NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Nature of Operations and Principles of Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Macatawa Bank Corporation (“Macatawa” or the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Macatawa Bank (the “Bank”).  All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Macatawa Bank is a Michigan chartered bank with depository accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Bank operates 26 full service branch offices providing a full range of commercial and consumer banking and trust services in Kent County, Ottawa County, and northern Allegan County, Michigan.

 

The Company previously owned all of the common securities of Macatawa Statutory Trust II.  This was a grantor trust that issued trust preferred securities and is discussed in Note 11.  Under generally accepted accounting principles, this trust is not consolidated into the financial statements of the Company. On July 7, 2021, the Company redeemed the $20.0 million outstanding trust preferred securities and $619,000 common securities associated with Macatawa Statutory Trust II.

Recent Events:   In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal state and local governments have taken and continue to take actions designed to mitigate the effect on public health and to address the economic impact from the virus.  The effects of COVID-19 and its related variants, such as Omicron and Delta, could, among other risks, have a material adverse impact on the financial condition of the Company’s customers, potentially impacting their ability to make payments to the Company as scheduled driving an increase in delinquencies and loan losses.

The Bank was a participating lender in the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). PPP loans were forgivable, in whole or in part, if the proceeds were used for payroll and other permitted purposes in accordance with the requirements of the PPP. Upon SBA forgiveness, unamortized fees were then recognized into interest income.

In 2021:

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The Bank originated 1,000 PPP loans totaling $128.1 million in principal.

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Fees generated totaled $5.6 million.

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1,722 PPP loans totaling $318.4 million were forgiven.

In 2022:

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251 PPP loans totaling $43.2 million were forgiven.

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Total net fees of $1.3 million were recognized.

As of December 31, 2022, no PPP loans remain outstanding

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Use of Estimates: To prepare financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, 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, and future results could differ.  The allowance for loan losses, valuation of deferred tax assets, loss contingencies, fair value of other real estate owned, determination of other-than-temporary impairment and fair values of financial instruments are particularly subject to change.

 

Concentration of Credit Risk:  Loans are granted to, and deposits are obtained from, customers primarily in the western Michigan area as described above. Substantially all loans are secured by specific items of collateral, including residential real estate, commercial real estate, commercial assets and consumer assets. Commercial real estate loans are the largest concentration, comprising 46% of total loans at December 31, 2022. Commercial and industrial loans total 37%, while residential real estate and consumer loans make up the remaining 17%.  Other financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk, include deposit accounts in other financial institutions.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents:  Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, demand deposits with other financial institutions and short-term securities (securities with maturities equal to or less than 90 days and federal funds sold).

 

Cash Flow Reporting: Cash flows are reported net for customer loan and deposit transactions, interest-bearing time deposits with other financial institutions and short-term borrowings with maturities of 90 days or less.

 

Restrictions on Cash:  Cash on hand or on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank of $0 and $0 at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, was required to meet regulatory reserve and clearing requirements.

 

Securities:  Securities are classified as held to maturity and carried at amortized cost when management has the positive intent and ability to hold them to maturity.  Securities available for sale consist of those securities which might be sold prior to maturity due to changes in interest rates, prepayment risks, yield and availability of alternative investments, liquidity needs or other factors.  Securities classified as available for sale are reported at their fair value and the related unrealized gain or loss is reported in other comprehensive income, net of tax.

 

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

 

Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) at least on a quarterly basis, and more frequently when economic or market conditions warrant such an evaluation.  Investment securities classified as available for sale or held-to-maturity are generally evaluated for OTTI under ASC Topic 320, Investments — Debt and Equity Instruments.

In determining OTTI, management considers many factors, including: (1) the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, (2) the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, (3) whether the market decline was affected by macroeconomic conditions, and (4) whether the entity has the intent to sell the debt security or more likely than not will be required to sell the debt security before its anticipated recovery. 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. Management has determined that no OTTI charges were necessary during 2022 and 2021.

 

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) Stock:  The Bank is a member of the FHLB system.  Members are required to own a certain amount of stock based on the level of borrowings and other factors, and may invest in additional amounts.  FHLB stock is carried at cost, classified as a restricted security, and periodically evaluated for impairment.  Because this stock is viewed as a long term investment, impairment is based on ultimate recovery of par value.  Management has determined that there was no impairment of FHLB stock during 2022 and 2021.  Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income.

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Loans Held for Sale:  Mortgage loans originated and intended for sale in the secondary market are carried at fair value, as determined by outstanding commitments from investors.  As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, these loans had a net unrealized gain of $4,000 and $51,000, respectively, which are reflected in their carrying value.  Changes in fair value of loans held for sale are included in net gains on mortgage loans.  Loans are sold servicing released; therefore no mortgage servicing right assets are established.

 

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.

 

Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance.  Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized in interest income over the respective term of the loan using the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments.

 

Interest income on mortgage and commercial loans is discontinued at the time the loan is 90 days delinquent unless the loan is well-secured and in process of collection.  Consumer loans are typically charged off no later than 120 days past due.  Past due status is based on the contractual terms of the loan.  In all cases, loans are placed on nonaccrual or charged-off at an earlier date if collection of principal or interest is considered doubtful.  Nonaccrual loans and loans past due 90 days still on accrual include both smaller balance homogeneous loans that are collectively evaluated for impairment and individually classified impaired loans.

 

All interest accrued but not received for loans placed on nonaccrual is reversed against interest income.  Interest received on such loans is accounted for on the cash-basis or cost-recovery method, until qualifying for return to accrual.  Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

 

Allowance for Loan Losses:  The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses, increased by the provision for loan losses and recoveries, and decreased by charge-offs of loans.  Management believes the estimated allowance for loan losses to be adequate based on known and inherent risks in the portfolio, past loan loss experience, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values, economic conditions and other factors.  Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged-off.  Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed.

 

The allowance consists of specific and general components.  The specific component relates to loans that are individually classified as impaired.  The general component covers non-classified loans and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for current qualitative environmental factors.  The Company maintains a loss migration analysis that tracks loan losses and recoveries based on loan class as well as the loan risk grade assignment for commercial loans.  At December 31, 2022 and 2021, an 18 month (six quarter) annualized historical loss experience was used for commercial loans and a 12 month (four quarter) historical loss experience period was applied to residential mortgage and consumer loan portfolios.  These historical loss percentages are adjusted (both upwards and downwards) for certain qualitative environmental factors, including economic trends, credit quality trends, valuation trends, concentration risk, quality of loan review, changes in personnel, competition, increasing interest rates, external factors and other considerations.

 

A loan is impaired when, based on current information and events, it is believed to be probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement.  Loans for which the terms have been modified and for which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties, are considered troubled debt restructurings and classified as impaired.

 

Commercial and commercial real estate loans with relationship balances exceeding $500,000 and an internal risk grading of 6 or worse are evaluated for impairment.  If a loan is impaired, a portion of the allowance is allocated so that the loan is reported, net, at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s existing interest rate or at the fair value of collateral, less estimated costs to sell, if repayment is expected solely from the collateral.  Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans, such as consumer and residential real estate loans are collectively evaluated for impairment and, accordingly, they are not separately identified for impairment disclosures.

 

Troubled debt restructurings are also considered impaired with impairment generally measured at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s effective rate at inception or using the fair value of collateral, less estimated costs to sell, if repayment is expected solely from the collateral.

 

Transfers of Financial Assets:  Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales, when control over the assets has been relinquished.  Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when the assets have been isolated from the Company, 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 the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Foreclosed Assets :  Assets acquired through or instead of loan foreclosure, primarily other real estate owned, are initially recorded at fair value less estimated costs to sell when acquired, establishing a new cost basis.  If fair value declines, a valuation allowance is recorded through expense.  Costs after acquisition are expensed unless they add value to the property.

 

Premises and Equipment:  Land is carried at cost.  Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.  Buildings and related components are depreciated using the straight-line method with useful lives ranging from 5 to 40 years.  Furniture, fixtures and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method with useful lives ranging from 3 to 15 years.  Maintenance, repairs and minor alterations are charged to current operations as expenditures occur and major improvements are capitalized.

 

Bank-Owned Life Insurance (BOLI):   The Bank has purchased life insurance policies on certain officers. BOLI is recorded at its currently realizable cash surrender value.  Changes in cash surrender value are recorded in other income.

Long-term Assets:  Premises and equipment and other long-term assets are reviewed for impairment when events indicate their carrying amount may not be recoverable from future undiscounted cash flows.  If impaired, the assets are recorded at fair value.  The Company had no impairment of long term assets in 2022 or 2021.

 

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 customer financing needs.  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.

 

Mortgage Banking Derivatives :  Commitments to fund mortgage loans (interest rate locks) to be sold into the secondary market and forward commitments for the future delivery of these mortgage loans are accounted for as derivatives not qualifying for hedge accounting.  Fair values of these mortgage derivatives are estimated based on changes in mortgage interest rates from the date the interest on the loan is locked.  The Bank enters into commitments to sell mortgage backed securities, which it later buys back in order to hedge its exposure to interest rate risk in its mortgage pipeline.  At times, the Company also enters into forward commitments for the future delivery of mortgage loans when interest rate locks are entered into, in order to hedge the change in interest rates resulting from its commitments to fund the loans.

 

Changes in the fair values of these interest rate lock and mortgage backed security and forward commitment derivatives are included in net gains on mortgage loans. The fair value of interest rate lock commitments was $0 and $25,000 at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The net fair value of mortgage backed security derivatives was approximately $0 and $(13,000) at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

Revenue From Contracts With Customers:  The Company records revenue from contracts with customers in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“Topic 606”).  Under Topic 606, the Company must identify the contract with a customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and recognize revenue when (or as) it satisfies a performance obligation.  No revenue has been recognized in the current reporting period that results from performance obligations satisfied in previous periods.

The Company’s primary sources of revenue are derived from interest and dividends earned on loans, securities and other financial instruments that are not within the scope of Topic 606.  The Company has evaluated the nature of its contracts with customers and determined that further disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers into more granular categories beyond what is presented in the Consolidated Statements of Income was not necessary.

 

The Company generally satisfies its performance obligations on contracts with customers as services are rendered, and the transaction prices are typically fixed and charged either on a periodic basis (generally monthly) or based on activity.  Because performance obligations are satisfied as services are rendered and the transaction prices are fixed, there is little judgment involved in applying Topic 606 that significantly affects the determination of the amount and timing of revenue from contracts with customers.

Interest Income: The Company’s largest source of revenue is interest income which is primarily recognized on an accrual basis based on contractual terms written into loans and investment contracts.

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Noninterest Revenue:  The Company derives the majority of its noninterest revenue from: (1) service charges for deposit related services, (2) gains related to mortgage loan sales, (3) trust fees and (4) debit and credit card interchange income.  Most of these services are transaction based and revenue is recognized as the related service is provided.

 

Derivatives:  Certain of the Bank’s commercial loan customers have entered into interest rate swap agreements directly with the Bank.  At the same time the Bank enters into a swap agreement with its customer, the Bank enters into a corresponding interest rate swap agreement with a correspondent bank at terms mirroring the Bank’s interest rate swap with its commercial loan customer.   This is known as a back-to-back swap agreement.  Under this arrangement the Bank has two freestanding interest rate swaps, both of which are carried at fair value.  As the terms mirror each other, there is no income statement impact to the Bank.  At December 31, 2022, the total notional amount of such agreements was $125.3 million and resulted in a derivative asset with a fair value of $6.5 million which was included in other assets and a derivative liability of $6.5 million which was included in other liabilities. At December 31, 2021, the total notional amount of such agreements was $140.7 million and resulted in a derivative asset with a fair value of $3.3 million which was included in other assets and a derivative liability of $3.3 million which was included in other liabilities.  

 

Income Taxes:  Income tax expense is the sum of the current year income tax due or refundable 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.

 

The Company recognizes a tax position as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur.  The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination.  For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded.

 

The Company recognizes interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

 

Earnings Per Common Share:  Basic earnings per common share is net income divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period.  All outstanding unvested restricted stock awards that contain rights to nonforfeitable dividends are considered participating securities for this calculation and are included in both basic and diluted earnings per share.  Diluted earnings per common share includes the dilutive effect of additional potential common shares issuable under stock options.  In the event of a net loss, our unvested restricted stock awards are excluded from both basic and diluted earnings per share.

 

Comprehensive Income:  Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income (loss).  Other comprehensive income (loss) includes unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale and amortization of unrealized gain upon transfer of securities from available for sale to held to maturity.

 

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.

Stock Splits and Dividends:  Stock dividends in excess of 20% are reported as stock splits, resulting in no adjustment to the Company’s equity accounts.  Stock dividends for 20% or less are reported by transferring the fair value, as of the ex-dividend date, of the stock issued from retained earnings to common stock.  Fractional share amounts are paid in cash with a reduction in retained earnings. All share and per share amounts are retroactively adjusted for stock splits and dividends.

 

Dividend Restriction:  Banking regulations require maintaining certain capital levels and impose limitations on dividends paid by the Bank to the Company and by the Company to shareholders.

 

Fair Values of Financial Instruments:  Fair values of financial instruments are estimated using relevant market information and other assumptions, as more fully disclosed separately.  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.  The fair value estimates of existing on-and off-balance sheet financial instruments do not include the value of anticipated future business or the values of assets and liabilities not considered financial instruments.

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Segment Reporting:  The Company, through the branch network of the Bank, provides a broad range of financial services to individuals and companies in western Michigan.  These services include demand, time and savings deposits; lending; ATM and debit card processing; cash management; and trust and brokerage services.  While the Company’s management team monitors the revenue streams of the various Company products and services, operations are managed and financial performance is evaluated on a Company-wide basis.  Accordingly, all of the Company’s banking operations are considered by management to be aggregated in one operating segment – commercial banking.

Reclassifications: Some items in the prior year financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Accounting Standards Updates:

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 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 eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold and, instead, reflects an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses. The new guidance 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 is allowed to 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 now have to be presented as an allowance rather than as a write-down.

This ASU expands the disclosure requirements regarding an entity’s assumptions, models and methods for estimating the allowance for credit losses. In addition, entities will need to disclose the amortized cost balance for each class of financial asset by credit quality indicator, disaggregated by year of origination.   The Company selected a software vendor for applying this new ASU for Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”), began implementation of the software in the second quarter of 2018, completed integration during the third quarter of 2018 and ran parallel computations with both systems using the current GAAP incurred loss model in the fourth quarter of 2018.  The Company went live with this software beginning in January 2019 for its monthly incurred loss computations and began modeling the new current expected credit loss model assumptions to the allowance for loan losses computation.  In the periods since, the Company modeled the various methods prescribed in the ASU against the Company’s identified loan segments, ultimately determining that the weighted average remaining life method was the appropriate method for the Company to use.  The Company adopted the standard effective January 1, 2023 and estimates that the impact of adoption will result in an allowance increase of $1.2 million to $2.2 million, due primarily to the forward-looking economic forecast, which presents the most variability within this range.  The required liability for unfunded commitments at January 1, 2023 is estimated at approximately $60,000.  The resulting impact will be a decrease to the retained earnings account on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet equal to the after-tax impact of the increase in allowance balances, with the tax impact portion being recorded as a deferred tax asset on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.  The Company did not identify any available-for-sale debt securities requiring allowances to be established upon adoption of the standard on January 1, 2023. In addition, the Company evaluated its municipal bond securities and U.S. Treasury securities held to maturity on a pooled basis, determining that the securities in each pool share similar risks. The Company determined that on January 1, 2023, the municipal bond securities have a remote risk of loss and the government backed U.S. Treasury securities have a zero risk of loss. As such, the allowance for debt securities held to maturity established upon adoption of the standard on January 1, 2023 was immaterial.

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to GAAP guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burdens of the expected market transition from LIBOR and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. Entities can elect not to apply certain modification accounting requirements to contracts affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. Entities that make such elections would not have to remeasure contracts at the modification date or reassess a previous accounting determination.  Entities can elect various optional expedients that would allow them to continue applying hedge accounting for hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met.  We are utilizing the timeline guidance published by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee to develop and achieve internal milestones during this transitional period.  We have discontinued the use of new LIBOR-based loans and interest rate derivatives, according to regulatory guidelines.  ASU 2022-06 Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848 deferred the sunset date of Topic 848 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024.  The amended guidance under Topic 848 and our ability to elect its temporary optional expedients and exceptions are effective for us through December 31, 2024.  The Company has adopted the LIBOR transition relief allowed under this standard.

ASU No. 2022-01 Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Fair Value Hedging - Portfolio Layer Method.  This ASU expands the current last-of-layer method of hedge accounting that permits only one hedged layer to allow multiple hedged layers of a single closed portfolio. To reflect this expansion, the last-of-layer method is renamed the portfolio layer method.  This ASU expands the scope of the portfolio layer method to include nonprepayable assets, specifies eligible hedging instruments in a single-layer hedge, provides additional guidance on the accounting for and disclosure of hedge basis adjustments and specifies how hedge basis adjustments should be considered when determining credit losses for the assets included in the closed portfolio.  This ASU is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those fiscal years.  As the Company does not engage in this type of hedging activity, adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2023 did not have any impact on its financial results or disclosures.

ASU No. 2022-02 Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures.  This ASU eliminates the accounting guidance for troubled debt restructurings (TDRs) by creditors in Subtopic 310-40, Receivables - Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors, while adding disclosures for certain loan restructurings by creditors when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty.  This guidance requires an entity to determine whether the modification results in a new loan or a continuation of an existing loan.  Additionally, the ASU requires disclosure of current period gross writeoffs by year of origination for financing receivables.  The ASU also requires disclosure of current period gross writeoffs by year of origination for financing receivables and disclosure of certain modifications of receivables made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty.  This ASU is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2023 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial results and the additional required disclosures for gross writeoffs will be included in the footnotes to the Company’s March 31, 2023 consolidated financial statements.