BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Consolidation Policy

This report is filed for Lakeland Financial Corporation (the "Company"), which has two wholly owned subsidiaries, Lake City Bank (the "Bank") and LCB Risk Management, a captive insurance company. Also included in this report are results for the Bank’s wholly owned subsidiary, LCB Investments II, Inc. ("LCB Investments"), which manages the Bank’s investment securities portfolio. LCB Investments owns LCB Funding, Inc. ("LCB Funding"), a real estate investment trust. All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Basis of Accounting Policy

The unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements and are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (all of which are normal and recurring in nature) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any subsequent reporting periods, including the year ending December 31, 2023. The Company’s 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K should be read in conjunction with these statements.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards, Newly Issued But Not Yet Effective Accounting Standards and Newly Proposed Accounting Standards

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

On March 31, 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-02, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (ASC 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings (TDRs) and Vintage Disclosures." The update amends ASC 326 to eliminate the accounting guidance for TDRs by creditors, while enhancing disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancing and restructuring activities by creditors when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. Specifically, rather than applying TDR recognition and measurement guidance, creditors will determine whether a modification results in a new loan or continuation of an existing loan. These amendments are intended to enhance existing disclosure requirements and introduce new requirements related to certain modifications of receivables made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. Additionally, the amendments to ASC 326 require that an entity disclose current-period gross write-offs by year of origination within the vintage disclosures, which requires that an entity disclose the amortized cost basis of financing receivables by credit quality indicator and and class of financing receivable by year of origination. The update is available for entities that have adopted the amendments in update 2016-13 for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company elected to early adopt the provisions of the ASU related to the discontinuance of TDR reporting, with retrospective application of modification reporting effective starting January 1, 2022. The Company adopted the provisions related to reporting of current-period gross write-offs within the vintage disclosures effective January 1, 2023. The adoption of the provisions contained within ASU 2022-02 did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

On March 28, 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-01, "Derivatives and Hedging (ASC 815): Fair Value Hedging - Portfolio Layer Method." ASC 815 previously permitted only prepayable financial assets and one or more beneficial interests secured by a portfolio of prepayable financial instruments to be included in a last-of-layer closed portfolio. The amendment in this update allows nonrepayable financial assets to also be included in a closed portfolio hedged using the portfolio layer method. That expanded scope allows an entity to apply the same portfolio hedging method to both prepayable and nonprepayable financial assets, thereby allowing consistent accounting for similar hedges. The update became effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company adopted ASU 2022-01 on January 1, 2023, which did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Newly Issued But Not Yet Effective Accounting Standards

On March 12, 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-04, "Reference Rate Reform (ASC 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting." ASC 848 contains optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contract modifications and hedging relationships, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued. The Company has formed a cross-functional project team to lead the transition from LIBOR to a planned adoption of reference rates which could include Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), amongst others. The Company has identified certain loans that renewed prior to 2021 and obtained updated reference rate language at the time of the renewal. Additionally, management is utilizing the timeline guidance published by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee to develop and achieve internal milestones during this transitional period. The Company's policy is to adhere to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol that was released on October 23, 2020.

The Company discontinued the use of new LIBOR-based loans by December 31, 2021, according to regulatory guidelines. The Company transitioned LIBOR-based loans to an alternative reference rate before June 30, 2023. On December 22, 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, "Reference Rate Reform (ASC 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848", which definitively provided a sunset date of December 31, 2024 for the relief guidance allowed under Topic 848. The ASU was effective immediately upon issuance. The Company adopted the LIBOR transition relief allowed under this standard, and does not expect final adoption to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

On March 28, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-02, "Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (ASC 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method." ASU 2014-01, "Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (ASC 323): Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects", previously introduced the option to apply the proportional amortization method to account for investments made primarily for the purpose of receiving income tax credits and other income tax benefits when certain requirements are met; however, this guidance limited the proportional amortization method to investments in low-income-housing tax credit (LIHTC) structures. The proportional amortization method results in the cost of the investment being amortized in proportion to the income tax credits and other income tax benefits received, with the amortization of the investment and the income tax credits being presented net in the income statement as a component of net income tax expense (benefit). Equity investments in other tax credit structures are typically accounted for using the equity method, which results in investment income, gains and losses, and tax credits being presented gross on the income statement in their respective line items.

The amendments in this update permit reporting entities to elect to account for certain tax equity investments, regardless of the tax credit program from which the income tax credits are received, using the proportional amortization method if certain conditions are met. Under the proportional amortization method, an entity amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the income tax benefits in the income statement as a component of income tax expense (benefit). To qualify for the proportional amortization method, all of the following conditions must be met: (1) It is probable that the income tax credits allocated to the tax equity investor will be available; (2) The tax equity investor does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of the underlying project; (3) Substantially all of the projected benefits are from income tax credits and other income tax benefits. Projected benefits included income tax credits, other income tax benefits, and other non-income tax -related benefits. The projected benefits are determined on a discounted basis, using a discount rate that is consistent with the cash flow assumptions used by the tax equity investor in making its decision to invest in the project; (4) The tax equity investor's projected yield based solely on the cash flows from the income tax credits and other income tax benefits is positive; and (5) The tax equity investor is a limited liability investor in the limited liability entity for both legal and tax purposes, and the tax equity investor's liability is limited to its capital investment. An accounting policy election is allowed to apply the proportional amortization method on a tax-credit-program-by-tax-credit-program basis rather than electing to apply the proportional amortization method at the reporting entity level or to individual investments. The amendments in this update require specific disclosures that must be applied to all investments that generate income tax credits and other income tax benefits from a tax credit program for which the entity has elected to apply the proportional amortization method. The amendments require that a reporting entity disclose certain information in annual and interim reporting periods that enable investors to understanding the following information about its investments that generate income tax credits and other income tax benefits from a tax credit program including: (1) The nature of its tax equity investments; and (2) The effect of its tax equity investments and related income tax credits and other income tax benefits on its financial position and results of operations.

For public business entities, the amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in any interim period. If early adoption is elected, the provisions shall be adopted as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period of adoption. The amendments in this update must be applied on either a modified retrospective or a retrospective basis. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard for its LIHTC investments and the impact to noninterest income and income tax expense within the consolidated financial statements.

Reclassification

Reclassification

Certain amounts appearing in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for prior periods have been reclassified to conform with the current presentation. The reclassifications had no effect on net income or stockholders' equity as previously reported.

Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality

The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses to provide for expected credit losses. Losses are charged against the allowance when management believes that the principal is uncollectable. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Allocations of the allowance are made for specific loans and for pools of similar types of loans, although the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged against the allowance. A provision for credit losses is taken based on management’s ongoing evaluation of the appropriate allowance balance. A formal evaluation of the adequacy of the credit loss allowance is conducted monthly. The ultimate recovery of all loans is susceptible to future market factors beyond the Company’s control.

The level of credit loss provision is influenced by growth in the overall loan portfolio, emerging market risk, emerging concentration risk, commercial loan focus and large credit concentration, new industry lending activity, general economic conditions and historical loss analysis. In addition, management gives consideration to changes in the facts and circumstances

of watch list credits, which includes the security position of the borrower, in determining the appropriate level of the credit loss provision. Furthermore, management’s overall view on credit quality is a factor in the determination of the provision.

The determination of the appropriate allowance is inherently subjective, as it requires significant estimates by management. The Company has an established process to determine the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses that generally includes consideration of changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio and overall portfolio quality, along with current and forecasted economic conditions that may affect borrowers’ ability to repay. Consideration is not limited to these factors although they represent the most commonly cited factors. To determine the specific allocation levels for individual credits, management considers the current valuation of collateral and the amounts and timing of expected future cash flows as the primary measures. Management also considers trends in adversely classified loans based upon an ongoing review of those credits. With respect to pools of similar loans, an appropriate level of general allowance is determined by portfolio segment using a probability of default-loss given default (“PD/LGD”) model, subject to a floor. A default can be triggered by one of several different asset quality factors, including past due status, nonaccrual status, material modification status or if the loan has had a charge-off. This PD is then combined with a LGD derived from historical charge-off data to construct a default rate. This loss rate is then supplemented with adjustments for reasonable and supportable forecasts of relevant economic indicators, particularly the unemployment rate forecast from the Federal Open Market Committee’s Summary of Economic Projections, and other environmental factors based on the risks present for each portfolio segment. These environmental factors include consideration of the following: levels of, and trends in, delinquencies and nonperforming loans; trends in volume and terms of loans; effects of any changes in risk selection and underwriting standards; other changes in lending policies, procedure, and practices; experience, ability, and depth of lending management and other relevant staff; national and local economic trends and conditions; industry conditions; and effects of changes in credit concentrations. It is also possible that these factors could include social, political, economic, and terrorist events or activities. All of these factors are susceptible to change, which may be significant. As a result of this detailed process, the allowance results in two forms of allocations, specific and general. These two components represent the total allowance for credit losses deemed adequate to cover probable losses inherent in the loan portfolio.

Commercial loans are subject to a dual standardized grading process administered by the credit administration function. These grade assignments are performed independent of each other and a consensus is reached by credit administration and the loan review officer. Specific allowances are established in cases where management has identified significant conditions or circumstances related to an individual credit that indicate it should be evaluated on an individual basis. Considerations with respect to specific allocations for these individual credits include, but are not limited to, the following: (a) the sufficiency of the customer’s cash flow or net worth to repay the loan; (b) the adequacy of the discounted value of collateral relative to the loan balance; (c) whether the loan has been criticized in a regulatory examination; (d) whether the loan is nonperforming; (e) any other reasons the ultimate collectability of the loan may be in question; or (f) any unique loan characteristics that require special monitoring.

Allocations are also applied to categories of loans considered not to be individually analyzed, but for which the rate of loss is expected to be consistent with or greater than historical averages. Such allocations are based on past loss experience and information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values. These general pooled loan allocations are performed for portfolio segments of commercial and industrial; commercial real estate, multi-family, and construction; agri-business and agricultural; other commercial loans; and consumer 1-4 family mortgage and other consumer loans. General allocations of the allowance are determined by a historical loss rate based on the calculation of each pool’s probability of default-loss given default, subject to a floor. The length of the historical period for each pool is based on the average life of the pool. The historical loss rates are supplemented with consideration of economic conditions and portfolio trends.

Due to the imprecise nature of estimating the allowance for credit losses, the Company’s allowance for credit losses includes an immaterial unallocated component. The unallocated component of the allowance for credit losses incorporates the Company’s judgmental determination of potential expected losses that may not be fully reflected in other allocations. As a practical expedient, the Company has elected to disclose accrued interest separately from loan principal balances on the consolidated balance sheet. Additionally, when a loan is placed on non-accrual, interest payments are reversed through interest income.

For off balance sheet credit exposures outlined in the ASU at 326-20-30-11, it is the Company’s position that nearly all of the unfunded amounts on lines of credit are unconditionally cancellable, and therefore not subject to having a liability recorded.

Leases

The Company leases certain office facilities under long-term operating lease agreements. The leases expire at various dates through 2037 and some include renewal options. Many of these leases require the payment of property taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance, utilities and other costs. In many cases, rentals are subject to increase in relation to a cost-of-living index. The Company accounts for lease and non-lease components together as a single lease component. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are recorded as a right-of-use ("ROU") lease assets and are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. The Company's corresponding lease obligations are included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. ROU lease assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease obligations represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating ROU lease assets and obligations are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The ROU lease asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. The Company's lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option.

Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Short-term leases are leases having a term of twelve months or less. The Company recognizes short-term leases on a straight-line basis and does not record a related lease asset or liability for such leases, as allowed as a practical expedient of the standard.