Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Operations [Policy Text Block]

Nature of operations

Fidelity D & D Bancorp, Inc. (the Company) is a bank holding company and the parent of The Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank (the Bank). The Bank is a commercial bank and trust company chartered under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Having commenced operations in 1903, the Bank is committed to provide superior customer service, while offering a full range of banking products and financial and trust services to both our consumer and commercial customers from our main office located in Dunmore and other branches located throughout Lackawanna, Northampton and Luzerne Counties and Wealth Management offices in Schuylkill and Lebanon Counties.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of consolidation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Bank have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to this Form 10-Q and Rule 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnote disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial condition and results of operations for the periods have been included. All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

For additional information and disclosures required under U.S. GAAP, refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Management is responsible for the fairness, integrity and objectivity of the unaudited financial statements included in this report. Management prepared the unaudited financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In meeting its responsibility for the financial statements, management depends on the Company's accounting systems and related internal controls. These systems and controls are designed to provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that the financial records accurately reflect the transactions of the Company, the Company’s assets are safeguarded and that the financial statements present fairly the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

In the opinion of management, the consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 and the related consolidated statements of income, consolidated statements of comprehensive income, consolidated statements of changes in shareholders’ equity and consolidated statements of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 present fairly the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. All material adjustments required for a fair presentation have been made. These adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. 

In preparing these consolidated financial statements, the Company evaluated the events and transactions that occurred after March 31, 2024 through the date these consolidated financial statements were issued.

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the notes included therein, included within the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Loans and Leases Receivable, Allowance for Loan Losses Policy [Policy Text Block]

A material estimate is the calculation of fair values of the Company’s investment securities. Fair values of investment securities are determined by pricing provided by a third-party vendor, who is a provider of financial market data, analytics and related services to financial institutions. Based on experience, management is aware that estimated fair values of investment securities tend to vary among valuation services. Accordingly, when buying or selling investment securities, price quotes may be obtained from more than one source. All of the Company’s debt securities are classified as available-for-sale (AFS) or held-to-maturity (HTM). AFS debt securities are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets, with unrealized gains and losses, net of income tax, reported separately within shareholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI).  Debt securities, for which the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity, are reported at amortized cost. On occasion, the Company may transfer securities from AFS to HTM at fair value on the date of transfer.

Marketable Securities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Another material estimate that is particularly susceptible to significant change relates to the determination of the allowance for credit losses. Management believes that the allowance for credit losses at  March 31, 2024 is adequate and reasonable to cover expected losses. Given the subjective nature of identifying and estimating loan losses, it is reasonably possible that well-informed individuals could make different assumptions and could, therefore, calculate a materially different allowance amount. While management uses available information to recognize losses on loans, changes in current economic conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts may necessitate revisions in the future. In addition, various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the Company’s allowance for credit losses. Such agencies may require the Company to recognize adjustments to the allowance based on their judgment of information available to them at the time of their examination.

Management continually evaluates the credit quality of the Company’s loan portfolio and performs a formal review of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses (ACL) on a quarterly basis. The allowance reflects management’s best estimate of the amount of credit losses in the loan portfolio. When estimating the net amount expected to be collected, management considers the effects of past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts of the collectability of the Company’s financial assets. Those estimates may be susceptible to significant change. Credit losses are charged directly against the allowance when loans are deemed to be uncollectible. Recoveries from previously charged-off loans are added to the allowance when received.

The methodology to analyze the adequacy of the ACL is based on seven primary components:

● Data: The quality of the Company’s data is critically important as a foundation on which the ACL estimate is generated. For its estimate, the Company uses both internal and external data with a preference toward internal data where possible. Data is complete, accurate, and relevant, and subjected to appropriate governance and controls.

● Segmentation: Financial assets are segmented based on similar risk characteristics.

● Estimated term of financial assets: The estimated term of financial assets is a significant driver of ACL estimates. Financial assets or pools of financial assets with shorter estimated maturities typically result in a lower reserve than those with longer estimated maturities. As the average life of a financial asset or pool of assets increases, there generally is a corresponding increase to the ACL estimate because the likelihood of default is considered over a longer time frame. As such, pool-based assumptions for a pool’s estimated term (i.e., average life) are based on the contractual maturity of the financial assets within the pool and adjusted in accordance with GAAP, if appropriate. Key assumptions for the estimated term of financial assets are prepayment rates for amortizing financial assets and curtailment rates for non-amortizing financial assets.

● Credit loss measurement method: Multiple measurement methods for estimating ACLs are allowable per ASC Topic 326. The Company applies different estimation methods to different groups of financial assets. The discounted cash flow method is used for the Commercial & Industrial, Commercial Real Estate Non-Owner Occupied, Commercial Real Estate Owner Occupied, Commercial Construction, Home Equity Installment Loan, Home Equity Line of Credit, Residential Real Estate, and Residential Construction pools. The weighted average remaining maturity (WARM) method is used for the Municipal, Non-Recourse Auto, Recourse Auto, Direct Finance Lease, and Consumer Other pools.

● Reasonable and supportable forecasts: ASC Topic 326 requires Management to consider reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect expected collectability of financial assets. As such, the Company’s forecasts incorporate anticipated changes in the economic environment that may affect credit loss estimates over a time horizon when Management can reasonably support and document expectations. Forward-looking information may reflect positive or negative expectations relative to the current environment. As of the reporting date, management is using the median Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Unemployment Rate forecasts as well as the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI) for its reasonable and supportable forecasts. The Company currently uses a 12 month (4 quarter) reasonable and supportable forecast period.

● Reversion period: ASC Topic 326 does not require management to estimate a reasonable and supportable forecast for the entire estimated life of financial assets. Management may apply reversion techniques for the estimated life remaining after considering the reasonable and supportable forecast period, which allows Management to apply a historical loss rate to latter periods of the financial asset’s life. The Company currently uses a 12 month (4 quarter) straight-line reversion period.

● Qualitative factor adjustments: The Company’s ACL estimate considers all significant factors relevant to the expected collectability of its financial assets as of the reporting date; Qualitative factors reflect the impact of conditions not captured elsewhere, such as the historical loss data or within the economic forecast. The qualitative considerations can be captured directly within measurement models or as additional components in the overall ACL methodologies. Currently, the Company uses the following qualitative factors:

o levels of and trends in delinquencies and non-accrual loans;

o levels of and trends in charge-offs and recoveries;

o trends in volume and terms of loans;

o changes in risk selection and underwriting standards;

o changes in lending policies and legal and regulatory requirements;

o experience, ability and depth of lending management;

o national and local economic trends and conditions; 

o changes in credit concentrations; and

o changes in underlying collateral.

Assets are evaluated on a collective (or pool) basis or individually, as applicable consistent with ASC Topic 326. In accordance with ASC Topic 326, the Company will evaluate individual instruments for expected credit losses when those instruments do not share similar risk characteristics with instruments evaluated using a collective (pooled) basis. In contrast to legacy accounting standards, this criterion is broader than the “impairment” concept as management may evaluate assets individually even when no specific expectation of collectability is in place. Instruments will not be included in both collective and individual analysis. Individual analysis will establish a specific reserve for instruments in scope.

For individually evaluated assets, an ACL is determined separately for each financial asset. As of the reporting date, the Company is using the collateral and cash flow methods.

ASC Topic 326 defines a collateral-dependent asset as a financial asset for which the repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral when the borrower, based on Management’s assessment, is experiencing financial difficulty. The ACL for a collateral-dependent loan is measured using the fair value of collateral, regardless of whether foreclosure is probable. The fair value of collateral must be adjusted for estimated costs to sell if repayment or satisfaction of the asset depends on the sale of the collateral. If repayment is dependent only on the operation of the collateral, and not on the sale of the collateral, the fair value of the collateral would not be adjusted for estimated costs to sell. If the fair value of the collateral, adjusted for costs to sell if applicable, is less than the amortized cost basis of the collateral-dependent asset, the difference is recorded as an ACL.

The Company’s policy is to charge-off unsecured consumer loans when they become 90 days or more past due as to principal and interest. In the other portfolio segments, amounts are charged-off at the point in time when the Company deems the balance, or a portion thereof, to be uncollectible.

If the individually evaluated asset is determined to not be collateral dependent, the ACL is measured based on the expected cash flows. This measurement is based on the amount and timing of cash flows; the effective interest rate (EIR) is used to discount the cash flows; and the basis for the determination of cash flows, including consideration of past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts about the future. These cash flows are discounted back by the EIR and compared to the amortized cost basis of the asset. If the present value of cash flows is less than the amortized cost, an ACL is recorded. When the present value of cash flows is equal to or greater than the amortized cost, no ACL is recorded.

An unallocated component is maintained to cover uncertainties that could affect management’s estimate of probable losses. The unallocated component of the allowance reflects the margin of imprecision inherent in the underlying assumptions used in the methodologies.