14 - New Accounting Pronouncements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]

NOTE 14: NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

  In February 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (“ASU 2015-02”). ASU 2015-02 amends the consolidation requirements and significantly changes the consolidation analysis required under GAAP. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015 for the public business entities with early adoption permitted (including during an interim period), provided that the guidance is applied as of the beginning of the annual period containing the adoption date. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2015-02 to have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In January 2015, the Company adopted FASB ASU No. 2014-01, which amends FASB ASC Topic 323, Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures. The ASU impacts the Company’s accounting for investments in flow-through limited liability entities that manage or invest in affordable housing projects that qualify for the low-income housing tax credit. The amendments in the update permit reporting entities to make an accounting policy election to account for their investments in qualified affordable housing projects using the proportional amortization method if certain conditions are met. Under the proportional amortization method, an entity amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits received and recognizes the net investment performance in the income statement as a component of income tax expense. The Company does have significant investments in such qualified affordable housing projects that meet the conditions for utilizing the proportional amortization method. As a result of the Company’s adoption of this ASU, the investment amortization expense of $885,480 for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 which was included in Other Non-interest Expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, is now included in Provision for Income Taxes in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-11 “Transfers and Servicing (Topic 860)-Repurchase to Maturity Transactions, Repurchase Financings, and Disclosures.” ASU 2014-11 aligns the accounting for repurchase to maturity transactions and repurchase agreements executed as a repurchase financing with the accounting for other typical repurchase agreements. Going forward, these transactions would all be accounted for as secured borrowings. ASU 2014-11 is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2014. In addition, the disclosure of certain transactions accounted for as a sale is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and the disclosure for transactions accounted for as secured borrowings is required for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods beginning March 15, 2015. Early adoption is prohibited. The Company adopted ASU 2014-11 on January 1, 2015 and it did not have an impact on its accounting and disclosures.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”). The scope of the guidance applies to revenue arising from contracts with customers, except for the following: lease contracts, insurance contracts, contractual rights and obligations within the scope of other guidance and nonmonetary exchanges between entities in the same line of business to facilitate sales to customers. The core principal of the new guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to reflect the transfer of goods and services to customers in an amount equal to the consideration that the entity receives or expects to receive. ASU 2014-09 is not expected to impact the timing or approach to revenue recognition for financial institutions. The likely impact for financial institutions will relate only to disclosures. Initially, the amendments were effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. However, in July 2015, the FASB voted to defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year making the amendments effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those reporting periods. Companies have the option to apply ASU 2014-09 as of the original effective date. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-09 to have a material impact on its financial position, results of operation or cash flows.

In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-04 to amend FASB ASC Topic 310, Receivables – Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors. The objective of the amendments in this update is to reduce diversity by clarifying when an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, that is, when a creditor should be considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan such that the loan receivable should be derecognized and the real estate property recognized. The amendments in this update clarify that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. Additionally, the amendments require interim and annual disclosure of both (1) the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and (2) the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdiction. The update was effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2015, and did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments- Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (“ASU 2016-01”). ASU 2016-01 simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments, clarifies reporting disclosure requirements for financial instruments measured at amortized cost, and requires the exit price notion be disclosed when measuring fair value of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 details the required separate presentation in other comprehensive income for the change in fair value of a liability related to change in instrument specific credit risk and details the required separate presentation of financial assets and liabilities by measurement category, and clarifies the need for a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets related to available-for-sale securities. ASU 2016-01 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Adoption of ASU 2016-01 is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 establishes a right-of-use (ROU) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement.  ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available.  We are currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of the new standard on our consolidated financial statements.