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1) Significant Accounting Policies: Mortgage Servicing Rights (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Policies  
Mortgage Servicing Rights

Mortgage Servicing Rights

 

Mortgage Service Rights (“MSR”) arise from contractual agreements between the Company and third-party investors (or their agents) when mortgage loans are sold. Under these contracts, the Company is obligated to retain and provide loan servicing functions on loans sold, in exchange for fees and other remuneration. The servicing functions typically performed include, among other responsibilities, collecting and remitting loan payments; responding to borrower inquiries; accounting for principal and interest, holding custodial (impound) funds for payment of property taxes and insurance premiums; counseling delinquent mortgagors; and supervising the acquisition of real estate owned and property dispositions.

 

The total residential mortgage loans serviced for others consist primarily of agency conforming fixed-rate mortgage loans.  The value of MSRs is derived from the net cash flows associated with the servicing contracts. The Company receives a servicing fee of generally about 0.250% annually on the remaining outstanding principal balances of the loans. Based on the result of the cash flow analysis, an asset or liability is recorded for mortgage servicing rights. The servicing fees are collected from the monthly payments made by the mortgagors. The Company generally receives other remuneration including rights to various mortgagor-contracted fees such as late charges, and collateral reconveyance charges and the Company is generally entitled to retain the interest earned on funds held pending remittance of mortgagor principal, interest, tax and insurance payments. Contractual servicing fees and late fees are included in other revenues on the consolidated statements of earnings.

 

The Company’s subsequent accounting for MSRs is based on the class of MSRs. The Company has identified two classes of MSRs: MSRs backed by mortgage loans with initial term of 30 years and MSRs backed by mortgage loans with initial term of 15 years. The Company distinguishes between these classes of MSRs due to their differing sensitivities to change in value as the result of changes in market. After being initially recorded at fair value, MSRs backed by mortgage loans are accounted for using the amortization method. Amortization expense is included in other expenses on the consolidated statements of earnings. MSR amortization is determined by amortizing the MSR balance in proportion to, and over the period of the estimated future net servicing income of the underlying financial assets.

 

Interest rate risk, prepayment risk, and default risk are inherent risks in MSR valuation. Interest rate changes largely drive prepayment rates. Refinance activity generally increases as rates decline. A significant decrease in rates beyond expectation could cause a decline in the value of the MSR. On the contrary, if rates increase borrowers are less likely to refinance or prepay their mortgage, which extends the duration of the loan and MSR values are likely to rise. Because of these risks, discount rates and prepayment speeds are used to estimate the fair value.

 

The Company periodically assesses MSRs for impairment. Impairment occurs when the current fair value of the MSR falls below the asset’s carrying value (carrying value is the amortized cost reduced by any related valuation allowance). If MSRs are impaired, the impairment is recognized in current period earnings and the carrying value of the MSRs is adjusted through a valuation allowance.

 

Management periodically reviews the various loan strata to determine whether the value of the MSRs in a given stratum is impaired and likely to recover. When management deems recovery of the value to be unlikely in the foreseeable future, a write-down of the cost of the MSRs for that stratum to its estimated recoverable value is charged to the valuation allowance.