TRANSFERS OF FINANCIAL ASSETS: Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been sur- rendered. 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. 

INCOME TAXES: The Company and all subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return on a calendar year basis. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined using the liability (or balance sheet) method. Under this method, the net deferred tax asset or liability is determined based on the tax effects of the temporary differences between the book and tax bases of the various balance sheet assets and liabilities and gives current recognition to changes in tax rates and laws. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by the amount of any tax benefits that, based on available evidence, are not expected to be realized. 

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS: The Company may enter into derivative contracts for the purposes of managing exposure to interest rate risk or to meet the financing needs of its customers. In accordance with FAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended, all derivatives are required to be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. 

For derivatives designated as hedging the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset or liability (fair value hedge), the gain or loss is recognized in earnings in the period of change together with the offsetting loss or gain to the hedged item attributable to the risk being hedged. Earnings will be affected to the extent to which the hedge is not effective in achieving offsetting changes in fair value. For derivatives designated as hedging exposure to variable cash flows of a forecasted transaction (cash flow hedge), the effective portion of the derivative’s gain or loss is initially reported as a component of other comprehensive income and subsequently reclassified into earnings when the forecasted transaction affects earnings or when the hedge is terminated. The ineffective portion of the gain or loss is reported in earnings immediately. For derivatives that are not designated as hedging instruments, changes in the fair value of the derivatives are recognized in earnings immediately. 

In applying hedge accounting for derivatives, the Company establishes a method for assessing the effectiveness of the hedging derivative and a measurement approach for determining the ineffective aspect of the hedge upon the inception of the hedge. These methods are consistent with the Company’s approach to managing risk. 

STOCK COMPENSATION PLANS: FAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation , encourages all entities to adopt a fair value based method of accounting for employee stock compensation plans, whereby compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the value of the award and is recognized over the service period, which is usually the vesting period. It also allows an entity to continue to measure compensation cost for those plans using the intrinsic value based method of accounting prescribed by Accounting Principles Board Opinion (“APB”) No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, whereby compensation cost is the excess, if any, of the quoted market price of the stock at the grant date (or other measurement date) over the amount an employee must pay to acquire the stock. Stock options issued under the Company’s stock option plans generally have no intrinsic value at the grant date, and under Opinion No. 25 no compensation cost is recognized for them. The Company has elected to continue with the accounting methodology in Opinion No. 25 and, as a result, has provided proforma disclosures of net income and earnings per share and other disclosures, as if the fair value based method of accounting had been applied. 

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE: Basic earnings per share represents income available to common shareholders divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects additional common shares that would have been outstanding if dilutive potential common shares had been issued, as well as any adjustment to income that would result from the assumed issuance. Potential common shares that may be issued by the Company relate to outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock, and are determined using the treasury stock method. 

