Form 8-K - Current report

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

    Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 07, 2024

   

Velocity Financial, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)


Delaware	001-39183	46-0659719
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

30699 Russell Ranch Road, Suite 295
Westlake Village, California		91362
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

    Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (818) 532-3700

   

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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


Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share	VEL	The New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

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

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

We are furnishing our Incentive Compensation Clawback Policy NYSE Rule 303A.14, effective December 1, 2023. A copy of the policy is furnished as Exhibit 99 and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information provided in this Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99, is intended to be furnished and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any other filing under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.


Exhibit Number		Description

99		Velocity Financial, Inc. Incentive Compensation Clawback Policy

104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


			Velocity Financial, Inc.

Date:	February 7, 2024	By:	/s/ Roland T. Kelly
			Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

VELOCITY FINANICAL, INC.

Incentive Compensation Clawback Policy

NYSE Rule 303A.14

(Effective December 1, 2023)

Overview. The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Velocity Financial, Inc. (the “Company”) has adopted this Incentive Compensation Clawback Policy (the “Policy”) which requires the recoupment of certain incentive-based compensation in accordance with the terms herein and is intended to comply with Section 303A.14 of The New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, as such section may be amended from time to time (the “Listing Rules”). Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms under Section 12 of this Policy.

Interpretation and Administration. The Committee shall have full authority to interpret and enforce the Policy; provided, however, that the Policy shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with its intent to meet the requirements of the Listing Rules. As further set forth in Section 10 below, this Policy is intended to supplement any other clawback policies and procedures that the Company may have in place from time to time pursuant to other applicable law, plans, policies or agreements.

Covered Executives. The Policy applies to each current and former Executive Officer of the Company who serves or served as an Executive Oﬃcer at any time during a performance period in respect of which Incentive Compensation is Received, to the extent that any portion of such Incentive Compensation is (a) Received by the Executive Officer during the last three completed Fiscal Years or any applicable Transition Period preceding the date that the Company is required to prepare a Restatement (regardless of whether any such Restatement is actually filed) and (b) determined to have included Erroneously Awarded Compensation. For purposes of determining the relevant recovery period referenced in the preceding clause (a), the date that the Company is required to prepare a Restatement under the Policy is the earlier to occur of (i) the date that the Board, a committee of the Board, or the officer or officers of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes, or reasonably should have concluded, that the Company is required to prepare a Restatement or (ii) the date a court, regulator, or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare a Restatement. Executive Officers subject to this Policy pursuant to this Section 3 are referred to herein as “Covered Executives.”

Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation. If any Erroneously Awarded Compensation is Received by a Covered Executive, the Company shall reasonably promptly take steps to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation in a manner described under Section 5 of this Policy.

Forms of Recovery. The Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion and in a manner that effectuates the purpose of the Listing Rules, one or more methods for recovering any Erroneously Awarded Compensation hereunder in accordance with Section 4 above, which may include, without limitation: (a) requiring cash reimbursement; (b) seeking recovery or forfeiture of any gain realized on the vesting, exercise, settlement, sale, transfer or other disposition

of any equity-based awards; (c) offsetting the amount to be recouped from any compensation otherwise owed by the Company to the Covered Executive; (d) cancelling outstanding vested or unvested equity awards; or (e) taking any other remedial and recovery action permitted by law, as determined by the Committee. To the extent the Covered Executive refuses to pay to the Company an amount equal to the Erroneously Awarded Compensation, the Company shall have the right to sue for repayment and/or enforce the Covered Executive’s obligation to make payment through the reduction or cancellation of outstanding and future compensation. Any reduction, cancellation or forfeiture of compensation shall be done in compliance with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

No Indemnification. The Company shall not indemnify any Covered Executive against the loss of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation for which the Committee has determined to seek recoupment pursuant to this Policy.

Exceptions to the Recovery Requirement. Notwithstanding anything in this Policy to the contrary, Erroneously Awarded Compensation need not be recovered pursuant to this Policy if the Committee (or, if the Committee is not composed solely of Independent Directors, a majority of the Independent Directors serving on the Board) determines that recovery would be impracticable as a result of any of the following:

(a)

the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing the Policy would exceed the amount to be recovered; provided that, before concluding that it would be impracticable to recover any amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation based on expense of enforcement, the Company must make a reasonable attempt to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, document such reasonable attempt(s) to recover, and provide that documentation to the Exchange;

(b)

recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(13) or 26 U.S.C. 411(a) and the regulations thereunder.

Committee Determination Final. Any determination by the Committee with respect to the Policy shall be final, conclusive and binding on all interested parties.

Amendment. The Policy may be amended by the Committee from time to time, to the extent permitted under the Listing Rules.

10.

Non-Exclusivity. Nothing in the Policy shall be viewed as limiting the right of the Company or the Committee to pursue additional remedies or recoupment under or as required by any similar policy adopted by the Company or under the Company’s compensation plans, award agreements, employment agreements or similar agreements or the applicable provisions of any law, rule or regulation which may require or permit recoupment to a greater degree or with respect to additional compensation as compared to this Policy (but without duplication as to any recoupment already made with respect to Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Policy). This Policy shall be interpreted in all respects to comply with the Listing Rules.

11.

Successors. The Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Executives and their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.

12.

Defined Terms.

“Covered Executives” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3 of this Policy.

“Erroneously Awarded Compensation” shall mean the amount of Incentive Compensation actually Received that exceeds the amount of Incentive Compensation that otherwise would have been Received had it been determined based on the restated amounts, and computed without regard to any taxes paid. For Incentive Compensation based on stock price or total shareholder return, where the amount of erroneously awarded Incentive Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in a Restatement:

(A)

The calculation of Erroneously Awarded Compensation shall be based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Restatement on the stock price or total shareholder return upon which the Incentive Compensation was Received; and

(B)

The Company shall maintain documentation of the determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to the Exchange.

“Exchange” shall mean The New York Stock Exchange.

“Executive Officer” shall mean the Company’s president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice-president of the Company in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function (such as sales, administration, or finance), any other officer who performs a policy-making function, or any other person who performs similar policy-making functions for the Company. Executive officers of the Company’s parent(s) or subsidiaries shall be deemed executive officers of the Company if they perform such policy-making functions for the Company.

“Financial Reporting Measures” shall mean measures that are determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and any measures that are derived wholly or in part from such measures, including, without limitation, stock price and total shareholder return (in each case, regardless of whether such measures are presented within the Company’s financial statements or included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission).

“Fiscal Year” shall mean the Company’s fiscal year; provided that a Transition Period between the last day of the Company’s previous fiscal year end and the first day of its new fiscal year that comprises a period of nine to 12 months will be deemed a completed fiscal year.

“Incentive Compensation” shall mean any compensation (whether cash or equity-based) that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure, and may include, but shall not be limited to, performance bonuses and long-term incentive awards such as stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance share units or other equity-based awards. For the avoidance of doubt, Incentive Compensation does not include awards that vest exclusively upon completion of a specified employment period, without any performance condition, and bonus awards that are discretionary or based on subjective goals or goals unrelated to Financial Reporting Measures.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, compensation amounts shall not be considered “Incentive Compensation” for purposes of the Policy unless such compensation is Received (1) while the Company has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or a national securities association and (2) on or after the effective date of the Listing Rules.

“Independent Director” shall mean a director who is determined by the Board to be “independent” for Board or Committee membership, as applicable, under the rules of the Exchange, as of any determination date.

“Listing Rules” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1 of this Policy.

Incentive Compensation shall be deemed “Received” in the Company’s fiscal period during which the Financial Reporting Measure specified in the Incentive Compensation award is attained, even if the payment or grant of the Incentive Compensation occurs after the end of that period.

“Restatement” shall mean an accounting restatement due to the material noncompliance of the Company with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, including any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the Company’s previously issued financial statements, or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period.

“Transition Period” shall mean any transition period that results from a change in the Company’s Fiscal Year within or immediately following the three completed Fiscal Years immediately preceding the Company’s requirement to prepare a Restatement.

Document And Entity Information	Feb. 07, 2024
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Feb. 07, 2024
Entity Registrant Name	Velocity Financial, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0001692376
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity File Number	001-39183
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	46-0659719
Entity Address, Address Line One	30699 Russell Ranch Road, Suite 295
Entity Address, City or Town	Westlake Village
Entity Address, State or Province	CA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	91362
City Area Code	(818)
Local Phone Number	532-3700
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	VEL
Security Exchange Name	NYSE