NOTE 4 — INVESTMENT SECURITIES

The following is a summary of investment securities held to maturity:

The following is a summary of investment securities available for sale:

The amortized cost and estimated fair value of investment securities at March 31, 2012, by contractual maturity, are shown below. Although mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations have contractual maturities through 2041, expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

FASB ASC 320, “Investments – Debt and Equity Securities,” amended current other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) guidance, and in accordance therewith, we periodically evaluate our investments for OTTI. For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, there were no OTTI charges recorded in earnings.

We perform periodic reviews for impairment in accordance with FASB ASC 320. Gross unrealized losses on investment securities available for sale, the estimated fair value of the related securities and the number of securities aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position, were as follows as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

All individual securities that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or longer as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 had investment grade ratings upon purchase. The issuers of these securities have not established any cause for default on these securities and the various rating agencies have reaffirmed these securities’ long-term investment grade status as of March 31, 2012. These securities have fluctuated in value since their purchase dates as market interest rates have fluctuated.

The unrealized losses on investments in U.S. agency securities were caused by interest rate increases subsequent to the purchase of these securities. The contractual terms of these investments do not permit the issuer to settle the securities at a price less than par. Because the Bank does not intend to sell the securities in this class and it is not likely that the Bank will be required to sell these securities before recovery of their amortized cost basis, which may include holding each security until contractual maturity, the unrealized losses on these investments are not considered other-than-temporarily impaired.

Of the residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations portfolio in an unrealized loss position at March 31, 2012, all of them are issued and guaranteed by U.S. government sponsored entities. The unrealized losses on residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations were caused by changes in market interest rates or the widening of market spreads subsequent to the initial purchase of these securities, and were not caused by concerns regarding the underlying credit of the issuers or the underlying collateral. It is expected that these securities will not be settled at a price less than the amortized cost of each investment. Because the decline in fair value is attributable to changes in interest rates or widening market spreads and not credit quality, and because the Bank does not intend to sell the securities in this class and it is not likely that the Bank will be required to sell these securities before recovery of their amortized cost basis, which may include holding each security until contractual maturity, the unrealized losses on these investments are not considered other-than-temporarily impaired.

The unrealized losses on corporate bonds are not considered other-than-temporarily impaired as the bonds are rated investment grade and there are no credit quality concerns with the issuers. Interest payments have been made as agreed and management believe this will continue in the future and the bond will be repaid in full as scheduled.

FASB ASC 320 requires other-than-temporarily impaired investment securities to be written down when fair value is below amortized cost in circumstances where: (1) an entity has the intent to sell a security; (2) it is more likely than not that an entity will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis; or (3) an entity does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security. If an entity intends to sell a security or if it is more likely than not the entity will be required to sell the security before recovery, an OTTI write-down is recognized in earnings equal to the entire difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and its fair value. If an entity does not intend to sell the security or it is not more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery, the OTTI write-down is separated into an amount representing credit loss, which is recognized in earnings, and the amount related to all other factors, which is recognized in other comprehensive income. We do not intend to sell these securities and it is not more likely than not that we will be required to sell the investments before the recovery of its amortized cost bases. Therefore, in management’s opinion, all securities that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for the past 12 months or longer as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 are not other-than-temporarily impaired, and therefore, no impairment charges as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 are warranted.

Realized gains and losses on sales of investment securities, proceeds from sales of investment securities and the tax expense on sales of investment securities were as follows for the periods indicated:

There was $1,000 in net realized gains on sales of securities available for sale during the three months ended March 31, 2012. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, $674,000 of net unrealized gain arose during the period and was included in comprehensive income. For the three months ended March 31, 2011, no investment securities were sold. For the three months ended March 31, 2011, $43,000 of net unrealized gains arose during the period and was included in comprehensive income.

Investment securities available for sale with carrying values of $39.7 million and $45.8 million as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively, were pledged to secure FHLB advances, public deposits and for other purposes as required or permitted by law.