The allowance for loan losses was 2.09% of total loans at December 31, 2013, compared to 2.34% at December 31, 2012, and 2.17% at September 30, 2013. The decrease in the allowance for loan losses to total loans at December 31, 2013, was primarily due to a decline in problem loans, as well as a decline in historical charge-off levels.
Deposits totaled $1.29 billion at December 31, 2013, compared to $1.48 billion at December 31, 2012, and $1.20 billion at September 30, 2013. Noninterest-bearing deposits decreased 5% to $431.1 million at December 31, 2013, from $455.8 million, (excluding the short-term demand deposits of $271.9 million to one customer) at December 31, 2012, and increased 5% from $409.3 million at September 30, 2013. Interest-bearing demand deposits increased 25% to $195.5 million at December 31, 2013, from $156.0 million at December 31, 2012, and increased 9% from $178.8 million at September 30, 2013. Savings and money market deposits increased 21% to $328.0 million (excluding the short-term money market deposits of $19.0 million to one customer) at December 31, 2013, from $272.0 million at December 31, 2012, and increased 5% from $313.0 million at September 30, 2013. At December 31, 2013, brokered deposits decreased 43% to $55.5 million, from $97.8 million at December 31, 2012, and decreased 12% from $62.8 million at September 30, 2013. Primarily due to $27.5 million in deposits received from a law firm for legal settlements, CDARS money market and time deposits increased to $40.5 million at December 31, 2013, compared to $10.2 million at December 31, 2012, and $14.3 million at September 30, 2013. Deposits (excluding all time deposits, CDARS deposits, and short-term deposits from one customer of $19.0 million at December 31, 2013 and $271.9 million at December 31, 2012) increased $70.8 million, or 8%, to $954.6 million at December 31, 2013, from $883.8 million at December 31, 2012, and increased $53.5 million, or 6%, from $901.0 million at September 30, 2013.
The total cost of deposits decreased 4 basis points to 0.18% for the fourth quarter of 2013, from 0.22% for the fourth quarter of 2012, and decreased 1 basis point from 0.19% for the third quarter of 2013. The total cost of deposits decreased 6 basis points to 0.19% for the year ended December 31, 2013, from 0.25% for the year ended December 31, 2012.
During the third quarter of 2013, the Company completed the redemption of its $9 million floating-rate subordinated debt. Consequently, there was no subordinated debt at the end of the third and fourth quarters of 2013, compared to $9.3 million at December 31, 2012.
Tangible equity was $171.9 million at December 31, 2013, compared to $167.7 million at December 31, 2012 and $168.8 million at September 30, 2013. Tangible book value per common share was $5.78 at December 31, 2013, compared to $5.63 a year ago, and $5.67 at September 30, 2013. There were 21,004 shares of Series C Preferred Stock outstanding at December 31, 2013, December 31, 2012, and September 30, 2013, and the Series C Preferred Stock is convertible into an aggregate of 5.6 million shares of common stock at a conversion price of $3.75, upon a transfer of the Series C Preferred Stock in a widely dispersed offering. Pro forma tangible book value per common share, assuming the Company’s outstanding Series C Preferred Stock was converted into common stock, was $5.38 at December 31, 2013, compared to $5.25 a year ago, and $5.29 at September 30, 2013.
Accumulated other comprehensive loss was ($4.0) million at December 31, 2013, compared to accumulated other comprehensive income of $2.7 million a year ago, and accumulated other comprehensive loss of ($4.3) million at September 30, 2013. The decrease was primarily due to an unrealized loss on securities available-for-sale of ($1.4) million, net of taxes, at December 31, 2013, compared to an unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale of $6.9 million, net of taxes, at December 31, 2012. At September 30, 2013 the unrealized loss on securities available-for-sale was ($69,000), net of taxes. The components of other comprehensive loss, net of taxes, at December 31, 2013 include the following: an unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities of ($1.4) million; the remaining unamortized unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale transferred to held-to-maturity of $465,000; a liability adjustment on split dollar insurance contracts of ($1.9) million; a liability adjustment on the supplemental executive retirement plan of ($2.2) million; and an unrealized gain on interest-only strip from SBA loans of $956,000.
Heritage Commerce Corp, a bank holding company established in February 1998, is the parent company of Heritage Bank of Commerce, established in 1994 and headquartered in San Jose with full-service branches in Danville, Fremont, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Pleasanton, Sunnyvale, and Walnut Creek. Heritage Bank of Commerce is an SBA Preferred Lender with an additional Loan Production Office in Lincoln, California. For more information, please visit www.heritagecommercecorp.com.