BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements (the “financial statements”) of Bar Harbor Bankshares and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Bar Harbor”) have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Bar Harbor Bankshares is a Maine Financial Institution Holding Company for the purposes of the laws of the state of Maine, and as such is subject to the jurisdiction of the Superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions. These financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly owned subsidiary Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (the "Bank") and the Bank’s consolidated subsidiaries. The results of operations of companies or assets acquired are included only from the dates of acquisition. All material wholly owned and majority owned subsidiaries are consolidated unless GAAP requires otherwise.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications: Whenever necessary, amounts in the prior years’ financial statements are reclassified to conform to current presentation. The reclassifications had no impact on net income in the Company’s consolidated income statement.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The following table provides a brief description of recent accounting standards updates ("ASU") that could have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption:

Standard	Description	Required Date of Adoption	Effect on financial statements
Standards Adopted in 2020
ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment	This ASU amends Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, and eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The Company still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary	January 1, 2020	The Company has adopted ASU 2017-04 effective January 1, 2020, as required, and the ASU did not have a material impact on its financial statements. Goodwill testing is normally scheduled to be completed during the fourth quarter, but was evaluated in the first quarter in light of the economic impacts of COVID-19. The Company recognized no impairments to goodwill in the first quarter of 2020. See management’s discussion and analysis for further details.
		Early adoption is permitted
ASU 2018-13 Changes to Disclosure Requirements Fair Value Measurement, Topic 820	This ASU eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. Among the changes, entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements.	January 1, 2020	The Company has adopted ASU 2018-13, as of January 1, 2020, as required, and the ASU did not have a material impact to the disclosures as a result of the adoption.
		Early adoption is permitted.
Standards Not Yet Adopted
ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to ASU 2016-13	This ASU amends Topic 326, Financial Instruments- Credit Losses to replace the current incurred loss accounting model with a current expected credit loss approach (CECL) for financial instruments measured at amortized cost and other commitments to extend credit. The amendments require entities to consider all available relevant information when estimating current expected credit losses, including details about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The resulting allowance for credit losses is to reflect the portion of the amortized cost basis that the entity does not expect to collect. The amendments also eliminate the current accounting model for purchased credit impaired loans and certain off-balance sheet exposures. Additional quantitative and qualitative disclosures are required upon adoption. While the CECL model does not apply to available for sale debt securities, the ASU does require entities to record an allowance when recognizing credit losses for available for sale securities with unrealized losses, rather than reduce the amortized cost of the securities by direct write-offs. The guidance will require companies to recognize improvements to estimated credit losses immediately in earnings rather than interest income over time. The ASU should be adopted on a modified retrospective basis. Entities that have loans accounted for under ASC 310-30 at the time of adoption should prospectively apply the guidance in this amendment for purchase credit deteriorated assets.	January 1, 2020	Adoption of this ASU is expected to primarily change how the Company estimates credit losses with the application of the expected credit loss model. The Company will apply the standard's provisions as a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective (i.e., modified retrospective approach). The Company's CECL implementation efforts in the first quarter focused on model validation, developing new disclosures, establishing formal policies and procedures and other governance and control documentation. Certain elements of the calculation were finalized in the first quarter, including refinement of the model assumptions, the qualitative framework, internal control design, model validation, and the operational control framework to support the new process. Furthermore, changes to the economic forecasts within the model could positively or negatively impact the actual results. The ASU was effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of 2020; however, the CARES Act, issued in 2020, provided temporary relief related to the implementation of this accounting guidance until the earlier of the date on which the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 virus terminates or December 31, 2020. The Company has elected to utilize this relief and has calculated the allowance for loan losses and the resulting provision for loan losses using the prior incurred loss method at March 31, 2020.
		Early adoption is permitted.
ASU 2018-14 Compensation- Disclosure Requirements for Defined Pension Plans Topic 715-20	This ASU makes minor changes to the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension and/or other post-retirement benefit plans.	January 1, 2021	Adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
		Early adoption is permitted.

Standard	Description	Required Date of Adoption	Effect on financial statements
Standards Not Yet Adopted
ASU 2020-04 Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform, Topic 848	This ASU provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to GAAP guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burdens of the expected market transition from LIBOR and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates, such as SOFR. For instance, companies can (1) elect not to apply certain modification accounting requirements to contracts affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. A company that makes this election would not have to re-measure the contracts at the modification date or reassess a previous accounting determination. Companies, can also (2) elect various optional expedients that would allow them to continue applying hedge accounting for hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. Finally, companies can (3) make a one-time election to sell and/or reclassify held-to-maturity debt securities that reference an interest rate affected by reference rate reform.	May be elected between March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022.	The Company is currently evaluating all of its contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that will be effected by reference rates that are being discontinued and determining which elections that need to be made.