Newly Issued Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

The accounting and reporting policies of German American Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiaries (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Company") conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted. All adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the periods reported have been included in the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements, and all such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2014-09 and all subsequent amendments to the ASU that modified Topic 606. Topic 606 creates a single framework for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers that fall within its scope and revises when it is appropriate to recognize a gain (loss) from the transfer of nonfinancial assets. Since the guidance does not apply to revenue associated with financial instruments, the new guidance did not have a material impact on revenue most closely associated with financial instruments, including interest income and expense. The majority of the Company's revenues are from financial instruments and are not within the scope of Topic 606. The Company completed its overall assessment of revenue streams and related contracts, including service charges on deposit accounts, interchange income, and trust and investment brokerage fees. Based on the assessment, the Company concluded that ASU 2014-09 did not materially change the method in which the Company currently recognizes revenue for these revenue streams. The Company also completed its evaluation of certain costs related to these revenue streams to determine whether certain revenue streams should be reported gross versus net of certain expenses. Based on its evaluation, the Company determined that the classification of certain debit card related costs should change and now be reported as expenses versus contra-revenue. This reclassification change resulted in an immaterial impact to both revenue and expense. The Company adopted ASU 2014-09 and its related amendments utilizing the modified retrospective approach. Since there was no net income impact upon adoption of this guidance, a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings was not deemed necessary. Consistent with the modified retrospective approach, the Company did not adjust prior period amounts for the debit card costs noted above.

A description of the Company's revenue streams accounted for under Topic 606 follows:

Service Charges on Deposit Accounts: The Company earns fees from its deposit customers for transaction-based, account maintenance, and overdraft services. Transaction-based fees, which include services such as stop payment charges and statement rendering, are recognized at the time the transaction is executed (the point in time the Company fills the customer's request). Account maintenance fees, which relate primarily to monthly maintenance, are earned over the course of a month, representing the period over which the Company satisfies the performance obligation. Overdraft fees are recognized at the point in time that the overdraft occurs.

Interchange Fee Income: The Company earns interchange fees from debit/credit cardholder transactions conducted through various payment networks. Interchange fees from cardholder transactions represent a percentage of the underlying transaction value and are recognized daily, concurrently with the transaction processing services provided to the cardholder.

Trust and Investment Product Fees: The Company earns trust and investment brokerage fees from its contracts with trust and brokerage customers to manage assets for investment and/or to transact their accounts. These fees are primarily earned over time as the Company provides the contracted monthly or quarterly services and are generally assessed based on the market value of assets under management at month-end. Fees that are transaction based, including trade execution services, are recognized at the point in time that the transaction is executed (trade date).

Insurance Revenues: The Company earns insurance revenue from commissions derived from the sale of personal and corporate property and casualty insurance products. These commissions are primarily earned over time as the Company provides the contracted insurance product to customers.

Newly Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2016, the FASB amended existing guidance (ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities) that requires equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. Also, it requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes. It requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset (i.e., securities or loans and receivables). It eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value for financial instruments measured at amortized cost. These amendments are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company notes that the impact of adoption is to carry the equity security at fair value or at cost, less impairment when fair value is not readily determinable, with observable price changes being recognized in earnings. The Company adopted ASU 2016-01 on January 1, 2018 and no adjustment to the single equity security was performed upon adoption. Also, upon adoption of ASU 2016-01, this equity security is no longer classified as available-for-sale. For additional information on this equity security, see Note 4 - Securities. Per ASU 2016-01 guidance, the Company reported the fair value of financial instruments based upon an exit price notion for September 30, 2018. For additional information, see Note 11 - Fair Value.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU (ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 320): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments) to address the diversity in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows including the following:


•	Debt Prepayment or Debt Extinguishment Costs;


•	Settlement of Zero-Coupon Bonds or Debt with Coupon Interest Rates That Are Insignificant in Relation to the Effective Interest Rate;


•	Contingent Consideration payments Made Soon After a Business Combination;


•	Proceeds From the Settlement of Insurance Claims;


•	Proceeds From the Settlement of BOLI and COLI Policies;


•	Distributions Received From Equity Method Investees;


•	Beneficial Interests in Securitization Transactions; and


•	Application of the Predominance Principle.

These amendments are effective for public business entities beginning January 1, 2018. The Company adopted ASU 2016-15 on January 1, 2018 and there was no material impact on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

In March 2017, the FASB amended existing guidance (ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715)) to improve the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. The amendments require that an employer report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit costs are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented. The amendments are effective for public business entities beginning January 1, 2018. The Company adopted ASU 2017-07 on January 1, 2018 and there was no material impact on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income.

In February 2016, the FASB amended existing guidance (ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842)) that requires lessees recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date (1) A lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (2) A right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Under the new guidance, lessor accounting is largely unchanged. Certain targeted improvements were made to align, where necessary, lessor accounting with the lessee accounting model and Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. These amendments are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period. Based on our leases outstanding as of September 30, 2018, the Company does not expect this new guidance to have a material impact on the consolidated results of operation. However as a result of this new guidance, the Company anticipates an estimated increase in its Consolidated Balance Sheet of approximately $6,000. This impact will vary based on the Company's future decisions to enter into new lease agreements or exit/renew current lease agreements prior to the date of implementation.

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance (ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326)) to replace the incurred loss model with an expected loss model, which is referred to as the current expected credit loss (CECL) model. The CECL model is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost, including loan receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, and reinsurance receivables. It also applies to off-balance sheet credit exposures not accounted for as insurance (loan commitments, standby letters of credit, financial guarantees, and other similar instruments) and net investments in leases recognized by a lessor. This standard will be effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that reporting period.

The transition to the new standard will be applied as follows:


•	For debt securities with other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI), the guidance will be applied prospectively.

•

Existing purchased credit impaired (PCI) assets will be grandfathered and classified as purchased credit deteriorated (PCD) assets at the date of adoption. The asset will be grossed up for the allowance for expected credit losses for all PCD assets at the date of adoption and will continue to recognize the noncredit discount in interest income based on the yield of such assets as of the adoption date. Subsequent changes in expected credit losses will be recorded through the allowance.


•	For all other assets within the scope of CECL, a cumulative-effect adjustment will be recognized in retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective.

The Company has formed a cross-functional committee that has assessed data and system needs, selected a vendor to provide modeling needs and is currently implementing new software with the plan to run parallel processing of our existing allowance for loan loss model with the CECL model in the first quarter of 2019. The Company expects to recognize a one-time cumulative adjustment to the allowance for loan losses as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the new standard is effective, but cannot estimate the amount at this time.