Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
Principles of Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Macatawa Bank Corporation ("the Company", "our", "we") 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 owns all of the common stock of Macatawa Statutory Trust I and Macatawa Statutory Trust II. These are grantor trusts that issued trust preferred securities and are not consolidated with the Company under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
 
Basis of Presentation: The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) believed necessary for a fair presentation have been included.
 
Operating results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

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 and fair values of financial instruments are particularly subject to change.

Regulatory Developments:

Termination of Consent Order with Macatawa Bank and its Regulators

On February 22, 2010, the Bank entered into a Consent Order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") and the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation ("OFIR"), the primary banking regulators of the Bank. The Bank agreed to the terms of the negotiated Consent Order without admitting or denying any charges of unsafe or unsound banking practices.  The Consent Order imposed no fines or penalties on the Bank.  As a result of the improvement in our financial condition and results of operations, our implementation of additional corporate governance practices and disciplined business and banking principles, and our compliance with the Consent Order, upon completion of the Bank's 2011 joint examination by the FDIC and OFIR, the FDIC and OFIR terminated the Consent Order effective March 2, 2012.

In connection with the termination of the Consent Order, the Bank reached an understanding with the regulators in the form of a memorandum of understanding ("MOU"), which maintains many of the controls and procedures put in place by the Bank in response to the Consent Order, including: maintenance of a Tier 1 Leverage Capital Ratio of at least 8%, formulating and submitting a written plan of action on each asset classified as Substandard in the Report of Examination ("ROE"), charge-off of all assets classified as "Loss" in the ROE, submission of a written profit plan, Board review of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses each quarter and the receipt of prior written consent of the FDIC and OFIR before the Bank declares or pays any dividends.  We believe the Bank was in compliance in all material respects with all of the provisions of the MOU as of September 30, 2012.
 
Written Agreement with Macatawa and its Regulator

The Company has formally entered into a Written Agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago ("FRB").  The Written Agreement became effective on July 29, 2010, when it was executed and published by the FRB, and was assigned an effective date of July 23, 2010.  Among other things, the Written Agreement provides that: (i) the Company must take appropriate steps to fully utilize its financial and managerial resources to serve as a source of strength to Macatawa Bank; (ii) the Company may not declare or pay any dividends without prior FRB approval; (iii) the Company may not take dividends or any other payment representing a reduction in capital from Macatawa Bank without prior FRB approval; (iv) the Company may not make any distributions of interest, principal or other sums on subordinated debentures or trust preferred securities without prior FRB approval; (v) the Company may not incur, increase or guarantee any debt without prior FRB approval; (vi) the Company may not purchase or redeem any shares of its stock without prior FRB approval; (vii) the Company must submit a written capital plan to the FRB within 60 days of the Written Agreement; and (viii) the Company may not appoint any new director or senior executive officer, or change the responsibilities of any senior executive officer so that the officer would assume a different senior executive officer position, without prior regulatory approval.  The Company separately requested and received approval from the FRB to make the third quarter 2012 quarterly interest payments on its $1.65 million in outstanding subordinated debt.  Each quarter the Company requests approval from the FRB to make the next quarter's interest payment on its subordinated debt and is continuing to accrue the interest amounts due.  We believe that as of September 30, 2012, the Company was in compliance in all material respects with all of the provisions of the Written Agreement.

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

Allowance for Loan Losses: The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses inherent in our loan portfolio, increased by the provision for loan losses and recoveries, and decreased by charge-offs of loans. Management believes the allowance for loan losses balance 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 relevant 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. Management continues its collection efforts on previously charged-off balances and applies recoveries as additions to the allowance for loan losses.

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 factors. The Company maintains a loss migration analysis that tracks loan losses and recoveries based on loan class and the loan risk grade assignment for commercial loans. At September 30, 2012, an 18 month annualized historical loss experience was used for commercial loans and a 12 month 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 factors, including economic trends, credit quality trends, valuation trends, concentration risk, quality of loan review, changes in personnel, 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 a concession has been made, 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 and the loan is reported 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 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.

Foreclosed Assets: Assets acquired through or instead of or in lieu of foreclosure, primarily other real estate owned, are initially recorded at fair value less 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.

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.

We recognize 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. We recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

The realization of deferred tax assets (net of a recorded valuation allowance) is largely dependent upon future taxable income, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and the ability to carryback losses to available tax years. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all relevant positive and negative evidence, including taxable income in carry-back years, scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, expected future taxable income and available tax planning strategies.

As of January 1, 2010, we no longer have the ability to carryback losses to prior years. The realization of our deferred tax assets is largely dependent on generating income in future years. At September 30, 2012, the need to maintain a full valuation allowance was based primarily on our net operating losses for recent years and the continuing weak economic conditions that could impact our ability to generate future earnings. The valuation allowance may be reversed to income in future periods to the extent that the related deferred tax assets are realized or the valuation allowance is no longer required.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards: The FASB has issued ASU 2011-03, Transfers and Servicing (Topic 860): Reconsideration of Effective Control for Repurchase Agreements. The ASU is intended to improve financial reporting of repurchase agreements ("repos") and other agreements that both entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity. In a typical repo transaction, an entity transfers financial assets to a counterparty in exchange for cash with an agreement for the counterparty to return the same or equivalent financial assets for a fixed price in the future. Codification Topic 860, Transfers and Servicing, prescribes when an entity may or may not recognize a sale upon the transfer of financial assets subject to repo agreements. That determination is based, in part, on whether the entity has maintained effective control over the transferred financial assets. The amendments to the Codification in this ASU are intended to improve the accounting for these transactions by removing from the assessment of effective control the criterion requiring the transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets. The guidance in the ASU is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2011. The guidance should be applied prospectively to transactions or modifications of existing transactions that occur on or after the effective date. Adoption of this ASU did not have any effect as the Company does not currently hold any such repurchase agreements.
 
The FASB has issued ASU 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. This ASU represents the converged guidance of the FASB and the IASB (the Boards) on fair value measurement. The collective efforts of the Boards and their staffs, reflected in ASU 2011-04, have resulted in common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements, including a consistent meaning of the term "fair value." The Boards have concluded the common requirements will result in greater comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. The amendments to the Codification in this ASU are to be applied prospectively. For public entities, the amendments are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Early application by public entities is not permitted. Disclosure of the fair value levels of our financial assets and financial liabilities was added to Note 5 upon adoption of this standard in the first quarter of 2012.
 
The FASB has issued ASU 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income. This ASU amends accounting standards to allow an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In both choices, an entity is required to present each component of net income along with total net income, each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, and a total amount for comprehensive income. ASU 2011-05 eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. The amendments in the ASU do not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. ASU 2011-05 should be applied retrospectively effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. We early adopted this standard with our 2011 annual financial statements by adding a statement of comprehensive income.