Carter Bankshares, Inc. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

x  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

¨  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                     to                    

Commission file number: 001-39731

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (276) 656-1776

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.   Yes ¨ No x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.   Yes ¨ No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.                                                                                                                                                              Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).                                                                                                 Yes ¨ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.   x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).   Yes ¨ No x

The aggregate market value of Carter Bankshares, Inc.’s common stock held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the price at which the common stock was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common stock, as of June 30, 2020 was $198,774,712.

There were 26,428,501 shares of common stock of Carter Bankshares, Inc. outstanding as of March 5, 2021.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement of Carter Bankshares, Inc., to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A for the 2021 annual meeting of shareholders to be held June 23, 2021, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART 1

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General

Carter Bankshares, Inc. (the “Company”) is a holding company headquartered in Martinsville, Virginia with assets of $4.2 billion at December 31, 2020.  The Company is the parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Carter Bank & Trust (the “Bank”). The Bank is an insured, Virginia state-chartered commercial bank which operates branches in Virginia and North Carolina and is the fourth largest state chartered commercial bank headquartered in Virginia, operating 92 branches across both states. The Bank provides a full range of financial services with retail, commercial banking products and insurance products.

Holding Company Reorganization

The Company was incorporated on October 7, 2020, by and at the direction of the board of directors of the Bank, for the sole purpose of acquiring the Bank and serving as the Bank’s parent bank holding company pursuant to a corporate reorganization transaction (the “Reorganization”). On November 9, 2020, the Bank entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Reorganization Agreement”) with the Company and CBT Merger Sub, Inc. (the “Merger Sub”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, pursuant to which the Reorganization would be effected. Effective at 7:00 p.m. on November 20, 2020 (the “Effective Time”), under the terms of the Reorganization Agreement and pursuant to Section 13.1-719.1 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act (the “VSCA”), the Bank merged with the Merger Sub and survived such merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Prior to the Effective Time, the Company had no material assets and had not conducted any business or operations except for activities related to the Company’s organization and the Reorganization.

At the Effective Time, under the terms of the Reorganization Agreement and pursuant to Section 13.1-719.1 of the VSCA, each of the outstanding shares of the Bank’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share, formerly held by its shareholders was converted into and exchanged for one newly issued share of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share, and the Bank became the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary. The shares of the Company’s common stock issued to the Bank’s shareholders were issued without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 3(a)(12) of the Act. Pursuant to Section 13.1-719.1 of the VSCA, the Reorganization did not require approval of the Bank’s shareholders.

In the Reorganization, each shareholder of the Bank received securities of the same class, having substantially the same designations, rights, powers, preferences, qualifications, limitations and restrictions, as those that the shareholder held in the Bank.

Prior to the Effective Time, the Bank’s common stock was registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Bank was subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance with Section 12(i) thereof, it filed annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements and other information with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the Company’s common stock was deemed to be registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, pursuant to Rule 12g-3(a) promulgated thereunder, and the Company now files annual reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

The Company’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the ticker symbol “CARE.”

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Operations

The Bank earns revenue primarily from interest on loans and securities and fees charged for financial services provided to our customers. The Bank incurs expenses for the cost of deposits, provision for loan losses and other operating costs such as salaries and employee benefits, data processing, occupancy and tax expense.

Our mission is that the Bank strives to be the preferred lifetime financial partner for our customers and shareholders, and the employer of choice in the communities the Bank is privileged to serve. Our strategic plan focuses on restructuring the balance sheet to provide more diversification and higher yielding assets to increase the net interest margin. Another area of focus is the transformation of the infrastructure of the Bank to provide a foundation for operational efficiency and provide new products and services for our customers that will ultimately increase noninterest income.

Our focus continues to be on loan and deposit growth with a shift in the composition of deposits to more low cost core deposits with less dependence on higher cost certificates of deposits (“CDs”), as well as, implementing opportunities to increase fee income while closely monitoring our operating expenses. The Bank is focused on executing our strategy to successfully build our brand and grow our business in our markets. The Bank’s net interest margin has benefited due to our strategy to deploy our excess cash into higher yielding and diversified investment securities and purchased loans, as well as, the runoff of higher cost deposits.

The Bank offers a full range of deposit services including LIFETIME FREE CHECKING, interest checking accounts, savings accounts, retirement accounts and other deposit accounts of various types, ranging from money market accounts to longer-term CDs. These products and services are available to our personal and business customers. The transaction accounts and time CDs are tailored to each of the Bank's principal markets at competitive rates. All deposit accounts are insured by the FDIC up to the maximum amount allowed by law. The Dodd-Frank Act, signed into law on July 21, 2010, makes permanent the $250,000 limit for federal deposit insurance and the coverage limit applies per depositor, per insured depository institution for each account ownership.

The Bank also offers a full range of commercial and personal loans. Commercial loans include both secured and unsecured loans. Consumer loans include residential mortgage, secured and unsecured loans for financing automobiles, home improvements, education, overdraft protection, personal investments and credit cards. The Bank also makes real estate construction and acquisition loans, and originates and holds fixed and variable rate mortgage loans. In addition, the Bank now offers home equity lines of credit to its customers.

The Bank's lending activities are subject to a variety of lending limits imposed by federal law. While differing limits apply in certain circumstances based on the type of loan or the nature of the borrower (including the borrower's relationship to the Bank), in general the Bank is subject to a “loan to one” borrower limit of an amount equal to 15% of the Bank's unimpaired capital and surplus. The Bank may not make loans to any director, officer, employee or 10% shareholder of the Bank unless the loan is approved by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) and is made on terms not more favorable than are made available to a person not affiliated with the Bank.

Other bank services include safe deposit boxes, direct deposit of payroll and social security checks and debit cards. Online banking products including a full suite of digital tools including: online and mobile banking, online account opening, bill pay, eStatements, mobile deposit, Zelle^®, CardValet^®, digital wallet, and MoneyPass^® network of ATMs. Treasury and corporate cash management services are also available to our business customers. The Bank also provides title insurance and other financial institution-related products and services. The Bank has no current plans to exercise trust powers.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

The Bank has one wholly owned subsidiary, CB&T Investment Company (“the Investment Company”), which was chartered effective April 1, 2019. The Investment Company was formed to hold and manage a group of investments previously owned by the Bank and to provide additional latitude to purchase other investments.

The Company is a Virginia business corporation subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. As such, the Company is subject to supervision and examination by, and the regulations and reporting requirements of, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“FRB”). The Company’s principal office is the same as the Bank’s principal office and is located at 1300 Kings Mountain Road, Martinsville, Virginia 24112. The Company’s telephone number at that address is (276) 656-1776. The Company’s website address is www.cbtcares.com.

Competition

The Bank experiences significant competition in attracting depositors and borrowers. Competition in lending activities comes principally from other commercial banks, savings associations, insurance companies, governmental agencies, credit unions, brokerage firms and other non-bank lenders including mortgage companies and consumer finance companies. Competition for deposits comes from other commercial banks, savings associations, money market and mutual funds, credit unions, insurance companies and brokerage firms. Some of the financial organizations competing with the Bank have greater financial resources than the Bank. Certain of these financial organizations also have greater geographic coverage and some offer bank and bank-related services which the Bank does not offer.

Human Capital Management

Our employees are the engine that drives our mission to be the preferred lifetime financial partner for the communities in which we are privileged to serve. Our core values of building lasting relationships, inclusivity, and optimism are key to building and maintaining a team-oriented environment with employees that are engaged in open communication to help each other serve, learn, and grow. Our investment in competitive compensation, health benefits, wellness programs, and a focus on healthy work-life integration allows our employees to provide a high level of professional service to our customers. At Carter Bankshares, Inc., caring is what we’ll always do best.

Demographics

As of December 31, 2020, we employed 828 full-time and part-time employees across our two-state footprint. No employees are represented by a collective bargaining unit. For fiscal year 2020, we hired 81 employees. Our voluntary separation turnover rate was 18.8% in fiscal year 2020.

Compensation, Benefits, and Wellness

Our compensation strategy includes the development of job descriptions that are reviewed annually. We use market-based compensation and benefits data to provide competitive salaries and benefits for our employees. We offer paid leave, health benefits, wellness programs, a 401(k) program with matching and year-end employer contributions, restricted stock awards for high performing employees, flexible spending accounts, and employee assistance programs to all eligible employees. We bring in external professionals who conduct wellness programs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help our employees remain focused on their health and wellness.

Employee Performance and Development

The development and performance of our employees is centered on open dialogue that provides the teammate with our expectations for their role and management the opportunity to understand their insight on careers and aspirations. Our performance review process uses core competencies and a standardized rating system to measure performance. Employees are provided the opportunity at the start of the review cycle to perform a self-assessment including comments. These self-assessments are available for their leaders to review as they develop the overall performance rating. The performance review is used as input for the merit increase process.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

The Bank developed a standard New Employee Orientation (NEO) program that employees attend on their first day of employment. The Human Resources team, along with various departments, provide a standard first-day program so new employees receive consistent information to jump start their new opportunity with the Bank. Employees also complete an average of 15 hours of regulatory and compliance training each year, in addition to training specific to their job duties and responsibilities. Leadership programs have been developed and conducted to provide leaders with the tools and resources they need to develop their employees and build high-performing teams. Employees are given opportunities to attend webinars and enroll in outside classes to enrich their professional goals.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We strive to promote inclusion through our core company values and behaviors. We use various communication channels to develop an engaged workforce and create an inclusive workplace.

Here is a snapshot of our diversity metrics as of December 31, 2020:

We continue our commitment to equal employment opportunities by focusing on attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce.

Talent Acquisition

We focus on fairness and equitable approaches to create an environment where all of our employees can develop and thrive. Our efforts include ongoing reviews of our selection and hiring practices alongside a continued focus on pay equity analysis to offer our employees’ salaries based on their experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and fit for the job duties and responsibilities.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Our talent acquisition program uses various external partners to reach a diverse population of candidates. We review the levels of engagement and inclusion of our current workforce through surveys, including external benchmarks from organizations like the Best Companies Group. In the most recent survey, our employees expressed a high degree of feeling they belong within the organization.

Supervision and Regulation

General

Bank holding companies, banks and their affiliates are extensively regulated under federal and state law. Consequently, the growth and earnings performance of the Company and the Bank can be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the statutes administered by, and the regulations and policies of, various governmental regulatory authorities including, but not limited to, the Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions (the “Bureau”), the FDIC, the FRB, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), federal and state taxing authorities, and the SEC.

The following summary briefly describes significant provisions of currently applicable federal and state laws and certain regulations and the potential impact of such provisions. This summary is not complete, and we refer you to the particular statutory or regulatory provisions or proposals for more information. Because regulation of financial institutions changes regularly and is the subject of constant legislative and regulatory debate, we cannot forecast how federal and state regulation and supervision of financial institutions may change in the future and affect the Company’s and the Bank’s operations.

Regulatory Reform

The financial crisis of 2008, including the downturn of global economic, financial and money markets and the threat of collapse of numerous financial institutions, and other events led to the adoption of numerous laws and regulations that apply to, and focus on, financial institutions. The most significant of these laws is the Dodd-Frank Act Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), which was enacted on July 21, 2010 and, in part, was intended to implement significant structural reforms to the financial services industry. The Dodd-Frank Act implemented far-reaching changes across the financial regulatory landscape, including changes that have significantly affected the business of all bank holding companies and banks, including the Company and the Bank. Some of the rules that have been proposed and, in some cases, adopted to comply with the Dodd-Frank Act's mandates are discussed further below.

In May 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (the “EGRRCPA”) was enacted to reduce the regulatory burden on certain banking organizations, including community banks, by modifying or eliminating certain federal regulatory requirements. While the EGRRCPA maintains most of the regulatory structure established by the Dodd-Frank Act, it amends certain aspects of the regulatory framework for small depository institutions with assets of less than $10 billion as well as for larger banks with assets above $50 billion. In addition, the EGRRCPA included regulatory relief for community banks regarding regulatory examination cycles, call reports, application of the Volcker Rule (proprietary trading prohibitions), mortgage disclosures, qualified mortgages, and risk weights for certain high-risk commercial real estate loans. However, federal banking regulators retain broad discretion to impose additional regulatory requirements on banking organizations based on safety and soundness and U.S. financial system stability considerations.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

The Company and the Bank continue to experience ongoing regulatory reform. These regulatory changes could have a significant effect on how we conduct business. The specific implications of the Dodd-Frank Act, the EGRRCPA, and other potential regulatory reforms cannot yet be fully predicted and will depend to a large extent on the specific regulations that are to be adopted in the future. Certain aspects of the Dodd-Frank Act and the EGRRCPA are discussed below in more detail.

Regulation of the Company and the Bank

As a bank holding company, the Company is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the “BHCA”) and regulation and supervision by the FRB. Pursuant to the BHCA, the FRB has the power to order any bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any activity or to terminate its ownership or control of any subsidiary when it has reasonable grounds to believe that continuation of such activity or ownership constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness, safety or stability of any bank subsidiary of the bank holding company. The FRB and the FDIC have adopted guidelines and released interpretative materials that establish operational and managerial standards to promote the safe and sound operation of banks and bank holding companies. These standards relate to the institution’s key operating functions, including but not limited to capital management, internal controls, internal audit systems, information systems, data and cybersecurity, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure and risk management, vendor management, executive management and its compensation, corporate governance, asset growth, asset quality, earnings, liquidity and risk management.

The BHCA generally limits the activities of a bank holding company and its subsidiaries to that of banking, managing or controlling banks, or any other activity that is closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks, and permits interstate banking acquisitions subject to certain conditions, including national and state concentration limits. The FRB has jurisdiction under the BHCA to approve any bank or non-bank acquisition, merger or consolidation proposed by a bank holding company. A bank holding company must be “well capitalized” and “well managed” to engage in an interstate bank acquisition or merger, and banks may branch across state lines provided that the law of the state in which the branch is to be located would permit establishment of the branch if the bank were a state bank chartered by such state. Bank holding companies and their subsidiaries are also subject to restrictions on transactions with insiders and affiliates, as further discussed below. Finally, the Company is subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, including, but not limited to, filing annual, quarterly and other current reports with the SEC.

The Bank is subject to supervision, regulation and examination by the Bureau and the Bank’s primary federal regulator, the FDIC. Federal and state laws and regulations generally applicable to financial institutions regulate, among other things, the scope of business, investments, reserves against deposits, capital levels relative to operations, the nature and amount of collateral for loans, the establishment of branches, mergers, consolidations and dividends. The system of supervision and regulation applicable to the Bank establishes a comprehensive framework for its operations and is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC’s deposit insurance funds and the depositors, rather than the shareholders of the Bank. The Bank is not a member of the Federal Reserve System.

Banking Acquisitions; Changes in Control

The BHCA and related regulations require, among other things, the prior approval of the FRB in any case where a bank holding company proposes to (i) acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the outstanding voting stock of any bank or bank holding company (unless it already owns a majority of such voting shares), (ii) acquire all or substantially all of the assets of another bank or bank holding company, or (iii) merge or consolidate with any other bank holding company. In determining whether to approve a proposed bank acquisition, the FRB will consider, among other factors, the effect of the acquisition on competition, the public benefits expected to be received from the acquisition, any outstanding regulatory compliance issues of any institution that is a party to the transaction, the projected capital ratios and levels on a post-acquisition basis, the financial condition of each institution that is a party to the transaction and of the combined institution after the transaction, the parties’ managerial resources and risk management and governance processes and systems, the parties’ compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering requirements, and the acquiring institution’s performance under the Community Reinvestment Act and its compliance with fair housing and other consumer protection laws.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Subject to certain exceptions, the BHCA and the Change in Bank Control Act, together with the applicable regulations, require FRB approval (or, depending on the circumstances, no notice of disapproval) prior to any person or company’s acquiring “control” of a bank or bank holding company. A conclusive presumption of control exists if an individual or company acquires the power, directly or indirectly, to direct the management or policies of an insured depository institution or to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities of any insured depository institution. A rebuttable presumption of control exists if a person or company acquires 10% or more but less than 25% of any class of voting securities of an insured depository institution and either the institution has registered its securities with the SEC under Section 12 of the Exchange Act or no other person will own a greater percentage of that class of voting securities immediately after the acquisition. The Company’s common stock is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.

On April 1, 2020, the FRB’s new rule for determining whether a company has control over a bank or other company for purposes of the BHCA, and the control presumptions promulgated under Regulation Y, became effective. The new rule provides specific guidance for the FRB’s approach to certain control evaluations, including a tiered framework incorporating a series of presumptions based on ownership of a class of voting securities. A company may be presumed to be in control of a target second company based on five levels of ownership of voting securities: (i) less than five percent; (ii) five percent; (iii) ten percent; (iv) 15 percent; (v) 25 percent; and (vi) with a presumption triggered at levels below 25 percent, depending on whether any of nine types of relationships exist (i.e., directors and director service positions, business relationships and business terms, officer/employee interlocks, contractual powers, proxy contests involving directors, and total equity ownership) and, at the same time, ownership of a class of voting securities exceeds certain thresholds. As was the case prior to the new rule, a presumption of control (once triggered) does not automatically result in a control determination under the BHCA as such presumptions may be rebutted. The new rule applies only to questions of control under the BHCA, but does not extend to the Change in Bank Control Act.

In addition, Virginia law requires the prior approval of the SCC for (i) the acquisition by a Virginia bank holding company of more than 5% of the voting shares of a Virginia bank or a Virginia bank holding company, or (ii) the acquisition by any other person of control of a Virginia bank holding company or a Virginia bank.

Certain Transactions by Insured Banks with their Affiliates

There are statutory restrictions related to the extent bank holding companies and their non-bank subsidiaries may borrow, obtain credit from or otherwise engage in “covered transactions” with their insured depository institution (i.e., banking) subsidiaries. In general, an “affiliate” of a bank includes the bank’s parent holding company and any subsidiary thereof. However, an “affiliate” does not generally include the bank’s operating subsidiaries. A bank (and its subsidiaries) may not lend money to, or engage in other covered transactions with, its non-bank affiliates if the aggregate amount of covered transactions outstanding involving the bank, plus the proposed transaction, exceeds the following limits: (a) in the case of any one such affiliate, the aggregate amount of covered transactions of the bank and its subsidiaries cannot exceed 10 percent of the bank’s capital stock and surplus; and (b) in the case of all affiliates, the aggregate amount of covered transactions of the bank and its subsidiaries cannot exceed 20 percent of the bank’s capital stock and surplus. “Covered transactions” are defined to include a loan or extension of credit to an affiliate, a purchase of or investment in securities issued by an affiliate, a purchase of assets from an affiliate, the acceptance of securities issued by an affiliate as collateral for a loan or extension of credit to any person or company, the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance or letter of credit on behalf of an affiliate, securities borrowing or lending transactions with an affiliate that creates a credit exposure to such affiliate, or a derivatives transaction with an affiliate that creates a credit exposure to such affiliate. Certain covered transactions are also subject to collateral security requirements.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Covered transactions as well as other types of transactions between a bank and a bank holding company must be on market terms, which means that the transaction must be conducted on terms and under circumstances that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the bank, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with or involving nonaffiliates or, in the absence of comparable transactions, that in good faith would be offered to or would apply to nonaffiliates. Moreover, certain amendments to the BHCA provide that, to further competition, a bank holding company and its subsidiaries are prohibited from engaging in certain tying arrangements in connection with any extension of credit, lease or sale of property of any kind, or furnishing of any service.

Regulatory Capital Requirements

All financial institutions are required to maintain minimum levels of regulatory capital. The FDIC establishes risk-based and leveraged capital standards for the financial institutions they regulate. The FDIC also may impose capital requirements in excess of these standards on a case-by-case basis for various reasons, including financial condition or actual or anticipated growth.

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Bank qualified as a “well capitalized” institution (see Note 21) of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed herewith). Under the risk-based capital requirements, through December 31, 2015, the Bank was required to maintain a minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 8%. At least half of the total capital was required to be “Tier 1 capital,” which consists principally of common and certain qualifying preferred shareholders’ equity, less certain intangibles and other adjustments. The remainder, “Tier 2 capital,” consists of a limited amount of subordinated and other qualifying debt (including certain hybrid capital instruments) and a limited amount of the general loan loss reserve.

The federal regulatory agencies established a minimum leveraged capital ratio (Tier 1 capital to period end total average assets). These guidelines provided for a minimum leverage capital ratio of 4%. The guidelines also provided that banking organizations experiencing internal growth or making acquisitions were expected to maintain strong capital positions substantially above the minimum supervisory levels, without significant reliance on intangible assets.

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the federal bank regulatory authorities issued an interim final rule in March 2020 to provide banking organizations that are required to implement ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments before the end of 2020 the option to delay the estimated impact on regulatory capital by up to two years, with a three-year transition period to phase out the cumulative benefit to regulatory capital provided during the two-year delay.

On August 26, 2020, the federal banking agencies adopted a final rule that allows the Company to phase in the impact of adopting the Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”) methodology up to two years, with a three-year transition period to phase out the cumulative benefit to regulatory capital provided during the two-year delay. This final rule is substantially similar to the interim final rule issued in March 2020. Refer to the section titled Capital Resources in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Form 10-K for information regarding the impact of this final rule on the Company’s regulatory capital.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Basel III Capital Framework

The FRB and the FDIC have adopted rules to implement the Basel III capital framework as outlined by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and standards for calculating risk-weighted assets and risk-based capital measurements (collectively, the “Basel III Final Rules”) that apply to banking institutions they supervise. For the purposes of the Basel III Final Rules, (i) common equity tier 1 capital (CET1) consists principally of common stock (including surplus) and retained earnings; (ii) Tier 1 capital consists principally of CET1 plus non-cumulative preferred stock and related surplus, and certain grandfathered cumulative preferred stocks and trust preferred securities; and (iii) Tier 2 capital consists of other capital instruments, principally qualifying subordinated debt and preferred stock, and limited amounts of an institution’s allowance for loan losses. Each regulatory capital classification is subject to certain adjustments and limitations, as implemented by the Basel III Final Rules. The Basel III Final Rules also establish risk weightings that are applied to many classes of assets held by community banks, importantly including applying higher risk weightings to certain commercial real estate loans.

The Basel III Final Rules and minimum capital ratios required to be maintained by banks were effective January 1, 2015. The Basel III Final Rules also include a requirement that banks maintain additional capital (the “capital conservation buffer”), which was phased in beginning January 1, 2016 and was fully phased-in effective January 1, 2019. The Basel III Final Rules and fully phased-in capital conservation buffer require banks to maintain a:

The Basel III Final Rules provide deductions from and adjustments to regulatory capital measures, primarily to CET1, including deductions and adjustments that were not applied to reduce CET1 under historical regulatory capital rules. For example, mortgage servicing rights, deferred tax assets dependent upon future taxable income, and significant investments in non-consolidated financial entities must be deducted from CET1 to the extent that any one such category exceeds 10% of CET1 or all such categories in the aggregate exceed 15% of CET1. As of December 31, 2020, the Bank met all capital adequacy requirements under the Basel III Final Rules, including the capital conservation buffer on a fully phased-in basis as if such requirements were in effect as of that date.

Community Bank Leverage Ratio

As a result of the EGRRCPA, the federal banking agencies were required to develop a Community Bank Leverage Ratio (the ratio of a bank’s tangible equity capital to average total consolidated assets) for banking organizations with assets of less than $10 billion, such as the Bank. On October 29, 2019, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule that implements the Community Bank Leverage Ratio Framework (the “CBLRF”). To qualify for the CBLRF, a bank must have less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets, limited amounts of off-balance sheet exposures and trading assets and liabilities, and a leverage ratio greater than 9%. A bank that elects the CBLRF and has a leverage ratio greater than 9% will be considered to be in compliance with Basel III capital requirements and exempt from the complex Basel III calculations. A bank that falls out of compliance with the CBLRF will have a two-quarter grace period to come back into full compliance, provided that its leverage ratio remains above 8% (a bank will be deemed well-capitalized during the grace period). The CBLRF became available for banking organizations to use as of March 31, 2020 (with the flexibility for banking organizations to subsequently opt into or out of the CBLRF, as applicable). As of December 31, 2020, the Bank has not elected to apply the CBLRF.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Dividend Limitations

The Company is a legal entity that is separate and distinct from the Bank. A significant portion of the revenues of the Company result from dividends paid to it by the Bank. Both the Company and the Bank are subject to laws and regulations that limit the payment of dividends, including limits on the sources of dividends and requirements to maintain capital at or above regulatory minimums. Banking regulators have indicated that Virginia banking organizations should generally pay dividends only (1) from net undivided profits of the bank, after providing for all expenses, losses, interest and taxes accrued or due by the bank and (2) if the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. In addition, FRB supervisory guidance indicates that the FRB may have safety and soundness concerns if a bank holding company pays dividends that exceed earnings for the period in which the dividend is being paid. Further, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”) prohibits insured depository institutions such as the Bank from making capital distributions, including paying dividends, if, after making such distribution, the institution would become undercapitalized as defined in the statute. We do not expect that any of these laws, regulations or policies will materially affect the ability of the Company or the Bank to pay dividends.

Insurance of Accounts, Assessments and Regulation by the FDIC

Deposits with the Bank are insured through the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) of the FDIC. As a DIF-insured institution, the Bank is subject to FDIC rules and regulations as administrator of the DIF. The Dodd-Frank Act made permanent the current standard maximum deposit insurance amount of $250,000. The FDIC coverage applies per depositor, per insured depository institution, for each account ownership category. The FDIC is authorized to conduct examinations of and to require reporting by DIF-insured institutions.

The FDIC is authorized to prohibit any DIF-insured institution from engaging in any activity that the FDIC determines by regulation or order to pose a serious threat to the insurance fund. Also, the FDIC may initiate enforcement actions against banks after first giving the institution’s primary regulatory authority an opportunity to take such action. The FDIC may terminate the deposit insurance of any depository institution, including the Bank, if it determines, after a hearing, that the institution has engaged or is engaging in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, order or any condition imposed in writing by the FDIC. It also may suspend deposit insurance temporarily during the hearing process for the permanent termination of insurance, if the institution has no tangible capital. If deposit insurance is terminated, the deposits at the institution at the time of termination, less subsequent withdrawals, shall continue to be insured for a period from six months to two years, as determined by the FDIC. Management is aware of no existing circumstances that could result in termination of the Bank’s deposit insurance.

The actual assessment to be paid by each DIF member is based on the institution’s assessment risk classification and whether the institution is considered by its supervisory agency to be financially sound or to have supervisory concerns.

The DIF is funded by assessments on banks and other depository institutions calculated based on average consolidated total assets minus average tangible equity (defined as Tier 1 capital). As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC has adopted a large-bank pricing assessment scheme, set a target “designated reserve ratio” (described in more detail below) of 2% for the DIF and, in lieu of dividends, provides for a lower assessment rate schedule when the reserve ratio reaches 2% and 2.5%. An institution's assessment rate is based on a statistical analysis of financial ratios that estimates the likelihood of failure over a three-year period, which considers the institution’s weighted average CAMELS component rating, and is subject to further adjustments including those related to levels of unsecured debt and brokered deposits (not applicable to banks with less than $10 billion in assets). At December 31, 2020, total base assessment rates for institutions that have been insured for at least five years range from 1.5 to 30 basis points applying to banks with less than $10 billion in assets.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

The Dodd-Frank Act transferred to the FDIC increased discretion with regard to managing the required amount of reserves for the DIF, or the “designated reserve ratio.” The Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”) requires that the FDIC consider the appropriate level for the DIF on at least an annual basis. As of December 31, 2020, the DIF was 2% and the minimum DIF was 1.35%.

Banks with less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets (such as the Bank) receive credits to offset the portion of their assessments that help to raise the reserve ratio to 1.35%. The FDIC will automatically apply such a bank’s credits to reduce its regular DIF assessment up to the entire amount of the assessment. The FDIC will remit any such remaining credits in a lump sum to the appropriate bank following application to the bank’s regular DIF assessment for four quarterly assessment periods.

In June 2020, the FDIC adopted a final rule that generally removes the effect of lending by financial institutions under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) when calculating a bank’s deposit insurance assessment by providing an offset to the bank’s total assessment amount for the increase in the assessment base attributable to the bank’s participation in the PPP. This final rule began applying to FDIC deposit insurance assessments during the second quarter of 2020.

Community Reinvestment

The Community Reinvestment Act (the “CRA”) imposes on financial institutions, including the Bank an affirmative obligation to help meet the credit needs of their local communities, including low and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with the safe and sound operation of those institutions. Each financial institution’s efforts in helping meet community credit needs currently are evaluated as part of the examination process pursuant to regulations adopted by the federal banking agencies. Under the regulation, a financial institution’s efforts in helping meet its community’s credit needs are evaluated, based on the particular institution’s total assets, according to three-pronged test of lending, investment and service in the community. The grade received by a bank is considered in evaluating mergers, acquisitions and applications to open a branch or facility. To the best knowledge of the Bank, it is meeting its obligations under the CRA. The Bank received a rating of “satisfactory” on its most recent CRA examination dated October 23, 2020.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) of Atlanta, which is one of 12 regional FHLBs that provide funding to their members for making housing loans as well as for affordable housing and community development loans. Each FHLB serves as a reserve, or central bank, for the members within its assigned region. Each FHLB makes loans to members in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Board of Directors of the FHLB. As a member, the Bank must purchase and maintain stock in the FHLB. At December 31, 2020, the Bank owned $5.1 million of FHLB stock.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Consumer Protection

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) is the federal regulatory agency responsible for implementing, examining and enforcing compliance with federal consumer financial laws for institutions with more than $10 billion of assets and, to a lesser extent, smaller institutions. The CFPB supervises and regulates providers of consumer financial products and services, and has rulemaking authority in connection with numerous federal consumer financial protection laws (for example, but not limited to, the Truth-in-Lending Act (“TILA”) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”)).

Because the Company and the Bank are smaller institutions (i.e., with assets of $10 billion or less), most consumer protection aspects of the Dodd-Frank Act will continue to be applied to the Company by the FRB and the Bank by the FDIC. However, the CFPB may include its own examiners in regulatory examinations by a smaller institution’s principal regulators and may require smaller institutions to comply with certain CFPB reporting requirements. In addition, regulatory positions taken by the CFPB and administrative and legal precedents established by CFPB enforcement activities, including in connection with supervision of larger banks, could influence how the FRB and the FDIC apply consumer protection laws and regulations to financial institutions that are not directly supervised by the CFPB. The precise effect of the CFPB’s consumer protection activities on the Company and the Bank cannot be determined with certainty.

Mortgage Banking Regulation

In connection with making mortgage loans, the Bank is subject to rules and regulations that, among other things, establish standards for loan origination, prohibit discrimination, provide for inspections and appraisals of property, require credit reports on prospective borrowers, in some cases restrict certain loan features and fix maximum interest rates and fees, require the disclosure of certain basic information to mortgagors concerning credit and settlement costs, limit payment for settlement services to the reasonable value of the services rendered and require the maintenance and disclosure of information regarding the disposition of mortgage applications based on race, gender, geographical distribution and income level. The Bank’s mortgage origination activities are subject to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”), TILA, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, RESPA, the Home Ownership Equity Protection Act, and the regulations promulgated under these acts, among other additional state and federal laws, regulations and rules.

The Bank’s mortgage origination activities are also subject to Regulation Z, which implements TILA. Certain provisions of Regulation Z require mortgage lenders to make a reasonable and good faith determination, based on verified and documented information, that a consumer applying for a mortgage loan has a reasonable ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Alternatively, a mortgage lender can originate “qualified mortgages,” which are generally defined as mortgage loans without negative amortization, interest-only payments, balloon payments, terms exceeding 30 years, and points and fees paid by a consumer equal to or less than 3% of the total loan amount. Under the EGRRCPA, most residential mortgage loans originated and held in portfolio by a bank with less than $10 billion in assets will be designated as “qualified mortgages.” Higher-priced qualified mortgages (e.g., sub-prime loans) receive a rebuttable presumption of compliance with ability-to-repay rules, and other qualified mortgages (e.g., prime loans) are deemed to comply with the ability-to-repay rules. The Bank predominantly originates mortgage loans that comply with Regulation Z’s “qualified mortgage” rules.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Brokered Deposits

Section 29 of the FDIA and FDIC regulations generally limit the ability of any bank to accept, renew or roll over any brokered deposit unless it is “well capitalized” or, with the FDIC’s approval, “adequately capitalized.” However, as a result of the EGRRCPA, the FDIC undertook a comprehensive review of its regulatory approach to brokered deposits, including reciprocal deposits, and interest rate caps applicable to banks that are less than “well capitalized.” On December 15, 2020, the FDIC issued final rules that amend the FDIC’s methodology for calculating interest rate caps, provide a new process for banks that seek FDIC approval to offer a competitive rate on deposits when the prevailing rate in the Bank’s local market exceeds the national rate cap, and provides specific exemptions and streamlined application and notice procedures for certain deposit-placement arrangements that are not subject to brokered deposit restrictions. These final rules are effective on April 1, 2021.

Prompt Corrective Action

The federal banking agencies have broad powers under current federal law to take prompt corrective action to resolve problems of insured depository institutions. The extent of these powers depends upon whether the institution in question is “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized.” These terms are defined under uniform regulations issued by each of the federal banking agencies regulating these institutions. An insured depository institution which is less than adequately capitalized must adopt an acceptable capital restoration plan, is subject to increased regulatory oversight and is increasingly restricted in the scope of its permissible activities. As of December 31, 2020, the Bank was considered “well capitalized.”

Incentive Compensation

The federal banking agencies have issued regulatory guidance (the “Incentive Compensation Guidance”) intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of banking organizations do not undermine the safety and soundness of such organizations by encouraging excessive risk-taking. The FDIC will review, as part of the regular, risk-focused examination process, the incentive compensation arrangements of banking organizations, such as the Bank, that are not “large, complex banking organizations.” The findings will be included in reports of examination, and deficiencies will be incorporated into the organization’s supervisory ratings. Enforcement actions may be taken against a banking organization if its incentive compensation arrangements, or related risk-management control or governance processes, pose a risk to the organization’s safety and soundness and the organization is not taking prompt and effective measures to correct the deficiencies.

In 2016, the SEC and the federal banking agencies proposed rules that prohibit covered financial institutions (including bank holding companies and banks) from establishing or maintaining incentive-based compensation arrangements that encourage inappropriate risk taking by providing covered persons (consisting of senior executive officers and significant risk takers, as defined in the rules) with excessive compensation, fees or benefits that could lead to material financial loss to the financial institution. The proposed rules outline factors to be considered when analyzing whether compensation is excessive and whether an incentive-based compensation arrangement encourages inappropriate risks that could lead to material loss to the covered financial institution, and establishes minimum requirements that incentive-based compensation arrangements must meet to be considered to not encourage inappropriate risks and to appropriately balance risk and reward. The proposed rules also impose additional corporate governance requirements on the boards of directors of covered financial institutions and impose additional record-keeping requirements. The comment period for these proposed rules has closed and a final rule has not yet been published.

Confidentiality and Required Disclosures of Customer Information

The Company is subject to various laws and regulations that address the privacy of nonpublic personal financial information of consumers. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and certain regulations issued thereunder protect against the transfer and use by financial institutions of consumer nonpublic personal information. A financial institution must provide to its customers, at the beginning of the customer relationship and annually thereafter, the institution’s policies and procedures regarding the handling of customers’ nonpublic personal financial information. These privacy provisions generally prohibit a financial institution from providing a customer’s personal financial information to unaffiliated third parties unless the institution discloses to the customer that the information may be so provided and the customer is given the opportunity to opt out of such disclosure. Certain exceptions may apply to the requirement to deliver an annual privacy notice based on how a financial institution limits sharing of nonpublic personal information, and whether the institution’s disclosure practices or policies have changed in certain ways since the last privacy notice that was delivered.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

The Company is also subject to various laws and regulations that attempt to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The Bank Secrecy Act (the “BSA”) requires all financial institutions to, among other things, create a system of controls designed to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and imposes recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The USA PATRIOT Act added regulations to facilitate information sharing among governmental entities and financial institutions for the purpose of combating terrorism and money laundering, and requires financial institutions to establish anti-money laundering programs. Regulations adopted under the BSA impose on financial institutions customer due diligence requirements, and the federal banking regulators expect that customer due diligence programs will be integrated within a financial institution’s broader BSA and anti-money laundering compliance program. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), which is a division of the U.S. Department of Treasury, is responsible for helping to ensure that United States entities do not engage in transactions with “enemies” of the United States, as defined by various Executive Orders and Acts of Congress. If the Company finds the name of an “enemy” of the United States on any transaction, account or wire transfer that is on an OFAC list, it must freeze such account or place transferred funds into a blocked account, and report it to OFAC.

Although these laws and programs impose compliance costs and create privacy obligations and, in some cases, reporting obligations, and compliance with all of the laws, programs, and privacy and reporting obligations may require significant resources of the Company and the Bank, these laws and programs do not materially affect the Bank’s products, services or other business activities.

Temporary BSA Reporting Relief

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) provided targeted relief from certain BSA reporting requirements and provided updated guidance to financial institutions on complying with such requirements during COVID-19. Specifically, FinCEN (i) granted targeted relief to financial institutions participating in the PPP, stating that PPP loans to existing customers will not require re-verification under applicable BSA requirements, unless re-verification is otherwise required under the financial institution’s risk-based BSA compliance program, (ii) acknowledged that there may be “reasonable delays in compliance” due to COVID-19, and (iii) temporarily suspended implementation if its February 2020 ruling, which would have entailed significant changes to currency transaction reporting filing requirements for transactions involving sole proprietorships and entities operating under a “doing business as” or other assumed name. The Company and the Bank continue to monitor developments related to FinCEN’s targeted and temporary relief measures.

Corporate Transparency Act

On January 1, 2021, as part of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), which requires the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) to issue regulations implementing reporting requirements for “reporting companies” (as defined in the CTA) to disclose beneficial ownership interests of certain U.S. and foreign entities by January 1, 2022. The CTA imposes additional reporting requirements on entities not previously subject to such beneficial ownership disclosure regulations and also contains exemptions for several different types of entities, including among others: (i) certain banks, bank holding companies, and credit unions; (ii) money transmitting businesses registered with FinCEN; and (iii) certain insurance companies. Reporting companies subject to the CTA will be required to provide specific information with respect to beneficial owner(s) (as defined in the CTA) as well as satisfy initial filing obligations (for newly-formed reporting companies) and submit on-going periodic reports. Non-compliance with FinCEN regulations promulgated under the CTA may result in civil fines as well as criminal penalties. At this time, FinCEN has yet to issue any proposed rules. Accordingly, the Company is unable to determine what impact (if any) the CTA and related regulations will have on the Company and the Bank. The Company will continue to monitor regulatory developments related to the CTA.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Cybersecurity

The federal banking agencies have also adopted guidelines for establishing information security standards and cybersecurity programs for implementing safeguards under the supervision of a financial institution’s board of directors. These guidelines, along with related regulatory materials, increasingly focus on risk management and processes related to information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial products and services. The federal banking agencies expect financial institutions to establish lines of defense and ensure that their risk management processes also address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials, and also expect financial institutions to maintain sufficient business continuity planning processes to ensure rapid recovery, resumption and maintenance of the institution’s operations after a cyber-attack. If the Company or the Bank fails to meet the expectations set forth in this regulatory guidance, the Company or the Bank could be subject to various regulatory actions and any remediation efforts may require significant resources of the Company or the Bank. In addition, all federal and state banking agencies continue to increase focus on cybersecurity programs and risks as part of regular supervisory exams.

In October 2016, the federal banking agencies issued proposed rules on enhanced cybersecurity risk-management and resilience standards that would apply to very large financial institutions and to services provided by third parties to these institutions. The comment period for these proposed rules has closed and a final rule has not been published. Although the proposed rules would apply only to bank holding companies and banks with $50 billion or more in total consolidated assets, these rules could influence the federal banking agencies’ expectations and supervisory requirements for information security standards and cybersecurity programs of smaller financial institutions, such as the Bank.

Stress Testing

The federal banking agencies have implemented stress testing requirements for certain large or risky financial institutions, including bank holding companies and state-chartered banks. Although these requirements do not apply to the Company and the Bank, the federal banking agencies emphasize that all banking organizations, regardless of size, should have the capacity to analyze the potential effect of adverse market conditions or outcomes on the organization’s financial condition. Based on existing regulatory guidance, the Company and the Bank will be expected to consider its interest rate risk management, commercial real estate loan concentrations and other credit-related information, and funding and liquidity management during this analysis of adverse market conditions or outcomes.

Volcker Rule

The Dodd-Frank Act prohibits bank holding companies and their subsidiary banks from engaging in proprietary trading except in limited circumstances, and places limits on ownership of equity investments in private equity and hedge funds (the “Volcker Rule”). The EGRRCPA and final rules adopted to implement the EGRRCPA exempt all banks with less than $10 billion in assets (including their holding companies and affiliates) from the Volcker Rule, provided that the institution has total trading assets and liabilities of 5% or less of total assets, subject to certain limited exceptions. The Company believes that its financial condition and its operations are not significantly affected by the Volcker Rule, amendments thereto, or its implementing regulations.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

Call Reports and Examination Cycle

All institutions, regardless of size, submit a quarterly call report that includes data used by federal banking agencies to monitor the condition, performance, and risk profile of individual institutions and the industry as a whole. The EGRRCPA contained provisions expanding the number of regulated institutions eligible to use streamlined call report forms. In June 2019, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule to permit insured depository institutions with total assets of less than $5 billion that do not engage in certain complex or international activities to file the most streamlined version of the quarterly call report, and to reduce data reportable on certain streamlined call report submissions.

Effect of Governmental Monetary Policies

As with other financial institutions, the earnings of the Company and the Bank are affected by general economic conditions as well as by the monetary policies of the FRB. Such policies, which include regulating the national supply of bank reserves and bank credit, can have a major effect upon the source and cost of funds and the rates of return earned on loans and investments. The FRB exerts a substantial influence on interest rates and credit conditions, primarily through establishing target rates for federal funds, open market operations in U.S. Government securities, varying the discount rate on member bank borrowings and setting cash reserve requirements against deposits. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, will influence the origination of loans, the purchase of investments, the generation of deposits, and rates received on loans and investment securities and paid on deposits. Fluctuations in the FRB’s monetary policies have had a significant impact on the operating results of the Company and the Bank and all financial institutions in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future.

Legislative and Regulatory Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) was enacted on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act provided approximately $2.2 trillion in emergency economic relief measures including, among other things, loan programs for small and mid-sized businesses and other economic relief for impacted businesses and industries, including financial institutions. Many of the CARES Act’s programs depend upon the direct involvement of U.S. financial institutions and have been implemented through rules and guidance adopted by federal departments and agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the FDIC, the FRB and other federal bank regulatory authorities, including those with direct supervisory jurisdiction over the Company and the Bank.

Set forth below is a brief overview of certain provisions of the CARES Act and certain other regulations and supervisory guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic that are applicable to the operations and activities of the Company and the Bank. The following description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the CARES Act and the statutes, regulations, and policies described herein. Such statutes, regulations, and policies are subject to ongoing review by U.S. Congress and federal regulatory authorities. Future amendments to the provisions of the CARES Act or changes to any of the statutes, regulations, or regulatory policies applicable to the Company or the Bank could have a material effect on the Company and the Bank. Many of the requirements called for in the CARES Act and related regulations and supervisory guidance continue to be implemented and most are subject to implementing regulations developed over the course of several months during 2020, many of which continue to be refined by federal banking agencies. The Company and the Bank continues to assess the impact of the CARES Act and other statutes, regulations and supervisory guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

CARES Act

Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”)

PPP is an amendment to the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) 7-A loan program. PPP is a guaranteed, unsecured loan program created to fund certain payroll and operating costs of eligible businesses, organizations and self-employed persons during COVID-19. Initially, $349 billion were approved and designated for PPP in order for the SBA to guarantee 100% of collective loans made under the program to eligible small businesses, nonprofits, veteran’s organizations, and tribal businesses. The Bank became an approved SBA 7-A lender in the second quarter of 2020. The Bank participated in the initial round of funding though a referral relationship with a third-party, non-bank lender. When an additional $310 billion in funds were approved and designated for PPP in April 2020, the Bank opted to stand up an internal, automated loan process utilizing its core system provider.

Congress enacted the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “CAA”) on December 27, 2020, which amended the CARES Act and included (i) the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-profits, and Venues Act, (ii) the COVID-Related Tax Relief Act of 2020, and (iii) the Taxpayer Certainty and Disability Relief Act of 2020. These laws include significant clarifications and modifications to PPP, which had terminated on August 8, 2020. In particular, Congress revived PPP and allocated an additional $284 billion in PPP funds for 2021. As a result, the SBA will modify prior guidance and promulgate new regulations and guidance to conform with and implement the new provisions during the first quarter of 2021. As a participating PPP lender, the Bank continues to monitor legislative, regulatory, and supervisory developments related thereto. The Bank expects to continue to provide access to the PPP through our internal lending program for our current business customers.

Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”) and Loan Modifications for Affected Borrowers.

The CARES Act permits banks to suspend requirements under GAAP for loan modifications to borrowers affected by COVID-19 that would otherwise be characterized as TDRs and suspend any determination related thereto if (i) the loan modification is made between March 1, 2020 and the earlier of December 31, 2020 or 60 days after the end of the COVID-19 emergency declaration and (ii) the applicable loan was not more than 30 days past due as of December 31, 2019. The provisions of the CARES Act dealing with temporary relief related to TDRs was extended pursuant to the CAA which was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The CAA extended the “applicable” period to the earlier of January 1, 2022 or 60 days after the date on which the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic terminates. The federal banking agencies also issued guidance to encourage banks to make loan modifications for borrowers affected by COVID-19 and to assure banks that they will not be criticized by examiners for doing so. The Bank is currently applying this guidance to qualifying loan modifications.

Debt Guarantees and Account Insurance Increase

The CARES Act also authorized several key initiatives directly applicable to federal bank regulatory authorities, including (i) the establishment of a program by the FDIC to guarantee the debt obligations of solvent insured depository institutions and their affiliates (including their holding companies) through December 31, 2020 and (ii) an increase by the FDIC and the National Credit Union Association to the insurance coverage on any noninterest-bearing transaction accounts through December 31, 2020.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1. BUSINESS (continued)

FRB Programs and Initiatives related to the CARES Act and COVID-19

The CARES Act encouraged the Federal Reserve, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, to establish or implement various programs to help midsize businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities. On April 9, 2020, the Federal Reserve proposed the creation of the Main Street Lending Program, (“MSLP”) to implement certain of these recommendations. On June 15, 2020, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston opened the MSLP for lender registration. The MSLP operated through five facilities: The Main Street New Loan Facility, the Main Street Priority Loan Facility, the Main Street Expanded Loan Facility, the Nonprofit Organization New Loan Facility, and the Nonprofit Organization Expanded Loan Facility. With the consent of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the FRB terminated the MSLP facilities on January 8, 2021.

Separately and in response to COVID-19, the FRB’s Federal Open Market Committee (the “FOMC”) set the federal funds target rate – i.e., the interest rate at which depository institutions such as the Bank lend reserve balances to other depository institutions overnight on an uncollateralized basis – to an historic low. On March 16, 2020, the FOMC set the federal funds target rate at 0-0.25%. Consistent with FRB policy, the FRB has committed to the use of overnight reverse repurchase agreements as a supplementary policy tool, as necessary, to help control the federal funds rate and keep it in the target range set by the FOMC.

In addition, the FRB expanded the size and scope of three existing programs to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak: (i) the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility; (ii) the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility; and (iii) the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility. The FRB has also established two new program facilities – the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility and the Commercial Paper Funding Facility – to broaden its support for the flow of credit to households and businesses during COVID-19. On November 30, 2020, the FRB extended these lending facilities (scheduled to expire on or around December 31, 2020) through March 31, 2021.

Future Regulation

From time to time, various legislative and regulatory initiatives are introduced in Congress and state legislatures, as well as by regulatory agencies. Such initiatives may include proposals to expand or contract the powers of bank holding companies and depository institutions or proposals to substantially change the financial institution regulatory system. Such legislation could change banking statutes and the operating environment of the Company and the Bank in substantial and unpredictable ways. If enacted, such legislation could increase or decrease the cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities or affect the competitive balance among banks, savings associations, credit unions, and other financial institutions. The Company cannot predict whether any such legislation will be enacted, and, if enacted, the effect that it, or any implementing regulations, would have on its financial condition or results of operations. A change in statutes, regulations or regulatory policies applicable to the Company and the Bank could have a material effect on our business.

Where You Can Find More Information

The Company files quarterly, annual and periodic reports, proxy statements and insider filings with the SEC. The Company’s SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. The Company’s SEC filings also are available through our web site (www.CBTCares.com at the “Filings” link under the “Investor” tab) as of the day they are filed with the SEC. Copies of documents also can be obtained free of charge by directing a request by telephone or mail to Investor Relations, Carter Bankshares, Inc., 1300 Kings Mountain Road, Martinsville, Virginia 24112; telephone number: (276) 656-1776.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Investments in the Company’s common stock involve risk. In addition to the other information set forth in this Report, including the information addressed under “Forward-Looking Statements,” investors in the Company’s common stock should carefully consider the factors discussed below. The following discussion highlights the risks that we believe are material to the Company, but does not necessarily include all risks that we may face. These factors could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, and capital position, and could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from its historical results or the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements contained in this Report, in which case the trading price of the Company’s common stock could decline.

Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting adverse economic conditions have already adversely impacted the Company’s business and results, and could have a more material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The ongoing COVID-19 global and national health emergency has caused significant disruption in the United States and international economies and financial markets. The spread of COVID-19 in the United States has caused illness, quarantines, cancellation of events and travel, business and school shutdowns, reduction in commercial activity and financial transactions, supply chain interruptions, increased unemployment, and overall economic and financial market instability. In March 2020, almost all states, including Virginia, where the Company is headquartered, and North Carolina, in which the Company has significant operations, issued “stay-at-home orders” and declared states of emergency. Many state and local governments began implementing phased regulations and guidelines for reopening communities and economies, often with reduced capacity and social distancing restrictions. However, recently, many state and local governments have implemented additional restrictions in light of the significant COVID-19 resurgence.

Although banks have generally been permitted to continue operating, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to the Company’s business and could cause material disruptions to our business and operations in the future. Impacts to our business have included decreased operating effectiveness due to additional health and safety precautions we implemented at our branches and the transition of 20% of our workforce to home locations, decreases in customer traffic in our branches and increases in requests for forbearance and loan modifications. Further, loan payment deferment programs that we have implemented and government stimulus programs, like the PPP, may mask credit deterioration in our loan portfolio by making less applicable standard measures of developing financial weakness in a client or portfolio, such as past due monitoring and non-accrual assessments. To the extent that commercial and social restrictions remain in place or increase, the Company’s expenses, delinquencies, charge-offs, foreclosures and credit losses could materially increase, and we could experience reductions in interest and fee income. In addition, we anticipate that potential declines in credit quality could significantly affect the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses, which we expect could lead to increases in the provision for loan losses and related declines in our net income.

Unfavorable economic conditions and increasing unemployment figures may also make it more difficult for the Company to maintain deposit levels and loan origination volume and to obtain additional financing. Furthermore, such conditions have and may continue to cause the value of our Company’s investment portfolio and of collateral associated with our existing loans to decline. In addition, in March 2020, the FRB lowered the target range for the federal funds rate to a range from 0 to 0.25 percent in part as a result of the pandemic. A prolonged period of very low interest rates could reduce the Company’s net interest income and have a material adverse impact on our cash flows and the market value of our investments or the manner in which we redeploy proceeds from maturing investments.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

While we have taken and continue to take precautions to protect the safety and well-being of our employees and customers, no assurance can be given that the steps we’ve taken will be deemed to be adequate or appropriate, nor can we predict the level of disruption to our employees’ ability to provide customer support and service. The continued or renewed spread of COVID-19 could negatively impact the availability of key personnel necessary to conduct the Company’s business, the business and operations of our third-party service providers who perform critical services for the Company’s business, or the businesses of many of our customers and borrowers. If COVID-19 is not successfully contained, we could experience a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Among the factors outside the Company’s control that are likely to affect the impact the COVID-19 pandemic will ultimately have on the Company’s business are, without limitation:

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe volatility in the financial markets and meaningfully lower stock prices for many companies, including the Company’s common stock. Depending on the extent and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of our common stock may continue to experience volatility and declines.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

The Company continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and related risks, although the rapid development and fluidity of the situation precludes any specific prediction as to its ultimate impact on the Company. However, if the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread or otherwise result in a continuation or worsening of the current economic and commercial environments, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

The full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have a material adverse effect on the Company in numerous ways.

While the scope, duration, and full effects of COVID-19 are rapidly evolving and not fully known, the pandemic and related efforts to contain it have disrupted global economic activity, adversely affected the functioning of financial markets, impacted interest rates and increased economic and market uncertainty. If these effects continue for a prolonged period or result in sustained economic stress or recession, many of the risk factors identified in Annual Report on Form 10-K could be exacerbated and such effects could have a material adverse impact on us in a number of ways related to credit, collateral, customer demand, funding, operations, interest rate risk and human capital.

Even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the U.S. economy will likely require time to recover. It is uncertain how long this recovery will take. As a result, we anticipate our business may be adversely affected during this recovery.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

Risks Related to Credit

A large percentage of the Company’s loans are secured by real estate, and an adverse change in the real estate market may result in losses and adversely affect our profitability.

Approximately 79% of the Company’s loan portfolio as of December 31, 2020, was comprised of loans secured by real estate. An adverse change in the economy affecting values of real estate generally or in the market areas we serve specifically could impair the value of the Company’s collateral and its ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure. In the event of a default with respect to any of these loans, the amounts the Company receives upon sale of the collateral may be insufficient to recover outstanding principal and interest on the loan. As a result, the Company’s profitability and financial condition could be negatively impacted by an adverse change in the real estate market.

The Company relies on independent appraisals to determine the value of the real estate which secures a significant portion of our loans, and the values indicated by such appraisals may not be realizable if foreclose on such loans is forced.

A significant portion of the Company’s loan portfolio consists of loans secured by real estate. We rely on independent appraisers to estimate the value of such real estate. Appraisals are only estimates of value and the independent appraisers may make mistakes of fact or judgment that adversely affect the reliability of their appraisals. In addition, events occurring after the initial appraisal may cause the value of the real estate to increase or decrease. As a result of any of these factors, the real estate securing some of the loans may be more or less valuable than anticipated at the time the loans were made. If a default occurs on a loan secured by real estate that is less valuable than originally estimated, the Company may not be able to recover the outstanding balance of the loan.

The Company’s level of credit risk is increased due to the level of commercial real estate loans in its portfolio.

Approximately 49% of the Company’s loan portfolio as of December 31, 2020, was comprised of loans secured by commercial purpose real estate, including loans related to hotels, strip malls and apartments. These loans generally carry larger loan balances and involve a greater degree of financial and credit risk than loans secured by residential real estate. Repayment of these loans is often dependent on the success of the borrower’s underlying business and the borrower’s ability to generate a positive cash flow sufficient to service its debts. The increased financial and credit risk associated with these loans is a result of several factors, including the concentration of principal in a limited number of loans and to borrowers in similar lines of business, the size of the loan balances, general economic conditions affecting values of real estate, and the existence of a market for the subject collateral. The ongoing adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely exacerbate the financial and credit risk associated with these loans.

The Company’s exposure to hospitality at December 31, 2020 equated to approximately $497.2 million, or 16.9% of total portfolio loans. These were mostly loans secured by upscale or top tier flagged hotels, which have historically exhibited low leverage and strong operating cash flows. However, we anticipate that a significant portion of our borrowers in the hotel industry will continue to operate at occupancy levels at or below breakeven, which has caused, and may continue to cause, them to draw on their existing lines of credit with other financial institutions or other sources of liquidity and may adversely affect their ability to repay existing indebtedness, and is expected to adversely impact the value of collateral. These developments, together with the current economic conditions generally, may impact the value of real estate collateral in hospitality and other commercial real estate exposures. As a result, we anticipate that our financial condition, capital levels and results of operations could be adversely affected.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

Allowance for loan losses may be insufficient.

All borrowers carry the potential to default and our remedies to recover may not fully satisfy money previously loaned. We maintain an allowance for loan losses, which is a reserve established through a provision for loan losses charged to expense, which represents management’s best estimate of probable credit losses that have been incurred within the existing portfolio of loans. Management believes the allowance is adequate to reserve for estimated loan losses and risks inherent in the loan portfolio. The level of the allowance for loan losses reflects management’s continuing evaluation of industry concentrations, specific credit risks, loan loss experience, current loan portfolio quality, present economic conditions and unidentified losses in the current loan portfolio. The determination of the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates of current credit risks using existing qualitative and quantitative information, all of which may undergo material changes. Changes in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, identification of additional problem loans and other factors, both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in the allowance for loan losses. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review our allowance for loan losses and may require an increase in the provision for credit losses or the recognition of additional loan charge-offs, based on judgments different than those of management. An increase in the allowance for loan losses results in a decrease in net income or losses, and possibly risk-based capital, and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The adoption of ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, referred to as CECL, will result in a significant change in how the Company recognizes credit losses. If the assumptions or estimates used in adopting the new standard are incorrect or needs to change, there may be a material adverse impact on the results of operations and financial condition.

The Company has elected to take advantage of Section 4014 of the CARES Act provision to temporarily delay adoption of the CECL methodology. The Company was subject to the adoption of the CECL accounting method under Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13 and related amendments, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326). However, we elected under the CARES Act to defer the implementation of CECL until the earlier of when the national emergency related to the outbreak of COVID-19 ends or December 31, 2020 which was later extended to January 1, 2022. The Company intends to adopt in the first quarter of 2021 as allowed under the provisions of the CARES Act.

CECL replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to form credit loss estimates. The measurement of expected credit losses is to be based on historical loss experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. This measurement will take place at the time the financial asset is first added to the balance sheet and periodically thereafter. This differs significantly from the incurred loss mode required under current GAAP, which delays recognition until it is probable a loss has been incurred. Upon origination of a loan, the estimate of expected credit losses, and any subsequent changes to such estimate, will be recorded through provision for loan losses in our Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income. The CECL model may create more volatility in the level of our allowance for loan losses.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

The CECL model permits the use of judgment in determining the approach most appropriate for the Company, based on facts and circumstances. Changes in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information on our loans, and other factors, both within and outside of our control, may require an increase to the allowance for loan losses. We may underestimate our expected losses and fail to maintain an allowance for loan losses sufficient to account for these losses. We will continue to periodically review and update our CECL methodology, models and the underlying assumptions, estimates and assessments we use to establish our allowance for loan losses under the CECL standard to reflect our view of current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. We will implement further enhancements or changes to our methodology, models and the underlying assumptions, estimates and assessments, as needed. If the assumptions or estimates we use in adopting the new standard are incorrect or we need to change our underlying assumptions and estimates, there may be a material adverse impact on our results of operation and financial condition. For further information on our anticipated adoption of the CECL standard, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of this Form 10-K.

Our real estate lending business can result in increased costs associated with Other Real Estate Owned (“OREO”).

Because we originate loans secured by real estate, we may have to foreclose on the collateral property to protect our investment and may thereafter own and operate such property, in which case we are exposed to the risks inherent in the ownership of real estate. We use methods for valuing collateral for impaired loans and OREO that are in compliance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 310 Receivables. The methods require the use of assumptions that are subject to change based on events impacting real estate values. The amount that we may realize after a default is dependent upon factors outside of our control, including, but not limited to, general or local economic conditions, environmental cleanup liability, neighborhood values, interest rates, real estate tax rates, operating expenses of the mortgaged properties, and supply of and demand for properties. Certain expenditures associated with the ownership of income producing real estate, principally real estate taxes and maintenance costs, may adversely affect the net cash flows generated by the real estate. Therefore, the cost of operating income-producing real property may exceed the rental income earned from such property, and we may have to advance funds to protect our investment or we may be required to dispose of the real property at a loss.

Risks Related to Our Operations

A failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of third parties, could disrupt the Company’s businesses, and adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, as well as cause reputational harm.

The Company’s operational and security systems, infrastructure, including our computer systems, data management, and internal processes, as well as those of third parties, are integral to our business. We rely on our employees and third parties in our day-to-day and ongoing operations, who may, as a result of human error, misconduct or malfeasance, or failure or breach of third-party systems or infrastructure, expose us to risk. We have taken measures to implement backup systems and other safeguards to support our operations, but our ability to conduct business may be adversely affected by any significant disruptions to us or to third parties with whom we interact. In addition, our ability to implement backup systems and other safeguards with respect to third-party systems is more limited than with our own systems.

The Company handles a substantial volume of customer and other financial transactions every day. Our financial, accounting, data processing, check processing, electronic funds transfer, loan processing, online and mobile banking, backup or other operating or security systems and infrastructure may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control. This could adversely affect our ability to process these transactions or provide these services. There could be sudden increases in customer transaction volume, electrical, telecommunications or other major physical infrastructure outages, natural disasters, events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts, and cyber-attacks. We continuously update these systems to support our operations and growth. This updating entails significant costs and creates risk associated with implementing new systems and integrating them with existing ones. Operational risk exposures could adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, and cause reputational harm.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

A cyber-attack, information or security breach, or a technology failure of ours or of a third-party could adversely affect the Company’s ability to conduct business or manage exposure to risk, resulting in the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, increase costs to maintain and update our operational systems, security systems, and infrastructure, and adversely impact results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, as well as cause reputation harm.

The Company’s business is highly dependent on the security and efficacy of our infrastructure, computer and data management systems, as well as those of third parties with whom we interact. Cyber security risks for financial institutions have significantly increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of new technologies, the use of the internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions, and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists and other external parties, including foreign state actors. Our operations rely on the secure processing, transmission, storage and retrieval of confidential, proprietary and other information in our computer and data management systems and networks, and in the computer and data management systems and networks of third parties. We rely on digital technologies, computer, database and email systems, software, and networks to conduct our operations. In addition, to access our network, products and services, our customers and third parties may use personal mobile devices or computing devices that are outside of our network environment.

Financial services institutions have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyber-attacks, including computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denial of service or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of confidential, proprietary and other information of the institution, its employees or customers or of third parties, or otherwise materially disrupt network access or business operations. For example, denial of service attacks has been launched against a number of large financial institutions and several large retailers have disclosed substantial cyber security breaches affecting debit and credit card accounts of their customers. We have not experienced cyber security incidents in the past, but there is no assurance that we will not experience an attack in the future. Technology failures, cyber-attacks or other information or security breaches can cause material losses or other material consequences.

In addition to external threats, insider threats also represent a risk to us. Insiders, having legitimate access to our systems and the information contained in them, have the opportunity to make inappropriate use of the systems and information. We have policies, procedures and controls in place designed to prevent or limit this risk, but we cannot guarantee that policies, procedures and controls fully mitigate this risk.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify and enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or incidents. Any of these matters could result in our loss of customers and business opportunities, significant disruption to our operations and business, misappropriation or destruction of our confidential information and /or that of our customers, or damage to computers or systems of our customers and/or third parties, and could result in a violation of applicable privacy laws and other laws, litigation exposure, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, loss of confidence in our security measures, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, and additional compliance costs. In addition, any of the matters described above could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

The Company relies on third-party providers and other suppliers for a number of services that are important to our business. An interruption or cessation of an important service by any third-party could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The Company is dependent for the majority of our technology, including our core operating system, on third-party providers. If these companies were to discontinue providing services to us, we may experience significant disruption to our business. In addition, each of these third parties faces the risk of cyber-attack, information breach or loss, or technology failure. If any of our third-party service providers experience such difficulties, or if there is any other disruption in our relationships with them, we may be required to find alternative sources of such services. We are dependent on these third-party providers securing their information systems, over which we have no control, and a breach of their information systems could adversely affect our ability to process transactions, service our clients or manage our exposure to risk and could result in the disclosure of sensitive, personal customer information, which could have a material adverse impact on our business through damage to our reputation, loss of customer business, remedial costs, additional regulatory scrutiny or exposure to civil litigation and possible financial liability. Assurance cannot be provided that we could negotiate terms with alternative service sources that are as favorable or could obtain services with similar functionality as found in our existing systems without the need to expend substantial resources, if at all, thereby resulting in a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

The Company is dependent on its management team, and the loss of its senior executive officers or other key employees could impair its relationship with its customers and adversely affect its business and financial results.

We believe that our growth and future success will depend in large part on the skills of our executive officers. We also depend upon the experience of the senior officers and other key personnel and their relationship with the communities they serve. The loss of the services of one or more of these officers or key personnel could have an adverse impact on the business of the Company because of their skills, knowledge of the market, years of industry experience and the difficulty promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

Risks Related to Interest Rates and Investments

The Company’s business is subject to interest rate risk and fluctuations in interest rates may adversely affect its earnings and capital levels.

The majority of our assets are monetary in nature and, as a result, we are subject to significant risk from changes in interest rates. Changes in interest rates can impact our net interest income as well as the valuation of our assets and liabilities. Also, our earnings are significantly dependent on net interest income, which is the difference between interest income on interest-earning assets, such as loans and securities, and interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. We expect we will experience “gaps” in the interest rate sensitivities of our assets and liabilities, meaning that either our interest-bearing liabilities will be more sensitive to changes in market interest rates than our interest-earning assets, or vice versa. In either event, if market interest rates should move contrary to our position, this “gap” will work against us and our earnings may be negatively affected.

During the calendar year ending December 31, 2020, the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) took unprecedented measures to mitigate the potential disruption in the economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic and keep credit markets functioning properly.  On March 3, 2020 and again on March 16, 2020, the FOMC announced two rapid rate decreases in the target federal funds rate of 0.50% and 1.00%, respectively, resulting in a target federal funds rate of 0.00% - 0.25% for the balance of the calendar year. At December 31, 2020, U.S. Treasury yields continued to remain low across shorter maturities of the yield curve with the one-year U.S. Treasury yield at 0.09% and the five-year U.S. Treasury yield at 0.36%. In addition, the summary of economic projections released by the FOMC from their December 2020 meeting indicated the members of the FOMC expect short-term rates to likely remain unchanged through at least 2023.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

During the fourth quarter of 2020, yields on longer term U.S. Treasuries began to rise, indicating the market’s expectation of a potential future recovery. The ten-year U.S. Treasury yield increased from its all-time low of 0.52% at August 4, 2020 to 0.93% at December 31, 2020. On February 25, 2021, the ten-year U.S. Treasury yield continued its ascent closing at 1.54%, which was the highest ten-year U.S. Treasury yield since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020.

A decrease in the general level of interest rates may, among other things, lead to an increase in prepayments on loans and increased competition for deposits. Conversely, an increase in the general level of interest rates may also, among other things, reduce the demand for loans and our ability to originate loans or increase the rate of default on existing loans. Accordingly, changes in the general level of market interest rates may affect net yield on interest-earning assets, loan origination volume, loan portfolios, and funding costs which impact our overall results.

Although our asset-liability management strategy is designed to control our risk from changes in the general level of market interest rates, market interest rates will be affected by many factors outside of our control, including inflation, recession, changes in unemployment, other economic conditions, money supply and international disorder and instability in domestic and foreign financial markets. It is possible that significant or unexpected changes in interest rates may take place in the future, and we cannot always accurately predict the nature or magnitude of such changes or how such changes may affect our business.

Uncertainty relating to LIBOR calculation process and potential phasing out of LIBOR may adversely affect us.

On July 27, 2017, the Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit rates for the calibration of LIBOR to the administrator of LIBOR after 2021. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., the company that administers LIBOR, has stated that it intends to cease the publication of one week and two month LIBOR rates immediately after the LIBOR publication on December 31, 2021, and the remaining LIBOR rates immediately following the LIBOR publication on June 30, 2023, and will consult on such intentions. It is not possible to predict what rate or rates may become accepted alternatives to LIBOR and it is impossible to predict the effect of any such alternatives on the value of LIBOR-based securities and variable rate loans, debentures, or other securities or financial arrangements, given LIBOR's role in determining market interest rates globally. Uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes or other reforms to LIBOR may adversely affect LIBOR rates and the value of LIBOR-based loans and securities in our portfolio and may impact the availability and cost of hedging instruments and borrowings. If LIBOR rates are no longer available, and we are required to implement substitute indices for the calculation of interest rates under our loan agreements with our borrowers, we may incur significant expenses in effecting the transition. Furthermore, failure to adequately manage this transition process with our customers could adversely impact our reputation. Although we are currently unable to assess what the ultimate impact of the transition from LIBOR will be, failure to adequately manage the transition could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

Risks Related to Our Business Strategy

Our profitability depends significantly on local economic conditions.

Our success depends primarily on the general economic conditions of the geographic markets in which we operate, primarily in Virginia and North Carolina. The local economic conditions in the areas where we operate have a significant impact on our commercial, real estate and construction loans, the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans and the value of the collateral securing these loans and on customer demand for loans, deposits and other bank products. A significant decline in general economic conditions, including a decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, recession, acts of terrorism, outbreak of hostilities or other international or domestic calamities, unemployment or other factors, all of which are beyond our control, could impact these local economic conditions and negatively affect our financial results.

We face strong competition from financial services companies and other companies that offer banking services which could negatively affect our business.

We conduct our banking operations primarily in Virginia and North Carolina, including Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Christiansburg, Martinsville, Danville, Greensboro, Fayetteville, and Mooresville. Increased competition in these markets may result in reduced loans and deposits. Ultimately, we may not be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors. Many competitors offer the same banking services that we offer in our service area. These competitors include national banks, regional banks and other community banks. We also face competition from many other types of financial institutions, including without limitation, savings and loan institutions, finance companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies, credit unions, mortgage banks and other financial intermediaries. In particular, our competitors include several major financial companies whose greater resources may afford them a marketplace advantage by enabling them to maintain numerous banking locations and ATMs, conduct extensive promotional and advertising campaigns and offer a wider range of products, services and technologies.

Additionally, banks and other financial institutions with larger capitalization and financial intermediaries not subject to bank regulatory restrictions have larger lending limits and are thereby able to serve the credit needs of larger customers. Areas of competition include interest rates for loans and deposits, efforts to obtain deposits, and range and quality of products and services provided, including new technology-driven products and services. Technological innovation continues to contribute to greater competition in domestic and international financial services markets as technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services. We also face competition from out-of-state financial intermediaries that have opened low-end production offices or that solicit deposits in our market areas. If we are unable to attract and retain banking customers, we may be unable to continue to grow our loan and deposit portfolios or may be required to increase the rates we pay on deposits or lower the rates we offer on loans and results of operations and financial condition may otherwise be adversely affected.

Our customers may increasingly decide not to use the Bank to complete their financial transactions, which would have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and operations.

Technology and other changes are allowing parties to complete financial transactions through alternative methods that have historically involved banks. For example, customers can now maintain funds that would have historically been held as bank deposits in brokerage accounts, mutual funds, or general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards. Customers can also complete transactions such as paying bills and/or transferring funds directly without the assistance of banks. We face increasing competition from fintech companies, as trends toward digital financial transactions have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries, known as “disintermediation,” could result in the loss of fee income, as well as the loss of customer deposits and the related income generated from those deposits. The loss of these revenue streams and the lower cost of deposits as a source of funds could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

Risks Related to Regulatory Compliance and Legal Matters

We are subject to extensive government regulation and supervision.

Banking regulations are primarily intended to protect depositors’ funds, federal deposit insurance funds and the banking system as a whole, not security holders. These regulations affect our lending practices, capital structure, investment practices, dividend policy and growth, among other things. Congress and federal regulatory agencies continually review banking laws, regulations and policies for possible changes. Changes to statutes, regulations or regulatory policies, including changes in interpretation or implementation of statutes, regulations or policies, could affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways. Such changes could subject us to additional costs, limit the types of financial services and products we may offer and/or increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products, among other things. Failure to comply with laws, regulations, policies or supervisory guidance could result in enforcement and other legal actions by Federal or state authorities, including criminal and civil penalties, the loss of FDIC insurance, the revocation of a banking charter, other sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil money penalties and/or reputational damage. In this regard, government authorities, including the bank regulatory agencies, are pursuing aggressive enforcement actions with respect to compliance and other legal matters involving financial activities, which heightens the risks associated with actual and perceived compliance failures. See “Supervision and Regulation” included in Item 1. Business of this Report for a more detailed description of the certain regulatory requirements applicable to the Bank.

The Basel III Final Rules require higher levels of capital and liquid assets, which could adversely affect our net income and return on equity.

The Basel III Final Rules are complex and create additional compliance burdens, especially for community banks. The Basel III Final Rules require bank holding companies and their subsidiaries, such as us, to maintain significantly more capital as a result of higher required capital levels and more demanding regulatory capital risk weightings and calculations. The stricter capital requirements were fully implemented on January 1, 2019. See “Supervision and Regulation” included in Item 1. Business of this Report for a more detailed description of the Basel III Final Rules applicable to us.

As a result of the Basel III Final Rules, many community banks could be forced to limit banking operations, activities and growth of loan portfolios, in order to focus on retention of earnings to improve capital levels. We believe that we maintain sufficient levels of Tier 1 and Common Equity Tier 1 capital to comply with the Basel III Final Rules. However, we can offer no assurances with regard to the ultimate effect of the Basel III Final Rules, and satisfying increased capital requirements imposed by the Basel III Final Rules may require us to limit our banking operations, raise additional capital, retain net income or reduce dividends to improve regulatory capital levels, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we could be subject to regulatory actions if we were unable to comply with such requirements.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

Failure to maintain effective systems of internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition.

Effective internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud and to operate successfully as a public company. We are required to establish and maintain an adequate internal control structure over financial reporting. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our reputation and operating results would be harmed. As part of our ongoing monitoring of internal control, we may discover material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control that require remediation, such as the material weakness related to appraisal requirements that we identified in 2019 and remediated during 2020. A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

Our inability to maintain the operating effectiveness of the controls described above could result in a material misstatement to our financial statements or other disclosures, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, any failure to maintain effective controls or to timely effect any necessary improvement of our internal and disclosure controls could, among other things, require significant investments of management time, funds and other resources in remediation efforts, result in losses from fraud or error or harm to our reputation, or cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition.

Our risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating risk and loss.

We maintain an enterprise risk management program that is designed to identify, quantify, monitor, report and control the risks we face. These risks include, but are not limited to, interest rate, credit, liquidity, operational, reputation, legal, compliance, economic and litigation risk. Although we assess our risk management program on an ongoing basis and make identified improvements to it, we can offer no assurances that this approach and risk management framework (including related controls) will effectively mitigate the risks listed above or limit losses that we may incur. If our risk management program has flaws or gaps, or if our risk management controls do not function effectively, our results of operations, financial condition or business may be adversely affected.

Our earnings are significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government and its agencies.

The policies of the FRB affect us significantly. The FRB regulates the supply of money and credit in the United States. Its policies directly and indirectly influence the rate of interest earned on loans and paid on borrowings and interest-bearing deposits and can also affect the value of financial instruments we hold. Those policies determine, to a significant extent, our cost of funds for lending and investing. Changes in those policies are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. FRB policies can also affect our borrowers, potentially increasing the risk that they may fail to repay their loans. For example, a tightening of the money supply by the FRB could reduce the demand for a borrower's products and services. This could adversely affect the borrower’s earnings and ability to repay a loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

Risks Related to Liquidity

We rely substantially on deposits obtained from customers in our target markets to provide liquidity and support growth.

Our primary funding and liquidity source to support our business strategies is a stable customer deposit base. Deposit levels may be affected by a number of factors, including interest rates paid by competitors, general interest rate levels, returns available to customers on alternative investments and general economic conditions. If our deposit levels fall, we could lose a relatively low-cost source of funding and our interest expense would likely increase as we obtain alternative funding to replace lost deposits. If local customer deposits are not sufficient to fund our normal operations and growth, we will look to outside sources, such as Fed Funds lines with other financial institutions or additional borrowings with the FHLB. We may also seek to raise funds through the issuance of shares of our common stock, or other equity or equity-related securities, or debt securities including subordinated notes as additional sources of liquidity. If we are unable to access funding sufficient to support our business operations and growth strategies or are only able to access such funding on unattractive terms, we may not be able to implement our business strategies which may negatively affect our financial performance.

Our ability to meet contingency funding needs, in the event of a crisis that causes a disruption to our core deposit base, is dependent on access to wholesale markets, including funds provided by the FHLB of Atlanta.

We own stock in the FHLB of Atlanta, in order to qualify for membership in the FHLB system, which enables us to borrow on our line of credit with the FHLB that is secured by a blanket lien on select commercial loans, residential mortgages and investment securities available-for-sale and is estimated to be equal to 25% of our assets approximating $1.0 billion, with available borrowing capacity subject to the amount of eligible collateral pledged at any given time. Changes or disruptions to the FHLB or the FHLB system in general may materially impact our ability to meet short and long-term liquidity needs or meet growth plans. Additionally, we cannot be assured that the FHLB will be able to provide funding to us when needed, nor can we be certain that the FHLB will provide funds specifically to us, should our financial condition and/or our regulators prevent access to our line of credit. The inability to access this source of funds could have a materially adverse effect on our ability to meet our customer’s needs. Our financial flexibility could be severely constrained if we were unable to maintain our access to funding or if adequate financing is not available at acceptable interest rates.

Risks Related to Owning Our Stock

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors.

Our operating results may fluctuate due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, including the changing U.S. economic environment and changes in the commercial and residential real estate market, any of which may cause our stock price to fluctuate. If our operating results fall below the expectation of investors or securities analysts, the price of our common stock could decline substantially.

Our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors including, among other things:

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – (continued)

Future issuances of the Company’s common stock could adversely affect the market price of the common stock and could be dilutive.

The Company is not restricted from issuing additional shares of common stock, and may issue securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, shares of common stock. Issuances of a substantial number of shares of common stock, or the expectation that such issuances might occur, including in connection with acquisitions by the Company, could materially adversely affect the market price of the shares of common stock and could be dilutive to shareholders. Because the Company’s decision to issue equity securities in the future will depend on market conditions and other factors, it cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, or nature of possible future stock issuances. Accordingly, the Company’s shareholders bear the risk that future stock issuances will reduce market prices and dilute their stock holdings in the Company.

Common stock is equity and is subordinate to the Company’s existing and future indebtedness and effectively subordinated to all the indebtedness and other non-equity claims against the Bank.

Shares of the Company’s common stock are equity interests and do not constitute indebtedness. As such, shares of the common stock will rank junior to all of the Company’s indebtedness and to other non-equity claims against the Company and its assets available to satisfy claims against it, including in the event of the Company’s liquidation. The Company is permitted to incur additional debt. Upon liquidation, lenders and holders of the Company’s debt securities would receive distributions of the Company’s available assets prior to holders of the Company’s common stock. Furthermore, the Company’s right to participate in a distribution of assets upon the Bank’s liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of the Bank’s creditors, including holders of any depositors of the Bank or any debt issued by the Bank.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

There are no unresolved SEC staff comments.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

The Company’s principal executive office is located at 1300 Kings Mountain Road in Martinsville, Virginia. There are also two other corporate administrative locations that house its operations center and various other corporate functions. We offer our community banking services through 92 combined depository locations in Virginia and North Carolina at December 31, 2020. Seventy offices are located in Virginia and twenty-two are located in North Carolina. Two of these depository banking locations are held under lease contracts, one of which is held-for-sale in connection with sale of Bank branches. The branch sale is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2021. In addition, the Bank leases a loan production office and a commercial banking office. Management believes the terms of the various leases are consistent with market standards and were arrived at through arm’s length bargaining. The leases are described in Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As of December 31, 2020, no material legal proceedings were pending or threatened against the Company.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market for Common Stock and Dividends

The Company’s common stock trades on NASDAQ, under the ticker symbol “CARE.” As of the close of business on March 5, 2021, we had 2,437 shareholders of record.

Dividends

On October 14, 2016, prior to the Reorganization, the board of directors of the Bank (the "Bank Board") determined that it was prudent not to declare a quarterly cash dividend on the Bank's common stock beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016. Given the Bank’s history of paying a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock, this decision was an extremely difficult one and one that the Bank Board did not take lightly. However, the Bank Board believed this decision was necessary and appropriate as the Bank committed, and now the Company commits additional resources to assist with regulatory compliance, preserve capital during the COVID-19 pandemic, and makes significant investments in new technology and human resources. While recognizing the importance of dividends to its shareholders, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that preservation of capital is of paramount importance at this time.

The Bank Board announced on February 11, 2020 the declaration of a special one-time cash dividend of $0.14 per share. This dividend was paid on March 3, 2020 to shareholders of record as of February 18, 2020. The Bank Board emphasized that this was a one-time dividend and there are no immediate plans to reinstate a quarterly dividend. The amount and timing of future dividends, if any, remain subject to the discretion of the Company’s Board and will depend upon a number of factors, including future earnings, financial condition, liquidity and capital requirements of the Company, applicable governmental regulations and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. With respect to the special one-time cash dividend, the Bank Board believed that it was appropriate to return some of our excess capital to our shareholders since our recent strategy of capital retention has resulted in capital levels that are well above the well-capitalized levels of federal banking regulatory agencies.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES (continued)

Five-Year Cumulative Total Return

The following chart compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total return of the NASDAQ Composite Index and SNL Bank and Thrift Index, which includes the stocks of banks, thrifts and bank and financial holding companies listed on all major exchanges (NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ) S&P Global Market Intelligence’s coverage universe.

⁽¹⁾ An investment in Carter Bankshares, Inc. prior to November 2020 represents an investment in Carter Bank & Trust.

Repurchases of Shares of Common Stock

Neither the Company nor the Bank repurchased any shares of its common stock during 2020.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The tables below summarize selected consolidated financial data as of the dates or for the periods presented and should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in Part II, Item 8 of this Report:

NM – percentage not meaningful

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This section reviews our financial condition for each of the past two years and results of operations for each of the past three years. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods to place them on a basis comparable with the current period presentation. Some tables may include additional time periods to illustrate trends within our Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto. The results of operations reported in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected in future periods.

Important Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains or incorporates statements that we believe are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, outlook for earnings, revenues, expenses, capital and liquidity levels and ratios, asset levels, asset quality, financial position, and other matters regarding or affecting the Company and its future business and operations. Forward looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “will likely result,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “intend,” “ believe,” “assume,” “strategy,” “trend,” “plan,” “outlook,” “outcome,” “continue,” “remain,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “current,” “position,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve” and variations of such words and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as will, would, should, could or may. Although we believe the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate and the forward-looking statements based on these assumptions could be incorrect. The matters discussed in these forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and trends to differ materially from those made, projected, or implied in or by the forward-looking statements depending on a variety of uncertainties or other factors including, but not limited to: credit losses; technological risks and developments; cyber-security; threats, attacks or events; rapid technological developments and changes; the Company’s liquidity and capital positions; the potential adverse effects of unusual and infrequently occurring events, such as weather-related disasters, terrorist acts or public health events (such as the current COVID-19 pandemic), and of governmental and societal responses thereto; these potential adverse effects may include, without limitation, adverse effects on the ability of the Company's borrowers to satisfy their obligations to the Company, on the value of collateral securing loans, on the demand for the Company's loans or its other products and services, on incidents of cyberattack and fraud, on the Company’s liquidity or capital positions, on risks posed by reliance on third-party service providers, on other aspects of the Company's business operations and on financial markets and economic growth; the effect of steps the Company takes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the severity and duration of the pandemic, the uncertainty regarding new variants of COVID-19 that have emerged, the speed and efficacy of vaccine and treatment developments, the impact of loosening or tightening of government restrictions, the pace of recovery when the pandemic subsides and the heightened impact it has on many of the risks described herein; legislative or regulatory changes and requirements, including the impact of the CARES Act, as amended by the CAA, and other legislative and regulatory reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic; potential claims, damages, and fines related to litigation or government actions, including litigation or actions arising from the Company’s participation in and administration of programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including, among other things, under the CARES Act, as amended by the CAA; sensitivity to the interest rate environment including a prolonged period of low interest rates, a rapid increase in interest rates or a change in the shape of the yield curve; a change in spreads on interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities; regulatory supervision and oversight; legislation affecting the financial services industry as a whole, and the Company, in particular; the outcome of pending and future litigation and governmental proceedings; increasing price and product/service competition; the ability to continue to introduce competitive new products and services on a timely, cost-effective basis; the Company’s strategic branch network optimization plan; managing our internal growth and acquisitions; the possibility that the anticipated benefits from acquisitions cannot be fully realized in a timely manner or at all, or that integrating the acquired operations will be more difficult, disruptive or more costly than anticipated; containing costs and expenses; reliance on significant customer relationships; general economic or business conditions; deterioration of the housing market and reduced demand for mortgages; deterioration in the overall macroeconomic conditions or the state of the banking industry that could impact the re-emergence of turbulence in significant portions of the global financial and real estate markets that could impact our performance, both directly, by affecting our revenues and the value of our assets and liabilities, and indirectly, by affecting the economy generally and access to capital in the amounts, at the times and on the terms required to support our future businesses. Many of these factors, as well as other factors, are described throughout this Report, including Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors and any of our subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements are based on beliefs and assumptions using information available at the time the statements are made. We caution you not to unduly rely on forward-looking statements because the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and projections about future events may, and often do, differ materially from actual results. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as to the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update, revise or clarify any forward-looking statement to reflect developments occurring after the statement is made.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Explanation of Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the results of operations presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States, management uses, and this annual report references, adjusted net income and net interest income on a fully taxable equivalent, or (“FTE”), basis, each of which is a non-GAAP financial measure. Management believes these measures provide information useful to investors in understanding our underlying business, operational performance and performance trends as it facilitates comparisons with the performance of other companies in the financial services industry. Although management believes that this non-GAAP financial measure enhances an investor’s understanding of our business and performance, this non-GAAP financial measure should not be considered an alternative to GAAP or considered to be more important than financial results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor is it necessarily comparable with similar non-GAAP measures which may be presented by other companies.

The Company believes the presentation of net interest income on an FTE basis ensures the comparability of net interest income arising from both taxable and tax-exempt sources and is consistent with industry practice. Net interest income per the Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income is reconciled to net interest income adjusted to an FTE basis in the Net Interest Income section of the "Results of Operations – Year ended December 31, 2020."

The Company believes the presentation of adjusted net income to exclude the impact of a one-time goodwill impairment charge during 2020 will help an investor compare the results of our core business operations with our operations for other fiscal years and with the results of operations of other companies in the financial services industry. The following table reconciles adjusted net income to GAAP net income for the periods presented:

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Accounting Estimates

The Company’s accounting and reporting policies conform to GAAP and predominant practice in the banking industry. The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Over time, these estimates, assumptions and judgments may prove to be inaccurate or vary from actual results and may significantly affect our reported results and financial position for the periods presented or in future periods. We currently view the determination of the allowance for loan losses, goodwill and income taxes to be critical, because they are highly dependent on subjective or complex judgments, assumptions and estimates made by management.

Allowance for Loan Losses

We account for the credit risk associated with our lending activities through the allowance and provision for loan losses. The allowance represents management’s best estimate of probable incurred losses that have been incurred in our existing loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The provision is a periodic charge to earnings in an amount necessary to maintain the allowance at a level that is appropriate based on management’s assessment of probable estimated losses.

Management determines and reviews with the Board the adequacy of the allowance on a quarterly basis in accordance with the methodology described below:

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

There are many factors affecting the allowance for loan losses; some are quantitative, while others require qualitative judgment. These factors require the use of estimates related to the amount and timing of expected future cash flows, appraised values on impaired loans, estimated losses for each loan category based on historical loss experience by category, and consideration of current economic trends and conditions, all of which may be susceptible to significant judgment and change. To the extent that actual outcomes differ from estimates, additional provisions for loan losses could be required that could adversely affect our earnings or financial position in future periods. The loan portfolio represents the largest asset category on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The Company intends to adopt ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses, or CECL, in the first quarter of 2021, which will impact the measurement of the Company’s allowance for credit losses (including the allowance for losses on lending-related commitments). CECL replaces the previous incurred loss methodology, discussed above, which delays recognition until such loss is probable, with a methodology that reflects an estimate of lifetime expected credit losses considering current economic condition and forecasts. Though other assets, including investment securities and other receivables, are considered in-scope of the standard and will require a measurement of the allowance for credit loss, the most significant impact of CECL remains within the Company’s loan portfolios and related lending commitments.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (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. We use various valuation techniques to determine fair value, including market, income and cost approaches. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair values:

Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that an entity has the ability to access as of the measurement date, or observable inputs.

Level 2: Significant other observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, and other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3: Significant unobservable inputs that reflect an entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. When that occurs, we classify the fair value hierarchy on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. We used the following methods and significant assumptions to estimate fair value:

Securities: The fair values of securities available-for-sale are determined by obtaining quoted prices on nationally recognized securities exchanges, if available. This valuation method is classified as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. For securities where quoted prices are not available, fair values are calculated on market prices of similar securities, or matrix pricing, which is a mathematical technique, used widely in the industry to value debt securities without relying exclusively on quoted prices for the specific securities but rather by relying on the securities’ relationship to other benchmark quoted securities. Matrix pricing relies on the securities’ relationship to similarly traded securities, benchmark curves, and the benchmarking of like securities. Matrix pricing utilizes observable market inputs such as benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, offers, reference data, and industry and economic events. In instances where broker quotes are used, these quotes are obtained from market makers or broker-dealers recognized to be market participants. This valuation method is classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. For securities where quoted prices or market prices of similar securities are not available, fair values are calculated using discounted cash flows or other market indicators. This valuation method is classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Impaired Loans: Impaired loans with an outstanding balance equal to or greater than $1.0 million are evaluated for potential specific reserves and adjusted, if a shortfall exists, to fair value less costs to sell. Fair value is measured based on the value of the underlying collateral securing the loan if repayment is expected solely from the sale or operation of the collateral or present value of estimated future cash flows discounted at the loan’s contractual interest rate if the loan is not determined to be collateral dependent. All impaired loans with a specific reserve are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Fair value for collateral dependent loans is determined using several methods. Generally, the fair value of real estate is determined based on appraisals by qualified licensed appraisers. These appraisals may utilize a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including comparable sales and the income approach. Adjustments are routinely made in the appraisal process by the appraisers to adjust for differences between the comparable sales and income data available. These routine adjustments are made to adjust the value of a specific property relative to comparable properties for variations in qualities such as location, size, and income production capacity relative to the subject property of the appraisal. Such adjustments are typically significant and result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value.

Subsequent to the initial impairment date, existing impaired loans are reevaluated quarterly for additional impairment and adjustments to fair value less costs to sell are made, where appropriate. For collateral dependent loans, the first stage of our impairment analysis involves management’s inspection of the property in question to affirm the condition has not deteriorated since the previous impairment analysis date. Management also engages in conversations with local real estate professionals and market participants to determine the likely marketing time and value range for the property. The second stage involves an assessment of current trends in the regional market. After thorough consideration of these factors, management will either internally evaluate fair value or order a new appraisal. In circumstances where we feel confident in its ability to collect and analyze salient information on the subject collateral and its surrounding real estate market, an in house valuation shall be utilized. Factors which should be considered in an in house valuation are timing of sale, location and neighborhood, size of the structure and land component, age of any improvements, and other attributes as warranted by the Company. This determination is made on a property-by-property basis in light of circumstances in the broader economic climate and our assessment of deterioration of real estate values in the market in which the property is located. When we feel we cannot collect and analyze salient information on the subject collateral or the collateral’s real estate market, a full appraisal will be utilized.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIE 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

For non-collateral dependent loans, the fair value is determined by updating the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s existing rate to reflect the payment schedule for the remaining life of the loan.

Other Real Estate Owned (“OREO”): OREO is evaluated at the time of acquisition and is recorded at fair value as determined by an appraisal or evaluation, less costs to sell. After acquisition, most OREO assets are revalued every twelve months, or more frequently when deemed necessary by management based upon changes in market, or collateral conditions. For smaller OREO assets with existing carrying values less than $0.5 million, management may elect to revalue the assets, at minimum, once every twenty-four months based on the size of the exposure. Write-downs are recorded as a charge to operations, if necessary, to reduce the carrying value of a property to the lower of its carrying value or fair value less cost to sell. Such adjustments can be significant and result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value. At December 31, 2020 our OREO assets were in compliance with our OREO policy as set forth above, and substantially all of the assets were listed for sale with credible third-party real estate brokers.

Goodwill

Goodwill assets with indefinite useful lives are tested for impairment at least annually and written down and charged to results of operations only in periods in which the recorded value is more than the estimated fair value. Intangible assets that have finite useful lives will continue to be amortized over their useful lives and are periodically evaluated for impairment.

The unprecedented decline in economic conditions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decline in stock market valuations in March 2020, including our stock price. These triggering events indicated that goodwill related to our single reporting unit may be impaired and we expected to evaluate goodwill for impairment quarterly given the current environment.

During the first quarter of 2020, with the recent volatility in the financial services industry and in our economic environment we determined it prudent to have a full goodwill impairment analysis performed as of March 31, 2020 updated as of June 30, 2020. We performed the goodwill impairment test by determining the fair value of the reporting unit. We engaged a third-party financial advisor to prepare the market and income approaches in order to determine fair value. Their analysis supported the conclusion that the fair value of our common stock at June 30, 2020 was greater than both stated and tangible common book value and therefore no impairment to the goodwill was recorded at June 30, 2020.

As we monitored our performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to experience declines in our stock price in relation to other bank indices and the length of time that the market value of the reporting unit had been below its book value, we completed another interim quantitative goodwill impairment analysis as of September 30, 2020. Various valuation methodologies were considered when completing the quantitative impairment test to determine the estimated fair value of the reporting unit which is then compared to its carrying value, including goodwill. Upon completing the quantitative impairment analysis as of September 30, 2020, the analysis estimated fair value of the reporting unit to be less than the carrying value. Therefore, we recorded a goodwill impairment of $62.2 million, which represented the entire amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. This was a non-cash charge to earnings and had no impact on our regulatory capital ratios, cash flows, liquidity position, or our overall financial strength.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Income Taxes

We estimate income tax expense based on amounts expected to be owed to the tax jurisdictions where we conduct business. On a quarterly basis, management assesses the reasonableness of its effective tax rate based upon its current estimate of the amount and components of net income, tax credits and the applicable statutory tax rates expected for the full year.

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined using the asset and liability method and are reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. If current available information raises doubt as to the realization of the deferred tax assets, a valuation allowance is established. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to be applied to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Management assesses all available positive and negative evidence on a quarterly basis to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to utilize the existing deferred tax assets. The amount of future taxable income used in management’s valuation is based upon management approved forecasts, evaluation of historical earnings levels, proven ability to raise capital to support growth or during times of economic stress and consideration of prudent and feasible potential tax strategies. If future events differ from our current forecasts, a valuation allowance may be required, which could have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Accrued taxes payable or receivable represent the net estimated amount due to or due from taxing jurisdictions and are reported in other liabilities and other assets, respectively, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Management evaluates and assesses the relative risks and appropriate tax treatment of transactions and filing positions after considering statutes, regulations, judicial precedent and other information and maintains tax accruals consistent with its evaluation of these relative risks and merits. Changes to the estimate of accrued taxes occur periodically due to changes in tax rates, interpretations of tax laws, the status of examinations being conducted by taxing authorities and changes to statutory, judicial and regulatory guidance. These changes, when they occur, can affect deferred taxes and accrued taxes, as well as the current period’s income tax expense and can be significant to our operating results.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Developments

Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, which is included in Part II, Item 8 of this Report, discusses new accounting pronouncements that we have adopted during 2020.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes.” The amendments in this ASU simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions and improves the consistent application of GAAP by clarifying and amending other existing guidance. The amendments in this ASU will be effective on January 1, 2021 and are not expected to have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” The amendments in this ASU provide optional guidance for a limited period of time to ease the potential burden in accounting for or recognizing the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. The amendments provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to loan and lease agreements, derivative contracts, and other transactions affected by the anticipated transition away from LIBOR toward new interest rate benchmarks. Modified contracts that meet certain scope guidance are eligible for relief from the modification accounting requirements in US GAAP. The optional guidance generally allows for the modified contract to be accounted for as a continuation of the existing contract and does not require contract remeasurement at the modification date or reassessment of a previous accounting determination. The amendments in this ASU are effective as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. We are evaluating the impacts of this ASU and have not yet determined whether LIBOR transition and this ASU will have material effects on our business operations and consolidated financial statements.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”, universally referred to as Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”). The amendments in this ASU, among other things, require the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to better inform their credit loss estimates. Many of the loss estimation techniques applied today will still be permitted, although the inputs to those techniques will change to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses. In addition, the ASU amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. For periodic report filers that are not smaller reporting companies, such as the Company, this standard (Topic 326) is effective as of January 1, 2020.

The Company has elected to take advantage of Section 4014 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) provision to temporarily delay adoption of the CECL methodology. The Bank was subject to the adoption of the CECL accounting method under ASU 2016-03 and related amendments, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326). However, the Bank elected under the CARES Act to defer the implementation of CECL until the earlier of when the national emergency related to the outbreak of COVID-19 ends or December 31, 2020 which was later extended to January 1, 2022. The Company intends to adopt in the first quarter of 2021 as allowed under the provisions of the CARES Act. The Bank’s CECL Committee, which includes members from Credit Administration, Accounting/Finance, Risk Management and Internal Audit, has oversight by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Credit Officer. We engaged a third-party to assist us in developing our CECL model and to assist with evaluation of data and methodologies related to this standard.

As part of its process of adopting CECL, management implemented a third-party software solution and determined appropriate loan segments, methodologies, model assumptions and qualitative components. Our CECL model includes portfolio loan segmentation based upon similar risk characteristics and both a quantitative and qualitative component of the calculation which incorporates a forecasting component of certain economic variables. Our implementation plan also includes the assessment and documentation of appropriate processes, policies and internal controls. Management had a third-party independent consultant review and validate our CECL model.

Parallel runs utilizing data from the current and previous quarters in 2020 and 2019, incorporate elements of our operational procedures and internal controls. Our current parallel run includes the composition, characteristics and quality of our loan portfolio as well as current market economic conditions and forecasts as of the adoption date.

In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on certain debt securities. Based upon the nature and characteristics of our securities portfolio at the adoption date, management does not expect to record any allowance for credit losses on its debt securities as a result of adopting ASU 2016-13.

The ultimate impact of adopting ASU 2016-13, and at each subsequent reporting period, is highly dependent on credit quality, macroeconomic forecasts and conditions, composition of our loans and available-for-sale securities portfolio, along with other management judgments. The transition adjustment to record the allowance for loan losses (“ALL”) will be applied using a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Executive Overview

Carter Bankshares, Inc. (the “Company”) is bank holding company headquartered in Martinsville, Virginia with assets of $4.2 billion at December 31, 2020. The Company is the parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Carter Bank & Trust (the “Bank”). The Bank is an insured, Virginia state-chartered bank, which operates branches in Virginia and North Carolina. The Company provides a full range of financial services with retail, and commercial banking products and insurance. Per the 2019 Annual Report of the Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions, our Company continues to be the fourth largest state-chartered bank by assets size at year end 2019. Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “CARE.”

The Company earns revenue primarily from interest on loans and securities and fees charged for financial services provided to our customers. The Company incurs expenses for the cost of deposits, provision for loan losses and other operating costs such as salaries and employee benefits, data processing, occupancy and tax expense.

Our mission is that the Company strives to be the preferred lifetime financial partner for our customers and shareholders, and the employer of choice in the communities the Company is privileged to serve. Our strategic plan focuses on restructuring the balance sheet to provide more diversification and higher yielding assets to increase the net interest margin. Another area of focus is the transformation of the infrastructure of the Company to provide a foundation for operational efficiency and provide new products and services for our customers that will ultimately increase noninterest income.

Our focus continues to be on loan and deposit growth with a shift in the composition of deposits to more low cost core deposits with less dependence in higher cost certificates of deposits (“CDs”), as well as, implementing opportunities to increase fee income while closely monitoring our operating expenses. The Company is focused on executing our strategy to successfully build our brand and grow our business in our markets.

FRB Reserve Programs and Initiatives

The CARES Act encourages the FRB, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, to establish or implement various programs to help midsize businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities, including (i) a Midsize Business/Nonprofit Organization Program to provide financing to banks and other lenders to make direct loans to eligible businesses and nonprofit organizations with between 500 and 10,000 employees and (ii) the Municipal Liquidity Facility, provide liquidity to the financial system that supports states and municipalities. On April 9, 2020, the FRB announced and solicited comments regarding the Main Street Lending Program, which would implement certain of these recommendations.

Separately and in response to COVID-19, the FRB’s Federal Open Market Committee (the “FOMC”) has set the federal funds target rate – i.e., the interest rate at which depository institutions such as the Company lend reserve balances to other depository institutions overnight on an uncollateralized basis – to an historic low. On March 16, 2020, the FOMC set the federal funds target rate at 0-0.25%. Consistent with FRB policy, the FRB has committed to the use of overnight reverse repurchase agreements as a supplementary policy tool, as necessary, to help control the federal funds rate and keep it in the target range set by the FOMC.

In addition, the FRB has expanded the size and scope of three existing programs to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: (i) the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility; (ii) the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility; and (iii) the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility. The FRB has also established two new program facilities – the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility and the Commercial Paper Funding Facility – to broaden its support for the flow of credit to households and businesses during COVID-19.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Temporary Regulatory Capital Relief related to Impact of CECL

Concurrent with enactment of the CARES Act, the federal bank regulatory authorities issued an interim final rule to provide banking organizations that are required to implement CECL before the end of 2020 the option to delay the estimated impact on regulatory capital by up to two years, with a three-year transition period to phase out the cumulative benefit to regulatory capital provided during the two-year delay.

Temporary Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) Reporting Relief

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) has provided targeted relief from certain BSA reporting requirements and have provided updated guidance to financial institutions on complying with such requirements during COVID-19. Specifically, FinCEN has (i) granted targeted relief to financial institutions participating in the PPP, stating that PPP loans to existing customers will not require reverification under applicable BSA requirements, unless reverification is otherwise required under the financial institution’s risk-based BSA compliance program, (ii) acknowledged that there may be “reasonable delays in compliance” due to COVID-19, and (iii) temporarily suspended implementation of its February 2020 ruling, which would have entailed significant changes to currency transaction reporting filing requirements for transactions involving sole proprietorships and entities operating under a “doing business as” or other assumed name.

The Company’s Response to COVID-19

Lending Operations

The Company elected to take advantage of Section 4014 of the CARES Act provision to temporarily delay adoption of the CECL methodology. The Company is subject to the adoption of the CECL accounting method under the FASBASU 2016-03 and related amendments, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326). However, we elected under the CARES Act to defer the implementation of CECL until January 1, 2021.

The Company quickly responded to the pandemic and the CARES Act, offering the option of payment deferrals, participation in the PPP, fee waivers and other relief actions to customers. Banks have been identified as essential services and have remained open during the order. On October 31, 2020, we opened 3 additional branch lobbies and as of December 31, 2020, the Company had opened the lobbies of 36 branches. However, the Company continues to serve its customers in the remaining branches through modified hours in both the drive-ins and branch services via appointment. Every opportunity is being taken to protect both customers and employees through enhanced cleaning services, social distancing and personal protective equipment requirements for both. Approximately 20% of the Company’s workforce is working remotely.

Under the CARES Act, PPP is an amendment to the SBA 7-A loan program. The Bank became an approved SBA 7A lender in November of 2019. PPP is a guaranteed, unsecured loan program created to fund certain payroll and operating costs of eligible businesses, organizations and self-employed persons during COVID-19. Initially, $349 billion were approved and designated for PPP in order for the SBA to guarantee 100% of collective loans made under the program to eligible small businesses, nonprofits, veteran’s organizations, and tribal businesses. The Company participated in the initial round of funding though a referral relationship with a third-party, non-bank lender. When an additional $310 billion in funds were approved and designated for PPP, we opted to stand up an internal, automated loan process utilizing our core system provider. As of December 31, 2020 we processed either through a third-party or internally 966 PPP loans totaling $57.8 million, represented by $17.9 million and $39.9 million processed in round one and round two, respectively. During 2021 the Company has continued making PPP loans pursuant to the additional PPP authorization that was contained in the December 2020 COVID-19 relief law.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

The FRB implemented a liquidity facility available to financial institutions participating in the PPP. However, the Company opted to fund all PPP loans through our internal liquidity sources. These loans are fully guaranteed by the SBA and do not represent a credit risk. We expect the vast majority of these PPP loans will be forgiven based upon a preliminary review of the loans.

The Company provides deferrals to customers under Section 4013 of the CARES Act and regulatory interagency statements on loan modifications, which suspends the requirement to categorize these deferrals as TDRs. The Part I program was launched in March 2020 and expired at the end of August 2020. The deferrals in Part I typically provided deferral of both principal and interest through the expiry. The Part II program was launched in July 2020 and expired at the end of December 2020. The deferrals in this program were needs based and required the collection of updated financial information and in certain situations, the validation of liquidity to support the business. Prior to the extension of the CARES Act, the Company launched the Part III program that offered borrowers in the Part II program an extension of deferrals through June 2021. For those borrowers who opted into the Part III program, they are required to provide monthly financial statements and remit payments on a quarterly basis based on excess cash flows, if any, up to their otherwise contractual payment. Management expects the majority of deferrals in the Part III program to be principal only deferrals. At the end of the deferral period, for term loans, payments will be applied to accrued interest first and will resume principal payments once accrued interest is current. Deferred principal will be due at maturity. For interest only loans, such as lines of credit, deferred interest will be due at maturity.

As of December 31, 2020, we had 83 total customers opt for deferrals under Part III of the program which continues through June 30, 2021, with an aggregate principal balance of $388.6 million with $11.1 million in deferred principal and interest payments. The weighted average deferment period for these loans is 5.9 months. Approximately $313.9 million, comprised of 56 loan modifications, were in the hospitality industry.

The following table provides detail of the Bank’s deferred loans as of December 31, 2020:

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Our interest income could be reduced due to COVID-19. In keeping with guidance from regulators, we are actively working with COVID-19 affected borrowers to defer their payments, interest, and fees. Interest and fees will still accrue to income through normal GAAP accounting. Should eventual credit losses on these deferred payments emerge, interest income and fees accrued would need to be reversed. In such a scenario, interest income in future periods could be negatively impacted. At this time, we are unable to project the significance of such an impact, if any but recognize the breadth of the economic impact may affect our borrowers’ ability to repay in future periods.

The Company’s exposure to hospitality at December 31, 2020 equated to approximately $497.2 million, or 16.9% of total portfolio loans. These were mostly loans secured by upscale or top tier flagged hotels, which have historically exhibited low leverage and strong operating cash flows. However, we anticipate that a significant portion of our borrowers in the hotel industry will continue to operate at occupancy levels at or below breakeven which has caused, or will cause, them to draw on their existing lines of credit with other financial institutions or other sources of liquidity and may adversely affect their ability to repay existing indebtedness. These developments, together with the current economic conditions generally, may adversely impact the value of real estate collateral in hospitality and other commercial real estate exposure. As a result, we anticipate that our financial condition, capital levels and results of operations could be adversely affected.

The total balance of allowance for loan losses increased $15.3 million during 2020 which was comprised of an increase in specific reserves of $9.1 million and an increase in general reserves of $6.2 million. The $6.2 million increase in general reserves included an increase of $16.1 million in qualitative reserves offset by a decrease of $9.9 million in quantitative reserves due to improvements in the Company’s loss history. The $16.1 million increase in qualitative reserves included $9.6 million due to general economic uncertainties and specific concerns regarding disruptions to the Company’s hospitality clients caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an additional $6.5 million based on general economic, geo-political and other risk factors determined by management. These qualitative reserves are intended to reflect not only the risks of continued weak economic conditions on our loan portfolio, but also loss estimates identified in loan portfolios deemed to be at risk from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company adjusted qualitative risk factors under its incurred loss model for economic conditions, changes in payment deferral procedures, expected changes in collateral values due to reduced cash flows and external factors such as government actions. Management believes the uncertainty regarding customers' ability to repay loans could be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic given higher unemployment rates, requests for payment deferrals, temporary business shutdowns and reduced consumer and business spending.

Retail Operations

The Company will continue to promote digital banking options through our website. Customers are encouraged to utilize online and mobile banking tools and our customer contact center for personal and automated telephone banking services.  Retail branches are staffed and available to assist customers by offering lobby appointments, drive-up and virtual servicing.

In March 2020, we closed all branch lobbies to customer activity, offering drive-up and appointment only services. On October 31, 2020, we opened 31 branch lobbies and as of December 31, 2020, we had 36 branch lobbies open.  Retail leadership continues to monitor branch traffic and local conditions daily making adjustments as needed.  All branches are equipped with video conferencing and online tools that enable virtual servicing.   When we make the decision to open the remainder of our branch lobbies, plans are in place to resume full-service lobby operations augmented with the virtual and online servicing enhancements deployed over the past year.   We continue to pay all employees according to their normal work schedule, even if their hours have been reduced. No employees have been furloughed. Employees whose job responsibilities can be effectively carried out remotely are working from home. Employees whose critical duties require their continued presence on-site are utilizing personal protection equipment and observing social distancing and cleaning protocols.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Our fee income for 2020 was negatively impacted due to COVID-19 by approximately $1.5 million. In keeping with guidance from regulators, we are actively working with COVID-19 affected customers to waive fees from a variety of sources, such as, but not limited to, insufficient funds and overdraft fees and account maintenance fees, etc. These reductions in fees are thought, at this time, to be temporary in conjunction with the length of the expected COVID-19 related economic crisis. Beginning on July 20, 2020, certain account fees were reinstated. The breadth of the economic impact is likely to continue to impact our fee income in future periods.

Capital Resources and Liquidity

As of December 31, 2020, all of the Company’s capital ratios were in excess of all regulatory requirements. An extended economic recession brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely impact our reported regulatory capital ratios.

We maintain access to multiple sources of liquidity. Funding sources accessible to the Company include borrowing availability at the FHLB, equal to 25% of the Company’s assets approximating $1.0 billion, subject to the amount of eligible collateral pledged, federal funds unsecured lines with six other correspondent financial institutions in the amount of $145.0 million and access to the institutional CD market through brokered CDs. In addition to the above resources, the Company also has $632.7 million of unpledged available-for-sale securities as an additional source of liquidity at December 31, 2020. If an extended recession caused large numbers of our deposit customers to withdraw their funds, we might become more reliant on volatile or more expensive sources of funding.

The Company is monitoring and will continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has taken and will continue to take steps to mitigate the potential risks and impact on our liquidity and capital resources. Due to the economic uncertainty, we are taking a prudent approach to capital management and have established access to the FRB’s PPP Lending Facility.

Earnings Summary

We recognized a net loss of $45.9 million, or ($1.74) per share in 2020, resulting in a decrease of $72.4 million, or 272.6% compared to net income of $26.6 million, or $1.01 per share for the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a one-time goodwill impairment charge of $62.2 million that was recorded in the third quarter of 2020. Excluding this one-time charge, adjusted net income was $16.3 million in 2020. Also contributing to the net loss and the decrease in net income and adjusted net income for the year was an increase in the provision for loan losses of $14.6 million. Net income is reconciled to adjusted net income, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, below in the “Explanation of Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section of this MD&A.

Net interest income decreased $7.2 million, or 6.4%, to $105.1 million in 2020 compared to $112.3 million for the same period in 2019. Net interest margin decreased 23 basis points to 2.74% in 2020 compared to 2.97% in 2019. The net interest margin, on a fully taxable equivalent basis, (or “FTE”), decreased 25 basis points to 2.80% in 2020 compared to 3.05% in 2019. The decreases in short-term interest rates had a negative impact on both net interest income and the net interest margin, but are offset by a lower cost of funds. The yield on interest-earning assets decreased 54 basis points in 2020, offset by a 34 basis point decline in funding costs as compared to 2019. Net interest margin is reconciled to net interest income adjusted to an FTE basis, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, below in the “Net Interest Income” section of this MD&A.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

The provision for loan losses increased $14.6 million, or 429.0% to $18.0 million during 2020 compared to $3.4 million in 2019. The total balance of reserves increased $15.3 million during 2020 which was comprised of an increase in specific reserves of $9.1 million and an increase in general reserves of $6.2 million. The $6.2 million increase in general reserves included an increase of $16.1 million in qualitative reserves offset by a decrease of $9.9 million in quantitative reserves due to improvements in the Company’s loss history. The $16.1 million increase in qualitative reserves included $9.6 million due to general economic uncertainties and specific concerns regarding disruptions to the Company’s hospitality clients caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an additional $6.5 million based on general economic, geo-political and other risk factors determined by management.

At December 31, 2020, nonperforming loans and TDRs were $32.0 million compared to $42.1 million at December 31, 2019, a decrease of $10.1 million, or 24.0%. Net charge-offs were $2.7 million in 2020 compared to $3.8 million in 2019. As a percentage of total portfolio loans, net charge-offs were 0.09% at December 31, 2020 compared to 0.13% at December 31, 2019. Nonperforming loans as a percentage of total portfolio loans was 1.09% and 1.46% as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

Total noninterest income increased $9.7 million, or 57.6%, to $26.6 million for the full year 2020 compared to $16.9 million for the same period in 2019, primarily driven by the impact of a $6.9 million in net securities gains. Securities gains increased $4.7 million to $6.9 million during 2020 compared to $2.2 million during 2019 to take advantage of market opportunities and reposition and diversify holdings in the securities portfolio. Other key factors impacting total noninterest income during 2020 were $4.1 million of commercial loan swap fee income throughout 2020, due to the high demand for this product in the current low interest rate environment and $0.7 million of higher debit card interchange fees, $0.5 million of higher insurance commissions and $0.5 million in other noninterest income. These increases were offset by lower service charges, commissions and fees of $0.3 million due to COVID-19 waivers and OREO income of $0.3 million. OREO income declined due to the sale of several large commercial properties that generated income.

Total noninterest expense increased $60.8 million, or 62.0%, to $158.8 million for the full year 2020 compared to $98.0 million for the same period in 2019, primarily driven by the impact of a $62.2 million one-time goodwill impairment charge during the third quarter of 2020. Other key factors impacting total noninterest expense during 2020 were a $1.6 million increase in occupancy expenses, a $1.0 million increase in FDIC expense due to the $1.1 million one-time credit for eligible institutions available in the third quarter of 2019, a $0.4 million increase in data processing licensing fee and a $0.5 million increase in professional and legal fees. Offsetting these increases were decreases of $3.3 million related to losses on sales and write-downs of OREO due to the write-down of $1.1 million on five closed retail branch offices moved to OREO in the third quarter of 2020, a $1.2 million decrease in tax credit amortization and a decrease of $0.5 million in salaries and employee benefits attributable to our branch network optimization project.

The provision for income taxes decreased $0.4 million to $0.8 million in 2020 compared to $1.2 million in 2019. The decrease in pretax income of $72.9 million for the full year 2020 was primarily due to the full goodwill impairment charge of $62.2 million that was recorded in the third quarter of 2020. Our effective tax rate was (1.7%) for 2020 as compared to 4.4% in 2019. The $62.2 million goodwill impairment charge was the reason for the decreased effective tax rate in 2020. The goodwill impairment charge was not tax deductible. We ordinarily generate an annual effective tax rate that is less than the statutory rate of 21% due to benefits resulting from tax-exempt interest and tax credit projects, which are relatively consistent regardless of the level of pretax income.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

Year Ended December 31, 2020 

Net Interest Income

Our principal source of revenue is net interest income. Net interest income represents the difference between the interest and fees earned on interest-earning assets and the interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income is affected by changes in the average balance of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and changes in interest rates and spreads. The level and mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities is managed by our Asset and Liability Committee (“ALCO”), in order to mitigate interest rate and liquidity risks of the balance sheet. A variety of ALCO strategies were implemented, within prescribed ALCO risk parameters, to produce what the Company believes is an acceptable level of net interest income.

The interest income on interest-earning assets and the net interest margin are presented on an FTE basis, which is a non-GAAP measure. The FTE basis adjusts for the tax benefit of income on certain tax-exempt loans and securities using the applicable federal statutory tax rate for each period (which was 21% for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018) and the dividend-received deduction for equity securities. The Company believes this FTE presentation provides a relevant comparison between taxable and non-taxable sources of interest income.

The following table reconciles net interest income per the Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income to net interest income on an FTE basis for the periods presented:

Average Balance Sheet and Net Interest Income Analysis (FTE)

Total net interest income decreased $7.2 million, or 6.4%, to $105.1 million in 2020, as compared to $112.3 million in 2019. Net interest income, on an FTE basis (non-GAAP), decreased $7.9 million, or 6.8%, to $107.5 million in 2020 as compared to $115.4 million in 2019. The decrease in net interest income, on an FTE basis, is driven by an $18.8 million decrease in interest income, offset by a $10.9 million decrease in interest expense during 2020 as compared to 2019. The decreases in short-term interest rates had a negative impact on both net interest income and the net interest margin, but are offset by a lower cost of funds. Net interest margin decreased 23 basis points to 2.74% in 2020 compared to 2.97% in 2019. The net interest margin, on an FTE basis (non-GAAP), decreased 25 basis points to 2.80% in 2020 compared to 3.05% in 2019, primarily due to the lower interest rate environment. The lower interest rate environment and the intentional runoff of higher cost CDs helped to lower the overall cost of funds.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

The following table provides information regarding the average balances, interest and rates earned on interest-earning assets and the average balances, interest and rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities for the years ended December 31:

(1) Nonaccruing loans are included in the daily average loan amounts outstanding. 

(2) Tax-exempt income is on an FTE basis using the statutory federal corporate income tax rate of 21 percent. 

(3) Loan and deposit balances include held-for-sale transactions in connection with sale of Bank branches.

Interest income, on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) decreased $18.8 million, or 11.6%, in 2020 compared to 2019. The decrease is primarily due to balance sheet repricing driven by the impact of the lower interest rate environment. We are currently maintaining higher liquidity levels as a result of COVID-19. The change was primarily due to an increase in average interest-earning assets of $45.0 million in 2020 offset by lower short-term interest rates compared to 2019. Average loan balances increased $111.3 million in 2020 compared to 2019 includes PPP loan production, which began in second quarter of 2020. Average PPP loans for the year ended December 31, 2020 totaled $24.7 million. The average rate earned on loans decreased 59 basis points in 2020 compared to 2019 primarily due to lower short-term interest rates. Average interest-bearing deposits with banks decreased $19.4 million and the average rate earned decreased 193 basis points compared to 2019. Average investment securities decreased $49.4 million and the average rate earned decreased 41 basis points in 2020 compared 2019. The change in investment securities is the result of active balance sheet management as our portfolio has been diversified as to bond types, maturities, and interest rate structures. Overall, the FTE rate on interest-earning assets (non-GAAP) decreased 54 basis points in 2020 compared to 2019.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Interest expense decreased $10.9 million in 2020 compared to the same periods in 2019. The decrease was primarily due to lower short-term interest rates compared to 2019. Average interest-bearing deposits decreased $83.3 million in 2020 compared to 2019 primarily due to the decline in the average balance of CDs offset by increases in all other deposit categories. The decrease in the average balance of CDs compared to 2019 was primarily due to the intentional runoff of these higher cost deposits. The growth we experienced in all of the other deposit categories was primarily due to our ongoing strategy to attract commercial deposits and customer PPP funds on deposit. The average rate paid on interest-bearing deposits decreased 33 basis points compared to 2019 primarily due to lower short-term interest rates. Average total borrowings increased $28.7 million and the average rate paid decreased 211 basis points in 2020 compared to 2019. Overall, the cost of interest-bearing liabilities decreased 34 basis points in 2020 compared to 2019.

The following table sets forth for the periods presented a summary of the changes in interest earned and interest paid resulting from changes in volume and changes in rates:

(1) Nonaccruing loans are included in the daily average loan amounts outstanding. 

(2) Tax-exempt income is on an FTE basis using the statutory federal corporate income tax rate of 21 percent. 

(3) Changes to rate/volume are allocated to both rate and volume on a proportionate dollar basis.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Provision for Loan Losses

The following table summarizes the activity in the ALL for the periods presented:

The provision for loan losses is the amount to be added to the ALL, after considering loan charge-offs and recoveries, to bring the ALL to a level determined to be appropriate in management's judgment to absorb probable incurred losses inherent in the loan portfolio.

We are subject to the adoption of the CECL accounting method under ASU 2016-03 and related amendments, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326). However, we elected under the CARES Act to defer the implementation of CECL until the earlier of when the national emergency related to the outbreak of COVID-19 ends or December 31, 2020, which was later extended to January 1, 2022. We intend to adopt in the first quarter of 2021 as allowed under the provisions of the CARES Act.

The provision for loan losses increased $14.6 million to $18.0 million in 2020 compared to $3.4 million in 2019. Included in the provision expense during 2020 was an increase in qualitative loss factors as a result of the estimated economic impact of COVID-19 of $9.6 million. This represents a 429.0% increase in the provision expense as compared to the same period of 2019. The Bank adjusted qualitative risk factors under its incurred loss model for economic conditions, changes in payment deferral procedures, expected changes in collateral values due to reduced cash flows and external factors such as government actions. Management believes the uncertainty regarding customers’ ability to repay loans could be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic given higher unemployment rates, requests for payment deferrals, temporary business shutdowns and reduced consumer and business spending. Also contributing to the increase in provision for loan loss expense was higher specific reserves in 2020 of $15.3 million compared to $6.2 million in 2019.

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

The increase was comprised of both higher specific reserves of $9.1 million and general reserves of $6.2 million. The $6.2 million increase in general reserves included an increase of $16.1 million in qualitative reserves offset by a decrease of $9.9 million in quantitative reserves due to improvements in the Company’s loss history. The $16.1 million increase in qualitative reserves included $9.6 million due to general economic uncertainties and specific concerns regarding disruptions to the Company’s hospitality clients caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an additional $6.5 million based on general economic, geo-political and other risk factors determined by management. These qualitative reserves are intended to reflect not only the risks of continued weak economic conditions on our loan portfolio, but also loss estimates identified in loan portfolios deemed to be at risk from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company adjusted qualitative risk factors under its incurred loss model for economic conditions, changes in payment deferral procedures, expected changes in collateral values due to reduced cash flows and external factors such as government actions. Management believes the uncertainty regarding customers' ability to repay loans could be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic given higher unemployment rates, requests for payment deferrals, temporary business shutdowns and reduced consumer and business spending.

Net charge-offs decreased $1.1 million to $2.7 million in 2020 compared to $3.8 million for 2019. Net loan charge-offs to average loans were 0.09% and 0.13% in 2020 and 2019, respectively. Specific reserves were $15.3 million at December 31, 2020 and $6.2 million at December 31, 2019.

Nonperforming loans and TDRs decreased at December 31, 2020 by $10.1 million, to $32.0 million as compared to $42.1 million at December 31, 2019, due to sale proceeds from two credit relationships. The allowance for loan losses was 169.1% of nonperforming loans as of December 31, 2020 as compared to 92.0% of nonperforming loans as of December 31, 2019. Management is aggressively taking steps to address problem loan relationships.

The ALL at December 31, 2020 was $54.1 million compared to $38.8 million at December 31, 2019. The ALL as a percentage of total portfolio loans was 1.83% at December 31, 2020 and 1.34% at December 31, 2019.

Discussion of net interest income for the year ended December 31, 2018 has been omitted as such discussion was provided in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” under the heading “Net Interest Income” in the Bank’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed as Exhibit 99.1 with the SEC on November 23, 2020 (and originally filed with the FDIC).

Noninterest Income

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (continued)

Total noninterest income increased $9.7 million, or 57.6%, to $26.9 million for the full year 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, primarily driven by the impact of $6.9 million in net securities gains. Securities gains increased $4.7 million to $6.9 million during 2020 compared to $2.2 million during 2019 to take advantage of market opportunities and reposition and diversify holdings in the securities portfolio. Other key factors impacting total noninterest income during 2020 were $4.1 million commercial loan swap fee income for 2020 compared to 2019, due to the high demand for this product in the current low interest rate environment and $0.7 million increase in debit card interchange fees due to higher volumes in demand deposits, $0.5 million in insurance income and $0.5 million in other noninterest income. The increase of $0.5 million in other income primarily relates to higher gains on sales of mortgage loans and tax credit exits. These increases were partially offset by lower service charges, commissions and fees of $0.3 million due to COVID-19 waivers and OREO income of $0.3 million. OREO income declined due to the sale of several large commercial properties that generated income in 2019.

Discussion of noninterest income for the year ended December 31, 2018 has been omitted as such discussion was provided in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” under the heading “Noninterest Income” in the Bank’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed as Exhibit 99.1 with the SEC on November 23, 2020 (and originally filed with the FDIC).

Noninterest Expense

Total noninterest expense increased $60.8 million, or 62.0% to $158.8 million for the full year 2020 compared to $98.0 million in the same period of 2019, primarily driven by the impact of a $62.2 million one-time goodwill impairment charge during the third quarter of 2020. Other key factors impacting total noninterest expense during 2020 were a $1.6 million increase in occupancy expense resulting from higher depreciation expense on software and equipment for ancillary products and services, an increase of $1.0 million for FDIC expense which related to a one-time credit of $1.1 million received in the third quarter of 2019 for eligible institutions, a $0.4 million increase in data processing licensing fee and a $0.5 million increase in professional and legal fees. The decreases offsetting these increases included losses and write-downs of OREO of $3.3 million, $1.2 million decline in the amortization of tax credits and a $0.5 million decrease in salaries and employee benefits. The losses and write-downs of OREO relate to eight retail offices that were closed as part of our branch optimization project. Five of these branches were moved to OREO and marketed for sale resulting in a $1.1 million write-down. The decline of $1.2 million for the amortization of tax credits relates to tax credits being fully amortized. The net decrease of $0.5 million in salaries and employee benefits was comprised of a $0.9 million increase in salaries offset by a $1.4 million decrease in benefits. Salaries increased primarily due to $0.2 million in merit increases, a $0.6 million decrease in salary deferral on new loan origination in 2020, and $0.2 million in hazard bonus payments offset by a reduction of overtime expense of $0.1 million. Benefits decreased primarily due to a $0.5 million reduction in profit sharing and a $0.9 million reduction in medical expense. There have not been any permanent or temporary reductions in employees as a result of COVID-19. Discussion of noninterest expense for the year ended December 31, 2018 has been omitted as such discussion was provided in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” under the heading “Noninterest Expense” in the Bank’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed as Exhibit 99.1 with the SEC on November 23, 2020 (originally filed with the FDIC).

CARTER BANKSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES