CASH 2018 Annual Report

95 Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices The Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto presented in this Annual Report have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require the measurement of financial position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without considering the change in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation. The primary impact of inflation is reflected in the increased cost of the Company’s operations. Unlike most industrial companies, virtually all the assets and liabilities of the Company are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates generally have a more significant impact on a financial institution’s performance than do the effects of general levels of inflation. Interest rates do not necessarily move in the same direction, or to the same extent, as the prices of goods and services. There have not been any material effects on Meta's business due to inflation during any of the last three fiscal years. Impact of New Accounting Standards See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding recently issued accounting pronouncements. Critical Accounting Policies The Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The financial information contained within these financial statements is, to a significant extent, based on approximate measures of the financial effects of transactions and events that have already occurred. Management has identified the policies described below as Critical Accounting Policies. These policies involve complex and subjective decisions and assessments. Some of these estimates may be uncertain at the time they are made, could change from period to period, and could have a material impact on the financial statements. Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses The Company’s allowance for loan and lease losses methodology incorporates a variety of risk considerations, both quantitative and qualitative, in establishing an allowance for loan and lease losses that management believes is appropriate at each reporting date. Quantitative factors include the Company’s historical loss experience, delinquency and charge-off trends, collateral values, changes in non-performing loans and leases and other factors. Quantitative factors also incorporate known information about individual loans and leases, including borrowers’ sensitivity to interest rate movements. Qualitative factors include the general economic environment in the Company’s markets, including economic conditions throughout the Midwest and, in particular, the state of certain industries. Size and complexity of individual credits in relation to loan and lease structure, existing loan and lease policies and pace of portfolio growth are other qualitative factors that are considered in the methodology. Although management believes the levels of the allowance as of both September 30, 2018, and September 30, 2017, were adequate to absorb probable losses inherent in the loan and lease portfolio, a decline in local economic conditions or other factors could result in increasing losses. Goodwill and Identifiable Intangible Assets The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations . Under the acquisition method, the Company records assets acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, liabilities assumed, and any non-controlling interest in the acquired business at their fair values as of the acquisition date. Any acquisition-related transaction costs are expensed in the period incurred. Results of operations of the acquired entity are included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations from the date of acquisition. Any measurement-period adjustments are recorded in the period the adjustment is identified. The excess of consideration paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Determining the fair value of assets acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, liabilities assumed, and any non-controlling interest often requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions. This may involve estimates based on third- party valuations, such as appraisals, or internal valuations based on discounted cash flow analyses or other valuation techniques such as estimates of attrition, inflation, asset growth rates, discount rates, multiples of earnings or other relevant factors. In addition, the determination of the useful lives over which an intangible asset will be amortized is subjective. See Note 20 Goodwill and Intangibles to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.