i. Definition
A financial asset is considered impaired when there is objective evidence that events have occurred which:
• Give rise to an adverse impact on the future cash flows that were estimated at the transaction date, in the case of debt instruments (loans and debt securities);
• In the case of equity instruments, mean that their carrying amount may not be fully recovered.
• Arising from the violation of terms of loans, and
• During the Bankruptcy process.
As a general rule, the adjustment of the value of the impaired financial instruments is recognized in the consolidated income statement for the period in which the impairment becomes evident, and the reversal, if any, of previously recognized impairment loss is recognized in the consolidated income statement for the period in which the impairment is reversed or reduced.
ii. Debt instruments carried at amortized cost
The amount of an impairment loss incurred for determination of the recoverable amount on a debt instrument measured at amortized cost is equal to the difference between its carrying amount and the present value of its estimated future cash flows (excluding future credit losses that have not been incurred) discounted the original effective interest rate of the financial asset (or the effective interest rate computed at initial recognition), and is presented as a reduction of the asset balance and recorded in income statements.
In estimating the future cash flows of debt instruments the following factors are taken into account:
• All the amounts that are expected to be obtained over the remaining life of the instrument, in this case, the provided guarantees. The impairment loss takes into account the likelihood of collecting accrued interest receivable.
• The various types of risk to which each instrument is subject; and
• The circumstances in which collections will foreseeably be made.
These cash flows are subsequently discounted using the instrument's effective interest rate.
Specifically in regards to recoverable amount losses resulting from materialization of the insolvency risk of the obligors (credit risk), a debt instrument is impaired due to insolvency when there is evidence of a deterioration of the obligor's ability to pay, either because it is in arrears or for other reasons.
The Bank has certain policies, methods and procedures for covering its credit risk arising from insolvency allocable to counterparties.
These policies, methods and procedures are applied in the granting, in the examination and to document debt instruments, and contingent liabilities and commitments, the identification of their recoverable amount and the calculation of the amounts necessary to cover the related credit risk.
The procedures applied in the identification, measurement, control and reduction of the exposure to credit risk, are based on an individual basis or grouped by similarity.
• Clients with individual management: Wholesale clients, financial institutions and certain companies. Risk management is performed through an analysis complemented by tools to support the decision-making based in internal risk assessment.
• Clients with standardized management: individuals and companies not classified as individual clients. Risk management models based on automated decision-making and risk assessment procedure, complemented, when the model is not comprehensive or accurate enough, by teams of analysts specialized in this type of risk. The credits related to clients standardized, are usually considered not recoverable when they have historical loss experience and delay greater than 90 days.
Regarding the provision for impairment losses from credit risk, the Bank evaluates all loans. Loans are either individually or collectively evaluated for impairment. Loans accounted as amortized cost, which are not individually evaluated for impairment, are collectively evaluated for impairment, grouping them considering the similarity of risk. Loans individually evaluated for impairment are not included in balances that are collectively evaluated for impairment.
The Bank first assesses whether objective evidence of impairment loss individually for financial assets are individually significant, and individually or collectively for financial assets are not individually significant.
To measure the impairment loss on loans individually evaluated for impairment, the Bank considers the conditions of the borrower, such as his economic and financial situation, level of indebtedness, ability to generate income, cash flow , management, corporate governance and quality of internal controls, payment history, industry expertise, contingencies and credit limits, as well as characteristics of assets, such as their nature and purpose, type, sufficiency and liquidity level guarantees and total amount of credit, as well as based on historical experience of impairment and other circumstances known at the moment of evaluation.
To measure the impairment loss on loans collectively evaluated for impairment, the Bank segregates financial assets into groups considering the characteristics and similarity of credit risk, in other words, according to segment, the type of assets, guarantees and other factors associated as the historical experience of impairment and other circumstances known at the time of assessment.
In some cases the observable data required to estimate the amount of an impairment loss on a financial asset may be limited or no longer fully relevant to current circumstances.
In such cases, an entity uses its experienced judgment to estimate the amount of any impairment loss. Similarly an entity uses its experienced judgment to adjust observable data for a group of financial assets to reflect current circumstances.
The impairment loss is calculated by using statistical models that consider the following factors:
Exposure at default (EAD) is the amount of risk exposure at the date of default by the counterparty.
In accordance with IFRS, the exposure at default used for this calculation is the current exposure, as reported in the balance sheets.
• Probability of default, or “PD”, is the probability of the borrower failing to meet its principal and/or interest payment obligations.
PD is measured using a time horizon of one year; that is, it quantifies the probability of the borrower default in the coming year. A loan will be defaulted if either the principal or interest become past due by ninety days or more or the loan is active but there are doubts about the solvency of the counterparty (subjective doubtful assets).
• Loss given default, or “LGD”, is the loss arising in the event of default.
LGD calculation is based on the net charge offs on defaulted loans, taking into account the guarantees/collateral associated with the loans, the income and expenses associated with the recovery process and the timing of default.
• Loss identification period, or “LIP,” is the time period between the occurrence of a loss event and the identification of an objective evidence of this loss. In other words, it represents the time horizon from the credit loss occurrence until the effective confirmation of such loss.
• In addition, prior to loans be written-off (which is only done after the Bank have completed all recovery efforts and after about 360 days late), it is registered fully provision of the loan´s remaining balance so this provision (allowance for loan losses) fully covers the losses. Thus, the Bank understands that its loan loss allowance methodology has been developed to meet its risk metrics and capture loans that could potentially become impaired.
iii. Debt or equity instruments classified as available for sale
The difference between the amortized cost and fair value of debt or equity instruments classified as available for sale are recorded in equity under "Other Comprehensive Income."
When there is objective evidence that the aforementioned differences are due to a prolonged decline in fair value, they are no longer recognized in equity and are reclassified, at the cumulative amount at that date, to the consolidated income statement. Losses from a prolonged decline in fair value relating to an investment in equity instruments are not reversed in subsequent periods.