Kearny Financial Corp. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2022

Or

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number: 001-37399

KEARNY FINANCIAL CORP.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (973) 244-4500

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. ☒ Yes ☐ 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 (§229.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). ☒ Yes ☐ No

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ☐ YES ☒ NO

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non‑affiliates of the Registrant on December 31, 2021 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was $866.9 million. Solely for purposes of this calculation, shares held by directors, executive officers and greater than 10% stockholders are treated as shares held by affiliates.

As of August 19, 2022 there were outstanding 68,226,775 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

1. Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. (Part III)

KEARNY FINANCIAL CORP.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2022

INDEX

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PART I

Item 1. Business

Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect” and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. We are under no duty to and do not take any obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements:

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Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements.

General

Kearny Financial Corp. (the “Company,” or “Kearny Financial”), is a Maryland corporation that is the holding company for Kearny Bank (the “Bank” or “Kearny Bank”), a nonmember New Jersey-chartered savings bank.

The Company is a unitary savings and loan holding company, regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank (“FRB”) and conducts no significant business or operations of its own. The Bank’s deposits are federally insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund as administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and the Bank is primarily regulated by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (“NJDBI”) and, as a nonmember bank, the FDIC. References in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K to the Company or Kearny Financial generally refer to the Company and the Bank, unless the context indicates otherwise. References to “we”, “us”, or “our” refer to the Bank or Company, or both, as the context indicates.

The Company’s primary business is the ownership and operation of the Bank. The Bank is principally engaged in the business of attracting deposits from the general public in New Jersey and New York and using these deposits, together with other funds, to originate or purchase loans for its portfolio and for sale into the secondary market. Our loan portfolio is primarily comprised of loans collateralized by commercial and residential real estate augmented by secured and unsecured loans to businesses and consumers. We also maintain a portfolio of investment securities, primarily comprised of U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities, obligations of state and political subdivisions, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities and collateralized loan obligations.

We operate from our administrative headquarters in Fairfield, New Jersey and other administrative locations throughout the state of New Jersey. As of June 30, 2022, we had 45 branch offices. The Company maintains a website at www.kearnybank.com. We make available through that website, free of charge, copies of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, amendments to those reports and proxy materials as soon as is reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files those materials with, or furnishes them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may access these materials by following the links under “Investor Relations” under the “Financial Information” tab at the Company’s website. Information on the Company’s website is not and should not be considered a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Acquisition of MSB Financial Corp. (“MSB”)

On July 10, 2020, we completed our acquisition of MSB and its subsidiary, Millington Bank. In accordance with the merger agreement, approximately $9.8 million in cash and 5,853,811 shares of Company common stock were distributed to former MSB shareholders in exchange for their shares of MSB common stock. As a result of the merger, we acquired loans with fair values totaling $530.2 million, assumed deposits with fair values totaling $460.2 million and acquired four branch offices located in Somerset and Morris counties. The application of the acquisition method of accounting resulted in the recognition of bargain purchase gain of $3.1 million and a core deposit intangible of $690,000.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

During the year ended June 30, 2022, COVID-19 continued to impact the U.S. and global economy in a variety of ways. We continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19, including, but not limited to, its impact on our employees, clients, communities and results of operations.

Employee Matters. As the COVID-19 pandemic initially unfolded, and stay-at-home orders were mandated by government officials, many of our non-branch personnel transitioned to working remotely or in a hybrid-remote environment. Through June 30, 2022, many of our non-branch personnel have continued to work in a hybrid-remote fashion. Our information technology infrastructure has afforded us the ability to work remotely with little interruption as we continue to service the needs of our clients. For those essential employees who are unable to work from home, we have provided personal protective equipment and have established procedures and guidelines to ensure a safe working environment.

Retail Branches. At the outset of the pandemic we modified our branch hours and access to ensure the safety of our employees and clients. Where possible, branch lobbies were initially transitioned to appointment-only access, with the majority of branch operations being conducted via our drive-up windows. As certain branches did not have drive-up capabilities or suitable alternatives, we temporarily closed certain locations. In the months following, and in accordance with the protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), we have outfitted our branches with protective barriers and continued to provide our staff with personal protective equipment. As of June 30, 2022, all of our branches were fully operational.

CARES Act, Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (“PPP Enhancement Act”). On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law. Among the more significant components of the CARES Act, as it pertains to the Company, was the creation of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), the modification of rules and regulations surrounding troubled debt restructured loans (“TDRs”) and modifications to the tax code to allow for the carryback of net operating losses.

The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to temporarily guarantee loans under a new 7(a) loan program called the Paycheck Protection Program. As part of this program the SBA guarantees 100% of the PPP loans made to eligible borrowers. As a qualified SBA lender, the Bank was automatically authorized to originate PPP loans. As of June 30, 2022 we had four loans with total outstanding balances of $396,000 under the PPP.

Based on Section 4013 of the CARES Act, the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act and related regulatory guidance promulgated by federal banking regulators, qualifying loan modifications, including short-term payment deferrals, are not considered to be TDRs. At June 30, 2022, we did not have any active COVID-19 payment deferrals that were not considered to be TDRs.

2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The $900 billion relief package included legislation that extended certain relief provisions of the CARES Act that were set to expire on December 31, 2020. The relief expired on January 1, 2022.

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Business Strategy

In recent years we have evolved our business model from that of a traditional thrift into that of a full-service community bank. This evolution has been accomplished by growing our commercial loans and deposits, expanding our product and service offerings, de-novo branching and the acquisition of other financial institutions. During this time, our strategy has been largely focused on profitably deploying capital and enhancing earnings through a variety of balance sheet growth and diversification strategies. The key components of our business strategy are as follows:

As demonstrated by the June 30, 2022 Tier 1 Leverage ratios of the Company and the Bank of 10.14% and 8.70%, respectively, we currently maintain, and plan to continue to maintain, capital levels in excess of regulatory minimums and internal capital adequacy guidelines.

In addition to our robust capital levels, we maintain significant sources of both on- and off-balance sheet liquidity and plan to continue to do so. At June 30, 2022, our liquid assets included $101.6 million of short-term cash and equivalents supplemented by $1.34 billion of investment securities classified as available for sale which can be readily sold or pledged as collateral, if necessary. In addition, we had the capacity to borrow additional funds totaling $975.0 million via unsecured overnight borrowings from other financial institutions and $2.04 billion and $303.9 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and FRB, respectively, without pledging additional collateral.

We plan to continue to focus on growing and diversifying our retail non-maturity deposit base with an emphasis on growth in core non-maturity deposits and, in particular, non-interest bearing deposits. In addition, we plan to focus on growth in commercial deposits. During fiscal 2022, we successfully grew core non-maturity deposits by $365.1 million, including non-interest-bearing deposit growth of $60.2 million.

We plan to continue focusing on growing and diversifying our loan portfolio with a particular emphasis on growth in the commercial real estate, commercial business and construction loan segments. Our focus, as it relates to new loan originations, will continue to be on high quality loans with strong sponsors and favorable credit metrics.

We plan to continue to leverage the flexibility of our mortgage banking infrastructure to support the origination of residential mortgage loans for sale into the secondary market or to supplement our loan growth initiatives based on market conditions and loan growth targets. In the long-term, we anticipate that residential mortgage loan origination and sale activity will continue to support our non-interest income, while also serving to help manage our exposure to interest rate risk through the sale of longer-duration, fixed-rate loans into the secondary market.

At June 30, 2022, we had a total of 45 branches. We plan to selectively evaluate branch network expansion opportunities while continuing to place strategic emphasis on leveraging the opportunities to increase market share and expand the depth and breadth of client relationships within our existing branches.

We also plan to continue to evaluate and optimize the performance of our existing branch network through additional branch consolidations, where appropriate. Such efforts will take into consideration historical branch profitability, market demographic trajectory, geographic proximity of consolidating branches and the expected impact on the Bank’s clients and communities served.

In recent years, our operating efficiency has improved both organically and via economies of scale gained from merger and acquisition activity. Exclusive of potential future acquisitions, we plan to continue to improve operating efficiency through organic means, such as the increased use of technology and the continual evaluation of branch consolidation opportunities.

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In recognition of the ongoing evolution of our business towards digital channels we have invested significant human resources and capital towards enhancing both our internal and client-facing technology systems. Our ongoing technology transformation will impact nearly every area of the Company including the residential and commercial lending functions, retail deposit gathering, risk management and back office operations. In fiscal 2023, we plan to accelerate our digital strategy, spearheaded by the adoption of a cloud-based, best-in-breed digital banking platform, and continue to serve our clients’ needs in an omnichannel environment while expanding our products and services into new markets in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Market Area. At June 30, 2022, our primary market area consisted of the counties in which we currently operate branches, including Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties in New Jersey and Kings (Brooklyn) and Richmond (Staten Island) counties in New York. Our lending is concentrated in New Jersey and New York and our predominant sources of deposits are the communities in which our offices are located as well as the neighboring communities.

Competition. We operate in a highly competitive market area with a large concentration of financial institutions and we face substantial competition in attracting deposits and in originating loans. A number of our competitors are significantly larger institutions with greater financial and technological resources and lending limits. Our ability to compete successfully is a significant factor affecting our growth potential and profitability. Our competition for deposits and loans comes primarily from other insured depository institutions located in our primary market area. We also face competition from out-of-market depository institutions operating via online channels and from non-depository institutions including mortgage banks, finance companies, insurance companies, brokerage firms and financial technology companies.

Lending Activities

General. Our loan portfolio is comprised of multi-family mortgage loans, nonresidential mortgage loans, commercial business loans, construction loans, one- to four-family residential mortgage loans, home equity loans and other consumer loans. In recent years our lending strategies have placed increasing emphasis on the origination of commercial loans.

Loan Portfolio Composition. The following table sets forth the composition of our loan portfolio in dollar amounts and as a percentage of the total portfolio at the dates indicated.

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The following table sets forth the composition of our real estate secured loans indicating the loan-to-value (“LTV”), by loan category, at June 30, 2022 and 2021:

Loan Maturity Schedule. The following table sets forth the maturities of our loan portfolio at June 30, 2022. Demand loans, loans having no stated maturity and overdrafts are shown as due in one year or less. Loans are stated in the following table at contractual maturity and actual maturities could differ due to prepayments.

The following table shows the loans as of June 30, 2022 due after June 30, 2023 according to rate type and loan category:

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Multi-Family and Nonresidential Real Estate Mortgage Loans. At June 30, 2022, multi-family mortgage loans totaled $2.41 billion, or 44.3% of our loan portfolio, while nonresidential mortgage loans totaled $1.02 billion, or 18.8% of our loan portfolio. We originate commercial mortgage loans on a variety of multi-family and nonresidential property types, including loans on mixed-use properties which combine residential and commercial space. We generally offer fixed-rate and adjustable-rate balloon mortgage loans on multi-family and nonresidential properties with final stated maturities ranging from five to fifteen years with amortization terms which generally range from 15 to 30 years. Our commercial mortgage loans are primarily secured by properties located in New Jersey, New York and the surrounding states.

Commercial Business (C&I) Loans. At June 30, 2022, commercial business loans totaled $176.8 million, or 3.3% of our loan portfolio. We originate commercial term loans and lines of credit to a variety of clients in our market area. Included within our business loan products are loans originated through the SBA, in which we participate as a Preferred Lender. Our non-SBA commercial term loans generally have terms of up to 10 years. Our commercial lines of credit have terms of up to one year and are generally floating-rate loans.

Construction Lending. At June 30, 2022, construction loans totaled $140.1 million, or 2.6% of our loan portfolio. Our construction lending includes loans to individuals, builders or developers for the construction of multi-family residential buildings or commercial real estate or for the construction or renovation of one- to four-family residences. Construction borrowers must hold title to the land free and clear of any liens. Financing for construction loans is limited to 80% of the anticipated appraised value of the completed property. Disbursements are made in accordance with inspection reports by our approved appraisal firms. Terms of financing are generally limited to one year with an interest rate tied to the prime rate and may include a premium of one or more points. In some cases, we convert a construction loan to a permanent mortgage loan upon completion of construction. We have no formal limits as to the number of projects a builder has under construction or development and make a case-by-case determination on loans to builders and developers who have multiple projects under development.

One- to Four-Family Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Portfolio. At June 30, 2022, one- to four-family residential mortgage loans totaled $1.65 billion, or 30.3% of our loan portfolio. At June 30, 2022, $1.53 billion, or 92.9%, of our one- to four-family residential mortgage loans are secured by properties located within New Jersey and New York with the remaining $117.1 million, or 7.1%, secured by properties in other states. The fixed-rate residential mortgage loans that we originate for portfolio generally meet the secondary mortgage market standards of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”). In addition, we offer a first-time homebuyer program which provides financial incentives for persons who have not previously owned real estate and are purchasing a one- to four-family property in our primary lending area for use as a primary residence. This program is also available outside these areas, but only to persons who are existing deposit or loan clients of Kearny Bank and/or members of their immediate families.

One- to Four-Family Residential Mortgage Loans Held for Sale. As a complement to our residential one- to four-family portfolio lending activities, we operate a mortgage banking platform which supports the origination of one- to four-family mortgage loans for sale into the secondary market. The loans we originate for sale generally meet the secondary mortgage market standards of Freddie Mac. Such loans are generally originated by, and sourced from, the same resources and markets as those loans originated and held in our portfolio. Our mortgage banking business strategy resulted in the recognition of $2.4 million in gains associated with the sale of $189.1 million of mortgage loans held for sale during the year ended June 30, 2022. As of that date, an additional $7.1 million of loans were held and committed for sale into the secondary market.

At June 30, 2022, in addition to our one- to four-family residential mortgage loans held for sale, our commercial mortgage loans held for sale totaled $21.7 million. These loans were non-accrual loans that were expected to be sold subsequent to June 30, 2022.

Home Equity Loans. At June 30, 2022, home equity loans totaled $42.0 million, or 0.8% of our loan portfolio. Our home equity loans are fixed-rate loans for terms of generally up to 20 years. We also offer fixed-rate and adjustable-rate home equity lines of credit with terms of up to 20 years.

Other Consumer Loans. At June 30, 2022, other consumer loans totaled $2.9 million, or 0.1% of our loan portfolio. Our consumer loan portfolio includes unsecured overdraft lines of credit and personal loans as well as loans secured by savings accounts and certificates of deposit on deposit with the Bank.

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Loans to One Borrower. New Jersey law generally limits the amount that a savings bank may lend to a single borrower and related entities to 15% of the institution’s capital funds. Accordingly, as of June 30, 2022, our legal loans to one borrower limit was approximately $100.8 million.

At June 30, 2022, our largest single borrower had an aggregate outstanding loan exposure of approximately $82.8 million comprising one multi-family mortgage loan, three nonresidential real estate mortgage loans and two commercial business loans. Our second largest single borrower had an aggregate outstanding loan exposure of approximately $76.1 million comprising four multi-family mortgage loans and one nonresidential real estate mortgage loan. At June 30, 2022, these lending relationships were current and performing in accordance with the terms of their loan agreements.

Loan Originations, Purchases, Sales and Repayments. The following table shows the principal balances of portfolio loans originated, purchased, acquired and repaid during the periods indicated:

(1) Excludes origination and sales of one- to four-family mortgage loans held for sale.

(2) For information on loans acquired in the MSB acquisition, see Note 3 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

Additional information about our loans is presented in Note 5 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

Loan Approval Procedures and Authority. Senior management recommends, and the Board of Directors approves, our lending policies and loan approval limits. The Bank’s Loan Committee consists of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Lending Officer, Chief Credit Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Director of Residential Lending, Director of Commercial Real Estate Lending, Director of Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Lending, Senior Credit Officer and Special Assets Manager. Loans which exceed certain thresholds, as defined within our policies, are submitted to the Bank’s Loan Committee and/or Board of Directors for approval.

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Asset Quality

Collection Procedures on Delinquent Loans. We regularly monitor the payment status of all loans within our portfolio and promptly initiate collection efforts on past due loans in accordance with applicable policies and procedures. Delinquent borrowers are notified when a loan is 30 days past due. If the delinquency continues, subsequent efforts are made to contact the delinquent borrower and additional collection notices are sent. All reasonable attempts are made to collect from borrowers prior to referral to an attorney for collection. However, when a residential loan is 120 days delinquent and a commercial loan is 90 days delinquent, it is our general practice to refer it to an attorney for repossession, foreclosure or other form of collection action, as appropriate. In certain instances, we may modify the loan or grant a limited moratorium on loan payments to enable the borrower to reorganize their financial affairs as we attempt to work with the borrower to establish a repayment schedule to cure the delinquency.

As to mortgage loans, if a foreclosure action is taken and the loan is not reinstated, paid in full or refinanced, the property is sold at judicial sale at which we may be the buyer if there are no adequate offers to satisfy the debt. Any property acquired as the result of foreclosure or by deed in lieu of foreclosure is classified as other real estate owned until it is sold or otherwise disposed of. When other real estate owned is acquired, it is recorded at its fair market value less estimated selling costs. The initial write-down of the property, if necessary, is charged to the allowance for credit losses. Adjustments to the carrying value of the properties that result from subsequent declines in value are charged to operations in the period in which the declines are identified.

Past Due Loans. A loan’s past due status is generally determined based upon its principal and interest (“P&I”) payment delinquency status in conjunction with its past maturity status, where applicable. A loan’s P&I payment delinquency status is based upon the number of calendar days between the date of the earliest P&I payment due and the as of measurement date. A loan’s past maturity status, where applicable, is based upon the number of calendar days between a loan’s contractual maturity date and the as of measurement date. Based upon the larger of these criteria, loans are categorized into the following past due tiers for financial statement reporting and disclosure purposes: Current (including 1-29 days past due), 30-59 days past due, 60-89 days past due and 90 or more days past due.

Additional information about our past due loans is presented in Note 5 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

Nonaccrual Loans. Loans are generally placed on nonaccrual status when contractual payments become 90 or more days past due or when we do not expect to receive all P&I payments owed substantially in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement, regardless of past due status. Loans that become 90 days past due but are well secured and in the process of collection, may remain on accrual status. Nonaccrual loans are generally returned to accrual status when all payments due are brought current and we expect to receive all remaining P&I payments owed substantially in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement. Payments received in cash on nonaccrual loans, including both the principal and interest portions of those payments, are generally applied to reduce the carrying value of the loan.

Purchased Credit Deteriorated Loans (“PCD”). PCD loans are acquired loans that, as of the acquisition date, have experienced a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination. Non-PCD loans are acquired loans that have experienced no or insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination. To distinguish between the two types of acquired loans, we evaluate risk characteristics that have been determined to be indicators of deteriorated credit quality. The determining criteria may involve loan specific characteristics such as payment status, debt service coverage or other changes in creditworthiness since the loan was originated, while others are relevant to recent economic conditions, such as borrowers in industries impacted by the pandemic. As part of our acquisition of MSB, we acquired PCD loans with a par value of $69.4 million and an allowance for credit losses of $3.9 million. Additional information about our PCD loans is presented in Note 5 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

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Nonperforming Assets. The following table provides information regarding our nonperforming assets which are comprised of nonaccrual loans, accruing loans 90 days or more past due, nonaccrual loans held-for-sale and other real estate owned:

(1) TDRs on accrual status not included above totaled $8.7 million and $6.2 million at June 30, 2022 and 2021.

Total nonperforming assets increased by $12.3 million to $92.2 million at June 30, 2022 from $79.9 million at June 30, 2021. For those same comparative periods, the number of nonperforming loans decreased to 61 loans from 113 loans while there was one property in other real estate owned at June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. At June 30, 2022, there were three nonaccrual loans held-for-sale.

At June 30, 2022 and 2021, we had loans with aggregate outstanding balances totaling $22.2 million and $17.8 million, respectively, reported as TDRs.

Loan Review System. We maintain a loan review system consisting of several related functions including, but not limited to, classification of assets, calculation of the allowance for credit losses, independent credit file review as well as internal audit and lending compliance reviews. We utilize both internal and external resources, where appropriate, to perform the various loan review functions, all of which operate in accordance with a scope and frequency determined by senior management and the Audit and Compliance Committee of the Board of Directors.

As one component of our loan review system we engage a third-party firm which specializes in loan review and analysis functions. As part of their review process, our third-party review firm compares their review results with their client base to evaluate our risk assessment among our peers. This firm assists senior management and the Board of Directors in identifying potential credit weaknesses; in reviewing and confirming risk ratings or adverse classifications internally ascribed to loans by management; in identifying relevant trends that affect the collectability of the portfolio and identifying segments of the portfolio that are potential problem areas; in verifying the appropriateness of the allowance for credit losses; in evaluating the activities of lending personnel including compliance with lending policies and the quality of their loan approval, monitoring and risk assessment; and by providing an objective assessment of the overall quality of the loan portfolio. Currently, third-party loan reviews are being conducted quarterly and include non-performing loans as well as samples of performing loans of varying types within our portfolio.

In addition, our loan review system includes functions performed by internal audit and compliance personnel. Internal audit resources perform credit review functions utilizing guidance from regulatory and Institute of Internal Auditors standards in addition to assessing the adequacy of, and adherence to, internal credit policies and loan administration procedures and adherence to regulatory guidance. Our compliance resources monitor adherence to relevant lending-related and consumer protection-related laws and regulations.

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Classification of Assets. In compliance with the regulatory guidelines, our loan review system includes an evaluation process through which certain loans exhibiting adverse credit quality characteristics are classified as Substandard, Doubtful or Loss. An asset is classified as Substandard if it is inadequately protected by the paying capacity and net worth of the obligor or the collateral pledged, if any. Substandard assets include those characterized by the distinct possibility that the insured institution will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. Assets classified as Doubtful have all of the weaknesses inherent in those classified as Substandard, with the added characteristic that the weaknesses present make collection or liquidation in full highly questionable and improbable, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions and values. Assets, or portions thereof, classified as Loss are considered uncollectible or of so little value that their continuance as assets is not warranted. Assets which do not currently expose us to a sufficient degree of risk to warrant an adverse classification but have some credit deficiencies or other potential weaknesses are designated as Special Mention by management. Adversely classified assets, together with those rated as Special Mention are generally referred to as Classified Assets. Non-classified assets are internally rated within one of four Pass categories or as Watch with the latter denoting a potential deficiency or concern that warrants increased oversight or tracking by management until remediated.

Additional information about our classification of assets is presented in Note 5 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

The following table discloses our designation of certain loans as special mention or adversely classified during each of the two years presented:

Individually Evaluated Loans. On a case-by-case basis, we may conclude that a loan should be evaluated on an individual basis based on its disparate risk characteristics. When we determine that a loan no longer shares similar risk characteristics with other loans in the portfolio, the allowance will be determined on an individual basis using the present value of expected cash flows or, for collateral-dependent loans, the fair value of the collateral as of the reporting date, less estimated selling costs, as applicable. If the fair value of the collateral is less than the amortized cost basis of the loan, we will establish an allowance for the difference between the fair value of the collateral, less costs to sell, at the reporting date and the amortized cost basis of the loan.

Allowance for Credit Losses - Loans

On July 1, 2020, we adopted ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”, which replaced the incurred loss methodology with an expected loss methodology, referred to as the “CECL” methodology. See Note 1 to the audited consolidated financial statements for additional information on the adoption of Topic 326. Amounts reported prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13, continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP.

A description of our methodology in establishing our allowance for credit losses is set forth in the section “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Policies - Allowance for Credit Losses”.

Additional information about our allowance for credit losses is also presented in Note 6 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

Our allowance for credit losses is maintained at a level necessary to cover lifetime expected credit losses in financial assets at the balance sheet date. The following table presents allowance for credit losses ratios, along with the components of their calculation, for the periods indicated:

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The following table presents the ratio of net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans outstanding by loan category, along with the components of the calculation, for the periods indicated:

Our loan portfolio experienced an annualized net charge-off rate of 0.07% for the year ended June 30, 2022, an increase of four basis points from the 0.03% rate for the year ended June 30, 2021.

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Allocation of Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans. The following table sets forth the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) allocated by loan category and the percent of loans in each category to total loans receivable at the dates indicated. The ACL allocated to each category is the estimated amount considered necessary to cover lifetime expected credit losses inherent in any particular category as of the balance sheet date and does not restrict the use of the allowance to absorb losses in other categories.

At June 30, 2022, the ACL totaled $47.1 million, or 0.87% of total loans, reflecting a decrease of $11.1 million from $58.2 million, or 1.19% of total loans, at June 30, 2021. This decrease was largely attributable to a provision for credit losses reversal of $7.5 million, primarily driven by continued improvement in our economic forecast, a net reduction in reserves on loans individually analyzed for impairment and a reduction in the expected life of various segments of the loan portfolio. Also contributing to this decrease were net charge-offs of $3.6 million.

The ACL at June 30, 2022 is maintained at a level that is management’s best estimate of lifetime expected credit losses inherent in loans at the balance sheet date. The ACL is subject to estimates and assumptions that are susceptible to significant revisions as more information becomes available and as events or conditions effecting individual borrowers and the marketplace as a whole change over time. Additions to the ACL may be necessary if the future economic environment deteriorates from forecasted conditions. In addition, the banking regulators, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review our loan and foreclosed real estate portfolios, related ACL and valuation allowance for foreclosed real estate. The regulators may require the ACL to be increased based on their review of information available at the time of the examination, which may negatively affect our earnings.

Additional information about the ACL at June 30, 2022 and 2021 is presented in Note 6 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

Investment Securities

At June 30, 2022, our investment securities portfolio totaled $1.46 billion and comprised 18.9% of our total assets. By comparison, at June 30, 2021, our securities portfolio totaled $1.72 billion and comprised 23.5% of our total assets. Additional information about our investment securities at June 30, 2022 is presented in Note 4 to the audited consolidated financial statements.

The year-over-year net decrease in the securities portfolio totaled $252.6 million which largely reflected repayments, sales and calls that were partially offset by purchases. The decrease in the portfolio included a $128.0 million decrease in the fair value of the available for sale securities portfolio to an unrealized loss of $118.0 million at June 30, 2022 from an unrealized gain of $10.0 million at June 30, 2021.

Our investment policy, which is approved by the Board of Directors, is designed to foster earnings and manage cash flows within prudent interest rate risk and credit risk guidelines, taking into consideration our liquidity needs, asset/liability management goals, and performance objectives. Our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Risk Officer and Treasurer/Chief Investment Officer are the senior management members of our Capital Markets Committee (“CMC”) that are designated by the Board of Directors as the officers primarily responsible for securities portfolio management and all transactions require the approval of at least two of these designated officers.

The investments authorized for purchase under the investment policy approved by our Board of Directors include U.S. government and agency mortgage-backed securities, U.S. government agency debentures, municipal obligations, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, collateralized loan obligations and subordinated debt. On a short-term basis, our investment policy authorizes investment in securities purchased under agreements to resell, federal funds, and certificates of deposits of insured financial institutions.

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The carrying value of our mortgage-backed securities totaled $785.0 million at June 30, 2022 and comprised 53.7% of total investments and 10.2% of total assets as of that date. We generally invest in mortgage-backed securities issued by U.S. government agencies or government-sponsored entities. Mortgage-backed securities issued or sponsored by U.S. government agencies and government-sponsored entities are guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest to investors.

The carrying value of our securities representing obligations of state and political subdivisions totaled $49.6 million at June 30, 2022 and comprised 3.4% of total investments and less than 1.0% of total assets as of that date. Such securities primarily included highly-rated, fixed-rate bank-qualified securities representing general obligations of municipalities located within the U.S. or the obligations of their related entities such as boards of education or school districts. Each of our municipal obligations were consistently rated by Moody’s and S&P well above the thresholds that generally support our investment grade assessment with such ratings equaling or exceeding A- or higher by S&P and/or A2 or higher by Moody’s, where rated by those agencies. In the absence of, or as a complement to, such ratings, we rely upon our own internal analysis of the issuer’s financial condition to validate its investment grade assessment.

The carrying value of our asset-backed securities totaled $166.6 million at June 30, 2022 and comprised 11.4% of total investments and 2.2% of total assets as of that date. This category of securities is comprised entirely of structured, floating-rate securities representing securitized federal education loans with 97% U.S. government guarantees. Our securities represent the highest credit-quality tranches within the overall structures with each being rated AA+ or higher by S&P/or Aa1 or higher by Moody’s, where rated by those agencies.

The outstanding balance of our collateralized loan obligations totaled $307.8 million at June 30, 2022 and comprised 21.0% of total investments and 4.0% of total assets as of that date. This category of securities is comprised entirely of structured, floating-rate securities representing securitized commercial loans to large, U.S. corporations. At June 30, 2022, each of our collateralized loan obligations were consistently rated by Moody’s and S&P well above the thresholds that generally support our investment grade assessment with such ratings equaling AAA by S&P and Aaa or by Moody’s, where rated by those agencies.

The carrying value of our corporate bonds totaled $153.4 million at June 30, 2022 and comprised 10.5% of total investments and 2.0% of total assets as of that date. This category of securities is comprised of two floating-rate corporate debt obligations issued by large financial institutions and subordinated debt representing profitable, well-capitalized, small- to mid-sized community banks located mainly in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. At June 30, 2022, corporate bonds issued by large financial institutions were consistently rated by Moody’s and S&P well above the thresholds that generally support our investment grade assessment with such ratings equaling or exceeding BB or higher by S&P and/or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s, where rated by those agencies.

Current accounting standards require that debt securities be categorized as held to maturity or available for sale, based on management’s intent as to the ultimate disposition of each security. These standards allow debt securities to be classified as held to maturity and reported in financial statements at amortized cost only if the reporting entity has the positive intent and ability to hold these securities to maturity. Securities that might be sold in response to changes in market interest rates, changes in the security’s prepayment risk, increases in loan demand, or other similar factors cannot be classified as held to maturity.

We do not currently use or maintain a trading account. Securities not classified as held to maturity are classified as available for sale. These securities are reported at fair value and unrealized gains and losses on the securities are excluded from earnings and reported, net of deferred taxes, as adjustments to accumulated other comprehensive income, a separate component of equity. As of June 30, 2022, our available for sale securities portfolio had a carrying value of $1.34 billion or 91.9% of our total securities with the remaining $118.3 million or 8.1% of securities were classified as held to maturity.

Other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies, we did not hold securities of any one issuer having an aggregate book value in excess of 10% of our equity at June 30, 2022. All of our securities carry market risk insofar as increases in market interest rates have caused, and may continue to cause, a decrease in their market value. We believe that unrealized and unrecognized losses on securities held at June 30, 2022, are a function of changes in market interest rates and credit spreads, not changes in credit quality. Therefore, no allowance for credit losses was recorded at that time.

During the year ended June 30, 2022, proceeds from sales of securities available for sale totaled $100.3 million and resulted in no gross gains and gross losses of $565,000. During the year ended June 30, 2021, proceeds from sales of securities available for sale totaled $98.1 million and resulted in gross gains of $1.2 million and gross losses of $470,000. During the year ended June 30, 2020, proceeds from sales of securities available for sale totaled $164.3 million and resulted in gross gains of $2.4 million and gross losses of $145,000. There were no sales of held to maturity securities during the years ended June 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

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The following table sets forth the carrying value of our securities portfolio at the dates indicated: