Note 2 - Recent Accounting Pronouncements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Accounting Standards Update and Change in Accounting Principle [Text Block]

2.           Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326). The update, commonly referred to as the current expected credit loss methodology (“CECL”), replaces the incurred loss methodology for recognizing credit losses under current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. Under the new guidance, an entity will measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The expected loss model will apply to loans and leases, unfunded lending commitments, held-to-maturity debt securities and other debt instruments measured at amortized cost. The impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities will require the recognition of credit losses through a valuation allowance when fair value is less than amortized cost, regardless of whether the impairment is considered to be other-than-temporary.

In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-10 which delayed the effective date of ASU 2016-13 for smaller reporting companies (as defined by the SEC) and other non-SEC reporting entities to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal periods. The Company met the definition of a smaller reporting company as of that date and was not required to adopt the standard until January 1, 2023.

Effective January 1, 2023, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13, as amended, under the modified retrospective method. The adoption replaced the allowance for loan losses with the allowance for credit losses ("ACL") on loans on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and replaced the related provision for loan losses with the provision for credit losses on loans on the Consolidated Statements of Income. Upon adoption, the Company recorded an increase in the beginning ACL on loans of $561,000. In addition, the Company established an ACL related to unfunded loan commitments of $131,000 upon adoption of CECL. The use of the modified retrospective method of adoption resulted in the Company recording a $529,000 reduction (net of tax) in retained earnings as of January 1, 2023. Results for reporting periods after January 1, 2023 are presented under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 326 while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP.

The Company expanded the loan portfolio segments used to determine the ACL on loans into eight loan segments as opposed to seven loan segments under the incurred loss methodology. The following table illustrates the impact of the segment expansion as of January 1, 2023.

			Segment			Amortized cost at
	Amortized cost at		Portfolio			December 31, 2022
(in thousands)	December 31, 2022		Reclassification			after Reclassification
Residential	$	155,445	$	(155,445	)	$	-
1-4 Family Residential Mortgage		-		116,392			116,392
Multifamily Residential		-		38,962			38,962
Home Equity and Second Mortgage		58,985		92			59,077
Commercial Real Estate		161,332		(62	)		161,270
Construction		42,259		(42,259	)		-
Land		21,874		(21,874	)		-
1-4 Family Residential Construction		-		16,575			16,575
Other Construction, Development and Land		-		47,633			47,633
Commercial Business		60,806		7,248			68,054
Other Consumer		64,029		(7,262	)		56,767
	$	564,730	$	-		$	564,730

Loans Held for Investment

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are reported at amortized cost. Amortized cost is the principal balance outstanding, net of purchase premiums and discounts, deferred loan fees and costs. The Company grants real estate mortgage, commercial business and consumer loans. Loan origination and commitment fees, as well as certain direct costs of underwriting and closing loans, are deferred and amortized as a yield adjustment to interest income over the lives of the related loans using the interest method. Amortization of net deferred loan fees is discontinued when a loan is placed on nonaccrual status. Accrued interest receivable totaled $1.9 million at March 31, 2023 and was reported in accrued interest receivable on the consolidated balance sheets and is excluded from the estimate of credit losses.

ACL – Available For Sale (“AFS”) Debt Securities

For AFS debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company first assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell, the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the security's amortized cost basis is written down to fair value through income. For AFS debt securities that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, the Company evaluates whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, management considers the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency, and adverse conditions specifically related to the security, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss exists and an ACL is recorded for the credit loss, limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Any decline in fair value that has not been recorded through an ACL is recognized in other comprehensive income, net of applicable taxes.

Changes in the ACL are recorded as a provision for (or recovery of) credit loss expense. Losses are charged against the ACL when management believes that uncollectibility of an AFS debt security is confirmed or when either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met.

Accrued interest receivable on AFS debt securities totaled $2.2 million at March 31, 2023 and was reported in accrued interest receivable on the consolidated balance sheet and is excluded from the estimate of credit losses.

ACL – Held To Maturity Debt Securities

Management measures expected credit losses on held to maturity debt securities on a collective basis by major security type. Accrued interest receivable on held to maturity debt securities totaled $18,000 at March 31, 2023 and was reported in accrued interest receivable on the consolidated balance sheet and is excluded from the estimate of credit losses. The held to maturity securities portfolio includes subordinated debt obligations issued by other bank holding companies.

The estimate of expected credit losses considers historical credit loss information that is adjusted for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. At the time of adoption, the estimated reserve was immaterial.

ACL – Loans

The ACL is a valuation account that is deducted from an asset’s amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the asset. Loans are charged off against the ACL when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Expected recoveries do not exceed the aggregate of amounts previously charged-off and expected to be charged-off.

The Company utilizes a combination of the Open Pool/Snapshot and Weighted Average Remaining Maturity (“WARM”) methods in determining expected future credit losses. The Open Pool/Snapshot method takes a snapshot of a loan portfolio at a point in time in history and tracks that loan portfolio’s performance in the subsequent periods until its ultimate disposition. The WARM method uses average annual charge-off rates and the remaining life of the loan to estimate the ACL. For the Company’s loan portfolios, the remaining contractual life for each loan is adjusted by the expected scheduled payments and estimated prepayments. The average annual charge-off rate is applied to the amortization adjusted remaining life of the loan to determine the unadjusted lifetime historical charge-off rate. The Company’s expected loss estimate is anchored in historical credit loss experience, with an emphasis on all available portfolio data. The Company’s historical look-back periods for the loan portfolio range from one to 10 years depending on the WARM of the given portfolio segment, and are updated on a quarterly basis.

The Company estimates the ACL on loans using relevant available information from internal and external sources relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Qualitative adjustments to historical loss information are made for losses reflected by peers, changes in underwriting standards, changes in economic conditions, changes in delinquency levels, collateral values and other factors.

Qualitative adjustments reflect management’s overall estimate of the extent to which current expected credit losses on collectively evaluated loans will differ from historical loss experience. The analysis takes into consideration industry and collateral concentrations, acquired loan portfolio characteristics and other credit-related analytics as deemed appropriate.

Management exercises significant judgment in evaluating the relevant historical loss experience and the qualitative factors. Management also monitors the differences between estimated and actual incurred loan losses for loans considered impaired in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the estimation process and make any changes in the methodology as necessary.

The ACL is measured on a collective (pooled) basis when similar risk characteristics exist. The Company’s pools/segments are largely determined based on loan types as defined by Call Report instructions. The Bank has identified and utilizes the following portfolio segments:

1–4 Family Residential Mortgage – 1–4 Family Residential Mortgage loans are primarily secured by 1-4 family residences that are owner-occupied and serve as the primary residence of the borrower. In addition, the Company typically has a senior (1st lien) position securing the collateral of loans in this portfolio. Repayment of these loans is primarily dependent on the personal income of the borrowers, which can be impacted by unemployment levels in the market area due to economic conditions. Repayment may also be impacted by changes in residential property values.

Home Equity and Second Mortgage – Home Equity and Second Mortgage loans and lines of credit are primarily secured by 1-4 family residences that are owner-occupied and serve as the primary residence of the borrower. However, the Company typically has a junior lien position securing the collateral of loans in this portfolio. Repayment of these loans is primarily dependent on the personal income of the borrowers, which can be impacted by unemployment levels in the market area due to economic conditions. Repayment may also be impacted by changes in residential property values. While secured by collateral similar to that of the 1–4 Family Residential Mortgage loans, loans within this segment are considered to carry elevated risk due to the Company’s junior lien position on the underlying collateral property.

Multi-family Residential – Multi-family Residential loans are primarily secured by properties such as apartment complexes and other multi-tenant properties within the Company’s market area. In some situations, the collateral may reside outside of the Company’s typical market area. Repayment of these loans is often dependent on the successful operation and management of the properties and collection of associated rents. Repayment of such loans may be affected by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy.

1–4 Family Residential Construction (“1-4 Family Construction”) – 1–4 Family Construction loans are generally secured by 1-4 family residences that will be owner-occupied upon completion. Risks inherent in construction lending are related to the market value of the property held as collateral, the cost and timing of constructing or improving a property, movements in interest rates and the real estate market during the construction phase, and the ability of the borrower to obtain permanent financing. Repayment of these loans is primarily dependent on the personal income of the borrowers, which can be impacted by unemployment levels in the market area due to economic conditions. Repayment may also be impacted by changes in residential property values.

Other Construction, Development and Land – Other Construction, Development and Land loans include loans secured by multi-family properties, commercial projects, and vacant land. This portfolio includes both owner-occupied and speculative investment properties. Risks inherent in construction lending are related to the market value of the property held as collateral, the cost and timing of constructing or improving a property, the borrower’s ability to use funds generated by a project to service a loan until a project is completed, movements in interest rates and the real estate market during the construction phase, and the ability of the borrower to obtain permanent financing.

Commercial Real Estate – Commercial Real Estate loans are comprised of loans secured by various types of collateral including warehouses, retail space, mixed-use buildings and warehouses, among others, located in the Company’s primary lending area. Risks related to commercial real estate lending are related to the market value of the property taken as collateral, the underlying cash flows, and general economic condition of the local real estate market. Repayment of these loans is generally dependent on the ability of the borrower to attract tenants at lease rates that provide for adequate debt service and can be impacted by local economic conditions which impact vacancy rates. The Company generally obtains loan guarantees from financially capable parties for Commercial Real Estate loans. To a lesser degree, this segment also includes loans secured by farmland. The risks associated with loans secured by farmland are related to the market value of the property taken as collateral and the underlying cash flows from farming operations and general economic conditions.

Commercial Business – Commercial Business loans include lines of credit to businesses, term loans and letters of credit secured by business assets such as equipment, accounts receivable, inventory, or other assets excluding real estate. Loans in this portfolio may also be unsecured and are generally made to finance capital expenditures or fund operations. Commercial Business loans contain risks related to the value of the collateral securing the loan and the repayment is primarily dependent upon the financial success and viability of the borrower. As with Commercial Real Estate loans, the Company generally obtains loan guarantees from financially capable parties for Commercial Business loans.

Other Consumer – Other Consumer loans consist of loans secured by new and used automobiles and trucks, recreational vehicles such as boats and RVs, mobile homes and secured and unsecured loans to individuals. The risks associated with these loans are related to local economic conditions including the unemployment level. To a lesser degree, this segment also includes loans secured by lawn and farm equipment as well as farm output. The risks associated with these loans are related to local economic conditions including the unemployment level, as well as general economic conditions impacting crop prices and the supply chain.

Loans that do not share risk characteristics are evaluated on an individual basis. Loans evaluated individually are also not included in the collective evaluation. When the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty at the reporting date and repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral, expected credit losses are based on the fair value of the collateral at the reporting date adjusted for selling costs.

ACL – Off-Balance Sheet Credit Exposures

The Company estimates expected credit losses over the contractual period in which the Company is exposed to credit risk via a contractual obligation to extend credit, unless that obligation is unconditionally cancellable by the Company. The ACL on off-balance sheet credit exposures is included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets and is adjusted as a provision for credit loss expense. The estimate includes consideration of the likelihood that funding will occur and an estimate of expected credit losses on commitments expected to be funded over its estimated life. Expected utilization rates based on Regulatory Credit Conversion Factors are compared to the current funded portion of the total commitment amount as a practical expedient for funded exposure at default.

In March 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-02, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDR”) and Vintage Disclosures. The ASU eliminates the current accounting guidance for TDRs by creditors, while enhancing disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancings and restructurings by creditors when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. Specifically, rather than applying the recognition and measurement guidance for TDRs, an entity must apply the loan refinancing and restructuring guidance to determine whether a modification results in a new loan or a continuation of an existing loan. For public business entities, the ASU also requires that an entity disclose current-period gross write-offs by year of origination for financing receivables and net investment in leases. The Company adopted ASU 2022-02 in conjunction with ASU 2016-13 and applied it prospectively with no cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings being recorded.

Recently Issued but Not Adopted Accounting Guidance

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-03, Fair Value Measurements (Topic 820), Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions. The ASU clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. It also clarifies that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. For public business entities, the ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted and the amendments in the ASU should be applied prospectively with any adjustments from the adoption of the amendments recognized in earnings and disclosed on the date of adoption. The adoption of the ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-02, Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures using the Proportional Amortization Method. The ASU allows entities to elect to account for qualifying tax equity investments using the proportional amortization method, regardless of the program giving rise to the related income tax credits. Under the proportional amortization method, an entity amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the income tax credits and other income tax benefits received, and recognizes the net amortization and income tax credits and other income tax benefits in the income statement as a component of income tax expense. This also aligns the treatment of other tax equity investments with that allowed for low income housing tax credit (“LIHTC”) investments. For public business entities, the ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in any interim period. The Company already utilizes the proportional amortization method for its LIHTC investment and has no other material types of investments in tax credit structures. The adoption of the ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

The Company has determined that all other recently issued accounting pronouncements will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or do not apply to its operations.