7. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLES

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 by operating segment are as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Commercial Banking

 

 

Institutional Banking

 

 

Personal Banking

 

 

Total

 

Balances as of January 1, 2025

 

$

63,113

 

 

$

76,492

 

 

$

67,780

 

 

$

207,385

 

Acquisition of HTLF

 

 

979,464

 

 

 

 

 

 

652,976

 

 

 

1,632,440

 

Balances as of December 31, 2025

 

$

1,042,577

 

 

$

76,492

 

 

$

720,756

 

 

$

1,839,825

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balances as of January 1, 2024

 

$

63,113

 

 

$

76,492

 

 

$

67,780

 

 

$

207,385

 

Balances as of December 31, 2024

 

$

63,113

 

 

$

76,492

 

 

$

67,780

 

 

$

207,385

 

 

Following are the intangible assets that continue to be subject to amortization as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands):

 

 

As of December 31, 2025

 

 

Core Deposit Intangible Assets

 

 

Customer Relationships

 

 

Total

 

Gross carrying amount

$

481,294

 

 

$

124,085

 

 

$

605,379

 

Accumulated amortization

 

81,203

 

 

 

37,307

 

 

 

118,510

 

Net carrying amount

$

400,091

 

 

$

86,778

 

 

$

486,869

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2024

 

 

Core Deposit Intangible Assets

 

 

Customer Relationships

 

 

Total

 

Gross carrying amount

$

2,345

 

 

$

86,800

 

 

$

89,145

 

Accumulated amortization

 

1,600

 

 

 

23,898

 

 

 

25,498

 

Net carrying amount

$

745

 

 

$

62,902

 

 

$

63,647

 

 

Related to the acquisition of HTLF, the Company recognized $1.6 billion of goodwill, a $474.1 million core deposit intangible asset, wealth customer list of $26.0 million, and purchased credit card relationships of $10.9 million. See Note 20, “Acquisition” for additional information.
 

On September 2, 2025, the Company acquired a healthcare savings account business, which included $32.5 million of deposits. The purchase resulted in recognition of a $4.8 million core deposit intangible asset.

 

The weighted average life of core deposit intangible assets and customer relationships acquired during the year ended December 31, 2025 was 10.0 years and 5.8 years, respectively. The weighted average life of all intangible assets acquired during the year ended December 31, 2025 was 9.7 years.

 

Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was $93.5 million, $7.7 million, and $8.6 million, respectively.

The following table discloses the estimated amortization expense of intangible assets in future years (in thousands):

 

For the year ending December 31, 2026

 

$

93,120

 

For the year ending December 31, 2027

 

 

82,528

 

For the year ending December 31, 2028

 

 

70,461

 

For the year ending December 31, 2029

 

 

61,515

 

For the year ending December 31, 2030

 

 

52,901

 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 26, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 27, 2025
2023Feb 22, 2024
2022Feb 23, 2023
2021Feb 24, 2022
2020Mar 1, 2021
2019Feb 27, 2020
2018Mar 1, 2019
2017Feb 22, 2018
2016Feb 23, 2017

About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures

Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.

Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.