FIRST UNITED CORP/MD/ - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

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

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

or

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

For the transition period from _____to _____

Commission file number 0-14237

First United Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(800) 470-4356

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

issued its audit report. £

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s outstanding voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter: $85,527,660.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 28, 2021: 6,995,867.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the SEC pursuant to Regulation 14A are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
‎

First United Corporation

Table of Contents

‎

As used in this annual report, the terms “the Corporation”, “we”, “us”, and “our” mean First United Corporation and unless the context clearly suggests otherwise, its consolidated subsidiaries.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This annual report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include projections, predictions, expectations or statements as to beliefs or future events or results or refer to other matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report are based on various factors and were derived using numerous assumptions. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by words like “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, or “continue” or the negative of those words and other comparable words. You should be aware that those statements reflect only our predictions. If known or unknown risks or uncertainties should materialize, or if underlying assumptions should prove inaccurate, actual results could differ materially from past results and those anticipated, estimated or projected. You should bear this in mind when reading this annual report and not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to:

the length, severity, magnitude, and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the direct and indirect impact of such pandemic, including its impact on the Company’s financial conditions and business operations;

changes in the economy, which could materially impact credit quality trends and the ability to generate loans and gather deposits, including the pace of recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic;

market, economic, operational, liquidity, credit, and interest rate risks associated with our business;

government legislation and policies, including changes to address the impact of COVID-19 through the U.S. Government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) and other legislative and regulatory responses to the COVID-19 pandemic;

changes in market rates and prices may adversely impact the value of securities, loans, deposits and other financial instruments and the interest rate sensitivity of our balance sheet;

our liquidity requirements could be adversely affected by changes in our assets and liabilities;

the effect of legislative or regulatory developments, including changes in laws concerning taxes, banking, securities, insurance and other aspects of the financial services industry;

competitive factors among financial services organizations, including product and pricing pressures and our ability to attract, develop and retain qualified banking professionals;

the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”), the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and other regulatory agencies; and

the effect of fiscal and governmental policies of the United States federal government.

You should also consider carefully the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of Part I of this annual report, which address additional factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements and could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. The risks discussed in this annual report are factors that, individually or in the aggregate, management believes could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider such disclosures to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties.

The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except to the extent required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

‎

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General

First United Corporation is a Maryland corporation chartered in 1985 and a bank holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Corporation’s primary business is serving as the parent company of First United Bank & Trust, a Maryland trust company (the “Bank”), First United Statutory Trust I (“Trust I”) and First United Statutory Trust II (“Trust II”), both Connecticut statutory business trusts. Until September 14, 2019 when it was canceled, the Corporation also served as the parent company to First United Statutory Trust III, a Delaware statutory business trust (“Trust III” and together with Trust I and Trust II, the “Trusts”). The Trusts were formed for the purpose of selling trust preferred securities that qualified as Tier 1 capital. The Bank has two consumer finance company subsidiaries - OakFirst Loan Center, Inc., a West Virginia corporation, and OakFirst Loan Center, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company - and two subsidiaries that it uses to hold real estate acquired through foreclosure or by deed in lieu of foreclosure - First OREO Trust, a Maryland statutory trust, and FUBT OREO I, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company.

At December 31, 2020, we had total assets of $1.7 billion, net loans of $1.1 billion, and deposits of $1.4 billion. Shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2020 was $131.0 million.

The Corporation maintains an Internet website at www.mybank.com on which it makes available, free of charge, its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to the foregoing as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.

Banking Products and Services

The Bank operates 25 banking offices, one customer care center and 32 Automated Teller Machines (“ATMs”) in Allegany County, Frederick County, Garrett County, and Washington County in Maryland, and in Mineral County, Berkeley County, Monongalia County and Harrison County in West Virginia. The Bank is an independent community bank providing a complete range of retail and commercial banking services to businesses and individuals in its market areas. Services offered are essentially the same as those offered by the regional institutions that compete with the Bank and include checking, savings, money market deposit accounts, and certificates of deposit, business loans, personal loans, mortgage loans, lines of credit, and consumer-oriented retirement accounts including individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) and employee benefit accounts. In addition, the Bank provides full brokerage services through a networking arrangement with Cetera Investment Services, LLC., a full-service broker-dealer. The Bank also provides safe deposit and night depository facilities, insurance products and trust services. The Bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”).

Lending Activities

Our lending activities are conducted through the Bank. Since 2010, the Bank has not originated any new loans through the OakFirst Loan Centers and their sole activity is servicing existing loans.

The Bank’s commercial loans are primarily secured by real estate, commercial equipment, vehicles or other assets of the borrower. Repayment is often dependent on the successful business operations of the borrower and may be affected by adverse conditions in the local economy or real estate market. The financial condition and cash flow of commercial borrowers is therefore carefully analyzed during the loan approval process, and continues to be monitored throughout the duration of the loan by obtaining business financial statements, personal financial statements and income tax returns. The frequency of this ongoing analysis depends upon the size and complexity of the credit and collateral that secures the loan. It is also the Bank’s general policy to obtain personal guarantees from the principals of the commercial loan borrowers.

Commercial real estate (“CRE”) loans are primarily those secured by land for residential and commercial development, agricultural purpose properties, service industry buildings such as restaurants and motels, retail buildings and general purpose business space. The Bank attempts to mitigate the risks associated with these loans through low loan to value ratio standards, thorough financial analyses, and management’s knowledge of the local economy in which the Bank lends.

The risk of loss associated with CRE construction lending is controlled through conservative underwriting procedures such as loan to value ratios of 80% or less, obtaining additional collateral when prudent, analysis of cash flows, and closely monitoring construction projects to control disbursement of funds on loans.

The Bank’s residential mortgage portfolio is distributed between variable and fixed rate loans. Some loans are booked at fixed rates in order to meet the Bank’s requirements under the federal Community Reinvestment Act (the “CRA”) or to complement our asset liability mix. Other fixed rate residential mortgage loans are originated in a brokering capacity on behalf of other financial institutions,

for which the Bank receives a fee. As with any consumer loan, repayment is dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, which can be adversely impacted by factors such as job loss, divorce, illness, or personal bankruptcy. Residential mortgage loans exceeding an internal loan-to-value ratio require private mortgage insurance. Title insurance protecting the Bank’s lien priority, as well as fire and casualty insurance, is also required. During 2020, the Bank was an active participant in selling qualifying residential mortgage loans to the secondary market outlet due to the low rate environment.

Home equity lines of credit, included within the residential mortgage portfolio, are secured by the borrower’s home and can be drawn on at the discretion of the borrower. These lines of credit are at variable interest rates.

The Bank also provides residential real estate construction loans to builders and individuals for single family dwellings. Residential construction loans are usually granted based upon “as completed” appraisals and are secured by the property under construction. Site inspections are performed to determine pre-specified stages of completion before loan proceeds are disbursed. These loans typically have maturities of six to twelve months and may have a fixed or variable rate. Permanent financing for individuals offered by the Bank includes fixed and variable rate loans with five, seven or ten year adjustable rate mortgages.

A variety of other consumer loans are also offered to customers, including indirect and direct auto loans, student loans, and other secured and unsecured lines of credit and term loans.

An allowance for loan losses (“ALL”) is maintained to provide for probable losses from our lending activities. A complete discussion of the factors considered in determination of the ALL is included in Item 7 of Part II of this report.

Deposit Activities

The Bank offers a full array of deposit products including checking, savings and money market accounts, regular and IRA certificates of deposit, Christmas Savings accounts, College Savings accounts, and Health Savings accounts. The Bank also offers the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service^®, or CDARS^®, program to municipalities, businesses, and consumers through which the Bank provides access to multi-million-dollar certificates of deposit and the Insured Cash Sweep^®, or ICS^®, program to municipalities, businesses, and consumers through which the Bank provides access to multi-million-dollar savings and demand deposits. Both programs are FDIC-insured. In addition, we offer our commercial customers packages which include Treasury Management, Cash Sweep and various checking opportunities.

Information about our income from and assets related to our banking business may be found in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and the Consolidated Statements of Income and the related notes thereto included in Item 8 of Part II of this annual report.

Wealth Management

The Bank’s Trust Department offers a full range of trust services, including personal trust, investment agency accounts, charitable trusts, retirement accounts including IRA roll-overs, 401(k) accounts and defined benefit plans, estate administration and estate planning.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the total market value of assets under the supervision of the Bank’s Trust Department was approximately $1.0 billion and $902.2 million, respectively. Trust Department revenues for these years may be found in the Consolidated Statements of Income under the heading “Other operating income”, which is contained in Item 8 of Part II of this annual report.

COMPETITION

The banking business, in all of its phases, is highly competitive. Within our market areas, we compete with commercial banks, (including local banks and branches or affiliates of other larger banks), savings and loan associations and credit unions for loans and deposits, with consumer finance companies for loans, and with other financial institutions for various types of products and services, including trust services. There is also competition for commercial and retail banking business from banks and financial institutions located outside our market areas and on the internet.

The primary factors in competing for deposits are interest rates, personalized services, the quality and range of financial services, convenience of office locations and office hours. The primary factors in competing for loans are interest rates, loan origination fees, the quality and range of lending services and personalized services.

To compete with other financial services providers, we rely principally upon local promotional activities, personal relationships established by officers, directors and employees with customers, and specialized services tailored to meet customers’ needs. In those

instances in which we are unable to accommodate a customer’s needs, we attempt to arrange for those services to be provided by other financial services providers with which we have a relationship.

The following tables set forth deposit data for the Maryland and West Virginia Counties in which the Bank maintains offices as of June 30, 2020, the most recent date for which comparative information is available.

For further information about competition in our market areas, see the Risk Factor entitled “We operate in a competitive environment, and our inability to effectively compete could adversely and materially impact our financial condition and results of operations” in Item 1A of Part I of this annual report.

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

The following is a summary of the material regulations and policies applicable to the Corporation and its subsidiaries and is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion. Changes in applicable laws and regulations may have a material effect on our business.

General

The Corporation is registered with the Federal Reserve as a bank holding company under the BHC Act and, as such, is subject to the supervision, examination and reporting requirements of the BHC Act and the regulations of the Federal Reserve. As a publicly-traded company whose common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market, the Corporation is also subject to regulation and supervision by the SEC and The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC (“NASDAQ”).

The Bank is a Maryland trust company subject to the banking laws of Maryland and to regulation by the Commissioner of Financial Regulation of Maryland (the “Maryland Commissioner”), who is required by statute to make at least one examination in each calendar year (or at 18-month intervals if the Maryland Commissioner determines that an examination is unnecessary in a particular calendar year). The Bank also has offices in West Virginia, and the operations of these offices are subject to West Virginia laws and to supervision and examination by the West Virginia Division of Banking. As a member of the FDIC, the Bank is also subject to certain provisions of federal laws and regulations regarding deposit insurance and activities of insured state-chartered banks, including those that require examination by the FDIC. In addition to the foregoing, there are a myriad of other federal and state laws and regulations that affect, or govern the business of banking, including consumer lending, deposit-taking, and trust operations.

All non-bank subsidiaries of the Corporation are subject to examination by the Federal Reserve, and, as affiliates of the Bank, are subject to examination by the FDIC and the Maryland Commissioner. In addition, OakFirst Loan Center, Inc. is subject to licensing and regulation by the West Virginia Division of Banking, and OakFirst Loan Center, LLC is subject to licensing and regulation by the Maryland Commissioner.

Regulation of Bank Holding Companies

The Corporation and its affiliates are subject to the provisions of Section 23A and Section 23B of the Federal Reserve Act. Section 23A limits the amount of loans or extensions of credit to, and investments in, the Corporation and its non-bank affiliates by the Bank. Section 23B requires that transactions between the Bank and the Corporation and its non-bank affiliates be on terms and under circumstances that are substantially the same as with non-affiliates.

Under Federal Reserve policy, the Corporation is expected to act as a source of strength to the Bank, and the Federal Reserve may charge the Corporation with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to a subsidiary bank when required. This support may be required at times when the bank holding company may not have the resources to provide the support. Under the prompt corrective action provisions, if a controlled bank is undercapitalized, then the regulators could require the bank holding company to guarantee the bank’s capital restoration plan. In addition, if the Federal Reserve believes that a bank holding company’s activities, assets or affiliates represent a significant risk to the financial safety, soundness or stability of a controlled bank, then the Federal Reserve could require the bank holding company to terminate the activities, liquidate the assets or divest the affiliates. The regulators may require these and other actions in support of controlled banks even if such actions are not in the best interests of the bank holding company or its stockholders. Because the Corporation is a bank holding company, it is viewed as a source of financial and managerial strength for any controlled depository institutions, like the Bank.

In addition, under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (“FIRREA”), depository institutions insured by the FDIC can be held liable for any losses incurred by, or reasonably anticipated to be incurred by, the FDIC in connection with (i) the default of a commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institution or (ii) any assistance provided by the FDIC to a commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institution in danger of default. Accordingly, in the event that any insured subsidiary of the Corporation causes a loss to the FDIC, other insured subsidiaries of the Corporation could be required to compensate the FDIC by reimbursing it for the estimated amount of such loss. Such cross guaranty liabilities generally are superior in priority to obligations of a financial institution to its shareholders and obligations to other affiliates.

Federal Banking Regulation

Federal banking regulators, such as the Federal Reserve and the FDIC, may prohibit the institutions over which they have supervisory authority from engaging in activities or investments that the agencies believe are unsafe or unsound banking practices. Federal banking regulators have extensive enforcement authority over the institutions they regulate to prohibit or correct activities that violate law, regulation or a regulatory agreement or which are deemed to be unsafe or unsound practices. Enforcement actions may include the appointment of a conservator or receiver, the issuance of a cease and desist order, the termination of deposit insurance, the imposition of civil money penalties on the institution, its directors, officers, employees and institution-affiliated parties, the issuance of

directives to increase capital, the issuance of formal and informal agreements, the removal of or restrictions on directors, officers, employees and institution-affiliated parties, and the enforcement of any such mechanisms through restraining orders or other court actions.

The Bank is subject to certain restrictions on extensions of credit to executive officers, directors, and principal shareholders or any related interest of such persons, which generally require that such credit extensions be made on substantially the same terms as those available to persons who are not related to the Bank and not involve more than the normal risk of repayment. Other laws tie the maximum amount that may be loaned to any one customer and its related interests to capital levels.

As part of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), each federal banking regulator adopted non-capital safety and soundness standards for institutions under its authority. These standards include internal controls, information systems and internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, and compensation, fees and benefits. An institution that fails to meet those standards may be required by the agency to develop a plan acceptable to meet the standards. Failure to submit or implement such a plan may subject the institution to regulatory sanctions. We believe that the Bank meets substantially all standards that have been adopted. FDICIA also imposes capital standards on insured depository institutions.

The CRA requires the FDIC, in connection with its examination of financial institutions within its jurisdiction, to evaluate the record of those financial institutions in meeting the credit needs of their communities, including low and moderate income neighborhoods, consistent with principles of safe and sound banking practices. These factors are also considered by all regulatory agencies in evaluating mergers, acquisitions and applications to open a branch or facility. As of the date of its most recent examination report, the Bank had a CRA rating of “Satisfactory”.

The Bank is also subject to a variety of other laws and regulations with respect to the operation of its business, including, but not limited to, the TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule (“TRID”), Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Expedited Funds Availability (Regulation CC), Reserve Requirements (Regulation D), Privacy of Consumer Information (Regulation P), Margin Stock Loans (Regulation U), the Right To Financial Privacy Act, the Flood Disaster Protection Act, the Homeowners Protection Act, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the CAN-SPAM Act, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).

Capital Requirements

We require capital to fund loans, satisfy our obligations under the Bank’s letters of credit, meet the deposit withdrawal demands of the Bank’s customers, and satisfy our other monetary obligations. To the extent that deposits are not adequate to fund our capital requirements, we can rely on the funding sources identified below under the heading “Liquidity Management”. At December 31, 2020, the Bank had $130.0 million available through unsecured lines of credit with correspondent banks, $1.1 million available through a secured line of credit with the Fed Discount Window and approximately $134.4 million available through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (“FHLB”). Management is not aware of any demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that are likely to materially affect our ability to meet our future capital requirements.

In addition to operational requirements, the Bank and the Corporation are subject to risk-based capital regulations, which were adopted and are monitored by federal banking regulators. These regulations are used to evaluate capital adequacy and require an analysis of an institution’s asset risk profile and off-balance sheet exposures, such as unused loan commitments and stand-by letters of credit.  

Regulators may require higher capital ratios when warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profile of a given banking organization. In the current regulatory environment, banking organizations must stay well-capitalized in order to receive favorable regulatory treatment on acquisition and other expansion activities and favorable risk-based deposit insurance assessments. Our capital policy establishes guidelines meeting these regulatory requirements and takes into consideration current or anticipated risks as well as potential future growth opportunities.

In July 2019, the federal banking agencies adopted a final rule that simplifies compliance with certain aspects of the capital rules. A majority of the simplifications apply solely to banking organizations that are not subject to the advanced approaches capital rule. The rule simplified the application of regulatory capital treatment for mortgage servicing assets, certain deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences, investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions, and capital issued by a consolidated subsidiary of a banking organization and held by third parties (minority interest). In addition, the rule revised the treatment of certain acquisition, development, or construction exposures.

At December 31, 2020, we were in compliance with the applicable requirements.

Additional information about our capital ratios is contained in “Consolidated Balance Sheet Review” section of Item 7 of Part II of this annual report under the heading “Capital Resources”.

Prompt Corrective Action

The Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDI Act”) 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 FDI Act 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 capital ratio, the Tier 1 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 6.0% 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 4.0% 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 4.0% 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 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.

Following the 2010 enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), the federal banking regulators implemented the Basel III regulatory framework on bank capital adequacy, stress testing, and market liquidity risk (the “Basel III Capital Rules”). The Basel III Capital Rules revised the prompt corrective action requirements by (i) introducing the Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) ratio requirement at each level (other than critically undercapitalized), with the required CET1 ratio being 6.5% for well-capitalized status; (ii) increasing the minimum Tier 1 capital ratio requirement for each category (other than critically undercapitalized), with the minimum Tier 1 capital ratio for well-capitalized status being 8%; and (iii) eliminating the provision that permitted a bank with a composite supervisory rating of 1 but a leverage ratio of at least 3% to be deemed adequately capitalized.

The FDI Act 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 FDI Act 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.

At December 31, 2020, the Bank and the Corporation were “well capitalized” based on the aforementioned ratios.

Liquidity Requirements

Historically, the regulation and monitoring of bank liquidity has been addressed as a supervisory matter, without required formulaic measures. The Basel III Capital Rules require banks to measure their liquidity against specific liquidity tests that, although similar in some respects to liquidity measures historically applied by banks and regulators for management and supervisory purposes, going forward would be required by regulation. One test, referred to as the liquidity coverage ratio, is designed to ensure that the banking entity maintains an adequate level of unencumbered high-quality liquid assets equal to the entity’s expected net cash outflow for a 30-day time horizon (or, if greater, 25% of its expected total cash outflow) under an acute liquidity stress scenario. The other test, referred to as the net stable funding ratio, is designed to promote more medium- and long-term funding of the assets and activities of banking entities over a one-year time horizon. These requirements will incent banking entities to increase their holdings of U.S. Treasury securities and other sovereign debt as a component of assets and increase the use of long-term debt as a funding source.

Deposit Insurance

The Bank is a member of the FDIC and pays an insurance premium to the FDIC based upon its assessable deposits on a quarterly basis. Deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC and such insurance is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.

The deposit insurance limit set by law is currently $250,000. The coverage limit is per depositor, per insured depository institution for each account ownership category.

The Dodd-Frank Act set a new minimum Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) Reserve Ratio at 1.35% of estimated insured deposits. The FDIC was required to attain this ratio by September 30, 2019. In connection with this change, the FDIC was required to redefine the deposit insurance assessment base for an insured depository institution. Prior to the change, an institution’s assessment base was historically its domestic deposits, with some adjustments. As redefined pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, an institution’s assessment base is now an amount equal to the institution’s average consolidated total assets during the assessment period minus average tangible equity. Institutions with $1.0 billion or more in assets at the end of a fiscal quarter, like the Bank, must report their average consolidated total assets on a daily basis and report their average tangible equity on an end-of-month balance basis.

On September 30, 2019, the DIF reserve ratio reached 1.36%.  As a result, small banks will receive assessment credits for the portion of their assessments that contributed to the growth in the reserve ratio from 1.15% to 1.35%, to be applied when the reserve ratio is at least 1.38%. The Bank received assessment credits of $0.1 million and $0.3 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005, which created the DIF, gave the FDIC greater latitude in setting the assessment rates for insured depository institutions which could be used to impose minimum assessments. The FDIC has the flexibility to adopt actual rates that are higher or lower than the total base assessment rates adopted without notice and comment, if certain conditions are met.

DIF-insured institutions pay a Financing Corporation (“FICO”) assessment in order to fund the interest on bonds issued in the 1980s in connection with the failures in the thrift industry.

The FDIC is authorized to conduct examinations of and require reporting by FDIC-insured institutions. It is also authorized to terminate a depository bank’s deposit insurance upon a finding by the FDIC that the bank’s financial condition is unsafe or unsound or that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices or has violated any applicable rule, regulation, order or condition enacted or imposed by the bank’s regulatory agency. The termination of deposit insurance for our bank subsidiary would have a material adverse effect on our earnings, operations and financial condition.

Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering

The Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), which is intended to require financial institutions to develop policies, procedures, and practices to prevent and deter money laundering, mandates that every national bank have a written, board-approved program that is reasonably designed to assure and monitor compliance with the BSA.

The program must, at a minimum: (i) provide for a system of internal controls to assure ongoing compliance; (ii) provide for independent testing for compliance; (iii) designate an individual responsible for coordinating and monitoring day-to-day compliance; and (iv) provide training for appropriate personnel. In addition, state-chartered banks are required to adopt a customer identification program as part of its BSA compliance program. State-chartered banks are also required to file Suspicious Activity Reports when they detect certain known or suspected violations of federal law or suspicious transactions related to a money laundering activity or a violation of the BSA.

In addition to complying with the BSA, the Bank is subject to the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA Patriot Act”). The USA Patriot Act is designed to deny terrorists and criminals the ability to obtain access to the United States’ financial system and has significant implications for depository institutions, brokers, dealers, and other businesses involved in the transfer of money. The USA Patriot Act mandates that financial service companies implement additional policies and procedures and take heightened measures designed to address any or all of the following matters: customer identification programs, money laundering, terrorist financing, identifying and reporting suspicious activities and currency transactions, currency crimes, and cooperation between financial institutions and law enforcement authorities.

Dodd-Frank Act

The Dodd-Frank Act was enacted in July 2010 and significantly restructured the financial regulatory regime in the United States. Although the Dodd-Frank Act’s provisions that have received the most public attention generally have been those applying to or more likely to affect larger institutions such as banks and bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of $50 billion or more, it contains numerous other provisions that affect all financial institutions, including the Bank. The Dodd-Frank Act established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), discussed below, and contains a wide variety of provisions (many of which are not yet effective) affecting the regulation of depository institutions, including fair lending, fair debt collection practices, mortgage loan origination and servicing obligations, bankruptcy, military service member protections, use of credit reports, privacy matters, and disclosure of credit terms and correction of billing errors. Local, state and national regulatory and enforcement agencies continue efforts to address perceived problems within the mortgage lending and credit card industries through broad or targeted legislative or regulatory initiatives aimed at lenders’ operations in consumer lending markets. There continues to be a significant amount of legislative and regulatory activity, nationally, locally and at the state level, designed to limit certain lending practices while mandating certain servicing procedures. Federal bankruptcy and state debtor relief and collection laws, as well as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act affect the ability of banks, including the Bank, to collect outstanding balances.

Moreover, the Dodd-Frank Act permits states to adopt stricter consumer protection laws and states’ attorneys general may enforce consumer protection rules issued by the CFPB. Recently, U.S. financial regulatory agencies have increasingly used a general consumer protection statute to address unethical or otherwise bad business practices that may not necessarily fall directly under the purview of a specific banking or consumer finance law. Prior to the Dodd-Frank Act, there was little formal guidance to provide insight to the parameters for compliance with the “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” (“UDAP”) law. However, the UDAP provisions have been expanded under the Dodd-Frank Act to apply to “unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices”, which has been delegated to the CFPB for supervision.

The Dodd-Frank Act has increased, and will likely continue to increase, our regulatory compliance burdens and costs and may restrict the financial products and services that we offer to our customers in the future.

Mortgage Lending and Servicing

The Bank’s mortgage lending and servicing activities are subject to various laws and regulations that are enforced by the federal banking regulators and the CFPB, such as the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, and various rules adopted thereunder, including those relating to consumer disclosures, appraisal requirements, mortgage originator compensation, prohibitions on mandatory arbitration provisions under certain circumstances, and the obligation to credit payments and provide payoff statements within certain time periods and provide certain notices prior to interest rate and payment adjustments.

The Bank is required to make a reasonable and good faith determination based on verified and documented information that a consumer applying for a mortgage loan has a reasonable ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Qualified mortgages that that are not “higher-priced” are afforded a safe harbor presumption of compliance with the ability to repay rules, while qualified mortgages that are “higher-priced” garner a rebuttable presumption of compliance with the ability to repay rules. In general, a “qualified mortgage” is a mortgage loan without negative amortization, interest-only payments, balloon payments, or a term exceeding 30 years, where the lender determines that the borrower has the ability to repay, and where the borrower’s points and fees do not exceed 3% of the total loan amount. “Higher-priced” mortgages must have escrow accounts for taxes and insurance and similar recurring expenses.

Consumer Lending – Military Lending Act

The Military Lending Act (the “MLA”), which was initially implemented in 2007, was amended and its coverage significantly expanded in 2015. The Department of Defense (the “DOD”) issued a final rule under the MLA that took effect on October 15, 2015, but financial institutions were not required to take action until October 3, 2016. The types of credit covered under the MLA were expanded to include virtually all consumer loan and credit card products (except for loans secured by residential real property and certain purchase-money motor vehicle/personal property secured transactions). Lenders must now provide specific written and oral disclosures concerning the protections of the MLA to active duty members of the military and dependents of active duty members of the military (“covered borrowers”). The rule imposes a 36% “Military Annual Percentage Rate” cap that includes costs associated with credit insurance premiums, fees for ancillary products, finance charges associated with the transactions, and application and participation

charges. In addition, loan terms cannot include (i) a mandatory arbitration provision, (ii) a waiver of consumer protection laws, (iii) mandatory allotments from military benefits, or (iv) a prepayment penalty. The revised rule also prohibits “roll-over” or refinances of the same loan unless the new loan provides more favorable terms for the covered borrower. Lenders may verify covered borrower status using a DOD database or information provided by credit bureaus. We believe that we are in compliance with the revised rule.

Cybersecurity

We rely on electronic communications and information systems to conduct our operations and store sensitive data. We employ an in-depth approach that leverages people, processes, and technology to manage and maintain cybersecurity controls. In addition, we employ a variety of preventative and detective tools to monitor, block, and provide alerts regarding suspicious activity, as well as to report on any suspected advanced persistent threats. Notwithstanding the strength of our defensive measures, the threat from cyber-attacks is severe, attacks are sophisticated and increasing in volume, and attackers respond rapidly to changes in defensive measures.

The federal banking regulators have adopted guidelines for establishing information security standards and cybersecurity programs for implementing safeguards under the supervision of a financial institution’s board of directors. These guidelines, along with related regulatory materials, increasingly focus on risk management and processes related to information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial products and services. The federal banking regulators expect financial institutions to establish lines of defense and to ensure that their risk management processes address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials, and also expect financial institutions to maintain sufficient business continuity planning processes to ensure rapid recovery, resumption and maintenance of the institution's operations after a cyberattack. If we fail to meet the expectations set forth in this regulatory guidance, then we could be subject to various regulatory actions and we may be required to devote significant resources to any required remediation efforts.

Federal Securities Laws and NASDAQ Rules

The shares of the Corporation’s common stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), are registered with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Exchange and listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The Corporation is subject to information reporting requirements, proxy solicitation requirements, insider trading restrictions and other requirements of the Exchange Act, including the requirements imposed under the federal Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and rules adopted by NASDAQ. Among other things, loans to and other transactions with insiders are subject to restrictions and heightened disclosure, directors and certain committees of the Board must satisfy certain independence requirements, the Corporation must comply with certain enhanced corporate governance requirements, and various issuances of securities by the Corporation require shareholder approval.

Governmental Monetary and Credit Policies and Economic Controls

The earnings and growth of the banking industry and ultimately of the Bank are affected by the monetary and credit policies of governmental authorities, including the Federal Reserve. An important function of the Federal Reserve is to regulate the national supply of bank credit in order to control recessionary and inflationary pressures. Among the instruments of monetary policy used by the Federal Reserve to implement these objectives are open market operations in U.S. Government securities, changes in the federal funds rate, changes in the discount rate of member bank borrowings, and changes in reserve requirements against member bank deposits. These means are used in varying combinations to influence overall growth of bank loans, investments and deposits and may also affect interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve authorities have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue to have such an effect in the future. In view of changing conditions in the national economy and in the money markets, as well as the effect of actions by monetary and fiscal authorities, including the Federal Reserve, no prediction can be made as to possible future changes in interest rates, deposit levels, loan demand or their effect on our businesses and earnings.

SEASONALITY

Management does not believe that our business activities are seasonal in nature. Deposit and loan demand may vary depending on local and national economic conditions, but management believes that any variation will not have a material impact on our planning or policy-making strategies.

EMPLOYEES

At December 31, 2020, we employed 319 individuals, of whom 280 were full-time employees.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The significant risks and uncertainties related to us, our business and our securities of which we are aware are discussed below. Investors and shareholders should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties before making investment decisions with respect to the Corporation’s securities. Any of these factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects and could negatively impact the market price of the Corporation’s securities. If any of these risks materialize, the holders of the Corporation’s securities could lose all or part of their investments in the Corporation. Additional risks and uncertainties that we do not yet know of, or that we currently think are immaterial, may also impair our business operations. Investors and shareholders should also consider the other information contained in this annual report, including our financial statements and the related notes, before making investment decisions with respect to the Corporation’s securities.

Risks Relating to the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our business and financial results and that of many of our customers, and the ultimate impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, cannot be predicted, and are largely outside of our control, including the scope and duration of the pandemic and actions taken by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our business and financial results and that of many of our customers, and the ultimate impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, cannot be predicted, and are largely outside of our control, including the scope and duration of the pandemic and actions taken by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has created extensive disruptions to the global and U.S. economies and to the lives of individuals throughout the world. Governments, businesses, and the public are taking unprecedented actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to mitigate its effects, including quarantines, travel bans, shelter-in-place orders, closures of businesses and schools, fiscal and monetary stimulus, and legislation designed to deliver financial aid and other relief. While the scope, duration, and full effects of COVID-19 are rapidly evolving and not fully known, the pandemic and the efforts to contain it have disrupted global economic activity, adversely affected the functioning of financial markets, impacted market interest rates, increased economic and market uncertainty, and disrupted trade and supply chains. If these effects continue for a prolonged period or result in sustained economic stress or recession, many of the risk factors identified in this Annual Report on Form 10-K could be exacerbated and the effects of COVID-19 could have a material adverse impact on us in a number of ways as described in more detail below.

Credit Risk - Our risks of timely loan repayment and the value of collateral supporting the loans are affected by the strength of our borrowers’ businesses. Concern about the spread of COVID-19 has caused and is likely to continue to cause business shutdowns, limitations on commercial activity and financial transactions, labor shortages, supply chain interruptions, increased unemployment and commercial property vacancy rates, reduced profitability and ability for property owners to make mortgage payments, and overall economic and financial market instability, all of which may cause our customers to be unable to make scheduled loan payments.

Hotel and restaurant operators and others in the leisure, hospitality and travel industries, among other industries, have been particularly harmed by COVID-19. See the discussion contained in Item 7 of Part II of this Annual Report for information about the Company’s outstanding loans to borrowers in the hotel and restaurant industries. If the effects of COVID-19 result in widespread and sustained repayment shortfalls on loans in our portfolio, then we could incur significant delinquencies, foreclosures and credit losses, particularly if the available collateral is insufficient to cover our credit exposure. The future effects of COVID-19 on economic activity could negatively affect the collateral values associated with our existing loans, the ability to liquidate the real estate collateral securing our residential and commercial real estate loans, our ability to maintain loan origination volume and to obtain additional financing, the future demand for or profitability of our lending and services, and the financial condition and credit risk of our customers. Further, in the event of delinquencies, regulatory changes and policies designed to protect borrowers may slow or prevent us from making our business decisions or may result in a delay in our taking certain remediation actions, such as foreclosure. In addition, we have unfunded commitments to extend credit to customers. During a challenging economic environment, our customers depend more on our credit commitments and increased borrowings under these commitments could adversely impact our liquidity. Furthermore, in an effort to support our communities during the pandemic, we are participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) under the CARES Act whereby loans to small businesses are made and those loans are subject to the regulatory requirements that would require forbearance of loan payments for a specified time or that would limit our ability to pursue all available remedies in the event of a loan default. If the borrower under the PPP loan fails to qualify for loan forgiveness, we are at the heightened risk of holding these loans at unfavorable interest rates as compared to the loans to customers that we would have otherwise extended credit.

Strategic Risk - Our success may be affected by a variety of external factors that may affect the price or marketability of our products and services, changes in interest rates that may increase our funding costs, reduced demand for our financial products due to economic conditions and the various response of governmental and nongovernmental authorities. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased economic and demand uncertainty and has led to disruption and volatility in the global capital markets. Furthermore, many of the governmental actions have been directed toward curtailing household and business activity to contain COVID-19. These actions have been rapidly expanding in scope and intensity. For example, in many of our markets, local governments have

acted to temporarily close or restrict the operations of most businesses. The future effects of COVID-19 on economic activity could negatively affect the future banking products we provide, including a decline in originating loans.

Operational Risk - Current and future restrictions on our workforce’s access to our facilities could limit our ability to meet customer servicing expectations and have a material adverse effect on our operations. We rely on business processes and branch activity that largely depend on people and technology, including access to information technology systems as well as information, applications, payment systems and other services provided by third parties. In response to COVID-19, we have modified our business practices with a portion of our employees working remotely from their homes to have our operations uninterrupted as much as possible. Further, technology in employees’ homes may not be as robust as in our offices and could cause the networks, information systems, applications, and other tools available to employees to be more limited or less reliable than in our offices. The continuation of these work-from-home measures also introduces additional operational risk, including increased cybersecurity risk from phishing, malware, and other cybersecurity attacks, all of which could expose us to risks of data or financial loss and could seriously disrupt our operations and the operations of any impacted customers.

Moreover, we rely on many third parties in our business operations, including the appraiser of the real property collateral, vendors that supply essential services such as loan servicers, providers of financial information, systems and analytical tools and providers of electronic payment and settlement systems, and local and federal government agencies, offices, and courthouses. In light of the developing measures responding to the pandemic, many of these entities may limit the availability and access of their services. If the third-party service providers continue to have limited capacities for a prolonged period or if additional limitations or potential disruptions in these services materialize, it may negatively affect our operations.

Interest Rate Risk/Market Value Risk - Our net interest income, lending and investment activities, deposits and profitability could be negatively affected by volatility in interest rates caused by uncertainties stemming from COVID-19. In March 2020, the Federal Reserve lowered the target range for the federal funds rate to a range from 0% to 0.25%, citing concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on financial markets and market stress in the energy sector. A prolonged period of extremely volatile and unstable market conditions could increase our funding costs and negatively affect market risk mitigation strategies. Higher income volatility from changes in interest rates and spreads to benchmark indices could cause a loss of future net interest income and a decrease in prevailing fair market values of our investment securities and other assets, including mortgage servicing rights and SBA loan servicing rights. Fluctuations in interest rates will impact both the level of income and expense recorded on many of our assets and liabilities and the market value of all interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our net income, operating results, or financial condition.

Because there have been no comparable recent global pandemics that resulted in similar global impact, we do not yet know the full extent of COVID-19’s effects on our business, operations, or the global economy as a whole. Any future development will be highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the pandemic, the effectiveness of our work-from-home arrangements, third party providers’ ability to support our operations, and any actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic. The uncertain future development of this crisis could materially and adversely affect our business, operations, operating results, financial condition, liquidity or capital levels.

The outbreak of other pandemics in the future could have similar or worse impacts on our financial condition and/ or results of operations.

Risks Relating to First United Corporation and its Affiliates

First United Corporation’s future success depends on the successful growth of its subsidiaries.

The Corporation’s primary business activity for the foreseeable future will be to act as the holding company of the Bank and its other direct and indirect subsidiaries. Therefore, the Corporation’s future profitability will depend on the success and growth of these subsidiaries.

The Bank’s funding sources may prove insufficient to replace deposits and support our future growth.

The Bank relies on customer deposits, advances from the FHLB, lines of credit at other financial institutions and brokered funds to fund our operations. Although the Bank has historically been able to replace maturing deposits and advances if desired, no assurance can be given that the Bank would be able to replace such funds in the future if our financial condition or the financial condition of the FHLB or market conditions were to change. Our financial flexibility will be severely constrained and/or our cost of funds will increase if we are unable to maintain our access to funding or if financing necessary to accommodate future growth is not available at favorable interest rates. Finally, if we are required to rely more heavily on more expensive funding sources to support future growth, our revenues may not increase proportionately to cover our costs. In that case, our profitability would be adversely affected.

Interest rates and other economic conditions will impact our results of operations.

Our net income depends primarily upon our net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on loans, investments and other interest-earning assets and the interest expense incurred on deposits and borrowed funds. The level of net interest income is primarily a function of the average balance of our interest-earning assets, the average balance of our interest-bearing liabilities, and the spread between the yield on such assets and the cost of such liabilities. These factors are influenced by both the pricing and mix of our interest-earning assets and our interest-bearing liabilities which, in turn, are impacted by such external factors as the local economy, competition for loans and deposits, the monetary policy of the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and market interest rates.

Different types of assets and liabilities may react differently, and at different times, to changes in market interest rates. We expect that we will periodically experience gaps in the interest rate sensitivities of our assets and liabilities. That means either our interest-bearing liabilities will be more sensitive to changes in market interest rates than our interest-earning assets, or vice versa. When interest-bearing liabilities mature or re-price more quickly than interest-earning assets, an increase in market rates of interest could reduce our net interest income. Likewise, when interest-earning assets mature or re-price more quickly than interest-bearing liabilities, falling interest rates could reduce our net interest income. We are unable to predict changes in market interest rates, which are affected by many factors beyond our control, including inflation, deflation, recession, unemployment, money supply, domestic and international events and changes in the United States and other financial markets.

We also attempt to manage risk from changes in market interest rates, in part, by controlling the mix of interest rate sensitive assets and interest rate sensitive liabilities. However, interest rate risk management techniques are not exact. A rapid increase or decrease in interest rates could adversely affect our results of operations and financial performance.

Changes to LIBOR may adversely impact the value of, and the return on, our loans, investment securities and derivatives which are indexed to LIBOR.

We have certain FHLB advances, brokered deposits, loans and investment securities indexed to LIBOR to calculate the loan interest rate. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it will no longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR to the LIBOR administrator after 2021. The announcement also indicates that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021. Consequently, at this time, it is not possible to predict whether and to what extent banks will continue to provide LIBOR submissions to the LIBOR administrator or whether any additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Similarly, it is not possible to predict whether LIBOR will continue to be viewed as an acceptable benchmark for certain loans and liabilities including our subordinated notes, what rate or rates may become accepted alternatives to LIBOR or the effect of any such changes in views or alternatives on the values of the loans and liabilities, whose interest rates are tied to LIBOR. Uncertainty as to the nature of such potential changes, alternative reference rates, the elimination or replacement of LIBOR, or other reforms may adversely affect the value of, and the return on our loans, and our investment securities.

The majority of our business is concentrated in Maryland and West Virginia, much of which involves real estate lending, so a decline in the real estate and credit markets could materially and adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Most of the Bank’s loans are made to borrowers located in Western Maryland and Northeastern West Virginia, and many of these loans, including construction and land development loans, are secured by real estate. At December 31, 2020, approximately 10%, or $117.0 million, of our total loans were real estate acquisition, construction and development loans that were secured by real estate. Accordingly, a decline in local economic conditions would likely have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations, and the impact on us would likely be greater than the impact felt by larger financial institutions whose loan portfolios are geographically diverse. We cannot guarantee that any risk management practices we implement to address our geographic and loan concentrations will be effective to prevent losses relating to our loan portfolio.

The Bank’s concentrations of commercial real estate loans could subject it to increased regulatory scrutiny and directives, which could force us to preserve or raise capital and/or limit future commercial lending activities.

The federal banking regulators believe that institutions that have particularly high concentrations of Commercial Real Estate (“CRE”) loans within their lending portfolios face a heightened risk of financial difficulties in the event of adverse changes in the economy and CRE markets. Accordingly, through published guidance, these regulators have directed institutions whose concentrations exceed certain percentages of capital to implement heightened risk management practices appropriate to their concentration risk. The guidance provides that banking regulators may require such institutions to reduce their concentrations and/or maintain higher capital ratios than institutions with lower concentrations in CRE. At December 31, 2020, our CRE concentrations were below the heightened risk management thresholds set forth in this guidance.

The Bank may experience loan losses in excess of its allowance for loan losses, which would reduce our earnings.

The risk of credit losses on loans varies with, among other things, general economic conditions, the type of loans being made, the creditworthiness of the borrowers over the term of the loans and, in the case of collateralized loans, the value and marketability of the collateral for the loans. Management of the Bank maintains an ALL based upon, among other things, historical experience, an evaluation of economic conditions and regular reviews of delinquencies and loan portfolio quality. Based upon such factors, management makes various assumptions and judgments about the ultimate collectability of the loan portfolio and provides the ALL based upon a percentage of the outstanding balances and for specific loans when their ultimate collectability is considered questionable. If management’s assumptions and judgments prove to be incorrect and the ALL is inadequate to absorb future losses, or if the bank regulatory authorities require us to increase the ALL as a part of its examination process, our earnings and capital could be significantly and adversely affected. Although management continually monitors our loan portfolio and makes determinations with respect to the ALL, future adjustments may be necessary if economic conditions differ substantially from the assumptions used or adverse developments arise with respect to our non-performing or performing loans. Material additions to the ALL could result in a material decrease in our net income and capital; and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

A new accounting standard will likely require us to increase our allowance for loan losses and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) has adopted a new accounting standard that was originally effective for the Corporation and the Bank beginning with our first full fiscal year after December 15, 2019. In November 2019, the FASB approved a delay of the required implementation date of ASU No. 2016-13 for smaller reporting companies, as defined by the SEC, and other non-SEC reporting entities, including the Corporation, resulting in a required implementation date for the Corporation of January 1, 2023. This standard, referred to as Current Expected Credit Loss, or CECL, will require financial institutions to determine periodic estimates of lifetime expected credit losses on loans, and recognize the expected credit losses as allowances for loan losses. This standard will change the current method of providing allowances for loan losses that are probable, which would likely require us to increase our ALL, and to greatly increase the types of data we would need to collect and review to determine the appropriate level of the ALL. Any increase in our ALL or expenses incurred to determine the appropriate level of the ALL may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The Bank’s lending activities subject the Bank to the risk of environmental liabilities.

A significant portion of the Bank’s loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, the Bank may foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous or toxic substances are found, the Bank may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may require the Bank to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit the Bank’s ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase the Bank’s exposure to environmental liability. Although the Bank has policies and procedures to perform an environmental review before initiating any foreclosure action on real property, these reviews may not be sufficient to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The market value of our investments could decline.

At December 31, 2020, investment securities in our investment portfolio having a cost basis of $230.5 million and a market value of $226.9 million were classified as available-for-sale pursuant to FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 320, Investments – Debt and Equity Securities, relating to accounting for investments. Topic 320 requires that unrealized gains and losses in the estimated value of the available-for-sale portfolio be “marked to market” and reflected as a separate item in shareholders’ equity (net of tax) as accumulated other comprehensive loss. There can be no assurance that future market performance of our investment portfolio will enable us to realize income from sales of securities. Shareholders’ equity will continue to reflect the unrealized gains and losses (net of tax) of these investments. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the market value of our investment portfolio will not decline, causing a corresponding decline in shareholders’ equity.

Management believes that several factors could affect the market value of our investment portfolio. These include, but are not limited to, changes in interest rates or expectations of changes, the degree of volatility in the securities markets, inflation rates or expectations of inflation and the slope of the interest rate yield curve (the yield curve refers to the differences between shorter-term and longer-term interest rates; a positively sloped yield curve means shorter-term rates are lower than longer-term rates). Also, the passage of time will affect the market values of our investment securities, in that the closer they are to maturing, the closer the market price should be to par value. These and other factors may impact specific categories of the portfolio differently, and management cannot predict the effect these factors may have on any specific category.

Impairment of investment securities, goodwill, or deferred tax assets could require charges to earnings, which could result in a negative impact on our results of operations.

In assessing whether the impairment of investment securities is other-than-temporary, management considers the length of time and extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, and the intent and ability to retain our investment in the security for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value in the near term. See the discussion under the heading “Estimates and Critical Accounting Policies – Other-Than-Temporary Impairment of Investment Securities” in Item 7 of Part II of this annual report for further information.

Under current accounting standards, goodwill is not amortized but, instead, is subject to impairment tests on at least an annual basis or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. A decline in the price of the shares of Common Stock or occurrence of a triggering event following any of our quarterly earnings releases and prior to the filing of the periodic report for that period could, under certain circumstances, cause us to perform a goodwill impairment test and result in an impairment charge being recorded for that period which was not reflected in such earnings release. In the event that we conclude that all or a portion of our goodwill may be impaired, a non-cash charge for the amount of such impairment would be recorded to earnings. Such a charge would have no impact on tangible capital. At December 31, 2020, we had recorded goodwill of $11.0 million, representing approximately 8.4% of shareholders’ equity. See the discussion under the heading “Estimates and Critical Accounting Policies – Goodwill” in Item 7 of Part II of this annual report for further information.

At December 31, 2020, our net deferred tax assets were valued at $8.0 million. Included in that total is $2.7 million of state net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) associated with separate company tax filings of the Corporation, which we do not expect to use and, thus, we have established a $2.7 million valuation allowance. A deferred tax asset is reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of the evidence available, both negative and positive, including the recent trend of quarterly earnings, management believes that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the total deferred tax asset will not be realized. Moreover, our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards to offset future taxable income may be significantly limited if we experience an “ownership change,” as determined under Section 382 of the Code. If an ownership change were to occur, the limitations imposed by Section 382 of the Code could result in a portion of our net operating loss carryforwards expiring unused, thereby impairing their value. Section 382’s provisions are complex, and we cannot predict any circumstances surrounding the future ownership of the Common Stock. Accordingly, we cannot provide any assurance that we will not experience an ownership change in the future.

The impact of each of these impairment matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

We operate in a competitive environment, and our inability to effectively compete could adversely and materially impact our financial condition and results of operations.

We operate in a competitive environment, competing for loans, deposits, and customers with commercial banks, savings associations and other financial entities. Competition for deposits comes primarily from other commercial banks, savings associations, credit unions, money market and mutual funds and other investment alternatives. Competition for loans comes primarily from other commercial banks, savings associations, mortgage banking firms, credit unions and other financial intermediaries. Competition for other products, such as securities products, comes from other banks, securities and brokerage companies, and other non-bank financial service providers in our market area. Many of these competitors are much larger in terms of total assets and capitalization, have greater access to capital markets, and/or offer a broader range of financial services than those that we offer. In addition, banks with a larger capitalization and financial intermediaries not subject to bank regulatory restrictions have larger lending limits and are thereby able to serve the needs of larger customers.

In addition, changes to the banking laws over the last several years have facilitated interstate branching, merger and expanded activities by banks and holding companies. For example, the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (the “GLB Act”) revised the BHC Act and repealed the affiliation provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, which, taken together, limited the securities and other non-banking activities of any company that controls an FDIC insured financial institution. As a result, the ability of financial institutions to branch across state lines and the ability of these institutions to engage in previously-prohibited activities are now accepted elements of competition in the banking industry. These changes may bring us into competition with more and a wider array of institutions, which may reduce our ability to attract or retain customers. Management cannot predict the extent to which we will face such additional competition or the degree to which such competition will impact our financial conditions or results of operations.

The banking industry is heavily regulated; significant regulatory changes could adversely affect our operations.

Our operations will be impacted by current and future legislation and by the policies established from time to time by various federal and state regulatory authorities. The Corporation is subject to supervision by the Federal Reserve. The Bank is subject to supervision and periodic examination by the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation, the West Virginia Division of Banking, and the FDIC. Banking regulations, designed primarily for the safety of depositors, may limit a financial institution’s growth and the

return to its investors by restricting such activities as the payment of dividends, mergers with or acquisitions by other institutions, investments, loans and interest rates, interest rates paid on deposits, expansion of branch offices, and the offering of securities or trust services. The Corporation and the Bank are also subject to capitalization guidelines established by federal law and could be subject to enforcement actions to the extent that either is found by regulatory examiners to be undercapitalized. It is not possible to predict what changes, if any, will be made to existing federal and state legislation and regulations or the effect that such changes may have on our future business and earnings prospects. Management also cannot predict the nature or the extent of the effect on our business and earnings of future fiscal or monetary policies, economic controls, or new federal or state legislation. Further, the cost of compliance with regulatory requirements may adversely affect our ability to operate profitably.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may continue to reshape the consumer financial laws through rulemaking and enforcement of the prohibitions against unfair, deceptive and abusive business practices. Compliance with any such change may impact our business operations.

The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority to administer and carry out the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act with respect to financial institutions that offer covered financial products and services to consumers. The CFPB has also been directed to adopt rules identifying practices or acts that are unfair, deceptive or abusive in connection with any transaction with a consumer for a consumer financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service. The concept of what may be considered to be an “abusive” practice is new under the law. We have been required to dedicate significant personnel resources to address the compliance burdens imposed by the CFBP’s adoption of various rules, and the adoption of additional rules in the future would likely require us to dedicate even more resources.

Bank regulators and other regulations, including the Basel III Capital Rules, may require higher capital levels, impacting our ability to pay dividends or repurchase our stock.

The capital standards to which we are subject, including the standards created by the Basel III Capital Rules, may materially limit our ability to use our capital resources and/or could require us to raise additional capital by issuing additional shares of Common Stock or other equity securities. The issuance of additional equity securities could dilute existing stockholders.

A material weakness or significant deficiency in our disclosure or internal controls could have an adverse effect on us.

The Corporation is required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to establish and maintain disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. These control systems are intended to provide reasonable assurance that material information relating to the Corporation is made known to our management and reported as required by the Exchange Act, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability and preparation of our financial statements, and to provide reasonable assurance that fraud and other unauthorized uses of our assets are detected and prevented. We may not be able to maintain controls and procedures that are effective at the reasonable assurance level. If that were to happen, our ability to provide timely and accurate information about the Corporation, including financial information, to investors could be compromised and our results of operations could be harmed. Moreover, if the Corporation or its independent registered public accounting firm were to identify a material weakness or significant deficiency in any of those control systems, our reputation could be harmed and investors could lose confidence in us, which could cause the market price of the Corporation’s stock to decline and/or limit the trading market for the shares of the Common Stock.

We may not be able to keep pace with developments in technology.

We use various technologies in conducting our businesses, including telecommunication, data processing, computers, automation, internet-based banking, and debit cards. Technology changes rapidly. Our ability to compete successfully with other financial institutions may depend on whether we can exploit technological changes. We may not be able to exploit technological changes, and any investment we do make may not make us more profitable.

Our operational or communications systems or infrastructure may fail or may be the subject of a breach or cyber-attack that, if successful, could adversely affect our business or disrupt business continuity.

Our business depends heavily on the use of computer systems, the Internet and other means of electronic communication and recordkeeping to process, record, and monitor client transactions and to communicate with clients and other institutions on a continuous basis. As client, industry, public, and regulatory expectations regarding operational and information security have increased, our operational systems and infrastructure continue to be safeguarded and monitored for potential failures, disruptions, and breakdowns, whether as a result of events beyond our control or otherwise.

Our business, financial, accounting, data processing, or other operating systems and facilities may stop operating properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors, including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control. For example, there could be sudden increases in client transaction volume; electrical or telecommunications outages; natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes; disease pandemics; events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters,

including terrorist acts; occurrences of employee error, fraud, theft, or malfeasance; disruptions caused by technology implementation, including hardware deployment and software updates; and, as described below, cyber-attacks.

Although we have business continuity plans and other safeguards in place, our operations and communications may be adversely affected by significant and widespread disruption to our systems and infrastructure that support our businesses, clients, and teammates. While we continue to evolve and modify our business continuity plans, there can be no assurance in an escalating threat environment that they will be effective in avoiding disruption and business impacts. Our insurance may not be adequate to compensate us for all resulting losses, and the cost to obtain adequate coverage may increase for us or the industry.

Security risks for financial institutions such as ours have dramatically increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of new technologies, the use of the internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions, and the increased sophistication, resources, and activities of hackers, terrorists, activists, industrial spies, insider bad actors, organized crime, and other external parties, including nation state actors. In addition, to access our products and services, clients may use devices and/or software that are beyond our control environment, which may provide additional avenues for attackers to gain access to confidential information. Although we have information security procedures and controls in place, our technologies, systems, networks, and clients' devices and software may become the target of cyber-attacks, information security breaches, business email compromise, or information theft that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss, change, or destruction of our or our clients' or teammates' confidential, proprietary, or other information (including personal identifying information of individuals), or otherwise disrupt our or our clients' or our third parties' business operations. U.S. financial institutions and financial service companies have reported breaches in the security of their websites or other systems, including attempts to shut down access to their networks and/or systems in an attempt to extract compensation from them to regain control. Financial institutions, including the Bank, have experienced distributed denial-of-service attacks, a sophisticated and targeted attack intended to disable or degrade internet service or to sabotage systems.

We and others in our industry are regularly the subject of attempts by attackers to gain unauthorized access to our networks, systems, and data, or to obtain, change, or destroy confidential data (including personal identifying information of individuals) through a variety of means, including computer viruses, malware, business email compromise, and phishing. These attacks may result in unauthorized individuals obtaining access to our confidential information or that of our clients or teammates, or otherwise accessing, compromising, damaging, or disrupting our systems or infrastructure.

We are continuously developing and enhancing our controls, processes, and practices designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data, and networks from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. This continued development and enhancement will require us to expend additional resources, including resources to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities that may be detected. Despite our ongoing investments in security resources, talent, and business practices, we are unable to assure that any security measures will be effective.

If our systems and infrastructure were to be breached, compromised, damaged, or disrupted, or if we were to experience a loss of our confidential information or that of our clients or teammates, we could be subject to serious negative consequences, including disruption of our operations, damage to our reputation, a loss of trust in us on the part of our clients, vendors or other counterparties, client or teammate attrition, reimbursement or other costs, increased compliance costs, significant litigation exposure and legal liability, or regulatory fines, penalties or intervention. Any of these could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, our financial condition, and/or our share price.

A disruption, breach, or failure in the operational systems or infrastructure of our third party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks, could adversely affect our business.

Third parties perform significant operational services on our behalf. These third parties with whom we do business or that facilitate our business activities, including exchanges, clearing houses, central clearing counterparties, financial intermediaries, or vendors that provide services or security solutions for our operations, could also be sources of operational and information security risk to us, including from breakdowns or failures of their own systems or capacity constraints. In particular, operating our business requires us to provide access to client, teammate, and other sensitive Company information to our contractors, consultants, and other third parties and authorized entities. Controls and oversight mechanisms are in place that are designed to limit access to this information and protect it from unauthorized disclosure, theft, and disruption. However, control systems and policies pertaining to system access are subject to errors in design, oversight failure, software failure, human error, intentional subversion, or other compromise resulting in theft, error, loss, or inappropriate use of information or systems to commit fraud, cause embarrassment to us or our executives or to gain competitive advantage. In addition, regulators expect financial institutions to be responsible for all aspects of their performance, including aspects which they delegate to third parties. If a disruption, breach, or failure in the system or infrastructure of any third party with whom we do business occurred, then our business may be materially and adversely affected in a manner similar to if our own systems or infrastructure had been compromised. As has been the case in other major system events in the U.S., our systems and infrastructure may also be attacked, compromised, or damaged as a result of, or as the intended target of, any disruption, breach, or failure in the systems or infrastructure of any third party with whom we do business.

First United Corporation will likely incur significant expenses and faces the possibility of damages in connection with recent litigation.

As discussed below in Item 3 of Part I of this report, the Corporation, its directors, and two former directors have been sued by Driver Opportunity Fund I LP (the “Driver Shareholder”). This litigation has, and will likely continue to be, time consuming and has involved, and will likely continue to involve, significant defense and other costs. We cannot predict what expenses that we might incur in connection with this litigation. This litigation, if decided adversely to us, could result in significant monetary damages and reputational harm and require us to incur significant expenses related to holding a new meeting of shareholders, if the court were to order such a meeting as part of the relief granted. Subject to certain conditions imposed by Maryland law, our bylaws require us to indemnify and advance expenses to each of the current and former directors who are parties to this litigation. Further, our insurance policies might not cover all expenses and/or claims that have been or might be brought against us and the individual defendants, and insurance coverage might not continue to be available to us at a reasonable cost. As a result, we are exposed to the possibility of substantial uninsured liabilities in connection with this litigation, including pursuant to our indemnification obligations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

We may be subject to claims and the costs of defensive actions, and such claims and costs could materially and adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Our customers may sue us for losses due to alleged breaches of fiduciary duties, errors and omissions of employees, officers and agents, incomplete documentation, our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or many other reasons. Also, our employees may knowingly or unknowingly violate laws and regulations. Management may not be aware of any violations until after their occurrence. This lack of knowledge may not insulate us from liability. Claims and legal actions will result in legal expenses and could subject us to liabilities that may reduce our profitability and hurt our financial condition.

The loss of key personnel could disrupt our operations and result in reduced earnings.

Our growth and profitability will depend upon our ability to attract and retain skilled managerial, marketing and technical personnel. Competition for qualified personnel in the financial services industry is intense, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel. Our current executive officers provide valuable services based on their many years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the banking industry and the market areas we serve. Due to the intense competition for financial professionals, these key personnel would be difficult to replace and an unexpected loss of their services could result in a disruption to the continuity of operations and a possible reduction in earnings.

We are a community banking organization and our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the success of our business.

We are a community banking organization, and our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. A key component of our business strategy is to rely on our reputation for customer service and knowledge of local markets to expand our presence by capturing new business opportunities from existing and prospective customers in our current market and contiguous areas. As such, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. This is done, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities we serve, delivering superior service to our customers and caring about our customers and associates. If our reputation is negatively affected by the actions of our employees, by our inability to conduct our operations in a manner that is appealing to current or prospective customers, or otherwise, our business and, therefore, our operating results may be materially adversely affected.

We could be adversely affected by risks associated with future acquisitions and expansions.

Although our core growth strategy is focused around organic growth, we may from time to time consider acquisition and expansion opportunities involving a bank or other entity operating in the financial services industry. We cannot predict if or when we will engage in such a strategic transaction, or the nature or terms of any such transaction. To the extent that we grow through an acquisition, we cannot assure investors that we will be able to adequately and profitably manage that growth or that an acquired business will be integrated into our existing businesses as efficiently or as timely as we may anticipate. Acquiring another business would generally involve risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including:

increased capital needs;

increased and new regulatory and compliance requirements;

implementation or remediation of controls, procedures and policies with respect to the acquired business;

diversion of management time and focus from operation of our then-existing business to acquisition-integration challenges;

coordination of product, sales, marketing and program and systems management functions;

transition of the acquired business’s users and customers onto our systems;

retention of employees from the acquired business;

integration of employees from the acquired business into our organization;

integration of the acquired business’s accounting, information management, human resources and other administrative systems and operations with ours;

potential liability for activities of the acquired business prior to the acquisition, including violations of law, commercial disputes and tax and other known and unknown liabilities;

potential increased litigation or other claims in connection with the acquired business, including claims brought by regulators, terminated employees, customers, former stockholders, vendors, or other third parties; and

potential goodwill impairment.

Our failure to execute our acquisition strategy could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and future prospects risks of unknown or contingent liabilities.

Risks Relating to First United Corporation’s Securities

The shares of Common Stock are not insured.

The shares of Common Stock are not deposits and are not insured against loss by the FDIC or any other governmental or private agency.

The shares of Common Stock are not heavily traded.

Shares of the Common Stock are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, but are not heavily traded.  Securities that are not heavily traded can be more volatile than stock trading in an active public market.  Factors such as our financial results, the introduction of new products and services by us or our competitors, various factors affecting the banking industry generally, and investor speculation as to our future plans and strategies could have a significant impact on the market price and trading volume of the shares of Common Stock.  Likewise, events that are unrelated to the Corporation but that affect the equity markets generally, such as international health crises, wars, political instability and similar factors, could also have a significant impact on the market price and trading volume of the shares of Common Stock.  Management cannot predict the extent to which an active public market for shares of Common Stock will develop or be sustained in the future.  Accordingly, shareholders may not be able to sell their shares at the volumes, prices, or times that they desire.

Significant sales of shares of Common Stock, or the perception that significant sales may occur in the future, could adversely affect the market price of shares of Common Stock.

The Common Stock is currently included in the Russell 3,000 Index maintained by Financial Times Stock Exchange Group Russell, which tracks the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S.-traded equity securities. As of the date of this annual report, the Corporation believes it likely that the Common Stock will be eliminated from the Russell 3,000 Index when it is reconstituted in or about June 2021 and that, as a result, investors that invest in Russell 3,000 Index stocks could sell approximately 632,000 shares of Common Stock following such reconstitution.

The sale of a substantial number of shares of the Common Stock could adversely affect the market price of such shares. The availability of shares for future sale could adversely affect the prevailing market price of shares of Common Stock and could cause the market price of such shares to remain low for a substantial amount of time. In addition, the Corporation may grant equity awards under its equity compensation plans from time to time in effect, including fully-vested shares of Common Stock. It is possible that if a significant percentage of such available shares were attempted to be sold within a short period of time, the market for the shares would be adversely affected. Management cannot predict whether the market for shares of Common Stock could absorb a large number of attempted sales in a short period of time, regardless of the price at which they might be offered. Even if a substantial number of sales do not occur within a short period of time, the mere existence of this “market overhang” could have a negative impact on the market for the common stock and our ability to raise capital in the future.

The Corporation’s ability to pay dividends on the common stock is subject to the terms of the outstanding TPS Debentures, which prohibit the Corporation from paying dividends during an interest deferral period.

In March 2004, the Corporation issued approximately $30.9 million, in the aggregate, of junior subordinated debentures (“TPS Debentures”) to the Trusts in connection with the Trusts’ sales to third party investors of $30.0 million, in the aggregate, in mandatorily redeemable preferred capital securities. The terms of the TPS Debentures require the Corporation to make quarterly payments of interest to the Trusts, as the holders of the TPS Debentures, although the Corporation has the right to defer payments of interest for up to 20 consecutive quarterly periods. An election to defer interest payments does not constitute an event of default under the terms of the TPS Debentures. The terms of the TPS Debentures prohibit the Corporation from declaring or paying any dividends or making other distributions on, or from repurchasing, redeeming or otherwise acquiring, any shares of its capital securities, including the common

stock, if the Corporation elects to defer quarterly interest payments under the TPS Debentures. In addition, a deferral election will require the Trusts to likewise defer the payment of quarterly dividends on their related trust preferred securities.

Applicable banking and Maryland laws impose additional restrictions on the ability of the Corporation and the Bank to pay dividends and make other distributions on their capital securities, and, in any event, the payment of dividends is at the discretion of the boards of directors of the Corporation and the Bank.

In the past, the Corporation has funded dividends on its capital securities using cash received from the Bank, and this will likely be the case for the foreseeable future. No assurance can be given that the Bank will be able to pay dividends to the Corporation for these purposes at times and/or in amounts requested by the Corporation. Both federal and state laws impose restrictions on the ability of the Bank to pay dividends. Under Maryland law, a state-chartered commercial bank may pay dividends only out of undivided profits or, with the prior approval of the Maryland Commissioner, from surplus in excess of 100% of required capital stock. If, however, the surplus of a Maryland bank is less than 100% of its required capital stock, cash dividends may not be paid in excess of 90% of net earnings. In addition to these specific restrictions, bank regulatory agencies have the ability to prohibit proposed dividends by a financial institution which would otherwise be permitted under applicable regulations if the regulatory body determines that such distribution would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. Banks that are considered “troubled institution” are prohibited by federal law from paying dividends altogether. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shareholders must understand that the declaration and payment of dividends and the amounts thereof are at the discretion of the Corporation’s Board of Directors. Thus, even at times when the Corporation is not prohibited from paying cash dividends on its capital securities, neither the payment of such dividends nor the amounts thereof can be guaranteed.

The Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and Maryland law may discourage a corporate takeover.

The Corporation’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the “Charter”) and its Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended (the “Bylaws”), contain certain provisions designed to enhance the ability of the Corporation’s Board of Directors to deal with attempts to acquire control of the Corporation. First, the Board of Directors is classified into three classes. Directors of each class serve for staggered three-year periods, and no director may be removed except for cause, and then only by the affirmative vote of either a majority of the entire Board of Directors or a majority of the outstanding voting stock. Second, the board has the authority to classify and reclassify unissued shares of stock of any class or series of stock by setting, fixing, eliminating, or altering in any one or more respects the preferences, rights, voting powers, restrictions and qualifications of, dividends on, and redemption, conversion, exchange, and other rights of, such securities. The board could use this authority, along with its authority to authorize the issuance of securities of any class or series, to issue shares having terms favorable to management or to a person or persons affiliated with or otherwise friendly to management. In addition, the Bylaws require any shareholder who desires to nominate a director to abide by strict notice requirements.

Maryland laws include provisions that could discourage a sale or takeover of the Corporation. The Maryland Business Combination Act generally prohibits, subject to certain limited exceptions, corporations from being involved in any “business combination” (defined as a variety of transactions, including a merger, consolidation, share exchange, asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities) with any “interested shareholder” for a period of five years following the most recent date on which the interested shareholder became an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is defined generally as a person who is the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation after the date on which the corporation had 100 or more beneficial owners of its stock or who is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% percent or more of the voting power of the then outstanding stock of the corporation at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question and after the date on which the corporation had 100 or more beneficial owners of its stock. The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act applies to acquisitions of “control shares”, which, subject to certain exceptions, are shares the acquisition of which entitle the holder, directly or indirectly, to exercise or direct the exercise of the voting power of shares of stock of the corporation in the election of directors within any of the following ranges of voting power: one-tenth or more, but less than one-third of all voting power; one-third or more, but less than a majority of all voting power or a majority or more of all voting power. Control shares have limited voting rights. Maryland banking laws provide that the Maryland Commissioner must approve certain acquisitions of the common stock of the Corporation and/or the Bank, and these laws impose penalties on persons who effect such acquisitions without approval, including a five year voting prohibition.

Although these provisions do not preclude a sale or takeover, they may have the effect of discouraging, delaying or deferring a sale, tender offer, or takeover attempt that a shareholder might consider in his or her best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the common stock. Such provisions will also render the removal of the Board of Directors and of management more difficult and, therefore, may serve to perpetuate current management. These provisions could potentially adversely affect the market prices of the Corporation’s securities.

Risks Relating to Proxy Contests

We are subject to risks associated with proxy contests and other actions of activist shareholders.

In connection with the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “2020 Meeting”), the Driver Shareholder nominated (conditionally accepted by the Corporation) three candidates for election to the Corporation’s Board of Directors at the 2020 Meeting and engaged in a proxy contest with the Corporation’s Board of Directors. The Corporation incurred costs of approximately $3.3 million in connection with this proxy contest. On January 8, 2021, the Driver Shareholder notified the Corporation that it intends to nominate one director for election at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “2021 Meeting”) and to present seven proposals for shareholder approval at the 2021 Meeting. The Driver Shareholder and the Corporation filed preliminary proxy statements with the SEC in respect of the 2021 Meeting on February 2, 2021 and March 2, 2021, respectively.

A proxy contest or related activities on the part of the Driver Shareholder or another shareholder could adversely affect our business for a number of reasons, including, without limitation, the following:

Responding to proxy contests and other actions by activist stockholders can be costly and time-consuming, disrupting our operations and diverting the attention of management and our employees;

Perceived uncertainties as to our future direction may result in the loss of potential business opportunities and may make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel, business partners, customers and others important to our success, any of which could negatively affect our business and our results of operations and financial condition; and

If nominees advanced by activist shareholders are elected or appointed to our Board of Directors with a specific agenda, it may adversely affect our ability to effectively and timely implement our strategic plans or to realize long-term value from our assets, and this could in turn have an adverse effect on our business and on our results of operations and financial condition.

Proxy contests may cause our stock price to experience periods of volatility. Further, if a proxy contest results in a change in control of our Board of Directors, such an event could subject us to risks relating to certain third parties’ rights under our existing contractual obligations, which could adversely affect our business.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

The headquarters of the Corporation and the Bank occupies approximately 29,000 square feet at 19 South Second Street, Oakland, Maryland, and a 30,000 square feet operations center located at 12892 Garrett Highway, Oakland Maryland. These premises are owned by the Corporation. The Bank owns 19 of its banking offices and leases six. Total rent expense on the leased offices and properties was $0.4 million in 2020.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

On September 4, 2020, the Driver Shareholder filed a lawsuit against the Corporation, all of its then-current directors, and former directors Robert W. Kurtz and Elaine L. McDonald (the individuals being collectively referred to as the “Director Defendants”) in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland (the “District Court”) and styled Driver Opportunity Partners I LP v. First United Corp., et al., No. 1:20-cv-2575 RDB (the “Driver Litigation”). The Driver Shareholder’s complaint follows a lawsuit filed by the Corporation in May 2020 against the Driver Shareholder and affiliated persons seeking a declaration that the Driver Shareholder’s acquisition of approximately 5.1% of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock during 2019 violated Section 3-314 of the Financial Institutions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (“FI 3-314”), rendering those shares ineligible to be voted for five years, including at the 2020 Meeting. In connection with the 2020 Meeting, Driver ran a proxy contest seeking to replace three of the Corporation’s directors with nominees of its own. The declaratory relief action, now pending in the same court, is captioned First United Corp. v. Driver Opportunity Partners I LP, et al., No. 1:20-cv-2592-RDB, although, on January 6, 2021, the District Court certified to the Maryland Court of Appeals the question of whether the Corporation has standing to seek declaratory relief under FI 3-314 and stayed the proceedings in that case pending a decision by the Maryland Court of Appeals.

For its complaint, the Driver Shareholder alleges that certain acts and omissions of the Corporation and/or the Director Defendants in connection with the 2020 Meeting and/or in response to Driver’s proxy contest constituted a wide range of torts, including breaches of fiduciary duty, abuses of process, malicious prosecution, defamation, tortious interference, unfair competition, and unjust enrichment. The Driver Shareholder seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and asks the District Court to vacate the results of director election at the 2020 Meeting and order a new meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing directors.

On January 11, 2021, the District Court issued an order dismissing six of the Driver Shareholder’s nine asserted claims: (i) breach of fiduciary duty; (ii) abuse of process (litigation); (iii) abuse of process (regulatory); (iv) malicious prosecution; (v) unfair competition; and (vi) unjust enrichment. Subsequently, on January 25, 2021, the Driver Shareholder filed a motion asking the District Court to reconsider its dismissal of the breach of duty claim, and filed a separate motion for leave to amend the Driver Shareholder’s complaint to assert claims for breach of fiduciary duty and for violation of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and SEC Rule 14a-9 focused on proxy materials related to the 2020 Meeting. On February 8, 2021, the Corporation and the Director Defendants filed papers opposing these motions. The Driver Shareholder filed reply papers on the motions on February 22, 2021, and briefing is now closed. The District Court has not yet decided either motion.

The Corporation and the Director Defendants believe that the Driver Shareholder’s claims lack merit and are vigorously defending the Driver Litigation. The Corporation maintains insurance coverages that it believes will cover portions of the legal expenses associated with the Driver Litigation and any damages that might be awarded to the Driver Shareholder. The Corporation has certain obligations both to indemnify and to advance defense expenses to each of the Director Defendants to the fullest extent permissible under Maryland law, and the Corporation intends to honor those obligations. It is not possible at this time for the Corporation to assess the likelihood of success of any of its and the Defendant Directors’ defenses or, thus, the outcome of the Driver Shareholder, or the amount of legal fees that it and the Director Defendants will incur in defending the Driver Litigation.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.
‎

PART II

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

Shares of the Corporation’s common stock are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FUNC”. As of February 28, 2021, the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock were held by 1,240 shareholders of record.

The ability of the Corporation to declare dividends is limited by federal banking laws and Maryland corporation laws. Subject to these and the terms of its other securities, including the TPS Debentures, the payment of dividends on the shares of common stock and the amounts thereof are at the discretion of the Corporation’s board of directors. In November 2010, the Corporation’s board of directors suspended the declaration and payment of cash dividends. This suspension was lifted in 2018. Cash dividends are typically declared on a quarterly basis. When paid, dividends to shareholders are dependent on the ability of the Corporation’s subsidiaries, especially the Bank, to declare dividends to the Corporation. Like the Corporation, the Bank’s ability to declare and pay dividends is subject to limitations imposed by federal and Maryland banking and Maryland corporation laws. A complete discussion of these and other dividend restrictions is contained in Item 1A of Part I of this annual report under the heading “Risks Relating to First United Corporation’s Securities” and in Note 23 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that dividends will be declared on the shares of common stock in any future fiscal quarter.

The Corporation’s Board of Directors periodically evaluates the Corporation’s dividend policy, both internally and in consultation with the Federal Reserve.

Issuer Repurchases

The following table provides information about shares of common stock purchased by or on behalf of First United Corporation and its affiliated purchases (as defined in Rule 10b-18 promulgated under the Exchange Act) during the three-month period ended December 31, 2020:

Equity Compensation Plan Information

Pursuant to the SEC’s Regulation S-K Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 106.01, the information required by this Item pursuant to Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K relating to securities authorized for issuance under the Corporation’s equity compensation plans is located in Item 12 of Part III of this annual report and is incorporated herein by reference.

‎

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table sets forth certain selected financial data for each of the last five calendar years and is qualified in its entirety by the detailed information and financial statements, including notes thereto, included elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this annual report.

(1)2017 includes $3,226 from tax reform impact

‎

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

This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, which are included in Item 8 of Part II of this annual report.

Overview

First United Corporation is a bank holding company that, through the Bank and its non-bank subsidiaries, provides an array of financial products and services primarily to customers in four Western Maryland counties and four Northeastern West Virginia counties. Its principal operating subsidiary is the Bank, which consists of a community banking network of 25 branch offices located throughout its market areas. Our primary sources of revenue are interest income earned from our loan and investment securities portfolios and fees earned from financial services provided to customers.

Consolidated net income was $13.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $13.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Basic and diluted net income per share for the year of 2020 were $1.98 and $1.97, respectively, compared to basic and diluted net income per share of $1.85 for the same period of 2019, a 7.0% increase. Subsequent to the issuance of a press release on February 19, 2021 that described the Corporation’s financial results for the 12 and three month periods ended December 31, 2020, management determined that approximately $0.6 million of previously deferred costs associated with consulting for automated services should be expensed during the fourth quarter of 2020. This determination negatively impacted net income for 2020 by approximately $0.4 million. The increase in earnings when comparing 2020 to 2019 was primarily due to an increase in net interest income of $2.2 million, an increase in other operating income, including gains, of $1.8 million, and a decrease in other operating expenses of $1.5 million partially offset by an increase in the provision for loan losses of $4.1 million. The increase in provision expense for 2020 was driven by an increase in the qualitative factors reflecting the uncertainty of the economic environment related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our borrowers. Of the $5.4 million net provision expense for the year, $5.9 million was related to COVID-19 qualitative factor adjustments and $0.8 million was related to loan growth and the change in loan mix. Provision expense was partially offset by the release of a specific allocation of $1.3 million based on a new appraisal, as a non-accrual loan moved to the OREO portfolio. Other operating income, including net gains, increased $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 when compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. This increase was due primarily to gains on the sale of mortgages to the secondary market as well as gains on sales of investment securities. Trust and brokerage income were strong despite market volatility early in 2020. These increases were partially offset by reduced service charge income, primarily NSF income, due to reduced consumer and business overdraft activity. Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) income decreased due to the receipt of death claim benefits in 2019. The net interest margin, on a fully-taxable equivalent (“FTE”) basis, declined for the year ended December 31, 2020 to 3.34% compared to 3.68% for the same period of 2019.

The provision for loan losses was $5.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in provision expense for 2020 was driven by an increase in the qualitative factors reflecting the uncertainty of the economic environment related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our borrowers. Of the $5.4 million net provision expense for the year, $5.9 million was related to COVID-19 qualitative factor adjustments and $0.8 million was related to loan growth and the change in loan mix. Provision expense was partially offset by the release of a specific allocation of $1.3 million based on a new appraisal, as a non-accrual loan moved to the other real estate owned (“OREO”) portfolio.

Other operating income, including gains, increased $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 when compared with the same period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to the $2.5 million increase in net gains, due primarily to the increase in mortgage origination in 2020 and the sale of those loans to the secondary market. Additionally, as prepayment speeds on investments held for sale were elevated due to the low-rate environment and the investments were prepaying at par, we made the decision to capture gains through the sale of these investments. The increased gains were offset by a $1.0 million decline in BOLI income due to the receipt of $1.1 million in death benefits in the third quarter of 2019. Service charge income, primarily NSF income, decreased as the consumer and business overdraft activity decreased in the year of 2020 due to reduced consumer spending and increased cash balances resulting from borrowers’ receipt of government stimulus payments and loans under the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Trust and brokerage income increased $0.4 million year-over-year although it was negatively affected by market volatility early in the year as trustee fees are directly related to the value of assets under management. Debit card income increased $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 when compared with the same period of 2019 despite reduced consumer spending. Debit card income continued to increase as we grew our deposit relationships and our customers increased use of our electronic services.

Other operating expenses decreased $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 when compared with the same period of 2019. Salaries and benefits decreased $3.6 million, primarily due to the $2.5 million salary expense offset related to loan originations, primarily PPP loans, as well as the reduced headcount resulting from the voluntary separation program implemented in the fourth quarter of 2019 and reduced life and health insurance costs. These reductions offset the annual merit increases awarded to our associates in April 2020, Financial First Responder bonuses paid and increased incentives for mortgage production. FDIC premiums increased

slightly due to credits received on quarterly assessments in 2019. Equipment, occupancy and technology expenses remained stable when compared to 2019, as we began to realize cost savings from our core processor related to a new contract negotiated in 2020. Professional services increased $2.7 million primarily due to increased legal and professional expenses related to the 2020 proxy contest and related litigation. Investor relations expenses increased $1.0 million, also related to the 2020 proxy contest. OREO expenses decreased $1.5 million when compared to 2019, as we experienced lower valuation allowance write-downs related to updated appraisals. Increased marketing, consulting, miscellaneous expenses, dues and licenses, fraud expenses, miscellaneous loan fees and Visa processing fees were offset by reductions in schools and seminars, contributions, personnel related expenses, printed and office supplies, travel and lodging, mileage, contract labor, business related meals and other employee benefits expenses, most of which were related to limited operations as a result of the pandemic and management’s continued focus on cost savings and efficiencies. Other operating expenses recorded for 2020 include the above-mentioned $0.6 million of expenses associated with consulting for automated services that were previously deferred but that management determined, subsequent to February 19, 2021, should be expensed during the fourth quarter of 2020.

Outstanding loans increased to $1.2 billion at December 31, 2020, compared to $1.1 billion at December 31, 2019. The $117.4 million of growth was primarily attributable to the participation in the PPP loan program and core commercial loan growth partially offset by a decline in our mortgage loan portfolio. CRE loans increased by $33.7 million due to expansion of several new customer relationships as well as an increase in small business loans. Acquisition and development (“A&D”) loans declined by $1.0 million as amortization and payoffs offset new production. Commercial and industrial (“C&I”) loans increased by $144.4 million, including $114.0 million of PPP loans which remained on the balance sheet at December 31, 2020. The growth in the commercial portfolios was offset by a decline in residential mortgage loans of $59.3 million, as refinancing activity continued during the fourth quarter of 2020. Given the current low interest rate environment, customers have preferred longer-term fixed-rate loans. Management has elected to utilize the secondary market rather than hold mortgage loans in the portfolio at the longer-term fixed rates. The consumer loan portfolio declined slightly by $0.4 million during 2020.

Net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased $2.2 million (4.7%) during the year ended December 31, 2020 when compared with the year ended December 31, 2019, driven by a $0.3 million (0.6%) increase in interest income and a $1.9 million (16.3%) decrease in interest expense. The net interest margin for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 3.34%, compared to 3.68% for the year ended December 31, 2019. The impact of average balances of PPP loans of approximately $137.0 million, offset by the $3.0 million of interest and fees related to these loans, had a negative impact on the margin of approximately 13 basis points. The margin was also negatively affected by the 2.25% drop in the Fed Funds rate since August 2019, which resulted in new loan production and existing loans repricing at lower rates. These factors resulted in a decrease of approximately 14 basis points in average loan yield when compared with the year ended December 31, 2019.

Comparing the year ended December 31, 2020 with the year ended December 31, 2019, interest income remained stable. The increase in interest and fees on loans of $2.0 million was partially offset by the reduction in investment income of $1.0 million. While the average balance of the investment portfolio remained consistent, bonds, at higher yielding rates, were called and replaced with lower yielding investments resulting in a decrease in average yield on the investment portfolio of 44 basis points. Excess cash balances attributable to deposit growth were invested at the lower Fed Funds rate, which also negatively affected interest income for the year ended December 31, 2020. Due to the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the volatile economic environment, the Bank maintained higher levels of liquidity throughout 2020 when compared to 2019. The increase in interest and fees on loans was due primarily to an increase in average balances of $144.5 million, primarily driven by the PPP loans but partially offset by the declining yield. The rate earned on the loan portfolio decreased by 46 basis points as a result of the significant decline in the rate environment over the past year and the high volume of PPP loans booked at the low 1.00% interest rate as noted above.

Total deposits at December 31, 2020 increased by $280.3 million when compared with deposits at December 31, 2019. During 2020, non-interest-bearing deposits increased by $125.8 million. This growth was driven by our retail and commercial account growth as well as deposits from PPP loans. Traditional savings accounts increased by $37.1 million, as we continued to see significant growth in our Prime Saver product. Total demand deposits increased by $42.0 million and total money market accounts increased by $101.1 million, due primarily to growth in our variable rate Value Money Market account. Time deposits less than $100,000 decreased by $7.5 million and time deposits greater than $100,000 decreased by $18.2 million. The decline in time deposits greater than $100,000 was due to a local municipality utilizing a maturing certificate of deposit for cash needs during this unprecedented economic environment as well as our repayment of the full outstanding balance of $10.0 million in a brokered CD that matured in May 2020.

The decrease in interest expense, despite an increase in average interest bearing liabilities of $79.7 million, was a direct result of a reduction in the cost of deposits of 21 basis points, a 24 basis point decrease in our short-term borrowings and a 34 basis point decrease in long-term borrowings, primarily driven by maturity of an interest rate swap. In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2020, management restructured three long-term FHLB advances that resulted in a reduced weighted rate on the $70.0 million portfolio of 80 basis points. A portion of this interest expense savings was captured in the fourth quarter of 2020 with the full impact expected in 2021. We proactively monitored the rate environment and reduced rates on our deposit portfolio throughout 2020. The average balance on our interest-bearing money market accounts increased $60.1 million, while the rate on these accounts decreased by 43 basis points. Average growth of $101.4 million in our non-interest-bearing accounts benefited our overall cost of deposits. Deposit growth was

attributable to PPP loan funding and organic deposit growth in low cost core deposits with existing customers as well as new relationship customers during 2020.

Estimates and Critical Accounting Policies

This discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent liabilities. (See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.) On an on-going basis, management evaluates estimates and bases those estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Management believes the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Allowance for Loan Losses

One of our most important accounting policies is that related to the monitoring of the loan portfolio. A variety of estimates impact the carrying value of the loan portfolio and resulting interest income, including the calculation of the ALL, the valuation of underlying collateral, and the timing of loan charge-offs. The ALL is established and maintained at a level that management believes is adequate to cover losses resulting from the inability of borrowers to make required payments on loans. Estimates for loan losses are arrived at by analyzing risks associated with specific loans and the loan portfolio, current and historical trends in delinquencies and charge-offs, and changes in the size and composition of the loan portfolio. The analysis also requires consideration of the economic climate and direction, changes in lending rates, political conditions, legislation impacting the banking industry and economic conditions specific to Western Maryland and Northeastern West Virginia. Because the calculation of the ALL relies on management’s estimates and judgments relating to inherently uncertain events, actual results may differ from management’s estimates.

The ALL is also discussed below in Item 7 under the heading “Allowance for Loan Losses” and in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Goodwill

ASC Topic 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other provides guidance with respect to goodwill.  Under this guidance, goodwill is not amortized but shall be tested at least annually for impairment at a level of accounting referred to as a reporting unit. The Corporation is considered the sole reporting unit. Goodwill of a reporting unit shall be tested for impairment between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. Impairment of goodwill is the condition that exists when the carrying amount of a reporting unit that includes goodwill exceeds its fair value. A goodwill impairment loss is recognized for the amount that the carrying amount of a reporting unit, including goodwill, exceeds its fair value, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.  

An entity may assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances qualitatively, an entity determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the entity shall perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. However, if, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances qualitatively, an entity determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the quantitative goodwill impairment test is unnecessary.

The emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in beginning in March 2020, resulted in significant deterioration in general economic conditions and caused a deterioration in the environment in which the Corporation operates. This uncertainty resulted in a significant decrease in the market prices for the stock of institutions in the financial services industry, including the Corporation.  Based on the totality of the circumstances and the impact of the economic conditions on the stock price, the events more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount, including goodwill. As such, quantitative analyses of the fair value of the Corporation were performed by a third party for each of the first three quarters of 2020 and no impairment was recognized.

During the fourth quarter of 2020, the economy began to see improvements with stimulus funding, decreasing unemployment rates within our market areas, the distributions of COVID-19 vaccines and the significant improvement in our stock price since September 2020. Based on these positive circumstances, Management performed a qualitative assessment on the impairment of goodwill at December 31, 2020.

Having considered each of the qualitative factors and the negative and positive evidence of the totality of events and circumstances qualitatively, management has determined that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting unit is less

than its carrying amount and a quantitative goodwill impairment test is unnecessary. As such, management concludes there is no goodwill impairment at December 31, 2020.

Accounting for Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes”. Under this guidance, deferred taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates that will apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date.

We regularly review the carrying amount of our net deferred tax assets to determine if the establishment of a valuation allowance is necessary. If based on the available evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of our net deferred tax assets will not be realized in future periods, then a deferred tax valuation allowance must be established. Consideration is given to various positive and negative factors that could affect the realization of the deferred tax assets. In evaluating this available evidence, management considers, among other things, historical performance, expectations of future earnings, the ability to carry back losses to recoup taxes previously paid, length of statutory carry forward periods, experience with utilization of operating loss and tax credit carry forwards not expiring, tax planning strategies and timing of reversals of temporary differences. Significant judgment is required in assessing future earnings trends and the timing of reversals of temporary differences. Our evaluation is based on current tax laws as well as management’s expectations of future performance.

Management expects that the Corporation’s adherence to the required accounting guidance may result in increased volatility in quarterly and annual effective income tax rates because of changes in judgment or measurement including changes in actual and forecasted income before taxes, tax laws and regulations, and tax planning strategies.

Additional information about income taxes is set forth below under the heading, “CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME REVIEW – Applicable Income Taxes” and in Note 18 to Consolidated Financial Statements presented in Item 8 of Part II of this annual report.

Other-Than-Temporary Impairment of Investment Securities

Management systematically evaluates the securities in our investment portfolio for impairment on a quarterly basis. Based upon the application of accounting guidance for subsequent measurement in ASC Topic 320 (Section 320-10-35), management assesses whether (i) we have the intent to sell a security being evaluated and (ii) it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security prior to its anticipated recovery. If neither applies, then declines in the fair values of securities below their cost that are considered other-than-temporary declines are split into two components. The first is the loss attributable to declining credit quality. Credit losses are recognized in earnings as realized losses in the period in which the impairment determination is made. The second component consists of all other losses, which are recognized in other comprehensive loss. In estimating other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) losses, management considers (a) the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, (b) adverse conditions specifically related to the security, an industry, or a geographic area, (c) the historic and implied volatility of the fair value of the security, (d) changes in the rating of the security by a rating agency, (e) recoveries or additional declines in fair value subsequent to the balance sheet date, (f) failure of the issuer of the security to make scheduled interest or principal payments, and (g) the payment structure of the debt security and the likelihood of the issuer being able to make payments that increase in the future. Management also monitors cash flow projections for securities that are considered beneficial interests under the guidance of ASC Subtopic 325-40, Investments – Other – Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets, (ASC Section 325-40-35). This process is described more fully in the section of the Consolidated Balance Sheet Review entitled “Investment Securities”.

Fair Value of Investments

We have determined the fair value of our investment securities in accordance with the requirements of ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements required under other accounting pronouncements. We measure the fair market values of our investments based on the fair value hierarchy established in Topic 820. The determination of fair value of investments and other assets is discussed further in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Pension Plan Assumptions

Our pension plan costs are calculated using actuarial concepts, as discussed within the requirements of ASC Topic 715, Compensation – Retirement Benefits. Pension expense and the determination of our projected pension liability are based upon two critical assumptions: the discount rate and the expected return on plan assets. We evaluate each of these critical assumptions annually. Other assumptions impact the determination of pension expense and the projected liability including the primary employee

demographics, such as retirement patterns, employee turnover, mortality rates, and estimated employer compensation increases. These factors, along with the critical assumptions, are carefully reviewed by management each year in consultation with our pension plan consultants and actuaries. Further information about our pension plan assumptions, the plan’s funded status, and other plan information is included in Note 20 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Other than as discussed above, management does not believe that any material changes in our critical accounting policies have occurred since December 31, 2020.

Response to COVID-19

Early in 2020, we established a set of COVID-19 protocols, focused on protecting the health, safety, and financial well-being of our associates and customers. We sustained frequent ongoing communication with associates and customers, enhanced the use of electronic and digital banking services and upheld consistently high standards for fraud and internal controls all while delivering our full array of financial services to our customers. In addition, we made significant efforts to relieve pandemic related financial pressures for customers:

oWaived certificate of deposit early withdrawal penalties and NSF overdraft fees

oTemporarily waived positive pay/Treasury Management fees for new customer signup, aiding in fraud prevention efforts

oModified and deferred loans for eligible consumer and commercial loan customers experiencing hardships; total of 562 modifications for 2020 totaling $230.6 million; 40 active loan modifications totaling approximately $18.2 million, or 1.7% of the loan portfolio remaining as of February 28, 2021

oSuspended repossession and foreclosure activity

oCommunicated frequently with associates and borrowers, keeping them apprised of changing regulations regarding PPP loan application processes and forgiveness procedures

oProcessed approximately 1,174 PPP loan applications totaling $148.9 million

oProcessed approximately 348, or $34.5 million, in PPP loan forgiveness requests

oAdjusted community office lobby access based upon COVID-19 related spikes within each of our market areas.

oProvided remote work and flexible work hours for 90% of associates to protect their health and allow for care of children or other family members

oWeekly Be Informed! virtual calls and COVID-19 update email for our First United team

oPaid Financial First Responder bonuses to associates

Paycheck Protection Program

The CARES Act established the PPP, which provided small businesses with resources to maintain payroll, hire back employees who may have been laid off, and to cover applicable overhead expenses. We acted expeditiously to prepare our associates so they could guide our customers on the proper procedures necessary to enable them to take advantage of this program. We developed a PPP specific information site within our website that provided detailed information, links and materials for eligible customers to access. Internally, we reallocated resources to review, process and data enter customer applications, working tirelessly over extended hours to provide access to as many local business owners as possible. These loans are 100% guaranteed by the SBA, have up to a two or five year maturity, provide for the earlier of when the Bank received forgiveness payment from the SBA or 10 months after the end of the covered payroll period, and have an interest rate of 1%. These loans may be forgiven, in whole or in part, by the SBA if the borrower meets certain conditions, including by using at least 60% of the loan proceeds for payroll costs. The SBA also established processing fees from 1% to 5%, depending on the loan amount. Of the $3.7 million of deferred loan fees, we recognized approximately $2.0 million in 2020.

In April 2020, the Bank established eligibility to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (“PPPLF”) which was established by Congress and administered by the Federal Reserve Bank. This facility uses the SBA guaranteed PPP loans as collateral, offering 100% collateral coverage with no recourse to the Bank. The Bank’s board of directors and management team believe that it is prudent to maintain our existing liquidity facilities available for our contingency funding plan given the current economic conditions. The majority of the PPP loan disbursements have been to internal, non-interest-bearing accounts awaiting use by borrowers. As a result, we did not access the PPPLF during 2020, but are prepared to utilize the fund if and when management determines the timing is appropriate.

During the second quarter of 2020, the Bank was approved to participate in the Main Street Lending Program established by the Federal Reserve. This program supports lending to small and medium-sized businesses and non-profit organizations that were in sound financial condition before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the third quarter of 2020, the Bank implemented PPP loan forgiveness processes to assist our borrowers with applications. Communication with the associates and borrowers was a focus as we helped them through this process. As of December 31, 2020, we have processed loan forgiveness applications for approximately $34.5 million of PPP loans.

In January 2021, President Trump signed the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act into law. This act provides an extension of stimulus package benefits and unemployment through March 14, 2021 as well as funding for additional PPP loans. As of March 11, 2021, we have processed 561 PPP2 loan applications totaling $56.4 million.

Liquidity Sources

Management has reviewed its Liquidity Contingency Funding Plan in preparation of funding needs as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December 31, 2020, the Corporation had approximately $130.0 million in unsecured lines of credit with its correspondent banks, $1.1 million with the Federal Reserve Discount Window, and approximately $134.4 million of secured borrowings with the FHLB. Additionally, the Corporation has access to the brokered certificates of deposit market.

As noted above, the Corporation is eligible to access the PPPLF when it is deemed appropriate.

Capital

The Corporation’s and the Bank’s capital ratios are strong, and both institutions are considered to be well-capitalized by applicable regulatory measures

Adoption of New Accounting Standards and Effects of New Accounting Pronouncements

Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements discusses new accounting pronouncements that, when adopted, could affect our future consolidated financial statements.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME REVIEW

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is our largest source of operating revenue. Net interest income is the difference between the interest that we earn on our interest-earning assets and the interest expense we incur on our interest-bearing liabilities. For analytical and discussion purposes, net interest income is adjusted to a FTE basis to facilitate performance comparisons between taxable and tax-exempt assets by increasing tax-exempt income by an amount equal to the federal income taxes that would have been paid if this income were taxable at the statutorily applicable rate. This is a non-GAAP disclosure and management believes it is not materially different than the corresponding GAAP disclosure.

The table below summarizes net interest income for 2020 and 2019.

Net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased $2.2 million (4.7%) during the year ended December 31, 2020 when compared with the year ended December 31, 2019, driven by a $0.3 million (0.6%) increase in interest income and a $1.9 million (16.3%) decrease in interest expense. The net interest margin for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 3.34%, compared to 3.68% for the year ended December 31, 2019. The impact of average balances of PPP loans of approximately $137.0 million, offset by the $3.0 million of interest and fees related to these loans, had a negative impact on the margin of approximately 13 basis points. The margin was also negatively affected by the 2.25% drop in the Fed Funds rate since August 2019, which resulted in new loan production and existing loans repricing at lower rates. These factors resulted in a decrease of approximately 14 basis points in average loan yield when compared with the year ended December 31, 2019.

Comparing the year ended December 31, 2020 to the year ended December 31, 2019, interest income remained stable. The increase in interest and fees on loans of $2.0 million was partially offset by the reduction in investment income of $1.0 million. While the average balance of the investment portfolio remained consistent, bonds, at higher yielding rates, were called and replaced with lower yielding investments resulting in a decrease in average yield on the investment portfolio of 44 basis points. Excess cash balances attributable to deposit growth were invested at the lower Fed Funds rate which also negatively affected interest income for the year

ended December 31, 2020. In late December, approximately $70.0 million of excess cash was deployed into the investment portfolio at an average yield of 1% that will provide additional interest income in 2021. Due to the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the volatile economic environment, the Bank maintained higher levels of liquidity in 2020 than in 2019. The increase in interest and fees on loans was due primarily to an increase in average balances of $144.5 million, primarily driven by the PPP loans but partially offset by the declining yield. The rate earned on the loan portfolio decreased by 46 basis points as a result of the significant decline in the rate environment over the past year and the high volume of PPP loans booked at the low 1.00% interest rate as noted above.

The decrease in interest expense, despite an increase in average interest bearing liabilities of $79.7 million, was a direct result of a reduction in the cost of deposits of 21 basis points, a 24 basis point decrease in our short-term borrowings and a 34 basis point decrease in long-term borrowings, primarily driven by maturity of an interest rate swap. In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2020, management restructured three long-term FHLB advances that resulted in a reduced weighted rate on the $70.0 million portfolio of 80 basis points. A portion of this interest expense savings was captured in the fourth quarter of 2020 with the full impact expected in 2021. We proactively monitored the rate environment and reduced rates on our deposit portfolio throughout 2020. The average balance on our interest-bearing money market accounts increased $60.1 million, while the rate on these accounts decreased by 43 basis points. Average growth of $101.4 million in our non-interest-bearing accounts benefited our overall cost of deposits. Deposit growth was attributable to PPP loan funding and organic deposit growth in low cost core deposits with existing customers as well as new relationship customers during 2020.

As shown below, the composition of total interest income between 2020 and 2019 remained relatively stable.

‎

The following table sets forth the average balances, net interest income and expense, and average yields and rates for our interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities for 2020, 2019 and 2018.

Distribution of Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

Interest Rates and Interest Differential – Tax Equivalent Basis