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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BBCN Bancorp, Inc., formerly named Nara Bancorp, Inc., is a bank holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. BBCN Bank, formerly named Nara Bank, opened for business in June 1989 under the name "United Citizens National Bank" as a national banking association, was renamed "Nara Bank, National Association" in January 1994 and, in January 2005, became "Nara Bank" upon converting to a California state-chartered bank in connection with its holding company reorganization transaction. On November 30, 2011, we merged with Center Financial Corporation ("Center Financial" or "Center") in a merger equals transaction. Concurrently with the merger, Nara Bancorp changed its name to "BBCN Bancorp, Inc." At the bank level, Nara Bank merged into Center Bank, and concurrently with the merger, Center Bank changed its name to "BBCN Bank."

Principles of Consolidation—The accounting and reporting policies of BBCN Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the "Company") are in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and conform to practices within the banking industry. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of BBCN Bancorp, Inc. ("BBCN Bancorp") and its wholly owned subsidiaries, principally BBCN Bank (the "Bank").

Cash Flows—Cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks, interest-earning deposits, federal funds sold and term federal funds sold, which have original maturities less than 90 days. The Company is required to maintain reserve and clearing balances with the Federal Reserve Bank under the Federal Reserve Act. The reserve and clearing requirement balance was approximately $400 thousand at December 31, 2011 and $18.4 million at December 31, 2010. Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions, deferred income taxes and other assets and liabilities.

Securities—Securities are classified and accounted for as follows:

 

  (i) Securities that the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as "held to maturity" and reported at amortized cost. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, we did not own securities in this category;

 

  (ii) Securities are classified as "available for sale" when they might be sold before maturity and are reported at fair value. Unrealized holding gains and losses are reported as a separate component of stockholders' equity in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes.

Accreted discounts and amortized premiums on securities are included in interest income using the interest method, and realized gains or losses related to sales of securities are calculated using the specific identification method, without anticipating prepayments, except for mortgage-backed securities where prepayments are expected.

Management evaluates securities for other than temporary impairment ("OTTI") at least on a quarterly basis and more frequently when economic conditions warrant such evaluation. For securities in an unrealized loss position, management considers the extent and duration of the unrealized loss, and the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer. Management also assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell, a security in an unrealized loss position before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the entire difference between amortized cost and fair value is recognized as impairment through earnings. For debt securities that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, the amount of impairment is split into two components as follows: 1) OTTI related to credit loss, which must be recognized in the income statement and 2) other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) related to other factors, which is recognized in other comprehensive income. The credit loss is defined as the difference between the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected and the amortized cost basis. For equity securities, the entire amount of impairment is recognized through earnings.

Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Transactions—As part of our asset and liability management strategy, we may enter into derivative financial instruments, such as interest rate swaps, caps and floors, with the overall goal of minimizing the impact of interest rate fluctuations on our net interest margin. The Company's interest rate swaps and caps involve the exchange of fixed-rate and variable-rate interest payment obligations without the exchange of the underlying notional amounts and are therefore accounted for as "stand-alone" derivatives. Changes in the fair value of the stand-alone derivatives are reported in earnings as non-interest income. As part of the Company's overall risk management, the Company's Asset Liability Committee, which meets monthly, monitors and measures interest rate risk and the sensitivity of assets and liabilities to interest rate changes, including the impact of derivative transactions.

Loans—Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are reported at the principal balance outstanding, net of any unearned interest, deferred loan fees and costs, and an allowance for loan losses. Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized in interest income using the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments. Interest on loans is credited to income as earned and is accrued only if deemed collectible. Generally, loans for all loan segments are placed on non-accrual status if principal or interest payments become 90 days past due and/or management deems the collectibility of the principal and/or interest to be in question, as well as when required by regulatory requirements. Loans for all loan segments to a customer whose financial condition has deteriorated are considered for non-accrual status whether or not the loan is 90 days or more past due. Generally, payments received on non-accrual loans are recorded as principal reductions. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

Nonrefundable fees, net of certain direct costs, associated with the origination or acquisition of loans are deferred and recognized as an adjustment of the loan yield over the life of the loan. Other loan fees and charges, representing service costs for the prepayment of loans, for delinquent payments or for miscellaneous loan services, are recorded as income when collected.

SBA Loans—Certain Small Business Administration ("SBA") loans that the Company has the intent to sell prior to maturity have been designated as held for sale at origination and are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value, on an aggregate basis. A valuation allowance is established if the aggregate fair value of such loans is lower than their cost, and charged to earnings. Gains or losses recognized upon the sale of loans are determined on a specific identification basis. SBA loan transfers are accounted for as sales when control over the loan has been surrendered. Control over such loans is deemed to be surrendered when (1) the assets have been isolated from the Company, (2) the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, and (3) the Company does not maintain control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.

Acquired Loans—Loans that the Company acquired from Center Financial are recorded at fair value with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. The Company considered all classified and criticized loans and certain of the FDIC-assisted Innovative Bank acquisition related loans as credit impaired loans ("Credit Impaired Loans") under the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 310-30, Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality resulting from the Center Financial merger. Excluding Credit Impaired Loans, Pass graded loans from Center Financial ("Performing Loans") were not accounted for under ASC 310-30. These Performing Loans were placed in pools with similar risk characteristics and were recorded at fair value at the merger date.

The cash flows expected to be received over the life of the pool were estimated by management with the assistance of a third party valuation specialist. These cash flows were utilized in calculating the carrying values of the pools and underlying loans, book yields, effective interest income and impairment, if any, based on actual and projected events. Default rates, loss severity, and prepayment speed assumptions will be periodically reassessed and updated within the accounting model to update the expectation of future cash flows. The excess of the cash expected to be collected over the pool's carrying value is considered to be the accretable yield and is recognized as interest income over the estimated life of the loan or pool using the effective interest yield method. The accretable yield will change due to changes in the timing and amounts of expected cash flows. Changes in the accretable yield will be disclosed quarterly.

The excess of the contractual balances due over the cash flows expected to be collected is considered to be nonaccretable difference. The nonaccretable difference represents our estimate of the credit losses expected to occur and was considered in determining the fair value of the loans as of the merger date. Subsequent to the merger date, any increases in expected cash flows over those expected at purchase date in excess of fair value are adjusted through the accretable difference on a prospective basis. Any subsequent decreases in expected cash flows over those expected at the merger date are recognized by recording a provision for loan losses.

Credit Impaired Loans that met the criteria for nonaccrual of interest prior to the merger may be considered performing upon merger, regardless of whether the customer is contractually delinquent, if we can reasonably estimate the timing and amount of the expected cash flows on such loans and if we expect to fully collect the new carrying value of the loans. As such, we may no longer consider the loan to be nonaccrual or nonperforming and may accrue interest on these loans, including the impact of any accretable discount. We have determined that we can reasonably estimate future cash flows on any such acquired loans that are past due 90 days or more and on which we are accruing interest and we expect to fully collect the carrying value of the loans.

Loan Servicing Assets—The Company typically sells the guaranteed portion of SBA loans and retains the unguaranteed portion ("retained interest"). A portion of the premium on sale of SBA loans is recognized as gain on sale of loans at the time of the sale by allocating the carrying amount between the asset sold and the retained interest, based on their relative fair values. During 2010, in accordance with newly issued accounting literature, this gain was deferred until the 90 day recourse period expired. This resulted in $1.2 million of gains being deferred at December 31, 2010 and secured borrowings of $11.8 million. In February 2011, the SBA amended their agreements and effective for all loans submitted for secondary market sales on or after February 15, 2011, the gain is again recognized at the time of sale. The remaining portion of the premium is recorded as a discount on the retained interest and is amortized over the remaining life of the loan as an adjustment to yield. The retained interest, net of any discount, are included in loans receivable—net of allowance for loan losses in the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition.

Servicing assets are recognized when SBA loans are sold with servicing retained with the income statement effect recorded in gains on sales of SBA loans. Servicing assets are initially recorded at fair value based on the present value of the contractually specified servicing fee, net of servicing costs, over the estimated life of the loan, using a discount rate based on the related note rate, plus 1 to 2%. The Company's servicing costs approximates industry average servicing costs of 40 basis points. All classes of servicing assets are subsequently measured using the amortization method which requires servicing rights to be amortized into non-interest income in proportion to, and over the period of, the estimated future net servicing income of the underlying loans. The Company has capitalized $1.3 million, $283 thousand and $200 thousand of servicing assets during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, and amortized $706 thousand, $868 thousand and $1.1 million during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The acquired servicing assets from Center was $2.5 million at the acquisition date. The carrying amount of servicing assets was $5.6 million and $2.2 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Management periodically evaluates servicing assets for impairment based upon the fair value of the rights as compared to carrying amount. Impairment is determined by stratifying rights into groupings based on predominant risk characteristics, such as interest rate, loan type and investor type. Impairment is recognized through a valuation allowance for an individual grouping, to the extent that fair value is less than the carrying amount. If the Company later determines that all or a portion of the impairment no longer exists for a particular grouping, a reduction of the allowance may be recorded as an increase to income. At December 31, 2011, the fair value of servicing assets was determined using a weighted-average discount rate of 5.8% and prepayment speed of 14.2%. At December 31, 2010, the fair value of servicing assets was determined using a weighted-average discount rate of 5.7% and prepayment speed of 14.8%. The fair values of servicing assets were approximately $7.9 million and $4.0 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, on serviced loans totaling $559.5 million and $222.7 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010 and is included in other assets in the accompanying consolidated statements of condition. No impairment charges were required in 2011, 2010, or 2009.

The estimated annual amortization of servicing assets as of December 31, 2011, for each of the succeeding five fiscal years is indicated in the table below:

 

Year Ending December 31

 
(In thousands)       

2012

   $ 1,184   

2013

     858   

2014

     686   

2015

     541   

2016

     733   

Thereafter

     1,613   
  

 

 

 
   $ 5,615   
  

 

 

 

Servicing fee income which is reported on the income statement as "Loan Servicing Fees, net" is recorded for fees earned for servicing loans. The fees are based on a contractual percentage of the outstanding principal or a fixed amount per loan and are recorded as income when earned. The amortization of mortgage servicing rights is netted against loan servicing fee income. Servicing fees totaled $2.2 million, $2.4 million and $2.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Late fees and ancillary fees related to loan servicing are not material.

Allowance for Loan Losses—The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses that are inherent in the loan portfolio. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Management estimates the allowance balance required using past loan loss experience, the nature and volume of the portfolio, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values, economic conditions, and other factors. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management's judgment, should be charged-off.

 

In addition, the Company is subject to periodic examination by its federal and state examiners, and may be required by such regulators to recognize additions to the allowance for loan losses based on their assessment of credit information available to them at the time of their examinations.

The allowance consists of specific and general components. The specific component relates to loans that are individually classified as impaired. The general component covers non-impaired loans and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for qualitative factors.

For all loan classes, a loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Loans, for which the terms have been modified, and for which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties, may be considered troubled debt restructurings and classified as impaired. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral values, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not deemed to be impaired. Management determines the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower's prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed. Impairment is measured on a loan by loan basis by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate, or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment. Accordingly, the Company does not separately identify individual consumer and residential loans for impairment disclosures.

The general component covers non-impaired loans and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for current factors. The historical loss experience is determined by portfolio segment. The Company further segregate these segments between loans accounted for under the amortized cost method (referred to as "legacy" loans") and loans acquired from Center Financial (referred to as "acquired" loans), as acquired loans were originally recorded at fair value with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. For the legacy loans, the historical loss experience is based on the actual loss history experienced by the Company over the most recent three years. The loss experience is supplemented with other economic factors based on the risks present for each portfolio segment. These economic factors include consideration of the following: levels of and trends in delinquencies and impaired loans; levels of and trends in charge-offs and recoveries; trends in volume and terms of loans; effects of any changes in risk selection and underwriting standards; other changes in lending policies, procedures, and practices; experience, ability, and depth of lending management and other relevant staff; national and local economic trends and conditions; industry conditions; and effects of changes in credit concentrations. The following major portfolio segments have been identified: Real estate loans (residential, commercial, and construction), commercial business loans, trade finance loans, and consumer/other loans. Due to the overall high level of real estate loans within the loan portfolio as a whole, as compared to other portfolio segments, for risk assessment and allowance purposes this segment was segregated into more granular pools by collateral property type. Construction and land loans have the highest qualitative adjustments for economic and other credit risk factors, such as the incomplete status of the collateral and deleterious effect of the recent economic downturn on these types of properties during, but total balances in these portfolio segments are not a concentration in the overall portfolio. The commercial real estate loan portfolio segment as a whole had the next highest level of qualitative adjustments due to the effects of local markets and economies on the underlying collateral property values, as well as for industry concentrations and risks related to the commercial business tenants. Commercial real estate loans secured by hotels, golf courses, and gas station/car washes pose an industry concentration risk within this portfolio segment, have historically shown higher credit risk than in other collateral property types, and were negatively impacted by the effect of the recent poor economy on the hospitality and recreation industries as well as increasing fuel and travel costs. These factors resulted in higher qualitative adjustments made to these sub-portfolio segments. Within the commercial business and trade finance portfolio segments, risk analysis is performed based on concentrations within industries, as well as by individual loan type. Commercial business loans granted under various SBA-guaranteed programs show higher historical risks as these loans are made to small businesses which were more negatively impacted by the economic issues of past few years. This impact resulted in increased qualitative adjustments for this sub-portfolio segment during the year. Trade finance loans show minimal historical losses and have the lowest level of inherent risk as they are generally structured for transaction based funding and businesses within this portfolio segment were less impacted by local market downturns. Qualitative adjustments made to this portfolio segment are generally minor as a result.

In the third quarter, 2010, based on current market conditions, we expanded the criteria for evaluating loans for potential impairment which resulted in an increase in impaired loans from the prior quarter. Prior to the third quarter of 2010, loans graded Substandard were not individually evaluated for impairment and only considered impaired if they were 60+ days past due, unless other events existed that qualified the loan for impairment review. Therefore, a Substandard credit that was current in its contractual payments, but was classified due to other risk issues would not necessarily be subject to individual review for impairment analysis. Effective September 30, 2010, we expanded the scope of the loans reviewed for individual impairment by including all loans of $2.0 million or more that were risk-graded as Substandard, even though such loans were less than 60 days delinquent and were performing under their contractual terms. Effective December 31, 2010, we expanded the scope to include all loans of $1 million or more. This enhancement to our impairment analysis provided more coverage in terms of current fair values on classified loans as updated market values are required as part of the impairment analysis process. Effective March 31, 2011, we implemented a higher-level, preliminary non-impairment test, that is applied to loans for $1.0 million or more that are graded Substandard, are less than 60 days past due and accruing, and are not TDRs. We use a five-step test with the following criteria: (1) the loan is current with no 30-day late payments in the past six months; (2) the loan payments are the contractual, non-modified amount; (3) the financial information that supports payment capacity is not aged over one year; (4) the global cash flow supports the current payment amount at a ratio of 1:1 or better; and (5) for CRE loans secured by a first lien on real estate collateral, the most current LTV is below 100%. If the loan meets all of these criteria, it is not considered impaired and is subject to the general loan loss allowance for non-impaired loans.

The process of assessing the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses is necessarily subjective. Further, and particularly in terms of economic downturns, it is reasonably possible that future credit losses may exceed historical loss levels and may also exceed management's current estimates of incurred credit losses inherent within the loan portfolio. As such, there can be no assurance that future loan charge-offs will not exceed management's current estimate of what constitutes a reasonable allowance for loan losses.

Impairment losses are included in the allowance for loan losses through a charge to the provision for loan losses. Upon disposition of an impaired loan, any unpaid balance is charged off to the allowance for loan losses.

Concentration of Credit RiskOur loan portfolio is divided into three general markets: California, New York / New Jersey, and all other states. The California market represents the biggest credit market concentration (72.0%) followed by New York / New Jersey (17.5%) and All Other States (10.5%). Within the California market, most of our business activity is with customers located within Los Angeles County (60.7%). Therefore, the Company's exposure to credit risk is significantly affected by changes in the economy in the Los Angeles County area. Within our CRE loan portfolio, the largest industry concentrations are retail building (29.4%), hotel/motel (16.2%), gas stations (15.3%), and industrial & warehouse (9.8%). Within our commercial and industrial loan portfolio, the largest industry concentrations are wholesalers (28.4%), retail trade (24.2%), and manufacturing (12.7%).

 

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) Stock—The Bank is a member of the FHLB system. Members are required to own a certain amount of stock based on the level of borrowings and other factors, and may invest in additional amounts. FHLB stock is carried at cost, classified as a restricted security, and periodically evaluated for impairment based on ultimate recovery of par value. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income.

Premises and Equipment—Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization of premises and equipment are computed on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

 

Buildings

   15-30 years

Furniture, fixture, and equipment

   3-7 years

Computer equipment

   5 years

Computer software

   3 years

Leasehold improvement

   life of lease or improvements, whichever is shorter

Other Real Estate Owned—Other real estate owned, which represents real estate acquired through foreclosure in satisfaction of commercial and real estate loans, is stated at fair value less estimated selling costs of the real estate. Loan balances in excess of the fair value of the real estate acquired at the date of acquisition are charged to the allowance for loan losses. Any subsequent operating expenses or income, reduction in estimated fair values, and gains or losses on disposition of such properties are charged or credited to current operations.

FDIC Loss Share Receivable—In conjunction with the FDIC-assisted acquisition of Innovative Bank by Center Financial in 2010, Center Bank entered into shared-loss agreements with the FDIC for amounts receivable covered by the shared-loss agreements. At the date of merger with Center Financial, consistent with Center Financial's accounting treatment, we elected to account for amounts receivable under the loss sharing agreement with the FDIC as FDIC loss share receivable in accordance with ASC 805. The FDIC loss share receivable was recorded at fair value, based on the discounted value of expected future cash flows under the loss sharing agreement. The discount factor utilized was 1.62%. The cash flows expected to be received under the loss agreement were estimated by management with the assistance of a third party valuation specialist. The difference between the present value and the undiscounted cash flows we expect to collect from the FDIC will be accreted into non-interest income over the life of the FDIC loss share receivable.

The FDIC loss share receivable is reviewed quarterly and adjusted for any changes in expected cash flows based on recent performance and expectations for future performance of the covered portfolio. These adjustments are measured on the same basis as the related covered loans and covered other real estate owned. Any increases in the cash flows of the covered assets over those expected will reduce the FDIC loss share receivable and any decreases in cash flows of the covered assets under those expected will increase the FDIC loss share receivable. Increase and decrease to the FDIC loss share receivable are recorded as adjustments to non-interest income.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets—Goodwill is generally determined as the excess of the fair value of the consideration transferred, plus the fair value of any noncontrolling interests in the acquiree, over the fair value of the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date. Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but tested for impairment at least annually. The Company has selected December 31 as the date to perform the annual impairment test. Intangible assets with definite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values. Goodwill is the only intangible asset with an indefinite life on our balance sheet. The Company acquired Center Financial on November 30, 2011, which resulted in goodwill of $88.0 million being recorded. The Company tested goodwill and other intangibles for impairment as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 noting no impairment of recorded goodwill and other intangibles.

 

Stock-Based Compensation—Compensation cost is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards issued to employees and directors, based on the fair value of these awards at the date of grant. A Black-Scholes model is utilized to estimate the fair value of stock options, while the market price of the Company's common stock at the date of grant is used for restricted stock awards. Compensation cost is recognized over the required service period, generally defined as the vesting period. For awards with graded vesting, compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

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 income tax assets and liabilities represent the tax effects, based on current tax law, of future deductible or taxable amounts attributable to events that have been recognized in the financial statements. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, the projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

A tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is "more likely than not" that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the "more likely than not" test, no tax benefit is recorded. The Company recognizes interest and / or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes limitations on a corporation's ability to use any net unrealized built in losses and other tax attributes, such as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, when it undergoes a 50% "ownership change" over a designated testing period (not to exceed three years). As a result of the merger on November 30, 2011, both Nara Bancorp and Center Financial underwent a greater than 50% ownership change. There is expected to be no limitation on the use of either company's tax attributes, because as of November 30, 2011 both companies had net unrealized built in gains, rather than net unrealized built in losses. However, future transactions, such as issuances of common stock or sales of shares of our stock by certain holders of our shares, including persons who have held, currently hold or may accumulate in the future 5% or more of our outstanding common stock for their own account, could trigger future Section 382 limitations on the Company's use of tax attributes.

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)—Compensation expense is based on the market price of shares as they are committed to be released to participant accounts. Dividends on allocated ESOP shares reduce retained earnings.

Earnings per Common Share—Basic Earnings per Common Share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Allocated ESOP shares are considered outstanding for this calculation. Diluted Earnings per Common Share reflects the potential dilution of securities that could share in the earnings of the Company. Earnings and dividends per share are restated for all stock splits and stock dividends through the date of issuance of the financial statements.

Equity—The Company accrues for preferred stock dividends as earned and for common stock dividends as declared. Preferred stock dividends of $3.4 million and $3.4 million were paid in 2011 and 2010 and there were $657,000 and $428,000 of preferred stock dividends accrued but unpaid at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. There were no common stock dividends declared during 2011 and 2010. Accrued preferred and common stock dividends are included in other liabilities.

 

Bank Owned Life Insurance—The Company has purchased life insurance policies on certain key executives and directors. Bank owned life insurance ("BOLI") is recorded at the amount that can be realized under the insurance contract at the balance sheet date, which is the cash surrender value adjusted for other charges or other amounts due that are probable at settlement.

Investments in Affordable Housing Partnerships—The Company owns limited partnerships interest in projects of affordable housing for lower income tenants. The investments in which the Company has significant influence are recorded using the equity method of accounting. For those investments in limited partnerships for which the Company does not have a significant influence, such investments are accounted for using the cost method of accounting and the annual amortization is based on the proportion of tax credits received in the current year to the total estimated tax credits to be allocated to the Company. The tax credits are recognized in the consolidated financial statements to the extent that they are utilized on the Company's tax returns.

Comprehensive Income—Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) includes unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale, cash flow hedges, and interest-only strips which are also recognized as separate components of stockholders' equity, net of tax.

Loss Contingencies—Loss contingencies, including claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, are recorded as liabilities when the likelihood of loss is probable and an amount or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Management believes there are no such matters that would have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2011 or 2010.

Loan Commitments and Related Financial Instruments—Financial instruments include off-balance sheet credit instruments, such as commitments to make loans and commercial letters of credit, issued to meet customer financing needs. The face amount for these items represents the exposure to loss, before considering customer collateral or ability to repay. Such financial instruments are recorded when they are funded. See Note 12, Commitments and Contingencies, to these Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

Fair Values of Financial Instruments—Fair values of financial instruments are estimated using relevant market information and other assumptions, as more fully disclosed in a separate note. Fair value estimates involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment regarding interest rates, credit risk, prepayments, and other factors, especially in the absence of broad markets for particular items. Changes in assumptions or in market conditions could significantly affect the estimates.

Operating Segments—The Company previously identified three principal operating segments: banking operations, trade finance services and small business administration lending services. However, the Company's strategic focus has migrated from transactional banking to relationship banking upon the merger with Center Financial. While the chief operating decision makers continue to monitor the revenue streams of the various products and services, the Company now focuses more on the relational aspects of the customers who are encouraged to purchase a multitude of products and services. Accordingly, all of the operations are considered by the Company to be aggregated in one reportable operating segment.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets—The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. If the estimated future cash flows (undiscounted) over the remaining useful life of the asset are less than the carrying value, an impairment loss would be recorded to reduce the related asset to its estimated fair value.

 

Transfer of Financial Assets—Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales, when control over the assets has been relinquished. Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when the assets have been isolated from the Company, the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, and the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements—The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are susceptible to change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance and provision for loan losses, the evaluation of other than temporary impairment of investment securities, accounting for derivatives and hedging activities, determining the carrying value for cash surrender value of life insurance, carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets, accounting for deferred tax assets and related valuation allowances, the determination of the fair values of investment securities and other financial instruments, accounting for lease arrangements, accounting for incentive compensation, profit sharing and bonus payments and the valuation of servicing assets.

Reclassifications—Some items in the prior year financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

FASB ASU 2010-29, "Business Combinations (Topic 805), Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations—This ASU specifies that if a public entity presents comparative financial statements, the entity (acquirer) should disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination(s) that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. The ASU also expands the supplemental pro forma disclosures under Topic 805 to include a description of the nature and amount of material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro forma revenue and earnings. We disclosed pro forma information in the notes to consolidated financial statements of the merger with Center Financial. See Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

FASB ASU 2011-02, "Receivable (Topic 310), Disclosures about the Credit Quality of Financing Receivables and the Allowance for Credit Losses"—ASU 2011-02 clarifies the guidance for evaluating whether a restructuring constitutes a troubled debt restructuring ('TDR"). The guidance requires that a creditor separately conclude that both of the following exist: i) The restructuring constitutes a concession, ii) The debtor is experiencing financial difficulties. In addition, the guidance clarifies that a creditor is precluded from using the effective interest rate test in the debtor's guidance on restructuring of payables when evaluating whether a restructuring constitutes a TDR. The amendments in ASU 2011-02 are effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after June 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to the beginning of the annual period of adoption. We adopted ASU 2011-02 on its disclosures in the consolidated financial statements effective third quarter of 2011.

Newly Issued But Not Yet Effective Accounting Pronouncements

ASB ASU 2011-04, "Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs (Topic 820)"—This ASU provides guidance on fair value measurement and disclosure requirements that the FASB deemed largely identical across U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The requirements do not extend the use of fair value accounting, but provide guidance on how it should be applied where its use is already required or allowed. ASU 2011-04 supersedes most of the guidance in ASC topic 820, but many of the changes are clarifications of existing guidance or wording changes to reflect IFRS 13. Amendments in ASU 2011-04 change the wording used to describe U.S. GAAP requirements for fair value and disclosing information about fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011, and early application is not permitted. Adoption of ASU 2011-04 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial condition or result of operations.

FASB ASU 2011-05, "Presentation of Comprehensive Income (Topic 220)"—This ASU is intended to improve the comparability, consistency, and transparency of financial reporting and to increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income. To increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income and to facilitate convergence of U.S. GAAP and IFRS, the FASB decided to eliminate the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity, among other amendments in this Update. These amendments apply to all entities that report items of other comprehensive income, in any period presented. Under the amendments to Topic 220, an entity has the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The FASB issued FASB ASU 2011-12, "Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05" that defers the effective date of ASU 2011-05. The deferral is temporary until the FASB reconsiders the operational concerns and needs of financial statement users. The FASB has not yet established a timetable for its reconsideration.

FASB ASU 2011-08, "Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350); Testing Goodwill for Impairment"—This ASU permits an entity to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying the two-step goodwill impairment test. If an entity can support the conclusion that is is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it would not need to perform the two-step impairment test for that reporting unit. The ASU is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Adoption of ASU 2011-08 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial condition or result of operations.