Servicing Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

TransfersAndServicingOfFinancialAssetsTextBlock

NOTE 9 - SERVICING ASSETS

The Company periodically sells or securitizes mortgage loans while retaining the obligation to perform the servicing of such loans. In addition, the Company may purchase or assume the right to service mortgage loans originated by others. Whenever the Company undertakes an obligation to service a loan, management assesses whether a servicing asset and/or liability should be recognized. A servicing asset is recognized whenever the compensation for servicing is expected to more than adequately compensate the Company for servicing the loans and leases. Likewise, a servicing liability would be recognized in the event that servicing fees to be received are not expected to adequately compensate the Company for its expected cost.

All separately recognized servicing assets are recognized at fair value using the fair value measurement method. Under the fair value measurement method, the Company measures servicing rights at fair value at each reporting date, reports changes in fair value of servicing assets in earnings in the period in which the changes occur, and includes these changes, if any, with mortgage banking activities in the consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of servicing rights is subject to fluctuations as a result of changes in estimated and actual prepayment speeds and default rates and losses.

The fair value of servicing rights is estimated by using a cash flow valuation model which calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing cash flows, taking into consideration actual and expected loan prepayment rates, discount rates, servicing costs, and other economic factors, which are determined based on current market conditions.

At December 31, 2015, the servicing asset amounted to $7.5 million ($14.0 million — December 31, 2014) related to mortgage servicing rights.

During 2015, the Company completed the sale of certain servicing assets for approximately $7.0 million. The Company recognized a loss of $2.7 million related to this transaction, which is included as other non-interest (loss) income in the consolidated statements of operations.

The following table presents the changes in servicing rights measured using the fair value method for years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:

		Year Ended December 31,
		2015	2014			2013
		(In thousands)				(In thousands)
Fair value at beginning of year	$	13,992	$	13,801	$	10,795
Sale of mortgage servicing rights (MSR)		(5,927)		-		-
Servicing from mortgage securitizations or asset transfers		2,620		2,149		3,177
Changes due to payments on loans		(1,017)		(1,072)		(950)
Changes in fair value related to price of MSR's held for sale		(2,939)		-		-
Changes in fair value due to changes in valuation model inputs or assumptions		726		(886)		779
Fair value at end of year	$	7,455	$	13,992	$	13,801

The following table presents key economic assumption ranges used in measuring the mortgage-related servicing asset fair value for the year ended 2015, 2014 and 2013:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2015	2014	2013
Constant prepayment rate	5.23% - 15.24%	4.16% - 13.98%	5.78% - 14.33%
Discount rate	10.00% - 12.00%	10.00% - 12.00%	10.00% - 12.00%

The sensitivity of the current fair value of servicing assets to immediate 10 percent and 20 percent adverse changes in the above key assumptions were as follows:

	December 31, 2015
	(In thousands)
Mortgage-related servicing asset
Carrying value of mortgage servicing asset	$	7,455
Constant prepayment rate
Decrease in fair value due to 10% adverse change	$	(202)
Decrease in fair value due to 20% adverse change	$	(394)
Discount rate
Decrease in fair value due to 10% adverse change	$	(307)
Decrease in fair value due to 20% adverse change	$	(592)

These sensitivities are hypothetical and should be used with caution. As the figures indicate, changes in fair value based on a 10 percent variation in assumptions generally cannot be extrapolated because the relationship of the change in assumption to the change in fair value may not be linear. Also, in this table, the effect of a variation in a particular assumption on the fair value of the retained interest is calculated without changing any other assumption.

Changes in one factor may result in changes in another (for example, increases in market interest rates may result in lower prepayments), which may magnify or offset the sensitivities. Mortgage banking activities, a component of total banking and financial service revenue in the consolidated statements of operations, include the changes from period to period in the fair value of the mortgage loan servicing rights, which may result from changes in the valuation model inputs or assumptions (principally reflecting changes in discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions) and other changes, including changes due to collection/realization of expected cash flows.

Servicing fee income is based on a contractual percentage of the outstanding principal balance and is recorded as income when earned. Servicing fees on mortgage loans for the years ended 2015, 2014 and 2013 totaled $4.8 million, $6.3 million and $5.5 million, respectively

- Definition

The entire disclosure for a transferor's continuing involvement in financial assets that it has transferred in a securitization or asset-backed financing arrangement, the nature of any restrictions on assets reported by an entity in its statement of financial position that relate to a transferred financial asset (including the carrying amounts of such assets), how servicing assets and servicing liabilities are reported, and (for securitization or asset-backed financing arrangements accounted for as sales) when a transferor has continuing involvement with the transferred financial assets and transfers of financial assets accounted for as secured borrowings, how the transfer of financial assets affects an entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows.

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