19. Fair Values of assets and liabilities

Huntington follows the fair value accounting guidance under ASC 820 and ASC 825.

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. A three-level valuation hierarchy was established for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1 – inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

Level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.

Level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

A financial instrument's categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Transfers in and out of Level 1, 2, or 3 are recorded at fair value at the beginning of the reporting period.

Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy.

Mortgage loans held for sale

Huntington elected to apply the fair value option for mortgage loans originated with the intent to sell which are included in loans held for sale. Mortgage loans held for sale are classified as Level 2 and are estimated using security prices for similar product types.

Available-for-sale securities and trading account securities

Securities accounted for at fair value include both the available-for-sale and trading portfolios. Huntington uses prices obtained from third party pricing services and recent trades to determine the fair value of securities. AFS and trading securities are classified as Level 1 using quoted market prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical securities that Huntington has the ability to access at the measurement date. 1% of the positions in these portfolios are Level 1, and consist of U.S. Treasury securities and money market mutual funds. When quoted market prices are not available, fair values are classified as Level 2 using quoted prices for similar assets in active markets, quoted prices of identical or similar assets in markets that are not active, and inputs that are observable for the asset, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument. 95% of the positions in these portfolios are Level 2, and consist of U.S. Government and agency debt securities, agency mortgage backed securities, asset-backed securities, municipal securities and other securities. For both Level 1 and Level 2 securities, management uses various methods and techniques to corroborate prices obtained from the pricing service, including reference to dealer or other market quotes, and by reviewing valuations of comparable instruments. If relevant market prices are limited or unavailable, valuations may require significant management judgment or estimation to determine fair value, in which case the fair values are classified as Level 3. 4% of our positions are Level 3, and consist of non-agency ALT-A asset-backed securities, private-label CMO securities, pooled-trust-preferred CDO securities and municipal securities.

For non-agency ALT-A asset-backed securities, private-label CMO securities, and pooled-trust-preferred CDO securities the fair value methodology incorporates values obtained from proprietary discounted cash flow models provided by a third party. The modeling process for the ALT-A asset-backed securities and private-label CMO securities incorporates assumptions management believes market participants would use to value the security under current market conditions. The assumptions used include prepayment projections, credit loss assumptions, and discount rates, which include a risk premium due to liquidity and uncertainty that are based on both observable and unobservable inputs. Huntington validates the reasonableness of the assumptions by comparing the assumptions with market information. Huntington uses the discounted cash flow analysis, in conjunction with other relevant pricing information obtained from third party pricing services or broker quotes to establish the fair value that management believes is representative under current market conditions. For purposes of determining fair value at December 31, 2011, the discounted cash flow modeling was the predominant input. The modeling of the fair value of the pooled-trust-preferred CDO's utilizes a similar methodology, with the probability of default ("PD") of each issuer being the most critical input. Management evaluates the PD assumptions provided to the third party pricing service by comparing the current PD to the assumptions used the previous quarter, actual defaults and deferrals in the current period, and trend data on certain financial ratios of the issuers. Huntington also evaluates the assumptions related to discount rates and prepayments. Each quarter, the Company seeks to obtain information on actual trades of securities with similar characteristics to further support our fair value estimates and our underlying assumptions. For purposes of determining fair value at December 31, 2011, the discounted cash flow modeling was the predominant input.

Huntington utilizes the same processes to determine the fair value of investment securities classified as held-to-maturity for impairment evaluation purposes.

Automobile loans

Effective January 1, 2010, Huntington consolidated an automobile loan securitization that previously had been accounted for as an off-balance sheet transaction. As a result, Huntington elected to account for the automobile loan receivables and the associated notes payable at fair value per guidance supplied in ASC 825, “Financial Instruments”. The automobile loan receivables are classified as Level 3. The key assumptions used to determine the fair value of the automobile loan receivables included projections of expected losses and prepayment of the underlying loans in the portfolio and a market assumption of interest rate spreads. Certain interest rates are available from similarly traded securities while other interest rates are developed internally based on similar asset-backed security transactions in the market.

MSRs

MSRs do not trade in an active market with readily observable prices. Accordingly, the fair value of these assets is classified as Level 3. Huntington determines the fair value of MSRs using an income approach model based upon our month-end interest rate curve and prepayment assumptions. The model, which is operated and maintained by a third party, utilizes assumptions to estimate future net servicing income cash flows, including estimates of time decay, payoffs, and changes in valuation inputs and assumptions. Servicing brokers and other sources of information (e.g. discussion with other mortgage servicers and industry surveys) are used to obtain information on market practice and assumptions. On at least a quarterly basis, third party marks are obtained from at least one service broker. Huntington reviews the valuation assumptions against this market data for reasonableness and adjusts the assumptions if deemed appropriate. Any recommended change in assumptions and / or inputs are presented for review to the Mortgage Price Risk Subcommittee for final approval.

Derivatives

Derivatives classified as Level 1 consist of exchange traded options and forward commitments to deliver mortgage-backed securities which are valued using quoted prices. Asset and liability conversion swaps and options, and interest rate caps are classified as Level 2. These derivative positions are valued using a discounted cash flow method that incorporates current market interest rates. Derivatives classified as Level 3 consist primarily of interest rate lock agreements related to mortgage loan commitments. The determination of fair value includes assumptions related to the likelihood that a commitment will ultimately result in a closed loan, which is a significant unobservable assumption.

Securitization trust notes payable

Consists of certain securitization trust notes payable related to the automobile loan receivables measured at fair value. The notes payable are classified as Level 2 and are valued based on interest rates for similar financial instruments.

Assets and Liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2011 and 2010 are summarized below.

(1) Amounts represent the impact of legally enforceable master netting agreements that allow the Company to settle positive and negative positions and cash collateral held or placed with the same counterparties.

(2) During 2011, Huntington transferred $469.1 million of federal agencies: mortgage-backed securities from the available-for-sale securities portfolio to the held-to-maturity securities portfolio. These securities are valued at amortized cost and no longer classified within the fair value hierarchy. All securities were previously classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

(3) Amounts were transferred from Level 1 to Level 2 in 2010 due to lack of sufficient market activity for these securities.

The tables below present a rollforward of the balance sheet amounts for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 for financial instruments measured on a recurring basis and classified as Level 3. The classification of an item as Level 3 is based on the significance of the unobservable inputs to the overall fair value measurement. However, Level 3 measurements may also include observable components of value that can be validated externally. Accordingly, the gains and losses in the table below include changes in fair value due in part to observable factors that are part of the valuation methodology.

The tables below summarize the classification of gains and losses due to changes in fair value, recorded in earnings for Level 3 assets and liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009.

Assets and liabilities under the fair value option

Huntington has elected the fair value option for mortgage loans in the held for sale portfolio. The following table presents the fair value and aggregate principal balance of mortgage loans held for sale under the fair value option.

The following tables present the net gains (losses) from fair value changes, including net gains (losses) associated with instrument specific credit risk for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009.

Assets and Liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis

Certain assets and liabilities may be required to be measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis in periods subsequent to their initial recognition. These assets and liabilities are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis; however, they are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances, such as when there is evidence of impairment. For the year ended December 31, 2011, assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis were as follows:

Periodically, Huntington records nonrecurring adjustments of collateral-dependent loans measured for impairment when establishing the allowance for credit losses. Such amounts are generally based on the fair value of the underlying collateral supporting the loan. Appraisals are generally obtained to support the fair value of the collateral and incorporate measures such as recent sales prices for comparable properties and cost of construction. In cases where the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the collateral, an impairment charge is recognized. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Huntington identified $129.0 million of impaired loans for which the fair value is recorded based upon collateral value. For the year ended December 31, 2011, nonrecurring fair value losses of $34.1 million were recorded within the provision for credit losses.

Other real estate owned properties are valued based on appraisals and third party price opinions, less estimated selling costs. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Huntington recorded $38.4 million of OREO assets at fair value and recognized losses of $2.2 million, recorded within noninterest expense.

Fair values of financial instruments

The carrying amounts and estimated fair values of Huntington's financial instruments at December 31, 2011 and 2010 are presented in the following table:

The short-term nature of certain assets and liabilities result in their carrying value approximating fair value. These include trading account securities, customers' acceptance liabilities, short-term borrowings, bank acceptances outstanding, FHLB advances, and cash and short-term assets, which include cash and due from banks, interest-bearing deposits in banks, and federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements. Loan commitments and letters of credit generally have short-term, variable-rate features and contain clauses that limit Huntington's exposure to changes in customer credit quality. Accordingly, their carrying values, which are immaterial at the respective balance sheet dates, are reasonable estimates of fair value. Not all the financial instruments listed in the table above are subject to the disclosure provisions of ASC Topic 820.

Certain assets, the most significant being operating lease assets, bank owned life insurance, and premises and equipment, do not meet the definition of a financial instrument and are excluded from this disclosure. Similarly, mortgage and nonmortgage servicing rights, deposit base, and other customer relationship intangibles are not considered financial instruments and are not included above. Accordingly, this fair value information is not intended to, and does not, represent Huntington's underlying value. Many of the assets and liabilities subject to the disclosure requirements are not actively traded, requiring fair values to be estimated by Management. These estimations necessarily involve the use of judgment about a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to, relevancy of market prices of comparable instruments, expected future cash flows, and appropriate discount rates.

The following methods and assumptions were used by Huntington to estimate the fair value of the remaining classes of financial instruments:

Loans and Direct Financing Leases

Variable-rate loans that reprice frequently are based on carrying amounts, as adjusted for estimated credit losses. The fair values for other loans and leases are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses and employ interest rates currently being offered for loans and leases with similar terms. The rates take into account the position of the yield curve, as well as an adjustment for prepayment risk, operating costs, and profit. This value is also reduced by an estimate of probable losses and the credit risk associated in the loan and lease portfolio. The valuation of the loan portfolio reflected discounts that Huntington believed are consistent with transactions occurring in the market place.

Deposits

Demand deposits, savings accounts, and money market deposits are, by definition, equal to the amount payable on demand. The fair values of fixed-rate time deposits are estimated by discounting cash flows using interest rates currently being offered on certificates with similar maturities.

Debt

Fixed-rate, long-term debt is based upon quoted market prices, which are inclusive of Huntington's credit risk. In the absence of quoted market prices, discounted cash flows using market rates for similar debt with the same maturities are used in the determination of fair value.