Variable Interest Entities

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

20. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES

Variable interest entities (“VIEs”) are entities that either have a total equity investment that is insufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or whose equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest (i.e., ability to make significant decisions, through voting rights, right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity, and obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity). VIEs can be structured as corporations, trusts, partnerships, or other legal entities. United’s business practices include relationships with certain VIEs. For United, the business purpose of these relationships primarily consists of funding activities in the form of issuing trust preferred securities.

United currently sponsors twenty statutory business trusts that were created for the purpose of raising funds that originally qualified for Tier I regulatory capital. As previously discussed, these trusts now are considered Tier II regulatory capital. These trusts, of which several were acquired through bank acquisitions, issued or participated in pools of trust preferred capital securities to third-party investors with the proceeds invested in junior subordinated debt securities of United. The Company, through a small capital contribution, owns 100% of the voting equity shares of each trust. The assets, liabilities, operations, and cash flows of each trust are solely related to the issuance, administration, and repayment of the preferred equity securities held by third-party investors. United fully and unconditionally guarantees the obligations of each trust and is obligated to redeem the junior subordinated debentures upon maturity.

United does not consolidate these trusts as it is not the primary beneficiary of these entities because United’s wholly owned and indirect wholly owned statutory trust subsidiaries do not have a controlling financial interest in the VIEs. A controlling financial interest is present when an enterprise has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and an obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The enterprise with a controlling financial interest, known as the primary beneficiary, consolidates the VIE. At June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, United’s investment (maximum exposure to loss) in these trusts were $12,001 and $11,751, respectively.

Information related to United’s statutory trusts is presented in the table below:


Description	Issuance Date	Amount of Capital Securities Issued		Stated Interest Rate (1)	Maturity Date
United Statutory Trust III	December 17, 2003	$	20,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 2.85%	December 17, 2033
United Statutory Trust IV	December 19, 2003	$	25,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 2.85%	January 23, 2034
United Statutory Trust V	July 12, 2007	$	50,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.55%	October 1, 2037
United Statutory Trust VI	September 20, 2007	$	30,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.30%	December 15, 2037
Premier Statutory Trust II	September 25, 2003	$	6,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 3.10%	October 8, 2033
Premier Statutory Trust III	May 16, 2005	$	8,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.74%	June 15, 2035
Premier Statutory Trust IV	June 20, 2006	$	14,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.55%	September 23, 2036
Premier Statutory Trust V	December 14, 2006	$	10,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.61%	March 1, 2037
Centra Statutory Trust I	September 20, 2004	$	10,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 2.29%	September 20, 2034
Centra Statutory Trust II	June 15, 2006	$	10,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.65%	July 7, 2036
VCBI Capital Trust II	December 19, 2002	$	15,000	6-month CME Term SOFR + 3.30%	December 19, 2032
VCBI Capital Trust III	December 20, 2005	$	25,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.42%	February 23, 2036
Cardinal Statutory Trust I	July 27, 2004	$	20,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 2.40%	September 15, 2034
UFBC Capital Trust I	December 30, 2004	$	5,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 2.10%	March 15, 2035
Carolina Financial Capital Trust I	December 19, 2002	$	5,000	Prime + 0.50%	December 31, 2032
Carolina Financial Capital Trust II	November 5, 2003	$	10,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 3.05%	January 7, 2034
Greer Capital Trust I	October 12, 2004	$	6,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 2.20%	October 18, 2034
Greer Capital Trust II	December 28, 2006	$	5,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 1.73%	January 30, 2037
First South Preferred Trust I	September 26, 2003	$	10,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 2.95%	September 30, 2033
BOE Statutory Trust I	December 12, 2003	$	4,000	3-month CME Term SOFR + 3.00%	December 12, 2033

(1)	The 3-month CME Term SOFR rates have a spread adjustment of 0.26161% and the 6-month CME Term SOFR rate has a spread adjustment of 0.42826%.

United, through its banking subsidiary, also makes limited partner equity investments in various low income housing and community development partnerships sponsored by independent third-parties. United invests in these partnerships to either realize tax credits on its consolidated federal income tax return or for purposes of earning a return on its investment. These partnerships are considered VIEs as the limited partners lack a controlling financial interest in the entities through their inability to make decisions that have a significant effect on the operations and success of the partnerships. United’s limited partner interests in these entities is immaterial; however, these partnerships are not consolidated as United is not deemed to be the primary beneficiary. At June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, United’s investment (maximum exposure to loss) in these low income housing and community development partnerships were $93,829 and $87,554, respectively, while related unfunded commitments were $100,214 and $63,539, respectively. As of June 30, 2024, United expects to recover its remaining investments through the use of the tax credits that are generated by the investments.