NOTE 8 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Lending Commitments. The Company is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risks in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its clients. These financial instruments consist of commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit.

The Company’s maximum exposure to credit loss under standby letters of credit and commitments to extend credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in establishing commitments and issuing letters of credit as it does for on-balance sheet instruments. The amounts associated with the Company’s off-balance sheet obligations were as follows:

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a client so long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee the performance of a client to a third party. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities. In general, management does not anticipate any material losses as a result of participating in these types of transactions. However, any potential losses arising from such transactions are reserved for in the same manner as management reserves for its other credit facilities.

For both on- and off-balance sheet financial instruments, the Company requires collateral to support such instruments when it is deemed necessary. The Company evaluates each client’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained upon extension of credit is based on management’s credit evaluation of the counterparty. Collateral held varies, but may include deposits held in financial institutions; U.S. Treasury securities; other marketable securities; real estate; accounts receivable; property, plant and equipment; and inventory.

The allowance for credit losses for off-balance sheet credit commitments that are not unconditionally cancellable by the bank totaled $1.4 million at June 30, 2020 and $0.2 million at December 31, 2019. The allowance is adjusted as a provision for credit loss expense and is recorded in other liabilities. The allowance was increased by $0.7 million on January 1, 2020 upon the adoption of ASC 326. The following table shows the activity in the allowance.

Contingencies. The Company is a party to lawsuits and claims arising out of the normal course of business. In management's opinion, there are no known pending claims or litigation, the outcome of which would, individually or in the aggregate, have a material effect on the consolidated results of operations, financial position, or cash flows of the Company.

Indemnification Obligation. The Company is a member of the Visa U.S.A. network. Visa U.S.A member banks are required to indemnify the Visa U.S.A. network for potential future settlement of certain litigation (the “Covered Litigation”) that relates to several antitrust lawsuits challenging the practices of Visa and MasterCard International. In 2008, the Company, as a member of the Visa U.S.A. network, obtained Class B shares of Visa, Inc. upon its initial public offering. Since its initial public offering, Visa, Inc. has funded a litigation reserve for the Covered Litigation resulting in a reduction in the Class B shares held by the Company. During the first quarter of 2011, the Company sold its remaining Class B shares. Associated with this sale, the Company entered into a swap contract with the purchaser of the shares that requires a payment to the counterparty in the event that Visa, Inc. makes subsequent revisions to the conversion ratio for its Class B shares.

Fixed charges included in the swap liability are payable quarterly until the litigation reserve is fully liquidated and at which time the aforementioned swap contract will be terminated. Quarterly fixed payments approximate $168,000. Conversion ratio payments and ongoing fixed quarterly charges are reflected in earnings in the period incurred.