NOTE 5 – LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future, or until maturity or payoffs, are reported at their outstanding principal balances adjusted for any charge-offs, the allowance for credit losses, any deferred fees or costs on originated loans and unamortized premiums or discounts on purchased loans. Interest income is reported on the interest method and includes amortization of net deferred loan fees and costs over the loan term. Generally, all loan classes are placed on nonaccrual status not later than 90 days past due, unless the loan is well-secured and in the process of collection. All interest accrued, but not collected, for loans that are placed on nonaccrual or charged-off is reversed against interest income. The interest on these loans is accounted for on the cash-basis or cost-recovery method, until qualifying for return to accrual. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

The following table summarizes the composition of the loan portfolio:

The totals shown above are net of accretable discounts on acquired loans and deferred loan fees and costs, which totaled $0.67 million in net fees at March 31, 2025, and $0.15 million in net costs at December 31, 2024.

The risk characteristics of each loan portfolio segment are as follows:

Commercial & Industrial and Agricultural

Commercial & industrial loans and agricultural loans are primarily underwritten based on the identified cash flows of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. The cash flows of borrowers, however, may not be as expected and the collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. Most commercial loans are secured by the assets being financed or other business assets, such as accounts receivable or inventory, and may include a personal guarantee. Short-term loans may be made on an unsecured basis. In the case of loans secured by accounts receivable, the availability of funds for the repayment of these loans may be substantially dependent on the ability of the borrower to collect amounts due from its customers.

Commercial Real Estate (Owner and Nonowner Occupied)

Commercial real estate loans are viewed primarily as cash flow loans and secondarily as loans secured by real estate. Commercial real estate lending typically involves higher loan principal amounts, and the repayment of these loans is generally dependent on the successful operation of the property securing the loan or the business conducted on the property securing the loan. Commercial real estate loans may be more adversely affected by conditions in the real estate markets or in the general economy. The characteristics of properties securing the Company’s commercial real estate portfolio are diverse, but with geographic location almost entirely in the Company’s market area. Management monitors and evaluates commercial real estate loans based on collateral, geography and risk grade criteria. In general, the Company avoids financing single purpose projects unless other underwriting factors are present to help mitigate risk. In addition, management tracks the level of owner-occupied versus non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans.

Construction loans are underwritten utilizing feasibility studies, independent appraisal reviews and financial analysis of the developers and property owners. Construction loans are generally underwritten based on estimates of costs and value associated with the completed project. These estimates may be inaccurate. Construction loans often involve the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment substantially dependent on the success of the ultimate project. Sources of repayment for these types of loans may be pre-committed permanent loans from approved long-term lenders, sales of developed property or an interim loan commitment from the Company until permanent financing is obtained. These loans are closely monitored by on-site inspections and are considered to have higher risks than other real estate loans due to their ultimate repayment being sensitive to interest rate changes, governmental regulation of real property, general economic conditions and the availability of long-term financing.

Residential Real Estate, HELOC and Consumer

Residential and consumer loans consist of two segments – residential mortgage loans and personal loans. Residential mortgage loans are secured by 1-4 family residences and are generally owner-occupied, and the Company generally establishes a maximum loan-to-value ratio and requires private mortgage insurance if that ratio is exceeded. HELOCs are typically secured by a subordinate interest in 1-4 family residences, and consumer personal loans are secured by consumer personal assets, such as automobiles or recreational vehicles. Some consumer personal loans are unsecured, such as small installment loans and certain lines of credit. Repayment of these loans is primarily dependent on the personal income of the borrowers, which can be impacted by economic conditions in their market areas, such as unemployment levels. Repayment can also be impacted by changes in property values on residential properties. Risk is mitigated by the fact that these loans are of smaller individual amounts and spread over a large number of borrowers.

Allowance for Credit Losses (ACL)

The ACL is a valuation account that is deducted from the loans’ amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the loans. Loans are charged off against the allowance when management believes that the uncollectability of a loan balance is confirmed. Expected recoveries do not exceed the aggregate of amounts previously charged-off and expected to be charged-off.

Management estimates the ACL using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics such as differences in underwriting standards, portfolio mix, delinquency level, or term as well as changes in environmental conditions, such as changes in unemployment rates, property values, or other relevant factors.

Accrued interest receivable related to loans totaled $3.4 million at March 31, 2025, and $3.3 million at December 31, 2024, and is excluded from the estimate of credit losses.

The Company measures expected credit losses for loans on a pooled basis when similar risk characteristics exist. The Company has identified the following portfolio segments:

The Company utilizes a Discounted Cash Flow (“DCF”) method to estimate the quantitative portion of the ACL for all loan pools evaluated on a collective pooled basis, with the exception of the credit card and consumer loan portfolios, which were estimated using the Remaining Life Method. For each segment, a Loss Driver Analysis (“LDA”) was performed in order to identify appropriate loss drivers and create a regression model for use in forecasting cash flows. The LDA utilized the Company’s own Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s (“FFIEC”) Call Report data, as well as peer institution data.

In creating the DCF model, the Company has established a one-year reasonable and supportable forecast period with a one-year straight line reversion to the long-term historical average. The Company’s own loan-level loss data from January 2016 through March 31, 2025, contained within the model was supplemented with peer data in most loan pools as there was not sufficient loan-level detail from prior cycles reflecting similar economic conditions as the forecasted loss drivers to result in a sound calculation.

Key inputs into the DCF model include loan-level detail, including the amortized cost basis of individual loans, payment structure, loss history, and forecasted loss drivers. The Company utilizes data from Federal Reserve Economic Data (“FRED”) to provide economic forecasts under various scenarios, which are applied to loan pools to reflect credit risk in the current economic environment.

Additional key assumptions in the DCF model include the probability of default (“PD”), loss given default (“LGD”), and prepayment/curtailment rates. When possible, the Company utilizes its own PDs for the reasonable and supportable forecast period. When it is not possible to use the Company’s own PDs, the LDA is utilized to determine PDs based on the forecasted economic factors. When possible, the Company utilizes its own LGDs for the reasonable and supportable forecast period. When it is not possible to use the Company’s own LGDs, the LGD is derived using a method referred to as Frye Jacobs. The Frye Jacobs method is a mathematical formula that traces the relationship between LGD and PD over time and projects the LGD based on the level of PD forecasted. In all cases, the Frye Jacobs method is utilized to calculate LGDs during the reversion period and long-term historical average. The Company utilizes its own prepayment and curtailment rates in the ACL estimate. In pools where observations are not sufficient, the Company utilizes the model’s most relevant benchmark rate.

Management also considers further adjustments to historical loss information for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts that differ from the conditions that exist for the period over which historical information is evaluated as well as other changes in qualitative factors not inherently considered in the quantitative analyses. A number of factors are considered including economic forecast uncertainty, credit quality trends, valuation trends, concentration risk, quality of loan review, changes in personnel, impact of rising interest rates, external factors and other considerations. The resulting qualitative adjustments are applied to the relevant collectively evaluated loan pools. The qualitative analysis increases or decreases the allowance allocation for each loan pool based on the assessment of factors described above. During each reporting period, management also considers the need to adjust the baseline lifetime loss rates for factors that may cause expected losses to differ from those experienced in the historical loss periods.

Loans that do not share risk characteristics are evaluated on an individual basis. When management determines that foreclosure is probable and the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty, the expected credit losses are based on the fair value of collateral at the reporting date adjusted for selling costs as appropriate.

The Company is also required to consider expected credit losses associated with loan commitments over the contractual period in which it is exposed to credit risk on the underlying commitments. Any allowance for off-balance sheet credit exposures is reported in Other liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and is increased or decreased through a provision for credit loss expense on the Company’s consolidated statement of income. The calculation includes consideration of the likelihood that funding will occur and forecasted credit losses on commitments expected to be funded over their estimated lives. The allowance is calculated using the same methodology, inputs and assumptions as the funded portion of loans at the segment level applied to the amount of commitments expected to be funded.

While the Company’s policies and procedures used to estimate the ACL, as well as the resultant provision for credit losses charged to income, are considered adequate by management and are reviewed periodically by regulators, model validators and internal audit, they are necessarily approximate and imprecise. There are factors beyond the Company’s control, such as changes in projected economic conditions, real estate markets or particular industry conditions, which may materially impact asset quality and the adequacy of the ACL and thus the resulting provision for credit losses.

During the first quarter of 2025, the Company completed the acquisition of Marblehead, in Marblehead, Ohio. The Company performed an analysis of the acquired non-PCD loan portfolio as part of the acquisition process and recorded a provision for credit losses of $0.23 million subsequent to the date of acquisition. The following tables summarize the activity related to the ACL for the three months ended March 31, 2025, and March 31, 2024, and for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024.

Collateral dependent loans are loans for which the repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral and the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. The Company reviews individually evaluated loans for designation as collateral dependent loans, as well as other loans that management of the Company designates as having higher risk. These loans do not share common risk characteristics and are not included within the collectively evaluated loans for determining the ACL.

The following table presents an analysis of collateral-dependent loans of the Company as of March 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024.

Under the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model, for collateral dependent loans, the Company has adopted the practical expedient to measure the ACL based on the fair value of collateral. The ACL is calculated on an individual loan basis based on the shortfall between the fair value of the loan’s collateral, which is adjusted for liquidation costs/discounts, and amortized cost. If the fair value of the collateral exceeds the amortized cost, no allowance is required.

Credit Risk Profile

The Company categorizes loans into risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of borrowers to service their debt such as: current financial information, historical payment experience, credit documentation, public information and current economic trends, among other factors. The Company analyzes loans individually by classifying the loans as to credit risk. This analysis includes loans with an outstanding balance greater than $100,000 and non-homogeneous loans, such as commercial and commercial real estate loans. This analysis is performed on a quarterly basis. The Company uses the following definitions for risk ratings:

Pass (grades 1 – 4): Loans which management has determined to be performing as expected and in agreement with the terms established at the time of loan origination.

Special Mention (5): Loans have potential weaknesses that deserve management’s close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or in the Company’s credit position at some future date. Special mention loans are not adversely classified and do not expose the Company to sufficient risk to warrant adverse classification. Ordinarily, special mention credits have characteristics which corrective management action would remedy.

Substandard (6): Loans are inadequately protected by the current sound worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any. Loans so classified must have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the debt. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that the Company will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.

Doubtful (7): Loans classified as doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as Substandard with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of current known facts, conditions and values, highly questionable and improbable.

Loss (8): Loans are considered uncollectable and of such little value that continuing to carry them as assets on the Company’s financial statement is not warranted. Loans will be classified as Loss when it is neither practical nor desirable to defer writing off or reserving all or a portion of a basically worthless asset, even though partial recovery may be possible at some time in the future.

The Company evaluates the loan risk grading system definitions and allowance for credit loss methodology on an ongoing basis. The following table presents loan balances by credit quality indicators and gross chargeoffs by loan category and year of origination as of March 31, 2025.

The following table presents loan balances by credit quality indicators and gross chargeoffs by loan category and year of origination as of December 31, 2024.