SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Blue Foundry Bancorp (the “Company”), and its wholly owned subsidiary, Blue Foundry Bank (the “Bank”), and the Bank’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Blue Foundry Service Corp., Rutherford Center Development Corp., and Blue Foundry Investment Company (collectively, the “Company”). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Blue Foundry Bancorp owns 100% of the common stock of Blue Foundry Bank.

On July 15, 2021, the Company became the holding company for the Bank when Blue Foundry, MHC completed its conversion into the stock holding company form of organization. In connection with the conversion, the Company sold 27,772,500 shares of common stock at a price of $10 per share, for gross proceeds of $277.7 million. The Company also contributed 750,000 shares of common stock and $1.5 million in cash to Blue Foundry Charitable Foundation, Inc. and established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) acquiring 2,281,800 shares of common stock. Shares of the Company’s common stock began trading on July 16, 2021 on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “BLFY.”

Segment Reporting: The Company operates as a single operating segment for financial reporting purposes.

Basis of Financial Statement Presentation: The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain information and note disclosures usually included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the preparation of the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and with Regulation S-X. The interim unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated balance sheets and the consolidated statements of income for the periods presented. In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated balance sheets and revenues and expenses for the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Some items in the prior year financial statements may be reclassified to conform to the current presentation. Reclassifications had no effect on prior year net income or shareholders’ equity. The results of operations and other data presented for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that may be expected for subsequent periods or the full year results. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 filed on March 30, 2023.

The accounting policies of the Company conform to U.S. GAAP and to general practice within the financial services industry. A discussion of these policies can be found in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, included in the Company’s 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except for the below, there have been no changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies since December 31, 2022.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards: The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” which replaces the incurred loss model for loans and other financial assets with an expected loss model and is referred to as the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 using the modified retrospective method for all financial assets measured at amortized cost and off-balance-sheet credit exposures. The adoption of the new standard resulted in the Company recording an increase in the allowances for credit losses of $18 thousand, comprised of an increase of $660 thousand on loans, establishing a $170 thousand reserve on held-to-maturity securities and a reversal in the reserve for commitments and letters of credit of $811 thousand. There was no allowance for credit losses required on available-for-sale securities. The CECL model is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost, including loans receivable and held-to maturity debt securities. It also applies to off-balance-sheet credit exposures (loan commitments, standby letters of credit, financial guarantees and other similar instruments) and net investments in certain leases recognized by a lessor. In addition, the amendments in ASU 2016-13 require credit losses on available-for-sale securities to be presented as a valuation allowance rather than a direct write-down on the basis of the securities. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2023, are presented under CECL, while prior period amounts continue to be presented under previously-applied U.S. GAAP.

Loans

Under the CECL model, the allowance for credit losses on financial assets is a valuation allowance estimated at each balance sheet date in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and is deducted from the financial assets’ amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the financial assets.

The Company estimates the allowance for credit losses on loans based on the underlying assets’ amortized cost basis, which is the amount at which the financing receivable is originated or acquired, adjusted for applicable accretion or amortization of premium, discount, net deferred fees or costs, collection of cash, and charge-offs. In the event that collection of principal becomes uncertain, the Company has policies in place to write-off accrued interest receivable by reversing interest income in a timely manner. Therefore, the Company has made a policy election to exclude accrued interest from the amortized cost basis and therefore excludes it from the measurement of the allowance for credit loss.

Changes in expected credit losses are reflected through a charge to the provision for credit losses. The Company’s estimate of the allowance for credit loss reflects losses expected over the remaining contractual life of the assets. When the Company deems all or a portion of a financial asset to be uncollectible, the appropriate amount is written off and the allowance for credit losses is reduced by the same amount. The Company applies judgment to determine when a financial asset is deemed uncollectible. When available information confirms that specific loans, securities, other assets, or portions thereof, are uncollectible, these amounts are charged-off against the allowance for credit losses. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance for credit losses when received.

The Company measures expected credit losses of financial assets on a collective portfolio segment basis when the financial assets share similar risk characteristics. The Company measures expected credit losses using discounted cash flows (“DCF”) models at the portfolio segment level, whereby the total shortfall in comparing the portfolio segment DCFs to the amortized cost basis reflects management’s estimate of expected credit losses.

Our CECL models for loans includes the following major items:

–a historical loss period, which represents a full economic credit cycle utilizing loss experience including peer bank historical loss data, to calculate probabilities of default at the portfolio segment level;

–macroeconomic variable forecasts, including the national housing price index, unemployment and gross domestic product, to adjust probabilities of default over a reasonable and supportable forecast period of one year, based on managements current review of the reliability of extended forecasts;

–a reversion period of one year to adjust probabilities of default (after the reasonable and supportable forecast period) to historical means using a straight-line approach;

–a risk index that measures loss given defaults as a function of probabilities of default at the portfolio segment level;

–expected prepayment rates based on our historical experience and benchmark assumptions where internal data is limited; and

–incorporation of qualitative factors not captured within the modeled results.

For collateral dependent financial assets where the Company has determined that foreclosure of the collateral is probable and where the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty, the allowance for credit loss is measured based on the difference between the fair value of the collateral and the amortized cost basis of the asset as of the measurement date. Fair value is calculated based on the value of the underlying collateral less an appraisal discount and the estimated cost to sell.

Off-Balance-Sheet Exposures

The Company records changes in the allowance for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures through a charge to provision for credit losses. The allowance for credit loss on off-balance-sheet credit exposures is estimated by portfolio segment at each balance sheet date under the CECL model using the same methodologies as portfolio loans, taking into consideration management’s assumption of the likelihood that funding will occur, and is included in other liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

Securities

For securities available-for-sale, ASU 2016-13 eliminates the concept of other-than-temporary impairment and instead requires entities to determine if impairment is related to credit loss or non-credit loss. In making the assessment of whether a loss is from credit or other factors, 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 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 is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss exists and an allowance is created, limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis.

The allowance for credit losses on held-to-maturity debt securities is initially recognized upon acquisition of the securities, and subsequently remeasured on a recurring basis. Expected credit losses on held-to-maturity debt securities through the life of the financial instrument are estimated and recognized as an allowance for credit losses on the balance sheet with a corresponding adjustment to current earnings. Subsequent favorable or unfavorable changes in expected cash flow will first decrease or increase the allowance for credit losses.

Management measures expected credit losses on held-to-maturity securities on a collective basis by major security type. The held-to-maturity portfolio is classified into the following major security types: corporate bonds and asset-backed securities.

At each reporting period, the Company evaluates whether the securities in a segment continue to exhibit similar risk characteristics as the other securities in the segment. If the risk characteristics of a security change, such that they are no longer similar to other securities in the segment, the Company will evaluate the security with a different segment that shares more similar risk characteristics.

The Company has a non-accrual policy that results in a timely reversal of interest receivable, therefore the Company made the election to exclude accrued interest receivable on securities from the estimate of credit losses.

In addition, the Company adopted ASU No. 2022-02, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (“ASU 2022-02”): Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDR”) and Vintage Disclosures.” The amendments in this ASU were issued to (1) eliminate 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; (2) require disclosures of current period gross write-offs by year of origination for financing receivables and net investments in leases. The amendments in this ASU were applied on a modified retrospective basis to recognize any change in the allowance for credit losses that had been recognized for receivables previously modified (or reasonably expected to be modified) in a TDR. This election resulted in a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of January 1, 2023 of $8 thousand.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted: As an “emerging growth company” as defined in Title 1 of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (“JOBS”) Act prior to December 31, 2019, the Company elected to use the extended transition period to delay the adoption of new or reissued accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements were made applicable to private companies.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (“ASU 2020-04”): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting,” which provides temporary optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform. ASU 2020-04 provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts and hedging relationships, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued. It is intended to help stakeholders during the global market-wide reference rate transition period. The guidance was effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. However, in December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, deferring the sunset date to December 31, 2024. The Company has evaluated the regulatory requirements to cease the use of LIBOR and has put in place systems and capabilities for this purpose. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.