SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of Consolidation: The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Banc of California, Inc. (the Company, we, us and our) and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Banc of California, National Association (the Bank), the Palisades Group, LLC (the Palisades Group), and PTB Property Holdings, LLC, as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013. Significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references to the Company include its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Nature of Operations: The principal business of the Company is the ownership of the Bank. The Bank operates under a national bank charter issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the OCC), its primary regulator. The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system, and maintains insurance on deposit accounts with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). PTB Property Holdings, LLC manages and disposes of other real estate owned properties and the Palisades Group provides financial advisory and asset management services.

The Bank is engaged in the business of retail banking, with operations conducted through 17 banking offices, serving San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange counties, California and 59 loan production offices in California, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Indiana, and Maryland as of September 30, 2014. As of September 30, 2014, single family residential (SFR) mortgage loans and Green loans (SFR mortgage lines of credit) accounted for approximately 39.3 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively, of the Company’s loan and lease portfolio, with a high percentage of such loans concentrated in Southern California. The customer’s ability to repay their loans or leases is generally dependent on the real estate market and general economic conditions in the area.

The accounting and reporting polices of the Company are based upon U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and conform to predominant practices within the banking industry. The Company has not made any significant changes in its critical accounting policies or in its estimates and assumptions from those disclosed in its 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K, other than the enhancement made on allowance for loan and lease losses, the adoption of new accounting pronouncements and other authoritative guidance that became effective for the Company on or after January 1, 2014. Refer to Accounting Pronouncements below for discussion of accounting pronouncements adopted in 2014.

Basis of Presentation: The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations for reporting on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain disclosures required by GAAP are not included herein. These interim statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The December 31, 2013 balance sheet presented herein has been derived from the audited financial statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but does not include all of the disclosures required by GAAP.

In the opinion of management of the Company, the accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements reflect all of the adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and consolidated results of operations for the periods presented. Certain reclassifications have been made in the prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.

The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and disclosures provided, and actual results could differ materially. The allowance for loan and lease losses, reserve for loss on repurchased loans, servicing rights, other real estate owned, realization of deferred tax assets, goodwill, other intangible assets, derivatives, fair value of assets and liabilities acquired in business combinations, and the fair value of financial instruments are particularly subject to change and such change could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes: Income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax due or refundable and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more-likely-than-not that a portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of September 30, 2014, the Company had a net deferred tax asset of $8.7 million, net of a $8.3 million valuation allowance and as of December 31, 2013, the Company had a net deferred tax asset of $0, net of a $17.3 million valuation allowance (See further discussion in Note 11, Income Taxes).

Earnings Per Share: Earnings per share is computed under the two-class method. Basic earnings per common share (EPS) is computed by dividing net income allocated to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding, including the minimum number of shares issuable under purchase contracts relating to the tangible equity units (see the discussion of the tangible equity units in Note 15, Shareholders' Equity). Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income allocated to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding, adjusted for the dilutive effect of the restricted stock units, the potentially issuable shares in excess of the minimum under purchase contracts relating to the tangible equity units, outstanding stock options, and warrants to purchase common stock. Net income allocated to common shareholders is computed by subtracting income allocated to participating securities, participating securities dividends and preferred stock dividend from net income. Participating securities are instruments granted in share-based payment transactions that contain rights to receive nonforfeitable dividends or dividend equivalents, which includes the Stock Appreciation Rights to the extent they confer dividend equivalent rights, as described under “Stock Appreciation Rights” in Note 14, Stock Compensation Plans.

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses: During the three months ended September 30, 2014, the Company enhanced the current methodologies, processes and controls over the allowance for loan and lease losses (ALLL), due to the Company's rapid organic and acquisitive growth and rapidly changing profile. These enhancements will update and upgrade how each component of the ALLL are quantified, their relationship to each other, and their overall relevance to the Company's new profile and strategic direction.

To ensure overall level of ALLL adequacy, the Company performed comparative analysis of its ALLL to total loans ratio to average and median of the industry benchmark groups and its ALLL reserve levels were determined to be appropriate and adequate for the Company's current portfolio. The following is a synopsis of the enhancements for each component of ALLL:


•	Expand the look-back period to 28 rolling quarters to capture the full economic cycle. To accommodate the expansion, the Company supplemented its 15 quarters of internal history with 13 quarters of industry average loss history.


•	Utilize net historical losses versus gross historical losses.


•	Expand the peer group used to determine industry average loss history to include three industry groups; 1) all U.S. financial and bank holding companies, 2) all California financial and bank holding companies, 3) the peer group average from the Uniform Bank Performance Report. The methodology allows for the weighting of all three industry groups as appropriate.


•	Apply the segment specific loss emergence period to each segment's loss rate versus 12 months for all portfolio segments as was done previously.


•	Reset the range for the nine interagency recommended qualitative factors and add a new qualitative factor for data-model imprecision risk. The expected range of the qualitative reserve will now be calculated at each factor level based on a baseline risk weighting adjusted for current risks, trends and business conditions.


•	Disaggregated certain qualitative factors to be determined on the portfolio segment level.

Due to these enhancements, the Company realized additional $591 thousand ALLL than what it would have been using the old methodology.

Correction of Prior Period Errors: During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company made cumulative prior period (years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012) adjustments related to the provision for loan repurchases, the allowance for loan and lease losses, restricted stock compensation expense, and other expenses, which increased the provision for loan repurchases by $571 thousand, provision for loan and lease losses by $1.2 million, and other expense by $353 thousand, and decreased stock compensation expense by $234 thousand. The Company reviewed the impact of these corrections in accordance with Securities Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99 “Materiality”, and determined that the corrections were not material to prior or current periods.

Accounting Pronouncements: During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the following pronouncements applicable to the Company were issued or became effective:

In January 2014, the FASB issued guidance within ASU 2014-1, “Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects.” The amendments in ASU 2014-1to Topic 323, “Equity Investments and Joint Ventures,” provide guidance on accounting for investments by a reporting entity in flow-through limited liability entities that manage or invest in affordable housing projects that qualify for the low-income housing tax credit. The amendments permit reporting entities to make an accounting policy election to account for their investments in qualified affordable housing projects using the proportional amortization method if certain conditions are met. Under the proportional amortization method, an entity amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits received, and recognizes the net investment performance in the income statement as a component of income tax expense (benefit). The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 31, 2014 and should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. Early adoption is permitted. All of the Company’s affordable housing fund investments are within the scope of this guidance. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact that adoption of this guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-4, “Reclassification of Residential Real Estate Collateralized Consumer Mortgage Loans upon Foreclosure.” ASU 2014-4 clarifies that an in substance repossession or foreclosure has occurred, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure. Interim and annual disclosure is required of both the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure. ASU 2014-4 is effective using either the modified retrospective transition method or a prospective transition method for fiscal years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact that adoption of this guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-9, “Revenue From Contracts With Customers”, that outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The ASU is based on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to fulfill a contract. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach for the adoption of the new standard. The ASU becomes effective for Company at the beginning of its 2017 fiscal year; early adoption is not permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact that adoption of this guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-11, “Transfers and Servicing: Repurchase-to-Maturity Transactions, Repurchase Financings, and Disclosures”. The ASU changes the accounting for repurchase-to-maturity transactions to secured borrowing accounting. In addition, for repurchase financing arrangements, the amendments require separate accounting for a transfer of a financial asset executed contemporaneously with a repurchase agreement with the same counterparty, which will result in secured borrowing accounting for the repurchase agreement. The ASU also requires disclosures for certain transactions comprising (1) a transfer of a financial asset accounted for as a sale and (2) an agreement with the same transferee entered into in contemplation of the initial transfer that results in the transferor retaining substantially all of the exposure to the economic return on the transferred financial asset throughout the term of the transaction. There are also additional disclosure requirements for repurchase agreements, securities lending transactions, and repurchase-to-maturity transactions that are accounted for as secured borrowings. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact that adoption of this guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period”. The ASU requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in Topic 718 as it relates to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact that adoption of this guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-14, “Receivables-Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors (Subtopic 310-40), Classification of Certain Government-Guaranteed Mortgage Loans upon Foreclosure.” Under ASU 2014-14, a mortgage loan should be derecognized and a separate receivable based on the principal and interest expected to be recovered from the governmental guarantor should be recognized upon foreclosure when all of the following conditions exist: a government guarantee exists that is not separable from the loan prior to the foreclosure; as of the date of the foreclosure the creditor has the intent to convey the real estate to the governmental agency that issued the guarantee, to make a claim on the guarantee and the creditor has the ability to recover amounts due from the governmental entity as a result of the claim; and, as of the time of the foreclosure, the claim amount that is based on the fair value of the real estate is fixed. ASU 2014-14 is effective using either the modified retrospective transition method or a prospective transition method for fiscal years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact that adoption of this guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements.