SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Nature of Operations Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. ("Bancorp" or, together with its subsidiaries, the "Company"), a Maryland corporation, is the bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank (the “Bank”). Independent and community-oriented, the Bank offers a broad range of commercial banking, retail banking, mortgage services and trust services throughout central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the greater Washington, D.C. market. The Bank also offers a comprehensive menu of wealth management services through its subsidiaries, West Financial Services, Inc. (“West Financial”) and SSB Wealth Management, Inc. (d/b/a Rembert Pendleton Jackson, "RPJ”). 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 months ended March 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future periods or for the year ending December 31, 2024. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been included. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Such reclassifications had no impact on the Company's net income and shareholders' equity. 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 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 20, 2024. There have been no significant changes to any of the Company’s accounting policies as disclosed in the 2023 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. 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 credit losses and the related allowance, potential impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, valuation of investment securities and the determination of whether available-for-sale debt securities with fair values less than amortized costs are impaired and require an allowance for credit losses, 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 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 Codification (“ASC”) 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. For revenue within the scope of ASC 606, 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 this revenue recognition guidance. West Financial and RPJ provide 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. 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. An 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. The overdraft services obligation is satisfied at the time of the overdraft and revenue is recognized as earned. Loan Financing Receivables The Company’s financing receivables consist primarily of loans that are stated at their principal balance outstanding, net of any unearned income, acquisition fair value marks and deferred loan origination fees and costs. Interest income on loans is accrued at the contractual rate based on the principal balance outstanding. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized as an adjustment of the related loan yield using the interest method. Loans are considered past due or delinquent when the principal or interest due in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement or any portion thereof remains unpaid after the due date of the scheduled payment. Immaterial shortfalls in payment amounts do not necessarily result in a loan being considered delinquent or past due. If any payments are past due and subsequent payments are resumed without payment of the delinquent amount, the loan shall continue to be considered past due. Whenever any loan is reported delinquent on a principal or interest payment or portion thereof, the amount reported as delinquent is the outstanding principal balance of the loan. Loans, except for consumer installment loans, are placed into non-accrual status when any portion of the loan principal or interest becomes 90 days past due. Management may determine that certain circumstances warrant earlier discontinuance of interest accruals on specific loans if an evaluation of other relevant factors (such as bankruptcy, interruption of cash flows, etc.) indicates collection of amounts contractually due is unlikely. These loans are considered, collectively, to be non-performing loans. Consumer installment loans that are not secured by real estate are not placed on non-accrual, but are charged down to their net realizable value when they are four months past due. Loans designated as non-accrual have all previously accrued but unpaid interest reversed. Interest income is not recognized on non-accrual loans. All payments received on non-accrual loans are applied using a cost-recovery method to reduce the outstanding principal balance until the loan returns to accrual status. Loans may be returned to accrual status when all principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured. On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted provisions of ASU 2022-02, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326)", which eliminated accounting guidance for TDRs by creditors. Prior to the effective adoption date, the Company considered loans to be TDRs if their terms were restructured (e.g., interest rates, loan maturity date, payment and amortization period, etc.) in circumstances that provided a payment concession to a borrower experiencing financial difficulty. Loans could be removed from a TDR category if the borrower no longer experienced financial difficulty, a re-underwriting event took place, and the revised loan terms of the subsequent restructuring agreement were considered to be consistent with terms that could be obtained in the market for loans with comparable credit risk. Subsequent to the effective adoption date, the Company continues to offer modifications to certain borrowers experiencing financial difficulty, mainly in the form of interest rate concessions or term extensions, without classifying and accounting for them as TDRs. Allowance for Credit Losses The allowance for credit losses (“allowance” or “ACL”) represents an amount which, in management's judgment, reflects the lifetime expected losses that may be sustained on outstanding loans at the balance sheet date based on the evaluation of the size and current risk characteristics of the loan portfolio, past events, current conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions and prepayment experience. The allowance is measured and recorded upon the initial recognition of a financial asset. The allowance is reduced by charge-offs, net of recoveries of previous losses, and is increased or decreased by a provision or credit for credit losses, which is recorded as a current period expense. Determination of the appropriateness of the allowance is inherently complex and requires the use of significant and highly subjective estimates. The reasonableness of the allowance is reviewed by the Risk Committee of the Board of Directors and formally approved quarterly by that same committee of the Board. The Company’s methodology for estimating the allowance includes: (1) a collective quantified reserve that reflects the Company’s historical default and loss experience adjusted for expected economic conditions throughout a reasonable and supportable period, which management has determined to be two years, followed by a two year reversion period, and the Company’s prepayment and curtailment rates; (2) collective qualitative factors that consider the expected impact of certain factors not fully captured in the collective quantified reserve, including concentrations of the loan portfolio, expected changes to the economic forecasts, large relationships, early delinquencies, and factors related to credit administration, including, among others, loan-to-value ratios, borrowers’ risk rating and credit score migrations; and (3) individual allowances on collateral-dependent loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty or when the Company determines that the foreclosure is probable. The Company excludes accrued interest from the measurement of the allowance as the Company has a non-accrual policy to reverse any accrued, uncollected interest income as loans are moved to non-accrual status. Loans are pooled into segments based on the similar risk characteristics of the underlying borrowers, in addition to consideration of collateral type, industry and business purpose of the loans. Portfolio segments used to estimate the allowance are the same as portfolio segments used for general credit risk management purposes. Refer to Note 3 for more details on the Company’s portfolio segments. The Company applies two calculation methodologies to estimate the collective quantified component of the allowance: expected loss method and weighted average remaining life method. Allowance estimates on commercial acquisition, development and construction (“AD&C”) and residential construction segments are based on the weighted average remaining life method. Allowance estimates on all other portfolio segments are based on the expected loss method. Collective calculation methodologies utilize the Company’s historical default and loss experience adjusted for future economic forecasts. The reasonable and supportable forecast period represents a two-year economic outlook for the applicable economic variables. Following the end of the reasonable and supportable forecast period expected losses revert back to the historical mean over the next two years on a straight-line basis. Economic variables that have the most significant impact on the allowance include: unemployment rate, gross domestic product, commercial real estate price index, residential real estate house price index and business bankruptcies. Contractual loan level cash flows within the expected loss methodology are adjusted for the Company’s historical prepayment and curtailment rate experience. The individual reserve assessment is applied to collateral dependent loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty or when the Company determines that a foreclosure is probable. The determination of the fair value of the collateral depends on whether a repayment of the loan is expected to be from the sale or the operation of the collateral. When a repayment is expected from the operation of the collateral, the Company uses the present value of expected cash flows from the operation of the collateral as the fair value. When the repayment of the loan is expected from the sale of the collateral the fair value of the collateral is based on an observable market price or the collateral’s appraised value, less estimated costs to sell. Third-party appraisals used in the individual reserve assessment are conducted at least annually with underlying assumptions that are reviewed by management. Third-party appraisals may be obtained on a more frequent basis if deemed necessary. Internal evaluations of collateral value are conducted quarterly to ensure any further deterioration of the collateral value is recognized on a timely basis. During the individual reserve assessment, management also considers the potential future changes in the value of the collateral over the remainder of the loan’s remaining life. The Company may receive updated appraisals which contradict the preliminary determination of fair value used to establish an individual allowance on a loan. In these instances the individual allowance is adjusted to reflect the Company’s evaluation of the updated appraised fair value. In the event a loss was previously determined and the loan was charged down to the estimated fair value based on a previous appraisal, the balance of the partially charged-off loan is not subsequently increased, but could be further decreased depending on the direction of the change in fair value. Payments on fully or partially charged-off loans are accounted for under the cost-recovery method. Under this method, all payments received are applied on a cash basis to reduce the outstanding principal balance, then to recognize a recovery of all previously charged-off amounts before any interest income may be recognized. Based on the individual reserve assessment, if the Company determines that the fair value of the collateral is less than the amortized cost basis of the loan, an individual allowance will be established measured as the difference between the fair value of the collateral (less costs to sell) and the amortized cost basis of the loan. Once a loss has been determined, the loan is charged-down to its estimated fair value. Large groups of smaller non-accrual homogeneous loans are not individually evaluated for allowance and include residential permanent and construction mortgages and consumer installment loans. These portfolios are reserved for on a collective basis using historical loss rates of similar loans over the weighted average life of each portfolio. Unfunded lending commitments are reviewed to determine if they are considered unconditionally cancellable. The Company establishes reserves for unfunded commitments that do not meet that criteria as a liability in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Condition. Changes to the liability are recorded through the provision for credit losses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The establishment of the reserves for unfunded commitments considers both the likelihood that the funding will occur and an estimate of the expected credit losses over the life of the respective commitments. Management believes it uses relevant information available to make determinations about the allowance and reserve for unfunded commitments and that it has established the existing reserves in accordance with GAAP. However, the determination of the allowance requires significant judgment, and estimates of expected lifetime losses in the loan portfolio can vary significantly from the amounts actually observed. While management uses available information to recognize expected losses, future additions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in the loans comprising the portfolio, changes in the current and forecasted economic conditions, changes to the interest rate environment which may directly impact prepayment and curtailment rate assumptions, and changes in the financial condition of borrowers. Held-to-maturity debt securities Debt securities that are purchased with the positive intent and ability to be held until their maturity are classified as held-to-maturity (“HTM”). HTM debt securities are recorded at cost adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. Transfers of debt securities from available-for-sale ("AFS") category to HTM category are made at fair value as of the transfer date. The unrealized gain or loss at the date of transfer continues to be reported in accumulated other comprehensive income and in the carrying amount of the HTM securities. Both amounts are amortized over the remaining life of the security as a yield adjustment in interest income and effectively offset each other. 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. Periodic operating lease costs are recorded in occupancy expenses of premises on the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. 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 the lease commencement date, initial direct costs, any lease incentives received and, for acquired leases, any favorable or unfavorable fair value adjustments. The present value of the lease liability may include the impact of options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options provided in the lease terms. 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. Segment Reporting Operating segments are components of a business about which separate financial information is available and evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and assessing performance. The Bank is the Company’s only reportable operating segment upon which management makes decisions regarding how to allocate resources and assess performance. While the Company’s chief operating decision maker has some limited financial information about the Bank's various financial products and services, that information is not complete since it does not include a full allocation of revenue, costs, and capital from key corporate functions; therefore, the Company evaluates financial performance on the Company-wide basis. Management continues to evaluate these business units for separate reporting as facts and circumstances change. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill represents the excess purchase price paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. The current accounting guidance provides the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The Company assesses qualitative factors on a quarterly basis. Based on the assessment of these qualitative factors, if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit remains in excess of the carrying value, then performing a quantitative impairment test is not necessary. However, if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the carrying value exceeds the fair value, a quantitative analysis is required to determine whether an impairment exists. As of October 1, 2023, the Company’s annual goodwill impairment assessment date, the Company performed an impairment test for its two reporting units: Community Banking and Investment Management. The results of the 2023 annual goodwill impairment test for the two reporting units, which included both qualitative and quantitative assessments, indicated that the estimated fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount and that the goodwill assigned to the Community Banking reporting unit may be at risk of impairment in future periods. The Company provided detailed disclosures regarding the 2023 impairment analysis and the results of the testing in its annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 in its 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to the annual impairment testing process, on a quarterly basis, the Company monitors each reporting unit for any triggering events and performs qualitative assessments of impairment indicators. During the first quarter of 2024, the Company determined that there were no triggering events and completed the qualitative assessment of impairment indicators, which included an assessment of changes in macroeconomic conditions and comparison of the actual operating performance to the forecast used in the most recent annual impairment test. Based on these considerations, the Company concluded that it was more-likely-than-not that the fair value of our reporting units remained above the respective carrying amounts as of March 31, 2024. Other intangible assets have finite lives and are reviewed for impairment annually. These assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line or sum-of-the-years basis over varying periods that initially did not exceed 15 years. Intangible assets are reviewed or analyzed periodically to determine if it appears that their value has diminished beyond the value in the financial statements. The review or analysis of the intangible assets did not indicate that any impairment occurred during the first quarter of 2024. Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-02, "Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method". ASU 2023-02 allows reporting entities to elect to account for qualifying tax equity investments using the proportional amortization method, regardless of the program giving rise to the related income tax credits. The amendment in this ASU also removes the specialized guidance for low-income-housing tax credit investments that are not accounted for using the proportional amortization method and instead require that those LIHTC investments be accounted for using the guidance in other GAAP. The Company fully adopted this update effective January 1, 2024 on a prospective basis. The adoption of this pronouncement did not have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Pending Accounting Pronouncements applicable to the Company In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures", which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments' significant expenses on an interim and annual basis. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Entities must adopt this ASU on a retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. Currently, the Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements. In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”. ASU 2023-09 improves the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring entities to provide greater disaggregation of information on income taxes paid and on the rate reconciliation disclosures. This pronouncement also requires qualitative discussion of the primary state and local jurisdictions for income taxes and the type of reconciling categories. For public business entities, this ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. ("Bancorp" or, together with its subsidiaries, the "Company"), a Maryland corporation, is the bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank (the “Bank”). Independent and community-oriented, the Bank offers a broad range of commercial banking, retail banking, mortgage services and trust services throughout central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the greater Washington, D.C. market. The Bank also offers a comprehensive menu of wealth management services through its subsidiaries, West Financial Services, Inc. (“West Financial”) and SSB Wealth Management, Inc. (d/b/a Rembert Pendleton Jackson, "RPJ”).

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 months ended March 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future periods or for the year ending December 31, 2024. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been included. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Such reclassifications had no impact on the Company's net income and shareholders' equity. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of the issuance of its financial statements.

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 credit losses and the related allowance, potential impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, valuation of investment securities and the determination of whether available-for-sale debt securities with fair values less than amortized costs are impaired and require an allowance for credit losses, 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.

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 Codification (“ASC”) 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. For revenue within the scope of ASC 606, 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 this revenue recognition guidance.

West Financial and RPJ provide 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.

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. An 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. The overdraft services obligation is satisfied at the time of the overdraft and revenue is recognized as earned.

Loans are considered past due or delinquent when the principal or interest due in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement or any portion thereof remains unpaid after the due date of the scheduled payment. Immaterial shortfalls in payment amounts do not necessarily result in a loan being considered delinquent or past due. If any payments are past due and subsequent payments are resumed without payment of the delinquent amount, the loan shall continue to be considered past due. Whenever any loan is reported delinquent on a principal or interest payment or portion thereof, the amount reported as delinquent is the outstanding principal balance of the loan.

Loans, except for consumer installment loans, are placed into non-accrual status when any portion of the loan principal or interest becomes 90 days past due. Management may determine that certain circumstances warrant earlier discontinuance of interest accruals on specific loans if an evaluation of other relevant factors (such as bankruptcy, interruption of cash flows, etc.) indicates collection of amounts contractually due is unlikely. These loans are considered, collectively, to be non-performing loans. Consumer installment loans that are not secured by real estate are not placed on non-accrual, but are charged down to their net realizable value when they are four months past due. Loans designated as non-accrual have all previously accrued but unpaid interest reversed. Interest income is not recognized on non-accrual loans. All payments received on non-accrual loans are applied using a cost-recovery method to reduce the outstanding principal balance until the loan returns to accrual status. Loans may be returned to accrual status when all principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted provisions of ASU 2022-02, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326)", which eliminated accounting guidance for TDRs by creditors. Prior to the effective adoption date, the Company considered loans to be TDRs if their terms were restructured (e.g., interest rates, loan maturity date, payment and amortization period, etc.) in circumstances that provided a payment concession to a borrower experiencing financial difficulty. Loans could be removed from a TDR category if the borrower no longer experienced financial difficulty, a re-underwriting event took place, and the revised loan terms of the subsequent restructuring agreement were considered to be consistent with terms that could be obtained in the market for loans with comparable credit risk. Subsequent to the effective adoption date, the Company continues to offer modifications to certain borrowers experiencing financial difficulty, mainly in the form of interest rate concessions or term extensions, without classifying and accounting for them as TDRs.

The allowance for credit losses (“allowance” or “ACL”) represents an amount which, in management's judgment, reflects the lifetime expected losses that may be sustained on outstanding loans at the balance sheet date based on the evaluation of the size and current risk characteristics of the loan portfolio, past events, current conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions and prepayment experience. The allowance is measured and recorded upon the initial recognition of a financial asset. The allowance is reduced by charge-offs, net of recoveries of previous losses, and is increased or decreased by a provision or credit for credit losses, which is recorded as a current period expense.

The Company’s methodology for estimating the allowance includes: (1) a collective quantified reserve that reflects the Company’s historical default and loss experience adjusted for expected economic conditions throughout a reasonable and supportable period, which management has determined to be two years, followed by a two year reversion period, and the Company’s prepayment and curtailment rates; (2) collective qualitative factors that consider the expected impact of certain factors not fully captured in the collective quantified reserve, including concentrations of the loan portfolio, expected changes to the economic forecasts, large relationships, early delinquencies, and factors related to credit administration, including, among others, loan-to-value ratios, borrowers’ risk rating and credit score migrations; and (3) individual allowances on collateral-dependent loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty or when the Company determines that the foreclosure is probable. The Company excludes accrued interest from the measurement of the allowance as the Company has a non-accrual policy to reverse any accrued, uncollected interest income as loans are moved to non-accrual status.

The Company applies two calculation methodologies to estimate the collective quantified component of the allowance: expected loss method and weighted average remaining life method. Allowance estimates on commercial acquisition, development and construction (“AD&C”) and residential construction segments are based on the weighted average remaining life method. Allowance estimates on all other portfolio segments are based on the expected loss method. Collective calculation methodologies utilize the Company’s historical default and loss experience adjusted for future economic forecasts. The reasonable and supportable forecast period represents a two-year economic outlook for the applicable economic variables. Following the end of the reasonable and supportable forecast period expected losses revert back to the historical mean over the next two years on a straight-line basis. Economic variables that have the most significant impact on the allowance include: unemployment rate, gross domestic product, commercial real estate price index, residential real estate house price index and business bankruptcies. Contractual loan level cash flows within the expected loss methodology are adjusted for the Company’s historical prepayment and curtailment rate experience.

The individual reserve assessment is applied to collateral dependent loans where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulty or when the Company determines that a foreclosure is probable. The determination of the fair value of the collateral depends on whether a repayment of the loan is expected to be from the sale or the operation of the collateral. When a repayment is expected from the operation of the collateral, the Company uses the present value of expected cash flows from the operation of the collateral as the fair value. When the repayment of the loan is expected from the sale of the collateral the fair value of the collateral is based on an observable market price or the collateral’s appraised value, less estimated costs to sell. Third-party appraisals used in the individual reserve assessment are conducted at least annually with underlying assumptions that are reviewed by management. Third-party appraisals may be obtained on a more frequent basis if deemed necessary. Internal evaluations of collateral value are conducted quarterly to ensure any further deterioration of the collateral value is recognized on a timely basis. During the individual reserve assessment, management also considers the potential future changes in the value of the collateral over the remainder of the loan’s remaining life. The Company may receive updated appraisals which contradict the preliminary determination of fair value used to establish an individual allowance on a loan. In these instances the individual allowance is adjusted to reflect the Company’s evaluation of the updated appraised fair value. In the event a loss was previously determined and the loan was charged down to the estimated fair value based on a previous appraisal, the balance of the partially charged-off loan is not subsequently increased, but could be further decreased depending on the direction of the change in fair value. Payments on fully or partially charged-off loans are accounted for under the cost-recovery method. Under this method, all payments received are applied on a cash basis to reduce the outstanding principal balance, then to recognize a recovery of all previously charged-off amounts before any interest income may be recognized. Based on the individual reserve assessment, if the Company determines that the fair value of the collateral is less than the amortized cost basis of the loan, an individual allowance will be established measured as the difference between the fair value of the collateral (less costs to sell) and the amortized cost basis of the loan. Once a loss has been determined, the loan is charged-down to its estimated fair value.

Management believes it uses relevant information available to make determinations about the allowance and reserve for unfunded commitments and that it has established the existing reserves in accordance with GAAP. However, the determination of the allowance requires significant judgment, and estimates of expected lifetime losses in the loan portfolio can vary significantly from the amounts actually observed. While management uses available information to recognize expected losses, future additions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in the loans comprising the portfolio, changes in the current and forecasted economic conditions, changes to the interest rate environment which may directly impact prepayment and curtailment rate assumptions, and changes in the financial condition of borrowers.

Debt securities that are purchased with the positive intent and ability to be held until their maturity are classified as held-to-maturity (“HTM”). HTM debt securities are recorded at cost adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. Transfers of debt securities from available-for-sale ("AFS") category to HTM category are made at fair value as of the transfer date. The unrealized gain or loss at the date of transfer continues to be reported in accumulated other comprehensive income and in the carrying amount of the HTM securities. Both amounts are amortized over the remaining life of the security as a yield adjustment in interest income and effectively offset each other.

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 the lease commencement date, initial direct costs, any lease incentives received and, for acquired leases, any favorable or unfavorable fair value adjustments. The present value of the lease liability may include the impact of options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options provided in the lease terms. 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.

Operating segments are components of a business about which separate financial information is available and evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and assessing performance. The Bank is the Company’s only reportable operating segment upon which management makes decisions regarding how to allocate resources and assess performance. While the Company’s chief operating decision maker has some limited financial information about the Bank's various financial products and services, that information is not complete since it does not include a full allocation of revenue, costs, and capital from key corporate functions; therefore, the Company evaluates financial performance on the Company-wide basis. Management continues to evaluate these business units for separate reporting as facts and circumstances change.

Goodwill represents the excess purchase price paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. The current accounting guidance provides the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The Company assesses qualitative factors on a quarterly basis. Based on the assessment of these qualitative factors, if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit remains in excess of the carrying value, then performing a quantitative impairment test is not necessary. However, if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the carrying value exceeds the fair value, a quantitative analysis is required to determine whether an impairment exists.

impairment test for the two reporting units, which included both qualitative and quantitative assessments, indicated that the estimated fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount and that the goodwill assigned to the Community Banking reporting unit may be at risk of impairment in future periods. The Company provided detailed disclosures regarding the 2023 impairment analysis and the results of the testing in its annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 in its 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to the annual impairment testing process, on a quarterly basis, the Company monitors each reporting unit for any triggering events and performs qualitative assessments of impairment indicators.

During the first quarter of 2024, the Company determined that there were no triggering events and completed the qualitative assessment of impairment indicators, which included an assessment of changes in macroeconomic conditions and comparison of the actual operating performance to the forecast used in the most recent annual impairment test. Based on these considerations, the Company concluded that it was more-likely-than-not that the fair value of our reporting units remained above the respective carrying amounts as of March 31, 2024.

Other intangible assets have finite lives and are reviewed for impairment annually. These assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line or sum-of-the-years basis over varying periods that initially did not exceed 15 years. Intangible assets are reviewed or analyzed periodically to determine if it appears that their value has diminished beyond the value in the financial statements. The review or analysis of the intangible assets did not indicate that any impairment occurred during the first quarter of 2024.

In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-02, "Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method". ASU 2023-02 allows reporting entities to elect to account for qualifying tax equity investments using the proportional amortization method, regardless of the program giving rise to the related income tax credits. The amendment in this ASU also removes the specialized guidance for low-income-housing tax credit investments that are not accounted for using the proportional amortization method and instead require that those LIHTC investments be accounted for using the guidance in other GAAP. The Company fully adopted this update effective January 1, 2024 on a prospective basis. The adoption of this pronouncement did not have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures", which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments' significant expenses on an interim and annual basis. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Entities must adopt this ASU on a retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. Currently, the Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”. ASU 2023-09 improves the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring entities to provide greater disaggregation of information on income taxes paid and on the rate reconciliation disclosures. This pronouncement also requires qualitative discussion of the primary state and local jurisdictions for income taxes and the type of reconciling categories. For public business entities, this ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.