Item 1. Business
Overview
FVCBankcorp, Inc. (the "Company") is a registered bank holding company headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. We operate primarily through
our sole subsidiary, FVCbank, (the "Bank"), a community oriented, locally-owned and managed commercial bank organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. We serve the banking needs of
commercial businesses, nonprofit organizations, professional service entities, and their respective owners and employees located in the greater Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas. The
Company was established as the holding company for the Bank in 2015.
Since
the Bank began operations in November 2007, on the cusp of the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression, it has grown largely organically, through de novo branch expansion and
banker and customer acquisition, and two whole-bank acquisitions. In 2012, we completed the acquisition of
1st Commonwealth Bank of Virginia ("1st Commonwealth"), a $58.9 million asset savings and loan association in Arlington, Virginia.
On
October 12, 2018, we announced the completion of our acquisition of Colombo Bank ("Colombo"), pursuant to a previously announced definitive merger agreement. Colombo, which was
headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, merged into FVCbank effective October 12, 2018 adding five banking locations in Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County and the City of Baltimore in
Maryland. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, based on the average closing price of the Company's common stock during the five trading day period ended on October 10, 2018, the
second trading day prior to closing, of $19.614 (the Average Closing Price") holders of shares of Colombo common stock received 0.002217 shares of the Company's common stock and $0.053157 in cash for
each share of Colombo common stock held immediately prior to the effective date of the merger, plus cash in lieu of fractional shares at a rate equal to the Average Closing Price, and subject to the
right of holders of Colombo common stock who owned fewer than 45,086 shares of Colombo common stock after aggregation of all shares held in the same name, and who made a timely election, to receive
only cash in an amount equal to $0.096649 per share of Colombo common stock. As a result of the merger, 763,051 shares of the Company's common stock were issued in exchange for outstanding shares of
Colombo common stock.
Our
acquisition of Colombo supports our current business and allowed us to expand our presence in adjacent markets where we lend, but in which we had no physical presence. Colombo's
branch locations strengthen our strategy as they enable us to add lenders and banking services in areas where we currently lend. We expect that our strong infrastructure and wide range of products and
services will allow us to develop deeper relationships with Colombo's current customers, as well as enhance our platform for generating new relationships.
Market Area
We operate in one of the most economically dynamic and wealthy regions of the Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Areas ("MSA"),
focusing primarily on the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and the independent cities located within those counties, as well as Washington, D.C. and its Maryland
suburbs and Baltimore, Maryland and its surrounding suburbs. As of June 30, 2019, the Washington MSA had total deposits of $220.7 billion, excluding deposits maintained by a national
brokerage firm. The Baltimore MSA had total deposits of $74.3 billion as of June 30, 2019 based on FDIC data.
In
addition to the presence of the federal government, the Washington MSA is defined by attractive market demographics, including strong household incomes, dense populations and the
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presence
of a diverse group of large and small businesses. As of December 31, 2018, the Washington MSA had a median household income of $102,180, which ranks as sixth among all metropolitan
statistical areas nationally, and a population of 6.2 million. The Virginia and Maryland localities within the Washington MSA in which we primarily operate have higher median household incomes
than the Washington MSA as a whole and have an unemployment rate of 2.6% as of December 2019. The significant presence of national and international businesses make the Washington MSA one of the most
economically vibrant and diverse markets in the country. The Washington MSA is currently home to 15 Fortune 500 companies, including eight based in Fairfax County.
The
Baltimore MSA also has strong economic factors which enhance our business profile. As of December 31, 2018, the Baltimore MSA had a median household income of $80,469 which
represented 4% growth over the previous year. The Baltimore MSA has an unemployment rate of 2.9% as of December 2019. With a population of 2.8 million, the top industries of the Baltimore MSA
include health care, education, and professional, scientific and technical services.
Growth Strategy
Our approach features competitive customized financial services offered to customers and prospects in a personal relationship context by
seasoned professionals. We provide a full range of banking services that become integral to our customers' business operations, which helps to enhance our ability to retain our relationships. We offer
a better value proposition to our customers by providing high-touch service with few added fees. Our capabilities and reputation enable us to be selective in loan and customer selection, which
contributes to our strong asset quality, and our ability to provide multiple services to customers.
We
intend to continue expanding our market position through organic growth through expansion of our relationships with our existing customers, acquisition of new customers and
acquisition of seasoned bankers with strong customer relationships, through selective branching, and potentially opportunistic acquisitions, such as our acquisition of Colombo, while increasing
profitability, maintaining strong asset quality and a high level of customer service.
Our
success has been driven by our mission to help our clients, communities and employees prosper. We strive to exceed our clients' expectations by delivering superior, personalized
client service supported with high quality bank products and services. We invest in the growth of our employees and we give back to the communities in which we do business to foster a brighter future
for everyone who lives there. Much of our early growth was the result of the active promotion by our organizing shareholders, our board of directors, our advisory board and our shareholders as many of
our shareholders are customers. We receive referrals from existing customers and all employees are encouraged to promote the Company. We believe having such a large group of individuals actively
promote us has and will continue to augment our ability to generate both deposits and loans through staff and management led marketing and calling campaigns. As we have grown, we have increased our
reliance on management originated customer relationships, but believe that our strong network of personal, customer and shareholder relationships and referrals will continue to be a significant factor
in our business development strategy.
Our
vision is to be known as the number one community bank in experience and service in our community. Our passion is to provide the utmost banking experience for each of our clients, to
create a positive and empowering work environment for our employees, to fulfill our obligation of corporate citizenship in the communities in which we operate and to ensure that our Bank increases
profitability and grows prudently, ensuring its strength and continuity, and increasing shareholder value.
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Our Products and Services
We emphasize providing commercial banking services to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, non-profit organizations and
associations, and investors living and working in and near our service area. We offer retail banking services to accommodate the individual needs of both corporate customers as well as the communities
we serve. We also offer online banking, mobile banking and a remote deposit service, which allows clients to facilitate and expedite deposit transactions through the use of electronic devices. A
sophisticated suite of treasury management products is a key feature of our client focused, relationship driven marketing. We have partnered with experienced service providers in both insurance and
merchant services to further augment the products available to our customers.
Lending Products
We provide a variety of lending products to small and medium-sized businesses, including (i) commercial real estate loans;
(ii) commercial construction loans; (ii) commercial loans for a variety of business purposes such as for working capital, equipment purchases, lines of credit, and government contract
financing; (iii) SBA lending; (iv) asset based lending and accounts receivable financing; (v) home equity loans, or HELOCs; and (vi) consumer loans for constructive
purposes. Although we do not generally actively originate them, we have acquired pools of other types of loans, and we have purchased whole residential loans in our market area, student loans and
other consumer loans, in order to diversify the loan portfolio, put capital to work before organic loan production requires it, and to increase margin. We may also purchase participations from other
banks in our market. Any acquired loans must meet our standard underwriting requirements.
Commercial Real Estate Loans. Commercial real estate loans, which comprise the largest portion of the loan portfolio, are secured by
both owner
occupied and investor owned commercial properties, including multi-family residential real estate. Commercial real estate loans are structured using both variable and fixed rates and renegotiable
rates which adjust in three to five years, with maturities of generally five to ten years. At December 31, 2019, owner occupied commercial real estate loans represented 16.2% of the loan
portfolio. At December 31, 2019, non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans represented approximately 37.8% of the loan portfolio and multi-family residential real estate comprised 5.2% of
the portfolio. We seek to mitigate lending risks typical of this type of loan such as declines in real estate values, changes in borrower cash flow and general economic conditions. We typically
require a maximum loan to value of 80% and minimum cash flow and debt service coverages, of at least 1.20 to 1.0. Personal guarantees are generally required, but may be limited. We generally require
that interest rates adjust not less frequently than five years. For purposes of
geographic diversification, we will also make commercial real estate loans outside of our primary and secondary markets, in an area extending south to Richmond, Virginia, and north to Baltimore,
Maryland, and between Winchester, Virginia and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Construction Loans. Commercial construction loans for the acquisition, development and construction of commercial real estate also
comprise a
significant and growing portion of the portfolio. At December 31, 2019, such loans represented 17.0% of the loan portfolio. Our typical commercial construction loan involves property that will
ultimately be leased to a non-owner occupant. We will finance construction projects of a speculative nature, which are well-conceived and structured with appropriate interest reserves and analyzed
fully. In underwriting commercial construction loans, we consider the expected costs of the transaction, the loan to value ratio, the credit history, cash flows and liquidity of the borrower, the
project and the guarantors, the debt service coverage ratios (which are stressed prior to approval), take out sources for the permanent loan or repayment of the construction loan, the reputation,
experience and qualifications of the borrower, the general contractor and others involved with the project and other factors. Commercial construction loans are generally made on a variable rate basis,
typically based on the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate and subject to rate floors, for
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terms
of 12 - 24 months. Generally, we do not make commercial construction loans outside of our primary or secondary market areas.
Commercial Loans, Government Contracting. Commercial loans for a variety of business purposes, including working capital, equipment
purchases, lines
of credit, and government contract financing and asset based lending and accounts receivable financing, comprise approximately 9.0% of our loan portfolio at December 31, 2019. We make
commercial loans on a secured or unsecured basis. We generally require the owners, managing members, general partners and principals of the borrowing entity or that control more than 20% of the
borrower to guaranty the loan, unless a combination of low leverage, significant income and debt service coverage ratios, and substantial experience in operating the business, strong management and
internal controls and/or other factors are demonstrated. Commercial loans are typically made with variable or adjustable rates. The cash flow of the borrower/borrower's operating business is often the
principal source of debt service, with a secondary emphasis on other collateral.
We
have developed a special expertise in government contract financing. We lend to government contractors or subcontractors headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. This
area of lending encompasses lines of credit for working capital, financing of government leases, and, less frequently term loans, to operating companies that recognize over 50% of their total revenues
from
services provided to federal government agencies or rated state and municipal governments. Our borrowers are typically engaged in technology or service businesses, but may also include construction
and equipment providers, or entities working on "black" projects. A government contractor borrower must have an acceptable level of eligible accounts receivable, provide appropriate security
instruments perfecting our rights in the accounts receivable or other collateral, and are subject to periodic review and monitoring of their receivables, contract backlog and contract compliance. The
contractor is typically required to have its primary deposit relationship with us. Advance rates will be up to 90% of prime eligible government receivables, and lower percentages depending on the
nature of the receivables. At December 31, 2019, outstanding loans to government contractors represented 28.8% of our commercial and industrial segment. Total commitments to government
contractors totaled $131.6 million at December 31, 2019. Government contract loans are typically made with variable or adjustable rates. Lines of credit typically have a one year term.
As with other commercial loans, guarantees are typically required.
Consumer Residential. We actively originate HELOCs in the communities we serve in the Washington and Baltimore MSAs. Our HELOCs
generally have a
maximum loan to value of up to 85%, however, due to the favorable economic conditions and strong residential real estate market in these markets, actual loan to values are typically lower than the
maximum. We provide HELOCs as a service to our customers and when we receive referrals from various mortgage brokers within our market area. As of December 31, 2019, HELOCs comprise 5.2% of
total loans. While we do not originate residential first mortgages, we will occasionally originate a mortgage loan meeting our investment preferences presented by a mortgage broker. We have also
purchased portfolios of 1-4 family residential first mortgage loans on properties located in our market area for yield and diversification. At December 31, 2019, 1-4 family residential mortgage
loans represented 3.3% of the loan portfolio.
Other Loans. We occasionally originate consumer loans both on an unsecured basis and secured by non-real estate collateral. We have
also purchased
pools of unsecured consumer loans and student loans from a third party for yield and diversification.
The
lending activities in which we engage carry the risk that the borrowers will be unable to perform on their obligations. As such, interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve and
general economic conditions, nationally and in our market areas, could have a significant impact on our results of operations. To the extent that economic conditions deteriorate, including as a result
of events such
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as
the recent coronoavirus outbreak and related disruptions, business and individual borrowers may be less able to meet their obligations to us in full, in a timely manner, resulting in decreased
earnings or
losses. Economic conditions may also adversely affect the value and liquidity of property pledged as security for loans.
Our
goal is to mitigate risks in the event of unforeseen threats to the loan portfolio as a result of economic downturn or other negative influences. Plans for mitigating inherent risks
in managing loan assets include: carefully enforcing loan policies and procedures, evaluating each borrower's business plan during the underwriting process and throughout the loan term, identifying
and monitoring primary and alternative sources for loan repayment, and obtaining collateral to mitigate economic loss in the event of liquidation. Specific loan reserves are established based upon
credit and/or collateral risks on an individual loan basis. A risk rating system is employed to proactively estimate loss exposure and provide a measuring system for setting general and specific
reserve allocations.
Our
lending activities are subject to a variety of lending limits imposed by state and federal law. These limits will increase or decrease in response to increases or decreases in our
level of capital. At December 31, 2019, the Bank had a legal lending limit of $28.9 million. At December 31, 2019, our average funded loan size outstanding for commercial real
estate (including commercial construction) and commercial loans was $1.4 million and $228 thousand, respectively. In accordance with internal lending policies, we may sell participations
of loans to other banks, which allows us to manage risk involved in these loans and to meet the lending needs of our clients.
Concentrations of Credit Risk. Most of our lending is conducted with businesses and individuals in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Our
loan portfolio
consists primarily of commercial real estate loans, including construction and land loans, which totaled $1.04 billion and constituted 81.5% of total loans as of December 31, 2019, and
commercial loans, including loans to government contractors, which totaled $115.1 million and constituted 9.0% of total loans as of December 31, 2019. The geographic concentration of our
loans subjects our business to the general economic conditions within our market area. The risks created by such concentrations have been considered by management in the determination of the adequacy
of the allowance for loan losses. Management believes the allowance for loan losses is adequate to cover probable incurred losses in our loan portfolio as of December 31, 2019.
Comprehensive
risk management practices and appropriate capital levels are essential elements of a sound commercial real estate lending program. A concentration in commercial real estate
adds a dimension of risk that compounds the risk inherent in individual loans. The federal banking agencies have issued guidance governing financial institutions with concentrations in commercial real
estate lending. The guidance provides that institutions that have (i) total reported loans for construction, land development, and other land which represent 100% or more of an institution's
total risk-based capital; or (ii) total reported commercial real estate loans, excluding loans secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate, representing 300% or more of the institution's
total risk-based capital and the institution's commercial real estate loan portfolio has increased 50% or more during the prior 36 months, are identified as having potential commercial real
estate concentration risk. Institutions which are deemed to have concentrations in commercial real estate lending are expected to employ heightened levels of risk management with respect to their
commercial real estate portfolios, and may be required to hold higher levels of capital. We have a concentration in commercial real estate loans, and we have experienced significant growth in our
commercial real estate portfolio in recent years. As
of December 31, 2019, commercial real estate loans as defined for regulatory purposes represented 396.4% of our total risk-based capital. Of those loans, commercial construction, development
and land loans represented 111.7% of our total risk based capital. Owner-occupied commercial real estate loans represented an additional 107.0% of our total risk based capital. Management has
extensive experience in commercial real estate lending, and has implemented and continues to maintain heightened portfolio monitoring and reporting, and strong underwriting criteria with respect to
our commercial real estate portfolio.
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Deposit Products
We offer a wide array of deposit products for individuals, professionals, government contractors and other businesses, including interest and
noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts. We are a relationship based bank, and maintenance of significant deposit relationships is a factor in our
decision to make loans and the pricing of our products.
Our
sophisticated treasury management and online banking platform allows a commercial customer to view balances, initiate payments, pay bills (including positive pay), issue stop
payments, reconcile accounts and set up custom alerts. Online wires, ACH (including positive authorization), remote capture, cash disbursement and cash concentration are additional payment options
available to businesses. We provide customers with a sophisticated escrow management product which facilitates and simplifies management of multiple escrow balances. We also provide secure credit card
processing and merchant services, with reporting tailored to customer needs. We also offer online and mobile banking products to our consumer depositors, to complement our branch network.
Other Services
Through third party networks, we offer our customers access to a full range of business insurance products and business and consumer credit card
products.
Competition
We are one of the few remaining locally owned and managed independent community banks headquartered in Northern Virginia. We believe that this
is an advantageous position and valuable quality which positively differentiates us from our competitors and positions us for future growth from individuals and small and mid-sized business customers
who value the attention and customized services which a locally owned and managed community bank can provide.
As
of June 30, 2019, there were approximately $220.7 billion in total deposits shared between banking institutions located in Washington MSA, according to the FDIC. As of
that date, our deposit market share was approximately 0.57%, excluding deposits maintained in the Washington MSA by a national brokerage firm. Our strategic goal is to increase our market share
through selective new branch additions, opportunistic acquisitions, and acquisitions of customers from larger competitors. PNC Bank, Capital One, Wells Fargo Bank, Truist Bank, and Bank of America
Corporation hold the primary market shares. However, we believe these large banks generally cannot provide the same level of attention and customization of services to small businesses that we seek to
provide. Through correspondents, referrals to third parties with whom we have partnered, and our own capabilities, we are a full service financial provider, able to compete in substantially all areas
of banking, except trust services. Additionally, we believe we provide competitively priced products, superior customer service, flexibility and responsiveness when compared to our larger competitors.
The
banking business is highly competitive. We compete as a financial intermediary with other commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance
companies, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market mutual funds and other financial institutions operating in the Washington and Baltimore MSAs and elsewhere.
Our
market area is a highly competitive, highly branched, banking market. Competition in our market area for loans to small and middle-market businesses and professionals, our target
market, is intense and pricing is important. Several of our competitors have substantially greater resources and lending limits than we have, and offer certain services, such as extensive and
established branch networks and trust services that we do not currently provide or currently expect to provide in the near future. Moreover, larger institutions operating in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan market have access to borrowed funds at lower cost than may be available to us. Additionally, deposit competition
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among
institutions in the market area is strong. As a result, it is possible that we may pay above market rates to attract deposits.
Risk Management
We believe that effective risk management is of primary importance. Risk management refers to the activities by which we identify, measure,
monitor, evaluate and manage the risks we face in the course of our banking activities. These include liquidity, interest rate, credit, operational, compliance, regulatory, strategic, financial and
reputational risk exposures. Our board of directors and management team have created a risk-conscious culture that is focused on quality growth, which starts with capable and experienced risk
management teams and infrastructure capable of addressing the evolving risks we face, as well as the changing regulatory and compliance landscape. Our risk management approach employs comprehensive
policies and processes to establish robust governance. We believe a disciplined and conservative underwriting approach has been the key to our strong asset quality.
Our
board of directors sets the tone at the top of our organization, adopting and overseeing the implementation of our risk management, establishing our overall risk appetite and risk
management strategy. The board of directors approves our various operating policies, which include risk policies, procedures, limits, targets and reporting structured to guide decisions regarding the
appropriate balance between risk and return considerations in our business. Our board of directors receives periodic reporting on the risks and control environment effectiveness and monitors risk
levels in relation to the approved risk appetite. The Audit Committee of our board of directors provides primary oversight of our enterprise risk management function.
Credit
risk is the risk that borrowers or counterparties will be unable or unwilling to repay their obligations in accordance with the underlying contractual terms and the risk that
credit assets will suffer significant deterioration in market value. We manage and control credit risk in our loan portfolio by adhering to well-defined underwriting criteria and account
administration standards established by management, and approved by the board of directors. Our written loan policies document underwriting standards, approval levels, exposure limits and other limits
or standards deemed necessary and prudent. Portfolio diversification at the obligor, product and geographic levels is actively managed to mitigate concentration risk. In addition, credit risk
management includes an independent credit review process that assesses compliance with policies, risk rating standards and other critical credit information. In addition to implementing risk
management practices that are based upon established and sound lending practices, we adhere to sound credit principles. We evaluate our customers' borrowing needs and capacity to repay, in conjunction
with their character and history. Our management and board of directors place significant focus on maintaining a healthy risk profile and ensuring sustainable growth.
Our risk appetite seeks to balance the risks necessary to achieve our strategic goals while ensuring that our risks are appropriately managed and remain within our defined limits.
Our
management of interest rate and liquidity risk is overseen by our Asset and Liability Committee, based on a risk management infrastructure approved by our board of directors that
outlines reporting and measurement requirements. In particular, this infrastructure reviews financial performance, trends, and significant variances to budget; reviews and recommends for board
approval risk limits and tolerances; reviews ongoing monitoring and reporting regarding our performance with respect to these areas of risk, including compliance with board-approved risk limits and
stress-testing; ensures annual back-testing and independent validation of models at a frequency commensurate with risk level; reviews all hedging strategies and recommends changes as appropriate;
reviews and recommends our contingency funding plan; establishes wholesale borrowing limits to be submitted to the board of directors or its designated committee; and acts as a second line of defense
in reviewing information and reports submitted to the committee for the purpose of identifying, investigating, and assuring remediation, to its satisfaction, of errors or irregularities, if any.
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Investment Portfolio
Our investment securities portfolio is primarily maintained as an on-balance sheet contingent source of liquidity to fund loans and meet the
demands of depositors. It provides additional interest income and we seek to have limited interest rate risk and credit risk. We currently classify substantially all of our investment securities as
available-for-sale. Our investment policy authorizes investment primarily in securities of the U.S. government and its agencies; mortgage back securities and collateralized mortgage obligations issued
and fully backed by U.S. government agencies, securities of municipalities and to a lesser extent corporate bonds and other obligations, in each case meeting identified credit standards, and
certificates of deposit. The securities portfolio, along with certain loans, may also be used to collateralize public deposits, FHLB borrowings, and Federal Reserve Bank borrowings. We manage our
investment portfolio according to written investment policies approved by our board of directors. Our investment strategy aims to maximize earnings while maintaining liquidity in securities with
minimal credit risk and interest rate risk which is reflective in the yields obtained on those securities.
Employees
As of December 31, 2019, we had 124 full-time equivalent employees. None of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining
agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good and have not experienced interruptions of operations due to labor disagreements.
SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
Our business and operations are subject to extensive federal and state governmental regulation and supervision. The following is a brief summary
of certain statutes and rules and regulations that affect or may affect us. This summary is not intended to be an exhaustive description of the statutes or regulations applicable to our business.
Supervision, regulation, and examination of the Company by the regulatory agencies are intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the Deposit Insurance Fund, rather than our shareholders.
The Company. The Company is a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, or the Act and is
subject to
regulation and supervision by the Federal Reserve Board. The Act and other federal laws subject bank holding companies to restrictions on the types of activities in which they may engage, and to a
range of supervisory requirements and actions, including regulatory enforcement actions for violations of laws and regulations and unsafe and unsound banking practices. As a bank holding company, the
Company is required to file with the Federal Reserve Board an annual report and such other additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require pursuant to the Act. The Federal Reserve
Board may also examine the Company and each of its subsidiaries. As a small bank holding company under the Federal Reserve Board's Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement, the Company is not
subject to risk-based capital requirements adopted by the Federal Reserve Board, which are substantially identical to those applicable to the Bank, and which are described below.
The
Act requires approval of the Federal Reserve Board for, among other things, a bank holding company's direct or indirect acquisition of control of more than five percent (5%) of the
voting shares, or substantially all the assets, of any bank or the merger or consolidation by a bank holding company with another bank holding company. The Act also generally permits the acquisition
by a bank holding company of control, or substantially all of the assets of, any bank located in a state other than the home state of the bank holding company, except where the bank has not been in
existence for the minimum period of time required by state law; but if the bank is at least 5 years old, the Federal Reserve Board may approve the acquisition.
With
certain limited exceptions, a bank holding company is prohibited from acquiring control of any voting shares of any company which is not a bank or bank holding company and from
engaging
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directly
or indirectly in any activity other than banking or managing or controlling banks or furnishing services to or performing service for its authorized subsidiaries. A bank holding company may,
however, engage in, or acquire an interest in a company that engages in, activities which the Federal Reserve Board has determined by order or regulation to be so closely related to banking or
managing or controlling banks as to be properly incident thereto. In making such a determination, the Federal Reserve Board is required to consider whether the performance of such activities can
reasonably be expected to produce benefits to the public, such as convenience, increased competition or gains in efficiency, which outweigh possible adverse effects, such as undue concentration of
resources, decreased or unfair competition, conflicts of interest or unsound banking practices. Some of the activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined by regulation to be closely related
to banking include making or servicing loans, performing certain data processing services, acting as a fiduciary or investment or financial advisor, and making investments in corporations or projects
designed primarily to promote community welfare. The Federal Reserve may order a bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any of these activities or to terminate its ownership or control
of any subsidiary when it has reasonable cause to believe that the bank holding company's continued ownership, activity or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial safety, soundness, or
stability of it or any of its bank subsidiaries.
The
Gramm Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, or GLB Act, allows a bank holding company or other company to certify its status as a financial holding company, which would allow such company to
engage in activities that are financial in nature, that are incidental to such activities, or are complementary to such activities. The GLB Act enumerates certain activities that are deemed financial
in nature, such as underwriting insurance or acting as an insurance principal, agent or broker, underwriting, dealing in or making markets in securities, and engaging in merchant banking under certain
restrictions. It also authorizes the Federal Reserve Board to determine by regulation what other activities are financial in nature, or incidental or complementary thereto. The Company has not elected
financial holding company status.
The
Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or FDIA, require a bank holding company to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its bank subsidiaries. As a result of
a bank holding company's source of strength obligation, a bank holding company may be required to provide funds to a bank subsidiary in the form of subordinated capital or other instruments which
qualify as capital under bank regulatory rules. Any loans from the holding company to such subsidiary banks likely would be unsecured and subordinated to such bank's depositors and perhaps to other
creditors of the Bank. In addition, where a bank holding company has more than one FDIC-insured bank or thrift subsidiary, each of the bank holding company's subsidiary FDIC-insured depository
institutions is responsible for losses to the FDIC as a result of an affiliated depository institution's failure.
A
bank holding company is generally required to give the Federal Reserve prior written notice of any purchase or redemption of its own then outstanding equity securities. The Federal
Reserve may disapprove such a purchase or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe and unsound practice, or would violate any law, regulation, Federal Reserve order or
directive, or any condition imposed by, or written agreement with, the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has adopted an exception to this approval requirement for well-capitalized and well managed
bank holding companies if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding
12 months, is equal to 10% or more of the company's consolidated net worth.
As
a Virginia corporation, the Company is subject to additional limitations and restrictions. For example, state law restrictions include limitations and restrictions relating to
indemnification of directors, distributions to shareholders, transactions involving directors, officers or interested shareholders, maintenance of books, records, minutes, borrowing and the observance
of corporate formalities.
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The Bank. The Bank is a Virginia chartered commercial bank and a member of the Federal Reserve System, or a state member bank, whose
accounts are
insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the FDIC up to the maximum legal limits of the FDIC. The Bank is subject to regulation, supervision and regular examination by the Virginia Bureau of Financial
Institutions (the "VBFI") and the Federal Reserve Board. The regulations of these various agencies govern most aspects of the Bank's business, including required reserves against deposits, loans,
investments, mergers and acquisitions, borrowing, dividends and location and number of branch offices.
The
laws and regulations governing the Bank generally have been promulgated to protect depositors and the Deposit Insurance Fund, and not for the purpose of protecting shareholders.
Commercial
banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions are generally able to engage in interstate banking or acquisition activities. As a result, banks in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area can, subject to limited restrictions, acquire or merge with a bank in another jurisdiction, and can branch de novo in any
jurisdiction.
Banking
is a business, which depends on interest rate differentials. In general, the difference between the interest paid by a bank on its deposits and its other borrowings and the
interest received by a bank on loans extended to its customers and on securities held in its investment portfolio constitutes the major portion of the Bank's earnings. Thus, the earnings and growth of
the Bank are subject to the influence of economic conditions generally, both domestic and foreign, and also to the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States and its agencies, particularly the
Federal Reserve Board, which regulates the supply of money through various means including open market dealings in United States government securities. The nature and timing of changes in such
policies and their impact on the Bank cannot be predicted.
Subsidiary
banks of a bank holding company are subject to certain restrictions imposed by the Federal Reserve Act on any extensions of credit to the bank holding company or any of its
subsidiaries, or investments in the stock or other securities thereof, and on the taking of such stock or securities as collateral for loans to any borrower. Further, a bank holding company and any
subsidiary bank are prohibited from engaging in certain tying arrangements in connection with the extension of credit. A subsidiary bank may not extend credit, lease or sell property, or furnish any
services, or fix or vary the consideration for any of the foregoing on the condition that: (i) the customer obtain or provide some additional credit, property or services from or to such bank
other than a loan, discount, deposit or trust service; (ii) the customer obtain or provide some additional credit, property or service from or to the Company or any other subsidiary of the
Company; or (iii) the customer not obtain some other credit, property or service from competitors, except for reasonable requirements to assure the soundness of credit extended.
Branching and Interstate Banking. The federal banking agencies are authorized to approve interstate bank merger transactions without
regard to
whether such transaction is prohibited by the law of any state, unless the home state of one of the banks has opted out of the interstate bank merger provisions of the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking
and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994, or the Riegle-Neal Act, by adopting a law after the date of enactment of the Riegle-Neal Act and prior to June 1, 1997 which applies equally to all
out-of-state banks and expressly prohibits merger transactions involving out-of-state banks. Interstate acquisitions of branches are permitted only if the law of the state in which the branch is
located permits such acquisitions. Such interstate bank mergers and branch acquisitions are also subject to the nationwide and statewide insured deposit concentration limitations described in the
Riegle-Neal Act. Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have each enacted laws, which permit interstate acquisitions of banks and bank branches. The Dodd-Frank Act authorizes national and state banks
to establish de novo branches in other states to the same extent as a bank chartered by that state would be permitted to branch.
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The
GLB Act made substantial changes in the historic restrictions on non-bank activities of bank holding companies, and allows affiliations between types of companies that were
previously prohibited. The GLB Act also allows banks to engage in a wider array of nonbanking activities through "financial subsidiaries."
Brokered Deposits. A "brokered deposit" is any deposit that is obtained from or through the mediation or assistance of a deposit
broker. Deposit
brokers may attract deposits from individuals and companies throughout the United States and internationally whose deposit decisions are based primarily on obtaining the highest interest rates.
Certain reciprocal deposits of up to the lesser of $5 billion or 20% of an institution's deposits are excluded from the definition of brokered deposits, where the institution is
"well-capitalized" and has a composite rating of 1 or 2. We have used brokered deposits in the past, and we intend to continue to use brokered deposits as one of our funding sources to support future
growth. There are risks associated with using brokered deposits. In order to continue to maintain our level of brokered deposits, we may be forced to pay higher interest rates than those contemplated
by our asset-liability pricing strategy. In addition, banks that become less than "well-capitalized" under applicable regulatory capital requirements may be restricted in their ability to accept or
renew, or prohibited from accepting or renewing, brokered deposits. If this funding source becomes more difficult to access, we will have to seek alternative funding sources in order to continue to
fund our growth. This may include increasing our reliance on FHLB borrowing, attempting to attract additional non-brokered deposits, and selling loans. There can be no assurance that brokered deposits
will be available, or if available, sufficient to support our continued growth. The unavailability of a sufficient volume of brokered deposits could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations. The FDIC has proposed to adopt regulations that are intended to expand the ability of institutions to accept brokered deposits by, among other things,
simplifying the process by which institutions and deposit brokers nay obtain exemptions from the restriction or conditions on the acceptance of brokered deposits.
Bank Secrecy Act. Under the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct
Terrorism Act,
commonly referred to as the "USA Patriot Act," financial institutions are subject to prohibitions against specified financial transactions and account relationships, as well as enhanced due diligence
standards intended to detect, and prevent, the use of the United States financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. The Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions,
including banks, to establish anti-money laundering programs, including employee training and independent audit requirements, meet minimum standards specified by the act, follow minimum standards for
customer identification and maintenance of customer identification records, and regularly compare customer lists against lists of suspected terrorists, terrorist organizations and money launderers.
The costs or other effects of the compliance burdens imposed by the Bank Secrecy Act or future anti-terrorist, homeland security or anti-money laundering legislation or regulation cannot be predicted
with certainty.
Office of Foreign Assets Control. The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign
countries,
foreign nationals and others, which are administered by
the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC. The OFAC-administered sanctions targeting countries take many different forms. Generally, however, they contain one or more of
the following elements: (i) restrictions on trade with or investment in a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from and exports to a sanctioned country
and prohibitions on a "U.S. person" engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and
(ii) a blocking of assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of a sanctioned country have an interest by prohibiting transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction
(including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons). Blocked assets (e.g. property and bank deposits) cannot be paid out,
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withdrawn,
set off or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences.
Capital Adequacy. The Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC have adopted risk-based and leverage capital adequacy requirements, pursuant to
which they
assess the adequacy of capital in examining and supervising banks and bank holding companies and in analyzing bank regulatory applications. Risk-based capital requirements determine the adequacy of
capital based on the risk inherent in various classes of assets and off-balance sheet items. The Dodd-Frank Act additionally requires capital requirements to be countercyclical so that the required
amount of capital increases in times of economic expansion and decreases in times of economic contraction, consistent with safety and soundness.
The
federal banking agencies have adopted rules, referred to as the Basel III Rules, to implement the framework for strengthening international capital and liquidity regulation adopted
by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, or Basel III. The Basel III framework, among other things, (i) introduced the concept of common equity tier one capital, or CET1,
(ii) required that most adjustments to regulatory capital measures be made to CET1 and not to the other components of capital, () expanded the scope of the adjustments to capital that may be
made as compared to existing regulations, and (iv) specified that Tier 1 capital consists of CET1 and "Additional Tier 1 capital" instruments meeting specified requirements.
The
Basel III Rules require institutions requires banks to maintain: (i) a minimum ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets of 4.5%, plus a "capital conservation buffer" of 2.5%, or
7.0%; (ii) a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 6.0%, plus the capital conservation buffer, or 8.5%; (iii) a minimum ratio of Total (Tier 1 plus
Tier 2) capital to risk-weighted assets of 8.0% plus the capital conservation buffer, or 10.5%; and (iv) a minimum leverage ratio of 4%, calculated as the ratio of Tier 1 capital
to balance sheet exposures plus certain off-balance sheet exposures (computed as the average of the month-end ratios each month during a calendar quarter).
Basel
III also provides for a "countercyclical capital buffer," generally to be imposed when federal banking agencies determine that excess aggregate credit growth becomes associated
with a buildup of systemic risk. This buffer would be a CET1 add-on to the capital conservation buffer of 2.5%. The current policy of the Federal Reserve Board is to maintain the countercyclical
capital buffer at 0% in a normal risk environment.
Banking
institutions with a ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but below the capital conservation buffer (or below the combined capital conservation buffer and
countercyclical capital buffer, when the latter is applied) may face constraints on their ability to pay dividends, effect equity repurchases and pay discretionary bonuses to executive officers, which
constraints vary based on the amount of the shortfall.
Under
the Basel III Rules, mortgage-servicing assets and deferred tax assets are subject to certain restrictions on their inclusion as capital. Certain deferred tax assets arising from
temporary differences, mortgage-servicing assets, and significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions in the form of common stock are each subject to an individual
limit of 10% of CET1and an aggregate limit of 15% of CET1. The amount of these items in excess of the 10% and 15% thresholds are deducted from CET1. Amounts of mortgage servicing assets, deferred tax
assets and significant investments in unconsolidated financial institutions that are not deducted due to the aforementioned 10% and 15% thresholds are assigned a 250% risk weight. Finally, the Basel
III Rules increase the risk weights for past-due loans, certain commercial real estate loans, and some equity exposures, and makes selected other changes in risk weights and credit conversion factors.
The
Basel III Rules also include, as part of the definition of CET1, a requirement that banking institutions include the amount of additional other comprehensive income, or AOCI, which
primarily
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consists
of unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities, which are not required to be treated as other-than-temporary impairment, net of tax,) in calculating regulatory capital,
unless the institution makes a one-time opt-out election from this provision in connection with the filing of its first regulatory reports after applicability of the Basel III Rules to that
institution. The Bank opted out of this requirement and, as such, does not include AOCI in its regulatory capital calculation.
The
Basel III Rules provide for the manner of calculating risk-weighted assets, including the recognition of credit risk mitigation, such as the financial collateral and a range of
eligible guarantors. They also include the risk weighting of equity exposures and past due loans; and higher (greater than 100%) risk weighting for certain commercial real estate exposures that have
higher credit risk profiles,
including higher loan-to-value, or LTV, and equity components. In particular, loans categorized as "high-volatility commercial real estate," or HVCRE, loans are required to be assigned a 150% risk
weighting and require additional capital support. HVCRE loans are defined to include any credit facility that finances or has financed the acquisition, development or construction of real property,
unless it finances: 1-4 family residential properties; certain community development investments; agricultural land used or usable for, and whose value is based on, agricultural use; or commercial
real estate projects in which: (i) the LTV is less than the applicable maximum supervisory LTV ratio established by the bank regulatory agencies; (ii) the borrower has contributed cash
or unencumbered readily marketable assets, or has paid development expenses out of pocket, equal to at least 15% of the appraised "as completed" value; (iii) the borrower contributes its 15%
before the bank advances any funds; and (iv) the capital contributed by the borrower, and any funds internally generated by the project, is contractually required to remain in the project until
the facility is converted to permanent financing, sold or paid in full. The "Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act," or the 2018 Act, expanded the exclusion from HVCRE loans
to include credit facilities financing the acquisition or refinance of, or improvements to, existing income producing property, secured by the property, if the cash flow being generated by the
property is sufficient to support the debt service and expenses of the property in accordance with the institution's loan criteria for permanent financing. The 2018 Act also provides that the value of
contributed property will be its appraised value, rather than its cost. The 2018 Act permits an institution to reclassify an HVCRE loan as a non-HVCRE loan upon substantial completion of the project,
where the cash flow from the property is sufficient to support debt service and expenses, in accordance with the institution's underwriting criteria for permanent financing.
The
2018 Act also directed the federal banking agencies to develop a "Community Bank Leverage Ratio," ("CBLR"), calculated by dividing tangible equity capital by average consolidated
total assets. In October 2019, the federal banking agencies adopted a CBLR of 9%. If a "qualified community bank," generally a depository institution or depository institution holding company with
consolidated assets of less than $10 billion, has a leverage ratio which exceeds the CBLR, then such institution is considered to have met all generally applicable leverage and risk based
capital requirements; the capital ratio requirements for "well capitalized" status under Section 38 of the FDIA, and any other leverage or capital requirements to which it is subject. An
institution or holding company may be excluded from qualifying community bank status based on its risk profile, including consideration of its off-balance sheet exposures; trading assets and
liabilities; total notional derivatives exposures; and such other facts as the appropriate federal banking agencies determine to be appropriate. The Company and Bank qualify for this simplified
capital regime, but can be no assurance that satisfaction of the CBLR will provide adequate capital for their operations and growth, or an adequate cushion against increased levels of nonperforming
assets or weakened economic conditions.
As
discussed below, the Basel III Rules also integrate the new capital requirements into the prompt corrective action provisions under Section 38 of the FDIA.
The
capital ratios described above are the minimum levels that the federal banking agencies expect. Our state and federal regulators have the discretion to require us to maintain higher
capital
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levels
based upon our concentrations of loans, the risk of our lending or other activities, the performance of our loan and investment portfolios and other factors. Failure to maintain such higher
capital expectations could result in a lower composite regulatory rating, which would impact our deposit insurance premiums and could affect our ability to borrow and costs of borrowing, and could
result in additional or more severe enforcement actions. In respect of institutions with high concentrations of loans in areas deemed to be higher risk, or during periods of significant economic
stress, regulators may require an institution to maintain a higher level of capital, and/or to maintain more stringent risk management measures, than those required by these regulations.
In
December 2017, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision published the last version of the Basel III accord, generally referred to as "Basel IV." The Basel Committee stated that a
key objective of the revisions incorporated into the framework is to reduce excessive variability of risk-weighted assets, or RWA, which will be accomplished by enhancing the robustness and risk
sensitivity of the standardized approaches for credit risk and operational risk, which will facilitate the comparability of banks' capital ratios; constraining the use of internally modeled
approaches; and complementing the risk-weighted capital ratio with a finalized leverage ratio and a revised and robust capital floor. Leadership of the federal banking agencies who are tasked with
implementing Basel IV supported the revisions. Although it is uncertain at this time, it is anticipated that some, if not all, of the Basel IV accord may be incorporated into the capital requirements
framework applicable to the Bank.
In
2016, FASB issued the CECL model, which will become applicable to us on January 1, 2023. CECL requires financial institutions to estimate and establish a provision for credit
losses over the lifetime of the asset, at the origination or the date of acquisition of the asset, as opposed to reserving for incurred or probable losses through the balance sheet date. Upon
implementation, an institution would recognize a one-time cumulative effect adjustment to the allowance for credit losses. The Federal Reserve and FDIC have adopted a rule providing for an optional
three-year phase-in period for the day-one adverse regulatory capital effects upon adopting the standard.
Prompt Corrective Action. Under Section 38 of the FDIA, each federal banking agency is required to implement a system of prompt
corrective
action for institutions, that it regulates. The federal banking agencies have promulgated substantially similar regulations for this purpose. The following capital requirements currently apply to the
Bank for purposes of Section 38.
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Capital Category
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Total
Risk-Based
Capital Ratio
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Tier 1
Risk-Based
Capital Ratio
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Common
Equity Tier 1
Capital Ratio
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Leverage
Ratio
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Tangible
Equity to
Assets
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Supplemental
Leverage
Ratio
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Well Capitalized
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10% or greater
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8% or greater
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6.5% or greater
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5% or greater
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n/a
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n/a
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Adequately Capitalized
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8% or greater
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6% or greater
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4.5% or greater
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4% or greater
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n/a
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3% or greater
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Undercapitalized
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Less than 8%
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Less than 6%
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Less than 4.5%
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Less than 4%
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n/a
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Less than 3%
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Significantly Undercapitalized
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Less than 6%
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Less than 4%
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Less than3%
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Less than 3%
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n/a
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n/a
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Critically Undercapitalized
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n/a
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n/a
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n/a
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n/a
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Less than 2%
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n/a
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An
institution generally must file a written capital restoration plan which meets specified requirements with the appropriate federal banking agency within 45 days of the
date the institution receives notice or is deemed to have notice that it is undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized. The appropriate federal banking agency must
provide the institution with written notice of approval or disapproval within 60 days after receiving a capital restoration plan, subject to extensions by the applicable agency.
An
institution that is required to submit a capital restoration plan must concurrently submit a performance guaranty by each company that controls the institution. Such guaranty shall be
limited to the lesser of (i) an amount equal to 5.0% of the institution's total assets at the time the institution was notified or deemed to have notice that it was undercapitalized or
(ii) the amount necessary at such time to restore the relevant capital measures of the institution to the levels required for the institution to be classified as adequately capitalized. Such a
guaranty shall expire after the appropriate federal
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banking
agency notifies the institution that it has remained adequately capitalized for four consecutive calendar quarters. An institution that fails to submit a written capital restoration plan
within the requisite period, including any required performance guaranty, or fails in any material respect to implement a capital restoration plan, shall be subject to the restrictions in
Section 38 of the FDIA that are applicable to significantly undercapitalized institutions.
A
"critically undercapitalized institution" is required to be placed in conservatorship or receivership within 90 days, unless the FDIC formally determines that forbearance from
such action would better protect the Deposit Insurance Fund. Unless the FDIC or other appropriate federal banking agency makes specific further findings and certifies that the institution is viable
and is not expected to fail, an institution that remains critically undercapitalized during the fourth calendar quarter after the date it became critically undercapitalized must be placed in
receivership. The general rule is that the FDIC will be appointed as receiver within 90 days after an institution becomes critically undercapitalized unless good cause is shown and an extension
is agreed to by the federal regulators. In general, good cause requires that adequate capital has been raised and is imminently available for infusion into the
institution, except for certain technical requirements, which may delay the infusion for a period of time beyond the 90 day time period.
Immediately
upon becoming undercapitalized, an institution shall become subject to the provisions of Section 38 of the FDIA, which (i) restrict payment of capital
distributions and management fees; (ii) require that the appropriate federal banking agency monitor the condition of the institution and its efforts to restore its capital; (iii) require
submission of a capital restoration plan; (iv) restrict the growth of the institution's assets; and (v) require prior approval of certain expansion proposals. The appropriate federal
banking agency for an undercapitalized institution also may take any number of discretionary supervisory actions if the agency determines that any of these actions is necessary to resolve the problems
of the institution at the least possible long-term cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund, subject in certain cases to specified procedures. These discretionary supervisory actions include: requiring the
institution to raise additional capital; restricting transactions with affiliates; requiring divestiture of the institution or the sale of the institution to a willing purchaser; and any other
supervisory action that the agency deems appropriate. These and additional mandatory and permissive supervisory actions may be taken with respect to significantly undercapitalized and critically
undercapitalized institutions.
Additionally,
under Section 11(c)(5) of the FDIA, a conservator or receiver may be appointed for an institution where: (i) an institution's obligations exceed its assets;
(ii) there is substantial dissipation of the institution's assets or earnings as a result of any violation of law or any unsafe or unsound practice; (iii) the institution is in an unsafe
or unsound condition; (iv) there is a willful violation of a cease-and-desist order; (v) the institution is unable to pay its obligations in the ordinary course of business;
(vi) losses or threatened losses deplete all or substantially all of an institution's capital, and there is no reasonable prospect of becoming "adequately capitalized" without assistance;
(vii) there is any violation of law or unsafe or unsound practice or condition that is likely to cause insolvency or substantial dissipation of assets or earnings, weaken the institution's
condition, or otherwise seriously prejudice the interests of depositors or the insurance fund; (viii) an institution ceases to be insured; (ix) the institution is undercapitalized and
has no reasonable prospect that it will become adequately capitalized, fails to become adequately capitalized when required to do so, or fails to submit or materially implement a capital restoration
plan; or (x) the institution is critically undercapitalized or otherwise has substantially insufficient capital.
Regulatory Enforcement Authority. Federal banking law grants substantial enforcement powers to the federal banking agencies. This
enforcement
authority includes, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, to issue cease-and-desist or removal orders and to initiate injunctive actions against banking organizations and
institution-affiliated parties. In general, these enforcement actions may be initiated for violations of laws and regulations and unsafe or unsound practices. Other
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actions
or inactions may provide the basis for enforcement action, including misleading or untimely reports filed with regulatory authorities.
The Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act made significant changes to the U.S. bank regulatory structure, affecting the lending, deposit,
investment,
trading and operating activities of financial institutions and their holding companies. The Dodd-Frank Act required a number of federal agencies to adopt a broad range of rules and regulations. The
following provisions are considered to be of greatest significance to the Company:
-
-
Expanded the authority of the Federal Reserve Board to examine bank holding companies and their subsidiaries, including insured depository
institutions.
-
-
Required a bank holding company to be well capitalized and well managed to receive approval of an interstate bank acquisition.
-
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Provided mortgage reform provisions regarding a customer's ability to pay and making more loans subject to provisions for higher-cost loans and
new disclosures.
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Created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, which has rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that
apply to all banks, and has broad powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws.
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Created the Financial Stability Oversight Council with authority to identify institutions and practices that might pose a systemic risk.
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Introduced additional corporate governance and executive compensation requirements on companies subject to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, or Exchange Act.
-
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Permitted FDIC-insured banks to pay interest on business demand deposits.
-
-
Adopted Section 13 of the Act, commonly referred to ask the Volcker Rule, which restricts the ability of institutions and their holding
companies to and affiliates to make proprietary investments in securities and to invest in certain covered nonpublic investment vehicles, and to extend credit to such vehicles.
-
-
Codified the requirement that holding companies and other companies that directly or indirectly control an insured depository institution to
serve as a source of financial strength.
-
-
Made permanent the $250 thousand limit for federal deposit insurance.
-
-
Permitted national and state banks to establish interstate branches to the same extent as the branch host state allows establishment of
in-state branches.
The
2018 Act includes provisions revising Dodd-Frank Act provisions, including provisions that, among other things: (i) exempt banks with less than $10 billion in assets
from the ability-to-repay requirements
for certain qualified residential mortgage loans; (ii) exempt certain transactions valued at less than $400,000 in rural areas from appraisal requirements; (iii) exempt banks and credit
unions that originate fewer than 500 open-end and 500 closed-end mortgages from the expanded data disclosures required under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, or HMDA; (iv) amend the SAFE
Mortgage Licensing Act by providing registered mortgage loan originators in good standing with 120 days of transitional authority to originate loans when moving from a federal depository
institution to a non-depository institution or across state lines; (v) require the CFPB to clarify how TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure applies to mortgage assumption transactions and
construction-to-permanent home loans as well as outline certain liabilities related to model disclosure use; (vi) revise treatment of HVCRE exposures; and (vii) create the simplified
CBLR. The 2018 Act also exempts community banks from the Volcker Rule, if they have less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets. The 2018 Act also
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adds
certain protections for consumers, including veterans and active duty military personnel, expands credit freezes and call for the creation of an identity theft protection database.
In
addition, other new proposals for legislation continue to be introduced in the Congress that could further substantially increase regulation of the bank and non-bank financial
services industries and impose restrictions on the operations and general ability of firms within the industry to conduct business consistent with historical practices. Federal and state regulatory
agencies also frequently adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. Certain aspects of current or proposed regulatory or legislative changes to
laws applicable to the financial industry, if enacted or adopted, may impact the profitability of our business activities, require more oversight or change certain of our business practices, including
the ability to offer new products, obtain financing, attract deposits, make loans and achieve satisfactory interest spreads and could expose the Company to additional costs, including increased
compliance costs. These changes also may require significant management attention and resources to make any necessary changes to operations to comply and could have an adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Dodd-Frank Act created the CFPB, a new, independent federal agency with broad rulemaking,
supervisory and
enforcement powers under various federal consumer financial protection laws, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Truth in Lending Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Fair Credit
Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the consumer financial privacy provisions of the GLB Act and certain other statutes. The CFPB has examination and primary enforcement authority with
respect to depository institutions with over $10 billion in assets. Smaller institutions, including the Bank, are subject to rules promulgated by the CFPB but continue to be examined and
supervised by federal banking agencies for compliance with federal consumer protection laws and regulations. The CFPB also has authority to prevent unfair, deceptive or abusive practices in connection
with the offering of consumer financial products. The Dodd-Frank Act permits states to adopt consumer protection laws and standards that are more
stringent than those adopted at the federal level and, in certain circumstances, permits state attorneys general to enforce compliance with both the state and federal laws and regulations.
The
changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act and CFPB rulemakings and enforcement policies may impact the profitability of our business activities, limit our ability to make, or the
desirability of making, certain types of loans, including non-qualified mortgage loans, require us to change our business practices, impose upon us more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage ratio
requirements or otherwise adversely affect our business or profitability. The changes may also require us to dedicate significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make necessary
changes to comply with the new statutory and regulatory requirements.
The
CFPB has concentrated much of its rulemaking efforts on reforms related to residential mortgage transactions. The CFPB has issued rules related to a borrower's ability to repay and
qualified mortgage standards, mortgage servicing standards, loan originator compensation standards, requirements for high-cost mortgages, appraisal and escrow standards and requirements for
higher-priced mortgages. The CFPB has also issued rules establishing integrated disclosure requirements for lenders and settlement agents in connection with most closed end, real estate secured
consumer loans and rules which, among other things, expand the scope of information lenders must report in connection with mortgage and other housing-related loan applications under HMDA. These rules
include significant regulatory and compliance changes and are expected to have a broad impact on the financial services industry.
The
rule implementing the Dodd-Frank Act requirement that lenders determine whether a consumer has the ability to repay a mortgage loan, established certain minimum requirements for
creditors when making ability to pay determinations, and established certain protections from liability for mortgages meeting the definition of "qualified mortgages." Generally, the rule applies to
all
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consumer-purpose,
closed-end loans secured by a dwelling including home-purchase loans, refinances and home equity loanswhether a first or subordinate lien. The rule does not cover, among
other things, home equity lines of credit or other open-end credit; temporary or "bridge" loans with a term of 12 months or less, such as a loan to finance the initial construction of a
dwelling; a construction phase of 12 months or less of a construction-to-permanent loan; and business-purpose loans, even if secured by a dwelling. The rule afforded greater legal protections
for lenders making qualified mortgages that are not "higher priced." Qualified mortgages must generally satisfy detailed requirements related to product features, underwriting standards, and a points
and fees requirement whereby the total points and fees on a mortgage loan cannot exceed specified amounts or percentages of the total loan amount. Mandatory features of a qualified mortgage include:
(1) a loan term not exceeding 30 years; and (2) regular periodic payments that do not result in negative amortization, deferral of principal repayment, or a balloon payment.
Further, the rule clarified that qualified mortgages do not include "no-doc" loans and loans with negative amortization, interest-only payments, or balloon payments. The rule created special
categories of qualified mortgages originated by certain
smaller creditors. To the extent that we seek to make qualified mortgages, we are required to comply with these rules, subject to available exclusions. Our business strategy, product offerings, and
profitability may change as the rule is interpreted by the regulators and courts.
Fair and Responsible Banking. Banks and other financial institutions are subject to numerous laws and regulations intended to promote
fair and
responsible banking and prohibit unlawful discrimination and unfair, deceptive or abusive practices in banking. These laws include, among others, the Dodd-Frank Act, Section 5 of the Federal
Trade Commission Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the Fair Housing Act. Many states and local jurisdictions have consumer protection laws analogous, and in addition, to those listed above.
These federal, state and local laws regulate the manner in which financial institutions deal with customers taking deposits, making loans or conducting other types of transactions. Failure to comply
with these laws and regulations could give rise to regulatory sanctions, and actions by the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general.
Financial Privacy. Under the Federal Right to Privacy Act of 1978, which imposes a duty to maintain confidentiality of consumer
financial records and
prescribes procedures for complying with administrative subpoenas of financial records, financial institutions are required to disclose their policies for collecting and protecting confidential
information. Consumers generally may prevent financial institutions from sharing personal financial information with nonaffiliated third parties except for third parties that market the institutions'
own products and services. Additionally, financial institutions generally may not disclose consumer account numbers to any nonaffiliated third party for use in telemarketing, direct mail marketing or
other marketing through electronic mail to consumers.
Community Reinvestment Act. The CRA requires that, in connection with examinations of insured depository institutions within their
respective
jurisdictions, the federal banking agencies evaluate the record of each financial institution in meeting the needs of its local community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The Bank's
record of performance under the CRA is publicly available. A bank's CRA performance is also considered in evaluating applications seeking approval for mergers, acquisitions, and new offices or
facilities. Failure to adequately meet these criteria could result in additional requirements and limitations being imposed on the Bank. Additionally, we must publicly disclose the terms of certain
CRA-related agreements.
Concentration and Risk Guidance. The federal banking regulatory agencies promulgated joint interagency guidance regarding material
direct and
indirect asset and funding concentrations. The guidance defines a concentration as any of the following: (i) asset concentrations of 25% or more of Total Capital (loan related) or Tier 1
Capital (non-loan related) by individual borrower, small interrelated group of individuals, single repayment source or individual project; (ii) asset concentrations of 100% or more of Total
Capital (loan related) or Tier 1 Capital (non-loan related) by industry,
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product
line, type of collateral, or short-term obligations of one financial institution or affiliated group; (iii) funding concentrations from a single source representing 10% or more of Total
Assets; or (iv) potentially volatile funding sources that when combined represent 25% or more of Total Assets (these sources may include brokered, large, high-rate, uninsured,
internet-listing-service deposits, Federal funds purchased or other potentially volatile deposits or borrowings). If a concentration is present, management must employ heightened risk management
practices including board and management oversight and strategic planning, development of underwriting standards, risk assessment and monitoring through market analysis and stress testing, third party
review and increasing capital requirements.
Additionally,
the federal bank regulatory agencies have issued guidance governing financial institutions with concentrations in commercial real estate lending. The guidance provides that
institutions that have (i) total reported loans for construction, land development, and other land which represent 100% or more of an institution's total risk-based capital; or
(ii) total reported commercial real estate loans, excluding loans secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate, representing 300% or more of the institution's total risk-based capital and
the institution's commercial real estate loan portfolio has increased 50% or more during the prior 36 months, are identified as having potential commercial real estate concentration risk.
Institutions, which are deemed to have concentrations in commercial real estate lending are expected to employ heightened levels of risk management with respect to their commercial real estate
portfolios, and may be required to hold higher levels of capital.
FDIC Insurance Premiums. The FDIC maintains a risk-based assessment system for determining deposit insurance premiums. The FDIC has
established four
risk categories, each subject to a different premium rate, ranging from a low of 2.5 basis points up to 45 basis points, based upon an institution's status as well capitalized, adequately capitalized
or undercapitalized, and the institution's supervisory rating. In general, an institution's assessment base for calculating its deposit insurance premium is determined by subtracting its tangible
equity and certain allowable deductions from its consolidated average assets. There are three adjustments that can be made to an institution's initial base assessment rate: (1) a potential
decrease for long-term unsecured debt, including senior and subordinated debt and, for small institutions, a portion of Tier 1 capital; (2) a potential increase for secured liabilities
above a threshold amount; and (3) for institutions other than those with the lowest risk rating, a potential increase for brokered deposits above a threshold amount. Institutions with less than
$10 billion in assets that have been FDIC-insured for at least five years, instead of the four risk categories, a financial ratios method based on a statistical model estimating the bank's
probability of failure over three years, utilizing seven financial ratios (leverage ratio; net income before taxes/total assets; nonperforming loans and leases/gross assets; other real estate
owned/gross assets; brokered deposit ratio; one year asset growth; and loan mix index) and a weighted average of supervisory ratings components. The financial ratios method also provides that
community banks with brokered deposits in excess of 10% of total consolidated assets (inclusive of reciprocal deposits if a bank is not well-capitalized or has a composite supervisory rating other
than a 1 or 2) may be subject to an increased assessment rate if it has
experienced rapid growth; lowers the range of authorized assessment rates to 1.5 basis points for institutions posing the least risk, increases the range up to 40 basis points for institutions posing
the most risk; and further lowers the range of assessment rates if the reserve ratio of the Deposit Insurance Fund increases to 2% or more. Institutions with over $10 billion in total
consolidated assets are required to pay a surcharge of 4.5 basis points on their assessment base, subject to certain adjustments. The FDIC may also impose special assessments from time to time. Under
the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "2017 Tax Act"), FDIC insured institutions with assets in excess of $10 billion are also subject to a phase out of the deductibility of deposit insurance
premiums.
The
Dodd-Frank Act permanently increased the maximum deposit insurance amount for banks, savings institutions and credit unions to $250 thousand per depositor. The Dodd-Frank Act
also broadened the base for calculating FDIC insurance assessments. Assessments are now based on a
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financial
institution's average consolidated total assets less tangible equity capital. The Dodd-Frank Act required the FDIC to increase the reserve ratio of the Deposit Insurance Fund to 1.35% of
insured deposits and eliminated the requirement that the FDIC pay dividends to insured depository institutions when the reserve ratio exceeds certain thresholds.
Limitations on Incentive Compensation. In April 2016, the Federal Reserve and other federal financial agencies re-proposed restrictions
on
incentive-based compensation pursuant to Section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Act for financial institutions with $1 billion or more in total consolidated assets. For institutions with at least
$1 billion but less than $50 billion in total consolidated assets, the proposal would impose principles-based restrictions that are broadly consistent with existing interagency guidance
on incentive-based compensation. Such institutions would be prohibited from entering into incentive compensation arrangements that encourage inappropriate risks by the institution (i) by
providing an executive officer, employee, director, principal shareholder or individuals who are "significant risk takers" with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits, or (ii) that could
lead to material financial loss to the institution. The proposal would also impose certain governance and recordkeeping requirements on institutions of our size. The Federal Reserve would reserve the
authority to impose more stringent requirements on institutions of our size. We are evaluating the expected impact of the proposal on our business.
Cybersecurity. In March 2015, federal regulators issued two related statements regarding cybersecurity. One statement indicates that
financial
institutions should design multiple layers of security controls to establish lines of defense and to ensure that their risk management processes also address the risk posed by compromised customer
credentials, including security measures to reliably authenticate
customers accessing internet-based services of the financial institution. The other statement indicates that a financial institution's management is expected to maintain sufficient business continuity
planning processes to ensure the rapid recovery, resumption and maintenance of the institution's operations after a cyber-attack involving destructive malware. A financial institution is also expected
to develop appropriate processes to enable recovery of data and business operations and address rebuilding network capabilities and restoring data if the institution or its critical service providers
fall victim to this type of cyber-attack. If we fail to observe the regulatory guidance, we could be subject to various regulatory sanctions, including financial penalties. To date, we have not
experienced a significant compromise, significant data loss or any material financial losses related to cybersecurity attacks, but our systems and those of our customers and third-party service
providers are under constant threat and it is possible that we could experience a significant event in the future. Risks and exposures related to cybersecurity attacks are expected to remain high for
the foreseeable future due to the rapidly evolving nature and sophistication of these threats, as well as due to the expanding use of Internet banking, mobile banking and other technology-based
products and services by us and our customers.
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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
The material risks and uncertainties that management believes affect us are described below. Any of these risks, if they
are realized, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and consequently, the market value of our common stock. Additional risks and uncertainties
not currently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect us. This Form 10-K also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. If any of the matters included in the following information about risk factors were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects could
be materially and adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Business
Our business and operations may be materially adversely affected by weak economic conditions.
Our business and operations, which primarily consist of banking activities, including lending money to customers and borrowing money from
customers in the form of deposits, are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the U.S. generally, and in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in particular. The economic conditions
in our local markets may be different from the economic conditions in the U.S. as a whole. If economic conditions in the U.S. or any of our markets weaken, our growth and profitability from our
operations could be constrained. In addition, foreign economic and political conditions could affect the stability of global financial markets, which could hinder economic growth. The current economic
environment is characterized by interest rates gradually increasing from near historically low levels, which could impact our ability to attract deposits and to generate attractive earnings through
our loan and investment portfolios. All these factors can individually or in the aggregate be detrimental to our business, and the interplay between these factors can be complex and unpredictable.
Unfavorable market conditions, including as a result of events such as the recent coronavirus outbreak and related disruptions, can result in a deterioration in the credit quality of our borrowers and
the demand for our products and services, an increase in the number of loan delinquencies, defaults and charge-offs, additional provisions for loan losses, a decline in the value of our collateral,
and an overall material adverse effect on the quality of our loan portfolio.
Our
business is also significantly affected by monetary and related policies of the U.S. federal government and its agencies. Uncertainty about the federal fiscal policymaking process,
the medium and long-term fiscal outlook of the federal government, and future tax rates are concerns for businesses, consumers and investors in the U.S. Changes in any of these policies are influenced
by macroeconomic conditions and other factors that are beyond our control. Adverse economic conditions and government policy responses to such conditions could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial conditions and results of operations.
We are subject to interest rate risk, which could adversely affect our profitability.
Our profitability, like that of most financial institutions, depends to a large extent on our net interest income, which is the difference
between our interest income on interest-earning
assets, such as loans and investment securities, and our interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings.
Interest
rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and,
in particular, the Federal Reserve. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence not only the interest we receive on loans and securities and the interest we pay on
deposits and borrowings, but such changes could affect our ability to originate loans and obtain deposits, the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities, and the average duration of our
assets. If the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings increase at a faster rate than the interest rates received on loans and other investments, our net interest income, and therefore
earnings, could be adversely affected.
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Earnings
could also be adversely affected if the interest rates received on loans and other investments fall more quickly than the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings. Any
substantial, unexpected or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
interest sensitivity profile was slightly asset sensitive as of December 31, 2019. As a result, we would expect small increases in net interest income if interest rates rise,
and small declines in the event rates fall. However, such expectations are based on our assumptions as to deposit customer behavior in an increasing rate scenario. When short-term interest rates rise,
the rate of interest we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities may rise more quickly than the rate of interest that we receive on our interest-earning assets, which may cause our net interest income
to decrease. Additionally, a shrinking yield premium between short-term and long-term market interest rates, a pattern usually indicative of investors' waning expectations of future growth and
inflation, commonly referred to as a flattening of the yield curve, typically reduces our profit margin as we borrow at shorter terms than the terms at which we lend and invest.
In
addition, an increase in interest rates could also have a negative impact on our results of operations by reducing the ability of borrowers to repay their current loan obligations.
These circumstances could not only result in increased loan defaults, foreclosures and charge-offs, but also reduce collateral values and necessitate further increases to the allowance for loan
losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to credit risk, which could adversely affect our profitability.
Our business depends on our ability to successfully measure and manage credit risk. As a lender, we are exposed to the risk that the principal
of, or interest on, a loan will not be paid timely or at all or that the value of any collateral supporting a loan will be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure. In addition, we are exposed
to risks with respect to the period of time over which the loan may be repaid, risks relating to loan underwriting, risks resulting from changes in economic and industry conditions, and risks inherent
in dealing with individual loans and borrowers. The creditworthiness of a borrower is affected by many factors including local market conditions and general economic conditions. If the overall
economic climate in the U.S. generally, or in our market areas specifically, experiences material disruption, including as a result of events such as the recent coronavirus outbreak and related
disruptions, our borrowers may experience difficulties in repaying their loans, the collateral we hold may decrease in value or become illiquid, and our level of nonperforming loans, charge-offs and
delinquencies could rise and require significant additional provisions for loan losses.
Our
risk management practices, such as monitoring the concentrations of our loans and our credit approval, review and administrative practices, may not adequately reduce credit risk, and
our credit administration personnel, policies and procedures may not adequately adapt to changes in economic or any other conditions affecting related customers and the quality of the loan portfolio.
Many of our loans are made to small businesses that are less able to withstand competitive, economic and financial pressures than larger borrowers. Consequently, we may have significant exposure if
any of these borrowers becomes unable to pay their loan obligations as a result of economic or market conditions, or personal circumstances, such as divorce, unemployment or death. A failure to
effectively measure and limit the credit risk associated with our loan portfolio may result in loan defaults, foreclosures and additional charge-offs, and may necessitate that we significantly
increase our allowance for loan losses, each of which could adversely affect our net income. As a result, our inability to successfully manage credit risk could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Losses related to any single loan could have a significant impact on our financial condition and results of
operations.
While our average funded loan size is relatively small compared to our legal lending limit, averaging $1.4 million for commercial real
estate loans (including construction) and approximately $228 thousand for commercial and industrial loans, at December 31, 2019, our legal
lending limit has increased, and we have originated larger loans in recent years. As a result of our commercial real estate lending, the loan portfolio contains approximately 12 loans which have
balances in excess of 5% of our shareholder's equity, and our largest single exposure is $25.5 million, while our largest exposure to one borrower is $26.2 million. Additionally,
commercial and industrial loans not primarily secured by real estate are typically made based on the ability of the borrower to make payment on the loan from the cash flow of the business, and are
collateralized primarily by business assets such as equipment, inventory and accounts receivable. These assets are often subject to depreciation over time, may be more difficult than real estate
collateral to evaluate, and may be more difficult to realize the value of upon foreclosure. As a result, the availability of funds for repayment of such loans is often contingent on the success of the
business itself. Although we seek to structure and monitor our loans and the financial condition of our borrowers in an effort to avoid or minimize losses, unexpected reversals in the business of an
individual borrower can occur, and the resulting decline in the quality of loans to such borrowers, and related provisions for credit losses, could have a material adverse effect on our earnings,
financial condition and shareholder returns.
A substantial portion of our loans are and will continue to be real estate related loans in the Washington,
D.C. metropolitan area. Adverse changes in the real estate market or economy in this area could lead to higher levels of problem loans and charge-offs, adversely affecting our earnings and financial
condition.
We make loans primarily to borrowers in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas, focusing on the Virginia counties of Arlington,
Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and the independent cities located within those counties, Washington D.C., and its Maryland suburbs, and have a substantial portion of our loans secured by real
estate. These concentrations expose us to the risk that adverse developments in the real estate market, or in the general economic conditions in such areas, or the continuation of such adverse
developments, could increase the levels of nonperforming loans and charge-offs, and reduce loan demand and deposit growth. In that event, we would likely experience lower earnings or losses.
Additionally, if economic conditions in the area deteriorate, or there is significant volatility or weakness in the economy or any significant sector of the area's economy, our ability to develop our
business relationships may be diminished, the quality and collectability of our loans may be adversely affected, our provision for loan losses may increase, the value of collateral may decline and
loan demand may be reduced.
Increases to our nonperforming assets or other problem assets will have an adverse effect on our earnings.
As of December 31, 2019, we had nonperforming loans and loans 90 days or more past due of $10.7 million, or 0.84% of total
loans, $3.9 million of other real estate owned, or OREO, and nonperforming assets of 0.95% of total assets. At that date, we had a $3.9 million loan considered a troubled debt
restructuring, which is included in our nonperforming loan totals above. If any of our loans which are 90 or more days past due and still accruing become nonaccrual loans, we will not record interest
income on such loans, and may be required to reverse prior accruals, thereby adversely affecting our earnings. If the level of our nonperforming or other problem assets increases, we may be required
to make additional provisions for loan losses, which will negatively impact our earnings. If we
are required to foreclose on any collateral properties securing our loans, we will incur legal and other expenses in connection with the foreclosure and sale process and possible losses on the sale of
OREO or other collateral. Additionally, the resolution of nonperforming assets, troubled debt restructurings
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and
other problem assets requires the active involvement of management, which can distract management from its overall supervision of operations and other income producing activities.
Our concentrations of loans may create a greater risk of loan defaults and losses.
A substantial portion of our loans are secured by various types of real estate in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and substantially all
of our loans are to borrowers in that area. At December 31, 2019, 90.1% of our total loans were secured by real estate; commercial real estate loans, excluding construction and land
development, comprised the largest portion of these loans at 64.6% of our portfolio. This concentration exposes us to the risk that adverse developments in the real estate market, or the general
economic conditions in our market, could increase our nonperforming loans and charge-offs, reduce the value of our collateral and adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
Management believes that the commercial real estate concentration risk is mitigated by diversification among the types and characteristics of real estate collateral properties, sound underwriting
practices, rigorous portfolio monitoring and ongoing market analysis. Construction and land development loans comprised 17.0% of total loans at December 31, 2019. Commercial and industrial
loans comprised 9.0%, of total loans at December 31, 2019. These categories of loans have historically carried a higher risk of default than other types of loans, such as single family
residential mortgage loans. The repayment of these loans often depends on the successful operation of a business or the sale or development of the underlying property, and, as a result, are more
likely to be adversely affected by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy in general. While we believe that our loan portfolio is well diversified in terms of borrowers and
industries, these concentrations expose us to the risk that adverse developments in the real estate market, or in the general economic conditions in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, could
increase the levels of nonperforming loans and charge-offs, and reduce loan demand. In that event, we would likely experience lower earnings or losses. Additionally, if, for any reason, economic
conditions in our market area deteriorate, or there is significant volatility or weakness in the economy or any significant sector of the area's economy, our ability to develop our business
relationships may be diminished, the quality and collectability of our loans may be adversely affected, our provision for loan losses may increase, the value of collateral may decline and loan demand
may be reduced.
Commercial
real estate loans tend to have larger balances than single family mortgage loans and other consumer loans. Because the loan portfolio contains a significant number of
commercial real estate loans with relatively large balances, the deterioration of one or a few of these loans may cause a
significant increase in nonperforming assets. An increase in nonperforming loans could result in a loss of earnings from these loans, an increase in the provision for loan losses, or an increase in
loan charge-offs, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
We operate in a highly competitive market and face increasing competition from a variety of traditional and
new financial services providers, which could adversely impact our profitability.
The banking business is highly competitive. We compete as a financial intermediary with other commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions,
mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market mutual funds and other financial institutions operating in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area and elsewhere, as well as nontraditional competitors such as fintech companies and internet-based lenders, depositories and payment systems. Our profitability depends upon our
continued ability to successfully compete with traditional and new financial services providers, some of which maintain a physical presence in our market areas and others of which maintain only a
virtual presence.
Our
primary market area is a highly competitive, highly branched, banking market. Competition in the market area for loans to small and middle-market businesses and professionals, our
target market, is intense and pricing is important. Several of our competitors have substantially greater resources and
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lending
limits than us, and offer certain services, such as extensive and established branch networks and trust services, that we do not currently provide or currently expect to provide in the near
future. Moreover, larger institutions operating in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area may have access to borrowed funds at lower cost than will be available to us. Additionally, deposit
competition among institutions in the market area is strong. Increased competition could require us to increase the rates we pay on deposits or lower the rates that we offer on loans, which could
reduce our profitability. Our failure to compete effectively in our market could restrain our growth or cause us to lose market share, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our portfolio of loans to small and mid-sized community-based businesses may increase our credit risk.
Many of our commercial business and commercial real estate loans are made to small business or middle market customers. These businesses
generally have fewer financial resources in terms of capital or borrowing capacity than larger entities and have a heightened vulnerability to economic conditions. If general economic conditions in
the market area in which we operate negatively impact this important customer sector, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. Moreover, a portion of these loans
have been made by us in recent years and the borrowers may not have experienced a complete business or economic cycle. The deterioration of our borrowers' businesses may hinder their ability to repay
their loans with us, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our government contractor customers, and businesses in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in general, may
be adversely impacted by the federal government and a budget impasse.
At December 31, 2019, 9.0% of our total loans were outstanding to commercial and industrial customers. Of that, approximately 28.8% of
outstanding commercial and industrial loans are to government contractors or their subcontractors specializing in the defense and homeland security and defense readiness sectors, and we have
commitments of $131.6 million to such borrowers. We are actively seeking to expand our exposure to this business segment. While we believe that our loans to government contractor customers are
unlikely to experience more than a delay in payment as a result of government shutdowns, the current emphasis on defense readiness presents an opportunity for many of our customers. In the event of a
government shutdown, this could cause these customers to have their government contracts reduced or terminated for convenience, or have payments delayed, causing a loss of anticipated revenues or
reduced cash flow, resulting in an increase in credit risk, and potentially defaults by such customers on their respective loans.
Our
government contractor customers could also withdraw their deposit balances during a shutdown to fund current operations, resulting in additional liquidity risk. Additionally,
temporary layoffs, salary reductions or furloughs of government employees or government contractors could have adverse impacts on other businesses in our market and the general economy of the
Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and may indirectly lead to a loss of revenues by our customers. As a result, a government shutdown could lead to an increase in the levels of past due loans,
nonperforming loans, loan loss reserves and charge-offs, and a decline in liquidity.
We may not be able to retain or grow our core deposit base, which could adversely impact our funding costs.
Like many financial institutions, we rely on customer deposits as our primary source of funding for our lending activities, and we continue to
seek customer deposits to maintain this funding base. Our future growth will largely depend on our ability to retain and grow our deposit base. As of December 31, 2019, we had
$1.29 billion in deposits. Our deposits are subject to potentially dramatic fluctuations in availability or price due to certain factors outside of our control, such as increasing competitive
pressures for deposits, changes in interest rates and returns on other investment classes,
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customer
perceptions of our financial health and general reputation, adverse developments in general economic conditions of an individual's business, and a loss of confidence by customers in us or the
banking sector generally, which could result in significant outflows of deposits within short periods of time or significant changes in pricing necessary to maintain current customer deposits or
attract additional deposits. Any such loss of funds could result in lower loan originations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Liquidity risk could impair our ability to fund operations and meet our obligations as they become due, and
failure to maintain sufficient liquidity could materially adversely affect our growth, business, profitability and financial condition.
Liquidity is essential to our business. Liquidity risk is the potential that we will be unable to meet our obligations as they become due
because of an inability to liquidate assets or obtain adequate funding at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner and without adverse conditions or consequences. We require sufficient liquidity to fund
asset growth, meet customer loan requests, customer deposit maturities and withdrawals, payments on our debt obligations as they come due and other cash commitments under both normal operating
conditions and other unpredictable circumstances, including events causing industry or general financial market stress. Liquidity risk can increase due to a number of factors, including an
over-reliance on a particular source of funding or market-wide phenomena such as market dislocation and major disasters. Factors that could detrimentally impact access to liquidity sources include,
but are not limited to, a decrease in the level of our business activity as a result of a downturn in our market, adverse regulatory actions against us, or changes in the liquidity needs of our
depositors. Market conditions or other events could also negatively affect the level or cost of funding, affecting our ongoing ability to accommodate liability maturities and deposit withdrawals, meet
contractual obligations, and fund asset growth and new business transactions at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner, and without adverse consequences. Our
inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans, and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our business, and could result in the closure of the Bank. Our
access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities or on acceptable terms could be impaired by factors that affect our organization specifically or the financial services industry
or economy in general. Any substantial, unexpected, and/or prolonged change in the level or cost of liquidity could impair our ability to fund operations and meet our obligations as they become due
and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
rely on customer deposits, including brokered deposits, and to a lesser extent on advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, or FHLB, to fund our operations. Although we
have historically been able to replace maturing deposits and advances if desired, we may not be able to replace such funds in the future if our financial condition, the financial condition of the FHLB
or market conditions were to change. FHLB borrowings and other current sources of liquidity may not be available or, if available, sufficient to provide adequate funding for operations.
Our reputation is critical to our business, and damage to it could have a material adverse effect on us.
We believe that a key differentiating factor for our business is the strong reputation we have built in our market. Maintaining a positive
reputation is critical to attracting and retaining customers and employees. Adverse perceptions of us could make it more difficult for us to execute on our strategy. Harm to our reputation can arise
from many sources, including actual or perceived employee misconduct, errors or misconduct by our third party vendors or other counterparties, litigation or regulatory actions, our failure to meet our
high customer service and quality standards, compliance failures and weakened financial condition. Negative publicity about us, whether or not accurate, may damage our reputation, which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Our allowance for loan losses may be inadequate to absorb losses inherent in the loan portfolio, which could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Experience in the banking industry indicates that a portion of our loans will become delinquent, and that some may only be partially repaid or
may never be repaid at all. We may experience losses for reasons beyond our control, such as the impact of general economic conditions on
customers and their businesses. In determining the size of our allowance for loan losses, we rely on an analysis of our loan portfolio considering historical loss experience, volume and types of
loans, trends in classification, volume and trends in delinquencies and nonaccruals, economic conditions and other pertinent information. Although we endeavor to maintain our allowance for loan losses
at a level adequate to absorb any inherent losses in the loan portfolio, the determination of the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses is inherently highly subjective and requires us to
make significant estimates of and assumptions regarding current credit risk and future trends, and the accuracy of our judgments depends on the outcome of future events. Further, despite our
underwriting criteria and historical experience, we may be particularly susceptible to losses due to: (i) the geographic concentration of our loans, (ii) the concentration of higher risk
loans, such as commercial real estate, and commercial and industrial loans, and (iii) the relative lack of seasoning of certain of our loans.
Deterioration
of economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, inaccurate management assumptions, identification of additional problem loans and
other factors, both within and outside of our control, may result in our experiencing higher levels of nonperforming assets and charge-offs, and incurring loan losses in excess of our current
allowance for loan losses, requiring us to make material additions to our allowance for loan losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Our
federal and state banking regulators, as an integral part of their supervisory function, periodically review the allowance for loan losses. These regulatory agencies may require us
to increase our provision for loan losses or to recognize further loan charge-offs based upon their judgments, which may be different from ours. If we need to make significant and unanticipated
increases in the loss allowance in the future, or to take additional charge-offs for which we have not established adequate reserves, our results of operations and financial condition could be
materially adversely affected at that time.
The success of our growth strategy depends, in part, on our ability to identify and retain individuals with
experience and relationships in our market.
Our success depends, in large part, on our management team and key employees. The loss of any of our management team or our key employees could
materially adversely affect our ability to execute our business strategy, and we may not be able to find adequate replacements on a timely basis, or at all. We cannot ensure that we will be able to
retain the services of any members of our management team or other key employees. Failure to attract and retain a qualified management team and qualified key employees could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In
order to continue to grow successfully, we must also identify and retain experienced loan officers with local expertise and relationships. We expect that competition for experienced
loan officers will continue to be intense and that there will be a limited number of qualified loan officers with knowledge of, and experience in, the community banking industry in our market area.
Even if we identify
individuals that we believe could assist us in building our franchise, we may be unable to recruit these individuals away from their current banks. In addition, the process of identifying and
recruiting loan officers with the combination of skills and attributes required to carry out our strategy is often lengthy. Our inability to identify, recruit and retain talented personnel could limit
our growth and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The lack of acquisition
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opportunities
in the future, or our inability to successfully bid for such opportunities as are available, could result in a slower pace of growth.
We may not be able to successfully manage continued growth.
As our capital base grows, so does our legal lending limit. We cannot be certain as to our ability to manage increased levels of assets and
liabilities, or to successfully make and supervise higher balance loans. Further, we may not be able to maintain the relatively low number and level of nonperforming loans and charge-offs that we have
experienced. We may be required to make additional investments in equipment, software, physical facilities and personnel to accumulate and manage higher asset levels and loan balances, which may
adversely impact earnings, shareholder returns, and our efficiency ratio. Increases in operating expenses or nonperforming assets may have an adverse impact on the value of our common stock.
There
can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to grow and to remain profitable in future periods, or, if profitable, that our overall earnings will remain consistent with
our prior results of operations, or increase in the future. A downturn in economic conditions in our market, particularly in the real estate market, heightened competition from other financial
services providers, an inability to retain or grow our core deposit base, regulatory and legislative considerations, a failure to maintain adequate internal controls and compliance processes, and
failure to attract and retain high-performing talent, among other factors, could limit our ability to grow assets, or increase profitability, as rapidly as we have in the past. Sustainable growth
requires that we manage our risks by following prudent loan underwriting standards, balancing loan and deposit growth without materially increasing interest rate risk or compressing our net interest
margin, maintaining more than adequate capital at all times, hiring and retaining qualified employees and successfully implementing our strategic initiatives. Our failure to sustain our historical
rate of growth or adequately manage the factors that have contributed to our growth could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and profitability and therefore on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Regulatory requirements affecting our loans secured by commercial real estate could limit our ability to
leverage our capital and adversely affect our growth and profitability.
The federal banking agencies have issued guidance governing financial institutions that have concentrations in commercial real estate lending.
The guidance provides that institutions which have (i) total reported loans for construction, land development, and other land loans which represent 100% or more of an institution's total
risk-based capital; or (ii) total reported commercial real estate loans, excluding loans secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate, representing 300% or more of the institution's total
risk-based capital, where the institution's commercial real estate loan portfolio has increased 50% or more during the prior 36 months, are identified as having potential commercial real estate
concentration risk. Institutions which are deemed to have concentrations in commercial real estate lending are expected to employ heightened levels of risk management with respect to their commercial
real estate portfolios, and may be required to hold higher levels of capital. We have a concentration in commercial real estate loans, and we have experienced significant growth in our commercial real
estate portfolio in recent years. As of December 31, 2019, commercial real estate loans, as defined for regulatory purposes, represented 396.4% of our total risk-based capital. Of those loans,
commercial construction, development and land loans represented 111.7% of our total risk based capital. Owner-occupied commercial real estate loans represented an additional 107.0% of our total risk
based capital. Management has extensive experience in commercial real estate lending, and has implemented and continues to maintain heightened portfolio monitoring and reporting, and strong
underwriting criteria with respect to its commercial real estate portfolio. Nevertheless, we could be required to maintain higher levels of capital as a result of our commercial real estate
concentration,
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which
could limit our growth, require us to obtain additional capital, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Lack of seasoning of our loan portfolio could increase risk of credit defaults in the future.
As a result of our organic growth over the past several years, as of December 31, 2019, approximately $1.02 billion, or 79.9%, of
the loans in our loan portfolio were first originated during the past three years. The average age by loan type for loans originated in the past three years is: commercial real estate
loans1.55 years; commercial and industrial loans1.35 years; commercial construction loans0.91 years; consumer residential
loans1.38 years; and consumer nonresidential loans1.64 years. In general, loans do not begin to show signs of credit deterioration or default until they have
been outstanding for some period of time, a process referred to as "seasoning." As a result, a portfolio of
older loans will usually behave more predictably than a newer portfolio. Therefore, the recent and current level of delinquencies and defaults may not represent the level that may prevail as the
portfolio becomes more seasoned and may not serve as a reliable basis for predicting the health and nature of our loan portfolio, including net charge-offs and the ratio of nonperforming assets in the
future. Our limited experience with these loans may not provide us with a significant history with which to judge future collectability or performance. However, we believe that our stringent credit
underwriting process, our ongoing credit review processes, and our history of successful management of our loan portfolio, mitigate these risks. Nevertheless, if delinquencies and defaults increase,
we may be required to increase our provision for loan losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Limits on our ability to use brokered deposits as part of our funding strategy may adversely affect our
ability to grow.
A "brokered deposit" is any deposit that is obtained from, or through the mediation or assistance of, a deposit broker. These deposit brokers
attract deposits from individuals and companies throughout the country and internationally whose deposit decisions are based almost exclusively on obtaining the highest interest rates. Recently
enacted legislation excludes reciprocal deposits of up to the lesser of $5 billion or 20% of an institution's deposits from the definition of brokered deposits, where the institution is well
capitalized and has a composite supervisory rating of 1 or 2. We have used brokered deposits in the past, and we intend to continue to use brokered deposits as one of our funding sources to support
future growth. We have established a brokered deposit to total deposit tolerance ratio of 15%. As of December 31, 2019, brokered deposits, excluding reciprocal deposits, represented
approximately 7.8% of our total deposits. Reciprocal deposits represented an additional 5.6% of total deposits at December 31, 2019. Currently, our brokered deposits have a comparable deposit
cost to our core deposits. There are risks associated with using brokered deposits. In order to continue to maintain our level of brokered deposits, we may be forced to pay higher interest rates than
those contemplated by our asset-liability pricing strategy which could have an adverse effect on our net interest margin. In addition, banks that become less than "well capitalized" under applicable
regulatory capital requirements may be restricted in their ability to accept or renew, or prohibited from accepting or renewing, brokered deposits. If this funding source becomes more difficult to
access, we will have to seek alternative funding sources in order to continue to fund our growth. This may include increasing our reliance on FHLB borrowings, attempting to attract additional
non-brokered deposits, and selling loans. There can be no assurance that brokered deposits will be available, or if available, sufficient to support our continued growth. The unavailability of a
sufficient volume of brokered deposits could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We may face risks with respect to future expansion or acquisition activity.
We selectively seek to expand our banking operations through limited de novo branching or
opportunistic acquisition activities. We cannot be certain that any expansion activity, through de novo branching, acquisition of branches of another
financial institution or a whole institution, or the establishment or acquisition of nonbanking financial service companies, will prove profitable or will increase shareholder value. The success of
any acquisition will depend, in part, on our ability to realize the estimated cost savings and revenue enhancements from combining our business and that of the target company. Our ability to realize
increases in revenue will depend, in part, on our ability to retain customers and employees, and to capitalize on existing relationships for the provision of additional products and services. If our
estimates turn out to be incorrect or we are not able to successfully combine companies, the anticipated cost savings and increased revenues may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to
realize than expected. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of each company's ongoing business, diversion of management attention, or
inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with clients and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits of the
merger. As with any combination of banking institutions, there also may be disruptions that cause us to lose customers or cause customers to withdraw their deposits. Customers may not readily accept
changes to their banking arrangements that we make as part of or following an acquisition. Additionally, the value of an acquisition to us is dependent on our ability to successfully identify and
estimate the magnitude of any asset quality issues of acquired companies.
We
may not be successful in overcoming these risks or other problems encountered in connection with potential acquisitions or other expansion activity. Our inability to overcome these
risks could have an adverse effect on our ability to implement our business strategy and enhance shareholder value, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition or results of operations.
Additionally,
at December 31, 2019, we had $7.1 million of goodwill related to our acquisition of Colombo. Goodwill and other intangible assets are tested for impairment on
an annual basis or when facts and circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. Our financial condition and results of operation may be adversely affected if that goodwill is determined to
be impaired, which would require us to take an impairment charge.
We have extended off-balance sheet commitments to borrowers which expose us to credit and interest rate risk.
We enter into off-balance sheet arrangements in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of our customers. These off-balance
sheet arrangements include commitments to extend credit, standby letters of credit and guarantees which would impact our liquidity and capital resources to the extent customers accept or use these
commitments. These instruments involve, to
varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the balance sheet. Our exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the
financial instrument for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit and guarantees written is represented by the contractual or notional amount of those instruments. We use the same
credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as we do for on-balance sheet instruments.
New lines of business, products, product enhancements or services may subject us to additional risk.
From time to time, we may implement new lines of business or offer new products and product enhancements as well as new services within our
existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts. In developing, implementing or marketing new lines of business, products, product enhancements
or services, we may invest significant time and resources. We
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may
underestimate the appropriate level of resources or expertise necessary to make new lines of business or products successful or to realize their expected benefits. We may not achieve the
milestones set in initial timetables for the development and introduction of new lines of business, products, product enhancements or services, and price and profitability targets may not prove
feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives and shifting market preferences, may also impact the ultimate implementation of a new line of business or
offerings of new products, product enhancements or services. Any new line of business, product, product enhancement or service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of
internal controls. We may also decide to discontinue businesses or products, due to lack of customer acceptance or unprofitability. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and
implementation of new lines of business or offerings of new products, product enhancements or services could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information provided by customers and counterparties.
In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with customers and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished by
or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial information. We may also rely on representations of customers and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that
information. In deciding whether to extend
credit, we may rely upon customers' representations that their financial statements conform to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or GAAP, and present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the customer. We also may rely on customer representations and certifications, or audit or accountants' reports,
with respect to the business and financial condition of our customers. Our financial condition, results of operations, financial reporting and reputation could be negatively affected if we rely on
materially misleading, false, inaccurate or fraudulent information.
We depend on information technology and telecommunications systems of third parties, and any systems failures
or interruptions could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.
Our business depends on the successful and uninterrupted functioning of our information technology and telecommunications systems. We outsource
many of our major systems, such as data processing, deposit processing, loan origination, email and anti-money laundering monitoring systems. Of particular significance is our long-term contract for
core data processing services with Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. The failure of these systems, or the termination of a third party software license or service agreement on which
any of these systems is based, could interrupt our operations, and we could experience difficulty in implementing replacement solutions. In many cases, our operations rely heavily on secured
processing, storage and transmission of information and the monitoring of a large number of transactions on a minute-by-minute basis, and even a short interruption in service could have significant
consequences. Because our information technology and telecommunications systems interface with and depend on third party systems, we could experience service denials if demand for such services
exceeds capacity or such third party systems fail or experience interruptions. If significant, sustained or repeated, a system failure or service denial could compromise our ability to operate
effectively, damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business and subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, failure of third parties to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or fraud or misconduct on the part of
employees of any of these third parties, could disrupt our operations or adversely affect our reputation.
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We are subject to cybersecurity risks and security breaches and may incur increasing costs in an effort to
minimize those risks and to respond to cyber incidents, and we may experience harm to our reputation and liability exposure from security breaches.
Our business involves the storage and transmission of customers' proprietary information and security breaches could expose us to a risk of loss
or misuse of this information, litigation and potential liability. While we have incurred no material cyber-attacks or security breaches to date, a number of other financial services and other
companies have disclosed cyber-attacks and security breaches, some of which have involved intentional attacks. Attacks may be targeted at us, our customers or both. Although we devote significant
resources to maintain, regularly update and backup our systems and processes that are designed to protect the security of our computer systems, software, networks and other technology assets and the
confidentiality, integrity and availability of information belonging to us or our customers, our security measures may not be effective against all potential cyber-attacks or security breaches.
Despite our efforts to ensure the integrity of our systems, it is possible that we may not be able to anticipate, or implement effective preventive measures against, all security breaches of these
types, especially because the techniques used change frequently or are not recognized until launched, and because cyber-attacks can originate from a wide variety of sources, including persons who are
involved with organized crime or associated with external service providers or who may be linked to terrorist organizations or hostile foreign governments. These risks may increase in the future as we
continue to increase our internet-based product offerings and expand our internal usage of web-based products and applications. If an actual or perceived security breach occurs, customer perception of
the effectiveness of our security measures could be harmed and could result in the loss of customers.
A
successful penetration or circumvention of the security of our systems, including those of third party providers or other financial institutions, or the failure to meet regulatory
requirements for security of our systems, could cause serious negative consequences, including significant disruption of our operations, misappropriation of our confidential information or that of our
customers, or damage to our computers or systems or those of our customers or counterparties, significant increases in compliance costs (such as repairing systems or adding new personnel or protection
technologies), and could result in violations of applicable privacy and other laws, financial loss to us or to our customers, loss of confidence in our security measures, customer dissatisfaction,
significant litigation and regulatory exposure, and harm to our reputation, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Failure to keep up with the rapid technological changes in the financial services industry could have a
material adverse effect on our competitive position and profitability.
The financial services industry is undergoing rapid technological changes, with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and
services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve customers and reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability
to address the needs of our customers by using
technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have
substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements than we have. We may not be able to implement new technology-driven products and services effectively or be successful in
marketing these products and services to our customers. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could harm our ability to compete
effectively and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. As these technologies are improved in the future, we may be required to make
significant capital expenditures in order to remain competitive, which may increase our overall expenses and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
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Our risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating risks and/or losses to us.
Our risk management framework is comprised of various processes, systems and strategies, and is designed to manage the types of risk to which we
are subject, including, among others, credit, market, liquidity, interest rate and compliance. Our framework also includes financial or other modeling methodologies that involve management assumptions
and judgment. Our risk management framework may not be effective under all circumstances and may not adequately mitigate any risk or loss to us. If our risk management framework is not effective, we
could suffer unexpected losses and our business, financial condition, results of operations or growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. We may also be subject to potentially
adverse regulatory consequences.
We may be adversely affected by the soundness of other financial institutions.
Our ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial
institutions. Financial services companies are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty and other relationships. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or
more financial services companies, or the financial services industry generally, could lead to market-wide liquidity problems and losses or defaults by us or other institutions. These losses could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we fail to design and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to
accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable reports and
prevent fraud.
We
believe that a control system, no matter how well designed and managed, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Because
of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within a company have been
detected. We may not be able to identify all significant deficiencies and/or material weaknesses in our internal control system in the future, and our failure to maintain effective internal control
over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and FDIC regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
We are dependent on the use of data and modeling in both our management's decision-making generally and in
meeting regulatory expectations in particular.
The use of statistical and quantitative models and other quantitatively-based analyses is endemic to bank decision-making and regulatory
compliance processes, and the employment of such analyses is becoming increasingly widespread in our operations. Liquidity stress testing, interest rate sensitivity analysis, allowance for loan loss
measurement, portfolio stress testing and the identification of possible violations of anti-money laundering regulations are examples of areas in which we are dependent on models and the data that
underlies them. We anticipate that model-derived insights will be used more widely in our decision-making in the future. While these quantitative techniques and approaches improve our decision-making,
they also create the possibility that faulty data or flawed quantitative approaches could yield adverse outcomes or regulatory scrutiny. Secondarily, because of the complexity inherent in these
approaches, misunderstanding or misuse of their outputs could similarly result in suboptimal decision making, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
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We may need to raise additional capital in the future, and we may not be able to do so.
Access to sufficient capital is critical in order to enable us to implement our business plan, support our business, expand our operations and
meet applicable capital requirements. The inability to have sufficient capital, whether internally generated through earnings or raised in the capital markets, could adversely impact our ability to
support and to grow our operations. If we grow our operations faster than we generate capital internally, we will need to access the capital markets. We may not be able to raise additional capital in
the form of additional debt or equity on acceptable terms, or at all. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on, among other things, conditions in the capital markets at that
time, our financial condition and our results of operations. Economic conditions and a loss of confidence in financial institutions may increase our cost of capital and limit access to some sources of
capital. Further, if we need to raise capital in the future, we may have to do so when many other financial institutions are also seeking to raise capital and would then have to compete with those
institutions for investors. An inability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
We could be subject to environmental risks and associated costs on our foreclosed real estate assets.
A substantial portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take
title to properties securing loans. There is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties and that we could be liable for remediation costs, as well as personal injury
and property damage. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property's value or limit our ability to sell the affected property. The
remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Litigation and regulatory actions, including possible enforcement actions, could subject us to significant
fines, penalties, judgments or other requirements resulting in increased expenses or restrictions on our business activities.
In the normal course of business, from time to time, we may be named as a defendant in various legal actions, arising in connection with our
current and/or prior business activities. Legal actions could include claims for substantial compensatory or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. Further, we may in the
future be subject to consent orders or other formal or informal enforcement agreements with our regulators. We may also, from time to time, be the subject of subpoenas, requests for information,
reviews, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental agencies regarding our current and/or prior business activities. Any such legal or regulatory actions may subject us
to substantial compensatory or punitive damages, significant fines, penalties, obligations to change our business practices or other requirements resulting in increased expenses, diminished income and
damage to our reputation. Our involvement in any such matters, whether tangential or otherwise, and even if the matters are ultimately determined in our favor, could also cause significant harm to our
reputation and divert management attention from the operation of our business. Further, any settlement, consent order, other enforcement agreement or adverse judgment in connection with any formal or
informal proceeding or investigation by government agencies may result in litigation, investigations or proceedings as other litigants and government agencies begin independent reviews of the same
activities. As a result, the outcome of legal and regulatory actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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The appraisals and other valuation techniques we use in evaluating and monitoring loans secured by real
property and other real estate owned may not accurately reflect the net value of the asset.
In considering whether to make a loan secured by real property, we generally require an appraisal of the property. However, an appraisal is only
an estimate of the value of the property at the time the appraisal is made, and, as real estate values may change significantly in value in relatively short periods of time (especially in periods of
heightened economic uncertainty), this estimate may not accurately reflect the net value of the collateral after the loan is made. As a result, we may not be able to realize the full amount of any
remaining indebtedness when we foreclose on and sell the relevant property. In addition, we rely on appraisals and other valuation techniques to establish the value of OREO, that we acquire through
foreclosure proceedings and to determine loan impairments. If any of these valuations are inaccurate, our financial statements may not reflect the correct value of our OREO, if any, and our allowance
for loan losses may not reflect accurate loan impairments. Inaccurate valuation of OREO or inaccurate provisioning for loan losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We are subject to an extensive body of accounting rules and best practices. Periodic changes to such rules
may change the treatment and recognition of critical financial line items and affect our profitability.
The nature of our business makes us sensitive to the large body of accounting rules in the U.S. From time to time, the governing bodies that
oversee changes to accounting rules and reporting requirements may release new guidance for the preparation of our financial statements. These changes can materially impact how we record and report
our financial condition and results of operations. In some instances, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in the restatement of prior period financial
statements. Changes which have been approved for future implementation, or which are currently proposed or expected to be proposed or adopted include requirements that we: calculate the allowance for
loan losses on the basis of the current expected credit losses over the lifetime of our loans, referred to as the CECL model, which is expected to be applicable to us beginning in 2023. These changes
could adversely affect our capital, regulatory capital ratios, ability to make larger loans, earnings and performance metrics. Any such changes could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Under
the CECL model, banks will be required to present certain financial assets carried at amortized cost, such as loans held for investment and held-to-maturity debt securities, at the
net amount expected to be collected. The measurement of expected credit losses is to be based on information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and
supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. This measurement will take place at the time the financial asset is first added to the balance sheet and periodically
thereafter. This differs significantly from the "incurred loss" model required under current GAAP, which delays recognition until it is probable a loss has been incurred. Accordingly, we expect that
the adoption of the CECL model will materially affect how we determine our allowance for loan losses, and could require us to significantly increase our allowance. Moreover, the CECL model may create
more volatility in the level of the
allowance for loan losses. If we are required to materially increase the level of the allowance for loan losses for any reason, such increase could adversely affect our business, financial condition
and results of operations. We are evaluating the impact the CECL accounting model will have on our accounting, but expect to recognize a one-time cumulative-effect adjustment to the allowance for loan
losses as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the new standard is effective. We cannot yet determine the magnitude of any such one-time cumulative adjustment or of the overall
impact of the new standard on our financial condition or results of operations.
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The fair value of our investment securities can fluctuate due to factors outside of our control.
As of December 31, 2019, the fair value of our investment securities portfolio was approximately $141.6 million. Factors beyond
our control can significantly influence the fair value of securities in our portfolio and can cause potential adverse changes to the fair value of these securities. These factors include, but are not
limited to, rating agency actions in respect of the securities, defaults by the issuer or with respect to the underlying securities, and changes in market interest rates and instability in the capital
markets. Any of these factors, among others, could cause other-than-temporary impairments, or OTTI, and realized and/or unrealized losses in future periods and declines in other comprehensive income,
which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. The process for determining whether impairment of a security is OTTI usually requires complex,
subjective judgments about the future financial performance and liquidity of the issuer, any collateral underlying the security and our intent and ability to hold the security for a sufficient period
of time to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value, in order to assess the probability of receiving all contractual principal and interest payments on the security. Our failure to correctly
and timely assess any impairments or losses with respect to our securities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We have no current plans to pay cash dividends.
Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive only such dividends as our board of directors may declare out of funds legally available for
such payments. The Bank is our primary operating business and the source of substantially all of our earnings, and our ability to pay dividends will be subject to the earnings, capital levels, capital
needs and limitations relating to the payment of dividends by the Bank to us. The amount of dividends that a bank may pay is limited by state and federal laws and regulations. While we have sufficient
retained earnings and expect our future earnings to be sufficient to pay cash dividends, our board of directors currently intends to retain
earnings for the purpose of financing growth. In addition, we are a bank holding company, and our ability to declare and pay dividends to our shareholders is dependent on federal regulatory
considerations, including the guidelines of the Federal Reserve regarding capital adequacy and dividends. It is the policy of the Federal Reserve that bank holding companies should generally pay
dividends on common stock only out of earnings, and only if prospective earnings retention is consistent with the organization's expected future needs, asset quality and financial condition.
Uncertainty relating to the discontinuation, reform or replacement of LIBOR may adversely affect our results
of operations.
In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the authority that regulates LIBOR) announced it intends to stop compelling banks to submit rates
for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. The Alternative Reference Rates Committee, or ARRC, has proposed that the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or SOFR, as the rate that represents best practice
as the alternative to USD-LIBOR for use in derivatives and other financial contracts that are currently indexed to USD-LIBOR. ARRC has proposed a paced market transition plan to SOFR from USD-LIBOR
and organizations are currently working on industry wide and company specific transition plans as it relates to derivatives and cash markets exposed to USD-LIBOR. The Company has material contracts
that are indexed to USD-LIBOR and is monitoring this activity and evaluating the related risks.
The
inability to obtain LIBOR rates, and the uncertainty as to the nature, comparability and utility of alternative reference rates which have been or may be established may adversely
affect the value of LIBOR-based loans, investment securities and other financial instruments in our portfolio, and may impact the availability and cost of hedging instruments and borrowings. If LIBOR
rates are no longer available, and the Bank is required to implement substitute indices for the calculation of interest rates under its loan agreements, it may incur additional expenses in effecting
the transition, and may be
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subject
to disputes or litigation with customers over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the substitute indices, which could have an adverse effect on its results of operations. At this
time, it is not possible to predict the effect that these developments, any discontinuance, modification or other reforms to LIBOR or any other reference rate, the establishment of alternative
reference rates, or the impact of any such events on contractual mechanisms may have on the markets, us or our fixed-to-floating rate debt securities. Uncertainty as to the nature of such potential
discontinuance, modification, alternative reference rates or other reforms may negatively impact market liquidity, our access to funding required to operate our business and the trading market for our
fixed-to-floating rate debt securities. Furthermore, the use of alternative reference rates or other reforms could cause the interest payable on our outstanding fixed-to-floating rate debt securities
to be materially different, and potentially higher, than expected.
The effects of widespread public health emergencies may negatively affect our local economies or disrupt our
operations, which would have an adverse effect on our business or results of operations.
Widespread health emergencies, such as the recent coronavirus outbreak, can disrupt our operations through their impact on our employees,
customers and their businesses, and the communities in which we operate. Disruptions to our customers could result in increased risk of delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and losses on our loans,
negatively impact regional economic conditions, result in a decline in local loan demand, loan originations and deposit availability and negatively impact the implementation of our growth strategy.
Any one or more of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Industry
Our industry is highly regulated, and the regulatory framework, together with any future legislative or
regulatory changes, may have a materially adverse effect on our operations.
The banking industry is highly regulated and supervised under both federal and state laws and regulations that are intended primarily for the
protection of depositors, customers, the public, the banking system as a whole or the FDIC Deposit Insurance Fund, not for the protection of our shareholders and creditors. We are subject to
regulation and supervision by the Federal Reserve, and our Bank is subject to regulation and supervision by the Federal Reserve and the VBFI. Compliance with these laws and regulations can be
difficult and costly, and changes to laws and regulations can impose additional compliance costs. The Dodd-Frank Act, which imposes significant regulatory and compliance changes on financial
institutions, is an example of this type of federal regulation. The laws and regulations applicable to us govern a variety of matters, including permissible types, amounts and terms of loans and
investments we may make, the maximum interest rate that may be charged, the amount of reserves we must hold against deposits we take, the types of deposits we may accept and the rates we may pay on
such deposits, maintenance of adequate capital and liquidity, changes in control of us and our Bank, transactions between us and our Bank, handling of nonpublic information, restrictions on dividends
and establishment of new offices. We must obtain approval from our regulators before engaging in certain activities, and there is risk that such approvals may not be granted, either in a timely manner
or at all. These requirements may constrain our operations, and the adoption of new laws and changes to or repeal of existing laws may have a further impact on our business, financial condition and
results of operations. Also, the burden imposed by those federal and
state regulations may place banks in general, including our Bank in particular, at a competitive disadvantage compared to their non-bank competitors. Our failure to comply with any applicable laws or
regulations, or regulatory policies and interpretations of such laws and regulations, could result in sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil money penalties or damage to our reputation, all of which
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Bank
holding companies and financial institutions are extensively regulated and currently face an uncertain regulatory environment. Applicable laws, regulations, interpretations,
enforcement policies and accounting principles have been subject to significant changes in recent years, and may be subject to significant future changes. Future changes may have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Federal
and state regulatory agencies may adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. We cannot predict the substance or effect of
pending or future legislation or regulation or the application of laws and regulations to us. Compliance with current and potential regulation, as well as regulatory scrutiny, may significantly
increase our costs, impede the efficiency of our internal business processes, require us to increase our regulatory capital, and limit our ability to pursue business opportunities in an efficient
manner by requiring us to expend significant time, effort and resources to ensure compliance and respond to any regulatory inquiries or investigations.
In
addition, regulators may elect to alter standards or the interpretation of the standards used to measure regulatory compliance or to determine the adequacy of liquidity, risk
management or other operational practices for financial service companies in a manner that impacts our ability to implement our strategy and could affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways, and
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the regulatory agencies have extremely broad discretion in their interpretation of
laws and regulations and their assessment of the quality of our loan portfolio, securities portfolio and other assets. If any regulatory agency's assessment of the quality of our assets, operations,
lending practices, investment practices, capital structure or other aspects of our business differs from our assessment, we may be required to take additional charges or undertake, or refrain from
taking, actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Federal and state regulators periodically examine our business and may require us to remediate adverse
examination findings or may take enforcement action against us.
The Federal Reserve and the VBFI periodically examine our business, including our compliance with laws and regulations. If, as a result of an
examination, the Federal Reserve or the VBFI were to determine that our financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity or other aspects of any of our
operations had become unsatisfactory, or that we were in violation of any law or regulation, they may take a number of different remedial actions as they deem appropriate. These actions include the
power to require us to remediate any such adverse examination findings.
In
addition, these agencies have the power to take enforcement action against us to enjoin "unsafe or unsound" practices, to require affirmative action to correct any conditions
resulting from any violation of law or regulation or unsafe or unsound practice, to issue an administrative order that can be judicially enforced, to direct an increase in our capital, to direct the
sale of subsidiaries or other assets, to limit dividends and distributions, to restrict our growth, to assess civil money penalties against us or our officers or directors, to remove officers and
directors and, if it is concluded that such conditions cannot be corrected or there is imminent risk of loss to depositors, to terminate our deposit insurance and place our Bank into receivership or
conservatorship. Any regulatory enforcement action against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be required to act as a source of financial and managerial strength for our Bank in times of stress.
Under federal law and long-standing Federal Reserve policy, we, as a bank holding company, are required to act as a source of financial and
managerial strength to our Bank and to commit resources
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to
support the Bank if necessary. We may be required to commit additional resources to the Bank at times when we may not be in a financial position to provide such resources or when it may not be in
our, or our shareholders' or creditors', best interests to do so. A requirement to provide such support is more likely during times of financial stress for us and the Bank, which may make any capital
we are required to raise to provide such support more expensive than it might otherwise be. In addition, any capital loans we make to the Bank are subordinate in right of repayment to deposit
liabilities of the Bank.
Regulatory initiatives regarding bank capital requirements may require heightened capital.
Regulatory capital rules, which implement the Basel III regulatory capital reforms from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, include a
common equity Tier 1 capital requirement and establish criteria that instruments must meet to be considered common equity Tier 1 capital, additional Tier 1 capital or
Tier 2 capital. These enhancements were intended to both improve the quality and increase the quantity of capital required to be held by banking organizations, and to better equip the U.S.
banking system to deal with adverse economic conditions. The capital rules require banks to maintain a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.5% or greater, a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8%
or greater, a total capital ratio of 10% or greater and a leverage ratio of 5% or greater to be deemed "well capitalized" for purposes of certain rules and prompt corrective action requirements. Bank
holding companies and banks are also required to hold a capital conservation buffer of common equity Tier 1 capital of 2.5% to avoid limitations on capital distributions and discretionary
executive compensation payments.
The
Federal Reserve may also set higher capital requirements for holding companies whose circumstances warrant it. For example, holding companies experiencing significant internal growth
or making acquisitions are expected to maintain strong capital positions substantially above the minimum supervisory levels, without significant reliance on intangible assets. Our regulatory capital
ratios currently are in excess of the levels established for "well capitalized" institutions. Future regulatory change could impose higher capital standards.
The
2018 Act directed the federal banking agencies to develop a CBLR, calculated by dividing tangible equity capital by average consolidated total assets. In October 2019, the federal
banking agencies adopted a CBLR of 9%. If a "qualified community bank," generally a depository institution or depository institution holding company with consolidated assets of less than
$10 billion, has a leverage ratio which exceeds the CBLR of 9%, then such bank will be considered to have met all generally applicable leverage and risk based capital requirements; the capital
ratio requirements for "well capitalized" status under Section 38 of the FDIA, and any other leverage or capital requirements to which it is subject. As of December 31, 2019, we
qualified for this simplified capital regime, however, there can be no assurance that satisfaction of the CBLR will provide adequate capital for our operations and growth, or an adequate cushion
against increase levels of nonperforming assets or weakened economic conditions.
Any
new or revised standards adopted in the future may require us to maintain materially more capital, with common equity as a more predominant component, or manage the configuration of
our assets and liabilities to comply with formulaic liquidity requirements. We may not be able to raise additional capital at all, or on terms acceptable to us. Failure to maintain capital to meet
current or future regulatory requirements could have a significant material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We face a risk of noncompliance and enforcement action with the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money
laundering statutes and regulations.
The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, the USA Patriot Act and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to
institute and maintain an effective anti-money laundering
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program
and to file reports such as suspicious activity reports and currency transaction reports. We are required to comply with these and other anti-money laundering requirements. Our federal and
state banking regulators, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, and other government agencies are authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of anti-money
laundering requirements. We are also subject to increased scrutiny of compliance with the regulations issued and enforced by the OFAC. If our program is deemed deficient, we could be subject to
liability, including fines, civil money penalties and other regulatory actions, which may include restrictions on our business operations and our ability to pay dividends, restrictions on mergers and
acquisitions activity, restrictions on expansion, and restrictions on entering new business lines. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist
financing could also have significant reputational consequences for us. Any of these circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We are subject to numerous "fair and responsible banking" laws designed to protect consumers, and failure to
comply with these laws could lead to a wide variety of sanctions.
The Community Reinvestment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations, including
state laws and regulations, prohibit discriminatory lending practices by financial institutions. The Federal Trade Commission Act and the Dodd-Frank Act prohibit unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or
practices by financial institutions. The U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, federal banking agencies, and other federal and state agencies are responsible for enforcing these fair and responsible
banking laws and regulations. A challenge to an institution's compliance with fair and responsible banking laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including damages and civil
money penalties, injunctive relief, restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity, restrictions on expansion and restrictions on entering new business lines. Private parties may also have the
ability to challenge an institution's performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We are subject to laws regarding the privacy, information security and protection of personal information and
any violation of these laws or another incident involving personal, confidential or proprietary information of individuals could damage our reputation and otherwise adversely affect our business.
Our business requires the collection and retention of large volumes of customer data, including personally identifiable information, or PII, in
various information systems that we maintain and in those maintained by third party service providers. We also maintain important internal company data such as PII about our employees and information
relating to our operations. We are subject to complex and evolving laws and regulations governing the privacy and protection of PII of individuals (including customers, employees and other third
parties). For example, our business is subject to the GLB Act, which, among other things: (i) imposes certain limitations on our ability to share nonpublic PII about our customers with
nonaffiliated third parties; (ii) requires that we provide certain disclosures to customers about our information collection, sharing and security practices and afford customers the right to
"opt out" of any information sharing by us with nonaffiliated third parties (with certain exceptions); and (iii) requires that we develop, implement and maintain a written comprehensive
information security program containing appropriate safeguards based on our size and complexity, the nature and scope of our activities, and the sensitivity of customer information we process, as well
as plans for responding to data security breaches. Various federal and state banking regulators and states have also enacted data breach notification requirements with varying levels of individual,
consumer, regulatory or law enforcement notification in the event of a security breach. Ensuring that our collection, use, transfer and storage of PII complies with all applicable laws and regulations
can increase our costs. Furthermore, we may not be able to ensure that customers and other third parties have appropriate controls in place to protect the confidentiality of the information that they
exchange
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with
us, particularly where such information is transmitted by electronic means. If personal, confidential or proprietary information of customers or others were to be mishandled or misused (in
situations where, for example, such information was erroneously provided to parties who are not permitted to have the information, or where such information was intercepted or otherwise compromised by
third parties), we could be exposed to litigation or regulatory sanctions under privacy and data protection laws and regulations. Concerns regarding the effectiveness of our measures to safeguard PII,
or even the perception that such measures are inadequate, could cause us to lose customers or potential customers and thereby reduce our revenues. Accordingly, any failure, or perceived failure, to
comply with applicable privacy or data protection laws and regulations may subject us to inquiries, examinations and investigations that could result in requirements to modify or cease certain
operations or practices or in significant liabilities, fines or penalties, and could damage our reputation and otherwise adversely affect our operations, financial condition and results of operations.
Our use of third party vendors and our other ongoing third party business relationships are subject to
increasing regulatory requirements and attention.
We regularly use third party vendors in our business and we rely on some of these vendors for critical functions including, but not limited to,
our core processing function. Third party relationships are subject to increasingly demanding regulatory requirements and attention by bank regulators. We expect our regulators to hold us responsible
for deficiencies in our oversight or control of our third party vendor relationships and in the performance of the parties with which we have these relationships. As a result, if our regulators
conclude that we have not exercised adequate oversight and control over our third party vendors or that such vendors have not performed adequately, we could be subject to administrative penalties or
fines as well as requirements for consumer remediation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Rulemaking changes implemented by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will result in higher regulatory
and compliance costs that may adversely affect our business.
The Dodd-Frank Act created a new, independent federal agency, the CFPB, which was granted broad rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement powers
under various federal consumer financial protection laws. The consumer protection provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and the examination, supervision and enforcement of those laws and implementing
regulations issued by the CFPB have created a more intense and complex environment for consumer finance regulation. The ultimate impact of this heightened scrutiny is uncertain but could result in
changes to pricing, practices, products and procedures. It could also result in increased costs related to regulatory oversight, supervision and examination. These changes could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Potential limitations on incentive compensation contained in proposed federal agency rulemaking may adversely
affect our ability to attract and retain our highest performing employees.
The Federal Reserve, other federal banking agencies and the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, have jointly published proposed rules
designed to implement provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act prohibiting incentive compensation arrangements that would encourage inappropriate risk taking at covered financial institutions, which includes
a bank or bank holding company with $1 billion or more in consolidated assets. It cannot be determined at this time whether or when a final rule will be adopted and whether compliance with such
a final rule will substantially affect the manner in which we structure compensation for our executives and other employees. Depending on
the nature and application of the final rules, we may not be able to successfully compete with financial institutions and
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other
companies that are not subject to some or all of the rules to retain and attract executives and other high performing employees.
The Bank's FDIC deposit insurance premiums and assessments may increase.
The Bank's deposits are insured by the FDIC up to legal limits and, accordingly, the Bank is subject to insurance assessments based on the
Bank's average consolidated total assets less its average tangible equity. The Bank's regular assessments are determined by its risk classification, which is based on its regulatory capital levels and
the level of supervisory concern that it poses. Numerous bank failures during the financial crisis and increases in the statutory deposit insurance limits increased resolution costs to the FDIC and
put significant pressure on the Deposit Insurance Fund. In order to maintain a strong funding position and the reserve ratios of the Deposit Insurance Fund required by statute and FDIC estimates of
projected requirements, the FDIC has the power to increase deposit insurance assessment rates and impose special assessments on all FDIC-insured financial institutions. Any future increases or special
assessments could reduce our profitability and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.