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FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS WITH OFF-BALANCE-SHEET RISK:
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS WITH OFF-BALANCE-SHEET RISK:  
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS WITH OFF-BALANCE-SHEET RISK:

 

14.     FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS WITH OFF-BALANCE-SHEET RISK:

 

The Corporation is a party to financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include conditional commitments and commercial letters of credit. The financial instruments involve to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of amounts recognized in the financial statements. The Corporation’s maximum exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to make loans is limited generally by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Corporation follows the same credit policy to make such commitments as is followed for those loans recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

 

Commitment and contingent liabilities are summarized as follows at December 31:

 

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

2011

 

2010

 

Home Equity

 

$

58,057

 

$

44,236

 

Commercial Operating Lines

 

247,337

 

203,991

 

Other Commitments

 

54,195

 

45,436

 

TOTAL

 

$

359,589

 

$

293,663

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commercial letters of credit

 

$

5,346

 

$

13,414

 

 

The majority of commercial operating lines and home equity lines are variable rate, while the majority of other commitments to fund loans are fixed rate. Since many commitments to make loans expire without being used, these amounts do not necessarily represent future cash commitments. Collateral obtained upon exercise of the commitment is determined using management’s credit evaluation of the borrower, and may include accounts receivable, inventory, property, land and other items. The approximate duration of these commitments is generally one year or less.

 

Derivatives: The Corporation enters into derivative instruments for the benefit of its customers. At the inception of a derivative contract, the Corporation designates the derivative as an instrument with no hedging designation (“standalone derivative”). Changes in the fair value of derivatives are reported currently in earnings as non-interest income. Net cash settlements on derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported in non-interest income.

 

First Financial Bank offers clients the ability on certain transactions to enter into interest rate swaps. Typically, these are pay fixed, receive floating swaps used in conjunction with commercial loans. These derivative contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting. The Bank hedges the exposure to these contracts by entering into offsetting contracts with substantially matching terms. The notional amount of these interest rate swaps was $27.2 and $30.5 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010. The fair value of these contracts combined was zero, as gains offset losses. The gross gain and loss associated with these interest rate swaps was $2.4 million and $1.3 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010.