9. DERIVATIVES

The Company is exposed to economic risks arising from its business operations and uses derivatives primarily to manage risk associated with changing interest rates, and to assist customers with their risk management objectives. The Company designates certain derivatives as hedging instruments in a qualifying hedge accounting relationship (cash flow or fair value hedge). The remaining are classified as free-standing derivatives consisting of customer accommodation loan swaps and interest rate lock commitments that do not qualify for hedge accounting.

Derivatives Counterparty Credit Risk

Derivative instruments contain an element of credit risk that arises from the potential failure of a counterparty to perform according to the terms of the contract. The Company’s exposure to derivative counterparty credit risk, at any point in time, is equal to the amount reported as a derivative asset on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, assuming no recoveries of underlying collateral.

Effective January 1, 2019, as required under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Company clears eligible derivative transactions through CCPs such as the CME and LCH, which are often referred to as “central clearinghouses”. The Company clears certain OTC derivatives with central clearinghouses through FCMs as part of the regulatory requirement. The use of the CCPs and the FCMs reduces the Company’s bilateral counterparty credit exposures while it increases the Company’s credit exposures to CCPs and FCMs. The Company is required by CCPs to post initial and variation margin to mitigate the risk of non-payment through the Company’s FCMs. The Company’s FCM agreements governing these derivative transactions generally include provisions that may require the Company to post more collateral or otherwise change terms in the Company’s agreements under certain circumstances. For CME and LCH-cleared OTC derivatives, the Company characterizes variation margin cash payments as settlements.

The Company also enters into legally enforceable master netting agreements and collateral agreements, where possible, with certain derivative counterparties to mitigate the risk of default on a bilateral basis. These bilateral agreements typically provide the right to offset exposures and require one counterparty to post collateral on derivative instruments in a net liability position to the other counterparty.

Cash Flow Hedges

The Company designates derivatives as cash flow hedges when they are used to manage exposure to variability in cash flows related to forecasted transactions on variable rate financial instruments. The Company uses interest rate swap agreements as part of its hedging strategy by exchanging a notional amount, equal to the principal amount of the borrowings or commercial loans, for fixed-rate interest based on benchmarked interest rates. The original terms and conditions of the interest rate swaps vary and range in length with a maximum hedging time through January 2021. Amounts receivable or payable are recognized as accrued under the terms of the agreements.

All swaps were entered into with counterparties that met the Company’s credit standards, and the agreements contain collateral provisions protecting the at-risk party. The Company believes that the credit risk inherent in the contract is not significant.

The Company assesses the effectiveness of each hedging relationship on a periodic basis using statistical regression analysis. The Company also measures the ineffectiveness of each hedging relationship using the change in variable cash flows method which compares the cumulative changes in cash flows of the hedging instrument relative to cumulative changes in the hedged item’s cash flows. In accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, the effective portions of the derivatives’ unrealized gains or losses are recorded as a component of other comprehensive income. Based on the Company’s assessment, its cash flow hedges are highly effective.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2019, the Company terminated four interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges prior to their respective maturity dates. The net amount of losses reclassified into earnings totaled $9.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. This loss is immediately recognized into earnings as the forecasted transaction will not occur.

Fair Value Hedge

Derivatives are designated as fair value hedges when they are used to manage exposure to changes in the fair value of certain financial assets and liabilities, referred to as the hedged items, which fluctuate in value as a result of movements in interest rates.

Loans: During the normal course of business, the Company enters into swap agreements to convert certain long-term fixed-rate loans to floating rates to hedge the Company’s exposure to interest rate risk. The Company pays a fixed interest rate to the counterparty and receives a floating rate from the same counterparty calculated on the aggregate notional amount. For the periods ended September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the aggregate notional amount of the related hedged items for certain long-term fixed rate loans totaled $84.1 million and $87.6 million, respectively, and the fair value of the related hedged items was an unrealized loss of $3.3 million and $1.6 million, respectively.

AFS Securities: The Company has entered into a swap agreement to hedge the interest rate risk on a portion of its fixed rate available for sale securities. For the periods ended September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the aggregate notional amount of the related hedged items of the available for sale securities totaled $50 million and the fair value of the related hedged items was an unrealized loss of $5.2 million and $1.4 million, respectively.

The Company applies hedge accounting in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and the fair value hedge and the underlying hedged item, attributable to the risk being hedged, are recorded at fair value with unrealized gains and losses being recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Statistical regression analysis is used to assess hedge effectiveness, both at inception of the hedging relationship and on an ongoing basis. The regression analysis involves regressing the periodic change in fair value of the hedging instrument against the periodic changes in fair value of the asset being hedged due to changes in the hedged risk. The Company’s fair value hedges continue to be highly effective and had no material impact on the Consolidated Statements of Income, but if any ineffectiveness exists, portions of the unrealized gains or losses would be recorded in interest income or interest expense on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income.

Loan Swaps

During the normal course of business, the Company enters into interest rate swap loan relationships (“loan swaps”) with borrowers to meet their financing needs. Upon entering into the loan swaps, the Company enters into offsetting positions with a third party in order to minimize interest rate risk. These back-to-back loan swaps qualify as financial derivatives with fair values as reported in “Other Assets” and “Other Liabilities” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Mortgage Banking Derivatives

During the normal course of business, the Company enters into commitments to originate mortgage loans whereby the interest rate on the loan is determined prior to funding (“rate lock commitments”). The Company commits to deliver the loan if settlement occurs ("best efforts") or commits to deliver the locked loan in a binding ("mandatory") delivery program with an investor. Certain loans under interest rate lock commitments are covered under forward sales contracts of MBS. Rate lock commitments on mortgage loans that are intended to be sold in the secondary market and commitments to deliver loans to investors are considered to be derivatives. The Company uses these derivatives as part of an overall strategy to manage market risk primarily due to fluctuations in interest rates, and to capture improved margins resulting from the mandatory delivery of loans. Mortgage banking derivatives as of September 30, 2019 did not have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

The market values of rate lock commitments and best efforts forward delivery commitments is not readily ascertainable with precision because rate lock commitments and best efforts contracts are not actively traded in stand-alone markets. The Company determines the fair value of rate lock commitments, delivery contracts, and forward sales contracts of MBS by measuring the change in the value of the underlying asset, while taking into consideration the probability that the rate lock commitments will close or will be funded. Certain risks arise from the forward delivery contracts in that the counterparties to the contracts may not be able to meet the terms of the contracts. Additional risks inherent in mandatory delivery programs include the risk that, if the Company does not close the loans subject to rate lock commitments, it will still be obligated to deliver MBS to the counterparty under the forward sales agreement.

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The following table summarizes key elements of the Company’s derivative instruments as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, segregated by derivatives that are considered accounting hedges and those that are not (dollars in thousands):

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The following table summarizes the carrying value of the Company’s hedged assets in fair value hedges and the associated cumulative basis adjustments included in those carrying values as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (dollars in thousands):

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