Note 6 - Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

6.     COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include various guarantees, commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. Additionally, these instruments may involve, to varying degrees, credit risk in excess of the amount recognized in the statement of financial condition. The Company’s maximum exposure to credit loss under such arrangements is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Company applies the same credit policies and collateralization guidelines in making commitments and conditional obligations as they do for on-balance sheet instruments. Off-balance sheet financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and guarantees under standby and other letters of credit.

The contractual amount of the Company’s financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 is presented below (in thousands):

	As of September 30, 2013		As of December 31, 2012
Unfunded loan commitments including unfunded lines of credit	$	154,827	$	99,474
Standby letters of credit		5,873		10,387
Commercial letters of credit		5,972		1,595
Operating leases		5,899		7,337
Total financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk	$	172,571	$	118,793

Litigation. The Company is involved in various litigation that arises from time to time in the normal course of business.  In the opinion of management, after consultations with its legal counsel, such litigation is not expected to have a material adverse effect of the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.