FIRST CAPITAL INC - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. First Capital, Inc. also may make forward-looking statements in its other documents filed or furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition, First Capital, Inc.’s senior management may make forward-looking statements orally to investors and others. These statements are not historical facts, rather statements based on First Capital, Inc.’s current expectations regarding its business strategies, intended results and future performance. Forward-looking statements are preceded by terms such as “could,” “should,” “will” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends” and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Management’s ability to predict results or the effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause or contribute to the Company’s actual results, performance and achievements being materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause or contribute to these differences include, without limitation, the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts of the pandemic and of businesses’ and governments’ responses to the pandemic on our operations and personnel, and on commercial activity and demand across our and our customers’ businesses, market, economic, operational, liquidity, credit and interest rate risks associated with the Company’s business (including developments and volatility arising from the COVID-19 pandemic),general economic conditions, including changes in market interest rates and changes in monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government; the ability of First Capital, Inc. to execute its business plan; First Capital, Inc.’s ability to control costs and expenses; competitive products and pricing; deposit flows; loan delinquency rates; changes in federal and state legislation and regulation; and other factors disclosed periodically in First Capital, Inc.’s filings with the SEC. Additional factors that may affect our results are discussed in Item 1A to this Annual Report on Form 10-K titled “Risk Factors” below. These factors should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements, whether included in this report or made elsewhere from time to time by First Capital, Inc. or on its behalf. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of First Capital, Inc. speak only as of the date they are made, and except to the extent required by applicable law First Capital, Inc. does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made. The reader should, however, consult any further disclosures of a forward-looking nature First Capital, Inc. may make in any subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, or Current Reports on Form 8-K.

PART I

ITEM 1.         BUSINESS

General

First Capital, Inc. (the “Company” or “First Capital”) was incorporated under Indiana law on September 11, 1998. On December 31, 1998, the Company became the holding company for First Federal Bank, A Federal Savings Bank (the “Bank”) upon the Bank’s reorganization as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company resulting from the conversion of First Capital, Inc., M.H.C. (the “MHC”), from a federal mutual holding company to a stock holding company. On January 12, 2000, the Company completed a merger of equals with HCB Bancorp, the former holding company for Harrison County Bank, and the Bank changed its name to First Harrison Bank. On March 20, 2003, the Company acquired Hometown Bancshares, Inc. (“Hometown”), a bank holding company located in New Albany, Indiana. On December 4, 2015, the Company acquired Peoples Bancorp, Inc. of Bullitt County and its wholly-owned bank subsidiary, Peoples Bank of Bullitt County (“Peoples”), headquartered in Shepherdsville, Kentucky.

On September 20, 2017, the Bank filed applications with the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (“IDFI”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) to convert from a federal savings association into an Indiana chartered commercial bank (the “Conversion”). The Conversion has been completed and, as of June 30, 2018, the IDFI is the Bank’s primary regulator and the FDIC is the Bank’s primary federal regulator. The Conversion did not affect the Bank’s clients in any way and did not affect FDIC deposit insurance on eligible accounts as the Bank’s deposits are federally insured by the FDIC under the Deposit Insurance Fund. The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) System.

Additionally, in connection with the Conversion, the Company filed an application with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to change from a savings and loan holding company to a financial holding company. This change occurred simultaneously with the Conversion discussed above.

The Company’s primary business activity is the ownership of the outstanding common stock of the Bank. Management of the Company and the Bank are substantially similar and the Company neither owns nor leases any property, but instead uses the premises, equipment and furniture of the Bank in accordance with applicable regulations.

Availability of Information

The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are made available free of charge on the Company’s Internet website, www.firstharrison.com, as soon as practicable after the Company electronically files such material with, or furnishes it to, the SEC. The contents of the Company’s website shall not be incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K or into any reports the Company files with or furnishes to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Market Area and Competition

The Bank considers Harrison, Floyd, Clark and Washington counties in Indiana and Bullitt County in Kentucky its primary market area. All of its offices are located in these five counties, which results in most of the Bank’s loans being made in these five counties. The main office of the Bank is located in Corydon, Indiana, 35 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky. The Bank aggressively competes for business with local banks, as well as large regional banks. Its most direct competition for deposit and loan business comes from the commercial banks operating in these five counties. Based on data published by the FDIC, the Bank is among the leaders in FDIC-insured institutions in deposit market share in Harrison County, Indiana, which includes the Bank’s main office, and in Bullitt County, Kentucky, where Peoples was headquartered.

COVID-19

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) as a global pandemic, which continues to spread throughout the United States and around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect economic activity globally, nationally and locally. COVID-19 and actions taken to mitigate the spread of it have had and are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on the economies and financial markets of many countries, including the geographical area in which the Company operates. Such events also may adversely affect business and consumer confidence, generally, and the Company and its customers, and their respective suppliers, vendors and processors, may be adversely affected.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic market interest rates have declined significantly, as the Federal Open Market Committee reduced the targeted federal funds interest rate range by 150 basis points during the month of March 2020 to 0% to 0.25%. These reductions in interest rates and other effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may adversely affect the Company's financial condition and results of operations in future periods. It is unknown how long the adverse conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will last and what the financial impact will be to the Company. It is reasonably possible that estimates made in the financial statements could be materially and adversely impacted in the near term as a result of these conditions, including expected credit losses on loans.

On March 22, 2020, the federal banking agencies issued an “Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for Financial Institutions Working with Customers Affected by the Coronavirus”. This guidance encourages financial institutions to work prudently with borrowers that may be unable to meet their contractual obligations because of the effects of COVID-19. The guidance goes on to explain that in consultation with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) staff that the federal banking agencies concluded that short-term modifications (e.g., six months) made on a good faith basis to borrowers who were current as of the implementation date of a relief program are not troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”). The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was passed by Congress on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act also addressed COVID-19 related modifications and specified that COVID-19 related modifications on loans that were current as of December 31, 2019 are not TDRs. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 signed into law on December 27, 2020 further extended the relief from TDR accounting for qualified modifications to the earlier of January 1, 2022, or 60 days after the national emergency concerning COVID-19 terminates. The Bank has applied this guidance related to payment deferrals and other COVID-19 related loan modifications made through December 31, 2020.

The CARES Act also included a total allocation of $659 billion for loans to be issued by financial institutions through the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). This program is known as the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). PPP loans are forgivable, in whole or in part, if the proceeds are used for eligible payroll costs and other permitted purposes in accordance with the requirements of the PPP. These loans carry a fixed rate of 1.00% and are 100% guaranteed by the SBA. PPP loans originated prior to June 5, 2020 have a term of two years, while PPP loans originated on or after June 5, 2020 have a term of five years. In accordance with the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act of 2020, payments on PPP loans are deferred until the SBA remits the borrower’s loan forgiveness amount to the lender or, if the borrower does not apply for loan forgiveness, 10 months after the end of the borrower’s loan forgiveness covered period. The SBA paid the originating bank a processing fee ranging from 1% to 5%, based on the size of the loan. The Bank originated PPP loans totaling approximately $45.9 million, of which $44.8 million were under the original two year term. At December 31, 2020, the remaining balance of PPP loans totaled $37.3 million. Participation in the PPP will likely have a positive impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations as this fee income is recognized over the term of the PPP loans. At December 31, 2020, net deferred loan fees related to PPP loans totaled $842,000, which will be recognized over the life of the loans and as borrowers are granted forgiveness.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 included the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, which renewed the PPP by allocating additional funds for both new first time PPP borrowers and “second round” PPP loans for qualifying existing PPP borrowers. The Bank is actively pursuing additional PPP loans under the program, which currently is extended through March 31, 2021.

Lending Activities

General. Over the last few years, the Bank has continued to transform the composition of its balance sheet from that of a traditional thrift institution to that of a commercial bank. On the asset side, this is being accomplished in part by selling in the secondary market the newly-originated qualified fixed-rate residential mortgage loans while retaining variable rate residential mortgage loans in the portfolio. This transformation is also enhanced by an expanded commercial lending staff dedicated to growing commercial real estate and commercial business loans. The Bank also continues to originate consumer loans and residential construction loans for the loan portfolio. The Bank does not offer, and has not offered, Alt-A, sub-prime or no-document mortgage loans.         

Loan Portfolio Analysis. The following table presents the composition of the Bank’s loan portfolio by type of loan at the dates indicated.

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(1)  Includes conventional one- to four- family and multi-family residential loans.

(2)  Includes construction loans for which the Bank has commited to provide permanent financing.  

(3)  Includes loans secured by lawn and farm equipment, mobile homes, and other personal property.      

Residential Loans. The Bank’s lending activities have concentrated on the origination of residential mortgages, both for sale in the secondary market and for retention in the Bank’s loan portfolio. Residential mortgages secured by multi-family properties totaled $37.3 million, or 28.4% of the residential loan portfolio at December 31, 2020. Substantially all residential mortgages are collateralized by properties within the Bank’s market area.

The Bank offers both fixed-rate mortgage loans and adjustable rate mortgage (“ARM”) loans typically with terms of 15 to 30 years. The Bank uses loan documents approved by the Federal National Mortgage Corporation (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) whether the loan is originated for investment or sale in the secondary market.

Retaining fixed-rate loans in its portfolio subjects the Bank to a higher degree of interest rate risk. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors–Above Average Interest Rate Risk Associated with Fixed-Rate Loans” for a further discussion of certain risks of rising interest rates. A strategic goal of the Bank is to expand its mortgage business by originating mortgage loans for sale, while offering a full line of mortgage products to current and prospective customers. This practice increases the Bank’s lending capacity and allows the Bank to more effectively manage its profitability since it is not required to predict the prepayment, credit or interest rate risks associated with retaining either the loan or the servicing asset. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Bank originated and funded $143.9 million of residential mortgage loans for sale in the secondary market. For a further discussion of the Bank’s mortgage banking operations, see “Item 1. Business–Mortgage Banking Activities.”

ARM loans originated generally have interest rates that adjust at regular intervals of one to five years based upon changes in the prevailing interest rates on United States Treasury Bills. The Bank also originates “hybrid” ARM loans, which are fixed for an initial period of three or five years and adjust annually thereafter. The Bank may occasionally use below market interest rates and other marketing inducements to attract ARM loan borrowers. The majority of ARM loans provide that the amount of any increase or decrease in the interest rate is limited to 2.0% (upward or downward) per adjustment period and 6.0% over its lifetime and generally contains minimum and maximum interest rates. Borrower demand for ARM loans versus fixed-rate mortgage loans is largely a function of the level of interest rates, the expectations of changes in the level of interest rates and the difference between the interest rates and loan fees offered for fixed-rate mortgage loans and interest rates and loan fees for ARM loans. The relative amount of fixed-rate and ARM loans that can be originated at any time is largely determined by the demand for each in a competitive environment.

The Bank’s lending policies generally limit the maximum loan-to-value ratio on fixed-rate and ARM loans to 80% of the lesser of the appraised value or purchase price of the underlying residential property unless private mortgage insurance to cover the excess over 80% is obtained, in which case the mortgage is limited to 95% (or 97% under a Freddie Mac program) of the lesser of appraised value or purchase price. The loan-to-value ratio, maturity and other provisions of the loans made by the Bank are generally reflected in the policy of making less than the maximum loan permissible under federal regulations, in accordance with established lending practices, market conditions and underwriting standards maintained by the Bank. The Bank requires title, fire and extended insurance coverage on all mortgage loans originated. All of the Bank’s real estate loans contain due on sale clauses. The Bank generally obtains appraisals on all its real estate loans from outside appraisers. 

Construction Loans. The Bank originates construction loans for residential properties and, to a lesser extent, commercial properties. Although the Bank originates construction loans that are repaid with the proceeds of a limited number of mortgage loans obtained by the borrower from another lender, the majority of the construction loans that the Bank originates are permanently financed in the secondary market by the Bank. Construction loans originated without a commitment by the Bank to provide permanent financing are generally originated for a term of six to 12 months and at a fixed interest rate based on the prime rate.

The Bank originates speculative construction loans to a limited number of builders operating and based in the Bank’s primary market area and with whom the Bank has well-established business relationships. At December 31, 2020, the Bank had approved speculative construction loans, a construction loan for which there is not a commitment for permanent financing in place at the time the construction loan was originated, with total commitments of $6.7 million and outstanding balances of $1.7 million. The Bank limits the number of speculative construction loans outstanding to any one builder based on the Bank’s assessment of the builder’s capacity to service the debt.

Most construction loans are originated with a loan-to-value ratio not to exceed 80% of the appraised estimated value of the completed property. The construction loan documents require the disbursement of the loan proceeds in increments as construction progresses. Disbursements are based on periodic on-site inspections by an independent appraiser.

Construction lending is inherently riskier than residential mortgage lending. Construction loans, on average, generally have higher loan balances than residential mortgage loans. In addition, the potential for cost overruns because of the inherent difficulties in estimating construction costs and, therefore, collateral values and the difficulties and costs associated with monitoring construction progress, among other things, are major contributing factors to this greater credit risk. Speculative construction loans have the added risk that there is not an identified buyer for the completed home when the loan is originated, with the risk that the builder will have to service the construction loan debt and finance the other carrying costs of the completed home for an extended time period until a buyer is identified. Furthermore, the demand for construction loans and the ability of construction loan borrowers to service their debt depends highly on the state of the general economy, including market interest rate levels and the state of the economy of the Bank’s primary market area. A material downturn in economic conditions would be expected to have a material adverse effect on the credit quality of the construction loan portfolio. 

Commercial Real Estate Loans. Commercial real estate loans are generally secured by small retail stores, professional office space and, in certain instances, farm properties. Commercial real estate loans are generally originated with a loan-to-value ratio not to exceed 75% of the appraised value of the property. Property appraisals are performed by independent appraisers approved by the Bank’s board of directors. The Bank seeks to originate commercial real estate loans at variable interest rates based on the prime lending rate or the United States Treasury Bill rate for terms ranging from ten to 20 years and with interest rate adjustment intervals of one to five years. The Bank also originates fixed-rate balloon loans with a short maturity, but a longer amortization schedule.

Commercial real estate lending affords the Bank an opportunity to receive interest at rates higher than those generally available from residential mortgage lending. However, loans secured by such properties usually are greater in amount, more difficult to evaluate and monitor and, therefore, involve a greater degree of risk than residential mortgage loans. Because payments on loans secured by multi-family and commercial properties are often dependent on the successful operation and management of the properties, repayment of such loans may be affected by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy. The Bank seeks to minimize these risks by limiting the maximum loan-to-value ratio to 75% and strictly scrutinizing the financial condition of the borrower, the quality of the collateral and the management of the property securing the loan. The Bank also obtains loan guarantees from financially capable parties based on a review of personal financial statements. 

Commercial Business Loans. Commercial business loans are generally secured by inventory, accounts receivable, and business equipment such as trucks and tractors. Many commercial business loans also have real estate as collateral. The Bank generally requires a personal guaranty of payment by the principals of a corporate borrower, and reviews the personal financial statements and income tax returns of the guarantors. Commercial business loans are generally originated with loan-to-value ratios not exceeding 75%. Commercial business loans at December 31, 2020 also included $37.3 million in PPP loans that are 100% guaranteed by the SBA.

Aside from lines of credit, commercial business loans are generally originated for terms not to exceed seven years with variable interest rates based on the prime lending rate. Approved credit lines totaled $43.2 million at December 31, 2020, of which $17.5 million was outstanding. Lines of credit are originated at fixed and variable interest rates for one-year renewable terms.

Commercial business lending generally involves greater risk than residential mortgage lending and involves risks that are different from those associated with residential and commercial real estate lending. Real estate lending is generally considered to be collateral-based lending with loan amounts based on predetermined loan-to-collateral values and liquidation of the underlying real estate collateral is viewed as the primary source of repayment in the event of borrower default. Although commercial business loans are often collateralized by equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other business assets, the liquidation of collateral in the event of a borrower default is often an insufficient source of repayment because accounts receivable may be uncollectible and inventories and equipment may be obsolete or of limited use, among other things. Accordingly, the repayment of a commercial business loan depends primarily on the creditworthiness of the borrower (and any guarantors); while liquidation of collateral is a secondary, and often insufficient, source of repayment. The Bank has eight commercial lenders and three commercial credit analysts committed to growing commercial business loans to facilitate the changes desired in the Bank’s balance sheet. The Bank also uses an outside loan review company to review selected commercial credits on an annual basis. 

Consumer Loans. The Bank offers a variety of secured or guaranteed consumer loans, including automobile and truck loans, home equity loans, home improvement loans, boat loans, mobile home loans and loans secured by savings deposits. In addition, the Bank offers unsecured consumer loans. Consumer loans are generally originated at fixed interest rates and for terms not to exceed seven years. The largest portion of the Bank’s consumer loan portfolio consists of home equity and second mortgage loans followed by automobile and truck loans. Automobile and truck loans are originated on both new and used vehicles. Such loans are generally originated at fixed interest rates for terms up to five years and at loan-to-value ratios up to 90% of the blue book value in the case of used vehicles and 90% of the purchase price in the case of new vehicles.

The Bank originates variable-rate home equity and fixed-rate second mortgage loans generally for terms not to exceed ten years. The loan-to-value ratio on such loans is limited to 80%, taking into account the outstanding balance on the first mortgage loan.

The Bank’s underwriting procedures for consumer loans includes an assessment of the applicant’s payment history on other debts and ability to meet existing obligations and payments on the proposed loans. Although the applicant’s creditworthiness is a primary consideration, the underwriting process also includes a comparison of the value of the security, if any, to the proposed loan amount. The Bank underwrites and originates the majority of its consumer loans internally, which management believes limits exposure to credit risks relating to loans underwritten or purchased from brokers or other outside sources.

Consumer loans generally entail greater risk than do residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans which are unsecured or secured by assets that depreciate rapidly, such as automobiles. In the latter case, repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment for the outstanding loan and the remaining deficiency often does not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower. In addition, consumer loan collections depend on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and, therefore, are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy. Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit the amount which can be recovered on such loans. Such loans may also give rise to claims and defenses by the borrower against the Bank as the holder of the loan, and a borrower may be able to assert claims and defenses that it has against the seller of the underlying collateral.

Loan Maturity and Repricing

The following table sets forth certain information at December 31, 2020 regarding the dollar amount of loans maturing in the Bank’s portfolio based on their contractual terms to maturity, but does not include potential prepayments. Demand loans, which are loans having neither a stated schedule of repayments nor a stated maturity, and overdrafts are reported as due in one year or less. Loan balances do not include undisbursed loan proceeds, unearned income and allowance for loan losses.

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(1) Includes commercial real estate construction loans.

The following table sets forth the dollar amount of all loans due after December 31, 2021, which have fixed interest rates and floating or adjustable interest rates.

Loan Solicitation and Processing. A majority of the Bank’s loan originations are made to existing customers. Walk-ins and customer referrals are also a source of loan originations. Upon receipt of a loan application, a credit report is ordered to verify specific information relating to the loan applicant’s employment, income and credit standing. A loan applicant’s income is verified through the applicant’s employer or from the applicant’s tax returns. In the case of a real estate loan, an appraisal of the real estate intended to secure the proposed loan is undertaken, generally by an independent appraiser approved by the Bank. The mortgage loan documents used by the Bank conform to secondary market standards.

The Bank requires that borrowers obtain certain types of insurance to protect its interest in the collateral securing the loan. The Bank requires either a title insurance policy insuring that the Bank has a valid first lien on the mortgaged real estate or an opinion by an attorney regarding the validity of title. Fire and casualty insurance is also required on collateral for loans.

Loan Commitments and Letters of Credit. The Bank issues commitments to originate fixed- and adjustable-rate single-family residential mortgage loans and commercial loans conditioned upon the occurrence of certain events. Such commitments are made in writing on specified terms and conditions and are honored for up to 60 days from the date of application, depending on the type of transaction. The Bank had outstanding loan commitments of approximately $11.3 million at December 31, 2020.

As an accommodation to its commercial business loan borrowers, the Bank issues standby letters of credit or performance bonds usually in favor of municipalities for whom its borrowers are performing services. At December 31, 2020, the Bank had outstanding letters of credit of $346,000.

Loan Origination and Other Fees. Loan fees and points are a percentage of the principal amount of the mortgage loan that is charged to the borrower for funding the loan. The Bank usually charges a fixed origination fee on residential real estate loans and long-term commercial real estate loans. Current accounting standards require loan origination fees and certain direct costs of underwriting and closing loans to be deferred and amortized into interest income over the contractual life of the loan. Deferred fees and costs associated with loans that are sold are recognized as income at the time of sale. The Bank had $317,000 of net deferred loan costs at December 31, 2020.

Mortgage Banking Activities. Mortgage loans originated and funded by the Bank and intended for sale in the secondary market are carried at the lower of aggregate cost or market value. Aggregate market value is determined based on the quoted prices under a “best efforts” sales agreement with a third party. Net unrealized losses are recognized through a valuation allowance by charges to income. Realized gains on sales of mortgage loans are included in noninterest income.

Commitments to originate and fund mortgage loans for sale in the secondary market are considered derivative financial instruments to be accounted for at fair value. The Bank’s mortgage loan commitments subject to derivative accounting are fixed rate mortgage commitments at market rates when initiated. At December 31, 2020, the Bank had commitments to originate $3.9 million in fixed-rate mortgage loans intended for sale in the secondary market after the loans are closed. However, at December 31, 2020, the Bank had no commitments required to be accounted for at fair value, as all mortgage loan commitments were best efforts commitments where specific loans were committed to be delivered if and when the loans were sold. Fair value is estimated based on fees that would be charged on commitments with similar terms.

Delinquencies. The Bank’s collection procedures provide for a series of contacts with delinquent borrowers. A late charge is assessed and a late charge notice is sent to the borrower after the 15th day of delinquency. After 20 days, the collector places a phone call to the borrower. When a payment becomes 60 days past due, the collector issues a default letter. If a loan continues in a delinquent status for 90 days or more, the Bank generally initiates foreclosure or other litigation proceedings.

Nonperforming Assets. Loans are reviewed regularly and when loans become 90 days delinquent, the loan is placed on nonaccrual status and the previously accrued interest income is reversed unless, in the opinion of management, the outstanding interest remains collectible. Typically, payments received on a nonaccrual loan are applied to the outstanding principal and interest as determined at the time of collection of the loan when the likelihood of further loss on the loan is remote. Otherwise, the Bank applies the cost recovery method and applies all payments as a reduction of the unpaid principal balance.

The following table sets forth information with respect to the Bank’s nonperforming assets for the dates indicated. Nonperforming assets include nonaccrual loans, accruing loans that are 90 days or more past due, and foreclosed real estate.

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(1)  Includes residential construction loans.

(2)  Includes commercial real estate construction and land loans.

The Bank accrues interest on loans over 90 days past due when, in the opinion of management, the estimated value of collateral and collection efforts are deemed sufficient to ensure full recovery. The Bank did not recognize any interest income on nonaccrual loans for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. The Bank would have recorded interest income of $104,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020 had nonaccrual loans been current in accordance with their original terms.

Restructured Loans. Periodically, the Bank modifies loans to extend the term or make other concessions to help borrowers stay current on their loans and avoid foreclosure. The Bank generally does not forgive principal or interest on restructured loans. These modified loans are also referred to as “troubled debt restructurings” or “TDRs”. Restructured loans can involve loans remaining on nonaccrual, moving to nonaccrual, or continuing on accrual status, depending on the individual facts and circumstances of the borrower. Generally, a nonaccrual loan that is restructured in a TDR remains on nonaccrual status for a period of at least six months following the restructuring to ensure that the borrower performs in accordance with the restructured terms including consistent and timely payments. At December 31, 2020, TDRs totaled $1.7 million with no related allowance for loan losses on TDRs. There were no TDRs on nonaccrual status at December 31, 2020. TDRs performing according to their restructured terms and on accrual status totaled $1.7 million at December 31, 2020. See Note 4 in the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding TDRs.

Classified Assets. The IDFI and FDIC have adopted various regulations regarding problem assets of financial institutions. The regulations require that each insured institution review and classify its assets on a regular basis. In addition, in connection with examinations of insured institutions, regulatory examiners have the authority to identify additional problem assets and, if appropriate, require them to be classified. There are three classifications for problem assets: substandard, doubtful and loss. “Substandard” assets have one or more defined weaknesses and are characterized by the distinct possibility that the insured institution will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. “Doubtful” assets have the weaknesses of substandard assets with the additional characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions and values questionable, and there is a high possibility of loss. An asset classified as “loss” is considered uncollectible and of such little value that continuance as an asset of the institution is not warranted. If an asset or portion thereof is classified as loss, the insured institution charges off an amount equal to 100% of the portion of the asset classified as loss. The regulations also provide for a “special mention” category, described as assets which do not currently expose the institution to sufficient risk to warrant adverse classification, but have potential weaknesses that deserve management’s close attention.

At December 31, 2020, the Bank had $1.4 million in doubtful/nonaccrual loans and $2.5 million in substandard loans. In addition, the Bank identified $2.9 million in loans as special mention loans at December 31, 2020.

Current accounting rules require that impaired loans be measured based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price or the fair value of collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. A loan is classified as “impaired” by management when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Bank will be unable to collect all amounts due in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement. If the fair value, as measured by one of these methods, is less than the recorded investment in the impaired loan, the Bank establishes a valuation allowance with a provision charged to expense. Management reviews the valuation of impaired loans on a quarterly basis to consider changes due to the passage of time or revised estimates. At December 31, 2020, all impaired loans were considered to be collateral dependent for the purposes of determining fair value.

Values for collateral dependent loans are generally based on appraisals obtained from independent licensed real estate appraisers, with adjustments applied for estimated costs to sell the property, costs to complete unfinished or repair damaged property and other factors. New appraisals are generally obtained for all significant properties when a loan is identified as impaired, and a property is considered significant if the value of the property is estimated to exceed $200,000. Subsequent appraisals are obtained as needed or if management believes there has been a significant change in the market value of the property. In instances where it is not deemed necessary to obtain a new appraisal, management bases its impairment and allowance for loan loss analysis on the original appraisal with adjustments for current conditions based on management’s assessment of market factors and management’s inspection of the property. At December 31, 2020, discounts from appraised values used to value impaired loans for estimates of changes in market conditions, the condition of the collateral, and estimated costs to sell the property ranged from 10% to 66%, with a weighted average of 27%.

An insured institution is required to establish and maintain an allowance for loan losses at a level that is adequate to absorb estimated credit losses associated with the loan portfolio, including binding commitments to lend. General allowances represent loss allowances which have been established to recognize the inherent risk associated with lending activities. When an insured institution classifies problem assets as “loss,” it is required either to establish an allowance for losses equal to 100% of the amount of the assets, or charge off the classified asset. The amount of its valuation allowance is subject to review by the banking regulators, which can order the establishment of additional general loss allowances. The Bank regularly reviews the loan portfolio to determine whether any loans require classification in accordance with applicable regulations.

At December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the aggregate amounts of the Bank’s classified assets were as follows:

Loans classified as impaired in accordance with accounting standards included in the above regulatory classifications and the related allowance for loan losses are summarized below at the dates indicated:

See Note 4 in the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding impaired loans and the related allowance for loan losses.

Foreclosed Real Estate. Foreclosed real estate held for sale is carried at fair value minus estimated costs to sell. Costs of holding foreclosed real estate are charged to expense in the current period, except for significant property improvements, which are capitalized. Valuations are periodically performed by management and an allowance is established by a charge to non-interest expense if the carrying value exceeds the fair value minus estimated costs to sell. The net income or loss from operations of foreclosed real estate held for sale is reported in noninterest expense as a component of net loss on foreclosed real estate. At December 31, 2020, the Bank had no foreclosed real estate. See Note 6 in the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding foreclosed real estate.

Allowance for Loan Losses. Loans are the Bank’s largest concentration of assets and continue to represent the most significant potential risk. In originating loans, the Bank recognizes that losses will be experienced and that the risk of loss will vary with, among other things, the type of loan made, the creditworthiness of the borrower over the term of the loan, general economic conditions and, in the case of a secured loan, the quality of the collateral. The Bank maintains an allowance for loan losses to absorb losses inherent in the loan portfolio. The allowance for loan losses represents management’s estimate of probable loan losses based on information available as of the date of the financial statements. The allowance for loan losses is based on management’s evaluation of the loan portfolio, including historical loan loss experience, delinquencies, known and inherent risks in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, information about specific borrower situations, estimated collateral values, and economic conditions.

The loan portfolio is reviewed quarterly by management to evaluate the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses to determine the amount of any adjustment required after considering the loan charge-offs and recoveries for the quarter. Management applies a systematic methodology that incorporates its current judgments about the credit quality of the loan portfolio. In addition, the IDFI and FDIC, as an integral part of the examination process, periodically review the Bank’s allowance for loan losses and may require the Bank to make additional provisions for estimated losses based on its judgments about information available to it at the time of its examination.

The methodology used in determining the allowance for loan losses includes segmenting the loan portfolio by identifying risk characteristics common to pools of loans, determining and measuring impairment of individual loans based on the present value of expected future cash flows or the fair value of collateral, and determining and measuring impairment for pools of loans with similar characteristics by applying loss factors that consider the qualitative factors which may affect the loss rates.

Specific allowances related to impaired loans and other classified loans are established where the present value of the loan’s discounted cash flows, observable market price or collateral value (for collateral dependent loans) is lower than the carrying value of the loan. The identification of these loans results from the loan review process that identifies and monitors credits with weaknesses or conditions which call into question the full collection of the contractual payments due under the terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management include, among others, payment status, collateral value, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. At December 31, 2020, the Company had no specific allowances.

For loans evaluated on a pool basis, management applies loss factors to pools of loans with common risk characteristics (e.g., residential mortgage loans, home equity loans, commercial real estate loans). The loss factors are derived from the Bank’s historical loss experience. Loss factors are adjusted for significant qualitative factors that, in management’s judgment, affect the collectability of the loan portfolio segment. As part of their analysis of qualitative factors, management considers changes in underwriting standards, economic conditions, past due loan trends, collateral valuations, loan concentrations and other internal and external factors. Management evaluates these conditions on a quarterly basis and evaluates and modifies the assumptions used in establishing the loss factors.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company adjusted the qualitative factors due to economic uncertainties related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. At December 31, 2020, there was still considerable uncertainty about how severely the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the loan portfolio. As a result, management has increased the allowance qualitative factor adjustments for each portfolio segment while considering the potential length of the pandemic, continued elevated unemployment rates, the impact of further state and local restrictions, the impact of government stimulus activities and the timeline for economic recovery.

Management also adjusts the historical loss factors for loans classified as watch, special mention and substandard that are not individually evaluated for impairment. The adjustments consider the increased likelihood of loss on classified loans based on the Company’s separate historical experience for classified loans.

At December 31, 2020, the Company's allowance for loan losses totaled $6.6 million, of which $6.0 million related to qualitative factor adjustments. At December 31, 2019, the Company's allowance for loan losses totaled $5.1 million, of which $3.9 million related to qualitative factor adjustments. These changes were made to reflect management’s estimates of inherent losses in the loan portfolio at December 31, 2020 and 2019.

See Notes 1 and 4 in the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding management’s methodology for estimating the allowance for loan losses.

The following table sets forth an analysis of the Bank’s allowance for loan losses for the periods indicated.

Allowance for Loan Losses Analysis

The following table sets forth the breakdown of the allowance for loan losses by loan category at the dates indicated.

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(1)  Includes residential construction loans.

(2)  Includes commercial real estate construction loans.

Investment Activities

As an Indiana chartered commercial bank, the Bank has the authority to invest in various types of liquid assets, including United States Treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies and of state and municipal governments, deposits at the applicable FHLB, certificates of deposit of federally insured institutions, certain bankers’ acceptances and federal funds. Subject to various restrictions, the Bank may also invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper, corporate debt securities and mutual funds, the assets of which conform to the investments that federally chartered savings institutions are otherwise authorized to make directly. The Bank is also required to maintain minimum levels of liquid assets that vary from time to time. The Bank may decide to increase its liquidity above the required levels depending upon the availability of funds and comparative yields on investments in relation to return on loans.

The Bank is required under federal regulations to maintain a minimum amount of liquid assets and is also permitted to make certain other securities investments. The balance of the Bank’s investments in short-term securities in excess of regulatory requirements reflects management’s response to the significantly increasing percentage of deposits with short maturities. Management intends to hold securities with short maturities in the Bank’s investment portfolio in order to enable the Bank to match more closely the interest-rate sensitivities of its assets and liabilities.

The Bank periodically invests in mortgage-backed securities, including mortgage-backed securities guaranteed or insured by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Mortgage-backed securities generally increase the quality of the Bank’s assets by virtue of the guarantees that back them, are more liquid than individual mortgage loans and may be used to collateralize borrowings or other obligations of the Bank. As of December 31, 2020, all of the Bank’s mortgage-backed securities had fixed rates.

The Bank also invests in collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) issued by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as private issuers. CMOs are complex mortgage-backed securities that restructure the cash flows and risks of the underlying mortgage collateral.

The following table sets forth the securities portfolio at the dates indicated.

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(1)  Yields are calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis using a marginal federal income tax rate of 21% .  Weighted average yields are calculated using average prepayment rates for the most recent three-month period.

(2)  The expected maturities of mortgage-backed securities and CMOs may differ from contractual maturities because the mortgages underlying the obligations may be prepaid without penalty.

Deposit Activities and Other Sources of Funds

General. Deposits and loan repayments are the major source of the Bank’s funds for lending and investment activities and for its general business purposes. Loan repayments are a relatively stable source of funds, while deposit inflows and outflows and loan prepayments are significantly influenced by general interest rates and money market conditions. Borrowing may be used on a short-term basis to compensate for reductions in the availability of funds from other sources or may also be used on a longer-term basis for interest rate risk management.

Deposit Accounts. Deposits are attracted from within the Bank’s primary market area through the offering of a broad selection of deposit instruments, including non-interest bearing checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal (“NOW”) accounts, money market accounts, regular savings accounts, certificates of deposit and retirement savings plans. Deposit account terms vary, according to the minimum balance required, the time periods the funds must remain on deposit and the interest rate, among other factors. In determining the terms of its deposit accounts, the Bank considers the rates offered by its competition, profitability to the Bank, matching deposit and loan products and its customer preferences and concerns. The Bank generally reviews its deposit mix and pricing weekly.

The following table presents the maturity distribution of time deposits of $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2020.

The following table sets forth the balances of deposits in the various types of accounts offered by the Bank at the dates indicated.

The following table sets forth the amount and maturities of time deposits by rates at December 31, 2020.

Borrowings. The Bank relies upon advances from the FHLB to supplement its supply of lendable funds and to meet deposit withdrawal requirements. Advances from the FHLB are secured by certain first mortgage loans. The Bank also uses retail repurchase agreements as a source of borrowings.

The FHLB functions as a central reserve bank providing credit for member financial institutions. As a member, the Bank is required to own capital stock in the FHLB and is authorized to apply for advances on the security of such stock and certain of its mortgage loans provided certain standards related to creditworthiness have been met. Advances are made pursuant to several different programs. Each credit program has its own interest rate and range of maturities. Depending on the program, limitations on the amount of advances are based either on a fixed percentage of an institution’s net worth or on the FHLB’s assessment of the institution’s creditworthiness. Under its current credit policies, the FHLB generally limits advances to 20% of a member’s assets, and short-term borrowing of less than one year may not exceed 10% of the institution’s assets. The FHLB determines specific lines of credit for each member institution.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Bank’s use of FHLB advances.

The Bank also has an unsecured federal funds purchased line of credit through The Bankers Bank of Kentucky with a maximum borrowing amount of $5.0 million and a $2.0 million revolving line of credit with Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company. At December 31, 2020, the Bank had no outstanding federal funds purchased under the lines of credit and the Bank had no borrowings under the lines of credit during 2020.

Subsidiary Activities

The Bank is a subsidiary and is wholly-owned by the Company. First Harrison Investments, Inc. and First Harrison Holdings, Inc. are wholly-owned Nevada corporate subsidiaries of the Bank that jointly own First Harrison, LLC, a Nevada limited liability corporation that holds and manages an investment securities portfolio. First Harrison REIT, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Harrison Holdings, Inc., incorporated to hold a portion of the Bank's real estate mortgage loan portfolio. Heritage Hill, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank acquired in connection with the acquisition of Peoples that holds and operates certain foreclosed real estate properties. FHB Risk Mitigation Services, Inc. (“Captive”) is a wholly-owned insurance subsidiary of the Company that provides property and casualty insurance coverage to the Company, the Bank and the Bank’s subsidiaries, and reinsurance to eight other third party insurance captives, for which insurance may not be currently available or economically feasible in the insurance marketplace.

Personnel

As of December 31, 2020, the Bank had 182 full-time employees and 32 part-time employees. A collective bargaining unit does not represent the employees and the Bank considers its relationship with its employees to be good.

REGULATION AND SUPERVISION

General

As a financial holding company, the Company is required by federal law to report to, and otherwise comply with the rules and regulations of, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board (the “Federal Reserve Board” or “FRB”). The Bank, an insured Indiana chartered commercial bank, is subject to extensive regulation, examination and supervision by the IDFI as its primary regulator and the FDIC, as its primary federal regulator and as the deposit insurer.

The Bank is a member of the FHLB System and, with respect to deposit insurance, of the Deposit Insurance Fund managed by the FDIC. The Bank must file reports with its regulatory agencies concerning its activities and financial condition and obtain regulatory approvals before entering into certain transactions such as mergers with, or acquisitions of, other financial institutions. The IDFI and FDIC conduct periodic examinations to test the Bank’s safety and soundness and compliance with various regulatory requirements. This regulation and supervision establishes a comprehensive framework of activities in which an institution can engage and is intended primarily for the protection of the insurance fund and depositors. The regulatory structure also gives the regulatory authorities extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies with respect to the classification of assets and the establishment of adequate loan loss reserves for regulatory purposes. Any change in such regulatory requirements and policies, whether by the IDFI, FDIC, FRB or Congress, could have a material adverse impact on the Company, the Bank and their operations.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) made extensive changes to the regulation of the Bank. The IDFI and FDIC are the agencies that are primarily responsible for the regulation and supervision of Indiana chartered commercial banks, such as the Bank however, the Dodd-Frank Act created a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as an independent bureau of the FRB. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau assumed responsibility for the implementation of the federal financial consumer protection and fair lending laws and regulations and has authority to impose new requirements. However, institutions of less than $10 billion in assets, such as the Bank, will continue to be examined for compliance with consumer protection and fair lending laws and regulations by, and be subject to the enforcement authority of, their prudential regulators.

Certain regulatory requirements applicable to the Bank and to the Company are referred to below or elsewhere herein. The summary of statutory provisions and regulations applicable to banks and their holding companies set forth below and elsewhere in this document does not purport to be a complete description of such statutes and regulations and their effects on the Bank and the Company and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the actual laws and regulations.

Basel III Capital Rules

In July 2013, the federal banking agencies published the Basel III Capital Rules establishing a new comprehensive capital framework for U.S. banking organizations. The rules implement the Basel Committee’s December 2010 framework known as “Basel III” for strengthening international capital standards as well as certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. The Basel III Capital Rules substantially revise the risk-based capital requirements applicable to financial holding companies and depository institutions, including the Company and the Bank, compared to the former U.S. risk-based capital rules. The Basel III Capital Rules define the components of capital and address other issues affecting the numerator in banking institutions’ regulatory capital ratios. The Basel III Capital Rules also address risk weights and other issues affecting the denominator in banking institutions’ regulatory capital ratios. The Basel III Capital Rules also implement the requirements of Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Act to remove references to credit ratings from the federal banking agencies’ rules. The Basel III Capital Rules became effective on January 1, 2015 (subject to a phase-in period).

The Basel III Capital Rules, among other things:

The new rules were fully phased in as of January 1, 2019 and the Basel III Capital Rules now require the Company and the Bank to maintain:

The aforementioned capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking institutions with a ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but below the conservation buffer (or below the combined capital conservation buffer and countercyclical capital buffer, when the latter is applied) will face constraints on dividends, equity repurchases and compensation based on the amount of the shortfall.

The Basel III Capital Rules provide for a number of deductions from and adjustments to CET1. These include, for example, the requirement that mortgage servicing rights, deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences that could not be realized through net operating loss carrybacks and significant investments in non-consolidated financial entities 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. Under the former capital standards, the effects of accumulated other comprehensive income items included in capital were excluded for the purposes of determining regulatory capital ratios. Under the Basel III Capital Rules, the effects of certain accumulated other comprehensive items are not excluded; however, non-advanced approaches banking organizations, including the Company, may make a one-time permanent election to continue to exclude these items. The Company and the Bank made this election in order to avoid significant variations in the level of capital depending upon the impact of interest rate fluctuations on the fair value of the Company’s available-for-sale securities portfolio. The Basel III Capital Rules also preclude certain hybrid securities, such as trust preferred securities, as Tier 1 capital of bank holding companies, subject to phase-out. The Company has no trust preferred securities.

Implementation of the deductions and other adjustments to CET1 began on January 1, 2015 and were phased-in over a four-year period (beginning at 40% on January 1, 2015 and an additional 20% per year thereafter). The implementation of the capital conservation buffer began on January 1, 2016 at the 0.625% level and was phased in over a four-year period (increasing by that amount on each subsequent January 1, until it reached 2.5% on January 1, 2019).

The Basel III Capital Rules prescribe a standardized approach for risk weightings that expand the risk-weighting categories from the current four Basel I-derived categories (0%, 20%, 50% and 100%) to a much larger and more risk-sensitive number of categories, depending on the nature of the assets, generally ranging from 0% for U.S. government and agency securities, to 600% for certain equity exposures, and resulting in higher risk weights for a variety of asset categories. Specific changes from the former capital rules impacting the Company’s determination of risk-weighted assets include, among other things:

Holding Company Regulation

General. The Company is a financial holding company within the meaning of federal law. As such, the Company is registered with the FRB and subject to FRB regulations, examination, supervision and reporting requirements. The supervision, regulation and examination of the Company and the Bank by the bank regulatory agencies are intended primarily for the protection of depositors rather than for the benefit of the Company’s shareholders. Significant elements of the laws and regulations applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries are described below. The descriptions are not intended to be complete and are qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the statutes, regulations and policies that are described.

The Dodd-Frank Act.  On July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law.  The Dodd-Frank Act significantly restructured the financial regulatory environment in the United States. The Dodd-Frank Act contains numerous provisions that affect all bank holding companies and banks, some of which are described in more detail below.  The scope and impact of many of the Dodd-Frank Act provisions were determined and issued over time. Because full implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act will occur over several years and there have been related acts that have lessened its impact, as explained below, it is difficult to anticipate the overall financial impact on the Company, its customers or the financial industry generally.

The Volcker Rule.  The Dodd-Frank Act requires the federal financial regulatory agencies to adopt rules that prohibit banks and their affiliates from engaging in proprietary trading and investing in and sponsoring certain unregistered investment companies (defined as hedge funds and private equity funds). The statutory provision is commonly called the “Volcker Rule”. Although the Company is continuing to evaluate the impact of the Volcker Rule and the final rules adopted thereunder, the Company does not currently anticipate that the Volcker Rule will have a material effect on the operations of the Bank, as the Company does not engage in the businesses prohibited by the Volcker Rule. The Company may incur costs to adopt additional policies and systems to ensure compliance with the Volcker Rule, but any such costs are not expected to be material. 

Regulatory Relief Act. In May 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the “Regulatory Relief Act”) was enacted, which modified and removed certain financial reform rules and regulations, including some implemented under the Dodd-Frank Act. Of particular significance for financial institutions and their holding companies with total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion, the Regulatory Relief Act directs the federal banking regulators to establish a single “Community Bank Leverage Ratio” of between 8% to 10% to replace the leverage and risk-based regulatory capital ratios. The Dodd-Frank Act originally mandated certain enhanced prudential standards for bank holding companies with greater than $50 billion in total consolidated assets as well as company-run stress tests for firms with greater than $10 billion in assets. The Regulatory Relief Act exempted bank holding companies under $100 billion in assets from these requirements immediately upon enactment. The Regulatory Relief Act also exempted bank holding companies under $100 billion in total assets from the Dodd-Frank Act requirements for supervisory stress tests and company-run stress-tests. The Company will continue to evaluate the potential impacts of the Dodd-Frank Act and the Regulatory Relief Act. 

Activities Restrictions. The Company is registered as a bank holding company and has elected to be a financial holding company. It is subject to the supervision and regulation of the FRB under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHC Act”). The BHC Act generally limits the business in which a bank holding company and its subsidiaries may engage to banking or managing or controlling banks and those activities that the FRB has determined to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. In addition, bank holding companies that qualify and elect to be financial holding companies may engage in any activity, or acquire and retain the shares of a company engaged in any activity, that is either (i) financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity (as determined by the FRB) or (ii) complementary to a financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally (as determined by the FRB), without prior approval of the FRB. The Company is a financial holding company within the meaning of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999 (“GLB Act”). As a qualified financial holding company, the Company is eligible to engage in, or acquire companies engaged in, the broader range of activities that are permitted by the GLB Act.

To commence any new activity permitted by the BHC Act or to acquire a company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHC Act, each insured depository institution subsidiary of the financial holding company must have received a rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination under the Community Reinvestment Act. 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 the FRB has reasonable grounds to believe that continuation of such activity or such ownership or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness, safety or stability of any bank subsidiary of the bank holding company.

With some limited exceptions, the BHC Act requires the prior approval of the FRB to acquire more than a 5% voting interest of any bank or bank holding company. 

Source of Strength. The FRB has issued regulations requiring a bank holding company to serve as a source of strength to their subsidiary depository institutions by providing capital, liquidity and other support to their subsidiary depository institutions in times of financial stress. 

Dividends. The FRB’s policy is that a bank holding company experiencing earnings weakness should not pay cash dividends exceeding its net income or which could only be funded in ways that weaken the bank holding company's financial health, such as by borrowing. Additionally, the FRB possesses enforcement powers over bank holding companies and their non-bank subsidiaries to prevent or remedy actions that represent unsafe or unsound practices or violations of applicable statutes and regulations. Among these powers is the ability to proscribe the payment of dividends by banks and their holding companies. Depository institutions that seek the freedom to pay dividends will have to maintain 2.5% in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital attributable to the capital conservation buffer. As a general matter, the FRB has indicated that the board of directors of a bank holding company should eliminate, defer or significantly reduce dividends to shareholders if: (i) the company's net income available to shareholders for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid during that period, is not sufficient to fully fund the dividends; (ii) the prospective rate of earnings retention is inconsistent with the company's capital needs and overall current and prospective financial condition; or (iii) the company will not meet, or is in danger of not meeting, its minimum regulatory capital adequacy ratios. Indiana law prohibits the Bank from paying dividends in an amount greater than its undivided profits. The Bank is required to obtain the approval of the DFI for the payment of any dividend if the total of all dividends declared by the Bank during the calendar year, including the proposed dividend, would exceed the sum of the Bank's net income for the year-to-date combined with its retained net income for the previous two years. Indiana law defines "retained net income" to mean the net income of a specified period, calculated under the consolidated report of income instructions, less the total amount of all dividends declared for the specified period. Notwithstanding the availability of funds for dividends, however, a banking regulator may prohibit the payment of dividends by the Bank if it determines such payment would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. 

Repurchase or Redemption of Shares. A bank holding company is generally required to give the FRB prior written notice of any purchase or redemption of its own then outstanding equity securities if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding 12 months, is equal to 10% or more of the company's consolidated net worth. The FRB may disapprove such a purchase or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe and unsound practice, or would violate any law, regulation, FRB order or directive, or any condition imposed by, or written agreement with, the FRB. The FRB has adopted an exception to this approval requirement for well-capitalized bank holding companies that meet certain conditions.

Acquisition of the Company. The BHC Act, the Bank Merger Act (which is the popular name for Section 18(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act) and other federal and state statutes regulate acquisitions of banks and bank holding companies. The BHC Act requires the prior approval of the FRB before a bank holding company may acquire more than a 5% voting interest or substantially all the assets of any bank or bank holding company. Banks must also seek prior approval from their primary state and federal regulators for any such acquisitions. In reviewing applications seeking approval for mergers and other acquisition transactions, the bank regulatory authorities will consider, among other things, the competitive effect and public benefits of the transactions, the capital position of the combined organization, the risks to the stability of the U.S. banking or financial system, the applicant’s performance record under the Community Reinvestment Act and the effectiveness of the subject organizations in combating money laundering activities.

Federal Banking Regulation

Business Activities. The Bank, as an Indiana-chartered bank, is subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by the IDFI as its primary state regulator. Also, as to certain matters, the Bank is under the supervision of, and subject to examination by, the FDIC because the FDIC provides deposit insurance to the Bank and is the Bank’s primary regulator. Those regulators delineate the nature and extent of the business activities in which Indiana-state chartered banks may engage. 

Bank Secrecy Act and USA Patriot Act. The Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), enacted as the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, requires financial institutions, including the Bank, to maintain records of certain customers and currency transactions and to report certain domestic and foreign currency transactions, which may have a high degree of usefulness in criminal, tax, or regulatory investigations or proceedings. This law requires financial institutions to develop a BSA compliance program.

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“Patriot Act”), is comprehensive anti‑terrorism legislation. Title III of the Patriot Act requires financial institutions, including the Bank, to help prevent and detect international money laundering and the financing of terrorism and prosecute those involved in such activities. The United States Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) has adopted additional requirements to further implement Title III.

These regulations have established a mechanism for law enforcement officials to communicate names of suspected terrorists and money launderers to financial institutions, enabling financial institutions to promptly locate accounts and transactions involving those suspects. Financial institutions receiving names of suspects must search their account and transaction records for potential matches and report positive results to the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). Each financial institution must designate a point of contact to receive information requests. These regulations outline how financial institutions can share information concerning suspected terrorist and money laundering activity with other financial institutions under the protection of a statutory safe harbor if each financial institution notifies FinCEN of its intent to share information. The Treasury has also adopted regulations to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing through correspondent accounts that U.S. financial institutions maintain on behalf of foreign banks. These regulations also require financial institutions to take reasonable steps to ensure that they are not providing banking services directly or indirectly to foreign shell banks. In addition, banks must have procedures to verify the identity of their customers.

The Bank has established an anti‑money laundering program pursuant to the BSA and a customer identification program pursuant to the Patriot Act. The Bank also maintains records of cash purchases of negotiable instruments, files reports of certain cash transactions exceeding $10,000 (daily aggregate amount), and reports suspicious activity that might signify money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities pursuant to the BSA. The Bank otherwise has implemented policies and procedures to comply with the foregoing requirements.

Capital Requirements. The federal bank regulatory authorities have adopted risk-based capital guidelines for banks and bank holding companies that are designed to make regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banks and bank holding companies and account for off-balance sheet items. Generally, to satisfy the capital requirements, the Company must maintain capital sufficient to meet both risk-based asset ratio tests and a leverage ratio test on a consolidated basis. Risk-based capital ratios are determined by allocating assets and specified off-balance sheet commitments into various risk-weighted categories, with higher weighting assigned to categories perceived as representing greater risk. A risk-based ratio represents the applicable measure of capital divided by total risk-weighted assets. The leverage ratio is a measure of the Company’s core capital divided by total assets adjusted as specified in the guidelines.

The capital guidelines divide a bank holding company’s or bank’s capital into two tiers. The first tier (“Tier I”) includes common equity, certain non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries, less goodwill and certain other intangible assets (except mortgage servicing rights and purchased credit card relationships, subject to certain limitations). Supplementary capital (“Tier II”) includes, among other items, cumulative perpetual and long-term limited-life preferred stock, mandatory convertible securities, certain hybrid capital instruments, term subordinated debt and the allowance for loan and lease losses, subject to certain limitations, less required deductions. The regulations also require the maintenance of a leverage ratio designed to supplement the risk-based capital guidelines.

Effective January 1, 2015 (subject to certain phase-in provisions through January 1, 2019), the Company became subject to new federal banking rules implementing changes arising from Dodd-Frank and the U.S. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, providing a capital framework for all U.S. banks and bank holding companies (“Basel III”). Basel III increased the minimum requirements for both the quantity and quality of capital held by the Company and the Bank. The rules include a new common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%, a minimum Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.0% (increased from 4.0%), a total capital ratio of 8.0% (unchanged from prior rules) and a minimum leverage ratio of 4.0%. The final rules also require a common equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets, which is in addition to the other minimum risk-based capital standards in the rule. Institutions that do not maintain the required capital conservation buffer will become subject to progressively more stringent limitations on the percentage of earnings that can be paid out in dividends or used for stock repurchases and on the payment of certain bonuses to senior executive management.

Basel III also introduced other changes, including an increase in the capital required for certain categories of assets, including higher-risk construction real estate loans and certain exposures related to securitizations. Banking organizations with less than $15 billion in assets as of December 31, 2010 are permitted to retain non-qualifying Tier 1 capital trust preferred securities issued prior to May 19, 2010, subject generally to a limit of 25% of Tier 1 capital. The Dodd-Frank Act also requires the FRB to set minimum capital levels for bank holding companies that are as stringent as those required for insured depository subsidiaries, except that bank holding companies with less than $1 billion in assets are exempt from these capital requirements.

Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action. The Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended (“FDIA”), requires among other things, the federal banking agencies to take “prompt corrective action” in respect of depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. The FDIA includes the following five capital tiers: “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” and “critically undercapitalized.” A depository institution’s capital tier will depend upon how its capital levels compare with various relevant capital measures and certain other factors, as established by regulation. The relevant capital measures are the total risk-based capital ratio, the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, the common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, and the leverage ratio.

A bank will be (i) “well capitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.5% or greater and a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater, and is not subject to any order or written directive by any such regulatory authority to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure; (ii) “adequately capitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater, a common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4.5% or greater and a leverage ratio of 4.0% or greater and is not “well capitalized” (iii) “undercapitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio that is less than 8.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.5%, or a leverage ratio of less than 4.0%; (iv) “significantly undercapitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0%, a common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 3.0%, or a leverage ratio of less than 3.0%; and (v) “critically undercapitalized” if the institution’s tangible equity is equal to or less than 2.0% of average quarterly tangible assets. An institution may be downgraded to, or deemed to be in, a capital category that is lower than indicated by its capital ratios if it is determined to be in an unsafe or unsound condition or if it receives an unsatisfactory examination rating with respect to certain matters. A bank’s capital category is determined solely for the purpose of applying prompt corrective action regulations, and the capital category may not constitute an accurate representation of the bank’s overall financial condition or prospects for other purposes.

The FDIA generally prohibits a depository institution from making any capital distributions (including payment of a dividend) or paying any management fee to its parent holding company if the depository institution would thereafter be “undercapitalized.” “Undercapitalized” institutions are subject to growth limitations and are required to submit a capital restoration plan. The agencies may not accept such a plan without determining, among other things, that the plan is based on realistic assumptions and is likely to succeed in restoring the depository institution’s capital. In addition, for a capital restoration plan to be acceptable, the depository institution’s parent holding company must guarantee that the institution will comply with such capital restoration plan. The bank holding company must also provide appropriate assurances of performance. The aggregate liability of the parent holding company is limited to the lesser of (i) an amount equal to 5.0% of the depository institution’s total assets at the time it became undercapitalized and (ii) the amount which is necessary (or would have been necessary) to bring the institution into compliance with all capital standards applicable with respect to such institution as of the time it fails to comply with the plan. If a depository institution fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is “significantly undercapitalized.”

“Significantly undercapitalized” depository institutions may be subject to a number of requirements and restrictions, including orders to sell sufficient voting stock to become “adequately capitalized,” requirements to reduce total assets, and cessation of receipt of deposits from correspondent banks. “Critically undercapitalized” institutions are subject to the appointment of a receiver or conservator.

The appropriate federal banking agency may, under certain circumstances, reclassify a well-capitalized insured depository institution as adequately capitalized. The FDIA provides that an institution may be reclassified if the appropriate federal banking agency determines (after notice and opportunity for hearing) that the institution is in an unsafe or unsound condition or deems the institution to be engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice.

The appropriate agency is also permitted to require an adequately capitalized or undercapitalized institution to comply with the supervisory provisions as if the institution were in the next lower category (but not treat a significantly undercapitalized institution as critically undercapitalized) based on supervisory information other than the capital levels of the institution.

Beginning in 2020, qualifying community banks with assets of less than $10 billion are eligible to opt in to the Community Bank Leverage Ratio (“CBLR”) framework. The CBLR is the ratio of a bank’s tangible equity capital to average total consolidated assets. A qualifying community bank that exceeds this ratio will be deemed to be in compliance with all other capital and leverage requirements, including the capital requirements to be considered “well capitalized” under prompt corrective action statutes. The federal banking agencies may consider a financial institution’s risk profile when evaluating whether it qualifies as a community bank for purposes of the capital ratio requirement. The federal banking agencies must set the minimum capital for the new CBLR at not less than 8% and not more than 10%, and had originally set the minimum ratio at 9%. However, pursuant to the CARES Act and related interim final rules, the minimum CBLR will be 8% for calendar year 2020, 8.5% for calendar year 2021, and 9% thereafter. A financial institution that falls below the minimum CBLR generally has a two quarter grace period to get back into compliance as long as it maintains a minimum CBLR of 7% for 2020, 7.5% for 2021 and 8% for 2022 and thereafter. A financial institution can elect to be subject to or opt out of the CBLR framework at any time. As a qualified community bank, the Bank has opted into the CBLR framework as of December 31, 2020 and, as of that date, its CBLR was 9.37%, meeting all capital adequacy requirements in effect at that date. 

Insurance of Deposit Accounts. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the FDIC. Deposit insurance is currently $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC-insured institution, per ownership category. Under the FDIC’s risk-based assessment system, insured institutions are assigned a risk category based on supervisory evaluations, regulatory capital levels and certain other factors. An institution’s assessment rate depends upon the category to which it is assigned, and certain adjustments specified by FDIC regulations. Institutions deemed less risky pay lower assessments. The FDIC may adjust the scale uniformly, except that no adjustment can deviate more than two basis points from the base scale without notice and comment. No institution may pay a dividend if in default of the federal deposit insurance assessment.

The Dodd-Frank Act required the FDIC to revise its procedures to base its assessments upon each insured institution’s total assets less tangible equity instead of deposits. The FDIC finalized a rule, effective April 1, 2011, that set the assessment range at 2.5 to 45 basis points of total assets less tangible equity.

The FDIC has authority to increase insurance assessments. A significant increase in insurance premiums would likely have an adverse effect on the operating expenses and results of operations of the Bank. Management cannot predict what insurance assessment rates will be in the future.

Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or regulatory condition imposed in writing by the FDIC or the OCC. The management of the Bank does not know of any practice, condition or violation that might lead to termination of deposit insurance.

Loans to One Borrower. Generally, subject to certain exceptions, the Bank may not make a loan or extend credit to a single or related group of borrowers in excess of 15% of its unimpaired capital and surplus. An additional amount may be lent, equal to 10% of unimpaired capital and surplus, if secured by specified readily-marketable collateral. 

Standards for Safety and Soundness. The federal banking agencies have adopted Interagency Guidelines prescribing Standards for Safety and Soundness in various areas such as internal controls and information systems, internal audit, loan documentation and credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth and quality, earnings and compensation, fees and benefits. The guidelines set forth the safety and soundness standards that the federal banking agencies use to identify and address problems at insured depository institutions before capital becomes impaired. If the federal banking agency determines that a financial institution fails to meet any standard prescribed by the guidelines, the federal banking agency may require the financial institution to submit an acceptable plan to achieve compliance with the standard. 

Community Reinvestment Act. The Bank has a responsibility under the Community Reinvestment Act and related regulations to help meet the credit needs of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. An institution’s failure to satisfactorily comply with the provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act could result in denials of regulatory applications. Responsibility for administering the Community Reinvestment Act, unlike other fair lending laws, has not been transferred to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Bank received a “satisfactory” Community Reinvestment Act rating in its most recently completed examination. 

Transactions with Related Parties. The Bank’s authority to engage in transactions with “affiliates” (e.g., any entity that controls, is under common control with, or, to a certain extent, controlled by the Bank, including the Company and its other subsidiaries) is limited by federal law. “Covered transactions” include a loan or extension of credit, as well as a purchase of securities issued by an affiliate, a purchase of assets (unless otherwise exempted by the FRB) from the affiliate, certain derivative transactions that create a credit exposure to an affiliate, the acceptance of securities issued by the affiliate as collateral for a loan, and the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance or letter of credit on behalf of an affiliate. In general, these regulations require that any such transaction by the Bank (or its subsidiaries) with an affiliate must be secured by designated amounts of specified collateral and must be limited to certain thresholds on an individual and aggregate basis.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 generally prohibits loans by the Company to its executive officers and directors. However, the law contains a specific exception for loans by a depository institution to its executive officers and directors in compliance with federal banking laws. Under such laws, the Bank’s authority to extend credit to executive officers, directors and 10% shareholders (“insiders”), as well as entities such persons control, is limited. The laws limit both the individual and aggregate amount of loans that the Bank may make to insiders based, in part, on the Bank’s capital level and requires that certain board approval procedures be followed. Such loans are required to be made on terms substantially the same as those offered to unaffiliated individuals and not involve more than the normal risk of repayment. There is an exception for loans made pursuant to a benefit or compensation program that is widely available to all employees of the institution and does not give preference to insiders over other employees. Loans to executive officers are subject to additional limitations based on the type of loan involved.

Enforcement. The FRB has primary enforcement responsibility over the Company and has authority to bring actions against the institution and all institution-affiliated parties, including stockholders, and any attorneys, appraisers and accountants who knowingly or recklessly participate in wrongful action likely to have an adverse effect on an insured institution. Generally, the FRB takes formal enforcement actions against the above entities and individuals for violations of laws, rules, or regulations, unsafe or unsound practices, breaches of fiduciary duty, and violations of final orders. Formal enforcement actions include cease and desist orders, written agreements, prompt corrective action directives, removal and prohibition orders, and orders assessing civil money penalties. Civil penalties cover a wide range of violations and can amount to $2 million in especially egregious cases. State nonmember banks are regulated by the FDIC and state regulators.

Federal Home Loan Bank System

The Bank is a member of the FHLB System, which consists of 11 regional FHLBs and the Office of Finance. The FHLB provides a central credit facility primarily for member institutions. The Bank, as a member of the FHLB, is required to acquire and hold shares of capital stock in its regional FHLB, which for the Bank is the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. The Bank was in compliance with this requirement with an investment in FHLB stock at December 31, 2020 of $1.9 million.

The FHLBs were previously required to provide funds for the resolution of insolvent thrifts in the late 1980s and contribute funds for affordable housing programs. These and similar requirements, or general economic conditions, could reduce the amount of dividends that the FHLBs pay to their members and result in the FHLBs imposing a higher rate of interest on advances to their members. If dividends were reduced, or interest on future FHLB advances increased, the Bank’s net interest income would likely also be reduced.

Federal Reserve System

Previously, the FRB regulations required banks to maintain non-interest earning reserves against their transaction accounts (primarily NOW and regular checking accounts). The regulations generally provide that reserves be maintained against aggregate transaction accounts as follows for 2020: a 3% reserve ratio is assessed on net transaction accounts up to and including $127.5 million; a 10% reserve ratio is applied above $127.5 million. The first $16.9 million of otherwise reservable balances (subject to adjustments by the FRB) are exempted from the reserve requirements. However, effective March 26, 2020, the FRB Board set reserve requirement ratios to 0.0%. In October 2008, the FRB began paying interest on certain reserve balances.

Federal Securities Laws

The Company’s common stock is registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company is subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading restrictions and other requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

On March 12, 2020, the SEC finalized amendments to the definitions of “accelerated” and “large accelerated filer” definitions. The amendments increase the threshold criteria for meeting these categories and were effective on April 27, 2020. Prior to these changes, the Company was designated as an “accelerated” filer as it had more than $75 million in public float but less than $700 million at the end of the Company’s most recent second quarter. The rule change expands the definition of “smaller reporting companies” to include entities with public float of less than $700 million and less than $100 million in annual revenues in its most recent fiscal year. The Company met this expanded category of smaller reporting company based on the 2019 fiscal year and is no longer considered an accelerated filer. If the Company’s annual revenues exceed $100 million in a given fiscal year, its category will change back to “accelerated filer”. The categorization of “accelerated” or “large accelerated filer” drives the requirement for a public company to obtain an auditor attestation of its internal control over financial reporting. Smaller reporting companies also have additional time to file quarterly and annual financial statements. All public companies are required to obtain and file annual financial statement audits, as well as provide management’s assertion on effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, but the external auditor attestation of internal control over financial reporting is not required if a company is not an accelerated or large accelerated filer. Therefore, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm was not required to attest on internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020.

Other Regulations

The Bank’s operations are also subject to federal laws applicable to credit transactions, including the:

The operations of the Bank also are subject to laws such as the:

Future Legislation

In addition to the specific legislation described above, the current administration has signed a number of executive orders and memoranda that could directly impact the regulation of the banking industry. Congress is also considering legislation. The orders and legislation may change banking statutes and our operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways by increasing or decreasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities, or affecting the competitive balance among banks, savings associations, credit unions, and other financial institutions.

FEDERAL AND STATE TAXATION

Federal Taxation

General. The Company and its subsidiaries report their income on a calendar year basis using the accrual method of accounting and are subject to federal income taxation in the same manner as other corporations with some exceptions, including particularly the Bank’s reserve for bad debts, as discussed below. The following discussion of tax matters is intended only as a summary and does not purport to be a comprehensive description of the tax rules applicable to the Bank or the Company. The Company and the Bank have not been audited by the Internal Revenue Service in the past five years.

The Company and the Bank have entered into a tax allocation agreement. Because the Company owns 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Bank, the Company and the Bank are members of an affiliated group within the meaning of Section 1504(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, of which group the Company is the common parent corporation. As a result of this affiliation, the Bank may be included in the filing of a consolidated federal income tax return with the Company and, if a decision to file a consolidated tax return is made, the parties agree to compensate each other for their individual share of the consolidated tax liability and/or any tax benefits provided by them in the filing of the consolidated federal tax return.

Recent Legislation. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) was enacted on December 22, 2017 and, among other changes, lowered the federal corporate tax rate to 21% effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. Prior to enactment of the TCJA, the Company’s effective federal income tax rate was 34%. As a result of the TCJA, the Company incurred additional income tax expense of $290,000 in 2017 related to the revaluation of the Company’s net deferred tax asset.

Bad Debt Reserve. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 1995, the Bank was entitled to take a bad debt deduction for federal income tax purposes which was based on its current or historic net charge-offs by applying the experience reserve method for banks, as long as the Bank did not meet the definition of a “large bank”. Under the Internal Revenue Code, if a bank’s average adjusted assets exceeds $500 million for any tax year it is considered a “large bank” and must utilize the specific charge-off method to compute bad debt deductions. The Bank met the definition of a “large bank” for the tax year ended December 31, 2016 as a result of the acquisition of Peoples. As such, the Bank was required to use the specific charge-off method to compute bad debt deductions beginning in 2016 and its bad debt reserves calculated using the experience reserve method were recaptured in taxable income over the four-year period ending December 31, 2019.

Potential Recapture of Base Year Bad Debt Reserve. The Bank’s bad debt reserve as of the base year (which is the Bank’s last taxable year beginning before January 1, 1988) is not subject to automatic recapture as long as the Bank continues to carry on the business of banking and does not make “non-dividend distributions” as discussed below. If the Bank no longer qualifies as a bank, the balance of the pre-1988 reserves (the base year reserves) are restored to income over a six-year period beginning in the tax year the Bank no longer qualifies as a bank. Such base year bad debt reserve is also subject to recapture to the extent that the Bank makes “non-dividend distributions” that are considered as made from the base year bad debt reserve. To the extent that such reserves exceed the amount that would have been allowed under the experience method (“Excess Distributions”), then an amount based on the amount distributed will be included in the Bank’s taxable income. Non-dividend distributions include distributions in excess of the Bank’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, distributions in redemption of stock, and distributions in partial or complete liquidation. However, dividends paid out of the Bank’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, as calculated for federal income tax purposes, will not be considered to result in a distribution from the Bank’s bad debt reserve. Thus, any dividends to the Company that would reduce amounts appropriated to the Bank’s bad debt reserve and deducted for federal income tax purposes would create a tax liability for the Bank. The amount of additional taxable income created from an Excess Distribution is an amount that, when reduced by the tax attributable to the income, is equal to the amount of the distribution. If the Bank makes a “non-dividend distribution,” then approximately one and one-third times the amount so used would be includable in gross income for federal income tax purposes, assuming a 21% corporate income tax rate (exclusive of state and local taxes) beginning in 2018 with the enactment of the TCJA. The Bank does not intend to pay dividends that would result in a recapture of any portion of its bad debt reserve.

State Taxation

Indiana. Effective July 1, 2013, Indiana amended its tax code to provide for reductions in the franchise tax rate. For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, Indiana imposed a 6.5% franchise tax based on a financial institution’s adjusted gross income as defined by statute. The Indiana franchise tax rate was reduced to 6.25% for the tax year ended December 31, 2019 and 6.00% for the tax year ended December 31, 2020. The Indiana franchise tax rate will then be reduced to 5.50%, 5.00% and 4.90% for the Company’s tax years ending December 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively, and will remain 4.90% thereafter. In computing Indiana taxable income, deductions for municipal interest, state and local income taxes and certain accelerated depreciation permitted for federal tax purposes are disallowed.

Kentucky. With the acquisition of Peoples in December 2015, the Bank became subject to tax on the Bank’s capital attributable to Kentucky. Prior to the Bank’s conversion in 2018 from a federal savings association into a state-chartered commercial bank, the Bank paid a capital stock tax imposed on its capital attributable to Kentucky at a rate of $1 for each $1,000 in capital. Taxable capital prior to the conversion included certificates of deposit, savings accounts, demand deposits, undivided profits, surplus and general reserves, less an amount equal to the market value of qualifying U.S. government obligations. Beginning in 2018 with the Bank’s conversion to a state-chartered commercial bank, the Bank is subject to a franchise tax at a rate of 1.1% on taxable net capital. Taxable net capital subject to the franchise tax includes capital stock paid in, surplus, undivided profits, other comprehensive income or loss, and noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries, and is reduced by capital attributable to U.S. government obligations and Kentucky obligations. Because the Bank has business activity both within and without Kentucky, the amount of its capital attributable to Kentucky is determined using a three-factor apportionment formula which considers gross receipts, property (including loans) and payroll.

On March 26, 2019, Kentucky House Bill 354 was enacted and repeals the bank franchise tax effective January 1, 2021. Beginning in 2021, financial institutions will instead be subject to the Kentucky corporation income tax and limited liability entity tax.

The Company’s state tax returns have not been audited in the past five years.

ITEM 1A.         RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to COVID-19

The pandemic has impacted our business and that of many customers. The ultimate impact is uncertain and will depend on future action largely outside of our control.

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted business and financial results for the Company and many of our customers. The ultimate outcome and duration will be heavily impacted by actions taken by governmental authorities. Previous steps taken include quarantines, travel bans, closing businesses and schools, fiscal and monetary stimulus and legislation intended to give financial aid and other relief. The pandemic and these steps have disrupted economic activity and increased uncertainty. A prolonged recovery period could result in additional economic stress or recession which could increase many of the risk factors identified below.

Business interruption and increased unemployment due to the pandemic impacts credit risk for the Company as customers may experience cash flow interruptions which affect the ability to make scheduled loan payments. Collateral values may be negatively impacted due to increased property vacancy rates which could affect our ability to liquidate real estate collateral securing real estate loans and maintain loan origination volume. Regulatory changes designed to protect borrowers may delay in our taking certain remediation actions, such as foreclosure. The Bank has assisted customers experiencing COVID-19 related hardships by approving payment extensions and waiving or refunding certain banking fees. At December 31, 2020, the Bank had approved payment extensions on approximately $68.1 million of loans, primarily related to commercial real estate lending relationships. These payment extensions are generally for up to three months, but may extend for up to six months. At December 31, 2020, $65.3 million of those loans remain outstanding and $65.1 million have resumed payments. Furthermore, hotel and restaurant operators have been especially impacted by the pandemic and credits with those operators are being closely monitored. At December 31, 2020, hotel and restaurant loans totaled $12.1 million and $4.8 million, respectively. All except one credit totaling $164,000 is current as of that date.

Operational risk has also been enhanced due to the pandemic. The Company faced and may continue to face a decrease in demand for certain products, reduced access to our branches by our customers, and disruptions in the operations of our venders. Restrictions on our staff’s access to our facilities could limit our ability to serve our customers and effect operations. We have modified our operations with a portion of our staff working remotely from their homes in order to support continued operations. Additionally, customers are increasingly forced to work remotely. Those working from home may not have appropriately secured remote secured remote networks and may be more vulnerable to cyber-attacks or phishing schemes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted interest rate risk as market rate volatility has increased. The Federal Reserve lowered the target range for federal funds rate to a range from 0% to 0.25% during 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Although the Federal Reserve's monetary policies to date have been accommodative and may benefit us to some degree by supporting economic activity of our customers, sudden shifts in the Federal Reserve's policies may impact our ability to grow and/or effectively manage interest-rate risk. While we continue to anticipate that our capital and liquidity positions will be sufficient, sustained adverse effects may impair these positions or prevent us from satisfying our minimum regulatory capital ratios and other supervisory requirements.

Risks Related To Our Business.

Above average interest rate risk associated with fixed-rate loans may have an adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.

The Bank’s loan portfolio includes a significant amount of loans with fixed rates of interest. At December 31, 2020, $226.5 million, or 43.1% of the Bank’s total loans receivable, had fixed interest rates all of which were held for investment. The Bank offers ARM loans and fixed-rate loans. Unlike ARM loans, fixed-rate loans carry the risk that, because they do not reprice to market interest rates, their yield may be insufficient to offset increases in the Bank’s cost of funds during a rising interest rate environment. Accordingly, a material and prolonged increase in market interest rates could be expected to have a greater adverse effect on the Bank’s net interest income compared to other institutions that hold a materially larger portion of their assets in ARM loans or fixed-rate loans that are originated for committed sale in the secondary market. For a discussion of the Bank’s loan portfolio, see “Item 1. Business– Lending Activities.”

Higher loan losses could require the Company to increase its allowance for loan losses through a charge to earnings.

When we loan money we incur the risk that our borrowers do not repay their loans. We reserve for loan losses by establishing an allowance through a charge to earnings. The amount of this allowance is based on our assessment of loan losses inherent in our loan portfolio. The process for determining the amount of the allowance is critical to our financial results and condition. It requires subjective and complex judgments about the future, including forecasts of economic or market conditions that might impair the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans. We might underestimate the loan losses inherent in our loan portfolio and have loan losses in excess of the amount reserved. We might increase the allowance because of changing economic conditions. For example, in a rising interest rate environment, borrowers with adjustable-rate loans could see their payments increase. There may be a significant increase in the number of borrowers who are unable or unwilling to repay their loans, resulting in our charging off more loans and increasing our allowance. In addition, when real estate values decline, the potential severity of loss on a real estate-secured loan can increase significantly, especially in the case of loans with high combined loan-to-value ratios. Our allowance for loan losses at any particular date may not be sufficient to cover future loan losses. We may be required to increase our allowance for loan losses, thus reducing earnings.

Commercial business lending may expose the Company to increased lending risks.

At December 31, 2020, the Bank’s commercial business loan portfolio amounted to $82.3 million, or 15.7% of total loans. Excluding PPP loans, which are 100% guaranteed by the SBA, the Bank’s commercial business loan portfolio amounted to $45.0 million, or 8.6% of total loans, at December 31, 2020. Subject to market conditions and other factors, the Bank intends to expand its commercial business lending activities within its primary market area. Commercial business lending is inherently riskier than residential mortgage lending. Although commercial business loans are often collateralized by equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other business assets, the liquidation value of these assets in the event of a borrower default is often an insufficient source of repayment because accounts receivable may be uncollectible and inventories and equipment may be obsolete or of limited use, among other things. See “Item 1. Business–Lending Activities–Commercial Business Loans.”

Commercial real estate lending may expose the Company to increased lending risks.

At December 31, 2020, the Bank’s commercial real estate loan portfolio amounted to $135.1 million, or 25.7% of total loans. Commercial real estate lending is inherently riskier than residential mortgage lending. Because payments on loans secured by commercial properties often depend upon the successful operation and management of the properties, repayment of such loans may be affected by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy, among other things. See “Item 1. Business–Lending Activities–Commercial Real Estate Loans.”

Decreased residential mortgage origination volume and pricing decisions of competitors may adversely affect our profitability.

The Bank regularly originates and sells residential mortgage loans. Changes in interest rates, housing prices, applicable government regulations and pricing decisions by our loan competitors may adversely affect demand for our residential mortgage loan products and the revenue realized on the sale of loans and, ultimately, reduce our net income. New regulations, increased regulatory reviews, and/or changes in the structure of the secondary mortgage markets which we utilize to sell mortgage loans may increase costs and make it more difficult to operate a residential mortgage origination business. We recognized gains on the sale of loans of $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This revenue could significantly decline in future periods if interest rates were to rise and the other risks highlighted in this paragraph were realized, which may adversely affect our profitability.

Our information systems may experience an interruption or breach in security.

The Bank relies heavily on internal and outsourced digital technologies, communications, and information systems to conduct its business. As our reliance on technology systems increases, the potential risks of technology-related operation interruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan, or other systems or the occurrence of cyber incidents also increases. Cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events including (i) gaining unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruptions; (ii) causing denial-of-service attacks on websites; or (iii) intelligence gathering and social engineering aimed at obtaining information. The occurrence of operational interruption, cyber incident, or a deficiency in the cyber security of our technology systems (internal or outsourced) could negatively impact our financial condition or results of operations.

We have policies and procedures expressly designed to prevent or limit the effect of a failure, interruption, or security breach of our systems and maintain cyber security insurance. However, such policies, procedures, or insurance may prove insufficient to prevent, repel, or mitigate a cyber incident. Significant interruptions to our business from technology issues could result in expensive remediation efforts and distraction of management. During the year, we experienced certain immaterial cyber-attacks or breaches and continue to invest in security and controls to prevent and mitigate future incidents. Although we have not experienced any material losses related to a technology-related operational interruption or cyber-attack, there can be no assurance that such failures, interruptions, or security breaches will not occur in the future or, if they do occur, that the impact will not be substantial.

The occurrence of any failures, interruptions, or security breaches of our technology systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss, or destruction of proprietary information, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or stock price. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may also be required to spend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities.

We are subject to certain operational risks, including, but not limited to, customer or employee fraud and data processing system failures and errors.

Employee errors and employee and/or customer misconduct could subject us to financial losses or regulatory sanctions and seriously harm our reputation or financial performance. Misconduct by our employees could include, but is not limited to, hiding unauthorized activities from us, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of our customers or improper use of confidential information. It is not always possible to prevent employee errors and misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. Employee errors could also subject us to financial claims for negligence.

We maintain a system of internal controls and insurance coverage to mitigate against operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors and customer or employee fraud. If our internal controls fail to prevent or detect an occurrence, or if any resulting loss is not insured or exceeds applicable insurance limits, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We depend on outside third parties for processing and handling of our records and data.

The Bank relies on software developed by third party vendors to process various transactions. In some cases, we have contracted with third parties to run their proprietary software on our behalf. These systems include, but are not limited to, general ledger, payroll, employee benefits, and loan and deposit processing, and securities portfolio management. While we perform a review of controls instituted by the vendors over these programs in accordance with industry standards and perform our own testing of user controls, we must rely on the continued maintenance of these controls by the outside party, including safeguards over the security of customer data. In addition, we maintain backups of key processing output daily in the event of a failure on the part of any of these systems. Nonetheless, we may incur a temporary disruption in its ability to conduct our business or process our transactions or incur damage to our reputation if the third party vendor fails to adequately maintain internal controls or institute necessary changes to systems. Such disruption or breach of security may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to the Banking Industry.

Our business may be adversely affected by conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions generally.

Our financial performance depends to a large extent on the business environment in our geographically concentrated five-county market area, the nearby suburban metropolitan Louisville market, the states of Indiana and Kentucky, and the U.S. as a whole. In particular, the current environment impacts the ability of borrowers to pay interest on and repay principal of outstanding loans as well as the value of collateral securing those loans. A favorable business environment is generally characterized by economic growth, low unemployment, efficient capital markets, low inflation, high business and investor confidence, strong business earnings, and other factors. Unfavorable or uncertain economic and market conditions can be caused by declines in economic growth, business activity, or investor or business confidence; limitations on the availability or increases in the cost of credit and capital; increases in inflation or interest rates; high unemployment; natural disasters; or a combination of these or other factors.

In the recent past, our market area, the suburban metropolitan Louisville market, the states of Indiana and Kentucky, and the U.S. as a whole experienced a downward economic cycle. Significant weakness in market conditions adversely impacted all aspects of the economy, including our business. In particular, dramatic declines in the housing market, with decreasing home prices and increasing delinquencies and foreclosures, negatively impacted the credit performance of construction loans, which resulted in significant write-downs of assets by many financial institutions. Business activity across a wide range of industries and regions was greatly reduced, and local governments and many businesses experienced serious difficulty due to the lack of consumer spending and the lack of liquidity in the credit markets. In addition, unemployment increased significantly during that period, which further contributed to the adverse business environment for households and businesses.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial effect on economic conditions in 2020. As previously discussed, there can be no assurance on the economic recovery, and future deterioration would likely exacerbate the adverse effects of recent difficult market conditions on us and others in the financial institutions industry. Market stress could have a material adverse effect on the credit quality of our loans, and therefore, our financial condition and results of operations as well as other potential adverse impacts including:

Future economic conditions in our market will depend on factors outside of our control such as political and market conditions, broad trends in industry and finance, legislative and regulatory changes, changes in government, military and fiscal policies and inflation.

Turmoil in the financial markets could result in lower fair values for our investment securities.

Major disruptions in the capital markets experienced in recent years have adversely affected investor demand for all classes of securities, excluding U.S. Treasury securities, and resulted in volatility in the fair values of our investment securities. Significant prolonged reduced investor demand could manifest itself in lower fair values for these securities and may result in recognition of an other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”), which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Municipal securities can also be impacted by the business environment of their geographic location. Although this type of security historically experienced extremely low default rates, municipal securities are subject to systemic risk since cash flows generally depend on (i) the ability of the issuing authority to levy and collect taxes or (ii) the ability of the issuer to charge for and collect payment for essential services rendered. If the issuer defaults on its payments, it may result in the recognition of OTTI or total loss, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Strong competition within the Bank’s market area could hurt the Company’s profitability and growth.

The Bank faces intense competition both in making loans and attracting deposits. This competition has made it more difficult for it to make new loans and at times has forced it to offer higher deposit rates. Price competition for loans and deposits might result in the Bank earning less on loans and paying more on deposits, which would reduce net interest income. Competition also makes it more difficult to grow loans and deposits. Some of the institutions with which the Bank competes have substantially greater resources and lending limits than it has and may offer services that the Bank does not provide. Future competition will likely increase because of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and the continuing trend of consolidation in the financial services industry. The Company’s profitability depends upon the Bank’s continued ability to compete successfully in its market area.

We are subject to federal regulations that seek to protect the Deposit Insurance Fund and the depositors and borrowers of the Bank, and our federal regulators may impose restrictions on our operations that are detrimental to holders of the Company’s common stock.

We are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by the FRB, IDFI and FDIC, our primary regulators. Such regulation and supervision governs the activities in which an institution and its holding company may engage, and are intended primarily for the protection of the insurance fund and the depositors and borrowers of the Bank rather than for holders of the Company’s common stock. Our regulators may subject us to supervisory and enforcement actions, such as the imposition of certain restrictions on our operations, requirements that we take remedial action, the classification of our assets and the determination of the level of our allowance for loan losses, that are aimed at protecting the insurance fund and the depositors and borrowers of the Bank but that are detrimental to holders of the Company’s common stock. Any change in our regulation or oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, regulations, legislation or supervisory action, may have a material impact on our operations.

Financial regulatory reform may have a material impact on the Company’s operations.

The Dodd-Frank Act contains various provisions designed to enhance the regulation of depository institutions and prevent the recurrence of a financial crisis such as occurred in 2008 and 2009. These include provisions strengthening holding company capital requirements, requiring retention of a portion of the risk of securitized loans and regulating debit card interchange fees. The Dodd-Frank Act also created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to administer consumer protection and fair lending laws, a function that was formerly performed by the depository institution regulators. The full impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on our business and operations will not be known for years until regulations implementing the statute are written and adopted. However, it is likely that the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act will have an adverse impact on our operations, particularly through increased regulatory burden and compliance costs.

Acquisitions and the addition of branch facilities may not produce revenue enhancements or cost savings at levels or within timeframes originally anticipated and may result in unforeseen integration difficulties and dilution to existing shareholder value.

We regularly explore opportunities to establish branch facilities and acquire other banks or financial institutions. New or acquired branch facilities and other facilities may not be profitable. We may not be able to correctly identify profitable locations for new branches. The costs to start up new branch facilities or to acquire existing branches, and the additional costs to operate these facilities, may increase our noninterest expense and decrease earnings in the short term. It may be difficult to adequately and profitably manage growth through the establishment of these branches. In addition, we can provide no assurance that these branch sites will successfully attract enough deposits to offset the expenses of operating these branch sites. Any new or acquired branches will be subject to regulatory approval, and there can be no assurance that we will succeed in securing such approvals.

Risks Related to the Company’s Stock.

An investment in the Company’s Common Stock is not an insured deposit.

The Company’s common stock is not a bank deposit and, therefore, is not insured against loss by the FDIC, any other deposit insurance fund, or by any other public or private entity. Investment in the Company’s common stock is inherently risky for the reasons described in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this report and is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock in any public company. As a result, if you acquire the Company’s common stock, you could lose some or all of your investment.

The price of the Company’s common stock may be volatile, which may result in losses for investors.

General market price declines or market volatility in the future could adversely affect the price of the Company’s common stock. In addition, the following factors may cause the market price for shares of the Company’s common stock to fluctuate:

The trading volume in the Company’s common stock is less than that of other larger financial services institutions.

Although the Company’s common stock is listed for trading on The NASDAQ Capital Market, the trading volume in its common stock may be less than that of other, larger financial services companies. A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity, and orderliness depends on the presence in the marketplace of willing buyers and sellers of the Company’s common stock at any given time. This presence depends on the individual decisions of investors and general economic and market conditions over which the Company has no control. During any period of lower trading volume of the Company’s common stock, significant sales of shares of the Company’s common stock, or the expectation of these sales could cause the Company’s common stock price to fall.

The Company’s Articles of Incorporation, Indiana law, and certain banking laws may have an anti-takeover effect.

Provisions of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, the Indiana Business Corporation Law and federal banking laws, including regulatory approval requirements, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire the Company, even if doing so would be perceived to be beneficial by the Company’s shareholders. The combination of these provisions could have the effect of inhibiting a non-negotiated merger or other business combination, which, in turn, could adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock.

The Company may issue additional securities, which could dilute the ownership percentage of holders of the Company’s common stock.

The Company may issue additional securities to, among other reasons, raise additional capital or finance acquisitions, and, if it does, the ownership percentage of holders of the Company’s common stock could be diluted potentially materially.

We may not be able to pay dividends in the future in accordance with past practice.

The Company has traditionally paid a quarterly dividend to common shareholders. The payment of dividends is subject to legal and regulatory restrictions. Any payment of dividends in the future will depend, in large part, on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors considered relevant by the Company’s Board of Directors. The Board may, at its discretion, further reduce or eliminate dividends or change its dividend policy in the future.

General Risk Factors

We continually encounter technological change.

The banking and financial services industry continually undergoes technological changes, with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition to better meeting customer needs, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that enhance customer convenience and that create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have greater resources to invest in technological improvements, and we may not effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or do so as quickly as our competitors, which could reduce our ability to effectively compete. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may not be able to attract and retain skilled people.

The Bank’s success depends on its ability to attract and retain skilled people. Competition for the best people in most activities in which we engage can be intense, and we may not be able to hire people or retain them. The unexpected loss of services of certain of our skilled personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business because of their skills, knowledge of our market, years of industry experience, customer relationships, and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

Loss of key employees may disrupt relationships with certain customers.

Our customer relationships are critical to the success of our business, and loss of key employees with significant customer relationships may lead to the loss of business if the customers were to follow that employee to a competitor. While we believe our relationships with key personnel are strong, we cannot guarantee that all of our key personnel will remain with the organization, which could result in the loss of some of our customers and could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

ITEM 1B.         UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.         PROPERTIES

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Bank’s offices as of December 31, 2020.