Loans Receivable | Loans Receivable Loans outstanding, by class, are summarized in the following table: December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 1-4 family residential real estate $ 182,297,415 $ 188,043,631 Commercial real estate 396,023,034 416,575,608 Commercial 39,836,473 37,444,399 Real estate construction 61,816,380 77,217,378 Consumer and other 10,714,069 6,392,162 Total loans, gross 690,687,371 725,673,178 Unamortized loan origination fees, net (1,121,570 ) (1,423,456 ) Allowance for loan losses (9,695,387 ) (9,488,512 ) Total loans, net $ 679,870,414 $ 714,761,210 Loan Origination and Risk Management. The Company has certain lending policies and procedures in place that are designed to maximize loan income within an acceptable level of risk. Management reviews and approves these policies and procedures on a regular basis. A reporting system supplements the review process by providing management with frequent reports related to loan production, loan quality, concentrations of credit, loan delinquencies and nonperforming and potential problem loans. Diversification in the loan portfolio is a means of managing risk associated with fluctuations in economic conditions. Commercial real estate loans are generally made by the Company to entities in Georgia, Alabama, Florida and adjoining states and are secured by properties in these states. Commercial real estate lending involves additional risks compared to one- to four-family residential lending. Repayment of commercial real estate loans often depends on the successful operations and income stream of the borrowers, and commercial real estate loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers compared to residential real estate loans. The Company’s underwriting criteria for commercial real estate loans include maximum loan-to-value ratios, debt coverage ratios, secondary sources of repayment, guarantor requirements, net worth requirements and quality of cash flow. As part of the loan approval and underwriting of commercial real estate loans, management undertakes a cash flow analysis, and generally requires a debt-service coverage ratio of at least 1.15 times. In addition, management tracks the level of owner-occupied commercial real estate loans versus non-owner occupied loans. At December 31, 2015 , approximately 23.8% of the outstanding principal balance of the Company’s commercial real estate loans was secured by owner-occupied properties. The Company makes construction and land development loans primarily for the construction of one- to four-family residences but also for multi-family and nonresidential real estate projects on a select basis. The Company offers construction loans to builders including both speculative (unsold) and pre-sold loans to pre-approved local builders. The number of speculative loans that management will extend to a builder at one time depends upon the financial strength and credit history of the builder. The Company’s construction loan program is expected to remain a modest portion of the loan volume and management generally limits the number of outstanding loans on unsold homes under construction within a specific area. The Company also originates first and second mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit secured by one- to four-family residential properties within Georgia, Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Management currently originates mortgages at all branch locations, but utilizes a centralized processing location to reduce the underwriting risk. The Company originates both fixed rate and adjustable rate one- to four-family residential mortgage loans. Fixed rate 30 year conforming loans are generally originated for resale into the secondary market and loans that are non-conforming due to property exceptions and that have adjustable rates are generally retained in the Company’s portfolio. The non-conforming loans originated are not considered to be subprime loans and the amount of subprime and low documentation loans held by the Company is not material. The Company also offers home equity lines of credit as a complement to one- to four-family residential mortgage lending. The underwriting standards applicable to home equity credit lines are similar to those for one- to four-family residential mortgage loans, except for slightly more stringent credit-to-income and credit score requirements. Home equity loans are generally limited to 80% of the value of the underlying property unless the loan is covered by private mortgage insurance. At December 31, 2015 , the Company had $17.7 million of home equity lines of credit and second mortgage loans. The Company originates consumer loans that consist of loans on deposits, auto loans and various other installment loans. The Company primarily offers consumer loans as an accommodation to customers. Consumer loans tend to have a higher credit risk than residential mortgage loans because they may be secured by rapidly depreciable assets, or may be unsecured. The Company’s consumer lending generally follows accepted industry standards for non-subprime lending, including credit scores and debt to income ratios. The Company’s commercial business loans are generally limited to terms of five years or less. While management typically collateralizes these loans with a lien on commercial real estate or, much less frequently, with a lien on business assets and equipment, the primary underwriting consideration is the business cash flow. Management also generally requires the personal guarantee of the business owner. Interest rates on commercial business loans are generally higher than interest rates on residential or commercial real estate loans due to the risk inherent in this type of loan. Commercial business loans are generally considered to have more risk than residential mortgage loans or commercial real estate loans because the collateral may be in the form of intangible assets and/or readily depreciable inventory. Commercial business loans may also involve relatively large loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers, with the repayment of such loans typically dependent on the successful operation and income stream of the borrower. Such risks can be significantly affected by economic conditions. In addition, commercial business lending generally requires substantially greater supervision efforts by management compared to residential mortgage or commercial real estate lending. The Company maintains an internal loan review function that reviews and validates the credit risk program on a periodic basis. Results of these reviews are presented to management. The loan review process complements and reinforces the risk identification and assessment decisions made by lenders and credit personnel, as well as the Company’s policies and procedures. Nonaccrual and Past Due Loans. An aging analysis of past due loans, segregated by class of loans, at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 was as follows: December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 Current $ 685,012,523 $ 718,875,005 Accruing past due loans: 30-89 days past due 1-4 family residential real estate 1,028,481 692,019 Commercial real estate 2,037,207 1,748,329 Commercial 79,057 94,602 Real estate construction — — Consumer and other 17,622 44,951 Total 30-89 days past due 3,162,367 2,579,901 90 days or greater past due (1) 1-4 family residential real estate 31,958 32,217 Commercial real estate 17,542 72,273 Commercial — — Real estate construction — — Consumer and other — — Total 90 days or greater past due 49,500 104,490 Total accruing past due loans 3,211,867 2,684,391 Nonaccruing loans: (2) 1-4 family residential real estate 1,111,040 1,469,088 Commercial real estate 1,210,339 2,513,204 Commercial 137,152 126,432 Real estate construction — — Consumer and other 4,450 5,058 Nonaccruing loans 2,462,981 4,113,782 Total loans $ 690,687,371 $ 725,673,178 ________________________________ (1) Previously covered loans in the amount of $35,496 and $90,226 at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 , respectively, are regarded as accruing loans and included in this section. These loans which are accounted for under ASC 310-30 are reported as accruing loans because of accretable discounts established at the time of acquisition. (2) Previously covered loans in the amount of $655,777 and $4.8 million at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 , respectively, are regarded as accruing loans and excluded from the nonaccrual section due to the ongoing recognition of accretion income established at the time of acquisition. Impaired Loans. The Company evaluates “impaired” loans, which includes nonperforming loans and accruing troubled debt restructured loans, having risk characteristics that are unique to an individual borrower on a loan-by-loan basis with balances above a specified level. For smaller loans, the allowance is calculated based on the credit grade utilizing historical loss experience and other qualitative factors. Impaired loans for the periods ended December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 , segregated by class of loans are presented below. At December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 , there was no recorded allowance for loan losses on impaired loans. Three Months Ended Recorded Investment Unpaid Principal Balance Average Investment in Impaired Loans Interest Income Recognized 1-4 family residential real estate $ 1,262,929 $ 1,820,079 $ 1,277,937 $ 1,817 Commercial real estate 8,337,154 10,310,327 8,378,754 115,340 Commercial 137,152 252,880 144,734 — Real estate construction — — — — Total impaired loans $ 9,737,235 $ 12,383,286 $ 9,801,425 $ 117,157 The recorded investment in accruing troubled debt restructured loans (“TDR”) at December 31, 2015 totaled $7.3 million and is included in the impaired loan table above. Year Ended September 30, 2015 Recorded Investment Unpaid Principal Balance Average Investment in Impaired Loans Interest Income Recognized 1-4 family residential real estate $ 1,621,663 $ 2,166,477 $ 1,694,775 $ 14,472 Commercial real estate 8,421,326 10,406,885 8,611,964 346,819 Commercial 126,432 241,581 158,547 298 Real estate construction — — — — Total impaired loans $ 10,169,421 $ 12,814,943 $ 10,465,286 $ 361,589 The recorded investment in accruing troubled debt restructured loans at September 30, 2015 totaled $6.0 million and is included in the impaired loan table above. Loans are classified as restructured by the Company when certain modifications are made to the loan terms and concessions are granted to the borrowers due to financial difficulty experienced by those borrowers. The Company only restructures loans for borrowers in financial difficulty that have presented a viable business plan to fully pay off all obligations, including outstanding debt, interest, and fees, either by generating additional income from the business or through liquidation of assets. Generally, these loans are restructured to provide the borrower additional time to execute upon their plans. The concessions granted on TDRs generally include terms to reduce the interest rate or extend the term of the debt obligation. Loans on nonaccrual status at the date of modification are initially classified as nonaccrual TDRs. Loans on accruing status at the date of concession are initially classified as accruing TDRs if the loan is reasonably assured of repayment and performance is expected in accordance with its modified terms. Such loans may be designated as nonaccrual loans subsequent to the concession date if reasonable doubt exists as to the collection of interest or principal under the restructuring agreement. TDRs are returned to accruing status when there is economic substance to the restructuring, there is documented credit evaluation of the borrower’s financial condition, the remaining balance is reasonably assured of repayment in accordance with its modified terms, and the borrower has demonstrated sustained repayment performance in accordance with the modified terms for a reasonable period of time (generally a minimum of six months ). There were no new troubled debt restructurings in the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 . At December 31, 2015 , restructured loans with a modified balance of $7.3 million were accruing and $317,280 were nonaccruing while restructured loans with a modified balance of $6.1 million were accruing and $1.7 million were nonaccruing at December 31, 2014 . As of December 31, 2015 , there was one loan in the amount of $108,861 that was restructured within the past twelve months and subsequently defaulted. There were no loans that defaulted within twelve months of their restructure at December 31, 2014 . Acquired Impaired Loans . The following table documents changes in the accretable discount on acquired credit impaired loans during the three months ended December 31, 2015 and the year ended September 30, 2015 : Three Months Ended December 31, 2015 Year Ended September 30, 2015 Balance, beginning of period $ 3,391,288 $ 5,843,697 Loan accretion (1,149,075 ) (5,874,337 ) Transfer from nonaccretable difference — 3,421,928 Balance, end of period $ 2,242,213 $ 3,391,288 The following table presents the outstanding balances and related carrying amounts for all purchase credit impaired loans at the periods ended December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 : December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 Contractually required payments receivable $ 27,285,534 $ 31,522,816 Carrying amount 25,566,514 27,353,545 Credit Quality Indicators . As part of the ongoing monitoring of the credit quality of the Company’s loan portfolio, management tracks certain credit quality indicators including the level of classified loans, net charge-offs, nonperforming loans (see details above) and the general economic conditions in its market areas. The Company utilizes a risk grading to assign a risk grade to each of its loans. Loans are graded on a scale of 1 to 8. The risk grade for each individual loan is determined by the loan officer and other approving officers at the time of loan origination and is adjusted from time to time to reflect an ongoing assessment of loan risk. Risk grades are reviewed on specific loans monthly for all delinquent loans as a part of monthly meetings held by the Loan Committee, quarterly for all nonaccrual and special reserve loans, and annually as part of the Company’s internal loan review process. In addition, individual loan risk grades are reviewed in connection with all renewals, extensions and modifications. The following table presents the risk grades of the loan portfolio, segregated by class of loans: December 31, 2015 1-4 family residential real estate Commercial real estate Commercial Real estate construction Consumer and other Total Pass (1-4) $ 178,772,466 $ 360,783,972 $ 39,108,577 $ 61,816,380 $ 10,705,770 $ 651,187,165 Special Mention (5) 193,150 8,398,086 11,467 — — 8,602,703 Substandard (6) 3,331,799 26,840,976 716,429 — 8,299 30,897,503 Doubtful (7) — — — — — — Loss (8) — — — — — — Total loans $ 182,297,415 $ 396,023,034 $ 39,836,473 $ 61,816,380 $ 10,714,069 $ 690,687,371 September 30, 2015 1-4 family residential real estate Commercial real estate Commercial Real estate construction Consumer and other Total Pass (1-4) $ 182,991,645 $ 380,049,378 $ 36,697,618 $ 77,217,378 $ 6,363,643 $ 683,319,662 Special Mention (5) 704,509 4,461,662 12,406 — — 5,178,577 Substandard (6) 4,347,477 32,064,568 734,375 — 28,519 37,174,939 Doubtful (7) — — — — — — Loss (8) — — — — — — Total loans $ 188,043,631 $ 416,575,608 $ 37,444,399 $ 77,217,378 $ 6,392,162 $ 725,673,178 Allowance for Loan Losses . The allowance for loan losses is established through a provision for loan losses charged to expense and is an amount that management believes will be adequate to absorb losses on existing loans that become uncollectible, based on evaluations of the collectability of loans. The evaluations take into consideration such factors as changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, historical loss rates, overall portfolio quality, review of specific problem loans, and current economic conditions and trends that may affect a borrower’s ability to repay. Loans are charged against the allowance for loan losses when management believes that the collectability of the principal is unlikely. Subsequent recoveries are added to the allowance. Management’s allowance for loan losses methodology is a loan classification-based system. Management bases the required reserve on a percentage of the loan balance for each type of loan and classification level. Loans may be classified manually and are automatically classified if they are not previously classified when they reach certain levels of delinquency. Unclassified loans are reserved at different percentages based on the loan loss history of the last seven years . Reserve percentages are also adjusted based upon our estimate of the effect that the current economic environment will have on each type of loan. Management segments its allowance for loan losses into the following four major categories: (1) specific reserves; (2) general allowances for Classified/Watch loans; (3) general allowances for loans with satisfactory ratings; and (4) an unallocated amount. Risk ratings are initially assigned in accordance with CharterBank’s loan and collection policy. An organizationally independent department reviews risk grade assignments on an ongoing basis. Management reviews current information and events regarding a borrowers’ financial condition and strengths, cash flows available for debt repayment, the related collateral supporting the loan and the effects of known and expected economic conditions. When the evaluation reflects a greater than normal risk associated with the individual loan, management classifies the loan accordingly. If the loan is determined to be impaired, management allocates a portion of the allowance for loan losses for that loan based on the fair value of the collateral, if the loan is considered collateral-dependent, as the measure for the amount of the impairment. Impaired and Classified/Watch loans are aggressively monitored. The allowances for loans by credit grade are further subdivided by loan type. Charter Financial has developed specific quantitative allowance factors to apply to each loan which considers loan charge-off experience over the most recent seven years by loan type. In addition, loss estimates are applied for certain qualitative allowance factors that are subjective in nature and require considerable judgment on the part of management. Such qualitative factors include economic and business conditions, the volume of past due loans, changes in the value of collateral of collateral-dependent loans, and other economic uncertainties. An unallocated component of the allowance is also established for potential losses that exist in the remainder of the portfolio, but have yet to be identified. The Company incorporates certain refinements and improvements to its allowance for loan losses methodology from time to time. During the prior fiscal year, the Company made minor refinements to the qualitative risk factors but no significant changes to its allowance methodology. The adjustments in the Company's methodology were not material to the overall allowance or provision for the three months ended December 31, 2015 or for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015 . An unallocated allowance is generally maintained in a range of 4% to 12% of the total allowance in recognition of the imprecision of the estimates and other factors. In times of greater economic downturn and uncertainty, the higher end of this range is provided. The Company maintained its allowance for loan losses for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015 , in response to inconsistent economic conditions, net charge-offs/recoveries, financial indicators for borrowers in the real estate sectors, continuing low collateral values of commercial and residential real estate, and nonaccrual and impaired loans. However, the Company did not make a provision in either period due to the overall persisting trend of declining net charge-offs and general improvement in the credit quality of the loan portfolio. The following tables are a summary of transactions in the allowance for loan losses by portfolio segment for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015 : Three Months Ended December 31, 2015 1-4 family real estate Commercial real estate Commercial Real estate construction Consumer and other Unallocated Total Allowance for loan losses: Beginning balance $ 708,671 $ 7,787,165 $ 473,342 $ 503,112 $ 16,222 $ — $ 9,488,512 Charge-offs (10,841 ) — (504 ) — (3,222 ) — (14,567 ) Recoveries 16,646 91,664 108,998 — 4,134 — 221,442 Provision (22,266 ) (675,850 ) (17,191 ) (41,689 ) 19,716 737,280 — Ending balance $ 692,210 $ 7,202,979 $ 564,645 $ 461,423 $ 36,850 $ 737,280 $ 9,695,387 Amounts allocated to: Individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — Other loans not individually evaluated 692,210 7,202,979 564,645 461,423 36,850 737,280 9,695,387 Ending balance $ 692,210 $ 7,202,979 $ 564,645 $ 461,423 $ 36,850 $ 737,280 $ 9,695,387 Loans: Amounts collectively evaluated for impairment $ 177,812,787 $ 369,590,945 $ 35,449,441 $ 61,816,380 $ 10,714,069 $ 655,383,622 Amounts individually evaluated for impairment 1,262,929 8,337,154 137,152 — — 9,737,235 Amounts related to loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality 3,221,699 18,094,935 4,249,880 — — 25,566,514 Ending balance $ 182,297,415 $ 396,023,034 $ 39,836,473 $ 61,816,380 $ 10,714,069 $ 690,687,371 Year Ended September 30, 2015 1-4 family real estate Commercial real estate Commercial Real estate construction Consumer and other Unallocated Total Allowance for loan losses: Beginning balance $ 980,265 $ 6,743,105 $ 426,438 $ 492,903 $ 44,538 $ 783,648 $ 9,470,897 Charge-offs (138,340 ) (351,841 ) (20,348 ) — (18,483 ) — (529,012 ) Recoveries 15,050 145,338 316,665 864 68,710 — 546,627 Provision (1) (148,304 ) 1,250,563 (249,413 ) 9,345 (78,543 ) (783,648 ) — Ending balance $ 708,671 $ 7,787,165 $ 473,342 $ 503,112 $ 16,222 $ — $ 9,488,512 Amounts allocated to: Individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — Other loans not individually evaluated 708,671 7,787,165 473,342 503,112 16,222 — 9,488,512 Ending balance $ 708,671 $ 7,787,165 $ 473,342 $ 503,112 $ 16,222 $ — $ 9,488,512 Loans: Amounts collectively evaluated for impairment $ 182,841,754 $ 385,614,400 $ 36,084,518 $ 77,217,378 $ 6,392,162 $ 688,150,212 Amounts individually evaluated for impairment 1,621,663 8,421,326 126,432 — — 10,169,421 Amounts related to loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality 3,580,214 22,539,882 1,233,449 — — 27,353,545 Ending balance $ 188,043,631 $ 416,575,608 $ 37,444,399 $ 77,217,378 $ 6,392,162 $ 725,673,178 ________________________________ (1) Prior to the early termination of the FDIC loss share agreements in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, only the Company’s loss share percentage of the provision for covered loan losses was recognized in the Statement of Income as a provision expense (benefit). The remainder was recorded as an increase (decrease) to the FDIC receivable for loss sharing agreements in the Statement of Financial Condition. |