Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

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”), which conducts a full-service commercial banking, mortgage banking and trust business. Services to individuals and businesses include accepting deposits, extending real estate, consumer and commercial loans and lines of credit, equipment leasing, general insurance, personal trust, and investment and wealth management services. The Company operates in the six Maryland counties of Anne Arundel, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's, and in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. The Company offers investment and wealth management services through the Bank’s subsidiary, West Financial Services. Insurance products are available to clients through Sandy Spring Insurance, and Neff & Associates, which are agencies of Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation.

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”) and prevailing practices within the financial services industry for interim financial information and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required for complete financial statements and prevailing practices within the banking industry. 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 six months ended June 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future periods or for the year ending December 31, 2012. 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 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 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 15, 2012. There have been no significant changes to the Company’s accounting policies as disclosed in the 2011 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 significant 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, and affect 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 and lease 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, prepayment rates, 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 an original maturity of three months or less).

Loans Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality

Loans Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality

Acquired loans are evaluated for 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 and lease losses related to the purchased loans is not carried over to the Company. 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 no evidence of credit deterioration, the fair value discount or premium is amortized over the contractual life of the loan as an adjustment to yield. 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. Increases in the present value of expected cash flows after the purchase date is recognized as an adjustment to the accretable yield. The present value of any decreases in expected cash flows after the purchase date is recognized as an impairment through a charge to the provision for loan losses. Subsequent to the purchase date, the methods utilized to estimate the required ALLL are similar to originated loans. Loans carried at fair value, mortgage loans held for sale and loans under revolving credit agreements are excluded from the scope of this guidance on loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality.

Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2011, the FASB issued a standard that requires comprehensive income to be reported in either a single statement or two consecutive statements reporting net income and other comprehensive income. The guidance does not alter the items that are reported in other comprehensive income or require reclassification of items from other comprehensive income to net income. This guidance should be applied retrospectively and is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has opted to present comprehensive income in two consecutive statements. This guidance did not have any impact on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company as it only affects the presentation of the information in the financial statements.

The FASB issued a standard in April 2011 that removed from the assessment of effective control the criterion relating to the transferor’s ability to repurchase or redeem financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even in the event of default by the transferee, as the criterion is not a determining factor of effective control. This guidance is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2011. This guidance did not have a material impact on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

In May 2011, the FASB issued guidance on fair value that applies to all entities that measure assets, liabilities or instruments classified in stockholders’ equity at fair value or provide fair value disclosures for items not recorded at fair value. The guidance clarifies how a principal market is determined, addresses the fair value measurement of instruments with offsetting market or counterparty credit risk and the concept of valuation premise and highest and best use, extends the prohibition of blockage factors to all three levels of the fair value hierarchy, and requires additional disclosures. This guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Differences in fair value measurement resulting from the application of the guidance will be recognized in income in the period of adoption as a change in estimate. Disclosure requirements will be recognized prospectively. Changes in valuation techniques and related inputs as a result of the application of the guidance in addition to an estimate of the total effect of the changes, if practicable, will be disclosed in the period of adoption. The application of this guidance did not have a significant impact on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

Other Real Estate Owned

Other Real Estate owned

Other real estate owned totaled $9.6 million and $4.4 million at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011. The increase compared to the prior year end was due primarily to balances added as a result of the CommerceFirst acquisition.