Note 1: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and conform to practices within the banking industry. Except as set forth below in this Note 1, the accounting policies followed in the preparation of the interim consolidated financial statements are consistent with those used in the preparation of the annual financial statements. The interim consolidated financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments that are necessary, in the opinion of management, for fair statement of results for the interim periods presented. Results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2023, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2023.

Nature of Operations

NSTS Bancorp, Inc. (“NSTS” or the “Company”, “we” or “our”) was formed to serve as the stock holding company for North Shore Trust and Savings (the “Bank”) in connection with the conversion of North Shore Trust and Savings, NSTS Financial Corporation and North Shore MHC, into the stock form of organization, which was completed on January 18, 2022. Accordingly, certain financial statements and other financial information at or prior to January 18, 2022, contained in this Form 10-Q relate solely to the consolidated financial results of North Shore MHC and its consolidated subsidiaries, NSTS Financial Corporation and North Shore Trust and Savings.

NSTS Bancorp, Inc. completed its stock offering on January 18, 2022. The Company sold 5,290,000 shares of common stock at $10.00 per share in its subscription offering for gross proceeds of approximately $53.0 million. In connection with the subscription offering, NSTS Bancorp, Inc. also issued 107,959 shares of common stock and $150,000 in cash to NSTS Charitable Foundation. Shares of NSTS Bancorp, Inc. stock began trading on January 19, 2022 on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol "NSTS."

The Bank operates primarily in the northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. During the third quarter of 2023, we established two additional loan production offices in Aurora and Plainfield, Illinois to expand our loan originations within the Chicagoland area. The lending teams operating in the Aurora and Plainfield, Illinois loan production offices originate as Oak Leaf Community Mortgage, a division of North Shore Trust and Savings, which will complement the existing loan production office in Chicago. The Bank offers a variety of financial services to customers in our surrounding community. Financial services consist primarily of 1-4 family mortgage loans, savings accounts, and certificate of deposit accounts. There are no significant concentrations of loans to any one industry or customer. The Bank’s exposure to credit risk is significantly affected by changes in the economy in the Bank’s market area.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with NSTS Bancorp, Inc.’s Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may vary from those estimates. Material estimates that could significantly change in the near-term include the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses, determination of the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets and the valuation of investment securities and the related tax effect. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim period or the entire fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. Certain amounts in prior year financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. Subsequent events have been evaluated through the date of issuance of the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements. No significant subsequent events have occurred through this date requiring adjustment to the financial statements or disclosures.

With the exception of the following new significant accounting and reporting policies, the Company has not changed its significant accounting and reporting policies from those disclosed in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Stock Based Compensation

The Company maintains an equity incentive plan under which restricted stock and stock options may be granted to employees and directors, see Note 12.

The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of those awards in accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation”. The Company estimates the per share fair value of option grants on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model using assumptions for the expected dividend yield, expected stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected option term. These assumptions are subjective in nature, involve uncertainties and, therefore, cannot be determined with precision. The Black-Scholes option pricing model also contains certain inherent limitations when applied to options that are not traded on public markets.

The per share fair value of options is highly sensitive to changes in assumptions. In general, the per share fair value of options will move in the same direction as changes in the expected stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected option term, and in the opposite direction as changes in the expected dividend yield. For example, the per share fair value of options will generally increase as expected stock price volatility increases, risk-free interest rate increases, expected option term increases and expected dividend yield decreases. The use of different assumptions or different option pricing models could result in materially different per share fair values of options.

The Company recognizes compensation expense for the fair values of these awards, which have graded vesting, on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards. The Company’s accounting policy is to recognize forfeitures as they occur. Forfeited shares are added back to the pool of shares available for future grants.

Treasury Stock

Treasury stock acquired is recorded at cost and is carried as a reduction of stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Treasury stock issued is valued based on the “last in, first out” inventory method.  The difference between the consideration received upon issuance and the carrying value is charged or credited to additional paid-in capital.

Accounting Developments

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” also known as Current Expected Credit Losses, or CECL.  ASU 2016-13 was issued to provide financial statement users with more 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 to enhance the decision making process.  The CECL model utilizes a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for the recognition of credit losses for loans, held-to-maturity securities, and other receivables at the time the financial asset is originated or acquired. The expected credit losses are adjusted each period for changes in expected lifetime credit losses. For available for-sale securities where fair value is less than cost, credit-related impairment, if any, will be recognized in an allowance for credit losses and adjusted each period for changes in expected credit risk. This model replaces the multiple existing impairment models, which generally require that a loss be incurred before it is recognized.

We adopted ASU 2016-13 using the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology for financial assets measured at amortized cost, effective January 1, 2023. Results for the periods beginning after January 1, 2023 are presented under ASU 2016-13, while prior period amounts are reported in accordance with the previously applicable accounting standards. The Company recorded a reduction to retained earnings of approximately $279,000 upon adoption of ASU 2016-13. The transition adjustment included an increase to the allowance for credit losses on loans of $384,000 and an increase to the allowance for credit losses on off-balance sheet credit exposure of approximately $5,000. The transition adjustment included a corresponding increase in deferred tax assets.

The following table illustrates the impact of ASU 2016-13 adoption:

In March 2022, FASB issued ASU 2022-02, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures. The amendments in this update eliminate the accounting guidance and related disclosures for TDRs by creditors in Subtopic 310-40, Receivables—Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors, while enhancing disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancings and restructurings by creditors when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty and requiring an entity to disclose current-period gross write-offs by year of origination for financing receivables and net investments in leases within the scope of Subtopic 326-20, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses—Measured at Amortized Cost. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years and are applied prospectively, except with respect to the recognition and measurement of TDRs, where an entity has the option to apply a modified retrospective transition method. Early adoption of the amendments in this update is permitted. An entity may elect to early adopt the amendments regarding TDRs and related disclosure enhancements separately from the amendments related to vintage disclosures. 

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) is an estimate of the expected credit losses on the loans held for investment, unfunded loan commitments, and available-for-sale debt securities portfolios.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans

The ACL is calculated according to GAAP standards and is maintained by management at a level believed adequate to absorb estimated credit losses that are expected to occur within the existing loan portfolio through their contractual terms.  The ACL is a valuation account that is deducted from the loans’ amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on loans.  Determination of the ACL is inherently subjective in nature since it requires significant estimates and management judgment, and includes a level of imprecision given the difficulty of identifying and assessing the factors impacting loan repayment and estimating the timing and amount of losses.  While management utilizes its best judgment and information available, the ultimate adequacy of the ACL is dependent upon a variety of factors beyond the Company’s direct control, including, but not limited to, the performance of the loan portfolio, consideration of current economic trends, changes in interest rates and property values, estimated losses on pools of homogeneous loans based on an analysis that uses historical loss experience for prior periods that are determined to have like characteristics with the current period such as pre-recessionary, recessionary, or recovery periods, portfolio growth and concentration risk, management and staffing changes, the interpretation of loan risk classifications by regulatory authorities and other credit market factors.  While each component of the ACL is determined separately, the entire balance is available for the entire loan portfolio.

The ACL methodology consists of measuring loans on a collective (pool) basis when similar risk characteristics exist.  The Company has identified five loan portfolios and measures the ACL using the Scaled CECL Allowance for Losses Estimator (“SCALE”) method. The loan portfolios are 1-4 family residential real estate, commercial real estate, multi-family real estate, construction and consumer. The SCALE method uses publicly available data from Schedule RI-C of the Call Report to derive the initial proxy expected lifetime loss rates. These proxy expected lifetime loss rates are then adjusted for bank-specific facts and circumstances to arrive at the final ACL estimate that adequately reflects the Company’s loss history and credit risk within our portfolio.

The qualitative factors applied to each loan portfolio consist of the impact of other internal and external qualitative and credit market factors as assessed by management through a detailed loan review, ACL analysis and credit discussions.  These internal and external qualitative and credit market factors include:

The impact of the above listed internal and external qualitative and credit market risk factors is assessed within predetermined ranges to adjust the ACL totals calculated.

In addition to the pooled analysis performed for the majority of our loan and commitment balances, we also review those loans that have collateral dependency or nonperforming status which requires a specific review of that loan, per our individually analyzed CECL calculations.  

Loans are charged off against the ACL when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed, while recoveries of amounts previously charged-off are credited to the ACL.  Approved releases from previously established ACL reserves authorized under our ACL methodology also reduce the ACL.  Additions to the ACL are established through the provision for credit losses on loans, which is charged to expense.

The Company’s ACL methodology is intended to reflect all loan portfolio risk, but management recognizes the inability to accurately depict all future credit losses in a current ACL estimate, as the impact of various factors cannot be fully known.  Accrued interest receivable on loans is excluded from the amortized cost basis of financing receivables for the purpose of determining the allowance for credit losses.  All calculations conform to GAAP.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Unfunded Loan Commitments

The Company estimates expected credit losses over the contractual period in which the Company is exposed to credit risk by a contractual obligation to extend credit, unless that obligation is unconditionally cancellable by the Company.  The ACL related to off-balance sheet credit exposures, which is within other liabilities on the Company’s balance sheet, is estimated at each balance sheet date under the CECL model, and is adjusted as determined necessary through the provision for credit losses on the income statement.  The estimate for ACL on unfunded loan commitments includes consideration of the likelihood that funding will occur and an estimate of expected credit losses on commitments expected to be funded over its estimated life. 

Allowance for Credit Losses on Securities Available-for-Sale

For available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company first assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will sell, the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis.  If either of the aforementioned criteria exists, the Company will record an ACL related to securities available-for-sale with an offsetting entry to the provision for credit losses on securities on the income statement.  If either of these criteria does not exist, the Company will evaluate the securities individually to determine whether the decline in the fair value below the amortized cost basis (impairment) is due to credit-related factors or noncredit-related factors, such as market interest rate fluctuations. 

In evaluating securities available-for sale for potential impairment, the Company considers many factors, including the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, which for debt securities considers external credit ratings and recent downgrades; and its ability and intent to hold the security for a period of time sufficient for a recovery in value.  The Company also considers the extent to which the securities are issued by the federal government or its agencies, and any guarantee of issued amounts by those agencies. The amount of the impairment related to other factors is recognized in other comprehensive income (loss).

Accrued interest receivable on securities available-for-sale is excluded from the amortized cost basis of those securities for the purpose of determining the allowance for credit losses.  All calculations conform to GAAP.