(1.) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Operations

Financial Institutions, Inc., a financial holding company organized under the laws of New York State ("New York" or "NYS"), and its subsidiaries provide deposit, lending and other financial services to individuals and businesses in Central and Western New York. The Company has also expanded its indirect lending network to include relationships with franchised automobile dealers in the Capital District of New York and Northern Pennsylvania. The Company owns all of the capital stock of Five Star Bank, a New York State chartered bank, and Five Star Investment Services, Inc., a broker-dealer and investment advisor subsidiary offering noninsured investment products. References to "the Company" mean the consolidated reporting entities and references to "the Bank" mean Five Star Bank.

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accounting and reporting policies conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in conformity with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, in the opinion of management, the accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal and recurring nature necessary to present fairly the consolidated statements of financial condition, income, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for the periods indicated, and contain adequate disclosure to make the information presented not misleading. Prior years' consolidated financial statements are re-classified whenever necessary to conform to the current year's presentation. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results of operations for any interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results which may be expected for the entire year.

Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated events and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through the day the financial statements were issued.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, assumptions used in the defined benefit pension plan accounting, the carrying value of goodwill and deferred tax assets, and the valuation and other than temporary impairment considerations related to the securities portfolio.

Cash Flow Information

Supplemental cash flow information addressing certain cash payments and noncash investing and financing activities was as follows (in thousands):


		Three months ended
		March 31,
		2012		2011
Cash payments:
Interest	$	2,903	$	4,367
Income taxes		60		270
Noncash investing and financing activities:
Real estate and other assets acquired in settlement of loans	$	71	$	-
Accrued and declared unpaid dividends		2,149		1,454
Increase in net unsettled security transactions		21,632		19,360
Accretion of preferred stock discount		-		1,305

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-04,

"Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs." The provisions of ASU No. 2011-04 result in a consistent definition of fair value and common requirements for the measurement of and disclosure about fair value between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). The changes to U.S. GAAP as a result of ASU No. 2011-04 are as follows: (1) The concepts of highest and best use and valuation premise are only relevant when measuring the fair value of nonfinancial assets (that is, it does not apply to financial assets or any liabilities); (2) Extends the prohibition on applying a blockage factor in valuing financial instruments with quoted prices in active markets; (3) Creates an exception to the basic fair value measurement principles for an entity that holds a group of financial assets and financial liabilities with offsetting positions in market risks or counterparty credit risk that are managed on the basis of the entity's net exposure to either of those risks by allowing the entity, if certain criteria are met, to measure the fair value of the net asset or liability position in a manner consistent with how market participants would price the net risk position; (4) Aligns the fair value measurement of instruments classified within an entity's shareholders' equity with the guidance for liabilities; and (5) Enhances disclosure requirements for Level 3 fair value measurements to disclose quantitative information about unobservable inputs and assumptions used, to describe the valuation processes used by the entity, and to qualitatively describe the sensitivity of fair value measurements to changes in unobservable inputs and the interrelationships between those inputs. In addition, entities must report the level in the fair value hierarchy of items that are not measured at fair value in the statement of condition but whose fair value must be disclosed. The Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2011-04 effective January 1, 2012. The fair value measurement provisions of ASU No. 2011-04 had no impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for the enhanced disclosures required by ASU No. 2011-04.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, "Presentation of Comprehensive Income." The provisions of ASU No. 2011-05 allow an entity 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. In both options, an entity is required to present each component of net income along with total net income, each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, and a total amount for comprehensive income. Under either method, entities are required to present on the face of the financial statements reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income in the statement(s) where the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income are presented. ASU No. 2011-05 also eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in shareholders' equity but does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. ASU No. 2011-05 was effective for the Company's interim reporting period beginning on or after January 1, 2012, with retrospective application required. In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 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." The provisions of ASU No. 2011-12 defer indefinitely the requirement for entities to present reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component in both the statement in which net income is presented and the statement in which other comprehensive income is presented. ASU No. 2011-12, which shares the same effective date as ASU No. 2011-05, does not defer the requirement for entities to present components of comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2011-05 and ASU No. 2011-12 which resulted in a new statement of comprehensive income for the interim period ended March 31, 2012. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-05 and ASU No. 2011-12 had no impact on the Company's statements of income and financial condition.