Provision for income taxes:
An income tax provision of $160,000 was recorded in the first six months of 2021 compared to an income tax benefit of $102,000 recorded in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to higher taxable income earned in the 2021 period. Additionally, under the provisions of the CARES Act, the Company recorded a tax refund in excess of its deferred tax carrying value, resulting in a $57,000 credit to income tax expense in 2020.
The Company qualifies for a federal tax credit for a low-income housing project investment, and the tax provisions for each period reflected the application of the tax credit. For the first six months of 2021 and 2020, the tax credits were $451,000 in both periods, offsetting $611,000 in tax expense recorded during the six months ended June 30, 2021 and $349,000 in tax expense recorded in the comparable 2020 period. The tax credit lowered the effective tax rate from 17.3% to 4.5% during the first six months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, when the tax credit lowered the effective tax rate from 13.9% to (0.40)%.
Liquidity:
The objective of liquidity management is to ensure that sufficient funding is available, at a reasonable cost, to meet the ongoing operational cash needs of the Company and to take advantage of income producing opportunities as they arise. While the desired level of liquidity will vary depending upon a variety of factors, it is the primary goal of the Company to maintain a high level of liquidity in all economic environments. Principal sources of asset liquidity are provided by loans and securities maturing in one year or less, and other short-term investments, such as federal funds sold and cash and due from banks. Liability liquidity, which is more difficult to measure, can be met by attracting deposits and maintaining the core deposit base. The Company is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh for the purpose of providing short-term liquidity when other sources are unable to fill these needs. During the six months ended June 30, 2021, overnight borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank averaged $1,190,000. As of June 30, 2021, the Company had no short-term borrowings, but had $35,000,000 in long-term debt with the Federal Home Loan Bank with a remaining unused borrowing capacity with the Federal Home Loan Bank of $137,329,000.
The Company also has a source for obtaining brokered deposits as an additional funding alternative. As of June 30, 2021, brokered deposits of $20,000,000 were included in total interest-bearing deposits.
Funding derived from securities sold under agreements to repurchase (accounted for as collateralized financing transactions) is available through corporate cash management accounts for business customers. This product provides the Company with the ability to pay interest on corporate checking accounts.
In view of the sources previously mentioned, management believes that the Company’s liquidity is capable of providing the funds needed to meet operational cash needs.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements:
The Company’s consolidated financial statements do not reflect various off-balance sheet arrangements that are made in the normal course of business, which may involve some liquidity risk, credit risk, and interest rate risk. These commitments consist mainly of loans approved but not yet funded, unused lines of credit and outstanding letters of credit. Letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third-party. Generally, financial and performance letters of credit have expiration dates within one year of issuance, while commercial letters of credit have longer term commitments. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as the risks that are involved in extending loan facilities to customers. The Company generally holds collateral and/or personal guarantees supporting these commitments. The Company had $3,991,000 and $2,379,000 of financial and performance letters of credit commitments outstanding as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Commercial letters of credit as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 totaled $7,475,000 and $6,975,000, respectively.