Citizens Financial Group Inc: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2025

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. We offer a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, and institutions. Our products and services are offered through more than 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia and 75 retail and commercial non-branch offices, though certain lines of business serve national markets.

At December 31, 2025, we had total assets of $226.4 billion, total deposits of $183.3 billion, and total stockholders’ equity of $26.3 billion. In addition, we had total client assets of $61.9 billion, including assets under management of $35.9 billion, representing assets for which continuous and regular supervisory or management services are provided, and transactional assets of $26.0 billion, representing assets for which execution, custody, recordkeeping, reporting, and other services are provided.

We are a BHC incorporated under Delaware state law in 1984, and our primary federal regulator is the FRB. CBNA is our banking subsidiary, whose primary federal regulator is the OCC.

Business Segments

We manage our business through two primary business segments: Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. Our activities outside these segments are classified as Other and primarily includes treasury and community development operations, along with other unallocated assets, liabilities, capital, revenues, provision (benefit) for credit losses, and expenses, including income tax expense (benefit). For additional information regarding our business segments see the “Business Segments” section of Item 7 and Note 24 in Item 8.

Consumer Banking Segment

Consumer Banking serves consumer customers and small businesses, with products and services that include deposits, mortgage and home equity lending, credit cards, small business loans, and wealth management solutions largely across our 14-state traditional banking footprint. We also offer education and point-of-sale finance loans in addition to select digital deposit products nationwide. Citizens Private Bank and Private Wealth integrate banking services and wealth management solutions to serve high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses.

Consumer Banking operates a multi-channel distribution network with a workforce of approximately 5,100 branch colleagues, 1,000 branches, including 117 in-store locations, and 3,100 ATMs. Our network includes approximately 1,500 specialists covering lending, savings, and wealth management needs as well as a broad range of small business products and services. We serve customers on a national basis through telephone service centers and our online and mobile platforms where we offer customers the convenience of depositing funds, paying bills, and transferring money between accounts and from person to person, as well as a host of other everyday transactions.

Commercial Banking Segment

Commercial Banking primarily serves companies and institutions and strives to be a trusted advisor to our clients and preferred provider for their banking needs. We offer a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities.

Commercial Banking is organized around client segments and their banking needs. Middle Market & Midcorporate - Commercial & Industrial, Commercial Real Estate, Capital Markets and Advisory, and Treasury & Wholesale Payments work together to understand client needs and provide comprehensive solutions to meet those needs. We acquire new clients through a coordinated approach to the market, leveraging deep industry knowledge in specialized banking groups and a geographic coverage model.

Middle Market & Midcorporate - Commercial & Industrial serves commercial and industrial clients based in the United States. To better meet the unique needs of these client segments we offer a more dedicated and tailored approach and cover a group of targeted industry sectors.

Commercial Real Estate provides customized debt capital solutions for middle-market operators, institutional developers, investors, and real estate investment trusts. Commercial Real Estate provides financing for projects primarily in the multifamily, office, industrial, retail, healthcare, and hospitality sectors.

Capital Markets and Advisory serves clients through key product groups including Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, and Global Markets. Corporate Finance primarily provides advisory services to middle-market and mid-corporate clients, including mergers and acquisitions and capital structure advice. The team works closely with industry-sector specialists within capital markets to advise our clients. Corporate Finance also provides acquisition and follow-on financing for new and recapitalized portfolio companies of key sponsors, with services meeting the unique and time-sensitive needs of private equity firms, management companies, and funds, and underwriting and portfolio management expertise for leveraged transactions and relationships. Capital Markets originates, structures, and underwrites credit and equity facilities targeting middle-market, mid-corporate, and private equity sponsors. They focus on offering value-added ideas to optimize their capital structures, including advising on and facilitating mergers and acquisitions, valuations, tender offers, financial restructurings, bond and equity underwriting, asset sales, divestitures, and other corporate reorganizations and business combinations. Capital Markets also provides sales and trading across loan, fixed income, and equity products, as well as other brokerage services including equity research. Global Markets provides foreign exchange, interest rate, and commodities risk management services.

Treasury & Wholesale Payments supports Commercial Banking and certain small business clients with treasury management and payment solutions, including domestic and international products and services related to receivables, payables, information reporting, and liquidity management, as well as commercial credit cards and trade finance.

Business Strategy

Our vision is to be a top-performing regional bank distinguished by our customer centricity, mindset of continuous improvement, and excellent capabilities. Our strategy is grounded in a “three-legged stool” model consisting of a transformed Consumer Bank, best-positioned Commercial Bank, and premier Private Bank. To achieve our vision, we are executing against five strategic objectives:

Grow high-quality deposits and deepen customer relationships: We remain focused on growing high‑quality deposits and strengthening primary banking relationships by delivering a customer‑centric experience grounded in advice, tailored solutions, and our expanded capabilities. We aim to deepen engagement across key customer segments by offering a comprehensive suite of products designed to anticipate and exceed evolving customer needs, through frictionless digital and omni‑channel experiences that make banking easier, more seamless, and more personalized. Through disciplined execution and risk management, and continuous improvement in how we serve customers, we seek to build deeper trust and relationships and drive sustainable, relationship‑driven deposit growth.

Drive scale in growth markets, key industries, and high-opportunity businesses: We continue to strengthen our competitive position by expanding in growth markets, deepening our presence in priority industry verticals, and investing in businesses with attractive and sustainable long‑term potential. Through disciplined resource allocation, targeted talent investments, and a focus on relationship‑led growth, we aim to broaden our reach and build scale where we are best positioned to win. By aligning our capabilities with the evolving needs of middle‑market and mid‑corporate clients, and by expanding in high‑opportunity sectors, we seek to deliver differentiated insights, enhance cross‑bank connectivity, and capture a greater share of high‑quality, relationship‑based opportunities.

Deliver high-quality solutions and advice: Providing customers and clients with tailored solutions and trusted advice remains central to our strategy. We are enhancing our product suites, investing in digital and data capabilities, and equipping our teams to deliver seamless, omni‑channel experiences. As customer expectations evolve, we continue to modernize our platforms, strengthen treasury and payment capabilities, and advance advisory‑led engagement across Consumer, Commercial, and Private Bank and Private Wealth. By combining expertise, technology, and a customer‑first mindset, we aim to deliver timely, insight‑driven guidance that deepens relationships and distinguishes our value proposition.

Continue to optimize balance sheet and business mix: We manage our balance sheet with discipline and a clear focus on generating attractive, risk‑adjusted returns. Our strategy emphasizes thoughtful capital allocation, proactive portfolio management, and deliberate shifts toward relationship‑oriented, higher‑quality businesses. We remain committed to strengthening the durability of our earnings by increasing the mix of attractive deposits, expanding recurring fee‑income streams, and reducing exposure to lower‑return activities. Through ongoing optimization and rigorous risk management, we aim to maintain a strong financial foundation that supports long‑term resilience and sustained growth.

Invest in our people and communities: We invest in our colleagues and communities by fostering strong leadership, building future‑ready skills, and creating an inclusive, healthy workplace. Through targeted development, modern learning tools, and a compelling employee value proposition, we support colleague engagement, agility, and long‑term growth. We also remain committed to promoting well‑being, inclusion, and community impact through programs that strengthen resilience and expand opportunity. By empowering our people and contributing meaningfully to the communities we serve, we reinforce our purpose, strengthen our brand, and build the foundation for enduring performance.

Competition

The financial services industry is highly competitive. Our retail branch footprint is predominantly in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions, and our Private Bank footprint includes offices in California, Florida, New York, and Massachusetts. Certain lines of our business also serve national markets. We face competition within these markets from community banks, super-regional and national financial institutions, credit unions, savings and loan associations, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market funds, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Some of our larger competitors may offer a broader array of products, pricing, and structure alternatives to their customers, while some smaller competitors may have more liberal lending policies and processes. In addition, some of our competitors are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as we are and, therefore, may have lower costs they can pass on to customers. Competition among providers of financial products and services continues to increase, with consumers and businesses having the opportunity to select from a growing variety of traditional and nontraditional alternatives, such as Private Credit/Direct lenders. The ability of non-banking financial institutions, including FinTech companies, to provide services previously limited to commercial banks has also intensified competition.

In Consumer Banking, the industry has become increasingly dependent on and oriented toward technology-driven delivery systems, permitting transactions to be conducted through online and mobile channels. In addition, technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for non-bank institutions to attract funds and provide lending and other financial products and services. The emergence of digital-only banking models has increased and we expect this trend to continue. These models are typically able to offer higher rates on deposit products than traditional retail banking institutions given their lower cost structure. The primary factors driving competition for loans and deposits are interest rates, fees charged, tailored value propositions to different customer segments, customer service levels, convenience, including branch locations and hours of operation, and the range of products and services offered.

In Commercial Banking, we face competition in all our client segments from a variety of industry participants including traditional banking institutions, particularly large regional banks, as well as commercial finance companies, leasing companies, other non-bank lenders, and institutional investors, including collateralized loan obligation managers, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Some larger competitors, including certain national banks that compete in our markets, may offer a broader array of products and be positioned to hold more exposure on their balance sheet due to their asset size. We compete on a number of factors including providing innovative corporate finance solutions, quality of customer service and execution, range of products offered, price, and reputation.

Human Capital Management

We believe long-term success depends on our ability to attract, develop, and retain a high-performing workforce. Our goal is to create an environment where colleagues can thrive personally and professionally and can maximize their potential, and our human capital management strategy is anchored in a skills-based foundation that drives workforce agility and future readiness. Our Board of Directors and its Compensation and Human Resources Committee are responsible for overseeing our human capital management strategy, with senior management providing regular updates to facilitate that oversight. As of December 31, 2025, Citizens had 17,398 full-time equivalent employees, primarily across New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Attracting and Developing Talent

Attracting talent with the skills and experience necessary to achieve our strategic objectives remains imperative. We leverage various channels to identify talent with strengths and values aligned with our priorities and culture. We continue to believe that fostering a workforce with diverse backgrounds and experiences is fundamental to driving innovation. Our Hiring Blueprint, introduced in 2025, establishes a process through which the skills, behaviors, and achievements of candidates are evaluated using a consistent framework that provides recruiters and managers with guidance on effectively evaluating candidates. We continue to evolve our hiring processes and explore ways that technology and automation can further improve candidate experience.

Our development and learning initiatives are aimed at building capabilities to ensure colleagues excel in their current roles and are valuable contributors in the future. We remain on a multi-year journey to build bold leaders and nurture a culture of learning and innovation, consistently enhancing the resources available to our colleagues in pursuit of these objectives. We recognize that the success of our long-term strategy relies on the strength of our leaders and we remain dedicated to advancing their capabilities. We launched a new leadership development program for frontline managers across the enterprise and are implementing a new leadership framework to further build a culture of inclusive, high-impact leadership.

Continuous learning and a growth mindset are essential for colleagues to thrive as part of our organization and to feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose. With the launch of Talent Matters in 2024, colleagues now have access to a talent marketplace that creates personalized experiences to support skill-building and career advancement. In 2025, we launched a new learning operating model that creates a more streamlined learner experience and expands learning solutions across the enterprise. By leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced learning platforms we are accelerating personalized learning and building capacity for skill development. This approach supports our recently expanded educational assistance and robust academy programs, creating learning pathways for critical and emerging skills.

Engaging and Rewarding Colleagues

Listening to our colleagues’ voices and experiences is important to us and is instrumental in helping us support colleagues and to evolve company culture to best support our business strategy. Colleague feedback is used to refine our focus, address any gaps, and strengthen efforts to improve organizational effectiveness and colleague experience. Our approach to colleague listening is multifaceted, featuring numerous channels and frequent touchpoints, including our annual organizational health survey (“OHS”), an interim pulse survey, and five life-cycle surveys that measure colleague sentiment at key stages. Our latest overall OHS results place us in the top quartile of financial services.

We foster a culture where all stakeholders feel respected, valued, and heard. Our dedication to building an inclusive workplace centers on welcoming a wide range of skills, backgrounds, viewpoints, and perspectives. Various resources are used by management to understand what drives a sense of inclusion, including responses to our OHS and input from our seven business resource groups, which assist in identifying and supporting initiatives that are most relevant to customers, colleagues, and the community. While our diversity efforts encompass a broad range of perspectives, we recognize that certain stakeholders maintain an interest in colleague demographic data, which is available in our Sustainability & Impact Report and on our website.

We provide comprehensive compensation and benefit programs. We strive to compensate our colleagues fairly based on market data, experience, and performance, and we compare our compensation to other companies in our peer group as well as others in the financial services industry. We are dedicated to ensuring fair and equitable compensation for all employees. To support this commitment, we engage an independent third-party expert annually to conduct a pay equity assessment, which considers factors such as role, performance, and experience that appropriately account for pay differences. Our benefit plans and programs are designed to equip colleagues and their families with resources to navigate various life events and to support various dimensions of well-being including physical, mental, and financial. Our benefits offering is reviewed annually and has expanded in various areas in recent years, including most notably an expansion of resources related to mental well-being. Our Credo calls for us to perform our best every day to help our customers, colleagues, and communities reach their potential. We encourage colleague volunteerism in our communities, which we support by providing colleagues with paid time off for volunteer events and a community service sabbatical program.

Sustainability

Our integrated, enterprise-wide Sustainability & Impact strategy helps us build a better future for all those we serve. Led by robust corporate governance, this strategy helps guide the decisions we make. It means serving our customers and clients, engaging shareholders, monitoring our environmental impact, and empowering our colleagues and communities to thrive. Our four focus areas include robust corporate governance, the workforce of the future, fostering strong communities, and positive climate impact, which speak to what we believe are the strengths of our company and how we are driving growth and having a positive impact on our business, society, and the planet.

For more details regarding our sustainability efforts, go to our website.

Regulation and Supervision

Our operations are subject to regulation, supervision, and examination under federal and state laws and regulations. These laws and regulations cover all aspects of our business, including lending practices, deposit insurance, customer privacy and cybersecurity, capital adequacy and planning, liquidity, safety and soundness, consumer protection and disclosure, permissible activities and investments, and certain transactions with affiliates. These laws and regulations are intended primarily for the protection of customers, depositors, the DIF, and the banking system as a whole and not for the protection of shareholders or other investors. The discussion below outlines the material elements of selected laws and regulations applicable to us and our subsidiaries, but does not summarize all possible or proposed changes in laws or regulations. Changes in applicable law or regulation, and in their interpretation and application by regulatory agencies and other governmental authorities, cannot be predicted, but may have a material effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

We are subject to examinations by federal banking regulators, as well as the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, and various state insurance and securities regulators. In some cases, regulatory agencies may take supervisory actions that may not be publicly disclosed, and such actions may restrict or limit our activities or activities of our subsidiaries. As part of our regular examination process, regulators may advise us to operate under various restrictions as a prudential matter. We periodically receive requests for information from regulatory authorities at the federal and state level, including from banking, securities, and insurance regulators, state attorneys general, federal agencies or law enforcement authorities, and other regulatory authorities concerning our business practices. Such requests are considered incidental to the normal conduct of business. For a further discussion of how regulatory actions may impact our business, see Item 1A “Risk Factors.” For additional information regarding regulatory matters, see Note 23 in Item 8.

Overview

We are a BHC under the Bank Holding Company Act and have elected to be treated as a FHC under amendments to this Act as effected by GLBA. As such, we are subject to the supervision, examination, and reporting requirements of the Bank Holding Company Act and the regulations of the FRB, including through the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Under the system of “functional regulation” established under the Bank Holding Company Act, the FRB serves as the primary regulator of our consolidated organization. The OCC serves as the primary regulator for CBNA, and the SEC and FINRA serve as the primary regulators of our broker-dealer subsidiaries.

The federal banking regulators have authority to approve or disapprove mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, the establishment of branches, and similar corporate actions. These banking regulators also have the power to prevent the continuance or development of unsafe or unsound banking practices or other violations of law. Federal law governs the activities in which CBNA engages, including the investments it makes and the aggregate amount of available credit that it may grant to one borrower. Various consumer and compliance laws and regulations also affect its operations. The actions the FRB takes to implement monetary policy also affect us.

In addition, CBNA is subject to regulation, supervision, and examination by the CFPB with respect to consumer protection laws and regulations. The CFPB regulates the offering and provision of consumer financial products by depository institutions, such as CBNA, with more than $10 billion in total assets. The CFPB may promulgate rules under a variety of consumer financial protection statutes, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act.

Enhanced Prudential Standards and Regulatory Tailoring Rules

As a BHC with over $100 billion in total consolidated assets, we are currently subject to enhanced prudential standards and associated capital and liquidity rules (“Tailoring Rules”). The Tailoring Rules assign each BHC, including its bank subsidiaries, to one of four categories based on its size and certain risk-based indicators. CFG and CBNA are each subject to Category IV standards, the least restrictive of the requirements under the Tailoring Rules.

Bank and Financial Holding Company Regulation

As a FHC, we may engage in a broader range of activities than a BHC that is not also a FHC. These activities include securities underwriting and dealing, insurance underwriting and brokerage, merchant banking, and other activities that are determined by the FRB, in coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, to be “financial in nature or incidental thereto” or that the FRB determines unilaterally to be “complementary” to financial activities. In addition, a FHC may commence new permissible financial activities or acquire non-bank financial companies engaged in such activities, in either case, with after-the-fact notice to the FRB.

To maintain FHC status, a BHC and all of its depository institution subsidiaries must remain “well capitalized” and “well managed,” as described below under “Federal Deposit Insurance Act.” If a BHC fails to meet these regulatory standards, the FRB could place limitations on its ability to conduct the broader financial activities permissible for FHCs or impose limitations or conditions on the conduct or activities of the BHC or its affiliates. If the deficiencies persisted, the FRB could order the BHC to divest any subsidiary bank or to cease engaging in any activities permissible for FHCs that are not permissible for BHCs, or the BHC could elect to conform its non-banking activities to those permissible for a BHC that is not also a FHC. In addition, the CRA requires U.S. banks to help serve the needs of their communities. If a depository institution subsidiary of a BHC were to receive a CRA rating of less than “satisfactory”, the BHC would be prohibited from engaging in certain activities or acquisitions (see “Community Reinvestment Act” below).

Federal and state laws impose notice and approval requirements for mergers and acquisitions of other depository institutions or BHCs. As noted above, FRB approval is generally not required for BHCs to acquire a company engaged in activities that are financial in nature or incidental to activities that are financial in nature, as determined by the FRB. Prior regulatory approval is required, however, before a BHC may acquire or control more than 5% of any class of voting shares or substantially all of the assets of a BHC, including a FHC, or a bank. In considering applications for approval of acquisitions, the banking regulators may take several factors into account, including the competitive effects of the transaction in the relevant geographic markets; the financial and managerial resources and future prospects of companies involved in the transaction; the effect of the transaction on the financial stability of the U.S. banking or financial system; the companies’ compliance with anti-money laundering laws and regulations; the convenience and needs of the communities to be served; and the performance record of the IDIs involved in the transaction under the CRA.

Capital and Stress Testing Requirements

We are required to comply with the U.S. Basel III rules, which establish risk-based and leverage capital requirements. The risk-based requirements are based on a banking organization’s RWA, which is inclusive of the organization’s on- and off-balance sheet exposures. We calculate RWA using the standardized approach and have made the AOCI opt-out election, permitting us to exclude components of AOCI from regulatory capital. The leverage requirements are based on a banking organization’s average consolidated on-balance sheet assets.

Under the U.S. Basel III rules, the minimum capital ratios are:

• CET1 capital ratio of 4.5%;
• Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.0%;
• Total capital ratio of 8.0%; and
• Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4.0%.

For BHCs with $100 billion or more in assets, such as us, the FRB’s capital rules impose an institution-specific SCB on top of each of the three minimum risk-based capital ratios listed above. Banking institutions that fail to meet the effective minimum ratios including the SCB will be subject to constraints on capital distributions, including dividends and share repurchases, and certain discretionary executive compensation. The severity of the constraints depends on the amount of the shortfall and the institution’s “eligible retained income”, defined as the greater of four quarter trailing net income net of distributions and tax effects not reflected in net income, or the average four quarter trailing net income.

As a Category IV firm under the Tailoring Rules, we are subject to biennial supervisory stress testing and are exempt from company-run stress testing and related disclosure requirements. The FRB supervises Category IV firms on an ongoing basis, including evaluating the capital adequacy and capital planning processes of firms during off-cycle years. We are required to develop, maintain, and submit an annual capital plan for review and approval by our Board of Directors, or one of its committees, as well as FR Y-14 reporting requirements.

In July 2023, the federal banking regulators issued a proposal to implement the final components of the Basel III capital framework. The proposal, commonly referred to as Basel III “Endgame,” would significantly revise the capital requirements applicable to large banking organizations with total assets of $100 billion or more, including the Company and CBNA as Category IV firms. Under the proposal, the Company and CBNA would (i) be subject to the same capital treatment regarding the inclusion of AOCI, deductions, and rules for minority interest as Category I and II firms, (ii) be required to utilize two new standardized approaches for credit, operational, market, and credit valuation adjustment risk, (iii) be required to calculate counterparty credit exposure related to derivative transactions using the standardized approach for counterparty credit risk, and (iv) become subject to the supplementary leverage ratio and the countercyclical capital buffer. The federal banking regulators have not finalized this proposal and indicated that their aim is to unveil a re-proposal of the rule in early 2026. However, the timing and scope of any final rule are uncertain at this point in time. We will continue to monitor developments related to this proposal.

In April 2025, the FRB issued a proposal designed to reduce the volatility of year-over-year changes in regulatory capital requirements stemming from its annual stress test results, including averaging the results of the prior two annual supervisory stress tests to inform a firm’s SCB requirement. Category IV firms, like us, that choose, or are otherwise required, to participate in consecutive supervisory stress tests would also be subject to results averaging. The proposal would also extend the annual effective date of the SCB requirement from October 1 to January 1 of the following year, providing firms with additional time to comply with their updated SCB requirement. The FRB’s proposed changes are not designed to materially affect overall bank capital requirements, but rather to decrease regulatory reporting burden.

In October 2025, the FRB issued a proposal to enhance the transparency and public accountability of its supervisory stress testing framework. The FRB is seeking comment on (i) the supervisory stress test models and related revisions intended to enhance the transparency of its stress test framework, and (ii) an enhanced disclosure process that would include public comment on material model changes and the annual stress test scenarios.

We are also subject to the FRB's risk-based capital requirements for market risk. See the “Market Risk” section of Item 7 for additional details.

For more details regarding our regulatory capital and SCB, and the AOCI impact of the Basel III Endgame proposal on our regulatory capital, see the “Capital” section of Item 7.

Liquidity Requirements

The liquidity coverage ratio (“LCR”) is designed to ensure that a covered bank or BHC maintains an adequate level of unencumbered high-quality liquid assets to cover expected net cash outflows over a 30-day time horizon under an acute liquidity stress scenario. The net stable funding ratio (“NSFR”) is designed to promote more medium- and long-term funding of the assets and activities of banking organizations over a one-year time horizon. Under the Tailoring Rules, Category IV firms with less than $50 billion in weighted short-term wholesale funding, such as us, are not subject to any LCR or NSFR requirement.

We are subject to certain liquidity requirements under the Tailoring Rules including liquidity buffer, stress testing, risk management, and reporting requirements. In addition, as a Category IV firm, we are required to calculate collateral positions monthly, establish a set of liquidity risk limits, and monitor certain elements of intraday liquidity risk exposures.

Resolution Planning

The FDIC requires IDIs with $100 billion or more in average total assets that are not affiliates of U.S. global systemically important banking organizations, including CBNA, to submit full resolution plans triennially, with interim supplemental submissions due annually in the intervening years. The FDIC adopted its IDI resolution planning rule in July 2024 to focus on the operational information most relevant for the FDIC to conduct an effective resolution. This rule prioritized executing a large bank resolution through a weekend sale or, if necessary, operating the bank for a short period of time while rapidly marketing the institution or its assets. Institutions must provide credible and detailed information that supports the FDIC’s ability to conduct a low‑cost resolution, ensures timely access to insured deposits, maximizes value from the sale or disposition of assets, and mitigates risks to U.S. financial stability. CBNA submitted its most recent resolution plan to the FDIC on June 25, 2025, and is expected to file an interim submission on or before July 1, 2026.

Long-Term Debt Requirements

In August 2023, the federal banking regulators issued a proposal that would require large bank holding companies and IDIs with total assets of $100 billion or more, such as CFG and CBNA, to maintain a minimum amount of long-term debt. The joint agency proposal aims to increase the resolvability and resiliency of large banking organizations by mandating a long-term debt requirement to provide the regulatory agencies additional resources to resolve failed banking organizations, foster depositor confidence, and decrease costs to the DIF in the event of a large banking organization failure. Under the proposal, large bank holding companies and IDIs would be (i) required to maintain a minimum amount of eligible long-term debt, (ii) prohibited from engaging in certain activities that could complicate their resolution, and (iii) discouraged from holding long-term debt issued by other banks to reduce interconnectedness. The proposal provides for a phase-in of the long-term debt requirement over a three-year transition period. The federal banking regulators have not finalized this proposal and the timing and scope of any final rule are uncertain at this point in time. We will continue to monitor developments related to this proposal.

Standards for Safety and Soundness

The FDIA requires the federal banking regulators to prescribe operational and managerial standards for all IDIs, including CBNA. Regulations and interagency guidelines adopted by these agencies set forth the safety and soundness standards used to identify and address problems at IDIs before capital becomes impaired. If an agency determines that a bank fails to satisfy any standard, it may require the bank to submit an acceptable plan to achieve compliance, consistent with deadlines for the submission and review of such safety and soundness compliance plans. If, after being notified to submit a compliance plan, an institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan or fails in any material respect to implement an acceptable compliance plan, the agency must issue an order directing action to correct the deficiency and may issue an order directing other types of actions that an undercapitalized institution is subject to under the FDIA as discussed in “Federal Deposit Insurance Act” below. If an institution fails to comply with such an order, the agency may seek to enforce such order in judicial proceedings and to impose civil money penalties.

Federal Deposit Insurance Act

The FDIA requires, among other things, that federal banking regulators take “prompt corrective action” with respect to IDIs that do not meet minimum capital requirements, as described above in “Capital and Stress Testing Requirements.” The FDIA sets forth the following five capital categories: “well-capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” and “critically undercapitalized.” An IDI’s capital category is determined based on how its capital levels compare with various relevant capital measures and certain other factors that are established by regulation. The federal banking regulators must take certain mandatory supervisory actions, and are authorized to take other discretionary actions, with respect to institutions that are undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, or critically undercapitalized, with the actions becoming more restrictive and punitive the lower the institution’s capital category. Under existing rules, an IDI that is not an advanced approaches institution, such as CBNA, is deemed to be “well capitalized” if it has a CET1 ratio of at least 6.5%, a Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 8%, a Total capital ratio of at least 10%, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 5%.

The FRB’s regulations which are applicable to BHCs, such as the Parent Company, separately define “well capitalized” as having a Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 6% and a Total capital ratio of at least 10%. As described above under “Bank and Financial Holding Company Regulation”, a FHC that is not well capitalized and well managed, or whose bank subsidiaries are not well capitalized and well managed, under applicable prompt corrective action standards may be restricted in certain of its activities and ultimately may lose FHC status. As of December 31, 2025, both the Parent Company and CBNA were well-capitalized.

The FDIA prohibits insured banks from accepting brokered deposits or offering interest rates on any deposits significantly higher than the prevailing rate in the bank’s normal market area or nationally, depending upon where the deposits are solicited, unless it is “well-capitalized,” or it is “adequately capitalized” and receives a waiver from the FDIC. A bank that is “adequately capitalized” and accepts brokered deposits under a waiver from the FDIC may not pay an interest rate on any deposit in excess of 75 basis points over certain prevailing market rates. The FDIA imposes no such restrictions on a bank that is “well-capitalized.”

Deposit Insurance

The DIF provides insurance coverage for certain deposits, up to a standard maximum deposit insurance amount of $250,000 per depositor based on ownership right and capacity category codes and is funded through assessments on IDIs based on the risk each institution poses to the DIF. CBNA accepts customer deposits insured by the DIF and must pay insurance premiums as a result, which the FDIC may increase based on various factors, including its assessment of CBNA’s risk profile. The FDIC also requires large depository institutions, including CBNA, to maintain enhanced deposit account recordkeeping and related information technology system capabilities to facilitate prompt calculation of insured deposits if such an institution was taken into FDIC receivership.

The FDIC, as required under the FDIA, established a restoration plan in September 2020 to restore the DIF reserve ratio, 1.36% as of June 30, 2025, to meet or exceed the statutory minimum of 1.35% within eight years. This initial plan did not include an increase in the deposit insurance assessment rate, but the FDIC subsequently determined that the DIF reserve ratio was at risk of not reaching the statutory minimum by the statutory deadline of September 30, 2028, absent an increase in assessment rates. Therefore, in October 2022, the FDIC adopted a final rule to increase initial base deposit insurance assessment rates by 2 basis points, beginning with the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. As of June 30, 2025, the DIF reserve ratio exceeded the statutory minimum, therefore the FDIC will no longer operate under a restoration plan.

In November 2023, the FDIC adopted a final rule to impose a special assessment on IDIs to recover the loss to the DIF arising from the protection of uninsured depositors in connection with the systemic risk determination announced in March 2023, following the closures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, as required by the FDIA. The special assessment was based on an IDI’s estimated uninsured deposits, adjusted to exclude the first $5 billion, as reported for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, and was assessed at an annual rate of approximately 13.4 basis points over eight quarterly periods beginning with the first quarter of 2024.

The FDIC’s current estimate of the loss attributable to this systemic risk determination is $16.7 billion. As of September 30, 2025, the FDIC projects that the special assessment collected through the initial eight-quarter collection period will recover the entire loss estimate amount and no extension of the collection period will be necessary. The FDIC reserves the right to impose a one-time final shortfall special assessment after it terminates all receiverships. CBNA’s special assessment was approximately $230 million, which remains subject to change if the eventual loss to the DIF differs from the FDIC’s current estimate.

Dividends

Various federal statutory provisions and regulations, as well as regulatory expectations, limit the amount of dividends that we and our subsidiaries may pay. Our payment of dividends to stockholders is subject to oversight by the FRB. In particular, the FRB reviews the dividend policies and share repurchases of a large BHC based on capital plans submitted as part of the CCAR process and the results of stress tests, as discussed under “Capital and Stress Testing Requirements” above. In addition to other limitations, our ability to make any capital distributions, including dividends and share repurchases, is subject to the prior approval of the FRB if we are required to resubmit our capital plan.

Dividends payable by CBNA, as a national bank subsidiary, are limited to the lesser of the amount calculated under a “recent earnings” test and an “undivided profits” test. Under the recent earnings test, a dividend may not be paid if the total of all dividends declared during any calendar year exceeds the sum of current year net income and retained net income of the two preceding years, less any required transfers to surplus, unless the national bank obtains the approval of the OCC. Under the undivided profits test, a dividend may not be paid in excess of the entity’s “undivided profits” (generally accumulated net profits that have not been paid out as dividends or transferred to surplus). Federal banking regulatory agencies have issued policy statements that provide that FDIC-insured depository institutions and their holding companies should generally pay dividends only out of current operating earnings.

Support of Subsidiary Bank

The Parent Company is required to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to CBNA and, under appropriate conditions, to commit resources to support CBNA. This support may be required by the FRB at times when the Parent Company may not have the financial resources to do so, or when doing so may not serve our interests or those of our shareholders or creditors. In addition, any capital loans by a BHC to a subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary bank. In the event of a BHC’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the BHC to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to a priority of payment.

Transactions with Affiliates and Insiders

Federal banking laws and regulations impose certain quantitative limits and qualitative standards upon certain transactions between a member bank, including CBNA, and its affiliates, including a parent BHC. Covered transactions with any single affiliate are limited to 10% of the member bank’s capital stock and surplus and covered transactions with all affiliates are limited to 20% of the member bank’s capital stock and surplus. Covered transactions include, among other things, extensions of credit to an affiliate, investments in the securities of an affiliate, purchases of assets from an affiliate, and certain other transactions that expose the member bank to the credit risks of its affiliates. Transactions between a member bank and its affiliates, including all covered transactions, are also required to be on terms substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the member bank, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with nonaffiliates.

We are also subject to quantitative restrictions on extensions of credit to executive officers, directors, principal stockholders, and their related interests. These extensions of credit may not exceed certain quantitative limits, must be made on substantially the same terms as those currently prevailing in the market for comparable transactions with third parties, and must not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features. Certain extensions of credit also require the approval of our Board.

Volcker Rule

Under the Volcker Rule, banks and their affiliates are prohibited from engaging in proprietary trading and investing in, sponsoring, and having certain relationships with private funds such as certain hedge funds or private equity funds. Under this rule, we are viewed as having “moderate” trading assets and liabilities, which subjects us to a simplified compliance program requirement that is appropriate for our activities, size, scope, and complexity. This rule does not have a material impact on Citizens.

Regulation of Derivatives

The regulatory framework with respect to OTC derivatives requires the registration of certain market participants as swap dealers and security-based swap dealers, as well as central clearing and trade execution of certain swaps and security-based swaps on regulated exchanges or execution facilities.

CBNA is a CFTC-registered swap dealer and is subject to the CFTC’s regulatory regime, including business conduct standards, recordkeeping, and transaction and financial reporting requirements. CBNA is also subject to regulation by the National Futures Association, a self-regulatory organization.

In addition, CBNA is subject to the OCC’s rules that mandate the exchange of initial margin and variation margin for swaps and security-based swaps between CBNA and specified counterparties that are not centrally cleared through a regulated clearing house. The amount of margin required varies based on the relative risk of the associated swap.

Consumer Financial Protection Regulations

The retail activities of banks are subject to a variety of statutes and regulations designed to protect consumers and promote lending to various sectors of the economy and population. These laws include, but are not limited to, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Service Members Civil Relief Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Right to Financial Privacy Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, and their respective federal regulations and state law counterparts.

In addition to these federal laws and regulations, the guidance and interpretations of the various federal agencies charged with the responsibility of implementing such regulations also influence loan and deposit operations.

The CFPB has rulemaking, supervisory, examination, and enforcement authority over various consumer financial protection laws, including those referenced above, fair lending laws, and certain other statutes. The CFPB also has examination and primary enforcement authority with respect to depository institutions with $10 billion or more in assets, such as CBNA, including the authority to prevent unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices in connection with the offering of consumer financial products.

The Federal Reserve has adopted rules applicable to banks with $10 billion or more in assets, such as CBNA, that establish standards for debit card interchange fees and prohibit network exclusivity and routing restrictions. These rules establish a maximum permissible interchange fee that banks may charge for many types of debit card transactions. In October 2023, the Federal Reserve proposed amendments to these rules that would reduce this maximum permissible interchange fee and establish automatic updates to the fee every other year based on a survey of debit card issuers. We will continue to monitor the proposed changes to these rules.

States are permitted to adopt stricter consumer protection laws and standards than those adopted at the federal level, and in certain circumstances allows state attorneys general to enforce compliance with both the state and federal laws and regulations on banks like us.

Protection of Customer Personal Information and Cybersecurity

The privacy provisions of GLBA generally prohibit financial institutions, including us, from disclosing nonpublic personal financial information of consumer customers to third parties for certain purposes unless customers have the opportunity to opt out of the disclosure. The Fair Credit Reporting Act restricts information sharing among affiliates for marketing purposes. Both the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Regulation V, which are issued by the FRB, govern the use and provision of information to consumer reporting agencies.

In October 2024, the CFPB adopted a rule regarding personal financial data rights (“PFDR rule”) that applies to financial institutions that offer consumer deposit accounts, such as CBNA. Covered financial institutions are required to provide consumers electronic access to 24 months of transaction data and certain account information and are prohibited from imposing any fees or charges for maintaining or providing access to such data. The PFDR rule also imposes data accuracy, retention, and other obligations. For banks with total assets between $10 billion and $250 billion, compliance with the rule is required by April 1, 2027. In August 2025, in response to legal challenges, the CFPB issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comments and data to inform its consideration of certain issues related to the implementation of the PFDR rule. We will continue to monitor the outcome of the CFPB’s PFDR rule.

The federal banking regulators regularly issue guidance regarding cybersecurity intended to enhance cyber risk management standards among financial institutions. Financial institutions are expected to 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 when accessing internet-based services of the financial institution. Further, 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 cyberattack involving destructive malware or other compromise of customer data and/or systems. 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 cyberattack or compromise. If we fail to observe the regulatory guidance, we could be subject to various regulatory sanctions, including financial penalties. For further discussion of risks related to cybersecurity, see Item 1A “Risk Factors.”

A financial institution is also required to notify its primary banking regulator within 36 hours of computer-security incidents that have materially disrupted or degraded, or is reasonably likely to materially disrupt or degrade its:

• ability to carry out banking operations, activities, or processes, or deliver banking products and services to a material portion of its customer base;
• business lines, including associated operations, services, functions, and support, that upon failure would result in a material loss of revenue, profit, or franchise value; or
• operations, including associated services, functions, and support, the failure or discontinuance of which would pose a threat to the financial stability of the United States.

In addition, the SEC requires registrants to disclose material cybersecurity incidents on Form 8-K, which must describe the material aspects of the nature, scope, and timing of the incident, as well as the impact of the incident on the registrant. In Form 10-K filings, registrants are required to describe their processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats and whether such risks have materially affected the registrant. Registrants must also describe Board oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats and management’s role and expertise in assessing and managing material risks from such threats. See Item 1C “Cybersecurity” for more information.

State regulators have also been active in implementing privacy and cybersecurity standards and regulations. Several states have adopted laws and regulations requiring certain financial institutions to implement cybersecurity programs and provide details with respect to these programs. In addition, many states have implemented or modified their data breach notification and data privacy requirements. We expect this trend of state-level activity to continue and are continually monitoring developments in the states in which we operate.

Climate-Related Laws and Regulations

In March 2024, the SEC adopted a final rule to require registrants to disclose certain climate-related matters in their registration statements and annual reports including risks, activities to mitigate or adapt to such risks, governance, financial effects of severe weather events, and audited measurements of certain greenhouse gas emissions. The SEC subsequently issued an order staying its rule in April 2024 while federal courts considered various legal challenges brought by states, businesses, and business groups, which were consolidated in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In March 2025, the SEC voted to end its defense of the rule and withdrew from the lawsuit. Litigation is expected to continue with the court ultimately deciding whether the rule will remain in effect as adopted. The rule remains stayed until the litigation is resolved.

Several states in which we operate have also enacted or proposed statutes or regulations addressing climate-related issues. For example, California has enacted laws that impose climate-related disclosure requirements on certain companies doing business in California, while some states have enacted, or proposed to enact, divergent or sometimes conflicting statutes, including those that prohibit financial institutions from denying or canceling products or services on the basis of social credit scores and certain other factors. We will continue to monitor developments on these laws and regulations.

Community Reinvestment Act

The CRA requires CBNA’s primary federal bank regulatory agency, the OCC, to evaluate the bank’s record in meeting the credit needs of the communities it serves, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and individuals. Institutions are assigned one of four ratings: “Outstanding,” “Satisfactory,” “Needs to Improve,” or “Substantial Noncompliance.” A bank’s CRA record is considered by regulatory agencies in evaluating mergers, acquisitions, and applications to open a branch or facility. In addition, the CRA record of a subsidiary bank of a FHC is considered if a FHC wishes to commence certain new financial activities or to acquire a company engaged in such activities, which requires a rating of at least “satisfactory.” CBNA received an “Outstanding” rating on its most recent CRA evaluation.

In October 2023, the federal banking regulators issued a joint final rule to modernize their regulations implementing the CRA. The final rule took effect on April 1, 2024, with most of its requirements effective January 1, 2026, and certain reporting requirements effective January 1, 2027. However, a court issued a preliminary injunction enjoining the federal banking regulators from enforcing the revised regulations pending resolution of a lawsuit challenging the regulations. In July 2025, the federal banking regulators issued a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPR”) to rescind the CRA joint final rule and replace it with the prior CRA regulations adopted by the agencies in 1995, with certain technical amendments. The NPR is intended to restore certainty in the CRA regulatory framework for stakeholders and limit regulatory burden on financial institutions.

Compensation

Our compensation practices are subject to oversight by the federal banking regulators, with their jointly issued guidance designed to ensure that incentive compensation arrangements take into account risk and are consistent with safe and sound practices. The guidance sets forth the following three key principles with respect to incentive compensation arrangements:

• The arrangements should provide employees with incentives that appropriately balance risk and financial results in a manner that does not encourage employees to expose their organizations to imprudent risk;
• The arrangements should be compatible with effective controls and risk management; and
• The arrangements should be supported by strong corporate governance.

We will continue to monitor regulations related to incentive compensation arrangements that have not been finalized.

Anti-Money Laundering

The Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) and the Patriot Act contain anti-money laundering (“AML”) and financial transparency provisions intended to detect and prevent the use of the U.S. financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. The BSA, as amended by the Patriot Act, requires depository institutions and their holding companies to maintain an AML program, verify the identity of customers and certain beneficial owners for legal entity customers, monitor for and report suspicious transactions, report on cash transactions exceeding specified thresholds, and respond to requests for information by regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies. We are also required to provide our employees with AML training, designate an AML compliance officer, and undergo an annual, independent audit to assess the effectiveness of our AML program. We have implemented policies, procedures, and internal controls that are designed to comply with these AML requirements. Financial services regulators are focusing their examinations on AML compliance, and we continue to monitor and augment, where necessary, our AML compliance programs. The federal banking agencies are required, when reviewing bank and BHC acquisition or merger applications, to take into account the effectiveness of the AML activities of the applicants.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (“AMLA”), enacted in 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, requires the U.S. Department of the Treasury to issue National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Priorities and conduct studies and issue regulations that may, over the next few years, significantly alter some of the due diligence, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements that the BSA and the Patriot Act impose on financial institutions. The AMLA also increases penalties for violations of the BSA and significantly expands a whistleblower award program both of which could increase the prospect of regulatory enforcement. In 2021, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, issued the priorities for AML and countering the financing of terrorism policy, as required under the AMLA. These priorities include corruption, cybercrime, terrorist financing, fraud, transnational crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and proliferation financing.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation

The U.S. has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, nationals, and others, that are administered by OFAC. OFAC-administered sanctions targeting countries take many different forms and generally contain one or more of the following elements:

• 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 U.S. persons engaging in financial transactions relating to, making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and
• Blocking assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the 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, withdrawn, set off, or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC.

Lists including the names of individuals and organizations suspected of aiding, harboring, or engaging in terrorist acts, including the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list, is published and routinely updated by OFAC. We are responsible for, among other things, blocking accounts of, and transactions with, such targets and countries, prohibiting unlicensed trade and financial transactions with them, and reporting blocked transactions after they occur. If we identify a name on any transaction, account, or wire transfer that is on an OFAC list we must freeze the associated account, file a suspicious activity report, and notify the appropriate authorities. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences.

Regulation of Broker-Dealers

Our subsidiaries, Citizens Securities, Inc. and Citizens JMP Securities, LLC, are registered broker-dealers with the SEC and subject to regulation and examination by the SEC and FINRA. These regulations cover a broad range of matters, including capital requirements; sales and trading practices; use of client funds and securities; the conduct of directors, officers, and employees; recordkeeping and recording; supervisory procedures to prevent improper trading on material nonpublic information; qualification and licensing of sales personnel; and limitations on the extension of credit in securities transactions. In addition to federal registration, state securities commissions require the registration of certain broker-dealers.

Heightened Risk Governance Standards

CBNA is subject to OCC guidelines that impose heightened risk governance standards on large national banks with average total consolidated assets of $50 billion or more. The guidelines set forth minimum standards for the design and implementation of a bank’s risk governance framework and its associated oversight by a bank’s board of directors. The guidelines are intended to protect the safety and soundness of covered banks and improve the ability of bank examiners to assess compliance with the OCC’s expectations. Under the guidelines, a bank may use the risk governance framework of its parent company if it meets the minimum standards and the risk profiles of the parent company and the covered bank are substantially the same, along with certain other conditions. CBNA has elected to use the Parent Company’s risk governance framework. A bank’s board of directors is required to have two members who are independent of bank and parent company management, ensure that the risk governance framework meets the appropriate standards, provide active oversight and a credible challenge to management’s recommendations and decisions, and ensure that decisions made by the parent company do not jeopardize the safety and soundness of the bank. In December 2025, the OCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that, if enacted, would increase the average total consolidated assets threshold for applying the guidelines from $50 billion to $700 billion.

Intellectual Property

Trademarks, service marks, and logos are important to the success of our business in the highly competitive banking industry in which we operate. We own and license a variety of trademarks, service marks, and logos and are developing resources to enhance our stand-alone brands.

Website Access to Citizens’ Filings with the SEC and Corporate Governance Information

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K are available on our website, free of charge, at investor.citizensbank.com, along with amendments to such reports that are filed or furnished to the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act of 1934. These documents are made available on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website (www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov)) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Information about our Board and its committees and corporate governance, including our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, is available on our website at investor.citizensbank.com/about-us/investor-relations/corporate-governance. Except as specifically incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, information on the aforementioned websites is not part of this report.

We are subject to a number of risks potentially impacting our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. As a financial services organization, certain elements of risk are inherent in what we do and the decisions we make. Therefore, we encounter risk as part of the normal course of our business and design risk management processes to help manage these risks. See the “Risk Management” section in Item 7 for a discussion of our risk management framework and the primary risks we face.

You should carefully consider the following risk factors that may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the risk factors described below are not the only ones we face and should not be considered a complete list of risks that we may encounter. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we believe to be immaterial may also adversely affect our business. See the “Forward-Looking Statements” section above for other factors that could affect us.

Risks Related to Our Business

We may not be able to successfully execute our business strategy.

Our future success and the value of our stock depends, in part, on our ability to effectively implement our business strategy and achieve our financial performance goals across our Consumer and Commercial businesses, including our Private Bank. Risks and uncertainties associated with each element of our strategy exist, many of which are not within our control. If we are not able to successfully execute our business strategy, we may not achieve our financial performance goals and any shortfall may be material. See the “Business Strategy” section in Item 1 for further information.

Supervisory requirements and expectations on us as a financial holding company and a bank holding company and any regulator-imposed limits on our activities could adversely affect our ability to implement our strategic plan, expand our business, continue to improve our financial performance, and make capital distributions to our stockholders.

Our operations are subject to regulation, supervision, and examination by the federal banking regulators, as well as the CFPB. As part of the supervisory and examination process, if we are unsuccessful in meeting the regulatory requirements and supervisory expectations that apply to us, regulatory agencies may from time to time take supervisory actions against us, including actions that may not be publicly disclosed. Such actions may include restrictions on our activities or the activities of our subsidiaries, informal (nonpublic) or formal (public) supervisory actions, or public enforcement actions, including the payment of civil money penalties, which could increase our costs and limit our ability to implement our strategic plans and expand our business and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. See the “Regulation and Supervision” section in Item 1 for further information.

Inflationary pressures could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, and results of operations.

Volatility and uncertainty related to inflation and its associated effects may enhance or contribute to certain risks that we face by negatively impacting our funding costs and expenses, including increasing funding costs and expenses related to talent acquisition and retention. Inflation may also negatively impact consumer demand and client purchasing power for our products and services, as well as the ability of our borrowers to repay their obligations. These inflationary pressures would likely have an adverse impact on our business, financial position, and results of operations.

Our ability to meet our obligations, and the cost of funds to do so, depend on our ability to access identified sources of liquidity at a reasonable cost.

Liquidity risk is the risk arising from the inability to meet our obligations when they come due. We must maintain adequate funding to meet current and future obligations, including customer loan requests, deposit maturities and withdrawals, debt service, leases, and other cash commitments, under both normal operating conditions and periods of company-specific and/or market stress.

We rely on customer deposits to be our primary stable and low-cost source of funding. Our other funding sources are dependent on our ability to securitize loans in secondary markets, raise funds in the debt and equity capital markets, pledge loans and/or securities for borrowing from the FHLB, pledge securities as collateral for borrowing under repurchase agreements, and sell AFS securities.

Our ability to meet our obligations and support our operations could be materially affected by a variety of conditions, including market-wide illiquidity or disruption, a general loss of market or customer confidence in the financial services industry or in the Company specifically, or reductions in one or more of our credit ratings. These conditions could limit our ability to retain deposits, securitize or sell assets, access debt and equity capital markets, or otherwise borrow money at a reasonable cost. If these conditions, among others, are severe enough they could also create unanticipated material outflows of cash due to, among other factors, draws on unfunded commitments or deposit attrition, which could have a significant adverse impact on our liquidity. In addition, changes to the FHLB’s or the FRB’s underwriting guidelines for wholesale borrowings or lending policies may limit or restrict our ability to borrow and could have a significant adverse impact on our liquidity as a result.

Changes in interest rates may have an adverse effect on our liquidity and profitability.

Changes in interest rates can have a material impact on the value of our securities portfolio, the primary objective of which is to provide a readily available source of liquidity. An increase in rates could lower the collateral value of these securities, reducing the amount we could borrow and leading to losses in the event of their sale.

Since our earning assets are primarily in the form of loans and debt securities, changes in interest rates can have a material impact on our net interest income, net interest margin, fee income, and credit costs. Our asset yields and funding costs may not rise or fall in parallel in response to changes in interest rates, causing our net interest income to increase or decrease and our net interest margin to expand or contract. If our funding costs rise faster than our asset yields, or if our asset yields fall faster than our funding costs, our net interest income could decrease and our net interest margin could contract.

An increase in interest rates could weaken demand for loans by customers, reducing our net interest income due to lower loan balances and origination-related fee income due to lower production volume. An increase in rates could also have an adverse impact on our credit costs, as borrowers may have difficulty in making higher interest payments, as well as on our AFS securities portfolio, which could trigger the recognition of losses in the event the securities need to be sold.

Similarly, a decrease in interest rates could reduce our net interest income, net interest margin, and fee income. A prolonged period of low interest rates may result in us holding lower yielding loans and securities should rates rise rapidly after such a period.

Changes in the spread between short-term and long-term interest rates (i.e., the yield curve) can also have a material impact on our net interest income and net interest margin. The yield curve, typically upward sloping with short-term rates lower than long-term rates, could cause our net interest income and net interest margin to decline if it were to flatten or invert, as the cost of our short-term funding is likely to increase relative to the yield we can earn on our long-term assets.

Interest rates and the yield curve are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and the policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies, most notably the Federal Open Market Committee. Although we have policies and procedures designed to manage our interest rate risk as discussed in the “Risk Management” section in Item 7, there can be no assurance that these policies and procedures will be effective in preventing material adverse effects on our profitability.

We could fail to attract, retain, or motivate highly-skilled and qualified personnel, including our senior management, other key employees, or members of our Board, which could impair our ability to successfully execute our strategic plan and otherwise adversely affect our business.

Our ability to implement our strategic plan and our future success depends on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate highly-skilled and qualified personnel, including senior management, other key employees, and directors. The marketplace for skilled personnel continues to be competitive, which means the cost of hiring, incentivizing, and retaining skilled personnel may continue to rise. The failure to attract and retain highly-skilled and qualified personnel could place us at a significant competitive disadvantage and impair our ability to implement our strategic plan successfully and achieve our performance targets, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Limitations on the manner in which regulated financial institutions, such as us, can compensate their officers and employees may make it more difficult for such institutions to compete for talent with financial institutions and other companies not subject to these or similar limitations. If we are unable to compete effectively, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected, perhaps materially.

A reduction in our credit ratings could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Credit ratings affect the cost and associated terms upon which we are able to obtain funding. Rating agencies regularly evaluate us, with their ratings based on a number of factors, including our financial strength and conditions affecting the financial services industry generally. Any downgrade in our ratings would likely increase our borrowing costs and could limit our access to capital markets, which would adversely affect our business. For example, a ratings downgrade could adversely affect our ability to sell or market our securities, including long-term debt, engage in certain longer-term derivative transactions, and retain customers, who may require a minimum credit rating in order to place funds with us. In addition, under the terms of our derivatives contracts, we may be required to post additional collateral or terminate such contracts if we don’t maintain a minimum credit rating. Any of these impacts of a ratings downgrade could increase our cost of funding, reduce our liquidity, and have adverse effects on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. For more information regarding our credit ratings, see the “Liquidity Risk” section in Item 7.

Our financial performance may be adversely affected by deterioration in borrower credit quality.

Risks arising from actual or perceived changes in credit quality and uncertainty over the recoverability of amounts due from borrowers is inherent in our businesses. If the economic environment were to deteriorate, our borrowers may have difficulty in repaying their loans which could result in higher credit losses and increased loan loss provision expense. Further, our credit risk and credit losses may increase to the extent our loans are concentrated by loan type, industry segment, collateral type, borrower type, or location of the collateral or borrower.

A significant portion of our earning assets are in the form of loans to borrowers across the U.S., primarily for residential, commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, education, and other retail purposes. A deterioration in economic conditions or changes in consumer or business behavior that negatively impact home or commercial property values could, in event of the borrower’s default, result in materially higher credit losses. Similarly, elevated unemployment levels and higher interest rates can adversely affect our customers’ ability to repay their loans, which can negatively impact our credit performance.

The credit quality of our borrowers may deteriorate for a number of reasons that are outside our control, including prevailing economic and market conditions and collateral valuations. The trends and risks affecting borrower credit quality have caused, and in the future may cause, us to experience credit losses, impairment charges, increased repurchase demands, higher recovery costs, and an inability to engage in routine funding transactions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our framework for managing risks may not be effective in mitigating risk and loss.

Our risk management framework is made up of various processes and strategies to manage our risk exposure and may not be effective under all conditions and circumstances. If our risk management framework proves ineffective, we could suffer unexpected losses and could be materially adversely affected.

One of the main types of risks inherent in our business is credit risk. An important feature of our credit risk management system is to employ an internal credit risk control system through which we identify, measure, monitor, and mitigate the existing and emerging credit risk of our customers. This process involves a detailed analysis of the customer or credit risk, taking into account both quantitative and qualitative factors, and is inherently subject to human error. In exercising their judgment, our employees may not always be able to assign an accurate credit rating to a customer or credit risk, which may result in our exposure to higher credit risks than indicated by our risk rating system.

In addition, we have undertaken certain actions to enhance our credit policies and guidelines to address potential risks associated with particular industries or types of customers. However, we may not be able to effectively implement these initiatives, or consistently follow and refine our credit risk management system, which may result in an increase in the level of nonaccrual loans and a higher risk exposure for us, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Changes in our accounting policies or standards could materially affect how we report our financial results and condition.

The FASB and SEC periodically change financial accounting and reporting standards that govern accounting for our financial results and preparation of our consolidated financial statements. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, which would result in the recasting of our prior period financial statements.

Our financial and accounting estimates and risk management framework rely on analytical forecasting and models.

The processes we use to estimate loan losses, measure the fair value of financial instruments, and estimate the effects of changing interest rates and other market measures on our financial condition and results of operations are reliant upon the use of analytical and forecasting models. Some of our tools and metrics for managing risk are based on observed historical market behavior, and we rely on quantitative models to measure risks and to estimate certain financial values. Models may be used in processes such as determining the pricing of various products, grading loans and extending credit, measuring interest rate and other market risks, predicting losses, assessing capital adequacy, and calculating regulatory capital levels, as well as estimating the value of financial instruments and balance sheet items, including goodwill. Poorly designed or implemented models could adversely affect our business decisions if the information is inadequate. In addition, our models may fail to predict future risk exposures if the information used is inaccurate, obsolete, or not sufficiently comparable to actual events as they occur. We seek to incorporate appropriate historical data in our models, but the range of market values and behaviors reflected in any period of historical data is not always predictive of future developments in any particular period and the period of data we incorporate into our models may turn out to be inappropriate for the future period being modeled. In these instances, our ability to manage risk would be limited and our risk exposure and losses could be significantly greater than our models indicated, which could harm our reputation and adversely affect our revenues and profits. Finally, information provided to our regulators based on poorly designed or implemented models could be inaccurate or insufficient, which could adversely affect some of the decisions that our regulators make, including those related to capital distributions to our stockholders, and subject us to supervisory criticism and costs related to remediation.

The preparation of our financial statements requires us to make subjective determinations and use estimates that may vary from actual results and materially impact our financial condition and results of operations.

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make significant estimates that affect the financial statements. Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations and, at times, require management to exercise judgment in their application so as to report our financial condition and results of operations in the most appropriate manner. Certain accounting policies are critical because they require management to make difficult, subjective, or complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain and the likelihood that materially different estimates would result under different conditions or through the utilization of different assumptions. Our critical accounting estimates include the ACL, fair value measurements, and the evaluation and measurement of goodwill for impairment. If our estimates are inaccurate or need to be adjusted periodically, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially impacted. For more information regarding our use of estimates in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, see Note 1 in Item 8 and the “Critical Accounting Estimates” section in Item 7.

Operational risks are inherent in our businesses.

Our operations depend on our ability to process a very large number of transactions efficiently and accurately while complying with applicable laws and regulations. Operational risk and losses can result from internal and external fraud; improper conduct or errors by employees or third parties; failure to document transactions properly or to obtain proper authorization; failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and business conduct rules; equipment failures, including those caused by natural disasters or by electrical, telecommunications, or other essential utility outages; business continuity and data security system failures, including those caused by computer viruses, cyber-attacks against us or our vendors, coding errors, or unforeseen problems encountered while implementing new computer systems or upgrades to existing systems; or the inadequacy or failure of systems and controls, including those of our suppliers or counterparties. Although we implement risk controls and loss mitigation actions and devote substantial resources to developing efficient procedures, identifying and rectifying weaknesses in existing procedures and training staff, it is not possible to be certain that such actions have been or will be effective in controlling each of the operational risks we face. Any weakness in these systems or controls, or any breaches or alleged breaches of such laws or regulations, could result in increased regulatory supervision, enforcement actions, and other disciplinary action, especially in light of heightened regulatory expectations around information security, and have an adverse impact on our business, applicable authorizations and licenses, reputation, and results of operations.

The financial services industry, including the banking sector, continues to make technological enhancements to meet customer preferences, as well as meet legal and regulatory requirements, and we may not be able to compete effectively as a result of these changes.

Technology within the financial services industry continues to evolve and new, unexpected technological changes, including those related to artificial intelligence, could have a transformative effect on the way banks offer products and services. We believe our success depends, to a great extent, on our ability to utilize technology to offer products and services that address the needs of our customers and to create efficiencies in our operations. However, we may not be able to, among other things, keep up with the rapid pace of technological changes, effectively implement new technology-driven products and services, or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. As a result, our ability to compete effectively to attract or retain business may be impaired, and our business, financial condition, or results of operations may be adversely affected.

In addition, changes in the legal and regulatory framework under which we operate require us to update our information systems to ensure compliance. Our need to review and evaluate the impact of ongoing rule proposals, final rules, and implementation guidance from regulators further complicates the development and implementation of new information systems for our business. Regulatory guidance continues to be focused on the need for financial institutions to perform appropriate due diligence and ongoing monitoring of third-party vendor relationships, thus increasing the scope of management involvement and decreasing the efficiency otherwise resulting from our relationships with third-party technology providers. Given the significant number of ongoing regulatory reform initiatives, it is possible that we may incur higher than expected information technology costs in order to comply with current and impending regulations. Also, see “Supervisory requirements and expectations on us as a financial holding company and a bank holding company and any regulator-imposed limits on our activities could adversely affect our ability to implement our strategic plan, expand our business, continue to improve our financial performance, and make capital distributions to our stockholders.”

We are subject to a variety of cybersecurity risks that, if realized, could adversely affect how we conduct our business.

Evolving technologies, including the introduction of Generative Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models, and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, nation-states, activists, and other external parties present a significant information security risk to large financial institutions such as us. Third parties with whom we or our customers do business also present operational and information security risks to us, including security breaches or failures of their own systems. Risks related to cyberattacks on our vendors and other third parties, including supply chain attacks affecting our software and information technology service providers, are on the rise as such attacks become more frequent and severe. Employee error, failure to follow security procedures, or malfeasance also present these risks. Our operations rely on the secure processing, transmission, and storage of confidential information in our computer systems and networks as well as in the third-party computer systems and networks used to provide products and services on our behalf. Although we believe that we have appropriate information security procedures and controls based on our adherence to applicable laws and regulations and industry standards, our technologies, systems, and networks may be the target of cyberattacks or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, theft, sale, or loss or destruction of the confidential and/or proprietary information of CFG, and our customers, vendors, counterparties, or employees. We and our third-party vendors are under continuous threat of loss or network degradation due to cyberattacks, such as computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, ransomware, and Distributed Denial of Service attacks (collectively, “fraudulent schemes”). Also, our customers are routinely the target of fraudulent schemes as we continue to expand customer capabilities to utilize the Internet and other remote channels to transact business. Two of the most significant cyberattack risks that we face as a result of these fraudulent schemes are potential loss of funds resulting from customers falling victim to cybercriminal communications directed to them or unauthorized access to sensitive customer data. Cybercriminals can use fraudulent schemes directly targeting our customers or our own systems to compromise and directly extract funds from a customer’s account or access sensitive customer data. Certain technology protections such as Customer Profiling and Step-Up Authentications have been implemented, but there can be no assurance that these protections will be effective.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our layers of defense, to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities internally, to assess and mitigate issues associated with customers that have fallen victim to fraudulent schemes, and perform additional due diligence with respect to our third-party vendors. System enhancements and updates may also create risks associated with implementing new systems and integrating them with existing ones. Due to the complexity and interconnectedness of information technology systems, the process of enhancing our layers of defense can itself create a risk of system disruptions and security issues. In addition, addressing certain information security vulnerabilities, such as hardware-based vulnerabilities, may affect the performance of our information technology systems. The ability of our hardware and software providers to deliver patches and updates to mitigate vulnerabilities in a timely manner can introduce additional risks, particularly when a vulnerability is being actively exploited by threat actors. Cyberattacks against the patches themselves have also proven to be a significant risk that companies will have to address going forward.

Despite our efforts to prevent a cyberattack, a successful one could persist for an extended period of time before being detected, and, following detection, could take considerable time for us to obtain full and reliable information about the cybersecurity incident and the extent, amount, and type of information compromised. During the course of an investigation, we may not necessarily know the full effects of the incident or how to remediate it, and actions and decisions that are taken or made in an effort to mitigate risk may further increase the costs and other negative consequences of the incident. Moreover, existing regulations may require us to disclose information about a cybersecurity event before it has been resolved or fully investigated.

The techniques used by cyber criminals change frequently, may not be recognized until launched, and can be initiated from a variety of sources, including terrorist organizations and hostile foreign governments. These actors may attempt to fraudulently induce employees, customers, or other third-party users of our systems to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to data or our systems. In the event that a cyberattack is successful, our business, financial condition, or results of operations may be adversely affected.

We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business.

Any failure, interruption, or breach in the security of our communication and information system due to, among other things, cyberattacks or our failure to adequately maintain and manage our systems or implement system changes and upgrades, could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan, and other systems. Although our policies and procedures are designed to prevent or limit the effect of the possible failure, interruption, or security breach of our information systems, there can be no assurance that these policies and procedures will be successful and that any such failure, interruption, or security breach will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. The occurrence of any failure, interruption, or security breach of our information systems could require us to devote substantial resources to recovery and response efforts, damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability. Although we maintain insurance coverage for information security events, we may incur losses as a result of such events that are not insured against or not fully covered by our insurance.

We rely on third parties for the performance of a significant portion of our information technology.

Third parties perform a significant portion of our information technology functions and the provision of information technology and business process services including, but not limited to, the operation of our data communications networks, hosted services, and a wide range of other support services. The success of our business depends in part on the continuing ability of third parties to perform these functions and services in a timely and satisfactory manner, which performance could be disrupted or otherwise adversely affected due to failures or other information security events originating at the third parties or at the third parties’ suppliers or vendors (so-called “fourth party risk”). We may not be able to effectively monitor or mitigate third or fourth-party risk, in particular as it relates to the use of common suppliers or vendors by the third parties that perform functions and services for us. If we experience a disruption in the provision of any functions or services performed by third parties, we may have difficulty in finding alternate providers on terms favorable to us and in reasonable time frames. If these services are not performed in a satisfactory manner, we would not be able to adequately serve our customers. In either situation, our business could incur significant costs and be adversely affected.

We are exposed to reputational risk and the risk of damage to our brands and the brands of our affiliates.

Our success and results depend on our reputation and the strength of our brands. We are vulnerable to adverse market perception as we operate in an industry where integrity, customer trust, and confidence are paramount. We are exposed to the risk that litigation, employee misconduct, operational failures, the outcome of regulatory or other investigations or actions, press speculation and negative publicity, and perception of our sustainability and governance practices and disclosures, among other factors, could damage our brands or reputation. Our brands and reputation could also be harmed if we sell products or services that do not perform as expected or customers’ expectations for the product are not satisfied.

Unpredictable catastrophic events could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, and results of operations.

The occurrence of catastrophic events, including pandemics, terrorists attacks, extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tropical storms, or tornadoes, and other large-scale catastrophes could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of our borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, and cause significant property damage or operational disruptions, resulting in loss of revenue or causing us to incur additional expenses.

Furthermore, although we maintain both business continuity and disaster recovery plans, if a catastrophic event rendered our production and recovery data unusable, there can be no assurance that these plans and related capabilities will adequately protect us from such an event, and our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be adversely affected.

The effects of geopolitical instability may adversely affect us and create significant risks and uncertainties for our business, with the ultimate impact dependent on future developments, which are highly uncertain and unpredictable.

Ongoing geopolitical instability, such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, has negatively impacted, and could in the future negatively impact, the global and U.S. economies, including by causing supply chain disruptions, rising prices for oil and other commodities, volatility in capital markets and foreign currency exchange rates, rising interest rates, and heightened cybersecurity risks. The extent to which such geopolitical instability adversely affects our business, financial condition, and results of operations, as well as our liquidity and capital profile, will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and unpredictable, including the extent and duration of the wars and the associated immeasurable humanitarian toll inflicted as a result. If geopolitical instability adversely affects us, it may also have the effect of heightening other risks related to our business.

Any deterioration in national economic and political conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our business is affected by national economic and political conditions, as well as perceptions of those conditions and future economic prospects, with changes in such conditions neither predictable or controllable. Adverse economic and political conditions, such as global trade policies, inflationary pressures, and government shutdowns could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

U.S. global trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and uncertainty surrounding the resolution of trade disputes, or renewal of trade agreements, with various countries, may cause inflation to rise and ultimately affect interest rates. In addition, the risk of government shutdowns could cause volatility in the financial markets by adversely impacting consumer and investor confidence. Unfavorable changes related to these national economic and political conditions may also result in increased delinquencies and defaults among borrowers in light of economic uncertainty, which could require us to charge off a higher percentage of loans and increase the provision for credit losses, ultimately reducing our net income.

Climate change manifesting as physical or transition risks could adversely affect our operations, businesses, and customers.

There is global concern over the risks of climate change and related environmental sustainability matters. The physical risks of climate change include discrete events, such as flooding and wildfires, and longer-term shifts in climate patterns, such as extreme heat, sea level rise, and more frequent and prolonged droughts. Such events could disrupt our operations or those of our clients, customers, or service providers, including through direct damage to assets and indirect impacts from supply chain disruption and market volatility.

We are also exposed to risks associated with the transition to a lower-carbon economy in response to concerns around climate change. Such risks may result from changes in policies, laws and regulations, technologies, or market preferences that are intended to address climate change. These changes could adversely impact our or our customers’ business, results of operations, financial condition, and reputation. This could occur as a result of our or our customers’ involvement in, or decision not to participate in, certain industries or projects associated with exacerbating climate change, as well as any decisions we make to continue to conduct or change our activities in response to considerations related to climate change. For example, a number of states in which we operate have enacted or proposed statutes and regulations addressing climate change and sustainability issues, while certain other states have enacted, or have proposed to enact, divergent or sometimes conflicting statutes, regulations, or policies. Uncertainties and changes in legislation, regulations, and/or global standards related to climate risk management and practices may result in higher regulatory, compliance, credit, and/or reputational risks and costs.

Risks Related to Our Industry

We operate in an industry that is highly competitive, which could result in losing business or margin declines and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We operate in a highly competitive industry, which could become even more competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory, and technological changes, as well as continued consolidation. We face aggressive competition from other domestic and foreign lending institutions and from numerous other providers of financial services, including non-banking financial institutions that are not subject to the same regulatory restrictions as banks and BHCs, securities firms and insurance companies, and competitors that may have greater financial resources.

With respect to non-banking financial institutions, technology and other changes have lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for non-banks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks. For example, consumers can maintain funds that would have historically been held as bank deposits in brokerage accounts or mutual funds and can also complete transactions such as paying bills and/or transferring funds directly without the assistance of banks. In addition, the emergence, adoption, and evolution of new technologies that do not require intermediation, including distributed ledgers such as digital assets and blockchain, as well as advances in automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics, could significantly affect the competition for financial services. The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries, known as “disintermediation,” could result in the loss of fee income, as well as the loss of customer deposits and the related income generated from those deposits. Some of our non-bank competitors are not subject to the same regulations that we are and, therefore, may have greater flexibility in competing for business. As a result of these and other sources of competition, we could lose business to competitors or be forced to price products and services on less advantageous terms to retain or attract clients, either of which would adversely affect our profitability.

The conditions of other financial institutions or of the financial services industry could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

Financial services institutions are typically interconnected as a result of trading, investment, liquidity, clearing, counterparty, and other relationships. Within the financial services industry, the default by any one institution could lead to defaults by other institutions. Concerns about, or a default by, one institution could lead to significant market and customer perception of the risk of similar problems at other institutions. This perception of risk could, in and of itself, lead to adverse impacts on liquidity, as the financial soundness of financial institutions is closely related as a result of the aforementioned relationships. Even the perceived lack of creditworthiness of, or questions about, a counterparty may lead to market-wide liquidity problems and losses or defaults by various institutions. This systemic risk may adversely affect financial intermediaries, such as clearing agencies, banks, and exchanges with which we interact on a daily basis, or key funding providers such as the FHLBs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our access to liquidity or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Risks Related to Regulations Governing Our Industry

As a financial holding company and a bank holding company, we are subject to regulation that could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

As a FHC and a BHC, we are subject to regulation, supervision, and examination by the FRB. In addition, CBNA is subject to regulation, supervision, and examination by the OCC. Our regulators supervise us through examinations and other means that allow them to gauge management’s ability to identify, assess, and control risk in all areas of operations in a safe and sound manner and to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. In the course of their supervision and examinations, our regulators may require improvements in various areas. We may be required to devote substantial resources to meet supervisory expectations or remediate supervisory findings. In addition, the failure to meet supervisory expectations can result in practical limitations on the ability of a bank, BHC, or FHC to engage in new activities, pursue growth opportunities, engage in acquisitions, return capital to shareholders through repurchases or dividends, or continue to conduct existing activities. If we are unable to implement and maintain any required actions in a timely and effective manner, we could become subject to informal (nonpublic) or formal (public) supervisory actions and public enforcement orders that could lead to significant restrictions on our existing business or on our ability to engage in any new business. Such forms of supervisory action could include, without limitation, written agreements, cease and desist orders, and consent orders and may, among other things, result in restrictions on our ability to pay dividends, requirements to increase capital, restrictions on our activities, the imposition of civil monetary penalties, and enforcement of such actions through injunctions or restraining orders. We could also be required to dispose of certain assets and liabilities within a prescribed period. The terms of any such supervisory or enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are a BHC that has elected to become a FHC pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act. FHCs are allowed to engage in certain financial activities in which a BHC is not otherwise permitted to engage. However, to maintain FHC status, a BHC and all of its depository institution subsidiaries must be “well capitalized” and “well managed.” If a BHC ceases to meet these capital and management requirements, there are many penalties it would be faced with, including the imposition of limitations or conditions on the conduct of its activities by the FRB, as well as the inability to undertake any of the broader financial activities permissible for FHCs or to acquire a company engaged in such financial activities without prior approval of the FRB. If a company does not return to compliance within 180 days, which period may be extended, the FRB may require divestiture of the company’s depository institutions. If we fail to meet FHC requirements and remediate deficiencies in a timely manner, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our regulators may impose restrictions or limitations on our operations.

From time to time, bank regulatory agencies take supervisory actions that restrict or limit a financial institution’s activities and lead it to raise capital or subject it to other requirements. In addition, as part of our examination process, our regulators may advise us to conduct significant remediation activities or operate under various restrictions as a prudential matter. Any such actions or restrictions, if and in whatever manner imposed, could adversely affect our costs and revenues. Moreover, efforts to comply with any such nonpublic supervisory actions or restrictions may require material investments in additional resources and systems, as well as a significant commitment of managerial time and attention. As a result, such supervisory actions or restrictions, if and in whatever manner imposed, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

The regulatory environment in which we operate continues to be subject to evolving regulatory requirements that could have a material adverse effect on our business and earnings.

We are regulated by multiple banking, consumer protection, securities, and other regulatory authorities at the federal and state levels. This regulatory oversight is primarily established to protect depositors, the DIF, consumers of financial products, and the financial system as a whole, not for the protection of shareholders or other investors. Changes to statutes, regulations, rules, or policies, including their interpretation, implementation, or enforcement, could affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways, including by, for example, subjecting us to additional costs, limiting the types of financial services and other products we may offer, limiting our ability to pursue acquisitions, and increasing the ability of third parties, including non-banks, to offer competing financial services and products. Certain regulators and law enforcement authorities have required admissions of wrongdoing and, in some cases, criminal pleas as part of the resolutions of matters brought by them against financial institutions. Any such resolution of a matter involving us could lead to increased exposure to civil litigation, could adversely affect our reputation, could result in penalties or limitations on our ability to do business or engage in certain activities, and could have other negative effects. In addition, a single event or issue may give rise to numerous and overlapping investigations and proceedings, including by multiple federal and state regulators and other governmental authorities.

We are also subject to laws and regulations relating to the privacy of the information of our customers, employees, counterparties, and others, and any failure to comply with these laws and regulations could expose us to liability and/or reputational damage. As new privacy-related laws and regulations are implemented, the time and resources needed for us to comply with those laws and regulations, as well as our potential liability for non-compliance and our reporting obligations in the case of data breaches, may significantly increase.

Uncertainty exists with respect to the enactment of new laws and regulations, or changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and regulations, including potential deregulation in some areas. In addition, litigation challenging actions or regulations by federal or state authorities could, depending on the outcome, significantly affect the regulatory and supervisory framework affecting our operations. For more information on regulations to which we are subject, see the “Regulation and Supervision” section in Item 1.

We are subject to capital adequacy and liquidity standards, and if we fail to meet these standards our financial condition and operations would be adversely affected.

We are subject to several capital adequacy and liquidity standards. To the extent that we are unable to meet these standards, our ability to make distributions of capital will be limited and we may be subject to additional supervisory actions and limitations on our activities. See “Regulation and Supervision” in Item 1 for further discussion of the regulations to which we are subject.

The Parent Company could be required to act as a “source of strength” to CBNA, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

FRB policy historically required BHCs to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to their subsidiary banks. This support may be required by the FRB at times when we might otherwise determine not to provide it or when doing so is not otherwise in the interests of CFG or our stockholders or creditors, and may include one or more of the following:

• The Parent Company may be compelled to contribute capital to CBNA, including by engaging in a public offering to raise such capital. Furthermore, any extensions of credit from the Parent Company to CBNA that are included in CBNA’s capital would be subordinate in right of payment to depositors and certain other indebtedness of CBNA;
• In the event of a BHC’s bankruptcy, any commitment that the BHC had been required to make by a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to priority of payment; and
• In the event of impairment of the capital stock of CBNA, the Parent Company, as CBNA’s stockholder, could be assessed for the deficiency and required to pay that amount to CBNA.

The Parent Company depends on CBNA for substantially all of its revenue, and restrictions on dividends and other distributions by CBNA could affect its liquidity and ability to fulfill its obligations.

As a BHC, the Parent Company is a separate and distinct legal entity from CBNA, our banking subsidiary. The Parent Company typically receives substantially all of its revenue from dividends from CBNA and are the principal source of funds utilized to pay dividends on our equity and interest and principal on our debt. Various federal and/or state laws and regulations, as well as regulatory expectations, limit the amount of dividends that CBNA may pay to the Parent Company. Also, our right to participate in a distribution of assets upon a subsidiary’s liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of the subsidiary’s creditors. In the event CBNA is unable to pay dividends to the Parent Company, it may not be able to make debt service payments, pay obligations, or pay dividends on its common stock. The inability to receive dividends from CBNA could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. See the “Regulation and Supervision” section in Item 1 for further discussion of dividends payable by CBNA as a national bank subsidiary.

From time-to-time, we may become or are subject to regulatory actions that may have a material impact on our business.

We may become or are involved, from time to time, in reviews, investigations, and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental and self-regulatory agencies regarding our business. These regulatory actions involve accounting, compliance, and operational matters, among others, some of which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions, or other relief that may require changes to our business or otherwise materially impact our business.

In regulatory actions, such as those referred to above, it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or whether it is possible to reasonably estimate the amount of any loss. We cannot predict with certainty if, how, or when such proceedings will be resolved or what the eventual fine, penalty, or other relief, conditions, or restrictions, if any, may be, particularly for actions that are in their early stages of investigation. We may be required to make significant restitution payments to CBNA customers arising from certain compliance issues and also may be required to pay civil money penalties in connection with certain of these issues. This uncertainty makes it difficult to estimate probable losses which, in turn, can lead to substantial disparities between the reserves we may establish for such proceedings and the eventual settlements, fines, or penalties. Adverse regulatory actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are and may be subject to litigation that may have a material impact on our business.

Our operations are diverse and complex and we operate in legal and regulatory environments that expose us to potentially significant litigation risk. In the normal course of business, we have been named, from time to time, as a defendant in various legal actions, including arbitrations, class actions, and other litigation. These actions arise in connection with our activities as a financial services institution, including with respect to alleged unfair or deceptive business practices, mis-selling of certain products, violations of contract or intellectual property rights, and other compliance or operational failures. Certain of the actual or threatened legal actions include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. In some cases, the entities that would otherwise be the primary defendants in such cases are bankrupt or in financial distress. Moreover, a number of recent judicial decisions have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has either violated a duty, whether implied or contractual, of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or stockholders. This could increase the amount of private litigation to which we are subject. For more information regarding ongoing significant legal proceedings in which we may be involved, see Note 17 in Item 8.

Compliance with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing rules involves significant cost and effort.

We are subject to rules and regulations regarding money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Monitoring compliance with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing rules can put a significant financial burden on banks and other financial institutions and poses significant technical challenges. Although we believe our current policies and procedures are sufficient to comply with applicable rules and regulations, we cannot guarantee that our anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing policies and procedures completely prevent situations of money laundering or terrorism financing. Any such failure events may have severe consequences, including sanctions, fines, and reputational consequences, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Risks Related to our Common Stock

Our stock price may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment as a result.

You should consider an investment in our common stock to be risky, and you should invest in our common stock only if you can withstand a significant loss and wide fluctuation in the market value of your investment. The market price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to, among other things, the factors described in this “Risk Factors” section, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

• quarterly variations in our results of operations or the quarterly financial results of companies perceived to be similar to us;
• changes in expectations as to our future financial performance, including financial estimates by securities analysts and investors;
• our announcements or our competitors’ announcements regarding new products or services, enhancements, significant contracts, acquisitions, or strategic investments;
• fluctuations in the market valuations of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;
• failures of financial institutions perceived to be similar to us;
• future sales of our common stock;
• additions or departures of members of our senior management or other key personnel;
• changes in industry conditions or perceptions; and
• changes in applicable laws, rules, or regulations and other dynamics.

Furthermore, stock markets experience price and volume fluctuations that affect the market price of equity securities of many companies. These fluctuations can be unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market fluctuations, as well as general economic, systemic, political, and market conditions, such as recessions, loss of investor confidence, interest rate changes, or international currency fluctuations, may negatively affect the market price of our common stock.

If any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to securities class action litigation that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction to management.

We may not repurchase shares or pay cash dividends on our common stock.

Holders of our common stock are only entitled to receive dividends declared by our Board out of funds legally available for such payments. Although we have historically declared cash dividends on our common stock, we are not required to do so and may reduce or eliminate our common stock dividend in the future, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Also, as a BHC, our ability to repurchase shares and declare and pay dividends is dependent on certain federal regulatory considerations, including the rules of the FRB regarding capital adequacy and dividends. We are also generally required to receive the FRB’s approval for any dividends, share repurchases, or redemption of capital securities if we are required to resubmit our capital plan. Further, if we are unable to satisfy the capital requirements applicable to us for any reason, we may be limited in our ability to repurchase shares and declare and pay dividends on our capital stock. See the “Regulation and Supervision” section in Item 1 for further discussion of the regulations to which we are subject.

“Anti-takeover” provisions and the regulations to which we are subject may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change in control would be beneficial to stockholders.

We are a BHC incorporated in the state of Delaware. Anti-takeover provisions in Delaware law and our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, as well as regulatory approvals that would be required under federal law, could make it more difficult for a third party to take control of us and may prevent stockholders from receiving a premium for their shares of our common stock. These provisions could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and could reduce the amount that stockholders might get if we are sold.

Furthermore, banking laws impose notice, approval, and ongoing regulatory requirements on any stockholder or other party that seeks to acquire direct or indirect “control” of an FDIC-insured depository institution. These laws include the Bank Holding Company Act and the Change in Bank Control Act.

Risk Management and Strategy

The Company’s Cybersecurity Program (“CSP”) drives an end-to-end, continuous process that protects our customers, colleagues, assets, premises, systems, and information (electronic and non-electronic), and is designed to ensure compliance with current and emerging federal and state laws and regulations. The CSP is designed to ensure the effective implementation of the Corporate Security and Resilience Operating Model across all business lines of the Company and is under the supervision of the Chief Security Officer (“CSO”).

Operational Risk Management coordinates the development, maintenance, and day-to-day oversight of the Company’s Enterprise Risk Management Governance Framework (“the Framework”), which defines an integrated enterprise-wide approach to risk management. This centrally managed program is designed to ensure that all business lines play a role in the successful implementation of the CSP. The CSP aligns with the Framework, enabling the CSO to provide risk oversight to and drive accountability from the business lines.

The CSP is designed to assess and mitigate threats and risks to the Company. New and emerging threats are assessed through an intelligence lifecycle, which includes threat modeling. In addition, risk assessment processes drive risk identification and measurement related to security. Once risks are identified and measured, the Framework is leveraged to track and mitigate them. Control testing is utilized to demonstrate that risks are managed effectively, identify gaps in expected control operation, and develop appropriate remediation plans, in order to manage risk to the Company within tolerable limits.

As part of the Company’s Third Party Risk Management Program and in support of the CSP, reviews for cybersecurity, business continuity, fraud, and other policy-related topics are performed for the onboarding of new vendors and ongoing monitoring of existing vendors. Ratings assigned to a vendor determine review frequency and scope. Results are reported to key stakeholders and identified issues are tracked and monitored.

The Company regularly reviews the nature of its business activities and modifies the CSP as appropriate. Many of the elements of the CSP are related to cyber defense and are in place to reduce our risk to a wide range of potential cyber threats that may target our assets and information daily. The effectiveness of the CSP is assessed and measured periodically by various lines of defense within the Company and is conducted primarily through risk assessments, assurance testing, and an independent audit. External organizations are also routinely engaged to assess our CSP and test our perimeter defenses. The effectiveness of the CSP is reported periodically to the appropriate governance committees.

Governance

Under the guidance of our CSO, we maintain a comprehensive CSP designed to protect our employees, customers, assets, premises, systems, and information against unauthorized access, misuse, alteration, or destruction that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to our customers, and loss or reputational damage. The CSP incorporates all of our security policies and covers the core elements of access control, infrastructure security, cybersecurity event and incident management, data protection, third-party vendor cyber risk oversight, and training and awareness. Independent assessment and benchmarking of the CSP are regularly completed, and the CSP is reviewed and assessed by federal regulators. While we look to numerous frameworks to ensure the CSP is maintained in line with regulatory expectations and industry best practices, the National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity framework is the primary standard against which we benchmark ourselves.

Both the Risk and Audit Committees of our Board have oversight of the management of our cybersecurity risk. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the CSP under its risk oversight responsibilities as it relates to financial controls. The Risk Committee is responsible for oversight of the management of cybersecurity risk consistent with the Framework.

The CSP is presented by the CSO to the Risk Committee annually for approval in conjunction with an annual cybersecurity briefing. This briefing provides an overall assessment of the effectiveness of the CSP and an outlook for the upcoming year. In addition to the annual cybersecurity briefing, the CSO provides updates on cybersecurity to the Risk Committee at each of its meetings. The Audit Committee and Board also receive regular cybersecurity updates as part of the reporting provided by the Technology/Cyber Oversight Committee, a management committee chaired by the CEO which provides executive oversight, guidance, and transparency to key transformative initiatives designed to enhance our technology stability, cyber defenses, and risk management capabilities. Further, to ensure the Board maintains the appropriate knowledge for providing effective oversight, it is provided with relevant cybersecurity training on an annual basis, with any additional training provided as requested.

We lease five operations centers in Boston, Medford, and Westwood, Massachusetts; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Glen Allen, Virginia. We own two principal operations centers in Johnston and East Providence, Rhode Island. At December 31, 2025, our subsidiaries owned and operated a total of 59 facilities and leased an additional 1,032 facilities. We believe our current facilities are adequate to meet our needs. See Note 5 and Note 7 in Item 8 for more information regarding our premises and equipment, and leases, respectively.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. | 37

INTRODUCTION

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $226.4 billion in assets as of December 31, 2025. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, we offer a broad range of retail, private banking, wealth management, and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, and institutions. We help our customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas, and solutions. In Consumer Banking, we provide an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center, and the convenience of approximately 3,100 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management, and small business offerings. Consumer Banking includes Citizens Private Bank and Private Wealth, which integrates banking services and wealth management solutions to serve high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses. In Commercial Banking, we offer a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities.

The following MD&A is intended to assist readers in their analysis of the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and supplemental financial information. It should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, as well as other information contained in this document.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This summary highlights select financial information of the Company as well as information regarding certain significant events and transactions occurring during the year ended December 31, 2025. This summary should be read in conjunction with this entire document for a more complete understanding of trends, events, commitments, uncertainties, liquidity, capital resources, and critical accounting policies and estimates. Each of these items, taken individually or collectively, could have an impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. For additional information regarding our financial performance and condition, see “Consolidated Statement of Operations Analysis – 2025 compared with 2024” and “Consolidated Balance Sheet Analysis.”

Key Financial Highlights

• Net income of $1.8 billion increased $322 million, with earnings per diluted common share up $0.83 to $3.86 compared to 2024.
• Net interest income of $5.9 billion increased $220 million and net interest margin of 2.97% increased 13 basis points compared to 2024. The increase in net interest income is driven by higher net interest margin which reflects lower funding costs, including the reduction of higher-cost funding given the auto loan portfolio runoff and education loan sale, lower terminated swap impacts, and fixed-rate asset repricing benefits, partially offset by lower asset yields.
• Noninterest income of $2.4 billion increased $218 million compared to 2024, reflecting growth across a number of fee categories, primarily wealth and capital markets fees.
• Noninterest expense of $5.3 billion increased $77 million compared to 2024, driven by salaries and employee benefits reflecting hiring related to the Private Bank and Private Wealth build-out, strong capital markets fee performance, and increased medical benefit costs, partially offset by a decline in other operating expense primarily driven by lower FDIC deposit insurance costs.
• Provision expense of $608 million decreased $79 million compared to 2024, reflecting improving loan mix and reduced CRE.
• The efficiency ratio of 64.40% compared to 67.03% in 2024.
• ROTCE of 11.20% compared to 9.81% in 2024.
• Tangible book value per common share of $38.07 increased 18% from 2024, driven by a decrease in common shares outstanding of eleven million and a net increase in tangible common equity of $2.1 billion. The increase in tangible common equity is primarily attributable to increases in AOCI of $1.6 billion and retained earnings of $933 million, including net income of $1.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025.

See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information regarding the ROTCE and tangible book value per common share non-GAAP financial measures presented herein.

Sale of Education Loans

During the first quarter of 2025, we entered into an agreement to sell $1.9 billion of education loans and subsequently reclassified these loans to LHFS. Upon reclassification to LHFS, a charge-off of $25 million was recognized, which was covered by existing reserves. This transaction settled ratably each quarter throughout 2025.

Share Repurchases

On June 13, 2025, we announced that our Board of Directors increased the capacity of our common share repurchase program to $1.5 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion above the $300 million of capacity remaining under the prior June 2024 authorization. During 2025, the Parent Company repurchased $600 million of its outstanding common stock, with remaining capacity of $1.3 billion as of December 31, 2025. See Note 15 and Item 5 for additional information on share repurchase activity.

Preferred Stock

On July 31, 2025, we issued $400 million, or 400,000 shares, of 6.500% fixed-rate reset non-cumulative perpetual Series I Preferred Stock, par value of $25 per share with a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share. Holders of Series I Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive dividend payments only when, as, and if declared by our Board of Directors. Dividends are payable quarterly in arrears on January 6, April 6, July 6, and October 6 of each year.

The net proceeds from the issuance of the Series I Preferred Stock were used to redeem all of the outstanding shares of our 5.650% fixed-rate reset non-cumulative perpetual Series F Preferred Stock on October 6, 2025.

For more information regarding our Series I Preferred Stock issuance and Series F Preferred Stock redemption, see Note 15.

Common Stock Dividend

On October 15, 2025, we announced that our Board of Directors declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.46 per share, a $0.04, or 9.5%, increase compared to the prior quarter. The dividend was paid on November 12, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 29, 2025.

Other Developments

On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1, entitled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law. This bill includes a broad range of tax reform provisions affecting individuals and businesses, including extending and modifying certain key Tax Cuts & Jobs Act provisions, extending certain Inflation Reduction Act energy incentives while accelerating the phase-out of others, and implementing various other tax cuts and spending measures. We have completed our evaluation of the bill and do not expect it to have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

See “Regulation and Supervision” in Item 1 for 2025 developments related to regulations to which we are subject.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS ANALYSIS – 2025 compared with 2024

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is our largest source of revenue and is the difference between the interest earned on interest-earning assets (generally loans and investment securities) and the interest expense incurred in connection with interest-bearing liabilities (generally deposits and borrowed funds). The level of net interest income is primarily a function of the difference between the effective yield on our average interest-earning assets and the effective cost of our interest-bearing liabilities. Factors that influence our net interest income include, but are not limited to, the pricing and mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities which, in turn, are impacted by external factors such as economic conditions, competition for loans and deposits, the monetary policy of the FRB, and market interest rates. For further discussion, refer to the “Market Risk” section of this report.

The following table presents the major components of our net interest income. Average balance represents amortized cost, excluding the unamortized basis adjustments related to the transfer of certain HTM securities from AFS. The yield/rate is based on annualized interest income or expense for the periods presented and includes the impact of hedging activities associated with the respective asset and liability categories.

(dollars in millions)

(1) Net interest income and net interest margin on an FTE basis are non-GAAP financial measures. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information.

Net interest income increased $220 million, or 4%, and net interest margin increased 13 basis points compared to 2024. The increase in net interest income is driven by higher net interest margin which reflects lower funding costs, including the reduction of higher-cost funding given the auto loan portfolio runoff and education loan sale, lower terminated swap impacts, and fixed-rate asset repricing benefits, partially offset by lower asset yields.

Average interest-earning assets decreased $1.0 billion compared to 2024, driven by a decline in total loans and leases and cash held in interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by an increase in investment securities and loans held for sale.

Average deposits increased $1.2 billion compared to 2024, driven primarily by growth in the Private Bank, partially offset by a reduction in higher-cost brokered deposits.

Average total borrowed funds decreased $1.8 billion compared to 2024, driven by a decline in auto collateralized borrowings, given runoff of the auto loan portfolio, and FHLB advances.

The following table presents changes in net interest income attributable to volume and rate changes for each major interest-earning asset and interest-bearing liability category:

(dollars in millions)

(1) Volume and rate changes are allocated on a consistent basis using the respective percentage changes in average balances and average rates.

Noninterest Income

The following table presents the components of noninterest income:

(dollars in millions)

(1) Includes bank-owned life insurance income and other income for all periods presented.

The primary drivers for the change in noninterest income for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 2024, are described below:

• Wealth fees increased reflecting growth in assets under management, primarily driven by net inflows as well as market appreciation;
• Capital markets fees increased driven by higher loan syndication and equity underwriting fees, partially offset by lower M&A fees;
• Mortgage banking fees increased driven by higher MSR valuation results, net of hedging; and
• Service charges and fees increased driven primarily by higher overdraft and cash management fees.

Noninterest Expense

The following table presents the components of noninterest expense:

(dollars in millions)

The primary drivers for the change in noninterest expense for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 2024, are described below:

• Salaries and employee benefits increased reflecting hiring related to the Private Bank and Private Wealth build-out, strong capital markets fee performance, and increased medical benefit costs; and
• Other operating expense declined driven primarily by lower FDIC deposit insurance costs, partially offset by higher operating costs.

For more information regarding CBNA’s special assessment, see “Regulation and Supervision - Deposit Insurance” in Item 1.

Provision for Credit Losses

The provision for credit losses is the result of a detailed analysis performed to estimate our ACL. The total provision for credit losses includes the provision for loan and lease losses and the provision for unfunded commitments. Refer to “Risk Management – Credit Risk” for more information.

Provision expense of $608 million compared with a provision of $687 million for 2024, reflecting improving loan mix and reduced CRE.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense of $497 million increased $118 million, and our effective income tax rate of 21.3% increased from 20.1% compared to 2024. These increases were driven by a reduced benefit from tax-advantaged investments on higher pre-tax income.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS ANALYSIS – 2024 compared with 2023

For a description of our results of operations for 2024, see the “Results of Operations – 2024 compared with 2023” section of Item 7 in our 2024 Form 10-K.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS

Securities

The following table presents the major components of securities at amortized cost and fair value:

Table 5: Amortized Cost and Fair Value of Securities

(dollars in millions)

(1) Excludes portfolio level basis adjustments of $17 million and $(75) million, respectively, for securities designated in active fair value hedge relationships under the portfolio layer method at December 31, 2025 and 2024.

(2) Included in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The primary objective of our securities portfolio is to provide a readily available source of liquidity. The portfolio primarily includes high-quality and highly liquid investments that reflect our ongoing commitment to maintain strong contingent liquidity levels and pledging capacity.

As of December 31, 2025, U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities issued by GNMA and GSEs represented 98% of the fair value of our debt securities portfolio, with approximately $39.1 billion of unencumbered high-quality liquid securities serving as potential collateral for borrowings from the FHLB, FRB discount window, and the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation bilateral repurchase agreement market.

For further discussion of the use of our securities as liquidity collateral and liquidity requirements, see the “Liquidity Risk” and “Regulation and Supervision – Liquidity Requirements” sections in this document.

We manage our securities portfolio duration and convexity risk through asset selection and securities structure, and maintain duration levels within our risk appetite in the context of our broader interest rate risk framework and limits. As of December 31, 2025, the portfolio’s average effective duration, including hedging actions to reduce duration, was 3.8 years compared with 3.7 years as of December 31, 2024.

The following table presents the amortized cost and weighted-average yield of our securities portfolio by contractual maturity:

Table 6: Amortized Cost and Weighted-Average Yield of AFS and HTM Securities by Contractual Maturity

(dollars in millions)

(1) Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without incurring penalties.

(2) The weighted-average yield is computed based on a constant effective interest rate over the contractual life of each security and considers the contractual

coupon, amortization of premiums, and accretion of discounts. Yields exclude the impact of related hedging derivatives.

Loans and Leases

The following table presents loans and leases, excluding LHFS:

(dollars in millions)

The increase in total loans and leases as of December 31, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024 reflects a $4.0 billion increase in commercial driven by net new money originations in corporate banking and higher line of credit utilization, partially offset by CRE paydowns. Retail reflects a $547 million decrease driven by an agreement entered into during the first quarter to sell $1.9 billion of education loans, as well as runoff of the auto loan portfolio, largely offset by growth in home equity and mortgage, including the Private Bank.

The following table presents the maturity of our loans and leases portfolio by fixed and variable rate:

Table 8: Fixed and Variable Rate Loans and Leases by Maturity

(dollars in millions)

(1) Maturity is based on scheduled principal repayment date.

(2) Includes floating-rate commercial loans hedged to fixed rate to manage our exposure to the variability in interest cash flows. See “Market Risk” for additional information regarding our use of interest rate derivatives to hedge our loan portfolio.

Deposits

The following table presents the composition of deposits:

(dollars in millions)

Total deposits as of December 31, 2025 increased compared to December 31, 2024, reflecting growth in the Private Bank and commercial, partially offset by a reduction in higher-cost Treasury brokered deposits.

The following table presents an analysis of estimated insured/secured deposits as a percentage of total deposits:

(dollars in millions)

(1) As reported on CBNA’s Call Report.

(2) Represents uninsured deposits of states and political subdivisions that are secured or collateralized as required under state law.

Insured/secured deposit balances continue to be broadly stable as of December 31, 2025. The decrease in the insured/secured deposits percentage during 2025 reflects growth in the private bank business, primarily corporate operating accounts which are generally more stable, and a decrease in insured Treasury brokered deposits as we continued to optimize our deposit mix.

The following table presents time deposits in excess of the FDIC insurance limit by remaining maturity:

(dollars in millions)

(1) Includes time deposits per account in excess of $250,000.

Borrowed Funds

Total borrowed funds of $11.3 billion as of December 31, 2025 decreased $1.1 billion compared to December 31, 2024, driven by a decline in secured borrowings collateralized by loans and senior debt, partially offset by an increase in FHLB advances. For more information regarding our borrowed funds, see “Liquidity Risk” and Note 11.

BUSINESS SEGMENTS

We have two reportable business segments: Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. The business segments are determined based on the products and services provided, or the type of customer served. Each business segment has a segment head that reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer, who has final authority over resource allocation decisions and performance assessment. The business segments reflect this management structure and the manner in which financial information is currently evaluated by the Chief Executive Officer.

See Note 1 for information regarding segment changes made during the fourth quarter of 2025 and Note 24 for more information regarding our business segments.

The following table presents certain financial data of our reportable business segments. Total business segment financial results differ from total consolidated financial results. These differences are reflected in Other non-segment operations, consisting primarily of treasury and community development, and include assets, liabilities, capital, revenues, provision (benefit) for credit losses, expenses, and income tax expense (benefit) not attributed to the Company’s reportable business segments.

Table 12: Selected Financial Data for Business Segments

(dollars in millions)

(1) Includes LHFS.

Consumer Banking

Net interest income increased $408 million compared to 2024, driven by higher net interest margin and growth in average interest-earning assets.

Noninterest income increased $121 million compared to 2024, driven by wealth fees, mortgage banking fees, and service charges and fees, reflecting growth in assets under management, primarily driven by net inflows as well as market appreciation, higher MSR valuation results, net of hedging, and higher overdraft and cash management fees.

Noninterest expense increased $203 million compared to 2024, driven primarily by salaries and benefits reflecting hiring related to the Private Bank and Private Wealth build-out, as well as an increase in medical benefit costs, and outside services given investments across the enterprise.

Net charge-offs were stable compared to 2024.

Commercial Banking

Net interest income decreased $172 million compared to 2024, driven by lower net interest margin and a decline in average interest-earning assets.

Noninterest income increased $87 million compared to 2024, driven by capital markets fees reflecting higher loan syndication and equity underwriting fees, partially offset by lower M&A fees.

Noninterest expense increased $93 million compared to 2024, driven primarily by salaries and benefits given strong capital markets fee performance and increased medical benefit costs, and outside services given investments across the enterprise.

Net charge-offs decreased $44 million compared to 2024, driven by CRE, partially offset by an increase in commercial and industrial.

RISK MANAGEMENT

We are committed to maintaining a strong, integrated, and proactive approach to the management of all risks to which we are exposed in pursuit of our business objectives. A key aspect of our Board’s responsibility as the main decision-making body is setting our risk appetite to ensure that the level of risk that we are willing to accept in the attainment of our strategic business and financial objectives is clearly understood.

To enable our Board to carry out its objectives, it has delegated authority for risk management activities, as well as governance and oversight of those activities, to a number of Board and executive management level risk committees. The Executive Risk Committee, chaired by the Chief Risk Officer, is responsible for oversight of risk across the enterprise and actively considers our inherent material risks, analyzes our overall risk profile, and seeks confirmation that the risks are being appropriately identified, assessed, and mitigated. Reporting to the Executive Risk Committee are the following committees covering specific areas of risk: Compliance and Operational Risk, Model Risk, Credit Policy, Asset Liability, Business Initiatives Review, and Conduct and Ethics.

Risk Framework

Our risk management framework is embedded in our business through a “Three Lines of Defense” model that defines responsibilities for risk management activities.

First Line of Defense

The business lines, including their associated support functions, are the first line of defense and are responsible for identifying, assessing, managing, and controlling the risks associated with the products and services they provide. The business lines are responsible for performing regular risk assessments to identify and assess the material risks that arise in their area of responsibility, complying with relevant risk policies, testing and certifying the adequacy and effectiveness of operational and financial reporting controls on a regular basis, establishing and documenting operating procedures, and establishing a governance structure for identifying and managing risk.

Second Line of Defense

The second line of defense includes independent monitoring and control functions responsible for the development and implementation of risk and control frameworks, along with related policies. This centralized risk function is independent from the business and is responsible for overseeing and challenging our business lines on the effective management of their risks including, but not limited to, credit, market, operational, regulatory, reputational, interest rate, liquidity, legal, and strategic risks.

Third Line of Defense

Our Internal Audit function is the third line of defense and provides independent assurance of the effectiveness of our internal controls and governance practices so that risk is managed appropriately for the size, complexity, and risk profile of the organization. Internal Audit has complete and unrestricted access to all of our records, physical properties and personnel. Internal Audit issues a report following each internal review and provides an audit opinion to the Board’s Audit Committee on a quarterly basis.

Credit Review reports to the Chief Risk Officer and provides the Board, senior management, and other stakeholders with independent assurance on the quality of credit portfolios and adherence to agreed Credit Risk Appetite and Credit Policies and processes. In line with its procedures and regulatory expectations, the Credit Review function undertakes a program of portfolio testing, assessing and reporting through four Risk Pillars of Asset Quality, Rating and Data Integrity, Risk Management, and Credit Risk Appetite.

Risk Appetite

Risk appetite is a strategic business and risk management tool that we define as the maximum limit of acceptable risk beyond which we could be unable to achieve our strategic objectives and capital adequacy obligations.

Our principal non-market risks include credit, operational, regulatory, reputational, liquidity, and strategic risks. We are also subject to certain market risks which include potential losses arising from changes in interest rates, foreign exchange rates, equity prices, commodity prices, and/or other relevant market rates or prices. Market risk in our business arises from trading activities that serve customer needs, including interest rate hedging, foreign exchange risk, and non-trading activities within capital markets. We have established enterprise-wide policies and methodologies to identify, measure, monitor, and report on market risk, actively managing both trading and non-trading market risks. See “Market Risk” for further information. Our risk appetite is reviewed and approved annually by the Board Risk Committee.

Credit Risk

Credit risk represents the potential for loss arising from the failure of a customer, counterparty, or issuer to perform in accordance with the contractual terms of an obligation. While the majority of our credit risk is associated with lending activities, we do engage with other financial counterparties for a variety of purposes including investing, asset and liability management, and trading activities. Given the financial impact of credit risk on our earnings and balance sheet, the assessment, approval, and management of credit risk represents a significant part of our overall risk-management responsibility.

Our independent Credit Risk Function is responsible for reviewing and approving the credit risk appetite across all lines of business and credit products, approving larger and higher-risk credit transactions, monitoring portfolio performance, identifying problem credit exposures, and ensuring remedial management. Credit Risk actively monitors and manages concentrations of loan limits, loan types, industries, and geographies to ensure that our risk appetite is well balanced to achieve our goals.

Management and oversight of credit risk is the responsibility of each respective business line and the second line of defense. Our second line of defense, the independent Credit Risk Function, is led by the Chief Credit Officer who oversees all credit risk and reports to the Chief Risk Officer. The Chief Credit Officer, acting in a manner consistent with Board policies, has responsibility for, among other things, the governance process around policies, procedures, risk acceptance criteria, credit risk appetite, limits and authority delegation. The Chief Credit Officer and team also have responsibility for credit approvals for larger and higher-risk transactions and oversight of line of business credit risk activities. Reporting to the Chief Credit Officer are the heads of the second line of defense credit functions specializing in: Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, Private Banking, Citizens Restructuring Management, Portfolio and Corporate Reporting, ACL Analytics, Current Expected Credit Loss, and Credit Policy and Administration. Each team under these leaders is composed of experienced credit professionals.

The primary mechanisms that govern our risk management include, but are not limited to, credit assessments, models, scorecards, credit limits, exposure management, concentration limits, balance sheet diversification, portfolio management, collateral requirements and individual credit policies tailored for Consumer and Commercial lending. Our policies outline the minimum acceptable lending standards and their alignment with our desired risk appetite. Material changes in our business model and strategies that identify a need to change our risk appetite or highlight a risk not previously contemplated are identified by the individual committees and presented to the Credit Policy Committee, Executive Risk Committee and the Board Risk Committee for approval, as appropriate.

We employ a comprehensive and integrated risk control program to proactively identify, measure, monitor, and mitigate existing and emerging credit risks across the credit life cycle including origination, account/portfolio management, and loss mitigation and recovery.

Consumer

We utilize several distinct business processes and channels to originate consumer credit, including traditional branch lending and mobile and online banking. Each distinct underwriting and origination activity includes unique credit risk characteristics, with loan pricing commensurate with the differing risk profiles. Consumer credit approvals are typically based on the financial strength and payment history of the borrower, type of exposure, and transaction structure, among other factors.

Lending authority is granted to each first line approver by the second line of defense credit risk function to ensure proper oversight of the underwriting teams. We periodically evaluate the performance of each first line approver and annually reauthorize their delegated authority. Only senior members of the second line of defense credit risk function are authorized to approve significant exceptions to credit policies, which are not uncommon when compensating factors are present. Established exception limits, when reached or exceeded, trigger a comprehensive analysis.

For Consumer Banking, our teams use models to evaluate consumer loans across their life cycle. Credit scoring models are used to forecast the probability of default of an applicant prior to origination. When approving customers for a new loan or extension of an existing credit line, credit scores are used in conjunction with other credit risk variables such as affordability, length of term, collateral value, collateral type, and lien subordination.

Our consumer banking portfolio is comprised of five retail categories of loans: residential mortgages, home equity, education, automobile, and other retail.

Residential Mortgages and Home Equity

Residential mortgages are loans to consumers to purchase or refinance 1-4 family residential properties and are generally structured with repayment terms ranging from 15 to 30 years. We originate both fixed- and adjustable-rate (traditional and interest-only) residential mortgages, with the properties securing such mortgages primarily located within our geographic footprint. We do not originate residential mortgages that allow negative amortization or multiple payment options. Residential mortgage applications are underwritten using consistent credit policies and processes, with a focus on higher-quality borrowers.

Residential mortgages are originated based on an appraisal completed during the credit underwriting process, with borrower performance tracked monthly by segmenting the mortgage portfolio into pools based on product type. The portfolio is also segmented based upon delinquency, nonperforming status, modification and bankruptcy status, FICO scores, LTV, and geographic concentrations as part of our overall risk management analysis and monitoring.

Home equity loans primarily include lines of credit secured by a first- or second-lien on the borrower’s residence, which enable the customer to borrow against the equity in their home or refinance existing mortgage debt. The product is a variable-rate, interest-only line of credit that allows the borrower to draw against the available line with no required principal payments during an initial 10-year revolving period. At the end of the revolving period, the home equity line of credit converts into a 15-year amortizing structure.

Home equity applications are underwritten using full income and credit standards with underwriting criteria based on minimum credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, and combined LTV ratios utilizing current collateral valuations. The underwriting for variable-rate lines of credit also incorporates a stress analysis for rising interest rates. We actively manage lines of credit and adjust their lending limit when we believe it is necessary based on a borrower’s FICO score and any associated credit deterioration.

Borrower performance of the home equity portfolio is tracked on a monthly basis for internal reporting and risk management purposes by segmenting the portfolio into pools, which are typically based on origination vintage tranches. For home equity loans where we hold a subordinated lien position the performance of any related mortgage loans is also tracked regardless of whether we hold a lien on such loans. A third-party service provider is utilized to obtain updated loan information, including lien and collateral data that is aggregated from both public and private sources.

LTV information on our outstanding residential mortgages and home equity portfolios is updated quarterly based on a combination of automated valuation model updates and relevant home price indices. LTV is the ratio of the loan’s outstanding principal balance to the current property value estimate. For home equity and second mortgages, CLTV is the ratio of the first mortgage original principal balance and the second lien outstanding principal balance combined to the current property value estimate.

Property values for both residential mortgages and home equity loans are refreshed quarterly after an account is established to allow for proactive identification of changing levels of credit risk and to facilitate our portfolio management, including workout and loss mitigation functions. Our approach to managing credit risk is highly analytical and, where appropriate, is automated to ensure consistency and efficiency.

Education

The education portfolio is primarily comprised of two products, in-school loans and education refinance loans. An in-school loan is generally financed over a 5, 10, or 15-year term and provides for fixed or variable rate financing to students while enrolled in school, with the option to pay while in school or to defer payment until after graduation. An education refinance loan provides a refinancing option on an existing education loan for students and parents, with 5 to 20-year terms and fixed or variable rates.

The performance of the education portfolio is measured monthly, including updated FICO, or equivalent, scores. We analyze the portfolio by product channel and type, and regularly evaluate default and delinquency experience for internal reporting and risk management purposes.

Automobile

The automobile portfolio consists of loans originated primarily through independent franchised dealers, including some located in select states outside of our primary geographic footprint. This portfolio is in runoff as we discontinued the origination of automobile loans in 2023.

The performance of the automobile loan portfolio is measured monthly, including updated collateral values and FICO, or equivalent, scores. We analyze the portfolio by product channel and type and regularly evaluate default and delinquency experience for internal reporting and risk management purposes.

Other Retail

Other retail loans primarily consist of unsecured consumer lending products, including credit cards and point-of-sale loans originated through partnerships with third-party companies. These loans are underwritten in accordance with our established credit policies and guidelines. Certain point-of-sale loans originated with third-party companies include credit loss protection agreements provided by those companies, which mitigate our risk of loss. Given the variable nature of the credit card portfolio, we actively monitor interest rate impacts and portfolio performance to ensure alignment with our risk tolerance.

The following table presents certain asset quality metrics for our retail loan portfolio:

(1) The real estate secured portfolio CLTV is calculated as the mortgage and second lien loan balance divided by the most recently available value of the property.

Commercial

Our commercial banking portfolio consists of traditional commercial and industrial loans, commercial leases, and commercial real estate loans.

For Commercial Banking, risk management includes defined credit products and policies and is separated into commercial and industrial loans, CRE, and leases. Separate verticals are established within commercial and industrial loans and leases for certain specialty products. Substantially all activity that falls under a defined industry or product is managed through a specialty vertical and a stand-alone team of industry, product, and credit risk specialists. CRE also operates as a specialty vertical.

Commercial transactions are subject to individual analysis and approval before origination and, with few exceptions, are subject to a formal annual review requirement. The underwriting process includes the establishment and approval of credit grades that establish the probability of default and loss given default. Material transactions require both a business line approver and an independent credit approver with the requisite level of delegated authority as determined by the size of the credit relationship as well as the probability of default. Checks and balances in the credit process and the independence of the credit approver function are designed to appropriately assess and sanction the level of credit risk being accepted, actively monitor the portfolio to facilitate the early recognition of credit problems, and provide for effective problem asset management and resolution. Authority to grant credit is delegated through the independent Credit Risk Function and is closely monitored and updated annually, at a minimum.

The primary factors considered in commercial credit approvals are the financial strength of the borrower, assessment of the borrower’s management capabilities, cash flows from operations, industry sector trends, type and sufficiency of collateral, type of exposure, geography, transaction structure including loan covenants, and the general economic outlook. While these are the primary factors considered, there are a number of other factors that may be considered in the decision process. In addition to the credit analysis conducted during the approval process before origination and during an annual review, our Credit Review group performs testing to provide an independent review and assessment of the quality of the portfolio and new originations. This group conducts portfolio reviews on a risk-based cycle to evaluate individual loans and validate risk ratings, as well as tests the consistency of the credit processes and the effectiveness of credit risk management.

Credit exposure to individual borrowers is managed by policy guidelines based on the perceived risk of each borrower, or related group of borrowers, with concentration risk managed through limits on industry sectors, asset classes, and loan quality factors.

We utilize internal risk ratings to monitor credit quality for commercial loans and leases, with ratings assigned at loan origination considering both quantitative and qualitative factors that directly correlate to loan quality and likelihood of repayment. These ratings are reevaluated utilizing a risk-based approach annually, at a minimum, or when management becomes aware of information affecting a borrower’s ability to fulfill their obligations.

Substantially all loans with an internal risk rating of Substandard Accrual or Nonaccrual, or loans categorized as Classified, are managed by Citizens Restructuring Management, a specialized group of credit professionals that handle the day-to-day management of loan workouts, commercial recoveries, and problem loan sales to reduce losses and maximize recoveries. Their responsibilities include developing and implementing action plans, assessing risk ratings, and determining the adequacy of the ACL, accrual status, and ultimate collectability of the Classified loan portfolio.

Criticized balances include loans with an internal risk rating of Special Mention, Substandard Accrual, or Nonaccrual. Total commercial criticized balances of $6.3 billion compared to $7.1 billion at December 31, 2024. For more information on internal risk ratings and the distribution of commercial loans and leases by vintage date and internal risk rating, see Note 4. In addition, see discussion of criticized balances below for our commercial and industrial and CRE portfolios.

Commercial and Industrial

The commercial and industrial portfolio includes both loans and leases made to commercial customers for use in normal business operations to finance working capital needs, equipment purchases, capital call facilities, or other projects/acquisitions. The loans and leases are generally underwritten individually to assess the quality of multiple sources of repayment including cash flow for debt service, collateral, and any guarantees from the business owner. Although real estate exists as collateral for these loans, the operation, sale, rental, or refinancing of the real estate is not considered the primary repayment source.

The risks inherent in the commercial and industrial portfolio are managed through origination policies, a defined loan concentration policy with established limits, ongoing loan- and portfolio-level reviews, recourse requirements, and continuous portfolio risk management activities. Our origination policies for the commercial and industrial portfolio include policies specific to loan product type, such as LTV and debt service coverage ratios, as applicable.

Commercial and industrial criticized balances of $2.6 billion at December 31, 2025 remained stable compared to December 31, 2024.

The following table presents our commercial and industrial loan portfolio by industry sector:

(dollars in millions)

Commercial Real Estate

The CRE portfolio consists of both commercial property and construction loans that support a wide range of property development and investment activities including, but not limited to, multifamily, office spaces, industrial facilities, and retail shopping centers. These loans are typically repaid through cash flows generated from the operation, sale, or refinancing of the property. Risk on these loans is mitigated by requiring collateral values that exceed the loan amount and underwriting the loan with projected cash flow in excess of the debt service requirement.

Our CRE construction portfolio primarily consists of multifamily, warehouse, office, and data center property types. Loans in this portfolio are generally for construction projects that have been pre-sold or pre-leased, have secured permanent financing, or are made to real estate companies with significant equity invested in the project. Portfolio Management, CRE Loan Operations, and Collateral Risk Services are responsible for this portfolio and actively monitor the construction phase and manage the loan disbursements according to the predetermined construction schedule. Construction loans, which are generally short term in nature, are utilized to fund the development or renovation of real estate, with repayment often tied to the successful completion and stabilization of the property.

Risks inherent in this portfolio are managed by focusing on the financial strength and experience of the developer, market conditions, and other specific attributes associated with each project. We limit our loan amounts based on appraised values, minimum equity investments by our borrowers, and adequate cash flows to support the debt.

Both macro- and loan-level stress-test scenarios based on existing and forecasted market conditions are part of the ongoing portfolio management process for the CRE portfolio. Ongoing portfolio-level reviews are performed that generate action plans based on occupancy levels or leasing revenues associated with the projects being reviewed. This highly individualized process requires working closely with all of our borrowers, as well as an in-depth knowledge of CRE project lending and the current market environment.

Property-type concentrations and both geographic and property-type performance metrics are actively monitored for all CRE loan types, with a focus on loans identified as higher risk based on our risk rating methodology. The portfolio is diversified by property type and loan size, representing a significant portion of the credit risk management strategies employed for this portfolio. Subsequent to origination, the Credit Review group provides an independent review and assessment of the quality of the underwriting and risk from new loan originations.

Appraisal values are obtained in conjunction with all originations and renewals, and on an as-needed basis, to comply with regulatory requirements and to ensure appropriate decisions regarding the ongoing management of the portfolio with respect to changing market conditions. Appraisals are obtained from approved vendors and are reviewed by an internal appraisal review group, which is composed of certified appraisers to ensure the quality of the valuation used in the underwriting process.

Commercial real estate criticized balances of $3.7 billion at December 31, 2025 decreased from $4.5 billion at December 31, 2024, attributable to office, multifamily, and industrial loan upgrades driven by improved leasing and operating performance, credit-enhanced extensions, sales, and refinancing activity, along with net charge-offs in the general office portfolio. Approximately 96% of commercial real estate loans remain current on payments as of December 31, 2025.

The following table presents our commercial real estate loan portfolio by property type and state:

(dollars in millions)

(1) Credit tenant lease includes loans to nationally recognized tenants with high credit ratings and life sciences includes loans to provide lab and office space for tenants involved in the study and development of scientific discoveries.

(2) Includes Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Loan Asset Quality

Delinquency

We utilize credit scores provided by FICO and payment and delinquency status, among other data points, to monitor credit quality for retail loans. FICO credit scores represent current and historical national industry-wide consumer level credit performance data, which management believes are the strongest indicator of potential credit losses over the contractual life of the loan and a good predictor of a borrower’s future payment performance. A loan’s past due status is determined based on its contractual repayment terms or, if modified, based on its restructured terms.

The following table presents an aging analysis of accruing and nonaccrual loans for our retail loan portfolio:

Loans that are 90 days or more past due and accruing are not placed on nonaccrual status and continue to accrue interest if they are (i) adequately secured by collateral, in the process of collection, and reasonably expected to be restored to current status, (ii) managed in homogeneous portfolios with specified charge-off timeframes adhering to regulatory guidelines, or (iii) insured or guaranteed by a U.S. government agency.

For more information on the aging of accruing and nonaccrual retail loans and the distribution of retail loans by vintage date and FICO score, see Note 4.

Nonaccrual Loans and Leases

Nonaccrual loans and leases are those on which the accrual of interest is suspended and excludes LHFS, loans insured or guaranteed by a U.S. government agency, and loans accounted for at fair value. For more information on nonaccrual loans and leases, see Note 4.

The following table presents nonaccrual loans and leases:

(dollars in millions)

The decline in nonaccrual loans and leases as of December 31, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024 reflects a decrease in commercial primarily driven by the general office segment of CRE, and a decrease in retail driven by the sale of education loans and continued runoff of the auto portfolio. See “ Executive Summary” for more information regarding the sale of education loans.

Other real estate owned represents property acquired through foreclosure or other proceedings and totaled $19 million and $11 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The ACL is comprised of the ALLL and the allowance for unfunded lending commitments. As described in Note 4, the ACL is maintained at a level the Company believes to be appropriate to absorb expected lifetime credit losses over the contractual life of a loan or lease and on unfunded lending commitments, inclusive of recoveries. We consider extensive historical loss experience, including the impact of loss mitigation and restructuring programs that we offer to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty, as well as projected loss severity as a result of loan default.

Management evaluates the appropriateness of the ACL on a quarterly basis. The evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative information is performed by assessing groups of assets that share similar risk characteristics as well as certain individual loans and leases that do not share similar risk characteristics with the collective group. Loans are generally grouped by product type and are assessed for credit losses using econometric models.

The quantitative ACL utilizes economic forecasts primarily based on econometric models that use known or estimated data as of the balance sheet date and forecasted data over the reasonable and supportable period. Known and estimated data include current PD, LGD, and EAD for commercial loans, timing and amount of expected draws for unfunded lending commitments, and FICO, LTV, and term for retail loans. The mix and level of loan balances, delinquency levels, assigned risk ratings, previous loss experience, current business conditions, amount and timing of expected future cash flows, and factors specific to commercial credits such as competition, business, and management performance are also considered. Forward-looking economic assumptions include real GDP, unemployment rate, interest rate curve, and changes in collateral values. Historical information, such as financial statements for commercial customers or consumer credit ratings, may not be as relevant in estimating future expected credit losses as forecasted inputs to the models during volatile economic time periods.

Qualitative factors are also considered by management in determining the adequacy of the ACL, with qualitative adjustments utilized to capture characteristics in the loans and leases portfolio that impact expected credit losses but are not fully reflected within our expected credit loss models. These factors include, but are not limited to: model imprecision, uncertainty in economic scenario assumptions, and emerging risks related to either changes in the economic environment that are affecting specific portfolios, or changes in portfolio concentrations over time that may affect model performance, credit underwriting policy exceptions, and results of internal audit and quality control reviews. The consideration of these qualitative items results in adjustments to amounts included in our ACL for each loan portfolio. The qualitative component of the ACL as of December 31, 2025 did not change significantly from December 31, 2024.

Loans and leases that do not share similar risk characteristics are individually assessed for expected credit losses. Nonaccrual commercial and industrial and commercial real estate loans with an outstanding balance of $5 million or greater are assessed on an individual basis. Generally, measurement of the ACL on an individual loan or lease is based on the present value of its future cash flows or the fair value of its underlying collateral, if the loan or lease is collateral dependent.

The Company estimates expected credit losses associated with off-balance sheet financial instruments such as standby letters of credit, financial guarantees, and unfunded loan commitments that are not unconditionally cancellable. Off-balance sheet financial instruments are subject to individual reviews and are analyzed and segregated by risk according to the Company’s internal risk rating scale. These risk classifications, in conjunction with historical loss experience, current and future economic conditions, timing and amount of expected draws, and performance trends within specific portfolio segments, are considered to estimate the allowance for unfunded lending commitments. The Company does not recognize a reserve for future draws from credit lines that are unconditionally cancellable (e.g., credit cards).

For additional information regarding the ACL, see “Critical Accounting Estimates – Allowance for Credit Losses” and Note 4.

The following table presents the ACL and associated coverage ratio for our loan and lease portfolios:

(dollars in millions)

(1) Represents the percentage of each loan category to total loans and leases.

(2) Coverage ratio includes total commercial allowance for unfunded lending commitments and total commercial allowance for loan and lease losses in the numerator and total commercial loans and leases in the denominator.

(3) Coverage ratio includes total retail allowance for unfunded lending commitments and total retail allowance for loan losses in the numerator and total retail loans in the denominator.

The ACL as of December 31, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024 decreased $76 million, driven by a $33 million decrease in retail, given the benefit of auto loan portfolio runoff and improving loan mix, and a $43 million decrease in commercial.

The following table presents the net charge-off ratio for our loan and lease portfolios:

Table 19: Ratio of Net Charge-Offs to Average Loans and Leases

(dollars in millions)

For the year ended December 31, 2025, net charge-offs decreased $62 million and the net charge-off ratio decreased 3 basis points compared to 2024. The year-ended period December 31, 2025 includes a $25 million charge-off resulting from the sale of education loans. See “ Executive Summary” for more information regarding the sale of education loans.

Market Risk

Market risk refers to potential losses arising from changes in interest rates, foreign exchange rates, equity prices, commodity prices, and/or other relevant market rates or prices. Modest market risk arises from trading activities that serve customer needs, including the hedging of interest rate and foreign exchange risks. As described below, the market risk arising from our non-trading banking activities, such as the origination of loans and deposit gathering, is more significant. We have established enterprise-wide policies and methodologies to identify, measure, monitor, and report market risk. We actively manage market risk for both non-trading and trading activities.

Non-Trading Risk

Our non-trading banking activities expose us to market risk. This market risk is composed of interest rate risk, as we have no commodity risk and de minimis direct currency and equity risk. We also have market risk related to capital markets loan originations, as well as the valuation of our MSRs.

Interest Rate Risk

Interest rate risk emerges from the balance sheet after the aggregation of our assets, liabilities, and equity. We refer to this non-trading risk embedded in the balance sheet as “structural interest rate risk” or “interest rate risk in the banking book.”

A major source of structural interest rate risk is a difference in the repricing of assets relative to liabilities and equity. There are differences in the timing and drivers of rate changes reflecting the maturity and/or repricing of assets and liabilities. There may also be differences in the drivers of rate changes, as loans may be tied to a specific index rate such as SOFR or Prime, while deposits may not be as correlated with such rates and more dependent upon competitive demand. Due to these basis differences, net interest income is sensitive to changes in spreads between certain indices or repricing rates.

A primary source of our structural interest rate risk relates to faster repricing of floating-rate loans relative to core deposit funding. This source of asset sensitivity is more biased toward the short end of the yield curve. The secondary source of our interest rate risk is driven by longer term rates comprising the rollover or reinvestment risk on fixed-rate loans, as well as prepayment risk on mortgage-related loans and securities funded by non-rate sensitive deposits and equity.

Another important source of structural interest rate risk relates to the potential exercise of explicit or embedded options. For example, most consumer loans can be prepaid without penalty and most consumer deposits can be withdrawn without penalty. The exercise of such options by customers can exacerbate the timing differences discussed above.

The primary goal of interest rate risk management is to control exposure to interest rate risk within policy limits approved by our Board. These limits and guidelines reflect our tolerance for interest rate risk over both short- and long-term horizons. To ensure that exposure to interest rate risk is managed within our risk appetite, we measure the exposure and hedge it, as necessary. The Treasury Asset and Liability Management team is responsible for measuring, monitoring, and reporting on our structural interest rate risk position. These exposures are reported on a monthly basis to the Asset Liability Committee and at Board meetings.

We measure structural interest rate risk through a variety of metrics intended to quantify both short- and long-term exposures. The primary method we use to quantify interest rate risk is simulation analysis in which we model net interest income from assets, liabilities, and hedge derivative positions under various interest rate scenarios over a three-year horizon. Exposure to interest rate risk is reflected in the variation of forecasted net interest income across these scenarios.

Key assumptions in this simulation analysis relate to the behavior of interest rates and spreads, changes in product balances, and the behavior of our loan and deposit customers in different rate environments. Repricing characteristics and balance fluctuations of deposits with indeterminate (i.e., non-contractual) maturities, as well as the pace of mortgage prepayments are the most significant behavioral assumptions. We utilize product level models that consider specific product characteristics and composition of the deposit portfolio, along with current and forward-looking market dynamics, to project deposit rates. Similarly, we employ dynamic prepayment and mortgage rate models to project prepayment behaviors specific to each of our product offerings. These models are developed based on internal performance data over prior interest rate cycles and calibrated to our experience and outlook for rates across a diverse set of market environments. We assess our models and assumptions periodically by running sensitivity analyses to determine the impact of changes to inputs or assumptions on our risk results, which are reported to the Asset Liability Committee.

Since we cannot predict the future path of interest rates, we use simulation analysis to project net interest income under various interest rate scenarios including a “most likely” (implied forward) scenario, as well as a variety of extreme and unlikely scenarios. These scenarios may assume gradual ramping of the overall level of interest rates, immediate shocks to the level of rates, and various yield curve twists in which movements in short- or long-term rates predominate. Generally, projected net interest income in any interest rate scenario is compared to net interest income in a base case where market-forward rates are realized.

The table below presents the sensitivity of net interest income to various parallel yield curve shifts from the market implied forward yield curve. Our policies involve measuring exposures as a percentage change in net interest income over the next year due to either instantaneous or gradual parallel changes in rates relative to the market implied forward yield curve. As the following table illustrates, our balance sheet is slightly asset sensitive; net interest income would benefit from an increase in interest rates, while exposure to a decline in interest rates is within limits established and monitored by senior management. While an instantaneous and severe shift in interest rates is included in this analysis, we believe that any actual shift in interest rates would be more gradual and, therefore, have a more modest impact.

We continue to manage asset sensitivity within the scope of our policy, changing market conditions, and changes in our balance sheet. The Company’s base case net interest income assumes the forward-rate path implied by the period-end yield curve is realized. The rate risk exposure is then measured based on assumed changes from that base case rate path.

Our risk position is slightly asset sensitive to a gradual change in rates as of December 31, 2025, consistent with our position as of December 31, 2024. Our interest rate sensitivity incorporates the impact of changes in our balance sheet mix, including securities, loans, deposits, borrowed funds, and hedge activity. Receive-fixed swaps that offset our naturally asset-sensitive balance sheet represent the primary hedging tool utilized to manage overall asset sensitivity. Pay-fixed swaps against our securities portfolio are also utilized to protect capital by reducing AOCI volatility.

We use a valuation measure of exposure to structural interest rate risk, EVE, as a supplement to net interest income simulations. EVE complements net interest income simulation analysis as it estimates risk exposure over a long-term horizon. EVE measures the extent to which the economic value of assets, liabilities, and off-balance sheet instruments may change in response to fluctuations in interest rates. This analysis is highly dependent upon assumptions applied to assets and liabilities with non-contractual maturities. We employ sophisticated models for prepayments and deposit pricing and attrition, which provide a granular view of cash flows based on the unique characteristics of the underlying products and customer segments. The change in value is expressed as a percentage of regulatory capital.

We use interest rate derivative contracts as part of our ALM strategy to manage exposure to the variability in the interest cash flows on our floating-rate assets and wholesale funding, the variability in the fair value of AFS securities, and to hedge market risk on fixed-rate capital markets debt issuances.

The following table presents interest rate derivative contracts that we have entered into as of December 31, 2025 and 2024:

(dollars in millions)

Included in AOCI are net losses from terminated swaps of $273 million that will reduce net interest income by $230 million in 2026 and $43 million thereafter.

Capital Markets

A key component of our capital markets activities is the underwriting and distribution of corporate credit facilities to finance M&A transactions or other corporate purposes for our clients. We have a rigorous risk management process around these activities, including a limit structure capping our underwriting risk, potential loss, and sub-limits for specific asset classes. Further, the ability to approve underwriting exposure is delegated only to senior level individuals in the credit risk management and capital markets organizations with each transaction, at a minimum, requiring approval of one business approver and one credit approver. Such approvals are frequently handled in the context of a committee meeting forum known as the Loan Underwriting Approval Committee.

Mortgage Servicing Rights

We have market risk associated with the value of residential MSRs, which are impacted by various types of inherent risks, including duration, basis, convexity, volatility, and yield curve.

As part of our overall risk management strategy we enter into various freestanding derivatives, such as interest rate swaps, interest rate swaptions, interest rate futures, and forward contracts to purchase mortgage-backed securities to economically hedge the changes in fair value of our MSRs. For more information regarding the fair value of our MSRs and associated derivatives see Note 6 and Note 12.

As with our traded market risk-based activities, earnings at risk excludes the impact of MSRs. MSRs are captured under our single price risk management framework that is used for calculating a management VaR consistent with the definition used by banking regulators.

Trading Risk

We are exposed to market risk primarily through client facilitation activities from certain derivative and foreign exchange products as well as underwriting and market making activities. Market risk exposure arises from fluctuations in interest rates, basis spreads, volatility, foreign exchange rates, equity prices, and credit spreads across various financial instruments.

Client facilitation activities consist primarily of interest rate derivatives, financially settled commodity derivatives, and foreign exchange contracts where we enter into offsetting trades with a separate counterparty or exchange to manage our market risk exposure. In addition, we operate trading desks covering secondary loans, corporate bonds, and equity securities, with the objective of meeting secondary liquidity needs of our clients. We do not engage in any trading activities to benefit from short-term price differences.

Market Risk Governance

The process of setting our market risk limit is established in accordance with the formal enterprise risk appetite process and policy, which reflects the strategic and enterprise level articulation of opportunities for creating franchise value set to the boundaries of how much market risk to assume. Dealing authorities represent the key control tool in the management of market risk that allows the cascading of the risk appetite throughout the enterprise. A dealing authority sets the operational scope and tolerances within which a business and/or trading desk is permitted to operate, which is reviewed annually at a minimum. Dealing authorities are structured to accommodate client facing trades and hedges needed to manage the risk profile, with responsibility for remaining within established tolerances residing with the business. Key risk indicators, including VaR, open foreign currency positions, and single name risk are monitored daily and reported against tolerances consistent with our risk appetite and business strategy to the appropriate business line management and risk counterparts.

Market Risk Measurement

We use VaR as a statistical measure for estimating the potential exposure of our traded market risk in normal market conditions, with our VaR framework identical for both risk management and regulatory reporting purposes. Risk management VaR is based on a one-day holding period to a 99% confidence level and regulatory VaR is based on a ten-day holding period to the same confidence level. In addition to VaR, non-statistical measurements for measuring risk such as sensitivity analysis, market value, and stress testing are employed.

Our market risk platform and associated market risk and valuation models capture correlation effects across all our “covered positions” and allow for aggregation of market risk across products, risk types, business lines, and legal entities. We measure, monitor, and report market risk for management and regulatory capital purposes.

VaR Overview

The market risk measurement model is based on historical simulation. The VaR measure estimates the extent of any fair value losses on trading positions that may occur due to broad market movements (General VaR) such as changes in the level of interest rates, foreign exchange rates, equity prices, and commodity prices. It is calculated on the basis that current positions remain relatively unaltered over the course of a given holding period with the assumption that markets are sufficiently liquid to allow the business to close its positions, if required, within this holding period. Based on the composition of our “covered positions,” we also use a standardized add-on approach for the loan trading and high yield bond desks’ Specific Risk capital, which estimates the extent of any losses that may occur from factors other than broad market movements. The General VaR approach is expressed in terms of a confidence level over the past 500 trading days. The internal VaR measure, used as the basis of the main VaR trading limits, is a 99% confidence level with a one-day holding period, indicating that a loss greater than the VaR is expected to occur, on average, on only one day in 100 trading days (i.e., 1% of the time). Theoretically, there should be a loss event greater than VaR two to three times per year. The regulatory measure of VaR is a 99% confidence level with a ten-day holding period. The historical market data applied to calculate the VaR is updated on a two-business day lag. Refer to “Market Risk Regulatory Capital” below for details of our ten-day VaR metrics for the quarters ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

Market Risk Regulatory Capital

The U.S. banking regulators’ “Market Risk Rule” covers the calculation of market risk capital. Under this rule, all of our client facing trades and associated hedges maintain a low net risk and qualify as “covered positions.” The internal management VaR measure is calculated based on the same population of trades that is utilized for regulatory VaR.

(dollars in millions)

Stressed VaR

SVaR is an extension of VaR and utilizes a longer historical look-back horizon, fixed from January 3, 2005, to identify headline risks from more volatile periods and to provide a counterbalance to VaR, which may be low during periods of low volatility. The holding period for profit and loss determination is ten days. In addition to its utilization for risk management purposes, SVaR is a component of market risk regulatory capital. We calculate SVaR daily under its own dynamic window regime whereby values of the ten-day, 99% VaR are calculated over all 260-day periods that can be obtained from the complete historical data set. Refer to “Market Risk Regulatory Capital” above for SVaR metrics.

Sensitivity Analysis

Sensitivity analysis is the measure of exposure to a single risk factor, such as a one basis point change in rates or credit spread. We conduct and monitor sensitivity on interest rates, basis spreads, foreign exchange exposures, option prices, and credit spreads. Since VaR is based on previous moves in market risk factors over recent periods, it may not be an accurate predictor of future market moves. Sensitivity analysis complements VaR as it provides an indication of risk relative to each factor irrespective of historical market moves and is an effective tool in evaluating the appropriateness of hedging strategies and concentrations.

Stress Testing

Conducting a stress test of a portfolio consists of running risk models with the inclusion of key variables that simulate various historical or hypothetical scenarios. For historical stress tests, profit and loss results are simulated for select time periods corresponding to the most volatile underlying returns, while hypothetical stress tests aim to consider concentration risk, illiquidity under stressed market conditions, and risk arising from our trading activities that may not be fully captured by our other risk-measurement methodologies. Hypothetical scenarios also assume that market moves occur simultaneously and no repositioning or hedging activity takes place to mitigate losses as market events unfold. Stress tests of our trading positions are generated daily.

VaR Model Review and Validation

Our market risk measurement models are independently reviewed and subject to ongoing performance analysis by the model owners. This independent review and validation focuses on model methodology, market data, and performance and is the responsibility of Citizens’ Model Risk Management and Validation team. This team challenges the assumptions used and quantitative techniques employed, including the theoretical justification supporting them, and performs an assessment of the soundness of the required data over time. The quantitative impact of the major underlying modeling assumptions is estimated (e.g., through developing alternative models), if possible. The market risk models may be periodically enhanced due to changes in market price levels and price action regime behavior. The Market Risk Management and Validation team conducts internal validation before a new or changed model element is implemented and before a change is made to market data mapping.

VaR Backtesting

Backtesting is one form of validation of the VaR model and is run daily. The Market Risk Rule requires a comparison of our internal VaR measure to the actual, aggregated net trading revenue (excluding fees, commissions, reserves, intra-day trading, and net interest income) for each day over the preceding year (the most recent 250 business days). Any observed loss in excess of the combined portfolio’s VaR number is taken as an exception. The number of exceptions determines the multiplication factor used to derive the VaR and SVaR-based capital requirement for regulatory reporting purposes, when applicable. The multiplication factor, which increases from a minimum of three to a maximum of four, depending on the number of exceptions, did not change during 2025 based on the Company’s three observed exceptions during the year. Further, we perform sub-portfolio backtesting as required under the Market Risk Rule, using models approved by our banking regulators for interest rate, credit spread, commodity, and foreign exchange positions.

Liquidity Risk

We consider the effective and prudent management of liquidity, defined as our ability to meet our obligations when they come due, fundamental to our safety and soundness. As a financial institution, we must maintain operating liquidity to meet expected daily and forecasted cash flow requirements, as well as contingent liquidity to meet unexpected and stress-scenario funding requirements. Reflecting the importance of meeting all unexpected and stress-scenario funding requirements, we identify and manage contingent liquidity, consisting of cash balances at the FRB, unencumbered high-quality liquid securities, and unused FHLB borrowing capacity. Separately, we also identify and manage asset liquidity as a subset of contingent liquidity, consisting of cash balances at the FRB and unencumbered high-quality liquid securities. We maintain additional secured borrowing capacity at the FRB discount window, but do not view this as a primary means of funding, but rather a potential source in a stressed environment or during a market disruption. We manage liquidity at the consolidated enterprise level and at each material legal entity.

Liquidity risk is the risk arising from the inability to meet our obligations when they come due. We must maintain adequate funding to meet current and future obligations, including customer loan requests, deposit maturities and withdrawals, debt service, leases, and other cash commitments, under both normal operating conditions and periods of company-specific and/or market stress.

Liquidity risk is measured and managed by the Funding and Liquidity unit within our Treasury group in accordance with policy guidelines promulgated by our Board and the Asset Liability Committee. The Funding and Liquidity unit is responsible for maintaining a liquidity management framework that effectively manages liquidity risk. Processes within this framework include, but are not limited to, regular and comprehensive reporting, including current levels versus threshold limits for a broad set of liquidity metrics and early warning indicators, explanatory commentary relating to emerging risk trends and, as appropriate, recommended remedial strategies, liquidity stress testing, contingency funding plans, and collateral management.

Our Funding and Liquidity unit’s primary goals are to deliver and maintain prudent levels of operating liquidity to support expected and projected funding requirements; contingent liquidity to support unexpected funding requirements resulting from idiosyncratic, systemic, and combination stress events; and regulatory liquidity requirements in a timely manner from stable and cost-efficient funding sources. We seek to accomplish these goals by funding loans with stable deposits, by prudently controlling dependence on wholesale funding, particularly short-term unsecured funding, and by maintaining ample available liquidity, including a contingent liquidity buffer of unencumbered high-quality loans and securities.

The Funding and Liquidity unit monitors a variety of liquidity and funding metrics and early warning indicators, including specific risk thresholds limits. These monitoring tools are broadly classified as follows:

• Current liquidity sources and capacities, including cash balances at the FRB, free and liquid securities, and secured borrowing capacity at the FHLB and FRB discount window;
• Liquidity stress sources, including idiosyncratic, systemic, and combined stresses, in addition to evolving regulatory requirements; and
• Current and prospective exposures, including secured and unsecured wholesale funding, and spot and cumulative cash-flow gaps across a variety of horizons.

Further, certain of these metrics are monitored individually for CBNA and for our consolidated enterprise on a daily basis, including cash position, unencumbered securities, asset liquidity, and available FHLB borrowing capacity. In order to identify emerging trends and risks and inform funding decisions, specific metrics are also forecasted over a one-year horizon.

We rely on customer deposits to be our primary stable and low-cost source of funding. Our other funding sources are dependent on our ability to securitize loans in secondary markets, raise funds in the debt and equity capital markets, pledge loans and/or securities for borrowing from the FHLB, pledge securities as collateral for borrowing under repurchase agreements, and sell AFS securities. In addition, we maintain a contingency funding plan designed to ensure that liquidity sources are sufficient to meet ongoing obligations and commitments, particularly in a stressed environment or during a market disruption. The plan identifies members of the liquidity contingency team and provides a framework for management to follow, including notification and escalation of potential liquidity stress events.

As of December 31, 2025:

• Organically generated deposits continue to be our primary source of funding, resulting in a consolidated period-end loan-to-deposit ratio, excluding LHFS, of 77.8%;
• Our total available liquidity, comprised of contingent liquidity and available discount window capacity, was approximately $86.3 billion;
• Contingent liquidity was $72.3 billion, consisting of unencumbered high-quality liquid securities of $39.1 billion, unused FHLB capacity of $22.1 billion, and cash balances at the FRB of $11.1 billion; and
• Available discount window capacity was $14.0 billion, defined as available total borrowing capacity from the FRB based on identified collateral, which is primarily secured by non-mortgage commercial and retail loans.

For a summary of our sources and uses of cash by type of activity for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, see the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows in Item 8.

Parent Company Liquidity

Our Parent Company’s primary sources of cash are dividends and interest received from CBNA resulting from investing in bank equity and subordinated debt as well as externally issued preferred stock, senior debt, and subordinated debt. Uses of cash include the routine cash flow requirements as a bank holding company, including periodic share repurchases and payments of dividends, interest, and expenses; the needs of subsidiaries, including CBNA for additional equity and, as required, its need for debt financing; and the support for extraordinary funding requirements when necessary. To the extent the Parent Company relies on wholesale borrowings, uses also include payments of related principal and interest.

During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Parent Company completed the following transactions:

• Issued $750 million of 5.253% fixed-to-floating rate senior notes due 2031;
• Issued 400,000 shares of 6.500% fixed-rate reset non-cumulative perpetual Series I Preferred Stock at an aggregate offering price of $400 million; and
• Redeemed all outstanding shares of the 5.650% fixed-rate reset non-cumulative perpetual Series F Preferred Stock on October 6, 2025.

Our Parent Company’s cash and cash equivalents represent a source of liquidity that can be used to meet various needs and totaled $2.3 billion and $2.7 billion as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Parent Company declared dividends on common stock of $755 million and $769 million, respectively, and declared dividends on preferred stock of $138 million and $137 million, respectively.

During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Parent Company repurchased $600 million and $1.1 billion, respectively, of its outstanding common stock.

CBNA Liquidity

As CBNA’s primary business involves taking deposits and making loans, a key role of liquidity management is to ensure that customers have timely access to funds. Liquidity management also involves maintaining sufficient liquidity to repay wholesale borrowings, pay operating expenses, and support extraordinary funding requirements when necessary. In the ordinary course of business, the liquidity of CBNA is managed by matching sources and uses of cash. The primary sources of bank liquidity include deposits from our consumer and commercial customers; payments of principal and interest on loans and debt securities; and wholesale borrowings, as needed. The primary uses of bank liquidity include withdrawals and maturities of deposits; payment of interest on deposits; funding of loans and related commitments; and funding of securities purchases. To the extent that CBNA relies on wholesale borrowings, uses also include payments of related principal and interest.

During the year ended December 31, 2025, CBNA completed the following transactions:

• Redeemed $350 million of 5.284% fixed-to-floating rate senior notes due January 2026; and
• Redeemed $500 million of 3.750% senior notes due February 2026.

Credit ratings assigned by agencies such as Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s, and Fitch impact our access to unsecured wholesale market funds and to large uninsured customer deposits and are presented in the table below. We currently have a “stable” outlook at Standard & Poor’s, a “stable” outlook at Moody’s, and a “positive” outlook at Fitch. Changes in our public credit ratings could affect both the cost and availability of our wholesale funding.

NR = Not Rated

Regulatory liquidity requirements represent another key driver of systemic liquidity conditions and management practices, with the FRB and OCC regularly evaluating our liquidity as part of the overall supervisory process. For further discussion, see the “Liquidity Requirements” section under “Regulation and Supervision” in Item 1.

Contractual Obligations

In the ordinary course of business, we enter into contractual obligations that may require future cash payments, including customer deposit maturities and withdrawals, debt service, lease obligations and other cash commitments. For more information regarding these obligations, see Notes 7, 10 and 11.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We engage in a variety of activities that are not reflected in our Consolidated Balance Sheets that are generally referred to as “off-balance sheet arrangements.” For more information on these types of activities, see Note 17.

Operational Risk

Operational risk is the risk of loss due to human error, third-party performance failures, or inadequate or failed internal systems and controls and includes certain risks such as fraud, legal, and natural disasters. To mitigate these risks, we maintain a comprehensive system of internal controls designed to identify, assess, and monitor potential threats to our operations. Our risk management framework includes regular audits, employee training, cybersecurity measures, and business continuity planning. We continuously evaluate and enhance these controls to adapt to evolving risks and regulatory requirements, ensuring the integrity, reliability, and efficiency of our operations.

For more information regarding our cybersecurity risk management practices and governance, see Item 1C in this report.

Compliance Risk

Financial institutions are subject to many laws, rules, and regulations at both the federal and state levels. These broad-based laws, rules, and regulations include, but are not limited to, expectations relating to anti-money laundering, lending limits, client privacy, fair lending, prohibitions against unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices, protections for military members as they enter active duty, and community reinvestment. Adherence to the increasing volume and complexity of regulatory changes can increase our overall compliance risk. As such, we utilize various resources to help ensure expectations are met, including a team of compliance experts dedicated to ensuring our conformance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Our colleagues receive training for several broad-based laws and regulations including, but not limited to, anti-money laundering and customer privacy. Colleagues engaged in lending activities also receive training for laws and regulations related to flood disaster protection, equal credit opportunity, fair lending, and/or other courses related to the extension of credit. We hold ourselves to a high standard for adherence to compliance management and seek to continuously enhance our performance.

CAPITAL

As a BHC and FHC, we are subject to regulation and supervision by the FRB. Our banking subsidiary, CBNA, is a national banking association primarily regulated by the OCC. Our regulation and supervision continues to evolve as the legal and regulatory frameworks governing our operations continue to change. See the “Regulation and Supervision” section in Item 1 for more information.

Capital Adequacy Process

Our assessment of capital adequacy begins with our Board-approved risk appetite and risk management framework. This framework provides for the identification, measurement, and management of material risks. Capital requirements are determined for actual and forecasted risk portfolios using applicable regulatory capital methodologies. The assessment also considers the possible impacts of approved and proposed changes to regulatory capital requirements. Key analytical frameworks, including scenario analysis and stress testing, supplement our base line forecast to help inform a range of potential outcomes. A governance framework supports our capital planning process, including capital management policies and procedures that document capital adequacy metrics and limits, as well as our Capital Contingency Plan and the active engagement of both the Board and senior management in oversight and decision-making.

Forward-looking assessments of capital adequacy provide for the development of a single capital plan, which is periodically submitted to the FRB, that covers both us and our banking subsidiary. We prepare this plan in accordance with the Capital Plan Rule and we participate annually in the FRB’s horizontal capital review as part of their normal supervisory process, which includes an assessment of specific capital planning areas.

The FRB regularly supervises and evaluates our capital adequacy and capital planning processes, including the submission of an annual capital plan approved by our Board of Directors or one of its committees. Under the FRB’s capital requirements, we must maintain capital ratios above the sum of the regulatory minimum and SCB requirement to avoid restrictions on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments. The FRB utilizes the supervisory stress test to determine our SCB, which is re-calibrated with each biennial supervisory stress test and updated annually to reflect our planned common stock dividends. As an institution subject to Category IV standards, we are subject to biennial supervisory stress testing in even-numbered years. Our SCB associated with the 2024 supervisory stress test was 4.5%, effective through September 30, 2025. In August 2025, the FRB provided us with our updated SCB requirement, which remains at 4.5% and was initially effective from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. However, in February 2026, the SCB effective date was moved from October 1, 2026 to October 1, 2027 because the FRB extended the notification deadlines while its enhanced transparency proposal and related stress test model changes remain under public comment and will not be finalized before the 2026 supervisory stress test, resulting in our SCB remaining in place until October 1, 2028, pending other regulatory actions.

Regulations relating to capital planning, regulatory reporting, stress testing, and capital buffer requirements applicable to firms like us are presently subject to rulemaking and potential further guidance and interpretation by the applicable federal regulators. We will continue to evaluate the impact of these and any other regulatory changes, including their potential resultant changes in our regulatory and compliance costs.

Regulatory Capital Ratios and Capital Composition

Under the current U.S. Basel III capital framework, we, and our banking subsidiary, CBNA, must meet the following specific minimum requirements: CET1 capital ratio of 4.5%, Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.0%, Total capital ratio of 8.0%, and Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4.0%. As a BHC, our SCB of 4.5% is imposed on top of the three minimum risk-based capital ratios listed above and a CCB of 2.5% is imposed on top of the three minimum risk-based capital ratios listed above for CBNA.

For additional discussion of the U.S. Basel III capital framework and its related application, see the “Regulation and Supervision” section in Item 1. The table below presents the regulatory capital ratios for CFG and CBNA under the U.S. Basel III Standardized rules:

(dollars in millions)

(1) Represents minimum requirement under the current capital framework plus the SCB of 4.5% and CCB of 2.5% for CFG and CBNA, respectively. The SCB and CCB are not applicable to the Tier 1 leverage ratio.

(2) Represents total average assets less certain amounts deducted from Tier 1 capital.

At December 31, 2025, CFG’s CET1, Tier 1, and Total capital ratios decreased compared to December 31, 2024. Dividends, common share repurchases, a $5.8 billion increase in RWA, and the full phase-in of the modified CECL transition amount was partially offset by net income. Higher commercial and industrial loans was the key driver for the increase in RWA.

At December 31, 2025, CBNA’s CET1 and Tier 1 capital ratios were stable and its Total capital ratio decreased slightly compared to December 31, 2024. Dividend payments to the Parent Company, a $5.7 billion increase in RWA, and the full phase-in of the modified CECL transition amount was partially offset by net income. Higher commercial and industrial loans was the key driver for the increase in RWA.

At December 31, 2025, CFG’s and CBNA’s Tier 1 leverage ratio increased compared to December 31, 2024, reflecting an increase in quarterly adjusted average assets and their respective changes in Tier 1 capital described above.

The following table presents the components of our regulatory capital under the U.S. Basel III capital framework:

(dollars in millions)

(1) As of December 31, 2024, the amount of non-qualifying subordinated debt excluded from regulatory capital was $469 million. See Note 11 for more details on our outstanding subordinated debt.

Capital Transactions

We completed the following capital transactions during 2025:

• Repurchased $600 million of our outstanding common stock;
• Issued 400,000 shares of 6.500% fixed-rate reset non-cumulative perpetual Series I Preferred Stock at an aggregate offering price of $400 million;
• Redeemed all outstanding shares of the 5.650% fixed-rate reset non-cumulative perpetual Series F Preferred Stock on October 6, 2025;
• Declared quarterly common stock dividends of $0.42 per share in the first three quarters and $0.46 in the fourth quarter, aggregating to $755 million; and
• Declared preferred stock dividends aggregating to $138 million.

For additional detail regarding our common and preferred stock dividends see Note 15.

On June 13, 2025, we announced that our Board of Directors increased the capacity of our common share repurchase program to $1.5 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion above the $300 million of capacity remaining under the prior June 2024 authorization. All future capital distributions are subject to consideration and approval by our Board of Directors prior to execution. The timing and amount of future dividends and share repurchases will depend on various factors, including our capital position, financial performance, balance sheet growth, market conditions, and regulatory considerations.

AOCI Impact on Regulatory Capital

Under the current applicable regulatory capital rules we have made the AOCI opt-out election, which enables us to exclude components of AOCI from regulatory capital. As noted in the “Capital and Stress Testing Requirements” section of “Regulation and Supervision” in Item 1, the regulatory agencies are considering the inclusion of AOCI components in regulatory capital for Category IV firms like us, notably the AOCI relative to securities and pension.

In light of this potential change, the Company considers capital ratios including the AOCI impact from securities and pension when evaluating capital utilization and adequacy, in addition to capital ratios defined by the regulatory agencies. These capital ratios are intended to complement our regulatory capital ratios and are viewed by management as useful measures reflective of the level of capital available to withstand unexpected market conditions. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information.

The following table presents our regulatory capital ratios including the AOCI impact from securities and pension:

(dollars in millions)

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

Our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Report are prepared in accordance with GAAP, requiring us to establish accounting policies and make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts.

An accounting estimate requires assumptions and judgments about uncertain matters that could have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Estimates are made using facts and circumstances known at a point in time. Changes in those facts and circumstances could produce results substantially different from those estimates. Our most significant accounting policies and estimates and their related application are discussed below. See Note 1 for further discussion of our significant accounting policies.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The ACL of $2.2 billion at December 31, 2025 decreased $76 million compared to December 31, 2024 given improving loan mix, reflecting the reduction of the auto and education portfolio, reduced CRE, and lower loss-content originations.

As of December 31, 2025, our ACL economic forecast over a two-year reasonable and supportable period reflects the economy going into a shallow two-quarter contraction inclusive of uncertainties related to the implementation of tariffs and protectionist trade policies, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical tensions. This forecast is generally applied to the retail and commercial and industrial portfolios and projects peak unemployment of approximately 5.3% and a start-to-trough real GDP decline of approximately 0.5%, compared to peak unemployment of approximately 5.1% and a start-to-trough real GDP decline of approximately 0.4% at December 31, 2024. More severe economic scenarios are applied within the CRE portfolio, such as general office, with peak unemployment of approximately 9.4% and a start-to-trough real GDP decline of approximately 4.4%, compared to peak unemployment of approximately 9.3% and a start-to-trough real GDP decline of approximately 4.4% at December 31, 2024.

Our determination of the ACL is sensitive to changes in forecasted macroeconomic conditions during the reasonable and supportable forecast period. To illustrate the sensitivity, we applied a more pessimistic scenario than that described above which reflects deeper real GDP contraction across our two-year reasonable and supportable forecast period with peak unemployment of approximately 6.7% and start-to-trough real GDP decline of approximately 2.0%. Excluding consideration of qualitative adjustments, this scenario would result in a quantitative lifetime loss estimate of approximately 1.4x our modeled period-end ACL, or an increase of approximately $700 million. This analysis relates only to the modeled credit loss estimate and not to the overall period-end ACL, which includes qualitative adjustments.

Because several quantitative and qualitative factors are considered in determining the ACL, this sensitivity analysis does not necessarily reflect the nature and extent of future changes in the ACL or even what the ACL would be under these economic circumstances. The sensitivity analysis is intended to provide insights into the impact of adverse changes in the macroeconomic environment and the corresponding impact to modeled loss estimates. The hypothetical determination does not incorporate the impact of management judgment or other qualitative factors that could be applied in the actual estimation of the ACL and does not imply any expectation of future deterioration in our loss rates.

It remains difficult to estimate how changes in economic forecasts might affect our ACL because such forecasts consider a wide variety of variables and inputs, and changes in the variables and inputs may not occur at the same time or in the same direction, and such changes may have differing impacts by product type. The variables and inputs may be idiosyncratically affected by risks to the economy, including changing monetary and fiscal policies, impacts from the recent stress on the banking industry, and inflationary trends. Changes in one or multiple of the key macroeconomic variables may have a material impact on our estimation of expected credit losses.

For additional information regarding the ACL, see Note 4.

Goodwill

The acquisition method of accounting requires that assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations are recorded at fair value. Business combinations typically result in goodwill, which is subject to ongoing periodic impairment tests based on the fair values of the reporting units to which the goodwill has been attributed. At December 31, 2025, goodwill totaled $8.2 billion and is assigned to our reporting units as follows: $5.5 billion to Commercial Banking and $2.7 billion to Consumer Banking.

The process of evaluating the fair value of a reporting unit is subjective, involving management assumptions, estimates and forecasts, and the use of external or internal valuations. Valuation techniques include discounted cash flow and market approach analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the quantitative impairment test estimated the fair value of the reporting units using an equal weighting of an income approach (i.e., discounted cash flows method) and market-based approach (i.e., the guideline public company method). The guideline public company method utilizes comparable public company information and key valuation multiples, and considers a market control premium associated with cost synergies and other cash flow benefits that arise from obtaining control over a reporting unit, and guideline transactions, when applicable.

Under the income approach, cash flow projections are based on multi-year financial forecasts developed for each reporting unit that consider key business drivers such as new business initiatives, customer retention standards, market share changes, anticipated loan and deposit growth, fees and expenses, forward interest rates, historical performance, credit performance, and industry and economic trends, among other considerations. The projection of net interest income and noninterest expense are the most significant inputs to the financial projections of the Commercial Banking and Consumer Banking reporting units. Discount rates are estimated based on the Capital Asset Pricing Model, which considers the risk-free interest rate, market risk premium, beta, and unsystematic risk adjustments specific to a particular reporting unit. The discount rates are also calibrated based on risks related to the projected cash flows of each reporting unit.

We performed a quantitative goodwill impairment assessment in the fourth quarter of 2025 as part of our annual impairment assessment. Based on this quantitative assessment, we concluded that the estimated fair value of the Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking reporting units exceeded their carrying value; therefore, goodwill is not impaired.

For additional information regarding Goodwill, see Note 8.

Fair Value

Certain of the Company’s assets and liabilities are carried at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, with changes in fair value recorded in earnings or AOCI, including, but not limited to, AFS debt securities, derivatives, MSRs, and commercial and residential mortgage LHFS.

We assess the fair value of assets and liabilities by applying various valuation methodologies which may involve a significant degree of judgment, particularly when active markets do not exist for the items being valued. Quoted market prices are used to estimate the fair value of certain assets such as trading assets, investment securities, and residential mortgage LHFS. Assumptions are used to estimate the fair value of items for which an observable active market does not exist and include discount rates, rates of return on assets, repayment rates, MSR prepayment rates, cash flows, default rates, costs of servicing, and liquidation values. The use of different assumptions could produce significantly different fair value estimates, which could have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition, or fair value disclosures.

We also assess whether there are any declines in fair value below the carrying value of assets that require recognition of a loss in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, including certain investments, other LHFS, goodwill, and core deposit and other intangible assets.

For additional information regarding our fair value measurements, see Note 18.

ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING DEVELOPMENTS

Accounting standards issued but not adopted as of December 31, 2025

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. | 76

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This document contains non-GAAP financial measures that we believe provide useful information to investors to understand our results of operations or financial condition. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on such non-GAAP financial measures, but to consider them with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our results reported under GAAP.

The following tables present the computation of non-GAAP financial measures used in the MD&A, as well as the reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure, as applicable:

(dollars in millions, except per share data)

(1) Represents the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to tangible book value per common share and is calculated based on common stockholders’ equity divided by common shares outstanding at period end.

(2) Tangible common equity is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the impact of intangible assets, net of deferred taxes.

(3) Tangible book value per common share is a non-GAAP financial measure and is calculated based on tangible common equity divided by common shares outstanding at period end. We believe this non-GAAP financial measure serves as a useful tool to help evaluate the strength and discipline of a company’s capital management strategies and as a conservative measure of total company value.

(dollars in millions)

(1) Represents the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to return on average tangible common equity and is calculated based on net income available to common stockholders divided by average common equity.

(2) Average tangible common equity is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the impact of intangible assets, net of deferred taxes.

(3) Return on average tangible common equity is a non-GAAP financial measure and is calculated based on net income available to common stockholders divided by average tangible common equity. We believe this non-GAAP financial measure serves as a useful tool to compare the profitability of financial institutions and assess the efficiency of their capital utilization without the impact of intangible assets, net of deferred taxes.

Table 29: Reconciliation of Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin on an FTE Basis (non-GAAP)

(dollars in millions)

(1) Represents the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to net interest margin on an FTE basis and is calculated based on net interest income divided by average interest-earnings assets.

(2) FTE basis financial measures and ratios are adjusted for the tax-exempt status of income from certain assets held by the Company using the federal statutory tax rate of 21% and are considered non-GAAP financial measures. We believe this allows management to better assess the comparability of revenue from both taxable and tax-exempt sources.

(3) Calculated based on net interest income on an FTE basis divided by average interest-earnings assets.

Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk are presented in the “Market Risk” section of Part II, Item 7 and is incorporated herein by reference.

The Company maintains a set of disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms. The design of disclosure controls and procedures is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In accordance with Rule 13a-15(b) of the Exchange Act, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, an evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management's evaluation pursuant to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, the Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements, and the Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting are included in Item 8.