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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., its wholly-owned subsidiary, ChoiceOne Bank (the “Bank”), and ChoiceOne Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ChoiceOne Insurance Agencies, Inc. (together referred to as “ChoiceOne”). Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Nature of Operations

The Bank is a full-service community bank that offers commercial, consumer, and real estate loans as well as traditional demand, savings and time deposits to both commercial and consumer clients in Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa counties in Michigan. Substantially all loans are secured by specific items of collateral including business assets, consumer assets, and real estate. Commercial loans are expected to be repaid from the cash flows from operations of businesses. Real estate loans are collateralized by either residential or commercial real estate.

The Insurance Agency is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank. The Insurance Agency sells insurance policies such as life and health for both commercial and consumer clients. The Insurance Agency also offers alternative investment products such as annuities and mutual funds through a registered broker.

Together, the Bank and the Insurance Agency account for substantially all of ChoiceOne’s assets, revenues and operating income.

Use of Estimates

To prepare financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, ChoiceOne’s management makes estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the disclosures provided. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Estimates associated with securities available for sale, the allowance for loan losses, other real estate owned, loan servicing rights, goodwill, and fair values of certain financial instruments are particularly susceptible to change.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are defined to include cash on hand, demand deposits with other banks, and federal funds sold. Cash flows are reported on a net basis for customer loan and deposit transactions, deposits with other financial institutions, and short-term borrowings with original terms of 90 days or less.

Securities

Debt securities are classified as available for sale because they might be sold before maturity. Debt securities classified as available for sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses reported separately in the accumulated other comprehensive income or loss section of shareholders’ equity, net of tax effect. Restricted investments in Federal Reserve Bank stock and Federal Home Loan Bank stock are carried at cost. Equity securities consist of investments in preferred stock and investments in common stock of other financial institutions. Effective January 1, 2018, equity securities are reported at their fair value with changes in market value flowing through net income. Prior to 2018, equity securities were accounted for in a manner similar to available for sale debt securities.

Interest income includes amortization of purchase premium or discount. Premiums and discounts on securities are amortized using the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments. Gains or losses on sales are recorded on the trade date based on the amortized cost of the security sold.

Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) on a quarterly basis, and more frequently when economic or market conditions warrant such an evaluation. The evaluation of securities includes consideration given to the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, whether the market decline was affected by macroeconomic conditions and whether ChoiceOne has the intent to sell the security or it is more likely than not it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. In analyzing an issuer’s financial condition, management may consider whether the securities are issued by the federal government or its agencies, or U.S. Government sponsored enterprises, whether downgrades by bond rating agencies have occurred, and the results of reviews of the issuer’s financial condition. The assessment of whether an other-than-temporary decline exists involves a high degree of subjectivity and judgment and is based on the information available to management at a point in time.

When OTTI occurs, the amount of the OTTI recognized in earnings depends on whether ChoiceOne intends to sell the security or it is more likely than not it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If ChoiceOne intends to sell or it is more likely than not it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, the OTTI shall be recognized in earnings equal to the entire difference between the investment’s amortized cost basis and its fair value at the balance sheet date. The previous amortized cost basis less the OTTI recognized in earnings becomes the new amortized cost basis of the investment. If a security is determined to be other-than-temporarily impaired, but ChoiceOne does not intend to sell the security, only the credit portion of the estimated loss is recognized in earnings, with the other portion of the loss recognized in other comprehensive income.

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 unearned interest, deferred loan fees and costs, and an allowance for loan losses. Loans held for sale are reported at the lower of cost or market, on an aggregate basis.

Interest income on loans is reported on the interest method and includes amortization of net deferred loan fees and costs over the estimated loan term. Interest on loans is accrued based upon the principal balance outstanding. The accrual of interest is discontinued at the time at which loans are 90 days past due unless the loan is secured by sufficient collateral and is in the process of collection. Past due status is based on the contractual terms of the loan. Loans are placed into nonaccrual status or charged off at an earlier date if collection of principal or interest is considered doubtful. Interest accrued but not received is reversed against interest income when the loans are placed into nonaccrual status. Interest received on such loans is applied to principal until qualifying for return to accrual. Loans are returned to accrual basis when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payment is reasonably assured.

Loans to Other Financial Institutions

Loans to other financial institutions are made for the purpose of providing a warehouse line of credit to facilitate funding of residential mortgage loan originations at other financial institutions. The loans are short-term in nature and are designed to provide funding for the time period between the loan origination and its subsequent sale in the secondary market. Loans to other financial institutions earn a share of interest income, determined by the contract, from when the loan is funded to when the loan is sold on the secondary market. Similar to loans held for sale, these loans are excluded from the allowance for loan losses as the risk of default is minimal during the short time period held.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses. The allowance for loan losses is increased by the provision for loan losses and decreased by loans charged off less any recoveries of charged off loans. Management estimates the allowance for loan losses balance required based on past loan loss experience, the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values, economic conditions, and other factors. Allocations of the allowance for loan losses may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance for loan losses is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged off. Loan losses are charged against the allowance for loan losses when management believes that collection of a loan balance is not possible.

The allowance for loan losses consists of general and specific components. The general component covers non-classified loans and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for current factors. The specific component relates to loans that are individually classified as impaired or loans otherwise classified as substandard or doubtful.

A loan is impaired when full payment under the loan terms is not expected. Troubled debt restructuring of loans is undertaken to improve the likelihood that the loan will be repaid in full under the modified terms in accordance with a reasonable repayment schedule. All modified loans are evaluated to determine whether the loans should be reported as Troubled Debt Restructurings (TDR). A loan is a TDR when the Bank, for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s financial difficulties, grants a concession to the borrower by modifying a loan. To make this determination, the Bank must determine whether (a) the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties and (b) the Bank granted the borrower a concession. This determination requires consideration of all facts and circumstances surrounding the modification. An overall general decline in the economy or some deterioration in a borrower’s financial condition does not automatically mean the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties. Commercial loans are evaluated for impairment on an individual loan basis. If a loan is considered impaired or if a loan has been classified as a TDR, a portion of the allowance for loan losses is allocated to the loan so that it is reported, net, at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s existing rate or at the fair value of collateral if repayment is expected solely from the collateral. Large groups of smaller-balance homogeneous loans such as consumer and residential real estate mortgage loans are collectively evaluated for impairment and, accordingly, they are not separately identified for impairment disclosures.

Premises and Equipment

Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Land is carried at cost. Land improvements are depreciated using the straight-line method with useful lives ranging from 7 to 15 years. Building and related components are depreciated using the straight-line method with useful lives ranging from 5 to 39 years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated life or the lease term. Furniture and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method with useful lives ranging from 3 to 7 years. Fixed assets are periodically reviewed for impairment. If impaired, the assets are recorded at fair value.

Other Real Estate Owned

Real estate properties acquired in the collection of a loan are initially recorded at the lower of the Bank’s basis in the loans or fair value at acquisition establishing a new cost basis. Any reduction to fair value from the carrying value of the related loan is accounted for as a loan loss. After acquisition, a valuation allowance reduces the reported amount to the lower of the initial amount or fair value less costs to sell. Expenses to repair or maintain properties are included within other noninterest expenses. Gains and losses upon disposition and changes in the valuation allowance are reported net within noninterest income.

Bank Owned Life Insurance

Bank owned life insurance policies are stated at the current cash surrender value of the policy, or the policy death proceeds less any obligation to provide a death benefit to an insured’s beneficiaries if that value is less than the cash surrender value. Increases in the asset value are recorded as earnings in other income.

Loan Servicing Rights

Loan servicing rights represent the allocated value of servicing rights on loans sold with servicing retained. Servicing rights are expensed in proportion to, and over the period of, estimated net servicing revenues. Impairment is evaluated based on the fair value of the rights, using groupings of the underlying loans as to interest rates and then, secondarily, as to geographic and prepayment characteristics. Servicing rights are initially recorded at estimated fair value and fair value is determined using prices for similar assets with similar characteristics when available or based upon discounted cash flows using market-based assumptions. Any impairment of a grouping is reported as a valuation allowance.

Goodwill

Goodwill results from business acquisitions and represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the acquired tangible assets and liabilities and identifiable intangible assets. Goodwill is assessed at least annually for impairment and any such impairment will be recognized in the period identified.

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 financing needs of customers. 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.

Employee Benefit Plans

ChoiceOne’s 401(k) plan allows participants to make contributions to their individual accounts under the plan in amounts up to the IRS maximum. Employer matching contributions from ChoiceOne to its 401(k) plan are discretionary. ChoiceOne also allows retired employees to participate in its health insurance plan. Employees who have attained age 55 and completed at least ten years of service to ChoiceOne are eligible to participate as a retiree until they are eligible for Medicare. These post-retirement benefits are accrued during the years in which the employee provides service.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense is the sum of the current year income tax due and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per common share (“EPS”) is based on weighted-average common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS assumes issue of any dilutive potential common shares issuable under stock options or restricted stock units granted.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income or loss. Other comprehensive income or loss includes unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale and changes in the funded status of post-retirement plans, net of tax, which are also recognized as a separate component of shareholders’ equity.

Accumulated other comprehensive income was as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	Years ended December 31,
	2018			2017
Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale securities	$	(1,108	)	$	169
Unrecognized gains on post-retirement benefits		181			132
Tax effect		195			(64	)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$	(732	)	$	237

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 does not believe that there are any such matters that may have a material effect on the financial statements as of December 31, 2018.

Cash Restrictions

Cash on hand or on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank of $781,000 and $810,000 was required to meet regulatory reserve and clearing requirements at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The balance in excess of the amount required was interest-bearing as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company values share-based stock option awards granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company recognizes compensation expense for its awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award (straight-line attribution method), ensuring that the amount of compensation cost recognized at any date at least equals the portion of the grant-date fair value of the award that is vested at that time. Compensation costs related to stock options granted are disclosed in Note 14.

ChoiceOne has granted restricted stock units to a select group of employees under the Stock Incentive Plan of 2012. Restricted stock units vest in three annual installments on each of the next three anniversaries of the grant date. Certain additional vesting provisions apply. Each unit, once vested, is settled by delivery of one share of ChoiceOne common stock.

Dividend Restrictions

Banking regulations require the maintenance of certain capital levels and may limit the amount of dividends that may be paid by the Bank to ChoiceOne (see Note 20).

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair values of financial instruments are estimated using relevant market information and other assumptions, which are more fully documented in Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements. 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

While ChoiceOne’s management monitors the revenue streams of various products and services for the Bank and Insurance Agency, operations and financial performance are evaluated on a company-wide basis. Accordingly, all of the financial service operations are considered by management to be aggregated into one reportable operating segment.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU establishes a comprehensive revenue recognition standard for virtually all industries under U.S. GAAP, including those that previously followed industry-specific guidance such as the real estate, construction and software industries. The revenue standard’s core principle is built on the contract between a vendor and a customer for the provision of goods and services. It attempts to depict the exchange of rights and obligations between the parties in the pattern of revenue recognition based on the consideration to which the vendor is entitled. To accomplish this objective, the standard requires five basic steps: (i) identify the contract with the customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The ASU does not apply to financial instruments. The ASU is effective for public entities for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (therefore, for the year ending December 31, 2018 for ChoiceOne). Early implementation is not allowed for public companies. Management implemented ASU 2014-09 effective January 1, 2018 by identifying revenue streams in scope of the guidance, including interchange revenue, deposit service charges, and investment advisory income, but the timing and amount of these revenue streams were not significantly changed upon implementation.

The FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The ASU covers various changes to the accounting, measurement, and disclosure related to certain financial instruments. The most significant change included in the update is the requirement for certain equity investments (excluding investments that are consolidated or accounted for under the equity method of accounting) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. An entity may choose to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost, minus impairment. When a qualitative assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values indicates that impairment exists, an entity is required to measure the investment at fair value. The update also eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost. The new standard is effective for ChoiceOne for the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within this fiscal year. Management implemented ASU 2016-01 effective January 1, 2018. A cumulative effect adjustment was recorded as of January 1, 2018 to reclassify $244,000 of unrealized gains on equity securities from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. Equity securities have been presented separately from available for sale securities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and changes in the market value of securities is presented on the Consolidated Statement of Income. In addition, the fair value of loans has been estimated using an exit price notion.

The FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases. The new standard establishes a right-of-use (ROU) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. As ChoiceOne owns most of its branch locations, the impact of this ASU is not expected to be material.

The FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU provides financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date by replacing the incurred loss impairment methodology in current generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The new guidance attempts to reflect an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses and broadens the information that an entity must consider in developing its expected credit loss estimate for assets measured either collectively or individually to include forecasted information, as well as past events and current conditions. There is no specified method for measuring expected credit losses, and an entity may apply methods that reasonably reflect its expectations of the credit loss estimate. Although an entity may still use its current systems and methods for recording the allowance for credit losses, under the new rules, the inputs used to record the allowance for credit losses generally will need to change to appropriately reflect an estimate of all expected credit losses and the use of reasonable and supportable forecasts. Additionally, credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities will have to be presented as an allowance rather than as a write-down. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and for interim periods within those years. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this new ASU on its consolidated financial statements which may be significant.

The FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. This ASU improves the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to financial statements by facilitating clear communication of the information required by generally accepted accounting principles that is most important to users of each entity’s financial statements. The objective of improving the effectiveness will include the development of a framework that promotes consistent decisions by FASB about disclosure requirements and the appropriate exercise of discretion by reporting entities. This ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this new ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications
Certain amounts presented in prior year consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2018 presentation.