SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations Sandy Spring Bancorp (the “Company”), a Maryland corporation, is the bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank (the “Bank”). Independent and community-oriented, Sandy Spring Bank offers a broad range of commercial banking, retail banking, mortgage and trust services throughout central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the greater Washington, D.C. market. Sandy Spring Bank also offers a comprehensive menu of insurance and wealth management services through its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and West Financial Services, Inc.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), prevailing practices within the financial services industry for interim financial information and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, the interim financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required for complete financial statements. The following summary of significant accounting policies of the Company is presented to assist the reader in understanding the financial and other data presented in this report. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future periods or for the year ending December 31, 2019. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (comprising only normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been included. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts, as necessary, to conform to the current period presentation. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of the issuance of its financial statements. These statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 22, 2019. There have been no significant changes to the Company’s accounting policies as disclosed in the 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sandy Spring Bank, and its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and West Financial Services, Inc. Consolidation has resulted in the elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, in addition to affecting the reported amounts of revenues earned and expenses incurred during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates that could change significantly relate to the provision for loan losses and the related allowance, determination of impaired loans and the related measurement of impairment, potential impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, valuation of investment securities and the determination of whether impaired securities are other-than-temporarily impaired, valuation of other real estate owned, valuation of share-based compensation, the assessment that a liability should be recognized with respect to any matters under litigation, the calculation of current and deferred income taxes and the actuarial projections related to pension expense and the related liability.
Cash Flows	Cash Flows For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks, federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks (items with stated original maturity of three months or less).
Revenue from Contract with Customers	Revenue from Contracts with Customers The Company’s revenue includes net interest income on financial instruments and non-interest income. Specific categories of revenue are presented in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Most of the Company’s revenue is not within the scope of Accounting Standard Update (ASU) No. 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. For revenue within the scope of ASU 2014-09, the Company provides services to customers and has related performance obligations. The revenue from such services is recognized upon satisfaction of all contractual performance obligations. The following discusses key revenue streams within the scope of revenue recognition guidance. Wealth Management Income West Financial Services, Inc., a subsidiary of the Bank, provides comprehensive investment management and financial planning services. Wealth management income is comprised of income for providing trust, estate and investment management services. Trust services include acting as a trustee for corporate or personal trusts. Investment management services include investment management, record-keeping and reporting of security portfolios. Fees for these services are recognized based on a contractually-agreed fixed percentage applied to net assets under management at the end of each reporting period. The Company does not charge/recognize any performance-based fees. Insurance Agency Commissions Sandy Spring Insurance, a subsidiary of the Bank, performs the function of an insurance intermediary by introducing the policyholder and insurer and is compensated by a commission fee for placement of an insurance policy. Sandy Spring Insurance does not provide any captive management services or any claim handling services. Commission fees are set as a percentage of the premium for the insurance policy for which Sandy Spring Insurance is a producer. The Company recognizes revenue when the insurance policy has been contractually agreed to by the insurer and policyholder (at transaction date). Service Charges on Deposit Accounts Service charges on deposit accounts are earned on depository accounts for consumer and commercial account holders and include fees for account and overdraft services. Account services include fees for event-driven services and periodic account maintenance activities. The obligation for event-driven services is satisfied at the time of the event when service is delivered and revenue recognized as earned. Obligation for maintenance activities is satisfied over the course of each month and revenue is recognized at month end. Obligation for overdraft services is satisfied at the time of the overdraft and revenue is recognized as earned.
Loans Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality	Loans Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality Acquired loans with evidence of credit deterioration since their origination as of the date of the acquisition are recorded at their initial fair value. Credit deterioration is determined based on the probability of collection of all contractually required principal and interest payments. The historical allowance for loan losses related to the acquired loans is not carried over to the Company’s financial statements. The determination of credit quality deterioration as of the purchase date may include parameters such as past due and non-accrual status, commercial risk ratings, cash flow projections, type of loan and collateral, collateral value and recent loan-to-value ratios or appraised values. For loans acquired with evidence of credit deterioration, the Company determines at the acquisition date the excess of the loan’s contractually required payments over all cash flows expected to be collected as an amount that should not be accreted into interest income (nonaccretable difference). The remaining amount, representing the difference in the expected cash flows of acquired loans and the initial investment in the acquired loans, is accreted into interest income over the remaining life of the loan or pool of loans (accretable yield). Subsequent to the purchase date, increases in expected cash flows over those expected at the purchase date are recognized prospectively as interest income over the remaining life of the loan as an adjustment to the accretable yield. The present value of any decreases in expected cash flows after the purchase date is recognized as impairment through addition to the valuation allowance.
Leases	Leases The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. All of the Company’s leases are currently classified as operating leases and are included in other assets and other liabilities on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Condition. Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease arrangements. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the expected future lease payments over the remaining lease term. In determining the present value of future lease payments, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date. The operating ROU assets are adjusted for any lease payments made at or before lease commencement date, initial direct costs and any lease incentives received. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. Lease expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the expected lease term. Lease agreements that include lease and non-lease components, such as common area maintenance charges, are accounted for separately.
Adopted Accounting Pronouncements	Adopted Accounting Pronouncements The FASB issued Update No. 2016-02, Leases, in February 2016. From the lessee’s perspective, the new standard requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2019 (“adoption date”) using modified retrospective approach. The Company elected the transition option to apply the provisions of the new standard only as of the adoption date and did not restate comparative historical periods presented. The Company also elected a package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which among other things, allowed the Company to carry forward the historical lease classification of those leases in existence as of the adoption date. The standard had a material impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Condition, but did not have a material impact on Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The most significant impact at the adoption date was the recognition of ROU assets and lease liabilities for operating leases which totaled $77.7 million and $85.1 million, respectively. Refer to Note 12 – Leases for other required disclosures.
Pending accounting pronouncements	Pending Accounting Pronouncements The FASB issued Update No. 2017-08, Receivables-Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities, in March 2017. This guidance is intended to eliminate the current diversity in practice with respect to the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. Under current GAAP, entities generally amortize the premium as an adjustment of yield over the contractual life. As a result, upon the exercise of a call on a callable debt security held at a premium, the unamortized premium is recorded as a loss in earnings. The amendments in this update shorten the amortization period for such callable debt securities held at a premium requiring the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. This guidance is effective for a public business entity for its fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The FASB issued Update No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, in January 2017. The objective of this guidance is to simplify an entity’s required test for impairment of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. In Step 2 an entity measured a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. In computing the implied fair value of goodwill, an entity had to determine the fair value at the impairment date of its assets and liabilities, including any unrecognized assets and liabilities, following a procedure that would be required in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Under this Update, an entity should perform its annual or quarterly goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount and record an impairment charge for the excess of the carrying amount over the reporting unit’s fair value. The loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit and the entity must consider the income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. This guidance is effective for a public business entity for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The FASB issued Update No. 2016-13, Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL), in June 2016. This guidance changes the impairment model for most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments. Entities will be required to use an expected loss model, replacing the incurred loss model that is currently in use. Under the new guidance, an entity will measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This will result in earlier recognition of loss allowances in most instances. Credit losses related to available-for-sale debt securities (regardless of whether the impairment is considered to be other-than-temporary) will be measured in a manner similar to the present, except that such losses will be recorded as allowances rather than as reductions in the amortized cost of the related securities. With respect to trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance-sheet credit exposures, the guidance requires that an entity estimate its lifetime expected credit loss and record an allowance resulting in the net amount expected to be collected to be reflected as the financial asset. Entities will also be required to provide more disclosures, including information used to track credit quality by year of origination for most financing receivables. This guidance is effective for public business entities for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company expects to adopt the guidance in the first quarter of 2020. As a part of the Company’s implementation efforts, to date the following tasks have been completed: Reconciled and validated historical loan, charge-off and recovery data. Determined segmentation of the loan portfolio for application of the CECL calculation. Determined the key assumptions to be utilized in the calculation. Selected lifetime loss reserve calculation methods and established a methodology framework. Updated qualitative factors framework. Established a proposed internal controls framework under CECL. The Company plans to utilize a third party software solution for its CECL calculation. Conceptual soundness of the proposed methodology framework along with the CECL model are currently being validated by an independent third party advisor. The ultimate impact of CECL on the allowance for credit losses will depend on the size and composition of the loan portfolio, the portfolio’s credit quality and economic conditions at the time of adoption, as well as any refinements to the CECL model, methodology and key assumptions. At adoption, the Company will record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings for incremental change in the allowance for credit losses.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Sandy Spring Bancorp (the “Company”), a Maryland corporation, is the bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank (the “Bank”). Independent and community-oriented, Sandy Spring Bank offers a broad range of commercial banking, retail banking, mortgage and trust services throughout central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the greater Washington, D.C. market. Sandy Spring Bank also offers a comprehensive menu of insurance and wealth management services through its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and West Financial Services, Inc.

Basis of Presentation

The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), prevailing practices within the financial services industry for interim financial information and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, the interim financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required for complete financial statements. The following summary of significant accounting policies of the Company is presented to assist the reader in understanding the financial and other data presented in this report. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future periods or for the year ending December 31, 2019. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (comprising only normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been included. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts, as necessary, to conform to the current period presentation. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of the issuance of its financial statements.

These statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 22, 2019. There have been no significant changes to the Company’s accounting policies as disclosed in the 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Principles of Consolidation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sandy Spring Bank, and its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and West Financial Services, Inc. Consolidation has resulted in the elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, in addition to affecting the reported amounts of revenues earned and expenses incurred during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates that could change significantly relate to the provision for loan losses and the related allowance, determination of impaired loans and the related measurement of impairment, potential impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, valuation of investment securities and the determination of whether impaired securities are other-than-temporarily impaired, valuation of other real estate owned, valuation of share-based compensation, the assessment that a liability should be recognized with respect to any matters under litigation, the calculation of current and deferred income taxes and the actuarial projections related to pension expense and the related liability.

Cash Flows

For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks, federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks (items with stated original maturity of three months or less).

Revenue from Contract with Customers

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The Company’s revenue includes net interest income on financial instruments and non-interest income. Specific categories of revenue are presented in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Most of the Company’s revenue is not within the scope of Accounting Standard Update (ASU) No. 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. For revenue within the scope of ASU 2014-09, the Company provides services to customers and has related performance obligations. The revenue from such services is recognized upon satisfaction of all contractual performance obligations. The following discusses key revenue streams within the scope of revenue recognition guidance.

Wealth Management Income

West Financial Services, Inc., a subsidiary of the Bank, provides comprehensive investment management and financial planning services. Wealth management income is comprised of income for providing trust, estate and investment management services. Trust services include acting as a trustee for corporate or personal trusts. Investment management services include investment management, record-keeping and reporting of security portfolios. Fees for these services are recognized based on a contractually-agreed fixed percentage applied to net assets under management at the end of each reporting period. The Company does not charge/recognize any performance-based fees.

Insurance Agency Commissions

Sandy Spring Insurance, a subsidiary of the Bank, performs the function of an insurance intermediary by introducing the policyholder and insurer and is compensated by a commission fee for placement of an insurance policy. Sandy Spring Insurance does not provide any captive management services or any claim handling services. Commission fees are set as a percentage of the premium for the insurance policy for which Sandy Spring Insurance is a producer. The Company recognizes revenue when the insurance policy has been contractually agreed to by the insurer and policyholder (at transaction date).

Service Charges on Deposit Accounts

Service charges on deposit accounts are earned on depository accounts for consumer and commercial account holders and include fees for account and overdraft services. Account services include fees for event-driven services and periodic account maintenance activities. The obligation for event-driven services is satisfied at the time of the event when service is delivered and revenue recognized as earned. Obligation for maintenance activities is satisfied over the course of each month and revenue is recognized at month end. Obligation for overdraft services is satisfied at the time of the overdraft and revenue is recognized as earned.

Loans Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality

Acquired loans with evidence of credit deterioration since their origination as of the date of the acquisition are recorded at their initial fair value. Credit deterioration is determined based on the probability of collection of all contractually required principal and interest payments. The historical allowance for loan losses related to the acquired loans is not carried over to the Company’s financial statements. The determination of credit quality deterioration as of the purchase date may include parameters such as past due and non-accrual status, commercial risk ratings, cash flow projections, type of loan and collateral, collateral value and recent loan-to-value ratios or appraised values. For loans acquired with evidence of credit deterioration, the Company determines at the acquisition date the excess of the loan’s contractually required payments over all cash flows expected to be collected as an amount that should not be accreted into interest income (nonaccretable difference). The remaining amount, representing the difference in the expected cash flows of acquired loans and the initial investment in the acquired loans, is accreted into interest income over the remaining life of the loan or pool of loans (accretable yield). Subsequent to the purchase date, increases in expected cash flows over those expected at the purchase date are recognized prospectively as interest income over the remaining life of the loan as an adjustment to the accretable yield. The present value of any decreases in expected cash flows after the purchase date is recognized as impairment through addition to the valuation allowance.

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. All of the Company’s leases are currently classified as operating leases and are included in other assets and other liabilities on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Condition.

Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease arrangements. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the expected future lease payments over the remaining lease term. In determining the present value of future lease payments, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date. The operating ROU assets are adjusted for any lease payments made at or before lease commencement date, initial direct costs and any lease incentives received. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. Lease expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the expected lease term. Lease agreements that include lease and non-lease components, such as common area maintenance charges, are accounted for separately.

Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

The FASB issued Update No. 2016-02, Leases, in February 2016. From the lessee’s perspective, the new standard requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2019 (“adoption date”) using modified retrospective approach. The Company elected the transition option to apply the provisions of the new standard only as of the adoption date and did not restate comparative historical periods presented. The Company also elected a package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which among other things, allowed the Company to carry forward the historical lease classification of those leases in existence as of the adoption date.

The standard had a material impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Condition, but did not have a material impact on Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The most significant impact at the adoption date was the recognition of ROU assets and lease liabilities for operating leases which totaled $77.7 million and $85.1 million, respectively. Refer to Note 12 – Leases for other required disclosures.

Pending accounting pronouncements

Pending Accounting Pronouncements

The FASB issued Update No. 2017-08, Receivables-Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities, in March 2017. This guidance is intended to eliminate the current diversity in practice with respect to the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. Under current GAAP, entities generally amortize the premium as an adjustment of yield over the contractual life. As a result, upon the exercise of a call on a callable debt security held at a premium, the unamortized premium is recorded as a loss in earnings. The amendments in this update shorten the amortization period for such callable debt securities held at a premium requiring the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. This guidance is effective for a public business entity for its fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

The FASB issued Update No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, in January 2017. The objective of this guidance is to simplify an entity’s required test for impairment of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. In Step 2 an entity measured a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. In computing the implied fair value of goodwill, an entity had to determine the fair value at the impairment date of its assets and liabilities, including any unrecognized assets and liabilities, following a procedure that would be required in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Under this Update, an entity should perform its annual or quarterly goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount and record an impairment charge for the excess of the carrying amount over the reporting unit’s fair value. The loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit and the entity must consider the income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. This guidance is effective for a public business entity for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

The FASB issued Update No. 2016-13, Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL), in June 2016. This guidance changes the impairment model for most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments. Entities will be required to use an expected loss model, replacing the incurred loss model that is currently in use. Under the new guidance, an entity will measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This will result in earlier recognition of loss allowances in most instances. Credit losses related to available-for-sale debt securities (regardless of whether the impairment is considered to be other-than-temporary) will be measured in a manner similar to the present, except that such losses will be recorded as allowances rather than as reductions in the amortized cost of the related securities. With respect to trade and other receivables, loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases and off-balance-sheet credit exposures, the guidance requires that an entity estimate its lifetime expected credit loss and record an allowance resulting in the net amount expected to be collected to be reflected as the financial asset. Entities will also be required to provide more disclosures, including information used to track credit quality by year of origination for most financing receivables. This guidance is effective for public business entities for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2019.

The Company expects to adopt the guidance in the first quarter of 2020. As a part of the Company’s implementation efforts, to date the following tasks have been completed:

Reconciled and validated historical loan, charge-off and recovery data.

Determined segmentation of the loan portfolio for application of the CECL calculation.

Determined the key assumptions to be utilized in the calculation.

Selected lifetime loss reserve calculation methods and established a methodology framework.

Updated qualitative factors framework.

Established a proposed internal controls framework under CECL.

The Company plans to utilize a third party software solution for its CECL calculation. Conceptual soundness of the proposed methodology framework along with the CECL model are currently being validated by an independent third party advisor. The ultimate impact of CECL on the allowance for credit losses will depend on the size and composition of the loan portfolio, the portfolio’s credit quality and economic conditions at the time of adoption, as well as any refinements to the CECL model, methodology and key assumptions. At adoption, the Company will record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings for incremental change in the allowance for credit losses.