Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]

Loans and Loan Interest Income Recognition

Loans and Loan Interest Income Recognition - Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are reported at the principal balance outstanding, net of unearned discounts, deferred loan fees and costs and an allowance for loan losses. Unearned discounts on installment loans are credited to income using methods that result in a level yield. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized in interest income over the respective term of the loan without anticipating prepayments.

Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. Recognition of interest income is discontinued when reasonable doubt exists as to whether principal or interest due can be collected. For all classes of loans, loans generally no longer accrue interest when over 90 days past due unless the loan is well-secured and in process of collection. When a loan is placed on non-accrual status, all interest previously accrued, but not collected, is reversed against current-year interest income. Interest received on such loans is applied against principal or interest, according to management’s judgment as to the collectability of the principal, until qualifying for return to accrual status. Loans start accruing interest again when they become current as to principal and interest, and when, in the opinion of management, the loans can be collected in full. For all classes of loans, an impaired loan is defined as a loan for which it is probable that the lender will not collect all amounts due under the contractual terms of the loan. Loans for which the terms have been modified and for which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties and the Company has granted a concession are considered troubled debt restructurings and are classified as impaired. For impaired, accruing loans, interest income is recognized on an accrual basis with cash offsetting the recorded accruals upon receipt. Interest received on non-accrual, impaired loans is applied against principal or interest according to management’s judgment as to the collectibility of the principal.

Allowance for Loan Losses

Allowance for Loan Losses - The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses, increased by the provision for loan losses and recoveries, and decreased by charge-offs of loans. For all classes of loans, when a loan, in full or in part, is deemed uncollectible, it is charged against the allowance. This happens when it is past due and the borrower has not shown the ability or intent to make the loan current, or the borrower does not have sufficient assets to pay the debt, or the value of the collateral is less than the balance of the loan and is not considered likely to improve soon. The allowance for loan losses is determined by continuous analysis of the loan portfolio. That analysis includes changes in the size and composition of the portfolio, the Company’s own historical loan losses, industry-wide losses, current and anticipated economic trends, and details about individual loans. It also includes estimates of the actual value of collateral, other possible sources of repayment and estimates that are susceptible to significant changes due to changes in appraisal values of collateral, national and regional economic conditions and other factors. All loans over $250,000 in the commercial and industrial, commercial real estate and construction loan classes rated substandard or worse and all troubled debt restructurings are evaluated individually for impairment. All other loans are generally evaluated as homogeneous pools. In assessing the adequacy of the allowance, the Company reviews its loan portfolio by separate classes which have similar risk and collateral characteristics; e.g., commercial, commercial real estate, construction, residential mortgages, home equity, and consumer loans.

The allowance for loan losses consists of specific and general components. The specific component relates to loans that are individually classified as impaired. Specific reserves are established based on an analysis of the most probable sources of repayment and liquidation of collateral. Impaired loans that are collateral dependent are reviewed based on their collateral and the estimated time required to recover the Company’s investment in the loan, as well as the cost of doing so, and the estimate of the recovery. Non-collateral dependent impaired loans are reviewed based on the present value of estimated future cash flows, including balloon payments, if any, using the loan’s effective interest rate. While every non-performing loan is evaluated individually, not every loan requires a specific reserve. Specific reserves fluctuate based on changes in the underlying loans, anticipated sources of repayment, and charge-offs. The general component covers non-classified loans and is based on historical loss experience for each loan class from a trailing seven-quarter period, (which period will continue to be expanded for future calculations) and modifying those percentages, if necessary, after adjusting for current qualitative and environmental factors that reflect changes in the collectibility of the loan class not captured by historical loss data. These factors augment actual loss experience and help estimate the probability of loss within the loan portfolio based on emerging or inherent risk trends. These qualitative factors are applied as an adjustment to historical loss rates and require judgments that cannot be subjected to exact mathematical calculation. There are no formulas for translating them into a specific basis point adjustment of the Company’s historical loss rate for a pool of loans having similar risk characteristics. These adjustments reflect management’s overall estimate of the extent to which current losses on a pool of loans will differ from historical loss experience. These adjustments are subjective estimates and management reviews them on a quarterly basis. Troubled debt restructurings are also considered impaired with impairment generally measured at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s effective rate at inception or using the fair value of collateral, less estimated costs to sell, if repayment is expected solely from the collateral.

Loans Held-For-Sale

Loans Held-For-Sale – Loans held-for-sale are carried at the lower of aggregate cost or fair value. Changes in fair value of loans held-for-sale are recognized in earnings.

Dividend Restriction

Dividend Restriction - Banking regulations and the Bank’s agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) require maintaining certain capital levels and impose limitations on dividends paid by the Bank to the Company and by the Company to stockholders. This is discussed further in “Regulatory Matters” in the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications - Items in the prior period financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Transfers and Servicing

In April 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-03, Transfers and Servicing (Topic 860), “Reconsideration of Effective Control for Repurchase Agreements,” which amends the authoritative accounting guidance under ASC Topic 860 “Transfers and Servicing.” The amendments in this update remove from the assessment of effective control (1) the criterion requiring the transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even in the event of default by the transferee, and (2) the collateral maintenance implementation guidance related to that criterion. The amendments in this update are effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2011, and should be applied prospectively to transactions or modifications of existing transactions that occur on or after the effective date. Early adoption is not permitted. Adoption of this update in the first quarter of 2012 did not have a material effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), “Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS,” which amends the authoritative accounting guidance under ASC Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurement” to more closely align U.S. GAAP with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). This standard requires the disclosure of: (1) the reason for the measurement for nonrecurring fair value measurements; (2) all transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy, which must be separately reported and described; (3) for all Level 2 and Level 3 fair value measurements, a description of the valuation technique(s) and the inputs used in those measurements; (4) for Level 3 measurements, quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in those measurements; (5) a description of the valuation processes used in Level 3 fair value measurements, as well as narrative descriptions about those measurement’s sensitivity to changes in unobservable inputs if such changes would significantly alter the fair value measurement; and (6) expanded disclosure of the categorization by level of the fair value hierarchy for the items that are not measured at fair value in the balance sheet, but for where the estimated fair value is required to be disclosed (e.g., portfolio loans and deposits). This new guidance was effective prospectively beginning January 1, 2012 and it did not have a material effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements upon implementation in the first quarter of 2012. The new disclosures of the fair value levels of the Company’s assets and liabilities are set forth in Note 3.

Presentation of Comprehensive Income

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Topic 220, “Presentation of Comprehensive Income,” in order to improve the comparability, consistency and transparency of financial reporting and to increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income. This standard eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity. This update requires all non-owner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement should present total net income and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that should present total other comprehensive income, the components of other comprehensive income, and the total of comprehensive income. Regardless of which presentation method an entity chooses, the entity is required to present on the face of the financial statements reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income in the statement(s), where the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income are presented. This new guidance was effective retrospectively for all annual and interim periods presented beginning January 1, 2012 and the Company now presents a separate condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income. In October 2011, the FASB decided to defer the presentation of reclassification adjustments pending further consideration.

Financial Instruments

The following table presents the carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s financial instruments. FASB ASC 825, “Financial Instruments,” defines the fair value of a financial instrument as the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties, other than in a forced sale or liquidation: (in thousands)

Compensation - Retirement Benefits

The Company accounts for its retirement plan in accordance with FASB ASC 715, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” and FASB ASC 960, “Plan Accounting – Defined Benefit Pension Plans,” which requires an employer that is a business entity and sponsors one or more single-employer defined benefit plans to recognize the funded status of a benefit plan in its statement of financial position; recognize as a component of other comprehensive income, net of tax, the gains or losses and prior service costs or credits that arise during the period but are not recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost; measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations as of the date of fiscal year-end statements of financial position (with limited exceptions); and disclose in the notes to financial statements additional information about certain effects of net periodic benefit cost for the next fiscal year that arise from delayed recognition of the gains or losses, prior service costs or credits, and transition asset and obligation. Plan assets and benefit obligations are measured as of the date of the statement of financial position and in determining the amount of net periodic benefit cost. The Company has adopted the provisions of the codification, which have been recorded in the accompanying consolidated statement of condition and disclosures.

Income Taxes

The Company uses an asset and liability approach to accounting for income taxes. The asset and liability approach requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are recognized if it is more likely than not that a future benefit will be realized. The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes,” which prescribes the recognition and measurement criteria related to tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Company had unrecognized tax benefits including interest of approximately $32,000 as of September 30, 2012. The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued relating to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.