UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | ☒ | Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No
The aggregate market value of the registrant's outstanding voting common stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2020, based on last sale price as reported on the NASDAQ Stock Market on that date, was approximately $
As March 19, 2021,
Documents Incorporated by Reference:
Certain portions, as expressly described in this report, of the registrant's Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Shareholders, to be filed within 120 days of December 31, 2020, are incorporated by reference into Part III, Items 10-14.
STERLING BANCORP, INC.
2020 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
INDEX
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Unless we state otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “Sterling,” “we,” “our,” “us” or “the Company” refer to Sterling Bancorp, Inc., a Michigan corporation, and its subsidiaries, including Sterling Bank and Trust, F.S.B., which we sometimes refer to as “Sterling Bank,” “the Bank” or “our Bank.”
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains certain statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding the Company's plans, expectations, thoughts, beliefs, estimates, goals and outlook for the future that are intended to be covered by the protections provided under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "may," "might," "should," "could," "predict," "potential," "believe," "expect," "attribute," "continue," "will," "anticipate," "seek," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "projection," "goal," "target," "outlook," "aim," "would," "annualized" and "outlook," or the negative versions of those words or other comparable words or phrases of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and they are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions, estimates and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements.
The risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and others, may cause actual future results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. A summary of these factors is below, under the heading “Risk Factors Summary.” For additional information on factors that could materially affect the forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see the risk factors set forth under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should carefully consider the factors discussed below, and in our Risk Factors and other disclosures, in evaluating these forward-looking statements.
Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise except as required by law. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of any particular risk, uncertainty or other factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
Risk Factors Summary
The following is a summary of the material risks we are exposed to in the course of our business activities. The below summary does not contain all of the information that may be important to you, and you should read the below summary together with the more detailed discussion of risks set forth under "Item 1A. Risk Factors," as well as under "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."
Risks Related to the Advantage Loan Program
| ● | The results of the internal review of our Advantage Loan Program and related matters (the “Internal Review”) |
| ● | The results of investigations of us by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC"), the U.S. Department of Justice (the "DOJ"), the SEC or other governmental agencies |
| ● | The costs of legal proceedings, including settlements and judgments |
| ● | The effects of the permanent discontinuation of our Advantage Loan Program |
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| ● | Compliance with the publicly available formal agreement with the OCC, dated June 18, 2019 (the “OCC Agreement”), and Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) and anti-money laundering (“AML”) laws and regulations (“BSA/AML”) generally |
| ● | Potential future losses in connection with representations and warranties we have made with respect to residential real estate loans that we have sold into the secondary market |
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
| ● | The economic impact, and governmental and regulatory actions to mitigate the impact, of the disruptions created by the coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") pandemic |
| ● | The effects of the economic disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic on our loan portfolio |
Risks Related to the Economy and Financial Markets
| ● | The effects of fiscal and monetary policies and regulations of the federal government and Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “FRB” or “Federal Reserve”) |
| ● | Changes in the state of the general economy and the financial markets and their effects on the demand for our loan services |
Risks Related to Credit
| ● | The credit risks of lending activities, including changes in the levels of delinquencies and nonperforming assets and changes in the financial performance and/or economic condition of our borrowers |
| ● | Our concentration in residential real estate loans |
| ● | The geographic concentration of our loans and operations in California |
| ● | The potential insufficiency of our allowance for loan losses to cover losses in our loan portfolio |
Risks Related to Our Highly Regulated Industry
| ● | The extensive laws and regulations affecting the financial services industry, including the qualified thrift lender (“QTL”) test, the continued effects of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "“Dodd-Frank Act") and related rulemaking, changes in banking, securities and tax laws and regulations and their application by our regulators and the Community Reinvestment Act (the “CRA”) and fair lending laws |
| ● | Adverse effects that may arise from the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or a failure to promptly remediate them |
Risks Related to Competition
| ● | Strong competition within our market areas or with respect to our products and pricing |
| ● | Our reputation as a community bank and the effects of continued negative publicity |
| ● | Our ability to keep pace with technological change and introduce new products and services |
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Risks Related to Interest Rates
| ● | Negative impacts of future changes in interest rates |
| ● | Uncertainty relating to the determination and discontinuance of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) |
Risks Related to Liquidity
| ● | Our ability to ensure we have adequate liquidity |
| ● | Our ability to obtain external financing on favorable terms, or at all, in the future |
| ● | The quality of our real estate loans and our ability to sell our loans to the secondary market |
Other Risks Related to Our Business
| ● | The recent significant transition in our senior management and our ability to attract and retain key employees and other qualified personnel |
| ● | Our operational, technological and organizational infrastructure, including the effectiveness of our enterprise risk management framework at mitigating risk and loss to us |
| ● | Operational risks from a high volume of financial transactions and increased reliance on technology, including risk of loss related to cybersecurity or privacy breaches |
| ● | The ability of customers and counterparties to provide accurate and complete information and the soundness of third parties on which we rely |
| ● | Our employees' adherence to our internal policies and procedures |
| ● | The effects of natural disasters on us and our California borrowers and the adequacy of our business continuity and disaster recovery plans |
| ● | Climate change and related legislative and regulatory initiatives |
| ● | Adverse conditions internationally and their effects on our customers |
| ● | Fluctuations in securities markets, including changes to the valuation of our securities portfolio |
| ● | The value of our mortgage servicing rights |
| ● | The reliance of our critical accounting policies and estimates, including for the allowance for loan losses, on analytical and forecasting techniques and models |
| ● | Other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and technological factors affecting our operations, pricing, products and services and the other risks described elsewhere herein or in the documents incorporated by reference herein and our other filings with the SEC |
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Risks Related to Governance Matters
| ● | The Seligman family's ability to influence our operations and control the outcome of matters submitted for shareholder approval |
| ● | Our ability to pay dividends |
The foregoing risk factors should not be construed as an exhaustive list and should be read in conjunction with the cautionary statements that are included under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as the items set forth under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
General
We are a unitary savings and loan holding company incorporated in 1989 and headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Our primary business is the operation of our wholly-owned subsidiary, Sterling Bank, through which we offer a range of loan products to the residential and commercial markets, as well as retail banking services.
Sterling Bank has 30 branches, including 20 branches in the San Francisco area, six in greater Los Angeles, two branches in New York City, one branch in the greater Seattle market and our headquarters branch in Michigan.
Our results of operations are dependent primarily on our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest earned on our assets, primarily our loan and securities portfolios, and the interest paid on our deposits and borrowings. Our net income is also affected by our provision for loan losses, non-interest income, non-interest expense (general and administrative expense) and income tax expense. Non-interest income includes service charges and fees; investment management and advisory fees; net gain on sales of loans and securities; mortgage servicing fee income, net; income from bank owned life insurance, or BOLI; and other non-interest income. General and administrative expense consists of salaries and employee benefits expense; occupancy and equipment expense; federal deposit insurance assessments; advertising and marketing expense; data processing expense; professional fees; and other non-interest expenses. Our net income is also significantly affected by general economic and competitive conditions, particularly changes in market interest rates and U.S. Treasury yield curves, government policies and actions of regulatory authorities.
Internal Review, Investigations and Regulatory Matters Related to the Advantage Loan Program
On December 9, 2019, the Company announced it had voluntarily suspended its Advantage Loan Program in connection with the Internal Review. The primary focus of the Internal Review, which has been led by outside legal counsel under the direction of a special committee of independent directors (the “Special Committee”), has involved the origination of residential real estate loans under the Advantage Loan Program and related matters. The Internal Review has indicated that certain employees engaged in misconduct in connection with the origination of a significant number of such loans. As a result, the Company permanently discontinued the Advantage Loan Program, and a significant number of officers and employees have been terminated or resigned, including the top loan producers within the Advantage Loan Program. While the Internal Review is substantially complete, the Company expects it to remain open during the pendency of the government investigations discussed below, and it is possible additional work will be required in connection with the Internal Review.
The Bank is currently under formal investigation by the OCC, is responding to grand jury subpoenas from the DOJ and is responding to a formal investigation recently initiated by the SEC that is related to the Advantage Loan Program. The Bank also continues to be subject to the OCC Agreement, which relates primarily to certain aspects of the Bank’s BSA/AML compliance program as well as its credit administration. The OCC Agreement requires the Bank to: (i) establish a compliance committee to monitor and oversee the Bank’s compliance with the provisions of the OCC Agreement; (ii) develop a revised customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence program; (iii) develop a revised suspicious activity monitoring program; (iv) engage an independent, third-party consultant to review and provide a written report on the Bank’s suspicious activity monitoring; (v) develop revised policies and procedures to ensure effective BSA/AML model risk management for the Bank’s automated suspicious activity monitoring system, which must be validated by a qualified, independent third party; (vi) ensure that the Bank’s BSA Department maintains sufficient personnel; and (vii) develop revised policies and procedures to ensure effective controls over loan underwriting. In addition to these requirements, while the OCC Agreement remains in effect, the Bank is subject to certain restrictions on expansion activities, such as growth through acquisition or branching to supplement organic growth of the Bank.
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For additional information regarding risks related to the Internal Review, the OCC, DOJ and SEC investigations and the OCC Agreement, as well as other aspects of, and consequences arising from, the Advantage Loan Program, see the risk factors under “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Advantage Loan Program.”
Our Strategy
Our historical lending strategy has been to offer a range of loan products to the residential and commercial markets. The majority of our loan portfolio consists of residential real estate mortgages, which accounted for 81% of our loan portfolio as of December 31, 2020. The balance of our loan portfolio consists of commercial real estate loans, construction loans, and commercial lines of credit.
Although we discontinued originating loans under the Advantage Loan Program at the end of 2019, we continued to originate residential real estate loans in 2020, primarily conforming loans, for portfolio or for sale to the secondary market. Our focus for 2020, which will continue for 2021, was to continue to work hard to resolve our outstanding compliance issues and re-establish strong credit metrics for new lending initiatives, and to focus on the diversification of our overall loan production and develop new residential loan products. However, the implementation of any new loan products takes time and may be subject to the prior review and approval of applicable bank regulatory authorities. In addition, we will continue to explore exiting unproductive or ancillary businesses and aggressively resolve problem loans. For example, the Company closed the sale of substantially all of the assets of QCM, LLC (“Quantum Capital Management”), its registered investment advisory business, on December 21, 2020, and placed $19.4 million of nonperforming loans into held for sale as of year-end.
Subsidiaries
In addition to the Bank, the Company has the following subsidiaries:
Quantum Fund, LLC (“Quantum”).Following the sale of substantially all of the assets of Quantum Capital Management on December 21, 2020, Quantum is inactive, is in the process of being wound down and ultimately will be dissolved.
Sterling Wealth Management.Sterling Wealth Management, a subsidiary of the Bank, formerly provided wealth management services to certain of the Bank’s customers. Sterling Wealth Management was dissolved in 2020.
OUR BUSINESS
Lending Activities
One- to-Four Family Residential Loans. The origination of mortgage loans to enable borrowers to purchase or refinance existing homes comprises the largest portion of our loan portfolio. We offer fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans with terms of up to 30 years. Historically, our most significant product was our Advantage Loan Program, but as a result of the permanent discontinuation of the Advantage Loan Program, we expect our near-term total residential loan production to be significantly below historical levels. To avoid the uncertainty of audits and inquiries by third-party investors in Advantage Loan Program loans sold to the secondary market, beginning at the end of the second quarter of 2020, we commenced making offers to each of those investors to repurchase 100% of our previously sold Advantage Loan Program loans. At December 31, 2020, the unpaid principal balance of residential mortgage loans sold under the Advantage Loan Program that were subject to potential repurchase obligations for breach of representations and warranties totaled $429.8 million. As of December 31, 2020, we had repurchased such loans with an aggregate principal balance of $69.6 million.
Among the products we continue to offer are our tenant-in-common, or TIC, loans, which are similar to traditional co-op loans. Our primary market areas of San Francisco and Los Angeles contain a substantial number of two- to six-unit residential buildings and a large amount of condominium conversions. Through our TIC loan program, we lend to owners of individual units within the building based on their relative ownership share. Our TIC loans generally consist of three-, five- and seven-year adjustable rate mortgages, with an average balance of approximately $0.5 million and total outstanding loans of $473.0 million as of December 31, 2020. We also offer conventional conforming fixed-rate loans with terms of either 15, 20, or 30 years for mortgages of less than $0.6 million. The bulk of our conforming mortgage loans are originated with the intent to sell, after which we typically retain servicing rights. In addition, we have a jumbo loan program for residential real estate loans of between $0.6 million and $2.5 million,
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for which we offer both fixed and adjustable rates. Across our portfolio, our adjustable-rate mortgage loans are based on a 30-year amortization schedule and generally interest rates and payments adjust annually after a one-, three-, five- or seven-year initial fixed period. Interest rates on our adjustable-rate loans generally are adjusted to a rate typically equal to 350 to 450 basis points above the one-year LIBOR. Across our residential portfolio, our loan-to-value ratio (defined as current loan amount compared to appraised value at the time of loan origination) was 62% as of December 31, 2020. For discussion regarding risks particular to our residential real estate loans, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Credit—Changes in economic conditions could cause an increase in delinquencies and nonperforming assets, including loan charge offs, which could depress our net income and growth.”
Commercial Loans. We offer a variety of commercial loan products, consisting primarily of commercial real estate loans, construction loans and commercial lines of credit. The majority of our commercial loans are secured by real estate or other business assets. Our commercial loans are almost exclusively recourse loans, as we endeavor to secure personal guarantees on each loan we underwrite. During 2020, we continued to re-evaluate our commercial lending activities in light of the significant negative impact on the economy that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commercial Real Estate Loans. Our commercial real estate portfolio includes loans secured by single-room occupancy hotels (“SROs”), hotels and office, industrial, retail, multifamily and mixed-use properties. We focus almost exclusively on projects within or contiguous to our branch footprint, focusing on credits with income-producing properties, strong cash flow characteristics and strong collateral profiles. At December 31, 2020, approximately 74% of the commercial real estate loan portfolio consisted of adjustable-rate loans with an average reset of 30 months. Our loan-to-value policy limits are 75% for commercial real estate loans and 80% for multifamily mortgage loans. The total commercial real estate portfolio totaled $260.0 million and $240.1 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, of which $2.8 million and $3.9 million, respectively, were secured by owner occupied properties. For discussion regarding the risks particular to our commercial real estate loans, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Credit—Our commercial real estate loans are subject to credit risks, including changes in operating cash flows from the underlying properties or businesses, that may adversely impact our results of operation and financial condition.”
Construction Loans. Our construction loans are comprised primarily of residential construction, commercial construction and mixed-use development loans. Interest reserves are generally established on construction loans. These loans are typically based on the prime rate of interest and have maturities of up to 36 months. Until recently, our loan-to-value policy limits were 80% for commercial construction loans and 65% for land loans, but in December 2020, we reduced these limits to 70% and 40% respectively. The total construction loan portfolio totaled $206.6 million and $178.4 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. For discussion regarding the risks particular to our construction loans, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Credit—Our construction loans are subject to a variety of risks that may adversely impact our results of operation and financial condition.”
Commercial Lines of Credit. We also offer commercial lines of credit to businesses and individuals for business purposes. These lines of credit are typically secured by real estate, inventory, equipment, accounts receivable and other assets. The total commercial line of credit portfolio totaled $6.7 million and $17.9 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Investment Portfolio
As of December 31, 2020, the fair value of our investment portfolio totaled $305.0 million, with an average effective yield of 0.46%, and the estimated duration on the fixed income portion of our investment portfolio (fair value of $299.6 million) is 1.9 years. The primary objectives of the investment portfolio are to provide liquidity, generate economic value, be responsive to cash needs and assist in managing interest rate risk. As of December 31, 2020, 46% of our investment portfolio consists of U.S. treasuries and agency notes, with the balance in mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage and debt obligations or equity securities. We regularly evaluate the composition of our investment portfolio as the interest rate yield curve changes and may sell investment securities from time to time to adjust our exposure to interest rates or to provide liquidity to meet loan demand.
Our investment policy is reviewed at least annually by our board of directors. Overall investment goals are established by our board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and members of our Asset and Liability Committee (“ALCO”). Our board of directors has delegated the responsibility of monitoring our investment activities to our management and ALCO. Day-to-day activities pertaining to the securities portfolio are conducted under the supervision of the Bank’s Chief Financial Officer. We actively monitor our investments on an ongoing basis to identify any material changes in the securities.
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Deposits
We offer traditional depository products, including checking, savings, money market, IRAs and certificates of deposits, to individuals and businesses through our branch network throughout our market areas. Deposits at the Bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) up to statutory limits. We offer customers traditional retail deposit products through our branch network and the ability to access their accounts through online and mobile banking platforms. We seek to grow our deposits through use of competitive rates, a focused marketing campaign, and multi-product clubs in which we offer varying benefits depending on the overall relationship with the customer. Our bankers are incentivized to acquire and maintain quality, core deposits as we depend on deposits to fund the majority of our loans. We believe that our long-standing and high quality relationships with our depositors who provide us with long-term funding are due to the convenience, rates and dedicated service we offer. We leverage our branch locations and deep network of customer relationships in our market areas to provide funding sources for our lending business. Brokered deposits are obtained when needed to build liquidity at favorable rates.
Market Area
The primary markets in which we operate are San Francisco and greater Los Angeles, and our 26-branch network in these areas is our core distribution channel. In addition, we have two branches in New York City, one branch in the greater Seattle market and our headquarters branch in Michigan. We strive to take advantage of our core footprint, new markets and deep-rooted relationships to target local customers with a diversified product offering. Our local branch network enables us to gather deposits, promote the Sterling brand and customer loyalty, originate loans and other products and maintain relationships with our customers through regular community involvement.
Competition
The financial services industry is highly competitive as we compete for loans, deposits and customer relationships in our market. Competition involves efforts to retain current clients, make new loans and obtain new deposits, increase the scope and sophistication of services offered and offer competitive interest rates paid on deposits and charged on loans. Within our branch footprint, we primarily face competition from national, regional and other local financial institutions that have established branch networks throughout the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas as well as our new markets, giving them visible retail presence to customers.
In mortgage banking, we face competition from a wide range of national financial institutions, regional and local community banks, as well as credit unions and national mortgage underwriters. In commercial banking, we face competition to underwrite loans to sound, stable businesses and real estate projects at competitive price levels that make sense for our business and risk profile. Our major commercial bank competitors include larger national, regional and local financial institutions that may have the ability to make loans on larger projects than we can or provide a larger mix of product offerings. We also compete with smaller local financial institutions that may have aggressive pricing and unique terms on various types of loans and, increasingly, financial technology platforms that offer their products exclusively through web-based portals.
In retail banking, we primarily compete with national and local banks that have visible retail presence and personnel in our market areas. The primary factors driving competition in consumer banking are customer service, interest rates, fees charged, branch location and hours of operation and the range of products offered. We compete for deposits by advertising, offering competitive interest rates and seeking to provide a higher level of personal service. We also face competition from non-traditional alternatives to banks such as credit unions, internet based banks, money centers, money market mutual funds and cash management accounts.
For further discussion regarding the competitive factors and uncertainties impacting our business, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors-Risks Related to Competition."
HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2020, we had 285 full-time and nine part-time employees, located in California, Michigan, New York and Washington. None of our employees are represented by any collective bargaining unit or are parties to a collective bargaining agreement. We believe that our relations with our employees are good.
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Human Capital Objectives
The Bank relies on the personal relationships and the quality of service provided by employees. As a trusted neighborhood bank, we provide a comprehensive choice of banking solutions, loan products and outstanding personal service to individuals, professionals, businesses and commercial customers. Attracting, recruiting, developing and retaining diverse talent enables us to provide our customers with products and services to meet their financial goals. We are focused on supporting our employees, from recruitment to onboarding to development designed to enrich their work experience. We consider the management of our talent to be essential to the ongoing success of our business.
Even though 2020 was a transitional year for us, due to significant executive and employee turnover, we believe that our relations with our employees remain positive, and they are key to our success.
Culture and Values
Core values at Sterling include community, service, integrity and employees working together. Sterling has a tradition of active involvement in its local communities and provides support and time away from work for employees to be involved in service projects. Employees are encouraged to work together in an environment of ongoing learning and development so that all team members can achieve their highest potential. In addition, following the transition to Thomas M. O'Brien as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank in June 2020, we engaged a consulting firm to survey our employee base, which found that our employees value our work environment and culture.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Human Resources Department receives annual diversity training and focuses on improving recruitment and retention of women and ethnically diverse employees in positions through our diversity outreach initiative. As of December 31, 2020, 58% of our employees were female, and 66% of our employees were ethnically diverse, and in the group of employees at the level of assistant vice president or higher, 45% were female, and 20% were ethnically diverse.
We have implemented policies and training focused on non-discrimination and sexual harassment prevention. We embrace diversity and inclusion, which we believe fosters creativity, innovation and thought leadership through new ideas and perspectives.
Employee Attraction, Development and Retention
We strive to provide pay, benefits and services that help meet the varying needs of our employees. Compensation and benefits include bonuses and incentives, restricted stock and stock options, health benefits, a 401(k) plan, financial education and counseling, partial tuition reimbursement, wellness initiatives (including programs designed to help our employees meet their health goals) and paid time off. We annually review benefits to ensure that a competitive and valuable benefit package is available to meet the well-being of our employees and their families. Members of our human resources department are located in both Michigan and California.
Our ability to retain our customers and develop relationships with them depends on the capabilities and knowledge of our employees. In 2020, we offered employees various amounts of training courses based on department and the skills required to complete their specific job functions. The Bank offered upwards of 52 required training courses, but also provides access to more than 600 courses that employees may take voluntarily. Our average employee received over 20 hours of training in 2020. Our management trainees learn different aspects of the Bank’s business by rotating through various departments.
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have provided support to all of our employees, including a transition into work-from-home status without a reduction in salaries or any other benefits during such transition period. In 2020, approximately 60 percent of our employees were able to work remotely. We also took actions, including implementation of health and safety protocols and procedures, in support of our front-line, essential retail employees whose positions required them to go into their respective branches to serve our customers. We were able to maintain these employees’ compensation levels despite modifications to our branch operating hours and schedules.
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Executive and Board Transition
We experienced significant executive and board transitions commencing in late 2019 continuing through 2020. On October 17, 2019, we announced the retirement of our then-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gary Judd, effective as of November 30, 2019. On October 15, 2019, the board of directors appointed Thomas Lopp, our then-President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman effective upon Mr. Judd’s retirement. The board of directors also appointed Stephen Huber as Chief Financial Officer, also effective November 30, 2019. On May 7, 2020, Mr. Lopp resigned from each of his positions with the Company and the board of directors appointed Mr. Huber as interim Chief Executive Officer. On May 29, 2020, Michael Montemayor was terminated from his positions as President of Commercial and Retail Banking and Chief Lending Officer. Effective June 3, 2020, the Company and the Bank appointed Thomas M. O’Brien as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank, respectively. Mr. Huber continued in his role as Chief Financial Officer following the appointment of Mr. O’Brien. Christine Meredith was hired by the Bank in the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer starting on February 3, 2020. Since October 1, 2019, more than 150 officers and employees have been terminated or have resigned, including more than 45 loan officers, whether in connection with the Internal Review or otherwise.
In addition, on September 18, 2020, Rachel Tronstein Stewart notified the Company that she would not stand for re-election as a director when her term expired at the 2020 annual meeting of shareholders, which was held on December 4, 2020. On September 22, 2020, Denny Kim and Steven Gallotta were appointed to the boards of the Company and the Bank, which was effective upon receipt of regulatory non-objection from the OCC. On October 14, 2020, Peter Sinatra notified the Company of his resignation from the boards of both the Company and the Bank, in connection with the execution by Quantum Capital Management of an Asset Purchase Agreement to sell substantially all of its assets. Mr. Sinatra also resigned from all his other positions with Quantum Capital Management, the Company and the Bank, effective on December 31, 2020. On December 11, 2020, Barry Allen notified the Company of his resignation from the boards of both the Company and the Bank, effective as of December 31, 2020. To fill the vacancy created by Mr. Allen’s resignation, the board appointed Tracey Dedrick to the boards of both the Company and the Bank on December 17, 2020, which was effective upon receipt of regulatory non-objection from the OCC.
In addition to the transitions described above, we appointed our first Chief Compliance Officer and a new Chief Auditor, who performed a staffing analysis on our current Internal Audit team structure and qualifications, and created a new IT Risk Management function and new officer position of Information Security Officer. We believe that all of these key positions added to our team will enable us to compete effectively and continue to provide value-added services to our customers, as well as attract, retain and motivate qualified professionals.
SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
General
As a federal savings bank, Sterling Bank is subject to primary examination and regulation by the OCC and, as an insured depository institution, the FDIC. The federal system of regulation and supervision establishes a comprehensive framework of activities in which Sterling Bank may engage and is intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (the "DIF") rather than our shareholders. Sterling Bank also is a member of, and owns stock in, the Federal Home Loan Bank (the "FHLB") of Indianapolis, which is one of the 11 regional banks in the FHLB system.
As a unitary thrift holding company, Sterling Bancorp is required to comply with the rules and regulations of the FRB. We are required to file certain reports with the FRB and are subject to examination by and the enforcement authority of the FRB. Sterling Bancorp is also subject to the rules and regulations of the SEC under the federal securities laws.
Under this system of regulation, the regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory, enforcement, rulemaking and examination activities and policies, including rules or policies that: establish minimum capital levels; restrict the timing and amount of dividend payments; govern the classification of assets; determine the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses for regulatory purposes; and establish the timing and amounts of assessments and fees. Moreover, as part of their examination authority, the banking regulators assign numerical ratings to banks and savings institutions relating to capital, asset quality, management, liquidity, earnings and other factors. These ratings are inherently subjective and the receipt of a less than satisfactory rating in one or more categories may result in enforcement action by the banking regulators against a financial institution. A less than satisfactory rating may also prevent a financial institution, such as Sterling Bank or Sterling Bancorp, from obtaining
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necessary regulatory approvals to access the capital markets, pay dividends, acquire other financial institutions or establish new branches.
In addition, we must comply with significant AML and anti-terrorism laws and regulations, the CRA and regulations implemented thereunder, and fair lending laws and regulations. Government agencies have the authority to impose monetary penalties and other sanctions on institutions that fail to comply with these laws and regulations, which could significantly affect our business activities, including our ability to expand our branch network or acquire other financial institutions.
Finally, we are also subject to the laws and regulations of the State of Michigan, in which our main office is located, and other states in which we do business.
Any change in applicable laws or regulations, whether by the OCC, the FDIC, the FRB, the SEC, state regulators, or Congress, could have a material adverse impact on the operations and financial performance of Sterling Bancorp and Sterling Bank.
Set forth below is a brief description of material regulatory requirements that are or will be applicable to Sterling Bank and Sterling Bancorp. The description is limited to certain material aspects of the statutes and regulations addressed, and is not intended to be a complete description of such statutes and regulations and their effects on Sterling Bank and Sterling Bancorp.
The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018
On May 24, 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (the “EGRRCPA”) was enacted, which repeals or modifies certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and eases regulations on all but the largest banks. The EGRRCPA’s provisions—for which banking agencies have now issued certain corresponding guidance documents and/or proposed or final rules—include, among other things: (i) creating a new category of qualified mortgages (“QMs”) presumed to satisfy ability-to-repay requirements for loans that meet certain criteria and are held in portfolio by banks with less than $10 billion in assets; (ii) not requiring appraisals for certain transactions valued at less than $400,000 in rural areas; (iii) exempting banks that originate fewer than 500 open-end and 500 closed-end mortgages from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act’s expanded data disclosures; (iv) clarifying that, subject to various conditions, reciprocal deposits of another depository institution obtained using a deposit broker through a deposit placement network for purposes of obtaining maximum deposit insurance would not be considered brokered deposits subject to the FDIC’s brokered-deposit regulations; and (v) simplifying capital calculations by requiring regulators to establish for institutions under $10 billion in assets a community bank leverage ratio (the “CBLR”), which is the ratio of Tier 1 capital to average consolidated assets, at a percentage not less than 8% and not greater than 10% that such institutions may elect to replace the general applicable risk-based capital requirements for determining well capitalized status.
Federal Banking Regulation
Business Activities. A federal savings bank derives its lending and investment powers from the Home Owners’ Loan Act, as amended (“HOLA”), and applicable federal regulations. Under these laws and regulations, Sterling Bank may invest in mortgage loans secured by residential and commercial real estate, commercial business and consumer loans, certain types of debt securities and certain other assets, subject to applicable limits. Sterling Bank may also establish subsidiaries that may engage in certain activities not otherwise permissible for Sterling Bank, including wealth and investment management.
Capital Requirements. As long as we do not elect the CBLR, federal regulations will continue to require Sterling Bancorp and Sterling Bank to meet several minimum capital standards. In the case of Sterling Bank, minimum capital standards include a common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 4.5%, a Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 6.0%, a total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 8.0%, and a Tier 1 capital to adjusted average total assets leverage ratio of 4.0%. These capital requirements were effective January 1, 2015 and are the result of a final rule implementing recommendations of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and certain requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act.
In determining the amount of risk-weighted assets for purposes of calculating risk-based capital ratios, all assets, including certain off-balance sheet assets (for example, recourse obligations, direct credit substitutes and residual interests) are multiplied by a risk-weight factor assigned by the regulations based on the risks believed inherent in the type of asset. Higher levels of capital are required for asset categories believed to present greater risk. Common equity Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common shareholders’ equity and retained earnings. Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common equity Tier 1 and additional Tier 1 capital.
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Additional Tier 1 capital includes certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries. Total capital includes Tier 1 capital (common equity Tier 1 capital plus additional Tier 1 capital) and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital is comprised of capital instruments and related surplus, meeting specified requirements, and may include cumulative preferred stock and long-term perpetual preferred stock, mandatory convertible securities, intermediate preferred stock and subordinated debt. Also included in Tier 2 capital is the allowance for loan losses limited to a maximum of 1.25% of risk-weighted assets. Calculation of all types of regulatory capital is subject to deductions and adjustments specified in the regulations. In assessing an institution’s capital adequacy, the OCC takes into consideration not only these numeric factors, but qualitative factors as well, and has the authority to establish higher capital requirements for individual institutions where deemed necessary.
In addition to establishing the minimum regulatory capital requirements, the regulations limit capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments to management if the institution does not hold a capital conservation buffer (“CCB”) consisting of 2.5% of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets above the amount necessary to meet its minimum risk-based capital requirements. The CCB requirement was phased in, a process that began January 1, 2016 at 0.625% of risk-weighted assets and increased each year until the buffer was implemented at 2.5% of risk-weighted assets on January 1, 2019.
On September 17, 2019, the FDIC finalized a rule that introduces an optional simplified measure of capital adequacy for qualifying community banking organizations (that is, the CBLR framework), as required by the EGRRCPA. The CBLR framework is designed to reduce burden by removing the requirements for calculating and reporting risk-based capital ratios for qualifying community banking organizations that opt into the framework. In order to qualify for the CBLR framework, a community banking organization must have (i) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of greater than 9.0%, (ii) less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets, and (iii) limited amounts of off-balance-sheet exposures and trading assets and liabilities. A qualifying community banking organization that opts into the CBLR framework and meets all requirements under the framework will be considered to have met the well capitalized ratio requirements under prompt corrective action regulations and will not be required to report or calculate risk-based capital.
The new rule became effective on January 1, 2020, and the CBLR framework became available for banks to use beginning with their March 31, 2020 Call Reports. Sterling Bank does not have immediate plans to elect to use the CBLR framework but may make such an election in the future. As discussed below under the subsection titled "Government and Regulatory Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic," Congress and the federal banking agencies, through legislation and subsequent rulemaking initiatives, have provided financial institutions that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with greater flexibility with which to make CBLR elections.
At December 31, 2020, the Company and the Bank met all regulatory capital requirements to which they are subject.
Loans-to-One Borrower. Generally, a federal savings bank may not make a loan or extend credit to a single or related group of borrowers in excess of 15% of unimpaired capital and surplus. An additional amount may be loaned, equal to 10% of unimpaired capital and surplus, if the loan is secured by readily marketable collateral, which generally includes certain financial instruments (but not real estate). As of December 31, 2020, Sterling Bank was in compliance with the loans-to-one borrower limitations.
QTL Test. Federal law requires savings associations to meet a QTL test. Under the test, a savings bank is required to either qualify as a “domestic building and loan association” under the Internal Revenue Code or maintain at least 65% of its portfolio assets (total assets less: (i) specified liquid assets up to 20% of total assets; (ii) intangibles, including goodwill; and (iii) the value of property used to conduct business) in certain qualified thrift investments (primarily multifamily residential mortgages and related investments, including certain mortgage-backed securities but also including education, credit card and small business loans) in at least nine months out of each 12-month period.
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A savings association that fails the QTL test is subject to certain operating restrictions, including a prohibition against dividends, and the Dodd-Frank Act also specifies that failing the QTL test is a violation of law that could result in an enforcement action and dividend limitations. At December 31, 2020, Sterling Bank satisfied the QTL test.
Capital Distributions. Federal regulations impose limitations on capital distributions by a federal savings bank, which include cash dividends, stock repurchases and other transactions charged to the savings bank’s capital account. A federal savings bank must file an application with the OCC for approval of a capital distribution if:
| ● | the total capital distributions for the applicable calendar year exceed the sum of the savings bank’s net income for that year to date plus the savings bank’s retained net income for the preceding two years; |
| ● | the savings bank would not be at least adequately capitalized following the distribution; |
| ● | the distribution would violate any applicable statute, regulation, agreement or regulatory condition; or |
| ● | the savings bank is not eligible for expedited treatment of its filings, generally due to an unsatisfactory CAMELS rating or being subject to a cease and desist order or formal written agreement that requires action to improve the institution’s financial condition. |
Even if an application is not otherwise required, every savings bank that is a subsidiary of a unitary thrift holding company, such as Sterling Bank, must still file a notice with the FRB at least 30 days before the board of directors declares a dividend or approves a capital distribution. FRB approval is also required for any repurchase of capital stock by a financial institution, such as Sterling Bancorp, with over $3 billion in assets.
A notice or application related to a capital distribution or share repurchase may be disapproved if:
| ● | the federal savings bank would be undercapitalized following the distribution; |
| ● | the proposed capital distribution raises safety and soundness concerns; or |
| ● | the capital distribution would violate a prohibition contained in any statute, regulation or agreement. |
In addition, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act provides that an insured depository institution may not make any capital distribution if, after making such distribution, the institution would fail to meet any applicable regulatory capital requirement.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 17, 2020, the federal banking agencies issued an interim final rule revising the definition of “eligible retained income” for banking organizations subject to the capital rules. To reduce the likelihood of significant limitations on banking organizations’ capital distributions in light of COVID-19-related reductions in capital ratios, the interim final rule amends the definition of “eligible retained income” as the greater of (1) a banking organization’s net income for the four preceding calendar quarters, net of any distributions and associated tax effects not already reflected in net income, and (2) the average of a banking organization’s net income over the preceding four quarters. A final rule making this interim rule permanent was adopted on August 26, 2020. Despite the more relaxed rule, banking organizations are still expected to manage their capital actions and liquidity risk prudently and in a safe and sound manner.
CRA and Fair Lending Laws. Under the CRA, as implemented by federal regulations, all federal savings banks have a continuing and affirmative obligation, consistent with its safe and sound operation, to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate- income borrowers. The CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions nor does it limit an institution’s discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community, consistent with the CRA. The CRA requires the OCC, in connection with its examination of a federally chartered savings association, to assess the institution's record of meeting the credit needs of its community and to take such record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by such institution. A savings bank’s failure to comply with the provisions of the CRA could, at a minimum, result in denial of certain corporate applications such as branch expansion or mergers, or in restrictions on its activities. The CRA requires a written evaluation of an institution’s CRA performance utilizing a four-tiered
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descriptive rating system. All institutions insured by the FDIC must publicly disclose their rating. Sterling Bank received a satisfactory CRA rating in its most recent federal examination.
The CRA, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The fair lending laws prohibit discrimination in the provision of banking services on the basis of prohibited factors including, among others, race, color, national origin, gender, and religion. The enforcement of these laws has been an increasing focus for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) and other regulators. Under the fair lending laws, a lender may be liable for policies that result in a disparate treatment of or have a disparate impact on a protected class of applicants or borrowers. If a pattern or practice of lending discrimination is alleged by a regulator, then that agency may refer the matter to the DOJ for investigation. A successful challenge to an institution’s performance under the CRA or fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including the required payment of damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity and restrictions on expansion activity. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation.
The OCC published a final rule on June 5, 2020 representing the first major revision of the federal interagency CRA regulations in 25 years. Among other things, the final rule provided for objective numerical metrics for quantifying CRA performance, procedures to facilitate the identification of qualifying CRA activities, and, in the case of institutions with a majority of their deposits outside of traditional, facilities-based assessment areas, assessment areas based on the locations of significant levels of retail domestic deposits. The final rule also provided for the periodic publication of a non-exhaustive list of examples of qualifying activities. In addition, the final revision imposed significant additional reporting and information collection requirements on covered institutions. The Federal Reserve and the FDIC, although they have expressed interest in CRA reform, were not part of this effort. Members of Congress and community groups have expressed hostility to the new rule, and have raised the possibility of repealing it through legislative action. In light of this uncertainty, it is impossible to predict the substance and timing of a revised CRA rule. In addition, on November 24, 2020, the OCC issued a proposed rule to establish its proposed approach to determine the CRA evaluation measurement benchmarks, retail lending distribution test thresholds and community development minimums under the general performance standards set forth in the June 2020 final rule.
Ability-to-Repay Rules. Rules promulgated by the CFPB require that in connection with the origination of residential real estate loans within its scope, a mortgage lender must make a reasonable and good faith determination at or before consummation that the consumer will have a reasonable ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Among other requirements, a creditor must verify the information on which it bases its repayment ability determination by using reasonably reliable, written third-party records. These rules, which we refer to as the “ability-to-repay rules,” prohibit creditors, such as Sterling Bank, from extending residential real estate loans without regard for the consumer's ability to repay and add restrictions and requirements to residential mortgage origination and servicing practices. In addition, these rules restrict the imposition of prepayment penalties and compensation practices relating to residential real estate loan origination. Mortgage lenders are required to determine consumers' ability to repay in one of two ways. The first alternative requires the mortgage lender to consider eight underwriting factors when making the credit decision. The mortgage lender may also originate QMs, which are entitled to a presumption that the creditor making the loan satisfied the ability-to-repay requirements. In general, a QM is a residential real estate loan that does not have certain high-risk features, such as negative amortization, interest-only payments, balloon payments or a term exceeding 30 years. In addition, to be a QM loan, the points and fees paid by a consumer cannot exceed 3% of the total loan amount, and the borrower's total debt-to-income ratio must be no higher than 43% (subject to certain limited exceptions for loans eligible for purchase, guarantee or insurance by a government sponsored enterprise or a federal agency). Our residential real estate loans originated under our TIC program and our former Advantage Loan Program are not QMs, as our underwriting processes for those programs do not follow applicable regulatory guidance required for such qualification; however, our remaining conforming residential real estate loans originated in 2020 are QMs.
On December 10, 2020, the CFPB issued two final rules related to QM loans. The first rule replaces the strict 43 percent debt-to-income threshold for QM loans and provides that, in addition to existing requirements, a loan receives a conclusive presumption that the consumer had the ability to repay if the annual percentage rate (“APR”) does not exceed the average prime offer rate for a comparable transaction by 1.5 percentage points or more as of the date the interest rate is set. Further, a loan receives a rebuttable presumption that the consumer had the ability to repay if the APR exceeds the average prime offer rate for a comparable transaction by 1.5 percentage points or more but by less than 2.25 percentage points. The second rule creates a new category of seasoned QMs for loans that satisfy a 3-year seasoning period and meet certain other performance requirements. Seasoned loans qualify for a safe harbor under the ability-to-repay rules. The first final rule has a mandatory compliance date of July 1, 2021 and the
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second final rule will apply to covered transactions for which institutions receive an application after the effective date. Given the timing of the adoption of the final rules, they could be subject to review and disapproval by Congress under the Congressional Review Act. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors––Risks Related to Our Highly Regulated Industry––The Company faces risks related to the adoption of future legislation and potential changes in federal regulatory agency leadership, policies and priorities.”
Transactions with Related Parties. A federal savings bank’s authority to engage in transactions with its affiliates is limited by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and federal regulation. An affiliate is generally a company that controls, or is under common control with, an insured depository institution such as Sterling Bank. Sterling Bancorp is an affiliate of Sterling Bank because of its control of Sterling Bank. A subsidiary of a bank that is not also a depository institution or a financial subsidiary under federal law is not treated as an affiliate of the bank for the purposes of Sections 23A and 23B; however, the OCC has the discretion to treat subsidiaries of a bank as affiliates on a case-by-case basis. Section 23A limits the extent to which a bank or its subsidiaries may engage in covered transactions with any one affiliate to 10% of the bank’s capital stock and surplus. The amount of covered transactions with all affiliates is limited of 20% of the bank’s capital stock and surplus. “Covered transactions” include, among other things, the making of a loan to an affiliate, a purchase of assets from an affiliate, the issuance of a guarantee on behalf of an affiliate and the acceptance of securities of an affiliate as collateral for a loan. All such transactions are required to be on terms and conditions that are consistent with safe and sound banking practices and no transaction may involve the acquisition of any low quality asset from an affiliate. Certain covered transactions, such as loans to or guarantees on behalf of an affiliate, must be secured by collateral in amounts ranging from 100 to 130 percent of the loan amount, depending upon the type of collateral. In addition, Section 23B requires that any covered transaction (and specified other transactions) between a bank and an affiliate must be on terms and conditions that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable, to the bank, as those that would be provided to a non-affiliate.
In March 2020, the Federal Reserve issued to certain banks a temporary waiver of the limitations set forth under Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation W in order to allow such banks to purchase certain assets from affiliated broker-dealers and money market mutual funds. The relief afforded by such waivers expires within a prescribed period as set forth in the institution's waiver letter as measured from the date of issuance.
A bank’s loans to its executive officers, directors, any owner of more than 10% of its stock (each, an “insider”) and certain entities affiliated with any such person (an insider’s “related interest”) are subject to the conditions and limitations imposed by Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and the FRB’s Regulation O. The aggregate amount of a bank’s loans to any insider and the insider’s related interests may not exceed the loans-to-one-borrower limit applicable to national banks. Aggregate loans by a bank to its insiders and insiders’ related interests may not exceed the bank’s unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus. With certain exceptions, such as education loans and certain residential mortgages, a bank’s loans to its executive officers, may not exceed the greater of $25,000 or 2.5% of the bank’s unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus, but in no event more than $100,000. Regulation O also requires that any loan to an insider or a related interest of an insider be approved in advance by a majority of the board of directors of the bank, with any interested director not participating in the voting, if the loan, when aggregated with any existing loans to that insider or the insider’s related interests, would exceed the lesser or $500,000 or 5% of the bank’s unimpaired capital and surplus. Generally, such loans must (i) be made on substantially the same terms as and follow credit underwriting procedures that are no less stringent than, those that are prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with unaffiliated persons and that do not present more than a normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features, and (ii) not exceed certain limitations on the amount of credit extended to such persons, individually and in the aggregate, which limits are based, in part, on the amount of Sterling Bank’s capital. An exception is made for extensions of credit made pursuant to a benefit or compensation plan of a bank that is widely available to employees of the bank and that does not give any preference to insiders of the bank over other employees of the bank.
Enforcement. The OCC has primary enforcement responsibility over federal savings banks and has authority to bring enforcement action against all institution-affiliated parties, including directors, officers, shareholders, attorneys, appraisers and accountants who knowingly or recklessly participate in wrongful action likely to have an adverse effect on a federal savings bank. Formal enforcement action by the OCC may range from the issuance of a capital directive, formal agreement (such as the agreement described below) or cease and desist order to removal of officers and/or directors of the institution and the appointment of a receiver or conservator. Civil penalties cover a wide range of violations and actions, and range up to $25,000 per day, unless a finding of reckless disregard is made, in which case penalties may be as high as $1 million per day. The FDIC also has the authority to terminate deposit insurance or recommend to the OCC that enforcement action be taken with respect to a particular savings bank. If such action is not taken, the FDIC has authority to take the action under specified circumstances. As discussed above under “Executive
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Summary” and in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” the Bank entered into the OCC Agreement on June 18, 2019 and is under formal investigation.
Standards for Safety and Soundness. The federal banking agencies have adopted the Interagency Guidelines for Establishing Standards for Safety and Soundness (the “Guidelines”). The Guidelines establish certain safety and soundness standards for all depository institutions. The operational and managerial standards in the Guidelines relate to the following: (1) internal controls and information systems; (2) internal audit systems; (3) loan documentation; (4) credit underwriting; (5) interest rate exposure; (6) asset growth; (7) compensation, fees and benefits; (8) asset quality; and (9) earnings. Rather than providing specific rules, the Guidelines set forth basic compliance considerations and guidance with respect to a depository institution. Failure to meet the standards in the Guidelines, however, could result in a request by the OCC to one of the federal savings banks to provide a written compliance plan to demonstrate its efforts to come into compliance with such Guidelines. Failure to provide a plan or to implement a provided plan requires the appropriate federal banking agency to issue an order to the institution requiring compliance.
As discussed in greater detail below, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has in certain respects, at least temporarily, impacted Sterling Bank’s operations and risk management and its safety and soundness regulation. For instance, the federal banking agencies have encouraged banking organizations to work constructively and prudently with borrowers impacted by the pandemic in order to meet the borrowers’ financial needs. Guidance published by the Federal Reserve encourages banking organizations to consider undertaking a variety of efforts during a major disaster or national emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic, including: waiving ATM, overdraft, and late fees, as well as early withdrawal penalties on time deposits; increasing ATM daily cash withdrawal limits; easing credit terms for new loans; increasing credit limits for creditworthy customers; offering payment accommodations such as allowing loan customers to defer or skip some payments or extending payment due dates, which would avoid delinquencies and negative credit bureau reporting caused by disaster-related disruptions; and conducting a review of an affected borrower’s financial condition in an effort to implement a prudent loan workout arrangement. The federal banking agencies have stated that they will not criticize a banking organization that implements prudent loan workouts for affected customers even if the restructured loans result in adverse classifications or credit risk downgrades. In addition, the agencies temporarily suspended examination activity in the second quarter of 2020 to allow banking organization to focus on the needs of their customers and revised examination guidance to require examiners to consider, in conducting supervisory assessments, whether banking organizations have taken appropriate actions in response to the stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and managed associated risk appropriately.
Interstate Banking and Branching. Federal law permits well capitalized and well managed holding companies to acquire banks in any state, subject to FRB approval, certain concentration limits and other specified conditions. Interstate mergers of banks are also authorized, subject to regulatory approval and other specified conditions. In addition, among other things, certain amendments made by the Dodd-Frank Act permit banks to establish de novo branches on an interstate basis provided that branching is authorized by the law of the host state for the banks chartered by that state.
Prompt Corrective Action. Federal law requires, among other things, that federal bank regulators take prompt corrective action with respect to institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. For this purpose, the law establishes five capital categories: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. An institution is deemed to be well capitalized if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 6.5% or greater. An institution is adequately capitalized if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 4.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 4.5% or greater. An institution is undercapitalized if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 4.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 4.5%. An institution is deemed to be significantly undercapitalized if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 3.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 3.0%. An institution is considered to be critically undercapitalized if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0%.
At each successive lower capital category, an insured depository institution is subject to more restrictions and prohibitions, including restrictions on growth, restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, restrictions or prohibitions on payment of dividends, and restrictions on the acceptance of brokered deposits. Furthermore, if an insured depository institution is classified in one of the undercapitalized categories, it is required to submit a capital restoration plan to the appropriate federal banking agency, and the holding company must guarantee the performance of that plan. Based upon its capital levels, a bank that is classified as well capitalized, adequately capitalized or undercapitalized may be treated as though it were in the next lower capital category if the
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appropriate federal banking agency, after notice and opportunity for hearing, determines that an unsafe or unsound condition, or an unsafe or unsound practice, warrants such treatment. An undercapitalized bank’s compliance with a capital restoration plan is required to be guaranteed by any company that controls the undercapitalized institution in an amount equal to the lesser of 5.0% of the institution’s total assets when deemed undercapitalized or the amount necessary to achieve the status of adequately capitalized. If an undercapitalized bank fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is significantly undercapitalized. Significantly undercapitalized banks must comply with one or more of a number of additional restrictions, including but not limited to an order by the applicable regulatory authority to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized, requirements to reduce total assets, cease receipt of deposits from correspondent banks or dismiss directors or officers, and restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, compensation of executive officers and capital distributions by the parent holding company. Critically undercapitalized institutions are subject to additional measures including, subject to a narrow exception, the appointment of a receiver or conservator within 270 days after it obtains such status.
At December 31, 2020, Sterling Bank was considered well capitalized.
Federal Insurance of Deposit Accounts. The DIF insures deposits at FDIC-insured financial institutions such as Sterling Bank. Deposit accounts at Sterling Bank are insured by the FDIC generally up to a maximum of $250,000 per separately insured depositor. The FDIC charges insured depository institutions premiums to maintain the DIF.
Under the FDIC’s risk-based assessment system, insured institutions are assigned to one of four risk categories based on supervisory evaluations, regulatory capital levels and certain other risk factors. Rates are based on each institution’s risk category and certain specified risk adjustments. Institutions deemed to be less risky pay lower rates while institutions deemed riskier pay higher rates. Assessment rates (inclusive of possible adjustments) currently range from 21/2 to 45 basis points of each institution’s total assets less tangible capital. The FDIC may increase or decrease the scale uniformly, except that no adjustment can deviate more than two basis points from the base scale without notice and comment rulemaking. The FDIC’s current system represents a change, required by the Dodd-Frank Act, from its prior practice of basing the assessment on an institution’s deposits.
The Dodd-Frank Act increased the minimum target DIF ratio from 1.15% of estimated insured deposits to 1.35% of estimated insured deposits. Insured institutions with assets of $10 billion or more were given the responsibility for funding the increase. The Dodd-Frank Act eliminated the prior 1.5% maximum fund ratio, instead leaving the target fund ratio to the discretion of the FDIC, which has exercised that discretion by establishing a long-term target fund ratio of 2%.
The FDIC has authority to increase insurance assessments. Any significant increases would have an adverse effect on the operating expenses and results of operations of Sterling Bank. We cannot predict what assessment rates will be in the future.
Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that an institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or regulatory condition imposed by the FDIC. We do not know of any practice, condition or violation that might lead to termination of our deposit insurance. In addition to the FDIC assessments, the Financing Corporation (“FICO”) is authorized to impose and collect, with the approval of the FDIC, assessments for anticipated payments, issuance costs and custodial fees on bonds issued by the FICO in the 1980s to recapitalize the former Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation. The bonds issued by the FICO matured on December 31, 2019. For the expense paid in the year ended December 31, 2019, the total FDIC assessment was equal to 3.14 basis points of total assets less tangible capital, and the FICO assessment was equal to 0.03 basis points of total assets less total tangible capital. The last FICO assessment was collected in March 2019.
Regulation of Brokered Deposits. Section 29 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act establishes, among other things, a general prohibition on the acceptance by any insured depository institution that is not well capitalized of any deposit obtained, directly or indirectly, by or through any deposit broker. This statutory prohibition is further implemented through the regulations of the FDIC and, historically, numerous published and unpublished FDIC staff interpretations of the statute and the FDIC’s regulation.
On December 15, 2020, the FDIC adopted a final rule substantially amending its brokered deposits regulation. The final rule aims to clarify and modernize the FDIC's existing regulatory framework for brokered deposits. Notable aspects of the rule include (1) the establishment of bright-line standards for determining whether an entity meets the statutory definition of deposit broker; (2) the identification of a number of business relationships (“designated exceptions”) to which the primary purpose exception is automatically applicable; (3) the establishment of a transparent application process for entities that seek a primary purpose exception, but do not
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qualify as a designated exception; and (4) the clarification that third parties that have an exclusive deposit-placement arrangement with only one Insured Depository Institution is not considered a deposit broker.
The final rule is scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2021 and will be reflected in Call Report data due June 30, 2021; however, full compliance with the final rule is not required until January 1, 2022. Under the amended brokered deposits regulation, the range of activities viewed as deposit brokerage will be modified, which could have an impact on the Bank’s deposit premiums, capital and liquidity risk management planning and regulatory monitoring and reporting obligations. However, the final rule could be subject to review and disapproval by Congress under the Congressional Review Act. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors––Risks Related to Our Highly Regulated Industry––The Company faces risks related to the adoption of future legislation and potential changes in federal regulatory agency leadership, policies and priorities.”
Supervisory Assessments.OCC-chartered banks are required to pay supervisory assessments to the OCC to fund its operations.The amount of the assessment paid by a federally-chartered bank to the OCC is calculated on the basis of the institution’s total assets, including consolidated subsidiaries, as reported to the OCC. During the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Bank paid supervisory assessments to the OCC totaling $625,000 and $556,000, respectively. On December 1, 2020, due to increased operating efficiencies, the OCC announced that it will reduce the rates in all fee schedules by 3 percent for the 2021 calendar year, thus reducing the assessment fees that Sterling Bancorp will pay in 2021. This reduction is in addition to the OCC’s final rule issued on June 22, 2020, which reduced the assessments paid to the OCC on September 30, 2020 in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity.Under the privacy protection provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and related regulations, we are limited in our ability to disclose non-public information about consumers to nonaffiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to a nonaffiliated third party. Federal banking agencies, including the OCC, have adopted guidelines for establishing information security standards and cybersecurity programs for implementing safeguards under the supervision of the board of directors. These guidelines, along with related regulatory materials, increasingly focus on risk management and processes related to information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial services.
Certain states have adopted cybersecurity and data privacy laws and regulations may expose the Company to risk and result in certain risk management costs. Notably, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the “CCPA”), which became effective on January 1, 2020, gives California residents the right to request disclosure of information collected about them, and whether that information has been sold or shared with others, the right to request deletion of personal information (subject to certain exceptions), the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. The CCPA also created a private right of action with statutory damages for data security breaches, thereby increasing potential liability associated with a data breach, which has triggered a number of class actions against other companies since January 1, 2020. On November 3, 2020, the California electorate approved Proposition 24, a ballot initiative that established the California Privacy Rights Act (the “CPRA”). The CPRA, much of which will not become operative until January 1, 2023, amends the scope and several of the substantive requirements of the CCPA, as well as certain mechanisms for administration and enforcement of the statute. Although Sterling Bank may enjoy several fairly broad exemptions from the CCPA’s privacy requirements, those exemptions do not extend to the private right of action for a data security breach. The CCPA, including any amendments thereto or final regulations implemented thereunder, as well as other similar federal and state data privacy laws and regulations, may require the establishment by Sterling Bank of certain regulatory compliance and risk management controls. In addition, Congress and federal regulatory agencies are considering similar laws or regulations that could create new individual privacy rights and impose increased obligations on companies handling personal data. On December 15, 2020, the federal banking agencies announced the issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking that, if adopted, would impose upon banking organizations and their service providers new notification requirements for significant cybersecurity incidents. Specifically, the proposed rule would require banking organizations to notify their primary federal regulator promptly, and not later than 36 hours after, the discovery of a computer-security incident that rises to the level of a notification incident within the meaning attributed to those terms by the proposed rule. Banks’ service providers would be required under the proposed rule to notify any affected bank to or on behalf of which it provides services immediately after experiencing any incident that the service provider believes in good faith could disrupt, degrade, or impair service provided by that entity to the bank for four or more hours.
BSA/AML Regulation, USA PATRIOT Act and National Defense Authorization Act. The BSA, the USA PATRIOT Act and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain an effective AML program
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and to file timely reports such as suspicious activity reports and currency transaction reports. We are required to comply with these and other AML requirements. The federal banking agencies and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) are authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and have recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts against banks and other financial services providers with the DOJ, Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service. We are also subject to increased scrutiny of compliance with the rules enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The USA PATRIOT Act gives federal agencies additional powers to address terrorist threats through enhanced domestic security measures, expanded surveillance powers, increased information sharing, and broadened AML requirements. The USA PATRIOT Act mandates that financial service companies implement additional policies and procedures and take heightened measures designed to address any or all of the following matters: customer identification programs, money laundering, terrorist financing, identifying and reporting suspicious activities and currency transactions, currency crimes, and cooperation between financial institutions and law enforcement authorities.
On January 1, 2021, Congress enacted the National Defense Authorization Act, which enacted the most significant overhaul of the BSA and related AML laws since the USA PATRIOT Act. Notable amendments include (1) significant changes to the collection of beneficial ownership information and the establishment of a beneficial ownership registry, which requires corporate entities (generally, any corporation, limited liability company or other similar entity with 20 or fewer employees and annual gross income of $5 million or less) to report beneficial ownership information to FinCEN (which information will be maintained by FinCEN and made available upon request to financial institutions); (2) enhanced whistleblower provisions, which provide that one or more whistleblowers who voluntarily provide original information leading to the successful enforcement of violations of the AML laws in any judicial or administrative action brought by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Attorney General resulting in monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million (including disgorgement and interest but excluding forfeiture, restitution, or compensation to victims) will receive not more than 30 percent of the monetary sanctions collected and will receive increased protections; (3) increased penalties for violations of the BSA; (4) improvements to existing information sharing provisions that permit financial institutions to share information relating to suspicious activity reports with foreign branches, subsidiaries, and affiliates (except those located in China, Russia, or certain other jurisdictions) for the purpose of combating illicit finance risks; and (5) expanded duties and powers of FinCEN. Many of the amendments, including those with respect to beneficial ownership, require the Department of Treasury and FinCEN to promulgate rules. We expect to incur transition and ongoing costs to comply with the amendments.
Prohibitions Against Tying Arrangements.Federal savings banks are prohibited, subject to some exceptions, from extending credit to or offering any other service, or fixing or varying the consideration for such extension of credit or service, on the condition that the customer obtain some additional service from the institution or its affiliates or not obtain services of a competitor of the institution.
Government and Regulatory Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is creating extensive disruptions to the global economy, to businesses, and to the lives of individuals throughout the world. There have been a number of regulatory actions intended to help mitigate the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on borrowers, including several mandates from the bank regulatory agencies, requiring financial institutions to work constructively with borrowers affected by COVID-19.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress, through the enactment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, and the federal banking agencies, though rulemaking, interpretive guidance and modifications to agency policies and procedures, have taken a series of actions to address regulatory capital, liquidity risk management, financial management and reporting, and operational considerations for banking organizations. The bank regulatory agencies have intended to give adequate flexibility to financial institutions who work with borrowers affected by COVID-19 and indicate that they will not criticize institutions who do so in a safe and sound manner. Further, the bank regulatory agencies have encouraged financial institutions to report accurate information to credit bureaus regarding relief provided to borrowers and have urged the importance of financial institutions to continue assists those borrowers impacted by COVID-19.
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Notable developments include the following.
| ● | On March 15, 2020, the Federal Reserve issued a statement encouraging banks to use their capital and liquidity buffers to lend to households and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following day, the Federal Reserve issued a statement encouraging banks to access the Federal Reserve’s discount window to assist with capital and liquidity management in light of the increased credit needs of banking customers. |
| ● | As noted above under “—Federal Banking Regulation—Capital Distributions”, on March 17, 2020, the federal banking agencies issued an interim final rule revising the definition of eligible retained income for banking organizations subject to the capital rules. |
| ● | On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law. The CARES Act was a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill that was intended to provide relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several provisions within the CARES Act led to action from the bank regulatory agencies, and there were also separate provisions within the legislation that directly impacted financial institutions. |
| o | The CARES Act allows financial institutions to elect to suspend the application of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) to any loan modification related to COVID-19 from treatment as a troubled debt restructuring for the period between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. A financial institution may elect to suspend the application of U.S. GAAP only for a loan that was not more than 30 days past due as of December 31, 2019. In addition, the temporary suspension of the application of U.S. GAAP does not apply to any adverse impact on the credit of a borrower that is not related to COVID-19. The suspension of the application of U.S. GAAP is applicable for the entire term of the modification, including an interest rate modification, a forbearance agreement, a repayment plan, or other agreement that defers or delays the payment of principal and/or interest. Accordingly, a financial institution that elects to suspend the application of U.S. GAAP is not required to increase its reported troubled debt restructurings at the end of the period of relief, unless the loans require further modification after the expiration of that period. |
| o | The CARES Act created a forbearance program for impacted borrowers and imposed a temporary 60-day moratorium on foreclosures and foreclosure-related evictions in respect of federally backed mortgage loans, which include loans secured by a first or subordinate lien on residential one-to-four family real property that have been purchased by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac,”) or the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), are insured by HUD or are insured or guaranteed by other listed agencies. Borrowers of such federally backed mortgage loans experiencing a financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 may request forbearance, regardless of delinquency status, for up to 360 days. Subsequently, the relevant federal agencies announced extensions of their respective moratoria on foreclosures and evictions for mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), with the latest extensions through June 30, 2021. In addition, on January 20, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order extending through March 31, 2021 the federal eviction moratorium previously issued by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”). The CDC formally announced the extension on January 29, 2021. On February 16, 2021, the Administration, together with HUD, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, took action to further extend and expand COVID-19 mortgage forbearance and foreclosure relief programs administered by those agencies. Specifically, this joint action (i) extended the foreclosure moratorium for relevant borrowers through June 30, 2021; (ii) extended the mortgage payment forbearance enrollment window until June 30, 2021 for relevant borrowers who wish to request forbearance; and (iii) provided up to six months of additional mortgage payment forbearance, in three-month increments, for relevant borrowers who entered forbearance on or before June 30, 2020. Consistent with these measures, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced, in connection with its most recent extension of foreclosure and eviction protection for borrowers with mortgage loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, that borrowers who had entered forbearance for a period that is scheduled to expire may be eligible for an extension of that forbearance period for up to three additional months. |
| o | In addition, the CARES Act established a forbearance program for multifamily mortgage loan borrowers whose payments were current as of February 1, 2020 but who have since experienced financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. A multifamily borrower is a borrower of a residential real estate loan that is secured by a lien against a |
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| property comprising five or more dwelling units. Any multifamily borrower with a federally backed multifamily mortgage loan (that is, a loan that is secured by a first or subordinate lien on residential multifamily (5+) real property and that is insured, assisted, or purchased by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or HUD) that experiences a financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic may request a forbearance for up to 90 days. On December 23, 2020, the FHFA announced an extension of forbearance programs for qualifying multifamily properties through March 31, 2021. These regulatory and legislative actions may be expanded, extended and amended as the pandemic and its economic impact continue. |
| o | Section 4012 of the CARES Act temporarily set the CBLR at 8% and provided a grace period to banks that fall below that ratio. These provisions expired on December 31, 2020. Separately, on March 22, the FDIC published answers to frequently asked questions for financial institutions affected by the COVID-19 crisis which state that financial institutions have the flexibility to delay their CBLR elections. Previously, financial institutions were required to reflect their CBLR elections on their March 31, 2020 Consolidated Reports of Income and Condition (Call Reports); however, the FDIC's new guidance provides that a decision to elect CBLR for the March Call Report is not binding and may be reversed in a subsequent quarter. On April 6, the federal banking agencies issued two interim final rules (the “IFRs”) to implement Section 4012 of the CARES Act. The first IFR provided that, as of the second quarter 2020 and through December 31, 2020, the CBLR would be 8%. A community banking organization with a CBLR of 8% or greater (and that meets other qualifying criteria) may elect to use the CBLR framework during this period. In addition, the IFR establishes a two-quarter grace period, during which a community banking organization that temporarily fails to meet any of the qualifying criteria, including the 8% CBLR requirement, will still be considered well capitalized as long as it maintains a CBLR of at least 7%. The second IFR provides a gradual transition back to the previously required 9% CBLR. The CBLR is 8.5% for 2021 and 9% thereafter. On October 9, 2020, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule adopting the IFRs without modification. |
| ● | On April 2, 2020, the bank regulatory agencies issued a joint policy statement to facilitate mortgage servicers’ ability to place consumers in short-term payment forbearance programs. This policy statement was followed by a final rule on June 23, 2020 that makes it easier for consumers to transition out of financial hardship caused by COVID-19. The rule makes it clear that servicers do not violate Regulation X (which places restrictions and requirements upon lenders, mortgage brokers or servicers of home loans related to consumers when they apply for and receive mortgage loans) by offering certain COVID-19-related loss mitigation options based on an evaluation of limited application information collected from the borrower. |
| ● | In an attempt to allow individuals and businesses to access real estate equity more quickly, on September 29, 2020, the bank regulatory agencies issued a rule that deferred appraisal and evaluation requirements after the closing of certain residential and commercial real estate transactions through December 31, 2020. |
| ● | On December 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “Coronavirus Relief Act”) was signed into law and contains provisions that could directly impact financial institutions. The Coronavirus Relief Act directs financial regulators to support community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions and directs Congress to re-appropriate $429 billion in unobligated CARES Act funds. |
| ● | On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “Rescue Plan”) was signed into law. The Rescue Plan primarily is focused on providing direct economic stimulus to individuals and additional financial support to the healthcare system, supply chain infrastructure, state and local governments and school systems. Of note, the Rescue Plan extends and expands CARES Act and other pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefit programs through September 6, 2021 and provides funding for a number of emergency rental and homeowner assistance programs. |
| ● | In addition, the governments of many states in which we do business or in which our borrowers and loan collateral are located have issued temporary bans on evictions and foreclosures, including the following: |
| o | In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on June 17, 2020 that expands mortgage forbearance available for those experiencing financial hardship during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation applies to those who have mortgages with state-regulated financial institutions and is intended to be an expansion of the CARES Act’s mortgage forbearance provisions. The legislation provides up to one year of |
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| forbearance if the borrower’s hardship persists and provides flexible payment options. In addition, on December 28, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020, which prevents residential evictions, foreclosure proceedings, credit discrimination and negative credit reporting related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of note, this legislation imposes a moratorium on residential foreclosure proceedings and evictions until May 1, 2021. |
| o | On August 31, 2020, the California Legislature passed legislation extending an existing moratorium on evictions through January 31, 2021, provided that renters pay a portion of their rent for the period between September 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021. The legislation also requires servicers of residential mortgages, including those on real property containing up to four dwelling units, to comply with certain standards when notifying and communicating with borrowers who have experienced a COVID-19-related financial hardship and may be pursuing forbearances or other loss mitigation options. On January 29, 2021, California’s moratorium was extended through June 30, 2021. |
For additional information regarding actions taken by regulatory agencies to provide relief to consumers who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, see the discussion below under “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
Other Regulations
Interest and other charges collected or contracted for by Sterling Bank are subject to state usury laws and federal laws concerning interest rates. Loan operations are also subject to state and federal laws applicable to credit transactions, such as the:
| ● | Truth-In-Lending Act, governing disclosures of credit terms to consumer borrowers; |
| ● | Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975, requiring financial institutions to provide information to enable the public and public officials to determine whether a financial institution is fulfilling its obligation to help meet the housing needs of the community it serves; |
| ● | Fair Debt Collection Act, governing the manner in which consumer debts may be collected by collection agencies; |
| ● | Truth in Savings Act; governing disclosure of information about deposit accounts to customers; |
| ● | Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1978, governing the use and provision of information to credit reporting agencies; and |
| ● | Rules and regulations of the various federal and state agencies charged with the responsibility of implementing such federal and state laws. |
The deposit operations of Sterling Bank also are subject to, among others, the:
| ● | Right to Financial Privacy Act, which imposes a duty to maintain confidentiality of consumer financial records and prescribes procedures for complying with administrative subpoenas of financial records; |
| ● | Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (also known as Check 21), which gives substitute checks, such as digital check images and copies made from that image, the same legal standing as the original paper check; |
| ● | Regulation D promulgated by the FRB, which governs reserve requirements of depository institutions. On April 24, 2020, the FRB announced an interim final rule amending its Regulation D to delete the six-per-month limit on convenient transfers from the savings deposit definition (which includes money market deposit accounts). The interim final rule allows banks immediately to suspend enforcement of the six-transfer limit and to allow their customers to make an unlimited number of convenient transfers and withdrawals from their savings deposits at a time when financial events associated with the coronavirus pandemic have made such access more urgent. Although adopted to address the |
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| economic and financial market conditions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, this amendment is permanent, and Sterling Bank has continued to suspend enforcement of the six transfer limit formerly imposed by Regulation D; and |
| ● | Electronic Funds Transfer Act and Regulation E promulgated thereunder, which govern automatic deposits to and withdrawals from deposit accounts and customers’ rights and liabilities arising from the use of automated teller machines and other electronic banking services. |
Federal Reserve System
Historically, FRB regulations have required Sterling Bank to maintain reserves at the Federal Reserve Bank against its transaction accounts (primarily Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (“NOW”) and regular checking accounts). Until recently, FRB regulations generally required that reserves be maintained against aggregate transaction accounts as follows: Transaction accounts aggregating $127.5 million or less (subject to adjustment by the FRB) were subject to a reserve requirement of 3.0% and the amounts greater than $127.5 million require a 10.0% reserve (subject to adjustment by the FRB). The first $16.9 million of otherwise reservable balances (subject to adjustment by the FRB) were exempted from the reserve requirements. However, on March 15, 2020, the FRB issued an interim final rule reducing the reserve requirement ratio to 0% effective as of March 26, 2020, which eliminated reserve requirements for all depository institutions. On December 22, 2020, the FRB adopted the interim final rule as a final rule without modification. Accordingly, although the Bank historically has maintained compliance with the reserve requirements for transaction accounts, such requirements do not currently apply.
Federal Home Loan Bank System
Sterling Bank is a member of the FHLB system, which consists of 11 regional FHLBs. The FHLB provides a central credit facility primarily for member institutions. Sterling Bank is required to acquire and hold shares of capital stock in the FHLB of Indianapolis and was in compliance with this requirement at December 31, 2020. Based on redemption provisions of the FHLB of Indianapolis, the stock has no quoted market value and is carried at cost. Sterling Bank reviews for impairment, based on the ultimate recoverability, the cost basis of the FHLB of Indianapolis stock. As of December 31, 2020, no impairment has been recognized.
Business Continuity Management
The Company is required to implement and maintain business continuity and disaster recovery plans to ensure its resilience and continued operations in the event of significant business disruptions related to cybersecurity events, natural disasters and other potentially catastrophic events. Such plans are intended to be aligned with banking organizations’ risk profiles and roles within the overall financial services sector. Plans must contain proactive measures to safeguard banking organizations’ employees, customers and products and establish response procedures in the event of significant business disruptions. On March 6, 2020, in response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Financial Institution Examination Council (the “FFIEC”) (comprising the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, the OCC, the National Credit Union Administration and the CFPB) updated its business continuity planning guidance to include additional considerations related to pandemic planning. The guidance identifies actions beyond a traditional business continuity planning that should be taken to address certain unique challenges posed by pandemics. Specifically, a financial institution's planning should provide for, among other things; a preventative program (including monitoring of potential outbreaks, educating employees, providing appropriate hygiene training and tools, and coordinating with critical service providers); a documented strategy that provides for scaling the institution's pandemic efforts to be consistent with the effects of a particular stage of a pandemic outbreak; a comprehensive framework of facilities, systems, or procedures that provide the firm with the capability to continue critical operations during prolonged staff shortages; and a testing program to ensure that the planning practices and capabilities are effective and will allow critical operations to continue.
LIBOR Discontinuance
The Company has entered into certain financial contracts that utilize the soon-to-be-discontinued LIBOR. On July 1, 2020, the FFIEC published guidance for financial institutions on the supervisory, risk management and planning considerations relating to the transition away from LIBOR as a reference rate for a variety of financial contracts. On November 30, 2020, the federal banking agencies published a joint statement on the LIBOR transition in which the agencies expressed their view that any financial institution which enters into new financial contracts that use LIBOR as a reference rate after December 31, 2021 would create safety and soundness risks. Accordingly, the banking agencies encouraged institutions to cease entering into new contracts that use LIBOR as a
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reference rate as soon as practicable and in any event by December 31, 2021. The joint statement also provided that financial contracts entered into before December 31, 2021 should either utilize a reference rate other than LIBOR or have robust fallback language that includes a clearly defined alternative reference rate after LIBOR’s discontinuation.
Future Legislation
With a new Congress taking office in January 2021, Democrats have retained control of the U.S. House of Representatives and have gained control of the U.S. Senate, albeit with a majority found only in the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris. However slim the majorities though, the net result is unified Democratic control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, and consequently Democrats will be able to set the agenda both legislatively and in the Administration. We expect Congress will devote substantial attention in 2021 to consumer protection matters, through greater oversight of the CFPB’s and the federal banking agencies’ efforts in this area. We also anticipate that Democratic-led Congressional committees will pursue greater oversight, particularly to so-called shadow banking activities, and will also pay increased attention to the banking sector’s role in providing COVID-19-related assistance to impacted businesses. The prospects for the enactment of major banking reform legislation under the new Congress are unclear at this time.
Holding Company Regulation
Sterling Bancorp is a unitary thrift holding company subject to regulation and supervision by the FRB. The FRB has enforcement authority over Sterling Bancorp and its non-savings institution subsidiaries. Among other things, this authority permits the FRB to restrict or prohibit activities that are determined to be a risk to Sterling Bancorp.
As a unitary thrift holding company, Sterling Bancorp’s activities are limited to those activities permissible by law for financial holding companies. A financial holding company may engage in activities that are financial in nature, incidental to financial activities or complementary to a financial activity. Such activities include lending and other activities permitted for bank holding companies under Section 4(c)(8) of the Bank Holding Company Act, insurance and underwriting equity securities.
Federal law prohibits a unitary thrift holding company, directly or indirectly, or through one or more subsidiaries, from acquiring more than 5% of another savings institution or unitary thrift holding company without prior written approval of the FRB, and from acquiring or retaining control of any depository institution. In evaluating applications by holding companies to acquire savings institutions, the FRB must consider such things as the financial and managerial resources and future prospects of the company and institution involved, the effect of the acquisition on and the risk to the DIF, the convenience and needs of the community and competitive factors. A unitary thrift holding company may not acquire a savings institution in another state and hold the target institution as a separate subsidiary unless it is a supervisory acquisition under Section 13(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act or the law of the state in which the target is located authorizes such acquisitions by out-of-state companies.
Capital Requirements. As a unitary thrift holding company, Sterling Bancorp is subject to consolidated regulatory capital requirements that are similar to those that apply to Sterling Bank. See”—Federal Banking Regulation—Capital Requirements.”
The Dodd-Frank Act extended the source of strength doctrine to unitary thrift holding companies. The FRB has promulgated regulations implementing the source of strength policy that require holding companies to act as a source of strength to their subsidiary depository institutions by providing capital, liquidity and other support in times of financial stress.
The FRB has issued a policy statement regarding the payment of dividends and the repurchase of shares of common stock by bank holding companies and unitary thrift holding companies. In general, the policy provides that dividends should be paid only out of current earnings and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention by the holding company appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. Regulatory guidance provides for prior regulatory consultation with respect to capital distributions in certain circumstances such as where the company’s net income for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid over that period, is insufficient to fully fund the dividend or the company’s overall rate of earnings retention is inconsistent with the company’s capital needs and overall financial condition. The ability of a holding company to pay dividends may be restricted if a subsidiary bank becomes undercapitalized. The policy statement also states that a holding company should inform the FRB supervisory staff prior to redeeming or repurchasing common stock or perpetual preferred stock if the holding company is experiencing financial weaknesses or if the repurchase or redemption would result in a net reduction, as of the end of a quarter, in the amount of such equity instruments outstanding compared with the beginning of the quarter in which the
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redemption or repurchase occurred. We are currently required to obtain the approval of the FRB prior to declaring any cash dividend on our capital stock or engaging in any repurchase of our common stock. We are also required to obtain the approval of the FRB prior to issuing any debt.
In order for Sterling Bancorp to be regulated as a unitary thrift holding company by the FRB, rather than as a bank holding company, Sterling Bank must qualify as a QTL under federal regulations or satisfy the domestic building and loan association test under the Internal Revenue Code. Under the QTL test, a savings institution is required to maintain at least 65% of its portfolio assets (total assets less: (i) specified liquid assets up to 20% of total assets; (ii) intangible assets, including goodwill; and (iii) the value of property used to conduct business) in certain qualified thrift investments (primarily residential mortgages and related investments, including certain mortgage-backed and related securities) in at least nine out of each 12 month period. At December 31, 2020, Sterling Bank maintained 77% of its portfolio assets in qualified thrift investments and was in compliance with the QTL requirement.
Change in Control Regulations
Under the Change in Bank Control Act, no person may acquire control of a unitary thrift holding company such as Sterling Bancorp unless the FRB has been given 60 days prior written notice and has not issued a notice disapproving the proposed acquisition, taking into consideration certain factors, including the financial and managerial resources of the acquirer and the competitive effects of the acquisition. Control, as defined under federal law, means ownership, control of or holding irrevocable proxies representing more than 25% of any class of voting stock, control in any manner of the election of a majority of the institution’s directors, or a determination by the regulator that the acquirer has the power, directly or indirectly, to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of the institution. Acquisition of more than 10% of any class of a unitary thrift holding company’s voting stock constitutes a rebuttable determination of control under the regulations under certain circumstances including where, as in our case, the company has registered securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
In addition, federal regulations provide that no company may acquire control of a unitary thrift holding company without the prior approval of the FRB. Any company that acquires such control becomes subject to registration, examination and regulation by the FRB.
In January 2020, the Federal Reserve adopted a final rule for control and divestiture proceedings under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and the HOLA. The final rule does not apply to control determinations under the Change in Bank Control Act, Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and its implementing Regulation W or Regulation O. Under the final rule, control determinations are to be made according to a more rules-based methodology. Presumptions of control generally are based on ownership of voting equity and total equity in a company, director representation and ability to elect directors, director and management interlocks, contractual rights to determine management or operational decisions, and business relationships. The final rule establishes a general three-prong test for determining whether a company controls a bank or savings association. Pursuant to this test, a company controls another company if the first company, directly or indirectly or acting through one or more other persons, (i) owns, controls or has power to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities of the second company, (ii) controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the other company, or (iii) based on the facts and circumstances of the investment, directly or indirectly exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of the other company.
The final rule includes rebuttable presumptions of control based on a tiered framework focused on equity ownership, business relationships, control over the election of directors, director and senior management interlocks, as well as business terms and contractual arrangements. In addition to the rebuttable presumptions under the tiered framework, the final rule includes other rebuttable presumptions of control and non-control focused on prior control relationships, management agreements, investment adviser arrangements, consolidation under generally accepted accounting principles, and equity ownership levels. As a general matter, the tiers will vary based on percentage of voting ownership with additional requirements to qualify for the rebuttable presumption at voting ownership levels of 5% or greater, 10% or greater, and 15% or greater. The final rule became effective on September 30, 2020.
The rule has and will likely continue to have a meaningful impact on control determinations related to investments in banking institutions and bank holding companies and investments by bank holding companies in nonbank companies.
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Emerging Growth Company Status
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), which was enacted in April 2012, has made numerous changes to the federal securities laws to facilitate access to capital markets. Under the JOBS Act, a company with total annual gross revenues of less than $1.07 billion during its most recently completed fiscal year qualifies as an “emerging growth company.” Sterling Bancorp, Inc. qualifies as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.
An “emerging growth company” may choose not to hold shareholder votes to approve annual executive compensation (more frequently referred to as say-on-pay votes) or executive compensation payable in connection with a merger (more frequently referred to as say-on-golden parachute votes). An emerging growth company also is not subject to the requirement that its auditors attest to the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting, and can provide scaled disclosure regarding executive compensation. Finally, an emerging growth company may elect to comply with new or amended accounting pronouncements in the same manner as a private company, but must make such election when the company is first required to file a registration statement. Such an election is irrevocable during the period a company is an emerging growth company. Sterling Bancorp, Inc. has elected to comply with new or amended accounting pronouncements in the same manner as a non-emerging growth public company.
A company loses emerging growth company status on the earlier of: (i) the last day of the fiscal year of the company during which it had total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year of the issuer following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of common equity securities of the company pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933; (iii) the date on which such company has, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt; or (iv) the date on which such company is deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under SEC regulations (generally, at least $700 million of voting and non-voting equity held by non-affiliates).
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Our Internet address is www.sterlingbank.com. We will make available free of charge in the investor relations section of our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with (or furnished to) the SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site, sec.gov, that includes filings of and information about issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
We face a number of significant risks and uncertainties in connection with our operations. Our business and the results of our operations could be materially adversely affected by the factors described below. The risks described below are not the only risks facing our operations. Risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Risks Related to the Advantage Loan Program
The Internal Review results indicate numerous instances of misconduct by employees in connection with the origination of residential real estate loans in our Advantage Loan Program.
The primary focus of the Internal Review has involved the origination of residential real estate loans under the Advantage Loan Program and related matters. The Internal Review has indicated that certain employees engaged in misconduct in connection with the origination of a significant number of such loans, including with respect to verification of income, the amount of income reported for borrowers, reliance on third parties, and related documentation. As a result, the Company permanently discontinued the Advantage Loan Program, and a significant number of officers and employees have been terminated or resigned, including the top loan producers within the Advantage Loan Program. These terminations and resignations, and the discontinuation of the Advantage Loan Program, have materially and adversely affected our loan production and may continue to do so. In addition, if we are unable to replace terminated and departed loan producers’ production through other loan officers and loan products, hire new producers or implement new loan products, our results of operation will be materially and adversely affected.
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While the Internal Review is substantially complete, the Company expects it to remain open during the pendency of the government investigations discussed below, and it is possible additional work will be required in connection with the Internal Review. If further work is required in connection with the Internal Review, management’s time and resources could be diverted, and we may incur significant legal and other expenses in connection with such additional work.
The misconduct of employees discovered during the Internal Review has resulted in a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations through the expenditure of significant expenses on third parties and the expenditure of significant internal resources for the conduct of the Internal Review, damage to our reputation, termination of a core part of our operating model and a number of additional material risks identified in the Risk Factors set forth below.
Pending government investigations may result in adverse findings, reputational damage, the imposition of sanctions and other negative consequences that could adversely affect our financial condition and future operating results.
The Bank is currently under formal investigation by the OCC relating primarily to certain aspects of its BSA/AML compliance program as well as the Bank’s credit administration, including our Advantage Loan Program. The Bank also has received grand jury subpoenas from the DOJ beginning in 2020 requesting the production of documents and information in connection with an investigation that appears to be focused on the Bank’s residential lending practices and related issues. In addition, the Company is responding to a formal investigation recently initiated by the SEC that is related to the Advantage Loan Program. The Bank and the Company are fully cooperating with these government investigations. The outcome of the pending government investigations is uncertain. There can be no assurance (i) that we will not incur material losses due to damages, penalties, costs and/or expenses imposed on the Company as a result of such investigations, (ii) that the liability we have established will be sufficient to cover such losses or (iii) that such losses will not materially exceed such liabilities and have a material adverse effect on our future operations, financial condition, growth or results of operations or other aspects of our business. Adverse findings in any of these investigations could also result in additional regulatory scrutiny, constraints on the Bank’s business or other formal enforcement action. Any of those events could have a material adverse effect on our future operations, financial condition, growth or other aspects of our business. In addition, management’s time and resources will be diverted to address the investigations and any related litigation, and we have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, significant legal and other costs and expenses in our defense of the investigations.
We are subject to a pending securities class action and legal proceedings that may adversely affect our business.
The Company, certain of its current and former officers and directors and other parties were named as defendants in a shareholder class action captioned Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System v. Sterling Bancorp, Inc., et al., Case No. 5:20-cv-10490-JEL-EAS, filed on February 26, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The plaintiff filed an amended complaint on July 2, 2020, seeking damages and reimbursement of fees and expenses. This action alleges violations of the federal securities laws, primarily with respect to disclosures concerning the Bank’s residential lending practices that were made in the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for its initial public offering, in subsequent press releases, in periodic and other filings with the SEC and during earnings calls. On September 22, 2020, the Company filed with the court a motion to dismiss the amended complaint, and each of the Company and the plaintiff has submitted briefs in support of their respective positions regarding that motion. In February 2021, the plaintiff, the Company and each of the other defendants reached an agreement in principle to settle the securities class action lawsuit. The agreement in principle provides for a single cash payment in exchange for the release of all of the defendants from all alleged claims therein and remains subject to final documentation, court approval and other conditions. The full amount of the settlement, if finalized, will be paid by the Company’s insurance carriers under applicable insurance policies.
In the event a final settlement agreement is not executed, court approval is not received or the settlement is not finalized for any other reason, the Company intends to vigorously defend this action; but there can be no assurance that we will be successful in any defense. We will continue to incur legal fees in connection with this and potentially other cases, including expenses for the reimbursement of legal fees of present and former officers and directors under indemnification obligations. The expense of continuing to defend such litigation may be significant. If the case is decided adversely, we may be liable for significant damages directly or under our indemnification obligations, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, there can be no assurance (i) that we will not incur material losses due to damages, costs and/or expenses as a result of this litigation, (ii) that our directors' and officers' insurance policy and the liabilities we have established will be sufficient to cover such losses or (iii) that such losses will not materially exceed the coverage limits of our insurance and such liabilities and will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. Further, the amount of time that will be required to resolve this lawsuit is unpredictable, and this action, together with the government investigations discussed elsewhere under “Risks Related to the
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Advantage Loan Program,” are likely to divert management's attention from the day-to-day operations of our business, which could further adversely affect our business, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, on July 28, 2020, the Company received a demand letter from two law firms representing a purported shareholder of the Company alleging facts and claims substantially the same as many of the alleged facts and claims in the class action lawsuit. The demand letter requests that the board of directors take action to (1) recover damages the Company has purportedly sustained as a result of alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by certain of its officers and directors; (2) recover for the benefit of the Company the amounts by which certain of its officers and directors purportedly were unjustly enriched; and (3) correct alleged deficiencies in the Company's internal controls. The demand letter states that, if the board of directors has not taken the actions demanded within 90 days after the receipt of the letter, or in the event the board of directors refuses to take the actions demanded, the purported shareholder would commence a shareholder derivative action on behalf of the Company seeking appropriate relief. The board of directors established a demand review committee to evaluate the matters raised in the demand letter and to determine the actions, if any, that should be taken by the Company with respect to those matters. The Company responded to the demand letter advising the purported shareholder of the appointment of the demand review committee. The demand review committee’s investigation is ongoing; accordingly, no additional actions have been taken by the board of directors. Further, no legal action has yet to be brought by the purported shareholder. There can be no assurance as to whether any litigation will be commenced by or against the Company with respect to the demand letter or that, if any such litigation is commenced, the Company will not incur material losses due to damages, penalties, costs and/or expenses as a result of such litigation or that any such losses will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.
The permanent discontinuation of our Advantage Loan Program has materially and adversely affected our results of operations and will continue to do so.
On December 9, 2019, we voluntarily suspended our Advantage Loan Program in connection with the Internal Review, and we subsequently determined to permanently discontinue the Advantage Loan Program. While the Company will continue to work on initiatives to diversify its overall loan production and to review new residential loan products, the implementation of any new loan products takes time and may be subject to the prior review and approval of applicable bank regulatory authorities. We therefore have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, adverse effects on our residential loan production as a result of the permanent discontinuation of the Advantage Loan Program. In addition, repayments from our loan portfolio will need to continue to be invested in lower yielding assets until new loan programs can commence. Accordingly, we expect that the permanent discontinuation of the Advantage Loan Program will continue to materially and adversely affect our results of operations.
Failure to comply with the OCC Agreement regarding our BSA/AML compliance program and credit administration, or with BSA/AML laws and regulations generally, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The Bank continues to be subject to the OCC Agreement, which relates primarily to certain aspects of the Bank’s BSA/AML compliance program as well as its credit administration. The BSA, the USA PATRIOT ACT and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain an effective AML program and to file timely reports such as suspicious activity reports and currency transaction reports.
The OCC Agreement generally requires that the Bank enhance its policies and procedures to ensure compliance with BSA/AML laws and regulations and ensure effective controls over residential loan underwriting. Specifically, the OCC Agreement requires the Bank to: (i) establish a compliance committee to monitor and oversee the Bank’s compliance with the provisions of OCC Agreement; (ii) develop a revised customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence program; (iii) develop a revised suspicious activity monitoring program; (iv) engage an independent, third-party consultant to review and provide a written report on the Bank’s suspicious activity monitoring; (v) develop revised policies and procedures to ensure effective BSA/AML model risk management for the Bank’s automated suspicious activity monitoring system, which must be validated by a qualified, independent third party; (vi) ensure that the Bank’s BSA Department maintains sufficient personnel; and (vii) develop revised policies and procedures to ensure effective controls over loan underwriting. In addition to these requirements, while the OCC Agreement remains in effect, the Bank is subject to certain restrictions on expansion activities, such as growth through acquisition or branching to supplement organic growth of the Bank.
Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for us. Any of these results could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
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condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Further, any failure to comply with the requirements of the OCC Agreement , or a finding by the OCC that the Bank has failed to comply, could result in additional regulatory scrutiny, further enforcement actions, the imposition of material restrictions on the activities of the Bank or the assessment of fines or penalties. Also, due to the existence of the OCC Agreement, some counterparties may not be permitted to, due to their internal policies, or may choose not to, do business with the Bank. Should counterparties upon which the Bank relies for the conduct of its business become unwilling to do business with the Bank, the Bank’s results of operations and/or financial condition could be materially adversely affected. There is no assurance as to how long the OCC Agreement will remain in effect.
The Bank has incurred significant costs in its efforts to comply with the OCC Agreement and its BSA/AML compliance obligations. Additional expenses and investments have been incurred as the Bank has expanded its hiring of personnel and use of outside professionals, such as consulting and legal services, and capital investments in operating systems to comply with the OCC Agreement and to strengthen and support the BSA/AML compliance program, as well as the Bank’s broader compliance and risk management infrastructures. The costs, expenses and capital investments associated with all of these efforts, including in connection with the OCC Agreement, have had an adverse effect on the Bank’s results of operations in 2019 and 2020 and is expected to have a material adverse effect on the Bank’s results of operations in one or more future periods.
The Internal Review has revealed instances of the Bank’s failure to comply with federal regulations governing the origination of residential real estate loans, including rules governing the verification of a borrower’s ability to repay a loan.
Among the many federal regulations with which we must comply in connection with the origination of residential real estate loans are rules issued by the CFPB that require, for loans within its scope, that a mortgage lender must make a reasonable and good faith determination at or before consummation that the consumer will have a reasonable ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Among other requirements, a creditor must verify the information on which it bases its repayment ability determination by using reasonably reliable, written third-party records. The rule also provides that loans that meet a QM definition will be presumed to have complied with the ability-to-repay standard.See “Item 1. Business—Supervision and Regulation—Federal Banking Regulation—Ability-to-Repay Rules” for additional details regarding these ability-to-pay rules and their effects on our business, as well as recent, related regulatory developments.
Our residential real estate loans originated under our former Advantage Loan Program are not QMs, as our underwriting processes for this program did not follow applicable regulatory guidance required for such qualification. The Internal Review has identified numerous instances of noncompliance with the income verification requirements under the ability-to-repay rules. We could be subject to statutory claims for violations of the ability-to-repay standard, as well as other laws and regulations governing the origination of residential real estate loans. Any such claims could materially and adversely affect our ability to underwrite these loans, our business, and results of operations or financial condition.
We may incur future losses in connection with certain representations and warranties we have made with respect to residential mortgages originated under our Advantage Loan Program, as well as other residential mortgages, that we have sold into the secondary market.
From time to time, we package residential mortgages for sale into the secondary market while retaining the servicing rights with respect to such loans. In connection with such sales, we make representations and warranties, which, if breached, may require us to repurchase such loans, substitute other loans or indemnify the purchasers of such loans for actual losses incurred in respect of such loans. To avoid the uncertainty of audits and inquiries by third-party investors in Advantage Loan Program loans sold to the secondary market, beginning at the end of the second quarter of 2020, we commenced making offers to each of those investors to repurchase 100% of our sold Advantage Loan Program loans. A substantial portion of these loans were sold to the secondary market at a slight premium to their principal balances, and, as a result, we are required to repurchase such loans at that same premium, which will result in a loss with respect to each repurchased loan. Although we have successfully repurchased Advantage Loan Program loans with an aggregate principal balance of $69.6 million in 2020, there can be no assurance as to the extent of any further repurchases we may complete as a result of these offers and the compliance issues with respect to the origination of Advantage Loan Program loans or that the liability we have established with respect to such repurchase risk will be sufficient to cover potential losses we may incur in connection with such repurchases. Accordingly, it is possible that requests to repurchase loans could occur in the future, and such requests may have a negative financial impact on us. In addition, the servicing agreements under which we service loans sold into the secondary market contain a number of representations, warranties and covenants, including delivery of audited financial statements and independent audit reports regarding our servicing operations, which, if breached, could entitle the owners of
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the serviced loans to terminate us as servicer. Any such termination would generally result in the loss of our servicing rights with respect to the related loans. A loss of a material portion of our servicing rights could have a negative financial impact on us.
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The economic disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact, our business and results of operations.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared a national emergency in the United States in March 2020, continues to create extensive disruptions to U.S. and global economic conditions and financial markets and to businesses and the lives of individuals throughout the world. Federal and state governments are taking unprecedented actions to contain the spread of the disease, including quarantines, travel bans, shelter-in-place orders, closures of businesses and schools, fiscal stimulus, and legislation designed to deliver monetary aid and other relief to businesses and individuals impacted by the pandemic. Although in various locations certain activity restrictions have been relaxed with some level of success, in many states and localities the number of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 has increased significantly, which is causing a freezing or, in certain cases, a reversal of previously announced relaxation of activity restrictions and is prompting the need for additional aid and other forms of relief. Moreover, although multiple COVID-19 vaccines have received regulatory approval and currently are being distributed to certain at-risk populations, it is too early to know how quickly these vaccines can be distributed to the broader population and how effective they will be in mitigating the adverse social and economic effects of the pandemic. Further, variant strains of the COVID-19 virus have appeared, further complicating efforts of the medical community and federal, state and local governments in response to the pandemic.
The governmental and social response to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented slowdown in economic activity and a related increase in unemployment. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, more than 70 million people nationwide have filed claims for unemployment. Stock markets, and trading prices of bank stocks in particular, significantly declined in value in the first half of 2020, though many bank stocks' trading prices have since recovered. As of February 2021, the national unemployment rate was 6.2%. Although an improvement from the 14.7% national unemployment rate observed in April 2020, the current rate of unemployment is substantially higher than the 3.6% national unemployment rate observed in January 2020, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States.
The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly evolving, and the ultimate impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the pandemic and actions taken currently or in the future by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic. And while there have been trillions of dollars in economic stimulus packages initiated by the Federal Reserve and the federal government, in efforts to counteract the significant economic disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, there can be no assurance that these packages will be sufficient, or produce positive results quickly enough, to stimulate the economy, and additional governmental stimulus and related interventions may be needed. Accordingly, the Company will be operating under uncertain economic conditions for a lengthy period of time.
The COVID-19 pandemic, and related efforts to contain it, have caused significant disruptions in the functioning of the financial markets and have increased economic and market uncertainty and volatility. To help address these issues, the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) has reduced the benchmark federal funds rate to a target range of 0% to 0.25%, and the yields on 10- and 30-year treasury notes have declined to historic lows. Throughout 2020, the FOMC continued to follow this approach as pandemic-related risks to the economy are likely to persist for the foreseeable future, indicating that the target federal funds rate would remain at current levels until the economy is in position to achieve the FOMC’s maximum-employment and price-stability goals. In addition, in order to support the flow of credit to households and businesses, the FRB indicated that it would continue to increase its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities and agency residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities to sustain proper functioning of the financial markets. The reductions in interest rates, especially if prolonged, could adversely affect our net interest income, net interest spread and net interest margin.
Certain industries have been particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the travel and hospitality industry, the restaurant industry and the retail industry. Although we do not have a material concentration in the restaurant and retail industries, at December 31, 2020, we had $67.6 million of loans secured by SROs and hotels in our commercial real estate loan portfolio. In addition, the spread of COVID-19 also has caused us to modify our business practices, including curtailing employee travel, changing employee work locations and cancelling physical participation in meetings, events and conferences. We have many employees
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working remotely, and we may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers and business partners.
Given the ongoing, dynamic and unprecedented nature of our current circumstances, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business. The extent of such impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, including when the coronavirus can be controlled and abated and when and how the economy may be reopened. As the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related adverse local and national economic consequences, we may be subject to any of the following risks, any of which could have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, risk-weighted assets and regulatory capital:
| ● | because the incidence of reported COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations and deaths varies significantly by state and locality and over time, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic may be deeper and more sustained in certain areas, including those in which we do business, relative to other areas of the country; |
| ● | our ability to market our products and services may be impaired by a variety of external factors, including a prolonged reduction in economic activity and continued economic and financial market volatility, which could cause demand for our products and services to decline, in turn making it difficult for us to grow assets and income; |
| ● | if the economy is unable to substantially reopen and high levels of unemployment continue for an extended period of time, loan delinquencies, problem assets and foreclosures may increase, resulting in increased charges and reduced income; |
| ● | collateral for loans, especially real estate, may decline in value, which may reduce our ability to liquidate such collateral and could cause loan losses to increase and impair our ability over the long run to maintain our targeted loan origination volume; |
| ● | as discussed further below under “—Risks Related to Credit—Our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses in our loan portfolio, and any resulting increase in our allowance for loan losses or loan charge offs could decrease our net income,” our delinquent and nonaccrual loans could increase substantially if borrowers continue to experience financial difficulties beyond forbearance/payment deferral periods, resulting in adversely impacted asset quality, capital and net income; |
| ● | as discussed further below under “—Our loan portfolio has been significantly affected by the economic disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to our loan losses and delinquencies increasing in 2020, and we may need to significantly add to our allowance for loan losses,” our allowance for loan losses may have to be increased if borrowers experience financial difficulties beyond forbearance periods, which will adversely affect our net income; |
| ● | an increase in nonperforming loans due to the COVID-19 pandemic would result in a corresponding increase in the risk-weighting of assets and therefore an increase in required regulatory capital; |
| ● | the net worth and liquidity of loan guarantors may decline, impairing their ability to honor commitments to us; |
| ● | as the result of the reduction of the FRB’s target federal funds rate to near 0%, the yield on our assets may decline to a greater extent than the decline in our cost of interest-bearing liabilities, reducing our net interest margin and spread and reducing net income; |
| ● | deposits could decline if customers need to draw on available balances as a result of the economic downturn; |
| ● | a material decrease in net income or a net loss over several quarters could result in a decrease in the rate of our quarterly cash dividend; |
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| ● | we face heightened cybersecurity risk in connection with our operation of a remote working environment, which risks include, among others, greater phishing, malware, and other cybersecurity attacks, vulnerability to disruptions of our information technology infrastructure and telecommunications systems, increased risk of unauthorized dissemination of confidential information, limited ability to restore our systems in the event of a systems failure or interruption, greater risk of a security breach resulting in destruction or misuse of valuable information, and potential impairment of our ability to perform critical functions––all of which could expose us to risks of data or financial loss, litigation and liability and could seriously disrupt our operations and the operations of any impacted customers; |
| ● | we rely on third-party vendors for certain services and the unavailability of a critical service or limitations on the business capacities of our vendors for extended periods of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have an adverse effect on our operations; and |
| ● | as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be unexpected developments in financial markets, legislation, regulations and consumer and customer behavior. |
Our loan portfolio has been significantly affected by the economic disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to our loan losses and delinquencies increasing in 2020, and we may need to significantly add to our allowance for loan losses.
The economic disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a significant increase in delinquencies and loans on nonaccrual status across our commercial real estate loan, construction loan and residential real estate loan portfolios as certain industries have been particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has adversely affected the ability of many of our borrowers to repay their loans. For example, as of December 31, 2020, our commercial real estate loan portfolio includes loans secured by SROs, hotels, retail properties and offices totaling $110.9 million, representing 4.4% of total loans, including $67.6 million of loans secured by SROs and hotels. According to data from Cushman & Wakefield, the office vacancy rate in San Francisco rose 11 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2019, to 16.7% in the fourth quarter of 2020, partially as a result of changes in work patterns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, operating cash flows from tenants have decreased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and decreased travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our SRO borrowers by reducing demand from tourists for travel accommodations in San Francisco. Our construction loan portfolio also includes similar substantial exposures. In addition, the elevated unemployment rate will continue to have a significant adverse impact on the ability of our residential real estate borrowers to repay their loans.
After several years in which our total charge offs were less than $200 thousand per year, our total charge offs for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $4.3 million. Similarly, total loans 90 days or more past due, including nonaccrual loans but excluding loan forbearances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, increased $71.7 million, or 485%, from $14.8 million at December 31, 2019 to $86.5 million at December 31, 2020.
As a result of our evaluation of the current and expected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and our loan portfolio, we believe that it is likely that we will continue to experience elevated loan losses and delinquencies in the current environment, and as a result, we have increased our allowance for loan losses by $50.7 million to $72.4 million at December 31, 2020, compared to $21.7 million at December 31, 2019, and our allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total loans at December 31, 2020 was 2.89%. As the economic disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic continue and there are no assurances as to how long it will be before the COVID-19 pandemic abates and economic activity can begin to resume to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, we may need to significantly add to our allowance for loan losses in future periods. Risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic are in addition to the credit risks to our portfolio set forth under “—Risks Related to Credit.”
Governmental and regulatory actions to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could result in a material decline in our net income.
Congress and various state governments and federal agencies have taken actions to require lenders to provide forbearance and other relief to borrowers (for example, waiving late payment and other fees). The federal banking agencies have encouraged financial institutions to work constructively with affected borrowers and recently passed legislation has provided relief from reporting loan classifications due to modifications related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The CARES Act created a forbearance program for impacted borrowers and imposed a temporary 60-day moratorium on foreclosures and foreclosure-related evictions in respect of federally backed mortgage loans, which include loans secured by a first or subordinate lien on residential one-to-four family real property that have been purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, are insured by HUD or are insured or guaranteed by other listed agencies. Borrowers of such federally backed mortgage loans experiencing a financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 may request forbearance, regardless of delinquency status, for up to 360 days. Subsequently, the federal agencies as well as the state of California announced extensions of their moratoria on single-family foreclosures and evictions and FHA-insured loans, with the latest extensions through June 30, 2021. In addition, on January 20, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order extending through March 31, 2021 the federal eviction moratorium previously issued by the Director of the CDC. The CDC formally announced the extension on January 29, 2021.
In addition, the CARES Act established a forbearance program for multifamily mortgage loan borrowers whose payments were current as of February 1, 2020 but who have since experienced financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. Any such multifamily borrower with a federally backed multifamily mortgage loan (that is secured by a first or subordinate lien on residential multifamily (5+) real property and that is insured, assisted, or purchased by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or HUD) that experiences a financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic may request a forbearance for up to 90 days. On December 23, 2020, the FHFA announced an extension of forbearance programs for qualifying multifamily properties through March 31, 2021. In addition, the Rescue Plan was signed into law on March 11, 2011 and provides funding for a number of rental and homeowner assistance programs. These regulatory and legislative actions may be expanded, extended and amended as the pandemic and its economic impact continue.
Additionally, in many states in which we do business or in which our borrowers and loan collateral are located, temporary bans on evictions and foreclosures have been enacted through a mix of executive orders, regulations, and judicial orders. Certain such relief orders have since expired, although several states, including California, New York and New Jersey, have extended their temporary orders and may continue to do so indefinitely. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on June 17, 2020 that expands mortgage forbearance available for those experiencing financial hardship during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation applies to those who have mortgages with state-regulated financial institutions and is intended to be an expansion of the CARES Act’s mortgage forbearance provisions. The legislation provides up to one year of forbearance if the borrower’s hardship persists and provides flexible payment options. In addition, on December 28, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020, which prevents residential evictions, foreclosure proceedings, credit discrimination and negative credit reporting related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of note, this legislation imposes a moratorium on residential foreclosure proceedings and evictions until May 1, 2021. On August 31, 2020, the California Legislature passed legislation extending an existing moratorium on evictions through January 31, 2021, provided that renters pay a portion of their rent for the period between September 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021. The legislation also requires servicers of residential mortgages, including those on real property containing up to four dwelling units, to comply with certain standards when notifying and communicating with borrowers who have experienced a COVID-19-related financial hardship and may be pursuing forbearances or other loss mitigation options. On January 29, 2021, California’s moratorium was extended through June 30, 2021.
Risks Related to the Economy and Financial Markets
As a business operating in the financial services industry, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected in numerous and complex ways by weak economic conditions and fiscal and monetary policies and regulations of the federal government and the FRB.
Our business and operations, which primarily consist of lending money to customers in the form of loans, borrowing money from customers in the form of deposits and investing in securities, are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States. If the U.S. economy weakens, our growth and profitability from our lending, deposit and investment operations could be constrained. Uncertainty about the federal fiscal policymaking process, the medium-and long-term fiscal outlook of the federal government and future tax rates is a concern for businesses, consumers and investors in the United States. In addition, economic conditions in foreign countries, including uncertainty over the stability of the euro currency, could affect the stability of global financial markets, which could hinder U.S. economic growth. Weak economic conditions are characterized by deflation, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets, a lack of liquidity and/or depressed prices in the secondary market for mortgage loans, increased delinquencies on mortgage, consumer and commercial loans, residential and commercial real estate price declines and lower home sales and commercial activity. The current economic environment is also characterized by interest rates at historically low levels, which impacts our ability to attract deposits and to generate attractive net income through our investment portfolio. All of these factors are detrimental to our business, and the interplay between these factors can be complex and unpredictable. Our business is also
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significantly affected by monetary and related policies of the U.S. federal government and its agencies. Changes in any of these policies are influenced by macroeconomic conditions and other factors that are beyond our control. Adverse economic conditions and government policy responses to such conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Notably, our net income and growth are affected by the policies of the FRB. An important function of the FRB is to regulate the money supply and credit conditions. Among the instruments used by the FRB to implement these objectives are open market purchases and sales of U.S. government securities, adjustments of the federal discount rate and changes in banks’ reserve requirements against bank deposits. These instruments are used in varying combinations to influence overall economic growth and the distribution of credit, bank loans, investments and deposits. Their use also affects interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits. The monetary policies and regulations of the FRB have had a significant effect on the operating results of banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. The effects of such policies upon our business, financial condition and results of operations cannot be predicted.
Our customer activity is affected by changes in the state of the general economy and the financial markets, a slowdown or downturn of which could adversely affect demand for our loan services and our results of operations.
Our customer activity is intrinsically linked to the health of the economy generally and of the financial markets specifically. In addition to the economic factors discussed above, a downturn in the real estate or commercial markets generally, which might occur as a result of, among other things, an increase in unemployment, a decrease in real estate values or a slowdown in housing demand, could cause our customers and potential customers to exit the market for real estate or commercial loans. As a result, we believe that fluctuations, disruptions, instability or downturns in the general economy and the financial markets could disproportionately affect demand for our residential and commercial loan services. If such conditions occur and persist, our business and financial results, including our liquidity and our ability to fulfill our debt obligations, could be materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to Credit
Changes in economic conditions could cause an increase in delinquencies and nonperforming assets, including loan charge offs, which could depress our net income and growth.
Our loan portfolio includes primarily real estate secured loans, demand for which may decrease during economic downturns as a result of, among other things, an increase in unemployment, a decrease in real estate values and a slowdown in housing. Significant ongoing financial risk continues to affect economic conditions in the United States as a whole and in the markets that we serve. As a result, we could experience higher delinquencies and loan charge offs, as well as nonaccrual loans and troubled debt restructurings, which would reduce our net income and adversely affect our financial condition. In addition, a decline in real estate values as a result of adverse developments in the markets we serve could reduce the value of the real estate collateral securing our real estate loans, which could cause some of our real estate loans to be inadequately collateralized or affect our ability to sell such collateral upon foreclosure without a loss or additional losses. Furthermore, to the extent that real estate collateral is obtained through foreclosure, the costs of holding and marketing the real estate collateral, as well as the ultimate values obtained from disposition, could reduce our net income and adversely affect our financial condition.
Our concentration in residential real estate loans exposes us to risks.
At December 31, 2020 and 2019, one-to-four family residential real estate loans amounted to $2.03 billion and $2.48 billion, or 81% and 85%, respectively, of our total loan portfolio, and we intend to continue this type of lending in the foreseeable future. Residential mortgage lending is generally sensitive to regional and local economic conditions that significantly impact the ability of borrowers to meet their loan payment obligations, making loss levels difficult to predict. For example, our residential real estate borrowers have been impacted by elevated unemployment rates resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing effects on the overall economy.In California, our primary market area, the unemployment rate rose to 9.0% in December 2020 compared to 3.9% in December 2019, according to data from the California Employment Development Department. If borrowers are unable to meet their loan repayment obligations, our results of operations would be materially and adversely affected. In addition, a decline in residential real estate values as a result of an economic downturn in the markets we serve would reduce the value of the real estate collateral securing these types of loans. Such declines in real estate values could cause some of our residential mortgages to be inadequately collateralized, which would expose us to a risk of loss if we sought to recover on defaulted loans by selling the real estate collateral.
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Our commercial real estate loans are subject to credit risks, including changes in operating cash flows from the underlying properties or businesses, that may adversely impact our results of operation and financial condition.
At December 31, 2020, our commercial real estate loans totaled $260.0 million, or 11%, of our total loans. Commercial real estate loans generally have more risk than residential real estate loans and generally have a larger average size compared to other types of loans, so losses incurred on a small number of commercial loans could have a disproportionate and material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. The repayment of commercial real estate loans is often more sensitive than other types of loans to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the general business climate and economy because it is dependent on the successful operation or development of the property or business involved. In addition, the collateral for commercial real estate loans is generally less readily marketable than for residential real estate loans, and its value may be more difficult to determine. A primary repayment risk for commercial real estate loans is the interruption or discontinuance of operating cash flows from the properties or businesses involved, which may be influenced by economic events, changes in governmental regulations or other events not under the control of the borrower. Adverse developments affecting commercial real estate values in our market areas could increase the credit risk associated with these loans, impair the value of property pledged as collateral for these loans and affect our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure without a loss or additional losses.
Our construction loans are subject to a variety of risks that may adversely impact our results of operation and financial condition.
At December 31, 2020, our construction loans totaled $206.6 million, or 8% of our total loans. In addition to the risks generally applicable to commercial real estate loans, the risks inherent in construction lending include, among other things, the possibility that contractors may fail to complete—or complete on an untimely basis—construction of the relevant properties, substantial cost overruns in excess of original estimates and financing, market deterioration during construction and lack of permanent take-out financing or presold properties. Loans secured by such properties also involve additional risk because of the relatively limited operating history available for them. In these loans, loan funds are advanced upon the security of the project under construction (which is of uncertain value prior to completion of construction) and the estimated operating cash flow or sale proceeds to be generated by the completed project. To compete for construction loans, in prior years we generally originated loans where the borrowers’ relative investment and value-at-risk in an underlying construction project were either at our policy limits for such exposures or constituted approved exceptions to these limits. As a result, changes in the expected value of a completed project may reduce those borrowers’ economic incentives to complete a delayed construction project expediently. With many commercial construction projects requiring an extended time to market in the current COVID-19 environment, some of our borrowers have exhausted their liquidity. While we seek personal or affiliate guarantees for construction loans to provide alternative sources of repayment in the event that a project underperforms or fails to be completed, our assessments of guarantors’ financial capacity to support repayment of these loans in light of their other commitments may not be correct, and guarantors’ wealth and liquidity may be correlated with borrowers’ business or economic conditions generally, which could make these guarantees less valuable as loan collateral when most needed.
A substantial majority of our loans and operations are in California, and therefore our business is particularly vulnerable to a downturn in the local economies in which we operate.
Unlike larger financial institutions that are more geographically diversified, a large portion of our business is concentrated primarily in the state of California, specifically in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. As of December 31, 2020, 87% of our loan portfolio was based in California, and our loan portfolio had concentrations of 54% and 33% in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas, respectively. If the local economies, and particularly local real estate markets, decline, the rates of delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, bankruptcies and losses in our loan portfolio would likely increase. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and likely will continue to have, a significant effect on the California real estate market. In response to this crisis, California lawmakers have adopted legislation and other orders requiring us to take, or refrain from taking, certain action to assist borrowers who have experienced a COVID-19-related financial hardship. Similarly, catastrophic natural events such as earthquakes or wildfires could have a disproportionate effect on our financial condition. As a result of this lack of geographic diversification in our loan portfolio, a downturn in the local economies generally and in real estate markets specifically could significantly reduce our profitability and growth and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
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Our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses in our loan portfolio, and any resulting increase in our allowance for loan losses or loan charge offs could decrease our net income.
Loan customers may not repay their loans according to the terms of their loans, and the collateral securing the payment of their loans may be insufficient to assure repayment. We may experience significant credit losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. In determining the amount of the allowance for loan losses, management periodically reviews the loans and the loss and delinquency experience and evaluates economic conditions. The determination of the appropriate level of allowance for loan losses is subject to judgment and requires us to make significant estimates of current credit risks and future trends, all of which are subject to material changes. Various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of the loan portfolio are made, including the creditworthiness of borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of many loans. If assumptions prove to be incorrect, the allowance for loan losses may not cover incurred losses in the loan portfolio at the date of the financial statements. Significant additions to the allowance for loan losses would materially decrease net income. Nonperforming loans may increase, and nonperforming or delinquent loans may adversely affect future performance. In addition, federal regulators periodically review the allowance for loan losses and may require an increase in the allowance for loan losses or the recognition of further loan charge offs. Any significant increase in our allowance for loan losses or loan charge offs as required by these regulatory agencies could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued an accounting standard update that will significantly change how we account for current expected credit losses and may have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which replaces the current incurred loss model for recognizing credit losses with an expected loss model referred to as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) model. Under the CECL model, we will be required to present certain financial assets carried at amortized cost, such as loans held for investment and held-to-maturity debt securities, at the net amount expected to be collected. The measurement of expected credit losses is to be based on information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. This measurement will take place at the time the financial asset is first added to the balance sheet and periodically thereafter. This differs significantly from the current incurred loss model, which delays recognition until it is probable a loss has been incurred. Accordingly, we expect that the adoption of the CECL model will materially affect how we determine our allowance for loan losses and could require us to significantly increase our allowance for loan losses. Moreover, the CECL model may create more volatility in the level of our allowance for loan losses. If we are required to materially increase our level of allowance for loan losses for any reason, such increase could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The new CECL standard will be effective on January 1, 2023 for the Company. We are currently evaluating the impact the CECL model will have on our accounting, but we expect to recognize a one-time cumulative-effect adjustment to our allowance for loan losses as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the new standard is effective, consistent with regulatory expectations set forth in interagency guidance issued at the end of 2016. We cannot yet determine the magnitude of any such one-time cumulative adjustment or of the overall impact of the new standard on our financial condition or results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Highly Regulated Industry
Our business is limited by the highly regulated environment in which we operate and could be adversely affected by the extensive laws and regulations that govern our activities, operations, corporate governance and accounting principles, or changes in any of them.
As a unitary thrift holding company, we are subject to extensive examination, supervision and comprehensive regulation by various federal agencies that govern almost all aspects of our operations. These laws and regulations, among other things, prescribe minimum capital requirements, impose limitations on the business activities in which we can engage, limit the dividend or distributions that Sterling Bank can pay to us, restrict the ability of institutions to guarantee our debt and impose certain specific accounting requirements on us. These laws and regulations are not intended to protect our shareholders. Rather, these laws and regulations are intended to protect customers, depositors, the DIF and the overall financial stability of the United States. Compliance with these laws and regulations is difficult and costly, and changes to these laws and regulations often impose additional compliance costs. Our failure to comply with these laws and regulations, even if the failure follows good faith effort or reflects a difference in interpretation, could subject us to restrictions on our business activities, fines and other penalties, any of which could materially
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adversely affect our results of operations, capital base and the price of our securities. Further, any new laws, rules and regulations could make compliance more difficult or expensive.
Failure to satisfy the QTL test may subject us to regulatory enforcement actions and restrict our ability to pay dividends.
As a federal savings bank, Sterling Bank must satisfy the QTL test. Under the QTL test, Sterling Bank is required to maintain at least 65% of its portfolio assets (that is, total assets less (1) specified liquid assets up to 20% of total assets, (2) intangibles, including goodwill, and (3) the value of property used to conduct business) in certain qualified thrift investments (primarily mortgage loans secured by one-to-four family and multifamily residential properties and related investments, including certain mortgage-backed securities, credit card loans, student loans, and small business loans) on a monthly basis during at least 9 out of every 12 months. A savings association that fails the QTL test immediately will be prohibited from: (1) making any new investment or engaging in any new activity not permissible for a national bank, (2) paying dividends, unless such payment would be permissible for a national bank, is necessary to meet the obligations of a company that controls the savings association, and is specifically approved by the OCC and the FRB, and (3) establishing any new branch office in a location not permissible for a national bank in the association's home state. A savings association that fails to meet the QTL test is deemed to have violated the Home Owners’ Loan Act and, as discussed further below, may be subject to OCC enforcement action. In addition, if a savings association does not requalify under the QTL test within three years after failing the test, the association would be prohibited from retaining any investment or engaging in any activity not permissible for a national bank.
The Dodd-Frank Act made noncompliance with the QTL test subject to agency enforcement action for a violation of law. At December 31, 2020, Sterling Bank satisfied the QTL test. However, if our commercial portfolio continues to grow and we are unable to replace the lost residential loan production resulting from the permanent discontinuation of our Advantage Loan Program, we may fail to maintain our QTL status in future periods. In such event, we could be forced to buy mortgage-backed securities or other qualifying assets at times when the terms of such investments may not be attractive. Alternatively, we may find it necessary to pursue different structures, including converting the Bank’s savings bank charter to a commercial bank charter. Absent such strategies, if we fail to satisfy the QTL test, we could become subject to regulatory enforcement actions and our ability to pay dividends may be severely restricted.
The Dodd-Frank Act may continue to affect our business, governance structure, financial condition or results of operations.
The Dodd-Frank Act, among other things, imposed new capital requirements on thrift holding companies; changed the base for FDIC insurance assessments to a bank’s average consolidated total assets minus average tangible equity, rather than upon its deposit base; permanently raised the current standard deposit insurance limit to $250,000; and expanded the FDIC’s authority to raise insurance premiums.The Dodd-Frank Act also established the CFPB as an independent entity within the FRB, which has broad rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement authority over consumer financial products and services, including deposit products, residential mortgages, home-equity loans and credit cards and contains provisions on mortgage-related matters, such as steering incentives, determinations as to a borrower’s ability to repay and prepayment penalties. Although the applicability of certain elements of the Dodd-Frank Act is limited to institutions with more than $10 billion in assets, there can be no guarantee that such applicability will not be extended in the future or that regulators or other third parties will not seek to impose such requirements on institutions with less than $10 billion in assets, such as the Company.The Dodd-Frank Act has had and may continue to have a material impact on our operations, particularly through increased regulatory burden and compliance costs.Because the FRB has only been a primary regulator for thrift holding companies since 2012, it is unclear whether we will be exposed to additional regulatory burdens.Any future legislative changes to the Dodd-Frank Act could have a material impact on our profitability, the value of assets held for investment or the value of collateral for loans.Compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations has and will continue to result in additional operating and compliance costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Notwithstanding the above, the enactment of EGRRCPA and the promulgation of its implementing regulations repealed or modified several important provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act.Among other things, EGRRCPA raises the total asset thresholds to $250 billion for Dodd-Frank Act annual company-run stress testing, leverage limits, liquidity requirements, and resolution planning requirements for bank holding companies, subject to the ability of the FRB to apply such requirements to institutions with assets of $100 billion or more to address financial stability risks or safety and soundness concerns. However, many provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act that have increased our compliance costs remain in place. Certain of the provisions amended by EGRRCPA took effect immediately, while others are subject to ongoing joint agency rulemakings. It is not possible to predict when any final rules would
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ultimately be issued through any such rulemakings, and what the specific content of such rules will be. Although we expect to benefit from many aspects of this legislative reform, the legislation and any implementing rules that are ultimately issued could have adverse implications on the financial industry, the competitive environment, and our ability to conduct business. In addition, the federal banking agencies indicated through interagency guidance that the capital planning and risk management practices of institutions with total assets less than $100 billion would continue to be reviewed through the regular supervisory process, which may offset the impact of EGRRCPA’s changes regarding stress testing and risk management.
As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and related rulemaking, we are subject to more stringent capital requirements.
In July 2013, the U.S. federal banking authorities approved new regulatory capital rules implementing the Basel III regulatory capital reforms effecting certain changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act. The new regulatory capital requirements are generally applicable to all U.S. banks as well as to unitary thrift holding companies with assets over $1 billion, such as the Company. The regulatory capital rules not only increase most of the required minimum regulatory capital ratios, but also introduce a new common equity Tier 1 capital ratio and the concept of a CCB. The regulatory capital rules also expand the current definition of capital by establishing additional criteria that capital instruments must meet to be considered additional Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital. In order to be a well capitalized depository institution under the new regime, an institution must maintain a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.5% or more; a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8% or more; a total capital ratio of 10% or more; and a leverage ratio of 5% or more.Institutions must also maintain a CCB consisting of common equity Tier 1 capital. The regulatory capital rules became effective as applied to the Bank on January 1, 2015 with the final phase-in complete as of January 1, 2019. In addition, on September 17, 2019, the FDIC finalized a rule that introduces an optional simplified measure of capital adequacy for qualifying community banking organizations: the CBLR framework. In order to qualify for the CBLR framework, a community banking organization must have (i) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of greater than 9.0%, (ii) less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets, and (iii) limited amounts of off-balance-sheet exposures and trading assets and liabilities. The Bank is eligible to utilize the CBLR framework but has not yet determined to do so.
The failure to meet applicable regulatory capital requirements could result in one or more of our regulators placing limitations or conditions on our activities, including our growth initiatives, or restricting the commencement of new activities, and could materially adversely affect customer and investor confidence, our costs of funds and FDIC insurance costs, our ability to pay dividends on our common stock, our ability to make acquisitions, and our business, results of operations and financial conditions, generally.
The Company faces risks related to the adoption of future legislation and potential changes in federal regulatory agency leadership, policies and priorities.
With a new Congress that took office in January 2021, Democrats have retained control of the U.S. House of Representatives and have gained control of the U.S. Senate. The unified Democratic control of the White House and both chambers of Congress will allow Democrats to control both the legislative and executive agendas. We expect that Democratic-led Congressional committees will pursue greater oversight and will also pay increased attention to the banking sector’s role in providing COVID-19-related assistance to impacted businesses. The prospects for the enactment of major banking reform legislation under the new Congress are unclear at this time.
Further, the turnover of the presidential administration has produced, and likely will continue to produce, certain changes in the leadership and senior staffs of the federal banking agencies, the CFPB, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the SEC and the Treasury Department. The heads of many of those agencies and departments have already changed or will change in 2021 pending Senate confirmation. In addition, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and the FDIC Board of Directors may experience significant turnover within the next several years. These changes will likely impact the rulemaking, supervision, examination and enforcement priorities and policies of the agencies. The potential impact of any changes in agency personnel, policies and priorities on the financial services sector, including the Bank, cannot be predicted at this time.
The incoming Administration also may seek to withdraw or modify certain recently-adopted regulations relevant to our business. Of note, promptly after taking office, President Biden issued an Executive Order instituting a freeze of certain recently-finalized and pending regulations to allow for review by incoming Administration officials. As a result of this Executive Order, recently-adopted regulations may be subject to further notice-and-comment rulemaking and, more broadly, agency rulemaking agendas may be disrupted. Future regulatory agendas and the impact of such on the Bank and the financial services industry generally cannot be predicted at this time.
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We are subject to the CRA and fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to material penalties.
The CRA, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The CRA requires the OCC, in connection with its examination of a federally chartered savings association, to assess the institution's record of meeting the credit needs of its community and to take such record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by such institution. All institutions insured by the FDIC must publicly disclose their rating. The CRA, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The fair lending laws prohibit discrimination in the provision of banking services on the basis of prohibited factors including, among others, race, color, national origin, gender, and religion. The enforcement of these laws has been an increasing focus for the CFPB, HUD and other regulators. Under the fair lending laws, we may be liable if our policies result in a disparate treatment of or have a disparate impact on a protected class of applicants or borrowers and may also be subject to investigation by the DOJ. A successful challenge to our institution’s performance under the CRA or fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including the required payment of damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity and restrictions on expansion activity. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge our performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation.
Federal regulators periodically examine our business, and we may be required to remediate adverse examination findings.
The FRB and the OCC periodically examine our business operations, including our sales practices, supervisory procedures and internal controls, recordkeeping practices and financial position, to determine our compliance with applicable laws and regulations and to protect the solvency and safety and soundness of our organization. If, as a result of an examination, a federal banking agency were to determine that our financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, interest rate risk and liquidity or other aspects of any of our operations had become unsatisfactory, or that we were in violation of any law or regulation, it may take a number of different remedial actions as it deems appropriate. These actions include, among others, the power to enjoin unsafe or unsound practices, to require affirmative action to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice, to issue an administrative order that can be judicially enforced, to direct an increase in our capital, to restrict our growth, to assess civil monetary penalties against our officers or directors, to remove officers and directors and, if it is concluded that such conditions cannot be corrected or there is an imminent risk of loss to depositors, to terminate our deposit insurance and place us into receivership or conservatorship. If we become subject to any regulatory actions, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
The FRB or OCC may require us to commit capital resources to support Sterling Bank.
As a matter of policy, the FRB expects a unitary thrift holding company to act as a source of financial and managerial strength for a subsidiary bank and to commit resources to support such subsidiary bank. The Dodd-Frank Act codified the FRB’s policy on serving as a source of financial strength. Under the source of strength doctrine, the FRB may require a unitary thrift holding company to make capital injections into a troubled subsidiary bank and may charge the unitary thrift holding company with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to a subsidiary bank. A capital injection may be required at times when the holding company may not have the resources to provide it and therefore may be required to borrow the funds or raise capital. Any loans by a holding company to its subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of the subsidiary bank. In the event of a unitary thrift’s bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee will assume any commitment by the holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank. Moreover, bankruptcy law provides that claims based on any such commitment will be entitled to a priority of payment over the claims of the institution’s general unsecured creditors, including the holders of its note obligations. Thus, any borrowing that must be done by the Company to make a required capital injection becomes more difficult and expensive and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The requirement that we serve as a source of strength to our Bank may be exacerbated by OCC requirements to maintain certain capital requirements at the bank level and we may not be able to access the necessary funds to do so, which would further materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, which could adversely affect our business, reputation and results of operations.
We have identified material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting related to our control environment, including contributing factors involving our organizational structure and reporting lines and the staffing of our internal control function, as well as our identification and assessment of risks in the Advantage Loan Program. Based on the material weaknesses, our management has determined that the Company has not maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. See “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures” for a discussion of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and the material weaknesses.
The material weaknesses, or a failure to promptly remediate them, may adversely affect our business, reputation and results of operations. If we are unable to remediate the material weaknesses in a timely manner, our shareholders, customers, other business partners and regulators may lose confidence in our business or our financial reports, and our access to capital markets may be adversely affected. In addition, our ability to record, process and report financial information accurately, and to prepare financial statements within the time periods specified by the rules and regulations of the SEC and other regulatory authorities, could be adversely affected, which may result in violations of applicable securities laws, state insurance laws and regulations and the covenants under our debt agreements. We are also exposed to lawsuits and investigations, and we could be exposed to additional legal actions. In such actions, a governmental authority may interpret a law, regulation or accounting principle differently than we have, exposing us to different or additional risks. Legal actions against us may result in payments including damages, fines, penalties, interest and other amounts assessed or awarded by courts or regulatory authorities under applicable laws and regulations. We could incur significant costs in connection with any such actions.
In addition, we cannot be certain that we will not identify additional control deficiencies or material weaknesses in the future. If we identify future control deficiencies or material weaknesses, these may lead to additional adverse effects on our business, reputation and results of operations.
Risks Related to Competition
Strong competition within our market areas or with respect to our products and pricing may limit our growth and profitability.
Competition in the banking and financial services industry is intense. In our market area, we compete with commercial banks, savings institutions, mortgage brokerage firms, credit unions, finance companies, mutual funds, insurance companies, brokerage and investment banking firms and unregulated or less regulated non-banking entities, operating locally and elsewhere. Many of these competitors have substantially greater resources and higher lending limits than we have and offer certain services that we do not or cannot provide.In addition, some of our competitors offer loans with lower interest rates on more attractive terms than loans we offer.Competition also makes it increasingly difficult and costly to attract and retain qualified employees.Our profitability depends upon our continued ability to successfully compete in our market areas. If we must raise interest rates paid on deposits or lower interest rates charged on our loans, our net interest margin and profitability could be adversely affected. As we expand into new market areas, we expect that competition for customers and relationships will be intense. As a result, our ability to successfully deploy our business strategy in these market areas may be difficult.
Our strategy for future growth relies in part on growth in the communities we serve and our ability to develop relationships in particular locations, and we expect to continue to face strong competition from competitors in all of our markets. In addition, our competitors may seek to benefit from the recent negative publicity surrounding our permanent discontinuation of the Advantage Loan Program and target our customers. If we fail to compete effectively against our competitors, we may be unable to expand our market share in our existing markets, and we may be unable to retain our existing market share in key growth markets or in those markets in which we have traditionally had a strong presence. Failure to protect our market share on a regional level or to grow our market share in key growth markets and product categories could have a material adverse effect on our overall market share and on our profitability.
Our modest size makes it more difficult to compete with other financial institutions, which are generally larger and able to achieve economies of scale and can more easily afford to invest in the marketing and technologies needed to attract and retain customers and to offer better pricing for the type of products and services we provide. Because our principal source of income is the net interest income we earn on our loans and investments after deducting interest paid on deposits and other sources of funds, our ability to generate the revenues needed to cover our expenses and finance such investments is limited by the size of our loan and
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investment portfolios. Accordingly, we are not always able to offer new products and services as quickly as our competitors. As a smaller institution, we are also disproportionately affected by the continually increasing costs of compliance with new banking and other regulations.
In addition, we believe that we have historically faced less competition for customers of our former Advantage Loan Program as compared to the competition we face in the market for QMs. Due to the permanent discontinuation of the Advantage Loan Program, we may face significant pricing pressure and may experience a negative effect on our net interest margin. Should competition over the type of loans we underwrite increase, our profitability could be materially and adversely affected.
We are a community bank, and our reputation is critical to the success of our business but may continue to be affected by negative publicity.
We are a community bank, and our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. Recent negative publicity regarding the Advantage Loan Program may cause substantial damage to our reputation in the communities we serve. Significant harm to our reputation can arise from various other sources, including officer, director or employee misconduct; actual or perceived unethical behavior; conflicts of interest; security breaches; litigation or regulatory outcomes; compensation practices; failing to deliver minimum or required standards of service and quality; failing to address customer and agency complaints; compliance failures; unauthorized release of personal, proprietary or confidential information due to cyber-attacks or otherwise; perception of our environmental, social and governance practices and disclosures; and the activities of our clients, customers and counterparties, including vendors. Actions by the financial services industry generally or by institutions or individuals in the industry also can adversely affect our reputation indirectly, by association. In addition, adverse publicity or negative information posted on social media, whether or not factually correct, may affect our business prospects. All of these could adversely affect our growth, results of operation and financial condition.
We must keep pace with technological change to remain competitive and introduce new products and services.
Financial products and services have become increasingly technologically driven. Our ability to meet the needs of our customers competitively and introduce new products in a cost-efficient manner is dependent on the ability to keep pace with technological advances, to invest in new technology as it becomes available, and to obtain and maintain related essential personnel. Many of our competitors have already implemented critical technologies and have greater resources to invest in technology than we do and may be better equipped to market new technologically driven products and services. In addition, we may not have the same ability to rapidly respond to technological innovations as our competitors do. Furthermore, the introduction of new technologies and products by financial technology companies and financial technology platforms may adversely affect our ability to obtain new customers and successfully grow our business. The increased demand for, and availability of, alternative payment systems and currencies not only increases competition for such services, but has created a more complex operating environment that, in certain cases, may require additional or different controls to manage fraud, operational, legal and compliance risks. The financial services industry could become even more competitive as a result of legislative and regulatory changes and continued consolidation. In July 2018, the OCC announced that it will begin accepting applications from financial technology companies to become special purpose national banks. Although the OCC’s authority to issue special purpose bank charters to nonbank financial technology companies continues to be subject to ongoing litigation, similar developments are likely to result in even greater competition within all areas of our operations. The ability to keep pace with technological change is important, and the failure to do so, due to cost, proficiency or otherwise, could have a material adverse impact on our business and therefore on our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Interest Rates
Future changes in interest rates could reduce our net interest income and otherwise negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
The majority of our banking assets are monetary in nature and subject to risk from changes in interest rates. Like most financial institutions, our net income and cash flows depend to a great extent upon the level of our net interest income, or the difference between the interest income we earn on loans, investments and other interest earning assets and the interest we pay on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. Changes in interest rates can increase or decrease our net interest income, which makes up a majority of our income, because different types of assets and liabilities may react differently, and at different times, to market interest rate changes.
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The rates we earn on our assets and the rates we pay on our liabilities are generally fixed for a contractual period of time. Like many savings institutions, our liabilities generally have shorter contractual maturities than our assets. When interest-bearing liabilities mature or reprice more quickly, or to a greater degree than interest earning assets in a period, an increase in interest rates could reduce net interest income. Similarly, when interest earning assets mature or reprice more quickly, or to a greater degree than interest-bearing liabilities, falling interest rates could reduce net interest income.Additionally, an increase in interest rates may, among other things, reduce the demand for residential mortgage and other loans and our ability to originate loans and decrease loan repayment rates.A decrease in the general level of interest rates may affect us through, among other things, increased prepayments on our loan portfolio and mortgage-backed securities as borrowers refinance their debt to reduce their borrowing costs.This creates reinvestment risk, which is the risk that we may not be able to reinvest prepayments at rates that are comparable to the rates we earned on the prepaid loans or securities.Furthermore, an inverted interest rate yield curve, where short-term interest rates (which are usually the rates at which financial institutions borrow funds) are higher than long-term interest rates (which are usually the rates at which financial institutions lend funds for fixed-rate loans) can reduce our net interest margin and create financial risk for financial institutions like ours.
Accordingly, changes in the level of market interest rates affect our net yield on interest earning assets, loan origination volume and our overall results. Although our asset-liability management strategy is designed to control and mitigate exposure to the risks related to changes in market interest rates, those rates are affected by many factors outside of our control, including governmental monetary policies, inflation, deflation, recession, changes in unemployment, the money supply, international disorder and instability in domestic and foreign financial markets. Such changes in interest rates could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and overall profitability.
A continuation of the current historically low interest rate environment and the possibility that we may access higher-cost funds to support our loan growth and operations may adversely affect our net interest income and profitability.
In prior years, the FRB’s policy has been to maintain interest rates at historically low levels through its targeted federal funds rate and the purchase of mortgage-backed securities. After steadily increasing the target federal funds rate in 2018 and 2017, the FRB in 2019 decreased the target federal funds rate by 75 basis points, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, decreased the target federal funds rate by an additional 150 basis points to a range of 0.0% to 0.25% as of March 31, 2020. The FRB could make additional changes in interest rates during 2021 subject to economic conditions. If the FRB increases the target federal funds rate, overall interest rates will likely rise, which may negatively impact the housing markets and the U.S. economic recovery. Our ability to reduce our interest expense may be limited at current interest rate levels while the average yield on our interest-earning assets may continue to decrease, and our interest expense may increase as we access non-core funding sources or increase deposit rates to fund our operations. A continuation of a low, or relatively low, interest rate environment or increasing our cost of funds may adversely affect our net interest income, which would have a material adverse effect on our profitability.
Uncertainty relating to the LIBOR determination process and LIBOR discontinuance may adversely affect our results of operations.
LIBOR is the reference rate used for many of our transactions, including our lending and borrowing and our purchase and sale of securities that we use to manage risk related to such transactions. However, a reduced volume of interbank unsecured term borrowing coupled with recent legal and regulatory proceedings related to rate manipulation by certain financial institutions has led to international reconsideration of LIBOR as a financial benchmark. The United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates the process for establishing LIBOR, announced in July 2017 that the sustainability of LIBOR cannot be guaranteed. The administrator for LIBOR announced on March 5, 2021 that it will permanently cease to publish most LIBOR settings beginning on January 1, 2022 and cease to publish the overnight, one-month, three-month, six-month and 12-month USD LIBOR settings on July 1, 2023. Accordingly, the FCA intends to stop persuading, or compelling, banks to submit to LIBOR after 2021. Until such time, however, FCA panel banks have agreed to continue to support LIBOR.
We have not yet determined which alternative rate is most applicable, and there can be no assurances on which benchmark rate(s) may replace LIBOR or how LIBOR will be determined for purposes of financial instruments that are currently referencing LIBOR when it ceases to exist. The discontinuance of LIBOR may result in uncertainty or differences in the calculation of the applicable interest rate or payment amount depending on the terms of the governing instruments and may also increase operational and other risks to the Company and the industry.
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While there is no consensus on what rate or rates may become accepted alternatives to LIBOR, a group of large banks, the Alternative Reference Rate Committee, or ARRC, selected the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as an alternative to LIBOR. SOFR has been published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (the "FRBNY") since May 2018, and it is intended to be a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities. The FRBNY reports that SOFR includes all trades in the Broad General Collateral Rate, plus bilateral U.S. Treasury repurchase agreement transactions cleared through the delivery-versus-payment service offered by the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation.
The FRBNY currently publishes SOFR daily on its website at https://apps.newyorkfed.org/markets/autorates/sofr. The FRBNY states on its publication page for SOFR that use of SOFR is subject to important disclaimers, limitations and indemnification obligations, including that the FRBNY may alter the methods of calculation, publication schedule, rate revision practices or availability of SOFR at any time without notice.
Because SOFR is published by the FRBNY based on data received from other sources, the Bank has 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 parties that utilize SOFR as the reference rate for transactions. There is no assurance that SOFR will be widely adopted as the replacement reference rate for LIBOR (or that the Company will ultimately decide to adopt SOFR as the reference rate for its lending or borrowing transactions).
The American Financial Exchange (“AFX”) has also created the American Interbank Offered Rate (“Ameribor”) as another potential replacement for LIBOR. Ameribor is calculated daily as the volume-weighted average interest rate of the overnight unsecured loans on AFX. Because of the difference in how it is constructed, Ameribor may diverge significantly from LIBOR in a range of situations and market conditions.
The market transition away from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate, including SOFR or Ameribor, is complex and could have a range of adverse effects on the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. In particular, any such transition could:
| ● | adversely affect the interest rates paid or received on, and the revenue and expenses associated with, the Company's floating rate obligations, loans, deposits and other financial instruments tied to LIBOR rates, or other securities or financial arrangements given LIBOR's role in determining market interest rates globally; |
| ● | adversely affect the value of the Company's floating rate obligations, loans, deposits and other financial instruments tied to LIBOR rates, or other securities or financial arrangements given LIBOR's role in determining market interest rates globally; |
| ● | prompt inquiries or other actions from regulators in respect of the Company’s preparation and readiness for the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate; |
| ● | result in disputes, litigation or other actions with counterparties regarding the interpretation and enforceability of certain fallback language in LIBOR-based securities; and |
| ● | require the transition to or development of appropriate systems and analytics to effectively transition our risk management processes from LIBOR-based products to those based on the applicable alternative pricing benchmark. |
In addition, the implementation of LIBOR reform proposals may result in increased compliance costs and operational costs, including costs related to continued participation in LIBOR and the transition to a replacement reference rate or rates. We cannot reasonably estimate the expected cost.
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Risks Related to Liquidity
A lack of liquidity could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and result in regulatory limits being placed on the Company.
Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on our ability to generate deposits and effectively manage the repayment and maturity schedules of our loans to ensure that we have adequate liquidity to fund our operations. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our most important source of funds is deposits. Deposit balances can decrease when customers perceive alternative investments as providing a better risk/return tradeoff. If customers move money out of deposits such as money market funds, we will lose a relatively low-cost source of funds, increasing our funding costs and reducing our net interest income and net income. In addition, should secondary market investors accept our offers to repurchase Advantage Loan Program loans with respect to a substantial portion of such outstanding loans, the cash required to fund these repurchases will substantially reduce our excess liquidity. Moreover, depending on the capitalization and regulatory treatment of depository institutions, including whether an institution is subject to a supervisory prompt corrective action directive, certain additional regulatory restrictions and prohibitions may apply, including restrictions on growth, restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, restrictions or prohibitions on payment of dividends and restrictions on the acceptance of brokered deposits. In the event such restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits become applicable to us, we will likely need to reduce our interest rates paid on a large segment of our deposits, which could result in significant deposit withdrawals. In addition, as of December 31, 2020, approximately 24% of our total deposits are not FDIC-insured, and a significant portion of those deposits could be withdrawn in the event of volatile economic conditions. Significant deposit withdrawals could materially reduce our liquidity, and, in such an event, we may be required to replace such deposits with higher-costing borrowings.
Other primary sources of funds consist of cash flows from operations and sales of investment securities, and proceeds from the issuance and sale of our equity securities, including, most recently, net proceeds of approximately $85.5 million from our 2017 initial public offering. Additional liquidity is provided by our ability to borrow from the FHLB of Indianapolis or our ability to sell portions of our loan portfolio. We also may borrow funds from third-party lenders, such as other financial institutions. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our activities, or on terms that are acceptable to us, could be impaired by factors that affect us directly or the financial services industry or economy in general, such as disruptions in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry. Our access to funding sources could also be affected by a decrease in the ability to sell mortgage portfolios as a result of a downturn in our markets or by one or more adverse regulatory actions against us. A lack of liquidity could also attract increased regulatory scrutiny and potential restraints imposed on us by regulators.
Any decline in available funding could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses or fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on external financing to fund our operations, and the failure to obtain such financing on favorable terms, or at all, in the future could materially and adversely impact our growth strategy and prospects.
We rely in part on advances from the FHLB, subordinated debt and brokered deposits to fund our operations. Although we consider such sources of funds adequate for our current needs, we may need to seek additional debt or equity capital in the future to restore capital that may be depleted due to losses related to adverse results from government investigations and ligations, adverse economic conditions due to COVID-19 and other risks identified herein, as well as to fund future growth. The sale of equity or equity-related securities in the future may be dilutive to our shareholders, and debt financing arrangements may require us to pledge some of our assets and enter into various affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on operational activities and financing alternatives. Future financing sources, if sought, might be unavailable to us or, if available, could be on terms unfavorable to us and may require regulatory approval. In addition, we currently are required to obtain the prior approval of the FRB in order for the Company to issue any new debt. If financing sources are unavailable or are not available on favorable terms or we are unable to obtain regulatory approval, our capital base, growth strategy and future prospects could be materially and adversely impacted.
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If the market for the sale of our mortgage loans to the secondary market were to significantly contract, or if purchasers were to lose confidence in the quality of our loans, our net income would be negatively affected and our ability to manage our balance sheet would be materially and adversely affected.
From time to time, we manage our liquidity and balance sheet risk by selling loans in our mortgage portfolio into the secondary market. If the market for our mortgages were to contract or our counterparties were to lose confidence in our asset quality, we would lose a key piece of our liquidity strategy and would need to find alternative means to manage our liquidity that may be less effective. In addition, in connection with residential mortgages packaged for sale in the secondary market, we make representations and warranties, which, if breached, may require us to repurchase such loans, substitute other loans or indemnify the purchasers of such loans for actual losses incurred in respect of such loans. The recent permanent discontinuation of our Advantage Loan Program may lead some purchasers to claim that the historical representations and warranties we have made in connection with such sales were inaccurate. A substantial decline in residential real estate values in the markets in which we originated such loans could increase the risk of such claims. While we currently believe our repurchase risk remains low based upon the minimal credit losses experienced in our historical loan portfolio, it is possible that requests to repurchase loans could occur in the future. If the market for our residential portfolio were to contract or if a significant number of purchasers claimed our historical representations and warranties made in connection with loans made under the Advantage Loan Program were inaccurate and requested that we repurchase such loans, our liquidity, capital ratios and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
The debt service obligations related to our subordinated notes will reduce the funds available for other business purposes, and the terms and covenants relating thereto, and to any future indebtedness, could adversely impact our financial performance and liquidity.
We have sold $65.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.0% Fixed to Floating Subordinated Notes due April 15, 2026. Our subordinated notes bear interest at 7% per annum, payable semi-annually, through April 2021, after which they will have a variable interest rate of the three-month LIBOR rate plus a margin of 5.82%. As a result of our subordinated notes, we are currently, and to the extent we incur significant debt in the future, we will be, subject to risks typically associated with debt financing, such as insufficient cash flow to meet required debt service payment obligations, which may increase if the benchmark rate for any of our floating rate notes increases, and the inability to refinance existing indebtedness. See Note 9—Subordinated Notes, net to our consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the economic terms of our subordinated notes.
In addition, our subordinated notes and the related subordinated note purchase agreements contain customary covenants, which under certain circumstances place restrictions on our ability to pay dividends or make other distributions and enter into certain transactions, including acquisition activity. If we fail to satisfy one or more of the covenants under our subordinated notes, we would be in default under such notes, and may be required to repay such debt with capital from other sources. Under such circumstances, other sources of capital may not be available to us on reasonable terms or at all.
Other Risks Related to Our Business
Our senior management has recently undergone a significant transition, and our future success depends on our ability to identify, attract and retain key employees and other qualified personnel.
The Company experienced significant executive transitions in late 2019 continuing through the first half of 2020. On October 17, 2019, the Company announced the retirement of its then-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gary Judd, with such retirement to be effective November 30, 2019. On October 15, 2019, the board of directors appointed Thomas Lopp, the Company’s then-President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman effective upon Mr. Judd’s retirement. The board of directors also appointed Stephen Huber as Chief Financial Officer, also effective November 30, 2019. On May 7, 2020, Mr. Lopp resigned from each of his positions with the Company and the board of directors appointed Mr. Huber as interim Chief Executive Officer. On May 29, 2020, Michael Montemayor was terminated from his positions as President of Commercial and Retail Banking and Chief Lending Officer. Effective June 3, 2020, the Company and the Bank appointed Thomas M. O’Brien as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank, respectively. Mr. Huber continued in his role as Chief Financial Officer following the appointment of Mr. O’Brien. Christine Meredith was hired by the Bank in the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer with a starting date of February 3, 2020. Since October 1, 2019, more than 150 officers and employees have been terminated or have resigned, including more than 45 loan officers, whether in connection with the Internal Review or otherwise.
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We may not be successful in retaining our key employees, or replacing recently terminated or departed employees, and the unexpected loss of services of one or more of our officers or directors could have a material adverse effect on our business because of their skills, knowledge of our market and financial products, years of industry experience and the difficulty of finding qualified replacement personnel. We recognize that the banking industry is competitive and replacing executive officers and key employees may be difficult and may take an extended period of time because of the limited number of individuals in our industry with the breadth of skills and experience required to successfully manage, develop and grow in the banking industry. If we fail to identify and develop or recruit successors, we are at risk of being harmed by the departures of key employees.
We face risks related to our operational, technological and organizational infrastructure.
Our ability to grow and compete, including to develop and deliver new products that meet the needs of our existing customers and attract new ones, is dependent on our ability to build or acquire the necessary operational and technological infrastructure and to manage the cost of that infrastructure as we expand. Our ability to run our business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations is also dependent on that infrastructure. Operational risk can manifest itself in many ways, such as errors related to failed or inadequate processes, faulty or disabled computer systems, fraud by employees or outside persons and exposure to external events, and we are dependent on our operational infrastructure to help manage these risks. In addition, we are heavily dependent on the strength and capability of our technology systems, which we use both to interface with our customers and to manage our internal financial records and other systems. Any shortcomings in our technology systems subjects us to risk of misconduct by our employees that may go undetected.
We monitor our operational and technological capabilities and make modifications and improvements when we believe it will be cost effective to do so. In some instances, we may build and maintain these capabilities ourselves. Specifically, we provide our own core systems processing and essential web hosting. We also outsource some of these functions to third parties. If we experience difficulties, fail to comply with banking regulations or keep up with increasingly sophisticated technologies, our operations could be interrupted. If an interruption were to continue for a significant period of time, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected, perhaps materially. Even if we are able to replace them, it may be at a higher cost to us, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If our enterprise risk management framework is not effective at mitigating risk and loss to us, we could suffer unexpected losses and our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Our enterprise risk management framework seeks to achieve an appropriate balance between risk and return, which is critical to optimizing shareholder value. We have established processes and procedures intended to identify, measure, monitor, report and analyze the types of risk to which we are subject, including credit, liquidity, operational, regulatory, compliance and reputational risks. However, as with any risk management framework, there are inherent limitations to our risk management strategies as there may exist, or develop in the future, risks that we have not appropriately anticipated or identified. If our risk management framework proves ineffective, we could suffer unexpected losses and our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
We face significant operational risks because the financial services business involves a high volume of transactions and increased reliance on technology, including risk of loss related to cybersecurity or privacy breaches.
We operate in diverse markets and rely on the ability of our employees and systems to process a high number of transactions and to collect, process, transmit and store significant amounts of confidential information regarding our customers, employees and others, as well as our own business, operations, plans and strategies. Operational risk is the risk of loss resulting from our operations, including but not limited to, the risk of fraud by employees or persons outside our company, the execution of unauthorized transactions, errors relating to transaction processing and technology, systems failures or interruptions, breaches of our internal control systems and compliance requirements, and business continuation and disaster recovery. We face an increasing number of regulations and regulatory scrutiny related to our information technology systems, and security or privacy breaches with respect to our data could result in regulatory fines, reputational harm and customer losses, any of which would significantly impact our financial condition. As cybersecurity threats are inherently difficult to predict and can take many forms, insurance coverage may not be available for losses associated with cyber-attacks or information security breaches, or where available, such losses may exceed insurance limits. In addition, because we perform our own core processing and other technological functions, we cannot rely on indemnification or another source of third-party recovery in the event of a breach of such functions.
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In recent years, several U.S. financial institutions have experienced significant distributed denial-of-service attacks, some of which involved sophisticated and targeted attacks intended to disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems. Other potential attacks have attempted to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information or destroy data, often through the introduction of computer viruses or malware, cyber-attacks and other means. To date and to the best of our knowledge, none of these types of attacks have had a material effect on our business or operations. Such security attacks can originate from a wide variety of sources, including persons who are involved with organized crime or who may be linked to terrorist organizations or hostile foreign governments. Those same parties may also attempt to fraudulently induce employees, customers or other users of our systems to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our data or that of our customers or clients. We are also subject to the risk that our employees may intercept and transmit unauthorized confidential or proprietary information. An interception, misuse or mishandling of personal, confidential or proprietary information being sent to or received from a customer or third party could result in legal liability, remediation costs, regulatory action and reputational harm.
In addition, we outsource some of our data processing to certain third-party providers. If these third-party providers encounter difficulties, including as a result of cyber-attacks or information security breaches, or if we have difficulty communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for transactions could be affected, and our business operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Although we have implemented and intend to continue to implement and enhance security technology and establish operational procedures to prevent such damage, there can be no assurance that these security measures will be successful in deterring or mitigating the effects of every cyberthreat that we face. In addition, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments could result in a compromise or breach of the algorithms we and our third-party service providers use to protect client transaction data, other customer data and employee data. Any successful cyber-attack or other information security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential customer information or that compromises our ability to function could severely damage our reputation, erode confidence in the security of our systems, products and services, expose us to the risk of litigation and liability, disrupt our operations and have a material adverse effect on our business. Any successful cyber-attack may also subject the Company to regulatory investigations, litigation or enforcement, or require the payment of regulatory fines or penalties or undertaking costly remediation efforts with respect to third parties affected by a cybersecurity incident, all or any of which could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations and damage its reputation.
We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information provided by customers and counterparties.
In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with customers and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished to us by, or on behalf of, customers and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information. We also may rely on representations of customers and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information. In deciding whether to extend credit, we may rely upon our customers’ representations that their financial statements are accurate. We also may rely on customer representations and certifications, or other audit or accountants’ reports, with respect to the business and financial condition of our commercial clients. Our financial condition, results of operations, financial reporting and reputation could be materially adversely affected if we rely on materially misleading, false, inaccurate or fraudulent information.
We could be adversely affected by the soundness of other financial institutions and other third parties we rely on.
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 routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including banks, brokers and dealers, investment banks and other institutional entities. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of a default by a counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when our collateral cannot be foreclosed upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the credit due.
Adherence to our internal policies and procedures by our employees is critical to our performance.
Our internal policies and procedures are a critical component of our corporate governance and, in some cases, compliance with applicable regulations. We adopt internal policies and procedures to guide management and employees regarding the operation and conduct of our business. Any deviation or non-adherence to these internal policies and procedures, such as the conduct leading to
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the permanent discontinuation of the Advantage Loan Program, whether intentional or unintentional, could have a detrimental effect on our management, operations or financial condition.
We and our borrowers in our California communities may be adversely affected by earthquakes or other natural disasters, and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.
The majority of our branches are located in the San Francisco and Los Angeles, California areas, which in the past have experienced both severe earthquakes and wildfires. We do not carry earthquake insurance on our properties. Earthquakes, wildfires or other natural disasters could severely disrupt our operations, and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. In addition, our customers and loan collateral may be severely impacted by such events, resulting in losses.
If a natural disaster, power outage or other event occurred that prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our branches, that damaged critical infrastructure or that otherwise disrupted operations, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible, for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time in the San Francisco and/or Los Angeles, California areas. The disaster recovery and business continuity plan that we have in place currently is limited and is unlikely to prove adequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event. We may incur substantial expenses as a result of the limited nature of our disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which, particularly when taken together with our lack of earthquake insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Climate change and related legislative and regulatory initiatives may materially affect the Company’s business and results of operations.
The effects of climate change continue to create an alarming level of concern for the state of the global environment. As a result, the global community has increased its political and social awareness surrounding the issue and have entered into international agreements in an attempt to reduce global temperatures such as the Paris Agreement, which the United States re-joined as of February 19, 2021. Further, the U.S. Congress, state legislatures and federal and state regulatory agencies continue to propose numerous initiatives to supplement the global effort to combat climate change. Similar and even more expansive initiatives are expected under the Biden administration, including potentially increasing supervisory expectations with respect to banks’ risk management practices, accounting for the effects of climate change in stress testing scenarios and systemic risk assessments, revising expectations for credit portfolio concentrations based on climate-related factors and encouraging investment by banks in climate-related initiatives and lending to communities disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. The lack of empirical data surrounding the credit and other financial risks posed by climate change render it impossible to predict how specifically climate change may impact our financial condition and results of operations; however, the physical effects of climate change may also directly impact us. Specifically, unpredictable and more frequent weather disasters may adversely impact the value of real property securing the loans in our portfolios. Further, the effects of climate change may negatively impact regional and local economic activity, which could lead to an adverse effect on our customers and impact our ability to raise and invest capital in potentially impacted communities. Overall, climate change, its effects and the resulting, unknown impact could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Adverse conditions internationally could adversely affect our customers and business.
Many of our customers are recent immigrants or foreign nationals. U.S. and global economic policies, military tensions, and unfavorable global economic conditions may adversely impact the economies in which our customers have family or business ties. A significant deterioration of economic conditions internationally, and in Asia in particular, could expose us to, among other things, economic and transfer risk, and we could experience an outflow of deposits by those of our customers with connections to Asia. In addition, foreign currency restrictions, particularly on the movement of cash from abroad, could adversely affect many of our customers, including with respect to their ability to make down payments or repay loans. Adverse economic conditions abroad, and in China or Taiwan in particular, may also negatively impact asset values and the profitability and liquidity of our customers with ties to these regions.
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Changes in the valuation of our securities portfolio could hurt our profits and reduce our shareholders’ equity.
Our securities portfolio may be impacted by fluctuations in market value, potentially reducing accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and/or net income. Fluctuations in market value may be caused by changes in market interest rates, lower market prices for securities and limited investor demand. Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment on a quarterly basis, with more frequent evaluation for selected issues. In analyzing a debt issuer’s financial condition, management may consider whether the securities are issued by the federal government or its agencies, whether downgrades by bond rating agencies have occurred and industry analysts’ reports. In analyzing an equity issuer’s financial condition, management may consider industry analysts’ reports, financial performance and projected target prices of investment analysts. If this evaluation shows impairment to the actual or projected cash flows associated with one or more securities, a potential loss to net income may occur. Changes in interest rates can also have an adverse effect on our financial condition, as our available-for-sale securities are reported at their estimated fair value and therefore are impacted by fluctuations in interest rates. We increase or decrease our shareholders’ equity by the amount of change in the estimated fair value of the available-for-sale securities, net of taxes. Declines in market value could result in other-than-temporary impairments of these assets, which would lead to accounting charges that could have a material adverse effect on our net income and capital levels.
The value of our mortgage servicing rights can be volatile.
We sell in the secondary market residential real estate loans that we originate, which provides a meaningful portion of our non-interest income in the form of gains on the sale of mortgage loans. We also earn revenue from fees we receive for servicing mortgage loans. As a result of our mortgage servicing business, we have a portfolio of mortgage servicing rights. A mortgage servicing right is the right to service a mortgage loan—collect principal, interest, and escrow amounts—for a fee. We acquire mortgage servicing rights when we keep the servicing rights in connection with the sale of loans we have originated.
Changes in interest rates may impact our mortgage servicing revenues, which could negatively impact our non-interest income. When rates rise, net revenue from our mortgage servicing activities can increase due to slower prepayments, which reduces our amortization expense for mortgage servicing rights. When rates fall, the value of our mortgage servicing rights usually tends to decline as a result of a higher volume of prepayments, resulting in a decline in our net revenue. It is possible that, because of economic conditions and/or a weak or deteriorating housing market, even if interest rates were to fall or remain low, mortgage originations may also fall or any increase in mortgage originations may not be enough to offset the decrease in the mortgage servicing rights value caused by the lower rates. Because the value of our mortgage servicing rights is recorded on our balance sheet and evaluated on a quarterly basis, any significant decline in value could adversely affect our income, our capital ratios or require us to raise additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms.
Our critical accounting policies and estimates, risk management processes and controls rely on analytical and forecasting techniques and models, management judgments and assumptions about matters that are uncertain and may not accurately predict future events.
Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. Our management must exercise judgment in selecting and applying many of these accounting policies and methods, so they comply with U.S. GAAP and reflect management’s judgment of the most appropriate manner in which to report our financial condition and results. In some cases, management must select the accounting policy or method to apply from two or more alternatives, any of which may be reasonable under the circumstances, yet which may result in our reporting materially different results than would have been reported under a different alternative.
Certain accounting policies are critical to presenting our financial condition and results of operations. They require management to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments about matters that are uncertain. Materially different amounts could be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions or estimates. These critical accounting policies include the allowance for loan losses, the fair value of financial instruments and the valuation of mortgage servicing rights. Because of the uncertainty of estimates involved in these matters, we may be required to significantly increase the allowance for loan losses or sustain loan losses that are significantly higher than the reserve provided or reduce the carrying value of an asset measured at fair value. Any of these could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
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Our internal controls, disclosure controls, processes and procedures and corporate governance policies and procedures are based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable (not absolute) assurances that the objectives of the system are met. Any failure or circumvention of our controls, processes and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls, processes and procedures could necessitate changes in those controls, processes and procedures, which may increase our compliance costs, divert management attention from our business or subject us to regulatory actions and increased regulatory scrutiny. Any of these could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Risks Related to Governance Matters
We have been a controlled company under the corporate governance rules for Nasdaq-listed companies, and we may elect to take full advantage of the controlled company exceptions, which could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.
Because we have qualified as a controlled company under the corporate governance rules for Nasdaq-listed companies since our initial public offering, we are not required to have a majority of our board of directors be independent, nor are we required to have a compensation committee or an independent nominating function. Although we have recently received informal notice that due to a recent change in trustee for a number of the Seligman family trusts, effective as of August 19, 2020, we were no longer a controlled company, we are still eligible to take full advantage of these controlled company exceptions for one year following the loss of controlled company status. Currently, Sandra Seligman and Seth Meltzer, who are not independent directors, serve on our Nominating Committee. Although we do not intend to rely upon the controlled company exception to the board of directors and committee independence requirements under the rules of Nasdaq, except for our Nominating Committee, we could elect to do so during such transition period. In this regard, in light of our status as a controlled company, our board of directors could elect not to have a majority of our board of directors be independent or not to have a compensation committee. Accordingly, should the interests of our controlling shareholder differ from those of other shareholders, the other shareholders may not have the same protections afforded shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance rules for Nasdaq-listed companies. We may take advantage of some or all the controlled company exceptions, and to the extent we do not, this determination could change in the future. Our status as a controlled company could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.
The Seligman family, directly and through the family’s trusts, has influenced and has the ability to continue to influence Company operations and to control the outcome of matters submitted for shareholder approval and may have interests that differ from those of our other shareholders.
Scott J. Seligman and others of his family members were the original founders of the Bank, and Mr. Seligman has had a variety of senior roles and positions over the course of many years. Prior to 2000, he served as a member of the Bank’s board and as chief executive officer of the Bank. After 2000 and through December 31, 2019, he served as a consulting director to the board of the Bank and retained the title of vice president of the Company. In these roles, Mr. Seligman participated in the conduct of the affairs of the Bank and had a significant influence over the Bank’s operations. In addition, Mr. Seligman caused the Bank to engage in various transactions with other Seligman-controlled businesses. For example, the Bank has a sublease agreement with one such business, Seligman & Associates, for office space, and, until October 31, 2020, the Bank provided monthly data processing and programming services to entities controlled by the Company’s controlling shareholders. Mr. Seligman resigned from his positions as consulting director to the board of the Bank and as vice president of the Company effective December 31, 2019.
Certain trusts for the benefit of members of the Seligman family and administered by their trustees or other Seligman family members or their designees beneficially own approximately 70% of our common stock. The trustees of the trusts for the benefit of Scott J. Seligman have voting and dispositive power over approximately 48% of our common stock, effectively giving such trusts control over the outcome of the shareholder votes on most matters. The trustee of the trusts created by Sandra Seligman has voting and dispositive power over approximately 18% of our common stock. Prior to August 2020, Mr. Seligman and Ms. Seligman utilized the same trustee for their respective trusts. Should the Seligman family and their trusts vote as a block, they would have effective control over the outcome of the votes on all matters requiring approval by shareholders, including the election of directors, the adoption of amendments to our articles of incorporation and bylaws and the approval of a sale of the Company and other significant corporate transactions, regardless of how other shareholders vote on these matters. Furthermore, the interests of the Seligman family may be different than the interests of other shareholders. This concentration of voting power could also have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control or other business combination that might otherwise be beneficial to our shareholders.
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Certain provisions of our corporate governance documents and Michigan law could discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition at a premium price.
Our second amended and restated articles of incorporation contain provisions that may make the acquisition of our Company more difficult without the approval of our board of directors. These include provisions that, among other things:
| ● | permit the board to issue up to 10 million shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may determine (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in control); |
| ● | provide that the authorized number of directors may be fixed only by the board in accordance with our amended and restated bylaws; |
| ● | do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election); |
| ● | divide our board into three staggered classes; |
| ● | provide that all vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by the affirmative vote of at least 80% of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum; |
| ● | prohibit removal of directors without cause; |
| ● | prohibit shareholders from calling special meetings of shareholders; |
| ● | require unanimous consent for shareholders to take action by written consent without approval of the action by our board; |
| ● | provide that shareholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of shareholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of shareholders must provide advance notice in writing and also comply with specified requirements related to the form and content of a shareholder’s notice; |
| ● | require at least 80% supermajority shareholder approval to alter, amend or repeal certain provisions of our second amended and restated articles of incorporation; and |
| ● | require at least 80% supermajority shareholder approval in order for shareholders to adopt, amend or repeal our amended and restated bylaws. |
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for shareholders to replace members of the board of directors, which is responsible for appointing members of our management. Any matters requiring the approval of our shareholders will require the approval of the Seligman family and their trustees, which may have interests that differ from those of our other shareholders.
In addition, the 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan and the 2020 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan each provide that restricted stock awards become fully vested in the event of a change in control and permit the board of directors or a committee thereof to accelerate, vest or cause the restrictions to lapse with respect to other outstanding awards including stock options, in the event of, or immediately prior to, a change in control. Such vesting or acceleration could discourage the acquisition of our Company.
We could also become subject to certain anti-takeover provisions under Michigan law which may discourage, delay or prevent someone from acquiring us or merging with us, whether or not an acquisition or merger is desired by or beneficial to our shareholders. If a corporation’s board of directors chooses to opt-in to certain provisions of Michigan Law, such corporation may not, in general, engage in a business combination with any beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% of the corporation’s outstanding voting shares unless the holder has held the shares for five years or more or, among other things, the board of directors has approved the business combination. Our board of directors has not elected to be subject to this provision, but could do so in the future. Any
52
provision of our second amended and restated articles of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws or Michigan law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our shareholders to receive a premium for their shares, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock otherwise.
The exclusive forum provision in our second amended and restated articles of incorporation could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees.
Our second amended and restated articles of incorporation provides that the courts of the State of Michigan located in Oakland County and the U.S. District for the Eastern District of Michigan shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any derivative action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or employees to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Michigan Business Corporation Act (as it may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the State of Michigan’s internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our common stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of our second amended and restated articles of incorporation described above. This choice of forum provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our second amended and restated articles of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our ability to pay dividends is restricted by applicable law and regulations and the terms of our subordinated notes and depends on the success of both Sterling Bancorp, Inc. and the Bank.
Our ability to pay cash dividends is restricted by the terms of our subordinated notes as well as applicable provisions of Michigan law and the rules and regulations of the OCC and the FRB. Under the terms of the subordinated notes, as long as the subordinated notes are outstanding, the Company is permitted to pay dividends if prior to such dividends, the Bank is considered well capitalized under applicable regulatory capital requirements. In addition, under Michigan law, Sterling Bancorp, Inc. is prohibited from paying cash dividends if, after giving effect to the dividend, (i) it would not be able to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course of business or (ii) its total assets would be less than the sum of its total liabilities plus the preferential rights upon dissolution of shareholders with preferential rights on dissolution that are superior to those receiving the dividend, and we are currently required to obtain the prior approval of the FRB in order to pay any dividends to our shareholders.
Sterling Bancorp, Inc. is a separate and distinct legal entity from the Bank that receives substantially all of its revenue through the Bank. Dividends from the Bank are the principal source of funds used by Sterling Bancorp, Inc. to pay cash dividends and interest on our subordinated notes. Any future determination to pay dividends to holders of our common stock will depend on our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, banking regulations and contractual restrictions, at both Sterling Bancorp, Inc. and the Bank and on a consolidated basis, and any other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant, and we can provide no assurance that we will pay any dividends to our shareholders in the future. The Bank is currently required to obtain the prior approval of the OCC in order to pay dividends to the Company due to the existence of the OCC Agreement.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Our corporate headquarters is located at One Towne Square, Suite 1900, Southfield, Michigan 48076. In addition to our corporate headquarters, we operate 20 branch offices located in the San Francisco metropolitan area, six branch offices in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, two branch offices and one loan production office located in New York City, and one branch office in the greater Seattle market. We lease our corporate headquarters and each of our retail branch offices at what we believe to be market rates.
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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The Company and its subsidiaries may be subject to legal actions and claims arising from contracts or other matters from time to time in the ordinary course of business. Management is not aware of any pending or threatened legal proceedings, except as incorporated by reference below, that are considered other than routine legal proceedings. The Company believes that the ultimate dispositions or resolutions of its routine legal proceedings, in the aggregate, are immaterial to its financial position, results of operations and liquidity.
The information set forth under “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Advantage Loan Program—Pending government investigations may result in adverse findings, reputational damage, the imposition of sanctions and other negative consequences that could adversely affect our financial condition and future operating results,” “—We are subject to a pending securities class action and legal proceedings that may adversely affect our business” and “—Failure to comply with the OCC Agreement regarding our BSA/AML compliance program and credit administration, or with BSA/AML laws and regulations generally, could have a material adverse effect on our business” is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock has been listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SBT” since November 17, 2017. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our common stock.
On March 19, 2021, we had ten holders of record of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders are beneficial owners whose shares are held of record banks, brokers and other nominees. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Dividend Policy
Although as a private company, we had only recently paid dividends to our shareholders, we intend to consider conservative and appropriate dividend levels. Our dividend policy and practice may change at any time, and our board of directors may change or eliminate the payment of future dividends at its discretion, without notice to our shareholders. In March 2020, in connection with the issues giving rise to the Internal Review, we announced the suspension of the payment of any dividends for at least the near term. Any future determination to pay dividends to holders of our common stock will depend on our future net income, capital requirements, restrictions imposed by our subordinated debt, funds needed to pay the interest cost on any debt, financial condition, future prospects, regulatory restrictions and any other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Refer to “Item 1. Business—Supervision and Regulation—Federal Banking Regulation—Capital Requirements” for a discussion of our dividend payment restrictions.
Stock Repurchase Program
On December 24, 2018, the board of directors approved the repurchase of up to $50.0 million of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. The stock repurchase program permits the Company to acquire shares of common stock from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The Company received regulatory approval of the stock repurchase program and publicly announced the program on January 28, 2019. The program does not have an expiration date. Under the stock repurchase program, the Company is not obligated to repurchase shares of its common stock, and there is no assurance that it will continue to do so. Any shares repurchased under this program will be canceled and returned to authorized but unissued status.
In March 2020, in connection with the issues giving rise to the Internal Review, the Company suspended the stock repurchase program. For a discussion of the issues giving rise to the Internal Review, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Advantage Loan Program—The Internal Review results indicate numerous instances of misconduct by employees in connection with the origination of residential real estate loans in our Advantage Loan Program.”
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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The selected consolidated financial and operating data set forth below should be read in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included herein. The selected consolidated financial data for 2017 and 2016, set forth below, has been retrospectively adjusted for a merger that occurred in April 2017 and was of an entity that was under common control for those prior periods presented. All share and per share amounts for 2016 have been retroactively adjusted, where applicable, to reflect a stock split that occurred on September 11, 2017.
For the Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
(dollars in thousands, except per share data) |
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
| 2017 |
| 2016 | |||||
Selected Operating Data: | |||||||||||||||
Interest income | |||||||||||||||
Interest and fees on loans |
| $ | 146,702 | $ | 168,955 |
| $ | 157,499 |
| $ | 122,789 |
| $ | 90,719 | |
Interest and dividends on investment securities and restricted stock |
| 3,618 |
| 4,976 |
| 3,679 |
| 1,890 |
| 1,180 | |||||
Other interest |
| 1,043 |
| 1,438 |
| 593 |
| 157 |
| 57 | |||||
Total interest income |
| 151,363 |
| 175,369 |
| 161,771 |
| 124,836 |
| 91,956 | |||||
Interest expense |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||
Interest on deposits |
| 37,482 |
| 45,693 |
| 32,031 |
| 17,570 |
| 11,428 | |||||
Interest on Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings |
| 3,403 |
| 3,991 |
| 4,951 |
| 3,795 |
| 2,439 | |||||
Interest on subordinated notes |
| 4,713 |
| 4,701 |
| 4,689 |
| 4,070 |
| 1,978 | |||||
Total interest expense |
| 45,598 |
| 54,385 |
| 41,671 |
| 25,435 |
| 15,845 | |||||
Net interest income |
| 105,765 |
| 120,984 |
| 120,100 |
| 99,401 |
| 76,111 | |||||
Provision (recovery) for loan losses |
| 54,865 |
| (133) |
| 3,229 |
| 2,700 |
| 1,280 | |||||
Net interest income after provision (recovery) for loan losses |
| 50,900 |
| 121,117 |
| 116,871 |
| 96,701 |
| 74,831 | |||||
Total non‑interest income |
| 4,336 |
| 11,447 |
| 22,037 |
| 14,508 |
| 14,228 | |||||
Total non‑interest expense |
| 74,112 |
| 87,673 |
| 50,336 |
| 40,761 |
| 32,610 | |||||
Income (loss) before income taxes |
| (18,876) |
| 44,891 |
| 88,572 |
| 70,448 |
| 56,449 | |||||
Income tax (benefit) expense |
| (5,909) |
| 15,643 |
| 25,104 |
| 32,471 |
| 23,215 | |||||
Net income (loss) | $ | (12,967) | $ | 29,248 | $ | 63,468 | $ | 37,977 | $ | 33,234 | |||||
Income (loss) per share, basic and diluted | $ | (0.26) | $ | 0.57 | $ | 1.20 | $ | 0.82 | $ | 0.73 | |||||
Weighted average common shares outstanding: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||
Basic |
| 49,840,882 |
| 51,115,986 |
| 52,963,308 |
| 46,219,367 |
| 45,271,000 | |||||
Diluted |
| 49,840,882 |
| 51,127,879 |
| 52,965,567 |
| 46,219,367 |
| 45,271,000 | |||||
Cash dividends paid per share | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.21 | $ | 0.19 | |||||
| As of December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
| 2017 |
| 2016 | ||||||
Selected Balance Sheet Data: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Investment securities | $ | 304,958 | $ | 152,544 | $ | 148,896 | $ | 126,848 | $ | 75,606 | |||||
Loans, net of allowance for loan losses |
| 2,434,356 |
| 2,891,530 |
| 2,895,953 |
| 2,594,357 |
| 1,982,439 | |||||
Allowance for loan losses |
| 72,387 |
| 21,730 |
| 21,850 |
| 18,457 |
| 14,822 | |||||
Total assets |
| 3,914,045 |
| 3,244,884 |
| 3,196,774 |
| 2,961,958 |
| 2,163,601 | |||||
Noninterest‑bearing deposits |
| 58,458 |
| 77,563 |
| 76,815 |
| 73,682 |
| 59,231 | |||||
Interest‑bearing deposits |
| 3,040,508 |
| 2,417,877 |
| 2,375,870 |
| 2,171,428 |
| 1,555,914 | |||||
Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings |
| 318,000 |
| 229,000 |
| 293,000 |
| 338,000 |
| 308,198 | |||||
Subordinated notes, net |
| 65,341 |
| 65,179 |
| 65,029 |
| 64,889 |
| 49,338 | |||||
Total liabilities |
| 3,594,454 |
| 2,912,270 |
| 2,861,717 |
| 2,688,660 |
| 2,001,329 | |||||
Total shareholders’ equity |
| 319,591 |
| 332,614 |
| 335,057 |
| 273,298 |
| 162,272 | |||||
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As of and for the Year Ended December 31, |
| |||||||||||||||
| 2020 |
| 2019 |
| 2018 |
| 2017 |
| 2016 |
| ||||||
Performance Ratios: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||
Return on average assets |
| (0.35) | % | 0.89 | % | 2.04 | % | 1.54 | % | 1.73 | % | |||||
Return on average shareholders’ equity |
| (3.85) | 8.41 |
| 20.66 |
| 20.25 |
| 22.06 | |||||||
Return on average tangible common equity(1) |
| (3.85) |
| 8.41 |
| 20.71 |
| 20.37 |
| 22.29 | ||||||
Yield on earning assets |
| 4.21 |
| 5.48 |
| 5.31 |
| 5.19 |
| 4.93 | ||||||
Cost of average interest‑bearing liabilities |
| 1.45 |
| 1.96 |
| 1.56 |
| 1.18 |
| 0.94 | ||||||
Net interest rate spread |
| 2.76 |
| 3.52 |
| 3.75 |
| 4.01 |
| 3.99 | ||||||
Net interest margin |
| 2.94 |
| |||||||||||||