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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2013
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract] |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | ## 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES ##### BUSINESS AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS: AmeriServ Financial, Inc. (the Company) is a bank holding company, headquartered in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Through its banking subsidiary the Company operates 18 banking locations in five southwestern Pennsylvania counties. These branches provide a full range of consumer, mortgage, and commercial financial products. The AmeriServ Trust and Financial Services Company (Trust Company) offers a complete range of trust and financial services and administers assets valued at approximately $1.7 billion that are not recognized on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2013. ##### PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AmeriServ Financial, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, AmeriServ Financial Bank (the Bank), Trust Company, and AmeriServ Life Insurance Company (AmeriServ Life). The Bank is a state-chartered full service bank with 18 locations in Pennsylvania. AmeriServ Life is a captive insurance company that engages in underwriting as a reinsurer of credit life and disability insurance. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in preparing the Consolidated Financial Statements. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from these estimates and the differences may be material to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company's most significant estimates relate to the allowance for loan losses, goodwill, income taxes and investment securities. ##### INVESTMENT SECURITIES: Securities are classified at the time of purchase as investment securities held to maturity if it is management's intent and the Company has the ability to hold the securities until maturity. These held to maturity securities are carried on the Company's books at cost, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount which is computed using the level yield method which approximates the effective interest method. Alternatively, securities are classified as available for sale if it is management's intent at the time of purchase to hold the securities for an indefinite period of time and/or to use the securities as part of the Company's asset/liability management strategy. Securities classified as available for sale include securities which may be sold to effectively manage interest rate risk exposure, prepayment risk, and other factors (such as liquidity requirements). These available for sale securities are reported at fair value with unrealized aggregate appreciation/depreciation excluded from income and credited/charged to accumulated other comprehensive income/loss within stockholders' equity on a net of tax basis. Any securities classified as trading assets are reported at fair value with unrealized aggregate appreciation/depreciation included in income on a net of tax basis. The Company does not engage in trading activity. Realized gains or losses on securities sold are computed upon the adjusted cost of the specific securities sold. Available-for-sale and held-to-maturity securities are reviewed quarterly for possible other-than-temporary impairment. The review includes an analysis of the facts and circumstances of each individual investment such as the severity of loss, the length of time the fair value has been below cost, the expectation for that security's performance, the creditworthiness of the issuer and the Company's intent and ability to hold the security to recovery. The Company believes the unrealized losses are primarily a result of increases in market yields from the time of purchase. In general, as market yields rise, the value of securities will decrease; as market yields fall, the fair value of securities will increase. Management generally views changes in fair value caused by changes in interest rates as temporary; therefore, these securities have not been classified as other-than-temporarily impaired. Management has also concluded that based on current information we expect to continue to receive scheduled interest payments as well as the entire principal balance. Furthermore, management does not intend to sell these securities and does not believe it will be required to sell these securities before they recover in value. ##### FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK STOCK: The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLB) and as such, is required to maintain a minimum investment in stock of the FHLB that varies with the level of advances outstanding with the FHLB. The stock is bought from and sold to the FHLB based upon its $100 par value. The stock does not have a readily determinable fair value and as such is classified as restricted stock, carried at cost and evaluated for by management. The stock's value is determined by the ultimate recoverability of the par value rather than by recognizing temporary declines. The determination of whether the par value will ultimately be recovered is influenced by criteria such as the following: (a) The significance of the decline in net assets of the FHLB as compared to the capital stock amount and the length of time any such situation has persisted (b) Commitments by the FHLB to make payments required by law or regulation and the level of such payments in relation to the operating performance (c) The impact of legislative and regulatory changes on the customer base of FHLB and (d) The liquidity position of the FHLB. Management evaluated the stock and concluded that the stock was not impaired for the periods presented herein. ##### LOANS: Interest income is recognized using the level yield method related to principal amounts outstanding. The Company discontinues the accrual of interest income when loans become 90 days past due in either principal or interest. In addition, if circumstances warrant, the accrual of interest may be discontinued prior to 90 days. Payments received on non-accrual loans are credited to principal until full recovery of principal has been recognized; or the loan has been returned to accrual status. The only exception to this policy is for residential mortgage loans wherein interest income is recognized on a cash basis as payments are received. A non-accrual commercial loan is placed on accrual status after becoming current and remaining current for twelve consecutive payments. Residential mortgage loans are placed on accrual status upon becoming current. ##### LOAN FEES: Loan origination and commitment fees, net of associated direct costs, are deferred and amortized into interest and fees on loans over the loan or commitment period. Fee amortization is determined by the effective interest method. ##### LOANS HELD FOR SALE: Certain newly originated fixed-rate residential mortgage loans are classified as held for sale, because it is management's intent to sell these residential mortgage loans. The residential mortgage loans held for sale are carried at the lower of aggregate cost or market value. ##### TRANSFERS OF FINANCIAL ASSETS Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been surrendered. Control over transferred assets 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 effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity. ##### PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT: Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Land is carried at cost. Depreciation is charged to operations over the estimated useful lives of the premises and equipment using the straight-line method with a half-year convention. Useful lives of up to 30 years for buildings and up to 10 years for equipment are utilized. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the terms of the respective leases or useful lives of the improvements, whichever is shorter. Maintenance, repairs, and minor alterations are charged to current operations as expenditures are incurred. ##### ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN LOSSES AND CHARGE-OFF PROCEDURES: As a financial institution, which assumes lending and credit risks as a principal element of its business, the Company anticipates that credit losses will be experienced in the normal course of business. Accordingly, the Company consistently applies a comprehensive methodology and procedural discipline to perform an analysis which is updated on a quarterly basis at the Bank level to determine both the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses and the necessary provision for loan losses to be charged against earnings. This methodology includes:
| - | Review of all criticized, classified and impaired loans with aggregate balances over $250,000 to determine if any specific reserve allocations are required on an individual loan basis. The specific reserve allocations established for these criticized, classified and impaired loans are based on careful analysis of the loan's performance, the related collateral value, cash flow considerations and the financial capability of any guarantor. All loans classified as doubtful or worse are specifically reserved. For impaired loans the measurement of impairment may be based upon: 1) the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate; 2) the observable market price of the impaired loan; or 3) the fair value of the collateral of a collateral dependent loan.
| - | The application of formula driven reserve allocations for all commercial and commercial real-estate loans by using a three-year migration analysis of net losses incurred within each risk grade for the entire commercial loan portfolio. The difference between estimated and actual losses is reconciled through the nature of the migration analysis.
| - | The application of formula driven reserve allocations to consumer and residential mortgage loans which are based upon historical net charge-off experience for those loan types. The residential mortgage loan and consumer loan allocations are based upon the Company's three-year historical average of actual loan net charge-offs experienced in each of those categories.
| - | The application of formula driven reserve allocations to all outstanding loans is based upon review of historical losses and qualitative factors, which include but are not limited to, economic trends, delinquencies, levels of non-accrual and TDR loans, concentrations of credit, trends in loan volume, experience and depth of management, examination and audit results, effects of any changes in lending policies and trends in policy, financial information and documentation exceptions.
| - | Management recognizes that there may be events or economic factors that have occurred affecting specific borrowers or segments of borrowers that may not yet be fully reflected in the information that the Company uses for arriving at reserves for a specific loan or portfolio segment. Therefore, the Company believes that there is estimation risk associated with the use of specific and formula driven allowances.
After completion of this process, a formal meeting of the Loan Loss Reserve Committee is held to evaluate the adequacy of the reserve. When it is determined that the prospects for recovery of the principal of a loan have significantly diminished, the loan is charged against the allowance account; subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance account. In addition, non-accrual and large delinquent loans are reviewed monthly to determine potential losses. The Company's policy is to individually review, as circumstances warrant, its commercial and commercial mortgage loans to determine if a loan is impaired. At a minimum, credit reviews are mandatory for all commercial and commercial mortgage loan relationships with aggregate balances in excess of $250,000 within a 12-month period. The Company defines classified loans as those loans rated substandard or doubtful. The Company has also identified three pools of small dollar value homogeneous loans which are evaluated collectively for impairment. These separate pools are for small business relationships with aggregate balances of $250,000 or less, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans. Individual loans within these pools are reviewed and evaluated for specific impairment if factors such as significant delinquency in payments of 90 days or more, bankruptcy, or other negative economic concerns indicate impairment. ##### ALLOWANCE FOR UNFUNDED LOAN COMMITMENTS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT: The allowance for unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit is maintained at a level believed by management to be sufficient to absorb estimated losses related to these unfunded credit facilities. The determination of the adequacy of the allowance is based on periodic evaluations of the unfunded credit facilities including an assessment of the probability of commitment usage, credit risk factors for loans outstanding to these same customers and the terms and expiration dates of the unfunded credit facilities. Net adjustments to the allowance for unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit are provided for in the unfunded commitment reserve expense line item within other expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and a separate reserve is recorded within the other liabilities section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets in other liabilities. ##### TRUST FEES: Trust fees are recorded on the cash basis which approximates the accrual basis for such income. ##### BANK-OWNED LIFE INSURANCE: The Company has purchased life insurance policies on certain employees. These policies are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at their cash surrender value, or the amount that can be realized. Income from these policies and changes in the cash surrender value are recorded in bank owned life insurance within non-interest income. ##### INTANGIBLE ASSETS: ##### Goodwill Goodwill arising from business combinations represents the value attributable to unidentifiable intangible elements in the business acquired. The Company accounts for goodwill using a two-step process for testing the impairment of goodwill on at least an annual basis. This approach could cause more volatility in the Company's reported net income because impairment losses, if any, could occur irregularly and in varying amounts. The Company performs an annual impairment analysis of goodwill. ##### EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE: Basic earnings per share include only the weighted average common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share include the weighted average common shares outstanding and any potentially dilutive common stock equivalent shares in the calculation. Treasury shares are treated as retired for earnings per share purposes. Options and warrant to purchase 103,570, 49,842, and 185,917 shares of common stock were outstanding during 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, but were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per common share because to do so would be anti-dilutive. Exercise prices of anti-dilutive options and warrant to purchase common stock outstanding were $3.05 - $5.75, $2.80 - $5.75, and $2.07 - $6.10 during 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Dividends on preferred shares are deducted from net income in the calculation of earnings per common share.
|  | Year ended December 31,
|  | 2013 |  | 2012 |  | 2011
|  | (In thousands, except per share data)
Numerator: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income |  | $ | 5,193 |  |  | $ | 5,039 |  |  | $ | 6,537 |
Preferred stock dividends and accretion of preferred stock discount |  |  | 209 |  |  |  | 828 |  |  |  | 1,385 |
Net income available to common shareholders |  | $ | 4,984 |  |  | $ | 4,211 |  |  | $ | 5,152 |
Denominator: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic) |  |  | 18,942 |  |  |  | 19,685 |  |  |  | 21,184 |
Effect of stock options/warrants |  |  | 92 |  |  |  | 62 |  |  |  | 21 |
Weighted average common shares outstanding (diluted) |  |  | 19,034 |  |  |  | 19,747 |  |  |  | 21,205 |
Earnings per common share: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Basic |  | $ | 0.26 |  |  | $ | 0.21 |  |  | $ | 0.24 |
Diluted |  |  | 0.26 |  |  |  | 0.21 |  |  |  | 0.24 |
##### STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION: The Company uses the modified prospective method for accounting of stock-based compensation. The Company recognized $82,000, $38,000 and $15,000 of pretax compensation expense for the years 2013, 2012 and 2011. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. See Note 18 for details on the assumptions used. ##### ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS: The Company presents the components of other comprehensive income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. These components are comprised of the change in the defined benefit pension obligation and the unrealized holding gains (losses) on available for sale securities, net of any reclassification adjustments for realized gains and losses. The following table sets forth the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
|  | AT DECEMBER 31,
|  | 2013 |  | 2012
|  | (IN THOUSANDS)
Pension obligation for defined benefit plan |  | $ | (6,918) |  |  | $ | (9,520 | )
Unrealized holding gains on available for sale securities |  |  | 1,043 |  |  |  | 4,141 |
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss |  | $ | (5,875) |  |  | $ | (5,379 | )
##### CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS: On a consolidated basis, cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from depository institutions, interest bearing deposits, and short-term investments in money market funds. The Company made $137,000 in income tax payments in 2013; $142,000 in 2012; and $97,000 in 2011. The Company had non-cash transfers to other real estate owned (OREO) in the amounts of $766,000 in 2013; $1,266,000 in 2012; and $169,000 in 2011. The Company made total interest payments of $6,781,000 in 2013; $8,154,000 in 2012; and $10,699,000 in 2011. ##### INCOME TAXES: Deferred tax assets or liabilities are computed based on the difference between the financial statement and income tax basis of assets and liabilities using the enacted marginal tax rate. Deferred income tax expenses or credits are based on the changes in the corresponding asset or liability from period to period. Deferred tax assets are reduced, if necessary, by the amounts of such benefits that are not expected to be realized based upon available evidence. ##### INTEREST RATE CONTRACTS: The Company recognizes all derivatives as either assets or liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and measures those instruments at fair value. For derivatives designated as fair value hedges, changes in the fair value of the derivative and hedged item related to the hedged risk are recognized in earnings. Changes in fair value of derivatives designated and accounted as cash flow hedges, to the extent they are effective as hedges, are recorded in "Other Comprehensive Income," net of deferred taxes and are subsequently reclassified to earnings when the hedged transaction affects earnings. Any hedge ineffectiveness would be recognized in the income statement line item pertaining to the hedged item. The Company periodically enters into derivative instruments to meet the financing, interest rate and equity risk management needs of its customers. Upon entering into these instruments to meet customer needs, the Company enters into offsetting positions to minimize interest rate and equity risk to the Company. These derivative financial instruments are reported at fair value with any resulting gain or loss recorded in current period earnings. These instruments and their offsetting positions are recorded in other assets and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. ##### RECENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS: In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. This Update applies to all entities that have unrecognized tax benefits when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists at the reporting date. An unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, except as follows. To the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. The assessment of whether a deferred tax asset is available is based on the unrecognized tax benefit and deferred tax asset that exist at the reporting date and should be made presuming disallowance of the tax position at the reporting date. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments should be applied prospectively to all unrecognized tax benefits that exist at the effective date. Retrospective application is permitted. This ASU did not have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements. In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-04, Receivables - Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors (Subtopic 310-40): Reclassification of Residential Real Estate Collateralized Consumer Mortgage Loans upon Foreclosure. The amendments in this Update clarify that an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy that loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. Additionally, the amendments require interim and annual disclosure of both (1) the amount of foreclosed residential real estate property held by the creditor and (2) the recorded investment in consumer mortgage loans collateralized by residential real estate property that are in the process of foreclosure according to local requirements of the applicable jurisdiction. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. An entity can elect to adopt the amendments in this Update using either a modified retrospective transition method or a prospective transition method. This ASU is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements.

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