Seneca Financial Corp. - Annual Report: 2019 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the Year Ended December 31, 2019

OR

For the transition period from            to           

Commission File Number: 000-55853

Seneca Financial Corp.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(315) 638-0233

(Registrant’s telephone number including area code)

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The aggregate value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing price of the common stock of   $9.00 as of June 30, 2019, was $16.6 million.

As of March 23, 2020 there were 1,912,959 shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

Forward Looking Statements

This annual report contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “indicate,” “would,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “potential,” “target” and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. We are under no duty to and do not take any obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this annual report.

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:

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

Seneca Financial Corp.

Seneca Financial Corp., a federal corporation that was organized in 2017, is a savings and loan holding company headquartered in Baldwinsville, New York. Seneca Financial Corp.’s common stock is quoted on the OTC Pink Marketplace operated by OTC Markets Group under the symbol “SNNF.” Seneca Financial Corp. conducts its operations primarily through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Seneca Savings, a federally-chartered savings association. Seneca Financial Corp. manages its operations as one unit, and thus does not have separate operating segments. At December 31, 2019, Seneca Financial Corp. had total consolidated assets of  $210.2 million, loans net of allowance of   $164.4 million, deposits of   $151.9 million, and stockholders’ equity of  $21.1 million.

Seneca Financial Corp. was formed as part of the mutual holding company reorganization of Seneca Savings, which was completed in October 2017. In connection with the reorganization, Seneca Financial Corp. sold 910,305 shares of common stock to the public at $10.00 per share, representing 46% of its outstanding shares of common stock. Seneca Financial MHC has been organized as a mutual holding company under the laws of the United States and owned the remaining 54% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Seneca Financial Corp. at the time of the completion of the reorganization.

The executive offices of Seneca Financial Corp. are located at 35 Oswego Street, Baldwinsville, New York 13027, and its telephone number is (315) 638-0233. Seneca Financial Corp. is subject to comprehensive regulation and examination by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”).

Seneca Financial, MHC

Seneca Financial MHC was formed as a federal mutual holding company and will, for as long as it is in existence, own a majority of the outstanding shares of Seneca Financial Corp.’s common stock.

Seneca Financial, MHC’s principal assets are the common stock of Seneca Financial Corp. it received in the reorganization and offering and $100,000 cash in initial capitalization. Presently, it is expected that the only business activity of Seneca Financial MHC will be to own a majority of Seneca Financial Corp.’s common stock. Seneca Financial MHC is authorized, however, to engage in any other business activities that are permissible for mutual holding companies under federal law, including investing in loans and securities.

Seneca Savings

Seneca Savings is a federally-chartered savings association headquartered in Baldwinsville, New York. Seneca Savings was originally chartered in 1928 as a New York-chartered mutual savings and loan association under the name “The Baldwinsville Savings & Loan Association.” In 1936, we converted to a federal charter under the name “Baldwinsville Federal Savings & Loan Association.” In 1958, the name was changed to “Seneca Federal Savings and Loan Association.” Following completion of the reorganization, the association’s legal name became Seneca Savings.

We conduct our business from our main office and three branch offices. All of our banking offices are located in Onondaga and Madison counties, northeast and northwest of Syracuse, New York. Our primary market area currently consists of Onondaga County, New York and the contiguous counties.

Our business consists primarily of taking deposits from the general public and, historically, investing those deposits, together with funds generated from operations, in one- to four-family residential real estate loans, and, to a lesser extent, commercial real estate loans, home equity lines of credit, commercial and industrial loans, residential construction loans, and consumer loans. Subject to market conditions, we expect to increase our focus on originating commercial real estate loans and commercial and industrial loans in an effort to diversify our overall loan portfolio, increase the overall yield earned on our loans and assist in managing interest rate risk. We plan to sell in the secondary market the majority of the fixed-rate conforming one- to four-family residential real estate loans that we originate with terms of 20 years or greater. We also invest in securities, which have historically consisted primarily of mortgage-backed securities issued by U.S. government sponsored enterprises, municipal securities, U.S. Government Agency Securities, corporate bonds and Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of New York stock. We offer a variety of deposit accounts, including demand accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and certificate of deposit accounts.

Market Area

Baldwinsville, New York is a village located in Onondaga County and is 15 miles northwest of Syracuse, New York. Baldwinsville has an estimated population of 7,550 and an estimated median household income of  $53,100. Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest beer maker, has a plant on a 370-acre site located in Baldwinsville. We view Onondaga County, which is part of the Syracuse, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and is more populous than the other contiguous counties, as a primary area for growth, particularly for commercial lending and deposit gathering. Onondaga county includes a high concentration of office, medical, retail, industrial, mixed use and multi-family real estate buildings and businesses. Other large employers in Onondaga County include Carrier Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Syracuse University, Upstate University Health System and St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center. There are approximately 11,700 businesses operating in Onondaga County.

Onondaga County’s total population is estimated at 465,398. The unemployment rate at December 2019, for Onondaga County was 4.0%, and is the same as the State of New York, and higher than 3.5% for the United States. The median household income in Onondaga County was approximately $54,482, which is lower than the New York state median of  $67,844 and the national median household income of  $63,688.

We believe that we have developed products and services that will meet the financial needs of our current and future customer base; however, we plan, and believe it is necessary, to expand the range of products and services that we offer to be more competitive in our market area. Marketing strategies focus on the strength of our knowledge of local consumer and small business markets, as well as expanding relationships with current customers and reaching out to develop new, profitable business relationships. Our close proximity to Syracuse provides us access to a relatively large population for our products and services.

Competition

We face competition within our market area both in making loans and attracting deposits. Our market area has a concentration of financial institutions that include large money center and regional banks, community banks and credit unions. We also face competition from savings institutions, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies and credit unions and, with respect to deposits, from money market funds, brokerage firms, mutual funds, insurance companies and credit unions. As of June 30, 2019 (the most recent date for which data is available), our market share of deposits represented 1.43% of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured deposits in Onondaga County, ranking us 12th in market share of deposits out of 15 institutions operating in the county.

Lending Activities

General.   Our historical principal lending activity has been originating one- to four-family residential real estate loans and, to a lesser extent, commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial loans, home equity lines of credit, residential construction and consumer loans. More recently, we have sought to increase our commercial real estate and commercial and industrial lending in an effort to diversify our overall loan portfolio, increase the overall yield earned on our loans and assist in managing interest rate risk. Historically, we have not sold a significant amount of loans, but over the last four years, we started to regularly sell a portion of our fixed-rate one- to four-family residential real estate loans in order to manage the duration and time to repricing of our loan portfolio, and to generate fee income.

Our strategic plan continues to focus on residential and commercial real estate lending and to gradually increase our commercial and industrial lending. We generally retain in our portfolio adjustable-rate or shorter-term fixed-rate residential real estate mortgage loans. In recent years, we have started regularly selling loans in the secondary market. Loans that we sell into the secondary market consist of long-term (20 years or greater), conforming fixed-rate residential real estate mortgage loans, which we primarily sell to the FHLB of New York’s Mortgage Partnership Finance program, and, to Freddie Mac. These loans are sold without recourse. We generally retain the servicing rights on all conforming fixed-rate residential mortgage loans that we sell. Our commercial lending efforts will focus on the small-to-medium sized business market, targeting borrowers with outstanding loan balances of between $250,000 to $1,000,000. We will focus primarily on commercial real estate loans and on commercial and industrial loans in our market area. As part of the commercial loan strategy, we will seek to use our commercial relationships to grow our commercial transactional deposit accounts.

Loan Portfolio Composition.   The following table sets forth the composition of our loan portfolio, by type of loans at the dates indicated.

Loan Portfolio Maturities.   The following table summarizes the scheduled repayments of our loan portfolio at December 31, 2019. Demand loans, loans having no stated repayment schedule or maturity, and overdraft loans are reported as being due in the year ending December 31, 2020. Maturities are based on the final contractual payment date and do not reflect the impact of prepayments and scheduled principal amortization.

The following table sets forth the scheduled repayments of fixed- and adjustable-rate loans at December 31, 2019 that are contractually due after December 31, 2020.

One- to Four-Family Residential Real Estate Lending.   Our primary lending activity is the origination of one- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans. At December 31, 2019, $99.2 million, or 60.2%, of our total loan portfolio consisted of one- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans. We offer conforming and non-conforming, fixed-rate and adjustable-rate residential real estate mortgage loans with maturities of up to 30 years and maximum loan amounts generally of up to $484,350. Our adjustable-rate mortgage loans provide an initial fixed interest rate for one, five, seven or ten years and then adjust annually thereafter. They amortize over a period of up to 30 years.

One- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans are generally underwritten according to Freddie Mac guidelines, and we refer to loans that conform to such guidelines as “conforming loans.” We generally originate both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans in amounts up to the maximum conforming loan limits as established by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, which at December 31, 2019 was $484,350 for single-family homes in our market area. Loans that exceed that limit are considered “jumbo loans.” At December 31, 2019, we had only $3.9 million in jumbo loans. For first mortgage loans with loan-to-value ratios in excess of 80%, we require private mortgage insurance. We do not have any loans in our loan portfolio that are considered sub-prime, or Alt-A. At December 31, 2019, we had $4.3 million in non-owner occupied one- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans.

We currently offer several adjustable-rate mortgage loans secured by residential properties with interest rates that are fixed for an initial period ranging from one year to ten years. After the initial fixed period, the interest rate on adjustable-rate mortgage loans is generally reset every year based upon a contractual spread or margin above the average yield on U.S. Treasury securities, adjusted to a constant maturity of one year, as published weekly by the Federal Reserve Board, subject to periodic and lifetime limitations on interest rate changes. All of our traditional adjustable-rate mortgage loans with initial fixed-rate periods of one, five, seven or ten years have initial and periodic caps of two percentage points on interest rate changes, with a cap of six percentage points for the life of the loan. Many of the borrowers who select these loans have shorter-term credit needs than those who select long-term, fixed-rate mortgage loans. We do not offer “Option ARM” loans, where borrowers can pay less than the interest owed on their loan, resulting in an increased principal balance during the life of the loan. At December 31, 2019, we had $3.5 million in adjustable-rate one- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans.

Adjustable-rate mortgage loans generally present different credit risks than fixed-rate mortgage loans primarily because the underlying debt service payments of the borrowers increase as interest rates increase, thereby increasing the potential for default.

We require title insurance on all of our one- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans, and we also require that borrowers maintain fire and extended coverage casualty insurance (and, if appropriate, flood insurance) in an amount at least equal to the lesser of the loan balance or the replacement cost of the improvements. A majority of our residential real estate mortgage loans have a mortgage escrow account from which disbursements are made for real estate taxes and flood insurance. We do not conduct environmental testing on residential real estate mortgage loans unless specific concerns for hazards are identified by the appraiser used in connection with the origination of the loan. If we identify an environmental problem on land that will secure a loan, the environmental hazard must be remediated before the closing of the loan.

Home Equity Lines of Credit.   In addition to traditional one- to four-family residential mortgage loans, we offer home equity lines of credit that are secured by the borrower’s primary or secondary residence. At December 31, 2019, we had $9.1 million, or 5.5%, of our total loan portfolio in home equity lines of credit and home equity loans. Unused commitments related to home equity lines of credit at December 31, 2019 were $5.9 million. Beginning in 2015, we stopped originating home equity loans and have a remaining balance of  $354,000 at December 31, 2019.

Home equity lines of credit are generally underwritten using the same criteria that we use to underwrite one- to four-family residential mortgage loans. Home equity lines of credit may be underwritten with a loan-to-value ratio of up to 80% (or 90% if we hold the first mortgage) when combined with the principal balance of the existing first mortgage loan. Our home equity lines of credit are originated with adjustable-rates based on the prime rate of interest and require interest paid monthly with terms of up to 25 years. For the first ten years during the draw period only interest is required to be paid. Home equity lines of credit are generally available in amounts between $50,000 and $150,000.

Home equity lines of credit secured by junior mortgages have greater risk than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans secured by first mortgages. At December 31, 2019, $4.0 million of our home equity loans and lines of credit were in a junior lien position, nearly all of which were second mortgages. We face the risk that the collateral will be insufficient to compensate us for loan losses and costs of foreclosure, after repayment of the senior mortgages, if applicable. When customers default on their loans, we attempt to foreclose on the property and resell the property as soon as possible to minimize foreclosure and carrying costs. However, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to compensate us for the amount of the unpaid loan and we may be unsuccessful in recovering the remaining balance from those customers. Particularly with respect to our home equity lines of credit, decreases in real estate values could adversely affect our ability to fully recover the loan balance in the event of a default.

Commercial Real Estate Loans.   In recent years, we have sought to increase our commercial real estate loans. Our commercial real estate loans are secured primarily by office buildings, industrial facilities, retail facilities, motels and other commercial properties, substantially all of which are located in our primary market area. At December 31, 2019, we had $34.4 million in commercial real estate loans, representing 20.8% of our total loan portfolio. This amount included $4.6 million of multi-family residential real estate loans. At December 31, 2019, we had $15.6 million in non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans (excluding multi-family residential real estate loans). At December 31, 2019, our commercial real estate loans had an average balance of  $325,000.

We generally originate adjustable-rate commercial real estate loans with maximum terms of up to 25 years. Adjustable-rate commercial real estate loans are tied to the five-year FHLB of New York advance rate plus a margin, subject to an interest rate floor. The maximum loan-to-value ratio of our commercial real estate loans is generally 80% (75% for non-owner occupied). All of our commercial real estate loans are subject to our underwriting procedures and guidelines. At December 31, 2019, our largest commercial real estate loan totaled $2.2 million and was secured by a mixed-use property located in our primary market area. At December 31, 2019, this loan was performing in accordance with its terms.

We consider a number of factors in originating commercial real estate loans. We evaluate the qualifications and financial condition of the borrower (including credit history), profitability and expertise, as well as the value and condition of the mortgaged property securing the loan. When evaluating the qualifications of the borrower, we consider the financial resources of the borrower, the borrower’s experience in owning or managing similar property and the borrower’s payment history with us and other financial institutions. In evaluating the property securing the loan, the factors we consider include the net operating income of the mortgaged property before debt service and depreciation, the debt service coverage ratio (the ratio of net operating income to debt service) to ensure that it is at least 120% of the monthly debt service and the ratio of the loan amount to the appraised value of the mortgaged property. All commercial real estate loans are generally appraised by outside independent appraisers approved by the board of directors. Personal guarantees are obtained from commercial real estate borrowers.

Loans secured by commercial real estate generally are larger than one- to four-family residential loans and involve greater credit risk. Commercial real estate loans often involve large loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. Repayment of these loans depends to a large degree on the results of operations and management of the properties securing the loans or the businesses conducted on such property, and may be affected to a greater extent by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy in general. Accordingly, the nature of these loans makes them more difficult for management to monitor and evaluate.

Commercial and Industrial Loans.   We make commercial and industrial loans, primarily in our market area, to a variety of professionals, sole proprietorships and small businesses. These loans are generally secured by business assets, and we may support this collateral with junior liens on real property. At December 31, 2019, commercial and industrial loans were $16.8 million, or 10.2% of our total loan portfolio. As part of our relationship- driven focus, we encourage our commercial borrowers to maintain their primary deposit accounts with us, which enhances our interest rate spread and margin.

Commercial lending products include term loans and revolving lines of credit. Commercial loans and lines of credit are made with either adjustable or fixed rates of interest. Adjustable rates and fixed rates are based on the prime rate as published in The Wall Street Journal, plus a margin. We are focusing our efforts on experienced, growing small- to medium-sized, privately-held companies with solid historical and projected cash flow that operate in our market areas.

When making commercial and industrial loans, we consider the financial statements of the borrower, our lending history with the borrower, the debt service capabilities of the borrower, the projected cash flows of the business and the value of the collateral. The debt service coverage ratio (the ratio of net operating income to debt service) must generally be at least 120.0% of the monthly debt service. Commercial and industrial loans are generally secured by a variety of collateral, primarily accounts receivable, inventory and equipment, and are supported by personal guarantees. Depending on the collateral used to secure the loans, commercial and industrial loans are made in amounts of up to 75.0% of the value of the collateral securing the loan, or 90.0% of the value on new equipment purchases. We generally do not make unsecured commercial and industrial loans.

Commercial and industrial loans generally have greater credit risk than residential real estate loans. Unlike residential real estate 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 and industrial loans generally are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to repay the loan from the cash flow of the borrower’s business. As a result, the availability of funds for the repayment of commercial and industrial loans may depend substantially on the success of the business itself. Further, any collateral securing the loans may depreciate over time, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value. We seek to minimize these risks through our underwriting standards. At December 31, 2019, our largest commercial and industrial loan was a $1.5 million loan to a construction company. This loan was performing according to its original terms at December 31, 2019.

Residential Construction Loans.   We make construction loans, primarily to individuals for the construction of their primary residences and to contractors and builders of single-family homes. At December 31, 2019, our construction loans totaled $3.7 million, representing 2.2% of our total loan portfolio. At that date, we also had $816,000 of construction loans in process. At December 31, 2019, all our single-family construction loans were to individuals.

Most of our residential construction loans are interest-only loans that provide for the payment of interest during the construction phase, which is usually up to six months. At the end of the construction phase, the loan may convert to a permanent mortgage loan or the loan may be paid in full. Construction loans generally can be made with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 90% of the estimated appraised market value upon completion of the project. Before making a commitment to fund a construction loan, we require an appraisal of the property by an independent licensed appraiser and title insurance. We also generally require inspections of the property before disbursements of funds during the term of the construction loan.

At December 31, 2019, our largest construction and land loan was for $976,000, all of which was outstanding. This loan was originated in 2018 and is secured by a one- to four-family residential property. This loan was performing according to its terms at December 31, 2019.

Construction financing generally involves greater credit risk than long-term financing on improved, owner-occupied real estate. Risk of loss on a construction loan depends largely upon the accuracy of the initial estimate of the value of the property at completion of construction compared to the estimated cost (including interest) of construction and other assumptions. If the estimate of construction cost proves to be inaccurate, we may be required to advance additional funds beyond the amount originally committed in order to protect the value of the property. Moreover, if the estimated value of the completed project proves to be inaccurate, the borrower may hold a property with a value that is insufficient to assure full repayment of the loan.

Consumer Loans.   We offer a limited range of consumer loans, principally to customers residing in our primary market area with other relationships with us and with acceptable credit ratings. Our consumer loans generally consist of loans secured by manufactured homes, deposit accounts, loans on new and used automobiles and unsecured personal loans. At December 31, 2019, consumer and other loans were $1.9 million, or 1.1% of our total loan portfolio. The largest portion of our consumer loan portfolio was manufactured home loans which totaled $1.3 million at December 31, 2019.

Consumer loans may entail greater risk than residential real estate 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 a small remaining deficiency often does not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower. Consumer loan collections depend on the 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 that can be recovered on such loans.

Originations, Purchases and Sales of Loans

Lending activities are conducted by our loan personnel operating at our main and branch office locations. We also obtain referrals from existing or past customers and from real estate brokers, builders and attorneys. All loans that we originate are underwritten pursuant to our policies and procedures, which incorporate Freddie Mac underwriting guidelines to the extent applicable. We originate both adjustable-rate and fixed-rate loans. Our ability to originate fixed or adjustable-rate loans is dependent upon the relative customer demand for such loans, which is affected by current market interest rates as well as anticipated future market interest rates. Our loan origination and sales activity may be adversely affected by a rising interest rate environment, which typically results in decreased loan demand.

We generally do not purchase whole loans from third parties. However, from time to time, we may purchase or sell participation interests in loans. We underwrite our participation interest in the loan that we are purchasing according to our own underwriting criteria and procedures. At December 31, 2019, we had $3.7 million of loan participation interests that we purchased, and at that date, we had no loans for which we had sold participation interests.

Historically, we have not sold a significant amount of loans, but in the last four years, we started to regularly sell a portion of our fixed-rate one- to four-family residential real estate loans into the secondary market in order to manage the duration and time to repricing of our loan portfolio, and to generate fee income. Loans that we sell into the secondary market consist of long-term (20 years or greater), conforming fixed-rate residential real estate mortgage loans, which we primarily sell to the FHLB of New York’s Mortgage Partnership Finance program, and, to Freddie Mac. These loans are sold without recourse. We generally retain the servicing rights on all conforming fixed-rate residential mortgage loans that we sell. Loan servicing includes collecting and remitting loan payments, accounting for principal and interest, contacting delinquent borrowers, supervising foreclosures and property dispositions in the event of unremediated defaults, making certain insurance and tax payments on behalf of the borrowers and generally administering the loans. We retain a portion of the interest paid by the borrower on the loans we service as consideration for our servicing activities.

Loan Approval Procedures and Authority

Pursuant to federal law, the aggregate amount of loans that Seneca Savings is permitted to make to any one borrower or a group of related borrowers is generally limited to 15% of Seneca Savings’ unimpaired capital and surplus (25% if the amount in excess of 15% is secured by “readily marketable collateral”). At December 31, 2019, based on the 15% limitation, Seneca Savings’ loans-to-one-borrower limit was approximately $3.2 million. Seneca Savings’ internal limit at December 31, 2019 was $2.5 million. On the same date, Seneca Savings had no borrowers with outstanding balances in excess of this amount. At December 31, 2019, our largest loan relationship with one borrower was for $2.2 million, which was secured by a mix-use property in our primary market area, and the underlying loan was performing in accordance with its terms on that date.

Our lending is subject to written underwriting standards and origination procedures. Decisions on loan applications are made on the basis of detailed applications submitted by the prospective borrower, credit histories that we obtain, and property valuations (consistent with our appraisal policy) prepared by outside independent licensed appraisers approved by our board of directors as well as internal evaluations, where permitted by regulations. The loan applications are designed primarily to determine the borrower’s ability to repay the requested loan, and the more significant items on the application are verified through use of credit reports, bank statements and tax returns.

Residential mortgage loans up to $200,000 may be approved by underwriters. Our President and Chief Executive Officer has individual authorization of $250,000, Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending has individual authorization to approve residential loans up to $200,000. Residential loans greater than $250,000 and up to $1,000,000 must be approved by our loan committee while loans over $1,000,000 must be approved by our loan committee and the board of directors. Our loan committee consists of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending, and two outside board members.

Commercial loans up to $100,000 may be approved by commercial loan officers and up to $200,000 by the Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending. The President and Chief Executive Officer has individual authority to approve a commercial loan up to $250,000. These individuals can combine their authority to approve commercial loans up to $400,000. Our loan committee can approve commercial loans up to $1,000,000 in the aggregate. Commercial loans in excess of   $1,000,000 require the approval of both the loan committee and our board of directors.

We require title insurance on our mortgage loans as well as fire and extended coverage casualty insurance in amounts at least equal to the principal amount of the loan or the value of improvements on the property, depending on the type of loan.

Delinquencies and Asset Quality

Delinquency Procedures.   System-generated late notices are mailed to borrowers after the late payment “grace period,” which is 15 days in the case of all loans secured by residential or commercial real estate and 10 days in the case of commercial and industrial and most consumer loans. A second notice will be mailed to borrowers if the loan remains past due after 30 days, and we attempt to contact the borrower and develop a plan of repayment. By the 90th day of delinquency, we will have our attorneys issue a demand letter. The demand letter will require the borrowers to bring the loan current within 30 days in order to avoid the beginning of foreclosure proceedings for loans secured by real estate. A report of all loans 30 days or more past due is provided to the board of directors monthly.

Loans Past Due and Non-Performing Assets.   Loans are reviewed on a regular basis. Management determines that a loan is impaired or non-performing when it is probable that at least a portion of the loan will not be collected in accordance with the original terms due to a deterioration in the financial condition of the borrower or the value of the underlying collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. When a loan is determined to be impaired, the measurement of the loan in the allowance for loan losses is based on present value of expected future cash flows, except that all collateral-dependent loans are measured for impairment based on the fair value of the collateral. Non-accrual loans are loans for which collectability is questionable and, therefore, interest on such loans will no longer be recognized on an accrual basis. All loans that become 90 days or more delinquent are placed on non-accrual status unless the loan is well secured and in the process of collection. When loans are placed on non-accrual status, unpaid accrued interest is fully reversed, and further income is recognized only to the extent received on a cash basis or cost recovery method.

When we acquire real estate as a result of foreclosure, the real estate is classified as real estate owned. The real estate owned is recorded at the lower of carrying amount or fair value, less estimated costs to sell. Any excess of the recorded value of the loan satisfied over the market value of the property is charged against the allowance for loan losses, or, if the existing allowance is inadequate, charged to expense of the current period. After acquisition, all costs incurred in maintaining the property are expensed. Costs relating to the development and improvement of the property, however, are capitalized to the extent of estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell.

A loan is classified as a troubled debt restructuring if, for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s financial difficulties, we grant a concession to the borrower that we would not otherwise consider. This usually includes a modification of loan terms, such as a reduction of the interest rate to below market terms, capitalizing past due interest or extending the maturity date and possibly a partial forgiveness of the principal amount due. Interest income on restructured loans is accrued after the borrower demonstrates the ability to pay under the restructured terms through a sustained period of repayment performance, which is generally six consecutive months. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had two commercial real-estate loans considered to be troubled debt restructurings and were non-accruing, totaling $962,000 and $1 million respectively.

Delinquent Loans.   The following table sets forth our loan delinquencies by type and by amount at the dates indicated.

Total delinquent loans decreased $330,000 to $3.1 million at December 31, 2019 from $3.5 million at December 31, 2018, due primarily to a decrease in delinquent residential construction loans.

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

Total non-performing loans increased $669,000 at December 31, 2019 as compared to at December 31, 2018 primarily due to two commercial real estate loans secured by owner occupied commercial buildings. At December 31, 2019 the two non-accruing commercial real estate loans totaling $962,000 were troubled debt restructurings and paying as agreed.

For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, gross interest income that would have been recorded had our non-accruing loans been current in accordance with their original terms was $48,000 and $79,000, respectively. No interest income was recognized on such loans for the years ended December 31, 2019 or 2018.

Classified Assets.   Federal regulations provide for the classification of loans and other assets, such as debt and equity securities considered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to be of lesser quality, as “substandard,” “doubtful” or “loss.” 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 insured institution will sustain “some loss” if the deficiencies are not corrected. Assets classified as “doubtful” have all of the weaknesses inherent in those classified “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 allowance is not warranted. Assets which do not currently expose the insured institution to sufficient risk to warrant classification in one of the aforementioned categories but possess weaknesses are designated as “special mention” by our management.

When an insured institution classifies problem assets as either substandard or doubtful, it may establish general allowances in an amount deemed prudent by management to cover probable accrued losses. General allowances represent loss allowances which have been established to cover probable accrued losses associated with lending activities, but which, unlike specific allowances, have not been allocated to particular problem assets. When an insured institution classifies problem assets as “loss,” it is required either to establish a specific allowance for losses equal to 100% of that portion of the asset so classified or to charge-off such amount. An institution’s determination as to the classification of its assets and the amount of its valuation allowances is subject to review by the regulatory authorities, which may require the establishment of additional general or specific loss allowances.

In connection with the filing of our call reports with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and in accordance with our classification of assets policy, we regularly review the problem loans in our portfolio to determine whether any loans require classification in accordance with applicable regulations.

The following table sets forth our amounts of classified assets and assets designated as special mention as of December 31, 2019 and 2018. The classified assets total at December 31, 2019 included two troubled debt restructured commercial real estate loans totaling $962,000 on non-accrual status and paying as agreed.

Allowance for Loan Losses

We provide for loan losses based on the allowance method. Accordingly, all loan losses are charged to the related allowance and all recoveries are credited to it. Additions to the allowance for loan losses are provided by charges to income based on various factors which, in our judgment, deserve current recognition in estimating probable losses. We regularly review the loan portfolio and make provisions for loan losses in order to maintain the allowance for loan losses in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

The allowance for loan losses is evaluated on a regular basis by management and is based upon management’s periodic review of the collectibility of the loans in light of historical experience, the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrower’s ability to repay, estimated value of any underlying collateral and prevailing economic conditions. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available.

The allowance consists of specific, general and unallocated components. The specific component relates to loans that are classified as doubtful, substandard or special mention. For such loans that are also classified as impaired, an allowance is generally established when the collateral value of the impaired loan is lower than the carrying value of that loan. The general component covers non-classified loans and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for qualitative factors. An unallocated component is maintained to cover uncertainties that could affect management’s estimate of probable losses. The unallocated component of the allowance reflects the margin of imprecision inherent in the underlying assumptions used in the methodologies for estimating specific and general losses in the portfolio.

A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that we will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Management considers the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed. Impairment is measured on a loan by loan basis by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent.

Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment. Accordingly, we do not separately identify individual consumer and residential loans for impairment disclosures.

We periodically evaluate the carrying value of loans and the allowance is adjusted accordingly. While we use the best information available to make evaluations, future adjustments to the allowance may be necessary if conditions differ substantially from the information used in making the evaluations. As an integral part of their examination process, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will periodically review our allowance for loan losses, and as a result of such reviews, we may have to adjust our allowance for loan losses. However, regulatory agencies are not directly involved in the process for establishing the allowance for loan losses as the process is our responsibility and any increase or decrease in the allowance is the responsibility of management.

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

Allocation of Allowance for Loan Losses.   The following table sets forth the allowance for loan losses allocated by loan category, the total loan balances by category, and the percent of loans in each category to total loans 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.

Investment Activities

General.   Our board of directors is responsible for approving and overseeing our investment policy. The investment policy is reviewed at least annually by management and any changes to the policy are recommended to the board of directors and are subject to its approval. This policy dictates that investment decisions be made based on the safety of the investment, liquidity requirements, potential returns and consistency with our interest rate risk management strategy. Our asset/liability management committee, which consists of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending, VP of Operations, Senior VP Regional Branch Manager and two board members, oversees our investing activities and strategies. All transactions are formally reviewed by the board of directors at least monthly.

Our current investment policy authorizes us to invest in debt securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies or government sponsored enterprises. The policy also permits investments in mortgage-backed securities, including pass-through securities, issued and guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, as well as investments in federal funds and deposits in other insured institutions. In addition, management is authorized to invest in investment grade state and municipal obligations and corporate debt obligations within regulatory parameters. We do not engage in any investment hedging activities or trading activities, nor do we purchase any high-risk mortgage derivative products, corporate junk bonds, and certain types of structured notes.

Debt and equity securities investment accounting guidance requires 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. At all dates below, we have only a securities available for sale portfolio which is reported at fair value.

The following table sets forth the amortized cost and fair value of our securities portfolio (excluding FHLB of New York common stock) at the dates indicated.

Portfolio Maturities and Yields.   The composition and maturities of the available-for-sale securities portfolio at December 31, 2019 are summarized in the following table. Maturities are based on the final contractual payment dates, and do not reflect the impact of prepayments or early redemptions that may occur. Tax-equivalent yields are presented and calculated to maturity. All the securities at this date were held as available-for-sale.

Sources of Funds

General.   Deposits have traditionally been our primary source of funds for use in lending and investment activities. We also use borrowings, primarily FHLB of New York advances, to supplement cash flow needs, lengthen the maturities of liabilities for interest rate risk purposes and manage the cost of funds. In addition, we receive funds from scheduled loan payments, investment maturities, loan prepayments, retained earnings and income on interest earning assets. While scheduled loan payments and income on interest earning assets are relatively stable sources of funds, deposit inflows and outflows can vary widely and are influenced by prevailing interest rates, market conditions and levels of competition.

Deposits.   Our deposits are generated primarily from our primary market area. We offer a selection of deposit accounts, including demand accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit and retirement accounts. Deposit account terms vary, with the principal differences being the minimum balance required, the amount of time the funds must remain on deposit and the interest rate. At December 31, 2019, we had $12.6 million in CDARS deposits.

Interest rates paid, maturity terms, service fees and withdrawal penalties are established on a periodic basis. Deposit rates and terms are based primarily on current operating strategies and market rates, liquidity requirements, rates paid by competitors and growth goals. We rely upon personalized customer service, long-standing relationships with customers, and the favorable reputation of Seneca Savings in the community to attract and retain deposits. We also seek to obtain deposits from our commercial loan customers.

The flow of deposits is influenced significantly by general economic conditions, changes in money market and other prevailing interest rates and competition. The variety of deposit accounts offered allows us to be competitive in obtaining funds and responding to changes in consumer demand. Based on experience, we believe that our deposits are relatively stable. However, the ability to attract and maintain deposits and the rates paid on these deposits, has been and will continue to be significantly affected by market conditions.

The following table sets forth the distribution of our average total deposit accounts, by account type, for the years indicated.

As of December 31, 2019, the aggregate amount of our outstanding certificates of deposit in amounts greater than or equal to $100,000 was approximately $53.5 million. The following table sets forth the maturity of those certificates as of December 31, 2019.

Borrowings.   Our borrowings consist of advances from the FHLB of New York. At December 31, 2019, we had the ability to borrow approximately $89.8 million under our credit facilities with the FHLB of New York, of which $32.9 million was advanced. Borrowings from the FHLB of New York are secured by our investment in the common stock of the FHLB of New York as well as by a blanket pledge of our residential and commercial mortgage portfolio not otherwise pledged. We also have an unsecured line of credit at Zions Bank for $2.5 million that has not been drawn on.

The following table sets forth information concerning balances and interest rates on our borrowings at and for the years shown:

Financial Services Activities and Subsidiary

Financial Quest, a division of Seneca Savings, offers asset management, financial planning, insurance, annuities and other financial products in partnership with Cetera Financial Services, a registered broker dealer. We have dedicated investment representatives who evaluate the needs of clients to determine suitable investment and insurance solutions to meet their short and long-term wealth management goals. At December 31, 2019, we had $59 million of assets held under management. Seneca Savings Insurance Agency, Inc., our subsidiary, collects fee income on fixed annuities and life insurance from legacy relationships. We are not actively using this subsidiary to generate new business.

Personnel

As of December 31, 2019, we had 41 full-time employees and five part-time employees. Our employees are not represented by any collective bargaining group. Management believes that we have good working relations with our employees.

TAXATION

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

Our federal and state tax returns have not been audited for the past five years. A desk audit of our New York state mortgage recording tax refund was performed for years 2016, 2017, 2018 and was completed with no material changes.

Federal Taxation

Method of Accounting.   For federal income tax purposes, Seneca Savings currently reports its income and expenses on the accrual method of accounting and uses a tax year ending December 31 for filing its federal income tax returns. Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Savings filed a consolidated federal income tax return. The Small Business Protection Act of 1996 eliminated the use of the reserve method of accounting for income taxes on bad debt reserves by savings institutions. For taxable years beginning after 1995, Seneca Savings has been subject to the same bad debt reserve rules as commercial banks. It currently utilizes the specific charge-off method under Section 582(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”).

Net Operating Loss Carryovers.   Generally, a financial institution may carry forward net operating losses indefinitely to offset up to 80% of federal taxable income. At December 31, 2019, Seneca Savings had no federal net operating loss carryforwards.

Capital Loss Carryovers.   A corporation cannot recognize capital losses in excess of capital gains generated. 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 it is carried and is used to offset any capital gains. Any undeducted loss remaining after the five-year carryover period is not deductible. At December 31, 2019, Seneca Savings had no capital loss carryovers.

Corporate Dividends.   Seneca Financial Corp. may generally exclude from its income 100% of dividends received from Seneca Savings as a member of the same affiliated group of corporations.

State Taxation

New York State Taxation.   Effective January 1, 2015, banking corporations are taxed under the New York State General Business Corporation Franchise Tax provisions. The New York State tax rate on “entire net income” has been reduced from 7.1% to 6.5% effective January 1, 2016, and various modifications are available to community banks (defined as banks with less than $8 billion in average total assets) regarding deductions associated with interest income.

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

As a federal savings association, Seneca Savings is subject to examination and regulation by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and is also subject to examination by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The federal system of regulation and supervision establishes a comprehensive framework of activities in which Seneca Savings may engage and is intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Deposit Insurance Fund. This regulation and supervision establishes a comprehensive framework of activities in which an institution may engage and is intended primarily for the protection of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s deposit insurance fund and depositors, and not for the protection of security holders. Seneca Savings also is a member of and owns stock in the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, which is one of the 11 regional banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

Under this system of regulation, the regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory, enforcement, rulemaking and examination activities and policies, including rules or policies that: establish minimum capital levels; restrict the timing and amount of dividend payments; govern the classification of assets; determine the adequacy of loan loss reserves for regulatory purposes; and establish the timing and amounts of assessments and fees. Moreover, as part of their examination authority, the banking regulators assign numerical ratings to banks and savings institutions relating to capital, asset quality, management, liquidity, earnings and other factors. These ratings are inherently subjective and the receipt of a less than satisfactory rating in one or more categories may result in enforcement action by the banking regulators against a financial institution. A less than satisfactory rating may also prevent a financial institution, such as Seneca Savings or its holding company, from obtaining necessary regulatory approvals to access the capital markets, pay dividends, acquire other financial institutions or establish new branches.

In addition, we must comply with significant anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws and regulations, Community Reinvestment Act laws and regulations, and fair lending laws and regulations. Government agencies have the authority to impose monetary penalties and other sanctions on institutions that fail to comply with these laws and regulations, which could significantly affect our business activities, including our ability to acquire other financial institutions or expand our branch network.

As a savings and loan holding company, Seneca Financial Corp. is required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board. 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. Seneca Financial Corp. is also subject to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the federal securities laws.

Any change in applicable laws or regulations, whether by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission or Congress, could have a material adverse impact on the operations and financial performance of Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Savings.

Set forth below is a brief description of material regulatory requirements that are or will be applicable to Seneca Savings and Seneca Financial Corp. The description is limited to certain material aspects of the statutes and regulations addressed, and is not intended to be a complete description of such statutes and regulations and their effects on Seneca Savings and Seneca Financial Corp.

Dodd-Frank Act

The Dodd-Frank Act made significant changes to the regulatory structure for depository institutions and their holding companies. However, the Dodd-Frank Act’s changes go well beyond that and affect the lending, investments and other operations of all depository institutions. The Dodd-Frank Act required the Federal Reserve Board to set minimum capital levels for both bank holding companies and savings and loan holding companies that are as stringent as those required for the insured depository subsidiaries, and the components of Tier 1 capital for holding companies were restricted to capital instruments that were then currently considered to be Tier 1 capital for insured depository institutions. Subsequent regulations issued by the Federal Reserve Board generally exempted from these requirements bank and savings and loan holding companies of less than $1 billion of consolidated assets (which has been increased to $3.0 billion as noted below). The legislation also established a floor for capital of insured depository institutions, and directed the federal banking regulators to implement new leverage and capital requirements that take into account off-balance sheet activities and other risks, including risks relating to securitized products and derivatives.

The Dodd-Frank Act created a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with broad powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has broad rule-making authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks and savings institutions such as Seneca Savings, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has examination and enforcement authority over all banks and savings institutions with more than $10 billion in assets. Banks and savings institutions with $10 billion or less in assets continue to be examined for compliance by their applicable bank regulators. The new legislation also weakened the federal preemption available for national banks and federal savings associations, and gave state attorneys general the ability to enforce applicable federal consumer protection laws.

The Dodd-Frank Act broadened the base for FDIC insurance assessments. Assessments are now based on the average consolidated total assets less tangible equity capital of a financial institution. The legislation also permanently increased the maximum amount of deposit insurance for banks, savings institutions and credit unions to $250,000 per depositor. The Dodd-Frank Act increased stockholder influence over boards of directors by requiring publicly traded companies to give stockholders a non-binding vote on executive compensation and so-called “golden parachute” payments. The legislation also directed the Federal Reserve Board to promulgate rules prohibiting excessive compensation paid to bank and savings and loan holding company executives, regardless of whether the company is publicly traded. Further, the legislation required that originators of securitized loans retain a percentage of the risk for transferred loans, directed the Federal Reserve Board to regulate pricing of certain debit card interchange fees and contained a number of reforms related to mortgage originations.

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018

On May 24, 2018, The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (the “EGRRCPA”) was enacted, which repeals or modifies certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and eases regulations on all but the largest banks. The EGRRCPA’s provisions include, among other things: (i) exempting banks with less than $10 billion in assets from the ability-to-repay requirements for certain qualified residential mortgage loans held in portfolio; (ii) not requiring appraisals for certain transactions valued at less than $400,000 in rural areas; (iii) exempting banks that originate fewer than 500 open-end and 500 closed-end mortgages from HMDA’s expanded data disclosures; (iv) clarifying that, subject to various conditions, reciprocal deposits of another depository institution obtained using a deposit broker through a deposit placement network for purposes of obtaining maximum deposit insurance would not be considered brokered deposits subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s brokered-deposit regulations; (v) raising eligibility for the 18-month exam cycle from $1 billion to banks with $3 billion in assets; (vi) providing federal savings associations with less than $20.0 billion in consolidated assets with the option to elect to operate under the same powers as a national bank; and (vii) simplifying capital calculations by requiring regulators to establish for institutions under $10 billion in assets a community bank leverage ratio at a percentage not less than 8% and not greater than 10% that such institutions may elect to replace the general applicable risk-based capital requirements for determining well-capitalized status. In addition, the law required the Federal Reserve Board to raise the asset threshold under its Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement from $1 billion to $3 billion for bank or savings and loan holding companies that are exempt from consolidated capital requirements, provided that such companies meet certain other conditions such as not engaging in significant nonbanking activities.

Federal Banking Regulation

Business Activities.   A federal savings association derives its lending and investment powers from the Home Owners’ Loan Act, as amended, and applicable federal regulations. Under these laws and regulations, Seneca Savings may invest in mortgage loans secured by residential and commercial real estate, commercial business and consumer loans, certain types of debt securities and certain other assets, subject to applicable limits. The Dodd-Frank Act authorized, for the first time, the payment of interest on commercial checking accounts. Seneca Savings may also establish, subject to specified investment limits, service corporation subsidiaries that may engage in certain activities not otherwise permissible for Seneca Savings, including real estate investment and securities and insurance brokerage.

Examinations and Assessments.   Seneca Savings is primarily supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Seneca Savings is required to file reports with and is subject to periodic examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Seneca Savings is required to pay assessments to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to fund the agency’s operations.

Capital Requirements.   Federal regulations require FDIC-insured depository institutions, including federal savings associations, to meet several minimum capital standards: a common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio, a Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio, a total capital to risk-based assets and a Tier 1 capital to total assets leverage ratio. The existing capital requirements were effective January 1, 2015 and are the result of a final rule implementing regulatory amendments based on recommendations of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and certain requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act.

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. The regulations also establish a minimum required leverage ratio of at least 4% Tier 1 capital. Common equity Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common equity Tier 1 and Additional Tier 1 capital. Additional Tier 1 capital generally includes certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries. Total capital includes Tier 1 capital (common equity Tier 1 capital plus Additional Tier 1 capital) and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital is comprised of capital instruments and related surplus meeting specified requirements, and may include cumulative preferred stock and long-term perpetual preferred stock, mandatory convertible securities, intermediate preferred stock and subordinated debt. Also included in Tier 2 capital is the allowance for loan and lease losses limited to a maximum of 1.25% of risk-weighted assets and, for institutions that have exercised an opt-out election regarding the treatment of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”) such as Seneca Savings, up to 45% of net unrealized gains on available-for-sale equity securities with readily determinable fair market values. Institutions that have not exercised the AOCI opt-out have AOCI incorporated into common equity Tier 1 capital (including unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale-securities). Calculation of all types of regulatory capital is subject to deductions and adjustments specified in the regulations.

In determining the amount of risk-weighted assets for purposes of calculating risk-based capital ratios, an institution’s assets, including certain off-balance sheet assets (e.g., recourse obligations, direct credit substitutes, residual interests), are multiplied by a risk weight factor assigned by the regulations based on the risk deemed inherent in the type of asset. Higher levels of capital are required for asset categories believed to present greater risk. For example, a risk weight of 0% is assigned to cash and U.S. government securities, a risk weight of 50% is generally assigned to prudently underwritten first lien one- to four-family residential mortgages, a risk weight of 100% is assigned to commercial and consumer loans, a risk weight of 150% is assigned to certain past due loans and a risk weight of between 0% to 600% is assigned to permissible equity interests, depending on certain specified factors.

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. The capital conservation buffer requirement was phased in beginning January 1, 2016 at 0.625% of risk-weighted assets and increased each year until fully implemented at 2.5% on January 1, 2019.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to the EGRRCPA, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed a rule that establishes a community bank leverage ratio (tier 1 capital to average consolidated assets) at 9% for institutions under $10 billion in assets that such institutions may elect to utilize in lieu of the general applicable risk-based capital requirements under Basel III. Such institutions that meet the community bank leverage ratio and certain other qualifying criteria will automatically be deemed to be well-capitalized. The new rule took effect on January 1, 2020.

At December 31, 2019, Seneca Savings’ capital exceeded all applicable requirements.

Loans to One Borrower.   Generally, a federal savings association may not make a loan or extend credit to a single or related group of borrowers in excess of 15% of unimpaired capital and surplus. An additional amount may be lent, equal to 10% of unimpaired capital and surplus, if secured by “readily marketable collateral,” which generally includes certain financial instruments (but not real estate). As of December 31, 2019, Seneca Savings was in compliance with the loans-to-one borrower limitations.

Standards for Safety and Soundness.   Federal law requires each federal banking agency to prescribe certain standards for all insured depository institutions. These standards relate to, among other things, internal controls, information systems and audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate risk exposure, asset growth, compensation and other operational and managerial standards as the agency deems appropriate. Interagency guidelines set forth the safety and soundness standards that the federal banking agencies use to identify and address problems at insured depository institutions before capital becomes impaired. If the 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. Failure to implement such a plan can result in further enforcement action, including the issuance of a cease and desist order or the imposition of civil money penalties.

Prompt Corrective Action.   Under the federal Prompt Corrective Action statute, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is required to take supervisory actions against undercapitalized institutions under its jurisdiction, the severity of which depends upon the institution’s level of capital. An institution that 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 common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 4.5% or a leverage ratio of less than 4% is considered to be “undercapitalized.” A savings institution that has total risk-based capital of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0%, a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 3.0% or a leverage ratio that is less than 3.0% is considered to be “significantly undercapitalized.” A savings institution that has a tangible capital to assets ratio equal to or less than 2.0% is deemed to be “critically undercapitalized.”

Generally, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is required to appoint a receiver or conservator for a federal savings association that becomes “critically undercapitalized” within specific time frames. The regulations also provide that a capital restoration plan must be filed with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency within 45 days of the date that a federal savings association is deemed to have received notice that it is “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized.” Any holding company of a federal savings association that is required to submit a capital restoration plan must guarantee performance under the plan in an amount of up to the lesser of 5.0% of the savings association’s assets at the time it was deemed to be undercapitalized by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or the amount necessary to restore the savings association to adequately capitalized status. This guarantee remains in place until the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency notifies the savings association that it has maintained adequately capitalized status for each of four consecutive calendar quarters. Institutions that are undercapitalized become subject to certain mandatory measures such as restrictions on capital distributions and asset growth. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency may also take any one of a number of discretionary supervisory actions against undercapitalized federal savings associations, including the issuance of a capital directive and the replacement of senior executive officers and directors.

At December 31, 2019, Seneca Savings met the criteria for being considered “well capitalized,” which means that its total risk-based capital ratio exceeded 10%, its Tier 1 risk-based ratio exceeded 8.0%, its common equity Tier 1 ratio exceeded 6.5% and its leverage ratio exceeded 5.0%

Qualified Thrift Lender Test.   As a federal savings association, Seneca Savings must satisfy the qualified thrift lender, or “QTL,” test. Under the QTL test, Seneca Savings must maintain at least 65% of its “portfolio assets” in “qualified thrift investments” (primarily residential mortgages and related investments, including mortgage-backed securities) in at least nine months of every 12-month period. “Portfolio assets” generally means total assets of a savings association, less the sum of specified liquid assets up to 20% of total assets, goodwill and other intangible assets, and the value of property used in the conduct of the savings association’s business.

Alternatively, Seneca Savings may satisfy the QTL test by qualifying as a “domestic building and loan association” as defined in the Internal Revenue Code.

A savings association that fails the QTL test must operate under specified restrictions set forth in the Home Owners’ Loan Act. The Dodd-Frank Act made noncompliance with the QTL test subject to agency enforcement action for a violation of law. At December 31, 2019, Seneca Savings satisfied the QTL test.

Capital Distributions.   Federal regulations govern capital distributions by a federal savings association, which include cash dividends, stock repurchases and other transactions charged to the savings association’s capital account. A federal savings association must file an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for approval of a capital distribution if:

Even if an application is not otherwise required, every savings association that is a subsidiary of a savings and loan holding company, such as Seneca Savings, must file a notice with the Federal Reserve Board at least 30 days before the board of directors declares a dividend.

An application or notice related to a capital distribution may be disapproved if:

In addition, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act provides that an insured depository institution shall not make any capital distribution if, after making such distribution, the institution would fail to meet any applicable regulatory capital requirement.

Community Reinvestment Act and Fair Lending Laws.   All federal savings associations have a responsibility under the Community Reinvestment Act and related regulations to help meet the credit needs of their communities, including low- and moderate-income borrowers. In connection with its examination of a federal savings association, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is required to assess the federal savings association’s record of compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act. A savings association’s failure to comply with the provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act could, at a minimum, result in denial of certain corporate applications such as branches or mergers, or in restrictions on its activities. In addition, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act prohibit lenders from discriminating in their lending practices on the basis of characteristics specified in those statutes. The failure to comply with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act could result in enforcement actions by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, as well as other federal regulatory agencies and the Department of Justice.

The Community Reinvestment Act requires all institutions insured by the FDIC to publicly disclose their rating. Seneca Savings received a “satisfactory” Community Reinvestment Act rating in its most recent federal examination.

Transactions with Related Parties.   A federal savings association’s authority to engage in transactions with its affiliates is limited by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and federal regulation. An affiliate is generally a company that controls, or is under common control with an insured depository institution such as Seneca Savings. Seneca Financial Corp. will be an affiliate of Seneca Savings because of its control of Seneca Savings. In general, transactions between an insured depository institution and its affiliates are subject to certain quantitative limits and collateral requirements. In addition, federal regulations prohibit a savings association from lending to any of its affiliates that are engaged in activities that are not permissible for bank holding companies and from purchasing the securities of any affiliate, other than a subsidiary. Finally, transactions with affiliates must be consistent with safe and sound banking practices, not involve the purchase of low-quality assets and be on terms that are as favorable to the institution as comparable transactions with non-affiliates.

Seneca Savings’ authority to extend credit to its directors, executive officers and 10% stockholders, as well as to entities controlled by such persons, is currently governed by the requirements of Sections 22(g) and 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation O of the Federal Reserve Board. Among other things, these provisions generally require that extensions of credit to insiders:

In addition, extensions of credit in excess of certain limits must be approved by Seneca Savings’ board of directors. Extensions of credit to executive officers are subject to additional limits based on the type of extension involved.

Enforcement.   The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has primary enforcement responsibility over federal savings associations and has authority to bring enforcement action against all “institution-affiliated parties,” including directors, officers, stockholders, attorneys, appraisers and accountants who knowingly or recklessly participate in wrongful action likely to have an adverse effect on a federal savings association. Formal enforcement action by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency may range from the issuance of a capital directive or cease and desist order to removal of officers and/or directors of the institution to the appointment of a receiver or conservator. Civil penalties cover a wide range of violations and actions, and range up to $25,000 per day, unless a finding of reckless disregard is made, in which case penalties may be as high as $1.0 million per day. The FDIC also has the authority to terminate deposit insurance or recommend to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency that enforcement action be taken with respect to a particular savings association. If such action is not taken, the FDIC has authority to take the action under specified circumstances.

Insurance of Deposit Accounts.   The Deposit Insurance Fund of the FDIC insures deposits at FDIC-insured financial institutions such as Seneca Savings. Deposit accounts in Seneca Savings are insured by the FDIC generally up to a maximum of  $250,000 per separately insured depositor and up to a maximum of  $250,000 for self-directed retirement accounts.

The FDIC charges insured depository institutions premiums to maintain the Deposit Insurance Fund. Assessments for most institutions are based on financial measures and supervisory ratings derived from statistical modeling estimating the probability of failure within three years. In conjunction with the Deposit Insurance Fund reserve ratio achieving 1.15%, the assessment range (inclusive of possible adjustments) was reduced for most banks and savings associations to 1.5 basis points to 30 basis points. The Dodd-Frank Act increased the minimum target Deposit Insurance Fund ratio from 1.15% of estimated insured deposits to 1.35% of estimated insured deposits. The FDIC was required to seek to achieve the 1.35% ratio by September 30, 2020. The FDIC indicated that the 1.35% ratio was exceeded in November 2018. Insured institutions of less than $10 billion of assets received credits for the portion of their assessments that contributed to the reserve ratio between 1.15% and 1.35%. The Dodd-Frank Act eliminated the 1.5% maximum fund ratio, instead leaving it to the discretion of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the FDIC has exercised that discretion by establishing a long-range fund ratio of 2%.

The FDIC has authority to increase insurance assessments. Any significant increases would have an adverse effect on the operating expenses and results of operations of Seneca Savings. Seneca Savings cannot predict what assessment rates will be in the future.

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. We do not currently know of any practice, condition or violation that may lead to termination of our deposit insurance.

Federal Home Loan Bank System.   Seneca Savings is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which consists of 11 regional Federal Home Loan Banks. The Federal Home Loan Bank System provides a central credit facility primarily for member institutions as well as other entities involved in home mortgage lending. As a member of the FHLB of New York, Seneca Savings is required to acquire and hold shares of capital stock in the FHLB of New York. As of December 31, 2019, Seneca Savings was in compliance with this requirement. While Seneca Savings’ ability to borrow from the FHLB of New York provides an additional source of liquidity, Seneca Savings has historically used FHLB of New York advances to fund its operations in addition to deposits.

Other Regulations

Interest and other charges collected or contracted for by Seneca Savings are subject to state usury laws and federal laws concerning interest rates. Seneca Savings’ operations are also subject to federal laws applicable to credit transactions, such as the:

The operations of Seneca Savings also are subject to the:

Holding Company Regulation

General.   Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Financial MHC are non-diversified savings and loan holding companies within the meaning of the Home Owners’ Loan Act. As such, Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Financial MHC are registered with the Federal Reserve Board and subject to the regulation, examination, supervision and reporting requirements applicable to savings and loan holding companies. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board has enforcement authority over Seneca Financial Corp., Seneca Financial MHC and its non-savings institution 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 institution.

Permissible Activities.   Under present law, the business activities of Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Financial MHC are generally limited to those activities permissible for financial holding companies under Section 4(k) of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, provided certain conditions are met and financial holding company status is elected, or for multiple savings and loan holding companies. A financial holding company may engage in activities that are financial in nature, including underwriting equity securities and insurance as well as activities that are incidental to financial activities or complementary to a financial activity. A multiple savings and loan holding company is generally limited to activities permissible for bank holding companies under Section 4(c)(8) of the Bank Holding Company Act, subject to regulatory approval, and certain additional activities authorized by federal regulations. Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Financial MHC have not elected financial holding company status.

Federal law prohibits a savings and loan holding company, including Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Financial MHC, directly or indirectly, or through one or more subsidiaries, from acquiring more than 5% of another savings institution or savings and loan holding company, without prior Federal Reserve Board approval. In evaluating applications by holding companies to acquire savings institutions, the Federal Reserve Board considers factors such as the financial and managerial resources, future prospects of the company and institution involved, the effect of the acquisition on the risk to the federal deposit insurance fund, the convenience and needs of the community and competitive factors.

The Federal Reserve Board is prohibited from approving any acquisition that would result in a multiple savings and loan holding company controlling savings institutions in more than one state, subject to two exceptions:

Capital.   Savings and loan holding companies have historically not been subjected to consolidated regulatory capital requirements. The Dodd-Frank Act 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. However, pursuant to legislation passed in December 2014, the Federal Reserve Board extended to savings and loan holding companies the applicability of the “Small Bank Holding Company” exception to its consolidated capital requirements and increased the threshold for the exception from $500 million of assets to $1.0 billion, effective May 15, 2015. As noted above, the EGRRCPA increased the threshold for the exception to $3.0 billion in consolidated assets. As a result, savings and loan holding companies with less than $3.0 billion in consolidated assets are generally not subject to the capital requirements unless otherwise advised by the Federal Reserve Board.

Source of Strength.   The Dodd-Frank Act extended the “source of strength” doctrine to savings and loan holding companies. The Federal Reserve Board has issued regulations requiring that all savings and loan holding companies serve as a source of strength to their subsidiary depository institutions.

Dividends and Stock Repurchases.   The Federal Reserve Board has issued a policy statement regarding the payment of dividends by holding companies. In general, the policy provides that dividends should be paid only out of current earnings and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention by the holding company appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall supervisory financial condition. Separate regulatory guidance provides for prior consultation with Federal Reserve Bank staff concerning dividends in certain circumstances such as where the company’s net income for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid over that period, is insufficient to fully fund the dividend or the company’s overall rate or earnings retention is inconsistent with the company’s capital needs and overall financial condition. The ability of a savings and loan holding company to pay dividends may be restricted if a subsidiary savings association becomes undercapitalized. The regulatory guidance also states that a savings and loan holding company should inform Federal Reserve Bank supervisory staff prior to redeeming or repurchasing common stock or perpetual preferred stock if the savings and loan holding company is experiencing financial weaknesses or the repurchase or redemption would result in a net reduction, at the end of a quarter, in the amount of such equity instruments outstanding compared with the beginning of the quarter in which the redemption or repurchase occurred. These regulatory policies may affect the ability of Seneca Financial Corp. to pay dividends, repurchase shares of common stock or otherwise engage in capital distributions.

Waivers of Dividends by Seneca Financial MHC.   Seneca Financial Corp. may pay dividends on its common stock to public stockholders. If it does, it is also required to pay dividends to Seneca Financial MHC, unless Seneca Financial MHC elects to waive the receipt of dividends. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, Seneca Financial MHC must receive the approval of the Federal Reserve Board before it may waive the receipt of any dividends from Seneca Financial Corp. The Federal Reserve Board has issued an interim final rule providing that it will not object to dividend waivers under certain circumstances, including circumstances where the waiver is not detrimental to the safe and sound operation of the savings association and a majority of the mutual holding company’s members have approved the waiver of dividends by the mutual holding company within the previous twelve months. In addition, for a “non-grandfathered” mutual holding company such as Seneca Financial MHC, each officer or director of Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Savings, and any tax-qualified stock benefit plan or non-tax-qualified stock benefit plan in which such individual participates that holds any shares of stock to which the waiver would apply, must waive the right to receive any such dividend declared. In addition, any dividends waived by Seneca Financial MHC must be considered in determining an appropriate exchange ratio in the event of a conversion of the mutual holding company to stock form.

Conversion of Seneca Financial, MHC to Stock Form.   Federal Reserve Board regulations permit Seneca Financial MHC to convert from the mutual form of organization to the capital stock form of organization (a “Conversion Transaction”). There can be no assurance when, if ever, a Conversion Transaction will occur, and the board of directors has no current intention or plan to undertake a Conversion Transaction. In a Conversion Transaction, a new stock holding company would be formed as the successor to Seneca Financial Corp. (the “New Holding Company”), Seneca Financial MHC’s corporate existence would end, and certain depositors and borrowers of Seneca Savings would receive the right to subscribe for shares of the New Holding Company. In a Conversion Transaction, each share of common stock held by stockholders other than Seneca Financial MHC (“Minority Stockholders”) would be automatically converted into a number of shares of common stock of the New Holding Company determined pursuant to an exchange ratio that ensures that Minority Stockholders own the same percentage of common stock in the New Holding Company as they owned in Seneca Financial Corp. immediately prior to the Conversion Transaction. The total number of shares of common stock held by Minority Stockholders after a Conversion Transaction also would be increased by any purchases by Minority Stockholders in the stock offering conducted as part of the Conversion Transaction. Any Conversion Transaction would be subject to approvals by Minority Stockholders and members of Seneca Financial MHC. Minority Stockholders will not be able to force a Conversion Transaction without the consent of Seneca Financial MHC since such transaction also requires, under federal corporate law, the approval of a majority of all of the outstanding voting stock, which can only be achieved if Seneca Financial MHC voted to approve such transaction.

Acquisition.   Under the Federal Change in Bank Control Act, a notice must be submitted to the Federal Reserve Board if any person (including a company), or group acting in concert, seeks to acquire direct or indirect “control” of a savings and loan holding company. Under certain circumstances, a change of control may occur, and prior notice is required, upon the acquisition of 10% or more of the company’s outstanding voting stock, unless the Federal Reserve Board has found that the acquisition will not result in control of the company. A change in control definitively occurs upon the acquisition of 25% or more of the company’s outstanding voting stock. Under the Change in Bank Control Act, the Federal Reserve Board generally has 60 days from the filing of a complete notice to act, taking into consideration certain factors, including the financial and managerial resources of the acquirer and the competitive effects of the acquisition.

Federal Securities Laws

Seneca Financial Corp. common stock is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seneca Financial Corp. is subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading restrictions and other requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of shares of common stock issued in Seneca Financial Corp.’s public offering does not cover the resale of those shares. Shares of common stock purchased by persons who are not affiliates of Seneca Financial Corp. may be resold without registration.

Shares purchased by an affiliate of Seneca Financial Corp. are subject to the resale restrictions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933. If Seneca Financial Corp. meets the current public information requirements of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, each affiliate of Seneca Financial Corp. 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 Seneca Financial Corp., or the average weekly volume of trading in the shares during the preceding four calendar weeks. In the future, Seneca Financial Corp. may permit affiliates to have their shares registered for sale under the Securities Act of 1933.

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. We have 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.

Emerging Growth Company Status

Seneca Financial Corp. is an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. We will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of: (i) the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial stock offering, (ii) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenues are $1.07 billion or more, (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.07 billion in non-convertible debt securities or (iv) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

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; however, Seneca Financial Corp. will also not be subject to the auditor attestation requirement or additional executive compensation disclosure so long as it remains a “smaller reporting company” under Securities and Exchange Commission regulations (generally a company with less than $250 million of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates and a non-accelerated filer). Finally, an emerging growth company may elect to use the extended transition period to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies, but must make such election when the company is first required to file a registration statement. Seneca Financial Corp. has elected to use the extended transition period to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies. Accordingly, our consolidated financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of public companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

Not applicable, as Seneca Financial Corp. is a “smaller reporting company.”

None.

As of December 31, 2019, the net book value of our office properties was $3.0 million, and the net book value of our furniture, fixtures and equipment was $481,000. The following table sets forth information regarding our offices.

We believe that current facilities are adequate to meet our present and foreseeable needs, subject to possible future expansion.

Periodically, we are involved in claims and lawsuits, 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, 2019, we are 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.

Not applicable.

PART II

Our common stock is quoted on the OTC Pink Marketplace operated by OTC Markets Group under the symbol “SNNF.” As of March 18, 2020, we had 385 stockholders of record (excluding the number of persons or entities holding stock in street name through various brokerage firms), and 1,912,959 shares of common stock outstanding. Market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

We have never paid a dividend. 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.

The Federal Reserve Board has issued a policy statement providing that dividends should be paid only out of current earnings and only if our prospective rate of earnings retention is consistent with our capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. Regulatory guidance also provides for prior regulatory consultation with respect to capital distributions in certain circumstances such as where the holding company’s net income for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid over that period, is insufficient to fully fund the dividend or the holding company’s overall rate or earnings retention is inconsistent with its capital needs and overall financial condition. In addition, Seneca Savings’ ability to pay dividends will be limited if it does not have the capital conservation buffer required by the current capital rules, which may limit our ability to pay dividends to stockholders. No assurances can be given that any dividends will be paid or that, if paid, will not be reduced or eliminated in the future. Special cash dividends, stock dividends or returns of capital, to the extent permitted by regulations and policies of the Federal Reserve Board and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, may be paid in addition to, or in lieu of, regular cash dividends.

If Seneca Financial Corp. pays dividends to its stockholders, it will likely pay dividends to Seneca Financial MHC. The Federal Reserve Board’s current regulations significantly restrict the ability of mutual holding companies organized after December 1, 2009 to waive dividends declared by their subsidiaries. Accordingly, we do not currently anticipate that Seneca Financial MHC will waive dividends paid by Seneca Financial Corp.

There were no sales of unregistered securities or repurchase of shares of common stock during the 4th quarter of 2019.

The summary information presented below at each date or for each of the years presented is derived in part from the audited consolidated financial statements of Seneca Financial Corp. and Seneca Savings. The financial condition data at December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the operating data for the years ended December 31, 2019, and 2018, were derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of Seneca Financial Corp. included elsewhere in this annual report. The information at and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was derived in part from audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this annual report. The following information is only a summary and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes included in this annual report.

This discussion and analysis reflect 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, which appear elsewhere in this annual report. You should read the information in this section in conjunction with the other business and financial information provided in this annual report.

Overview

Our results of operations depend primarily on our net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between the interest income we earn on our interest-earning assets, consisting primarily of loans, investment securities and other interest-earning assets (cash and cash equivalents), and the interest we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities, consisting primarily of demand accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificate of deposit accounts and borrowings. Our results of operations also are affected by non-interest income, our provision for loan losses and non-interest expense. Non-interest income consists primarily of fee income and service charges, income from our financial services division, earnings on bank owned life insurance, realized gains on sales of loans and securities and other income. Non-interest expenses consist primarily of compensation and employee benefits, core processing, premises and equipment, professional fees, postage and office supplies, FDIC premiums, advertising and other expenses. Our results of operations also may be affected significantly by general and local economic and competitive conditions, changes in market interest rates, government policies and actions of regulatory authorities. For the year ended December 31, 2019, we had net income of   $1.1 million compared to net income of  $850,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018. The year over year $267,000 increase in net income was primarily attributable to an increase in net interest income of  $412,000, and an increase in non-interest income of $183,000 partially offset by an increase in the provision for loan losses of $232,000, an increase in non-interest expense of $5,000 and an increase in the provision for income taxes of $91,000.

At December 31, 2019, we had $210.2 million in consolidated assets, an increase of  $14.9 million, or 7.6%, from $195.3 million at December 31, 2018. During 2019, we focused on loan production, particularly with respect to commercial loans.

Business Strategy

We intend to operate as a well-capitalized and profitable community bank dedicated to providing exceptional personal service to our individual and business customers. We believe that we have a competitive advantage in the markets we serve because of our knowledge of the local marketplace and our long-standing history of providing superior, relationship-based customer service. Our current executive management team is comprised of individuals with strong banking backgrounds who have joined Seneca Savings beginning in 2013. In October 2013, we appointed Joseph G. Vitale as our President and Chief Executive Officer. Shortly thereafter, we hired Vincent J. Fazio as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The new management team has significant banking experience with our two executives each having approximately 20 years or more of banking experience. The management team has worked to revise our business strategy and position Seneca Savings for future growth and profitability.

Our current business strategy consists of the following:

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of income and expenses. We consider the accounting policies discussed below to be significant accounting policies. The estimates and assumptions that we use are based on historical experience and various other factors and are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions, resulting in a change that could have a material impact on the carrying value of our assets and liabilities and our results of operations.

On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. As an “emerging growth company”, we may delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Accordingly, our consolidated financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

The following represent our significant accounting policies:

Allowance for Loan Losses.   The allowance for loan losses represents management’s estimate of losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the date of the statement of condition and it is recorded as a reduction of loans. The allowance is increased by the provision for loan losses, and decreased by charge-offs, net of recoveries. Loans deemed to be uncollectible are charged against the allowance for loan losses, and subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. All, or part, of the principal balance of loans receivable are charged off to the allowance as soon as it is determined that the repayment of all, or part, of the principal balance is highly unlikely. Because all identified losses are immediately charged off, no portion of the allowance for loan losses is restricted to any individual loan and the entire allowance is available to absorb all loan losses.

The allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level considered adequate to provide for losses that can be reasonably anticipated. Management performs a quarterly evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance. The allowance is based on our past loan loss experience, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrower’s ability to repay, the estimated value of any underlying collateral, composition of the loan portfolio, current economic conditions and other relevant factors. This evaluation is inherently subjective, as it requires material estimates that may be susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available.

The allowance consists of specific, general and unallocated components. The specific component relates to loans that are classified as impaired. For loans that are classified impaired, an allowance is established when the discounted cash flows or collateral value of the impaired loan are lower than the carrying value of that loan.

The general component covers pools of loans, by loan class, including commercial loans not considered impaired, as well as smaller balance homogenous loans, such as residential real estate, home equity and other consumer loans. These pools of loans are evaluated for loss exposure based on historical loss rates for each of these categories of loans, which are adjusted for qualitative factors. The qualitative factors include:

Each factor is assigned a value to reflect improving, stable or declining conditions based on management’s best judgment using relevant information available at the time of the evaluation. Adjustments to the factors are supported through documentation of changes in conditions in a narrative accompanying the allowance for loan loss analysis and calculation.

An unallocated component is maintained to cover uncertainties that could affect management’s estimate of probable losses. The unallocated component of the allowance reflects the margin of imprecision inherent in the underlying assumptions used in the methodologies for estimating specific and general losses in the portfolio.

In addition, various regulatory agencies periodically review the allowance for loan losses. As a result of such reviews, we may have to adjust our allowance for loan losses. However, regulatory agencies are not directly involved in the process of establishing the allowance for loan losses as the process is the responsibility of Seneca Savings and any increase or decrease in the allowance is the responsibility of management.

Income Taxes.   Income taxes are provided for the tax effects of certain transactions reported in the consolidated financial statements. Income taxes consist of taxes currently due plus deferred taxes related primarily to temporary differences between the financial reporting and income tax basis of the allowance for loan losses, premises and equipment, certain state tax credits, and deferred loan origination costs. The deferred tax assets and liabilities represent the future tax return consequences of the temporary differences, which will either be taxable or deductible when the assets and liabilities are recovered or settled. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are reflected at income tax rates applicable to the period in which the deferred tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. As changes in tax laws or rates are enacted, deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted through the provision for income taxes.

Estimation of Fair Values.   Fair values for securities available-for-sale are obtained from an independent third party pricing service. Where available, fair values are based on quoted prices on a nationally recognized securities exchange. If quoted prices are not available, fair values are measured using quoted market prices for similar benchmark securities. Management generally makes no adjustments to the fair value quotes provided by the pricing source. The fair values of foreclosed real estate and the underlying collateral value of impaired loans are typically determined based on evaluations by third parties, less estimated costs to sell. When necessary, appraisals are updated to reflect changes in market conditions.

Pension Plans.   Seneca Savings sponsors a qualified defined benefit pension plan. The qualified defined benefit pension plan is funded with trust assets invested in a diversified portfolio of debt and equity securities. Accounting for pensions involves estimating the cost of benefits to be provided well into the future and attributing that cost over the time period each employee works. To accomplish this, we make extensive use of assumptions about inflation, investment returns, mortality, turnover, and discount rates. We have established a process by which management reviews and selects these assumptions annually. Among other factors, changes in interest rates, investment return and the market value of plan assets can (i) affect the level of plan funding; (ii) cause volatility in the net periodic pension cost; and (iii) increase our future contribution requirements. A significant decrease in investment returns or the market value of plan assets or a significant decrease in interest rates could increase our net periodic pension costs and adversely affect our results of operations. A significant increase in our contribution requirements with respect to our qualified defined benefit pension plan could have an adverse impact on our cash flow. Changes in the key actuarial plan assumptions would impact net periodic benefit expense and the projected benefit obligation for our defined benefit pension plan. See Note 10 to the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, “Employee Benefit Plans,” for information on this plan and the assumptions used.

Average balances and yields.   The following table sets forth average balance sheets, average yields and costs, and certain other information for the years indicated. No tax-equivalent yield adjustments were made, as the effect thereof was not material. All average balances are daily average balances. Non-accrual loans were included in the computation of average balances but have been reflected in the table as loans carrying a zero yield. The yields set forth below include the effect of deferred fees, discounts and premiums that are amortized or accreted to interest income or interest expense.