CBAN Colony Bankcorp Inc - 10-K

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

In addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report, you should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the risk factors and uncertainties discussed in our other public filings with the SEC under the caption “Risk Factors” in evaluating us and our business and making or continuing an investment in our stock. Our operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the material risks described below.  Many of these risks are beyond our control although efforts are made to manage those risks while simultaneously optimizing operational and financial results.  The occurrence of any of the following risks, as well as risks of which we are currently unaware or currently deem immaterial, could materially and adversely affect our assets, business, cash flows, condition (financial or otherwise), liquidity, prospects, results of operations and the trading price of our common stock.

In addition, certain statements in the following risk factors constitute forward-looking statements. Please refer to the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” beginning on page 1 of this Annual Report.

Risks Related to Our Business

A decline in general business and economic conditions and any regulatory responses to such conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and growth prospects.

Our business and operations are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States, generally, and particularly in the states of Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Unfavorable or uncertain economic and market conditions could lead to credit quality concerns related to borrower repayment ability and collateral protection as well as reduced demand for the products and services we offer. If the national, regional and local economies experience worsening economic conditions (including persistent inflation), elevated levels of unemployment, adverse effects of the U.S. government’s failure to raise its debt ceiling (including defaulting on its debt obligations or experiencing credit downgrades) or as a result of trade wars and/or tariffs, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets, increased delinquencies on mortgage, commercial and consumer loans, residential and commercial real estate price declines, and lower home sales and commercial activity, our growth and profitability could be constrained. In addition, economic stress may result in heightened regulatory and supervisory scrutiny or more conservative regulatory expectations, which could limit our ability to grow, deploy capital or return capital to shareholders.

We face strong competition from financial service companies and other companies that offer commercial and retail banking services, which could harm our business.

Many of our competitors offer the same, or a wider variety of, the banking and related financial services we offer within our market areas. These competitors include national banks, regional banks and other community banks, including banks similar to us that primarily serve distinct or multi-ethnic communities. In many instances these national and regional banks have greater resources than we do, and the smaller community banks may have stronger ties in local markets than we do, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage. We also face competition from many other types of financial institutions, including fintech companies, savings associations, finance companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies, credit unions, mortgage banks and other financial intermediaries. Further, our credit union competitors benefit from competitive advantages, including the credit union exemption from paying federal income tax and can, therefore, more aggressively price many products and services. In addition, a number of out-of-state financial intermediaries have opened production offices or otherwise solicit deposits in our market areas. We also compete with many forms of payments offered by both bank and non-bank providers, including a variety of new and evolving alternative payment mechanisms, systems and products, such as aggregators and web-based and wireless payment platforms or technologies, digital or “crypto” currencies, prepaid systems and payment services targeting users of social networks, communications platforms and online gaming. Competition is increasingly focused on digital capabilities, customer experience, speed, and convenience, and failure to meet evolving customer expectations may adversely affect our competitive position. Some competitors may be willing to accept lower returns, assume greater risk, or offer more favorable pricing and terms than we are willing or able to provide, which could place downward pressure on our margins. In addition, some competitors may offer banking and payment services through embedded or platform-based models that reduce the need for customers to maintain traditional banking relationships. Our future success may depend, in part, on our ability to use technology competitively to offer products and services that provide convenience to customers and create additional efficiencies in our operations. If we are unable to match the pace of technological change or the level of investment made by larger or more technologically advanced competitors, we may experience customer attrition or reduced growth opportunities. Further, as a result of the GENIUS Act, passed in 2025 to provide a regulatory framework for stablecoins in the U.S., increased competition may emerge from issuers of stablecoins and providers of related technology.

Increased competition in our markets may result in reduced loans, deposits and commissions and brokers’ fees, gains on sales, servicing fees, as well as reduced net interest margin and profitability. Competition may also increase pressure on compensation and make it more difficult to attract and retain experienced banking and mortgage lending personnel. If we are unable to attract and retain banking and mortgage loan customers and expand our sales market for such loans, we may be unable to continue to grow our business, and our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Fluctuations in interest rates may impact net interest income and otherwise negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Our earnings and financial condition are dependent to a large degree upon net interest income, which is the difference, or spread, between interest earned on loans, securities and other interest-earning assets and interest paid on deposits, borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities. When market rates of interest change, the interest we receive on our assets and the interest we pay on our liabilities fluctuates. This may cause decreases in our spread and may adversely affect our earnings and financial condition.

Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors including, without limitation: the rate of inflation; economic conditions; federal monetary policies; and stability of domestic and foreign markets. Interest rates remained elevated during 2024, with the Federal Reserve slowly decreasing interest rates beginning in the fourth quarter of 2024 through the fourth quarter of 2025. Further changes in interest rates and monetary policy reportedly are dependent upon the Federal Reserve’s assessment of economic data as it becomes available. Increasing interest rates can have a negative impact on our business by reducing the amount of money our customers borrow or by adversely affecting their ability to repay outstanding loan balances that may increase due to adjustments in their variable rates which may lead to an increase in nonperforming assets and a reduction of income recognized, which could compress our net interest margin and adversely affect liquidity.

In addition, in a rising interest rate environment we may have to offer more attractive interest rates to depositors to compete for deposits, or pursue other sources of liquidity, such as wholesale funds. Conversely, decreasing interest rates reduce our yield on our variable rate loans and on our new loans, which reduces our net interest income. In addition, lower interest rates may reduce our realized yields on investment securities which would reduce our net interest income and cause downward pressure on net interest margin in future periods. Higher income volatility from changes in interest rates and spreads to benchmark indices could result in a decrease in net interest income and a decrease in current fair market values of our assets. Fluctuations in interest rates impact both the level of income and expense recorded on most of our assets and liabilities and the market value of all interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our net income, operating results, or financial condition.

Although we have implemented procedures we believe will reduce the potential effects of changes in interest rates on our net interest income, these procedures may not always be successful as some of these effects are outside of our control. Our interest rate risk management models and assumptions may not accurately predict or fully mitigate the impact of future interest rate changes, particularly during periods of elevated volatility, and a prolonged period of volatile and unstable market conditions would likely increase our funding costs and negatively affect market risk mitigation strategies.

Inflation could negatively impact our business, our profitability and our stock price.

Prolonged periods of inflation may impact our profitability by negatively impacting our fixed costs and expenses, including increasing funding costs and expense related to talent acquisition and retention, and negatively impacting the demand for our products and services. Inflation may also contribute to restrictive or volatile monetary policy and elevated interest rates, which could further increase our funding costs, reduce loan demand and adversely affect asset values. Additionally, inflation may lead to a decrease in consumer and clients purchasing power and negatively affect the need or demand for our products and services. If significant inflation continues, our business could be negatively affected by, among other things, increased default rates leading to credit losses which could decrease our appetite for new credit extensions. These inflationary pressures could result in missed earnings and budgetary projections causing our stock price to suffer. Additionally, the timing and magnitude of inflation’s effects may be difficult to predict and could persist or intensify depending on economic conditions and policy responses.

Negative developments in the banking industry could adversely affect our current and projected business operations and our financial condition and results of operations.

Bank failures and related negative media attention may generate significant market trading volatility among publicly traded bank holding companies and, in particular, regional banks like the Company. These developments have and may continue to negatively impact customer confidence in regional banks, which could prompt customers to maintain their deposits with larger financial institutions or otherwise relocate funds. Rapid changes in customer behavior, including accelerated deposit withdrawals facilitated by digital banking channels, could increase liquidity pressures. If we were required to sell a portion of our securities portfolio to address liquidity needs, we may incur losses, including as a result of the negative impact of rising interest rates on the value of our securities portfolio, which could negatively affect our earnings and our capital. While we have taken actions to improve our funding, there is no guarantee that such actions will be successful or sufficient in the event of sudden liquidity needs.

Negative developments in the banking industry may also prompt changes in regulatory and supervisory expectations or actions, including increased examination scrutiny, higher capital or liquidity requirements, or restrictions on growth or capital distributions, which could further constrain our operations and financial flexibility. In addition, bank failures have and could in the future prompt the FDIC to increase deposit insurance costs. Increases in funding, deposit insurance, or other costs as a result of these types of events have and could in the future materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Further, the disruption following these types of events have and could in the future generate significant market trading volatility among publicly traded bank holdings companies and, in particular, regional banks like the Company.

Liquidity risks could affect operations and jeopardize our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Liquidity is essential to our business. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans and/or investment securities and through other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our most important source of funds consists of our customer deposits. Such deposit balances can decrease when customers perceive alternative investments, such as the stock market, as providing a better risk/return tradeoff. If customers move money out of bank deposits and into other investments, we could lose a relatively low cost source of funds. Moreover, competition among U.S. banks and non-banks for customer deposits is intense and may increase the cost of deposits (particularly in an elevated rate environment) or prevent new deposits and may otherwise negatively affect our ability to grow our deposit base. In addition, our access to deposits may be affected by the liquidity and/or cash flow needs of depositors, which may be exacerbated in an inflationary, recessionary, or elevated rate environment. This may cause our deposit accounts to decrease in the future, and any such decrease could have a material adverse impact on our sources of funding.

Other primary sources of funds consist of cash from operations, investment maturities and sales, sale of loans and proceeds from the issuance and sale of our equity securities to investors. Additional liquidity is provided by our ability to borrow from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. Recently proposed changes to the Federal Home Loan Bank system could adversely impact the Company's access to Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings or increase the cost of such borrowings. We also may borrow from third-party lenders from time to time. 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 level of our business activity as a result of a downturn in our primary market area or by one or more adverse regulatory actions against us.

Any decline in available funding could adversely impact our ability to continue to implement our strategic plan, including our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses, or to 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.

Our business depends on our ability to successfully manage our asset quality and credit risk.

We are subject to the risk of losses resulting from the failure of borrowers, guarantors and related parties to pay us the interest and principal amounts due on their loans. Although we maintain well-defined credit policies and credit underwriting and monitoring and collection procedures, these policies and procedures may not prevent losses, as some of these risks are outside of our control, particularly during periods in which the local, regional or national economy suffers a general decline. Our credit risk may be heightened by concentrations in certain loan types, industries, geographic areas or borrower profiles, which could result in correlated losses during adverse economic conditions. Our access to funding sources could also be affected by a decrease in the level of our business activity as a result of a downturn in our primary market area or by one or more adverse regulatory actions against us. Deterioration in credit quality may not be immediately apparent, and losses may emerge over time as economic conditions worsen or collateral values decline. Further, in the event of delinquencies, regulatory changes and

policies designed to protect borrowers may slow or prevent us from making our business decisions or may result in a delay in our taking certain remediation actions, such as foreclosure. Our assessment of credit risk relies on management judgment, forecasts and assumptions, which may prove inaccurate, particularly during periods of economic stress or rapid market change. If borrowers fail to repay their loans, our financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected . Additionally, potential future actions such as the proposed consumer credit card interest rate cap may lead to unprofitable products, especially for riskier borrowers, and could lead to cutting credit lines or eliminating cards, increased reliance on fees and increased debt burdens for those needing credit the most, thereby having the potential to negatively impact bank asset quality.

Our commercial real estate, real estate construction, and commercial business loans increase our exposure to credit risks.

At December 31, 2025, our portfolio of commercial real estate and commercial, financial and agricultural loans totaled $1.8 billion or 74.4% of total loans compared to $1.4 billion, or 76.5% of total loans at December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2025, the amount of nonperforming commercial real estate and commercial, financial and agricultural loans was $18.7 million, or 79.6% of total nonperforming loans. These loans may expose us to a greater risk of non-payment and loss than residential real estate loans because, in the case of commercial loans, repayment often depends on the successful operation and earnings of the borrower's businesses and, in the case of consumer loans, the applicable collateral is subject to rapid depreciation. Additionally, commercial real estate loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers compared to residential real estate loans. If loans that are collateralized by real estate become troubled and the value of the real estate has been significantly impaired, then we may not be able to recover the full contractual amount of principal and interest due on the loan, which could cause us to increase our provision for loan losses and adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

Because a significant portion of our loan portfolio is comprised of real estate loans, negative changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity could impair the value of collateral securing our real estate loans and result in loans and other losses.

At December 31, 2025, approximately 84.5% of our loan portfolio was comprised of loans with real estate as a primary or secondary component of collateral. As a result, adverse developments affecting real estate values in our market areas could increase the credit risk associated with our real estate loan portfolio. The market value of real estate can fluctuate significantly in a short period of time as a result of market conditions in the geographic area in which the real estate is located. Adverse changes affecting real estate values and the liquidity of real estate in one or more of our markets could increase the credit risk associated with our loan portfolio, significantly impair the value of property pledged as collateral on loans and affect our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure without a loss or additional losses, which could result in losses that would adversely affect credit quality, profitability, financial condition, and results of operation. Such declines and losses would have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and growth prospects. In addition, if hazardous or toxic substances are found on properties pledged as collateral, the value of the real estate could be impaired. If we foreclose on and take title to such properties, we may be liable for remediation costs as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may also require us to incur substantial expenses to address unknown liabilities and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property.

Our provision and allowance for credit losses may not cover actual losses, and we may be required to materially increase our allowance, which may adversely affect our capital, financial condition and results of operations.

We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan and lease portfolio and utilize these assumptions and judgments when determining the provision and allowance for credit losses. The determination of the appropriate level of the provision for credit losses inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates of current credit risks and future trends, all of which may undergo material changes, as we have experienced. Deterioration in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, identification of additional problem loans and other factors both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in the amount reserved in the allowance for credit losses. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review our provision and the total allowance for credit losses and may require an increase in the allowance for credit losses or future provisions for credit losses, based on judgments different than those of management. Any increases in the provision or allowance for credit losses will result in a decrease in our net income and, potentially, capital, and could increase earnings volatility or constrain our ability to deploy capital, and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

We may not be able to meet our unfunded credit commitments, or adequately reserve for losses associated with our unfunded credit commitments .

A commitment to extend credit is a formal agreement to lend funds to a client as long as there is no violation of any condition established under the agreement. The borrowing needs of our customers may exceed our expected funding requirements, especially during a challenging economic environment when our client companies may be more dependent on our credit commitments due to the lack of available credit elsewhere, the increasing costs of credit, or the limited availability of financings from other sources. Unfunded credit commitments may be drawn at the same time by multiple borrowers, particularly during periods of economic or financial stress, which could significantly increase our liquidity demands. The timing and magnitude of draws on our unfunded credit commitments are difficult to predict, and actual utilization may exceed our expectations or stress assumptions. Any failure to meet our unfunded credit commitments in accordance with the borrowing needs of our customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or reputation. In addition, borrowers may draw on committed credit when their financial condition is deteriorating, increasing the risk that newly funded balances may not be repaid in accordance with their terms.

We use brokered deposits which may be an unstable and/or expensive deposit source to fund earning asset growth.

We use brokered deposits, as a source of funding to support our asset growth and augment deposits generated from our branch network, which are our principal source of funding. We have established policies and procedures with respect to the use of brokered deposits, which require, among other things, that (i) we limit the amount of brokered deposits as a percentage of total assets, and (ii) our asset liability committee monitors our use of brokered deposits on a regular basis, including interest rates and the total volume of such deposits in relation to our total assets. In the event that our funding strategies call for the use of brokered deposits, there can be no assurance that such sources will be available, or will remain available, or that the cost of such funding sources will be reasonable. Additionally, if the Bank is no longer considered well-capitalized, our ability to access new brokered deposits or retain existing brokered deposits could be affected by market conditions, regulatory requirements or a combination thereof, which could result in most, if not all, brokered deposit sources being unavailable. The inability to utilize brokered deposits as a source of funding could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and liquidity. In addition, significant reliance on brokered deposits could be perceived negatively by customers, counterparties or investors, which could further affect our funding costs or access to alternative sources of liquidity.

We hold certain intangible assets that in the future could be classified as either partially or fully impaired, which would reduce our earnings and the book values of these assets.

Pursuant to applicable accounting requirements, we are required to periodically test our goodwill and core deposit intangible assets for impairment. The impairment testing process considers a variety of factors, including the current market price of our common shares, the estimated net present value of our assets and liabilities and information concerning the terminal valuation of similarly situated insured depository institutions. Future impairment testing may result in a partial or full impairment of the value of our goodwill or core deposit intangible assets, or both. If an impairment determination is made in a future reporting period, our earnings and the book value of these intangible assets will be reduced by the amount of the impairment.

Decreased residential mortgage origination, volume and pricing decisions of competitors may adversely affect our profitability.

Our mortgage operation originates residential mortgage loans and services residential mortgage loans. Changes in interest rates, housing prices, financial stress on borrowers as a result of economic conditions, regulations by the applicable governmental authorities and pricing decisions by our loan competitors may adversely affect demand for our residential mortgage loan products, revenues received from servicing such loans for others, and ultimately reduce our net income. New regulations and increased regulatory reviews may be introduced and may increase costs and make it more difficult to operate a residential mortgage origination business.

Nonperforming assets take significant time to resolve and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, and could result in further losses in the future.

Our nonperforming assets adversely affect our net income in various ways. We do not record interest income on nonaccrual loans or OREO, thereby adversely affecting our net interest income, net income and returns on assets and equity, and our loan administration costs increase, which together with reduced interest income adversely affects our efficiency ratio. When we take

collateral in foreclosure and similar proceedings, we are required to mark the collateral to its then-fair market value, which may result in a loss. These nonperforming loans and OREO also increase our risk profile and the level of capital our regulators believe is appropriate for us to maintain in light of such risks. The resolution of nonperforming assets requires significant time commitments from management and can be detrimental to the performance of their other responsibilities. If we experience increases in nonperforming loans and nonperforming assets, our net interest income may be negatively impacted and our loan administration costs could increase, each of which would have an adverse effect on our net income and related ratios, such as return on assets and equity.

We could recognize losses on securities held in our securities portfolio, particularly if interest rates increase or economic and market conditions deteriorate.

Changes in interest rates may negatively affect both the returns on and market value of our investment securities. Interest rate volatility can reduce unrealized gains or increase unrealized losses in our portfolio. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors including monetary policies, domestic and international economic and political issues, and other factors beyond our control. These changes can negatively impact our other comprehensive income and equity levels through accumulated other comprehensive income, which includes net unrealized gains and losses on our investment securities. Further, such losses could be realized into earnings should liquidity and/or business strategy necessitate the sales of securities in a loss position. Periods of market stress or deposit outflows could increase the likelihood that we would need to sell securities at unfavorable prices. Additionally, actual investment income and cash flows from investment securities that carry prepayment risk, such as mortgage-backed securities and callable securities, may materially differ from those anticipated at the time of investment or subsequently as a result of changes in interest rates and market conditions. In a rising-rate environment, slower prepayments or extensions of expected maturities could increase interest rate sensitivity and reduce portfolio liquidity. These occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our net interest income or our results of operations.

The implementation of other new lines of business or new products and services may subject us to additional risk.

We continuously evaluate our service offerings and may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business in the future. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services, we undergo a new product process to assess the risks of the initiative, and invest significant time and resources to build internal controls, policies and procedures to mitigate those risks, including hiring experienced management to oversee the implementation of the initiative. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business and/or a new product or service. Furthermore, any new line of business and/or new product or service could require the establishment of new key and other controls and have a significant impact on our existing system of internal controls. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business and/or new products or services could have a material adverse effect on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

We are highly dependent on our management team, and the loss of our senior executive officers or other key employees could harm our ability to implement our strategic plan, impair our relationships with customers and adversely affect our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain key personnel. Competition for the best personnel in most activities we engage in can be intense, as we compete with both smaller banks that may be able to offer bankers with more responsibility and autonomy and larger banks that may be able to offer bankers with higher compensation, resources and support, and we may not be able to hire personnel or to retain them. T he unexpected loss of services of one or more of our key personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business because of their skills, knowledge of our market, relationships in the communities we serve, years of industry experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel. Although we have employment agreements with certain of our executive officers, there is no guarantee that these officers and other key personnel will remain employed with the Company. If we are unable to successfully plan for and execute the transition or replacement of key members of our management team, our operations and strategic initiatives could be adversely affected.

Our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the success of our business and the failure to do so may materially adversely affect our business and the value of our common stock.

We are a community bank and our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. Threats to our reputation can come from many sources, including adverse sentiment about financial institutions generally, unethical practices, employee misconduct, failure to deliver minimum standards of service or quality, compliance deficiencies, security breaches, litigation,

investigations and other proceedings, and questionable or fraudulent activities of our customers. Negative publicity regarding our business, employees, or customers, with or without merit, may result in the loss of customers, investors and employees, costly litigation, a decline in revenues and increased government regulation. If our reputation is negatively affected, by the actions of our employees or otherwise, our business and, therefore, our operating results and the value of our common stock may be materially adversely affected.

Our risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating risks and/or losses to us.

Our risk management framework is comprised of various processes, systems and strategies, and is designed to manage the types of risk to which we are subject, including, among others, credit, market, liquidity, interest rate and compliance. Our framework also includes financial or other modeling methodologies that involve management assumptions and judgment. Our risk management framework may not be effective under all circumstances and may not adequately mitigate any risk or loss to us. If our risk management framework is not effective, we could suffer unexpected losses and our business, financial condition, results of operations or growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. We may also be subject to potentially adverse regulatory consequences.

The financial services market is undergoing rapid technological changes, and if we are unable to stay current with those changes, we will not be able to effectively compete.

The financial services market is undergoing rapid technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services (including those related to or involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies), and an established and growing demand for mobile and other phone and computer banking applications. In addition to better serving customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to keep pace with the technological changes and to use technology to satisfy and grow customer demand for our products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations as we continue to grow and expand our market area. Many of our larger competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements and have invested significantly more than us in technological improvements. As a result, they may be able to invest more heavily in developing and adopting new technologies, and offer additional or more convenient products compared to those that we will be able to provide, which would put us at a competitive disadvantage. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers, which could impair our growth and profitability. The implementation of new technologies may also require changes to existing systems, processes and controls and may increase our reliance on third‐party vendors, which could expose us to additional operational, regulatory or compliance risks. As a result, our ability to effectively compete to retain or acquire new business may be impaired, and the failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations .

System failures or disruptions of our network security, or the security of our data processing subsidiary, including as a result of cyberattacks or data security incidents, could subject us to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other liabilities.

The computer systems and network infrastructure we use, including those we maintain with our service providers and vendors, could be vulnerable to hardware and cyber security issues. Our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our computer equipment against damage from fire, power loss, telecommunications failure, natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, or a similar catastrophic event. We could also experience a cybersecurity incident by intentional or negligent conduct on the part of employees or other internal or external sources, including our third-party vendors and cyber criminals through, for example, phishing attempts, brute force attacks, denial of service attacks, viruses or other malicious code, exploiting software vulnerabilities (including "zero-day attacks"), ransomware or other malware and supply chain attacks and other disruptive problems caused by criminal threat actors. Any damage or failure that causes an interruption in our operations could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect the computer systems and network infrastructure utilized by us, including our internet banking activities, against damage from physical break-ins, cyberattacks and other disruptive problems caused by criminal threat actors. Such cyberattacks and other technology disruptions would jeopardize the security of information stored in and transmitted through our computer systems and network infrastructure, and those maintained by our service providers and vendors, which may result in significant liability, reputational damage and inhibit the use of our internet banking services by current and potential customers, any of which may result in a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations or the market price of our common stock. As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more frequent, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. In addition, as the regulatory environment related to information security, data collection and use, and privacy becomes increasingly rigorous, with new and constantly changing requirements applicable to our business, compliance with those requirements could also result in additional costs.

We and our third-party vendors are under continuous threat of loss due to hacking and cyberattacks especially as we continue to expand client capabilities to utilize internet and other remote channels to transact business. These cyber risks include increased phishing, malware, and other cybersecurity attacks described above, vulnerability to disruptions of our and our third-party vendors' information technology infrastructure and telecommunications systems for remote operations, increased risk of unauthorized dissemination of confidential information, limited ability to restore the systems in the event of a systems failure or interruption, greater risk of a cybersecurity incident resulting in destruction or misuse of valuable information, and potential impairment of our ability to perform critical functions, including wiring funds, 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.

To date, none of foregoing types of attacks have had a material effect on our business or operations and we maintain a system of internal controls and insurance coverage to mitigate against operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors and customer or employee fraud. However, no assurances can be provided that we (or our third-party vendors) may not suffer from such an attack in the future that may cause us material harm, especially in light of the risks being posed by the proliferation of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, the use of the Internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions, and the increased sophistication and activities of cybercriminals and other external parties.

Our operations could be interrupted if our third-party service providers experience difficulty, terminate their services or fail to comply with banking regulations.

We depend to a significant extent on a number of relationships with third-party service providers. Specifically, we receive core systems processing, essential web hosting, deposit processing and other processing services from third-party service providers. If these third-party service providers experience financial, operational (including as a result of a cybersecurity incident), or technological difficulties or terminate their services and we are unable to replace them with other suitable service providers, 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 our service providers, it may be at a higher cost to us, which could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, third‑party service providers may fail to comply with applicable banking, consumer protection, data privacy or other regulatory requirements, and we may remain subject to regulatory action, fines, remediation requirements or reputational harm as a result. Failures or security breaches involving third‑party service providers could also result in the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive customer or proprietary information, customer harm, litigation and increased regulatory scrutiny. Increased regulatory focus on third‑party risk management may also result in heightened supervisory scrutiny, examination findings or limitations if our oversight of third‑party service providers is deemed insufficient.

We are subject to certain operational risks, including, but not limited to, client or employee fraud and data processing system failures and errors.

Employee errors and employee and client misconduct could subject us to financial losses or regulatory sanctions and seriously harm our reputation. Misconduct by our employees could include hiding unauthorized activities from us, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of our clients or improper use of confidential information. It is not always possible to prevent employee errors and misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. Employee errors could also subject us to financial claims for negligence. We maintain a system of internal controls and insurance coverage to mitigate against operational risks. If our internal controls fail to prevent or detect an occurrence, or if any resulting loss is not insured or exceeds applicable insurance limits, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, we rely heavily upon information supplied by third parties, including the information contained in credit applications, property appraisals, title information, equipment pricing and valuation and employment and income documentation, in deciding which loans we will originate, as well as the terms of those loans. If any of the information upon which we rely is misrepresented, either fraudulently or inadvertently, and the misrepresentation is not detected prior to asset funding, the value of the asset may be significantly lower than expected, or we may fund a loan that we would not have funded or on terms we would not have extended.

The developments and use of artificial intelligence (AI) presents risks and challenges that may adversely impact our business.

The Company or its third-party (or fourth party) vendors, clients or counterparties may develop or incorporate AI technology in certain business processes, services, or products. The development and use of AI presents a number of risks and challenges to the Company’s business. The legal and regulatory environment relating to AI is uncertain and rapidly evolving, both in the U.S. and internationally, and includes regulatory schemes targeted specifically at AI as well as provisions in intellectual property,

privacy, security, consumer protection, employment, and other laws applicable to the use of AI. These evolving laws and regulations could require changes in the Company’s implementation of AI technology and increase the Company’s compliance costs and the risk of non-compliance. AI models, particularly generative AI models, may produce output or take action that is incorrect, that reflects biases included in the data on which they are trained, that results in the release of private, confidential, or proprietary information, that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others, or that is otherwise harmful. In addition, the complexity of many AI models makes it difficult to understand why they are generating particular outputs. This limited transparency increases the challenges associated with assessing the proper operation of AI models, understanding and monitoring the capabilities of the AI models, reducing erroneous output, eliminating bias, and complying with regulations that require documentation or explanation of the basis on which decisions are made. Further, the Company may rely on AI models developed by third parties, and, to that extent, would be dependent in part on the manner in which those third parties develop and train their models, including risks arising from the inclusion of any unauthorized material in the training data for their models and the effectiveness of the steps these third parties have taken to limit the risks associated with the output of their models, matters over which the Company may have limited visibility. Any of these risks could expose the Company to liability or adverse legal or regulatory consequences, harm the Company’s reputation and the public perception of its business or the effectiveness of its security and risk-management practices, or place us at a competitive disadvantage if we are unable to adopt or govern AI technologies effectively relative to our peers.

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

Processes that management uses to estimate our probable incurred credit losses and to measure the fair value of financial instruments, as well as the processes used to estimate the effects of changing interest rates and other market measures on our financial condition and results of operations, depend upon the use of analytical and forecasting models. These models reflect assumptions that may not be accurate, particularly in times of market stress or other unforeseen circumstances. Even if these assumptions are accurate, the models may prove to be inadequate or inaccurate because of other flaws in their design or their implementation. If the models that management uses for interest rate risk and asset liability management are inadequate, we may incur increased or unexpected losses upon changes in market interest rates or other market measures. If the models that management uses for determining our probable credit losses are inadequate, the allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to support future charge offs. If the models that management uses to measure the fair value of financial instruments are inadequate, the fair value of such financial instruments may fluctuate unexpectedly or may not accurately reflect what we could realize upon sale or settlement of such financial instruments. Any such failure in management’s analytical or forecasting models could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in accounting standards could materially impact our financial statements.

From time to time, the FASB or the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, may change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. Such changes may result in us being subject to new or changing accounting and reporting standards. In addition, the bodies that interpret the accounting standards (such as banking regulators or outside auditors) may change their interpretations or positions on how these standards should be applied. These changes may be beyond our control, can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retrospectively, or apply an existing standard differently, also retrospectively, in each case resulting in our needing to revise or restate prior period financial statements.

Failure to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.

Management regularly monitors, reviews and updates our disclosure controls and procedures, including our internal control over financial reporting. Any system of controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable assurances that the controls will be effective. The effectiveness of our internal controls also depends on the performance of individuals, and human error, misconduct or changes in personnel could compromise the effectiveness of our controls. Any failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Failure to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment could prevent us from accurately reporting our financial results, preventing or detecting fraud or providing timely and reliable financial information pursuant to our reporting obligations, which could result in a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting and the restatement of previously filed financial statements and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, ineffective internal controls could cause our investors to lose confidence in our financial information, which could affect the trading price of our common stock.

Hurricanes or other adverse weather events would negatively affect our local economies or disrupt our operations, which would have an adverse effect on our business or results of operations.

Our market area is located in the southeastern region of the United States and is susceptible to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, other severe weather events and related flooding and wind damage, and man-made disasters. These natural disasters could negatively impact regional economic conditions, cause a decline in the value or destruction of mortgaged properties and an increase in the risk of delinquencies, foreclosures or loss on loans originated by us, damage our banking facilities and offices and negatively impact our growth strategy. Climate change may be increasing the nature, severity and frequency of adverse weather conditions, making the impact from these types of natural disasters on us or our customers worse. Such weather events can disrupt operations, result in damage to properties and negatively affect the local economies in the markets where they operate. We cannot predict whether or to what extent damage that may be caused by future hurricanes or tornadoes will affect our operations or the economies in our current or future market areas, but such weather events could negatively impact economic conditions in these regions and result in a decline in local loan demand and loan originations, a decline in the value or destruction of properties securing our loans and an increase in delinquencies, foreclosures or loan losses. In addition, insurance coverage for certain losses may be unavailable, insufficient, delayed or more costly, and some losses related to severe weather events may not be fully insured. Repeated or severe weather events could also have longer‑term effects on local economic conditions, population trends, property values and insurance affordability in the markets we serve. Our business or results of operations may be adversely affected by these and other negative effects of natural or man-made disasters.

The costs and effects of litigation, investigations or similar matters, or adverse facts and developments related thereto, could materially affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

We may be involved from time to time in a variety of litigation, investigations or similar matters arising out of our business. It is inherently difficult to assess the outcome of these matters, and we may not prevail in any proceedings or litigation. Our insurance may not cover all claims that may be asserted against us and indemnification rights to which we are entitled may not be honored, and any claims asserted against us, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, may harm our reputation. Should the ultimate judgments or settlements in any litigation or investigation significantly exceed our insurance coverage or to the extent that we incur civil money penalties that are not covered by insurance, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, premiums for insurance covering the financial and banking sectors are rising. We may not be able to obtain appropriate types or levels of insurance in the future, nor may we be able to obtain adequate replacement policies with acceptable terms or at historic rates, if at all. Finally, in recent years, a number of judicial decisions have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has either violated a duty, whether implied or contractual, of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or shareholders. We have been and in the future could become subject to claims based on this or other evolving legal theories. Further, banking institutions are also increasingly the target of class action lawsuits, including claims alleging deceptive practices or violations of account terms in connection with non-sufficient funds or overdraft charges and violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). We manage these risks through internal controls, personnel training, insurance, litigation management, our compliance and ethics processes, and other means. However, the commencement, outcome, and magnitude of litigation cannot be predicted or controlled with any certainty.

Risks Related to Legislative and Regulatory Events

We are subject to extensive government regulation that could limit or restrict our activities, which in turn may adversely impact our ability to increase our assets and earnings.

We operate in a highly regulated environment and are subject to supervision and regulation by a number of governmental regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (“DBF”) and the FDIC. Regulations adopted by these agencies, which are generally intended to provide protection for depositors and customers rather than for the benefit of shareholders, govern a comprehensive range of matters relating to ownership and control of our shares, our acquisition of other companies and businesses, permissible activities for us to engage in, maintenance of adequate capital levels, and other aspects of our operations. These bank regulators possess broad authority to prevent or remedy unsafe or unsound practices or violations of law. Regulatory authorities also have significant discretion in the interpretation, application and enforcement of laws and regulations, and may impose supervisory expectations or informal actions that are not codified in statute or regulation. The laws and regulations applicable to the banking industry could change at any time and we cannot predict the effects of these changes on our business, profitability or growth strategy. Increased regulation could increase our

cost of compliance and adversely affect profitability. Moreover, certain of these regulations contain significant punitive sanctions for violations, including monetary penalties and limitations on a bank’s ability to implement components of its business plan, such as expansion through mergers and acquisitions or the opening of new branch offices. In addition, changes in regulatory requirements may add costs associated with compliance efforts. Furthermore, government policy and regulation, particularly as implemented through the Federal Reserve System, significantly affect credit conditions. Negative developments in the financial industry and the impact of new legislation and regulation in response to those developments could negatively impact our business operations and adversely impact our financial performance. Regulatory constraints may also limit our ability to offer new products or services, pursue strategic initiatives or compete effectively with less-regulated or non-bank financial institutions. In addition, the potential erosion of Federal Reserve independence could negatively impact financial markets and impact our profitability. See "Item 1 - Business - Supervision and Regulation" for more information on the extensive regulation and supervision the Company and the Bank are subject to.

Federal and state regulators periodically examine our business, and we may be required to remediate adverse examination findings.

The Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and the DBF periodically examine our business, including our compliance with laws and regulations. If, as a result of an examination, a banking agency were to determine that our financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity, interest rate sensitivity or other aspects of any of our operations had become unsatisfactory, or that we were in violation of any law or regulation, they may take a number of different remedial actions as they deem appropriate. These actions include 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 money penalties, to fine or 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. Remediation of examination findings may be costly, time‑consuming and require significant management attention, and there can be no assurance that such remediation efforts will be completed to the satisfaction of regulators on a timely basis, or at all. Adverse examination findings may also restrict our ability to pay dividends, repurchase shares, pursue mergers or acquisitions, open or close branches, introduce new products or services, or otherwise implement our business strategy. Any regulatory action against us could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, significant transactions, such as the recently-completed transaction with TC Bancshares, Inc., may result in heightened regulatory or supervisory scrutiny, increased examination activity or additional remediation expectations, which could increase compliance costs or limit management flexibility during the integration period.

Changes to monetary policy by the Federal Reserve could adversely impact our results of operations.

The Federal Reserve is responsible for regulating the supply of money in the United States, including through open market operations and other tools used to influence economic activity and price stability, as well as setting monetary policy. Changes in monetary policy, including the pace, timing and magnitude of interest rate increases or decreases, as well as changes in liquidity conditions, may be volatile and difficult to predict. These actions strongly influence our rate of return on certain investments, our hedge effectiveness for mortgage servicing and our mortgage origination pipeline, as well as our cost of funds for lending and investing. Monetary policy actions may also affect asset valuations, deposit pricing and availability, borrower behavior and overall credit conditions, all of which could adversely impact our liquidity, results of operations, financial condition and capital position. In addition, changes in monetary policy may negatively affect the financial condition of our customers by increasing borrowing costs or reducing access to credit, which could result in increased delinquencies, reduced loan demand or lower profitability. We cannot predict the nature or timing of future changes in monetary, economic or other policies or the effect that they may have on our business activities, financial condition or results of operations.

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

Federal and state fair lending laws and regulations, such as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act, impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The Department of Justice, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) and other federal and state agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. A successful challenge to our performance under the fair lending laws and regulations could adversely impact our rating under the Community Reinvestment Act and result in a wide variety of sanctions, including the required payment of damages and civil

money penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on merger and acquisition activity and restrictions on expansion activity, which could negatively impact our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Federal Reserve may require us to commit capital resources to support the Bank.

The Federal Reserve, which examines us and the Bank, requires a bank holding company to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to a subsidiary bank and to commit resources to support such subsidiary bank. Under the “source of strength” doctrine, the Federal Reserve may require a bank holding company to make capital injections into a troubled subsidiary bank and may charge the bank holding company with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to such a subsidiary bank. In addition, The Bank is subject to capital adequacy guidelines and other regulatory requirements specifying minimum amounts and types of capital which the Bank must maintain. From time to time, the regulators implement changes to these regulatory capital adequacy guidelines. If the Bank fails to meet these minimum capital guidelines and other regulatory requirements, our financial condition would be materially and adversely affected. We may also be required to satisfy additional capital adequacy standards as determined by the Federal Reserve. These requirements, and any other new regulations, could adversely affect our ability to pay dividends, service holding‐company obligations, pursue growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders, and could require us to raise additional capital or reallocate resources in ways that may not be favorable to our shareholders, including at times when market conditions are adverse.

We could face a risk of noncompliance and enforcement action with the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations.

The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, the USA PATRIOT Act and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain effective anti-money laundering programs and file suspicious activity and currency transaction reports as appropriate. FinCEN, established by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to administer the Bank Secrecy Act, is authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and engages in coordinated enforcement efforts with the individual federal banking regulators, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS. There is also increased scrutiny of compliance with the rules enforced by OFAC related to U.S. sanctions regimes. If our policies, procedures and systems are deemed deficient or the policies, procedures and systems of the financial institutions that we have already acquired or may acquire in the future are deficient, we would be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including our acquisition plans, which would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for us.

Our deposit insurance premiums could be substantially higher in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our future earnings.

The FDIC insures deposits at FDIC-insured depository institutions, such as the Bank, up to applicable limits. The amount of a particular institution’s deposit insurance assessment is based on that institution’s risk classification under an FDIC risk-based assessment system. An institution’s risk classification is assigned based on its capital levels and the level of supervisory concern the institution poses to its regulators. We are generally unable to control the amount of premiums that we are required to pay for FDIC insurance. Any future additional assessments, increases or required prepayments in FDIC insurance premiums could reduce our profitability, place additional pressure on pricing of loans and deposits, limit our ability to pursue certain business opportunities or otherwise negatively impact our operations. The timing and magnitude of any such assessments may be difficult to predict and could adversely affect our earnings in the periods in which they are imposed.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

An investment in our common stock is not an insured deposit and may lose value.

Securities that we issue, including our common stock are not savings or deposit accounts or other obligations of any bank, insured by the FDIC, any other governmental agency or instrumentality, or any private insurer, and are subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of our shareholders' investments. Investment in our common stock is inherently risky for the reasons described herein, and is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock in any company. As a result, if you acquire our common stock, you could lose some or all of your investment.

Environmental, social and governance ("ESG") and diversity, equity and inclusion ("DEI") risks could adversely affect our reputation and shareholder, employee, client and third-party relationships and may negatively affect our stock price.

Public expectations, investor preferences, regulatory developments and stakeholder views regarding environmental, social and governance-related matters continue to evolve and may be inconsistent or conflicting. Our responses to these matters, including decisions regarding business practices, customer relationships, disclosures or policies, may be perceived negatively by certain stakeholders, regardless of intent. In addition, adverse publicity or stakeholder reactions related to our clients, counterparties or business partners, including through traditional or social media, could harm our reputation and negatively affect our ability to attract and retain customers, employees and investors. Changes in laws, regulations or public policy affecting the consideration of ESG-related factors could also increase compliance costs, restrict certain business activities or adversely affect our growth strategies. Any of these factors could adversely affect our business, reputation and the market price of our common stock.

Our dividend policy may change, and consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment may be if the price of our common stock appreciates.

We have historically paid quarterly dividends to our shareholders. However, we have no obligation to pay dividends and we may change our dividend policy at any time without giving notice to our shareholders. Holders of our common stock are only entitled to receive such cash dividends as our board of directors, in its discretion, may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Furthermore, consistent with our strategic plans, growth initiatives, capital availability and requirements, projected liquidity needs, financial condition, and other factors, we have made, and will continue to make, capital management decisions and policies that could adversely impact the amount of dividends paid to our shareholders.

We are a separate and distinct legal entity from our subsidiary, the Bank. We receive substantially all of our revenue from dividends from the Bank, which we use as the principal source of funds to pay our expenses. Various federal and/or state laws and regulations limit the amount of dividends that the Bank may pay us. Such limits are also tied to the earnings of our subsidiary. In addition, bank regulators have broad discretion to restrict or prohibit dividends based on supervisory concerns, even if the Bank otherwise meets statutory requirements. If the Bank does not receive regulatory approval or if the Bank’s earnings are not sufficient to make dividend payments to us while maintaining adequate capital levels, our ability to pay our expenses and our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely impacted.

We may need to raise additional capital in the future.

We are required to meet certain regulatory capital requirements and maintain sufficient liquidity. We are generally not restricted from issuing additional shares of our common stock up to the authorized number of shares set forth in our charter. We may need to raise additional capital in the future to provide us with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet our commitments and business needs, which could include the possibility of financing acquisitions. Our ability to raise additional capital depends on conditions in the capital markets, economic conditions and a number of other factors, including investor perceptions regarding the banking industry, market conditions and governmental activities, and on our financial condition and performance. We cannot predict the size, timing or terms of future issuances of our common stock or other capital instruments, or the effect that any such issuances may have on the market price of our common stock. Any issuance of additional equity securities could result in dilution to existing shareholders, and the issuance of debt or other capital instruments could increase our leverage and interest expense. Accordingly, we may be unable to raise additional capital if needed, or on terms acceptable to us. If we or the Bank fail to maintain capital at levels required by regulators, or at levels deemed appropriate by supervisory authorities, our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected, and we could be subject to restrictions on growth, capital distributions or other aspects of our business.

We have the ability to incur debt and pledge our assets, including our stock in the Bank, to secure that debt.

We have the ability to incur debt and pledge our assets to secure that debt. Absent special and unusual circumstances, a holder of indebtedness for borrowed money has rights that are superior to those of holders of common stock. For example, interest must be paid to the lender before dividends can be paid to the shareholders, and loans must be paid off before any assets can be distributed to shareholders if we were to liquidate. Furthermore, we would have to make principal and interest payments on our indebtedness, which could reduce our profitability or result in net losses on a consolidated basis even if the Bank were profitable.

Risks Related to Acquisitions

If we fail to successfully integrate our acquisitions or to realize the anticipated benefits of them, our financial condition

and results of operations could be negatively affected.

We intend to continue to regularly evaluate potential acquisitions and expansion opportunities. To the extent we grow through acquisition, we cannot assure you that we will be able to manage this growth adequately or profitably. Acquiring other banks, branches or businesses, as well as other geographic and product expansion activities, involve various risks including: (i) risk of unknown, undisclosed or contingent liabilities that could arise after the closing of an acquisition and for which there is no indemnification obligation or other price protection mechanism associated with the acquisition; (ii) unanticipated costs and delays, including as a result of enhanced regulatory scrutiny; (iii) risks that acquired new businesses do not perform consistently with our growth and profitability expectations; (iv) risks of entering new market or product areas where we have limited experience; (v) risks that growth will strain our infrastructure, staff, internal controls and management, which may require additional personnel, time and expenditures; (vi) exposure to potential asset quality issues with acquired institutions; (vii) difficulties, expenses and delays of integrating the operations and personnel of acquired institutions, and start-up delays and costs of other expansion activities; (viii) inaccurate estimates of value assigned to acquired assets; (ix) potential disruptions to our business; (x) possible loss of key employees and customers of acquired institutions; (xi) potential short-term decrease in profitability; (xii) potential dilution of our current shareholders or a decline in our share price resulting from the issuance in connection with an acquisition of equity securities or securities convertible into equity securities, any of which may be senior to our common stock as to distributions and in liquidation; (xiii) litigation; and (xiv) diversion of our management’s time and attention from our existing operations and businesses.

Our future success is largely dependent upon our ability to successfully execute our business strategy.

Our future success, including our ability to achieve our growth and profitability objectives, depends on our management team’s

ability to effectively execute our long-term business strategy. This strategy requires, among other things, maintaining our reputation; attracting and retaining experienced bankers; maintaining stable, low-cost funding; growing market penetration while preserving leadership in our community markets; improving operating efficiency; implementing new technologies; managing credit, interest rate and liquidity risks; maintaining adequate liquidity and regulatory capital; growing noninterest income; effectively overseeing third-party service providers; attracting quality lending relationships; and controlling expenses.

Failure to achieve these objectives could impair our ability to execute our strategy and adversely affect our business, growth prospects, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, ineffective growth management, technology implementation challenges, cost overruns or service disruptions involving third‐party providers could hinder our ability to achieve our strategic objectives. Pursuing multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously, including acquisitions, technology investments or geographic expansion, may place additional strain on management, personnel, systems and controls. Our ability to execute our strategic objectives depends, in part, on the successful integration of TC Bancshares, Inc. The integration process will require significant management attention and resources and may divert focus from other initiatives. We may encounter challenges integrating systems, processes, controls, personnel and cultures, and there can be no assurance that the anticipated benefits or efficiencies of the transaction will be realized on the expected timeline or at all. Failure to successfully integrate the businesses could adversely affect our growth prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Item 7

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risk, uncertainties and, assumptions. Certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to those set forth under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

The Company

Colony Bankcorp, Inc. is a bank holding company headquartered in Fitzgerald, Georgia that provides, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Colony Bank (collectively referred to as the Company), a broad array of products and services throughout north, central, south and coastal Georgia markets, Birmingham, Alabama and Santa Rosa Beach, Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida. The Company offers commercial and consumer banking services as well as specialized solutions including mortgage, government guaranteed lending, consumer insurance, credit cards, wealth management and merchant services.

Recent Developments

The Company paid dividends to its shareholders throughout 2025 and 2024 on a quarterly basis. In 2025, we had a quarterly dividend of $0.1150 per share of common stock and in 2024, we had a quarterly dividend of $ 0.1125 per share of common stock.

On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted ASC Topic 326 which replaced the incurred loss approach for measuring credit losses with an expected loss model, referred to the current expected credit loss ("CECL") model. CECL applies to financial assets subject to credit losses and measured at amortized cost and certain off-balance-sheet credit exposures, which include, but are not limited to, loans, leases, held-to-maturity securities, loan commitments and financial guarantees. The adoption of this guidance resulted in a decrease of the allowance for credit losses on loans of $53,000, the creation of an allowance for unfunded commitments of $1.7 million and a reduction of retained earnings of $1.2 million, net of the increase in deferred tax assets of $410,000 as of December 31, 2024.

Effective October 1, 2025, the Company early adopted ASU 2025-08, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Purchased Loans , which amended the accounting for certain purchased financial assets. Under the new guidance, the Company is allowed to apply the 'gross-up' approach to acquired loans that meet the definition of 'purchased seasoned loans' (PSLs), whereby an allowance for credit losses is recognized at the acquisition date with an offsetting adjustment to the amortized cost basis of the assets. This aligns the accounting for PSLs with the treatment of purchased financial assets with credit deterioration (PCD assets). This change eliminated the immediate recognition of day-one credit loss expense and resulted in an increase to the allowance for credit losses on loans of $4.6 million and an increase to the allowance for unfunded commitments of $134,000.

Going forward, the impact of utilizing the CECL approach to calculate the allowance for credit losses will be significantly influenced by the composition, characteristics and quality of our loan portfolio, as well as the prevailing economic conditions and forecasts utilized. Material changes to these and other relevant factors may result in greater volatility to the provision for credit losses, and therefore, greater volatility to our reported earnings. See Notes 1 and 5, included elsewhere in this Form 10-K, for additional information on the allowance for credit losses and the allowance for unfunded commitments.

In June 2023 and August, September and October 2024, the Company entered into a total of five derivative instruments, specifically interest rate swaps, to help manage its interest rate risk position and mitigate exposure to the variability of future cash flows or other forecasted transactions. Three of the interest rate swaps are designated as cash flow hedges of certain variable rate liabilities and two are designated as fair value hedges of certain fixed rate assets. Gains and losses are recorded on the swap transactions as a component of interest expense in the consolidated statements of income. Amounts reported in accumulated OCI related to swaps are reclassified to interest income or expense as interest payments are made on the Bank's fixed rate assets and variable rate liabilities. For additional discussion of the Company's derivative instruments, see "Note 11 - Derivatives".

Reconciliation and Management Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Our accounting and reporting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States and prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, certain non-GAAP measures are used by management to supplement the evaluation of our performance. These include the fully-taxable equivalent measures: tax-equivalent net interest income, tax-equivalent net interest margin and tax-equivalent net interest spread, which include the effects of taxable-equivalent adjustments using a statutory federal income tax rate of 21% to increase tax-exempt interest income to a tax-equivalent basis for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.  Tax-equivalent adjustments are reported to the Average Balances with Average Yields and Rates table under Rate/Volume Analysis in the tables that follow. Management believes that non-GAAP financial measures provide additional useful information that allows investors to evaluate the ongoing performance of the company and provide meaningful comparisons to its peers. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures also enhance investors' ability to compare period-to-period financial results and allow investors and company management to view our operating results excluding the impact of items that are not reflective of the underlying operating performance.

Tax-equivalent net interest income, net interest margin and net interest spread .

Net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis is a non-GAAP measure that adjusts for the tax-favored status of net interest income from loans and investments. We believe this measure to be the preferred industry measurement of net interest income and it enhances comparability of net interest income arising from taxable and tax-exempt sources. The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest income. Net interest margin on a tax-equivalent basis is net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis divided by average interest-earning assets on a tax-equivalent basis. The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest margin. Net interest spread on a tax-equivalent basis is the difference in the average yield on average interest-earning assets on a tax equivalent basis and the average rate paid on average interest-bearing liabilities. The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest spread.

These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives to GAAP-basis financial statements, and other bank holding companies may define or calculate these non-GAAP measures or similar measures differently.

A reconciliation of these performance measures to GAAP performance measures is included in the tables below.

Non-GAAP Performance Measures Reconciliation

Years Ended December 31,

(dollars in thousands, except per share data)

Operating noninterest income reconciliation

Noninterest income (GAAP)

Writedown of bank premises

Loss on sales of securities

Operating noninterest income

Operating noninterest expense reconciliation

Noninterest expense (GAAP)

Severance costs

Acquisition-related expenses

Loss related to wire fraud incident

Operating noninterest expense

Operating net income reconciliation

Net income (GAAP)

Severance costs

Acquisition-related expenses

Writedown of bank premises

Loss related to wire fraud incident

Loss on sales of securities

Income tax benefit

Operating net income

Weighted average diluted shares

Adjusted earnings per diluted share

Operating return on average assets reconciliation

Return on average assets (GAAP)

Severance costs

Acquisition-related expenses

Writedown of bank premises

Loss related to wire fraud incident

Loss on sales of securities

Tax effect of adjustment items

Operating return on average assets

Operating return on average equity reconciliation

Return on average equity (GAAP)

Severance costs

Acquisition-related expenses

Writedown of bank premises

Loss related to wire fraud incident

Loss on sales of securities

Tax effect of adjustment items

Operating return on average equity

Operating return on average tangible equity reconciliation

Return on average tangible equity

Severance costs

Acquisition-related expenses

Writedown of bank premises

Loss related to wire fraud incident

Loss on sales of securities

Tax effect of adjustment items

Operating return on average tangible equity

Tangible book value per common share reconciliation

Book value per common share (GAAP)

Effect of goodwill and other intangibles

Tangible book value per common share

Tangible equity to tangible assets reconciliation

Equity to assets (GAAP)

Effect of goodwill and other intangibles

Tangible equity to tangible assets

Operating efficiency ratio calculation

Efficiency ratio (GAAP)

Severance costs

Acquisition-related expenses

Writedown of bank premises

Loss related to wire fraud incident

Loss on sales of securities

Operating efficiency ratio

Operating net noninterest expense (1) to average assets calculation

Net noninterest expense to average assets

Severance costs

Acquisition-related expenses

Writedown of bank premises

Loss related to wire fraud incident

Loss on sales of securities

Operating net noninterest expense to average assets

Pre-provision net revenue

Net interest income before provision for credit losses

Noninterest income

Total income

Noninterest expense

Pre-provision net revenue

Operating pre-provision net revenue

Net interest income before provision for credit losses

Operating noninterest income

Total operating income

Operating noninterest expense

Operating pre-provision net revenue

(1) Net noninterest expense is defined as noninterest expense less noninterest income .

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The consolidated financial statements of Colony are prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and follow general practices within the industry in which it operates. This preparation requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates, assumptions and judgments are based on information available as of the date of the consolidated financial statements; accordingly, as this information changes, actual results could differ from the estimates, assumptions and judgments reflected in the consolidated financial statements. Certain policies inherently have a greater reliance on the use of estimates, assumptions and judgments and, as such, have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported. Estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change include the valuation of loan acquisition transactions, as well as the determination of the allowance for credit losses and income taxes and, therefore, are critical accounting policies. In addition to the discussion that follows, the accounting policies related to these estimates are further described in Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, under Part II, Item 8.

Reserve for Credit Losses

A consequence of lending activities is that we may incur credit losses. The amount of such losses will vary depending upon the risk characteristics of the loan lease portfolio as affected by economic conditions such as rising interest rates and the financial performance of the borrower.

The reserve for credit losses consists of the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) and the allowance for unfunded commitments. As a result of our January 1, 2023 adoption of ASU No. 2016-13, and its related amendments, our methodology for estimating the reserve for credit losses changed significantly from prior years. The standard replaced the “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” approach known as the Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”). The CECL approach requires an estimate of the credit losses expected over the life of an exposure (or pool of exposures). It removes the incurred loss approach’s threshold that delayed the recognition of a credit loss until it was “probable” a loss event was “incurred.”

The estimate of expected credit losses under the CECL approach is based on relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amounts. Historical loss experience is generally the starting point for estimating expected credit losses. We then consider whether the historical loss experience should be adjusted for asset-specific risk characteristics or current conditions at the reporting date that did not exist over the period from which historical experience was used. Finally, we consider forecasts about future economic conditions that are reasonable and supportable. The allowance for unfunded commitments represents the expected credit losses on off-balance sheet commitments such as unfunded commitments to extend credit. This allowance is estimated by loan segment at each balance sheet date under the CECL model using the same methodologies as portfolio loans, taking into consideration the likelihood that funding will occur.

Management’s evaluation of the appropriateness of the reserve for credit losses is often the most critical of accounting estimates for a financial institution. Our determination of the amount of the reserve for credit losses is a critical accounting estimate as it requires significant reliance on the credit risk rating we assign to individual borrowers, the use of estimates and significant judgment as to the amount and timing of expected future cash flows, reliance on historical loss rates on homogenous portfolios, consideration of our quantitative and qualitative evaluation of economic factors, and the reliance on our reasonable and supportable forecasts. The reserve for credit losses attributable to each portfolio segment also includes an amount for inherent risks not reflected in the historical analyses. Relevant factors include, but are not limited to, concentrations of credit risk (geographic, large borrower, and industry), local/regional economic trends and conditions, changes in underwriting standards, changes in collateral values, experience and depth of lending staff, trends in delinquencies, and the volume and terms of loans.

Overview

The following discussion and analysis present the more significant factors affecting the Company’s financial condition as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 and results of operations for each of the two year-periods ended December 31, 2025. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements, notes thereto and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this report.

Taxable-equivalent adjustments are the result of increasing income from tax-free loans and investments by an amount equal to the taxes that would be paid if the income were fully taxable based on a 21% federal tax rate for 2025 and 2024, thus making tax-exempt yields comparable to taxable asset yields.

Dollar amounts in tables are stated in thousands, except for per share amounts.

Results of Operations

The Company’s results of operations are determined by its ability to effectively manage interest income and expense, to minimize loan and investment losses, to generate noninterest income and to control noninterest expense. Since market forces and economic conditions beyond the control of the Company determine interest rates, the ability to generate net interest income is dependent upon the Company’s ability to obtain an adequate spread between the rate earned on interest-earning assets and the rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities. Thus, the key performance for net interest income is the interest margin or net yield, which is taxable-equivalent net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets. Net income available to common shareholders totaled $28.3 million, or $1.59 per diluted shares in 2025, compared to $23.9 million, or $1.36 per diluted shares in 2024.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is the difference between interest income on earning assets, such as loans and securities, and interest expense on liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings, which are used to fund those assets. Net interest income is the Company’s largest component of income, representing 69.5% of total income during 2025 and 65.9% of total income during 2024.

Net interest margin is the taxable-equivalent net interest income as a percentage of average interest-earning assets for the period. The level of interest rates and the volume and mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities impact net interest income and net interest margin.

The Company’s loan portfolio is significantly affected by changes in the prime interest rate. The prime interest rate, which is the rate offered on loans to borrowers with strong credit, was 6.75% as of December 31, 2025 and 7.50% as of December 31, 2024. The Federal Reserve Board sets general market rates of interest, including the deposit and loan rates offered by many financial institutions. During 2025, the prime interest rate decreased 0.75%.  During 2024, the prime interest rate decreased 1.00%.

The following table presents the changes in taxable-equivalent net interest income and identifies the changes due to differences in the average volume of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the changes due to changes in the average interest rate on those assets and liabilities. The changes in net interest income due to changes in both average volume and average interest rate have been allocated to the average volume change or the average interest rate change in proportion to the absolute amounts of the change in each. The Company’s consolidated average balance sheets along with an analysis of taxable-equivalent net interest earnings are presented in the Rate/Volume Analysis.

Rate/Volume Analysis

The rate/volume analysis presented hereafter illustrates the change from year to year for each component of the taxable equivalent net interest income separated into the amount generated through volume changes and the amount generated by changes in the yields/rates.

Changes from 2024 to 2025

(dollars in thousands)

Volume

Rate

Total

Interest income

Loans held for sale

Loans, net of unearned fees

Investment securities, taxable

Investment securities, exempt

Deposits in banks and short-term investments

Total interest income

Interest expense

Interest-bearing demand and savings deposits

Time deposits

FHLB advances

Other borrowings

Total interest expense

Net interest income

The Company maintains about 41.60% of its loan portfolio in adjustable rate loans that reprice with prime rate changes, while a little over half of its other loans mature within 5 years. The liabilities to fund assets are primarily in non-maturing core deposits and short-term certificates of deposit that mature within one year. During 2025, Federal Reserve rates decreased 75 basis points. During 2024, Federal Reserve rates decreased 100 basis points. We have seen the net interest margin increase to 3.14% for 2025, compared to 2.72% for 2024 primarily due to lower rates paid on interest bearing liabilities while maintaining increased rates on loans.

Taxable-equivalent net interest income for 2025 increased by $15.9 million or 20.7%, compared to 2024, primarily due to increases in loan volume and rates along with decreases in deposit rates. The average volume of interest-earning assets during 2025 increased $127.1 million compared to 2024, primarily related to increases in loans and deposits in banks and short-term investments. The total yield on interest-earning assets increased year over year with increases in loan and deposits in banks and

short-term investments volume, partially offset by decreases in investment securities balances along with increased rates on loans in banks.

The average volume of loans increased $131.8 million in 2025 compared to 2024, which reflects a combination of organic and acquired loan growth in 2025. The average yield on loans increased by 24 basis points in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to the increased loan volume. The average volume of interest-bearing deposits increased $106.1 million in 2025 compared to 2024. Average savings and interest-bearing demand deposits increased $65.1 million and average time deposits increased $41.0 million in 2025 compared to 2024. Increases in average balances attributable to the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. on December 1, 2025, were $34.7 million in loans, $20.3 million in interest-bearing demand and savings deposits and $11.0 million in time deposits.

Accordingly, the ratio of average interest-bearing deposits to total average deposits was 83.01% in 2025 and 81.81% in 2024. For 2025, this deposit mix, combined with a decrease in interest rates, had the effect of decreasing the average cost of total deposits by 27 basis points in 2025 compared to 2024. Other interest-bearing liabilities also decreased by 11 basis points for the same periods.

The Company’s net interest spread, which represents the difference between the average rate earned on interest-earning assets and the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities, increased to 2.70% in 2025 from 2.23% in 2024 and was also a result of deposit rate decreases as well as increases in loan volume and rates. The net interest spread, as well as the net interest margin, will be impacted by future changes in short-term and long-term interest rate levels, as well as the impact from the competitive environment. A discussion of the effects of changing interest rates on net interest income is set forth in "Market Risk and Interest Rate Sensitivity" included elsewhere in this report.

AVERAGE BALANCE SHEETS

Average

Income/

Yields/

Average

Income/

Yields/

(dollars in thousands)

Balances

Expense

Rates

Balances

Expense

Rates

Assets

Loans held for sale

Loans, net of unearned fees (1)

Investment securities, taxable

Investment securities, tax-exempt (2)

Deposits in banks and short-term investments

Total interest-earning assets

Total noninterest-earning assets

Total assets

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

Interest-bearing liabilities:

Savings and interest-bearing demand deposits

Time deposits

Total interest-bearing deposits

FHLB advances

Other borrowings

Total other interest-bearing liabilities

Total interest-bearing liabilities

Noninterest-bearing demand deposits

Other liabilities

Stockholders' equity

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

Interest rate spread

Net interest income

Net interest margin

(1) The average balance of loans includes the average balance of nonaccrual loans. Income on such loans is recognized and recorded on the cash basis. Taxable-equivalent adjustments totaling $330,000 and $229,000 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, are calculated using the statutory federal tax rate and are included in income and fees on loans. Accretion income of $489,000 and $47,000 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 are also included in income and fees on loans.

(2) Taxable-equivalent adjustments totaling $412,000 and $453,000 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, are calculated using the statutory federal tax rate and are included in tax-exempt interest on investment securities.

Provision for Credit Losses

Provision for credit losses totaled $4.5 million in 2025 compared to $3.1 million in 2024. The amount of provision expense recorded in each period was the amount required such that the total allowance for credit losses reflected the appropriate balance, in the estimation of management, sufficient to cover expected credit losses over the expected life of a loan exposure and unfunded commitments where the likelihood is that funding will occur. The provision for credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 includes $4.5 million and $3.6 million, respectively, in credit losses on loans and $3,000 in provision for and $562,000 in release of, respectively, credit losses on unfunded commitments. See the section captioned “Allowance for Credit Losses” elsewhere in this discussion for further analysis of the provision for credit losses. The increase in provision for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to 2024 is primarily related to the change in our loan balances year over year which was impacted by the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. on December 1, 2025, with the addition of $412.7 million in loan balances. See the sections captioned “Loans" and "Allowance for Credit Losses” elsewhere in this discussion for further analysis of the provision for credit losses. Net charge-offs for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $5.1 million compared to $3.0 million for the same period in 2024. As of December 31, 2025, Colony’s allowance for credit losses was $23.0 million, or 0.97% of total loans, compared to $19.0 million, or 1.03% of total loans, at December 31,

2024. At December 31, 2025 and 2024 , nonperforming assets were $24.7 million and $11.3 million, or 0.66% and 0.36% of total assets, respectively, with credit quality in the overall loan portfolio remaining strong.

Noninterest Income

The components of noninterest income were as follows:

(dollars in thousands)

Variance

Variance

Service charges on deposit accounts

Mortgage fee income

Gain on sales of SBA loans

Loss on sales of securities

Interchange fees

BOLI income

Insurance commissions

Other

Total

Noninterest income in 2025 increased $905,000 , or 2.30% from 2024 . All variances were impacted by the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. on December 1, 2025. Increases were seen in service charges on deposit accounts, mortgage fee income, losses on sales of investment securities, interchange fees, BOLI income, insurance commission and other noninterest income, which included increases in equity investment income and income on wealth advisory and merchant services . These increases were offset by a decrease in gain on sales of SBA loans. The increase in service charges on deposit accounts is primarily a result of increased deposit account fees implemented in June 2025 as well as our ability to continue to grow deposits. The increase in mortgage fee income was a result of higher mortgage production year over year and interchange fees increased as a result of customer use of our card programs and fluctuating purchase habits between periods. Insurance commissions increased $1.1 million which was driven by increased volume in the Company's insurance division, impacted by the acquisition of the Ellerbee Insurance Agency in the second quarter of 2025 . The increase of $881,000 in other noninterest income was attributable to equity investment market valuation gains of $300,000 in 2025 compared to $270,000 in 2024, an increase of $235,000 in wealth advisory and merchant services along with increases in SBA servicing and other related fee income of $156,000 . Investment securities were sold in 2025 and 2024 for the purpose of restructuring underperforming assets in order to reinvest at higher yields and resulted in losses of $1.0 million and $1.8 million, respectively. The decrease of $3.9 million in gain on sales of SBA loans is due to the sale of only 208 loans in 2025 compared to 451 loans in 2024.

Noninterest Expense

The components of noninterest expense were as follows:

(dollars in thousands)

Variance

Variance

Salaries and employee benefits

Occupancy and equipment

Acquisition related expenses

Information technology

Professional Fees

Advertising and public relations

Communications

Other

Total

Noninterest expense in 2025 increased by $9.7 million, or 11.72% from 2024. All variances were impacted by the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. on December 1, 2025. The Company's in creases were seen in salaries and employee benefits, occupancy and equipment, acquisition related expenses, information technology, professional fees, advertising and public relations and other noninterest expense. These increases were offset by a decrease in communications expense. The increase in salaries and employee benefits was primarily due to the aforementioned acquisitions of the Ellerbee Insurance Agency and TC

Bancshares, Inc. as well as employee insurance and bonus expense which was partially offset by a decrease in stock award expense and an increase in deferred costs accounted for under ASC 310-20 due to loan growth. The increase in occupancy and equipment expenses can be seen in increases in repair and maintenance expense as well as lease expenses. Acquisition expenses in 2025 were all related to the TC Bancshares, Inc. acquisition and consisted primarily of professional and information technology expenses. The increase in information technology expense is due to increases in software and ATM expense. Professional fees saw increases in accounting and consulting fees, partially offset by decreases in legal fees, excluding acquisition related legal fees. The increase in advertising and public relations is primarily related to increases in subscription services and business development expenses, partially offset by decreases in appraisal fees. The increase in other noninterest expense of $1.8 million is primarily the result of a nonrecoverable loss of $1.3 million related to a wire fraud incident recorded in the third quarter of 2025 as well as changes in the valuation of the SBA servicing asset. The decrease in communications expense can be explained by fluctuations in data circuit fees

Sources and Uses of Funds

The following table illustrates, during the years presented, the mix of the Company’s funding sources and the assets in which those funds are invested as a percentage of the Company’s average total assets for the period indicated. Average assets totaled $3.18 billion in 2025 compared to $3.05 billion in 2024 .

(dollars in thousands)

Sources of Funds:

Noninterest-bearing deposits

Interest-bearing deposits

FHLB advances

Other borrowings

Other noninterest-bearing liabilities

Equity capital

Total

Uses of Funds:

Loans held for sale and loans

Investment securities

Deposits in banks and short term investments

Other noninterest-bearing assets

Total

Deposits continue to be the Company’s primary source of funding. Over the comparable periods, interest-bearing deposits continues to be the largest component of the Company's mix of deposits. Average interest-bearing deposits totaled 83.0% in 2025 compared to 81.8% of total average deposits in 2024.

The Company primarily invests funds in loans and securities. Loans continue to be the largest component of the Company’s mix of invested assets.

Loans

The following table presents the composition of the Company’s loan portfolio as of December 31 for the past five years.

(dollars in thousands)

December 31, 2025

December 31, 2024

December 31, 2023

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Total commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned fees

Allowance for credit losses on loans

Loans, net

Maturity and Repricing Opportunity

The following table presents total loans as of December 31, 2025 according to maturity distribution and/or repricing opportunity on adjustable rate loans.

(dollars in thousands)

One year

or less

After one year through five years

After five

years through

fifteen years

After fifteen years

Total

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Total commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned fees

Overview . Loans totaled $2.4 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of 29.2% from $1.8 billion at December 31, 2024, which was attributable to a combination of organic growth and the TC Bancshares, Inc. acquisition. The majority of the Company’s loan portfolio is comprised of real estate loans. Commercial and residential real estate loans which is primarily for 1-4 family residential properties, nonfarm nonresidential properties and real estate construction loans made up 84.5% and 83.6% of total loans at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. Commercial, financial and agriculture loans represents 9.2% of total loans at December 31, 2025 and 11.6% at December 31, 2024. Consumer and other loans increased to 6.3% of total loans at December 31, 2025 from 4.8% at December 31, 2024 . All categories of loans reflect increases as a result of the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. in December 2025.

Loan origination/risk management. In accordance with the Company’s decentralized banking model, loan decisions are made at the local bank level. The Company utilizes both an Executive Loan Committee and a Director Loan Committee to assist lenders with the decision making and underwriting process of larger loan requests. Due to the diverse economic markets served by the Company, evaluation and underwriting criterion may vary slightly by market. Overall, loans are extended after a review of the borrower’s repayment ability, collateral adequacy, and overall credit worthiness.

Commercial purpose, commercial real estate, and agricultural loans are underwritten similarly to how other loans are underwritten throughout the Company. The properties securing the Company’s commercial real estate portfolio are diverse in terms of type and geographic location. In addition, the Company restricts any single loan to a $20 million transaction amount, unless approved by the Director Loan Committee ("DLC"). This diversity helps reduce the Company’s exposure to adverse economic events that affect any single market or industry. Management monitors and evaluates commercial real estate loans monthly based on collateral, geography, and risk grade criteria. The Company also utilizes information provided by third-party agencies to provide additional insight and guidance about economic conditions and trends affecting the markets it serves.

The Company extends loans to builders and developers that are secured by non-owner occupied properties. In such cases, the Company reviews the overall economic conditions and trends for each market to determine the desirability of loans to be extended for residential construction and development. Sources of repayment for these types of loans may be pre-committed permanent loans from approved long-term lenders, sales of developed property or an interim mini-perm loan commitment from the Company until permanent financing is obtained. In some cases, loans are extended for residential loan construction for speculative purposes and are based on the perceived present and future demand for housing in a particular market served by the Company. These loans are monitored by on-site inspections and are considered to have higher risks than other real estate loans due to their ultimate repayment being sensitive to interest rate changes, general economic conditions and trends, the demand for the properties, and the availability of long-term financing.

The Company originates consumer loans at the bank level. Due to the diverse economic markets served by the Company, underwriting criterion may vary slightly by market. The Company is committed to serving the borrowing needs of all markets served and, in some cases, adjusts certain evaluation methods to meet the overall credit demographics of each market. Consumer loans represent relatively small loan amounts that are spread across many individual borrowers to help minimize risk. Additionally, consumer trends and outlook reports are reviewed by management on a regular basis.

The Company utilizes an independent third-party company for loan review and validation of the credit risk program on an ongoing quarterly basis. Results of these reviews are presented to management and the audit committee. The loan review process complements and reinforces the risk identification and assessment decisions made by lenders and credit personnel, as well as the Company’s policies and procedures.

For additional discussion of our loan portfolio and deposit accounts, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Loans" and "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Deposits.”

Commercial, financial & agricultural. Commercial, financial and agricultural loans at December 31, 2025 increased by $4.6 million, or 2.2% to $218.5 million from December 31, 2024 at $213.9 million. This increase was related to the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. mentioned above partially offset by loan payoffs during the year. The Company’s commercial, financial and agricultural loans are a diverse group of loans to small, medium and large businesses. The purpose of these loans varies from supporting seasonal working capital needs to term financing of equipment. These agricultural lines typically reduce in size at year end as crops are sold. While some short-term loans may be made on an unsecured basis, most are secured by the assets being financed with collateral margins that are consistent with the Company’s loan policy guidelines.

Construction, land & land development.   Construction, land and land development loans increased by $97.5 million, or 47.5%, at December 31, 2025 to $302.5 million from $205.0 million at December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily attributable to the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. and the continued growth of the business in 2025.

Other commercial real estate . Other commercial real estate loans increased by $259.1 million, or 26.2%, at December 31, 2025 to $1,249.7 million from $990.6 million at December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily attributable to the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. as well as growth of the business in 2025 despite the impact of the current lending and rate environment. At December 31, 2025 , the Company's other commercial real estate loans were comprised of 61.6% of non-owner occupied loans and 38.4% of owner occupied loans.

The Company's non-owner occupied portfolio is well diversified as can be seen in the table below as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.

(dollars in thousands)

December 31, 2025

December 31, 2024

Multifamily

Hotel/Motel

Retail

Office

Industrial & Warehouse

Other Specialty

Government guaranteed SBSL

Total

Residential Real Estate Loans. Residential real estate loans increased by $115.4 million or 33.5%, at December 31, 2025 to $459.5 million from $344.2 million at December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily attributable to the acquisition of TC

Bancshares, Inc. and the continued growth of the business in 2025. Residential real estate loans consist of revolving, open-end and closed-end loans as well as those secured by closed-end first and junior liens.

Consumer and other. Consumer and other loans include loans to individuals for personal and household purposes, including secured and unsecured installment loans and revolving lines of credit. Consumer and other loans at December 31, 2025 increased $61.7 million or 69.2% to $150.9 million from $89.2 million at December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily attributable to the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. as well as increases in the Company's marine and RV lending division and increases in Upstart loans, consumer loans to individuals with no or limited credit history.

Industry concentrations . As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had one industry, identified as Lessors of Non-Residential real estate, where the concentrations of loans was in excess of 10% of total loans, as segregated by Standard Industrial Classification code (“SIC code”). The SIC code is a federally designed standard industrial numbering system used by the Company to categorize loans by the borrower’s type of business. The Company has established industry-specific guidelines with respect to maximum loans permitted for each industry with which the Company does business.

Collateral concentrations . Concentrations of credit risk can exist in relation to individual borrowers or groups of borrowers, certain types of collateral, certain types of industries, or certain geographic regions. The Company has a concentration in real estate loans as well as a geographic concentration that could pose an adverse credit risk. At December 31, 2025, approximately 84.5% of the Company’s loan portfolio was concentrated in loans secured by real estate. A substantial portion of borrowers’ ability to honor their contractual obligations is dependent upon the viability of the real estate economic sector. In addition, a large portion of the Company’s foreclosed assets are also located in these same geographic markets, making the recovery of the carrying amount of foreclosed assets susceptible to changes in market conditions. Management continues to monitor these concentrations and has considered these concentrations in its allowance for credit loss analysis. In recent years, we have seen real estate values stabilizing in our markets.

Large credit relationships . The Company currently operates locations in north, central, south and coastal Georgia as well as Bi rmingham, Alabama and Jacksonville, Santa Rosa Beach and Tallahassee, Florida. As a result, the Company originates and maintains large credit relationships with several commercial customers in the ordinary course of business. The required approval of loans (new or renewal) is based on the total credit exposure of a borrower, the type of loan, combined with whether or not there are any material policy exceptions on the loan. For non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, the DLC approves loans $18 million or greater with material exceptions and loans $26 million or greater without exceptions. For other loans that are not commercial real estate, the DLC approves loans $21 million or greater with material exceptions and loans $30 million or greater with no exceptions. At December 31, 2025, our largest 20 relationships consisted of loans and loan commitments, where the total committed balance was $359.9 million with $312.0 million outstanding. At December 31, 2024, our largest 20 relationships had total committed balance of $304.5 million with $286.1 million outstanding.

Maturities and sensitivities of loans to changes in interest rates . The following table presents the maturity distribution of the Company’s loans at December 31, 2025. The table also presents the portion of loans that have fixed interest rates or variable interest rates that fluctuate over the life of the loans in accordance with changes in an interest rate index such as the prime rate.

(dollars in thousands)

Due in One

Year or

Less

After One Year, but

within

Five Years

After Five

Years, but within Fifteen Years

After Fifteen Years

Total

Loans with fixed interest rates:

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Total commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

Total loans with fixed interest rates, net of unearned fees

Loans with floating interest rates:

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Total commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

Total loans with floating interest rates, net of unearned fees

Total loans, net of unearned fees

The Company may renew loans at maturity when requested by a customer whose financial strength appears to support such renewal or when such renewal appears to be in the Company’s best interest. In such instances, the Company generally requires payment of accrued interest and may adjust the rate of interest, require a principal reduction or modify other terms of the loan at the time of renewal.

Nonperforming Assets and Potential Problem Loans

Asset quality experienced a slight decrease during the year ended December 31, 2025. Nonperforming assets include nonaccrual loans, accruing loans contractually past due 90 days or more, repossessed personal property and other real estate owned ("OREO"). Nonaccrual loans totaled $23.4 million at December 31, 2025, an increase of $12.7 million , or 119.3%, from $10.7 million at December 31, 2024 . There were eight loans contractually past due 90 days or more and still accruing totaling $95,000 at December 31, 2025 and six loans totaling $152,000 at December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2025, OREO totaled $1.0 million, an increase of $846,000, or 418.8%, compared with $202,000 at December 31, 2024. The change in OREO is primarily the result of four properties added to other real estate totaling $1.15 million offset by $310,000 from the sale of two OREO properties. At the end of the year ended December 31, 2025, total nonperforming assets as a percentage of total asset s increased to 0.66% compared with 0.36% at December 31, 2024. The increase in nonperforming assets was primarily the result of increases in construction, land & land development, commercial real estate and residential real estate loans as well as the addition of $5.7 million of loans acquired in the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc., partially offset by repayments, payoffs and charged off loans.

Year-end nonperforming assets and accruing past due loans were as follows:

(dollars in thousands)

Loans accounted for on nonaccrual

Loans accruing past due 90 days or more

Other real estate foreclosed

Repossessed assets

Total nonperforming assets

Nonperforming loans by segment

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

Total nonperforming loans

Nonperforming assets as a percentage of:

Total loans, other real estate and foreclosed assets

Total assets

Nonperforming loans as a percentage of:

Total loans

Supplemental data:

Accruing past due loans:

30-89 days past due

90 or more days past due

Total accruing past due loans

Allowance for credit losses

Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of:

Total loans

Nonperforming loans

Nonperforming assets include nonaccrual loans, loans past due 90 days or more, foreclosed real estate and repossessed assets. Nonperforming assets at December 31, 2025 increased 117.9% from December 31, 2024, as a result of the increase in nonaccrual loans and other real estate, offset by decreases in loans accruing past due 90 days or more and repossessed assets.

Generally, loans are placed on nonaccrual status if principal or interest payments become 90 days past due and/or management deems the collectability of the principal and/or interest to be in question, as well as when required by regulatory requirements. Loans to a customer whose financial condition has deteriorated are considered for nonaccrual status whether or not the loan is 90 days or more past due. For consumer loans, collectability and loss are generally determined before the loan reaches 90 days past due. Accordingly, losses on consumer loans are recorded at the time they are determined. Consumer loans that are 90 days or more past due are generally either in liquidation/payment status or bankruptcy awaiting confirmation of a plan. Once interest accruals are discontinued, accrued but uncollected interest is charged to current year operations. Subsequent receipts on nonaccrual loans are recorded as a reduction of principal, and interest income is recorded only after principal recovery is reasonably assured. Classification of a loan as nonaccrual does not preclude the ultimate collection of loan principal or interest.

The Company had five loans modified due to financial difficulty during the year ended December 31, 2025. See Note 4. Loans, for additional details on loan modifications.

Foreclosed assets represent property acquired as the result of borrower defaults on loans. Foreclosed assets are recorded at estimated fair value, less estimated selling costs, at the time of foreclosure. Write-downs occurring at foreclosure are charged against the allowance for credit losses. On an ongoing basis, properties are appraised as required by market indications and applicable regulations. Write-downs are provided for subsequent declines in value and are included in other non-interest expense along with other expenses related to maintaining the properties.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses for loans is a reserve established through charges to earnings in the form of a provision for credit losses. The provision for credit losses is based on management's evaluation of the size and composition of the loan portfolio, the level of non-performing and past due loans, historical trends of charged-off loans and recoveries, prevailing economic conditions and other factors management deems appropriate. The Company's management has established an allowance for credit losses for loans which it believes is adequate to cover expected credit losses over the expected life of a loan exposure and unfunded commitments where the likelihood is that funding will occur. Based on a credit evaluation of the loan portfolio, management presents a quarterly review of the allowance for credit losses for loans and allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments to the Company's Board of Directors, which primarily focuses on risk by evaluating individual loans in certain risk categories. These categories have also been established by management and take the form of loan grades. By grading the loan portfolio in this manner, the Company's management is able to effectively evaluate the portfolio by risk, which management believes is the most effective way to analyze the loan portfolio and thus analyze the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses on loans.

The allowance for credit losses on loans is established by examining (1) the large classified loans, nonaccrual loans and loans considered impaired and evaluating them individually to determine the specific reserve allocation and (2) the remainder of the loan portfolio to allocate a portion of the allowance based on past loss experience and reasonable and supportable forecasts of economic conditions for the particular loan category. The Company also considers other factors such as changes in lending policies and procedures; changes in national, regional and/or local economic and business conditions; changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio; changes in the experience, ability and depth of either the market president or lending staff; changes in the volume and severity of past due and classified loans; changes in the quality of the loan review system; and other factors management deems appropriate.

The allowance for credit losses on off-balance sheet credit exposures is adjusted as a provision for credit loss expense. The estimate includes consideration of the likelihood that funding will occur and an estimate of expected credit losses on commitments expected to be funded over its estimated life. The ACL is calculated using the same aggregate reserve rates calculated for the funded portion of loans at the portfolio level applied to the amount of commitments expected to fund.

Management evaluates the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses for each of these components on a quarterly basis. Peer comparisons, industry comparisons, and regulatory guidelines are also used in the determination of the valuation allowance. Loans identified as losses by management, internal loan review, and/or bank examiners are charged off. Additional information about the Company’s allowance for credit losses is provided in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for Allowance for Credit Losses.

The following table sets forth the breakdown of the allowance for credit losses on loans by loan category for the periods indicated. The allocation of the allowance to each category is subjective and is not necessarily indicative of future losses and does not restrict the use of the allowance to absorb losses in any other category.

December 31,

December 31,

December 31,

December 31,

December 31,

(dollars in thousands)

Reserve

Reserve

Reserve

Reserve

Reserve

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

(1)  Percentage represents the loan balance in each category expressed as a percentage of total end of period loans .

The following table presents an analysis of the Company’s allowance for credit losses on loans for the periods indicated.

(dollars in thousands)

Allowance for credit losses on loans at beginning of year

Adoption of ASU 2016-13

Adoption of ASU 2025-08

Charge-offs

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

Total charge-offs

Recoveries

Construction, land & land development

Other commercial real estate

Residential real estate

Commercial, financial & agricultural

Consumer and other

Total recoveries

Net charge-offs/(recoveries)

Provision for credit losses on loans

Allowance for credit losses on loans at end of year

Ratio of net charge-offs/(recoveries) to average loans

The allowance for credit losses on loans increased from $19.0 million or 1.03% of total loans at December 31, 2024 to $23.0 million, or 0.97% of total loans at December 31, 2025. The provision for credit losses on loans reflects loan quality trends, including the level of net charge-offs or recoveries, among other factors. Although net charge-offs were slightly higher which impacted the provision for credit losses, the primary reason for the year over year increase was due to the adoption of ASU 2025-08 which resulted in an addition of $4.6 million to the allowance in 2025.

The amount of provision expense recorded in 2025 and 2024 was the amount required such that the total allowance for credit losses reflected the appropriate balance, in the estimation of management, that was sufficient to cover expected credit losses on loans over the expected life of a loan exposure and unfunded commitments where the likelihood is that funding will occur.

Investment Portfolio

The following table presents carrying values of investment securities available-for-sale held by the Company as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

(dollars in thousands)

U.S. treasury securities

U.S. agency securities

Asset backed securities

State, county and municipal securities

Corporate debt securities

Mortgage-backed securities

Total debt securities

The following table presents investment securities held-to-maturity, carried at cost by the Company as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

(dollars in thousands)

U.S. treasury securities

U.S. agency securities

State, county and municipal securities

Mortgage-backed securities

Total debt securities

The following table represents expected maturities and weighted-average yields of investment securities held by the Company as of December 31, 2025 (mortgage-backed securities are based on the average life at the projected speed, while State and Political Subdivisions reflect anticipated calls being exercised).

After 1 Year But

After 5 Years But

Available-for-Sale

Within 1 Year

Within 5 Years

Within 10 Years

After 10 Years

(dollars in thousands)

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

U.S. treasury securities

U.S. agency securities

Asset backed securities

State, county and municipal securities

Corporate debt securities

Mortgage-backed securities

Total debt securities

After 1 Year But

After 5 Years But

Held-to-Maturity

Within 1 Year

Within 5 Years

Within 10 Years

After 10 Years

(dollars in thousands)

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

U.S. treasury securities

U.S. agency securities

State, county and municipal securities

Mortgage-backed securities

Total debt securities

Securities are classified as held-to-maturity and carried at amortized cost when management has the positive intent and ability to hold them to maturity. Securities are classified as available-for-sale when they might be sold before maturity. Securities available-for-sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income. The Company had both held-to-maturity and available-for-sale securities in the investment portfolio at December 31, 2025. Management also evaluates its securities portfolio for any credit-related losses on a quarterly basis. The Company did not identify any credit-related losses in its held-to-maturity or available-for-sale portfolios at December 31, 2025.

At December 31, 2025, there were no holdings of any one issuer, other than the U.S. government and its agencies, in an amount greater than 10% of the Company’s stockholders’ equity.

The average yield of the securities portfolio was 2.60% in 2025 and 2.61% in 2024. The slight decrease in the average yield from 2024 to 2025 was primarily attributed to the decrease in average balances of investment securities related to paydowns and the sales of investments securities during both periods.

Deposits

The following table presents the average amount outstanding and the average rate paid on deposits by the Company for the years 2025, 2024, and 2023.

(dollars in thousands)

Average

Amount

Average

Rate

Average

Amount

Average

Rate

Average

Amount

Average

Rate

Noninterest-bearing demand deposits

Interest-bearing demand and savings deposits

Time deposits

Total deposits

The following table presents the maturities of the Company’s time deposits as of December 31, 2025.

(dollars in thousands)

Time

Deposits

or Greater

Time

Deposits

Less than

Total

Months to Maturity

3 months or less

Over 3 months through 6 months

Over 6 months through 12 months

Over 12 months

Average deposits increased $91.1 million in 2025 compared to 2024. The increase in 2025 included increases of $41.0 million, or 6.8% in time deposits and an increase in interest-bearing demand and savings deposits of $65.1 million, or 4.4%, partially offset by a decrease of $15.0 million, or 3.3% in noninterest-bearing deposits. The increase in our overall deposits is due primarily to the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc The Company continues to focus on the importance of customer relationships and our ability to attract noninterest-bearing demand and interest-bearing demand and savings deposits despite the challenging interest rate environment.

As of December 31, 2025 and 2024 , $980.0 million and $857.6 million , respectively, of our deposit portfolio was uninsured. The uninsured amounts are estimated based on the methodologies and assumptions used for the Bank's regulatory reporting requirements. The adjusted uninsured deposit estimate (which excludes deposits collateralized by public funds and internal accounts) was $576.5 million as of December 31, 2025 compared to $457.3 million as of December 31, 2024, Adjusted uninsured deposits represents a small percentage of our overall deposits, which increases the stability of our deposit base and lowers our overall funding risk.

The Company supplements deposit sources with brokered deposits. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $131.9 million, or 4.30% of total deposits, in brokered certificates of deposit attracted by external third parties. Additional information is provided in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for Deposits.

Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations

In the ordinary course of business, our Bank has granted commitments to extend credit to approved customers. Generally, these commitments to extend credit have been granted on a temporary basis for seasonal or inventory requirements or for construction period financing and have been approved within the Bank’s credit guidelines. Our Bank has also granted commitments to approved customers for financial standby letters of credit. These commitments are recorded in the financial statements when funds are disbursed or the financial instruments become payable. The Bank uses the same credit policies for these off-balance-sheet commitments as it does for financial instruments that are recorded in the consolidated financial statements. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of the commitment amounts expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

The following table summarizes commitments and contractual obligations outstanding at December 31, 2025.

(dollars in thousands)

Payments Due by Period

Total

Less Than 1

Year

1 – 3 Years

3 – 5 Years

More Than 5 Years

Contractual Obligations:

Borrowings

Operating lease liabilities

Time Deposits

Other Commitments:

Loan commitments

Standby letters of credit

Total Contractual Obligations and Other Commitments

Loan Commitments . The Company enters into contractual commitments to extend credit, normally with fixed expiration dates or termination clauses, at specified rates and for specific purposes. Substantially all of the Company’s commitments to extend credit are contingent upon customers maintaining specific credit standards at the time of loan funding. The Company minimizes its exposure to loss under these commitments by subjecting them to credit approval and monitoring procedures. Management assesses the credit risk associated with certain commitments to extend credit in determining the level of the allowance for credit losses. Loan commitments outstanding at December 31, 2025 are included in the preceding table.

Standby Letters of Credit . Letters of credit are written conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. In the event the customer does not perform in accordance with the terms of the agreement with the third party, the Company would be required to fund the commitment. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make is represented by the contractual amount of the commitment. If the commitment is funded, the Company would be entitled to seek recovery from the customer. The Company’s policies generally require that standby letters of credit arrangements contain security and debt covenants similar to those contained in loan agreements. Standby letters of credit outstanding at December 31, 2025 are included in the preceding table.

Capital Requirements

The Bank and the Company are each required under federal law to maintain certain minimum capital levels based on ratios of capital to total assets and capital to risk-weighted assets. The required capital ratios are minimums, and the federal banking agencies may determine that a banking organization, based on its size, complexity or risk profile, must maintain a higher level of capital in order to operate in a safe and sound manner. Risks such as concentration of credit risks and the risk arising from non-traditional activities, as well as the institution’s exposure to a decline in the economic value of its capital due to changes in interest rates, and an institution’s ability to manage those risks are important factors that are to be taken into account by the federal banking agencies in assessing an institution’s overall capital adequacy. For more information, see “Item 1. Business – Supervision and Regulation – Regulation of the Company – Capital Requirements.”

At December 31, 2025, shareholders’ equity totaled $375.9 million compared to $278.7 million at December 31, 2024. The primary driver of the increase was the issuance of common stock of $65.9 million as a result of the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. in December 2025. In addition to net income of $28.3 million, another significant change in shareholders’ equity during 2025 included $8.0 million of dividends declared on common stock. The accumulated other comprehensive loss component of stockholders’ equity totaled $34.5 million at December 31, 2025 compared to $47.6 million at December 31, 2024. This fluctuation was mostly related to the after-tax effect of changes in the fair value of securities available-for-sale. Under regulatory requirements, the unrealized gain or loss on securities available for sale does not increase or reduce regulatory capital and is not included in the calculation of risk-based capital and leverage ratios. Regulatory agencies for banks and bank holding companies utilize capital guidelines designed to measure Tier 1 and total capital and take into consideration the risk inherent in both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet items.

Tier 1 capital consists of common stock and qualifying preferred securities less goodwill, intangibles and disallowed deferred tax assets. Tier 2 capital consists of certain convertible, subordinated and other qualifying debt and the allowance for credit losses up to 1.25% of risk-weighted assets. The Company's Tier 2 capital consists of subordinated notes and the allowance for credit losses.

Using the capital requirements presently in effect, the Tier 1 ratio as of December 31, 2025 was 13.60% and total Tier 1 and 2 risk-based capital was 15.95%. Both of these measures compare favorably with the regulatory minimum of 6.0% for Tier 1 and 8% for total risk-based capital. The Company’s common equity Tier 1 ratio as of December 31, 2025 was 12.67%, which exceeds the regulatory minimum of 4.50%. The Company’s Tier 1 leverage ratio as of December 31, 2025 was 10.78%, which exceeds the required ratio standard of 4.0%.

For the year ended December 31, 2025, average capital was $297.6 million representing 9.3% of average assets for the year. This compares to average capital of $265.3 million, representing 8.7% of average assets for 2024.

For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not have any material commitments for capital expenditures.

The Company granted 63,426 and 74,358 restricted shares of common stock for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. All restricted shares vest over a three year period.

A cash dividend of $8.0 million and $7.9 million was paid for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Liquidity

The Company, primarily through the actions of its subsidiary bank, engages in liquidity management to ensure adequate cash flow for deposit withdrawals, credit commitments and repayments of borrowed funds. Needs are met through loan repayments, net interest and fee income and the sale or maturity of existing assets. In addition, liquidity is continuously provided through the acquisition of new deposits, the renewal of maturing deposits and external borrowings.

Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2025 and 2024 were $257.6 million and $231.0 million, respectively. The increase in cash and cash equivalents was partially due to sales and paydowns of investment securities, paydowns and maturities of loans, as well as increases in deposits and other borrowings. Management believes the various funding sources discussed above are adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs in these unsettled times without any material adverse impact on our operating results.

Management monitors deposit flow and evaluates alternate pricing structures to retain and grow deposits. To the extent needed to fund loan demand, traditional local deposit funding sources are supplemented by the use of FHLB borrowings, brokered deposits and other wholesale deposit sources outside the immediate market area. Internal policies have been updated to monitor the use of various core and non-core funding sources, and to balance ready access with risk and cost. Through various asset/liability management strategies, a balance is maintained among goals of liquidity, safety and earnings potential. Internal policies that are consistent with regulatory liquidity guidelines are monitored and enforced by the Bank.

The investment portfolio provides a ready means to raise cash if liquidity needs arise. As of December 31, 2025, the available-for-sale bond portfolio totaled $383.8 million. At December 31, 2024, the available-for-sale bond portfolio totaled $366.0 million. This increase is primarily attributable to available-for-sale investment securities acquired in the acquisition of TC Bancshares, Inc. in December 2025. Only marketable investment grade bonds are purchased. Although approximately 51.5% of the Bank’s bond portfolio is encumbered as pledges to secure various public funds deposits, repurchase agreements, and for other purposes, management can restructure and free up investment securities for sale if required to meet liquidity needs.

Management continually monitors the relationship of loans to deposits as it primarily determines the Company’s liquidity posture. Colony had ratios of loans to deposits of 77.6% as of December 31, 2025 and 71.8% as of December 31, 2024. Management employs alternative funding sources when deposit balances will not meet loan demands. The ratios of loans to all funding sources (excluding Subordinated Debentures) at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 were 73.0% and 71.8%, respectively. Management continues to emphasize programs to generate local core deposits as our Company’s primary funding sources. The stability of the Banks’ core deposit base is an important factor in Colony’s liquidity position. A heavy percentage of the deposit base is comprised of accounts of individuals and small businesses with comprehensive banking relationships and limited volatility. At December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Bank had $239.2 million and $185.2 million, respectively, in certificates of deposit of $250,000 or more. These larger deposits represented 7.8% and 7.2% of total deposits as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Management seeks to monitor and control the use of these larger certificates, which tend to be more volatile in nature, to ensure an adequate supply of funds as needed. Relative interest costs to attract local core relationships are compared to market rates of interest on various external deposit sources to help minimize the Company’s overall cost of funds.

The Company supplemented deposit sources with brokered deposits. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $131.9 million or 4.30% of total deposits in brokered deposits. Additional information is provided in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements regarding these brokered deposits. Additionally, the Company uses external deposit listing services to obtain out-of-market certificates of deposit at competitive interest rates when funding is needed. The deposits obtained from listing services are often referred to as wholesale or internet CDs.

To plan for contingent sources of funding not satisfied by both local and out-of-market deposit balances, Colony and its subsidiary have established multiple borrowing sources to augment their funds management. The Company has borrowing capacity through membership of the Federal Home Loan Bank program. The Bank has also established overnight borrowing for Federal Funds Purchased through various correspondent banks. Management believes the various funding sources discussed above are adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs in the future without any material adverse impact on operating results. At December 31, 2025 and 2024 , we had $195.0 million and $185.0 million , respectively, of outstanding advances from the FHLB. Based on the values of loans pledged as collateral, we had $747.0 million and $578.7 million of additional borrowing availability with the FHLB at December 31, 2025 and 2024 , respectively.

Other sources of liquidity include overnight borrowings from the Federal Reserve Discount Window. The Company also has unencumbered investment securities which provide the ability to either be pledged as collateral with borrowing sources or sold and converted to cash.

Liquidity measures the ability to meet current and future cash flow needs as they become due. The liquidity of a financial institution reflects its ability to meet loan requests, to accommodate possible outflows in deposits and to take advantage of interest rate market opportunities. The ability of a financial institution to meet its current financial obligations is a function of balance sheet structure, the ability to liquidate assets, and the availability of alternative sources of funds. The Company seeks to ensure its funding needs are met by maintaining a level of liquid funds through asset/liability management.

Asset liquidity is provided by liquid assets which are readily marketable or pledgeable or which will mature in the near future. Liquid assets include cash, interest-bearing deposits in banks, securities available for sale and federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements.

Liability liquidity is provided by access to funding sources which include core deposits. Should the need arise, the Company also maintains relationships with the Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal Reserve Bank, three correspondent banks and repurchase agreement lines that can provide funds on short notice.

Since Colony is a bank holding Company and does not conduct operations, its primary sources of liquidity are dividends up streamed from the subsidiary bank and borrowings from outside sources.

The liquidity position of the Company is continuously monitored and adjustments are made to the balance between sources and uses of funds as deemed appropriate. Management is not aware of any events that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s liquidity, capital resources or operations. In addition, management is not aware of any regulatory recommendations regarding liquidity, which if implemented, would have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices

The Company’s financial statements included herein have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). GAAP presently requires the Company to measure financial position and operating results primarily in terms of historic dollars. Changes in the relative value of money due to inflation or recession are generally not considered. The primary effect of inflation on the operations of the Company is reflected in increased operating costs, and the Company has experienced material effects of inflation during the last five fiscal years due to the government's monetary policies and the current economic climate. In management’s opinion, changes in interest rates affect the financial condition of a financial institution to a far greater degree than changes in the inflation rate. While interest rates are greatly influenced by changes in the inflation rate, they do not necessarily change at the same rate or in the same magnitude as the inflation rate. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond the control of the Company, including changes in the expected rate of inflation, the influence of general and local economic conditions and the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, its agencies and various other governmental regulatory authorities, among other things, as further discussed in the next section.

Regulatory and Economic Policies

The Company’s business and earnings are affected by general and local economic conditions and by the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, its agencies and various other governmental regulatory authorities, among other things. The Federal Reserve Board regulates the supply of money in order to influence general economic conditions. Among the instruments of monetary policy available to the Federal Reserve Board are (i) conducting open market operations in United States government obligations, (ii) changing the discount rate on financial institution borrowings, (iii) imposing or changing reserve requirements against financial institution deposits, and (iv) restricting certain borrowings and imposing or changing reserve requirements against certain borrowings by financial institutions and their affiliates. These methods are used in varying degrees and combinations to directly affect the availability of bank loans and deposits, as well as the interest rates charged on loans and paid on deposits. For that reason alone, the policies of the Federal Reserve Board have a material effect on the earnings of the Company.

Governmental policies have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future; however, the Company cannot accurately predict the nature, timing or extent of any effect such policies may have on its future business and earnings.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies included in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Market Risk and Interest Rate Sensitivity

Our financial performance is impacted by, among other factors, interest rate risk and credit risk. We utilize derivatives to help manage our interest rate risk position and mitigate exposure to the variability of future cash flows or other forecasted transactions. We mitigate our credit risk through reliance on an extensive loan review process and our allowance for credit losses.

Interest rate risk is the change in value due to changes in interest rates. The Company is exposed only to U.S. dollar interest rate changes and, accordingly, the Company manages exposure by considering the possible changes in the net interest margin. The Company does not have any trading instruments nor does it classify any portion of its investment portfolio as held for trading. The Company has no exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk, commodity price risk and other market risks. Interest rate risk is addressed by our Risk Management Committee which includes senior management representatives. The Risk Management Committee monitors interest rate risk by analyzing the potential impact to the net portfolio of equity value and net interest income from potential changes to interest rates and considers the impact of alternative strategies or changes in balance sheet structure.

Interest rates play a major part in the net interest income of financial institutions. The repricing of interest earnings assets and interest-bearing liabilities can influence the changes in net interest income. The timing of repriced assets and liabilities is Gap management and our Company has established its policy to maintain a Gap ratio in the one-year time horizon of .80 to 1.20.

Our exposure to interest rate risk is reviewed at least quarterly by our Board of Directors and by our Risk Management Committee. Interest rate risk exposure is measured using interest rate sensitivity analysis to determine our change in net portfolio value in the event of assumed changes in interest rates. In order to reduce the exposure to interest rate fluctuations, we have implemented strategies to more closely match our balance sheet composition. The Company has engaged Stifel to run a quarterly asset/liability model for interest rate risk analysis. We are generally focusing our investment activities on securities with terms or average lives in the 3 ½ - 5 ½ year range.

Market risk reflects the risk of economic loss resulting from adverse changes in market prices and interest rates. This risk of loss can be reflected in either reduced current market values or reduced current and potential net income. Colony’s most significant market risk is interest rate risk. This risk arises primarily from Colony’s extension of loans and acceptance of deposits.

Managing interest rate risk is a primary goal of the asset liability management function. Colony attempts to achieve stability in net interest income while limiting volatility arising from changes in interest rates. Colony seeks to achieve this goal by balancing the maturity and repricing characteristics of assets and liabilities. Colony manages its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates through policies established by the Risk Management Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. The Risk Management Committee meets at least quarterly and has responsibility for developing asset liability management policies, reviewing the interest rate sensitivity of Colony, and developing and implementing strategies to improve balance sheet structure and interest rate risk positioning.

Colony measures the sensitivity of net interest income to changes in market interest rates through the utilization of Asset/Liability simulation modeling. On at least a quarterly basis, the following twenty-four month time period is simulated to determine a baseline net interest income forecast and the sensitivity of this forecast to changes in interest rates. These simulations include all of Colony’s earning assets and liabilities. Forecasted balance sheet changes, primarily reflecting loan and deposit growth and forecasts, are included in the periods modeled. Projected rates for loans and deposits are based on management’s outlook and local market conditions.

The magnitude and velocity of rate changes among the various asset and liability groups exhibit different characteristics for each possible interest rate scenario; additionally, customer loan and deposit preferences can vary in response to changing interest rates. Simulation modeling enables Colony to capture the expected effect of these differences. Assumptions utilized in the model are updated on an ongoing basis and are reviewed and approved by the Risk Management Committee of the Board of Directors.

Colony has modeled its baseline net interest income forecast assuming a flat interest rate environment with the federal funds rate at the Federal Reserve's targeted range of 3.50% and the prime rate of 6.75% at December 31, 2025. Colony has modeled the impact of a gradual increase in short-term rates of 100 and 200 basis points and a decline of 100 and 200 basis points to determine the sensitivity of net interest income for the next twelve months. As illustrated in the table below, the net interest income sensitivity model indicates that, compared with a net interest income forecast assuming stable rates, net interest income is projected to increase by 4.33% and 8.10% if interest rates increased by 100 and 200 basis points, respectively. Net interest income is projected to decline by 0.63% and 1.72% if interest rates decreased by 100 and 200 basis points. These changes were within Colony’s policy limit of a maximum 15% negative change.

Twelve Month Net Interest Income Sensitivity

Estimated Change in Net Interest

Income as of December 31,

Change in Short-term Interest Rates

(in basis points)

Flat

The measured interest rate sensitivity indicates an asset sensitive position over the next year, which could serve to improve net interest income in a rising interest rate environment. The actual realized change in net interest income would depend on several factors, some of which could serve to reduce or eliminate the asset sensitivity noted above. These factors include a higher than projected level of deposit customer migration to higher cost deposits, such as certificates of deposit, which would increase total interest expense and serve to reduce the realized level of asset sensitivity. Another factor which could impact the realized interest rate sensitivity in a rising rate environment is the repricing behavior of interest-bearing non-maturity deposits. Assumptions for repricing are expressed as a beta relative to the change in the prime rate. For instance, a 25% beta would correspond to a deposit rate that would increase 0.25% for every 1% increase in the prime rate. Projected betas for interest bearing non-maturity deposit repricing are a key component of determining the Company's interest rate risk position. Should realized betas be higher than projected betas, the expected benefit from higher interest rates would be reduced.

Colony is also subject to market risk in certain of its fee income business lines. Mortgage banking income is subject to market risk. Mortgage loan originations are sensitive to levels of mortgage interest rates and therefore, mortgage banking income could be negatively impacted during a period of rising interest rates. The extension of commitments to customers to fund mortgage loans also subjects Colony to market risk. This risk is primarily created by the time period between making the commitment and closing and delivering the loan. Colony seeks to minimize this exposure by utilizing various risk management tools, the primary of which are forward sales commitments and best efforts commitments.