LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN LOSSES | 5. LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN LOSSES Major classifications of loans at the periods indicated were as follows: September 30, December 31, 2020 2019 (In thousands) Commercial real estate $ 812,139 $ 816,886 Residential real estate: Residential 1-4 family 608,350 597,727 Home equity 104,019 102,517 Commercial and industrial Paycheck protection program (“PPP”) loans 223,104 — Commercial and industrial 222,290 248,893 Consumer 5,541 5,747 Total gross loans 1,975,443 1,771,770 Unamortized PPP loan fees (4,810 ) — Unearned premiums and deferred loan fees and costs, net 3,754 4,264 Allowance for loan losses (20,692 ) (14,102 ) Net loans $ 1,953,695 $ 1,761,932 There were no purchases of loans during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and year ended December 31, 2019. Loans Serviced for Others. The Company has transferred a portion of its originated commercial loans to participating lenders. The amounts transferred have been accounted for as sales and are therefore not included in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets. We continue to service the loans on behalf of the participating lenders. We share with participating lenders, on a pro-rata basis, any gains or losses that may result from a borrower’s lack of compliance with contractual terms of the loan. At September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company was servicing commercial loans participated out to various other institutions totaling $ 41.3 24.2 Residential real estate mortgages are originated by the Bank both for its portfolio and for sale into the secondary market. The Bank may sell its loans to institutional investors such as the FHLMC. Under loan sale and servicing agreements with the investor, the Bank generally continues to service the residential real estate mortgages. The Bank pays the investor an agreed upon rate on the loan, which is less than the interest rate received from the borrower. The Bank retains the difference as a fee for servicing the residential real estate mortgages. The Bank capitalizes mortgage servicing rights at their fair value upon sale of the related loans, amortizes the asset over the estimated life of the serviced loan, and periodically assesses the asset for impairment. The significant assumptions used by a third party to estimate the fair value of capitalized servicing rights at September 30, 2020, include weighted average prepayment speed for the portfolio using the Public Securities Association Standard Prepayment Model ( 300 12.06 0.25 84.44 At September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company was servicing residential mortgage loans owned by investors totaling $ 40.5 48.2 36,000 52,000 A summary of the activity in the balances of mortgage servicing rights follows: Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 (In thousands) Balance at the beginning of period: $ 186 $ 219 Capitalized mortgage servicing rights — — Amortization (16 ) (49 ) Write-down of mortgage servicing asset to fair value (2 ) (2 ) Balance at the end of period $ 168 $ 168 Fair value at the end of period $ 168 $ 168 Loans are recorded at the principal amount outstanding, adjusted for charge-offs, unearned premiums and deferred loan fees and costs. Interest on loans is calculated using the effective yield method on daily balances of the principal amount outstanding and is credited to income on the accrual basis to the extent it is deemed collectable. Our general policy is to discontinue the accrual of interest when principal or interest payments are delinquent 90 days or more based on the contractual terms of the loan, or earlier if the loan is considered impaired. Any unpaid amounts previously accrued on these loans are reversed from income. Subsequent cash receipts are applied to the outstanding principal balance or to interest income if, in the judgment of management, collection of the principal balance is not in question. Loans are returned to accrual status when they become current as to both principal and interest and perform in accordance with contractual terms for a period of at least six months, reducing the concern as to the collectability of principal and interest. Loan fees and certain direct loan origination costs are deferred, and the net fee or cost is recognized as an adjustment to interest income over the estimated average lives of the related loans. The allowance for loan losses is established through provisions for loan losses charged to expense. Loans are charged-off against the allowance when management believes that the collectability of the principal is unlikely. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. The allowance for loan losses is evaluated on a regular basis by management. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available. The allowance consists of general, allocated, and unallocated components, as further described below. General component The general component of the allowance for loan losses is based on historical loss experience adjusted for qualitative factors stratified by the following loan segments: residential real estate (includes one-to-four family and home equity), commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, and consumer. Management uses a rolling average of historical losses based on a time frame appropriate to capture relevant loss data for each loan segment. This historical loss factor is adjusted for the following qualitative factors: trends in delinquencies and nonperforming loans; trends in volume and terms of loans; effects of changes in risk selection and underwriting standards and other changes in lending policies, procedures and practices; and national and local economic trends and industry conditions. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has put significant pressure on the local business community and increased unemployment. On March 23, 2020, the Governor of Massachusetts issued an emergency order requiring all businesses and organizations that do not provide COVID-19 essential services to close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public from March 24, 2020 until April 7, 2020, which was subsequently extended to May 18, 2020. The order put significant pressure on the local business community. The Company’s market area implemented a four-phase reopening plan. State and local governments are closely monitoring key public health data as the situation continues to evolve. On July 8, 2020, Massachusetts entered the first step of Phase 3 of the re-opening plan; however, on August 7, 2020, Massachusetts’ Governor Baker, indefinitely postponed the second step of Phase 3 of the plan. On September 29, 2020, Governor Baker announced that effective October 5, 2020, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would transition to the second step of Phase 3 only in lower-risk communities. Lower-risk communities are defined as cities or towns that have not been a “red” community in any of the last three weekly Department of Public Health weekly reports. Under the final phase of the reopening plan, the “new normal,” businesses will not be allowed to resume normal operations until an effective treatment or vaccine is discovered. Because of the mandated shutdowns, a record number of individuals filed for unemployment benefits. Sectors that have been materially impacted include, but are not limited to: hospitality, retail, restaurant and food service, and fuel services. Beginning in March 2020, the Bank added a new qualitative factor category to the allowance calculation – “Economic Impact of COVID-19". The allocation of additional reserves for the COVID-19 qualitative factor at September 30, 2020 was based upon an analysis of the loan portfolio that included identifying borrowers sensitive to the shutdown (i.e. accommodation and food service, recreation, construction, manufacturing, and wholesale & retail trade) as well as a general allocation for the negative economic outlook given the record number of unemployment benefits claims during the period. In addition, on an ongoing basis, the Company has continually evaluated the loan portfolio acquired on October 24, 2016 from Chicopee Bancorp, Inc. (“Chicopee”). The acquired portfolio was initially recorded at fair value without a related allowance for loan losses. Subsequent to acquisition, there have been no indications that there has been any subsequent deterioration to the acquired portfolio. Due to the ongoing impacts and extended nature of the pandemic, during the three months ended September 30, 2020, the Company determined that it was prudent to provide an allowance for loan losses related to the acquired portfolio. Excluding the COVID-19 qualitative factor category and the allowance for the acquired loan portfolio, there were no additional changes in our policies or methodology pertaining to the general component of the allowance for loan losses during the periods presented for disclosure. The qualitative factors are determined based on the various risk characteristics of each loan segment. Risk characteristics relevant to each portfolio segment are as follows: Residential real estate 80 Commercial real estate . Commercial and industrial loans Consumer loans Allocated component The allocated component relates to loans that are classified as impaired. Impaired loans are identified by analysis of loan performance, internal credit ratings and watch list loans that management believes are subject to a higher risk of loss. Impairment is measured on a loan by loan basis for commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. An allowance is established when the discounted cash flows (or collateral value) of the impaired loan is lower than the carrying value of that loan. Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment. Accordingly, we do not separately identify individual consumer and residential real estate loans for impairment disclosures, unless such loans are subject to a troubled debt restructuring agreement. A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that we will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. We determine the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our borrower’s ability to repay and therefore the classification of a loan as impaired is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence as it is highly dependent upon the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures. Unallocated component An unallocated component may be maintained to cover uncertainties that could affect management’s estimate of probable losses. The unallocated component of the allowance, if any, reflects the margin of imprecision inherent in the underlying assumptions used in the methodologies for estimating allocated and general reserves in the portfolio. An analysis of changes in the allowance for loan losses by segment Commercial Residential Commercial and Industrial Consumer Unallocated Total (In thousands) Three Months Ended Balance at June 30, 2019 $ 5,690 $ 3,619 $ 2,960 $ 153 $ 1 $ 12,423 Provision (credit) 844 312 63 81 (25 ) 1,275 Charge-offs (200 ) (180 ) (20 ) (70 ) — (470 ) Recoveries — 26 5 13 — 44 Balance at September 30, 2019 $ 6,334 $ 3,777 $ 3,008 $ 177 $ (24 ) $ 13,272 Balance at June 30, 2020 $ 10,271 $ 4,167 $ 3,564 $ 237 $ 14 $ 18,253 Provision (credit) 2,103 117 458 50 (3 ) 2,725 Charge-offs — (26 ) (325 ) (37 ) — (388 ) Recoveries 58 1 37 6 — 102 Balance at September 30, 2020 $ 12,432 $ 4,259 $ 3,734 $ 256 $ 11 $ 20,692 Nine Months Ended Balance at December 31, 2018 $ 5,260 $ 3,556 $ 3,114 $ 135 $ (12 ) $ 12,053 Provision (credit) 644 498 397 148 (12 ) 1,675 Charge-offs (419 ) (305 ) (514 ) (155 ) — (1,393 ) Recoveries 849 28 11 49 — 937 Balance at September 30, 2019 $ 6,334 $ 3,777 $ 3,008 $ 177 $ (24 ) $ 13,272 Balance at December 31, 2019 $ 6,807 $ 3,920 $ 3,183 $ 203 $ (11 ) $ 14,102 Provision (credit) 5,674 406 1,057 116 22 7,275 Charge-offs (107 ) (135 ) (544 ) (96 ) — (882 ) Recoveries 58 68 38 33 — 197 Balance at September 30, 2020 $ 12,432 $ 4,259 $ 3,734 $ 256 $ 11 $ 20,692 The following table presents information pertaining to the allowance for loan losses by segment Commercial Residential Commercial and Industrial Consumer Unallocated Total (In thousands) September 30, 2020 Amount of allowance for impaired loans $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — Amount of allowance for non-impaired loans 12,432 4,259 3,734 256 11 20,692 Total allowance for loan losses $ 12,432 $ 4,259 $ 3,734 $ 256 $ 11 $ 20,692 Impaired loans $ 11,203 $ 3,889 $ 5,599 $ 29 $ — $ 20,720 Non-impaired loans 793,577 705,993 439,048 5,512 — 1,944,130 Impaired loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality 7,359 2,487 747 — — 10,593 Total loans $ 812,139 $ 712,369 $ 445,394 $ 5,541 $ — $ 1,975,443 December 31, 2019 Amount of allowance for impaired loans $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — Amount of allowance for non-impaired loans 6,807 3,920 3,183 203 (11 ) 14,102 Total allowance for loan losses $ 6,807 $ 3,920 $ 3,183 $ 203 $ (11 ) $ 14,102 Impaired loans $ 3,457 $ 3,575 $ 588 $ 42 $ — $ 7,662 Non-impaired loans 805,007 694,080 247,499 5,705 — 1,752,291 Impaired loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality 8,422 2,589 806 — — 11,817 Total loans $ 816,886 $ 700,244 $ 248,893 $ 5,747 $ — $ 1,771,770 Past Due and Non-accrual Loans. The following tables present an age analysis of past due loans, excluding PPP loans, as of the dates indicated: 30 – 59 Days 60 – 89 Days 90 Days or Total Past Due Total Current Loans Total Loans Non-Accrual (In thousands) September 30, 2020 Commercial real estate $ 651 $ 539 $ 1,459 $ 2,649 $ 809,490 $ 812,139 $ 1,846 Residential real estate: Residential 1,490 741 748 2,979 605,371 608,350 4,848 Home equity — — 117 117 103,902 104,019 281 Commercial and industrial 228 88 600 916 221,374 222,290 2,203 Consumer 17 — — 17 5,524 5,541 30 Total loans $ 2,386 $ 1,368 $ 2,924 $ 6,678 $ 1,745,661 $ 1,752,339 $ 9,208 December 31, 2019 Commercial real estate $ 2,784 $ 1,234 $ 2,637 $ 6,655 $ 810,231 $ 816,886 $ 3,843 Residential real estate: Residential 2,574 683 1,433 4,690 593,037 597,727 4,548 Home equity 80 38 149 267 102,250 102,517 445 Commercial and industrial 1,356 645 148 2,149 246,744 248,893 1,003 Consumer 24 — 17 41 5,706 5,747 42 Total loans $ 6,818 $ 2,600 $ 4,384 $ 13,802 $ 1,757,968 $ 1,771,770 $ 9,881 Impaired Loans. The following is a summary of impaired loans by class: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended At September 30, 2020 September 30, 2020 September 30, 2020 Recorded Unpaid Average Interest Average Interest (In thousands) Impaired Loans (1) Commercial real estate $ 18,562 $ 19,911 $ 19,709 $ 169 $ 18,361 $ 369 Residential real estate 6,052 6,754 5,728 14 5,655 53 Home equity 324 381 384 1 413 4 Commercial and industrial 6,346 8,753 6,072 120 3,720 196 Consumer 29 43 32 — 36 — Total impaired loans $ 31,313 $ 35,842 $ 31,925 $ 304 $ 28,185 $ 622 Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended At December 31, 2019 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 Recorded Unpaid Average Interest Average Interest (In thousands) Impaired Loans (1) Commercial real estate $ 11,879 $ 13,914 $ 15,558 $ 182 $ 16,542 $ 481 Residential real estate 5,695 6,383 6,375 23 6,805 87 Home equity 469 539 406 — 408 — Commercial and industrial 1,394 4,192 3,466 37 3,743 111 Consumer 42 56 45 — 50 — Total impaired loans $ 19,479 $ 25,084 $ 25,850 $ 242 $ 27,548 $ 679 (1) Includes loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality and performing troubled debt restructurings. The majority of impaired loans are included within the non-accrual balances; however, not every loan on non-accrual status has been designated as impaired. Impaired loans include loans that have been modified in a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”). Impaired loans are individually evaluated and exclude large groups of smaller-balance homogeneous loans, such as residential mortgage loans and consumer loans, which are collectively evaluated for impairment, and loans that are measured at fair value, unless the loan is amended in a TDR. All payments received on impaired loans in non-accrual status are applied to principal. There was no interest income recognized on non-accrual impaired loans during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. The Company’s obligation to fulfill the additional funding commitments on impaired loans is generally contingent on the borrower’s compliance with the terms of the credit agreement. If the borrower is not in compliance, additional funding commitments may or may not be made at the Company’s discretion. During the third quarter of 2020, we loaned an additional $ 350,000 180,000 350,000 Troubled Debt Restructurings. Loans are designated as a TDR when, as part of an agreement to modify the original contractual terms of the loan as a result of financial difficulties of the borrower, the Bank grants the borrower a concession on the terms, that would not otherwise be considered. Typically, such concessions may consist of a reduction in interest rate to a below market rate, taking into account the credit quality of the note, extension of additional credit based on receipt of adequate collateral, or a deferment or reduction of payments (principal or interest) which materially alters the Bank’s position or significantly extends the note’s maturity date, such that the present value of cash flows to be received is materially less than those contractually established at the loan’s origination. All loans that are modified are reviewed by the Company to identify if a TDR has occurred. All TDR loans are classified as impaired. When we modify loans in a TDR, we measure impairment similar to other impaired loans based on the present value of expected future cash flows, discounted at the contractual interest rate of the original loan agreement, or use the current fair value of the collateral, less selling costs for collateral dependent loans. If we determine that the value of the modified loan is less than the recorded investment in the loan (net of previous charge-offs, deferred loan fees or costs and unamortized premium or discount), impairment is recognized through a specific allowance or a charge-off to the allowance. Non-performing TDRs are included in non-performing loans. Loans modifications classified as TDRs during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 are included in the table below. Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 September 30, 2020 Number of Contracts Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment Number of Contracts Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment (Dollars in thousands) (Dollars in thousands) Troubled Debt Restructurings Commercial Real Estate — $ — $ — 5 $ 4,884 $ 4,884 Commercial and Industrial 1 18 18 10 4,541 4,541 Total 1 $ 18 $ 18 15 $ 9,425 $ 9,425 Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 Number of Contracts Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment Number of Contracts Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment (Dollars in thousands) (Dollars in thousands) Troubled Debt Restructurings Commercial Real Estate — $ — $ — 2 $ 2,032 $ 2,032 Commercial and Industrial — — — 2 383 383 Total — $ — $ — 4 $ 2,415 $ 2,415 During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, no 440,000 no Loans Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality. The following is a summary of loans acquired in the Chicopee Bancorp, Inc. (“Chicopee”) acquisition with evidence of credit deterioration as of September 30, 2020 and 2019. Contractual Cash Expected Non-Accretable Accretable Loans (In thousands) Balance at December 31, 2019 $ 20,689 $ 15,909 $ 4,780 $ 4,092 $ 11,817 Collections (1,956 ) (1,431 ) (525 ) (241 ) (1,190 ) Dispositions (300 ) (255 ) (45 ) (221 ) (34 ) Balance at September 30, 2020 $ 18,433 $ 14,223 $ 4,210 $ 3,630 $ 10,593 Contractual Cash Expected Non-Accretable Accretable Loans (In thousands) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ 24,793 $ 19,883 $ 4,910 $ 4,854 $ 15,029 Collections (2,313 ) (2,187 ) (126 ) (487 ) (1,700 ) Dispositions (242 ) (242 ) — (199 ) (43 ) Balance at September 30, 2019 $ 22,238 $ 17,454 $ 4,784 $ 4,168 $ 13,286 Credit Quality Information. The Company utilizes an eight-grade internal loan rating system for commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans. Performing residential real estate, home equity and consumer loans are grouped with “Pass” rated loans. Non-performing residential real estate, home equity and consumer loans are monitored individually for impairment and risk rated as “substandard.” Loans rated 1 – 4 Loans rated 5 Loans rated 6 Loans rated 7 Loans rated 8 On an annual basis, or more often if needed, we formally review the ratings on all commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans. In addition, management utilizes delinquency reports, the criticized report and other loan reports to monitor credit quality. In addition, at least on an annual basis, the Company contracts with an external loan review company to review the internal credit ratings assigned to loans in the commercial loan portfolio on a pre-determined schedule, based on the type, size, rating, and overall risk of the loan. During the course of its review, the third party examines a sample of loans, including new loans, existing relationships over certain dollar amounts and classified assets. The following table presents our loans by risk rating for the periods indicated: Commercial Residential Home Equity Commercial and Industrial Consumer Total (In thousands) September 30, 2020 Pass (Rated 1 – 4) $ 706,435 $ 602,420 $ 103,575 $ 410,141 $ 5,512 $ 1,828,083 Special Mention (Rated 5) 76,650 — — 18,104 — 94,754 Substandard (Rated 6) 29,054 5,930 444 17,149 29 52,606 Total $ 812,139 $ 608,350 $ 104,019 $ 445,394 $ 5,541 $ 1,975,443 December 31, 2019 Pass (Rated 1 – 4) $ 766,124 $ 591,911 $ 101,908 $ 222,847 $ 5,705 $ 1,688,495 Special Mention (Rated 5) 23,138 — — 2,796 — 25,934 Substandard (Rated 6) 27,624 5,816 609 23,250 42 57,341 Total $ 816,886 $ 597,727 $ 102,517 $ 248,893 $ 5,747 $ 1,771,770 |