ACCOUNTING POLICIES	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
ACCOUNTING POLICIES	NOTE 1 – ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation HBT Financial, Inc. (the Company) is headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois and is the holding company for Heartland Bank and Trust Company (the Bank or Heartland Bank). The Bank provides a comprehensive suite of business, commercial, wealth management and retail banking products and services to individuals, businesses, and municipal entities throughout Central and Northeastern Illinois. The unaudited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) interim reporting requirements. Certain information in footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP has been condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 12, 2021. The unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. The Company qualifies as an "emerging growth company" as defined by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act). The JOBS Act permits emerging growth companies an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards affecting public companies. The Company has elected to use the extended transition period until the Company is no longer an emerging growth company or until the Company chooses to affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period. As a result, the Company’s financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies. Merger of State Bank of Lincoln into Heartland Bank On October 20, 2020, Heartland Bank and State Bank of Lincoln, both wholly-owned bank subsidiaries of the Company on that date, entered into a Bank Merger Agreement providing for the merger of State Bank of Lincoln into Heartland Bank. The merger was consummated on December 31, 2020, resulting in Heartland Bank being our sole bank subsidiary, with the branch locations in Lincoln, Illinois operating as “State Bank of Lincoln, a division of Heartland Bank and Trust Company.” Use of Estimates The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In preparing the financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the balance sheet and the reported results of operations for the periods then ended. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant changes in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, goodwill, and income taxes. Segment Reporting The Company’s operations consist of one reportable segment called community banking. Reclassifications Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation without any impact on the reported amounts of net income or stockholders’ equity. Subsequent Events In preparing these consolidated financial statements, the Company has evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements were issued. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts and requires enhanced disclosures related to the significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an organization’s portfolio. In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on debt securities available-for-sale and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. ASU 2016-13 is effective for years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for years beginning after December 31, 2018, including interim periods within those years. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this standard will have on the consolidated results of operations and financial position. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU simplifies measurement of goodwill and eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Under the ASU, a company should perform its goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An impairment charge should be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. The impairment charge is limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The amendments in this update are effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted for goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. This standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial position. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This ASU provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. In January 2021, the FASB also issued ASU 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope which refined the scope for certain optional expedients and exceptions for contract modifications and hedge accounting to apply to derivative contracts and certain hedging relationships affected by the discounting transition. Entities may apply the provisions as of the beginning of the reporting period when the election is made and are available until December 31, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this standard will have on the consolidated results of operations and financial position.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

NOTE 1 – ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

HBT Financial, Inc. (the Company) is headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois and is the holding company for Heartland Bank and Trust Company (the Bank or Heartland Bank). The Bank provides a comprehensive suite of business, commercial, wealth management and retail banking products and services to individuals, businesses, and municipal entities throughout Central and Northeastern Illinois.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) interim reporting requirements. Certain information in footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP has been condensed or omitted pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. These interim unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 12, 2021.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

The Company qualifies as an "emerging growth company" as defined by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act). The JOBS Act permits emerging growth companies an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards affecting public companies. The Company has elected to use the extended transition period until the Company is no longer an emerging growth company or until the Company chooses to affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period. As a result, the Company’s financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies.

Merger of State Bank of Lincoln into Heartland Bank

On October 20, 2020, Heartland Bank and State Bank of Lincoln, both wholly-owned bank subsidiaries of the Company on that date, entered into a Bank Merger Agreement providing for the merger of State Bank of Lincoln into Heartland Bank. The merger was consummated on December 31, 2020, resulting in Heartland Bank being our sole bank subsidiary, with the branch locations in Lincoln, Illinois operating as “State Bank of Lincoln, a division of Heartland Bank and Trust Company.”

Use of Estimates

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In preparing the financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the balance sheet and the reported results of operations for the periods then ended.

Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant changes in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, goodwill, and income taxes.

Segment Reporting

The Company’s operations consist of one reportable segment called community banking.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation without any impact on the reported amounts of net income or stockholders’ equity.

Subsequent Events

In preparing these consolidated financial statements, the Company has evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the date the financial statements were issued.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts and requires enhanced disclosures related to the significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an organization’s portfolio. In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on debt securities available-for-sale and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. ASU 2016-13 is effective for years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for years beginning after December 31, 2018, including interim periods within those years. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this standard will have on the consolidated results of operations and financial position.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU simplifies measurement of goodwill and eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Under the ASU, a company should perform its goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An impairment charge should be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. The impairment charge is limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The amendments in this update are effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted for goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. This standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial position.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This ASU provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. In January 2021, the FASB also issued ASU 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope which refined the scope for certain optional expedients and exceptions for contract modifications and hedge accounting to apply to derivative contracts and certain hedging relationships affected by the discounting transition. Entities may apply the provisions as of the beginning of the reporting period when the election is made and are available until December 31, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this standard will have on the consolidated results of operations and financial position.