Consolidated Financial Statements (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Operations and Principles of Consolidation

Nature of Operations and Principles of Consolidation: The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of First Citizens Banc Corp (FCBC) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: The Citizens Banking Company (Citizens), First Citizens Insurance Agency, Inc., Water Street Properties, Inc. (Water St.) and FC Refund Solutions, Inc (FCRS). FCRS was formed to facilitate payment of individual state and federal income tax refunds. First Citizens Capital LLC (FCC) is wholly-owned by Citizens and holds inter-company debt. The operations of FCC are located in Wilmington, Delaware. First Citizens Investments, Inc. (FCI) is wholly-owned by Citizens and holds and manages its securities portfolio. The operations of FCI are located in Wilmington, Delaware. The above companies together are referred to as the “Company.” Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2014 and its results of operations and changes in cash flows for the periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 have been made. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with instructions of Form 10-Q, and therefore certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America have been omitted. The results of operations for the period ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year. Reference is made to the accounting policies of the Company described in the notes to the financial statements contained in the Company’s 2013 annual report. The Company has consistently followed these policies in preparing this Form 10-Q.

The Company provides financial services through its offices in the Ohio counties of Erie, Crawford, Champaign, Franklin, Logan, Madison, Summit, Huron, Ottawa, and Richland. Its primary deposit products are checking, savings, and term certificate accounts, and its primary lending products are residential mortgage, commercial, and installment loans. Substantially all loans are secured by specific items of collateral including business assets, consumer assets and commercial and residential real estate. Commercial loans are expected to be repaid from cash flow from operations of businesses. The bank has one concentration to Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings totaling $99,749 million or 11.6 percent of total loans as of March 31, 2014. This portfolio predominantly consists of commercial loans financing multi-family real estate. This segment of the portfolio is stable and has been conservatively underwritten, monitored and managed by experienced commercial lenders. However, the customers’ ability to repay their loans is dependent on the real estate and general economic conditions in the area. Other financial instruments that potentially represent concentrations of credit risk include deposit accounts in other financial institutions and Federal Funds sold. First Citizens Insurance Agency, Inc. was formed to allow the Company to participate in commission revenue generated through its third party insurance agreement. Insurance commission revenue was less than 1.0% of total revenue through March 31, 2014. Water St. revenue was less than 1.0% of total revenue through March 31, 2014. Management considers the Company to operate primarily in one reportable segment, banking.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates: To prepare financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, management makes estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts reported in financial statements and the disclosures provided, and future results could differ. The allowance for loan losses, impairment of goodwill, fair values of financial instruments, deferred taxes and pension obligations are particularly subject to change.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes: Income tax expense is based on the effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the entire year. Income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax due or refundable and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between carrying amounts and tax basis of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications: Some items in the prior year financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Adoption of New Accounting Standards:

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-04, Liabilities (Topic 405): Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation Is Fixed at the Reporting Date. The objective of the amendments in this Update is to provide guidance for the recognition, measurement, and disclosure of obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of this guidance is fixed at the reporting date, except for obligations addressed within existing guidance in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Examples of obligations within the scope of this Update include debt arrangements, other contractual obligations, and settled litigation and judicial rulings. U.S. GAAP does not include specific guidance on accounting for such obligations with joint and several liability, which has resulted in diversity in practice. Some entities record the entire amount under the joint and several liability arrangements on the basis of the concept of a liability and the guidance that must be met to extinguish a liability. Other entities record less than the total amount of the obligation, such as an amount allocated, an amount corresponding to the proceeds received, or the portion of the amount the entity agreed to pay among its co-obligors, on the basis of the guidance for contingent liabilities. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. This Update became effective for the Company on January 1, 2014 and did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In April 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-07, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205): Liquidation Basis of Accounting. The amendments in this Update are being issued to clarify when an entity should apply the liquidation basis of accounting. In addition, the guidance provides principles for the recognition and measurement of assets and liabilities and requirements for financial statements prepared using the liquidation basis of accounting. The amendments require an entity to prepare its financial statements using the liquidation basis of accounting when liquidation is imminent. Liquidation is imminent when the likelihood is remote that the entity will return from liquidation and either (a) a plan for liquidation is approved by the person or persons with the authority to make such a plan effective and the likelihood is remote that the execution of the plan will be blocked by other parties or (b) a plan for liquidation is being imposed by other forces (for example, involuntary bankruptcy). If a plan for liquidation was specified in the entity’s governing documents from the entity’s inception (for example, limited-life entities), the entity should apply the liquidation basis of accounting only if the approved plan for liquidation differs from the plan for liquidation that was specified at the entity’s inception. The amendments are effective for entities that determine liquidation is imminent during annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013, and interim reporting periods therein. Entities should apply the requirements prospectively from the day that liquidation becomes imminent. Early adoption is permitted. Entities that use the liquidation basis of accounting as of the effective date in accordance with other Topics (for example, terminating employee benefit plans) are not required to apply the amendments. Instead, those entities should continue to apply the guidance in those other Topics until they have completed liquidation. This Update became effective for the Company on January 1, 2014 and did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In June 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-08, Financial Services – Investment Companies (Topic 946): Amendments to the Scope, Measurement, and Disclosure Requirements. The amendments in this Update affect the scope, measurement, and disclosure requirements for investment companies under U.S. GAAP. The amendments do all of the following: 1. Change the approach to the investment company assessment in Topic 946, clarify the characteristics of an investment company, and provide comprehensive guidance for assessing whether an entity is an investment Company. 2. Require an investment company to measure noncontrolling ownership interests in other investment companies at fair value rather than using the equity method of accounting. 3. Require the following additional disclosures: (a) the fact that the entity is an investment company and is applying the guidance in Topic 946, (b) information about changes, if any, in an entity’s status as an investment company, and (c) information about financial support provided or contractually required to be provided by an investment company to any of its investees. The amendments in this Update are effective for an entity’s interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2013. Earlier application is prohibited. This Update became effective for the Company on January 1, 2014 and did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. This Update applies to all entities that have unrecognized tax benefits when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists at the reporting date. An unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, except as follows. To the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. The assessment of whether a deferred tax asset is available is based on the unrecognized tax benefit and deferred tax asset that exist at the reporting date and should be made presuming disallowance of the tax position at the reporting date. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. This Update became effective for the Company on January 1, 2014 and did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Effect of Newly Issued but Not Yet Effective Accounting Standards

Effect of Newly Issued but Not Yet Effective Accounting Standards:

In January 2014, FASB issued ASU 2014-01, Investments – Equity Method and Join Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects. The amendments in this Update permit reporting entities to make an accounting policy election to account for their investments in qualified affordable housing projects using the proportional amortization method if certain conditions are met. Under the proportional amortization method, an entity amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits received and recognizes the net investment performance in the income statement as a component of income tax expense (benefit). The amendments in this Update should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. A reporting entity that uses the effective yield method to account for its investments in qualified affordable housing projects before the date of adoption may continue to apply the effective yield method for those preexisting investments. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for annual periods and interim reporting periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted. Adoption of this Update is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-04, Receivables – Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors (Subtopic 310-40): Reclassification of Residential Real Estate Collateralized Consumer Mortgage Loans upon Foreclosure. The amendments in this Update clarify that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. Additionally, the amendments require interim and annual disclosure of both (1) the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and (2) the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdiction. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. An entity can elect to adopt the amendments in this Update using either a modified retrospective transition method or a prospective transition method. This ASU is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.