v3.26.1
Presentation of Financial Information
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Presentation of Financial Information  
Presentation of Financial Information

Note 1. Presentation of Financial Information

Nature of Business:

SmartFinancial, Inc. (the “Company,” “SmartFinancial,” “we,” “our” or “us”) is a bank holding company whose principal activity is the ownership and management of its wholly owned subsidiary, SmartBank (the “Bank”). The Company provides a variety of financial services to individuals and corporate customers through its offices in East and Middle Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. The Bank’s primary deposit products are noninterest-bearing and interest-bearing demand deposits, savings and money market deposits, and time deposits. Its primary lending products are commercial, residential, and consumer loans.

Basis of Presentation and Accounting Estimates:

The accounting and financial reporting policies of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and reporting guidelines of banking regulatory authorities and regulators. The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements for the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary have not been audited. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

In management’s opinion, all accounting adjustments necessary to accurately reflect the financial position and results of operations on the accompanying financial statements have been made. These adjustments are normal and recurring accruals considered necessary for a fair and accurate presentation. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses, the valuation of foreclosed assets and deferred taxes, the fair value of financial instruments, goodwill, and the fair value of assets acquired, and liabilities assumed in acquisitions. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year or any other interim periods. The following unaudited condensed financial statement notes have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading.  The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Recently modified accounting policies:

During the quarter ended March 31, 2026, the Company transitioned to a new allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) modeling platform used to estimate expected credit losses under the Current Expected Credit Losses model (“ASC 326”). The change resulted from management’s ongoing evaluation of the credit risk management framework and supporting technology and was intended to improve analytical and reporting capabilities and better align the process with the Company’s portfolio structure, available data, and internal control environment. As part of the implementation, management also refined certain segment-level ACL methodologies to better reflect portfolio-specific characteristics, relevant economic factors, and qualitative considerations, while maintaining the Company’s overall CECL framework, governance, and internal controls over the ACL estimation process. Management concluded that the transition did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2026.  The provision for credit losses for the three months ended March 31, 2026, reflects this change in estimate and is accounted for prospectively.

Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”) – Loans and Leases:

ACL – Loans and LeasesThe ACL reflects management’s estimate of expected losses that will result from the inability of our clients to make required loan and lease payments.  Loans and leases deemed to be uncollectible are charged against the ACL, while recoveries of previously charged-off amounts are credited to the ACL.  Management uses systematic methodologies to determine its ACL for loans and leases held for investment and certain off-balance-sheet exposures.  The ACL is a valuation account that is subtracted from the amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be

collected on the loan and lease portfolio.  Management considers the effects of past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts on the collectability of the loan and lease portfolio.  The ACL recorded on the balance sheet reflects management’s best estimate of expected credit losses.  The Company’s ACL is calculated using collectively assessed and individually assessed loans and leases. The ACL is measured on a collective pool basis when similar risk characteristics exist. Loans with similar risk characteristics are grouped into homogenous segments.  

Prior to March 31, 2026, the Company segmented the loan and lease portfolio by call code and risk rating.  The loan portfolio reserve estimate was calculated using a non-discounted cash flow method for probability of default and loss given default values.  This method utilized the Company’s data along with peer data that was regressed against the national unemployment rate. For the contractual term that extended beyond the reasonable and supportable forecast period, the Company reverted to the long term mean of historical factors utilizing a straight-line approach.  The Company used an eight-quarter forecast period and a four-quarter reversion period. The lease portfolio’s reserve estimate was based on the open pool methodology which is a simplified process of capturing losses by quarter over the life of a lease divided by the balance of all leases originated. Refer to Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, for a detailed discussion regarding ACL methodology.

As of March 31, 2026, the Company began using a Discounted Cash Flow methodology, adjusted for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts, for its non-consumer loan segments. This method utilizes the Company’s data, along with peer data which is comprised of banks of similar size and geographical location,  that were regressed against the Federal Open Market Committee Summary of Economic Projections for both the Growth Rate of Real Gross Domestic Product and the Civilian Unemployment Rate.  The discounted cash flow models estimate the net present value and are compared to the amortized cost of the pool with the resulting difference between the net present value and amortized cost as the initial modeled quantitative expected credit loss estimate for such pools.  The consumer non-real estate loan portfolio is reserved using the Remaining Life Methodology.  Under the Remaining Life Methodology, expected credit losses are estimated over the contractual term of the loan, adjusted for expected prepayments, by applying a cumulative loss rate derived from historical loss experience over the average remaining life of the portfolio. Loss rates are calculated using a life-of-loan approach and are applied to the current outstanding balance to estimate lifetime expected losses as of the measurement date. The lease portfolio reserve estimate is based on the Static Pool Methodology.  Under the Static Pool Methodology, expected credit losses are estimated using historical loss experience from pools of loans or leases originated during the same period and tracked over their contractual lives.  

Management considers forward-looking information in estimating expected credit losses.  For segments utilizing the Discounted Cash Flow methodology, the Company uses Federal Open Market Committee Summary of Economic Projections for both the Growth Rate of Real Gross Domestic Product and the Civilian Unemployment Rate as a regression tool to determine the best estimate of probability of default expectations.  For the contractual term that extends beyond the reasonable and supportable forecast period, the Company reverts to the long term mean of historical factors using a straight-line approach.  The Company uses a four-quarter forecast and a four-quarter reversion period.

Management considered the need to qualitatively adjust expected credit losses for information not already captured in the loss estimation.  The Company considered the qualitative factors that were relevant as of the reporting date, which included, but was not limited to: independent loan review results, portfolio concentrations, lending strategies, quality of assets, regulatory review results, economic conditions and associate retention.  

Loans that do not share risk characteristics are evaluated on an individual basis. The Company maintains a net book balance threshold of $500,000 for individually evaluated loans unless further analysis in the future suggests a change is needed to this threshold based on the credit environment at that time.  For collateral dependent financial assets where the Company has determined that foreclosure of the collateral is probable, or where the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty and the Company expects repayment of the financial asset to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral, the ACL is measured based on the difference between the fair value of the collateral and the amortized cost basis of the asset as of the measurement date. When repayment is expected to be from the operation of the collateral, expected credit losses are calculated as the amount by which the amortized cost basis of the financial asset exceeds the present value of expected cash flows from the operation of the collateral. When repayment is expected to be from the sale

of the collateral, expected credit losses are calculated as the amount by which the amortized costs basis of the financial asset exceeds the fair value of the underlying collateral less estimated cost to sell. The allowance for credit losses may be zero if the fair value of the collateral at the measurement date exceeds the amortized cost basis of the financial asset.  If the loan is not collateral dependent, the measurement of loss is based on the difference between the expected and contractual future cash flows of the loan.

Management measures expected credit losses over the contractual term of a loan. When determining the contractual term, the Company considers expected prepayments but is precluded from considering expected extensions, renewals, or modifications, unless the Company reasonably expects it will execute a loan modification (“LM”) with a borrower.  In the event of a reasonably expected LM, the Company factors the reasonably-expected LM into the current expected credit losses estimate.  

Purchased credit-deteriorated, otherwise referred to herein as (“PCD”), assets are defined as acquired individual financial assets (or acquired groups of financial assets with similar risk characteristics) that, as of the date of acquisition, have experienced a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination, as determined by the Company’s assessment. The Company records acquired PCD loans by adding the expected credit losses (i.e. allowance for credit losses) to the purchase price of the financial assets rather than recording through the provision for credit losses in the income statement.  The expected credit loss, as of the acquisition day, of a PCD loan is added to the allowance for credit losses.  The non-credit discount or premium is the difference between the unpaid principal balance and the amortized cost basis as of the acquisition date.  Subsequent to the acquisition date, the change in the ACL on PCD loans is recognized through the provision for credit losses.  The non-credit discount or premium is accreted or amortized, respectively, into interest income over the remaining life of the PCD loan on a level-yield basis.  In accordance with the transition requirements within the standard, the Company’s purchased credit-impaired loans (“PCI”) were treated as PCD loans.

The Company follows its nonaccrual policy by reversing contractual interest income in the income statement when the Company places a loan on nonaccrual status.  Therefore, management excludes the accrued interest receivable balance from the amortized cost basis in measuring expected credit losses on the portfolio and does not record an allowance for credit losses on accrued interest receivable.  As of March 31, 2026, and December 31, 2025, the accrued interest receivables for loans recorded in other assets were $16.0 million and $15.5 million, respectively.  

ACL – Off Balance Sheet Credit Exposures – The Company has a variety of assets that have a component that qualifies as an off-balance sheet exposure.  These primarily include undrawn portions of revolving lines of credit and standby letters of credit.  The expected losses associated with these exposures within the unfunded portion of the expected credit loss will be recorded as a liability on the balance sheet with an offsetting income statement expense.  Management has determined that all the Company’s off-balance-sheet credit exposures, net of floorplan lines, are not unconditionally cancellable.  As of March 31, 2026, and December 31, 2025, the liability recorded for expected credit losses on unfunded commitments in Other Liabilities was $4.5 million and $3.6 million, respectively.  The current adjustment to the ACL for unfunded commitments is recognized through the provision for credit losses in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements:

In December 2023, FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” ASU 2023-09 requires public business entities to disclose in their rate reconciliation table additional categories of information about federal, state and foreign income taxes and to provide more details about the reconciling items in certain categories if items meet a quantitative threshold. ASU 2023-09 also requires all entities to disclose income taxes paid, net of refunds, disaggregated by federal, state, and foreign taxes for annual periods and to disaggregate the information by jurisdiction based on a quantitative threshold, among other things. The guidance became effective for us on January 1, 2025, and has been applied prospectively. ASU 2023-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recently Issued Not Yet Effective Accounting Pronouncements:

During interim periods, the Company follows the accounting policies set forth in its annual audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, as filed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC. The following is a summary of recent authoritative pronouncements issued but not yet effective that could impact the accounting, reporting, and/or disclosure of financial information by the Company.

In November 2024, FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses.” ASU 2024-03 requires disaggregated disclosure of income statement expenses for public business entities. ASU 2024-03 requires new financial statement disclosures in tabular format, disaggregating information about prescribed categories underlying any relevant income statement expense caption. The prescribed categories include, among other things, employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization. Additionally, entities must disclose the total amount of selling expenses and, in annual reporting periods, an entity’s definition of selling expenses. ASU 2024-03 is effective for us fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027, though early adoption is permitted. The Company is assessing ASU 2024-03, and its adoption is not expected to have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In November 2025, FASB issued ASU No. 2025-08, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326).  The amendments in this update expand the use of the gross-up approach to certain acquired loans beyond purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in this update must be adopted prospectively to loans that are acquired on or after the initial application date. Management is evaluating the provisions of this ASU and does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In November 2025, FASB issued ASU No. 2025-09, “Derivative and Hedging (Topic 815)” The amendments in this update are intended to more closely align hedge accounting with the economics of an entity’s risk management activities. This update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, including interim periods within those fiscal years, though early adoption is permitted. Management is evaluating the provisions of this ASU and does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In December 2025, FASB issued ASU No. 2025-11 “Interim Reporting (Topic 270)” The amendments in this update clarify current interim disclosure requirements and provide a comprehensive list of required interim disclosures. The update also incorporates a disclosure principle that requires entities to disclose events that occur after the end of the last annual reporting period. This update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2027, including interim periods within those fiscal years, though early adoption is permitted.  Management is evaluating the provisions of this ASU and does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In December 2025, FASB issued ASU No. 2025-12 “Codification Improvements” ASU 2025-12 address suggestions received from stakeholders on the Accounting Standards Codification and to make other incremental improvements to U.S. GAAP. The update represents changes to the Codification that (1) clarify, (2) correct errors, or (3) make minor improvements. The amendments make the Codification easier to understand and apply. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Management is evaluating the provisions of this ASU and does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.