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Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Nature of Operations
First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (the “Parent Company” and, when including all of its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, “we,” “us,” “our,” “BancShares”) is a financial holding company organized under the laws of Delaware that conducts operations through its banking subsidiary, First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (“FCB,” or the “Bank”), which is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. BancShares and its subsidiaries operate a network of more than 550 branches in 23 states, predominantly located in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Western United States. BancShares provides various types of commercial and consumer banking services, including lending, leasing and wealth management services. Deposit services include checking, savings, money market and time deposit accounts.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
These consolidated financial statements and notes thereto are presented in accordance with instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and, therefore, do not include all information and notes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flow activity required in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). In the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and consolidated results of operations have been made. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in BancShares’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the “2022 Form 10-K”). Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

The consolidated financial statements of BancShares include the accounts of BancShares and its subsidiaries, certain partnership interests and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) where BancShares is the primary beneficiary, if applicable. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated upon consolidation. Assets held in agency or fiduciary capacity are not included in the consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications
In certain instances, amounts reported in the 2022 consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current financial statement presentation. Such reclassifications had no effect on previously reported stockholders’ equity or net income.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions impact the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and the disclosures provided, and actual results could differ from those estimates. The significant estimates relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) and fair values of loans acquired in and the core deposit intangibles associated with a business combination are considered critical accounting estimates.

Business Combinations
BancShares accounts for all business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. Under this method, acquired assets and assumed liabilities are included with the acquirer’s accounts at their estimated fair value as of the date of acquisition, with any excess of purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired recognized as goodwill. To the extent the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired exceeds the purchase price, a gain on acquisition is recognized. Acquisition-related costs are recognized as period expenses as incurred.

On March 27, 2023, FCB acquired substantially all loans and certain other assets and assumed all customer deposits and certain other liabilities, of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A. (“SVBB”) from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) pursuant to the terms of a purchase and assumption agreement (the “SVBB Purchase Agreement”) by and among FCB, the FDIC and the FDIC, as receiver of SVBB (the “SVBB Acquisition”).

On January 3, 2022 (the “CIT Merger Date”), BancShares completed its merger (the “CIT Merger”) with CIT Group Inc. (“CIT”), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 15, 2020, as amended by Amendment No. 1, dated as of September 30, 2021 (as amended, the “CIT Merger Agreement”).
Refer to Note 2 — Business Combinations for additional information.

Reportable Segments
As of December 31, 2022, BancShares reported its financial results in the following reportable segments: General Banking, Commercial Banking, Rail, and Corporate segments. During the first quarter of 2023, BancShares added the Silicon Valley Banking (“SVB”) reportable segment, which includes the assets acquired, liabilities assumed and related operations from the SVBB Acquisition.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Significant accounting policies are described in the 2022 Form 10-K. We have further described relevant updates to the significant accounting policies presented below.

Securities Purchased Under Agreement to Resell
Securities purchased under agreement to resell (“reverse repos”) are accounted for as collateralized financing transactions as the terms of purchase agreement do not qualify for sale accounting and are therefore recorded at the amount of cash advanced. Accrued interest receivables are recorded in other assets. Interest earned is recorded in interest income.

Assets Held for Sale
Assets held for sale (“AHFS”) primarily consists of commercial loans carried at the lower of the cost or fair value (“LOCOM”) and residential mortgage loans carried at fair value. AHFS also includes operating lease equipment held for sale carried at LOCOM.

Loans and Leases
BancShares extends credit to commercial customers through a variety of financing arrangements including term loans, revolving credit facilities, finance leases and operating leases. BancShares also extends credit through consumer loans, including residential mortgages and auto loans. Our loan classes are further described in Note 1 — Significant Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation in the 2022 Form 10-K.

SVB Loan Classes
SVB loan classes were added to reflect the loans acquired in the SVBB Acquisition. The SVB loan classes are described below. There was no impact to our prior period disclosures.

Global Fund Banking – Global fund banking is the largest class of SVB loans and consists of capital call lines of credit, the repayment of which is dependent on the payment of capital calls by the underlying limited partner investors in funds managed by certain private equity and venture capital firms.

Investor Dependent – The investor dependent class includes loans made primarily to technology and life science/healthcare companies. These borrowers typically have modest or negative cash flows and rarely have an established record of profitable operations. Repayment of these loans may be dependent upon receipt by borrowers of additional equity financing from venture capital firms or other investors, or in some cases, a successful sale to a third party or an initial public offering (“IPO”). The investor dependent loans are disaggregated into two classes:
Early-Stage – These include loans to pre-revenue, development-stage companies and companies that are in the early phases of commercialization, with revenues of up to $5 million.
Growth Stage – These include loans to growth-stage enterprises. Companies with revenues between $5 million and $15 million, or pre-revenue clinical-stage biotechnology companies, are considered to be mid stage, and companies with revenues in excess of $15 million are considered to be later stage.

Cash Flow Dependent and Innovation Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”) – Cash flow dependent and innovation C&I loans are made primarily to technology and life science/healthcare companies that are not investor dependent. Repayment of these loans is not dependent on additional equity financing, a successful sale or an IPO.
Cash Flow Dependent – Cash flow dependent loans are typically used to assist a select group of private equity sponsors with the acquisition of businesses, are larger in size and repayment is generally dependent upon the cash flows of the combined entities. Acquired companies are typically established, later-stage businesses of scale, and characterized by reasonable levels of leverage with loan structures that include meaningful financial covenants. The sponsor’s equity contribution is often 50 percent or more of the acquisition price.
Innovation C&I – These include loans in innovation sectors such as technology and life science/healthcare industries. Innovation C&I loans are dependent on either the borrower’s cash flows or balance sheet for repayment. Cash flow dependent loans require the borrower to maintain cash flow from operations that is sufficient to service all debt. Borrowers must demonstrate normalized cash flow in excess of all fixed charges associated with operating the business. Balance sheet dependent loans include asset-backed loans and are structured to require constant current asset coverage (e.g., cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable and, to a much lesser extent, inventory) in an amount that exceeds the outstanding debt. The repayment of these arrangements is dependent on the financial condition, and payment ability, of third parties with whom our clients do business.

Private Bank – Private banking includes loans to clients who are primarily private equity/venture capital professionals and executives in the innovation companies, as well as high net worth clients. We offer a customized suite of private banking services, including mortgages, home equity lines of credit, restricted and private stock loans, personal capital call lines of credit, lines of credit against liquid assets and other secured and unsecured lending products. In addition, we provide owner occupied commercial mortgages and real estate secured loans.

Commercial Real Estate (“CRE”) – CRE consists generally of acquisition financing loans for commercial properties such as office buildings, retail properties, apartment buildings and industrial/warehouse space.

Other – The remaining smaller acquired portfolios are aggregated into this category. These include other C&I, premium wine and other acquired portfolios.
Other C&I loans include working capital and revolving lines of credit, as well as term loans for equipment and fixed assets. These loans are primarily to clients that are not in the technology and life sciences/healthcare industries. Additionally, other C&I loans contain commercial tax-exempt loans to not-for-profit private schools, colleges, public charter schools and other not-for-profit organizations.
Premium wine loans are made to wine producers, vineyards and wine industry or hospitality businesses across the Western United States. A large portion of these loans are secured by real estate collateral such as vineyards and wineries.
Other acquired portfolios consist primarily of construction and land loans for financing new developments as well as financing for improvements to existing buildings. These also include community development loans made as part of our responsibilities under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, and a small amount of Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans, which are loans guaranteed by the SBA that were issued through the PPP.

Acquired Loans and Leases
BancShares’ accounting methods for acquired loans and leases depends on whether or not the loans reflect more than insignificant credit deterioration since origination at the date of acquisition.

Non-Purchased Credit Deteriorated Loans and Leases
Non-Purchased Credit Deteriorated (“Non-PCD”) loans and leases do not reflect more than insignificant credit deterioration since origination at the date of acquisition. These loans are recorded at fair value and an increase to the ACL is recorded with a corresponding increase to the provision for credit losses at the date of acquisition. The difference between the fair value and the unpaid principal balance (“UPB”) at the acquisition date is amortized or accreted to interest income over the contractual life of the loan using the effective interest method.

Purchased Credit Deteriorated Loans and Leases
Purchased loans and leases that reflect a more than insignificant credit deterioration since origination at the date of acquisition are classified as PCD loans and leases. PCD loans and leases are recorded at acquisition-date amortized cost, which is the purchase price or fair value in a business combination, plus BancShares' initial ACL, which results in a gross up of the loan balance (the “PCD Gross-Up”). The initial ACL for PCD loans and leases is established through the PCD Gross-Up and there is no corresponding increase to the provision for credit losses. The difference between the UPB and the acquisition date amortized cost resulting from the PCD Gross-Up is amortized or accreted to interest income over the contractual life of the loan using the effective interest method.

Goodwill
BancShares applied the acquisition method of accounting for the SVBB Acquisition and CIT Merger. The fair value of the net assets acquired exceeded the purchase price for each transaction. Consequently, there was a gain on acquisition (and no goodwill) related to the SVBB Acquisition and the CIT Merger. Refer to further discussion in Note 2 — Business Combinations and Note 7 — Goodwill and Core Deposit Intangibles.
Derivative Assets and Liabilities

Foreign Exchange Contracts
SVB has foreign exchange forwards and swaps contracts with clients involved in foreign activities, either as the purchaser or seller, depending upon the clients’ needs. These are structured as back-to-back contracts to mitigate the risk of fluctuations in currency rates. The foreign exchange forward contracts are with correspondent banks to economically reduce our foreign exchange exposure related to certain foreign currency denominated instruments.

Equity Warrant Assets
In connection with negotiating credit facilities and certain other services, SVB often obtained rights that gave an option to purchase a position in a client company's stock in the form of equity warrant assets in primarily private, venture-backed companies in the technology and life science/healthcare industries. These were generally categorized as Level 3 on the fair value hierarchy due to lack of direct observable pricing and a general lack of liquidity due to the private nature of the associated underlying company. FCB did not acquire equity warrant assets in the SVBB Acquisition. FCB may obtain equity warrant assets for certain loans originated or funded after the SVBB Acquisition Date.

Newly Adopted Accounting Standards
BancShares adopted the following accounting standards as of January 1, 2023:
ASU 2022-02 Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures- Issued March 2022 (“ASU 2022-02”)
The amendments in this ASU: (i) eliminate the previous recognition and measurement guidance for TDRs, (ii) require new disclosures for loan modifications when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty (the “Modification Disclosures”) and (iii) require disclosures of current period gross charge-offs by year of origination in the vintage disclosures (the “Gross Charge-off Vintage Disclosures”).
The Modification Disclosures apply to the following modification types: principal forgiveness, interest rate reductions, other-than-insignificant payment delays, term extensions, or a combination thereof. Creditors are required to disclose the following by loan class: (i) amounts and relative percentages of each modification type, (ii) the financial effect of each modification type, (iii) the performance of the loan in the 12 months following the modification and (iv) qualitative information discussing how the modifications factored into the determination of the ACL.
BancShares elected to apply the modified retrospective transition method for ACL recognition and measurement. The adoption of this ASU did not result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings. The Modification Disclosures and Gross Charge-off Vintage Disclosures are applied prospectively starting in the period of adoption and are presented in Note 4 — Loans and Leases.
ASU 2022-01, Fair Value Hedging - Portfolio Layer Method - Issued March 2022
The amendments in this ASU allow entities to designate multiple hedged layers of a single closed portfolio and expands the scope of the portfolio layer method to include non-prepayable financial assets. The ASU provides additional guidance on the accounting for and disclosure of hedge basis adjustments under the portfolio layer method. In addition, upon adoption the update permits a one-time reclassification of certain debt securities from the held-to-maturity category to the available-for-sale category if the portfolio layer hedging method is applied to those securities. Upon adoption, we did not make any one-time reclassifications. Adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on BancShares’ consolidated financial statements and disclosures as BancShares did not have any hedged portfolios.