Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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For the transition period from      to     

Commission File No. 001-38779

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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(845) 454-8555

(Registrant’s telephone number)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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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 ☒

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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 ☒

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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 twelve months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

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

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

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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. ☐

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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.☐

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If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

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As of March 1, 2023, there were 11,284,565 shares issued of the Registrant’s Common Stock of which 6,345,975 are owned by Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC.

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The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, computed by reference to the last sale price at the end of the most recently completed second quarter was $36,924,574.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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Certain portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement, in connection with its 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, to be filed within 120 days of December 31, 2022, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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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,” "intend," “predict,” “forecast,” “improve,” “continue,” "will," "would," "should," "could," "may" 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 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. Forward looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties.

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. Please also see “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

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PART I

Item 1.      Business

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., (the “Company”) a Maryland corporation, was incorporated in August 2018. On January 16, 2019, the Company became the holding company for Rhinebeck Bank (the “Bank”) when it closed its stock offering in connection with the completion of the reorganization of the Company and the Bank into a two-tier mutual holding company form of organization. The Company is regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) and the New York State Department of Financial Services (the “NYSDFS”). The consolidated financial results contained herein reflect the consolidated accounts of the Company and the Bank.

At December 31, 2022, the Company had consolidated total assets of $1.34 billion, total deposits of $1.13 billion and stockholders’ equity of $108.1 million. The Company’s executive offices are located at 2 Jefferson Plaza, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601. The telephone number at this address is (845) 454-8555. Our website address is www.Rhinebeckbank.com. Information on this website is not and should not be considered a part of this report.

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. files interim, quarterly and annual reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SEC maintains an Internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers such as Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. that file electronically with the SEC. All filed SEC reports and interim filings can also be obtained from the Bank’s website (www.Rhinebeckbank.com), on the “Investor Relations” page, without charge from Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.

Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC

Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC, a New York-chartered non-stock corporation, is a mutual holding company that owns 56.24% of the outstanding common stock of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.

Rhinebeck Bank

Rhinebeck Bank is a New York-chartered stock savings bank that was organized in 1860. The Bank provides a full range of banking and financial services to consumer and commercial customers through its 14 branches and one representative office located in Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties. We also maintain a representative office in Albany County to originate indirect automobile and commercial loans. Financial services, including investment advisory and financial product sales, are offered through a division of the Bank doing business as Rhinebeck Asset Management (“RAM”). The Bank’s primary business activity is accepting deposits from the general public and using those funds, primarily to originate indirect automobile loans (automobile loans referred to us by automobile dealerships), commercial real estate loans (which includes multi-family real estate loans and commercial construction loans), commercial business loans and one- to four-family residential real estate loans, and to purchase investment securities. The Bank is subject to regulation and examination by the NYSDFS and by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”).

Market Area

Our primary market area encompasses Albany, Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties (and their contiguous counties), which are located in the Hudson Valley region of New York. Our retail banking offices are located in these four counties and serve the surrounding areas. The Hudson Valley region has a diversified economy and representative industries include education, health, government, leisure and hospitality and professional business services. We also maintain a representative office in Albany County to originate indirect automobile and commercial loans. We view Orange and Albany Counties, which have larger populations than Dutchess and Ulster Counties, as primary areas for growth.

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Based on published statistics, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.5%, while the New York State unemployment rate was 4.3% as of December 31, 2022. The four counties in our primary market area each had a lower unemployment rate than New York State as a whole (Dutchess County, 2.5%, Orange County, 2.6%, Ulster County, 2.6% and Albany County, 2.5%). According to the New York State Department of Labor, for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2022, the Hudson Valley’s private sector job growth increased by 3.0%. Unemployment rates, which soared during the shutdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, have now mostly returned to pre-pandemic levels. Based on published statistics, median household income for 2021 (the latest date for which information was available) was $87,112 in Dutchess County, $85,640 in Orange County, $71,040 in Ulster County and $73,810 in Albany County, compared to $69,021 in the U.S. and $75,157 in New York State as a whole. Based on published statistics, the 2021 estimated population was 297,112 in Dutchess County, 404,525 in Orange County, 182,951 in Ulster County and 313,743 in Albany County.

Competition

We face significant competition for deposits and loans. Our most direct competition for deposits has historically come from the numerous financial institutions operating in our market area (including other community and commercial banks and credit unions), many of which are significantly larger than we are and have greater resources. We also face competition for investors’ funds from other sources such as brokerage firms, money market funds and mutual funds, as well as securities, such as Treasury bills, offered by the Federal Government. Based on FDIC data, at June 30, 2022 (the latest date for which information is available), we had 10.37% of the FDIC-insured deposit market share in Dutchess County, which was 4^th among the 15 institutions with offices in the county, 1.72% of the FDIC-insured deposit market share in Ulster County, which was 15^th among the 19 institutions with offices in the county, and 0.90% of the FDIC-insured deposit market share in Orange County, which was 17^th among the 23 institutions with offices in the county. In all three counties, New York City money center banks or large regional banks have a significant presence.

Our competition for loans comes primarily from the competitors referenced above and from other financial service providers, such as mortgage companies and mortgage brokers. Competition for loans also comes from the increasing number of non-depository financial service companies participating in the mortgage market, such as insurance companies, securities companies, specialty finance firms and financial technology companies.

We expect competition to remain intense in the future as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and the continuing trend of consolidation in the financial services industry. Technological advances, for example, have lowered barriers to entry, allowed banks to expand their geographic reach by providing services over the internet and made it possible for non-depository institutions, including financial technology companies, to offer products and services that traditionally have been provided by banks. Competition for deposits and the origination of loans could limit our growth in the future.

We seek to meet this competition by the convenience of our branch locations, emphasizing personalized banking and the advantage of local decision-making in our banking businesses. Specifically, we promote and maintain relationships and build customer loyalty within local communities by focusing our marketing and community involvement on the specific needs of individual neighborhoods. We do not rely on any individual, group, or entity for a material portion of our deposits.

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Lending Activities

General.

Loans are our primary interest-earning asset. At December 31, 2022, net loans represented 74.4% of our total assets.

Loan Portfolio Composition.

The following table sets forth the composition of the loan portfolio at the dates indicated.

Loan Portfolio Maturities.  The following table sets forth certain information regarding the dollar amount of loans that will mature in the given period. The table does not include any estimate of prepayments that significantly shorten the average loan life and may cause actual repayment experience to differ from that shown below. Demand loans, which are loans having no stated repayment schedule or no stated maturity, are reported as due in one year or less.

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The following table sets forth the mix of fixed- and adjustable-rate loans at December 31, 2022 that are due after December 31, 2023, based on their contractual terms to maturity. The amounts shown below exclude unearned loan origination fees.

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Indirect Automobile Loans.

We have been in the business of providing indirect financing of automobile purchases since 1999. At December 31, 2022, indirect automobile loans totaled $457.2 million, or 46.2% of our total loan portfolio. While we still plan to originate indirect automobile loans, we plan to slow the growth of our indirect automobile portfolio by decreasing loan originations through increased pricing and limiting risk selections. We acquire our indirect automobile loans from 63 automobile dealerships located in the Hudson Valley region and 32 dealers located in the Albany area, either under an arrangement where the dealer receives a flat fee for referring the loan to us or receives a portion of the finance charge, which is known as dealer participation or dealer reserve. We typically pay 70% of the reserve to the dealer at the time of loan closing and retain the remainder to cover potential future prepayments. As of December 31, 2022, 45.8% of the aggregate principal balance of our indirect automobile loan portfolio was for the purchase of new vehicles and the remainder, 54.2%, was for used vehicles. The weighted average original term to maturity of our indirect automobile loan portfolio at December 31, 2022 was five years and ten months.

Each dealer that originates automobile loans makes representations and warranties with respect to our security interests in the related financed vehicles in a separate dealer agreement with us. These representations and warranties do not relate to the creditworthiness of the borrowers or the collectability of the loan. The dealers are also responsible for ensuring that our security interest in the financed vehicles is perfected. Each automobile loan requires the borrower to keep the financed vehicle fully insured against loss or damage by fire, theft and collision. The dealer agreements require the dealers to represent that adequate physical damage insurance (collision and comprehensive) was in effect at the time the related loan was originated and financed by us. In addition, we have the right to “force place” insurance coverage (supplemental insurance taken out by Rhinebeck Bank) if the required physical damage insurance on an automobile is not maintained by the borrower. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that each borrower will maintain physical damage insurance for a financed vehicle during the entire term of an automobile loan. Vendors Single Interest Insurance, which is included on every automobile loan originated, protects the Bank against losses for physical damage to repossessed automobiles.

Each dealer submits loan applications directly to us, and the borrower’s creditworthiness is the most important criterion we use in determining whether to approve the loan. Each credit application generally requires that the borrower provide current information regarding their employment history, indebtedness, and other factors that bear on creditworthiness. We also obtain a credit report from a major credit reporting agency summarizing the borrower’s credit history and paying habits, including such items as open accounts, delinquent payments, bankruptcies, repossessions, lawsuits and judgments.

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Each borrower’s credit score is the principal factor we use in determining the appropriate interest rate on a loan. Our underwriting procedures evaluate the credit information relative to the value of the vehicle to be financed. At times, our underwriters may also verify a borrower’s employment income and/or residency and, where appropriate, verify a borrower’s payment history directly with the borrower’s creditors. Based on these procedures, a credit decision is considered. We basically follow the same underwriting guidelines in originating direct (non-dealer) automobile loans.

We generally finance up to the full sales price of the vehicle plus sales tax, dealer preparation fees, license fees and title fees, plus the cost of service and warranty contracts (amounts in addition to the sales price are collectively referred to as the “additional vehicle costs”). In addition, we also may finance the negative equity related to the vehicle traded in by the borrower in connection with a prior financing. Accordingly, the amount we finance may exceed, depending on the borrower’s credit score, in the case of new vehicles, the aggregate of the dealer’s invoice price of the financed vehicle and the additional vehicle costs, or in the case of a used vehicle, the aggregate of the vehicle’s value and the additional vehicle costs. The maximum amount that can be borrowed for an automobile loan by borrowers with our lowest risk rating generally may not exceed 135% of the full sales price of a new vehicle, or the vehicle’s “wholesale” value in the case of a used vehicle. The vehicle’s value is determined by using one of the standard reference sources for dealers of used cars. We regularly review the quality of the loans we purchase from the dealers and periodically conduct quality control audits to ensure compliance with our established policies and procedures.

At December 31, 2022, our automobile loans to borrowers with credit scores of 639 or less at origination totaled $42.6 million, or 9.3% of our total indirect automobile loan portfolio. We typically will not originate these types of loans with loan-to-value ratios greater than 100% of the sales price of the automobile or debt-to-income ratios greater than 40%.

Non-Residential Commercial Real Estate Loans.

At December 31, 2022, non-residential commercial real estate loans were $282.4 million, or 28.5%, of our total loan portfolio. Our commercial real estate loans are generally secured by properties used for business purposes, such as office buildings, industrial facilities and retail facilities. At December 31, 2022, $112.4 million of our commercial real estate portfolio was owner-occupied real estate and $170.0 million was secured by income producing, non-owner occupied real estate. At December 31, 2022, substantially all of our commercial real estate loans were secured by properties located in our market area. However, occasionally we will originate commercial real estate loans on properties located outside this area based on an established relationship with a strong borrower. As of December 31, 2022, we had three loans located outside of the state of New York totaling $11.4 million.

We originate a variety of commercial real estate loans with terms and amortization periods generally up to 25 years, for large newly constructed commercial developments, including retail plazas and up to 20 years for almost all other commercial properties. The interest rate on commercial real estate loans is generally adjustable and based on a margin over an index, typically The Wall Street Journal Prime Rate or the FHLBNY Amortizing Advance Rate. Commercial real estate loans are generally originated in amounts up to 75% of the appraised value or the purchase price of the property securing the loan, whichever is lower. The Bank does selectively offer interest rate swaps for both commercial and multi-family real estate loans. See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

In underwriting commercial real estate loans, we consider a number of factors, including the projected net cash flows to the loan’s debt service requirement (generally requiring a minimum of 1.20x), the age and condition of the collateral, the financial resources and income level of the borrower and the borrower’s experience in owning or managing similar properties. Where appropriate, we also require corporate guarantees and/or personal guarantees. We monitor borrowers’ and guarantors’ financial information on an ongoing basis by requiring periodic financial statement updates.

At December 31, 2022, our largest commercial real estate loan had an outstanding balance of $9.9 million and was secured by a hotel located in Wallkill, New York. At December 31, 2022, this loan was performing according to its original terms.

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Commercial Business Loans.

We originate commercial business loans and lines of credit to a variety of small- and medium-sized businesses in our market area. Our commercial business borrowers include professional organizations, family-owned businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. These loans are generally secured by business assets and we may require support of this collateral with liens on real property. At December 31, 2022, commercial business loans were $88.0 million, or 8.9% of our total loan portfolio. At December 31, 2022, commercial business loans included $537,000 of SBA PPP loans. We encourage our commercial business borrowers to maintain their primary deposit accounts with us, many of which are non-interest-bearing, which improves our overall interest rate spread and profitability.

Our commercial business loans include term loans and revolving lines of credit. Commercial loans and lines of credit are made with either variable or fixed rates of interest. Variable interest rates are based on a margin over an index we select, typically The Wall Street Journal Prime Rate. Commercial business loans typically have shorter terms to maturity and higher interest rates than commercial real estate loans, but may involve more credit risk because of the type of collateral and our reliance primarily on the success of a borrower’s business for the repayment of the loan.

When making commercial business loans, we consider the financial history of the borrower, our lending experience with the borrower, the debt service capabilities and global cash flows of the borrower and other guarantors, and the value of the collateral, such as accounts receivable, inventory and equipment. Depending on the collateral used to secure the loans, commercial business loans are made in amounts up to 90% of the value of the collateral securing the loan. We require commercial business loans extended to closely held businesses to be guaranteed by the principals, as well as other appropriate guarantors, when personal assets are in joint names or a principal’s net worth is not sufficient to support the loan.

Commercial business loans include participations we purchase from a single, board-approved third party in leveraged lending transactions. Leveraged lending transactions are generally used to support a merger- or acquisition-related transaction, to back a recapitalization of a company’s balance sheet or to refinance debt. When considering a participation in the leveraged lending market, we will participate only in first lien senior secured term loans and lines of credit that are more closely aligned to middle market transactions. To further minimize risk, based on our current capital levels and loan portfolio, we have limited the total amount of leveraged loans to $1.0 million with a single obligor while maintaining that the total of all leveraged loans cannot exceed more than 15% of our risk-based capital. We also monitor industry and customer concentrations. At December 31, 2022, our leverage loans totaled $6.2 million, all of which were performing in accordance with their contractual terms.

At December 31, 2022, our largest commercial business loan had an outstanding balance of $4.8 million and was secured by all business assets. At December 31, 2022, this loan was performing according to its original terms.

Residential Mortgage and Residential Construction Loans.

Our one- to four-family residential loan portfolio consists of mortgage loans that enable borrowers to purchase or refinance existing homes, most of which serve as the primary residence of the borrower. At December 31, 2022, one- to four-family residential real estate loans totaled $53.7 million, or 5.4% of our total loan portfolio, and consisted of $38.4 million of fixed-rate loans and $15.3 million of adjustable-rate loans. Most of these one- to four-family residential properties are located in our primary market area. We will consider originating one- to four-family residential real estate loans secured by properties located outside our normal lending area on a case by case basis, preferably to preexisting customers with a relationship of one year or longer, and provided the property is located in New York.

We offer fixed-rate and adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans with maturities up to 30 years. The one- to four-family residential mortgage loans that we originate are generally underwritten according to Freddie Mac guidelines, and we refer to loans that conform to such guidelines as “conforming loans.” Loans to be sold to other approved investors or secondary market sources are underwritten to their specific requirements. We originate both fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgage loans in amounts up to the maximum conforming loan limits. To a lesser extent, we also originate loans above the conforming limits, which are referred to as “jumbo loans.” We usually underwrite jumbo loans, whether originated or purchased, in a manner similar to conforming loans.

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Historically we have sold all of the fixed-rate residential mortgage loans that we originated to reduce our interest rate risk exposure and generate fee income. The majority of the mortgage loans that we originated were sold to Freddie Mac on a servicing rights retained basis. We also originated State of New York Mortgage Agency (“SONYMA”) loans, which were sold on a servicing released basis. More recently we have begun to retain in our portfolio more high quality fixed-rate mortgages with terms up to 30 years as we believe the interest rates on the mortgages are more favorable relative to market interest rates. We sold $23.8 million and $72.9 million of fixed-rate residential mortgages during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. At December 31, 2022, we serviced $301.2 million of one- to four-family residential mortgage loans for others. We generated $744,000 and $717,000 in loan servicing fee income during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

We will originate one- to four-family residential mortgage loans with loan-to-value ratios of up to 80% of the appraised value, depending on the size of the loan. Our conforming mortgage loans may be for up to 97% of the appraised value of the property provided the borrower obtains private mortgage insurance. Additionally, mortgage insurance is required for all mortgage loans that have a loan-to-value ratio greater than 80%. The required coverage amount varies based on the loan-to-value ratio and term of the loan. We only permit borrowers to purchase mortgage insurance from companies that have been approved by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. We maintain wholesale broker relationships that give us a wider range of products to better serve our existing customers and to attract new customers for our mortgage loan products. These wholesale relationships provide us access to government-backed loan programs such as Federal Housing Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs financing.

We do not offer “interest only” mortgage loans on one- to four-family residential properties or loans that provide for negative amortization of principal, such as “Option ARM” loans, where the borrower can pay less than the interest owed on the loan, resulting in an increased principal balance during the life of the loan. Additionally, we do not offer “subprime loans” (loans that are made with low down-payments to borrowers with weakened credit histories typically characterized by payment delinquencies, previous charge-offs, judgments, bankruptcies, or borrowers with questionable repayment capacity as evidenced by low credit scores or high debt-burden ratios) or Alt-A loans (defined as loans having less than full documentation).

We originate loans to finance the construction of one- to four-family residential properties. We also originate rehabilitation loans, enabling the borrower to partially or totally refurbish an existing structure, which are structured as construction loans and monitored in the same manner. At December 31, 2022, residential construction loans totaled $2.3 million, or 4.2% of our residential mortgage loan portfolio. Most of these loans are secured by properties located in our primary market area.

Our residential land and acquisition loans are generally structured as two-year interest-only balloon loans. The interest rate is generally a fixed rate based on an index rate, plus a margin. Our construction-to-permanent loans are generally structured as interest-only, one-year, fixed-rate loans during the construction phase. Construction loan-to-value ratios for one- to four-family residential properties generally will not exceed 80% of the appraised value on a completed basis or the cost of completion, whichever is less, during the construction phase of the mortgage. Once the construction project is satisfactorily completed, we provide permanent financing or sell the permanent mortgage to an investor like Freddie Mac.

Before making a commitment to fund a construction loan, we generally require an appraisal of the property by an independent licensed appraiser. The construction phase is carefully monitored to minimize our risk. All construction projects must be completed in accordance with approved plans and approved by the municipality in which they are located. Loan proceeds are disbursed periodically in increments as construction progresses and as inspections by our approved inspectors warrant.

Multi-Family Real Estate Loans.

At December 31, 2022, multi-family real estate loans totaled $67.8 million, or 6.8%, of our total loan portfolio. Our multi-family real estate loans are generally secured by properties consisting of five to 100 rental units in our market area.

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We will originate multi-family real estate loans with terms and amortization periods of up to 30 years. The interest rates on our multi-family real estate loans are generally adjustable based on a margin over an index. Multi-family real estate loans are generally originated in amounts up to 75% of the appraised value or the purchase price of the property securing the loan, whichever is lower.

In underwriting multi-family real estate loans, we consider a number of factors including the projected net cash flows to the loan’s debt service requirement (generally requiring a minimum of 1.20x), the age and condition of the collateral, the financial resources and income level of the borrower and the borrower’s experience in owning or managing similar properties. Where appropriate, we also require corporate guarantees or personal guarantees. We monitor borrowers’ and guarantors’ financial information on an ongoing basis by requiring periodic financial statement updates.

At December 31, 2022, our largest multi-family real estate loan had an outstanding balance of $14.8 million and was secured by an apartment complex located in Poughkeepsie, New York. At December 31, 2022, this loan was performing according to its original terms.

Commercial Construction and Land Development Loans.

We originate loans to finance the construction of commercial properties, multi-family projects (including one- to four-family non-owner occupied residential properties) and professional complexes, or to acquire land for development for these purposes. We also originate rehabilitation loans, enabling the borrower to partially or totally refurbish an existing structure, which are structured as a construction loan and monitored in the same manner. At December 31, 2022, commercial construction and land development loans totaled $20.3 million, or 2.1% of our total loan portfolio. All of these loans are secured by properties located in our primary market area. We also had undrawn amounts on the commercial construction loans totaling $29.5 million at December 31, 2022.

Our construction and land development loans are generally structured as two-year interest-only balloon loans. The interest rate is generally a variable rate based on an index rate, typically The Wall Street Journal Prime Rate plus a margin. We generally offer commercial construction loans with a loan-to-value ratio of up to 75% of the appraised value on a completed basis or the cost of completion, whichever is less. We offer financing to purchase land for development with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 50%.

Before making a commitment to fund a commercial construction loan, we generally require an appraisal of the property by an independent licensed appraiser. The construction phase is carefully monitored to minimize our risk. All construction projects must be completed in accordance with approved plans and approved by the municipality in which they are located. Loan proceeds are disbursed periodically in increments as construction progresses and as inspections by our approved inspectors warrant.

At December 31, 2022, our largest construction and land development loan was an automotive dealer construction project located in Fishkill, New York, and had an available balance of $12.6 million and an outstanding balance of $1.8 million. At December 31, 2022, this loan was performing according to its original terms.

Consumer Loans.

We offer consumer loans to customers residing in our primary market area. Our consumer loans consist primarily of indirect automobile loans as discussed above. Other consumer loans consist mostly of home equity loans, lines of credit and direct automobile loans. At December 31, 2022, $11.5 million of our consumer loans were home equity loans and lines of credit, and $8.3 million of our consumer loans were direct automobile loans.

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Home equity loans and lines of credit are multi-purpose loans used to finance various home or personal needs, where a one- to four-family primary or secondary residence serves as collateral. We generally originate home equity loans and lines of credit of up to $150,000, with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 80% (including any first lien position) and terms of up to 20 years. Home equity lines of credit have adjustable rates of interest that are based on the prime interest rate published in The Wall Street Journal, plus a margin, and reset monthly. Home equity lines of credit are secured by residential real estate in a first or second lien position.

The procedures for underwriting consumer loans include assessing the applicant’s payment history on other indebtedness, the applicant’s ability to meet existing obligations and payments on the proposed loan, and the loan-to-value ratio. Although the applicant’s creditworthiness is a primary consideration, the underwriting process also includes a comparison of the value of the collateral, if any, to the proposed loan amount.

Loan Underwriting Risks

Indirect Automobile and Other Consumer Loans.

Indirect automobile and other consumer loans entail greater risk than residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans that are unsecured or secured by assets that depreciate rapidly, such as motor vehicles. Repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment for the outstanding loan and any small remaining deficiency often does not warrant further substantial collection efforts against a borrower. Indirect automobile and consumer loan collections depend on a borrower’s continuing financial stability, and therefore are likely to be adversely affected by various factors, including job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy. Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit the amount we can recover on such loans.

Additional risk elements associated with indirect lending include the limited personal contact with the borrower as a result of indirect lending through non-bank channels, namely automobile dealers, and reliance on automobile dealers to comply with fair lending practices.

Commercial and Multi-Family Real Estate Loans.

Loans secured by commercial and multi-family real estate generally have larger balances and involve a greater degree of risk than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans. Of primary concern in commercial and multi-family real estate lending is the borrower’s creditworthiness and the feasibility and cash flow potential of a project. Payments on loans secured by income properties often depend on successful operation and management of the properties. As a result, repayment of such loans may be subject to a greater extent than residential real estate loans to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy. If we foreclose on a commercial or multi-family real estate loan, the marketing and liquidation period to convert the real estate asset to cash can be lengthy with substantial holding costs. In addition, vacancies, deferred maintenance, repairs and market stigma can result in prospective buyers expecting sale price concessions to offset their real or perceived economic losses for the time it takes them to return the property to profitability. Direct costs may be required to rehabilitate or prepare the property to be marketed. Depending on the individual circumstances, initial charge-offs and subsequent losses on commercial or multi-family real estate loans can be unpredictable and substantial.

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To monitor cash flows on income properties, we require borrowers and loan guarantors, if any, to provide financial statements on the business operations underlying the commercial and multi-family real estate loans on an ongoing basis. In reaching a decision whether to make a commercial or multi-family real estate loan, we consider and review a global cash flow analysis of the borrower and consider the net operating income and profitability of the property, the borrower’s expertise, credit history and the value of the underlying property. We generally require properties securing these real estate loans to have debt service coverage ratios (the ratio of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization before debt service to debt service) of at least 1.20x. We obtain an environment report on all commercial real estate properties. We obtain an environmental Phase 1 report for all loans over $1.0 million or when hazardous materials may have existed on the site, or the site may have been impacted by adjoining properties that handled hazardous materials. We will also obtain a Phase 1 report if the initial environmental reports indicate that there may be an environmental issue on a property. We require indemnification from our commercial real estate borrowers and/or guarantors for potential exposure to environmental issues.

Commercial Business Loans.

Unlike residential mortgage loans, which generally are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from his or her employment or other income, and which are secured by real property whose value tends to be more easily ascertainable, commercial business loans have higher risk because they are made typically on the basis of the borrower’s ability to repay a loan from the cash flows of the borrower’s business and the collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. Our commercial business loans are underwritten and evaluated primarily based on the identified cash flows of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. Most often, this collateral consists of accounts receivable, inventory or equipment, or real estate. Commercial business loans to closely held businesses are also required to be personally guaranteed by the principal(s), as well as by other appropriate guarantors when personal assets are in joint names or if the principal’s net worth is insufficient by itself to support the loan. The availability of funds to repay commercial business loans may depend substantially on the success of the business itself. Further, any collateral securing such loans may depreciate over time, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value.

Our Credit Administration Department is responsible for monitoring industry concentrations among commercial borrowers and for reporting the industries represented by commercial borrowers to senior management on at least an annual basis.

Adjustable-Rate Loans.

Rising interest rates may require adjustable-rate loan borrowers to make higher monthly payments that could cause an increase in delinquencies and defaults. The marketability of the underlying property also may be adversely affected in a high interest rate environment. In addition, although adjustable-rate loans make our assets more responsive to changes in market interest rates, the extent of this interest rate sensitivity may be somewhat limited by the annual and lifetime interest rate adjustment limits on residential mortgage loans.

Construction Loans.

Construction lending involves additional risks when compared to permanent residential or commercial lending because funds are advanced upon the security of the project, which is of uncertain value before its completion. Because of the uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs, as well as the market value of the completed project and the effects of governmental regulation on real property, it is relatively difficult to accurately evaluate the total funds required to complete a project and the related loan-to-value ratio. In addition, generally during the term of a construction loan, interest may be funded by the lender or disbursed from an interest reserve set aside from the construction loan budget. These loans often involve the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment substantially dependent on the success of the ultimate project and the ability of the borrower to sell or lease the property or obtain permanent take-out financing, rather than the ability of the borrower or guarantor to repay principal and interest. If the appraised value of a completed project proves to be overstated, we may have inadequate security for the repayment of the loan upon completion of construction of the project and may incur a loss.

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Our ability to originate construction loans is dependent on the strength of the housing and commercial markets in our region. We focus our loan underwriting on the borrower’s financial strength, credit history and demonstrated ability to produce a quality product and effectively market and manage their operations. Before making a commitment to fund a construction loan, we generally require an appraisal of the property by an independent licensed appraiser. The construction phase is carefully monitored to minimize our risk. All construction projects must be completed in accordance with approved plans and approved by the municipality in which they are located. Loan proceeds are disbursed periodically in increments as construction progresses and as inspections by our approved inspectors warrant.

Loan Originations and Sales.

Loan originations come from a variety of sources. The primary sources of loan originations are current customers, business development by our relationship managers, walk-in traffic, automobile dealerships, referrals from customers, and brokers.

Fixed-rate residential mortgages may be sold upon origination to limit our interest rate risk exposure and generate fee income. Mortgage loans are usually sold to Freddie Mac on a servicing rights retained basis; however, we may sell mortgages on a servicing released basis to free up capital, maximize profitability and protect us from risk.

Loan Approval Procedures and Authority.

Our lending activities follow written, non-discriminatory, underwriting standards and loan origination procedures established by our Board of Directors and management. The Board of Directors has granted loan approval authority to certain officers up to prescribed limits, depending on the officer’s experience and the type of loan. Our policies also limit the aggregate loans to one entity that an individual officer may approve, up to prescribed limits, depending on the officer’s experience. Loan officers are not allowed to approve loans they have originated.

Loans in excess of individual officers’ lending limits require approval of our Credit Committee, which is comprised of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Credit Officer, Chief Lending Officer, Senior Vice President-Commercial Lending Team Leader, Vice President-Credit Administration, and other lending officers appointed from time to time. The Credit Committee can approve individual loans of up to prescribed limits, depending on the type of loan. Officers that sit on the Credit Committee must abstain from voting on loans they have originated.

Loans in excess of the Credit Committee’s loan approval authority require the approval of the Board of Directors. Loans in excess of our internal loans-to-one borrower limitation and certain loans that involve policy exceptions also must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Loans-to-One Borrower.

Under New York banking law, our total loans or extensions of credit to a single borrower or group of related borrowers (“loans-to-one borrower”) cannot exceed, with specified exceptions, 15% of our capital stock, surplus fund and undivided profits. We may lend additional amounts up to 10% of our capital stock, surplus and undivided profits if the loans or extensions of credit are fully secured by readily-marketable collateral.

Pursuant to our internal policies, our internal loans-to-one borrower limitation is set at 25% of Tier 1 capital (excluding the capital attributable to our $5.0 million of outstanding trust preferred securities), of which no more than 10% can be lent on an unsecured basis. This general standard is further restricted as follows:

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At December 31, 2022, our regulatory limit on loans-to-one borrower and our internal loans-to-one borrower limit were $32.8 million and $30.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had no loans that equaled or exceeded our internal loans-to-one borrower limit or our individual regulatory loan limit.

At December 31, 2022, our largest lending relationship consisted of 33 loans aggregating $24.0 million, which consisted of $21.0 million secured by multiple commercial properties and $3.0 million secured by equipment, inventory and receivables. At December 31, 2022, each loan in this relationship was performing according to its original repayment terms.

Non-Performing Loans and Problem Assets

Performance of the loan portfolio is reviewed on a regular basis by Bank management. A number of factors regarding the borrower and loan, such as overall financial strength, collateral values and repayment ability, are considered in deciding what actions should be taken when determining the collectability of interest for accrual purposes.

When a loan, including a loan that is impaired, is classified as non-accrual, the accrual of interest on such a loan is discontinued. A loan is typically classified as non-accrual when the contractual payment of principal or interest has become 90 days past due or management has serious doubts about the further collectability of principal or interest, even though the loan is currently performing. A loan may remain on accrual status if it is in the process of collection and is either guaranteed or well secured. When a loan is placed on non-accrual status, unpaid accrued interest is fully reversed. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans are applied against principal.

Loans are usually restored to accrual status when the obligation is brought current, has performed in accordance with the contractual terms for a reasonable period of time, and the ultimate collectability of the total contractual principal and interest is no longer in doubt.

Non-performing Loans.  At December 31, 2022, $4.4 million, or 0.4% of our total loans, were non-performing loans. The breakdown by loan classification was as follows: $1.4 million of commercial real estate, $1.8 million of residential real estate, $797,000 of indirect automobile, $183,000 of commercial and $268,000 of other consumer loans.

Other Real Estate Owned.  At December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had no other real estate owned.

Troubled Debt Restructurings.  The Company may grant a concession or modification for economic or legal reasons related to a borrower’s financial condition that it would not otherwise consider, resulting in a modified loan which is then identified as a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”). These concessions could include a reduction in the interest rate on the loan, payment extensions, forgiveness of principal, forbearance or other actions intended to maximize collection. Loan modifications are intended to minimize the economic loss and to avoid foreclosure or repossession of the collateral. TDRs are considered impaired loans for purposes of calculating the Company’s allowance for loan losses.

The principal balance of TDRs at December 31, 2022 was $1.3 million, comprised of two residential loans totaling $1.2 million and one home equity loan of $98,000, all of which were in non-accrual status. The same three TDRs at December 31, 2021 totaled $1.4 million and were also in non-accrual status.

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COVID-19 Loan Forbearance Program.

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Section 4013 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided that a qualified loan modification was exempt by law from classification as a TDR pursuant to generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), for a limited period of time.  Loan modifications that did not meet the CARES Act criteria but that were made in connection with COVID-19 could be presumed not to be TDRs, pursuant to the “Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for Financial Institutions Working With Customers Affected by the Coronavirus (Revised)” (the “Revised Statement”), dated April 17, 2020, if they were current at a time the loan modification program was implemented and the modifications were short-term (e.g., six months). If the criteria were not met under either Section 4013 or the Revised Statement, banks were required to follow their existing accounting policies to determine whether COVID-related modifications should be accounted for as a TDR.

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For consumer borrowers, the Bank deferred payments for indirect and direct automobile loans for up to 60 days and an additional 30 days, if needed. We also provided forbearance to our residential real estate borrowers which allowed them to defer their principal and interest payments for up to 90 days and an option for an additional 90 days, if needed. In addition, for commercial borrowers we provided deferment and forbearance options that include interest-only and tax escrow only payments. Some borrowers that met the Bank’s underwriting criteria were granted working capital loans to provide financial assistance. These deferrals were maintained within the CARES Act guidance and did not exceed twelve consecutive months of deferred payment. 

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During 2021, the Bank approved 120 loan deferrals totaling $1.9 million. As of December 31, 2022, all of the modifications granted to customers had expired and there were no deferrals outstanding.

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Non-Performing Assets.  The table below sets forth the amounts and categories of our non-performing assets at the dates indicated.

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Classified Assets.   Banking regulations and our Asset Classification Policy provide that loans and other assets considered to be of lesser quality should be classified as “Substandard,” “Doubtful” or “Loss” assets. An asset is considered Substandard if it is inadequately protected by the current net worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any. Substandard assets include those characterized by the distinct possibility that the institution will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. Assets classified as Doubtful have all of the weaknesses inherent in those classified Substandard, with the added characteristic that the weaknesses present make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, highly questionable and improbable. Assets classified as Loss are those considered uncollectible and of such little value that their continuance as assets without the establishment of a specific loss reserve is not warranted.

At December 31, 2022, the Company classified $6.3 million of loans as Substandard, of which $3.0 million were commercial non-residential real estate loans, $1.5 million were residential loans, $477,000 were commercial and industrial loans, $1.1 million were indirect automobile loans, $217,000 were home equity loans and $51,000 were other consumer loans. At December 31, 2021, the Company classified $7.0 million of loans as Substandard, of which $3.0 million were commercial non-residential real estate loans, $2.2 million were residential loans, $775,000 were commercial and industrial loans, $734,000 were indirect automobile loans, $270,000 were home equity loans and $47,000 were other consumer loans. The loan portfolio is reviewed on a regular basis to determine whether any loans require classification in accordance with applicable regulations. Not all classified assets constitute non-performing assets.

Allowance for Loan Losses

Our allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level necessary to absorb loan losses that are both probable and reasonably estimable. Management, in determining the allowance for loan losses, considers the risks of loss inherent in its loan portfolio and changes in the nature and volume of loan activities, along with the general economic and real estate market conditions among other qualitative factors. Our allowance for loan losses consists of two elements: (1) an allocated allowance, which comprises specific allowances established on impaired loans, and general allowances based on historical loss experience and current trends, and (2) an unallocated allowance based on general economic conditions and other risk factors in our markets and portfolios. We maintain a loan review system, which allows for a periodic review (at least quarterly) of our loan portfolio and the early identification of potential impaired loans. Such system takes into consideration, among other things, delinquency status, size of loans, type and market value of collateral and financial condition of the borrowers. Specific loan loss allowances are established for identified losses based on a review of such information. A loan evaluated for impairment is considered to be impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that we will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. All loans identified as impaired are evaluated independently. We do not aggregate such loans for evaluation purposes. Loan impairment is measured based on the fair value of collateral method, taking into account the appraised value, any valuation assumptions used, estimated costs to sell and trends in the market since the appraisal date. General loan loss allowances, which is for loans (other than impaired loans) reviewed collectively by type, are based upon a combination of factors including, but not limited to, actual loan loss experience, size and composition of the loan portfolio, current economic conditions and management’s judgment and losses which are probable and reasonably estimable. The allowance is increased through provisions charged against current earnings and recoveries of previously charged-off loans. Loans that are determined to be uncollectible are charged against the allowance. While management uses available information to recognize probable and reasonably estimable loan losses, future loss provisions may be necessary based on changing economic conditions. We did not maintain an unallocated allowance at either December 31, 2022 or December 31, 2021.

Although we believe that we have established the allowance at levels to absorb probable and estimable losses, future additions may be necessary if economic or other conditions in the future differ from the current environment. In addition, the FDIC and the NYDFS, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review our allowance for loan losses. The banking regulators may require that we recognize additions to the allowance based on their analysis and review of information available to them at the time of their examination.

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The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments effective January 1, 2023. For a discussion regarding that accounting standard and its implementation, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis if Financial Condition and Results of Operation – Terms of Critical Accounting Policies.”

The following table sets forth activity in our allowance for loan losses for the periods indicated.

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During the year, our allowance for loan losses increased $384,000, or 5.1%, reflecting an increase in our loan portfolio partially offset by a reduction in the overall risk rating of our indirect loan portfolio.

The following table sets forth the ratios of net charge-offs to average loans by loan category.

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Net charge-offs for the year ended December 31, 2022 totaled $1.0 million, compared to $407,000 for the year ended 2021. Net charge-offs for indirect automobiles totaled $753,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $523,000, for the year ended December 31, 2021. In 2022, we had one residential real estate recovery of $143,000, contributing to an increase in the net recovery of residential real estate loans. The net charge-off of commercial loans in 2022 was primarily due to one large commercial loan charge-off of $449,000. Other consumer loans had net charge-offs of $52,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to a net recovery of $21,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021.

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Allocation of Allowance for loan losses.  The following table sets forth the allowance for loan losses allocated by loan category, the allocation of the allowance for loan losses by loan segment and the percent of loan balances by category at the dates indicated. The allowance for loan losses allocated to each category is not necessarily indicative of future losses in any particular category and does not restrict the use of the allowance to absorb losses in other categories.

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We use the accrual method of accounting for all performing loans. The accrual of interest income is generally discontinued when the contractual payment of principal or interest has become 90 days past due or management has serious doubts about further collectability of principal or interest, even though the loan is currently performing. When a loan is placed on non-accrual status, unpaid interest previously credited to income is reversed. Interest received on non-accrual loans is applied against principal. Generally, residential and consumer loans are restored to accrual status when the obligation is brought current in accordance with the contractual terms for a reasonable period of time and ultimate collectability of total contractual principal and interest is no longer in doubt. Commercial loans are restored to accrual status when the obligation is brought current, has performed in accordance with the contractual terms for a reasonable period of time and ultimate collectability of total contractual principal and interest no longer is in doubt.

In our collection efforts, we will first attempt to cure any delinquent loan. If a real estate secured loan is placed on non-accrual status, it could be subject to transfer to other real estate owned (“OREO”) (comprised of properties acquired by or in lieu of foreclosure), of which our credit administration department will pursue the sale of the real estate. Prior to this transfer, the loan balance will be adjusted, if necessary, to reflect its current market value less estimated costs to sell. Write downs of OREO that occur after the initial transfer from the loan portfolio and costs of holding the property are recorded within other operating expenses, except for significant improvements, which are capitalized to the extent that the carrying value does not exceed estimated net realizable value.

Fair values for determining the value of collateral are estimated from various sources, such as real estate appraisals, financial statements and from any other reliable sources of available verifiable information. For those loans deemed to be impaired, collateral value is reduced for the estimated costs to sell. Reductions of collateral value are based on historical loss experience, current market data, and any other verifiable source of reliable information specific to the collateral.

This analysis is inherently subjective, as it requires us to make estimates that are susceptible to revisions as more information becomes available.

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Investment Activities

We have legal authority to invest in various types of investment securities and liquid assets, including U.S. Treasury obligations, securities of various government-sponsored enterprises, residential mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, deposits at the Federal Home Loan Bank (the “FHLB”) of New York, certificates of deposit of federally insured institutions, investment grade corporate bonds, equity securities and Small Business Investment Companies. At December 31, 2022, our investment portfolio had a fair value of $223.7 million and consisted primarily of U.S. Government securities, U.S. Government agency securities, including residential and collateralized mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds in the form of subordinated bank debt.

Our investment objectives are to maximize portfolio yield over the long term and manage our risk profile in a manner consistent with liquidity needs, pledging requirements, asset/liability strategies and safety and soundness concerns. Our current investment strategy uses a risk management approach of diversified investing in fixed-rate securities with short- to intermediate-term maturities, as well as adjustable-rate securities, which may have a longer term to maturity. The emphasis of this approach is to increase overall investment securities yields while managing interest rate risk. Our Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the investment portfolio, including reviewing and evaluating our investment policy on an annual basis. The Investment Committee of the Board of Directors, consisting of three directors, meets at least three times annually to review our portfolio’s performance, quality and composition, and provides reports to the full Board of Directors at the next monthly meeting of the full board following the meeting of the Investment Committee. The Investment Committee also reviews and discusses policy changes prior to their presentation to the full board. Our management has the overall responsibility for implementing the investment policy and supervising our investment activities and performance. Management is also responsible for providing regular reports to the Investment Committee to allow for a complete consideration of the portfolio’s composition, cash flow characteristics, quality and risk profile. The President and CEO is responsible for the overall supervision of the investment activity. The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the implementation of the Bank’s investment policy and strategy. The Controller is responsible for the accounting and reporting requirements of the policy.

There are no limits on security purchases or sales executed for the purpose of cash management or for providing for the liquidity needs of the Bank. Transactions require the approval of both the President and CEO and the Chief Financial Officer and must be reported to the Investment Committee, which reports them to the Board.

Our policy is that, at the time of purchase, we designate a security as held to maturity, available-for-sale, or trading, depending on our ability and intent. Securities that are available-for-sale or held for trading are reported at fair value, while securities held to maturity are reported at amortized cost. Currently, all securities we hold are classified as available-for-sale.

FHLB Securities.  In addition, we hold FHLB common stock to qualify for membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank System and to be eligible to borrow funds under the FHLB advance program. There is no market for the common stock.

The aggregate fair value of our FHLB common stock as of December 31, 2022 was $3.3 million based on its par value. No unrealized gains or losses have been recorded because we have determined that the par value of the common stock represents its fair value. We owned shares of FHLB common stock at December 31, 2022 equal to what we were required to own to maintain our membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank System and was necessary to support the balance of our advances. We are required to purchase stock as our outstanding advances increase. Our stock position is reviewed and adjusted weekly by the FHLB.

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Evaluation of Securities Portfolio.  Each reporting period, we evaluate all securities with a decline in fair value below the amortized cost of the investment to determine whether or not the impairment is deemed to be other-than-temporary. Other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) is required to be recognized if, (1) we intend to sell the security; (2) it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis; or (3) for debt securities, the present value of expected cash flows is not sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis. For impaired debt securities that we intend to sell, or more likely than not will be required to sell, the full amount of the depreciation is recognized as OTTI, resulting in a realized loss that is a charged to earnings through a reduction in our non-interest income. For all other impaired debt securities, credit-related OTTI is recognized through earnings and non-credit related OTTI is recognized in other comprehensive income/loss, net of applicable taxes. Management has considered these factors and determined that there were no securities with impairments that are other than temporary at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Portfolio Maturities and Yields.  The following table sets forth the stated maturities and weighted average yields of investment securities at December 31, 2022. Weighted average yields are calculated by dividing the income by amortized cost. No tax equivalent adjustments were made in calculating the weighted average yield. Certain mortgage-backed securities have adjustable interest rates and will reprice annually within the various maturity ranges. These repricing schedules are not reflected in the table below. Weighted average yield calculations on investment securities available for sale do not give effect to changes in fair value that are reflected as a component of equity.

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Sources of Funds

General.  Deposits have traditionally been our primary source of funds for our lending and investment activities. We also use borrowings, primarily FHLB advances, and brokered certificates of deposit, depending on market conditions, to supplement cash flows, as needed. In addition, funds are derived from scheduled loan and investment payments, investment maturities, loan sales, loan prepayments, retained earnings and income on earning assets. While scheduled loan payments, investment maturities and income on earning assets are relatively stable sources of funds, deposit inflows and outflows, loan prepayments and loan sales can vary widely and are influenced by prevailing interest rates, market conditions and levels of competition.

Deposit Accounts.  The substantial majority of our deposits are from depositors who reside in our primary market area. We access deposit customers by offering a broad selection of deposit instruments for both individuals and businesses. We encourage commercial business borrowers to maintain their primary deposit accounts with us. At December 31, 2022, our deposits totaled $1.13 billion. Brokered deposits are obtained when needed to build liquidity at favorable rates. Brokered deposits totaled $34.0 million at December 31, 2022.

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Deposit account terms vary according to the minimum balance required, the time period that funds must remain on deposit, and the interest rate, among other factors. In determining the terms of our deposit accounts, we consider the rates offered by our competition, our liquidity needs, effects on profitability, and customer preferences and concerns. We generally review our deposit pricing on a monthly basis and continually review our deposit mix. Our deposit pricing strategy has generally been to offer competitive rates, while generally not providing the highest rates in the market, and to periodically offer special rates to attract deposits of a specific type or term.

The following table sets forth the distribution of average deposit accounts, by account type, at the dates indicated.

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As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, approximately $394.6 million and $394.0 million, respectively, of our deposit portfolio was uninsured. The uninsured amounts are estimates based on the methodologies and assumptions used for the Bank’s regulatory reporting requirements.

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As of December 31, 2022, the aggregate amount of certificates of deposits in denominations greater than $250,000 was $38.9 million. In addition, as of December 31, 2022, the portion of certificates of deposit in excess of the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000 was $14.1 million. The following table sets forth the maturity of those certificates as of December 31, 2022.

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At December 31, 2022, $151.6 million of our certificates of deposit will mature during 2023. We monitor activity on these accounts and, based on historical experience and our current pricing strategy, we believe we will retain a significant portion of these accounts upon maturity. However, if a substantial portion of these deposits is not retained, we may utilize FHLB advances or raise interest rates on deposits to attract new accounts, which may result in higher levels of interest expense.

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Borrowings.  We primarily borrow from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York to supplement our supply of investable funds. The FHLB functions as a central reserve bank providing credit for its member financial institutions. As a member, we are required to own capital stock in the FHLB and are authorized to apply for advances or loans on the security of such stock and first mortgage loans and other assets (principally securities that are obligations of, or guaranteed by, the United States), provided we meet certain creditworthiness standards. Advances are made under several different programs, each having its own interest rate and range of maturities. Depending on the program, limitations on the total amount of advances are based either on a fixed percentage of an institution’s net worth or on the FHLB’s assessment of the institution’s creditworthiness.

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At December 31, 2022, we had the ability to borrow $667.9 million under our credit facilities with the FHLB.

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Subsidiaries

In addition to the Bank, the Company has one other wholly-owned subsidiary, RSB Capital Trust I (the “Trust”). In 2005, the Trust issued $5.0 million of pooled trust preferred securities in a private placement and issued 155 shares of common stock at $1,000 par value per share to Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC. The Trust has no independent assets or operations and was formed to issue trust preferred securities and invest the proceeds in an equivalent amount of junior subordinated debentures issued by Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC. All of the cash proceeds from the issuance of the junior subordinated debentures by Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC were contributed as capital to the Bank. In connection with our reorganization in January 2019, all of the common stock of the Trust and the corresponding subordinated debentures issued by Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC to the Trust were transferred to Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. At that time, the Trust became wholly-owned by, and the debt became an obligation of, Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. The trust preferred securities mature 30 years from the date of issuance and bear interest at a rate equal to the three-month London inter-bank offered rate “LIBOR” plus 2.00%. After June 30, 2023, the three month LIBOR rate will be replaced by the three month CME term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as adjusted by 0.26%, the relevant spread adjustment. The interest rate on these securities at December 31, 2022 was 6.69%.

Rhinebeck Bank has the following four wholly-owned subsidiaries:

Personnel and Human Capital Resources

Our success as a financial institution in our market areas is dependent on a workforce that embrace and are dedicated to our mission and culture. Our culture is grounded in a set of core values – “ICARE,” which stands for “Integrity, Community, Accountability, Respect, and Empathy”. In order to continue to deliver on our mission and maintain our culture, it is crucial that we attract and retain talent who desire and have the experience to provide creative and innovative financial solutions and options for the diverse communities we serve. Through our hiring and retention programs we aim to create an inclusive workforce with diversified backgrounds and experiences. We strive to maintain a safe and healthy workplace, with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by advantageous compensation, benefits, health, and welfare programs.

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As part of our compensation philosophy, we offer market competitive total rewards programs for our employees in order to attract and retain superior talent. These programs, include annual bonus opportunities, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, a stock compensation plan, a matched 401(k) Plan, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, family care resources, flexible work schedules, adoption assistance, education reimbursement program, and employee assistance programs.

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We encourage and support the growth and development of our associates and, wherever possible, seek to fill positions by promotion and transfer from within the organization. Additionally, all of our employees are expected to display and encourage honest, ethical, and respectful conduct in the workplace. Our employees must adhere to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that sets standards for appropriate behavior and includes periodic training on preventing, identifying, reporting, and stopping discrimination of any kind.

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Continual learning and career development is advanced through ongoing performance and development conversations with employees, internally developed training programs, customized corporate training engagements and educational reimbursement programs. Reimbursement is available to employees enrolled in pre-approved degree or certification programs at accredited institutions that teach skills or knowledge relevant to our business, in compliance with Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code, and for seminars, conferences, and other training events employees attend in connection with their job duties.

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Employee retention helps us operate efficiently and achieve our business objectives. We believe our commitment to living our core values, actively prioritizing concern for our employees’ well-being, supporting our employees’ career goals, offering competitive wages and providing valuable fringe benefits aids in retention of our top-performing employees.

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As of December 31, 2022, we had 182 full-time employees and 10 part-time employees. Approximately 44% of our employees are employed at our banking center and loan production offices, and another 56% are employed at our corporate headquarters. We believe our relationship with our employees to be generally good. None of these employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement.

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As of December 31, 2022, approximately 61% of our current workforce was female and 39% male. Our average tenure is six and one half years, up slightly from the average tenure of six years as of December 31, 2021.

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The safety, health and wellness of our employees is a top priority. We promote the health and wellness of our employees by strongly encouraging work-life balance, offering flexible work schedules, keeping the employee portion of health care premiums to a minimum and sponsoring various wellness programs.

Information about our Executive Officers

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The following listing sets forth the name, principal position, recent business experience and age (as of December 31, 2022) of each executive officer:

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Michael J. Quinn is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rhinebeck Bank. He was appointed as CEO in 2004 and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2001 when he was President and COO. He began his career at Rhinebeck Bank in 1984 and has held various positions including Branch Manager, Treasurer, Senior Lending Officer and President and COO before being named as President and CEO in 2004. Age 61.

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Jamie J. Bloom is the Chief Operating Officer at Rhinebeck Bank. She has over 30 years of financial services experience. She began her banking career at Rhinebeck Bank in 1994 as the Vice President of Sales. Age 56.

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Michael J. McDermott is the Chief Financial Officer of Rhinebeck Bank, a position he has held since 2001. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. McDermott held the position of CFO, as well as other senior executive positions, in several diverse industries including a large insurance brokerage, a healthcare software startup and two manufacturing companies. Age 70.

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James T. McCardle III joined the Bank in 2001 and is currently the Chief Credit Officer of Rhinebeck Bank, a position he was appointed to in 2018. Prior to being named CCO, Mr. McCardle was the Chief Lending Officer for seven years. He has held various titles since joining the Bank including VP, Commercial Lending, SVP Commercial Lending and SVP and Senior Lending Officer. Age 57.

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Philip Bronzi joined the Bank in 2012 as the Vice President of Lending. He became the Senior Vice President of Lending in 2018 and was named Chief Lending Officer in 2021.  His career expands over 20 years in commercial lending with various banks in the Hudson Valley.  Age 47.

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Karen Morgan-D’Amelio, Esq. is the Chief Risk Officer and General Counsel for Rhinebeck Bank and a member of its executive leadership team. She was appointed to these positions in 2014. Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Morgan-D’Amelio worked in both private practice and held managing attorney roles and leadership roles in financial institutions such as The Dime Savings Bank of NY, FSB, Washington Mutual and J.P. Morgan Chase, and was a Deputy County Attorney for Nassau County, New York. Age 52.

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Francis X. Dwyer is the President of Rhinebeck Asset Management.  He has been with Rhinebeck Bank in this position since 2015.   His career expands over 34 years in the financial services industry.  Prior to joining the Bank,  he held other senior executive roles with various other financial institutions.  Age 61.

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Timmian C. Massie joined Rhinebeck Bank in October 2020 as Chief Marketing/Public Affairs Officer. He previously served as Senior Vice President for Marketing, Public Affairs and Government Relations at Nuvance Health and its predecessor, Health Quest Systems, Inc. With more than 40 years' experience in communications, he brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. He previously served in senior positions in healthcare, utilities, government and higher education, where he was also an adjunct professor. Age 64.

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Emerging Growth Company Status

As an emerging growth company, Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. may delay adoption of new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that the standards are required to be adopted by non-public companies. Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. takes advantage of the benefits of the extended transition periods allowed under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act.

Accordingly, Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.’s financial statements may not be comparable to those of public companies that adopt new or revised financial accounting standards as of an earlier date.

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SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

As a New York-chartered savings bank, Rhinebeck Bank is subject to comprehensive regulation by the NYSDFS, as its chartering agency, and by the FDIC, as its deposit insurer. Rhinebeck Bank is a member of the FHLB of New York and its deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC. Rhinebeck Bank is required to file reports with, and is periodically examined by, the FDIC and the NYSDFS concerning its activities and financial condition and must obtain regulatory approvals before entering into certain transactions, including mergers with or acquisitions of other financial institutions. This regulatory structure is intended primarily for the protection of the insurance fund and depositors. The regulatory structure also gives the regulatory authorities extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies regarding the classifying of assets and establishing an adequate allowance for loan losses for regulatory purposes.

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As a New York-chartered mutual holding company, Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC is regulated and subject to examination by the NYSDFS and the Federal Reserve Board. As a bank holding company, Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. is required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board and the NYSDFS. It is required to file certain reports with the Federal Reserve Board and is subject to examination by and the enforcement authority of the Federal Reserve Board and the NYSDFS. Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. also is subject to the rules and regulations of the SEC under the federal securities laws.

Set forth below is a brief description of material regulatory requirements that are applicable to Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC and Rhinebeck Bank. The description is limited to certain material aspects of certain statutes and regulations that are addressed, and is not intended to be a complete list or description of such statutes and regulations and their effects on Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC and Rhinebeck Bank.

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New York Banking Laws and Supervision

Supervision and Enforcement Authority.  Rhinebeck Bank, as a New York savings bank, is regulated and supervised by the NYSDFS. The NYSDFS is required to regularly examine each state-chartered bank. The approval of the NYSDFS is required to establish or close branches, to merge with another bank, to issue stock and to undertake many other activities. Any New York savings bank that does not operate according to the regulations, policies and directives of the NYSDFS may be subject to sanctions for non-compliance, including seizure of the property and business of the savings bank and suspension or revocation of its charter. The NYSDFS may, under certain circumstances, suspend or remove officers or directors who have violated the law, conducted the savings bank’s business in an unsafe or unsound manner or contrary to the depositors’ interests, or have been negligent in the performance of their duties. In addition, upon finding that a savings bank has engaged in an unfair or deceptive act or practice, the NYSDFS may issue an order to cease and desist and impose a fine on the savings bank. The NYSDFS also has the authority to appoint a receiver or conservator if it determines that the savings bank is conducting its business in an unsafe or unauthorized manner, and under certain other circumstances. New York consumer protection and civil rights statutes applicable to Rhinebeck Bank permit private individual and class action law suits, and provide for the rescission of consumer transactions, including loans, and the recovery of statutory and punitive damage and attorney’s fees in the case of certain violations of those statutes.

The powers that New York-chartered savings banks can exercise under these laws include the following:

Lending Activities.  A New York-chartered savings bank may make a wide variety of mortgage loans including fixed-rate loans, adjustable-rate loans, participation loans, construction and development loans, condominium and co-operative loans, second mortgage loans and other types of loans that may be made according to applicable regulations. Commercial loans may be made to corporations and other commercial enterprises with or without security. Consumer and personal loans may also be made with or without security.

Investment Activities.  In general, the Bank may invest in certain types of debt securities (including certain corporate debt securities, and obligations of federal, state, and local governments and agencies thereof), certain types of corporate equity securities, and certain other assets. However, this investment authority is subject to restrictions under federal law. See “— Federal Bank Regulation — Investment Activities” for such federal restrictions.

Dividends.  Under New York banking law, the Bank may declare and pay dividends from its net profits, unless there is an impairment of capital. Additionally, the approval of the NYSDFS is required if the total of all dividends declared in a calendar year would exceed the total of its net profits for that year combined with its retained net profits of the preceding two years. The term “net profits” is generally defined to mean earnings from current operations, subject to certain adjustments provided for under applicable law.

Loans to Directors and Executive Officers.   Under applicable NYSDFS regulations (which are substantially similar to applicable federal banking regulations), Rhinebeck Bank generally may not make a loan or other extension of credit to any of its executive officers or directors unless the loan or other extension of credit (1) is made on terms, including interest rate and collateral, that are not more favorable to the executive officer or director than those customarily offered by the Bank to persons who are not executive officers or directors and who are not employed by the Bank, and (2) does not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features. Depending on the size of the loan or other extension of credit, prior approval of the Bank’s Board of Directors (with the interested party, if a director, abstaining from participating directly or indirectly in the voting) may be required.

Federal Bank Regulation

Supervision and Enforcement Authority.   Rhinebeck Bank is subject to extensive regulation, examination and supervision by the FDIC as the insurer of its deposits. This regulatory structure is intended primarily for the protection of the insurance fund and depositors.

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The Bank must file reports with the FDIC concerning its activities and financial condition in addition to obtaining regulatory approvals before entering into certain transactions such as mergers with, or acquisitions of, other financial institutions. There are periodic examinations by the FDIC to evaluate Rhinebeck Bank’s safety and soundness and compliance with various regulatory requirements.

The regulatory structure also gives the FDIC extensive discretion in connection with its supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies with respect to the classification of assets and the establishment of an adequate allowance for loan losses for regulatory purposes. The enforcement authority includes, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, issue cease and desist orders and remove directors and officers. In general, these enforcement actions may be initiated in response to violations of laws and regulations, breaches of fiduciary duty and unsafe or unsound practices. The FDIC may also appoint itself as conservator or receiver for an insured bank under specified circumstances, including: (1) insolvency; (2) substantial dissipation of assets or earnings through violations of law or unsafe or unsound practices; (3) existence of an unsafe or unsound condition to transact business; (4) insufficient capital; or (5) the incurrence of losses that will deplete substantially all of the institution’s capital with no reasonable prospect of replenishment without federal assistance.

Capital Requirements.  Under FDIC regulations, Rhinebeck Bank is subject to a comprehensive capital framework for U.S. banking organizations that was effective January 2015 (the Basel III capital rules), subject to phase-in periods for certain components and other provisions.

The capital standards require the maintenance of common equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital and total capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 4.5%, 6% and 8%, respectively, and a leverage ratio of at least 4% Tier 1 capital.

In addition to establishing the minimum regulatory capital requirements, the regulations limit capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments to management if the institution does not hold a “capital conservation buffer” consisting of 2.5% of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets above the amount necessary to meet its minimum risk-based capital requirements.

Regulatory relief legislation enacted in May 2018 required the federal banking agencies, including the FDIC, to establish for institutions with assets of less than $10 billion of assets an elective “community bank leverage ratio” (the ratio of a bank’s tangible equity capital to average total consolidated assets) of between 8 to 10%. A “qualifying community bank” with capital exceeding the specified requirement that opts into the alternative framework is considered compliant with all applicable regulatory capital and leverage requirements and deemed “well capitalized” for prompt corrective action purposes, discussed below. A final rule was issued in November 2019 establishing the community bank leverage ratio at 9% Tier 1 capital to average total consolidated assets. The community bank leverage ratio option became effective January 1, 2020. Management has chosen not to utilize the community bank leverage ratio.

The FDIC also has authority to establish individual minimum capital requirements in appropriate cases upon determination that an institution’s capital level is, or is likely to become, inadequate in light of the particular circumstances. At December 31, 2022, Rhinebeck Bank exceeded all of its capital requirements.

Standards for Safety and Soundness.   As required by statute, the federal banking agencies have adopted final regulations and Interagency Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safety and Soundness. The guidelines set forth the safety and soundness standards the federal banking agencies use to identify and address problems at insured depository institutions before capital becomes impaired. The guidelines address internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, credit underwriting, loan documentation, interest rate exposure, asset growth, asset quality, earnings and compensation, fees and benefits. The agencies have also established standards for safeguarding customer information. If the appropriate federal banking agency determines that an institution fails to meet any standard prescribed by the guidelines, the agency may require the institution to submit to the agency an acceptable plan to achieve compliance with the standard.

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Investment Activities.  All state-chartered savings banks insured by the FDIC are generally limited in their investment activities to principal and equity investments of the type and in the amount authorized for national banks, notwithstanding state law, subject to certain exceptions. For example, state-chartered banks may, with FDIC approval, continue to exercise state authority to invest in common or preferred stocks listed on a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq Global Market and to invest in the shares of an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The maximum permissible investment is 100% of Tier 1 Capital, as specified by the FDIC’s regulations, or the maximum amount permitted by New York law, whichever is less.

In addition, the FDIC is authorized to permit state-chartered banks and savings banks to engage in state-authorized activities or investments not permissible for national banks (other than non-subsidiary equity investments) if it meets all applicable capital requirements and it is determined that such activities or investments do not pose a significant risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund. The FDIC has adopted procedures for institutions seeking approval to engage in such activities or investments. In addition, a nonmember bank may control a subsidiary that engages in activities as principal that would only be permitted for a national bank to conduct in a “financial subsidiary” if a bank meets specified conditions and deducts its investment in the subsidiary for regulatory capital purposes.

Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action.  Federal law requires, among other things, that federal bank regulatory authorities take “prompt corrective action” with respect to banks that do not meet minimum capital requirements. For these purposes, the law establishes five capital categories: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized.

The FDIC has adopted regulations to implement the prompt corrective action legislation. An institution is considered “well capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 6.5% or greater. An institution is “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 4.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 4.5% or greater. An institution is “undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 4.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 4.5%. An institution is “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 3.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 3.0%. An institution is “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0%. At December 31, 2022, Rhinebeck Bank was classified as a “well capitalized” institution.

At each successive lower capital category, an insured depository institution is subject to more restrictions and prohibitions, including restrictions on growth, interest rates paid on deposits, payment of dividends, and acceptance of brokered deposits. Furthermore, if an insured depository institution is classified in one of the undercapitalized categories, it is required to submit a capital restoration plan to the appropriate federal banking agency, and the holding company must guarantee the performance of that plan. Based upon its capital levels, a bank that is classified as well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, or undercapitalized may be treated as though it were in the next lower capital category if the appropriate federal banking agency, after notice and opportunity for hearing, determines that an unsafe or unsound condition, or an unsafe or unsound practice, warrants such treatment. An undercapitalized bank’s compliance with a capital restoration plan is required to be guaranteed by any company that controls the undercapitalized institution in an amount equal to the lesser of 5.0% of the institution’s total assets when deemed undercapitalized or the amount necessary to achieve the status of adequately capitalized. If an “undercapitalized” bank fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is “significantly undercapitalized.” “Significantly undercapitalized” banks must comply with one or more of a number of additional restrictions, including an order by the FDIC to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized, requirements to reduce total assets, cease receipt of deposits from correspondent banks or dismiss directors or officers, and restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, compensation of executive officers and capital distributions by the parent holding company. “Critically undercapitalized” institutions are subject to additional measures including, subject to a narrow exception, the appointment of a receiver or conservator within 270 days after it obtains such status.

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Transactions with Affiliates

Transactions between banks and their affiliates are governed by federal law. Generally, Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation W limit the extent to which a bank or its subsidiaries may engage in “covered transactions” with any one affiliate to an amount equal to 10.0% of the bank’s capital stock and surplus, and with all transactions with all affiliates to an amount equal to 20.0% of the bank’s capital stock and surplus. Section 23B applies to “covered transactions” as well as to certain other transactions and requires that all such transactions be on terms substantially the same, or at least as favorable, to the institution or subsidiary as those provided to a non-affiliate. The term “covered transaction” includes making loans to, purchasing assets from, and issuing guarantees to, an affiliate, and other similar transactions. Section 23B transactions also include the bank’s providing services and selling assets to an affiliate. In addition, loans or other extensions of credit by a bank to an affiliate are required to be collateralized according to the requirements set forth in Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act.

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Sections 22(h) and (g) of the Federal Reserve Act place restrictions on loans to a bank’s insiders, i.e., executive officers, directors and principal stockholders. Under Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act, loans to a director, an executive officer and to a greater than 10.0% stockholder of a financial institution, and certain affiliated interests of these, together with all other outstanding loans to such person and affiliated interests, may not exceed specified limits. Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act also requires that loans to directors, executive officers and principal stockholders be made on terms substantially the same as offered in comparable transactions to other persons and also requires prior board approval for certain loans. In addition, the aggregate amount of extensions of credit by a financial institution to insiders cannot exceed the institution’s unimpaired capital and surplus. Section 22(g) of the Federal Reserve Act places additional restrictions on loans to executive officers.

Insurance of Accounts and Regulation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Deposit accounts in the Bank are insured by the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) generally up to a maximum of $250,000 per separately insured depositor.

The FDIC bases its risk-based assessment system upon each insured institution’s total assets less tangible equity. Currently, the assessment range for most banks is 1.5 basis points to 30 basis points.

Beginning in 2020, in response to the pandemic, institutions were able to reduce their total assets by the PPP loans in the calculation of the assessment.

The FDIC may adjust its risk-based assessment system in the future, except that no adjustment can be made without notice and comment rulemaking. No institution may pay a dividend if in default of the federal deposit insurance assessment.

Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that an institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC. The Bank does not believe that it is taking or is subject to any action, condition or violation that could lead to termination of its deposit insurance.

Regulation of Brokered Deposits. Section 29 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act establishes, among other things, a general prohibition on the acceptance by any insured depository institution that is not well capitalized of any deposit obtained, directly or indirectly, by or through any deposit broker. This statutory prohibition is further implemented through the regulations of the FDIC and, historically, numerous published and unpublished FDIC staff interpretations of the statute and the FDIC’s regulation.

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On December 15, 2020, the FDIC adopted a final rule substantially amending its brokered deposits regulation. The final rule sought to clarify and modernize the FDIC’s existing regulatory framework for brokered deposits. Notable aspects of the rule include (1) the establishment of bright-line standards for determining whether an entity meets the statutory definition of deposit broker; (2) the identification of a number of business relationships in which the agent or nominee of the depositor is not deemed to be a "deposit broker" because the primary purpose of the agent or nominee is not the placement of funds with depository institutions; (3) the establishment of a more transparent application process for entities that seek to rely upon a “primary purpose” exception, but do not qualify as one of the enumerated business relationships to which the exception is deemed to apply; and (4) the clarification that third parties that have an exclusive deposit-placement arrangement with only one bank is not considered a deposit broker.

The final rule took effect on April 1, 2021; however, full compliance with the final rule was not required until January 1, 2022. Under the amended brokered deposits regulation, the range of activities viewed as deposit brokerage has been modified, which could have an impact on the Bank’s deposit premiums, capital and liquidity risk management planning and regulatory monitoring and reporting obligations.

FDIC Improvement Act (“FDICIA”).  Under FDICIA, an institution with over $1 billion in assets is subject to more vigorous audit requirements. Part 363 of FDICIA requires an internal control over financial reporting integrated audit by independent auditors. A ruling by the FDIC passed in October of 2020 allowed the Company to use the December 31, 2019 consolidated asset balance due to the unexpected growth of PPP loans. While these requirements would have been applicable for the Company in 2021, the interim ruling delayed this requirement. The Company complied with all FDICIA requirements in 2022.

Privacy Regulations.  Cybersecurity has become a focus of federal and state regulators. The federal banking agencies have adopted regulations for consumer privacy protection that require financial institutions to adopt procedures to protect customers and their “non-public personal information.” Federal law and regulations generally require that Rhinebeck Bank disclose its privacy policy, including identifying with whom it shares a customer’s “non-public personal information,” to customers at the time of establishing the customer relationship and, subject to certain exceptions, annually thereafter. In addition, Rhinebeck Bank is required to provide its customers with the ability to “opt-out” of having their non-public personal information shared with unaffiliated third parties and to not disclose account numbers or access codes to non-affiliated third parties for marketing purposes.

Effective March 1, 2017, the NYSDFS made effective regulations that require financial institutions regulated by the NYSDFS, including Rhinebeck Bank, to, among other things, (i) establish and maintain a cyber security program designed to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their information systems; (ii) implement and maintain a written cyber security policy setting forth policies and procedures for the protection of their information systems and nonpublic information; and (iii) designate a Chief Information Security Officer. 

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Community Reinvestment Act.   Under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), as implemented by the FDIC, a state non-member bank has a continuing and affirmative obligation, consistent with its safe and sound operation, to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions nor does it limit an institution’s discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community, consistent with the CRA. The CRA requires the FDIC, in connection with its examination of each state non-member bank, to assess the institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of its community and to take such record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by such institution, including applications to establish branches and acquire other financial institutions. The CRA requires the FDIC to provide a written evaluation of an institution’s CRA performance utilizing a four-tiered descriptive rating system. Rhinebeck Bank’s latest Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation CRA rating was “Satisfactory.”

New York has its own statutory counterpart to the CRA, which is applicable to Rhinebeck Bank. New York law requires the NYSDFS to consider a bank’s record of performance under New York law in considering any application by the bank to establish a branch or other deposit-taking facility, to relocate an office or to merge or consolidate with or acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of any other banking institution. Rhinebeck Bank’s most recent rating under New York law was “Satisfactory.”

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Consumer Protection and Fair Lending Regulations.  Rhinebeck Bank is subject to a variety of federal and New York statutes and regulations that are intended to protect consumers and prohibit discrimination in the granting of credit. These statutes and regulations provide for a range of sanctions for non-compliance with their terms, including imposition of administrative fines and remedial orders, and referral to the Attorney General for prosecution of a civil action for actual and punitive damages and injunctive relief. Certain of these statutes, including Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive acts and practices against consumers, authorize private individual and class action lawsuits and the award of actual, statutory and punitive damages and attorneys’ fees for certain types of violations. New York’s Attorney General has vigorously enforced fair lending and other consumer protection laws. Federal laws also prohibit unfair, deceptive or abusive acts practices against consumers, which can be enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the FDIC and state Attorneys General.

Holding Company Regulation

Federal Holding Company Regulation.  Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC and Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. are registered as bank holding companies with the Federal Reserve Board under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and subject to its regulations, examinations, supervision and reporting requirements applicable to bank holding companies. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board has enforcement authority over Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. and its non-savings bank subsidiaries. Among other things, this authority permits the Federal Reserve Board to restrict or prohibit activities that are determined to be a serious risk to the subsidiary savings bank.

A bank holding company is generally prohibited from engaging in non-banking activities, or acquiring direct or indirect control of more than 5% of the voting securities of any company engaged in non-banking activities. One of the principal exceptions to this prohibition is for activities the Federal Reserve Board determines to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. Some of the principal activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined by regulation to be so closely related to banking are: (1) making or servicing loans; (2) performing certain data processing services; (3) providing discount brokerage services; (4) acting as fiduciary, investment or financial advisor; (5) leasing personal or real property; (6) making investments in corporations or projects designed primarily to promote community welfare; and (7) acquiring a savings and loan association whose direct and indirect activities are limited to those permitted for bank holding companies. A bank holding company that meets certain specified criteria may elect to be regulated as a “financial holding company” and thereby engage in a broader array of nonbank financial activities than those generally permitted for bank holding companies.

Capital.  Federal law required the Federal Reserve Board to establish for all bank and savings and loan holding companies minimum consolidated capital requirements that are as stringent as those required for the insured depository subsidiaries. Pursuant to recent federal regulatory relief legislation, bank holding companies with less than $3.0 billion in consolidated assets, including Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC and Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., are not subject to the holding company capital requirements unless otherwise advised by the Federal Reserve Board.

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

The Federal Reserve Board has issued a policy statement regarding capital distributions, including dividends, by bank holding companies. In general, the policies provide that dividends should be paid only out of current earnings and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention by the bank holding company appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. The policies also require that a bank holding company serve as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary banks by standing ready to use available resources to provide adequate capital funds to those banks during periods of financial stress or adversity, and by maintaining the financial flexibility and capital-raising capacity to obtain additional resources for assisting its subsidiary banks where necessary.

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Additionally, under the prompt corrective action laws, the ability of a bank holding company to pay dividends may be restricted if a subsidiary bank becomes undercapitalized. Federal Reserve Board supervisory guidance indicates that bank holding companies should provide prior notice of proposed dividends or stock repurchases under certain specified circumstances. The purpose of such notice is to provide the Federal Reserve Board with an opportunity for supervisory review of, and possible objection to, the proposal. These regulatory policies could affect the ability of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. to pay dividends, engage in stock repurchases, or otherwise engage in capital distributions.

Waivers of Dividends by Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC.  Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. has the authority to pay dividends on its common stock to public stockholders. If it does, it is also required to pay the same dividends per share to Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC, unless Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC elects to waive the receipt of dividends. Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC must receive the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board before it may waive the receipt of any dividends from Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., and current Federal Reserve Board policy prohibits any mutual holding company that is regulated as a bank holding company, such as Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC, from waiving the receipt of dividends paid by its subsidiary holding company.

Because of the foregoing Federal Reserve Board restrictions on the ability of a mutual holding company, such as Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC, to waive the receipt of dividends declared by its subsidiary mid-tier stock holding company, it is unlikely that Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC will waive the receipt of any dividends declared by Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. Moreover, since Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. has sold only a minority of its shares to the public and contributed the remaining shares to Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC, Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. raised significantly less capital than would have been the case if it sold all its shares to the public. As a result, paying dividends to Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC  may be inequitable to public stockholders and not in their best financial interests. Therefore, unless Federal Reserve Board regulations and policy change by allowing Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC to waive the receipt of dividends declared by Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. without diluting minority stockholders, it is unlikely that Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. will pay any dividends.

Possible Conversion of Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC to Stock Form.  In the future, Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC may convert from the mutual to capital stock form of ownership, in a transaction commonly referred to as a “second-step conversion.” Any second-step conversion of Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC would require the approval of the NYSDFS and the Federal Reserve Board.

Acquisition.  The Change in Bank Control Act and related regulations provide that no person or entity may acquire control of a bank holding company, such as Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., without the prior non-objection or approval of the Federal Reserve Board. Control, as defined under the applicable regulations, means the power, directly or indirectly, to direct the management or policies of the company or to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities of the company. Acquisition of more than 10% of any class of a bank holding company’s voting securities constitutes a rebuttable presumption of control under certain circumstances, including where, as will be the case with Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., the issuer has registered securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Separately, any company that acquires control of a bank holding company, as “control” is defined in the federal Bank Holding Company Act, must receive the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board under that law and becomes a “bank holding company” subject to examination and regulation by the Federal Reserve Board.

New York Holding Company Regulation.  Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC and Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. are also subject to regulation under New York banking law. Among other requirements, Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC and Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. must receive the approval of the NYSDFS before acquiring 10% or more of the voting stock of another banking institution, or to otherwise acquire a banking institution by merger or purchase.

Federal Securities Laws

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.’s common stock was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission after its offering. Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. is subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading restrictions and other requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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The registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of shares of common stock issued in the offering does not cover the resale of those shares. Shares of common stock purchased by persons who are not affiliates of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. may be resold without registration. Shares purchased by an affiliate of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. will be subject to the resale restrictions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933. If Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. meets the current public information requirements of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, each affiliate that complies with the other conditions of Rule 144, including those that require the affiliate’s sale to be aggregated with those of other persons, would be able to sell in the public market, without registration, a number of shares not to exceed, in any three-month period, the greater of 1% of the outstanding shares of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc., or the average weekly volume of trading in the shares during the preceding four calendar weeks.

Emerging Growth Company Status.  Under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), a company with total annual gross revenues of less than $1.07 billion during its most recently completed fiscal year qualifies as an “emerging growth company.” Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. qualifies as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.

An “emerging growth company” may choose not to hold stockholder votes to approve annual executive compensation (more frequently referred to as “say-on-pay” votes) or executive compensation payable in connection with a merger (more frequently referred to as “say-on-golden parachute” votes). An emerging growth company also is not subject to the requirement that its auditors attest to the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting and can provide scaled disclosure regarding executive compensation. Finally, an emerging growth company may elect to comply with new or amended accounting pronouncements in the same manner as a private company, but must make such election when the company is first required to file a registration statement. Such an election is irrevocable during the period a company is an emerging growth company. Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. has elected to comply with new or amended accounting pronouncements in the same manner as a private company.

A company loses emerging growth company status on the earlier of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year of the company during which it had total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (2) the last day of the fiscal year of the issuer following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of common equity securities of the company pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933; (3) the date on which such company has, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt; or (4) the date on which such company is deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under Securities and Exchange Commission regulations (generally, a “large accelerated filer” is defined as a corporation with at least $700 million of voting and non-voting equity held by non-affiliates).

The USA PATRIOT Act

The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 gave the federal government powers to address terrorist threats through enhanced domestic security measures, expanded surveillance powers, increased information sharing and broadened anti-money laundering requirements. The USA PATRIOT Act also required the federal banking agencies to take into consideration the effectiveness of controls designed to combat money laundering activities in determining whether to approve a merger or other acquisition application of a member institution. Accordingly, if we engage in a merger or other acquisition, our controls designed to combat money laundering would be considered as part of the application process. We have established policies, procedures and systems designed to comply with these regulations.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is intended to improve corporate responsibility, to provide for enhanced penalties for accounting and auditing improprieties at publicly traded companies and to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures pursuant to the securities laws. Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. has policies, procedures and systems designed to comply with these regulations, and we review and document such policies, procedures and systems to ensure continued compliance with these regulations.

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Regulatory Enforcement Authority

Federal law provides federal banking regulators with substantial enforcement powers. This enforcement authority includes, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, issue cease-and-desist or removal orders, and initiate injunctive actions against banking organizations and institution-affiliated parties, as defined In general, these enforcement actions may be initiated for violations of laws and regulations and unsafe or unsound practices. Other actions or inactions may provide the basis for enforcement action, including misleading or untimely reports filed with regulatory authorities.

COVID-19 Legislation

 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and the federal banking agencies, though legislation, rulemaking, interpretive guidance and modifications to agency policies and procedures, have taken a series of actions to provide national emergency economic relief measures including, among others, the CARES Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act (“CAA”) of 2021. As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, federal and state regulatory authorities continued to issue additional guidance with respect to COVID-19. In addition, it is possible that Congress will enact additional COVID-19 response legislation in response to new COVID-19 variants. We will continue to assess the impact of the CARES Act, CAA, and other statues, regulations and supervisory guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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FEDERAL AND STATE TAXATION

Federal Taxation

General.  The Company and the Bank are subject to federal income taxation in the same general manner as other corporations, with some exceptions discussed below. The following discussion of federal taxation is intended only to summarize material federal income tax matters and is not a comprehensive description of the tax rules applicable to the Company and the Bank.

Method of Accounting. For federal income tax purposes, the Company currently reports its income and expenses on the accrual method of accounting and uses a tax year ending December 31 for filing its consolidated federal income tax returns.

Net Operating Loss Carryovers.  Generally, a financial institution may carry forward net operating losses indefinitely and are subject to a limitation of 80% of taxable income. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Capital Loss Carryovers.  Generally, a financial institution may carry back capital losses to the preceding three taxable years and forward to the succeeding five taxable years. Any capital loss carryback or carryover is treated as a short-term capital loss for the year to which it is carried. As such, it is grouped with any other capital losses for the year to which carried and is used to offset any capital gains. Any un-deducted loss remaining after the five-year carryover period is not deductible. At December 31, 2022, Rhinebeck Bank had no capital loss carryovers.

Corporate Dividends.  We may generally exclude from our income 100% of dividends received from Rhinebeck Bank as a member of the same affiliated group of corporations. As of December 31, 2022, no dividends had been paid by Rhinebeck Bank.

Audit of Tax Returns.  Rhinebeck Bank’s federal income tax returns have not been audited in the most recent three-year period.

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State Taxation

Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC, Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. and Rhinebeck Bank report income on a combined fiscal year basis to New York State. The statutory tax rate is currently 6.5% for general business taxpayers, and 7.25% for general business taxpayers with a business income base of more than $5,000,000. An alternative tax of 0.1875% on apportioned capital is imposed to the extent that it exceeds the tax on apportioned income. The New York State alternative tax is capped at $5 million for a tax year and is no longer applicable for tax years beginning January 1, 2024. Thrift institutions that maintain a qualified residential loan portfolio are entitled to a specially computed modification that reduces the income taxable to New York State; this is the case for the Bank.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors

In addition to factors discussed in the description of our business and elsewhere in this report, the following are factors that could adversely affect our future results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Economic Conditions

Our business may be adversely affected by downturns in the national economy and in the economies in our market areas.

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Substantially all of our loans are to businesses and individuals in the Hudson Valley in New York. Recessionary conditions or adverse economic conditions in our local market areas may reduce our rate of growth, affect our customers' ability to repay loans and adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. General economic conditions, including inflation, unemployment and money supply fluctuations, also may adversely affect our profitability. Weakness in the global economy and global supply chain issues may adversely affect businesses operating in our market.

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A deterioration in economic conditions in the market areas we serve as a result of inflation, a recession, the effects of COVID-19 variants or other factors could result in the following consequences, any of which could have a materially adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations:

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A decline in local economic conditions may have a greater effect on our earnings and capital than on the earnings and capital of larger financial institutions whose real estate loans are geographically diverse. Many of the loans in our portfolio are secured by real estate. Deterioration in the real estate markets where collateral for a mortgage loan is located could negatively affect the borrower's ability to repay the loan and the value of the collateral securing the loan. Real estate values are affected by various other factors, including changes in general or regional economic conditions, government rules or policies and natural disasters. If we are required to liquidate a significant amount of collateral during a period of reduced real estate values, our financial condition and profitability could be adversely affected.    

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Further, a U.S. government debt default would have a material adverse impact on our business and financial performance, including a decrease in the value of Treasury bonds and other government securities held by us, which could negatively impact the Bank’s capital position and its ability to meet regulatory requirements. Other negative impacts could be volatile capital markets, an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the U.S. dollar, as well as increased default rates among borrowers in light of increased economic uncertainty. Some of these impacts might occur even in the absence of an actual default but as a consequence of extended political negotiations around the threat of such a default and a government shutdown.    

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Inflation can have an adverse impact on our business and on our customers.

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Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. The annual inflation rate in the United States hit a high in June of 2022 at 9.1%, and while currently declining, was still at 6.5% as of December 31, 2022. As a result, the Federal Reserve has continued to increase the target federal funds rate, up 425 basis points in 2022, and has indicated its intention to continue to increase interest rates in an effort to combat inflation. As inflation increases, the value of our investment securities, particularly those with longer maturities, would decrease. In addition, inflation increases the cost of goods and services we use in our business operations, such as electricity and other utilities, which increases our non-interest expenses. Furthermore, our customers are also affected by inflation and the rising costs of goods and services used in their households and businesses, which could have a negative impact on their ability to repay their loans with us. Sustained higher interest rates by the Federal Reserve to tame persistent inflationary price pressures could also push down asset prices and weaken economic activity. A deterioration in economic conditions in the United States and our markets could result in an increase in loan delinquencies and non-performing assets, decreases in loan collateral values and a decrease in demand for our products and services, all of which, in turn, would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Risks Related to Interest Rates

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The reversal of the historically low interest rate environment may adversely affect our net interest income and profitability.

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Since March 2022, in response to inflation, the Federal Open Market Committee ("FOMC") of the Federal Reserve has increased the target range for the federal funds rate by 425 basis points, to a range of 4.25% to 4.50% as of December 31, 2022. As it seeks to control inflation without creating a recession, the FOMC has indicated further increases are to be expected. If the FOMC further increased the targeted federal funds rates, overall interest rates will likely continue to rise, which may positively impact our interest income but may negatively impact both the housing market by reducing refinancing activity and new home purchases and the U.S. economy. Further, as discussed below, the increase in market interest rates is expected to have an adverse effect on our net interest income and profitability.

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Changes in interest rates may reduce our profits.

Our profitability, like that of most financial institutions, depends to a large extent upon our net interest income, which is the difference between our interest income on interest-earning assets, such as loans and securities, and our interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowed funds. Accordingly, our results of operations depend largely on movements in market interest rates and our ability to manage our interest-rate-sensitive assets and liabilities in response to these movements. Factors such as inflation, recession and instability in financial markets, among other factors beyond our control, may affect interest rates.

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If interest rates rise, and the interest rates on our deposits increased faster than the interest rates we receive on our loans and investments, our interest rate spread would decrease, which would have a negative effect on our net interest income and profitability. Furthermore, increases in interest rates may adversely affect the ability of borrowers to make loan repayments on adjustable-rate loans, as the interest owed on such loans would increase as interest rates increase. Conversely, decreases in interest rates can result in increased prepayments of loans and mortgage-related securities, as borrowers refinance to reduce their borrowing costs. Under these circumstances, we are subject to reinvestment risk as we may have to reinvest such loan or securities prepayments into lower-yielding assets, which may also negatively impact our income. Changes in market interest rates may also affect the demand for the Company’s products and services, competition for deposits, the secondary mortgage market, and our ability to realize gains from the sale of assets.

Changes in interest rates also affect the value of our interest-earning assets and, in particular, our investment securities portfolio. Generally, the fair value of fixed-rate securities fluctuates inversely with changes in interest rates. Unrealized gains and losses on investment securities available for sale are reported as a separate component of equity, net of tax. Decreases in the fair value of investment securities available for sale resulting from increases in interest rates have an adverse effect on stockholders' equity. Stockholders' equity, specifically accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI"), is increased or decreased by the amount of change in the estimated fair value of our securities available for sale, net of deferred income taxes. Increases in interest rates generally decrease the fair value of securities available for sale, which adversely impacts stockholders' equity. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred other comprehensive losses, net of tax, of $25.5 million related to net changes in unrealized holding losses in the available-for-sale investment securities portfolio.

Any substantial, unexpected or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Changes in interest rates also may negatively affect our ability to originate real estate loans, the value of our assets and our ability to realize gains from the sale of our assets, all of which may ultimately affect our earnings. For further discussion of how changes in interest rates could impact us, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Management of Market Risk.”

Risks Related to our Lending Activities

Our automobile lending exposes us to increased credit risks.

At December 31, 2022, $457.2 million, or 46.2% of our total loan portfolio and 34.2% of our total assets, consisted of indirect automobile loans, which represents loans originated through automobile dealers for the purchase of new or used automobiles. At that date, $8.3 million, or 0.8% of our total loan portfolio, consisted of automobile loans that we also originated directly. We serve customers that cover a range of creditworthiness and the required terms and rates are reflective of those risk profiles. Automobile loans are inherently risky as they are secured by assets that may be difficult to locate and can depreciate rapidly. In some cases, repossessed collateral for a defaulted automobile loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment for the outstanding loan and the remaining deficiency may not warrant further collection efforts against the borrower. Automobile loan collections depend on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and therefore, are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness, or personal bankruptcy. Additional risk elements associated with indirect lending include the limited personal contact with the borrower as a result of indirect lending through non-bank channels, namely automobile dealers, and reliance on automobile dealers to comply with fair lending practices. See “Item 1. Business — Loan Underwriting Risks.”

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Our emphasis on commercial real estate and commercial business lending involves risks that could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We intend to continue to emphasize the originations of commercial real estate and commercial business loans. At December 31, 2022, our commercial real estate (which includes multi-family real estate loans and commercial construction loans) and commercial business loans totaled $458.5 million, or 46.3% of our loan portfolio. While these types of loans are potentially more profitable than residential mortgage loans due primarily to bearing generally higher interest rates and larger balances, they are generally more sensitive to regional and local economic conditions, making future losses more difficult to predict, and possibly more likely. These loans also generally have relatively large balances to single borrowers or related groups of borrowers. Accordingly, any charge-offs may be larger on a per loan basis than those incurred with our residential or consumer loans. See “Item 1. Business — Loan Underwriting Risks.”

Our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover actual loan losses.

We maintain an allowance for loan losses, which is established through a provision for loan losses that represents management’s best estimate of probable incurred losses within the existing portfolio of loans. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of loans in our portfolio, including the creditworthiness of borrowers and the value of the real estate, automobiles and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of loans. In determining the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses, we rely on our experience and our evaluation of economic conditions and other qualitative factors. If our assumptions prove to be incorrect, our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, and adjustments may be necessary. A problem with one or more loans could require us to significantly increase our provision for loan losses. In addition, federal and state regulators periodically review our allowance for loan losses and may require us to increase our provision for loan losses or recognize further loan charge-offs. Significant additions to the allowance could materially decrease our net income.

We expect that the implementation of Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”), which will require us to record an allowance for credit losses in excess of our existing allowance for loan losses, could cause increased volatility in our financial condition and results of operation.

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The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) has adopted a new accounting standard, CECL. CECL will require financial institutions to determine periodic estimates of lifetime expected credit losses on loans, other financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit and provide for the expected credit losses as allowances for credit losses. The Company adopted CECL as of January 1, 2023. This will change the current method of providing allowances for loan losses that are probable, which will require us to record an allowance for credit losses as of January 1, 2023 in excess of our existing allowance for loan losses, and will greatly increase the analysis we will need to undertake to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses. Although we expect that we will continue to meet all capital adequacy requirements to which we are subject following recording of the impact of adoption to stockholders’ equity, future provisioning for expected credit losses under CECL may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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Our non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans may expose us to increased credit risk.

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At December 31, 2022, $112.4 million, or 11.3% of our total loan portfolio and 39.8% of our commercial real estate loan portfolio, consisted of loans secured by non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans. Loans secured by non-owner occupied properties generally expose a lender to greater risk of non-payment and loss than loans secured by owner occupied properties because repayment of such loans depend primarily on the tenant’s continuing ability to pay rent to the property owner, who is our borrower, or, if the property owner is unable to find a tenant, the property owner’s ability to repay the loan without the benefit of a rental income stream. In addition, the physical condition of non-owner occupied properties may be below that of owner occupied properties due to lenient property maintenance standards that negatively impact the value of the collateral properties.

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We are subject to environmental liability risk associated with lending activities.

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A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate, and we could become subject to environmental liabilities with respect to one or more of these properties. During the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties securing defaulted loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous conditions or toxic substances are found on these properties, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage, civil fines and criminal penalties regardless of when the hazardous conditions or toxic substances first affected any particular property. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses to address unknown liabilities and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our 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 our exposure to environmental liability. Although we have policies and procedures to perform an environmental review before initiating any foreclosure on nonresidential 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 us.

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Risk Related to our Business Strategy

Our business strategy involves moderate growth, and our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected if we fail to grow or fail to manage our growth effectively.

Our assets increased $54.8 million, or 4.3%, from $1.28 billion at December 31, 2021 to $1.33 billion at December 31, 2022, primarily due to increases in loans. Over the next several years, we expect to experience moderate growth in our total assets and deposits, and the scale of our operations. Achieving our growth targets requires us to attract customers that currently bank at other financial institutions in our market. Our ability to grow successfully will depend on a variety of factors, including our ability to attract and retain experienced bankers, the availability of attractive business opportunities and competition from other financial institutions in our market area. While we believe we have the management resources and internal systems in place to successfully manage our future growth, there can be no assurance that growth opportunities will be available or that we will successfully manage our growth. If we do not manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to execute our business plan, which would have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Building market share through de novo branching may cause our expenses to increase faster than revenues.

In 2021, we continued to build market share by opening two newly acquired and two de novo branches in Orange County, New York. There are considerable costs involved in establishing new branches as they require time to generate sufficient revenues to offset their initial start-up costs. Accordingly, any new branch can be expected to negatively impact our earnings until the branch attracts a sufficient level of depositors and borrowers to offset expenses. We were unable to gain substantial traction in our Monroe branch and decided to permanently close the branch at year-end 2022. While it appears the other locations have been finding success in their respective market places, we cannot assure you that our new branches will be successful even after they have been established. Additionally, while our branch network continues to be a very significant source of new business generation, consumers continue to migrate much of their routine banking to self-service channels, which may decrease the cost-effectiveness of our branch network and negatively affect earnings.

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Risks Related to Laws and Regulations

Changes in laws and regulations and the cost of regulatory compliance with new laws and regulations may adversely affect our operations and/or increase our costs of operations.

We are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by our banking regulators. Such regulation and supervision govern the activities in which a financial institution and its holding company may engage and are intended primarily for the protection of insurance funds and the depositors and borrowers of Rhinebeck Bank rather than for the protection of our stockholders. Regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the ability to impose restrictions on our operations, classify our assets and determine the level of our allowance for loan losses. These regulations, along with the currently existing tax, accounting, securities, deposit insurance and monetary laws, rules, standards, policies, and interpretations, control the methods by which financial institutions conduct business, implement strategic initiatives, and govern financial reporting and disclosures. Any change in such regulation and oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, new regulations, legislation or supervisory action, may have a material impact on our operations.

Non-compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, Bank Secrecy Act, or other laws and regulations could result in fines or sanctions.

The USA PATRIOT and Bank Secrecy Acts require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money laundering and terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These rules require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers that open new financial accounts. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines or sanctions, including restrictions on conducting acquisitions or establishing new branches. While we have developed policies and procedures designed to assist in compliance with these laws and regulations, these policies and procedures may not be effective in preventing violations of these laws and regulations.

Changes in accounting standards could affect reported earnings.

The bodies responsible for establishing accounting standards, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission and bank regulators, periodically change the financial accounting and reporting guidance that governs the preparation of our financial statements. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply new or revised guidance retroactively.

We are subject to more stringent capital requirements, which may adversely impact our return on equity, or constrain us from paying dividends or repurchasing shares.

Federal regulations establish minimum capital requirements for insured depository institutions, including minimum risk-based capital and leverage ratios, and define what constitutes “capital” for calculating these ratios. The regulations establish a “capital conservation buffer” of 2.5%, which, when added to the minimum capital ratios, result in the following minimum ratios: (1) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 7.0%, (2) a Tier 1 to risk-based assets capital ratio of 8.5%, and (3) a total capital ratio of 10.5%. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount. These limitations establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that can be utilized for such actions.

The application of more stringent capital requirements could, among other things, require us to maintain higher capital levels resulting in lower returns on equity, and result in regulatory actions if we were to be unable to comply with such requirements. Implementation of changes to asset risk weightings for risk-based capital calculations, items included or deducted in calculating regulatory capital and/or additional capital conservation buffers could result in management modifying its business strategy, and could limit our ability to make distributions, including paying out dividends or buying back shares. See “Item 1. Supervision and Regulation — Federal Bank Regulation — Capital Requirements.”

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 Climate change and related legislative and regulatory initiatives may materially affect the Company’s business and results of operations.

The effects of climate change continue to create a significant level of concern for the state of the global environment. As a result of the increased political and social awareness surrounding the issue, the U.S. Congress, state legislatures and federal and state regulatory agencies continue to propose numerous initiatives to supplement the global effort to combat climate change. While it is impossible to predict how climate change may directly impact our financial condition and operations; the physical effects of climate change may present certain risks to our customers. Unpredictable and more frequent weather disasters may adversely impact the value of real property securing the loans in our portfolios. Further, the effects of climate change may negatively impact regional and local economic activity, which could lead to an adverse effect on our customers and impact our ability to raise and invest capital in potentially impacted communities.

Risks Related to Privacy, Security and Technology

Regulations relating to privacy, information security and data protection could increase our costs, affect or limit how we collect and use personal information and adversely affect our business opportunities.

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We are subject to various privacy, information security and data protection laws, such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which, among other things, requires privacy disclosures, and maintenance of a robust security program that are increasingly subject to change which could have a significant impact on our current and planned privacy, data protection and information security-related practices, our collection, use, sharing, retention and safeguarding of consumer or employee information, and some of our current or planned business activities. New laws or changes to existing laws may increase our costs of compliance and business operations and could reduce income from certain business initiatives, including increased privacy-related enforcement activity, and higher compliance and technology costs and could restrict our ability to provide certain products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions or results of operations. Our regulators also hold us responsible for privacy and data protection obligations performed by our third-party service providers while providing services to us. Our failure to comply with privacy, data protection and information security laws could result in potentially significant regulatory or governmental investigations or actions, litigation, fines, sanctions and damage to our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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Systems failures or breaches of our network security could subject us to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other liabilities.

Our operations depend upon our ability to protect our computer systems and network infrastructure against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or a similar catastrophic event, as well as from security breaches, denial of service attacks, viruses, worms and other disruptive problems caused by hackers. Any damage or failure that causes an interruption in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Computer break-ins, phishing and other disruptions could also jeopardize the security of information stored in and transmitted through our computer systems and network infrastructure, which may result in significant liability to us and may cause existing and potential customers to refrain from doing business with us. Although we, with the help of third-party service providers, intend to continue to implement security technology and establish operational procedures designed to prevent such damage, our security measures may not be successful. In addition, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments could result in a compromise or breach of the algorithms we and our third-party service providers use to encrypt and protect customer transaction data. A failure of such security measures could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

It is possible that we could incur significant costs associated with a breach of our computer systems. While we have cyber liability insurance, there are limitations on coverage. Furthermore, cyber incidents carry a great risk of injury to our reputation. Finally, depending on the type of incident, banking regulators can impose restrictions on our business and consumer laws may require reimbursement of customer losses.

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Our inability to successfully implement technological change may adversely impact our business.

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The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new, technology-driven products and services which increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve customers and reduce costs. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. We may not be able to effectively implement new, technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers, which failure could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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Risks Related to Our Business and Operations

Our cost of operations is high relative to our assets. Our failure to maintain or reduce our operating expenses may reduce our profits.

Our non-interest expenses totaled $37.4 million and $35.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Although we continue to monitor our expenses and have achieved certain efficiencies, we have experienced increased costs, especially due to market expansion activities and the opening of new branch offices in 2021. In 2022, the closure of our Monroe branch also increased costs as did inflation. Moreover, our efficiency ratio, comparative to peers, remains high as a result of our higher operating expenses, even though we have increased our net interest income. Our efficiency ratio totaled 78.40% and 75.82% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Failure to control or maintain our expenses may reduce future profits.

Changes in the valuation of our securities portfolio may reduce our profits and our capital levels.

The market value of our securities portfolio may fluctuate, potentially increasing accumulated other comprehensive loss or reducing earnings. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred other comprehensive losses, net of tax, of $25.5 million related to net changes in unrealized holding losses in the available-for-sale investment securities portfolio. Fluctuations in market value may be caused by changes in market interest rates, lower market prices for securities and limited investor demand.

Declines in market value may result in other-than-temporary impairments of these assets, which may lead to accounting charges that could have a material adverse effect on our net income and stockholders’ equity. Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment on a quarterly basis, with more frequent evaluation for selected issues. In analyzing a debt issuer’s financial condition, management considers whether the securities are issued by the federal government or its agencies, whether downgrades by bond rating agencies have occurred, industry analysts’ reports and spread differentials between the effective rates on instruments in the portfolio compared to risk-free rates. If this evaluation shows impairment to the actual or projected cash flows associated with one or more securities, we may take a charge to earnings to reflect such impairment. Changes in interest rates may also have an adverse effect on our financial condition, as our available-for-sale securities are reported at their estimated fair value, and therefore are affected by fluctuations in interest rates. We increase or decrease our stockholders’ equity by the amount of change in the estimated fair value of the available-for-sale securities, net of taxes.

Strong competition within our market area may reduce our profits and slow growth.

We face strong competition in making loans and attracting deposits. Price competition for loans and deposits sometimes requires us to charge lower interest rates on our loans and pay higher interest rates on our deposits, which may reduce our net interest income. Many of the institutions with which we compete have substantially greater resources and lending limits than we have and may offer services that we do not provide. Our competitors often aggressively price loan and deposit products when they enter into new lines of business or new market areas. If we are unable to effectively compete in our market area, our profitability would be negatively affected. The greater resources and broader offering of deposit and loan products of some of our competitors may also limit our ability to increase our interest-earning assets. Competition also makes it more difficult and costly to attract and retain qualified employees. For more information about our market area and the competition we face, see “Item 1. Business — Market Area” and “— Competition.”

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A lack of liquidity could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and result in regulatory limits being placed on the Company.

Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on our ability to generate deposits and effectively manage the repayment and maturity schedules of our loans to ensure that we have adequate liquidity to fund our operations. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our most important source of funds is deposits. Deposit balances can decrease when customers perceive alternative investments as providing a better risk/return tradeoff. If customers move money out of deposits, we may lose a relatively low-cost source of funds, increasing our funding costs and reducing our net interest income and net income. Depending on the capitalization and regulatory treatment of depository institutions, including whether an institution is subject to a supervisory prompt corrective action directive, certain additional regulatory restrictions and prohibitions may apply, including restrictions on growth, restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, restrictions or prohibitions on payment of dividends and restrictions on the acceptance of brokered deposits. Significant deposit withdrawals could materially reduce our liquidity, and, in such an event, we may be required to replace such deposits with higher-costing borrowings.

Other primary sources of funds consist of cash flows from operations and sales of investment securities. Additional liquidity is provided by our ability to borrow from the FHLB of New York or our ability to sell portions of our loan portfolio. We also may borrow funds from third-party lenders, such as other financial institutions. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our activities, or on terms that are acceptable to us, could be impaired by factors that affect us directly or the financial services industry or economy in general, such as disruptions in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry. Our access to funding sources could also be affected by a decrease in the ability to sell mortgage portfolios as a result of higher market interest rates negatively impacting originations, a downturn in our markets or by one or more adverse regulatory actions against us. A lack of liquidity could also attract increased regulatory scrutiny and potential restraints imposed on us by regulators.

Any decline in available funding could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses or fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends on retaining certain key personnel.

Our performance largely depends on the talents and efforts of highly skilled individuals who comprise our senior management team. We rely on key personnel to manage and operate our business, including major revenue generating functions such as loan and deposit generation and our wealth management business. The loss of key staff may adversely affect our ability to maintain and manage these functions effectively, which could negatively affect our income. In addition, loss of key personnel could result in increased recruiting and hiring expenses, which would reduce our net income. Our continued ability to compete effectively depends on our ability to attract new employees and to retain and motivate our existing employees.

Changes in management’s estimates and assumptions may have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and our financial condition or operating results.

In preparing the periodic reports we are required to file under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including our consolidated financial statements, our management is and will be required under applicable rules and regulations to make estimates and assumptions as of specified dates. These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best estimates and experience at such times and are subject to substantial risk and uncertainty. Materially different results may occur as circumstances change and additional information becomes known. Areas requiring significant estimates and assumptions by management include our evaluation of the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses, the determination of our deferred income taxes, our fair value measurements and our determination of goodwill impairment.

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Our risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating risk and reducing the potential for significant losses.

Our risk management framework is designed to minimize risk and loss to us. We seek to identify, measure, monitor, report and control our exposure to risk, including strategic, market, liquidity, compliance and operational risks. While we use broad and diversified risk monitoring and mitigation techniques, these techniques are inherently limited because they cannot anticipate the existence or future development of currently unanticipated or unknown risks. Recent economic conditions and heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny of the financial services industry, among other developments, have increased our level of risk. Accordingly, we could suffer losses if we fail to properly anticipate and manage these risks.

Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Common Stock

We may not pay any dividends on our common stock.

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.’s board of directors has the authority to declare dividends on our common stock subject to statutory and regulatory requirements. We currently intend to retain all our future earnings, if any, for use in our business and do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay cash dividends will be made by our board of directors and will depend upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, restrictions under Federal Reserve Board regulations and policy, our business strategy and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant. See “Item1. Business — Waivers of Dividends by Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC.”

Our common stock is not heavily traded, and the stock price may fluctuate significantly.

Our common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market (ticker symbol “RBKB”), but the volume of shares traded is relatively low. Prices on stock that is not heavily traded, such as our common stock, can be more volatile than heavily traded stock. Factors such as our financial results, the introduction of new products and services by us or our competitors, publicity regarding the banking industry, and various other factors affecting the banking industry may have a significant impact on the market price of the shares the common stock. Management also cannot predict the extent to which an active public market for our common stock will develop or be sustained in the future. Accordingly, stockholders may not be able to sell their shares of our common stock at the volumes, prices, or times that they desire.

Persons who have purchased stock will own a minority of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.’s common stock and will not be able to exercise voting control over most matters put to a vote of stockholders.

Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC owns a majority of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc.’s common stock and, through its board of directors, are able to exercise voting control over most matters put to a vote of stockholders. Generally, the same directors and officers who manage Rhinebeck Bank also manage Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. and Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC. Our board of directors and officers or Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC may take action that the public stockholders believe to be contrary to their interests. The only matters that stockholders other than Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC are able to exercise voting control currently include any proposal to implement stock-based benefit plans or a “second-step” conversion. In addition, Rhinebeck Bancorp, MHC may exercise its voting control to prevent a sale or merger transaction in which stockholders could receive a premium for their shares.

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

The Company’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws contain certain provisions designed to enhance the ability of the Company’s board of directors to deal with attempts to acquire control of the Company, including a classified board, the ability 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 and a requirement for any stockholder who desires to nominate a director to abide by strict notice requirements.

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Maryland law also contains anti-takeover provisions that apply to the Company. The Maryland Business Combination Act generally prohibits, subject to certain limited exceptions, corporations from being involved in any “business combination” (defined in the Act) with any “interested shareholder” for a period of five years following the most recent date on which the interested shareholder became an interested shareholder. 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 a 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.

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Although these provisions do not preclude a takeover, they may have the effect of discouraging, delaying or deferring a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder 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 Company’s 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 Company’s securities.

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We are an emerging growth company, and if we elect to comply only with the reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, our common stock may be less attractive to investors.

We are an emerging growth company, and, for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to “emerging growth companies,” including, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Investors may find our common stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions.

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments

Not applicable.

Item 2.     Properties

At December 31, 2022, we conducted business through our corporate office in Poughkeepsie and 14 other retail banking offices located in Rhinebeck, Fishkill, Goshen, Hopewell Junction, Hyde Park, Kingston, Middletown, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie (three branch offices), Red Hook, Wappingers Falls and Warwick, as well as two representative offices in Montgomery and Albany. A stand-alone ATM located in Tivoli, New York was removed in January 2022 and our branch office located in Monroe, New York was permanently closed as of December 30, 2022. We own seven and lease nine properties, and own three other buildings situated on land controlled under long-term leases. At December 31, 2022, the net book value of our land, buildings, furniture, fixtures and equipment was $18.7 million.

Item 3.     Legal Proceedings

Periodically, there have been various claims and lawsuits against us, such as claims to enforce liens, condemnation proceedings on properties in which we hold security interests, claims involving the making and servicing of real property loans and other issues incident to our business. At December 31, 2022, we were not a party to any pending legal proceedings that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Item 4.     Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

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PART II

Item 5.     Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The common stock of Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. is listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “RBKB”. At February 28, 2023, Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. had 364 stockholders of record. Certain shares of the Company are held in “nominee” or “street” name and accordingly, the number of beneficial owners of such shares is not known or included in the foregoing number.

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. currently does not anticipate paying a dividend to its stockholders. The payment and amount of any dividend payments will be subject to statutory and regulatory limitations, and will depend upon a number of factors, including the following: regulatory capital requirements; our financial condition and results of operations; our other uses of funds for the long-term value of stockholders; tax considerations; the Federal Reserve Board’s current regulations restricting the waiver of dividends by mutual holding companies; and general economic conditions.

In September 2022, the Board approved a stock repurchase plan pursuant to which the Company was authorized to repurchase up to 247,506 shares of its common stock. No shares were repurchased under the stock repurchase plan during the three months ended December 31, 2022.

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There were no sales of unregistered securities or repurchases of shares of common stock during the quarter ended December 31, 2022.

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Item 6.     [Reserved]

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Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This discussion and analysis reflects information contained in our audited consolidated financial statements and other relevant statistical data, and is intended to enhance your understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. The information in this section has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements contained within this Form 10-K.

Overview

Net Interest Income. Our primary source of income is net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between interest income, which is the income we earn on our loans and investments, and interest expense, which is the interest we pay on our deposits and borrowings.

Provision for Loan Losses. The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses. The allowance for loan losses is increased through charges to the provision for loan losses. Loans are charged against the allowance when management believes that the collectability of the principal loan amount is not probable. Recoveries on loans previously charged-off, if any, are credited to the allowance for loan losses when realized.

Non-interest Income. Our primary sources of non-interest income are mortgage banking income, service charges on deposit accounts, investment advisory income and net gains in the cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance and other income.

Non-Interest Expenses. Our non-interest expenses consist of salaries and employee benefits, net occupancy and equipment, data processing, professional fees, marketing expenses, premium payments we make to the FDIC for insurance of our deposits and other general and administrative expenses.

Income Tax Expense. Our income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax due or refundable and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.

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Business Strategy

Based on an extensive review of the current opportunities in our primary market area as well as our resources and capabilities, we are pursuing the following business strategies:

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Terms of Critical Accounting Policies

Our most significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements.  Certain of these accounting policies require management to use significant judgment and estimates, which can have a material impact on the carrying value of certain assets and liabilities, and we consider these policies to be our critical accounting estimates.  The judgment and assumptions made are based upon historical experience, future forecasts, or other factors that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances.  Because of the nature of the judgment and assumptions, actual results could differ from estimates, which could have a material effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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The following accounting policies materially affect our reported earnings and financial condition and require significant judgments and estimates.  

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Allowance for loan losses

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The allowance for loan losses is the estimated amount considered necessary to cover credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. The allowance is established through the provision for loan losses which is charged against income. Determining the appropriateness of the allowance is complex and requires judgment by management about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Subsequent evaluations of the then-existing loan portfolio, in light of the factors then prevailing, may result in significant changes in the allowance in those future periods.

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In determining the allowance for loan losses, management makes significant estimates and has identified this policy as one of our most critical. The methodology for determining the allowance for loan losses is considered a critical accounting policy by management due to the high degree of judgment involved, the subjectivity of the assumptions utilized and the potential for unanticipated changes in the economic environment that could result in changes to the amount of the recorded allowance for loan losses.

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As a substantial amount of our loan portfolio is collateralized by real estate, appraisals of the underlying value of property securing loans and discounted cash flow valuations of properties are critical in determining the amount of the allowance required for specific impaired loans. Assumptions for appraisals and discounted cash flow valuations are instrumental in determining the value of properties.

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Management performs a quarterly evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses. Consideration is given to a variety of factors in establishing the allowance including, but not limited to, current economic conditions, delinquency statistics, geographic and industry concentrations, the adequacy of the underlying collateral, the financial strength of the borrower, results of internal and external loan reviews and other relevant factors. This evaluation is inherently subjective, as it requires material estimates that may be susceptible to significant revision based on changes in economic and real estate market conditions.

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The analysis of the allowance for loan losses has two components: specific and general allocations. Specific allocations are made for loans that are determined to be impaired. Impairment is measured by determining the present value of expected future cash flows or, for collateral-dependent loans, the fair value of the collateral adjusted for market conditions and selling expenses. The general allocation is determined by segregating the remaining loans by type of loan and using applicable historical loss experience plus qualitative factors including, but not limited to, delinquency trends, general economic conditions and geographic and industry concentrations.

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The allowance represents management’s best estimate, but worsening loan quality and economic conditions could result in an additional allowance.  Likewise, external events could potentially improve loan quality and economic conditions, which may allow a reduction in the required allowance.  In either instance, unanticipated and unforeseeable changes could have a significant impact on results of operations.

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Overly optimistic assumptions or negative changes to assumptions could significantly impact the valuation of a property securing a loan and the related allowance determined. The assumptions supporting such appraisals and discounted cash flow valuations are carefully reviewed by management to determine that the resulting values reasonably reflect amounts realizable on the related loans. Actual loan losses may be significantly more than the allowance for loan losses we have established, which could have a material negative effect on our financial results. In addition, our banking regulators, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review our allowance for loan losses. Our banking regulators may require us to recognize adjustments to the allowance based on judgments about information available to them at the time of its examination.

The Company is adopting Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments effective January 1, 2023. The new accounting rule requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Financial institutions and other organizations will now use forward-looking information to enhance their credit loss estimates.

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The Company’s CECL implementation efforts are continuing to focus on model validation, developing new disclosures, establishing formal policies and procedures and other governance and control documentation. Based on the Company’s portfolio balances and forecasted economic conditions as of December 31, 2022, management believes the adoption of the CECL standard will result in an increase in the current reserves of approximately $800,000, or 10%, bringing the reserve to $8.7 million at January 1, 2023, as compared to the Company’s current reserve levels of $7.9 million. This preliminary estimate is contingent upon continued testing and refinement of the model, methodologies and judgments utilized to determine the estimate. The actual impact of the adoption will be dependent upon the portfolio composition and credit quality at the adoption date, as well as economic conditions and forecasts at that time. At adoption, we expect to have a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings, net of tax, for this change in the ACL, which would likely decrease our capital. We expect to continue to be well capitalized under the Basel III regulatory framework after the adoption of this standard.

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Our methodology for estimating lifetime expected credit losses for our loan portfolios will include the following key components:

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As noted above, we consider a number of variables in our evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses. One of the most significant variables being portfolio growth, evaluated for the changing historical loss trends within the specific business segments. As of December 31, 2022, $1.2 million of our allowance for loan losses reflected the specific risk relative to portfolio growth trends. Based on our model, if all segments of the portfolio grew by an additional 5% on a year-over-year basis, our allowance for loan losses as of December 31, 2022, would have increased by $408,000 to $8.2 million, holding all other variables constant. Conversely, if all segment balances of our loan portfolio had fallen by 5% during the year ended December 31, 2022, our allowance for loan losses would have decreased by $377,000 to $7.5 million, holding all other variables constant.

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Goodwill and Intangible Assets

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The assets (including identifiable intangible assets) and liabilities acquired in a business combination are recorded at fair value at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is recognized as the excess of the acquisition cost over the fair values of the net assets acquired and is not subsequently amortized. Identifiable intangible assets include customer lists and core deposit intangibles and are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated lives. Goodwill is not amortized, but it is tested at least annually for impairment in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if indicators of impairment are present.

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The determination of fair values is based on valuations using management’s assumptions of future growth rates, future attrition, discount rates, multiples of earnings or other relevant factors. In evaluating whether it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount, management assessed seven qualitative factors including, but not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance and other relevant company-specific events.

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Changes in these factors, as well as downturns in economic or business conditions, could have a significant adverse impact on the carrying value of goodwill and could result in impairment losses affecting our financial statements. A prolonged economic downturn or deterioration in the economic outlook may lead management to conclude that an interim quantitative impairment test of our goodwill is required prior to the annual impairment test. Based on our impairment tests, no impairment was recorded in 2022 or 2021.

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Income Taxes

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We are subject to the income tax laws of the United States, New York State, and the municipalities in which we operate.  These tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and the relevant government taxing authorities.  We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.  See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a further description of our provision and related income tax assets and liabilities.

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In establishing a provision for income tax expense, we must make judgments and interpretations about the application of these inherently complex tax laws.  We must also make estimates about when in the future certain items will affect taxable income.  Disputes over interpretations of the tax laws may be subject to review/adjudication by the court systems of the various tax jurisdictions or may be settled with the taxing authority upon examination or audit.

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If current available information raises doubt as to the realization of the deferred tax assets, a valuation allowance is established. We consider the determination of this valuation allowance to be a critical accounting policy because of the need to exercise significant judgment in evaluating the amount and timing of recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets, including projections of future taxable income. These judgments and estimates are reviewed on a continual basis as regulatory and business factors change.

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A valuation allowance for deferred tax assets may be required if the amount of taxes recoverable through loss carryback declines, or if we project lower levels of future taxable income. Such a valuation allowance would be established through a charge to income tax expense which would adversely affect our operating results.

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Although management believes that the judgments and estimates used are reasonable, actual results could differ and we may be exposed to losses or gains that could be material.   An unfavorable tax settlement would result in an increase in our effective income tax rate in the period of resolution.  A favorable tax settlement would result in a reduction in our effective income tax rate in the period of resolution.

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Selected Financial Data

The following selected consolidated financial data sets forth certain financial highlights of the Company and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2022 and 2021.