Accrued taxes represent the net estimated amount due to taxing jurisdictions and are reported in accrued taxes, interest and expenses in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Bancorp evaluates and assesses the relative risks and appropriate tax treatment of transactions and filing positions after considering statutes, regulations, judicial precedent and other information and maintains tax accruals consistent with its evaluation of these relative risks and merits. Changes to the estimate of accrued taxes occur periodically due to changes in tax rates, interpretations of tax laws, the status of examinations being conducted by taxing authorities and changes to statutory, judicial and regulatory guidance that impact the relative risks of tax positions. These changes, when they occur, can affect deferred taxes and accrued taxes as well as the current period’s income tax expense and can be significant to the operating results of the Bancorp. For additional information on income taxes, see Note 21 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

## Valuation of Servicing Rights 

When the Bancorp sells loans through either securitizations or individual loan sales in accordance with its investment policies, it often obtains servicing rights. Servicing rights resulting from loan sales are initially recorded at fair value and subsequently amortized in proportion to, and over the period of, estimated net servicing income. Servicing rights are assessed for impairment monthly, based on fair value, with temporary impairment recognized through a valuation allowance and permanent impairment recognized through a write-off of the servicing asset and related valuation allowance. Key economic assumptions used in measuring any potential impairment of the servicing rights include the prepayment speeds of the underlying loans, the weighted- average life, the discount rate, the weighted-average coupon and the weighted-average default rate, as applicable. The primary risk of material changes to the value of the servicing rights resides in the potential volatility in the economic assumptions used, particularly the prepayment speeds. 

The Bancorp monitors risk and adjusts its valuation allowance as necessary to adequately reserve for impairment in the servicing portfolio. For purposes of measuring impairment, the mortgage servicing rights are stratified into classes based on the financial asset type and interest rates. Fees received for servicing loans owned by investors are based on a percentage of the outstanding monthly principal balance of such loans and are included in noninterest income in the Consolidated Statements of Income as loan payments are received. Costs of servicing loans are charged to expense as incurred. For additional information on servicing rights, see Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

## Fair Value Measurements 

The Bancorp measures fair value in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Valuation techniques the Bancorp uses to measure fair value include the market approach, income approach and cost approach. The market approach uses prices or relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. The income approach involves discounting future amounts to a single present amount and is based on current market expectations about those future amounts. The cost approach is based on the amount that currently would be required to replace the service capacity of the asset. 

U.S. GAAP establishes a fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). An instrument’s categorization 

within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the instrument’s fair value measurement. The three levels within the fair value hierarchy are described as follows: 

The Bancorp's fair value measurements involve various valuation techniques and models, which involve inputs that are observable, when available, and include the following significant instruments: available-for-sale and trading securities, residential mortgage loans held for investment and held for sale and certain derivatives. The following is a summary of valuation techniques utilized by the Bancorp for its significant assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. 

Level 1  - Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Bancorp has the ability to access at the measurement date. 

Level 2  - Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include: quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability; and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means. 

Level 3  - Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability for which there is little, if any, market activity at the measurement date. Unobservable inputs reflect the Bancorp’s own assumptions about what market participants would use to price the asset or liability. The inputs are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances, which might include the Bancorp’s own financial data such as internally developed pricing models and discounted cash flow methodologies, as well as instruments for which the fair value determination requires significant management judgment. 

## Available-for-sale and trading securities 

Where quoted prices are available in an active market, securities are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Level 1 securities include government bonds and exchange traded equities. If quoted market prices are not available, then fair values are estimated using pricing models, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics, or discounted cash flows. Examples of such instruments, which are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy, include agency and non-agency mortgage-backed securities, other asset-backed securities, obligations of U.S. Government sponsored agencies, and corporate and municipal bonds. Agency mortgage-backed securities, obligations of U.S. Government sponsored agencies, and corporate and municipal bonds are generally valued using a market approach based on observable prices of securities with similar characteristics. Non-agency mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities are generally valued using an income approach based on discounted cash flows, incorporating prepayment speeds, performance of underlying collateral and specific tranche-level attributes. In certain cases where there is limited activity or less transparency around inputs to the valuation, securities are classified within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. Trading securities classified as Level 3 consist of auction rate securities. Due to the illiquidity in the market for these types of securities at December 

