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Fair Value Measurements
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value Measurements Fair Value Measurements
The Company uses fair value measurements to record fair value adjustments to certain financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities and to determine fair value disclosures. Various financial instruments such as available for sale debt securities, equity securities, trading debt securities, certain investments relating to private equity activities, and derivatives are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Additionally, from time to time, the Company may be required to record at fair value other assets and liabilities on a nonrecurring basis, such as mortgage servicing rights and certain other investment securities. These nonrecurring fair value adjustments typically involve lower of cost or fair value accounting, or write-downs of individual assets.

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Depending on the nature of the asset or liability, the Company uses various valuation techniques and assumptions when estimating fair value. For accounting disclosure purposes, a three-level valuation hierarchy of fair value measurements has been established. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows:
Level 1 – inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
Level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, and inputs that are observable for the assets or liabilities, either directly or indirectly (such as interest rates, yield curves, and prepayment speeds).
Level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value. These may be internally developed, using the Company’s best information and assumptions that a market participant would consider.
When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required or permitted to be recorded or disclosed at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. When possible, the Company looks to active and observable markets to price identical assets or liabilities. When identical assets and liabilities are not traded in active markets, the Company looks to observable market data for similar assets and liabilities. Nevertheless, certain assets and liabilities are not actively traded in observable markets, and the Company must use alternative valuation techniques to derive an estimated fair value measurement.
Instruments Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The table below presents the carrying values of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2020 and 2019. There were no transfers among levels during these years.
Fair Value Measurements Using
(In thousands)
Total Fair Value
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
(Level 1)
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Significant Unobservable Inputs
 (Level 3)
December 31, 2020
Assets:
Residential mortgage loans held for sale$39,396 $ $39,396 $ 
Available for sale debt securities:
U.S. government and federal agency obligations838,059 838,059   
Government-sponsored enterprise obligations54,485  54,485  
State and municipal obligations2,045,099  2,037,131 7,968 
Agency mortgage-backed securities6,712,085  6,712,085  
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities361,074  361,074  
Asset-backed securities1,882,243  1,882,243  
Other debt securities556,219  556,219  
Trading debt securities35,321  35,321  
Equity securities2,966 2,966   
Private equity investments94,368   94,368 
Derivatives *89,889  86,447 3,442 
Assets held in trust for deferred compensation plan19,278 19,278   
Total assets12,730,482 860,303 11,764,401 105,778 
Liabilities:
Derivatives *18,675  17,974 701
Liabilities held in trust for deferred compensation plan19,278 19,278   
Total liabilities$37,953 $19,278 $17,974 $701 
December 31, 2019
Assets:
Residential mortgage loans held for sale$9,181 $— $9,181 $— 
Available for sale debt securities:
U.S. government and federal agency obligations851,776 851,776 — — 
Government-sponsored enterprise obligations139,277 — 139,277 — 
State and municipal obligations1,267,927 — 1,258,074 9,853 
Agency mortgage-backed securities3,937,964 — 3,937,964 — 
Non-agency mortgage-backed securities809,782 — 809,782 — 
Asset-backed securities1,233,489 — 1,233,489 — 
Other debt securities331,411 — 331,411 — 
Trading debt securities28,161 — 28,161 — 
Equity securities2,929 2,929 — — 
Private equity investments94,122 — — 94,122 
Derivatives *105,674 — 105,075 599 
Assets held in trust for deferred compensation plan16,518 16,518 — — 
Total assets8,828,211 871,223 7,852,414 104,574 
Liabilities:
Derivatives *10,219 — 9,989 230 
Liabilities held in trust for deferred compensation plan16,518 16,518 — — 
Total liabilities$26,737 $16,518 $9,989 $230 
*     The fair value of each class of derivative is shown in Note 19.
Valuation methods for instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Following is a description of the Company’s valuation methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Residential mortgage loans held for sale
The Company originates fixed rate, first lien residential mortgage loans that are intended for sale in the secondary market. Fair value is based on quoted secondary market prices for loans with similar characteristics, which are adjusted to include the embedded servicing value in the loans. This adjustment represents an unobservable input to the valuation but is not considered significant given the relative insensitivity of the valuation to changes in this input. Accordingly, these loan measurements are classified as Level 2.

Available for sale debt securities
For available for sale securities, changes in fair value are recorded in other comprehensive income. This portfolio comprises the majority of the assets which the Company records at fair value. Most of the portfolio, which includes government-sponsored enterprise, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, are priced utilizing industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including time value, yield curves, volatility factors, prepayment speeds, default rates, loss severity, current market and contractual prices for the underlying financial instruments, as well as other relevant economic measures. Substantially all of these assumptions are observable in the marketplace, can be derived from observable data, or are supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace. These measurements are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. Where quoted prices are available in an active market, the measurements are classified as Level 1. Most of the Level 1 measurements apply to U.S. Treasury obligations.

The fair values of Level 1 and 2 securities in the available for sale portfolio are prices provided by a third-party pricing service. The prices provided by the third-party pricing service are based on observable market inputs, as described in the sections below. On a quarterly basis, the Company compares a sample of these prices to other independent sources for the same and similar securities. Variances are analyzed, and, if appropriate, additional research is conducted with the third-party pricing service. Based on this research, the pricing service may affirm or revise its quoted price. No significant adjustments have been made to the prices provided by the pricing service. The pricing service also provides documentation on an ongoing basis that includes reference data, inputs and methodology by asset class, which is reviewed to ensure that security placement within the fair value hierarchy is appropriate.
Valuation methods and inputs, by class of security:
U.S. government and federal agency obligations
U.S. treasury bills, bonds and notes, including inflation-protected securities, are valued using live data from active market makers and inter-dealer brokers. Valuations for stripped coupon and principal issues are derived from yield curves generated from various dealer contacts and live data sources.
Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
Government-sponsored enterprise obligations are evaluated using cash flow valuation models. Inputs used are live market data, cash settlements, Treasury market yields, and floating rate indices such as LIBOR, CMT, and Prime.
State and municipal obligations, excluding auction rate securities
A yield curve is generated and applied to bond sectors, and individual bond valuations are extrapolated. Inputs used to generate the yield curve are bellwether issue levels, established trading spreads between similar issuers or credits, historical trading spreads over widely accepted market benchmarks, new issue scales, and verified bid information. Bid information is verified by corroborating the data against external sources such as broker-dealers, trustees/paying agents, issuers, or non-affiliated bondholders.
Mortgage and asset-backed securities
Collateralized mortgage obligations and other asset-backed securities are valued at the tranche level. For each tranche valuation, the process generates predicted cash flows for the tranche, applies a market based (or benchmark) yield/spread for each tranche, and incorporates deal collateral performance and tranche level attributes to determine tranche-specific spreads to adjust the benchmark yield. Tranche cash flows are generated from new deal files and prepayment/default assumptions. Tranche spreads are based on tranche characteristics such as average life, type, volatility, ratings, underlying collateral and performance, and prevailing market conditions. The appropriate tranche spread is applied to the corresponding benchmark, and the resulting value is used to discount the cash flows to generate an evaluated price.
Valuation of agency pass-through securities, typically issued under GNMA, FNMA, FHLMC, and SBA programs, are primarily derived from information from the to-be-announced (TBA) market. This market consists of generic mortgage pools which have not been received for settlement. Snapshots of the TBA market, using live data feeds distributed by multiple electronic platforms, are used in conjunction with other indices to compute a price based on discounted cash flow models.
Other debt securities
Other debt securities are valued using active markets and inter-dealer brokers as well as bullet spread scales and option adjusted spreads. The spreads and models use yield curves, terms and conditions of the bonds, and any special features (e.g., call or put options and redemption features).

The available for sale portfolio includes certain auction rate securities. Due to the illiquidity in the auction rate securities market in recent years, the fair value of these securities cannot be based on observable market prices. The fair values of these securities are estimated using a discounted cash flows analysis which is discussed more fully in the Level 3 Inputs section of this note. Because many of the inputs significant to the measurement are not observable, these measurements are classified as Level 3 measurements.

Equity securities with readily determinable fair values
Equity securities are priced using the market prices for each security from the major stock exchanges or other electronic quotation systems. These are generally classified as Level 1 measurements. Stocks which trade infrequently are classified as Level 2.

Trading debt securities
The securities in the Company’s trading portfolio are priced by averaging several broker quotes for similar instruments and are classified as Level 2 measurements.

Private equity investments
These securities are held by the Company’s private equity subsidiary and are included in other investment securities in the consolidated balance sheets. Due to the absence of quoted market prices, valuation of these nonpublic investments requires significant management judgment. These fair value measurements, which are discussed in the Level 3 Inputs section of this note, are classified as Level 3.

Derivatives
The Company’s derivative instruments include interest rate swaps and floors, foreign exchange forward contracts, and certain credit risk guarantee agreements. When appropriate, the impact of credit standing as well as any potential credit enhancements, such as collateral, has been considered in the fair value measurement.
Valuations for interest rate swaps are derived from a proprietary model whose significant inputs are readily observable market parameters, primarily yield curves used to calculate current exposure. Counterparty credit risk is incorporated into the model and calculated by applying a net credit spread over LIBOR to the swap's total expected exposure over time. The net credit spread is comprised of spreads for both the Company and its counterparty, derived from probability of default and other loss estimate information obtained from a third party credit data provider or from the Company's Credit Department when not otherwise available. The credit risk component is not significant compared to the overall fair value of the swaps. The results of the model are constantly validated through comparison to active trading in the marketplace.
Parties to swaps requiring central clearing are required to post collateral (generally in the form of cash or marketable securities) to an authorized clearing agency that holds and monitors the collateral. The Company's clearing counterparty characterizes a component of this collateral, known as variation margin, as a legal settlement of the derivative contract exposure, and as a result, the variation margin is considered in determining the fair value of the derivative.
Valuations for interest rate floors are also derived from a proprietary model whose significant inputs are readily observable market parameters, primarily yield curves and volatility surfaces. The model uses market standard methodology of discounting the future expected cash receipts that would occur if variable interest rates fall below the strike rates of the floors. The model also incorporates credit valuation adjustments of both the Company's and the counterparties' non-performance risk. The credit valuation adjustment component is not significant compared to the overall fair value of the floors.
The fair value measurements of interest rate swaps and floors are classified as Level 2 due to the observable nature of the significant inputs utilized.
Fair value measurements for foreign exchange contracts are derived from a model whose primary inputs are quotations from global market makers and are classified as Level 2.
The Company’s contracts related to credit risk guarantees are valued under a proprietary model which uses unobservable inputs and assumptions about the creditworthiness of the counterparty (generally a Bank customer). Customer credit spreads, which are based on probability of default and other loss estimates, are calculated internally by the Company's Credit Department, as mentioned above, and are based on the Company's internal risk rating for each customer. Because these inputs are significant to the measurements, they are classified as Level 3.
Derivatives relating to residential mortgage loan sale activity include commitments to originate mortgage loans held for sale, forward loan sale contracts, and forward commitments to sell TBA securities. The fair values of loan commitments and sale contracts are estimated using quoted market prices for loans similar to the underlying loans in these instruments. The valuations of loan commitments are further adjusted to include embedded servicing value and the probability of funding. These assumptions are considered Level 3 inputs and are significant to the loan commitment valuation; accordingly, the measurement of loan commitments is classified as Level 3. The fair value measurement of TBA contracts is based on security prices published on trading platforms and is classified as Level 2.

Assets held in trust
Assets held in an outside trust for the Company’s deferred compensation plan consist of investments in mutual funds. The fair value measurements are based on quoted prices in active markets and classified as Level 1. The Company has recorded an asset representing the total investment amount. The Company has also recorded a corresponding liability, representing the Company’s liability to the plan participants.
The changes in Level 3 assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized as follows:

Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
(In thousands)
State and Municipal Obligations
Private Equity
Investments
DerivativesTotal
Year ended December 31, 2020:
Balance at January 1, 2020$9,853 $94,122 $369 $104,344 
Total gains or losses (realized/unrealized):
Included in earnings (10,103)3,181 (6,922)
Included in other comprehensive income(2)  (2)
Investment securities called
(2,000)  (2,000)
Discount accretion
117   117 
Purchases of private equity securities
 10,684  10,684 
Sale / pay down of private equity securities
 (364) (364)
Capitalized interest/dividends
 29  29 
Purchase of risk participation agreement
    
Sale of risk participation agreement
  (809)(809)
Balance at December 31, 2020$7,968 $94,368 $2,741 $105,077 
Total gains or losses for the year included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets still held at December 31, 2020$ $(10,083)$3,611 $(6,472)
Total gains or losses for the year included in other comprehensive income attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets still held at December 31, 2020$44 $ $ $44 
Year ended December 31, 2019:
Balance at January 1, 2019$14,158 $85,659 $490 $100,307 
Total gains or losses (realized/unrealized):
Included in earnings— (727)(93)(820)
Included in other comprehensive income246 — — 246 
Investment securities called(4,635)— — (4,635)
Discount accretion84 — — 84 
Purchases of private equity securities— 15,706 — 15,706 
Sale / pay down of private equity securities— (6,548)— (6,548)
Capitalized interest/dividends— 32 — 32 
Purchase of risk participation agreement— — 439 439 
Sale of risk participation agreement— — (467)(467)
Balance at December 31, 2019$9,853 $94,122 $369 $104,344 
Total gains or losses for the year included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets still held at December 31, 2019$— $(2,177)$457 $(1,720)

Gains and losses on the Level 3 assets and liabilities in the table above are reported in the following income categories:
(In thousands)
Loan Fees and SalesOther Non-Interest IncomeInvestment Securities Gains (Losses), Net
Total
Year ended December 31, 2020:
Total gains or losses included in earnings$2,768 $413 $(10,103)$(6,922)
Change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets still held at December 31, 2020$3,226 $385 $(10,083)$(6,472)
Year ended December 31, 2019:
Total gains or losses included in earnings$(77)$(16)$(727)$(820)
Change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets still held at December 31, 2019$458 $(1)$(2,177)$(1,720)
Level 3 Inputs
As shown above, the Company's significant Level 3 measurements which employ unobservable inputs that are readily quantifiable pertain to auction rate securities (ARS) held by the Bank, investments in portfolio concerns held by the Company's private equity subsidiary, and held for sale residential mortgage loan commitments. ARS are included in state and municipal securities and totaled $8.0 million at December 31, 2020, while private equity investments, included in other securities, totaled $94.4 million.

Information about these inputs is presented in the table and discussions below.
Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value MeasurementsWeighted
Valuation TechniqueUnobservable InputRangeAverage*
Auction rate securitiesDiscounted cash flowEstimated market recovery period5 years5 years
Estimated market rate1.5%-1.7%1.5%
Private equity investmentsMarket comparable companiesEBITDA multiple4.0-6.05.4
Mortgage loan commitmentsDiscounted cash flowProbability of funding56.7%-98.8%85.7%
Embedded servicing value0.5%-1.0%0.9%
* Unobservable inputs were weighted by the relative fair value of the instruments.

The fair values of ARS are estimated using a discounted cash flows analysis in which estimated cash flows are based on mandatory interest rates paid under failing auctions and projected over an estimated market recovery period. Under normal conditions, ARS traded in weekly auctions and were considered liquid investments. The Company's estimate of when these auctions might resume is highly judgmental and subject to variation depending on current and projected market conditions. Few auctions of these securities have been successful in recent years, and most secondary transactions have been privately arranged. Estimated cash flows during the period over which the Company expects to hold the securities are discounted at an estimated market rate. These securities are comprised of bonds issued by various states and municipalities for healthcare and student lending purposes, and market rates are derived for each type. Market rates are calculated at each valuation date using a LIBOR or Treasury based rate plus spreads representing adjustments for liquidity premium and nonperformance risk. The spreads are developed internally by employees in the Company's bond department. An increase in the holding period alone would result in a higher fair value measurement, while an increase in the estimated market rate (the discount rate) alone would result in a lower fair value measurement. The valuation of the ARS portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Company's chief investment officers.

The fair values of the Company's private equity investments are based on a determination of fair value of the investee company less preference payments assuming the sale of the investee company.  Investee companies are normally non-public entities.  The fair value of the investee company is determined by reference to the investee's total earnings before interest, depreciation/amortization, and income taxes (EBITDA) multiplied by an EBITDA factor.  EBITDA is normally determined based on a trailing prior period adjusted for specific factors including current economic outlook, investee management, and specific unique circumstances such as sales order information, major customer status, regulatory changes, etc.  The EBITDA multiple is based on management's review of published trading multiples for recent private equity transactions and other judgments and is derived for each individual investee.  The fair value of the Company's investment is then calculated based on its ownership percentage in the investee company. On a quarterly basis, these fair value analyses are reviewed by a valuation committee consisting of investment managers and senior Company management.

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s derivative commitments to originate residential mortgage loans are the percentage of commitments that are actually funded and the mortgage servicing value that is inherent in the underlying loan value. A significant increase in the rate of loans that fund would result in a larger derivative asset or liability. A significant increase in the inherent mortgage servicing value would result in an increase in the derivative asset or a reduction in the derivative liability. The probability of funding and the inherent mortgage servicing values are directly impacted by changes in market rates and will generally move in the same direction as interest rates.
Instruments Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
For assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis during 2020 and 2019, and still held as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the following table provides the adjustments to fair value recognized during the respective periods, the level of valuation assumptions used to determine each adjustment, and the carrying value of the related individual assets or portfolios at December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Fair Value Measurements Using
(In thousands)
Fair Value
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
(Level 1)
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Significant Unobservable Inputs
 (Level 3)
Total Gains (Losses)
Balance at December 31, 2020
Collateral dependent loans
$12,961 $ $ $12,961 $(7,763)
Mortgage servicing rights
6,249   6,249 (1,776)
Long-lived assets
811   811 (9)
Balance at December 31, 2019
Collateral dependent loans
$422 $— $— $422 $(263)
Mortgage servicing rights
7,749 — — 7,749 (327)
Long-lived assets
1,098 — — 1,098 (362)

The Company's significant Level 3 measurements that are measured on a nonrecurring basis pertain to the Company's mortgage servicing rights retained on certain fixed rate personal real estate loan originations. Mortgage servicing rights are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet, and information about these inputs is presented in the table below.

Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value MeasurementsWeighted
Valuation TechniqueUnobservable InputRangeAverage*
Mortgage servicing rightsDiscounted cash flowDiscount rate9.15 %-9.27 %9.23 %
Prepayment speeds (CPR)*13.25 %-14.85 %14.58 %
Loan servicing costs - annually per loan
    Performing loans$71 -$72 $72 
    Delinquent loans$200 -$750 
    Loans in foreclosure$1,000 
*Ranges and weighted averages based on interest rate tranches.

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s mortgage servicing rights are updated periodically for changes in market conditions. Actual rates may differ from our estimates. Increases in prepayment speed and discount rates negatively impact the fair value of our mortgage servicing rights.

Valuation methods for instruments measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis

Following is a description of the Company’s valuation methodologies used for other financial and nonfinancial instruments measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis.

Collateral dependent loans
While the overall loan portfolio is not carried at fair value, the Company periodically records nonrecurring adjustments to the carrying value of loans based on fair value measurements for partial charge-offs of the uncollectible portions of those loans. Nonrecurring adjustments also include certain impairment amounts for collateral dependent loans when establishing the allowance for credit losses on loans. Such amounts are generally based on the fair value of the underlying collateral supporting the loan. In determining the value of real estate collateral, the Company relies on external and internal appraisals of property values depending on the size and complexity of the real estate collateral. The Company maintains a staff of qualified appraisers who also review third party appraisal reports for reasonableness. In the case of non-real estate collateral, reliance is placed on a variety of sources, including external estimates of value and judgments based on the experience and expertise of internal specialists. Values of all loan collateral are regularly reviewed by credit administration. Unobservable inputs to these measurements, which include estimates and judgments often used in conjunction with appraisals, are not readily quantifiable.
These measurements are classified as Level 3. Nonrecurring adjustments to the carrying value of loans based on fair value measurements at December 31, 2020 and 2019 are shown in the table above.

Mortgage servicing rights
The Company initially measures its mortgage servicing rights at fair value and amortizes them over the period of estimated net servicing income. They are periodically assessed for impairment based on fair value at the reporting date. Mortgage servicing rights do not trade in an active market with readily observable prices. Accordingly, the fair value is estimated based on a valuation model which calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income. The model incorporates assumptions that market participants use in estimating future net servicing income, including estimates of prepayment speeds, market discount rates, cost to service, float earnings rates, and other ancillary income, including late fees. The fair value measurements are classified as Level 3.

Long-lived assets
When investments in branch facilities and various office buildings are determined to be impaired, their carrying values are written down to estimated fair value, or estimated fair value less cost to sell if the property is held for sale. Fair value is estimated in a process which considers current local commercial real estate market conditions and the judgment of the sales agent and often involves obtaining third party appraisals from certified real estate appraisers. The carrying amounts of these real estate holdings are regularly monitored by real estate professionals employed by the Company. These fair value measurements are classified as Level 3. Unobservable inputs to these measurements, which include estimates and judgments often used in conjunction with appraisals, are not readily quantifiable.