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Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Note 10 - Commitments and Contingencies In the normal course of business, Synovus enters into commitments to extend credit such as loan commitments and letters of credit to meet the financing needs of its customers. Synovus uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instrumen ts. Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Synovus also has commitments to fund certain low-income housing investments, solar energy, and CRA investments. The contractual amount of these financial instruments represents Synovus' maximum credit risk should the counterparty draw upon the commitment, and should the counterparty subsequently fail to perform according to the terms of the contract. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. Additionally, certain commitments (primarily consumer) can generally be canceled by providing notice to the borrower. The ACL associated with unfunded commitments and letters of credit is recorded within other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Upon adoption of CECL on January 1, 2020, Synovus recorded $27.4 million in unfunded commitment reserves due to the consideration under CECL of expected utilization over the life of such commitments. At September 30, 2020, the ACL for unfunded commitments was $60.8 million, including the impact of CECL and COVID-19, compared to a reserve of $1.4 million at December 31, 2019. Additionally, an immaterial amount of unearned fees relating to letters of credit are recorded within other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. See "Part I-Item 1. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Note 1 - Basis of Presentation" in this Report for more information on Synovus' adoption of CECL. Synovus invests in certain LIHTC partnerships which are engaged in the development and operation of affordable multi-family housing pursuant to Section 42 of the Code. Additionally, Synovus invests in certain solar energy tax credit partnerships pursuant to Section 48 of the Code. Synovus typically acts as a limited partner in these investments and does not exert control over the operating or financial policies of the partnerships and as such, is not considered the primary beneficiary of the partnership. For certain of its LIHTC investments, Synovus provides financing during the construction and development of the properties and is at risk for the funded amount of its equity investment plus the outstanding amount of any construction loans in excess of the fair value of the collateral for the loan, but has no obligation to fund the operations or working capital of the partnerships and is not exposed to losses beyond Synovus’ investment. Synovus receives tax credits related to these investments which are subject to recapture by taxing authorities based on compliance provisions required to be met at the project level. Synovus also invests in certain other CRA partnerships including SBIC programs. The SBIC is a program initiated by the SBA in 1958 to assist in the funding of small business loans.
(in thousands) | September 30, 2020 |  | December 31, 2019
Letters of credit* | $ | 177,000 |  |  | $ | 202,614 |
Commitments to fund commercial and industrial loans | 7,990,189 |  |  | 7,018,152 |
Commitments to fund commercial real estate, construction, and land development loans | 2,891,857 |  |  | 3,032,252 |
Commitments under home equity lines of credit | 1,588,844 |  |  | 1,501,452 |
Unused credit card lines | 984,636 |  |  | 877,929 |
Other loan commitments | 458,509 |  |  | 485,371 |
Total letters of credit and unfunded lending commitments | $ | 14,091,035 |  |  | $ | 13,117,770 |
Investments in low income housing, solar energy tax credit and other CRA partnerships: |  |  |
Carrying amount included in other assets | $ | 214,615 |  |  | $ | 146,612 |
Amount of future funding commitments included in carrying amount | 124,866 |  |  | 78,266 |
Permanent and short-term construction loans and letter of credit commitments | 52,686 |  |  | 2,124 |
Funded portion of permanent and short-term loans and letters of credit | 5,194 |  |  | 3,196 |
* Represent the contractual amount net of risk participations purchased of approximately $31 million and $33 million at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Merchant Services In accordance with credit and debit card association rules, Synovus provides merchant processing services for customers. Prior to the second quarter of 2020, these services were provided through a referral relationship which was replaced during the second quarter of 2020 with a new contractual arrangement under which certain sales and processing support are provided through an outside merchant services provider with Synovus owning the merchant contract relationship. In addition, Synovus sponsors various third-party MPS businesses that process credit and debit card transactions on behalf of merchants. In connection with these services, a liability may arise in the event of a billing dispute between the merchant and a cardholder that is ultimately resolved in the cardholder's favor. If the merchant defaults on its obligations, the cardholder, through its issuing bank, generally has until six months after the date of the transaction to present a chargeback to the MPS, which is primarily liable for any losses on covered transactions. However, if a sponsored MPS fails to meet its obligations, then Synovus, as the sponsor, could be held liable for the disputed amount. Synovus seeks to mitigate this risk through its contractual arrangements with the MPS and the merchants by withholding future settlements, retaining cash reserve accounts and/or obtaining other security. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, Synovus and the sponsored entities processed and settled $20.23 billion and $55.47 billion of transactions, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the sponsored entities processed and settled $19.13 billion and $55.72 billion of transactions, respectively. Synovus covered chargebacks related to a particular sponsored MPS during 2019 and 2018 where the MPS’s cash reserve account was unavailable to support the chargebacks. As of September 30, 2020, the remaining amount due to Synovus from the MPS is $20.6 million, compared to $21.4 million at December 31, 2019. During the first quarter of 2020, Synovus recorded a $2.7 million reserve in other operating expenses associated with the chargebacks, reflecting the amount that Synovus does not expect to collect. The net balance of $17.9 million at September 30, 2020 is included in other assets and classified in NPAs. While Synovus has contractual protections to mitigate against loss, repayment of the amounts owed to Synovus will depend in large part upon the continued financial viability and/or valuation of the MPS and the availability of any cash reserve accounts. Legal Proceedings Synovus and its subsidiaries are subject to various legal proceedings, claims and disputes that arise in the ordinary course of its business. Additionally, in the ordinary course of business, Synovus and its subsidiaries are subject to regulatory examinations, information gathering requests, inquiries and investigations. Synovus, like many other financial institutions, has been the target of legal actions and other proceedings asserting claims for damages and related relief for losses. These actions include mortgage loan and other loan put-back claims, claims and counterclaims asserted by individual borrowers related to their loans, allegations of violations of state and federal laws and regulations relating to banking practices, and allegations related to Synovus' participation in government stimulus programs, including putative class action matters. In addition to actual damages, if Synovus does not prevail in such asserted legal actions, credit-related litigation could result in additional write-downs or charge-offs of assets, which could adversely affect Synovus' results of operations during the period in which the write-down or charge-off were to occur. Synovus carefully examines and considers each legal matter, and, in those situations where Synovus determines that a particular legal matter presents loss contingencies that are both probable and reasonably estimable, Synovus establishes an appropriate reserve. An event is considered to be probable if the future event is likely to occur. While the final outcome of any legal proceeding is inherently uncertain, based on the information currently available, advice of counsel and available insurance coverage, management believes that the amounts accrued with respect to legal matters as of September 30, 2020 are adequate. The actual costs of resolving legal claims may be higher or lower than the amounts accrued. In addition, where Synovus determines that there is a reasonable possibility of a loss in respect of legal matters, Synovus considers whether it is able to estimate the total reasonably possible loss or range of loss. An event is “reasonably possible” if “the chance of the future event or events occurring is more than remote but less than likely.” An event is “remote” if “the chance of the future event or events occurring is more than slight but less than reasonably possible." In many situations, Synovus may be unable to estimate reasonably possible losses due to the preliminary nature of the legal matters, as well as a variety of other factors and uncertainties. For those legal matters where Synovus is able to estimate a range of reasonably possible losses, management currently estimates the aggregate range from our outstanding litigation is from zero to $5 million in excess of the amounts accrued, if any, related to those matters. This estimated aggregate range is based upon information currently available to Synovus, and the actual losses could prove to be lower or higher. As there are further developments in these legal matters, Synovus will reassess these matters, and the estimated range of reasonably possible losses may change as a result of this assessment. Based on Synovus' current knowledge and advice of counsel, management presently does not believe that the liabilities arising from these legal matters will have a material adverse effect on Synovus' consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, it is possible that the ultimate resolution of these legal matters could have a material adverse effect on Synovus' results of operations or financial condition for any particular period. Synovus intends to vigorously pursue all available defenses to these legal matters, but will also consider other alternatives, including settlement, in situations where there is an opportunity to resolve such legal matters on terms that Synovus considers to be favorable, including in light of the continued expense and distraction of defending such legal matters. Synovus maintains insurance coverage, which may be available to cover legal fees, or potential losses that might be incurred in connection with such legal matters. The above-noted estimated range of reasonably possible losses does not take into consideration insurance coverage which may or may not be available for the respective legal matters.

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