Bridgewater Bank Annual Report

measure and manage the potential impact of interest rate risk. Interest rate risk occurs when interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities mature or re-price at different times, on a different basis or in unequal amounts. Interest rate risk also arises when assets and liabilities each respond differently to changes in interest rates. The Company’s management of interest rate risk is overseen by its ALM Committee, based on a risk management infrastructure approved by the board of directors that outlines reporting and measurement requirements. In particular, this infrastructure sets limits and management targets for various metrics, including net interest income simulation involving parallel shifts in interest rate curves, steepening and flattening yield curves, and various prepayment and deposit duration assumptions. The Company’s risk management infrastructure also requires a periodic review of all key assumptions used, such as identifying appropriate interest rate scenarios, setting loan prepayment rates based on historical analysis and noninterest bearing and interest bearing transaction deposit durations based on historical analysis. The Company does not engage in speculative trading activities relating to interest rates, foreign exchange rates, commodity prices, equities or credit. The Company manages the interest rate risk associated with interest earning assets by managing the interest rates and terms associated with the investment securities portfolio by purchasing and selling investment securities from time to time. The Company manages the interest rate risk associated with interest bearing liabilities by managing the interest rates and terms associated with wholesale borrowings and deposits from customers which the Company relies on for funding. For example, the Company occasionally uses special offers on deposits to alter the interest rates and terms associated with interest bearing liabilities. Net Interest Income Simulation The Company uses a net interest income simulation model to measure and evaluate potential changes in net interest income that would result over the next 12 months from immediate and sustained changes in interest rates as of the measurement date. This model has inherent limitations and the results are based on a given set of rate changes and assumptions as of a certain point in time. For purposes of the simulation, the Company assumes no growth in either interest-sensitive assets or liabilities over the next 12 months; therefore, the model’s results reflect an interest rate shock to a static balance sheet. The simulation model also incorporates various other assumptions, which the Company believes are reasonable but which may have a significant impact on results, such as: (1) the timing of changes in interest rates, (2) shifts or rotations in the yield curve, (3) re-pricing characteristics for market-rate-sensitive instruments, (4) differing sensitivities of financial instruments due to differing underlying rate indices, (5) varying loan prepayment speeds for different interest rate scenarios, (6) the effect of interest rate limitations in assets, such as floors and caps, and (7) overall growth and repayment rates and product mix of assets and liabilities. Because of the limitations inherent in any approach used to measure interest rate risk, simulation results are not intended as a forecast of the actual effect of a change in market interest rates on the results, but rather as a means to better plan and execute appropriate asset-liability management strategies and to manage interest rate risk. Potential changes to our net interest income in hypothetical rising and declining rate scenarios calculated as of December 31, 2018 are presented in the table below. The projections assume immediate, parallel shifts downward of the yield curve of 100 basis points and immediate, parallel shifts upward of the yield curve of 100, 200, 300 and 400 basis points. In the current interest rate environment, a downward shift of the yield curve of 200, 300 and 400 basis points does not provide us with meaningful results and thus is not presented.

Change (basis points) in Interest Rates

Forecasted Net Percentage Change

(12-Month Projection)

Interest Income

from Base

+400 +300 +200 +100

$

72,332 70,142 67,888 65,571 63,180 59,467

14.49 %

11.02 7.45 3.79

0

—

í 100

(5.88)

73