NOTE 11 – DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

Interest-rate swaps:

CFBank utilizes interest-rate swaps as part of its asset/liability management strategy to help manage its interest rate risk position, and does not use derivatives for trading purposes. The notional amount of the interest-rate swaps does not represent amounts exchanged by the parties. The amount exchanged is determined by reference to the notional amount and the other terms of the individual interest-rate swap agreements. CFBank was party to interest-rate swaps with a combined notional amount of $31,580 at March 31, 2020 and $12,039 at December 31, 2019.

The objective of the interest-rate swaps is to protect the related fixed-rate commercial real estate loans from changes in fair value due to changes in interest rates. CFBank has a program whereby it lends to its borrowers at a fixed rate with the loan agreement containing a two-way yield maintenance provision, which will be invoked in the event of prepayment of the loan, and is expected to exactly offset the fair value of unwinding the swap. The yield maintenance provision represents an embedded derivative which is bifurcated from the host loan contract and, as such, the swaps and embedded derivatives are not designated as hedges. Accordingly, both instruments are carried at fair value and changes in fair value are reported in current period earnings. CFBank currently does not have any derivatives designated as hedges.

The counterparty to CFBank’s interest-rate swaps is exposed to credit risk whenever the interest-rate swaps are in a liability position. At March 31, 2020, CFBank had $1,551 in securities and cash pledged as collateral for these derivatives. Should the liability increase, beyond the collateral value, CFBank will be required to pledge additional collateral.

Additionally, CFBank’s interest-rate swap instruments contain provisions that require CFBank to remain well capitalized under regulatory capital standards. The interest-rate swaps may be called by the counterparty if CFBank fails to maintain well-capitalized status under regulatory capital standards. As of March 31, 2020, CFBank was well-capitalized under regulatory capital standards.

Summary information about the derivative instruments is as follows:



	March 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
	(unaudited)
Notional amount	$	31,580	$	12,039
Weighted average pay rate on interest-rate swaps		4.36%		4.66%
Weighted average receive rate on interest-rate swaps		4.32%		4.63%
Weighted average maturity (years)		8.4		7.3
Fair value of interest-rate swaps	$	(1,823)	$	(12)
Fair value of yield maintenance provisions		1,823		12

As of March 31, 2020, CFBank has minimum collateral posting thresholds with certain of its interest-rate swap counterparties and has posted cash collateral of $1,500.

The fair value of the yield maintenance provisions and interest-rate swaps is recorded in other assets and other liabilities, respectively, in the consolidated balance sheet. Changes in the fair value of the yield maintenance provisions and interest-rate swaps are reported currently in earnings, as other noninterest income in the consolidated statements of income. There were no net gains or losses recognized in earnings related to yield maintenance provisions and interest-rate swaps for the three months ended March 31, 2020 or 2019.

Mortgage banking derivatives:

Commitments to fund certain mortgage loans (interest rate locks) to be sold into the secondary market are considered derivatives. These mortgage banking derivatives are not designated in hedge relationships. The Company had approximately $399,584 and $297,454 of interest rate lock commitments related to residential mortgage loans at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The fair value of these mortgage banking derivatives was reflected by a derivative asset of $7,308 and $3,104 at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, which was included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet. Fair values were estimated based on anticipated gains on the sale of the underlying loans. Changes in the fair values of these mortgage banking derivatives are included in net gains on sales of loans.

Mortgage banking activities include two types of commitments: rate lock commitments and forward loan commitments. Rate lock commitments are loans in our pipeline that have an interest rate locked with the customer. The commitments are generally for periods of 30-60 days and are at market rates. In order to mitigate the effect of the interest rate risk inherent in providing rate lock commitments, we economically hedge our commitments by entering into either a forward loan sales contract under best efforts or a trade of “to be announced (TBA)” mortgage-backed securities (“notional securities”) for mandatory delivery. The Company had approximately $242,000 and $225,500 of TBA mortgage-backed securities at March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The fair value of these TBA mortgage-backed securities was ($5,132) and ($350) at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, which is included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. The changes in fair value related to movements in market rates of the rate lock commitments and the forward loan sales contracts and notional securities generally move in opposite directions, and the net impact of changes in these valuations on net income during the loan commitment period is generally inconsequential. The Company has not formally designated these derivatives as a qualifying hedge relationship and, accordingly, accounts for such forward contracts as freestanding derivatives with changes in fair value recorded to earnings each period.

The following table reflects the amount and market value of mortgage banking derivatives included in the consolidated balance sheet as of the period end (in thousands):


	March 31, 2020				December 31, 2019
	Notional Amount		Fair Value		Notional Amount		Fair Value
Assets (Liabilities):
Interest rate commitments	$	399,584	$	7,308	$	297,454	$	3,104
TBA mortgage-back securities		242,000		(5,132)		225,500		(350)

As of March 31, 2020, CFBank has minimum collateral posting thresholds with certain of its derivative counterparties and has posted cash collateral of $936.

The following table represents the revenue recognized on mortgage activities for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (unaudited):


	Three months ended
	March 31,
	2020		2019
Gain on loans sold	$	5,582	$	1,232
Gain (loss) from change in fair value of loans held-for-sale		1,235		261
Gain (loss) from change in fair value of derivatives		(3,973)		(41)
	$	2,844	$	1,452