Mercantile Bank Corp: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2023

The Company

Mercantile Bank Corporation is a registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Bank Holding Company Act”). Unless the text clearly suggests otherwise, references to “us,” “we,” “our,” or “the company” include Mercantile Bank Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. As a bank holding company, we are subject to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”). We were organized on July 15, 1997, under the laws of the State of Michigan, primarily for the purpose of holding all of the stock of Mercantile Bank (“our bank”), and of such other subsidiaries as we may acquire or establish. Our bank commenced business on December 15, 1997. During the third quarter of 2013, we filed an election to become a financial holding company, which election became effective April 14, 2014. Mercantile Insurance Center, Inc. (“our insurance company”), a subsidiary of our bank, commenced operations during 2002 to offer insurance products. Mercantile Community Partners ("MCP"), our subsidiary, began operations during 2023 to invest in community development tax credit investments. Our expenses have generally been paid using cash dividends from our bank. Our principal source of future operating funds is expected to be dividends from our bank.

Our Bank

Our bank is a state banking company that operates under the laws of the State of Michigan, pursuant to a charter issued by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Our bank’s deposits are insured to the maximum extent permitted by law by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Our bank, through its 43 office locations, provides commercial banking services primarily to small- to medium-sized businesses and retail banking services. Our bank’s main office is located in Grand Rapids, and our operations are centered around the West and Central portions of Michigan. We also have banking offices located in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area, Traverse City, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan, and Midland, Michigan, as well as a residential mortgage loan production office in Petoskey, Michigan. Our bank makes secured and unsecured commercial, construction, mortgage and consumer loans, and accepts checking, savings and time deposits. Our bank owns 17 automated teller machines ("ATM") and 27 video banking machines at a majority of our office locations that participate in the ACCEL/EXCHANGE and PLUS regional network systems, as well as other ATM networks throughout the country. Our bank also enables customers to conduct certain loan and deposit transactions by personal computer and through mobile applications. Courier service is provided to certain commercial customers, and safe deposit boxes are available at a vast majority of our office locations. Our bank does not have trust powers.

Our Insurance Company

Our insurance company acquired an existing shelf insurance agency effective April 15, 2002. An Agency and Institution Agreement was entered into among our insurance company, our bank and Hub International for the purpose of providing programs of mass marketed personal lines of insurance. Insurance product offerings include private passenger automobile, homeowners, personal inland marine, boat owners, recreational vehicle, dwelling fire, umbrella policies, small business and life insurance products, all of which are provided by and written through companies that have appointed Hub International as their agent. To date, we have not provided the insurance products noted above and currently have no plans to do so.

Our Trusts

We have five business trusts that are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Mercantile Bank Corporation but are not consolidated. Each of the trusts was formed to issue preferred securities that were sold in private sales, as well as to sell common securities to Mercantile Bank Corporation. The proceeds from the preferred and common securities sales were used by the trusts to purchase floating rate notes issued by Mercantile Bank Corporation. The rates of interest, interest payment dates, call features and maturity dates of each floating rate note are identical to its respective preferred securities. The net proceeds from the issuance of the floating rate notes were used for a variety of purposes, including contributions to our bank as capital to provide support for asset growth and the funding of stock repurchase programs and certain acquisitions. The only significant assets of our trusts are the floating rate notes, and the only significant liabilities of our trusts are the preferred securities. The floating rate notes are categorized on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as subordinated debentures, and the interest expense is recorded on our Consolidated Statements of Income under interest expense on other borrowings.

Effect of Government Monetary Policies

Our earnings are affected by domestic economic conditions and the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States Government, its agencies, and the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve Board’s monetary policies have had, and will likely continue to have, an important impact on the operating results of commercial banks through its power to implement national monetary policy in order to, among other things, curb inflation, maintain or encourage employment, and mitigate economic recessions. The policies of the Federal Reserve Board have a major effect upon the levels of bank loans, investments and deposits through its open market operations in United States Government securities, and through its regulation of, among other things, the discount rate on borrowings of member banks. It is not possible to predict the nature and impact of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies.

Regulation and Supervision

Banks and bank holding companies, like many other financial institutions, are regulated under a variety of federal and state statutes and the regulations that implement those statutes. These statutes include, among others, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (“EGRRCPA”), the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the FACT Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Sarbanes Oxley Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, electronic funds transfer laws, redlining laws, predatory lending laws, antitrust laws, environmental laws, money laundering laws, privacy laws, state usury statutes, and statutes relating to fiduciaries. Our growth and earnings performance may be impacted by the statutes administered by, and the regulations and policies of, various governmental regulatory authorities. Those regulatory authorities include, but are not limited to, the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities. The effect of such statutes, regulations and policies, and any changes thereto, may significantly impact our business which cannot necessarily be predicted.

As a registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act, we are required to file an annual report with the Federal Reserve Board and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require. We are also subject to periodic examinations by the Federal Reserve Board.

The Bank Holding Company Act limits the activities of bank holding companies to banking and the management of banking organizations, and to certain permitted non-banking activities. The permitted non-banking activities generally include those limited activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined, by order or regulation as of the day prior to enactment of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident to banking. These permitted non-banking activities include, among other things: operating a mortgage company, finance company, or factoring company; performing certain data processing operations; providing certain investment and financial advice; acting as an insurance agent for certain types of credit-related insurance; leasing property on a full-payout, nonoperating basis; and providing discount securities brokerage services for customers. Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries engage in any of the non-banking activities listed above.

On April 14, 2014, our election to become a financial holding company, as permitted by the Bank Holding Company Act, as amended by Title I of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, was accepted and made effective by the Federal Reserve Board. In order to maintain our status as a financial holding company, we and our bank must satisfy statutory requirements regarding capitalization, management and compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act. As a financial holding company, we are permitted to engage in a broader range of activities under the Bank Holding Company Act that are permitted for bank holding companies. Those expanded activities include any activity which the Federal Reserve Board (in certain instances in consultation with the Department of the Treasury) determines, by order or by regulation, to be financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity, or to be complementary to a financial activity, and not to pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally. Such expanded activities that have been previously approved by the Federal Reserve Board include, among others: insuring, guaranteeing, or indemnifying against loss, harm, damage, illness, disability or death, or issuing annuities, and acting as principal, agent or broker for such purposes; providing financial, investment or economic advisory services, including advising a mutual fund; and underwriting, dealing in, or making a market in securities. While our insurance company is permitted to engage in the insurance agency activities described above by virtue of our financial holding company status, neither we nor any of our subsidiaries currently engage in these expanded activities.

Our bank is subject to restrictions imposed by federal and state laws and regulations. Among other things, these restrictions limit the transactions our bank conducts with us, our other subsidiaries or other affiliates, limit our securities borrowing or lending, derivatives, and repurchase transactions with us, our other subsidiaries or other affiliates, limit investments in stock or other securities that we issue, limit the taking of such stock or securities as collateral for loans to any borrower, and limit acquisitions of assets or services from, and sales of certain types of assets to, us, our other subsidiaries or other affiliates. Michigan banking laws place additional restrictions on various aspects of banking, including branching, payment of dividends, loan interest rates and capital and surplus requirements. Federal law restricts our ability to borrow from our bank by limiting the aggregate amount we may borrow and by requiring that all loans to us be secured in designated amounts by specified forms of collateral.

With respect to the acquisition of banking organizations, we are generally required to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board before we can acquire all or substantially all of the assets of any bank, or acquire ownership or control of any voting shares of any bank or bank holding company, if, after the acquisition, we would own or control more than 5% of the voting shares of the bank or bank holding company. Acquisitions of banking organizations across state lines are subject to additional restrictions imposed by federal and state laws and regulations.

The scope of regulations and supervision of various aspects of our business have expanded as a result of the adoption in July, 2010 of the Dodd-Frank Act, and may continue to expand as the result of implementing regulations being adopted by federal regulators. However, on May 24, 2018, EGRRCPA amended certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act to tailor them to the specific circumstances of various categories of financial institutions and transactions. Many of the statutes and regulations under which we and our bank operate may change in the future, which may significantly impact our business.

Competition

We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors. We compete for deposits, loans and other financial services with numerous Michigan-based and national and regional banks, savings banks, thrifts, credit unions and other financial institutions as well as with other entities that provide financial services. Some of the financial institutions and financial service organizations with whom we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as we are. Many of our primary competitors have been in business for many years, have established customer bases, are larger, have substantially higher lending limits than we do, and offer larger branch networks and other services which we do not. Most of these same entities have greater capital resources than we do, which, among other things, may allow them to price their services at levels more favorable to the customer and to provide larger credit facilities than we do. Under specified circumstances (that have been modified by the Dodd-Frank Act and EGRRCPA), securities firms and insurance companies that elect to become financial holding companies under the Bank Holding Company Act may acquire banks and other financial institutions. Federal and state banking law affects the competitive environment in which we conduct our business. The financial services industry is also likely to become more competitive as further technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services. We also face new competition as a result of expansion into new markets.

Human Capital

As of December 31, 2023, we employed 631 full-time and 34 part-time persons. Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have, and we believe embracing human diversity makes us a better financial institution. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and our achievements as well. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Talent Acquisition. We hire people who are able to connect, listen and deliver the best solutions to our customers and communicate with integrity every time. We are devoted to attracting and retaining the best talent in the markets we serve and have implemented HireReach’s evidence-based selection process with all branch new hires. The system utilizes a standardized, consistent process and relevant quantitative data to facilitate a multidimensional assessment of job candidates to create better matches between workers and jobs, decrease time-to-hire, reduce first-year turnover, increase workforce diversity and boost productivity. We believe in leading through example in our communities and are proud to be part of a cohort of 15 local companies that have adopted this evidence-based hiring process to help increase diversity in the workforce.

Employee Safety and Health. The prioritization of our people is reflected in the robust employee benefits and compensation packages offered to our staff, including health and wellness insurance plans and incentives, a 401(k) plan with matching contributions, dedicated internship programs for young professionals in finance and business, and employee stock ownership plan participation, as well as clothing, home office and fitness equipment interest-free loans. Approximately 85% of our eligible employees participate in our medical benefit plans which include a health savings account plan in which we pay the full monthly premiums. We offer our employees generous paid time off for vacations, holidays, sick time and bereavement, along with pay-it-forward initiatives and paid volunteer time. In addition, with obstacles in maintaining balance between work responsibilities and personal time, we have enabled staff to pursue a safe and healthy work-life balance by increasing paid time off benefits for our employees.

Diversity and Inclusion. We believe in respecting, recognizing and valuing the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) as a natural part of our culture. Our exceptional team members are committed to maintaining an environment of personal growth and development. Our employees subscribe to a common goal: To make this financial institution the best it can possibly be. Diversity is an asset in the pursuit of this goal. Employees with dissimilar backgrounds, perspectives, opinions and lifestyles help us understand the motivations and desires of the communities we serve. We believe that each member of our workforce should be accorded the utmost respect and should be given equal opportunity and encouragement to achieve their full potential. Cooperation and teamwork are valued as much as individual growth and contribution. All employees are required to attend and complete foundational DEI training, and regular expanded learning opportunities are provided. Throughout 2023, live webinars were offered to our staff as well as recorded video access to a wide variety of DEI topics along with resources such as books, group discussions and supervisor support materials.

In further support of our inclusion efforts, we have a Diversity Council comprised of members representing diverse perspectives across departments and viewpoints. The Diversity Council is designed to bring together ideas and experiences from various backgrounds to nurture respect and an appreciation for differences among employees.

Climate Change

We define sustainability as the leveraging of combined abilities to ensure our ongoing impact on people and the environment, and our success is always focused on upholding long-lasting, positive results. From an efficient branch footprint to utilizing the latest technology, we are continuously focused on seeking new and better ways to be more productive with our time and energy while remaining good stewards of the resources with which we are entrusted. In each of our facilities, we follow LEED green certification guidelines wherever practical, evaluating all facilities for opportunities to incorporate energy efficient updates and space planning for new construction, renovations or expansion projects. All of our new construction and renovation projects include low-flow devices as well as LED lighting to enhance our efficiency of utility usage. Over the past five years, we have reduced our use of natural gas by 29% and electricity by 39%. All renovation and expansion projects involve the donation of former office furniture to non-profit organizations.

We continue to strive for the reduction of mail and paper usage through the promotion of customer eStatement adoption. The eStatement adoption rate continues to grow, and we were approaching 60% adoption at year-end 2023. Our online accounts payable system has also enabled us to significantly reduce paper and printing, and saves time. Every effort is made to recycle all paper, and we continue to offer community paper shredding events. Additionally, we have implemented recycling stations at all of our office locations to divert cardboard, plastic and metal items from landfills. Water bottle refill stations also aid to reduce plastic bottle usage.

Our Environmental, Social, and Governance ("ESG") Committee supports our ongoing commitment to environmental, health and safety, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, sustainability, and other public policy matters relevant to our organization. The ESG Committee is a cross-functional management committee, led by the Chief Risk Officer, that assists us in: (1) setting general strategies relating to ESG matters; (2) developing, implementing, and monitoring initiatives and polices based on those strategies; (3) recommending communications with employees, investors, and shareholders with respect to ESG matters; and (4) monitoring and assessing developments relating to, and improving our understanding of, ESG matters. The committee met three times during 2023. Highlights for 2023 included establishing Mercantile Community Partners LLC to facilitate low-income housing tax credits, hiring a full-time Director of Learning to better develop our employees, engaging a new provider to improve our ESG data gathering and reporting, incorporating a member of our bank’s Young Professional resource group as a member of the ESG Committee, and rolling out a new Green Mortgage Lending Program to support homeowners looking to make environmentally sustainable home improvements. Our bank also developed a Clawback Policy; an Insider Trading Policy; Corporate Governance Guidelines; an Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy; and an Anti-Money Laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, Customer Identification and Due Diligence Programs Letter. These and our other policies (including our Vendor and Supplier Code of Conduct, Environmental Policy, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy, Human Rights Policy, and Supplier Diversity Program Policy), are reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors at least annually and can be found on our website.

Lending Policy

As a routine part of our business, we make loans to businesses and individuals located within our market areas. Our lending policy states that the function of the lending operation is twofold: to provide a means for the investment of funds at a profitable rate of return with an acceptable degree of risk, and to meet the credit needs of the creditworthy businesses and individuals who are our customers. We recognize that in the normal business of lending, some losses on loans will be inevitable and should be considered a part of the normal cost of doing business.

Our lending policy anticipates that priorities in extending loans will be modified from time to time as interest rates, market conditions and competitive factors change. The policy sets forth guidelines on a nondiscriminatory basis for lending in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The policy describes various criteria for granting loans, including the ability to pay; the character of the customer; evidence of financial responsibility; purpose of the loan; knowledge of collateral and its value; terms of repayment; source of repayment; payment history; and economic conditions.

The lending policy further limits the amount of funds that may be loaned against specified types of real estate collateral. For certain loans secured by real estate, the policy requires an appraisal of the property offered as collateral by a state certified independent appraiser. The policy also provides general guidelines for loan to value for other types of collateral, such as accounts receivable and machinery and equipment. In addition, the policy provides general guidelines as to environmental analysis, loans to employees, executive officers and directors, problem loan identification, maintenance of an allowance for credit losses, loan review and grading, mortgage and consumer lending, and other matters relating to our lending practices.

The Board of Directors has delegated significant lending authority to officers of our bank. The Board of Directors believes this empowerment, supported by our strong credit culture and the significant experience of our commercial lending staff, enables us to be responsive to our customers. The loan policy specifies lending authority for our lending officers with amounts based on the experience level and ability of each lender. Our loan officers and loan managers are generally able to approve loans ranging from $0.25 million to $2.5 million. We have established higher approval limits for our bank’s Chief Lending Officer, President and Chief Executive Officer ranging from $4.0 million up to $10.0 million. These lending authorities, however, are typically used only in rare circumstances where timing is of the essence. Loan requests exceeding $5.0 million require approval by the Officers Loan Committee, and loan requests exceeding $15.0 million, up to the legal lending limit of $101.4 million, require approval by our bank’s Board of Directors. We generally apply an in-house lending limit that is significantly less than our bank’s legal lending limit.

Lending Activity

Commercial Loans. Our commercial lending group originates commercial loans primarily in our market areas. Our commercial lenders have extensive commercial lending experience, with most having at least ten years’ experience. Loans are originated for general business purposes, including working capital, accounts receivable financing, machinery and equipment acquisition, and commercial real estate financing, including new construction and land development.

In most instances, commercial line of credit facilities have terms ranging from 12 to 24 months with floating rates tied to the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate or 30-Day Secured Overnight Funding Rate (“SOFR”). Commercial term debt secured by real estate are generally at a floating rate tied to the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate or 30-Day SOFR. Since the fourth quarter of 2020, a fixed rate option for commercial term debt loans secured by real estate is generally not offered for loans over $2.5 million; instead, customers are offered participation in our back-to-back interest rate swap program to achieve a desired fixed rate. For loans under $2.5 million, we offer a rate primarily equal to the commensurate cost of funds using Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (“FHLBI”) advance rates as a proxy and a credit spread as indicated by the credit rating we assign. Commercial term debt secured by real estate generally balloon within five years, with payments based on amortizations ranging from 10 to 25 years. Commercial term debt secured by non-real estate collateral are generally at a floating rate tied to the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate or 30-Day SOFR, or a fixed rate primarily equal to the commensurate cost of funds using FHLBI advance rates as a proxy and a credit spread as indicated by the credit rating we assign, and generally mature and fully amortize within three to seven years.

We evaluate many aspects of a commercial loan transaction in order to minimize credit and interest rate risk. Underwriting includes an assessment of the management, products, markets, cash flow, capital, income and collateral of the borrowing entity. This analysis includes a review of the borrower’s historical and projected financial results. Appraisals are generally required to be performed by certified independent appraisers where real estate is the primary collateral, and in some cases, where equipment is the primary collateral. In certain situations, for creditworthy customers, we may accept title reports instead of requiring lenders’ policies of title insurance.

We have no material foreign loans, and only limited exposure to companies engaged in energy producing and agricultural-related activities.

Commercial Real Estate loans. Commercial real estate loans, consisting of non-owner occupied, owner occupied, multi-family and residential rental, and vacant land, land development, and residential construction totaled 50.2% and 49.7% of our total loans as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We also adhere to the FDIC’s commercial real estate lending concentration guidelines specified in the Joint Guidance on Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices. Total commercial real estate loans (as defined in the guidance) represented 247% of total regulatory capital as of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, with both ratios being below the maximum guideline of 300%.

Commercial real estate lending involves more risk than residential lending because loan balances are typically greater and repayment is dependent upon the borrower’s business operations. We attempt to minimize the risks associated with these transactions by generally limiting our commercial real estate lending to owner operated properties and to owners of non-owner occupied properties who have established profitable histories and satisfactory tenant structures. In many cases, risk is further reduced by requiring personal guarantees, limiting the amount of credit to any one borrower to an amount considerably less than our legal lending limit and avoiding certain types of commercial real estate financings.

Risks of repayment can arise from general downward shifts in the valuations of specific property types often driven by changes in demand and other economic factors, which could further influence cash flows associated with the borrower and/or the underlying property. To mitigate these risks, we actively monitor market conditions in the markets we originate loans. The majority of our commercial real estate portfolio is located within our primary geographic footprint within the state of Michigan. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, 90.3% and 92.3% of our commercial real estate loans were for projects located within the state of Michigan. Loans made outside the state of Michigan are usually to customers located or headquartered within our footprint doing business in other states.

The following table presents the composition of the commercial real estate portion of the total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2023 and 2022:

(Dollars in thousands)

7

Single-Family Residential Real Estate Loans. We originate single-family residential real estate loans in our market areas, generally according to secondary market underwriting standards. Loans not conforming to those standards are made in certain circumstances. Single-family residential real estate loans provide borrowers with a fixed or adjustable interest rate with terms up to 30 years, with the fixed interest rate loans generally sold to various investors.

Consumer Loans. We originate various types of consumer loans, including new and used automobile and boat loans, credit cards and overdraft protection lines of credit for our checking account customers. Consumer loans generally have shorter terms and higher interest rates and usually involve more credit risk than single-family residential real estate loans because of the type and nature of the collateral. Our bank has a home equity line of credit program. Home equity lines of credit are generally secured by either a first or second mortgage on the borrower’s primary residence. The program provides revolving credit at a rate tied to the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate.

We believe our consumer loans are underwritten carefully, with a strong emphasis on the amount of the down payment, credit quality, employment stability and monthly income of the borrower. These loans are generally repaid on a monthly repayment schedule with the source of repayment tied to the borrower’s periodic income. In addition, consumer lending collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and are thus likely to be adversely affected by job loss, illness and personal bankruptcy. In many cases, repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan will not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance because of depreciation of the underlying collateral. We believe that the generally higher yields earned on consumer loans compensate for the increased credit risk associated with such loans, and that consumer loans are important to our efforts to serve the credit needs of the communities and customers that we serve.

Loan Portfolio Quality

We utilize a comprehensive grading system for our commercial loans, whereby all commercial loans are graded on a ten grade rating system. The rating system utilizes standardized grade paradigms that analyze several critical factors such as cash flow, operating performance, financial condition, collateral, industry condition and management. All commercial loans are graded at inception and reviewed at various intervals.

Our independent loan review program is primarily responsible for the administration of the grading system and ensuring adherence to established lending policies and procedures. The loan review program is an integral part of maintaining our strong asset quality culture. The loan review function works closely with senior management, although it functionally reports to the Board of Directors. Using a risk-based approach to selecting credits for review, our loan review program covered approximately 69% of total commercial loans outstanding during 2023. In addition, a random sampling of retail loans is reviewed each quarter. Our watch list credits are reviewed monthly by our Board of Directors and our Watch List Committee, the latter of which is comprised of senior level officers from the administration, lending and loan review functions.

Loans are placed in a nonaccrual status when, in our opinion, uncertainty exists as to the ultimate collection of all principal and interest. As of December 31, 2023, loans placed in nonaccrual status totaled $3.4 million, or 0.1% of total loans, compared to $7.7 million, or 0.2% of total loans, at December 31, 2022. We had no loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest at year-end 2023 or 2022.

Additional detail and information relative to the loan portfolio is incorporated by reference to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“Management’s Discussion and Analysis”) and Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance is maintained at a level we believe is adequate to absorb estimated credit losses identified and expected in the loan portfolio. Our evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance is an estimate based on past loan loss experience, the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values, guidance from bank regulatory agencies, and assessments of the impact of current and anticipated economic conditions on the loan portfolio. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in our judgment, should be charged-off. Credit losses are charged against the allowance when we believe the uncollectibility of a loan is likely. The balance of the allowance represents our best estimate, but significant downturns in circumstances relating to loan quality or economic conditions could result in a requirement for an increased allowance in the future. Likewise, an upturn in loan quality or improved economic conditions may result in a decline in the required allowance in the future. In either instance, unanticipated changes could have a significant impact on the allowance and operating results. The allowance is increased through a provision charged to operating expense. Uncollectible loans are charged-off through the allowance, while recoveries of loans previously charged-off are added to the allowance.

Additional detail regarding the allowance is incorporated by reference to Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.

Investments

Bank Holding Company Investments. The principal investments of our bank holding company are the investments in the common stock of our bank and the common securities of our trusts. Other funds of our bank holding company may be invested from time to time in various debt instruments.

Subject to the limitations of the Bank Holding Company Act, we are also permitted to make portfolio investments in equity securities and to make equity investments in subsidiaries engaged in a variety of non-banking activities, which include real estate-related activities such as community development, real estate appraisals, arranging equity financing for commercial real estate, and owning and operating real estate used substantially by our bank or acquired for its future use. MCP invests as a limited liability member in real estate entities engaged in community development. Our bank holding company has no plans at this time to make directly any other types of equity investments at the bank holding company level. Our Board of Directors may, however, alter the investment policy at any time without shareholder approval.

Our Bank’s Investments. Our bank may invest its funds in a wide variety of debt instruments and may participate in the federal funds market with other depository institutions. Subject to certain exceptions, our bank is prohibited from investing in equity securities. Among the equity investments permitted for our bank under various conditions and subject in some instances to amount limitations, are shares of a subsidiary insurance agency, mortgage company, real estate company, or Michigan business and industrial development company, such as our insurance company. Under another such exception, in certain circumstances and with prior notice to or approval of the FDIC, our bank could invest up to 10% of its total assets in the equity securities of a subsidiary corporation engaged in the acquisition and development of real property for sale, or the improvement of real property by construction or rehabilitation of residential or commercial units for sale or lease. Our bank has no present plans to make such an investment. Real estate acquired by our bank in satisfaction of or foreclosure upon loans may be held by our bank for specified periods. Our bank is also permitted to invest in such real estate as is necessary for the convenient transaction of its business. Our bank’s Board of Directors may alter our bank’s investment policy without shareholder approval at any time.

Additional detail and information relative to the securities portfolio is incorporated by reference to Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.

Available Information

We maintain an internet website at www.mercbank.com (http://www.mercbank.com). We make available on or through our website, free of charge, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend the address of our website to be an active link or to otherwise incorporate the contents of our website into this Annual Report.

The following risk factors could affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. These risk factors should be considered in connection with evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report because they could cause the actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Before you buy our common stock, you should know that investing in our common stock involves risks, including the risks described below. The risks that are highlighted here are not the only ones we face. If the adverse matters referred to in any of the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or operations could be adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

Changes in interest rates may reduce our net interest income, may result in higher defaults in a rising rate environment and may hurt our earnings and asset value.

Our earnings and cash flows are largely dependent upon our 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 Board. From March 2022 through July 2023, in response to inflation, the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) of the Federal Reserve significantly increased the target range for the federal funds rate by hundreds of basis points. Beginning in July 2023, those rates plateaued, however, they have not been reduced as some observers have predicted. Generally speaking, increases in the targeted federal funds rate positively impact our net interest income. In contrast, higher interest rates generally have a negative impact on both the housing market, by reducing refinancing activity and new home purchases, and the U.S. economy. In addition, inflationary pressures may increase our operational costs and could have a significant negative effect on our borrowers, especially our business borrowers, and the values of collateral securing loans which could negatively affect our financial performance.

We principally manage interest rate risk by managing the volume and mix of our earning assets and funding liabilities. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence not only the interest we receive on loans and investments and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings, but these changes could also affect: (1) our ability to originate and/or sell loans and obtain deposits; (2) the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities, which could negatively impact shareholders’ equity, and our ability to realize gains from the sale of such assets; (3) our ability to obtain and retain deposits in competition with other available investment alternatives; (4) the ability of our borrowers to repay adjustable or variable rate loans; and (5) the average duration of our investment securities portfolio and other interest-earning assets. If the interest rates paid on deposits and borrowings increase at a faster rate than the interest received on loans and other investments, our net interest income, and therefore earnings, could be adversely affected. Earnings could also be adversely affected if the interest rates received on loans and other investments decline more rapidly than the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings. In a changing interest rate environment, we may not be able to manage this risk effectively. If we are unable to manage interest rate risk effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially affected.

We are subject to liquidity risk.

Our banking operations require liquidity to meet our deposit and debt obligations as they come due. There are many potential factors that could reduce our access to liquidity sources, including rising interest rates, tightening fiscal policy, a downturn in the U.S. economy, difficult credit markets or adverse regulatory actions. Our access to deposits may also be affected by the liquidity needs of our depositors. A substantial majority of our liabilities are demand, savings, interest checking and money market deposits, which are payable on demand or upon several days' notice, while by comparison, a substantial portion of our assets are loans, which cannot be called or sold in the same time frame. We may not be able to replace maturing deposits and advances as necessary in the future, especially if a large number of our depositors sought to withdraw their accounts, regardless of the reason. Our access to deposits may be negatively impacted by, among other factors, periods of low interest rates or higher interest rates which could promote increased competition for deposits, including from new financial technology competitors, or provide customers with alternative investment options. Additionally, negative news about us or the banking industry in general could negatively impact market and/or customer perceptions of our company, which could lead to a loss of depositor confidence and an increase in deposit withdrawals, particularly among those with uninsured deposits. Furthermore, as we and other regional banking organizations experienced in 2023, the failure of other financial institutions may cause deposit outflows as customers spread deposits among several different banks so as to maximize their amount of FDIC insurance, move deposits to banks deemed "too big to fail" or remove deposits from the banking system entirely. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 49% of our deposits were uninsured, and we rely on these deposits for liquidity. A failure to maintain adequate liquidity could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Unfavorable global economic, geopolitical conflicts and other political conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our results of operations could be adversely affected by general conditions in the global economy, the global financial markets and global political conditions. The United States and global economies are facing high levels of inflation, higher interest rates and potential recession. Furthermore, a severe or prolonged economic downturn, including a recession or depression resulting from the Coronavirus Pandemic or political disruption, such as the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas wars or political conflict between China and Taiwan, could result in a variety of risks to our business, including weakened demand for our products and services as well as our ability to raise additional capital if needed on acceptable terms. A weak or declining economy or political disruption, including any international trade disputes, could also strain our manufacturers or suppliers, possibly resulting in supply disruptions, or cause our customers to delay making payments for our products and services. Any of the foregoing could seriously harm our business, and we cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the political or economic climate and financial market conditions could seriously harm our business.

Significant declines in the value of commercial real estate could adversely impact us.

Approximately 63% of our total commercial loans, or about 50% of our total loans, relate to commercial real estate. Stressed economic conditions may reduce the value of commercial real estate and strain the financial conditions of our commercial real estate borrowers, especially in the land development and non-owner occupied commercial real estate segments of our loan portfolio. Those difficulties could adversely affect us and could produce losses and other adverse effects on our business.

Market volatility may adversely affect us.

The capital and credit markets may experience volatility and disruption. In some cases, the markets have produced downward pressure on stock prices and credit availability for certain issuers without apparent regard to those issuers’ underlying financial strength. Future levels of market disruption and volatility may have an adverse effect, which may be material, on our ability to access capital and on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our future success is dependent on our ability to compete effectively in the highly competitive banking industry.

We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors. Our future growth and success will depend on our ability to compete effectively in this highly competitive environment. We compete for deposits, loans and other financial services with numerous Michigan-based and national and regional banks, thrifts, credit unions and other financial institutions as well as other entities that provide financial services, including securities firms and mutual funds. Some of the financial institutions and financial service organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as we are. Many of our competitors have been in business for many years, have established customer bases, are larger, have substantially higher lending limits than we do and offer larger branch networks and other services which we do not, including trust and international banking services. Most of these entities have greater capital and other resources than we do, which, among other things, may allow them to price their services at levels more favorable to the customer and to provide larger credit facilities than we do. This competition may limit our growth or earnings. Under specified circumstances (that have been modified by the Dodd-Frank Act and EGRRCPA), securities firms and insurance companies that elect to become financial holding companies under the Bank Holding Company Act may acquire banks and other financial institutions. Federal banking law affects the competitive environment in which we conduct our business. The financial services industry is also likely to become more competitive as further technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services. These technological advances may diminish the importance of depository institutions and other financial intermediaries in the transfer of funds between parties.

Our risk management systems may fall short of their intended objectives.

We seek to monitor and control our risk exposure through a risk and control framework encompassing a variety of separate but complementary financial, credit, operational, compliance and legal reporting systems, internal controls, management review processes and other mechanisms. Our risk management process seeks to balance our ability to profit from investing or lending positions with our exposure to potential losses. While we employ a broad and diversified set of risk monitoring and risk mitigation techniques, those techniques and the judgments that accompany their application cannot anticipate every economic and financial outcome or the specifics and timing of such outcomes. Thus, we may, in the course of our activities, incur losses.

We may not be able to successfully adapt to evolving industry standards and market pressures.

Our success depends, in part, on our ability to adapt products and services to evolving industry standards. There is increasing pressure to provide products and services at lower prices. This can reduce net interest income and noninterest income from fee-based products and services. In addition, the widespread adoption of new technologies could require us to make substantial capital expenditures to modify or adapt existing products and services or develop new products and services. We may not be successful in introducing new products and services in response to industry trends or developments in technology, or those new products may not achieve market acceptance. As a result, we could lose business, be forced to price products and services on less advantageous terms to retain or attract clients, or be subject to cost increases. As a result, our business, financial condition, or results of operations may be adversely affected.

Global pandemics may impact our business, financial condition and results of operations, the scope and duration of which would be highly uncertain and dependent on factors that are outside of our control.

For nearly the past four years, the Coronavirus Pandemic and efforts to control its spread and economic effect have significantly impacted the movement of people, goods and services worldwide, including in most of or all of the regions in which we offer our services and conduct our business operations. Global pandemics create significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption to the global economy and may further impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. The pandemic has resulted in, and may continue to or at a later time result in, a global slowdown of economic activity, including travel restrictions, prohibitions of non-essential activities in some cases, disruption and shutdown of businesses and greater uncertainty in global financial markets.

Overall, the Coronavirus Pandemic has caused a sustained global economic slowdown of varying durations across different industries, and it is possible that it could still cause a global recession. Deteriorating economic and political conditions caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic, such as widespread inflation, increased unemployment, decreased capital spending, declines in consumer confidence and economic slowdowns or recessions, have caused and could continue to cause a decrease in demand for our products and services. The severity, magnitude and duration of the secondary impacts from the Coronavirus Pandemic are hard to predict. Any negative impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, but the Coronavirus Pandemic could lead to extended disruption of economic activity and the impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be material. The risks we may face include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Increased loan losses or other impairments in our loan portfolios and increases in our allowance for credit losses,
• Collateral for loans, especially real estate, may decline in value, which could cause an increase in loan losses,
• Limitations may be placed on our ability to foreclose on properties we hold as collateral,
• Our allowance for credit losses may have to be increased if borrowers experience financial difficulties beyond forbearance periods, which would adversely affect our net income,
• The net worth and liquidity of loan guarantors may decline, impairing their ability to honor commitments to us,
• FDIC premiums may increase if the agency experiences additional resolution costs,
• Litigation arising from our participation in the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program,
• Unanticipated unavailability of employees,
• Prolonged inflation and monetary policy designed to combat inflation may inhibit growth,
• A triggering event leading to impairment testing on our goodwill, which could result in an impairment charge, and
• A prolonged weakness in economic conditions resulting in a reduction of future projected earnings could necessitate a valuation allowance against our current outstanding deferred tax assets.

Our inability to execute or integrate potential future acquisitions successfully could impede us from realizing all of the benefits of the acquisitions, which could weaken our operations.

In addition to pursuing organic growth, we may also pursue strategic acquisition opportunities that we believe will fit our core philosophy and culture, enhance our profitability and provide appropriate risk-adjusted returns. These acquisition opportunities could be material to our business and involve a number of risks, including the following:

° intense competition from other banking organizations and other acquirers for potential merger candidates drives market pricing;

° time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions and negotiating potential transactions may divert human and capital resources without producing the desired returns;

° estimates and judgments used to evaluate credit, operations, management and market risks with respect to the target institution or assets are inherently complex and may be inaccurate;

° potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of targets; and

° regulatory time frames for review of applications may limit the number and frequency of transactions we may be able to consummate.

If we are unable to successfully integrate potential future acquisitions, we could be impeded from realizing all of the benefits of those acquisitions and could weaken our business operations. The integration process may disrupt our business and, if implemented ineffectively, may preclude realization of the full benefits expected by us and could harm our results of operations. In addition, the overall integration of the combining companies may result in unanticipated problems, expenses, liabilities and competitive responses, and may cause our stock price to decline. The difficulties of integrating an acquisition include, among others:

° unanticipated issues in integration of information, communications and other systems;

° unanticipated incompatibility of logistics, marketing and administrative methods;

° maintaining employee morale and retaining key employees;

° integrating the business cultures of both companies;

° preserving important strategic client relationships;

° coordinating geographically diverse organizations; and

° consolidating corporate and administrative infrastructures and eliminating duplicative operations.

Finally, even if the operations of an acquisition are integrated successfully, we may not realize the full benefits of the acquisition, including the synergies, cost savings or growth opportunities we expect. These benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame as well.

Our inability to overcome these risks could have an adverse effect on our ability to implement our business strategy, which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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 institutions 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 industry. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services institutions, 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. Even routine funding transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of default of our counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral held by us cannot be realized upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the financial instrument exposure due us. There is no assurance that any such losses would not materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

Our credit losses could increase and our allowance may not be adequate to cover actual loan losses.

The risk of nonpayment of loans is inherent in all lending activities, and nonpayment, when it occurs, may have a materially adverse effect on our earnings and overall financial condition as well as the value of our common stock. Our focus on commercial lending may result in a larger concentration of loans to small businesses. As a result, we may assume different or greater lending risks than other banks. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio and provide an allowance for credit losses based on several factors. If our assumptions are wrong, our allowance may not be sufficient to cover our losses, which would have an adverse effect on our operating results. The actual amounts of future provisions for credit losses cannot be determined at this time and may exceed the amounts of past provisions. Additions to our allowance decrease our net income.

We rely heavily on our management and other key personnel, and the loss of any of them may adversely affect our operations.

We are and will continue to be dependent upon the services of our management team, including our executive officers and our other senior managers. The unanticipated loss of our executive officers, or any of our other senior managers, could have an adverse effect on our growth and performance.

In addition, we continue to depend on our key commercial loan officers. Several of our commercial loan officers are responsible, or share responsibility, for generating and managing a significant portion of our commercial loan portfolio. Our success can be attributed in large part to the relationships these officers as well as members of our management team have developed and are able to maintain with our customers as we continue to implement our community banking philosophy. The loss of any of these commercial loan officers could adversely affect our loan portfolio and performance, and our ability to generate new loans. Many of our key employees have signed agreements with us agreeing not to compete with us in one or more of our markets for specified time periods if they leave employment with us. However, we may not be able to effectively enforce such agreements.

Some of the other financial institutions in our markets also require their key employees to sign agreements that preclude or limit their ability to leave their employment and compete with them or solicit their customers. These agreements make it more difficult for us to hire loan officers with experience in our markets who can immediately solicit their former or new customers on our behalf.

Direct and indirect effects of climate change may adversely affect us.

Climate change presents immediate and long-term risks to us and to our customers and communities, with risks expected to increase over time. Climate change refers to risk of life and property damage occurring due to naturally occurring events induced by human behavior and can manifest in the form of physical risk and indirect risk. Physical risk refers to results of severe weather, such as floods, hurricanes, rising sea levels, fires and water availability. Indirect risk refers to how changes in regulation, conscious consumer choices, competition for sustainable products, and reduced demand for goods or services that produce significant green-house gas emissions may impact the results and operations of a company. Physical effects of climate change to our offices, branches or personnel could have an immediate adverse effect on our operations and financial condition, whereas indirect consequences may result in increased expenditures to comply with climate-related regulations.

Similarly, physical effects could have a severe impact on the business and operations of our customers and vendors. Furthermore, consumer choices and shareholder demands could require our customers to invest more in cleaner energy manufacturing and procurement and to compete with innovative new products that generate lower emissions, which may or may not be successful. If our customers are not able to keep up with evolving climate change effects, it could ultimately have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Lastly, like other financial institutions, we also run a reputational risk of financing businesses that are responsible for significant green-house gas emissions or are related to carbon-based energy sources. While our risk management framework monitors various types of risks and applies risk mitigation techniques including for environmental risks, and while we have been conscious of our own carbon footprint and have established an ESG Committee, introduction of new climate-related legislation and related compliance costs as well as the unpredictable effects of climate change on us or our customers could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations, even if temporary in nature.

Failure to meet ESG expectations or standards, or achieve our ESG goals, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or stock price.

There has been an increased focus from regulators and stockholders on ESG matters, including greenhouse gas emissions, sustainability and climate-related risks; diversity, equity and inclusion; responsible sourcing and supply chain; human rights and social responsibility; and corporate governance and oversight. Given our commitment to ESG, we actively manage these issues and have established and publicly announced certain goals, commitments and targets which we may refine or even expand further in the future. These goals, commitments and targets reflect our current plans and aspirations and are not guarantees that we will be able to achieve them. Evolving stakeholder expectations and our efforts and ability to manage these issues, provide updates on them and accomplish our goals, commitments and targets present numerous operational, regulatory, reputational, financial, legal and other risks, any of which may be outside of our control or could have a material adverse impact on our business, including on our reputation and stock price. Further, there is uncertainty around the accounting standards and climate-related disclosures associated with emerging laws and reporting requirements and the related costs to comply with the emerging regulations.

Our failure or perceived failure to achieve our ESG goals, maintain ESG practices or comply with emerging ESG regulations that meet evolving regulatory or stakeholder expectations could harm our reputation, adversely impact our ability to attract and retain customers and talent and expose us to increased scrutiny from the investment community and enforcement authorities. Our reputation also may be harmed by the perceptions that our stakeholders have about our action or inaction on ESG-related issues. Damage to our reputation and loss of brand equity may reduce demand for our products and services and thus have an adverse effect on our future financial results, as well as require additional resources to rebuild our reputation and could also reduce our stock price.

Changes in SOFR could adversely affect the amount of interest that accrues on SOFR-linked instruments.

Effective January 1, 2022, we replaced the 30-Day Libor Rate with the CME Term SOFR Rate for all new floating rate commercial loan commitments. On or about June 30, 2023, all commercial loans tied to the 30-Day Libor Rate converted to an equivalent fallback SOFR Rate. Because SOFR is published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York ("FRBNY") based on data received from other sources, we have no control over its determination, calculation or publication. There can be no assurance that SOFR will not be discontinued or fundamentally altered in a manner that is materially adverse to the interests of investors in SOFR-linked instruments. If the manner in which SOFR is calculated is changed, that change may result in a change in the amount of interest that accrues on the SOFR-linked instruments. In addition, the interest rate on SOFR-linked instruments may for any day not be adjusted for any modification or amendments to SOFR for that day that the FRBNY may publish if the interest rate for that day has already been determined prior to such determination. There is no assurance that changes in SOFR could not have a material adverse effect on the yield on, value of, and market for SOFR-linked instruments, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Further, SOFR is a relatively new interest rate, and the FRBNY or any successor, as administrator of SOFR, may make methodological or other changes that could change the value of SOFR, including changes related to the methodology by which SOFR is calculated, eligibility criteria applicable to the transactions used to calculate SOFR or timing related to the publication of SOFR. If the manner in which SOFR is calculated is changed, the change may result in a reduction of the amount of interest payable on loans we have made to customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. The administrator of SOFR may withdraw, modify, suspend or discontinue the calculation or dissemination of SOFR in its sole discretion and without notice, and has no obligation to consider the interests of investors in calculating, withdrawing, modifying, amending, suspending or discontinuing SOFR.

Our accounting policies and methods are the basis for how we prepare our consolidated financial statements, and they require management to make estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain.

Accounting policies and processes are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. We must exercise judgment in selecting and applying many of these accounting policies and processes so they comply with U.S. GAAP. In some cases, we 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 our reporting materially different results than would have been reported under a different alternative.

We have identified certain accounting policies as being critical because they require us 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. We have established detailed policies and control procedures that are intended to ensure these critical accounting estimates and judgments are well controlled and applied consistently. In addition, the policies and procedures are intended to ensure that the process for changing methodologies occurs in an appropriate manner. Because of the uncertainty surrounding management’s judgments and the estimates pertaining to these matters, we cannot guarantee that we will not be required to adjust accounting policies or restate prior period financial statements. For additional information, see “Critical Accounting Estimates” beginning on page F-3 of this Annual Report and “Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” beginning on page F-40 of this Annual Report.

We continually encounter technological change, and we may have fewer resources than our competitors to continue to invest in technological improvements.

The banking industry is undergoing technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services, such as those related to artificial intelligence, automation and algorithms. In addition to better serving customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience as well as create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements than we do. There can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. In addition, our implementation of certain new technologies, such as those related to artificial intelligence, automation and algorithms, in our business processes may have unintended consequences due to their limitations or our failure to use them effectively. Failure to successfully manage technological changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Damage to our reputation could materially harm our business.

Our relationship with many of our clients is predicated upon our reputation as a fiduciary and a service provider that adheres to the highest standards of ethics, service quality and regulatory compliance. Adverse publicity, regulatory actions, litigation, operational failures, the failure to meet client expectations and other issues with respect to one or more of our businesses could materially and adversely affect our reputation, our ability to attract and retain clients or our sources of funding for the same or other businesses. Preserving and enhancing our reputation also depends on maintaining systems and procedures that address known risks and regulatory requirements, as well as our ability to identify and mitigate additional risks that arise due to changes in our businesses and the marketplaces in which we operate, the regulatory environment and client expectations. If any of these developments has a material effect on our reputation, our business will suffer.

Our business is subject to operational risks.

We, like most financial institutions, are exposed to many types of operational risks, including the risk of fraud by employees or outsiders, unauthorized transactions by employees or operational errors. To date, we have not experienced a significant compromise, significant data loss or any material financial losses related to cybersecurity attacks, but our systems and those of our customers and third-party service providers are under constant threat, and it is possible that we could experience a significant event in the future. Operational errors may include clerical or record keeping errors or those resulting from faulty or disabled computer or telecommunications systems. Given our volume of transactions, certain errors may be repeated or compounded before they are discovered and successfully corrected. Our necessary dependence upon automated systems to record and process our transaction volume may further increase the risk that technical system flaws or employee tampering or manipulation of those systems will result in losses that are difficult to detect.

We may also be subject to disruptions of our operating systems arising from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control, including, for example, computer viruses or electrical or telecommunications outages, which may give rise to losses in service to customers and to loss or liability to us. We are further exposed to the risk that our external vendors may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations to us, or will be subject to the same risk of fraud or operational errors by their respective employees as are we, and to the risk that our or our vendors’ business continuity and data security systems prove not to be adequate. We also face the risk that the design of our controls and procedures proves inadequate or is circumvented, causing delays in detection or errors in information. Although we maintain a system of controls designed to keep operational risks at appropriate levels, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer losses from operational risks in the future that may be material in amount.

We face the risk of cyber-attack to our computer systems.

In the ordinary course of business, we collect and store sensitive data, including proprietary business information and personally identifiable information of our customers and employees in systems and on networks. The secure processing, maintenance and use of this information is critical to our operations. To date, we have not experienced a significant compromise, significant data loss or any material financial losses related to cybersecurity attacks, but our systems and those of our customers and third-party service providers are under constant threat, and it is possible that we could experience a significant event in the future. Cybersecurity threats include unauthorized access, loss or destruction of data (including confidential client information), account takeovers, unavailability of service, computer viruses or other malicious code, cyber-attacks and other events. Remote working of employees introduces additional potential cybersecurity risks due to the use of home networks, video conferencing and other remote work technologies over which we do not have as much control as our internal systems.

Cyber threats may derive from human error, fraud or malice on the part of employees or third parties, or may result from accidental technological failure. We cannot assure that such breaches, failures or interruptions will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed by us or the third parties on which we rely. We may not be insured against all types of losses as a result of third-party failures, and insurance coverage may be inadequate to cover all losses resulting from breaches, systems failures or other disruptions. If one or more of these events occurs, it could result in the disclosure of confidential client information, damage to our reputation with our clients and the market, additional costs to us (such as repairing systems or adding new personnel or protection technologies), regulatory penalties and financial losses, to both us and our clients and customers. Such events could also cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations (such as the lack of availability of our online banking system), as well as the operations of our clients, customers or other third parties. Risks and exposures related to cybersecurity attacks are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future due to the rapidly evolving nature and sophistication of these threats, as well as due to the expanding use of internet banking, mobile banking and other technology-based products and services by us and our customers. Although we maintain safeguards to protect against these risks, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer losses in the future that may be material in amount.

As a bank, we are susceptible to fraudulent activity that may be committed against us or our customers which may result in financial losses or increased costs to us or our customers, disclosure or misuse of our information or our customers’ information, misappropriation of assets, privacy breaches against our customers, litigation or damage to our reputation. Such fraudulent activity may take many forms, including check fraud, electronic fraud, wire fraud, phishing, social engineering and other dishonest acts. Nationally, reported incidents of fraud and other financial crimes have increased.

Cybersecurity risks and disclosures are increasingly regulated by various government agencies, including federal and state bank regulatory agencies and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Failure to observe such guidance may result in supervisory identification of unsafe or unsound practices or other deficiencies in risk management or other areas that do not constitute violations of law or regulation.

We are subject to significant government regulation, and any regulatory changes may adversely affect us.

The banking industry is subject to extensive regulation, supervision and legal requirements under both federal and state law that govern almost all aspects of our operations. These regulations are primarily intended to protect customers, the federal deposit insurance fund, and the stability of the U.S. financial system, not our creditors or shareholders. Existing state and federal banking laws subject us to substantial limitations with respect to our activities, including the making of loans, the purchase of securities, the payment of dividends and many other aspects of our business. Some of these laws may benefit us, others may increase our costs of doing business, or otherwise adversely affect us and create competitive advantages for others. Regulations affecting banks and financial services companies undergo continuous change, which may be accelerated by changes in the administration of federal and state governments, and we cannot predict the ultimate effect of these changes, which could have a material adverse effect on our profitability or financial condition. Federal economic and monetary policy may also affect our ability to attract deposits, make loans and achieve satisfactory interest spreads. The implementation, amendment or repeal of federal financial services laws or regulations may limit our business opportunities, impose additional costs on us, impact our revenues or the value of our assets, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Minimum capital requirements may adversely affect our ability (and that of our bank) to pay cash dividends, reduce our profitability, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are subject to extensive capital regulations imposed by federal and state banking regulations. These regulations, among other things, establish minimum requirements to qualify as a “well-capitalized” institution. If our bank were to fail to maintain its status of “well-capitalized” under the applicable regulatory capital regulations, we may lose our status as a financial holding company and be subjected to a consent agreement requiring us to bring our bank back to a “well-capitalized” status. Such an agreement may impose restrictions on our activities. If we were to fail to enter into such an agreement, or fail to comply with the terms of such agreement, the Federal Reserve may impose more severe restrictions on our activities, including requiring us to cease and desist activities permitted under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. The regulatory environment is constantly evolving, with requirements frequently being introduced or amended. It is possible that increases in regulatory capital requirements and changes in how regulatory capital is calculated could require us to increase our capital levels by issuing additional securities that qualify as regulatory capital, thus potentially diluting our existing shareholders, or by taking other actions, such as selling assets, in order to maintain required capital ratios. We may be unable to sell some of our assets, or we may have to sell assets at a discount from market value, either of which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flow and financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Stock

Issuance of debt securities or sales of our common stock or other securities may dilute the value of our common stock.

We have issued both trust preferred securities and subordinated notes. In the event of our liquidation, the holders of our debt securities would receive a distribution of our available assets before distributions are made to holders of our common stock. In many situations, our Board of Directors has the authority, without any vote of our shareholders, to issue shares of our authorized but unissued preferred or common stock, including shares authorized and unissued under our equity incentive plans. In the future, we may issue additional debt or equity securities, through public or private offerings, in order to raise additional capital. Any such issuance of equity securities would dilute the percentage of ownership interest of existing shareholders and may dilute the per share book value of the common stock. In addition, option holders under our stock-based incentive plans may exercise their options at a time when we would otherwise be able to obtain additional equity capital on more favorable terms.

Regulatory Risks

We may need to raise additional capital in the future, and such capital may not be available when needed or at all.

We may need or want to raise additional capital in the future by issuing debt or equity securities to provide us with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet our commitments and business needs, particularly if our asset quality or earnings were to deteriorate significantly. Our ability to raise additional capital will depend on, among other things, conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and our financial performance. Economic conditions and any loss of confidence in financial institutions generally may increase our cost of funding and limit access to certain customary sources of capital.

There can be no assurance that capital will be available on acceptable terms or at all. Any occurrence that may limit our access to the capital markets, such as a decrease in our credit rating or a decline in the confidence of equity or debt purchasers, or counterparties participating in the capital markets, may adversely affect our capital costs and our ability to raise capital and, potentially, our liquidity. Also, if we need to raise capital in the future, we may have to do so when many other financial institutions are also seeking to raise capital and would have to compete with those institutions for investors. An inability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms when needed could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Articles of Incorporation and By-laws and the laws of the State of Michigan contain provisions that may discourage or prevent a takeover of our company and reduce any takeover premium.

Our Articles of Incorporation and By-laws, and the corporate laws of the State of Michigan, include provisions which are designed to provide our Board of Directors with time to consider whether a hostile takeover offer is in our and our shareholders’ best interest. These provisions, however, could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control. The provisions also could diminish the opportunities for a holder of our common stock to participate in tender offers, including tender offers at a price above the then-current market price for our common stock. These provisions could also prevent transactions in which our shareholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices, and may limit the ability of our shareholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interest.

The Michigan Business Corporation Act contains provisions intended to protect shareholders and prohibit or discourage various types of hostile takeover activities. In addition to these provisions and the provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and By-laws, federal law requires the Federal Reserve Board’s approval prior to acquiring “control” of a bank holding company. All of these provisions may delay or prevent a change in control without action by our shareholders and could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

There is a limited trading market for our common stock.

The price of our common stock has been, and will likely continue to be, subject to fluctuations based on, among other things, economic and market conditions for bank holding companies and the stock market in general, as well as changes in investor perceptions of our company. The issuance of new shares of our common stock also may affect the market for our common stock.

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MBWM.” The development and maintenance of an active public trading market depends upon the existence of willing buyers and sellers, the presence of which is beyond our control. While we are a publicly-traded company, the volume of trading activity in our stock is still relatively limited. Even if a more active market develops, there can be no assurance that such a market will continue, or that our shareholders will be able to sell their shares at or above the price at which they acquired shares.

The value of securities in our investment securities portfolio may be negatively affected by disruptions in securities markets.

Prices and volumes of transactions in the nation’s securities markets can be affected suddenly by economic crises, or by other national or international crises, such as national disasters, acts of war or terrorism, changes in commodities markets, or instability in foreign governments. Disruptions in securities markets may detrimentally affect the value of securities that we hold in our investment portfolio, such as through reduced valuations due to the perception of heightened credit and liquidity risks. There can be no assurance that declines in market value associated with these disruptions will not result in a loss in principal value of these assets, which would lead to accounting charges that could have a material adverse effect on our net income and capital levels.

Risk Management and Strategy

Our enterprise risk management program is designed to identify, assess, and mitigate risks across various aspects of our company, including financial, operational, regulatory, reputational, and legal. Cybersecurity is a critical component of this program, given the increasing reliance on technology and potential of cyber threats. Our Chief Information Security Officer (the "CISO") is primarily responsible for this cybersecurity component and is a key member of the risk management organization, reporting directly to the Senior Management Team (“SMT”), and, as discussed below, periodically to our Board of Directors. As part of our overall enterprise risk management program, we maintain both an Information & Cyber Security Program Policy (“ICSPP”) and Information & Cyber Security Response Policy (“ICSRP”).

Our ICSPP is overseen by the SMT who is responsible for designating the CISO. The CISO is responsible for leading company-wide cybersecurity strategy, policy, standards, architecture, and processes. The CISO is charged with all logical security related matters, which include but are not limited to, PC/server security, network security, internet security, and database and application security. Our ICSRP is based on applicable federal and state laws as well as cybersecurity incident response best practices. The purpose of the ICSRP is to define procedures for reporting and responding to cybersecurity incidents. It creates objectives for actionable procedures that can be measured, evaluated, scaled and revised as necessary for each specific incident. These objectives include maximizing the effectiveness of our company's operations through an established plan of action and assigning responsibilities to appropriate personnel and/or third-party contractors.

Our company has engaged a third-party managed detection and response company to monitor the security of our information systems around-the-clock, including intrusion detection, and to provide instantaneous alerting should a cybersecurity event occur. If a cybersecurity threat or cybersecurity incident is identified through our company's information systems, the CISO and Incident Response Team (“IRT”) will take immediate steps to mitigate the threat and assess any damages. Upon report from the CISO, the SMT will evaluate the materiality of the cybersecurity threat or cybersecurity incident to determine if any public disclosures are required under the Security and Exchange Commission’s cybersecurity disclosure rule. If deemed necessary, third-party consultants, legal counsel, and assessors will be engaged to evaluate the materiality assessment.

Our company has training and awareness programs designed to educate its employees about cybersecurity risks and how to protect our company, our customers and themselves from cyber-attacks and to keep its employees informed about cybersecurity threats and how to stay safe online, including secure access practice, phishing schemes, remote work and response to suspicious activities.

Our cybersecurity program interfaces with other functional areas within our company, including but not limited to, our company's business segments and information technology, legal, risk, human resources and internal audit departments, as well as external third-party partners, to identify and understand potential cybersecurity threats. We regularly assess and update our processes, procedures and management techniques in light of ongoing cybersecurity developments.

Recognizing the complexity and evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, we also engage with a range of external experts, including cybersecurity assessors, consultants, and auditors in evaluating and testing our risk management systems. These partnerships enable our company to leverage specialized knowledge and insights, ensuring its cybersecurity strategies and processes remain at the forefront of industry best practices. Our company's collaboration with these third parties includes regular audits, testing, threat assessments and consultation on security enhancements.

To date, risks from cybersecurity threats or incidents have not materially affected our company. However, the sophistication of and risks from cybersecurity threats and incidents continue to increase, and the preventative actions that we have taken and continue to take to reduce the risk of cybersecurity threats and incidents and protect our systems and information may not successfully protect against all cybersecurity threats and incidents. For more information on how cybersecurity risk could materially affect our company's business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, please refer to Item 1A Risk Factors.

Governance

Our company recognizes the importance of safeguarding sensitive customer information. Therefore, the Board of Directors recognizes that the protection of this information ranks as one of our highest priorities. The Board of Directors is responsible for reviewing and approving the ICSPP and ICSRP at least annually and monitoring material risks facing our company.

The Board has tasked the SMT with overseeing efforts to develop, implement and maintain an effective information and cybersecurity program. The SMT designates the CISO who also serves as the IRT leader. As part of its oversight responsibilities, the Board of Directors is responsible for discussing with the SMT our company’s major risk exposures, such as cybersecurity, and the steps management has taken to monitor and control those exposures, including our risk assessment and risk management policies. The Board of Directors also monitors our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the risks associated therewith. On a regular basis, the Board of Directors reviews with the SMT significant areas of risk exposure involving cybersecurity.

At the direction of the SMT, the CISO and IRT monitor internal and external cybersecurity threats and review and revise our company’s cybersecurity defenses on an ongoing basis. The CISO, together with other members of the IRT, bring a wealth of expertise to their respective roles, including expertise in security technologies; designing and implementing security strategies; security standards such as NIST, ISO, COBIT and ITIL; and risk management and incident response. The CISO prepares reports on IT general controls and cybersecurity metrics for the SMT and Board of Directors on a regular basis, and the CISO presents those reports to the SMT and Board of Directors and addresses any questions and concerns raised by the SMT and Board of Directors. At least annually, the Board of Directors meets with the CISO in person to discuss cybersecurity in greater detail.

Our headquarters is located in our bank’s main office facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our bank operates 43 banking offices primarily concentrated throughout Western and Central Michigan, most of which are full-service facilities. We also have banking offices located in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area, Traverse City, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan, and Midland, Michigan, as well as a residential mortgage loan production office in Petoskey, Michigan. We have larger banking facilities in Kalamazoo, Lansing, Mt. Pleasant and West Branch. The remaining banking offices generally range in size from 1,200 to 3,200 square feet, based on the location and number of employees located at the facility. All of our banking offices are owned by our bank except for ten that are rented under various operating lease agreements. In addition, certain functions operate out of our standalone facility located in Alma, Michigan.

We consider our properties and equipment to be well maintained, in good operating condition and capable of accommodating current growth forecasts. However, we may choose to add branch locations to expand our presence in current markets and/or in new markets or, alternatively, to consolidate, close or relocate branches if we believe it would be beneficial to our overall performance.

From time to time, we may be involved in various legal proceedings that are incidental to our business. In the opinion of management, we are not a party to any legal proceedings that are material to our financial condition, either individually or in the aggregate.

The information under the heading “Market Risk Analysis” included in this Annual Report is incorporated here by reference.

As of December 31, 2023, an evaluation was performed under the supervision of and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2023.

There have been no significant changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f). There are inherent limitations in the effectiveness of any system of internal control. Accordingly, even an effective system of internal control can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. This evaluation was based on criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting described in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on our evaluation under the COSO framework, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023. Refer to page F-31 for management’s report.