commercial & industrial, commercial mortgage owner-occupied, commercial mortgage nonowner-occupied, commercial construction, and commercial leasing. The residential mortgage portfolio segment is also considered a class. Classes within the consumer segment include home equity, automobile, credit card, and other consumer loans and leases. For an analysis of the Bancorp’s ALLL by portfolio segment and credit quality information by class, see Note 7. 

The Bancorp maintains the ALLL to absorb probable loan and lease losses inherent in its portfolio segments. The ALLL is maintained at a level the Bancorp considers to be adequate and is based on ongoing quarterly assessments and evaluations of the collectibility and historical loss experience of loans and leases. Credit losses are charged and recoveries are credited to the ALLL. Provisions for loan and lease losses are based on the Bancorp’s review of the historical credit loss experience and such factors that, in management’s judgment, deserve consideration under existing economic conditions in estimating probable credit losses. In determining the appropriate level of the ALLL, the Bancorp estimates losses using a range derived from “base” and “conservative” estimates. The Bancorp’s strategy for credit risk management includes a combination of conservative exposure limits significantly below legal lending limits and conservative underwriting, documentation and collections standards. The strategy also emphasizes diversification on a geographic, industry and customer level, regular credit examinations and quarterly management reviews of large credit exposures and loans experiencing deterioration of credit quality. 

The Bancorp’s current methodology for determining the ALLL is based on historical loss rates, current credit grades, specific allocation on loans modified in a TDR and impaired commercial credits above specified thresholds and other qualitative adjustments. Allowances on individual commercial loans, TDRs and historical loss rates are reviewed quarterly and adjusted as necessary based on changing borrower and/or collateral conditions and actual collection and charge-off experience. An unallocated allowance is maintained to recognize the imprecision in estimating and measuring losses when evaluating allowances for individual loans or pools of loans. 

Larger commercial loans included within aggregate borrower relationship balances exceeding $1 million that exhibit probable or observed credit weaknesses, as well as loans that have been modified in a TDR, are subject to individual review for impairment. The Bancorp considers the current value of collateral, credit quality of any guarantees, the guarantor’s liquidity and willingness to cooperate, the loan structure, and other factors when evaluating whether an individual loan is impaired. Other factors may include the industry and geographic region of the borrower, size and financial condition of the borrower, cash flow, leverage of the borrower, and the Bancorp’s evaluation of the borrower’s management. When individual loans are impaired, allowances are determined based on management’s estimate of the borrower’s ability to repay the loan given the availability of collateral, other sources of cash flow, as well as evaluation of legal options available to the Bancorp. Allowances for impaired loans are measured based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, fair value of the underlying collateral or readily observable secondary market values. The Bancorp evaluates the collectibility of both principal and interest when assessing the need for a loss accrual. 

Historical credit loss rates are applied to commercial loans that are not impaired or are impaired, but smaller than the established threshold of $1 million and thus not subject to specific allowance allocations. The loss rates are derived from a migration analysis, which tracks the historical net charge-off experience sustained on loans according to their internal risk grade. The risk grading system currently utilized for allowance analysis purposes 

encompasses ten categories. 

Homogenous loans and leases in the residential mortgage and consumer portfolio segments are not individually risk graded. Rather, standard credit scoring systems and delinquency monitoring are used to assess credit risks, and allowances are established based on the expected net charge-offs. Loss rates are based on the average net charge-off history by loan category. Historical loss rates may be adjusted for significant factors that, in management’s judgment, are necessary to reflect losses inherent in the portfolio. Factors that management considers in the analysis include the effects of the national and local economies; trends in the nature and volume of delinquencies, charge-offs and nonaccrual loans; changes in loan mix; credit score migration comparisons; asset quality trends; risk management and loan administration; changes in the internal lending policies and credit standards; collection practices; and examination results from bank regulatory agencies and the Bancorp’s internal credit examiners. 

The Bancorp’s primary market areas for lending are the Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the Unites States. When evaluating the adequacy of allowances, consideration is given to these regional geographic concentrations and the closely associated effect changing economic conditions have on the Bancorp’s customers. 

In the current year, the Bancorp has not substantively changed any material aspect to its overall approach to determining its ALLL for any of its portfolio segments. There have been no material changes in criteria or estimation techniques as compared to prior periods that impacted the determination of the current period ALLL for any of the Bancorp’s portfolio segments. 

The reserve for unfunded commitments is maintained at a level believed by management to be sufficient to absorb estimated probable losses related to unfunded credit facilities and is included in other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The determination of the adequacy of the reserve is based upon an evaluation of the unfunded credit facilities, including an assessment of historical commitment utilization experience, credit risk grading and credit grade migration. This process takes into consideration the same risk elements that are analyzed in the determination of the adequacy of the Bancorp’s ALLL, as discussed above. Net adjustments to the reserve for unfunded commitments are included in other noninterest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income. 

## Loan Sales and Securitizations 

When the Bancorp sells loans through either securitizations or individual loan sales in accordance with its investment policies, it is required to assess whether the entity holding the sold or securitized loans is a VIE and whether the Bancorp is the primary beneficiary and therefore consolidator of that VIE. If the Bancorp holds the power to direct activities most significant to the economic performance of the VIE and has the obligation to absorb losses or right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE, then the Bancorp will generally be deemed the primary beneficiary of the VIE. When the Bancorp previously sold loans into isolated trusts or conduits, it obtained one or more subordinated tranches or other residual interests in these trusts or conduits, as well as the servicing rights to the underlying loans. As a result, effective with the January 1, 2010 adoption of the VIE consolidation guidance further discussed in the Accounting and Reporting Developments section below, the Bancorp was required to consolidate these VIEs, and accordingly, the underlying loans and other assets and liabilities of these VIEs are included in the Bancorp’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2010. Prior to the January 1, 2010 adoption of the VIE consolidation guidance referenced above, the subordinated tranches and other residual interests in the trusts and conduits 

