The disclosures set forth in this report are qualified by Item 1A. Risk Factors included herein and the section captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Factors that Could Affect Future Results” included in Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. When we refer to “we,” “our,” “us” or the “Company” in this annual report, we mean First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. and our consolidated subsidiaries, including our wholly-owned subsidiary, First Interstate Bank, unless the context indicates that we refer only to the parent company, First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. When we refer to the “Bank” in this annual report, we mean First Interstate Bank.
Our Company
We are a financial and bank holding company incorporated as a Montana corporation in 1971. We are headquartered in Billings, Montana. As of January 31, 2012, we had consolidated assets of $7.3 billion, deposits of $5.8 billion, loans of $4.2 billion and total stockholders’ equity of $770 million. We currently operate 71 banking offices in 42 communities located in Montana, Wyoming and western South Dakota. Through our wholly-owned subsidiary, First Interstate Bank we deliver a comprehensive range of banking products and services to individuals, businesses, municipalities and other entities throughout our market areas. Our customers participate in a wide variety of industries, including energy, healthcare and professional services, education and governmental services, construction, mining, agriculture, retail and wholesale trade and tourism. Our principal markets range in size from 23,000 to 150,000 people, have diversified economic characteristics and favorable population growth prospects and usually serve as trade centers for larger rural areas.
We are the licensee under a perpetual trademark license agreement granting us an exclusive, nontransferable license to use the “First Interstate” name and logo in Montana, Wyoming and the six neighboring states of Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.
We have grown our business by adhering to a set of guiding principles and a long-term disciplined perspective that emphasizes our commitment to providing high-quality financial products and services, delivering quality customer service, effecting business leadership through professional and dedicated managers and employees, assisting our communities through socially responsible leadership and cultivating a strong and positive corporate culture. In the future, we intend to remain a leader in our markets by continuing to adhere to the core principles and values that have contributed to our growth and success and by continuing to follow our community banking model. In addition, we plan to continue to expand our business in a disciplined and prudent manner, including organic growth in our existing market areas and expansion into new and complementary markets when appropriate opportunities arise.
Community Banking
Community banking encompasses commercial and consumer banking services provided through our Bank, primarily the acceptance of deposits; extensions of credit; mortgage loan origination and servicing; and trust, employee benefit, investment and insurance services. Our community banking philosophy emphasizes providing customers with commercial and consumer banking products and services locally using a personalized service approach while strengthening the communities in our market areas through community service activities. We grant our banking offices significant authority in delivering and pricing products in response to local market considerations and customer needs. This authority enables our banking offices to remain competitive by responding quickly to local market conditions and enhances their relationships with the customers they serve by tailoring our products and price points to each individual customer’s needs. We also require accountability by having company-wide standards and established limits on the authority and discretion of each banking office. This combination of authority and accountability allows our banking offices to provide personalized customer service and be in close contact with our communities, while at the same time promoting strong performance at the branch level and remaining focused on our overall financial performance.
Lending Activities
We offer short and long-term real estate, consumer, commercial, agricultural and other loans to individuals and businesses in our market areas. We have comprehensive credit policies establishing company-wide underwriting and documentation standards to assist management in the lending process and to limit our risk. Each loan must meet minimum underwriting standards specified in our credit policies. Minimum underwriting standards generally specify that loans (i) are made to
borrowers located within a designated geographical lending area with the exception of participation loans and loans to national accounts; (ii) are made only for identified legal purposes; (iii) have specifically identified sources of repayment; (iv) mature within designated maximum maturity periods that coincide with repayment sources; (v) are appropriately collateralized whenever possible, (vi) are supported by current credit information; (vii) do not exceed the Bank's legal lending limit; (viii) with fixed interest rates are adjusted within designated time frames; and (ix) require a flood determination prior to closing. In addition, our minimum underwriting standards include lending limitations to prevent concentrations of credit in agricultural, commercial, real estate or consumer loans. Further, each minimum underwriting standard must be documented as part of the loan approval process.
While each loan must meet minimum underwriting standards established in our credit policies, lending officers are granted certain levels of authority in approving and pricing loans to assure that the banking offices are responsive to competitive issues and community needs in each market area. Lending authorities are established at individual, branch and market levels. Branch and market lending authorities are assigned annually by the Company's chief executive officer and chief credit officer based on the size of the branch or market's loan portfolio and the branch or market's historical credit performance. Individual lending limits are approved annually by branch or market management and are based on the credit ability and experience of each individual officer. Branch and market lending limits and aggregate lending relationships in excess of $10 million are approved by the Bank's board of directors after review by the Credit Committee of the Company's board of directors.
Deposit Products
We offer traditional depository products including checking, savings and time deposits. Deposits at the Bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, up to statutory limits. We also offer repurchase agreements primarily to commercial and municipal depositors. Under repurchase agreements, we sell investment securities held by the Bank to our customers under an agreement to repurchase the investment securities at a specified time or on demand. All outstanding repurchase agreements are due in one business day.
Wealth Management
We provide a wide range of trust, employee benefit, investment management, insurance, agency and custodial services to individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. These services include the administration of estates and personal trusts; management of investment accounts for individuals, employee benefit plans and charitable foundations; and insurance planning. As of January 31, 2012, the estimated fair value of trust assets held in a fiduciary or agent capacity was in excess of $3 billion.
Centralized Services
We have centralized certain operational activities to provide consistent service levels to our customers company-wide, to gain efficiency in management of those activities and to ensure regulatory compliance. Centralized operational activities generally support our banking offices in the delivery of products and services to customers and include marketing; credit review; credit cards; mortgage loan sales and servicing; indirect consumer loan purchasing and processing; loan collections and, other operational activities. Additionally, specialized staff support services have been centralized to enable our branches to serve their markets more efficiently. These services include credit administration, finance, accounting, human resource management, internal audit, technology and other support services.
Competition
Commercial banking is highly competitive. We compete with other financial institutions located in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and adjoining states for deposits, loans and trust, employee benefit, investment and insurance accounts. We also compete with savings and loan associations, savings banks and credit unions for deposits and loans. In addition, we compete with large banks in major financial centers and other financial intermediaries, such as consumer finance companies, brokerage firms, mortgage banking companies, insurance companies, securities firms, mutual funds and certain government agencies as well as major retailers, all actively engaged in providing various types of loans and other financial services. We generally compete on the basis of customer service and responsiveness to customer needs, available loan and deposit products, rates of interest charged on loans, rates of interest paid for deposits and the availability and pricing of trust, employee benefit, investment and insurance services.
Employees
At January 31, 2012, we employed 1,677 full-time equivalent employees, none of whom are represented by a collective bargaining agreement. We strive to be the employer of choice in the markets we serve and consider our employee relations to be good.
Regulation and Supervision
Regulatory Authorities
We are subject to extensive regulation under federal and state laws. A description of the material laws and regulations applicable to us is summarized below. This description is not intended to include a summary of all laws and regulations applicable to us. In addition to laws and regulations, state and federal banking regulatory agencies may issue policy statements, interpretive letters and similar written guidance applicable to us. Those issuances may affect the conduct of our business or impose additional regulatory obligations.
As a financial and bank holding company, we are subject to regulation under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, or the Bank Holding Company Act, and to supervision, regulation and regular examination by the Federal Reserve. Because we are a public company, we are also subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act, as administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.
The Bank is subject to supervision and regular examination by its primary banking regulators, the Federal Reserve and the State of Montana, Department of Administration, Division of Banking and Financial Institutions, with respect to its activities in Wyoming the State of Wyoming, Department of Audit, and with respect to its activities in South Dakota, the State of South Dakota Department of Revenue & Regulation, Division of Banking.
The Bank's deposits are insured by the deposit insurance fund of the FDIC in the manner and to the extent provided by law. The Bank is subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or FDIA, and FDIC regulations relating to deposit insurance and may also be subject to supervision and examination by the FDIC.
The extensive regulation of the Bank limits both the activities in which the Bank may engage and the conduct of its permitted activities. Further, the laws and regulations impose reporting and information collection obligations on the Bank. The Bank incurs significant costs relating to compliance with various laws and regulations and the collection and retention of information.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, or the Dodd-Frank Act, enacts significant changes in federal statutes governing banks and bank holding companies generally as well as other entities. Some of the significant changes are already in effect, additional significant changes will become effective in the near-term and other significant changes require action by federal banking agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the principal federal regulator of the Company. Except as otherwise noted, the following discussion assumes that provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act applicable to banks and bank holding companies to become effective in the near-term are currently in effect.