First Bancorp: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2023

General Description

The Company is the fourth largest bank holding company headquartered in North Carolina. At December 31, 2023, the Company had total consolidated assets of $12.1 billion, total loans of $8.2 billion, total deposits of $10.0 billion, and shareholders’ equity of $1.4 billion. Our principal activity is the ownership and operation of the Bank, a state-chartered bank with its headquarters in Southern Pines, North Carolina, through which we engage in a full range of banking activities. Our principal executive offices are located at 300 SW Broad St., Southern Pines, North Carolina 28387, and our telephone number is (910) 246-2500.

The Company was incorporated in North Carolina on December 8, 1983 for the purpose of acquiring 100% of the outstanding common stock of the Bank through a stock-for-stock exchange. The Bank began banking operations in 1935 as the Bank of Montgomery, named for the county in which it operated. In 1985, its name was changed to First Bank and in September 2013, the Company and the Bank moved their headquarters and main offices to Southern Pines, North Carolina.

As of December 31, 2023, the Bank had three wholly-owned subsidiaries, SBA Complete, Magnolia Financial, and First Troy SPE, LLC. SBA Complete specializes in providing consulting services for financial institutions across the country related to SBA loan origination and servicing. Magnolia Financial is a business financing company that offers accounts receivable financing and factoring, inventory financing, and purchase order financing throughout the southeastern United States. First Troy SPE, LLC is a holding entity for certain foreclosed properties.

The Company is the parent of a series of statutory business trusts organized for the purpose of issuing trust preferred debt securities that qualify as regulatory capital. For purposes of the discussion below, these statutory business trusts are not included in our consolidated financial statements as they are variable interest entities and the Company is not the primary beneficiary. See additional discussion below in Item 7 under the section entitled “Borrowings” and Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements.

Recent Developments and Acquisitions

In January, 2023, we acquired GrandSouth, a community bank headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina with $1.2 billion in total assets, $1.0 billion in loans, and $1.1 billion in deposits. GrandSouth operated from eight branches located throughout South Carolina, all of which we have continued to operate. The acquisition accomplished the Company's strategic initiative to expand its presence in South Carolina, specifically in the high-growth markets of the state including Greenville, Charleston and Columbia.

In October 2021, we acquired Select, a community bank headquartered in Dunn, North Carolina with $1.8 billion in assets, $1.3 billion in loans, and $1.6 billion in deposits. Select operated from 22 branches located throughout North Carolina, in the Upstate region of South Carolina and in Virginia Beach, Virginia. We closed or consolidated 12 of Select's branches during 2022.

On September 1, 2020, we completed the acquisition of Magnolia Financial, a business financing company headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that makes loans throughout the southeastern United States. The acquisition of Magnolia Financial provided us with the opportunity to enhance our product offerings, such as accounts receivable financing and factoring, inventory financing, and purchase order financing.

In October 2017, we acquired Asheville Savings which operated in the attractive and high-growth market of Asheville, North Carolina, with $798 million in assets and 13 branches located throughout the Asheville market area.

In March 2017, we acquired Carolina Bank, a community bank headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina with $682 million in assets and eight branches located in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Burlington, and Asheboro. This acquisition significantly accelerated our expansion initiative in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem market.

Principal Business and Services We Provide

Lending Activities

We maintain a diversified loan portfolio by providing a broad range of commercial and retail lending services to business entities and individuals. We provide commercial business loans, commercial and residential real estate construction and mortgage loans, revolving lines of credit, letters of credit, and loans for personal uses, home improvement, and automobiles. Commercial real estate loans include loans secured by owner-occupied commercial buildings for office, storage, retail, and warehouse space. They also include non-owner occupied commercial buildings such as leased retail and office space. We originate residential mortgages through our Mortgage Banking Division, some of which we sell in the secondary market. Through Magnolia Financial we provide accounts receivable financing and factoring, inventory financing, and purchase order financing. Through a network of specialized Bank loan officers in our SBA Lending Division, we offer SBA loans to small business owners across the nation. We typically sell the portion of each loan that is guaranteed by the SBA at a premium and retain the non-guaranteed portion on our balance sheet. We also provide used car floor-plan financing through our CarBucks division. These lines of credit are typically offered to small used car dealers and are subject to traditional floor-plan administration procedures.

We generally do not buy loan participations or portions of national credits, but we may acquire balances subject to participation agreements through acquisition. The total of loan participations purchased at December 31, 2023 was nominal.

Because the majority of our customers are individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses, we do not believe that the loss of a single customer or group of customers would have a material adverse impact on the Bank. There are no seasonal factors that tend to have any material effect on the Bank’s business. Because we operate primarily within North Carolina and South Carolina, the economic conditions of these areas could have a material impact on the Company. See additional discussion below in the section entitled “Market Area and Competition.”

Credit Administration and Lending Policies

Conservative lending policies and procedures and appropriate underwriting standards are high priorities of the Bank. We seek to maintain a comprehensive lending policy that meets the credit needs of each of the communities served by the Bank, including low- and moderate-income customers, and to employ lending procedures and policies consistent with this approach. All loans are subject to our loan policy and financing guide, which are reviewed annually and updated as needed. Our lending policy requires, among other things, an analysis of the borrower's projected cash flow and ability to service the debt.

Individual lending authority is assigned by the Bank’s Chief Credit Officer. Loans are approved under our loan policy, which provides that lending officers have sole authority to approve loans of various amounts commensurate with their seniority, experience and needs within the market. All requests for extensions of credit in excess of any individual lending officer's authority are reviewed by one of our regional credit officers, who can approve loans up to their respective lending authorities which are generally between $10 million and $15 million. When the request for approval exceeds the authority level of the regional credit officer, the request is then reviewed for approval by the Bank’s Chief Credit Officer who has $25 million in lending authority. For loans in excess of this amount, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Credit Officer have joint authority to approve loans up to the in-house limit of $75 million. The Board, generally through its Executive Loan Committee, approves loans in excess of the in-house limit. In addition, the Executive Loan Committee reviews and approves loans to executive officers, directors, and their affiliates.

Our legal lending limit to any one borrower is approximately $210.5 million. All lending authorities are based on the borrower’s total credit exposure, which is an aggregate of the Bank’s lending relationship with the borrower either directly or indirectly through loan guarantees or other borrowing entities related to the borrower through ownership or other control relationship.

We continually monitor our loan portfolio to identify areas of concern and to enable us to take corrective action. Lending and credit administration officers and the Board meet periodically to review past due loans and portfolio quality, the status of large loans and certain other credit or economic related matters which may impact the risk in the portfolio. Individual lending officers are responsible for monitoring any changes in the financial status of borrowers and pursuing collection of early-stage past due amounts. For certain types of loans that exceed our established parameters of past due status, the Bank’s Asset Resolution Group assumes the management of the loans, and in some cases we engage a third-party firm to assist in collection efforts. Loans that are serviced by others, such as certain residential mortgage loans, are monitored by the Bank’s credit officers, although ultimate collection of past due amounts is the responsibility of the servicing agents.

The Bank has an internal loan review department that conducts on-going and targeted reviews of the Bank’s loan portfolio and assesses the Bank’s adherence to loan policies, risk grading, and accrual policies. Reports are generated for management based on these activities and findings are used to adjust risk grades as deemed appropriate. In addition, these reports are shared with the Board. The loan review department also provides training assistance to the Bank’s training and credit administration departments.

To further assess the Bank’s loan portfolio, in addition to the Bank’s internal loan review department, we also contract with an independent consulting firm to perform independent assessments, including reviewing new loan originations meeting certain criteria and reviewing risk grades of existing credits meeting certain thresholds. The consulting firm’s observations, comments, and risk grade recommendations, including variances with the Bank’s risk grades, are shared with the Audit Committee of the Board and are considered by management in setting Bank policy, and in evaluating the adequacy of our ACL.

Loan Concentrations

Our commercial loan portfolio consists predominately of owner-occupied real estate and non-owner occupied income-producing real estate and land development loans, which are primarily secured by real estate located in North Carolina and South Carolina. In order to monitor the portfolio for possible concentrations, we categorize our CRE loans by regulatory categories, including multi-family, retail, warehouse, office, healthcare, hotel/motel, and other commercial real estate. As of December 31, 2023, the largest category of CRE loans, which totaled approximately of 10% of total loans, was retail followed by warehouse and multifamily, both at approximately 7% of total loans. These CRE categories are within management's guidelines as a percent of total capital. The loans within these categories are generally secured by real estate and are therefore susceptible to changes in real estate valuations and other market disruptions in this sector. The loans were originated using underwriting standards as set forth by management. Our loan policies are focused on the risk characteristics of the loan portfolio, including commercial real estate loans, in terms of loan approval and credit quality. It is the opinion of management that these loans do not pose any unusual risks and that adequate consideration has been given to the above loans in establishing the ACL.

Most of our business activity is with customers located within the markets where we have banking operations. The following table presents the total lending exposure for the counties with the largest percentage of our loan portfolio as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

No other market (as defined by county) had total loans outstanding in excess of 5% of the total portfolio at either period presented. We have no concentrations of individual borrowers. Therefore, while our exposure to credit risk is affected by changes in the economy within our markets, the risk is not significantly concentrated.

Investment Activities

Our investment policy is designed to maximize our income from funds not needed to meet loan demand in a manner consistent with appropriate liquidity and risk objectives. Pursuant to this policy, we may invest in U.S. government bonds, GSEs, mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, commercial mortgage-backed securities, state and municipal obligations, public housing authority bonds, and, to a limited extent, corporate bonds. Investments are subject to concentration and maturity limits to avoid unnecessary risks. We may also invest in time deposits with other financial institutions up to a defined limit.

Investments in our portfolio must satisfy certain quality criteria. In making investment decisions, we do not solely rely on credit ratings to determine the creditworthiness of an issuer of securities, but we use credit ratings in conjunction with other information when performing due diligence prior to the purchase of a security. Investments must be “investment-grade” as determined by a nationally recognized investment rating service. Securities rated below Moody’s BAA or Standard and Poor’s BBB generally will not be purchased. Securities rated below a single-A rating are periodically reviewed for creditworthiness. We may purchase non-rated municipal bonds only if the issues of bonds are located in our general market area and we determine these bonds have a credit risk no greater than the minimum ratings referred to above. We also are authorized by our Board to invest a portion of our securities portfolio in high quality corporate bonds, with the amount of such bonds not to exceed 15% of the entire securities portfolio. Prior to purchasing a corporate bond, the Bank’s management performs due diligence on the issuer of the bond, and the purchase is not made unless we believe that the purchase of the bond bears no more risk to the Bank than would an unsecured loan to the same company. On a periodic basis, as determined based on materiality and other relevant factors, we review the financial statements of the issuers of the corporate bonds that we own for any signs of deterioration so that we can take timely action if deemed necessary.

Our Chief Investment Officer implements the investment policy, monitors the investment portfolio, recommends portfolio strategies, and reports to the Bank’s Asset Liability Committee ("ALCO"), which also has oversight of the Bank's investment activities. ALCO generally meets on a quarterly basis and reviews investment activity, portfolio composition, portfolio tenure, and other elements as necessary to assess the overall position of the securities portfolio and risk of the portfolio relative to the overall balance sheet. In addition, reports of all purchases, sales, issuer calls, net profits or losses and market appreciation or depreciation of the securities portfolio are reviewed by the Board. Once a quarter, our interest rate risk exposure is evaluated by ALCO and a summary report is presented to the Board. Each year, our written investment policy is reviewed by the Board and appropriate changes are made.

Deposits

We offer a full range of deposit accounts and services to both retail and commercial customers. These deposit accounts have a variety of interest rates and terms and consist of interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing accounts, including commercial and retail checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and time deposits, including various types of certificates of deposits and individual retirement accounts. The Bank is a member of the CDARS, which gives our customers the ability to obtain FDIC insurance on deposits of up to $50 million, while continuing to work directly with their local First Bank deposit team.

Brokered deposits are deposits obtained by utilizing an outside broker that is paid a fee. The Bank utilizes brokered deposits to accomplish several purposes, such as acquiring a certain maturity and dollar amount without repricing the deposits of the Bank’s current customers (which could increase or decrease the overall cost of deposit), and acquiring certain maturities and dollar amounts to help manage interest rate risk.

Other Funding Sources

The FHLB allows us to obtain advances through its credit program. These advances are secured by select securities owned by the Bank and held in safekeeping by the FHLB, FHLB stock owned by the Bank, and certain qualifying loans secured by real estate, including residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit and commercial real estate loans.

As additional sources of funding, we maintain credit arrangements with various other financial institutions to purchase federal funds and participate in the Federal Reserve's Bank Term Funding Program and discount window borrowings program. On January 24, 2024, the Federal Reserve announced that no new loans will be made under the Bank Term Funding Program on or after March 11, 2024.

Other Services

We also offer credit cards, debit cards, letters of credit, safe deposit box rentals, and electronic funds transfer services, including wire transfers. In addition, to enhance the convenience of our customers, we provide internet banking, mobile banking and mobile check deposit, cash management, remote deposit capture, bank-by-phone capabilities, and ATMs across our branch network.

We offer various ancillary services as part of our commitment to customer service. Through a contractual relationship, we offer the placement of property and casualty insurance. We also provide non-FDIC insured investment and insurance products, including mutual funds, annuities, long-term care insurance, life insurance, and company retirement plans, as well as financial planning services through FB Wealth Management Services, our Investments Division.

Market Area and Competition

We are a community-oriented commercial bank offering a wide variety of financial services to meet the needs of the communities we serve. As of December 31, 2023, we conducted business from 118 branches, with 101 branch offices located across North Carolina and 17 branches in South Carolina.

Historically, our branches and facilities have been located in small- to medium-sized communities with economies based primarily on a variety of industries, including services and manufacturing. In more recent years, through both new branches and acquisitions, we have expanded in larger North Carolina cities, including Charlotte, Raleigh (Triangle region), Greensboro/Winston-Salem (Triad region), Asheville and Wilmington. Our expansion into higher growth markets was significantly enhanced by several strategic transactions discussed previously. Our most recent acquisition of GrandSouth, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, has moved us into the desirable Upstate South Carolina market as well as all its primary growth markets including Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina.

Our primary loan markets were previously presented in the Loan Concentrations section above. The following table presents the counties with the largest share of our deposit base as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. No other market area (as defined by county) comprises more than 5% of our deposit base at either period presented.

We experience strong competition in all aspects of the businesses in which we engage, including both making loans and attracting deposits, from both bank and non-bank competitors. Broadly speaking, we compete with national banks, super-regional banks, smaller community banks, non-traditional internet-based banks, insurance companies and agencies, and other financial intermediaries and investment alternatives, including mortgage companies, credit card issuers, leasing companies, finance companies, credit unions, money market mutual funds, brokerage firms, governmental and corporate bond issuers, and other securities firms. Many of these non-bank competitors are not subject to the same regulatory oversight, which can provide them a competitive advantage in some instances, such as operational flexibility and lower cost structures. In many cases, our competitors have substantially greater resources, including broader geographic markets, higher lending limits, and the ability to make greater use of large-scale advertising and promotions, and offer certain services that we are unable to provide to our customers. We attempt to compete successfully with our competitors, regardless of their size, by emphasizing customer service, responsiveness, local decision making, and establishing relationships with our customers, while continuing to provide a wide variety of services.

We encounter strong pricing competition in providing our services, particularly in making loans and attracting deposits. Competition for deposits in our markets and for national brokered deposits is primarily based on the types of deposits offered and rate paid on the deposits. Given the current rate environment, we have experienced pressure to increase deposit rates in order to retain existing deposits and attract new deposits. Continued strong competition also exists in all of the lending activities we emphasize. With banks of all sizes attempting to maximize yields on earning assets and growth of their balance sheets, the competition for high-quality loans remains strong. Accordingly, loan rates in our markets continue to be under competitive pressure.

We expect competition in the industry to continue to increase mainly as a result of the improvement in financial technology used by both existing and new banking and financial services firms. Competition may further intensify as additional companies (both banks and non-banks) enter the markets where we conduct business, competitors combine to present more formidable challengers, and we enter mature markets consistent with our expansion strategy.

Human Capital Resources

Our associates are one of our competitive advantages and continued investment in human capital is a top priority for us. We have historically focused on building a rewarding work environment as we believe that valued and engaged associates lead to satisfied and active customers, which contributes to enriched shareholder value. We emphasize open and honest communication, collaboration, goal attainment, and personal and professional growth as the foundation to delivering high-quality service to one another and our customers. As of December 31, 2023, we had 1,396 full-time and 49 part-time associates, the majority of whom are employed by the Bank and are located in North Carolina and South Carolina. We have associates with our subsidiaries in other states, primarily California. None of these associates are represented by any collective bargaining agreements, and we consider our employee relations to be good.

Our human capital management strategy focuses on attracting, developing and retaining top quality talent regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, national origin, age, religion, or physical ability. We strive to identify and select the best candidates for all open positions based on the qualifying factors for each job. We are dedicated to providing a workplace for our associates that is inclusive, supportive, and free of any form of discrimination or harassment; rewarding and recognizing our team members based on their individual results and team performance; and recognizing and respecting all of the characteristics and differences that make each of our associates unique. Our workforce consists of approximately 73% females and 18% minorities. Of our officer population, 64% are female or minorities, while our executive management team consists of 39% female or minority executives.

In 2020, we formed a Diversity Council, which is chaired by our CEO and meets regularly. The Diversity Council is focused on providing feedback and recommending actions for improvement, as well as removing barriers that impede progress related to the following areas:

• Creating a work environment that demonstrates all views are respected and provides equal access to opportunities for growth and advancement;
• Ensuring all open positions have a diverse pool of candidates, and our job requirements align with our principles and the markets we serve; and
• Creating internal organizational learning opportunities in which associates may voluntarily participate to deepen and develop personal understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our Board and its Compensation Committee provide oversight on human capital matters, including overall compensation philosophy, equity award programs, and succession planning. Our human resources and legal departments develop policies to support and manage our human capital management strategy, identify risks, and implement practices to mitigate those risks, under the oversight of the Board and its committees.

Maintaining and further enhancing our corporate culture is an important element of our Board’s oversight of risk because our people are critical to the implementation of our corporate strategy. Our Board sets the “tone at the top” and holds senior management accountable for embodying, maintaining, and communicating our culture to associates. Our culture is guided by a philosophy we call "Our Promise to Service Excellence" ("Our Promise"). The principles of Our Promise are: Safety and Soundness, Knowledge and Accuracy, Courteous Service, and Convenience and Ease. All associates joining the Company, including those joining as a result of an acquisition, start their employment by participating in an orientation that focuses on learning about and embracing our culture.

We also seek to design careers with our Company that are fulfilling while fostering professional and personal growth with continuing education, on-the-job training, and development programs. In 2020, we launched our Leadership Development Program, which consists of three development tracks designed to instruct and enhance leadership skills at various levels of an associate's management experience. We believe that effective and meaningful leadership development will further elevate the Company and support us in continuing to attract and retain top talent as well as create a succession plan for future growth. At the end of 2023, we had a total of 82 associates who have completed one of the three leadership development tracks, of which 56% were female or minorities.

We host recruiting and internship programs that attract candidates from a variety of colleges and universities within our footprint. These programs build a continuous talent pipeline and prioritize these individuals for internal openings.

Providing associates with meaningful, competitive and supportive benefits to care for their lives and families is a top priority for the Company. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision and life insurance, paid time-off, 401(k) profit-sharing plan participation and an employee stock purchase plan. The Company’s 401(k) plan has historically matched 100% of each employee’s elective deferral amount, up to the first 6% of the contribution. To augment our health insurance plans, we offer EZaccessMD which provides free access to medical professionals 24/7 for all associates and immediate family members living at their residence, regardless of their participation in our health insurance program. EZaccessMD provides phone consultation with board certified physicians and medical specialists, as well as a mobile health service that comes to an associate’s home to provide diagnostic and treatment services as needed.

The Company’s benefits programs also include an Employee Assistance Program which provides all associates a comprehensive and personalized process with a tailored approach to meet associates where they are and supports them through issues they may be facing. The program provides unlimited phone access for information, resources, and referrals and provides sessions with a counselor for the associate and their family members.

Supervision and Regulation

As a bank holding company, we are subject to supervision, examination, and regulation by the Federal Reserve and the Commissioner. The Bank is also subject to supervision and examination by the Federal Reserve and the Commissioner.

The Company and the Bank are subject to extensive regulation under federal and state laws. The regulatory framework is designed to protect the banking system as a whole and not for the protection of our shareholders and creditors.

The applicable statutes and regulations, as well as related policies, continue to be subject to changes by Congress, state legislatures, and federal and state regulators. Changes in statutes, regulations, and polices applicable to Company and the Bank (including their interpretations or implementation) cannot be predicted and could have a material adverse impact on the business and operations of the Company and the Bank.

Following the Company's acquisition of Select, our total assets exceeded $10.0 billion. Under current banking regulations and as discussed further below, banks exceeding this asset threshold are subject to heightened supervision and regulation.

The following is a general summary of the material aspects of certain statutes, regulations and policies applicable to us. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified by reference to the applicable statutes, regulations, and policies.

Supervision and Regulation of the Company

General. The BHC Act limits the business of a bank holding company to owning or controlling banks and engaging in other activities closely related to the business of banking. In addition, the Company also must file reports with, and provide additional information, to the Federal Reserve.

Holding Company Bank Ownership. The BHC Act requires every bank holding company to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve before: (1) acquiring, directly or indirectly, ownership or control of any voting shares of another bank or bank holding company if, after such acquisition, it would own or control more than 5% of such shares; (2) acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of another bank or bank holding company; or (3) merging with another bank holding company.

Holding Company Control of Non-Banks. With some exceptions, the BHC Act prohibits a bank holding company from acquiring or retaining direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company that is not a bank or bank holding company, or from engaging directly or indirectly in activities other than those of banking, managing or controlling banks, or providing services for its subsidiaries. The principal exceptions to these prohibitions involve certain non-bank activities that are deemed activities closely related to the business of banking or of managing or controlling banks under applicable law.

Transactions with Affiliates. Bank subsidiaries of a bank holding company are subject to restrictions imposed by the Federal Reserve Act on extensions of credit to the holding company or its subsidiaries, on investments in securities, and on the use of securities as collateral for loans to any borrower. The Dodd-Frank Act further extends the definition of an “affiliate” and treats credit exposure arising from derivative transactions, securities lending and borrowing transactions as covered transactions under applicable regulations. It also (1) expands the scope of covered transactions required to be collateralized; (2) requires collateral to be maintained at all times for covered transactions required to be collateralized; and (3) places limits on acceptable collateral. These restrictions may limit the Company’s ability to obtain funds from the Bank for its cash needs, including funds for payments of dividends, interest, and operational expenses.

Tying Arrangements. The Company is prohibited from engaging in certain tie-in arrangements in connection with any extension of credit, sale or lease of property, or furnishing of services. For example, with certain exceptions, neither the Company nor the Bank may condition an extension of credit to a customer on either (1) a requirement that the customer obtain additional services provided by the Company or the Bank; or (2) an agreement by the customer to refrain from obtaining other services from a competitor.

Support of Bank Subsidiaries. Under Federal Reserve policy and the Dodd-Frank Act, the Company is required to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to the Bank. This means that the Company is required to commit, as necessary, capital and resources to support the Bank, including at times when the Company may not be in a financial position to provide such resources or when it may not be in the Company’s or its shareholders’ best interests to do so. Any capital loans a bank holding company makes to its bank subsidiaries are subordinate to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of those subsidiaries.

State Law Restrictions. As a North Carolina corporation, the Company is subject to certain limitations and restrictions under applicable North Carolina corporate laws. For example, those laws include limitations and restrictions relating to indemnification of directors, distributions to shareholders, transactions involving directors, officers, or interested shareholders, maintenance of books, records, and minutes, and observance of certain corporate formalities.

North Carolina Holding Company Laws. The Commissioner is empowered to regulate certain acquisitions of North Carolina banks and bank holding companies, issue cease and desist orders for violations of North Carolina banking laws, and promulgate rules necessary to effectuate the purposes of those laws.

Supervision and Regulation of the Bank

General. The Bank is a North Carolina state-chartered bank and is a member of the Federal Reserve. Federal banking regulations applicable to all depository financial institutions, among other things: (1) provide federal bank regulatory agencies with powers to prevent unsafe and unsound banking practices; (2) restrict preferential loans by banks to “insiders” of banks; (3) require banks to keep information on loans to major shareholders and executive officers; and (4) bar certain director and officer interlocks between financial institutions.

As a state-chartered bank, the Bank is subject to regulation by the Commissioner. The Commissioner has a wide range of regulatory authority over the activities and operations of the Bank, and the Commissioner’s staff conducts periodic examinations of the Bank and its affiliates to ensure compliance with state banking laws and regulations and to assess the safety and soundness of the Bank. Among other things, the Commissioner regulates the merger of state-chartered banks, the payment of dividends, loans to officers and directors, recordkeeping, types and amounts of loans and investments, and the establishment of branches. The Commissioner also has cease and desist powers over state-chartered banks for violations of state banking laws or regulations and for unsafe or unsound conduct that is likely to jeopardize the interest of depositors.

The Federal Reserve is authorized to approve mergers and assumptions of deposit liability transactions by member banks, and to prevent capital or surplus diminution in such transactions if the resulting, continuing, or assumed bank is an insured member bank. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve, and accordingly the Federal Reserve also conducts periodic examinations of the Bank to assess its safety and soundness and its compliance with banking laws and regulations, and it has the power to implement changes to, or restrictions on, the Bank’s operations if it finds that a violation is occurring or is threatened.

Consumer Protection. The Bank is subject to a variety of federal and state consumer protection laws and regulations that govern its relationships and interactions with consumers, including those that impose certain disclosure requirements and that govern the manner in which the Bank takes deposits, makes and collect loans, and provides other services. In recent years, examination and enforcement by federal and state banking agencies for non-compliance with consumer protection laws and regulations have increased and become more intense.

Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may subject the Bank to various penalties. Failure to comply with consumer protection requirements may also result in failure to obtain any required regulatory approval for merger or acquisition transactions we may wish to pursue.

Community Reinvestment. The CRA requires that, in connection with examinations of an applicable financial institution, federal bank regulators evaluate the record of those institutions in meeting the credit needs of local communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with the safe and sound operation of the institution. A bank's community reinvestment record is also considered by the applicable banking agencies in evaluating mergers, acquisitions, and applications to open a branch or facility. In some cases, a bank's failure to comply with the CRA or the filing of CRA protests by interested parties during applicable comment periods can result in the denial or delay of such transactions.

Insider Credit Transactions. Banks are subject to certain restrictions on extensions of credit to executive officers, directors, principal shareholders, and their related interests. Extensions of credit (1) must be made on substantially the same terms (including interest rates and collateral) and follow credit underwriting procedures that are at least as stringent as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with persons not related to the lending bank; and (2) must not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features. Banks are also subject to certain lending limits and restrictions on overdrafts to insiders. A violation of these restrictions may result in the assessment of substantial civil monetary penalties, regulatory enforcement actions, and other regulatory sanctions. The Dodd-Frank Act and federal regulations place additional restrictions on loans to insiders and generally prohibit loans to senior officers other than for certain specified purposes.

Regulation of Management. Federal law sets forth circumstances under which officers or directors of a bank may be removed by the bank's federal supervisory agency, and generally prohibits management personnel of a bank from serving as directors or in other management positions of another financial institution whose assets exceed a specified amount or which has an office within a specified geographic area.

Safety and Soundness Standards. Certain non-capital safety and soundness standards also are imposed upon banks. These standards cover, among other things, internal controls, information systems and internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits, such other operational and managerial standards as the agency determines to be appropriate, and standards for asset quality, earnings, regulatory capital and liquidity. In addition, each insured depository institution must implement a comprehensive written information security program that includes administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the institution's size and complexity and the nature and scope of its activities. The program must be designed to ensure the security and confidentiality of customer information, protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information, and ensure the proper disposal of customer and consumer information. An institution that fails to meet these standards may be required to submit a compliance plan, or be subject to regulatory sanctions, including restrictions on growth.

Inspections. The Federal Reserve conducts periodic inspections of bank holding companies, such as the Company. In general, the objectives of this inspection program are to ascertain whether the financial strength of a bank holding company is maintained on an ongoing basis and to determine the effects or consequences of transactions between a bank holding company or its non-banking subsidiaries and its bank subsidiaries. The inspection type and frequency typically varies depending on asset size, complexity of the organization, and the bank holding company's rating at its last inspection.

Examinations. Banks are subject to periodic examinations by their primary regulators. In assessing a bank's condition, bank examinations have evolved from reliance on transaction testing to a risk-focused approach. These examinations are extensive and cover the entire breadth of the operations of a bank. Examinations alternate between the federal and state bank regulatory agencies, and in some cases they may occur on a combined schedule. The frequency of consumer compliance and CRA examinations is linked to the size of the institution and its compliance and CRA ratings of its most recent examinations. However, the examination authority of the Federal Reserve allows it to examine supervised institutions as frequently as deemed necessary based on the condition of the institution or as a result of certain triggering events.

Dividends

A principal source of the Company's cash is from dividends received from the Bank, which are subject to regulation and limitation. As a general rule, regulatory authorities may prohibit banks and bank holding companies from paying dividends in a manner that would constitute an unsafe or unsound banking practice. For example, paying dividends that deplete an institution's capital base to an inadequate level is typically deemed an unsafe and unsound banking practice. In addition, a bank may not pay cash dividends that would reduce the amount of its capital to less than minimum applicable regulatory capital requirements. Current guidance from the Federal Reserve provides, among other things, that dividends per share on the Company's common stock generally should not exceed earnings per share, measured over the previous four fiscal quarters. North Carolina banking law also places limitations upon the payment of dividends by North Carolina banks.

Rules adopted in accordance with Basel III also impose limitations on the Bank's ability to pay dividends. In general, these rules limit the Bank's ability to pay dividends unless the Bank's common equity conservation buffer exceeds the minimum required capital ratio by at least 2.5% of risk-weighted assets.

The Federal Reserve has also issued a policy statement expressing the view that although no specific regulations restrict dividend payments by bank holding companies other than state corporate laws, a bank holding company should not pay cash dividends unless its earnings for the past year are sufficient to cover both the cash dividends and a prospective rate of earnings retention that is consistent with the bank holding company's capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. A bank holding company's ability to pay dividends may also be restricted if a subsidiary bank becomes under-capitalized. These various regulatory policies may affect the Company's and the Bank's ability to pay dividends or otherwise engage in capital distributions.

Dodd-Frank Act

General. The Dodd-Frank Act and its related regulations significantly changed the bank regulatory structure and affects the lending, deposit, investment, trading, and operating activities of banks and bank holding companies, including the Bank and the Company. Some of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act that impact the Company's and the Bank's business and operations are summarized below.

Corporate Governance. The Dodd-Frank Act requires publicly traded companies to provide their shareholders with (1) a non-binding shareholder vote on executive compensation; (2) a non-binding shareholder vote on the frequency of such vote; (3) disclosure of "golden parachute" arrangements in connection with specified change in control transactions; and (4) a non-binding shareholder vote on golden parachute arrangements in connection with these change in control transactions. The SEC has adopted rules mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act that require a public company to disclose the ratio of the compensation of its CEO to the median compensation of its employees and a comparison of executive compensation to the market performance of the Company's stock. These rules are intended to provide shareholders with information that they can use to evaluate executive compensation.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Dodd-Frank Act established the CFPB and empowered it to exercise broad rule making, supervision, and enforcement authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws. The Bank is subject to the direct supervision of the CFPB. The CFPB focuses on (1) risks to consumers and compliance with federal consumer financial laws; (2) the markets in which firms operate and risks to consumers posed by activities in those markets; (3) depository institutions that offer a wide variety of consumer financial products and services; and (4) non-depository companies that offer one or more consumer financial products or services.

The CFPB's consumer financial laws apply to all banks and include, among other things, the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. Abusive acts or practices are defined as those that materially interfere with a consumer’s ability to understand a term or condition of a consumer financial product or service or take unreasonable advantage of a consumer’s (1) lack of financial savvy; (2) inability to protect himself in the selection or use of consumer financial products or services; or (3) reasonable reliance on a covered entity to act in the consumer’s interests. The CFPB can issue cease and desist orders against banks and other entities that violate consumer financial laws. The CFPB also may institute a civil action against an entity in violation of federal consumer financial law in order to impose a civil penalty or injunction.

Interchange Fees. The Bank is subject to limitations on interchange fees under the Durbin Amendment. The Durbin Amendment rules establish a maximum permissible interchange fee for an electronic debt transaction equal to the sum of $0.21 per transaction and five basis points multiplied by the value of the transaction. The rules also allow for an upward adjustment of no more than $0.01 to an issuer’s debit card interchange fee if the issuer develops and implements policies and procedures reasonably designed to achieve certain fraud-prevention standards.

FDIC Insurance

As an FDIC insured depository institution, the Bank's deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the DIF which is generally $250,000. For this protection, each insured bank pays a quarterly statutory assessment and is subject to the rules and regulations of the FDIC.

The FDIC insurance premium is based on an institution’s total assets minus its Tier 1 capital, and premiums are determined based on its capital, supervisory ratings, and other factors. Premium rates generally may increase if the DIF is strained due to the cost of bank failures and the number of troubled banks. In addition, if a bank experiences financial distress or operates in an unsafe or unsound manner, its deposit premiums may increase. The Dodd-Frank Act made banks with $10 billion or more in total assets responsible for increasing the DIF reserve ratio from 1.15% to 1.35% if necessary. Accordingly, the Bank's premiums may increase from time to time if the FDIC needs to increase assessments in order to replenish the fund and restore the DIF reserve ratio to 1.35%.

In December 2023, the FDIC approved a final rule implementing a special assessment to replenish the DIF reserve ratio. The special assessment will be collected at a quarterly rate of 3.36 basis points for a projected total of eight quarters. The assessment will be applied to an institution's estimated uninsured deposits as of December 31, 2022, adjusted to exclude the first $5 billion of uninsured deposits. The Bank's estimated uninsured deposits as of the measurement date were $3.5 billion.

Legislative and Regulatory Guidance and Developments

Regulatory Capital Requirement under Basel III. The Company and the Bank are subject to the Basel III regulatory capital rules that became fully phased-in as of January 1, 2019.

Under Basel III, CET1 is comprised of common stock and related surplus, plus retained earnings, and is reduced by goodwill and other intangible assets, net of associated deferred tax liabilities. Tier I capital is comprised of CET1 capital plus additional elements, such as trust preferred securities, which the Company includes in Tier 1 capital. Total capital is comprised of Tier I capital plus certain adjustments, the largest of which for the Company and the Bank is the ACL. Risk-weighted assets refer to the on- and off-balance sheet exposures of the Company and the Bank, adjusted for their related risk levels using formulas set forth in Federal Reserve regulations.

The Basel III capital rules include a “capital conservation buffer,” composed entirely of CET1, on top of these minimum risk-weighted asset ratios. The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking institutions with a ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but below the capital conservation buffer will face constraints on dividends, equity repurchases, and compensation based on the amount of the shortfall. The Company and the Bank are required to maintain the following minimum capital ratios:

• 4.5% CET1 to risk-weighted assets, plus the capital conservation buffer, effectively resulting in a minimum ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets of at least 7.0%;
• 6.0% Tier I capital to risk-weighted assets, plus the capital conservation buffer, effectively resulting in a minimum Tier I capital ratio of at least 8.5%;
• 8.0% total capital to risk-weighted assets, plus the capital conservation buffer, effectively resulting in a minimum total capital ratio of at least 10.5%; and
• 4.0%% Tier I leverage ratio.

In addition to the minimum capital requirements described above, the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action also contains specific capital guidelines for a bank’s classification as “well capitalized.” The current specific guidelines are as follows:

• CET1 Capital Ratio of at least 6.5%;
• Tier I Capital Ratio of at least 8.0%;
• Total Capital Ratio of at least 10.0%; and a
• Leverage Ratio of at least 5.0%.

If a bank falls below “well capitalized” status in any of these four ratios, it must ask for FDIC permission to originate or renew brokered deposits.

Financial Privacy and Cybersecurity. The federal banking regulators have adopted rules that limit the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to non-affiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to a non-affiliated third party. These regulations affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors. In addition, consumers may also prevent disclosure of certain information among affiliated companies that is assembled or used to determine eligibility for a product or service, such as that shown on consumer credit reports and asset and income information from applications. Consumers also have the option to direct banks and other financial institutions not to share information about transactions and experiences with affiliated companies for the purpose of marketing products or services.

Under various policy statements, financial institutions should design multiple layers of security controls to establish lines of defense and to ensure that their risk management processes also address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials, including security measures to reliably authenticate customers accessing internet-based services of the financial institution. Additionally, management is expected to maintain sufficient business continuity planning processes to ensure the rapid recovery, resumption, and maintenance of the institution’s operations after a cyber-attack involving destructive malware. A financial institution is also expected to develop appropriate processes to enable recovery of data and business operations and address rebuilding network capabilities and restoring data if the institution or its critical service providers fall victim to this type of cyber-attack. The Company has multiple information security programs that reflect the requirements of this guidance. If, however, we fail to observe the regulatory guidance in the future, we could be subject to various regulatory sanctions, including financial penalties.

In October 2016, the federal banking regulators jointly issued an advance notice of proposed rule making on enhanced cyber risk management standards that is intended to increase the operational resilience of large and interconnected entities under their supervision.The advance notice addressed five categories of cyber standards: (1) cyber risk governance; (2) cyber risk management; (3) internal dependency management; (4) external dependency management; and (5) incident response, cyber resilience, and situational awareness. In May 2019, the Federal Reserve announced that it would revisit the advance notice of proposed rule making in the future. In December 2020, the federal banking agencies issued a notice of proposed rule making that would require banking organizations to notify their primary regulators within 36 hours of becoming aware of a “computer-security incident” or a “notification incident.” The notice also would require specific and immediate notifications by bank service providers that become aware of similar incidents.

In the ordinary course of business, we rely on electronic communications and information systems to conduct our operations and to store sensitive data. We employ an in-depth, layered, defensive approach that leverages people, processes, and technology to manage and maintain cybersecurity controls. We employ a variety of preventative and detective tools to monitor, block, and provide alerts regarding suspicious activity, as well as to report on any suspected advanced persistent threats. Notwithstanding the strength of our defensive measures, the threat from cyber-attacks is severe, attacks are sophisticated and increasing in volume, and attackers respond rapidly to changes in defensive measures. While to date we have not detected a significant compromise, the risks of significant data loss or any material financial losses related to cybersecurity attacks are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future due to the rapidly evolving nature and sophistication of these threats, as well as due to the expanding use of internet banking, mobile banking, and other technology-based products and services used by us and our customers. Additional discussion of our cybersecurity risk management process and strategy are contained in Item 1C of this Report.

Anti-Money Laundering and the USA Patriot Act. The BSA requires all financial institutions to establish a risk-based system of internal controls reasonably designed to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism; sets forth various recordkeeping and reporting requirements (such as reporting suspicious activities that might signal criminal activity); and mandates certain due diligence procedures and "know your customer" documentation. The Patriot Act substantially broadened the scope of United States anti-money laundering laws and regulations by imposing significant new compliance and due diligence obligations on financial institutions; creating new crimes and penalties; and expanding the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Financial institutions are also prohibited from entering into specified financial transactions and account relationships and must use enhanced due diligence procedures in their dealings with certain types of high-risk customers and implement a written customer identification program. Financial institutions must take certain steps to assist government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering and report certain types of suspicious transactions. Regulatory authorities routinely examine financial institutions for compliance with these obligations, and failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with all of the relevant laws or regulations, could have serious financial, legal and reputational consequences for the institution, including causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required. Regulatory authorities have imposed cease and desist orders and civil money penalties against institutions found to be violating these obligations.

The AML, which amended the BSA, is intended to be a comprehensive reform and modernization to United States bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws. Among other things, it codifies a risk-based approach to anti-money laundering compliance for financial institutions; requires the development of standards for evaluating technology and internal processes for BSA compliance; and expands enforcement- and investigation-related authority, including increasing available sanctions for certain BSA violations and instituting BSA whistleblower incentives and protections.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation. The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, nationals, and others which are administered by OFAC. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences, including causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required.

Community Reinvestment Act. The CRA requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under the CRA, each depository institution is required to help meet the credit needs of its market areas by, among other things, providing credit to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities. Depository institutions are periodically examined for compliance with the CRA and are assigned ratings. In order for a financial holding company to commence any new activity permitted by the BHC Act, or to acquire any company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHC Act, each insured depository institution subsidiary of the financial holding company must have received a rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination under the CRA. Furthermore, banking regulators take into account CRA ratings when considering a request for an approval of a proposed transaction. The Bank received a rating of “satisfactory” in its most recent CRA examination.

In May 2022, the Federal Reserve released an advanced notice of proposed rule making, seeking public comment on ways to modernize the Federal Reserve’s CRA regulations. The advanced notice requests feedback on ways to demonstrate how CRA activities qualify for consideration, to evaluate how banks meet the needs of low- and moderate-income communities, and how to address inequities in credit access. We have and will continue to monitor the Federal Reserve’s proposed changes and evaluate any impact on the Company, which will depend on the final form of any Federal Reserve rule making and cannot be predicted at this time.

Incentive Compensation. In June 2010, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued comprehensive final guidance on incentive compensation policies intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of financial institutions are not detrimental to the safety and soundness of such institutions by encouraging excessive risk-taking. This guidance covers all employees who have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of a financial institution, either individually or as part of a group, and is based upon the key principles that a financial institution’s incentive compensation arrangements should (1) provide incentives that do not encourage risk-taking beyond the institution’s ability to effectively identify and manage risks; (2) be compatible with effective internal controls and risk management; and (3) be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the financial institution’s board of directors.

The Dodd-Frank Act requires the federal bank regulatory agencies and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines prohibiting incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities that encourage inappropriate risk-taking by providing an executive officer, employee, director, or principal shareholder with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits, or that could lead to material financial loss to the entity. The federal bank regulatory agencies issued such proposed rules in 2011 and issued a revised proposed rule in 2016 implementing requirements and prohibitions. The revised proposed rule would apply to all banks, among other institutions, with at least $1 billion in average total consolidated assets, and would (1) prohibit certain types and features of incentive-based compensation arrangements for senior executive officers; (2) require incentive-based compensation arrangements to adhere to certain basic principles to avoid a presumption of encouraging inappropriate risk; (3) require appropriate board or committee oversight; (4) establish minimum recordkeeping; and (5) mandate disclosures to the appropriate federal bank regulatory agency. These proposed rules have not yet been finalized.

Federal Securities Laws. The common stock of the Company is registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act and the Company is subject to the reporting, information disclosure, proxy solicitation, insider trading limits and other requirements imposed on public companies by the SEC under the Exchange Act. This includes limits on sales of stock by certain insiders and the filing of insider ownership reports with the SEC. The SEC and NASDAQ have adopted regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd-Frank Act that apply to the Company as a NASDAQ-traded, public company, which seek to improve corporate governance, provide enhanced penalties for financial reporting improprieties and improve the reliability of disclosures in SEC filings.

Climate-Related Risk Management and Regulation

In recent years the federal banking agencies have increased their focus on climate-related risks impacting the operations of banks, the communities they serve and the broader financial system. Accordingly, the agencies have begun to enhance their supervisory expectations regarding the climate risk management practices of larger banking organizations. On October 24, 2023, the OCC, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve jointly finalized principles for climate-related financial risk management for national banks with more than $100 billion in total assets. Although these risk management principles do not apply to the Bank directly based upon our current size, regulators indicated that all banks, regardless of their size, may have material exposures to climate-related financial and other risks that require prudent management. As climate-related supervisory guidance is formalized, and relevant risk areas and corresponding control expectations are further refined, we may be required to expend significant capital and incur compliance, operating, maintenance and remediation costs in order to conform to such requirements.

Additionally, in March of 2022, the SEC proposed new climate-related disclosure rules, the Proposed Rules for The Enhancement and Standardization of the Climate-Related Disclosure for Investors File No. S7-10-22. If adopted as expected, the rules would require new climate-related disclosures in SEC filings and audited financial statements, including certain climate-related metrics and GHG emissions data, information about climate-related targets and goals, transition plans, if any, and attestation requirements.

Digital Asset Regulation

The federal banking agencies have issued interpretive guidance and statements regarding the engagement by banking organizations in certain digital asset activities. In August 2022, the Federal Reserve released supervisory guidance encouraging each banking organization supervised by the agency to notify its lead supervisory point of contact at the Federal Reserve prior to engaging in any digital asset-related activity. Prior to engaging in any such activities, banking organizations are expected to ensure their proposed activities are legally permissible under relevant state and federal laws, and ensure they have implemented adequate systems, risk management, and internal controls to ensure that the activities are conducted in a safe and sound manner consistent with applicable laws, including consumer protection laws.

On January 3, 2023, the federal banking agencies issued additional guidance in the form of a joint statement addressing digital asset-related risks to banking organizations. That statement noted the recent volatility and exposure of vulnerabilities in the digital asset sector and indicated that the agencies are continuing to assess whether or how the digital asset-related activities of banking organizations can be conducted in a safe and sound manner and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The statement stressed that each agency has developed, and expects banking organizations to follow, supervisory processes for evaluating proposed and existing digital asset activities.

On February 23, 2023, the federal banking agencies issued a joint statement addressing liquidity risks to banking organizations resulting from crypto-asset market vulnerabilities. The joint statement noted that deposits placed by a crypto-asset-related entity and deposits that constitute stablecoin-related reserves may pose heightened liquidity risks to banking organizations due to the unpredictability of the scale and timing of deposit inflows and outflows. The statement stressed that banking organizations should establish and maintain effective risk management and controls commensurate with the level of liquidity risks from such funding sources.

Although the federal banking agencies have not developed formal regulations governing the digital asset activities of banking organizations, the supervisory framework summarized above dictates that, in order to effectively identify and manage digital asset-related risks and obtain supervisory non-objection to the proposed engagement in digital asset activities, banking organizations must implement appropriate risk management practices, including with respect to board and management oversight, policies and procedures, risk assessments, internal controls and monitoring.

Future Legislation and Regulation

Congress may enact legislation from time to time that affects the regulation of the financial services industry, and state legislatures may enact legislation from time to time affecting the regulation of financial institutions chartered by or operating in those states. Federal and state regulatory agencies governing the Company and the Bank also periodically propose and adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. The substance or impact of pending or future legislation or regulation, or the application thereof, cannot be predicted, although enactment of the proposed legislation could impact the regulatory structure under which we operate and may significantly increase costs, impede the efficiency of internal business processes, require an increase in regulatory capital, require modifications to business strategy, and limit the ability to pursue business opportunities in an efficient manner, or otherwise adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

Available Information

We maintain a corporate internet site at www.LocalFirstBank.com (http://www.LocalFirstBank.com), which contains a link within the “Investor Relations” section of the site to each of our filings with the SEC, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, as well as our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. These filings are available, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. These filings can also be accessed at the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov). Information included on our internet site is not incorporated by reference into this Report.

In addition to other information contained in this Report that may affect us, the risk factors described below, as well as any cautionary language in this Report, provide examples of risks, uncertainties, and events that could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our operating results and financial condition. In addition to the risks and uncertainties described below, other risks and uncertainties not currently known to us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial, also may materially or adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The value or market price of our common stock could decline due to any of these identified or other unidentified risks.

Risks Related to Our Business

Changes and instability in economic conditions, geopolitical matters and financial markets, including a contraction of economic activity, could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our success depends, to a certain extent, upon global, domestic and local economic and political conditions, as well as governmental monetary policies. Conditions such as changes in interest rates, money supply, levels of employment and other factors beyond our control may have a negative impact on economic activity. Any contraction of economic activity, including an economic recession, may adversely affect our asset quality, deposit levels and loan demand and, therefore, our earnings. In particular, interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including global, domestic and local economic conditions and the policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, specifically, the Federal Reserve. Throughout 2022 and 2023, the FOMC raised the target range for the federal funds rate on eleven separate occasions, citing factors including the hardships caused by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, continued global supply chain disruptions and imbalances, and increased inflationary pressure.

The tightening of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policies, including repeated and aggressive increases in the target range for the federal funds rate as well as the conclusion of the Federal Reserve’s tapering of asset purchases, together with ongoing economic and geopolitical instability, have increased the risk of an economic recession. Although forecasts have varied, many economists are projecting that, while indicators of U.S. economic performance, such as income growth, may be strong and levels of inflation may continue to decrease, the U.S. economy may be flat or experience a modest decrease in gross domestic output in 2024 while inflation is expected to remain elevated relative to historic levels in the coming quarters. Any such downturn in economic output, especially domestically and in the markets in which we operate, may adversely affect our asset quality, deposit levels, loan demand and results of operations.

Recessionary conditions and economic factors could result in heightened credit risk and increases in our level of nonperforming loans which could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

As a result of the economic and geopolitical factors discussed above, we also face heightened credit risk, among other forms of risk. As we have a significant amount of real estate loans, decreases in real estate values could adversely affect the value of property used as collateral, which, in turn, can adversely affect the value of our loan and investment portfolios. While CRE values continue to fluctuate, some markets are showing signs of stabilizing prices. However, the outlook for CRE remains dependent on the broader economic environment and, specifically, how major subsectors respond to a rising interest rate environment and higher prices for commodities, goods and services. Credit performance over the medium- and long-term is susceptible to economic and market forces and therefore forecasts remain uncertain. Instability and uncertainty in the commercial and residential real estate markets, as well as in the broader commercial and retail credit markets, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Inflation can have an adverse impact on our customers and their ability to repay.

Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. In 2023 and 2022, there was a pronounced rise in inflation and the Federal Reserve raised certain benchmark interest rates in an effort to combat this trend. While the inflation rate has responded favorably to actions taken by the Federal Reserve, our customers may continue be affected by inflation pressures and the rising costs of goods and services used in their households and businesses, which could have a negative impact on their ability to repay their loans with us or to finance future home purchases.

Focus on commercial loans may increase the risk of substantial credit losses.

We offer a variety of loan products, including residential mortgage, consumer, construction, and commercial loans, with a majority of our portfolio consisting of commercial and industrial loans and commercial loans secured by commercial real estate. Future growth or acquisitions of banks with a portfolio composition different from ours could cause our portfolio mix to change. Commercial lending generally involves more risk than mortgage and consumer lending because loan balances are greater, and the borrower's ability to repay is contingent on the successful operation of a business. Risk of loan defaults is unavoidable in the banking industry. We attempt to limit exposure to this risk by monitoring carefully the amount of loans in specific industries and by exercising prudent lending practices. However, the risk that substantial credit losses could result in reduced earnings or losses cannot be eliminated.

The Company's focus on lending to small- to mid-sized community-based businesses may increase its credit risk.

Most of our commercial business and commercial real estate loans are made to small business or middle-market customers. These businesses generally have fewer financial resources in terms of capital or borrowing capacity than larger entities and have a heightened vulnerability to economic conditions. Additionally, these loans may increase concentration risk as to industry or collateral securing our loans. If general economic conditions in the market areas in which we operate negatively impact this customer sector, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. Further, the deterioration of borrowers' businesses may hinder their ability to repay their loans with the Company, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our ACL may not be adequate to cover actual losses.

CECL requires that credit deterioration is reflected in the income statement in the period of origination or acquisition of a loan, with changes in expected credit losses due to further credit deterioration or improvement reflected in the periods in which the expectation changes. CECL also requires significant management judgment that is supported by models, assumptions, and data elements which may be subjective in nature or, as in the case of macroeconomic forecasts, be volatile from period to period. This is expected to increase the complexity and associated model assumption risk, particularly in times of economic uncertainty or other unforeseen circumstances, which could impact the Company's results of operations and capital levels.

CECL provides significant flexibility and requires a high degree of judgment with regards to pooling financial assets with similar risk characteristics and adjusting the relevant historical loss information in order to develop an estimate of expected lifetime losses. It also may result in small changes to future forecasts having a significant impact on the ACL, which could make the ACL more volatile.

Because of the extensive use of estimates and assumptions, our actual loan losses could differ, possibly significantly, from our estimate and it is possible that the ACL will need to be increased for changes in economic forecasts, credit deterioration, or that regulators will require us to increase this allowance. An increase in the ACL could materially and adversely affect our earnings and profitability.

We are subject to interest rate risk, which could negatively impact earnings.

Net interest income is the most significant component of our earnings. Our net interest income results from the difference between the yields we earn on our interest-earning assets, primarily loans and investments, and the rates that we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities, primarily deposits and borrowings. When interest rates change, the yields we earn on our interest-earning assets and the rates we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities do not necessarily move in tandem with each other because of the difference between their maturities and repricing characteristics and which can negatively impact net interest income.

Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the Federal Reserve. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, influence not only the interest we receive on loans and investments and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings, but such changes could also affect (i) our ability to originate loans and obtain deposits; (ii) the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities; and (iii) the average duration of our mortgage portfolio and other interest-earning assets. In January 2022, due to elevated levels of inflation and corresponding pressure to raise interest rates, the Federal Reserve announced after several periods of historically low federal funds rates and yields on Treasury notes that it would be slowing the pace of its bond purchasing and increasing the target range for the federal funds rate over time. Therefore, the FOMC increased the target range eleven times throughout 2022 and 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the target range for the federal funds rate had been increased to 5.25% - 5.50%. It remains uncertain whether the FOMC will further increase the target range for the federal funds rate to attain a monetary policy sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to more normalized levels, begin to reduce the federal funds rate or leave the rate at its current elevated level for a lengthy period of time.

If the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings increase at a faster rate than the interest rates received on loans and other investments, as experienced in 2023, our net interest income, and therefore earnings, will generally be adversely affected. Earnings could also be adversely affected if the interest rates received on our loans and other investments fall more quickly than the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings. Although management believes it has implemented effective asset and liability management strategies to reduce the potential effects of changes in interest rates on our results of operations, any substantial, unexpected, prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, and any related economic downturn, especially domestically and in the markets in which we operate, may adversely affect our asset quality, deposit levels, loan demand and results of operations. Also, our interest rate risk modeling techniques and assumptions likely may not fully predict or capture the impact of actual interest rate changes on our balance sheet.

Our financial instruments expose us to certain market risks, including changing interest rates, and may increase the volatility of AOCI and total equity.

We hold certain financial instruments measured at fair value, primarily our AFS investments securities. For those financial instruments measured at fair value, we are required to recognize the changes in the fair value of such instruments in AOCI each quarter which impacts our total equity. Fair value can be affected by a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including our credit position, interest rate volatility, capital markets volatility, and other economic factors. Accordingly, the application of fair value accounting for our AFS securities may cause AOCI and total equity to be more volatile than would be suggested by our underlying performance.

Liquidity risk could impair our ability to fund operations and jeopardize our financial condition.

Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on a number of different sources in order to meet our potential liquidity demands. Our primary sources of liquidity are increases in deposit accounts, cash flows from loan payments, and our securities portfolio. Borrowings also provide us with a source of funds to meet liquidity demands. An inability to raise funds through from these or other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity.

Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities, or on terms which are acceptable to us, could be impaired by factors that affect us specifically or the financial services industry or economy in general. Factors that could detrimentally impact our access to liquidity sources include adverse regulatory action against us or a decrease in the level of our business activity as a result of a downturn in the markets in which our loans are concentrated. Our ability to borrow could also be impaired by factors that are not specific to us, such as a disruption in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry in light of the recent turmoil faced by banking organizations or deterioration in credit markets.

The proportion of our deposit account balances that exceed FDIC insurance limits may expose the Bank to enhanced liquidity risk in times of financial distress.

In its assessment of the bank failures occurring in the first and second quarters of 2023, the FDIC concluded that a significant contributing factor to the failures of the institutions was the proportion of the deposits held by each institution that exceeded FDIC insurance limits. Uninsured deposits historically have been viewed by the FDIC as less stable than insured deposits. In July 2023, the federal banking agencies issued an interagency policy statement to underscore the importance of robust liquidity risk management and contingency funding planning. In the policy statement, the regulators noted that banks should maintain actionable contingency funding plans that take into account a range of possible stress scenarios, assess the stability of their funding and maintain a broad range of funding sources, ensure that collateral is available for borrowing, and review and revise contingency funding plans periodically and more frequently as market conditions and strategic initiatives change.

If a significant portion of our deposits were to be withdrawn within a short period of time such that additional sources of funding would be required to meet withdrawal demands, the Company may be unable to obtain funding at favorable terms, which may have an adverse effect on our net interest margin. Moreover, obtaining adequate funding to meet our deposit obligations may be more challenging during periods of elevated prevailing interest rates, such as the present period. Our ability to attract depositors during a time of actual or perceived distress or instability in the marketplace may be limited. Further, interest rates paid for borrowings generally exceed the interest rates paid on deposits. This spread may be exacerbated by higher prevailing interest rates. In addition, because our AFS investment securities lose value when interest rates rise, after-tax proceeds resulting from the sale of such assets may be diminished during periods when interest rates are elevated. For additional information regarding uninsured deposits and liquidity, see Deposits and Liquidity sections of 2023 MD&A Item 7 following.

Cybersecurity incidents could disrupt business operations, result in the loss of critical and confidential information, and adversely impact our reputation and results of operations.

Global cybersecurity threats and incidents can range from uncoordinated individual attempts to gain unauthorized access to information technology systems to sophisticated and targeted measures known as advanced persistent threats, directed at us and/or our third party service providers. While we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, these types of threats and incidents, none of them to date have been material to the Company. Although we employ comprehensive measures to prevent, detect, address, and mitigate these threats (including access controls, employee training, data encryption, vulnerability assessments, continuous monitoring of our networks and systems and maintenance of backup and protective systems), cybersecurity incidents, depending on their nature and scope, could potentially result in the misappropriation, destruction, corruption or unavailability of critical data and confidential or proprietary information (our own or that of third parties) and the disruption of our business operations. Any successful cyberattack may subject us to regulatory investigations, litigation (including class action litigation) or enforcement, or require the payment of regulatory fines or penalties or undertaking costly remediation efforts with respect to third parties affected by a cybersecurity incident, all or any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations and damage our reputation. In addition, we cannot guarantee that any costs and liabilities incurred in relation to an attack or incident will be covered by our existing insurance policies or that applicable insurance will be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms or at all.

Information security risks for financial institutions continue to increase in part because of new technologies, the increased use of the internet and telecommunications technologies (including mobile devices and cloud computing) to conduct financial and other business transactions, political activism, and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, perpetrators of fraud, hackers, terrorists and others.

We rely on computer systems, hardware, software, technology infrastructure and online sites and networks for both internal and external operations that are critical to our business. Operational risk related to cyberattacks is increasing as cyberattacks evolve and have a greater and more pervasive economic impact. In addition to cyberattacks or other security breaches involving the theft of sensitive and confidential information, hackers have engaged in attacks against financial institutions designed to disrupt key business services, such as customer-facing web sites. Critical infrastructure sectors, including financial services, increasingly have been the targets of cyberattacks, including attacks emanating from foreign countries. Cyberattacks involving financial institutions, including distributed denial of service attacks designed to disrupt external customer-facing services, nation state cyberattacks and ransomware attacks designed to deny organizations access to key internal resources or systems or other critical data, as well as targeted social engineering and phishing email and text message attacks designed to allow unauthorized persons to obtain access to an institution’s information systems and data or that of its customers, are becoming more common and increasingly sophisticated. Further, threat actors are increasingly seeking to target vulnerabilities in software systems (including bugs, vulnerabilities in third-party systems or software and technical misconfigurations in hardware and software) and weak authentication controls used by large numbers of banking organizations in order to conduct malicious cyber activities. These types of attacks have resulted in increased supply chain and third-party risk. Because the methods of cyberattacks change frequently or, in some cases, are not recognized until launch, we are not able to anticipate or implement effective preventive measures against all possible security breaches and the probability of a successful attack cannot be predicted. Although we employ detection and response mechanisms designed to contain and mitigate security incidents, early detection may be thwarted by persistent sophisticated attacks and malware designed to avoid detection. Our inability to prevent, detect, and respond to cyberattacks may lead to reputational damage, litigation with third parties, and increased cybersecurity protection and remediation costs, which in turn could materially adversely affect our results of operations.

From time to time, we engage in acquisitions, including acquisitions of depository institutions. The integration of core systems and processes for such transactions often occurs after the closing, which may create elevated risk of cyber incidents.

We may be subject to the data risks and cyber security vulnerabilities of the acquired company until we have sufficient time to fully integrate the acquiree’s customers and operations. Although comprehensive due diligence of cybersecurity policies, procedures and controls of our acquisition counterparties is performed, and we maintain adequate policies, procedures, controls and information security protocols to facilitate a successful integration, there can be no assurance that such measures, controls and protocols are sufficient to withstand a cyberattack or other security breach with respect to the companies we acquire, particularly during the period of time between the transaction closing and final integration.

In the normal course of business, we process large volumes of transactions involving millions of dollars. If our internal controls fail to work as expected, we could experience significant losses.

We process large volumes of transactions on a daily basis involving millions of dollars and are exposed to numerous types of operational risk, including the risk of fraud by persons inside or outside the Company, the execution of unauthorized transactions by employees, errors relating to transaction processing and systems, and breaches of the internal control system and compliance requirements. This risk also includes potential legal actions that could arise as a result of an operational deficiency or as a result of noncompliance with applicable regulatory standards.

We establish and maintain systems of internal operational controls that provide us with timely and accurate information about our level of operational risk. These systems have been designed to manage operational risk at appropriate, cost-effective levels. Procedures exist that are designed to ensure that policies relating to conduct, ethics, and business practices are followed. We continually monitor and improve our internal controls, data processing systems, and corporate-wide processes and procedures, but there can be no assurance that future losses will not occur.

Lack of system integrity or credit quality related to funds settlement could result in a financial loss.

We settle funds on behalf of financial institutions, other businesses and consumers and receive funds from clients, card issuers, payment networks and consumers on a daily basis for a variety of transaction types. Transactions we facilitate include wire transfers, debit card, credit card and electronic bill payment transactions, supporting consumers, financial institutions and other businesses. These payment activities rely upon the technology infrastructure that facilitates the verification of activity with counterparties and the facilitation of the payment. If the continuity of our operations or integrity of our processing were compromised, this could result in a financial loss to us due to a failure in payment facilitation. In addition, we may issue credit to consumers, financial institutions or other businesses as part of the funds settlement. A default on this credit by a counterparty could result in a financial loss to us.

We are subject to extensive regulation, which could have an adverse effect on our operations.

The Bank is subject to extensive regulation and supervision from the Commissioner and the Federal Reserve. This regulation and supervision is intended primarily to enhance the safe and sound operation of the Bank and for the protection of the DIF and our depositors and borrowers, rather than for holders of our equity securities and creditors. In the past, our business has been materially affected by these regulations. This trend is likely to continue in the future.

Regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the imposition of restrictions on operations, the classification of our assets, and the determination of the level of ACL. Changes in the regulations that apply to us, or changes in our compliance with regulations, could have a material impact on our operations.

We face a risk of noncompliance with the BSA and other AML statutes and regulations and related enforcement actions.

The BSA, the Patriot Act, and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain effective anti-money laundering programs and file suspicious activity and currency transaction reports as appropriate. The FINCEN, established by the Treasury to administer the BSA, is authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and has recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts with the individual federal banking regulators, as well as with the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Internal Revenue Service. There is also increased scrutiny of compliance with the rules enforced by the OFAC. Federal and state bank regulators also focus on compliance with BSA and AML regulations. If our policies, procedures, and systems are deemed deficient or the policies, procedures, and systems of the financial institutions that we have already acquired or may acquire in the future are deficient, we would be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including our acquisition plans, which would negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing also could have serious reputational consequences for us.

We are subject to federal and state fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to material penalties.

Federal and state fair lending laws and regulations, such as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act, impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The Department of Justice, the CFPB, and other federal and state agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. A successful challenge to our performance under the fair lending laws and regulations could adversely impact our CRA rating and result in a wide variety of sanctions, including the required payment of damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on or delays in approving merger and acquisition activity, and restrictions on expansion activity, which could negatively impact our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Recent volatility in the banking sector, triggered by the bank failures occurring in 2023 may result in legislative initiatives, agency rulemaking activities, or changes in agency policies and priorities that could subject the Company and the Bank to enhanced government regulation and supervision.

Investor and customer confidence in the banking sector, particularly with regard to mid-size and larger regional banking organizations, waned in response to the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank in early 2023. Congress and the federal banking agencies have and continue to evaluate the events leading to these bank failures. Legislators and the leadership of the federal banking agencies noted that inadequate prudential regulation of regional banking organizations (generally, institutions with less than $250 billion in total assets), insufficient supervision of such organizations, poor management and inadequate risk management practices, specifically including interest rate and liquidity risks in consideration of each institution’s business model, and substantial uninsured deposit liabilities were causes of the failures.

Further evaluation of recent developments in the banking sector may lead to governmental initiatives intended to prevent future bank failures and stem significant deposit outflows from the banking sector, including (i) legislation aimed at preventing similar future bank runs and failures and stabilizing confidence in the banking sector over the long term, (ii) agency rulemaking to modify and enhance relevant regulatory requirements, specifically with respect to liquidity risk management, deposit concentrations, capital adequacy, stress testing and contingency planning, and safe and sound banking practices, and (iii) enhancement of the agencies’ supervision and examination policies and priorities. Although we cannot predict which initiatives may be pursued by lawmakers and regulators, any of the potential initiatives if implemented could subject us to additional costs, limit the types of financial services and products we may offer, and limit our future growth, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.

We might be required to raise additional capital in the future, but that capital may not be available or may not be available on terms acceptable to us when it is needed.

We are required to maintain adequate capital levels to support our operations. In the future, we might need to raise additional capital to support growth, absorb loan losses, or meet more stringent capital requirements. Our ability to raise additional capital will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside our control, and on our financial performance. Accordingly, we cannot be certain of our ability to raise additional capital in the future if needed or on terms acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to conduct our business could be materially impaired.

Consumers may decide not to use banks to complete their financial transactions.

Technology and other changes are allowing parties to complete financial transactions through alternative methods that historically have involved banks. For example, consumers can now maintain funds that would have historically been held as bank deposits in brokerage accounts, mutual funds, or general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards. Consumers can also complete transactions such as paying bills and/or transferring funds directly without the assistance of banks. 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. The loss of these revenue streams and the lower cost of deposits as a source of funds could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Negative public opinion regarding our Company and the financial services industry in general, could damage our reputation and adversely impact our earnings.

Reputation risk, or the risk to our business, earnings, and capital from negative public opinion regarding our Company and the financial services industry in general, is inherent in our business. Negative public opinion can result from actual or alleged conduct in any number of activities, including lending practices, corporate governance and acquisitions, and from actions taken by government regulators and community organizations in response to those activities. Negative public opinion can adversely affect our ability to keep and attract clients and employees and can expose us to litigation and regulatory action. Although we have taken steps to minimize reputation risk in dealing with our clients and communities, this risk always will be present given the nature of our business.

The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect us.

Our ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services companies are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and we routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, and investment banks. Defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services companies, or the financial services industry generally, have led to market-wide liquidity problems and could lead to losses or defaults by us or by other institutions.

We could experience losses due to competition with other financial institutions and non-banks.

We face substantial competition in all areas of our operations from a variety of different competitors, both within and beyond our principal markets, many of which are larger and may have more financial resources. Such competitors primarily include national, regional, and internet banks within the various markets in which we operate. We also face competition from many other types of financial institutions, including, without limitation, thrifts, credit unions, finance companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies, and other financial intermediaries, such as online lenders and banks. The financial services industry could become even more competitive as a result of legislative and regulatory changes and continued consolidation. In addition, as customer preferences and expectations continue to evolve, technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for nonbanks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks, such as automatic transfer and automatic payment systems. Banks, securities firms, and insurance companies can merge under the umbrella of a financial holding company, which can offer virtually any type of financial service, including banking, securities underwriting, insurance (both agency and underwriting), and merchant banking. Many of our competitors have fewer regulatory constraints and may have lower cost structures. Additionally, due to their size, many competitors may be able to achieve economies of scale and, as a result, may offer a broader range of products and services as well as better pricing for those products and services than we can.

Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors, including, among other things:

• the ability to develop, maintain, and build upon long-term customer relationships based on top quality service, high ethical standards, and safe, sound assets;
• the ability to expand our market position;
• the scope, relevance, and pricing of products and services offered to meet customer needs and demands;
• the rate at which we introduce new products and services relative to our competitors;
• customer satisfaction with our level of service; and
• industry and general economic trends.

Failure to perform in any of these areas could significantly weaken our competitive position, which could adversely affect our growth and profitability, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to keep pace with technological change could adversely affect our business.

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

New lines of business or new products and services may subject us to additional risk.

From time to time, we may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. We may invest significant time and resources in these efforts. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business and/or a new product or service. Furthermore, any new line of business and/or new product or service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business and/or new products or services could have a material adverse effect on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

Our reported financial results are impacted by management’s selection of accounting methods and certain assumptions and estimates.

Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to the way we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. Our management must exercise judgment in selecting and applying many of these accounting policies and methods so they comply with GAAP and reflect management’s judgment of the most appropriate manner to report our financial condition and results. In some cases, management must select the accounting policy or method to apply from two or more alternatives, any of which may be reasonable under the circumstances, yet may result in reporting materially different results than would have been reported under a different alternative.

Certain accounting policies are critical to presenting our financial condition and results. They require management to make difficult, subjective, or complex judgments about matters that are uncertain. Materially different amounts could be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions or estimates. These critical accounting estimates include: the allowance for credit losses; business combinations, and goodwill and other intangible assets.

Our internal controls may be ineffective.

Management regularly reviews and updates our internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any system of controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the controls are met. Any failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

As of December 31, 2023, management identified a material weakness regarding management’s failure to maintain effective information technology general controls in the areas of user access management and segregation of duties, within an application supporting the Company’s accounting and reporting processes. As a result, many of the Company’s manual controls dependent upon the information derived from this information technology application were also ineffective, as segregation of duties was not appropriately designed. Management's report on internal controls over financial reporting and out plan for remediation of the identified material weakness is contained in Item 9A of this Report.

We may not be able to attract and retain skilled people.

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain skilled people. Competition for the best people in most activities engaged in by us can be intense, and we may not be able to hire sufficiently skilled people or to retain them. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of our key personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business because of their skills, knowledge of our markets, years of industry experience, and/or the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

Loss of key employees may disrupt relationships with certain customers.

Our business is primarily relationship-driven in that many of our key employees have extensive customer relationships. Loss of a key employee with such customer relationships may lead to the loss of business if the customers were to follow that employee to a competitor or otherwise choose to transition to another financial services provider. While we believe our relationship with our key personnel is good, we cannot guarantee that all of our key personnel will remain with our organization. Loss of such key personnel could result in the loss of some of our customers.

Our business continuity plans or data security systems could prove to be inadequate, resulting in a material interruption in, or disruption to, our business and a negative impact on our results of operations.

We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. Our daily operations depend on the operational effectiveness of our technology to accurately track and record our assets and liabilities. Any failure, interruption, or breach in security of our computer systems or outside vendor technology could result in failures or disruptions in general ledger, deposit, loan, customer relationship management, and other systems leading to inaccurate financial records. While we have disaster recovery and other policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of any failure, interruption, or security breach of our information systems, there can be no assurance that any such failures, interruptions, or security breaches will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. The occurrence of any failures, interruptions, or security breaches of our information systems could 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, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

In addition, the Bank provides its customers the ability to bank online and through mobile banking. The secure transmission of confidential information over the internet is a critical element of online and mobile banking. While we use qualified third party vendors to test and audit our network, our network could become vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, phishing schemes, and other security issues. The Bank may be required to spend significant capital and other resources to alleviate problems caused by security breaches or computer viruses. To the extent that the Bank’s activities or the activities of its customers involve the storage and transmission of confidential information, security breaches and viruses could expose the Bank to claims, litigation, and other potential liabilities. Any inability to prevent security breaches or computer viruses could also cause existing customers to lose confidence in the Bank’s systems and could adversely affect its reputation and its ability to generate deposits.

Additionally, we outsource the processing of our core data system, as well as other systems such as online banking, to third party vendors. Prior to establishing an outsourcing relationship, and on an ongoing basis thereafter, management monitors key vendor controls and procedures related to information technology, which includes reviewing reports of service auditor’s examinations. If our third party vendor encounters difficulties or if we have difficulty in communicating with such third party, it will significantly affect our ability to adequately process and account for customer transactions, which would significantly affect our business operations.

We rely on certain external vendors.

We are reliant upon certain external vendors to provide products and services necessary to maintain our day-to-day operations. Accordingly, our operations are exposed to risk that these vendors will not perform in accordance with applicable contractual arrangements or service level agreements. We maintain a system of policies and procedures designed to monitor vendor risks including, among other things, changes in the vendor’s organizational structure, changes in the vendor’s financial condition, and changes in the vendor’s support for existing products and services. While we believe these policies and procedures help to mitigate risk, and our vendors are not the sole source of service, the failure of an external vendor to perform in accordance with applicable contractual arrangements or the service level agreements could be disruptive to our operations, which could have a material adverse impact on our business and its financial condition and results of operations.

We may be adversely affected by risks associated with potential and completed acquisitions.

As part of our growth strategy, we regularly evaluate merger and acquisition opportunities and conduct due diligence activities related to possible transactions with other financial institutions and financial services companies. As a result, negotiations may take place and future mergers or acquisitions involving cash, debt, or equity securities may occur at any time. We seek merger and acquisition partners that are culturally similar, have experienced management, and possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability through financial management, economies of scale, or expanded services.

Acquiring other financial institutions, financial services companies, or branches involves potential adverse impact to our financial results and various other risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including, among other things:

• Incurring time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions and negotiating potential transactions, and with integrating acquired businesses, resulting in the diversion of resources from the operation of our existing businesses.
• Difficulty in estimating the value of target companies or assets and in evaluating credit, operations, management, and market risks associated with those companies or assets.
• Payment of a premium over book and market values that may dilute our tangible book value and earnings per share in the short and long term.
• Potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of the target company, including, without limitation, liabilities for regulatory and compliance issues.
• Exposure to potential asset quality issues of the target company.
• Difficulties, inefficiencies or cost overruns associated with the integration of the operations, personnel, technologies, services, and products of acquired companies with ours.
• Inability to realize the expected revenue increases, cost savings, increases in geographic or product presence, and/or other projected benefits.
• Potential disruption to our business.
• The possible loss of key employees and customers of the target company.
• Potential changes in banking, financial services or tax laws or regulations that may affect the target company.

Failure to successfully integrate the entities we acquire into our existing operations could increase our operating costs significantly and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Attractive acquisition or expansion opportunities may not be available to us in the future.

We may consider acquiring other businesses or expanding into new product lines or markets that we believe will help us fulfill our strategic objectives. We expect that other banking and financial companies, some of which have significantly greater resources, will compete with us to acquire such services businesses. Our target base of attractive candidates may be limited, and competition could increase prices for potential acquisitions that we believe are attractive. Acquisitions may also be subject to various regulatory approvals. If we fail to receive the appropriate regulatory approvals, we will not be able to consummate acquisitions that we believe are in our best interests.

Risks associated with acquisitions and the resulting integrations may affect costs, revenues, and market value.

A component of our business strategy includes growth through acquisitions. Costs or difficulties related to integrating the acquired business with the Company might be greater than expected. Further, expected revenue and/or operational synergies and cost savings associated with pending or recently completed acquisitions may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frame.

If the goodwill that we recorded in connection with a business acquisition becomes impaired, it could have a significant negative impact on our profitability.

Goodwill represents the amount of consideration exchanged over the fair value of net assets we acquired in the purchase of another business. We review goodwill for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the asset might be impaired. At December 31, 2023, our goodwill totaled $478.8 million. While we have recorded no impairment charges since we initially recorded the goodwill, there can be no assurance that our future evaluations of goodwill will not result in findings of impairment and related write-downs, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to losses due to errors, omissions, or fraudulent behavior by our employees, clients, counterparties, or other third parties.

We are exposed to many types of operational risk, including the risk of fraud by employees and third parties, clerical recordkeeping errors, and transactional errors. Our business is dependent on our employees as well as third-party service providers to process a large number of increasingly complex transactions. We could be materially and adversely affected if employees, clients, counterparties, or other third parties caused an operational breakdown or failure, either as a result of human error, fraudulent manipulation, or purposeful damage to any of our operations or systems.

In deciding whether to extend credit or to enter into other transactions with clients and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished to us by or on behalf of clients and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information, which we do not independently verify. We also may rely on representations of clients and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors. Our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected to the extent we rely on financial statements that do not comply with GAAP or are materially misleading, any of which could be caused by errors, omissions, or fraudulent behavior by our employees, clients, counterparties, or other third parties.

Risks Related Our Common Stock

An investment in our common stock is not an insured deposit.

Our common stock is not a bank deposit and, therefore, is not insured against loss by the FDIC or by any other public or private entity. An investment in our common stock is inherently risky for the reasons described in this "Risk

Factors" section and elsewhere in this Report and is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock in any company. As a result, if you acquire our common stock, you may lose some or all of your investment.

Common stock is equity and is subordinate to our existing and future indebtedness and preferred stock and effectively subordinated to all the indebtedness and other non-common equity claims against our subsidiaries.

Shares of the common stock are equity interests in us and do not constitute indebtedness. As such, shares of the common stock rank junior to all of our indebtedness and to other non-equity claims against us and our assets available to satisfy claims against us, including our liquidation. Upon liquidation, lenders and holders of our debt securities and any preferred stock that may be outstanding, would receive distributions of our available assets prior to holders of our common stock.

There can be no assurance that we will continue to pay cash dividends.

Although we have historically paid cash dividends, there is no assurance that we will continue to pay cash dividends. Future payment of cash dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Board and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, economic conditions, and such other factors as the board may deem relevant.

Future sales of our stock by our shareholders or the perception that those sales could occur may cause our stock price to decline.

Although our common stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FBNC,” the trading volume in our common stock is lower than that of other larger financial services companies. A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity, and orderliness depends on the presence in the marketplace of willing buyers and sellers of our common stock at any given time. This presence depends on the individual decisions of investors and general economic and market conditions over which we have no control. Given the comparatively lower trading volume of our common stock relative to larger institutions, significant sales of our common stock or other volatility in our shares in the public market, could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline or to be lower than it otherwise might be in the absence of those sales or perceptions.

We may issue additional shares of stock or equity derivative securities that will dilute the percentage ownership interest of existing shareholders and may dilute the book value per share of our common stock and adversely affect the terms on which we may obtain additional capital.

Subject to applicable NASDAQ rules, our Board generally has the authority, without action by or vote of the shareholders, to issue all or part of any authorized but unissued shares of stock for any corporate purpose, including issuances of equity-based incentives under or outside of our equity compensation plans, issuances of equity in business combination transactions, and issuances of equity to raise additional capital to support growth or to otherwise strengthen our balance sheet. Any issuance of additional shares of stock or equity derivative securities will dilute the percentage ownership interest of our shareholders and may dilute the book value per share of our common stock.

We may make future acquisitions, which could dilute current shareholders’ stock ownership and expose us to additional risks.

In accordance with our strategic plan, we evaluate opportunities to acquire other financial institutions, financial services companies and branch locations. Such transactions could have a material effect on our operating results and financial condition, including short- and long-term liquidity, and could require us to issue a significant number of shares of common stock or other securities and/or to use a substantial amount of cash, other liquid assets, and/or incur debt.

Our acquisition activities could involve a number of additional risks, some of which are described in more detail elsewhere in this Report and include: the possibility that expected benefits may not materialize in the timeframe expected or at all, or may be more costly to achieve; using inaccurate estimates and judgments to evaluate credit, operations, management, and market risks with respect to the target company or assets; incurring the time and expense required to integrate the operations and personnel of the combined businesses; the possibility that we will be unable to successfully implement integration strategies due to challenges associated with integrating complex systems, technology, banking centers, and other assets of the acquired company in a manner that minimizes any adverse effect on customers, suppliers, employees, and other constituencies; the possibility of regulatory approval for the acquisition being delayed, impeded, restrictively conditioned or denied due to existing or new regulatory issues surrounding the Company, the target company, the assets acquired or the proposed combined entity; and losing key employees and customers as a result of an acquisition that is poorly received.

Risk Management and Strategy

The Company recognizes the security of our banking operations is critical to protecting our customers, maintaining our reputation and preserving the value of the Company. The Board, primarily through its Risk Committee, provides direction and oversight of the enterprise-wide risk management framework of the Company, and cybersecurity represents a component of the Company’s overall approach to enterprise-wide risk management. The Company's Information Security Program establishes policies and procedures for the measurement of the effectiveness and efficiency of information security controls related to both design and operations. The Company leverages the following guidelines and frameworks to develop and maintain its Information Security Program: FFIEC Information Security IT Examination Handbook, FFIEC Business Continuity Management IT Examination Handbook, FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool, and GLBA 501(b). In general, the Company addresses cybersecurity risks through a comprehensive, cross-functional approach that is focused on confidentiality, security and availability of the information that the Company collects and stores by identifying, preventing, and mitigating cybersecurity threats and effectively responding to cyber threats when they occur.

As one of the elements of the Company’s overall enterprise-wide risk management approach, the Information Security Program is focused on the following key areas:

• Security Operation and Governance: The Board has delegated to senior management responsibility for the Information Security Program which is managed through the IT Steering Committee, which maintains alignment and appropriate insight regarding information security activities.
• Collaborative Approach: The Company has implemented a cross-functional approach to identifying, preventing and mitigating cybersecurity threats and incidents, while also implementing controls and procedures that provide for the prompt escalation of certain cybersecurity incidents so that decisions regarding the public disclosure and reporting of such incidents can be made by management in a timely manner.
• Security Competencies: The Information Security department oversees a program of security competencies and tools designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our data. These assets represent a blend of various management (e.g., policies), operational (e.g., standards and processes), and technical controls (e.g., tools and configurations).
• Incident Response Plan: The Company has a contracted with a third-party to provides continual security monitoring 24 hours per day, seven days per week, where resources actively deliver threat analysis, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, and intrusion hunting. The Company’s Incident Response Plan helps reduce the risks related to security incidents by providing guidelines on responding to incidents.
• Third-Party Risk Management: Management of the Company’s third parties, including vendors and service providers, is conducted through a risk-based approach and the level of due diligence is driven from risk factors established by our Risk Management department. The process provides awareness and collaboration across internal teams including Information Security and Business Continuity. A Technical Requirements review process is conducted on new or significantly changed third parties, applications, or technology to ensure that systems or third parties meet certain security baseline requirements. This process is aimed at advocating the necessary security, infrastructure, and application standards or controls so that information systems and the third party have recovery plans in place.
• Security Awareness and Education: The Company provides annual, mandatory training for personnel regarding security awareness as a means to equip the Company’s personnel with the understanding of how

to properly use and protect the computing resources entrusted to them, and to communicate the Company’s information security policies, standards, processes and practices.

The Company leverages regular assessments to identify current and potential threats and vulnerabilities within the Company’s environment. Technical vulnerabilities are identified using automated vulnerability scanning tools, penetration testing, and system management tools, whereas non-technical vulnerabilities are identified via process or procedural reviews. The Company conducts a variety of assessments throughout the year, both internally and through third parties. Vulnerability assessment and penetration tests are performed on a regular basis to provide the Company with an unbiased view of its environment and controls. Vulnerabilities identified during these assessments are inventoried in a centralized tracking system and reported to management on a regular basis. A multi-step approach is applied to identify, report and remediate these vulnerabilities, and the Company adjusts its information security policies, standards, processes and practices as necessary based on the information provided by these assessments. The results of key assessments are reported in summary to the Board annually.

Governance

The Risk Committee of the Board provides direction and oversight of the enterprise-wide risk management framework of the Company, including the management of risks arising from cybersecurity threats. The Board Risk Committee reviews and approves the Information Security Program and receives regular presentations which include updates on cybersecurity risks, including the threat environment, evolving standards, projects and initiatives, vulnerability assessments, third-party and independent reviews, technological trends and information security considerations arising with respect to the Company’s peers and third parties. The Board Risk Committee also receives information regarding any cybersecurity incident that meets established reporting thresholds, as well as ongoing updates regarding any such incident until it has been addressed. The full Board receives reports from the Board Risk Committee related to information cybersecurity.

Our Chief Information Officer ("CIO"), works collaboratively across the Company to implement a program designed to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats and to promptly respond to any cybersecurity incidents in accordance with the Company’s Incident Response Plans including an assessment of the potential materiality of any cybersecurity incident. To facilitate the success of the Company’s cybersecurity risk management program, multidisciplinary teams throughout the Company are deployed to address cybersecurity threats and to respond to cybersecurity incidents. Through ongoing communications with these teams, the CIO, Information Security, and Risk Management teams monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity threats and incidents in real time, and report such threats and incidents to the Corporate Crisis Management Team and ultimately the Board when appropriate.

To our knowledge, neither cybersecurity threats, nor the results including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents have materially affected the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. With regard to the possible impact of future cybersecurity threats or incidents, see Item 1A, Risk Factors - Risks Related to Out Business.

The main offices of the Company and the Bank are located in a building in Southern Pines, North Carolina that is owned by the Bank. The building houses corporate, accounting, and administrative facilities. The Bank’s operational departments, including accounting functions, information technology operations, loan operations, and deposit operations, are primarily housed in buildings in Greensboro North Carolina, Dunn North Carolina, Fletcher North Carolina, and Troy North Carolina, which are owned by the Bank. At December 31, 2023, the Company operated 118 bank branches. The Company owned all of its bank branch premises except 17 branch offices for which the land and buildings are leased and 10 branch offices for which the land is leased but the building is owned. The Bank also leases several other office locations for administrative functions and for our SBA-related activities. There are no options to purchase or lease additional properties. The Company considers its facilities adequate to meet current needs and believes that lease renewals or replacement properties can be acquired as necessary to meet future needs.

Various legal proceedings may arise in the ordinary course of business and may be pending or threatened against the Company and its subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is involved in any pending legal proceedings that management believes are material to the Company or its consolidated financial position. If an exposure were to be identified, it is the Company’s policy to establish and accrue appropriate reserves during the accounting period in which a loss is deemed to be probable and the amount is determinable.

This MD&A is intended to assist readers in understanding our results of operations and changes in financial position for the past three years. It should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in Item 8 of this Report. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ significantly from those anticipated in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.

Overview and 2023 Highlights

The Company is a bank holding company headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina. We provide diversified financial services primarily though the Bank, our principal subsidiary, including commercial and consumer banking services, mortgage lending, SBA lending, accounts receivable financing, and investment advisory services. As of December 31, 2023, the Bank had a 118 branch network in North Carolina and South Carolina and 1,421 full-time equivalent employees. We have grown organically as well as through strategic acquisitions as discussed previously in "Recent Developments and Acquisitions".

2023 Financial Highlights:

• Return on average assets was 0.87% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to 1.39% for the prior year. Return on average common equity of 8.05% was reported for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 13.40% for the prior year.
• Our total assets at December 31, 2023 were $12.1 billion, a 14.0% increase from a year earlier, with growth driven by the GrandSouth acquisition, combined with organic loan growth during the year.
• Total loans outstanding increased $1.5 billion, or 22.3%, during the year, which included $1.02 billion of loans acquired from GrandSouth. Loans totaled $8.2 billion at December 31, 2023.
• Credit quality continues to be strong with the NPA to total assets ratio at 0.37% as of December 31, 2023, as compared to 0.36% at December 31, 2022. Net charge offs as a percentage of average loans were 0.08% for 2023, as compared to 0.01% for the prior year.
• Capital remains strong with a total CET1 ratio of 13.20%, up from 13.02% for the prior year, and total risk-based capital ratio of 15.54% as of December 31, 2023, as compared to 15.09% for the prior year.
• We earned net income of $104.1 million, or $2.53 diluted EPS, during 2023 compared to net income of $146.9 million, or $4.12 diluted EPS, in 2022. The main drivers to the decrease in net income were as follows:
• Net interest income increased $21.8 million, or 6.7%, driven by higher interest income offset by increased interest expense. The NIM on a tax-equivalent basis was 3.06% for 2023, a decrease of 22 basis points from the prior year. Despite the growth in average earning assets, the market-driven increase in rates on liabilities occurred at a more rapid pace that the increase in yields on assets which resulted in the reduction in NIM for 2023.
• Total interest income increased $147.8 million in 2023 as compared to 2022, driven by higher interest income on loans of $140.6 million related to a combination of higher volumes of average balances and increased yields.
• The increase in interest expense of $126.0 million was driven by higher market rates which resulted in repricing of our deposits. Also contributing to higher interest expense was the utilization of short-term borrowings to fund loan demand and deposit fluctuations and rate increases on our variable rate trust preferred debt.
• Provision for credit losses for 2023 of $17.8 million was up from $12.4 million in 2022 due primarily to the initial provision established for acquired non-PCD loans of $12.2 million, combined with organic loan growth experienced during the year. Offsetting these increases were updated loss rates and improved economic forecasts used in our CECL model as discussed further in the "Provision for Loan Losses" section below.
• Noninterest income declined $10.5 million, which resulted primarily from lower other gains as 2022 contained several death benefit gains on our BOLI policies, lower SBA-related revenues, including consulting fees and gains on sale, which was down $3.4 million year-over-year, and lower bankcard revenues related to the Durbin limitations effective for us in July 2022. Refer to "Noninterest Income" section below for further discussion.
• Noninterest expense increased $59.2 million, primarily related to the GrandSouth acquisition completed January 1, 2023, driving higher operating expenses, including merger expenses of $13.7 million, additional branch locations and personnel, and an increased number of customer accounts and transaction volume creating additional expense. Refer to "Noninterest Expense" section below for further discussion.
• Income tax expense was down $10.5 million from the prior year relative to the lower pre-tax income. The effective tax rate of 21.1% was up slightly from the prior year related to nondeductible merger expenses.

Current Economic Conditions

Since 2022, economic activity has shown continued growth with improving gross domestic product results, low unemployment and increased demand for goods and services. Inflationary pressures continue to a certain degree, however, monetary policy actions taken by the Federal Reserve over the last eighteen months have resulted in a significantly lower inflation rate in 2023 as compared to the prior year. While positive indicators are present, there continues to be some uncertainty in economic conditions, and as such, we could be subject to ongoing risks which could have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations.

Our financial position and results of operations are susceptible, among other factors, to the ability of our loan customers to meet loan obligations, the availability of our workforce, the availability of our vendors, and the decline in the value of assets held by us or securing our loans. We have not realized significant negative impact on our loan portfolio or asset quality to date as a result of the current economic conditions. However, the economic pressures and uncertainties arising from the recent expansion in economic activity, increased consumer demand and rising interest rates to combat inflation have resulted in, and may continue to result in, specific changes in consumer and business spending and borrowing habits, given the higher interest rate environment, which could make it difficult to grow assets and income.

The extent to which the current economic conditions have a further impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition, as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios, will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including actions taken by governmental authorities response to inflationary trends and recessionary risks.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The accounting principles we follow and our methods of applying these principles conform with GAAP and with general practices followed by the banking industry. Certain policies inherently have a greater reliance on the use of estimates, assumptions, or judgments and as such, have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported. We have identified the determination of our ACL and related Allowance for Unfunded Commitments, as well as business combinations, related fair value measurements and goodwill determination to be the accounting areas that require the most subjective or complex judgments, estimates, and assumptions, and where changes in those judgments, estimates, and assumptions (based on new or additional information, changes in the economic climate and/or market interest rates, etc.) could have a significant effect on our financial statements.

Our most significant accounting policies are presented in Note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. These policies, along with the disclosures presented in the other notes to the consolidated financial statements and in this MD&A, provide information on how significant assets and liabilities are valued in the financial statements and how those values are determined.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Allowance for Unfunded Commitments

While management uses the best information available to establish the ACL, future adjustments to the ACL and methodology may be necessary if economic or other conditions differ substantially from the assumptions used in making the estimates. We perform periodic and systematic detailed reviews of the loan portfolio to identify trends and to assess the overall collectability of the portfolio. We believe the accounting estimate related to the ACL is a “critical accounting estimate” as: (1) changes in it can materially affect the provision for loan losses and net income; (2) it requires management to predict borrowers’ likelihood or capacity to repay, including evaluation of inherently uncertain future economic conditions; (3) the value of underlying collateral must be estimated on collateral-dependent loans; (4) prepayment activity must be projected to estimate the life of loans that often are shorter than contractual terms; and (5) it requires estimation of a reasonable and supportable forecast period for credit losses. Accordingly, this is a highly subjective process and requires significant judgment since it is difficult to evaluate current and future economic conditions in relation to an overall credit cycle and estimate the timing and extent of loss events that are expected to occur prior to end of a loan’s estimated life.

Our ACL is assessed at each balance sheet date and adjustments are recorded in the provision for loan losses on the consolidated statements of income. There are many factors affecting the ACL, some of which are quantitative, while others require qualitative judgment. There are both internal factors (i.e., loan balances, historical loss rates, credit quality, the contractual lives of loans), external factors (i.e., economic conditions such as trends in housing prices, interest rates, GDP, inflation, and unemployment), and assumptions of probability of default and loss given default by loan category, that can impact the ACL estimate. One of the most significant assumptions is the macroeconomic scenario forecasts that determine the economic variables utilized in the ACL model. Due to the inherent uncertainty in the macroeconomic forecasts, we evaluate a baseline scenario quarterly, as well as upside or downside macroeconomic scenarios to assess the most reasonable scenario based on review of the variable forecasts for each scenario, comparison to expectations, and sensitivity of variations in each scenario.

The most significant variable in the economic forecasts is the national unemployment rate and changes in unemployment forecasts can have significant impact to the estimated ACL. Other economic variables include national GDP, the national commercial real estate pricing index and the national home price index. We use the national unemployment rate in all of our models regardless of the loan portfolio type, and we use a second economic variable in each cohort model depending on the loan portfolio type. The ACL quantitative estimate is sensitive to changes in the economic variable forecasts during the twelve-month reasonable and supportable forecast period with a straight-line reversion over the next three years to long-term average loss factors. There have been no changes to the reasonable and supportable period or reversion period in any year presented.

Although management believes its process for determining the ACL adequately considers all the factors that could potentially result in credit losses, the process includes subjective elements and is susceptible to significant change. To the extent actual outcomes differ from management estimates, additional provision for loan losses could be required that could adversely affect our earnings or financial position in future periods.

PCD loans represent assets that are acquired with evidence of more than insignificant credit quality deterioration since origination at the acquisition date. At acquisition, the allowance on PCD assets is booked directly to the ACL. Any subsequent changes in the ACL on PCD assets is recorded through the provision for loan losses on the consolidated statements of income.

We believe that the ACL is adequate to absorb the expected life of loan credit losses on the portfolio of loans as of the balance sheet date. Actual losses incurred may differ materially from our estimates. For example, inflationary pressures and recessionary concerns leading to macroeconomic economic deterioration, higher unemployment and declines in real estate and other asset valuations could affect our loss experience and assumptions utilized in our model.

We estimate expected credit losses on unfunded commitments to extend credit over the contractual period in which we are exposed to credit risk on the underlying commitments, unless the obligation is unconditionally cancellable. The allowance for off-balance sheet credit exposures, which is included in "Other liabilities" on the consolidated balance sheets, is adjusted for as an increase or decrease to the provision for unfunded commitments. The estimate includes consideration of the likelihood that funding will occur and an estimate of expected credit losses on commitments expected to be funded over its estimated life. The methodology is based on a loss rate approach that starts with the probability of funding based on historical experience. Similar to the methodology discussed above related to the loans receivable portfolio, adjustments are made to the historical losses for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts.

Additional information on the loan portfolio and ACL can be found in the sections of this Item 7 titled “Nonperforming Assets” and “Allowance for Credit Losses and Loan Loss Experience” below.

Business Combinations and Goodwill

We believe that the accounting for business combinations, goodwill, and other intangible assets also involves a higher degree of judgment than most other significant accounting policies. Pursuant to applicable accounting guidance, we recognize assets acquired, including identified intangible assets, and the liabilities assumed in acquisitions at their fair values as of the acquisition date, with the related transaction costs expensed in the period incurred. Specified items such as acquired operating lease assets and liabilities as lessee, employee benefit plans, and income-tax related balances are recognized in accordance with accounting guidance that results in measurements that may differ from fair value. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed often involves estimates based on internal or third-party valuations which include appraisals, discounted cash flow analysis, or other valuation techniques that may include estimates of attrition, inflation, asset growth rates, discount rates, credit risk, multiples of earnings, or other relevant factors. The determination of fair value may require us to make point-in-time estimates about discount rates, future expected cash flows, market conditions, and other future events that can be volatile in nature and challenging to assess. While we use the best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, the estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement.

The primary identifiable intangible asset we typically record in connection with a whole bank or bank branch acquisition is the value of the core deposit intangibles which represents the estimated value of the long-term deposit relationships acquired in the transaction. Determining the amount of identifiable intangible assets and their average lives involves multiple assumptions and estimates and is typically determined by performing a discounted cash flow analysis, which involves a combination of any or all of the following assumptions: customer attrition/runoff, alternative funding costs, deposit servicing costs, and discount rates. The core deposit intangibles are amortized over the estimated useful lives of the deposit accounts based on a method that we believe reasonably approximates the anticipated benefit stream from this intangible. The estimated useful lives are periodically reviewed for reasonableness and have generally been estimated to have a life ranging from seven to ten years, with an accelerated rate of amortization. We review identifiable intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our policy is that an impairment loss is recognized, equal to the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and its fair value, if the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. Estimating future cash flows involves the use of multiple estimates and assumptions, such as those listed above.

The ACL for PCD assets is recognized within business combination accounting with no initial impact to net income. Changes in estimates of expected credit losses on PCD loans after acquisition are recognized as provision expense (or reversal of provision expense) in subsequent periods as they arise. The ACL for non-PCD assets is recognized as provision expense in the same reporting period as the business combination. Estimated loan losses for acquired loans are determined using methodologies and applying estimates and assumptions that were described previously in the Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Allowance for Unfunded Commitments section above.

Non-PCD loans acquired are generally estimated at fair value using a discounted cash flow approach with assumptions of discount rate, remaining life, prepayments, probability of default, and loss given default. The actual cash flows on these loans could differ materially from the fair value estimates. The amount we record as the fair values for the loans is generally less than the contractual unpaid principal balance due from the borrowers, with the difference being referred to as the “discount” on the acquired loans. Discounts on acquired non-PCD loans are accreted to interest income over their estimated remaining lives, which may include prepayment estimates in certain circumstances.

Similarly, premiums or discounts on acquired debt are accreted or amortized to interest expense over their remaining lives. Actual accretion or amortization of premiums and discounts from a business acquisition may differ materially from our estimates impacting our operating results.

We believe that the accounting for goodwill also involves a higher degree of judgment than most other significant accounting policies. Goodwill arising from business combinations represents the excess of the purchase price over the sum of the estimated fair values of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired less the estimated fair value of the liabilities assumed. Goodwill has an indefinite useful life and is evaluated for impairment annually or more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. An impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds the asset’s fair value.

ASC 350-10 establishes standards for an impairment assessment of goodwill. At each reporting date between annual goodwill impairment tests, we consider potential indicators of impairment. Generally, absent potential impairment indicators, we perform an annual assessment of whether the events and circumstances resulted in it being more likely than not that the fair value of any reporting unit was less than its carrying value. Impairment indicators considered include the condition of the economy and banking industry; government intervention and regulatory updates; the impact of recent events to financial performance and cost factors of the reporting unit; performance of the Company's stock, and other relevant events. During 2023 there were no triggers warranting interim impairment assessments and for the 2023 annual assessment, we concluded that it was more likely than not that the fair value exceeded its carrying value. At December 31, 2023, we had $478.8 million of goodwill.

Recent Accounting Standards and Pronouncements

For information relating to recent accounting standards and pronouncements, see Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements entitled “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.”

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion reviews the results of operations and key drivers to change in the results of 2023 as compared to 2022. For a description of our results of operations for 2022 as compared to 2021, refer to the "Overview and 2022 Highlights," Results of Operations," and "Analysis of Financial Condition and Changes in Financial Condition" sections of Item 7 in our 2022 Form 10-K.

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). Changes in the net interest income are the result of changes in volume and the net interest spread which affects NIM. Volume refers to the average dollar levels of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest spread refers to the difference between the average yield on interest-earning assets and the average cost of interest-bearing liabilities. NIM refers to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets and is influenced by the level and relative mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income is also influenced by external factors such as local economic conditions, competition for loans and deposits, and market interest rates.

Net interest income amounted to $346.7 million in 2023, an increase of $21.8 million, or 6.7%, from the $324.9 million in 2022. The increase was due primarily to the increase in average earnings assets from both organic growth and the GrandSouth acquisition completed in January 2023 which contributed $1.02 billion in total loans. For 2023, average interest-earning assets increased $1.4 billion, or 14.5%, including growth of $1.6 billion in average loans, partially offset by lower average securities.

Offsetting the higher net interest income related to the increase in average earning assets was the compression of our NIM which, on a tax-equivalent basis, declined to 3.06% in 2023 from 3.28% in 2022. For internal purposes, we evaluate our NIM on a tax-equivalent basis by adding the tax benefit realized from tax-exempt loans and securities to reported interest income, then dividing by total average earning assets. We believe that analysis of NIM on a tax-equivalent basis is useful and appropriate because it allows a comparison of net interest in different periods without taking into account the different mix of taxable versus non-taxable loans and investments that may have existed during those periods. The following is a reconciliation of reported net interest income to tax-equivalent net interest income and the resulting NIM as reported and on a tax-equivalent basis.

($ in thousands)

The decrease in our NIM was driven by the rising market interest rates as the Federal Reserve's monetary policies resulted in a 100 basis point rise in short-term rates between January and July 2023, after rates had risen 425 basis points in 2022. The market-driven increase in rates on our liabilities occurred at a more rapid pace that the increase in yields on our assets, thus our total yield on average earning assets increased 86 basis points while our cost of funds increased 116 basis points, driving the compression in the NIM in 2023 as compared to the prior year. Our mix of earning assets remained fairly stable between 2022 and 2023. Refer to the Average Balances and Net Interest Income Analysis table below for additional discussion.

Our NIM for all periods benefited from the net accretion income, primarily associated with purchase accounting premiums/discounts associated with acquisitions. Presented in the table below is the amount of accretion which increased net interest income in each year.

($ in thousands)

The most significant component of the purchase accounting adjustments in each year was loan discount accretion on purchased loans. Generally, the level of loan discount accretion will decline each year due to the natural paydowns in acquired loan portfolios. Alternately, levels of accretion will increase as a result of acquisitions and related additions to loan discounts on acquired portfolios which are accreted to income as experienced in 2023 with the GrandSouth acquisition.

At December 31, 2023 and 2022, unaccreted loan discount on purchased loans amounted to $24.0 million and $11.6 million, respectively. The GrandSouth acquired portfolio comprises the majority of the remaining unaccreted loan discount at December 31, 2023.

In addition to the loan discount accretion recorded on acquired loans, we record accretion on the discounts associated with the retained unguaranteed portions of SBA loans sold in the secondary market. The level of SBA loan discount accretion will fluctuate relative to the SBA loan portfolio balances. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, unaccreted loan discount on SBA loans amounted to $3.5 million and $4.3 million, respectively.

The following table presents the major components of the net interest income and NIM.

($ in thousands)

(1) Average loans include nonaccruing loans, the effect of which is to lower the average rate shown. Interest earned includes recognized net loan fees, including late fees, prepayment fees, and deferred loan fee amortization, in the amounts of $0.5 million, $3.1 million, and $9.7 million for 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

(2) Includes accretion of discount on acquired and SBA loans of $13.3 million, $8.5 million, and $8.8 million in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

(3) Includes tax-equivalent adjustments of $2.9 million, $2.8 million and $2.2 million in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, to reflect the federal and state tax benefit that we receive related to tax-exempt securities and tax-exempt loans, which carry interest rates lower than similar taxable investments/loans due to their tax exempt status. This amount has been computed assuming a 23% tax rate and is reduced by the related nondeductible portion of interest expense.

The following table presents additional detail regarding the estimated impact that changes in loan and deposit volumes and changes in the interest rates we earned/paid had on our net interest income in 2023 and 2022.

Volume and Rate Variance Analysis

($ in thousands)

Note - Changes attributable to both volume and rate are allocated equally between rate and volume variances.

Overall, as demonstrated in the above table, net interest income grew $21.8 million in 2023. Higher earning asset volumes were the primary driver of the increase in net interest income which was offset by increases in rates on interest-bearing liabilities.

• For 2023, higher loan volume was the primary contributor to increased interest income, driving $78.2 million of the increase. Higher market rates contributed to an additional $62.5 million of loan interest income. Variable rate loans comprise approximately 19% of the loan portfolio and, accordingly, the magnitude of the impact we experience from each rate increase is limited.
• Decreases in the overall volume of average investment securities, somewhat offset by higher yields on the portfolio, resulted in decreased interest income of $1.2 million in 2023.
• Although partially offset by lower average balances, higher yields on other interest-earning assets (primarily interest-bearing cash balance) in 2023 resulted in a $8.3 million higher interest income for the year.
• The increase of $103.5 million in interest expense on deposits was driven by higher rates on accounts as we repriced deposits during the year in response to the market increases and to retain deposits to meet our funding needs, combined with higher volumes, primarily in money market deposit accounts and other time deposits.
• Higher levels of borrowings, primarily in short-term FHLB advances to fund loan demand and deposit fluctuations, resulted in an increase in borrowings interest expense of $16.1 million in 2023. This was coupled with the higher cost of short-term advances and increases on our variable rate trust preferred securities, which added $6.4 million to interest expense for the year.

Provision for Loan Losses and Provision for Unfunded Commitments

The provision for loan losses has been determined under ASC 326 since our implementation of CECL. The provision for loan losses represents our current estimate of life of loan credit losses in the loan portfolio and the provision for unfunded commitments represents expected losses on unfunded loan commitments that are expected to result in outstanding loan balances. Our estimate of credit losses under CECL is determined using a complex model that relies on reasonable and supportable forecasts and historical loss information to determine the balance of the ACL and allowance for unfunded commitments, as well as the resulting provision for loan losses and provision for unfunded commitments. The allowance for unfunded commitments is included in "Other liabilities" in the consolidated balance sheets.

The provision for loan losses was $19.8 million in 2023 and $12.6 million in 2022. The amount of provision recorded in each period was the amount required such that the total ACL reflected the appropriate balance as determined under the CECL model. The primary contributor to the higher provision for 2023 was the one-time loan loss provision of $12.2 million recorded to establish an initial ACL for non-PCD loans acquired from GrandSouth in accordance with our CECL model. The increase related to acquired and organic growth during the year was partially offset by updated economic forecasts and loss driver inputs to the CECL model. We subscribe to a third-party service which provides quarterly macroeconomic scenarios for the United States economy. For 2023, we utilized the baseline forecast, which incorporates an equal probability of the United States economy performing better or worse than the projection. The economic forecasts throughout the year have projected general improvement of the economy demonstrated in lower projected unemployment rates, improved GDP, and increasing price indices for both commercial real estate and residential mortgages. These improving economic projections translated to lower forecasted losses in our loan portfolio and, thus a lower estimated ACL, exclusive of portfolio growth.

Also under the CECL method, in 2023 we recorded a reduction in the provision for unfunded commitments of $1.9 million compared to $0.2 million for 2022. Changes in the level of provision each year are generally related to fluctuations in the level of available credit lines and updated loss drivers.

Additional discussion of the CECL method and our asset quality and credit metrics, which impact our provision for credit losses, is provided in the "Nonperforming Assets" and "Allowance for Credit Losses and Loan Loss Experience" sections following.

Noninterest Income

Our noninterest income amounted to $57.5 million in 2023, $68.0 million in 2022, and $73.6 million in 2021. Management evaluates noninterest income on a non-GAAP basis that excludes items such as securities gains and losses and other gains and losses because we believe excluding those items results in a more meaningful reflection of noninterest income from regular operations. We refer to this as "adjusted noninterest income." Adjusted noninterest income amounted to $54.8 million in 2023, $60.6 million in 2022, and $73.2 million in 2021. A reconciliation of reported noninterest income to adjusted noninterest income is presented in the table below. Drivers of the more significant fluctuations follow the table.

Noninterest Income

($ in thousands)

Service charges on deposit accounts increased $1.3 million, or 8.2%, in 2023 as compared to 2022. The increase in 2023 was driven by the higher number of new customers and transaction accounts generating fees from both the GrandSouth acquisition and organic growth.

Other service charges and fees - bankcard interchange income,net represents interchange income from debit and credit card transactions, net of associated interchange expense and amounted to $9.3 million in 2023, a 37.9% decrease from the $15.0 million in 2022. The decrease of $5.7 million was a direct result of the Durbin Amendment limitation on debit card interchange fees becoming applicable to the Company beginning in July 2022. The reduction in interchange rates was partially offset by higher volumes of accounts and transactions.

Other service charges and fees - other includes items such as ATM charges, wire transfer fees, safety deposit box rentals, fees from sales of personalized checks, and check cashing fees. Also included in this category are SBA guarantee servicing fees and related servicing rights amortization which fluctuate based on the volume of and prepayment speeds on SBA loans serviced which have slowed down in the current year. The increase in this item in 2023 of $1.7 million, or 14.6%, was due in part to the higher number of accounts and volume of transactions, combined with lower servicing right amortization expense given the current high interest rate environment.

SBA consulting fees and SBA loan sale gains both declined in 2023 primarily due to fewer third-party bank SBA clients, slower loan originations and lower premiums available on SBA loan sales given the market conditions during the year.

BOLI income increased 13.1% in 2023, primarily related to the acquisition of GrandSouth in the first quarter of 2023 which had $15.1 million in BOLI assets as of the date of acquisition.

Other gains, net amounted to a net gain of $2.7 million for 2023. For 2022, the balance consisted primarily of death benefits realized on BOLI policies which were nominal in 2023.

Noninterest Expenses

Total noninterest expenses totaled $254.4 million, $195.2 million, and $184.7 million, for 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Management evaluates noninterest expense on a non-GAAP basis that excludes items such as merger and acquisition expense, amortization of intangible assets, and foreclosed property (gain) losses, because we believe excluding those items results in a more meaningful reflection of noninterest expense from regular operations. We refer to this as "adjusted noninterest expense." The following table presents the primary components of noninterest expense and a reconciliation of reported noninterest expense to adjusted noninterest expense.

Noninterest Expenses

($ in thousands)

In general, the 30.3% increase in total noninterest expenses in 2023 as compared to 2022, was driven by the acquisition of eight GrandSouth branch locations and related branch and support personnel which resulted in higher salary and benefit expense (up $22.1 million, as compared to 2022) as well as other facilities (up $2.2 million from the prior year) and support-related costs.

The current year included merger and acquisition expenses of $13.7 million, an increase of $8.6 million from 2022, and higher intangible amortization which increased $4.3 million from the prior year, both of which were related to the GrandSouth acquisition. While intangible amortization will continue, it is anticipated to be at a declining rate and we do not anticipate any additional merger and acquisition costs related to GrandSouth.

FDIC and corporate insurance costs increased $4.4 million in 2023 driven by the general FDIC rate increase effective January 1, 2023, combined with the acquired deposits from GrandSouth. Non-credit losses increased $2.0 million as compared to the prior year driven by an increase in check fraud experienced in 2023. The increase in bankcard expenses was related to higher volumes of customer accounts and transactions, combined with a 2022 rewards accrual reduction for expired benefits which resulted in lower expense in 2022 and a return to a more normal level of expense for 2023.

Also contributing to higher noninterest expense in 2023 were increases for software costs, data processing, professional fees, and advertising, as well as travel and training and franchise tax (both included in "other operating expenses") related to the GrandSouth acquisition, including the transition of new customers and higher account and transactions volumes.

Income Taxes

We recorded income tax expense of $27.8 million in 2023, $38.3 million in 2022, and $24.7 million in 2021. Our effective tax rates were at 21.1% for 2023, 20.7% for 2022, and 20.5% for 2021. The slight increase in effective tax rate for 2023 was attributable primarily to merger and acquisition expenses recorded resulting in non-deductible adjustments for tax purposes.

ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND CHANGES IN FINANCIAL CONDITION

Loans

The loan portfolio is the largest category of our earning assets and is comprised of commercial loans, real estate mortgage loans, real estate construction loans, and consumer loans. The majority of our loan portfolio is within our North Carolina and South Carolina market areas. We also have a portfolio of SBA loans that have been made on a nationwide basis. The diversity of the economic bases of our market areas has historically provided a stable lending environment.

Total loans amounted to $8.2 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $1.5 billion, or 22.3%, from December 31, 2022. The GrandSouth acquisition was completed on January 1, 2023 and contributed $1.02 billion in loans. The acquired loan portfolio mix was similar in nature to our portfolio mix. Loan growth for the year was as follows:

($ in thousands)

The following table provides a summary of the loan portfolio composition at each of the past five year ends.

($ in thousands)

The majority of our loan portfolio over the years has been real estate mortgage loans, including commercial and residential mortgages. All loan categories secured by real estate, including construction and land loans, have historically ranged from approximately 82% to 90% of the loan portfolio. Except for construction, land development, and other land loans, the majority of our real estate loans are personal and commercial loans where cash flow from the borrower’s occupation or business is the primary repayment source, with the real estate pledged providing a secondary repayment source.

The largest component of our portfolio is non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, followed by residential 1-4 family real estate and owner occupied commercial real estate loans. As demonstrated in the table above, while there has been some variations in the relative percentage of each loan category to the total portfolio over the years, the nature of our portfolio has not changed drastically from the prior year or the historical averages. The higher percentage for commercial and industrial loan category in 2020 was an anomaly related to Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans made under the provisions of the CARES Act, which were forgiven in accordance with the PPP loan provisions starting in late 2020 and through early 2022. The percentage of residential real estate loans has declined somewhat over the last several years as consumers refinanced their home loans during the lower interest rate environment from 2020 through early 2022 and the Bank was able to sell more of these loans in the secondary market. With the increase in interest rates starting in 2022, the refinance activity slowed and the Bank retained more loans in this category on the balance sheet.

A summary of scheduled loan maturities, based on contractual maturity dates, over certain time periods is presented below, with fixed rate loans and adjustable rate loans shown separately.

($ in thousands)

Note: The above table is based on contractual scheduled maturities. Early repayment of loans or renewals at maturity are not considered in this table.

Approximately 11% of our accruing loans outstanding at December 31, 2023 mature within one year and 53% of total loans mature within five years. As of December 31, 2023, the percentages of variable rate loans and fixed rate loans as compared to total performing loans were 19% and 81%, respectively. In recent years, the mix of variable rate loans to fixed rate loans has been shifting to more fixed rate loans given the low interest rate environment prior to mid-2022 and borrowers' preference to lock in low rates. While fixed rate loans present risk to our Company, in particular in rising interest rate environment as we have experienced starting in 2022 and into 2023, we measure our interest rate risk closely. Refer to additional discussion in the section “Interest Rate Risk” below.

The Company’s loan portfolio is not concentrated in loans to any single borrower or to a relatively small number of borrowers. Additionally, management is not aware of any concentrations of loans to classes of borrowers or industries that would be similarly affected by economic conditions.

In addition to monitoring potential concentrations of loans to particular borrowers or groups of borrowers, industries, and geographic regions, the Company monitors exposure to credit risk that could arise from potential concentrations of lending products and practices such as loans that subject borrowers to substantial payment increases (e.g. principal deferral periods, loans with initial interest-only periods, etc.), and loans with high loan-to-value ratios. Additionally, there are industry practices that could subject the Company to increased credit risk should economic conditions change over the course of a loan’s life. For example, the Bank makes variable rate loans and fixed rate principal-amortizing loans with maturities prior to the loan being fully paid (i.e. balloon payment loans). These loans are underwritten and monitored to manage the associated risks. The Company has determined that there is no concentration of credit risk associated with its lending policies or practices.

Most of our business activity is with customers located within the markets where we have banking operations. Therefore, our exposure to credit risk is significantly affected by changes in the economy within our markets. Approximately 88% of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate and is therefore susceptible to changes in real estate valuations.

Nonperforming Assets

NPAs include nonaccrual loans, modifications to borrowers in financial distress, loans past due 90 or more days and still accruing interest, foreclosed real estate and, prior to the adoption of ASU 2022-02, accruing TDRs.

Nonaccrual loans are loans on which interest income is no longer being recognized or accrued because management has determined that the collection of interest is doubtful. Placing loans on nonaccrual status negatively impacts earnings because (1) interest accrued but unpaid as of the date a loan is placed on nonaccrual status is reversed and deducted from interest income; (2) future accruals of interest income are not recognized until it becomes probable that both principal and interest will be paid; and (3) principal charged-off, if appropriate, may necessitate additional provisions for loan losses that are charged against earnings. As a matter of policy, we generally place all loans that are past due 90 or more days on nonaccrual basis. There were no accruing loans that are past due 90 or more days at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

In some cases, where borrowers are experiencing financial difficulties, loans may be restructured to provide terms significantly different from the originally contracted terms.

The following table summarizes our NPAs at the dates indicated.

Nonperforming Assets

($ in thousands)

Our asset quality continues to be strong as demonstrated by stable or improving trends in all ratios as presented in the table above. Our total nonperforming loans to total loans was 0.54% at December 31, 2023, while our total NPA ratio was 0.37% at that date. Additional discussion of the credit quality classification status of our loans is contained in Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements.

"Commercial and industrial" is the largest category of nonaccrual loans, at $9.9 million, or 30.7% of total nonaccrual loans, followed by "Commercial real estate - non owner occupied" at $7.2 million, or 22.4% of total nonaccrual loans and "Commercial real estate - owner occupied" at $7.0 million, or 21.9% of total nonaccrual loans.

As of December 31, 2023, SBA loans accounted for approximately $18.2 million of our nonaccrual loans, or 56.6%, of the total SBA portfolio, and carried guarantees from the SBA totaling $9.3 million. This is compared to $14.6 million, or 9.5%, of the SBA portfolio at December 31, 2022. We continue to closely monitor the SBA loan portfolio and give it appropriate consideration when evaluating the adequacy of the ACL as those loans are generally considered inherently more risky than other loans in our portfolio. Refer to additional discussion of the ACL below.

As shown in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements, our accruing past due loans (30 or more days) totaled $29.8 million at December 31, 2023, with the majority (74.8%) being in the residential 1-4 family real estate category with the increase related primarily to the timing of year end over a weekend.

We classify loans as “special mention” when there is a defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the repayment by the borrower and there is a distinct possibility that we could sustain some loss if the deficiency is not corrected. Performing special mention loans, which are still accruing interest, totaled $44.1 million and $39.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. In addition, loans that are in the risk category of "classified" which are still accruing interest totaled $22.0 million at December 31, 2023 and $20.0 million at December 31, 2022. These loans have a great risk of further deterioration and potential loss to the Bank.

Total foreclosed real estate amounted to $0.9 million at December 31, 2023, compared to $0.7 million in 2022. Six property were added to foreclosed real estate during 2023 and we completed the sale of six properties during the year. Four of the 2023 additions were within the population that sold in 2023.

Allowance for Credit Losses and Loan Loss Experience

The total allowance for credit losses amounted to $109.9 million at December 31, 2023 compared to $91.0 million at December 31, 2022. Fluctuations in the ACL are based on loan mix and growth, changes in the levels of nonperforming loans, economic forecasts impacting loss drivers, other assumptions and inputs to the CECL model, and as occurred in 2023, adjustments for acquired loan portfolios. As discussed previously in the Provision for Loan Losses section, much of the change to the level of ACL during the year ended December 31, 2023 is attributed to the acquisition of GrandSouth. In addition to the initial allowance recorded for PCD loans of $5.6 million, the Company recorded an initial provision of $12.2 million related to the non-PCD loans in the GrandSouth portfolio. The balance of the change was a result of loan growth during the year and updated prepayment speed estimates in the CECL model, which have slowed with market rate increases, thus requiring additional allowance for the estimated longer life of loans. Somewhat offsetting the prepayment speed assumptions in the CECL model were updated economic forecasts which have generally projected improvement of the economy demonstrated in lower projected unemployment rates, improved GDP, and increasing price indices for both commercial real estate and residential mortgages.

The ACL reflects our estimate of life of loan expected credit losses that will result from the inability of our borrowers to make required loan payments. We use systematic methodologies to determine the ACL for loans and the allowance for certain off-balance-sheet credit exposures. The ACL is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of loans to present the net amount expected to be collected on the loan portfolio.

We consider the effects of past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts on the collectability of the loan portfolio. Our estimate of the ACL involves a high degree of judgment. Therefore, the process for determining expected credit losses may result in a range of expected credit losses. The ACL is calculated using collectively evaluated pools for loans with similar risk characteristics applying the DCF method. When a loan no longer shares similar risk characteristics with its segment, the loan is evaluated on an individual basis applying a DCF or asset approach for collateral-dependent loans. Refer also to the discussion of the critical estimates utilized in the ACL in the prior section, Critical Accounting Estimates, and refer to Note 1 of the consolidated financial statements for a discussion of our CECL methodology used to determine the ACL.

Our assessment of the ACL involves uncertainty and judgment and is subject to change in future periods. The amount of any changes could be significant if the assessment of loan quality or collateral values changes substantially with respect to one or more loan relationships or portfolios or if there is a significant change in the reasonable and supportable forecast used to model our expected credit losses. The allocation of the ACL as presented in the following table is based on reasonable and supportable forecasts, historical data, subjective judgment, and estimates and therefore, may not be predictive of the specific amounts or loan categories in which charge-offs may ultimately occur. In addition, bank regulatory authorities, as part of their periodic examination of the Bank, may require adjustments to the provision for loan losses in future periods if, in their opinion, the results of their review warrant such additions.

The following table sets forth the allocation of the ACL by loan category at the dates indicated. However, the ACL is available to absorb losses in any and all categories.

($ in thousands)

51

For the years indicated, the following table summarized our net loss experience by loan category and key ratios demonstrating the asset quality trends over the most recent five years.

Loan Ratios, Loss and Recovery Experience

($ in thousands)

52

Securities

Our securities portfolio and the breakout of AFS and HTM securities is presented in the following table.

Securities Portfolio Composition

($ in thousands)

The decrease in securities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to regular principal repayments received on mortgage-backed securities. We made no notable purchases of investment securities during 2023 and we continue to utilize cash flows from amortizing investments to fund loan growth and fluctuations in deposits. Also impacting the change in balances of AFS securities was the improvement in unrealized loss on AFS securities which was $400.7 million at December 31, 2023 as compared to $444.1 million at December 31, 2022.

The composition of the investment securities portfolio reflects our investment strategy of maintaining an appropriate level of liquidity while providing a relatively stable source of income. The investment portfolio also provides a balance to interest rate risk and credit risk in other categories of the balance sheet while providing a vehicle for the investment of available funds, furnishing liquidity, and supplying securities to pledge as required collateral for certain deposits. Essentially all of our mortgage-backed securities, which include both AFS and HTM securities, are issued by GSEs or GNMA, and are traded in liquid secondary markets. These securities are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value for the AFS portfolio and at cost for the HTM portfolio.

The table below presents the composition, tax equivalent yields, and remaining maturities of our securities as of December 31, 2023. For more information about these securities, including gross unrealized gains and losses by type of security and securities pledged, see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

Securities Portfolio Maturity Schedule

($ in thousands)

(1) Mortgage-backed securities are shown maturing in the periods consistent with their estimated lives based on expected prepayment speeds.

(2) Yields have been computed using coupon interest, adding discount accretion or subtracting premium amortization, as appropriate, on a ratable basis over the life of each security. Weighted average yield for each maturity range has been computed on a fully taxable-equivalent basis using the amortized cost of each security in that range. Yields on tax-exempt investments have been adjusted to a taxable equivalent basis using a 23.15% tax rate.

The majority of our GSE securities carry one maturity date, often with an issuer call feature. At December 31, 2023, of the $60.3 million in AFS GSE securities, $33.8 million were issued by the FFCB, $24.9 million were issued by the FHLMC, and the remaining $1.6 million were issued by the FHLB.

Nearly all of our $1.9 billion in AFS mortgage-backed securities at December 31, 2023 were issued by the FHLMC, FNMA, GNMA, or the SBA, each of which is a government agency or a GSE and guarantees the repayment of the securities. Included in this total are private-label commerical mortgage-backed securities of $0.7 million. Mortgage-backed securities vary in their repayment in correlation with the underlying pools of mortgage loans.

At December 31, 2023, we held $533.7 million in securities classified as HTM, which are carried at amortized cost. These securities had fair values that were lower than their carrying values by $84.1 million at December 31, 2023. Approximately $12.1 million of the HTM securities were mortgage-backed securities that have been issued by either the FHLMC or FNMA. The remaining $521.6 million in HTM securities were comprised almost entirely of highly-rated municipal bonds issued by state and local governments throughout the nation. We have no significant concentration of bond holdings from one state or local government entity, with the single largest exposure to any one entity being $7.1 million. We have evaluated any unrealized losses on individual securities at each year end and determined them to be of a temporary nature and caused by fluctuations in market interest rates, not by concerns about the ability of the issuers to meet their obligations.

Deposits

Deposits represent the primary funding source for our loans and investments. Total deposits amounted to $10.0 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $804.1 million, or 8.7%, from December 31, 2022. The GrandSouth acquisition was completed on January 1, 2023 and contributed $1.05 billion in deposits. The acquired deposit portfolio mix was similar in nature to our deposits, with the exception of a slightly higher percentage of money market accounts. Deposit growth for the year is as follows:

($ in thousands)

The contraction in deposits, exclusive of acquired deposits during 2023 is directly related to a strategic decision to reduce brokered deposits during the year, which accounted for $249.3 million of the reduction in organic deposits as presented in the table above. The balance of the difference, an increase of $3.5 million, indicates the stability of our retail and commercial core deposits during a year with uncertainty and volatility experienced in the banking industry. We continue to have a diversified and granular deposit base which has remained a stable source of funding. At December 31, 2023, noninterest-bearing deposits accounted for 34% of total deposits. This is down slightly from the prior year, in part due to the GrandSouth acquired deposits mix combined with changes in consumer behavior, but continues to be in line with our historical trends and contributes to our low cost of funds.

The table below presents our historical deposit mix which has remained fairly consistent and continues to be predominately transaction and non-time deposit accounts. As demonstrated in the below table, total time deposits have declined to 10% of total deposits at December 31, 2023 from 18% at December 31, 2019. Such a shift in mix is beneficial for us, as non-time deposit accounts generally carry lower interest rates compared to time deposits and allows us to reprice these deposit categories at any time. Approximately 92% of our time deposits mature within one year.

($ in thousands)

While our customer deposits have remained fairly stable, there continues to be competition for deposits and the market rate increases experienced starting in 2022 have resulted in changes in customer behavior driving the shift to money market accounts during 2023. The number of net new deposit accounts continues to increase, however, we have seen the average balance per account decline as compared to the prior year. We routinely engage in activities designed to grow and retain deposits, including emphasizing relationship banking to new and existing customers where borrowers are encouraged and normally expected to maintain deposit accounts with us; pricing deposits at rate levels that will attract and/or retain deposits; and continually working to identify and introduce new products that will attract customers or enhance our appeal as a primary provider of financial services.

As of December 31, 2023, the estimated uninsured deposits we held totaled approximately $3.7 billion. In addition, we held $355.2 million in time deposits which, by account, were in excess of the the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000. Of these accounts, there was a total of $187.6 million which was in excess of $250,000. This assessment of time deposit accounts does not evaluate total deposit relationships, account ownership types or other factors for determining the actual uninsured balances by customer.

The table below presents maturities of time deposits which by account are great than the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000 as of December 31, 2023.

($ in thousands)

In addition to insured deposits of $6.3 billion or 63.3% of total deposits, we had deposits collateralized by investment securities with balances totaling $820.9 million at December 31, 2023 such that approximately 71.5% of our total deposits were insured or collateralized at that date.

At each of the past three year ends, we had no deposits issued through foreign offices. Deposits at December 31, 2023 from foreign depositors were nominal.

Borrowings

We typically utilize short-term borrowings to provide balance sheet liquidity and to fund imbalances in our loan growth compared to our deposit growth. In addition, we have long-term debt in the form of trust preferred securities and subordinated debentures.

Total borrowings at December 31, 2023 increased $342.7 million from the prior year end. FHLB advances comprised $59.0 million of the increase and FRB borrowings under the Bank Term Funding Program comprised $249.0 million of the increase. The short-term advances were required to fund loan growth and fluctuations in deposit balances during 2023. As a part of the GrandSouth acquisition, we acquired $8.2 million in trust preferred securities and subordinated debentures totaling $28.0 million.

Our borrowings outstanding as of the dates presented were as follows:

($ in thousands)

As noted in the table above, at December 31, 2023, we had $77.3 million of borrowings structured as trust preferred capital securities which qualify as Tier I capital for regulatory capital adequacy requirements. The Company issued $46.4 million of these securities with the balance assumed from several recent acquisitions, including GrandSouth as noted above. The $28.0 million of unsecured subordinated debentures are borrowings issued by GrandSouth which we acquired and which qualify as Tier II capital for regulatory capital adequacy requirements.

At December 31, 2023, the Company had several sources of readily available borrowing capacity:

• A line of credit with the FHLB of approximately $1.3 billion which can be structured as either short-term or long-term borrowings, depending on the particular funding or liquidity need, and is secured by a blanket lien

on most of our real estate loan portfolio, select securities from our investment portfolio, and our FHLB stock. There was approximately $1.1 billion available under the FHLB line at year end based on pledged collateral.

• Federal funds lines of credit from several correspondent banks totaling $265.0 million which provide for overnight unsecured federal funds purchased, all of which was available at year end.
• A $294.1 million line of credit through the Federal Reserve's Bank Term Funding Program ("BTFP"), secured by specific investment securities, of which $45.1 million was available at year end. Effective March 11, 2024, the Federal Reserve will terminate the BTFP and no additional advances will be available.
• A line of credit with the Federal Reserve through their discount window borrowing program of approximately $561.6 million which is secured by a blanket lien on a portion of our commercial and consumer loan portfolio (excluding real estate loans) and specific investment securities. All of this line was available at year end.

Refer to Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for additional discussion of our borrowings.

Liquidity, Commitments, and Contingencies

Our liquidity is determined by our ability to convert assets to cash or to acquire alternative sources of funds to meet the needs of our customers who are withdrawing or borrowing funds, and our ability to maintain required reserve levels, pay expenses, and operate the Company on an ongoing basis. Our primary liquidity sources are net income from operations, cash and due from banks, federal funds sold, and other short-term investments. Our securities portfolio has a high percentage of amortizing mortgage-backed securities generating monthly cash flows. In addition, the portfolio is comprised almost entirely of readily marketable securities, which could also be sold to provide cash. We also maintain available lines of credit from the FHLB and the Federal Reserve, as well as federal funds lines from several correspondent banks which are summarized below.

At December 31, 2023, the Company had several sources of readily available borrowing capacity as described above in the Borrowings section.

Liquidity is evaluated as both on-balance sheet (primarily cash and cash-equivalents, unpledged securities, and other marketable assets) and off-balance sheet (readily available lines of credit or other funding sources). Our overall on-balance sheet liquidity ratio was 14.6% at December 31, 2023. Our total liquidity ratio, including the $1.9 billion in available lines of credit, was 28.8% as of that date. The increase in available lines of credit during 2023 was a result of additional loan and security collateral being transferred to the FHLB and the Federal Reserve to enhance the levels of off-balance sheet liquidity availability to meet demands, as necessary.

We continue to manage liquidity sources and believe our liquidity sources, including unused lines of credit, are at an acceptable level and remain adequate to meet our operating needs in the foreseeable future. We will continue to monitor our liquidity position carefully and will explore and implement strategies to increase liquidity if deemed appropriate.

In the normal course of business we have various outstanding contractual obligations that will require future cash outflows. In addition, there are commitments and contingent liabilities, such as commitments to extend credit, that may or may not require future cash outflows. Certain of the outstanding commitments and contingent liabilities, such as commitments to extend credit, are not reflected in the financial statements.

Presented below is a summary of our contractual obligations and other commercial commitments outstanding as of December 31, 2023.

As presented in the table above, at December 31, 2023, we had $20.6 million in standby letters of credit outstanding. We had no carrying amount for these standby letters of credit. The nature of standby letters of credit is that of a stand-alone obligation made on behalf of our customers to suppliers of the customers to guarantee payments owed to the supplier by the customer. The standby letters of credit are generally for terms of one year, at which time they may be renewed for another year if both parties agree. The payment of the guarantees would generally be triggered by a continued nonpayment of an obligation owed by the customer to the supplier. In the event that we are required to honor a standby letter of credit, a note, already executed by the customer, becomes effective providing repayment terms and any collateral.

It has been our experience that deposit withdrawals are generally able to be replaced with new deposits when needed, or through short-term advances from the FHLB. We believe that he Bank can meet its contractual cash obligations and existing commitments from normal operations.

Capital Resources and Shareholders’ Equity

Shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2023 amounted to $1.4 billion compared to $1.0 billion at December 31, 2022. The two basic components that typically have the largest impact on our shareholders’ equity are net income, which increases shareholders’ equity, and dividends declared, which decrease shareholders’ equity. Additionally, any stock issuances can significantly increase shareholders’ equity, including those associated with acquisitions such as in 2023, and any stock repurchases reduce shareholders’ equity. Finally, fluctuations in the amount of AOCI, generally driven by market interest rate changes resulting in increases or decreases in unrealized gains/losses on AFS securities, can have a significant impact on total equity. In 2023, the most significant factors that impacted our shareholders' equity were (1) $229.5 million of common stock issued for the acquisition of GrandSouth which increased equity; (2) $104.1 million net income reported for 2023, which increased equity, (3) common stock dividends declared of $36.1 million, which reduced equity; and (4) $33.9 million reduction in equity related to changes in AOCI driven by higher unrealized losses on AFS securities.

As discussed in “Borrowings” above, we also currently have $77.3 million in trust preferred securities outstanding, all of which qualify as Tier I capital under regulatory standards and $28.0 million of unsecured subordinated debentures which qualify as Tier II capital for regulatory capital adequacy requirements. We are not aware of any recommendations of regulatory authorities or otherwise which, if they were to be implemented, would have a material effect on our liquidity, capital resources, or operations.

The Company and the Bank must comply with regulatory capital requirements established by the Federal Reserve and the Commissioner. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory, and possibly additional discretionary, actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on our financial statements. The primary source of funds for the payment of dividends by the Company is dividends received from its subsidiary, the Bank. The Bank, as a North Carolina banking corporation, may declare dividends so long as such dividends do not reduce its capital below its applicable required capital (typically, the level of capital required to be deemed “adequately capitalized”). As of December 31, 2023, approximately $1.1 billion of the Company’s investment in the Bank is restricted as to transfer to the Company without obtaining prior regulatory approval.

Our regulatory capital ratios as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 are presented in the table below. All of our capital ratios significantly exceeded the minimum regulatory thresholds for all periods presented.

Risk-Based and Leverage Capital Ratios

($ in thousands)

Our goal is to maintain our capital ratios at levels at least 200 basis points higher than the regulatory “well capitalized” thresholds set for banks. At December 31, 2023, our leverage ratio was 10.91% compared to the regulatory well capitalized bank-level threshold of 4.00% and our total risk-based capital ratio was 15.54% compared to the 10.50% regulatory well capitalized threshold. The increase in capital levels in 2023 was related to the growth in net income.

In addition to regulatory capital ratios, we also closely monitor our ratio of TCE to tangible assets, which is a non-GAAP financial measure. The TCE ratio was 7.42% at December 31, 2023 compared to 6.39% at December 31, 2022, with the increase of 103 basis points related primarily to the improvement in our AOCI unrealized loss on AFS securities included in equity.

The following table reconciles common equity to tangible common equity and provides the calculation of the TCE ratio:

($ in thousands)

See “Supervision and Regulation” under “Business” in Item 1. and Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements for discussion of other matters that may affect our capital resources.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Derivative Financial Instruments

Off-balance sheet arrangements include transactions, agreements, or other contractual arrangements pursuant to which we have obligations or provide guarantees on behalf of an unconsolidated entity. We have no off-balance sheet arrangements of this kind other than letters of credit and repayment guarantees associated with our trust preferred securities and subordinated debentures.

In the normal course of business, we are exposed to certain risk arising from both its business operations and economic conditions. As an element of our risk management strategies, we may enter into derivative financial instruments to manage exposures that arise from business activities that result in the receipt or payment of future known and uncertain cash amounts, the value of which are determined by interest rates. Derivative financial instruments include futures, forwards, interest rate swaps, options contracts, and other financial instruments with similar characteristics.

We do not engage in significant derivatives activities, however, in 2023 to accommodate customers, we implemented a program whereby we enter into interest rate swaps with certain commercial loan customers, with offsetting positions to dealers under a back-to-back swap program. At December 31, 2023, the Company's derivative financial instruments consist entirely of customer back-to-back interest rate swaps which are not designated as hedges. Under this program, the Company executes interest rate swaps with commercial banking customers to facilitate their risk management strategies. Those interest rate swaps are simultaneously economically hedged by offsetting derivatives that the Company executes with a third party, such that the Company minimizes its net risk exposure resulting from such transactions. As the interest rate derivatives associated with this program are not designated as hedging instruments, changes in the fair value of both the customer derivatives and the offsetting derivatives are recognized directly in earnings. Refer to Note 13 of the consolidated financial statements for additional discussion of our derivative positions.

Current Accounting Matters

We prepare our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with standards established by, among others, the FASB. Because the information needed by users of financial reports is dynamic, the FASB frequently issues new rules and proposes new rules for companies to apply in reporting their activities. See Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of recent rule proposals and changes.

Selected Financial Information

($ in thousands, except per share data)

61

Market Risk

Market risk is the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in the fair value of financial instruments due to changes in interest rates, exchange rates, and equity prices. The Company’s market risk is composed primarily of interest rate risk inherent in the normal course of lending and deposit-taking activities. We are also exposed to market risk in our investing activities. We do not have any trading assets or activities.

Interest Rate Risk

Net interest income is our most significant component of earnings and we consider interest rate risk to be our most significant market risk. Our net interest income results from the difference between the yields we earn on our interest-earning assets, primarily loans and investments, and the rates that we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities, primarily deposits and borrowings. When interest rates change, the yields we earn on our interest-earning assets and the rates we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities do not necessarily move in tandem with each other because of the difference between their maturities and repricing characteristics and which can negatively impact net interest income.

Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the Federal Reserve. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, influence not only the interest we receive on loans and investments and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings, but such changes could also affect the average duration of our mortgage portfolio, investment securities and other interest-earning assets.

Our goal is to structure our asset/liability composition to maximize net interest income while managing interest rate risk so as to minimize the adverse impact of changes in interest rates on net interest income and capital in either a rising or declining interest rate environment. Profitability is affected by fluctuations in interest rates. A sudden and substantial change in interest rates will generally impact our earnings adversely because the interest rates of the underlying assets and liabilities do not change at the same speed, to the same extent or on the same basis.

Interest rate risk is monitored through the use of three complementary modeling tools: static gap analysis, earnings simulation modeling, and economic value simulation (net present value estimation). Each of these models measures changes in a variety of interest rate scenarios. While each of the interest rate risk models has limitations, taken together they represent a reasonably comprehensive view of the magnitude of our interest rate risk, the level of risk through time, and the amount of exposure to changes in certain interest rate relationships. Static gap, which measures aggregate repricing values, is less utilized because it only measures the magnitude of the timing differences and does not address repricing lags, market influences, or management actions. Earnings simulation and economic value models, which more effectively measure the cash flow and optionality impacts, are utilized by management on a regular basis and are discussed further below. From the various model results and our expectations regarding future interest rate movements, the national, regional and local economies, and other financial and business risk factors, we quantify the overall magnitude of interest sensitivity risk and then determine appropriate strategies and practices governing asset growth and pricing, funding sources and pricing, and off-balance sheet commitments.

Earnings Simulation Analysis

We use net interest income simulations which measure the short-term earnings exposure from changes in market rates of interest. The model calculates an earnings estimate based on current and projected balances and rates, incorporating our current financial position with assumptions regarding future business to calculate net interest income under varying hypothetical rate scenarios. This method is subject to the accuracy of the assumptions that underlie the process, but it provides a better analysis of the sensitivity of earnings to changes in interest rates than other analyses, such as the static gap analysis.

Assumptions used in the model are derived from historical trends and management’s outlook. The model assumes a static balance sheet with cash flows reinvested in similar instruments to maintain the balance sheet levels and current composition. Actual cash flows and repricing characteristics for our balance sheet instruments are input to the model. The model incorporates market-based assumptions regarding the impact of changing interest rates on the prepayment rate of certain assets and liabilities. Because these assumptions are inherently uncertain, actual results may differ from simulated results.

Different interest rate scenarios and yield curves are used to measure the sensitivity of earnings to changing interest rates in both a "shocked" instantaneous move and a "ramped" move of rates. Interest rates on different asset and liability accounts move differently when the prime rate changes and such assumptions are reflected in the different rate scenarios. The model does not take into account any future actions that management may take to mitigate the impact of interest rate changes, and it is our strategy is to proactively change the volume and mix of our balance sheet in order to mitigate our interest rate risk.

The following table presents the estimated net interest income sensitivity over a 12-month horizon for the specified rate change levels presented. This change in interest rates assumes parallel shifts in the yield curve and does not take into account changes in the slope of the yield curve.

(1) - The percentage change represents the projected net interest income for 12 months on a flat balance sheet in a stable rate environment as compared to the projected net interest income in the various rate scenarios with immediate and parallel shocks applied to the yield curve.

From a net interest income perspective, the Company has been fairly neutral historically with no significant change in the short-term (within a 12-month period) and within the lower ranges (+ - 100-200 basis points) of interest rate changes. Starting in 2022 and continuing in 2023, the Company's sensitivity position shifted such that in the short-term it is projected that net interest income will likely fall in both a rising and falling rate environment. This position is due in part to the changing market characteristics of certain loan and deposit products as well as to the current shape of the yield curve. The Company's current position is now more liability-sensitive which generally implies that net interest income would be expected to rise in a falling rate environment and fall in a rising rate environment. However, the rapid rate increases experienced beginning in 2022 through mid-2023 resulted in a steepening of the yield curve on the short end (within one year), while the longer end of the curve inverted between one and ten years, meaning that the yield on short-term instruments (less than one year) are higher than longer-term instruments (ten years). A flat or inverted interest rate curve is an unfavorable interest rate environment for many financial institutions, including the Bank, as short-term interest rates generally drive our deposit pricing and longer-term interest rates generally drive loan pricing. When these rates converge or invert, the profit spread we realize between loan yields and deposit rates narrows, which pressures our NIM.

In January 2022, due to elevated levels of inflation and corresponding pressure to raise interest rates, the Federal Reserve announced, after several periods of historically low federal funds rates and yields on Treasury notes, that it would be slowing the pace of its bond purchasing and increasing the target range for the federal funds rate over time. Therefore, the FOMC increased the target range eleven times throughout 2022 and 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the target range for the federal funds rate had been increased 525 basis points to 5.25% - 5.50%. It remains uncertain whether the FOMC will further increase the target range for the federal funds rate to attain a monetary policy sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to its target level, begin to reduce the federal funds rate or leave the rate at its current elevated level for a lengthy period of time.

As demonstrated in the above table, we expect net interest income to decline in a rising interest rate environment, as has been experienced over the last year. This is due in large part to the composition of our loan portfolio which consists of approximately 19% variable rate loans that could immediately reprice, thus limiting the magnitude of the impact of rate increases. In addition, the model includes an assumption of an immediate repricing up of the funding base in a rising rate environment due to the current competitive deposit market, combined with a continued utilization of wholesale funding in the form of short-term borrowings at our current level in order to maintain a similar balance sheet composition which has led to a narrowing of the interest rate spread in the projection. With regard to declining rates, assuming an immediate decrease or shock in market rates over the short-term (12-month horizon), we also expect to realize a decline in net interest income, although not to the extent projected in the prior year. The declining net interest income in a falling rate scenario is related to the repricing of interest-earning assets to lower rates while non-maturity interest-bearing deposits are projected to be at or near their floor within a -200 basis point shock, thus limiting our ability to keep pace with asset rate declines. The improvement in our position in the falling rate scenario as compared to the prior year is related to the actual rate increases experienced in 2023 providing additional repricing opportunity on the liability side of the balance sheet in a declining rate scenario. The model results demonstrated in the above table are based on the immediate shock of each of the various rate scenarios and assume a continued inversion of the yield curve (i.e. a parallel shift of the yield curve) in both a rising and falling rate scenario.

As previously noted, these assumptions are inherently uncertain, and actual results may differ from simulated results. Further, the interest rate simulation models do not take into consideration growth, changes in balance sheet mix or composition, or other strategies that management would employee in either a rising or a falling rate scenario.

Economic Value Simulation

Economic value simulation is used to calculate the estimated fair value of assets and liabilities over different interest rate environments. Economic values are calculated based on discounted cash flow analysis. The net economic value of equity is the economic value of all assets minus the economic value of all liabilities. The change in net economic value over different rate environments is an indication of the longer-term earnings capability of the balance sheet. The same assumptions are used in the economic value simulation as in the earnings simulation. The economic value simulation uses instantaneous rate shocks to the balance sheet and assumes a static average life of deposits in all interest rate scenarios.

The following table presents the estimated change in net economic value for the specified change levels presented. This change in interest rates assumes parallel shifts in the yield curve and does not take into account changes in the slope of the yield curve.

(1) - The percentage change represents our economic value of equity in a stable rate environment as compared to the economic value of equity in the various rate scenarios with immediate and parallel shocks applied to the yield curve.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s economic value of equity continued to be generally liability sensitive in both a rising and falling interest rate environment, similar to its position as of December 31, 2022, while the extent of exposure to rising rates has improved somewhat from the prior year end. The decline in EVE under a rising rate environment is driven by the composition of the loans and investment portfolios, primarily related to CRE fixed rate loans and fixed rate mortgage-back securities. In a rising rate environment, these portfolios tend to extend due to slower prepayments, thus lowering their relative valuation in the EVE calculation. With regard to the falling rate scenario, the non-maturity deposits, generally with lower betas, continue to be at or near floor rates assumed in the model, thus within the -200 shocked interest rate scenario, essentially all on the non-maturity deposits are at or near their floor thus negatively impacting their value in the EVE calculation while variable rate assets continue to price downward in all falling rate scenarios. Refer also to the discussion above under Earnings Simulation Analysis.

Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices

Our financial statements included in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Report have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which requires the financial position and operating results to be measured principally in terms of historic dollars without considering the change in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation.

Nearly all of the Company’s assets and liabilities are monetary in nature, and as such, changes in interest rates (as discussed above) generally affect the financial condition of the Company to a greater degree than changes in the rate of inflation. Although interest rates are greatly influenced by changes in the inflation rate, they do not necessarily change at the same rate or in the same magnitude as the inflation rate. Inflation affects the Company’s results of operations mainly through increased operating costs, and the impact of inflation on banks in general is normally not as significant as its influence on those businesses that have large investments in plant and inventories. We review pricing of our products and services, as well as our controllable operating and labor costs in light of current and expected costs due to inflation, to mitigate the inflationary impact on financial performance to the extent possible.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, which are our controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our periodic reports with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the required time periods. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed is communicated to our management to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on the evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that, as of the evaluation date, due to the material weakness in the Company's internal control over financial reporting described below, the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2023.

However, after giving full consideration to the material weakness described below, and based on a number of other factors, including the measures implemented prior to December 31, 2023 to remediate the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting and the performance of procedures by management designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed is communicated to our management to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure, management has concluded that the consolidated financial statements included in this Report present fairly, in all material respects, the Company’s financial position, the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the periods presented in conformity with GAAP and that disclosures to be made about material information required to be included in our periodic reports with the SEC were made timely and properly included in the Report.

Management’s Report On Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

Internal control over financial reporting cannot provide absolute assurance of achieving financial reporting objectives because of its inherent limitations. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that involves human diligence and compliance and is subject to lapses in judgment and breakdowns resulting from human failures. Internal control over financial reporting can also be circumvented by collusion or improper management override. Because of such limitations, there is a risk that material misstatements may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by internal control over financial reporting. However, these inherent limitations are known features of the financial reporting process. Therefore, it is possible to design into the process safeguards to reduce, though not eliminate, this risk.

Management is also responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements and other financial information contained in this report. The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with GAAP and include, as necessary, best estimates and judgments by management.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, the Company conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013) (the "Framework"). Based on management’s evaluation under the Framework, management of the Company has concluded the Company's internal controls over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, was not effective as of December 31, 2023 because of the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting described below. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

Management identified a material weakness related to information technology general controls in the area of user access management within an application supporting the Company’s accounting and reporting processes which resulted in certain segregation of duties conflicts. As such, certain of the Company’s manual business process controls dependent upon the information derived from this application were also ineffective.

Plan for Remediation of Material Weakness

The Company and its Board of Directors are committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment. During the fourth quarter of 2023, management identified a control deficiency that constituted a material weakness as of December 31, 2023. Management evaluated the material weakness described above and the following measures were implemented during the fourth quarter and in place prior to December 31, 2023:

• Privileged administrative access to the application was removed for finance department personnel.
• Additional control design enhancements were implemented for user access provisioning, modification, and removals from the application to ensure all access changes to the application are subject to formal documentation and approval.

In addition to the actions taken during the fourth quarter of 2023, management is continuing to implement a remediation plan to enhance the design of information technology general controls. Specifically, management will take the following additional measures to further ensure its controls and procedures are operating effectively:

• Ongoing monitoring of enhanced user provisioning controls.
• Evaluation of resources of finance department, and enhancement of resources and procedures as necessary to ensure proper segregation of duties within applications that support financial reporting processes.

While management has taken steps towards implementing remediation plans, several of which occurred prior to December 31, 2023, the material weakness will not be considered fully remediated until the controls have operated effectively, as evidenced through testing, for a sufficient amount of time.

BDO USA, P.C., an independent, registered public accounting firm, has audited the Company’s consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, and audited the Company’s effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, as stated in its reports, which are included in Item 8 hereof.

Changes in Internal Controls

Except as set forth above, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2023 that materially affected, or that are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting