Note 15 — Derivatives and Hedging Activities

Accounting Policy for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

FASB ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), provides the disclosure requirements for derivatives and hedging activities with the intent to provide users of financial statements with an enhanced understanding of: (a) how and why an entity uses derivative instruments, (b) how the entity accounts for derivative instruments and related hedged items, and (c) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Further, qualitative disclosures are required that explain the Company’s objectives and strategies for using derivatives, as well as quantitative disclosures about the fair value of and gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative instruments.

As required by ASC 815, the Company records all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value.  The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative, whether the Company has elected to designate a derivative in a hedging relationship and apply hedge accounting and whether the hedging relationship has satisfied the criteria necessary to apply hedge accounting. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Derivatives may also be designated as hedges of the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in a foreign operation. Hedge accounting generally provides for the matching of the timing of gain or loss recognition on the hedging instrument with the recognition of the changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk in a fair value hedge or the earnings effect of the hedged forecasted transactions in a cash flow hedge.  The Company may enter into derivative contracts that are intended to economically hedge certain of its risk, even though hedge accounting does not apply or the Company elects not to apply hedge accounting.

Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives

The Company is exposed to certain risks arising from both its business operations and economic conditions.  The Company principally manages its exposures to a wide variety of business and operational risks through management of its core business activities. The Company manages economic risks, including interest rate, liquidity, and credit risk primarily by managing the amount, sources, and duration of its assets and liabilities and the use of derivative financial instruments.  Specifically, the Company enters into derivative financial instruments to manage exposures that arise from business activities that result in the receipt or payment of future known and uncertain cash amounts, the value of which are determined by interest rates.  The Company’s derivative financial instruments are used to manage differences in the amount, timing, and duration of the Company’s known or expected cash receipts and its known or expected cash payments principally related to the Company’s borrowings.  

Non-Designated Hedges

Derivatives not designated as hedges are not speculative and result from a service the Company provides to certain customers.  The Company executes interest rate swaps with commercial banking customers to facilitate their respective risk management strategies.  Those interest rate swaps are simultaneously hedged by offsetting derivatives that the Company executes with a third party, such that the Company minimizes its net risk exposure resulting from such transactions.  As the interest rate derivatives associated with this program do not meet the strict hedge accounting requirements, changes in the fair value of both the customer derivatives and the offsetting derivatives are recognized directly in earnings.  

The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as well as their classification on the Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2020. No such instruments were outstanding as of December 31, 2019.

The table below presents the effect of the Company’s derivative financial instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments on the Income Statement as of September 30, 2020. No such instruments were outstanding as of December 31, 2019.

Fee income recognized from the Company's derivative financial instruments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $0 and $512,000, respectively.

The table below presents a gross presentation, the effects of offsetting, and a net presentation of the Company’s derivatives as of September 30, 2020. The net amounts of derivative assets or liabilities can be reconciled to the tabular disclosure of fair value. The tabular disclosure of fair value provides the location that derivative assets and liabilities are presented on the Balance Sheet.

The Company has agreements with each of its derivative counterparties that contain a provision where if the Company either defaults or is capable of being declared in default on any of its indebtedness, then the Company could also be declared in default on its derivative obligations. In addition, these agreements may also require the Company to post additional collateral should it fail to maintain its status as a well- or adequately- capitalized institution.

As of September 30, 2020, the fair value of derivatives in a net liability position, which includes accrued interest but excludes any adjustment for nonperformance risk, related to these agreements was $1.1 million. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had posted $1.2 million of collateral related to these agreements and is essentially over-collateralized since its net liability position is $77,000 ($1.0 million fair value of assets less $1.1 million fair value of liabilities) as of the end of the period. If the Company had breached any of the provisions described above at September 30, 2020, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements at their termination value of $1.1 million.