Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiaries
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) is a bank holding company whose principal activity is the ownership and management of its wholly owned subsidiary, Lakeland Bank (“Lakeland”). Lakeland operates under a state bank charter and provides full banking services and, as a state bank, is subject to regulation by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Lakeland generates commercial, mortgage and consumer loans and receives deposits from customers located primarily in northern and central New Jersey and the metropolitan New York area. Lakeland also provides non-deposit products, such as securities brokerage services including mutual funds, variable annuities and insurance.
Lakeland operates as a commercial bank offering a wide variety of commercial loans and, to a lesser degree, consumer credits. Its primary strategic aim is to establish a reputation and market presence as the “small and middle market business bank” in its principal markets. Lakeland funds its loans primarily by offering demand deposit, savings and money market, and time deposit accounts to commercial enterprises, individuals and municipalities in the communities we serve. Additionally, it originates residential mortgage loans and services such loans which are owned by other investors. Lakeland also has an equipment finance division which provides loans to finance equipment primarily to small and medium-sized business clients and an asset-based lending department which specializes in utilizing particular assets to fund the working capital needs of borrowers. The Company also provides warehouse lines of credit used by mortgage bankers to originate one-to-four family residential mortgage loans that are pre-sold into the secondary mortgage market, which includes state and national banks, national mortgage banking firms, insurance companies and government-sponsored enterprises, including the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and others.
The Company and Lakeland are subject to regulations of certain state and federal agencies and, accordingly, are periodically examined by those regulatory authorities. As a consequence of the extensive regulation of commercial banking activities, Lakeland’s business is particularly susceptible to being affected by state and federal legislation and regulations.
Basis of Financial Statement Presentation
The accounting and reporting policies of the Company and its subsidiaries conform with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and predominant practices within the banking industry. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, Lakeland, Lakeland NJ Investment Corp., Lakeland Investment Corp., Lakeland Equity, Inc. and Lakeland Preferred Equity, Inc. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain reclassifications have been made in the consolidated financial statements to conform with current year classifications.
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 at the date of the financial statements. These estimates and assumptions also affect reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The principal estimate that is particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relates to the allowance for credit losses on loans. The policies regarding this estimate are discussed below.
The Company’s chief operating decision maker is its Chief Executive Officer. All of the Company’s financial services activities are interrelated and each activity is dependent and assessed based on how each of the activities of the Company supports the others. For example, commercial lending is dependent upon the ability of the Company to fund itself with deposits and other borrowings and to manage interest rate and credit risk. The situation is also similar for consumer and residential mortgage lending. Moreover, the Company primarily operates in one market area, northern and central New Jersey, metropolitan New York and contiguous areas. Therefore, all significant operating decisions are based upon analysis of the Company as one operating segment or unit. Accordingly, the Company has determined that it has one operating segment and thus one reporting segment.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents are defined as cash on hand, cash items in the process of collection, amounts due from banks and federal funds sold with an original maturity of three months or less. A portion of Lakeland’s cash on hand and on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank was required to meet regulatory reserve and clearing requirements.
Securities
Debt investment securities are classified as held to maturity or available for sale. Management determines the appropriate classification of securities at the time of purchase. Investments in securities, for which management has both the ability and intent to hold to maturity, are classified as held to maturity and carried at cost, adjusted for the amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts computed by the effective interest method. Investments in debt securities, which management believes may be sold prior to maturity due to changes in interest rates, prepayment risk, liquidity requirements or other factors, are classified as available for sale. Net unrealized gains and losses for such securities, net of tax effect, are reported as other comprehensive income or loss in stockholders’ equity and excluded from the determination of net income. Gains or losses on disposition of securities are based on the net proceeds and the adjusted carrying amount of the securities sold using the specific identification method.
For securities available for sale, the Company incorporates both qualitative and quantitative information when determining if impairment is related to credit loss or non-credit loss. Management may consider the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, adverse changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency, a security’s market yield as compared to similar securities and adverse conditions related to the security, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss exists and an allowance is created, limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Subsequent activity related to the credit loss component in the form of write-offs or recoveries is recognized as part of the allowance for credit losses on securities available for sale.
The allowance for credit losses on held-to-maturity debt securities is initially recognized upon acquisition of the securities, and subsequently remeasured on a recurring basis. Held-to-maturity securities are reviewed upon acquisition to determine whether it has experienced a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since its original issuance date, i.e., if they meet the definition of a purchased credit impaired asset (“PCDs”). Non-PCD held-to-maturity securities are carried at cost and adjusted for amortization of premiums or accretion of discounts. Expected credit losses on held-to-maturity debt securities through the life of the financial instrument are estimated and recognized as an allowance for credit losses on the balance sheet with a corresponding adjustment to current earnings. Subsequent favorable or adverse changes in expected cash flow will first decrease or increase the allowance for credit losses.
-9-