Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is -0.12pp more bearish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Risk Factors
-0.16pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
MD&A
-0.09pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
Per-snippet highlights
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
adverse+9
volatility+6
negatively+5
disruptions+5
adversely+4
Positive rising
profitability+4
successful+2
successfully+2
success+1
opportunities+1
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
21,738 words
Risk Factors
Unresolved Staff Comments
Properties
Legal Proceedings
Mine Safety Disclosures
Part II
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Selected Financial Data
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”)
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Change in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
Part III
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, Director Independence
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Part IV
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Language change vs prior 10-K
MD&A (Item 7) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
losses+19
loss+18
adverse+15
unemployment+7
adversely+6
Positive rising
gain+11
effective+4
profitability+4
advances+2
successful+2
MD&A (Item 7)
41,391 words
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”)
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Change in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
Part III
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, Director Independence
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Part IV
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Table of Contents
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
SPECIAL CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain of the statements contained in this report and the documents incorporated by reference herein may constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”). As such, they are only predictions and may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or of Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Corporation”) to be materially different from future results, performance or expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Corporation’s financial goals, business plans, business prospects, credit quality, credit risk, reserve adequacy, liquidity, origination and sale of residential mortgage loans, mortgage servicing rights, the effect of changes in accounting standards, and market and pricing trends . The words “may,” “might,” “would,” “could,” “will,” “likely,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “plan,” “forecast,” “project,” “predict,” “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify statements that constitute forward-looking statements. The Corporation’s actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated by the forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including without :
SPECIAL CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain of the statements contained in this report and the documents incorporated by reference herein may constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”). As such, they are only predictions and may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Corporation”) to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Corporation’s financial goals, business plans, business prospects, credit quality, credit risk, reserve adequacy, liquidity, origination and sale of residential mortgage loans, mortgage servicing rights, the effect of changes in accounting standards, and market and pricing trends loss. The words “may,” “might,” “would,” “could,” “will,” “likely,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “plan,” “forecast,” “project,” “predict,” “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify statements that constitute forward-looking statements. The Corporation’s actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated by the forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including without limitation:
• local, regional, national and international economic conditions, their impact on us and our customers, and our ability to assess those impacts;
• our need for capital;
• reduced demand for our products and services, and lower revenues and earnings due to an economic recession;
• lower earnings due to other-than-temporary impairment charges related to our investment securities portfolios or other assets;
• changes in monetary or fiscal policy, or existing statutes, regulatory guidance, legislation or judicial decisions, including those concerning banking, securities. insurance or taxes, that adversely affect our business, the financial services industry as a whole, the Corporation, or our subsidiaries individually or collectively;
• changes in the level of non-performing assets and charge-offs;
• effectiveness of capital management strategies and activities;
• the accuracy of assumptions underlying the establishment of provisions for loan and lease losses, estimates in the value of collateral, and various financial assets and liabilities;
• uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process and potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2021;
• the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices or accounting standards, as may be adopted from time-to-time by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the FASB or other accounting standards setters, including ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326), “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) model, which we adopted on January 1, 2020 and has changed how we estimate credit losses and may result in further increases in the required level of our allowance for credit losses;
• inflation, securities market and monetary fluctuations, including changes in the market values of financial assets and the stability of particular securities markets;
• changes in interest rates, spreads on interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and interest rate sensitivity;
• prepayment speeds, loan originations and credit losses;
• changes in the value of our mortgage servicing rights;
• sources of liquidity and financial resources in the amounts, at the times, and on the terms required to support our future business;
• results of examinations by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) of the Corporation, including the possibility that such regulator may, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for credit losses on loans and leases or to write down assets, or restrict our ability to: engage in new products or services; engage in future mergers or acquisitions; open new branches; pay future dividends; or otherwise take action, or refrain from taking action, in order to correct activities or practices that the Federal Reserve believes may violate applicable law or constitute an unsafe or unsound banking practice;
• variances in common stock outstanding and/or volatility in common stock price;
Table of Contents
• fair value of and number of stock-based compensation awards to be issued in future periods;
• risks related to our past or future, if any, mergers and acquisitions, including, but not limited to: reputational risks; client and customer retention risks; diversion of management’s time for integration-related issues; integration may take longer than anticipated or cost more than expected; anticipated benefits of the merger or acquisition, including any anticipated cost savings or strategic gains, may take longer or be significantly harder to achieve, or may not be realized;
• deposit attrition, operating costs, customer loss and business disruption following a merger or acquisition, including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, and/or suppliers may be greater than expected;
• the credit risks of lending activities and overall quality of the composition of acquired loan, lease and securities portfolio;
• our success in continuing to generate new business in our existing markets, as well as identifying and penetrating targeted markets and generating a profit in those markets in a reasonable time;
• our ability to continue to generate investment results for customers or introduce competitive new products and services on a timely, cost-effective basis, including investment and banking products that meet customers’ needs;
• changes in consumer and business spending, borrowing and savings habits and demand for financial services in the relevant market areas;
• extent to which products or services previously offered (including but not limited to mortgages and asset back securities) require us to incur liabilities or absorb losses not contemplated at their initiation or origination;
• rapid technological developments and changes;
• technological systems failures, interruptions and security breaches, internally or through a third-party provider, could negatively impact our operations, customers and/or reputation;
• competitive pressure and practices of other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage companies, finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money-market and mutual funds and other institutions operating in our market areas and elsewhere, including institutions operating locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, together with such competitors offering banking products and services by mail, telephone, computer and the internet;
• protection and validity of intellectual property rights;
• reliance on large customers;
• technological, implementation and cost/financial risks in contracts;
• the outcome of pending and future litigation and governmental proceedings;
• any extraordinary events (such as natural disasters, global health risks or pandemics, acts of terrorism, wars or political conflicts);
• ability to retain key employees and members of senior management;
• changes in relationships with employees, customers, and/or suppliers;
• the ability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us and our subsidiaries;
• our need for capital, or our ability to control operating costs and expenses or manage loan and lease delinquency rates;
• other material adverse changes in operations or earnings; and
• our success in managing the risks involved in the foregoing.
Table of Contents
All written or oral forward-looking statements attributed to the Corporation are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors, risks, and uncertainties set forth in the foregoing cautionary statements, along with those set forth under the caption titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14 of this Report. All forward-looking statements included in this Report and the documents incorporated by reference herein are based upon the Corporation’s beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this Report. The Corporation assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether the result of new information, future events, uncertainties or otherwise, as of any future date. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements discussed in this Report or incorporated documents.
GENERAL DEVELOPMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF OUR BUSINESS
The Bryn Mawr Trust Company (the “Bank”) received its Pennsylvania banking charter in 1889 and is a member of the Federal Reserve System. In 1986, Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (“BMBC”) was formed and on January 2, 1987, the Bank became a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMBC. The Bank and BMBC are headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a western suburb of Philadelphia. BMBC and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Corporation”) offer a full range of personal and business banking services, consumer and commercial loans, equipment leasing, mortgages, insurance and wealth management services, including investment management, trust and estate administration, retirement planning, custody services, and tax planning and preparation from 41 banking locations, seven wealth management offices and two insurance and risk management locations in the following counties: Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, and Dauphin Counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle County in Delaware; and Mercer and Camden Counties in New Jersey. The common stock of BMBC trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol BMTC.
The goal of the Corporation is to become the premier community bank and wealth management organization in the greater Philadelphia area. The Corporation’s strategy to achieve this goal includes investing in people and technology to support its growth, leveraging the strength of its brand, targeting high-potential markets for expansion, basing its sales strategy on relationships and concentrating on core product solutions, in each case with a view towards diversifying its sources of revenue and maintaining a strong balance sheet. The Corporation strives to strategically broaden the scope of its product offerings and hire knowledgeable professionals who support our clients with great service, planning, and advice to meet their needs.
The Corporation operates in a highly competitive market area that includes local, national and regional banks as competitors along with savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, trust companies, registered investment advisors and mutual fund families. The Corporation and its subsidiaries are regulated by many agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Federal Reserve and the Pennsylvania and Delaware Departments of Banking.
Growth through Acquisitions
Mergers, acquisitions and organic growth through subsidiaries have contributed significantly to the Corporation's growth and expansion. The acquisition of Lau Associates LLC in July 2008 and the formation of The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware (“BMTC-DE”) allowed the Corporation to establish a presence in the State of Delaware, where it competes for wealth management business. The November 2012 acquisition of certain loan and deposit accounts and a branch location from First Bank of Delaware enabled the Corporation to further expand its banking segment in the greater Wilmington, Delaware area.
The Corporation’s first significant bank acquisition, the July 2010 merger with First Keystone Financial, Inc., expanded the Corporation’s footprint significantly into Delaware County, Pennsylvania. This was followed by the January 2015 acquisition of Continental Bank Holdings, Inc. (“CBH”) and its subsidiary, Continental Bank, and the December 2017 acquisition of Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. (“RBPI”) and its subsidiary, Royal Bank America. These bank mergers further expanded the Corporation’s reach well into the surrounding counties in Pennsylvania, including five branches within the City of Philadelphia, and also expanded the Bank’s footprint into southern and central New Jersey.
The acquisition of the Private Wealth Management Group of the Hershey Trust Company (“PWMG”) in May 2011 enabled the Bank’s Wealth Management Division to extend into central Pennsylvania by continuing to operate the former PWMG offices located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The May 2012 acquisition of the Davidson Trust Company allowed the Corporation to further expand its range of services and bring deeper market penetration in our core market area.
In October 2014, the Corporation acquired Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc. (“PCPB”), an insurance brokerage previously headquartered in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, which became a subsidiary of the Bank. The addition enabled the Corporation to offer a full range of insurance products to both individual and business clients. In April 2015, the Corporation
Table of Contents
acquired Robert J. McAllister, Inc. (“RJM”), an insurance brokerage headquartered in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. As described below, in May 2017, the Corporation acquired Harry R. Hirshorn & Company, Inc. (“Hirshorn”), an insurance agency headquartered in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. The businesses of PCPB, RJM, and Hirshorn were consolidated within one subsidiary, PCPB (now known as BMT Insurance Advisors), which, in 2018, acquired Domenick & Associates (“Domenick”), a full-service insurance agency established in 1993 and headquartered in the Old City section of Philadelphia. BMT Insurance Advisors operates from two locations and has enhanced the Bank's ability to offer comprehensive insurance solutions to both individuals and business clients.
A brief summary of the Corporation's strategic acquisitions since January 1, 2016 follows:
• Harry R. Hirshorn & Company, Inc. (2017): On May 24, 2017, the Bank acquired Hirshorn, an insurance agency headquartered in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. Consideration totaled $7.5 million, of which $5.8 million was paid at closing, two contingent cash payments of $575 thousand were paid in 2018 and 2019, and one contingent cash payment of $247 thousand was paid in 2020. The acquisition of Hirshorn expanded the Bank’s footprint into this desirable northwest corner of Philadelphia. Shortly after acquisition, Hirshorn was merged into PCPB (now BMT Insurance Advisors).
• Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. (2017): BMBC and the Bank acquired certain subsidiaries in the merger of RBPI with and into BMBC on December 15, 2017 and the merger of Royal Bank America with and into the Bank (collectively, the “RBPI Merger”). The aggregate share consideration paid to RBPI shareholders consisted of 3,101,316 shares of BMBC’s common stock. Shareholders of RBPI received 0.1025 shares of BMBC's common stock for each share of RBPI Class A common stock and 0.1179 shares of BMBC's common stock for each share of RBPI Class B common stock owned as of the Effective Date of the RBPI Merger, with cash-in-lieu of fractional shares totaling $7 thousand. The RBPI Merger initially added $566.2 million of loans, $121.6 million of investments, $593.2 million of deposits, twelve new branches and a loan production office. The acquisition of RBPI expanded the Corporation’s footprint within Montgomery, Chester, Berks and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania as well as Camden and Mercer Counties in New Jersey.
• Domenick & Associates (2018): The Bank’s subsidiary, BMT Insurance Advisors, completed the acquisition of Domenick & Associates (“Domenick”), a full-service insurance agency established in 1993 and headquartered in the Old City section of Philadelphia, on May 1, 2018. The consideration paid was $1.5 million, of which $750 thousand was paid at closing, $225 thousand was paid during the third quarter of 2019, $175 thousand was paid during the second quarter of 2020 and one contingent cash payment, not to exceed $250 thousand, will be payable in 2021, subject to the attainment of certain targets during the year.
Current Operations
The Corporation offers products and services through various subsidiaries of BMBC and the Bank.
Active Subsidiaries of BMBC . As of December 31, 2020, BMBC has two active subsidiaries which provide various services as described below. Additionally, BMBC and the Bank acquired certain subsidiaries in the RBPI Merger that are not included in the below descriptions as they are not integral or significant to our business. Further, in connection with the RBPI Merger, the Corporation acquired two Delaware trusts, Royal Bancshares Capital Trust I and Royal Bancshares Capital Trust II, which are discussed in more detail in Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
• The Bryn Mawr Trust Company: The Bank is engaged in commercial and retail banking business, providing basic banking services, including the acceptance of demand, time and savings deposits and the origination of commercial, real estate and consumer loans and other extensions of credit including leases. The Bank also provides a full range of wealth management services including trust administration and other related fiduciary services, custody services, investment management and advisory services, employee benefit account and IRA administration, estate settlement, tax services, financial planning and brokerage services. The Bank’s employees are included in the Corporation’s employment numbers below.
• The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware: The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware (“BMTC-DE”) is a limited-purpose trust company located in Greenville, DE and has the ability to be named and serve as a corporate fiduciary under Delaware law. Being able to serve as a corporate fiduciary under Delaware law is advantageous as Delaware statutes are widely recognized as being favorable with respect to the creation of tax-
Table of Contents
advantaged trust structures, LLCs and related wealth transfer vehicles for families and individuals throughout the United States. BMTC-DE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMBC.
Active Subsidiaries of the Bank . As of December 31, 2020, the Bank has three active subsidiaries which provide various services as described below.
• KCMI Capital, Inc.: KCMI Capital, Inc. (“KCMI”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank, located in Media, Pennsylvania, which was established on October 1, 2015. KCMI specializes in providing non-traditional commercial mortgage loans to small businesses throughout the United States. KCMI enables the Corporation to compete, on a national level, for a specialized lending market that focuses on non-traditional small business borrowers with well-established businesses.
• BMT Insurance Advisors, Inc. f/k/a Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc.: BMT Insurance Advisors, Inc. (“BMT Insurance Advisors”), formerly known as Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc. (“PCPB”), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank, headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. BMT Insurance Advisors is a full-service insurance agency, through which the Bank offers insurance and related products and services to its customer base. This includes casualty, property and allied insurance lines, as well as life insurance, annuities, medical insurance and accident and health insurance for groups and individuals.
• Bryn Mawr Equipment Finance, Inc.: Bryn Mawr Equipment Finance, Inc. (“BMEF”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank, is a Delaware corporation registered to do business in Pennsylvania. BMEF is a small-ticket equipment financing company servicing customers nationwide from its Pennsylvania location.
Continuing Operations
See Note 31, “Segment Information,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information.
Competition
BMBC and its subsidiaries, including the Bank, compete for deposits, loans, wealth management and insurance services in Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, and Dauphin Counties in Pennsylvania, New Castle County in Delaware, and Mercer and Camden Counties in New Jersey. The Corporation has 41 banking locations, seven wealth management offices and two insurance and risk management locations.
The markets in which the Corporation competes are highly competitive. The Corporation’s direct competition in attracting business is mainly from commercial banks, investment management companies, savings and loan associations, trust companies and insurance agencies. The Corporation also competes with credit unions, on-line banking enterprises, consumer finance companies, mortgage companies, insurance companies, stock brokerage companies, investment advisory companies and other entities providing one or more of the services and products offered by the Corporation.
The Corporation is able to compete with the other firms because of its consistent level of customer service, excellent reputation, professional expertise, comprehensive product line, and its competitive rates and fees. However, there are several negative factors which can hinder the Corporation’s ability to compete with larger institutions such as its limited number of locations, smaller advertising and technology budgets, and a general inability to scale its operating platform, due to its size.
Human Capital Resource Management
We believe in the value of teamwork and the power of diversity. We expect and encourage participation and collaboration, and understand that we need each other to be successful. We value accountability because it is essential to our success, and we accept our responsibility to hold ourselves and others accountable for meeting shareholder commitments and achievingexceptional standards of performance.
Staffing Model. The majority of our staff are regular full-time associates. Our goal is to provide our staff with careers instead of jobs. We also employ regular part-time associates and some seasonal/temporary associates. BMBC had no active staff as of December 31, 2020. Collectively, the Corporation had 603 full-time and 33 part-time employees, totaling 613 full-time equivalent staff as of December 31, 2020.
Table of Contents
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We believe that diversity of thought and experiences results in better outcomes and empowers our associates to make more meaningful contributions within our company and communities. We do not and will not tolerate discrimination in any form with respect to any aspect of employment. We continue to learn and grow, and our current initiatives reflect our ongoing efforts around a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. For additional information regarding our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion focus and initiatives, refer to the section labeled “Environmental, Social and Governance Highlights” and “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” in the Corporation's 2021 Proxy Statement.
Health & Safety. Our health and safety (“HS”) program consists of policies, procedures and guidelines, and mandates all tasks be conducted in a safe and efficient manner complying with all local, state and federal safety and health regulations, and special safety concerns. The HS program encompasses all facilities and operations and addresses on-site emergencies, injuries and illnesses, evacuation procedures, cell phone usage and general safety rules.
Benefits. We are committed to offering a competitive total compensation package. We regularly compare compensation and benefits with peer companies and market data, making adjustments as needed to ensure compensation stays competitive. We also offer a wide array of benefits for our associates and their families, including:
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, as well as life insurance and short-term disability insurance for all full-time associates - As part of our wellness package, all associates are entitled to free mental health support
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k) plan including a competitive company match
• Flexible work schedules
• Volunteer time off
• Corporate charitableopportunities
• Paid time off (PTO), holidays and bank holidays
• Internal training and online development courses
• Tuition reimbursement for eligible associates
Website Disclosures
BMBC files with the SEC and makes available, free of charge, through its website, BMBC's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statements on Schedule 14A, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports are electronically filed with the SEC. These reports can be obtained on the Corporation’s website at www.bmt.com/investors/sec-filings/ . The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
BMBC and its subsidiaries, including the Bank, are subject to extensive regulation under both federal and state law. To the extent that the following information describes statutory provisions and regulations which apply to the Corporation and its subsidiaries, it is qualified in its entirety by reference to those statutory provisions and regulations:
• Bank Holding Company Regulation
BMBC, as a bank holding company, is regulated under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Act”). The Act limits the business of bank holding companies to banking, managing or controlling banks, performing certain servicing activities for subsidiaries and engaging in such other activities as the Federal Reserve Board may determine to be closely related to banking. BMBC and its non-bank subsidiaries are subject to the supervision of the Federal Reserve Board and BMBC is required to file, with the Federal Reserve Board, an annual report and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require pursuant to the Act and the regulations which implement the Act. The Federal Reserve Board also conducts inspections of BMBC and each of its non-banking subsidiaries.
The Act requires each bank holding company to obtain prior approval by the Federal Reserve Board before it may acquire (i) direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company, including another bank holding company or a bank, unless it already owns a majority of such voting shares, or (ii) all, or substantially all, of the assets of any company.
The Act also prohibits a bank holding company from engaging in, or from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company engaged in non-banking activities unless the Federal Reserve
Table of Contents
Board, by order or regulation, has found such activities to be so closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks as to be appropriate. The Federal Reserve Board has, by regulation, determined that certain activities are so closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks, so as to permit bank holding companies, such as BMBC, and its subsidiaries formed for such purposes, to engage in such activities, subject to obtaining the Federal Reserve Board’s approval in certain cases.
Under the Act, a bank holding company and its subsidiaries are prohibited from engaging in certain tie-in arrangements in connection with any extension or provision of credit, lease or sale of property or furnishing any service to a customer on the condition that the customer provide additional credit or service to the bank, to its bank holding company or any other subsidiaries of its bank holding company or on the condition that the customer refrain from obtaining credit or service from a competitor of its bank holding company. Further, the Bank, as a subsidiary bank of a bank holding company, such as BMBC, is subject to certain restrictions on any extensions of credit it provides to BMBC or any of its non-bank subsidiaries, investments in the stock or securities thereof, and on the taking of such stock or securities as collateral for loans to any borrower.
In addition, the Federal Reserve Board may issue cease-and-desist orders against bank holding companies and non-bank subsidiaries to stop actions believed to present a seriousthreat to a subsidiary bank. The Federal Reserve Board also regulates certain debt obligations and changes in control of bank holding companies.
Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial strength to each of its subsidiary banks and to commit resources, when so required, including capital funds during periods of financial stress, to support each such bank. Consistent with this requirement to serve as a “source of strength” for subsidiary banks, the Federal Reserve Board has stated that, as a matter of prudent banking, a bank holding company generally should not maintain a rate of cash dividends unless its net income available to common shareholders has been sufficient to fund fully the dividends, and the prospective rate of earnings retention appears to be consistent with the company’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition.
Federal law also grants to federal banking agencies the power to issue cease and desist orders when a depository institution or a bank holding company or an officer or director thereof is engaged in or is about to engage in unsafe and unsound practices. The Federal Reserve Board may require a bank holding company, such as BMBC, to discontinue certain of its activities or activities of its other subsidiaries, other than the Bank, or divest itself of such subsidiaries if such activities cause serious risk to the Bank and are inconsistent with the Act or other applicable federal banking laws.
• Federal Reserve Board and Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities Regulation
The Bank is regulated and supervised by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (the “Department of Banking”) and subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC. The Department of Banking and the Federal Reserve Board regularly examine the Bank’s reserves, loans, investments, management practices and other aspects of its operations and the Bank must furnish periodic reports to these agencies. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System.
The Bank’s operations are subject to certain requirements and restrictions under federal and state laws, including requirements to maintain reserves against deposits, limitations on the interest rates that may be paid on certain types of deposits, restrictions on the types and amounts of loans that may be granted and the interest that may be charged thereon, limitations on the types of investments that may be made and the types of services which may be offered. Various consumer laws and regulations also affect the operations of the Bank. These regulations and laws are intended primarily for the protection of the Bank’s depositors and customers rather than holders of BMBC’s stock.
The regulations of the Department of Banking restrict the amount of dividends that can be paid to BMBC by the Bank. Payment of dividends is restricted to the amount of the Bank's net income during the current calendar year and the retained net income of the prior two calendar years, unless the dividend has been approved by the Federal Reserve Board. Accordingly, the dividend payable by the Bank to BMBC beginning on January 1, 2021 is limited to net income not yet earned in 2021 plus the Bank’s total retained net income for the combined two years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 of $15.8 million. The amount of dividends paid by the Bank may not exceed a level that reduces capital levels to below levels that would cause the Bank to be considered less than adequately capitalized. The payment of dividends by the Bank to BMBC is the source on which BMBC currently depends to pay dividends to its shareholders.
As a bank incorporated under and subject to Pennsylvania banking laws and insured by the FDIC, the Bank must obtain the prior approval of the Department of Banking and the Federal Reserve Board before establishing a new branch banking office. Depending on the type of bank or financial institution, a merger of the Bank with another institution is subject
Table of Contents
to the prior approval of one or more of the following: the Department of Banking, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and any other regulatory agencies having primary supervisory authority over any other party to the merger. An approval of a merger by the appropriate bank regulatory agency would depend upon several factors, including whether the merged institution is a federally-insured state bank, a member of the Federal Reserve System, or a national bank. Additionally, any new branch expansion or merger must comply with branching restrictions provided by state law. The Pennsylvania Banking Code permits Pennsylvania banks to establish branches anywhere in the state.
On October 24, 2012, Pennsylvania enacted three laws known as the “Banking Law Modernization Package,” all of which became effective on December 24, 2012. The intended goal of the new law, which applies to the Bank, is to modernize Pennsylvania’s banking laws and to reduce regulatory burden at the state level where possible, given the increased regulatory demands at the federal level as described below.
The law also permits banks as well as the Department of Banking to disclose formal enforcement actions initiated by the Department of Banking, clarifies that the Department of Banking has examination and enforcement authority over subsidiaries as well as affiliates of regulated banks and bolsters the Department of Banking’s enforcement authority over its regulated institutions by clarifying its ability to remove directors, officers and employees from institutions for violations of laws or orders or for any unsafe or unsound practice or breach of fiduciary duty. Changes to existing law also allow the Department of Banking to assess civil money penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.
The law also sets a new standard of care for bank officers and directors, applying the same standard that exists for non-banking corporations in Pennsylvania. The standard is one of performing duties in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the institutions and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence, as a person of ordinary prudence would use under similar circumstances. Directors may rely in good faith on information, opinions and reports provided by officers, employees, attorneys, accountants, or committees of the board, and an officer may not be held liable simply because he or she served as an officer of the institution.
• Deposit Insurance Assessments
The deposits of the Bank are insured by the FDIC up to the limits set forth under applicable law and are subject to deposit insurance premium assessments. The FDIC imposes a risk based deposit premium assessment system, under which the amount of FDIC assessments paid by an individual insured depository institution, such as the Bank, is based on the level of risk incurred in its activities.
In addition to deposit insurance assessments, prior to 2020, banks were subject to assessments to pay the interest on Financing Corporation bonds. The Financing Corporation was created by Congress to issue bonds to finance the resolution of failed thrift institutions. The Financing Corporation assessment became final in 2019.
• Government Monetary Policies
The monetary and fiscal policies of the Federal Reserve Board and the other regulatory agencies have had, and will probably continue to have, an important impact on the operating results of the Bank through their power to implement national monetary policy in order to, among other things, curb inflation or combat a recession. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board may have a major effect upon the levels of the Bank’s loans, investments and deposits through the Federal Reserve Board’s open market operations in United States government securities, through its regulation of, among other things, the discount rate on borrowing of depository institutions, and the reserve requirements against depository institution deposits. It is not possible to predict the nature and impact of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies.
The earnings of the Bank and, therefore, of BMBC are affected by domestic economic conditions, particularly those conditions in the trade area as well as the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government and its agencies.
• Safety and Soundness
The Federal Reserve Board also has authority to prohibit a bank holding company from engaging in any activity or transaction deemed by the Federal Reserve Board to be an unsafe or unsound practice. The payment of dividends could, depending upon the financial condition of the Bank or BMBC, be such an unsafe or unsound practice and the regulatory agencies have indicated their view that it generally would be an unsafe and unsound practice to pay dividends except out of current operating earnings. The ability of the Bank to pay dividends in the future is presently and could be further influenced, among other things, by applicable capital guidelines discussed below or by bank regulatory and supervisory policies. The ability of the Bank to make funds available to BMBC is also subject to restrictions imposed by federal law. The amount of other
Table of Contents
payments by the Bank to BMBC is subject to review by regulatory authorities having appropriate authority over the Bank or BMBC and to certain legal limitations.
• Capital Adequacy
Federal and state banking laws impose on banks certain minimum requirements for capital adequacy. Federal banking agencies have issued certain “risk-based capital” guidelines, and certain “leverage” requirements on member banks such as the Bank. By policy statement, the Department of Banking also imposes those requirements on the Bank. Banking regulators have authority to require higher minimum capital ratios for an individual bank or bank holding company in view of its circumstances.
Minimum Capital Ratios: The risk-based guidelines require all banks to maintain three “risk-weighted assets” ratios. The first is a minimum ratio of total capital (“Tier I” and “Tier II” capital) to risk-weighted assets equal to 8.00%; the second is a minimum ratio of “Tier I” capital to risk-weighted assets equal to 6.00%; and the third is a minimum ratio of “Common Equity Tier I” capital to risk-weighted assets equal to 4.5%. Assets are assigned to five risk categories, with higher levels of capital being required for the categories perceived as representing greater risk. In making the calculation, certain intangible assets must be deducted from the capital base. The risk-based capital rules are designed to make regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banks and bank holding companies and to minimize disincentives for holding liquid assets.
The risk-based capital rules also account for interest rate risk. Institutions with interest rate risk exposure above a normal level would be required to hold extra capital in proportion to that risk. A bank’s exposure to declines in the economic value of its capital due to changes in interest rates is a factor that the banking agencies will consider in evaluating a bank’s capital adequacy. The rule does not codify an explicit minimum capital charge for interest rate risk. Management currently monitors and manages its assets and liabilities for interest rate risk, and believes its interest rate risk practices are prudent and are in-line with industry standards. Management is not aware of any new or proposed rules or standards relating to interest rate risk that would materially adversely affect our operations.
The “leverage” ratio rules require banks which are rated the highest in the composite areas of capital, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity to market risk to maintain a ratio of “Tier I” capital to “adjusted total assets” (equal to the bank’s average total assets as stated in its most recent quarterly Call Report filed with its primary federal banking regulator, minus end-of-quarter intangible assets that are deducted from Tier I capital) of not less than 4.00%.
For purposes of the capital requirements, “Tier I” or “core” capital is defined to include common stockholders’ equity and certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus. “Tier II” or “qualifying supplementary” capital is defined to include a bank’s allowance for loan and lease losses up to 1.25% of risk-weighted assets, plus certain types of preferred stock and related surplus, certain “hybrid capital instruments” and certain term subordinated debt instruments. “Common Equity Tier I” capital is defined as the sum of common stock instruments and related surplus net of treasury stock, retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive income, and qualifying minority interests.
In addition to the capital requirements discussed above, banks are required to maintain a “capital conservation buffer” above the regulatory minimum capital requirements, which must consist entirely of common equity Tier I capital.
The capital conservation buffer has been phased-in over a four-year period, which began on January 1, 2016, as follows: the maximum buffer was 0.625% of risk-weighted assets for 2016, 1.25% for 2017 and 1.875% for 2018, and effective as of January 1, 2019, the capital conservation buffer has been fully phased in at 2.5%.
Institutions are subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if their capital levels fall below the buffer amount. These limitations establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that could be utilized for such actions.
The capital requirement rules, which were finalized in July 2013, implement revisions and clarifications consistent with Basel III regarding the various components of Tier I capital, including common equity, unrealized gains and losses, as well as certain instruments that no longer qualify as Tier I capital, some of which are being phased out over time. However, small depository institution holding companies with less than $15 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2009 (which includes the Corporation) will be able to permanently include non-qualifying instruments that were issued and included in Tier I or Tier II capital prior to May 19, 2010 in additional Tier I or Tier II capital until they redeem such instruments or until the instruments mature.
Table of Contents
The Basel III final framework provides for a number of deductions from and adjustments to Common Equity Tier 1. These include, for example, the requirement that mortgage servicing rights, deferred tax assets dependent upon future taxable income and significant investments in non-consolidated financial entities be deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 to the extent that any one such category exceeds 10% of Common Equity Tier 1 or all such categories in the aggregate exceed 15% of Common Equity Tier 1.
In addition, smaller banking institutions (less than $250 billion in consolidated assets) were granted an opportunity to make a one-time election to opt out of including most elements of accumulated other comprehensive income in regulatory capital. The Corporation elected to opt-out, and indicated its election on the Call Report filed after January 1, 2015.
In April 2018, the federal banking regulators proposed transitional arrangements to permit banking organizations to phase in the day-one impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326), “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” commonly referenced as Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”), on regulatory capital over a period of three years. The proposed rule was adopted as final effective July 1, 2019. The phase-in provisions of the final rule are optional for a banking organization that experiences a reduction in retained earnings due to CECL adoption as of the beginning of the fiscal year in which the banking organization adopts CECL. A banking organization that elects the phase-in provisions of the final rule for regulatory capital purposes must phase in 25% of the transitional amounts impacting regulatory capital in the first year of adoption of CECL, 50% in the second year, 75% in the third year, with full impact beginning in the fourth year.
In March 2020, the U.S. banking agencies issued an interim final rule for additional transitional relief to regulatory capital related to the impact of the adoption of CECL given the disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The interim final rule provides banking organizations that adopt CECL in the 2020 calendar year with the option to delay for two years the estimated impact of CECL on regulatory capital, followed by the aforementioned three-year transition period to phase out the aggregate amount of benefit during the initial two-year delay for a total five-year transition. The estimated impact of CECL on regulatory capital (modified CECL transitional amount) is calculated as the sum of the day-one impact on retained earnings upon adoption of CECL (CECL transitional amount) and the calculated change in the ACL relative to the day-one ACL upon adoption of CECL multiplied by a scaling factor of 25%. The scaling factor is used to approximate the difference in the ACL under CECL relative to the incurred loss methodology. The modified CECL transitional amount will be calculated each quarter for the first two years of the five-year transition. The amount of the modified CECL transition amount will be fixed as of December 31, 2021 and that amount will be subject to the three-year phase out.
In September 2020, the U.S. banking agencies issued a final rule that provides banking organizations with an alternative option to delay for two years an estimate of CECL’s effect on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology’s effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period. This final rule is consistent with the interim final rule issued by the U.S. banking agencies in March 2020.
The Corporation adopted CECL on January 1, 2020 and elected the five-year transition phase-in option for the impact of CECL on regulatory capital with its regulatory filings as of March 31, 2020. For more information regarding the CECL standard, see Note 2, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, the federal banking agencies have jointly issued a final rule whereby most qualifying community banking organizations with less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets that meet risk-based qualifying criteria and have a community bank leverage ratio (“CBLR”) of greater than 9 percent would be able to opt into a new CBLR framework. Such a community banking organization would not be subject to other risk-based and leverage capital requirements (including the Basel III and Basel IV requirements) and would be considered to have met the well capitalized ratio requirements. The CBLR is determined by dividing a financial institution’s tangible equity capital by its average total consolidated assets. The final rule further describes what is included in tangible equity capital and average total consolidated assets. An insured depository institution that opts into the CBLR and that subsequently ceases to meet any qualifying criteria in a future period and has a leverage ratio greater than 8% will be allowed a grace period of two reporting periods to satisfy the CBLR qualifying criteria or comply with the generally applicable capital requirements. An insured depository institution that opts into the CBLR may opt out of the framework at any time, without restriction, by reverting to the generally applicable risk-based capital rule. Although we have not opted into the CBLR framework, we will continue to analyze the framework and in the future may determine to opt into the framework, though there can be no assurances that we will be eligible to opt into the framework in the future, or that we will continue to be eligible for the CBLR framework if and when we opt into the CBLR framework.
Table of Contents
• Prompt Corrective Action
Federal banking law mandates certain “prompt corrective actions,” which Federal banking agencies are required to take, and certain actions which they have discretion to take, based upon the capital category into which a Federally regulated depository institution falls. Regulations have been adopted by the Federal bank regulatory agencies setting forth detailed procedures and criteria for implementing prompt corrective action in the case of any institution that is not adequately capitalized.
Under the prompt corrective action requirements, which are designed to complement the capital conservation buffer, insured depository institutions are required to meet the following capital level requirements in order to qualify as “well capitalized”:
(i) a new common equity Tier I capital ratio of 6.5%;
(ii) a Tier I capital ratio of 8%;
(iii) a total capital ratio of 10%; and
(iv) a Tier I leverage ratio of 5%.
An undercapitalized institution is required to file a written capital restoration plan, along with a performance guaranty by its holding company or a third party. In addition, an undercapitalized institution becomes subject to certain automatic restrictions including a prohibition on the payment of dividends, a limitation on asset growth and expansion, and in certain cases, a limitation on the payment of bonuses or raises to senior executive officers, and a prohibition on the payment of certain “management fees” to any “controlling person”. Institutions that are classified as undercapitalized are also subject to certain additional supervisory actions, including increased reporting burdens and regulatory monitoring, a limitation on the institution’s ability to make acquisitions, open new branch offices, or engage in new lines of business, obligations to raise additional capital, restrictions on transactions with affiliates, and restrictions on interest rates paid by the institution on deposits. In certain cases, bank regulatory agencies may require replacement of senior executive officers or directors, or sale of the institution to a willing purchaser. If an institution is deemed to be “criticallyundercapitalized” and continues in that category for four quarters, the statute requires, with certain narrowly limited exceptions, that the institution be placed in receivership. The Bank is currently regarded as “well capitalized” for regulatory capital purposes. See Note 28, “Regulatory Capital Requirements,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information regarding the Bank’s and BMBC’s regulatory capital ratios.
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLB Act”) repealed provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act, which prohibited commercial banks and securities firms from affiliating with each other and engaging in each other’s businesses. Thus, many of the barriers prohibiting affiliations between commercial banks and securities firms have been eliminated.
The GLB Act amended the Glass-Steagall Act to allow new “financial holding companies” (“FHC”) to offer banking, insurance, securities and other financial products to consumers. Specifically, the GLB Act amended section 4 of the Act in order to provide for a framework for the engagement in new financial activities. A bank holding company may elect to become a financial holding company if all its subsidiary depository institutions are well-capitalized and well-managed. If these requirements are met, a bank holding company may file a certification to that effect with the Federal Reserve Board and declare that it elects to become an FHC. After the certification and declaration is filed, the FHC may engage either de novo or through an acquisition in any activity that has been determined by the Federal Reserve Board to be financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity. Bank holding companies may engage in financial activities without prior notice to the Federal Reserve Board if those activities qualify under the new list in section 4(k) of the Act. However, notice must be given to the Federal Reserve Board, within 30 days after the FHC has commenced one or more of the financial activities. The Corporation has not elected to become an FHC at this time.
Under the GLB Act, a bank subject to various requirements is permitted to engage through “financial subsidiaries” in certain financial activities permissible for affiliates of FHC’s. However, to be able to engage in such activities a bank must continue to be “well-capitalized” and “well-managed” and receive at least a “satisfactory” rating in its most recent Community Reinvestment Act examination.
• Community Reinvestment Act and Fair Lending
The Community Reinvestment Act requires banks to help serve the credit needs of their communities, including providing credit to low and moderate income individuals and areas. Should the Bank fail to serve adequately the communities it
Table of Contents
serves, potential penalties may include regulatory denials to expand branches, relocate, add subsidiaries and affiliates, expand into new financial activities and merge with or purchase other financial institutions. In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury issued a memorandum to the federal banking regulators recommending changes to the Community Reinvestment Act’s regulations to reduce their complexity and associated burden on banks, and in December 2019, the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed for public comment rules to modernize the agencies' regulations under the Community Reinvestment Act. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency adopted its final rules in May 2020, and, to date, the FDIC has not adopted revised rules. In September 2020, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System released for public comment its proposed rules to modernize Community Reinvestment Act regulations. We will continue to evaluate the impact of any changes to the Community Reinvestment Act regulations.
The Community Reinvestment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. A successful regulatory challenge to an institution’s performance under the Community Reinvestment Act or fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity, restrictions on expansion, and restrictions on entering new business lines. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects.
• Privacy of Consumer Financial Information
The GLB Act also contains a provision designed to protect the privacy of each consumer’s financial information in a financial institution. Pursuant to the requirements of the GLB Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has promulgated final regulations intended to better protect the privacy of a consumer’s financial information maintained by financial institutions. The regulations are designed to prevent financial institutions, such as the Bank, from disclosing a consumer’s nonpublic personal information to third parties that are not affiliated with the financial institution.
However, financial institutions may share a customer’s nonpublic personal information or information about business and corporations with their affiliated companies. The regulations also provide that financial institutions can disclose nonpublic personal information to nonaffiliated third parties for marketing purposes but the financial institution must provide a description of its privacy policies to its consumers and give such consumers an opportunity to opt-out of such disclosure and, thus, prevent disclosure by the financial institution of the consumer’s nonpublic personal information to nonaffiliated third parties.
These privacy regulations affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors. These privacy regulations have not had a material adverse impact on the Corporation's operations thus far.
• Consumer Protection Rules – Sale of Insurance Products
In addition, as mandated by the GLB Act, the regulatory agencies have published consumer protection rules which apply to the retail sales practices, solicitation, advertising or offers of insurance products, including annuities, by depository institutions such as banks and their subsidiaries.
The rules provide that before the sale of insurance or annuity products can be completed, disclosures must be made that state (i) such insurance products are not deposits or other obligations of or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other agency of the United States, the Bank or its affiliates; and (ii) in the case of an insurance product that involves an investment risk, including an annuity, that there is an investment risk involved with the product, including a possible loss of value.
The rules also provide that the Bank may not condition an extension of credit on the consumer’s purchase of an insurance product or annuity from the Bank or its affiliates or on the consumer’s agreement not to obtain or a prohibition on the consumer obtaining an insurance product or annuity from an unaffiliated entity.
The rules also require formal acknowledgement from the consumer that such disclosures have been received. In addition, to the extent practical, the Bank must keep insurance and annuity sales activities physically separate from the areas where retail banking transactions are routinely accepted from the general public.
Table of Contents
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) addresses, among other matters, increased disclosures; audit committees; certification of financial statements by the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer; evaluation by management of our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting; auditor reports on our internal control over financial reporting; forfeiture of bonuses and profits made by directors and senior officers in the twelve (12) month period covered by restated financial statements; a prohibition on insider trading during BMBC's stock blackout periods; disclosure of off-balance sheet transactions; a prohibition applicable to companies, other than federally insured financial institutions, on personal loans to their directors and officers; expedited filing of reports concerning stock transactions by a company’s directors and executive officers; the formation of a public accounting oversight board; auditor independence; and increased criminalpenalties for violation of certain securities laws.
• USA PATRIOT Act of 2001
The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, which was enacted in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, includes provisions designed to combat international money laundering and advance the U.S. government’s war against terrorism. The USA PATRIOT Act and the regulations which implement it contain many obligations which must be satisfied by financial institutions, including the Bank. Those regulations impose obligations on financial institutions, such as the Bank, to maintain appropriate policies, procedures and controls to detect, prevent and report money laundering and terrorist financing and to verify the identity of their customers. The failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could have serious legal and reputational consequences for the financial institution.
• Government Policies and Future Legislation
As the enactment of the GLB Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act confirm, from time to time various laws are passed in the United States Congress as well as the Pennsylvania legislature and by various bank regulatory authorities which would alter the powers of, and place restrictions on, different types of banks and financial organizations. It is impossible to predict whether any potential legislation or regulations will be adopted and the impact, if any, of such adoption on the business of BMBC or its subsidiaries, especially the Bank.
As a result of the 2020 presidential election and a different political party gaining control of the Executive Branch of the Federal government, we anticipate that there may be changes to national financial services policy and supervision, though we cannot predict the extent or speed of any such changes. These changes may result in modifications to policies and regulations that implement current federal law, including laws that implement the Dodd-Frank Act, or the adoption of new regulations and supervisory priorities that otherwise affect the financial services industry. Such changes may result in increased compliance costs and burden for BMBC and its subsidiaries.
• Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”)
The Dodd-Frank Act was passed by Congress on July 15, 2010, and was signed into law by President Obama on July 21, 2010. It is intended to promote financial stability in the U.S., reduce the risk of bailouts and protect againstabusive financial services practices by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system and ending the concept of “too big to fail” institutions by giving regulators the ability to liquidate large financial institutions. It is the broadest overhaul of the U.S. financial system since the Great Depression and the overall impact on BMBC and its subsidiaries is a general increase in costs related to compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act.
The Dodd-Frank Act has significantly changed the current bank regulatory structure and will affect into the immediate future the lending and investment activities and general operations of depository institutions and their holding companies.
As discussed earlier, the Dodd-Frank Act requires the Federal Reserve Board to establish minimum consolidated capital requirements for bank holding companies that are as stringent as those required for insured depository institutions; the components of Tier I capital are restricted to capital instruments that are considered to be Tier I capital for insured depository institutions. In addition, the proceeds of trust preferred securities are excluded from Tier I capital unless (i) such securities are issued by bank holding companies with assets of less than $500 million or (ii) such securities were issued prior to May 19, 2010 by bank or savings and loan holding companies with less than $15 billion of assets.
The Dodd-Frank Act also created the CFPB with extensive powers to implement and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks, among
Table of Contents
other things, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. However, institutions of less than $10 billion in assets, such as the Bank, will continue to be examined for compliance with consumer protection and fair lending laws and regulations by, and be subject to the enforcement authority of, their prudential regulators.
The Dodd-Frank Act made many other changes in banking regulation. These include allowing depository institutions, for the first time, to pay interest on business checking accounts, requiring originators of securitized loans to retain a percentage of the risk for transferred loans, establishing regulatory rate-setting for certain debit card interchange fees and establishing a number of reforms for mortgage originations. Effective October 1, 2011, the debit-card interchange fee was capped at $0.21 per transaction, plus an additional 5 basis point charge to cover fraudlosses. These fees are much lower than the current market rates. The regulation only impacts banks with assets above $10 billion.
The Dodd-Frank Act also broadened the base for FDIC insurance assessments. The FDIC was required to promulgate rules revising its assessment system so that it is based on the average consolidated total assets less tangible equity capital of an insured institution instead of deposits. That rule took effect April 1, 2011. The Dodd-Frank Act also permanently increased the maximum amount of deposit insurance for banks, savings institutions and credit unions to $250,000 per depositor, retroactive to January 1, 2008.
Although many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act are currently effective, there remain some regulations yet to be implemented. It is therefore difficult to predict at this time what impact the Dodd-Frank Act and implementing regulations will have on BMBC and the Bank. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act could limit our business activities, require changes to certain of our business practices, impose upon us more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage requirements or otherwise materially and adversely affect us. These changes may also require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make any changes necessary to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with the new requirements could also materially and adversely affect us.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investment in BMBC’s Common Stock involves risk. The following list, which contains certain risks that may be unique to the Corporation and to the banking industry, is neither all-inclusive nor are the factors in any particular order.
Risks Related to the Pandemic
The recent global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to periods of significant volatility in financial, commodities and other markets and could harm our business and results of operations.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since then, COVID-19 infections have spread to additional countries including the United States. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is difficult to predict the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our business, and there is no guarantee that our efforts to address or mitigate the adverse impacts of the coronavirus will be effective. The impact to date has included periods of significant volatility in financial, commodities and other markets. This volatility, if it continues, could have an adverse impact on our customers and on our business, financial condition and results of operations as well as our growth strategy.
Our business is dependent upon the willingness and ability of our customers to conduct banking and other financial transactions. The spread of COVID-19 has caused and could continue to cause severedisruptions in the U.S. economy at large, and has resulted and may continue to result in disruptions to our customers’ businesses, and a decrease in consumer confidence and business generally. In addition, actions by US federal, state and local governments to address the pandemic, including travel bans, stay-at-home orders and school, business and entertainment venue closures have had and, may continue to have a significant adverse effect on our customers and the markets in which we conduct our business. The extent of impacts resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and other events beyond our control will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus pandemic and actions taken to contain the coronavirus or its impact, among others.
Disruptions to our customers could result in increased risk of delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and losses on our loans. The escalation of the pandemic may also negatively impact regional economic conditions for a period of time, resulting in declines in local loan demand, liquidity of loan guarantors, loan collateral (particularly in real estate), loan originations and deposit availability.
Table of Contents
For a description of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our business and results of operations during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operation and Financial Condition – Impact of COVID-19” beginning at page 36 . If the global response to contain COVID-19 escalates or is unsuccessful, we could experience additional effects, including a material adverse effect, on our business, financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows.
The spread of the COVID-19 outbreak and the governmental responses may disrupt banking and other financial activity in the
areas in which we operate and could potentially create widespread business continuity issues for us.
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the U.S. federal, state and local governmental responses may result in a disruption in the services we provide. We rely on our third-party vendors to conduct business and to process, record, and monitor transactions. If any of these vendors are unable to continue to provide us with these services or experience interruptions in their ability to provide us with these services, it could negatively impact our ability to serve our customers. Furthermore, the coronavirus pandemic could negatively impact the ability of our employees and customers to engage in banking and other financial transactions in the geographic areas in which we operate and could create widespread business continuity issues for us. We also could be adversely affected if key personnel or a significant number of employees were to become unavailable due to infection, quarantine or other effects and restrictions of a COVID-19 outbreak in our market areas. Although we have business continuity plans and other safeguards in place, there is no assurance that such plans and safeguards will be effective. If we are unable to promptly recover from such business disruptions, our business and financial conditions and results of operations would be adversely affected. We also may incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by such disruptions, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our past participation in the SBA PPP loan program exposes us to risks related to noncompliance with the PPP, as well as
litigation risk related to our administration of the PPP loan program, which could have a material adverse impact on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
We participated as a lender in the PPP, a loan program administered through the SBA, that was created to help eligible businesses, organizations and self-employed persons fund their operational costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this program, the SBA guarantees 100% of the amounts loaned under the PPP. The PPP opened on April 3, 2020; however, because of the short window between the passing of the CARES Act and the opening of the PPP, there is some ambiguity in the laws, rules and guidance regarding the operation of the PPP, which exposes us to risks relating to noncompliance with the PPP. For instance, other financial institutions have experienced litigation related to their process and procedures used in processing applications for the PPP. Any financial liability, litigation costs or reputational damage caused by PPP related litigation could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As previously announced, we have sold our PPP loan portfolio, however, we may be required to repurchase, and as a result be exposed to credit risk, on sold PPP loans in certain circumstances if a determination is made by the SBA that there was a deficiency by the Bank with respect to the manner in which the loan was originated, funded, or serviced.
Interest rate volatility stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively affect our net interest income, lending activities, deposits and profitability.
Our net interest income, lending activities, deposits and profitability could be negatively affected by volatility in interest rates caused by uncertainties stemming from COVID-19. In March 2020, the Federal Reserve lowered the target range for the federal funds rate to a range from 0 to 0.25 percent, citing concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on markets and the economy in general. A prolonged period of extremely volatile and unstable market conditions would likely increase our funding costs and negatively affect market risk mitigation strategies. Higher income volatility from changes in interest rates and spreads to benchmark indices could cause a loss of future net interest income and a decrease in current fair market values of our assets. Fluctuations in interest rates will 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.
We are subject to increasing credit risk as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could adversely impact our profitability.
Our business depends on our ability to successfully measure and manage credit risk. As a commercial lender, we are exposed to the risk that the principal of, or interest on, a loan will not be paid timely or at all or that the value of any collateral supporting a loan will be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure. In addition, we are exposed to risks with respect to the risks resulting from changes in economic and industry conditions and risks inherent in dealing with individual loans and borrowers. As the overall economic climate in the U.S., generally, and in our market areas specifically, experiences material
Table of Contents
disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our borrowers may experience difficulties in repaying their loans and governmental actions may provide payment relief to borrowers affected by COVID-19 and preclude our ability to initiate foreclosure proceedings in certain circumstances and, as a result, the collateral we hold may decrease in value or become illiquid, and the level of our nonperforming loans, charge-offs and delinquencies could rise and require significant additional provisions for credit losses. Additional factors related to the credit quality of certain commercial real estate and multifamily residential loans include the duration of state and local moratoriums on evictions for non-payment of rent or other fees. The payment on these loans that are secured by income producing properties are typically dependent on the successful operation of the related real estate property and may subject us to risks from adverse conditions in the real estate market or the general economy.
We are actively working to support our borrowers to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on them and on our loan portfolio, including through loan modifications that defer payments for those who experienced a hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although recent regulatory guidance provides that such loan modifications are exempt from the calculation and reporting of TDRs and loan delinquencies, we cannot predict whether such loan modifications may ultimately have an adverse impact on our profitability in future periods. Our inability to successfully manage the increased credit risk caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Unpredictable future developments related to or resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic could materially and adversely affect
our business and results of operations.
Because there have been no comparable recent global pandemics that resulted in a similar global impact, we do not yet know the full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on our business, operations, or the global economy as a whole. Any future development will be highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the pandemic, the effectiveness of our work from home arrangements, third party providers’ ability to support our operation, and any actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic. We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and related risks, although the rapid development and fluidity of the situation precludes any specific prediction as to its ultimate impact on us. However, if the pandemic continues to spread or otherwise results in a continuation or worsening of the current economic and commercial environments, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios could be materially adversely affected and many of the risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K will be heightened.
Risks Related to General Economic and Market Conditions
The Corporation’s performance and financial condition may be adversely affected by national and regional economic conditions and real estate values.
The U.S. economy experienced a recession during 2020 and unemployment rates remain elevated as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. A continuation of those recessionary conditions and/or negative developments in the domestic and
international credit markets may significantly affect the markets in which we do business, the value of our loans and investments, and our ongoing operations, costs and profitability. In addition, the Bank’s loan and deposit activities are largely based in eastern Pennsylvania. As a result, the Corporation’s consolidated financial performance depends largely upon economic conditions in this eastern Pennsylvania region. Continuing higher unemployment rates and deterioration in the regional real estate market could harm our financial condition and results of operations because of the geographic concentration of loans within this regional area and because a large percentage of our loans are secured by real property. Declines in real estate values and sales volumes and continuing higher unemployment levels may result in higher than expected loan delinquencies, increases in our levels of nonperforming and classified assets and a decline in demand for our products and services. If real estate values decline, the collateral for the Corporation’s loans will provide less security. As a result, the Corporation’s ability to recover on defaulted loans by selling the underlying real estate will be diminished, and the Bank will be more likely to sufferlosses on defaulted loans.
Additionally, a significant portion of the Corporation’s loan portfolio is invested in commercial real estate loans. Often in a commercial real estate transaction, repayment of the loan is dependent on rental income. Economic conditions may affect the tenant’s ability to make rental payments on a timely basis, or may cause some tenants not to renew their leases, each of which may impact the debtor’s ability to make loan payments. Further, if expenses associated with commercial properties increase dramatically, the tenant’s ability to repay, and therefore the debtor’s ability to make timely loan payments, could be adversely affected.
All of these factors could increase the amount of the Corporation’s non-performing loans, increase its provision for credit losses and reduce the Corporation’s net income.
Table of Contents
Economic troubles may negatively affect our leasing business.
The Corporation’s leasing business consists of the nationwide leasing of various types of equipment to small- and medium-sized businesses. Economic sluggishness may result in higher credit losses than we would experience in our traditional lending business, as well as potential increases in state regulatory burdens such as state income taxes, personal property taxes and sales and use taxes.
A general economic slowdown could impact Wealth Management Division revenues.
A general economic slowdown may cause current clients to seek alternative investment opportunities with other providers, which would decrease the value of Wealth Management Division's assets under management and administration resulting in lower fee income to the Corporation.
Revenues from our capital markets business line may be adversely affected by adverse market or economic conditions.
Unfavorable financial or economic conditions have the ability to reduce the number and size of transactions in which we provide capital markets advisory and other advisory services. Specifically, a number of our clients engaging in capital markets and strategic and other types of transactions often rely on access to the equity and credit markets to finance their transactions. A lack of available equity investments or credit or an increased cost of credit can adversely affect the size, volume and timing of these transactions by our clients. Because the revenues of our capital markets business are in the form of financial advisory other fees and are directly related to the number and size of the transactions in which we participate, a decrease in the number and size of transactions would adversely affect our capital markets business.
Governmental discretionary policies may impact the operations and earnings of the Corporation.
The operations of the Corporation are affected not only by general economic conditions, but also by the policies of various regulatory authorities. In particular, the Federal Reserve Board regulates monetary policy and interest rates in order to influence general economic conditions. These policies have a significant influence on overall growth and distribution of loans, investments and deposits and affect interest rates charged on loans or paid for deposits. Federal Reserve Board monetary policies have had a significant effect on the operating results of all financial institutions in the past and may continue to do so in the future.
Market Risk
Rapidly changing interest rate environment could reduce the Corporation’s net interest margin, net interest income, fee income and net income.
Interest and fees on loans and securities, net of interest paid on deposits and borrowings, are a significant part of the Corporation’s net income. Interest rates are key drivers of the Corporation’s net interest margin and subject to many factors beyond the Corporation's control. As interest rates change, net interest income is affected. Rapidly increasing interest rates in the future could result in interest expenses increasing faster than interest income because of divergence in financial instrument maturities and/or competitive pressures. Further, substantially higher interest rates generally reduce loan demand and may result in slower loan growth. Decreases or increases in interest rates could have a negative effect on the spreads between the interest rates earned on assets and the rates of interest paid on liabilities, and therefore decrease net interest income. Changes in interest rates might also impact the values of equity and debt securities under management and administration by the Wealth Management Division which may have a negative impact on fee income. See the section captioned “Net Interest Income” in the MD&A section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details regarding interest rate risk.
A large or unexpected rise in interest rates could materially impact consumer and business ability to repay, thus increasing our level of nonperforming loans and reducing demand for loans. These negative events may cause us to incur losses and may adversely affect our capital, liquidity, and financial condition.
Our mortgage servicing rights could become impaired, which may require us to take non-cash charges.
Because we have retained the servicing rights on loans which we have sold in the secondary market, we are required to record a mortgage servicing right asset, which we test quarterly for impairment. The value of mortgage servicing rights is heavily dependent on market interest rates and tends to increase with rising interest rates and decrease with falling interest rates. If we are required to record an impairment charge, it would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Table of Contents
Declines in asset values may result in impairment charges or credit losses and may adversely affect the value of the Corporation’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
A majority of the Corporation’s investment portfolio is comprised of securities which are collateralized by residential mortgages. These residential mortgage-backed securities include securities of U.S. government agencies, U.S. government-sponsored entities, and private-label collateralized mortgage obligations. The Corporation’s securities portfolio also includes obligations of U.S. government-sponsored entities, obligations of states and political subdivisions thereof, corporate bonds, and collateralized loan obligations. The fair value of investments may be affected by factors other than the underlying performance of the issuer or composition of the obligations themselves, such as rating downgrades, adverse changes in the business climate and a lack of liquidity for resale of certain investment securities. Quarterly, the Corporation evaluates investments and other assets for credit losses or impairment indicators in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Given the significant judgments involved, if we are incorrect in our assessment, this error could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation, financial condition, and cash flows. If the Corporation incurs credit losses or impairment charges that result in its falling below the “well capitalized” regulatory requirement, it may need to raise additional capital. Further, a decline in the fair value of the securities in our investment portfolio could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation, financial condition, and cash flows.
Downgrades in U.S. government and federal agency securities could adversely affect the Corporation.
In addition to causing economic and financial market disruptions, any downgrades in U.S. government and federal agency securities, or failures to raise the U.S. debt limit if necessary in the future, could, among other things, have a materially adverse effect on the market value of the U.S. and other government and governmental agency securities that we hold, the availability of those securities as collateral for borrowing, and our ability to access capital markets on favorable terms, as well as have other material adverse effects on the operation of our business and our financial results and condition. In particular, it could increase interest rates and disrupt payment systems, money markets, and long-term or short-term fixed income markets, adversely affecting the cost and availability of funding, which could negatively affect profitability. Also, the adverse consequences of a downgrade could extend to the borrowers of the loans and leases the Bank makes and, as a result, could adversely affect borrowers’ ability to repay their loans and leases.
Credit Risk
Provision for credit losses on loans and leases and level of non-performing loans and leases may need to be modified in connection with internal or external changes.
All borrowers carry the potential to default and our remedies to recover may not fully satisfy money previously loaned. We maintain an allowance for credit losses on loans and leases, which is a reserve established through a provision for credit losses on loans and leases charged to expense, which represents the Corporation’s best estimate of probable credit losses that are expected to be incurred over the remaining contractual terms of the related loans and leases (as adjusted for prepayments and reasonably expected TDRs). The allowance for credit losses on loans and leases, in the judgment of the Corporation, is necessary to reserve for estimated loan losses and risks inherent in the loan portfolio. The level of the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases reflects the Corporation’s continuing evaluation of industry concentrations; specific credit risks; loan loss experience; current loan portfolio quality; present and future economic conditions; and unidentified losses inherent in the current loan portfolio. The determination of the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates of current and expected credit risks using existing qualitative and quantitative information, all of which may undergo material changes. Changes in current and future 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 allowance for credit losses on loans and leases. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review our allowance for credit losses on loans and leases and may require an increase in the provision for credit losses on loans and leases or the recognition of additional loan charge-offs, based on judgments different than those of the Corporation. An increase in the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases results in a decrease in net income, and possibly risk-based capital, and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
FASB ASU 2016-13 has resulted in a significant change in how we recognize credit losses on loans and leases and may have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
Issued in June 2016, ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326 - Credit Losses), commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”), eliminates the Provision for Loan and Lease Losses (the “Provision”) and Allowance for Loan and Lease
Table of Contents
Losses (the “Allowance”) line items and establishes the Provision for Credit Losses ("PCL") and Allowance for Credit Losses ("ACL") line items.
The new CECL standard requires projection of credit loss over the contract lifetime of loans and leases, adjusted for prepayment tendencies. Further, management’s specific expectations for the future economic environment must be incorporated in the projection, with loss expectations to revert to the long-run historical mean after such time as management can make or obtain a reasonable and supportable forecast. This valuation reserve has been established in the ACL on loans and leases and is maintained through expense (provision) in the PCL. The methodology for determining the Corporation's ACL on loans and leases under the CECL standard is a dynamic process that relies on third party economic forecasts, and incorporate changes in various factors including, but not limited to, levels and trends of delinquencies and charge-offs, trends in volume and types of loans, national and economic trends and industry conditions. As a result, the Corporation's ACL on loans and leases may fluctuate materially, which in turn causes fluctuation in the Corporations PCL (or recapture). These fluctuations may have a material impact on the Corporation's financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Business Operations
Potential losses incurred in connection with possible repurchases and indemnification payments related to mortgages that we have sold into the secondary market may require us to increase our financial statement reserves in the future.
We engage in the origination and sale of residential mortgages into the secondary market. In connection with such sales, we make certain representations and warranties, which, if breached, may require us to repurchase such loans or indemnify the purchasers of such loans for actual losses incurred in respect of such loans. These representations and warranties vary based on the nature of the transaction and the purchaser’s or insurer’s requirements, but generally pertain to the ownership of the mortgage loan, the real property securing the loan and compliance with applicable laws and applicable lender and government-sponsored entity underwriting guidelines in connection with the origination of the loan. While we believe our mortgage lending practices and standards to be adequate, we have settled a small number of claims we consider to be immaterial; we may receive requests in the future, however, which could be material in volume. If that were to happen, we could incur losses in connection with loan repurchases and indemnification claims, and any such losses might exceed our financial statement reserves, requiring us to increase such reserves. In that event, any losses we might have to recognize and any increases we might have to make to our reserves could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, liquidity, results of operations or cash flows.
Our ability to attract and maintain customer and investor relationships depends largely on our reputation.
Damage to our reputation could undermine the confidence of our current and potential customers and investors in our ability to provide high-quality financial services. Such damage could also impair the confidence of our counterparties and vendors and ultimately affect our ability to effect transactions. Maintenance of our reputation depends not only on our success in maintaining our service-focused culture and controlling and mitigating the various risks described in this report, but also on our success in identifying and appropriately addressing issues that may arise in areas such as potential conflicts of interest, anti-money laundering, customer personal information and privacy issues, customer and other third-party fraud, record-keeping, technology-related issues including but not limited to cyber fraud, regulatory investigations and any litigation that may arise from the failure or perceived failure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Maintaining our reputation also depends on our ability to successfully prevent third parties from infringing on our brands and associated trademarks and our other intellectual property. Defense of our reputation, trademarks and other intellectual property, including through litigation, could result in costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Technological systems failures, interruptions and security breaches could negatively impact our operations and reputation.
Communications and information systems are essential to the conduct of our business, as we use such systems to manage our customer relationships, our general ledger, our deposits, and our loans. While we have established policies and procedures to prevent or limit the impact of systems failures, interruptions, and security breaches, there can be no assurance that such events will not occur or that they will be adequately addressed if they do. In addition, any compromise of our security systems could deter customers from using our web site and our online banking service, which involve the transmission of confidential information. Although we rely on commonly used security and processing systems to provide the security and authentication necessary to effect the secure transmission of data, these precautions may not protect our systems from compromises or breaches of security.
In addition, we outsource certain of our data processing to third-party providers. If our third-party providers encounter difficulties, or if we have difficulty in communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for customer
Table of Contents
transactions could be affected, and our business operations could be adversely impacted. Threats to information security also exist in the processing of customer information through various other vendors and their personnel.
The occurrence of any systems failure, interruption, or breach of security could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and business, could subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or could expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We face security risks, including denial of service attacks, hacking, social engineering attacks targeting our customers and other institutions, malware intrusion or data corruption attempts, and identity theft that could result in the disclosure of confidential information, adversely affect our business or reputation, and create significant legal and financial exposure.
Our computer systems and network infrastructure and those of third parties, on which we are highly dependent, are subject to security risks and could be susceptible to cyber-attacks, such as denial of service attacks, hacking, terrorist activities, or identity theft. Our business relies on the secure processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval of confidential, proprietary, and other information in our computer and data management systems and networks, and in the computer and data management systems and networks of third parties. In addition, to access our network, products, and services, our customers and other third parties may use personal mobile devices or computing devices that are outside of our network environment and are subject to their own cybersecurity risks.
We, our customers, regulators, and other third parties, including other financial services institutions and companies engaged in data processing, have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyber-attacks. These cyber-attacks include computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denial of service or information, ransomware, improper access by employees or vendors, attacks on personal email of employees, ransom demands to not expose security vulnerabilities in our systems or the systems of third parties or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss, or destruction of confidential, proprietary, and other information of ours, our employees, our customers, or of third parties, damage our systems or otherwise materially disrupt our or our customers’ or other third parties’ network access or business operations. As cyber threats continue to evolve, 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 or incidents. Despite efforts to ensure the integrity of our systems and implement controls, processes, policies, and other protective measures, we may not be able to anticipate all security breaches, nor may we be able to implement guaranteed preventive measures against such security breaches. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks and could be held liable for any security breach or loss.
Cybersecurity risks for banking organizations have significantly increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of new technologies, and the use of the internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions. For example, cybersecurity risks may increase in the future as we continue to increase our mobile-payment and other internet-based product offerings and expand our internal usage of web-based products and applications. In addition, cybersecurity risks have significantly increased in recent years in part due to the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime groups, hackers, terrorist organizations, hostile foreign governments, disgruntled employees or vendors, activists and other external parties, including those involved in corporate espionage. Even the most advanced internal control environment may be vulnerable to compromise. Additionally, the existence of cyber attacks or security breaches at third parties with access to our data, such as vendors, may not be disclosed to us in a timely manner.
Although to date we have not experienced any material losses or other material consequences relating to technology failure, cyber attacks or other information or security breaches, whether directed at us or third parties, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses or other consequences in the future. As a result, cybersecurity and the continued development and enhancement of our controls, processes and practices designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage or unauthorized access remain a priority.
We also face indirect technology, cybersecurity and operational risks relating to the customers, clients and other third parties with whom we do business or upon whom we rely to facilitate or enable our business activities, including financial counterparties; financial intermediaries such as clearing agents, exchanges and clearing houses; vendors; regulators; and providers of critical infrastructure such as internet access and electrical power. As a result of increasing consolidation, interdependence and complexity of financial entities and technology systems, a technology failure, cyber attack or other information or security breach that significantly degrades, deletes or compromises the systems or data of one or more financial entities could have a material impact on counterparties or other market participants, including us. This consolidation interconnectivity and complexity increases the risk of operational failure, on both individual and industry-wide bases, as disparate systems need to be integrated, often on an accelerated basis. Any third-party technology failure, cyber attack or other
Table of Contents
information or security breach, termination or constraint could, among other things, adversely affect our ability to effect transactions, service our clients, manage our exposure to risk or expand our businesses.
Cyber attacks or other information or security breaches, whether directed at us or third parties, may result in a material loss or have material consequences. Furthermore, the public perception that a cyber attack on our systems has been successful, whether or not this perception is correct, may damage our reputation with customers and third parties with whom we do business. A successful penetration or circumvention of system security could cause us negative consequences, including loss of customers and business opportunities, disruption to our operations and business, misappropriation or destruction of our confidential information and/or that of our customers, or damage to our customers’ and/or third parties’ computers or systems, and could result in a violation of applicable privacy laws and other laws, litigation exposure, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, loss of confidence in our security measures, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, additional compliance costs, and could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
The Corporation is subject to certain operational risks, including, but not limited to, customer or employee fraud and data processing system failures and errors.
Employee errors and misconduct could subject us to financial losses or regulatory sanctions and seriouslyharm our reputation. Misconduct by our employees could include hiding unauthorized activities from us, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of our customers 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 operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors and customer or employee fraud. Management diligently reviews and updates its internal controls over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Should 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, results of operations and financial condition.
The Corporation is dependent on key personnel and the loss of one or more of those key personnel may materially and adversely affect the Corporation’s operations and prospects.
The Corporation currently depends on the services of a number of key management personnel. The loss of key personnel could materially and adversely affect the results of operations and financial condition. The Corporation’s success also depends in part on the ability to attract and retain additional qualified management personnel. Competition for such personnel is strong and the Corporation may not be successful in attracting or retaining the personnel it requires.
Climate change, severe weather, natural disasters, global health risks or pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, and other external events could significantly impact our business.
Natural disasters, including severe weather events of increasing strength and frequency due to climate change, global health risks or pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business or upon third parties who perform operational services for us or our customers. Such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in lost revenue, or cause us to incur additional expenses.
Environmental risk associated with our lending activities could affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Although we perform limited environmental due diligence in conjunction with originating loans secured by properties that we believe have environmental risk, we could be subject to environmental liabilities on real estate properties we foreclose upon and take title to in the normal course of our business. In connection with environmental contamination, we may be held liable to governmental entities or to third parties for property damage, personal injury, investigation and clean-up costs incurred by these parties, or we may be required to investigate or clean-up hazardous or toxic substances at a property. The investigation or remediation costs associated with such activities could be substantial. Furthermore, we may be subject to common law claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination even if we were the former owner of a contaminated site. The incurrence of a significant environmental liability could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These risks are present even though we perform environmental due diligence on our collateral properties. Such diligence may not reflect all current risks or threats, and unforeseen or unpredictable future events may cause a change in the environmental risk profile of a property after a loan has been made.
Table of Contents
Regulatory, Compliance and Legal Risks
Increased regulatory oversight, uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process and potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2021 may adversely affect the results of our operations.
On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the London Interbank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”), announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. The announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021. It is impossible to predict whether and to what extent banks will continue to provide LIBOR submissions to the administrator of LIBOR, whether LIBOR rates will cease to be published or supported before or after 2021 or whether any additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Efforts in the United States to identify a set of alternative U.S. dollar reference interest rates include proposals by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee of the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes in other reforms to LIBOR may adversely affect LIBOR rates and the value of LIBOR-based loans, and to a lesser extent securities in our portfolio, and may impact the availability and cost of hedging instruments and borrowings, including the rates we pay on our subordinated debentures and trust preferred securities. If LIBOR rates are no longer available, any successor or replacement interest rates may perform differently and we may incur significant costs to transition both our borrowing arrangements and the loan agreements with our customers from LIBOR, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Members from the Corporation’s finance, lending, credit, capital markets, treasury and legal departments are leading our LIBOR transition efforts. Management has identified and evaluated the scope of existing financial instruments and contracts that may be affected by the transition, which are primarily within its commercial lending, consumer lending and capital markets lines of business. For those contracts which do not contain appropriate fallback language, management is conducting appropriate outreach to clients, as needed, to begin distributing amendments. Management continues to evaluate any needed enhancements or modifications to systems, controls and processes associated with the transition to a new reference rate or benchmark the reference rate alternatives.
Accounting standards periodically change and the application of our accounting policies and methods may require management to make estimates about matters that are uncertain.
The regulatory bodies that establish accounting standards, including, among others, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the SEC, periodically revise or issue new financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. The effect of such revised or new standards on our financial statements can be difficult to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, management must exercise judgment in appropriately applying many of our accounting policies and methods so they comply with generally accepted accounting principles. In some cases, management may have to select a particular accounting policy or method from two or more alternatives. In some cases, the accounting policy or method chosen might be reasonable under the circumstances and yet might result in our reporting materially different amounts than would have been reported if we had selected a different policy or method. Accounting policies are critical to fairly presenting our financial condition and results of operations and may require management to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments about matters that are uncertain.
Legal proceedings to which we are subject or may become subject may have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.
Like many banks and other financial services organizations in our industry, we are from time to time involved in various legal proceedings and subject to claims and other legal actions related to our business activities brought by customers, employees and others. All such legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable and, regardless of the merits of the claims, litigation is often expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to our operations and resources, and distracting to management. If resolved against us, such legal proceedings could result in excessiveverdicts and judgments, injunctive relief, equitable relief, and other adverse consequences that may affect our financial condition and how we operate our business. Similarly, if we settle such legal proceedings, it may affect our financial condition and how we operate our business. Future court decisions, alternative dispute resolution awards, matters arising due to business expansion, or legislative activity may increase our exposure to litigation and regulatory investigations. In some cases, substantial non-economic remedies or punitivedamages may be sought. Although we maintain liability insurance coverage, there can be no assurance that such coverage will cover any particular verdict, judgment, or settlement that may be entered against us, that such coverage will prove to be adequate, or that such coverage will continue to remain available on acceptable terms, if at all. Legal proceedings to which we are subject or may become subject may have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.
Table of Contents
Increases in FDIC insurance premiums may adversely affect the Corporation’s earnings.
In February 2011, as required under the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC issued a ruling that changed the assessment base against which FDIC assessments for deposit insurance are made. Instead of FDIC insurance assessments being based upon an insured bank’s deposits, FDIC insurance assessments are generally based on an insured bank’s total average assets minus average tangible equity. A change in the risk categories applicable to BMBC’s bank subsidiaries, further adjustments to base assessment rates, and any special assessments could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation.
In addition, should bank failures begin to increase in number or the FDIC insurance fund become depleted in others ways, FDIC premiums could increase or additional special assessments could be imposed. These increased premiums would have an adverse effect on our net income and results of operations.
Any failure of BMBC, the Bank or their subsidiaries to comply with federal and state regulatory requirements, including but not limited to requirements with respect to residential mortgages, could adversely affect our business and net income.
BMBC and the Bank are supervised by the Federal Reserve Board, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the State of Delaware. Accordingly, BMBC, the Bank and our subsidiaries are subject to extensive federal and state legislation, regulation and administrative decisions imposing requirements and restrictions on almost all aspects of our business operations and which are primarily designed to protect consumers, depositors and the government's deposit insurance funds, and is not designed to protect shareholders. These include, but are not limited to, the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering regulations, the USA PATRIOT Act, the GLB Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, regulations and sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, real estate-secured consumer lending regulations (such as Truth-in-Lending), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act regulations, trust laws and regulations, and licensing and registration requirements for mortgage originators and insurance brokers. Federal and state banking regulators have significant discretion and authority to prevent or remedy unsafe or unsound practices or violations of laws or regulations by financial institutions and bank holding companies in the performance of their supervisory and enforcement duties.
Because our business is highly regulated, the laws, rules and regulations applicable to us are subject to regular modification and change. Regulations affecting banks and other financial institutions, such as the Dodd-Frank Act, are continuously reviewed and change frequently. For instance, the Dodd-Frank Act has changed the bank regulatory framework, created an independent consumer protection bureau that has assumed the consumer protection responsibilities of the various federal banking agencies, and established more stringent capital standards for banks and bank holding companies. The ultimate effect of such changes cannot be predicted. While the Corporation has policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the applicable laws, rule and regulations, there is risk that BMBC and the Bank may be determined not to have complied with applicable requirements, and any failure, even if such failure was unintentional or inadvertent, could result in adverse action to be taken by regulators, including through formal or informal supervisory enforcement actions, and could result in the assessment of fines and penalties. In some circumstances, additional negative consequences also may result from regulatory action, including restrictions on the Corporation’s business activities, acquisitions and other growth initiatives. The occurrence of one or more of these events may have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.
In addition, the Corporation originates, sells and services residential mortgage loans. New regulations, increased regulatory reviews, and/or changes in the structure of the secondary mortgage markets which the Corporation utilizes to sell mortgage loans may be introduced and may increase costs and make it more difficult to operate a residential mortgage origination business.
There is also no assurance that laws, rules and regulations will not be proposed or adopted in the future, or that the enforcement of current or existing laws, rules or regulations will not be enhanced in the future, which in either case could (i) make compliance much more difficult or expensive, (ii) restrict our ability to originate, modify, broker or sell loans or accept certain deposits, (iii) restrict our ability to foreclose on property securing loans, (iv) further limit or restrict the amount of commissions, interest or other charges earned on loans originated or sold by us, or (v) otherwise materially and adversely affect our business or prospects for business. These risks could affect our deposit funding and the performance and value of our loan and investment securities portfolios, which could negatively affect our financial performance and financial condition.
Previously enacted and potential future legislation, including legislation to reform the U.S. financial regulatory system, could adversely affect our business.
The change in President and political party controlling the Executive Branch of the Federal Government resulting from the 2016 U.S. presidential election brought changes to laws and regulations of the U.S. financial services industry, including the 2018 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (“EGRRCPA”), and may continue to bring changes
Table of Contents
that we cannot now predict. The EGRRCPA, which amended the Dodd-Frank Act, directed certain federal banking regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, to take action to reduce the regulatory burden on certain banks and financial institutions. Federal banking regulatory agencies are currently working on taking the actions congressionally mandated by the EGRRCPA; however, the 2021 change in President and political party has created uncertainty about the timing and scope of any such changes as well as the cost of complying with a new regulatory regime, which may negatively impact our business.
Additionally, the federal government has passed a variety of other reforms related to banking and the financial industry including, without limitation, the Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act imposed significant regulatory and compliance changes. Effects of the Dodd-Frank Act on our business include:
• changes to regulatory capital requirements;
• exclusion of hybrid securities, including trust preferred securities, issued on or after May 19, 2010 from Tier I capital;
• creation of new government regulatory agencies (such as the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which will oversee systemic risk, and the CFPB, which will develop and enforce rules for bank and non-bank providers of consumer financial products);
• potential limitations on federal preemption;
• changes to deposit insurance assessments;
• regulation of debit interchange fees we earn;
• changes in retail banking regulations, including potential limitations on certain fees we may charge; and
• changes in regulation of consumer mortgage loan origination and risk retention.
In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act restricts the ability of banks to engage in certain proprietary trading or to sponsor or invest in private equity or hedge funds, commonly referred to as the Volcker Rule. The EGRRCPA provided an exemption from the Volcker Rule’s restrictions for banks with less than $10 billion in assets. The Dodd-Frank Act also contains provisions designed to limit the ability of insured depository institutions, their holding companies and their affiliates to conduct certain swaps and derivatives activities and to take certain principal positions in financial instruments.
Some provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act became effective immediately upon its enactment. Many provisions, however, require regulations to be promulgated by various federal agencies in order to be implemented, some of which have been proposed by the applicable federal agencies. The provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act may have unintended effects, which will not be clear until implementation. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act could limit our business activities, require changes to certain of our business practices, impose upon us more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage requirements or otherwise materially and adversely affect us. These changes may also require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make any changes necessary to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with the new requirements could also materially and adversely affect us.
The CFPB may reshape the consumer financial laws through rulemaking and enforcement of unfair, deceptive or abusive practices, which may directly impact the business operations of depository institutions offering consumer financial products or services including the Bank.
The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority to administer and carry out the purposes and objectives of the “Federal consumer financial laws, and to prevent evasions thereof,” with respect to all financial institutions that offer financial products and services to consumers. The CFPB is also authorized to prescribe rules applicable to any covered person or service provider identifying and prohibiting acts or practices that are “unfair, deceptive, or abusive” in connection with any transaction with a consumer for a consumer financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service (“UDAAP authority”). The potential reach of the CFPB’s broad rulemaking powers and UDAAP authority on the operations of financial institutions offering consumer financial products or services, including the Bank, is currently unknown.
Our ability to realize our deferred tax asset may be reduced as a result of the tax reform legislation enacted in late 2017, which could adversely impact results of operation and negatively affect our financial condition.
Realization of a deferred tax asset requires us to exercise significant judgment and is inherently uncertain because it requires the prediction of future occurrences. The deferred tax asset may be reduced in the future if estimates of future income or our tax planning strategies do not support the amount of the deferred tax asset. If it is determined that a valuation allowance of its deferred tax asset is necessary, the Corporation may incur a charge to earnings. The value of our deferred tax asset is directly related to the income tax rates in effect at the time of use. In late 2017, the U.S. Congress passed significant legislation
Table of Contents
reforming the Internal Revenue Code known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Reform" or the “Tax Act”). On December 22, 2017, legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Reform”), was signed into law. The Tax Act, among other changes, reduced the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. As a result of the Tax Act, the Corporation recorded a $15.2 million one-time income tax charge related to the re-measurement of the Corporation’s net deferred tax asset, triggered by the Tax Act, during the year ended December 31, 2017, and a $2.5 million tax benefit recorded during the year ended December 31, 2018 for certain discrete items included on our 2017 tax return that was filed during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Strategic Risks
Potential acquisitions may disrupt the Corporation’s business and dilute shareholder value.
We regularly evaluate opportunities to advance our strategic objectives by opening new branches or offices or acquiring and investing in banks and in other complementary businesses, such as wealth advisory or insurance agencies. As a result, we may engage in negotiations or discussions that, if they were to result in a transaction, could have a material effect on our operating results and financial condition, including short and long-term liquidity. Our acquisition activities could be material to us. For example, we could issue additional shares of common stock in a purchase transaction, which could dilute current shareholders’ ownership interest. These activities could require us to use a substantial amount of cash, other liquid assets, and/or incur debt. In addition, if goodwill recorded in connection with our prior or potential future acquisitions were determined to be impaired, then we would be required to recognize a charge against our earnings, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations during the period in which the impairment was recognized. Any potential charges for impairment related to goodwill would not directly impact cash flow or tangible capital.
Our acquisition activities could involve a number of additional risks, including the risks of:
• incurring time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions and negotiating potential transactions, resulting in the Corporation’s attention being diverted from the operation of our existing business;
• using inaccurate estimates and judgments to evaluate credit, operations, management, and market risks with respect to the target institution or assets;
• potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of banks and businesses we acquire;
• the time and expense required to integrate the operations and personnel of the combined businesses;
• experiencing higher operating expenses relative to operating income from the new operations;
• creating an adverse short-term effect on our results of operations;
• losing key employees and customers as a result of an acquisition that is poorly received;
• risk of significant problems relating to the conversion of the financial and customer data of the entity being acquired into the Corporation’s financial and customer product systems; and,
• potential impairment of intangible assets created in business acquisitions.
There is no assurance that we will be successful in overcoming these risks or any other problems encountered in connection with pending or potential acquisitions. Our inability to overcome these risks could have an adverse effect on our levels of reported net income, return on average equity and return on average assets, and our ability to achieve our business strategy and maintain our market value.
Attractive acquisition opportunities may not be available to us in the future which could limit the growth of our business.
We may not be able to sustain a positive rate of growth or expand our business. We expect that other banking and financial service companies, many of which have significantly greater resources than us, will compete with us in acquiring other financial institutions if we pursue such acquisitions. This competition could increase prices for potential acquisitions that we believe are attractive. Also, acquisitions are subject to various regulatory approvals. If we fail to receive the appropriate regulatory approvals for a transaction, we will not be able to consummate such transaction which we believe to be in our best interests. Among other things, our regulators consider our capital, liquidity, profitability, regulatory compliance and levels of goodwill and intangibles when considering acquisition and expansion proposals. Other factors, such as economic conditions and legislative considerations, may also impede or prohibit our ability to expand our market presence. If we are not able to successfully grow our business, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Table of Contents
Competition Risks
Changes in interest rates and other pricing decisions by our competitors could affect our net income.
The Corporation originates, sells and services residential mortgage loans. Changes in interest rates and pricing decisions by our loan competitors affect demand for the Corporation's residential mortgage loan products, the revenue realized on the sale of loans and revenues received from servicing such loans for others, ultimately reducing the Corporation's net income.
The financial services industry is very competitive, especially in the Corporation’s market area, and such competition could affect our operating results.
The Corporation faces competition in attracting and retaining deposits, making loans, and providing other financial services such as trust and investment management services throughout the Corporation’s market area. The Corporation’s competitors include other community banks, larger banking institutions, trust companies and a wide range of other financial institutions such as credit unions, registered investment advisors, financial planning firms, leasing companies, government-sponsored enterprises, on-line banking enterprises, mutual fund companies, insurance companies and other non-bank businesses. Many of these competitors have substantially greater resources than the Corporation. This is especially evident in regard to advertising and public relations spending. For a more complete discussion of our competitive environment, see “General Development and Description of Our Business Competition” in Item 1 above. If the Corporation is unable to compete effectively, the Corporation may lose market share and income from deposits, loans, and other products may be reduced.
Additionally, increased competition among financial services companies due to consolidation of certain competing financial institutions and the conversion of certain investment banks to bank holding companies may adversely affect our ability to market our products and services.
Failure to meet customer expectations for technology-driven products and services could reduce demand for bank and wealth services.
Financial products and services have become increasingly technology-driven. Our ability to meet the needs of our customers competitively, and in a cost-efficient manner, is dependent on our ability to keep pace with technological advances and to invest in new technology as it becomes available. Many of our competitors have greater resources to invest in technology than we do and may be better equipped to market new technology-driven products and services. The ability to keep pace with technological change is important, and the failure to do so on our part could significantly reduce the number of new wealth and bank customers resulting in a material adverse impact on our business and therefore on our financial condition and results of operations.
Liquidity Risk
The capital and credit markets are volatile and could have a detrimental impact on our ability to raise additional capital in the future.
We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations and may need to raise additional capital in the future, whether in the form of debt or equity, to provide us with sufficient capital resources to meet our regulatory and business needs. We cannot assure you that such capital will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. The capital and credit markets periodically experience volatility. In some cases, the markets may produce downward pressure on stock prices and credit availability for certain issuers seemingly without regard to those issuers’ underlying financial strength. Market volatility may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and/or our ability to access capital. Several factors could cause the market price for our common stock to fluctuate substantially in the future, including without limitation:
• announcements of developments related to our business, any of our competitors or the financial services industry in general;
• fluctuations in our results of operations;
• sales of substantial amounts of our securities into the marketplace;
• general conditions in our markets or the worldwide economy;
• a shortfall in revenues or earnings compared to securities analysts’ expectations;
Table of Contents
• changes in analysts’ recommendations or projections;
• our announcement of new acquisitions or other projects; and
• compliance with regulatory changes.
If the Corporation is unable to generate sufficient additional capital though its earnings, or other sources, including sales of assets, and the Corporation is unable to raise additional capital on acceptable terms when needed, it would be necessary to slow earning asset growth and or pass up possible acquisition opportunities, which may result in a reduction of future net income growth and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If sufficient wholesale funding to support earning-asset growth is unavailable, the Corporation’s net income may decrease.
Management recognizes the need to grow both non-wholesale and wholesale funding sources to support earning asset growth and to provide appropriate liquidity. The Corporation’s asset growth over the past few years has been supplemented by various forms of wholesale funding which is defined as wholesale deposits (primarily wholesale certificates of deposit) and borrowed funds (Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (“FHLB”), Federal advances and Federal fund line borrowings). Wholesale funding at December 31, 2020 represented approximately 7.2% of total funding compared to 18.0% at December 31, 2019 and 17.1% at December 31, 2018. Wholesale funding is subject to certain practical limits such as the FHLB’s Maximum Borrowing Capacity and the Corporation’s liquidity targets. Additionally, regulators might consider wholesale funding beyond certain points to be imprudent and might suggest that future asset growth be reduced or halted.
In the absence of wholesale funding sources, the Corporation may need to reduce earning asset growth through the reduction of current production, sale of assets, and/or the participating out of future and current loans or leases. This in turn might reduce future net income of the Corporation.
The amount loaned to us is generally dependent on the value of the collateral pledged and the Corporation’s financial condition. These lenders could reduce the percentages loaned against various collateral categories, eliminate certain types of collateral and otherwise modify or even terminate their loan programs, particularly to the extent they are required to do so because of capital adequacy or other balance sheet concerns, or if disruptions in the capital markets occur. Any change or termination of our borrowings from the FHLB, the Federal Reserve or correspondent banks may have an adverse effect on our liquidity and profitability.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock, like many of our peers, has fluctuated significantly over the recent past and may fluctuate significantly in the future, which may make it difficult for you to resell your shares of common stock at times or at prices you find attractive.
Stock price volatility may make it difficult for holders of our common stock to resell their common stock when desired and at desirable prices. Our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors including, among other things:
• Inaccurate management decisions regarding the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired which could materially affect our financial condition;
• Natural disasters, fires, and severe weather;
• Failure of internal controls;
• Rumors or erroneous information;
• Reliance on other companies to provide key components of our business processes;
• Meeting capital adequacy standards and the need to raise additional capital in the future if needed, including through future sales of our common stock;
• Actual or anticipated variations in quarterly or annual results of operations;
• Recommendations by securities analysts;
• Failure of securities analysts to cover, or continue to cover, us;
• Operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us;
Table of Contents
• News reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in the financial services industry, including the failures of other financial institutions in the current economic downturn;
• Perceptions in the marketplace regarding us and/or our competitors;
• Departure of our management team or other key personnel;
• New technology used, or services offered, by competitors;
• Significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors;
• Failure to integrate acquisitions or realize anticipated benefits from acquisitions;
• Existing or increased regulatory and compliance requirements, changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations, or differing interpretations thereof affecting our business, or enforcement of these laws and regulations;
• Governmental investigations and actions;
• Changes in government regulations or restructuring of government sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac;
• New litigation or changes in existing litigation; and
• Geopolitical conditions such as acts or threats of terrorism or military conflicts.
General market fluctuations, industry factors and general economic and political conditions and events, such as economic slowdowns or recessions, interest rate changes or credit loss trends, could also cause our stock price to decrease regardless of operating results as evidenced by the current volatility and disruption of capital and credit markets.
We may reduce or discontinue the payment of dividends on common stock.
Our shareholders are only entitled to receive such dividends as our Board of Directors may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Although we currently pay quarterly dividends on our common stock, we are not required to do so and may reduce or eliminate our common stock dividend in the future. Our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders is subject to the restrictions set forth in Pennsylvania law, by the Federal Reserve, and by certain covenants contained in our subordinated debentures, and depends on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, debt service requirements, other cash needs and any other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant. Notification to the Federal Reserve is also required prior to our declaring and paying a cash dividend to our shareholders during any period in which our quarterly and/or cumulative twelve-month net earnings are insufficient to fund the dividend amount, among other requirements. We may not pay a dividend if the Federal Reserve objects or until such time as we receive approval from the Federal Reserve or we no longer need to provide notice under applicable regulations. In addition, we may be restricted by applicable law or regulation or actions taken by our regulators, now or in the future, from paying dividends to our shareholders. We cannot provide assurance that we will continue paying dividends on our common stock at current levels or at all. A reduction or discontinuance of dividends on our common stock could have a material adverse effect on our business, including the market price of our common stock.
Any decisions to suspend or discontinue our stock repurchase plan could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
Although BMBC has previously repurchased its common stock pursuant to stock repurchase programs, our stock repurchase plan may be suspended or discontinued at any time. A suspension or discontinuation of our stock repurchase plan could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Additionally, the existence of a stock repurchase program could cause the market price of our common stock to be higher than it would be in the absence of such a program and could potentially reduce the liquidity of our stock. As a result, any repurchase program may not ultimately result in enhanced value to our shareholders and may not prove to be the best use of our cash resources.
Litigation
achievements
achievements
loss
limitation
• local, regional, national and international economic conditions, their impact on us and our customers, and our ability to assess those impacts;
• our need for capital;
• reduced demand for our products and services, and lower revenues and earnings due to an economic recession;
• lower earnings due to other-than-temporary impairment charges related to our investment securities portfolios or other assets;
• changes in monetary or fiscal policy, or existing statutes, regulatory guidance, legislation or judicial decisions, including those concerning banking, securities. insurance or taxes, that adversely affect our business, the financial services industry as a whole, the Corporation, or our subsidiaries individually or collectively;
• changes in the level of non-performing assets and charge-offs;
• effectiveness of capital management strategies and activities;
• the accuracy of assumptions underlying the establishment of provisions for loan and lease losses, estimates in the value of collateral, and various financial assets and liabilities;
• uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process and potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2021;
• the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices or accounting standards, as may be adopted from time-to-time by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the FASB or other accounting standards setters, including ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326), “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) model, which we adopted on January 1, 2020 and has changed how we estimate credit losses and may result in further increases in the required level of our allowance for credit losses;
• inflation, securities market and monetary fluctuations, including changes in the market values of financial assets and the stability of particular securities markets;
• changes in interest rates, spreads on interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and interest rate sensitivity;
• prepayment speeds, loan originations and credit losses;
• changes in the value of our mortgage servicing rights;
• sources of liquidity and financial resources in the amounts, at the times, and on the terms required to support our future business;
• results of examinations by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) of the Corporation, including the possibility that such regulator may, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for credit losses on loans and leases or to write down assets, or restrict our ability to: engage in new products or services; engage in future mergers or acquisitions; open new branches; pay future dividends; or otherwise take action, or refrain from taking action, in order to correct activities or practices that the Federal Reserve believes may violate applicable law or constitute an unsafe or unsound banking practice;
• variances in common stock outstanding and/or volatility in common stock price;
Table of Contents
• fair value of and number of stock-based compensation awards to be issued in future periods;
• risks related to our past or future, if any, mergers and acquisitions, including, but not limited to: reputational risks; client and customer retention risks; diversion of management’s time for integration-related issues; integration may take longer than anticipated or cost more than expected; anticipated benefits of the merger or acquisition, including any anticipated cost savings or strategic gains, may take longer or be significantly harder to achieve, or may not be realized;
• deposit attrition, operating costs, customer loss and business disruption following a merger or acquisition, including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, and/or suppliers may be greater than expected;
• the credit risks of lending activities and overall quality of the composition of acquired loan, lease and securities portfolio;
• our success in continuing to generate new business in our existing markets, as well as identifying and penetrating targeted markets and generating a profit in those markets in a reasonable time;
• our ability to continue to generate investment results for customers or introduce competitive new products and services on a timely, cost-effective basis, including investment and banking products that meet customers’ needs;
• changes in consumer and business spending, borrowing and savings habits and demand for financial services in the relevant market areas;
• extent to which products or services previously offered (including but not limited to mortgages and asset back securities) require us to incur liabilities or absorb losses not contemplated at their initiation or origination;
• rapid technological developments and changes;
• technological systems failures, interruptions and security breaches, internally or through a third-party provider, could negatively impact our operations, customers and/or reputation;
• competitive pressure and practices of other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage companies, finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money-market and mutual funds and other institutions operating in our market areas and elsewhere, including institutions operating locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, together with such competitors offering banking products and services by mail, telephone, computer and the internet;
• protection and validity of intellectual property rights;
• reliance on large customers;
• technological, implementation and cost/financial risks in contracts;
• the outcome of pending and future litigation and governmental proceedings;
• any extraordinary events (such as natural disasters, global health risks or pandemics, acts of terrorism, wars or political conflicts);
• ability to retain key employees and members of senior management;
• changes in relationships with employees, customers, and/or suppliers;
• the ability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us and our subsidiaries;
• our need for capital, or our ability to control operating costs and expenses or manage loan and lease delinquency rates;
• other material adverse changes in operations or earnings; and
• our success in managing the risks involved in the foregoing.
Table of Contents
All written or oral forward-looking statements attributed to the Corporation are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors, risks, and uncertainties set forth in the foregoing cautionary statements, along with those set forth under the caption titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14 of this Report. All forward-looking statements included in this Report and the documents incorporated by reference herein are based upon the Corporation’s beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this Report. The Corporation assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether the result of new information, future events, uncertainties or otherwise, as of any future date. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements discussed in this Report or incorporated documents.
GENERAL DEVELOPMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF OUR BUSINESS
The Bryn Mawr Trust Company (the “Bank”) received its Pennsylvania banking charter in 1889 and is a member of the Federal Reserve System. In 1986, Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (“BMBC”) was formed and on January 2, 1987, the Bank became a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMBC. The Bank and BMBC are headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a western suburb of Philadelphia. BMBC and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Corporation”) offer a full range of personal and business banking services, consumer and commercial loans, equipment leasing, mortgages, insurance and wealth management services, including investment management, trust and estate administration, retirement planning, custody services, and tax planning and preparation from 41 banking locations, seven wealth management offices and two insurance and risk management locations in the following counties: Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, and Dauphin Counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle County in Delaware; and Mercer and Camden Counties in New Jersey. The common stock of BMBC trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol BMTC.
The goal of the Corporation is to become the premier community bank and wealth management organization in the greater Philadelphia area. The Corporation’s strategy to achieve this goal includes investing in people and technology to support its growth, leveraging the strength of its brand, targeting high-potential markets for expansion, basing its sales strategy on relationships and concentrating on core product solutions, in each case with a view towards diversifying its sources of revenue and maintaining a strong balance sheet. The Corporation strives to strategically broaden the scope of its product offerings and hire knowledgeable professionals who support our clients with great service, planning, and advice to meet their needs.
The Corporation operates in a highly competitive market area that includes local, national and regional banks as competitors along with savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, trust companies, registered investment advisors and mutual fund families. The Corporation and its subsidiaries are regulated by many agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Federal Reserve and the Pennsylvania and Delaware Departments of Banking.
Growth through Acquisitions
Mergers, acquisitions and organic growth through subsidiaries have contributed significantly to the Corporation's growth and expansion. The acquisition of Lau Associates LLC in July 2008 and the formation of The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware (“BMTC-DE”) allowed the Corporation to establish a presence in the State of Delaware, where it competes for wealth management business. The November 2012 acquisition of certain loan and deposit accounts and a branch location from First Bank of Delaware enabled the Corporation to further expand its banking segment in the greater Wilmington, Delaware area.
The Corporation’s first significant bank acquisition, the July 2010 merger with First Keystone Financial, Inc., expanded the Corporation’s footprint significantly into Delaware County, Pennsylvania. This was followed by the January 2015 acquisition of Continental Bank Holdings, Inc. (“CBH”) and its subsidiary, Continental Bank, and the December 2017 acquisition of Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. (“RBPI”) and its subsidiary, Royal Bank America. These bank mergers further expanded the Corporation’s reach well into the surrounding counties in Pennsylvania, including five branches within the City of Philadelphia, and also expanded the Bank’s footprint into southern and central New Jersey.
The acquisition of the Private Wealth Management Group of the Hershey Trust Company (“PWMG”) in May 2011 enabled the Bank’s Wealth Management Division to extend into central Pennsylvania by continuing to operate the former PWMG offices located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The May 2012 acquisition of the Davidson Trust Company allowed the Corporation to further expand its range of services and bring deeper market penetration in our core market area.
In October 2014, the Corporation acquired Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc. (“PCPB”), an insurance brokerage previously headquartered in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, which became a subsidiary of the Bank. The addition enabled the Corporation to offer a full range of insurance products to both individual and business clients. In April 2015, the Corporation
Table of Contents
acquired Robert J. McAllister, Inc. (“RJM”), an insurance brokerage headquartered in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. As described below, in May 2017, the Corporation acquired Harry R. Hirshorn & Company, Inc. (“Hirshorn”), an insurance agency headquartered in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. The businesses of PCPB, RJM, and Hirshorn were consolidated within one subsidiary, PCPB (now known as BMT Insurance Advisors), which, in 2018, acquired Domenick & Associates (“Domenick”), a full-service insurance agency established in 1993 and headquartered in the Old City section of Philadelphia. BMT Insurance Advisors operates from two locations and has enhanced the Bank's ability to offer comprehensive insurance solutions to both individuals and business clients.
A brief summary of the Corporation's strategic acquisitions since January 1, 2016 follows:
• Harry R. Hirshorn & Company, Inc. (2017): On May 24, 2017, the Bank acquired Hirshorn, an insurance agency headquartered in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. Consideration totaled $7.5 million, of which $5.8 million was paid at closing, two contingent cash payments of $575 thousand were paid in 2018 and 2019, and one contingent cash payment of $247 thousand was paid in 2020. The acquisition of Hirshorn expanded the Bank’s footprint into this desirable northwest corner of Philadelphia. Shortly after acquisition, Hirshorn was merged into PCPB (now BMT Insurance Advisors).
• Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. (2017): BMBC and the Bank acquired certain subsidiaries in the merger of RBPI with and into BMBC on December 15, 2017 and the merger of Royal Bank America with and into the Bank (collectively, the “RBPI Merger”). The aggregate share consideration paid to RBPI shareholders consisted of 3,101,316 shares of BMBC’s common stock. Shareholders of RBPI received 0.1025 shares of BMBC's common stock for each share of RBPI Class A common stock and 0.1179 shares of BMBC's common stock for each share of RBPI Class B common stock owned as of the Effective Date of the RBPI Merger, with cash-in-lieu of fractional shares totaling $7 thousand. The RBPI Merger initially added $566.2 million of loans, $121.6 million of investments, $593.2 million of deposits, twelve new branches and a loan production office. The acquisition of RBPI expanded the Corporation’s footprint within Montgomery, Chester, Berks and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania as well as Camden and Mercer Counties in New Jersey.
• Domenick & Associates (2018): The Bank’s subsidiary, BMT Insurance Advisors, completed the acquisition of Domenick & Associates (“Domenick”), a full-service insurance agency established in 1993 and headquartered in the Old City section of Philadelphia, on May 1, 2018. The consideration paid was $1.5 million, of which $750 thousand was paid at closing, $225 thousand was paid during the third quarter of 2019, $175 thousand was paid during the second quarter of 2020 and one contingent cash payment, not to exceed $250 thousand, will be payable in 2021, subject to the attainment of certain targets during the year.
Current Operations
The Corporation offers products and services through various subsidiaries of BMBC and the Bank.
Active Subsidiaries of BMBC . As of December 31, 2020, BMBC has two active subsidiaries which provide various services as described below. Additionally, BMBC and the Bank acquired certain subsidiaries in the RBPI Merger that are not included in the below descriptions as they are not integral or significant to our business. Further, in connection with the RBPI Merger, the Corporation acquired two Delaware trusts, Royal Bancshares Capital Trust I and Royal Bancshares Capital Trust II, which are discussed in more detail in Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
• The Bryn Mawr Trust Company: The Bank is engaged in commercial and retail banking business, providing basic banking services, including the acceptance of demand, time and savings deposits and the origination of commercial, real estate and consumer loans and other extensions of credit including leases. The Bank also provides a full range of wealth management services including trust administration and other related fiduciary services, custody services, investment management and advisory services, employee benefit account and IRA administration, estate settlement, tax services, financial planning and brokerage services. The Bank’s employees are included in the Corporation’s employment numbers below.
• The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware: The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware (“BMTC-DE”) is a limited-purpose trust company located in Greenville, DE and has the ability to be named and serve as a corporate fiduciary under Delaware law. Being able to serve as a corporate fiduciary under Delaware law is advantageous as Delaware statutes are widely recognized as being favorable with respect to the creation of tax-
Table of Contents
advantaged trust structures, LLCs and related wealth transfer vehicles for families and individuals throughout the United States. BMTC-DE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMBC.
Active Subsidiaries of the Bank . As of December 31, 2020, the Bank has three active subsidiaries which provide various services as described below.
• KCMI Capital, Inc.: KCMI Capital, Inc. (“KCMI”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank, located in Media, Pennsylvania, which was established on October 1, 2015. KCMI specializes in providing non-traditional commercial mortgage loans to small businesses throughout the United States. KCMI enables the Corporation to compete, on a national level, for a specialized lending market that focuses on non-traditional small business borrowers with well-established businesses.
• BMT Insurance Advisors, Inc. f/k/a Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc.: BMT Insurance Advisors, Inc. (“BMT Insurance Advisors”), formerly known as Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc. (“PCPB”), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank, headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. BMT Insurance Advisors is a full-service insurance agency, through which the Bank offers insurance and related products and services to its customer base. This includes casualty, property and allied insurance lines, as well as life insurance, annuities, medical insurance and accident and health insurance for groups and individuals.
• Bryn Mawr Equipment Finance, Inc.: Bryn Mawr Equipment Finance, Inc. (“BMEF”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank, is a Delaware corporation registered to do business in Pennsylvania. BMEF is a small-ticket equipment financing company servicing customers nationwide from its Pennsylvania location.
Continuing Operations
See Note 31, “Segment Information,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information.
Competition
BMBC and its subsidiaries, including the Bank, compete for deposits, loans, wealth management and insurance services in Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, and Dauphin Counties in Pennsylvania, New Castle County in Delaware, and Mercer and Camden Counties in New Jersey. The Corporation has 41 banking locations, seven wealth management offices and two insurance and risk management locations.
The markets in which the Corporation competes are highly competitive. The Corporation’s direct competition in attracting business is mainly from commercial banks, investment management companies, savings and loan associations, trust companies and insurance agencies. The Corporation also competes with credit unions, on-line banking enterprises, consumer finance companies, mortgage companies, insurance companies, stock brokerage companies, investment advisory companies and other entities providing one or more of the services and products offered by the Corporation.
The Corporation is able to compete with the other firms because of its consistent level of customer service, excellent reputation, professional expertise, comprehensive product line, and its competitive rates and fees. However, there are several negative factors which can hinder the Corporation’s ability to compete with larger institutions such as its limited number of locations, smaller advertising and technology budgets, and a general inability to scale its operating platform, due to its size.
Human Capital Resource Management
We believe in the value of teamwork and the power of diversity. We expect and encourage participation and collaboration, and understand that we need each other to be successful. We value accountability because it is essential to our success, and we accept our responsibility to hold ourselves and others accountable for meeting shareholder commitments and achievingexceptional standards of performance.
Staffing Model. The majority of our staff are regular full-time associates. Our goal is to provide our staff with careers instead of jobs. We also employ regular part-time associates and some seasonal/temporary associates. BMBC had no active staff as of December 31, 2020. Collectively, the Corporation had 603 full-time and 33 part-time employees, totaling 613 full-time equivalent staff as of December 31, 2020.
Table of Contents
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We believe that diversity of thought and experiences results in better outcomes and empowers our associates to make more meaningful contributions within our company and communities. We do not and will not tolerate discrimination in any form with respect to any aspect of employment. We continue to learn and grow, and our current initiatives reflect our ongoing efforts around a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. For additional information regarding our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion focus and initiatives, refer to the section labeled “Environmental, Social and Governance Highlights” and “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” in the Corporation's 2021 Proxy Statement.
Health & Safety. Our health and safety (“HS”) program consists of policies, procedures and guidelines, and mandates all tasks be conducted in a safe and efficient manner complying with all local, state and federal safety and health regulations, and special safety concerns. The HS program encompasses all facilities and operations and addresses on-site emergencies, injuries and illnesses, evacuation procedures, cell phone usage and general safety rules.
Benefits. We are committed to offering a competitive total compensation package. We regularly compare compensation and benefits with peer companies and market data, making adjustments as needed to ensure compensation stays competitive. We also offer a wide array of benefits for our associates and their families, including:
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, as well as life insurance and short-term disability insurance for all full-time associates - As part of our wellness package, all associates are entitled to free mental health support
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k) plan including a competitive company match
• Flexible work schedules
• Volunteer time off
• Corporate charitableopportunities
• Paid time off (PTO), holidays and bank holidays
• Internal training and online development courses
• Tuition reimbursement for eligible associates
Website Disclosures
BMBC files with the SEC and makes available, free of charge, through its website, BMBC's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statements on Schedule 14A, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports are electronically filed with the SEC. These reports can be obtained on the Corporation’s website at www.bmt.com/investors/sec-filings/ . The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
BMBC and its subsidiaries, including the Bank, are subject to extensive regulation under both federal and state law. To the extent that the following information describes statutory provisions and regulations which apply to the Corporation and its subsidiaries, it is qualified in its entirety by reference to those statutory provisions and regulations:
• Bank Holding Company Regulation
BMBC, as a bank holding company, is regulated under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Act”). The Act limits the business of bank holding companies to banking, managing or controlling banks, performing certain servicing activities for subsidiaries and engaging in such other activities as the Federal Reserve Board may determine to be closely related to banking. BMBC and its non-bank subsidiaries are subject to the supervision of the Federal Reserve Board and BMBC is required to file, with the Federal Reserve Board, an annual report and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require pursuant to the Act and the regulations which implement the Act. The Federal Reserve Board also conducts inspections of BMBC and each of its non-banking subsidiaries.
The Act requires each bank holding company to obtain prior approval by the Federal Reserve Board before it may acquire (i) direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company, including another bank holding company or a bank, unless it already owns a majority of such voting shares, or (ii) all, or substantially all, of the assets of any company.
The Act also prohibits a bank holding company from engaging in, or from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company engaged in non-banking activities unless the Federal Reserve
Table of Contents
Board, by order or regulation, has found such activities to be so closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks as to be appropriate. The Federal Reserve Board has, by regulation, determined that certain activities are so closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks, so as to permit bank holding companies, such as BMBC, and its subsidiaries formed for such purposes, to engage in such activities, subject to obtaining the Federal Reserve Board’s approval in certain cases.
Under the Act, a bank holding company and its subsidiaries are prohibited from engaging in certain tie-in arrangements in connection with any extension or provision of credit, lease or sale of property or furnishing any service to a customer on the condition that the customer provide additional credit or service to the bank, to its bank holding company or any other subsidiaries of its bank holding company or on the condition that the customer refrain from obtaining credit or service from a competitor of its bank holding company. Further, the Bank, as a subsidiary bank of a bank holding company, such as BMBC, is subject to certain restrictions on any extensions of credit it provides to BMBC or any of its non-bank subsidiaries, investments in the stock or securities thereof, and on the taking of such stock or securities as collateral for loans to any borrower.
In addition, the Federal Reserve Board may issue cease-and-desist orders against bank holding companies and non-bank subsidiaries to stop actions believed to present a seriousthreat to a subsidiary bank. The Federal Reserve Board also regulates certain debt obligations and changes in control of bank holding companies.
Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial strength to each of its subsidiary banks and to commit resources, when so required, including capital funds during periods of financial stress, to support each such bank. Consistent with this requirement to serve as a “source of strength” for subsidiary banks, the Federal Reserve Board has stated that, as a matter of prudent banking, a bank holding company generally should not maintain a rate of cash dividends unless its net income available to common shareholders has been sufficient to fund fully the dividends, and the prospective rate of earnings retention appears to be consistent with the company’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition.
Federal law also grants to federal banking agencies the power to issue cease and desist orders when a depository institution or a bank holding company or an officer or director thereof is engaged in or is about to engage in unsafe and unsound practices. The Federal Reserve Board may require a bank holding company, such as BMBC, to discontinue certain of its activities or activities of its other subsidiaries, other than the Bank, or divest itself of such subsidiaries if such activities cause serious risk to the Bank and are inconsistent with the Act or other applicable federal banking laws.
• Federal Reserve Board and Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities Regulation
The Bank is regulated and supervised by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (the “Department of Banking”) and subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC. The Department of Banking and the Federal Reserve Board regularly examine the Bank’s reserves, loans, investments, management practices and other aspects of its operations and the Bank must furnish periodic reports to these agencies. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System.
The Bank’s operations are subject to certain requirements and restrictions under federal and state laws, including requirements to maintain reserves against deposits, limitations on the interest rates that may be paid on certain types of deposits, restrictions on the types and amounts of loans that may be granted and the interest that may be charged thereon, limitations on the types of investments that may be made and the types of services which may be offered. Various consumer laws and regulations also affect the operations of the Bank. These regulations and laws are intended primarily for the protection of the Bank’s depositors and customers rather than holders of BMBC’s stock.
The regulations of the Department of Banking restrict the amount of dividends that can be paid to BMBC by the Bank. Payment of dividends is restricted to the amount of the Bank's net income during the current calendar year and the retained net income of the prior two calendar years, unless the dividend has been approved by the Federal Reserve Board. Accordingly, the dividend payable by the Bank to BMBC beginning on January 1, 2021 is limited to net income not yet earned in 2021 plus the Bank’s total retained net income for the combined two years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 of $15.8 million. The amount of dividends paid by the Bank may not exceed a level that reduces capital levels to below levels that would cause the Bank to be considered less than adequately capitalized. The payment of dividends by the Bank to BMBC is the source on which BMBC currently depends to pay dividends to its shareholders.
As a bank incorporated under and subject to Pennsylvania banking laws and insured by the FDIC, the Bank must obtain the prior approval of the Department of Banking and the Federal Reserve Board before establishing a new branch banking office. Depending on the type of bank or financial institution, a merger of the Bank with another institution is subject
Table of Contents
to the prior approval of one or more of the following: the Department of Banking, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and any other regulatory agencies having primary supervisory authority over any other party to the merger. An approval of a merger by the appropriate bank regulatory agency would depend upon several factors, including whether the merged institution is a federally-insured state bank, a member of the Federal Reserve System, or a national bank. Additionally, any new branch expansion or merger must comply with branching restrictions provided by state law. The Pennsylvania Banking Code permits Pennsylvania banks to establish branches anywhere in the state.
On October 24, 2012, Pennsylvania enacted three laws known as the “Banking Law Modernization Package,” all of which became effective on December 24, 2012. The intended goal of the new law, which applies to the Bank, is to modernize Pennsylvania’s banking laws and to reduce regulatory burden at the state level where possible, given the increased regulatory demands at the federal level as described below.
The law also permits banks as well as the Department of Banking to disclose formal enforcement actions initiated by the Department of Banking, clarifies that the Department of Banking has examination and enforcement authority over subsidiaries as well as affiliates of regulated banks and bolsters the Department of Banking’s enforcement authority over its regulated institutions by clarifying its ability to remove directors, officers and employees from institutions for violations of laws or orders or for any unsafe or unsound practice or breach of fiduciary duty. Changes to existing law also allow the Department of Banking to assess civil money penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.
The law also sets a new standard of care for bank officers and directors, applying the same standard that exists for non-banking corporations in Pennsylvania. The standard is one of performing duties in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the institutions and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence, as a person of ordinary prudence would use under similar circumstances. Directors may rely in good faith on information, opinions and reports provided by officers, employees, attorneys, accountants, or committees of the board, and an officer may not be held liable simply because he or she served as an officer of the institution.
• Deposit Insurance Assessments
The deposits of the Bank are insured by the FDIC up to the limits set forth under applicable law and are subject to deposit insurance premium assessments. The FDIC imposes a risk based deposit premium assessment system, under which the amount of FDIC assessments paid by an individual insured depository institution, such as the Bank, is based on the level of risk incurred in its activities.
In addition to deposit insurance assessments, prior to 2020, banks were subject to assessments to pay the interest on Financing Corporation bonds. The Financing Corporation was created by Congress to issue bonds to finance the resolution of failed thrift institutions. The Financing Corporation assessment became final in 2019.
• Government Monetary Policies
The monetary and fiscal policies of the Federal Reserve Board and the other regulatory agencies have had, and will probably continue to have, an important impact on the operating results of the Bank through their power to implement national monetary policy in order to, among other things, curb inflation or combat a recession. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board may have a major effect upon the levels of the Bank’s loans, investments and deposits through the Federal Reserve Board’s open market operations in United States government securities, through its regulation of, among other things, the discount rate on borrowing of depository institutions, and the reserve requirements against depository institution deposits. It is not possible to predict the nature and impact of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies.
The earnings of the Bank and, therefore, of BMBC are affected by domestic economic conditions, particularly those conditions in the trade area as well as the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government and its agencies.
• Safety and Soundness
The Federal Reserve Board also has authority to prohibit a bank holding company from engaging in any activity or transaction deemed by the Federal Reserve Board to be an unsafe or unsound practice. The payment of dividends could, depending upon the financial condition of the Bank or BMBC, be such an unsafe or unsound practice and the regulatory agencies have indicated their view that it generally would be an unsafe and unsound practice to pay dividends except out of current operating earnings. The ability of the Bank to pay dividends in the future is presently and could be further influenced, among other things, by applicable capital guidelines discussed below or by bank regulatory and supervisory policies. The ability of the Bank to make funds available to BMBC is also subject to restrictions imposed by federal law. The amount of other
Table of Contents
payments by the Bank to BMBC is subject to review by regulatory authorities having appropriate authority over the Bank or BMBC and to certain legal limitations.
• Capital Adequacy
Federal and state banking laws impose on banks certain minimum requirements for capital adequacy. Federal banking agencies have issued certain “risk-based capital” guidelines, and certain “leverage” requirements on member banks such as the Bank. By policy statement, the Department of Banking also imposes those requirements on the Bank. Banking regulators have authority to require higher minimum capital ratios for an individual bank or bank holding company in view of its circumstances.
Minimum Capital Ratios: The risk-based guidelines require all banks to maintain three “risk-weighted assets” ratios. The first is a minimum ratio of total capital (“Tier I” and “Tier II” capital) to risk-weighted assets equal to 8.00%; the second is a minimum ratio of “Tier I” capital to risk-weighted assets equal to 6.00%; and the third is a minimum ratio of “Common Equity Tier I” capital to risk-weighted assets equal to 4.5%. Assets are assigned to five risk categories, with higher levels of capital being required for the categories perceived as representing greater risk. In making the calculation, certain intangible assets must be deducted from the capital base. The risk-based capital rules are designed to make regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banks and bank holding companies and to minimize disincentives for holding liquid assets.
The risk-based capital rules also account for interest rate risk. Institutions with interest rate risk exposure above a normal level would be required to hold extra capital in proportion to that risk. A bank’s exposure to declines in the economic value of its capital due to changes in interest rates is a factor that the banking agencies will consider in evaluating a bank’s capital adequacy. The rule does not codify an explicit minimum capital charge for interest rate risk. Management currently monitors and manages its assets and liabilities for interest rate risk, and believes its interest rate risk practices are prudent and are in-line with industry standards. Management is not aware of any new or proposed rules or standards relating to interest rate risk that would materially adversely affect our operations.
The “leverage” ratio rules require banks which are rated the highest in the composite areas of capital, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity to market risk to maintain a ratio of “Tier I” capital to “adjusted total assets” (equal to the bank’s average total assets as stated in its most recent quarterly Call Report filed with its primary federal banking regulator, minus end-of-quarter intangible assets that are deducted from Tier I capital) of not less than 4.00%.
For purposes of the capital requirements, “Tier I” or “core” capital is defined to include common stockholders’ equity and certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus. “Tier II” or “qualifying supplementary” capital is defined to include a bank’s allowance for loan and lease losses up to 1.25% of risk-weighted assets, plus certain types of preferred stock and related surplus, certain “hybrid capital instruments” and certain term subordinated debt instruments. “Common Equity Tier I” capital is defined as the sum of common stock instruments and related surplus net of treasury stock, retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive income, and qualifying minority interests.
In addition to the capital requirements discussed above, banks are required to maintain a “capital conservation buffer” above the regulatory minimum capital requirements, which must consist entirely of common equity Tier I capital.
The capital conservation buffer has been phased-in over a four-year period, which began on January 1, 2016, as follows: the maximum buffer was 0.625% of risk-weighted assets for 2016, 1.25% for 2017 and 1.875% for 2018, and effective as of January 1, 2019, the capital conservation buffer has been fully phased in at 2.5%.
Institutions are subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if their capital levels fall below the buffer amount. These limitations establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that could be utilized for such actions.
The capital requirement rules, which were finalized in July 2013, implement revisions and clarifications consistent with Basel III regarding the various components of Tier I capital, including common equity, unrealized gains and losses, as well as certain instruments that no longer qualify as Tier I capital, some of which are being phased out over time. However, small depository institution holding companies with less than $15 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2009 (which includes the Corporation) will be able to permanently include non-qualifying instruments that were issued and included in Tier I or Tier II capital prior to May 19, 2010 in additional Tier I or Tier II capital until they redeem such instruments or until the instruments mature.
Table of Contents
The Basel III final framework provides for a number of deductions from and adjustments to Common Equity Tier 1. These include, for example, the requirement that mortgage servicing rights, deferred tax assets dependent upon future taxable income and significant investments in non-consolidated financial entities be deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 to the extent that any one such category exceeds 10% of Common Equity Tier 1 or all such categories in the aggregate exceed 15% of Common Equity Tier 1.
In addition, smaller banking institutions (less than $250 billion in consolidated assets) were granted an opportunity to make a one-time election to opt out of including most elements of accumulated other comprehensive income in regulatory capital. The Corporation elected to opt-out, and indicated its election on the Call Report filed after January 1, 2015.
In April 2018, the federal banking regulators proposed transitional arrangements to permit banking organizations to phase in the day-one impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326), “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” commonly referenced as Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”), on regulatory capital over a period of three years. The proposed rule was adopted as final effective July 1, 2019. The phase-in provisions of the final rule are optional for a banking organization that experiences a reduction in retained earnings due to CECL adoption as of the beginning of the fiscal year in which the banking organization adopts CECL. A banking organization that elects the phase-in provisions of the final rule for regulatory capital purposes must phase in 25% of the transitional amounts impacting regulatory capital in the first year of adoption of CECL, 50% in the second year, 75% in the third year, with full impact beginning in the fourth year.
In March 2020, the U.S. banking agencies issued an interim final rule for additional transitional relief to regulatory capital related to the impact of the adoption of CECL given the disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The interim final rule provides banking organizations that adopt CECL in the 2020 calendar year with the option to delay for two years the estimated impact of CECL on regulatory capital, followed by the aforementioned three-year transition period to phase out the aggregate amount of benefit during the initial two-year delay for a total five-year transition. The estimated impact of CECL on regulatory capital (modified CECL transitional amount) is calculated as the sum of the day-one impact on retained earnings upon adoption of CECL (CECL transitional amount) and the calculated change in the ACL relative to the day-one ACL upon adoption of CECL multiplied by a scaling factor of 25%. The scaling factor is used to approximate the difference in the ACL under CECL relative to the incurred loss methodology. The modified CECL transitional amount will be calculated each quarter for the first two years of the five-year transition. The amount of the modified CECL transition amount will be fixed as of December 31, 2021 and that amount will be subject to the three-year phase out.
In September 2020, the U.S. banking agencies issued a final rule that provides banking organizations with an alternative option to delay for two years an estimate of CECL’s effect on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology’s effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period. This final rule is consistent with the interim final rule issued by the U.S. banking agencies in March 2020.
The Corporation adopted CECL on January 1, 2020 and elected the five-year transition phase-in option for the impact of CECL on regulatory capital with its regulatory filings as of March 31, 2020. For more information regarding the CECL standard, see Note 2, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, the federal banking agencies have jointly issued a final rule whereby most qualifying community banking organizations with less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets that meet risk-based qualifying criteria and have a community bank leverage ratio (“CBLR”) of greater than 9 percent would be able to opt into a new CBLR framework. Such a community banking organization would not be subject to other risk-based and leverage capital requirements (including the Basel III and Basel IV requirements) and would be considered to have met the well capitalized ratio requirements. The CBLR is determined by dividing a financial institution’s tangible equity capital by its average total consolidated assets. The final rule further describes what is included in tangible equity capital and average total consolidated assets. An insured depository institution that opts into the CBLR and that subsequently ceases to meet any qualifying criteria in a future period and has a leverage ratio greater than 8% will be allowed a grace period of two reporting periods to satisfy the CBLR qualifying criteria or comply with the generally applicable capital requirements. An insured depository institution that opts into the CBLR may opt out of the framework at any time, without restriction, by reverting to the generally applicable risk-based capital rule. Although we have not opted into the CBLR framework, we will continue to analyze the framework and in the future may determine to opt into the framework, though there can be no assurances that we will be eligible to opt into the framework in the future, or that we will continue to be eligible for the CBLR framework if and when we opt into the CBLR framework.
Table of Contents
• Prompt Corrective Action
Federal banking law mandates certain “prompt corrective actions,” which Federal banking agencies are required to take, and certain actions which they have discretion to take, based upon the capital category into which a Federally regulated depository institution falls. Regulations have been adopted by the Federal bank regulatory agencies setting forth detailed procedures and criteria for implementing prompt corrective action in the case of any institution that is not adequately capitalized.
Under the prompt corrective action requirements, which are designed to complement the capital conservation buffer, insured depository institutions are required to meet the following capital level requirements in order to qualify as “well capitalized”:
(i) a new common equity Tier I capital ratio of 6.5%;
(ii) a Tier I capital ratio of 8%;
(iii) a total capital ratio of 10%; and
(iv) a Tier I leverage ratio of 5%.
An undercapitalized institution is required to file a written capital restoration plan, along with a performance guaranty by its holding company or a third party. In addition, an undercapitalized institution becomes subject to certain automatic restrictions including a prohibition on the payment of dividends, a limitation on asset growth and expansion, and in certain cases, a limitation on the payment of bonuses or raises to senior executive officers, and a prohibition on the payment of certain “management fees” to any “controlling person”. Institutions that are classified as undercapitalized are also subject to certain additional supervisory actions, including increased reporting burdens and regulatory monitoring, a limitation on the institution’s ability to make acquisitions, open new branch offices, or engage in new lines of business, obligations to raise additional capital, restrictions on transactions with affiliates, and restrictions on interest rates paid by the institution on deposits. In certain cases, bank regulatory agencies may require replacement of senior executive officers or directors, or sale of the institution to a willing purchaser. If an institution is deemed to be “criticallyundercapitalized” and continues in that category for four quarters, the statute requires, with certain narrowly limited exceptions, that the institution be placed in receivership. The Bank is currently regarded as “well capitalized” for regulatory capital purposes. See Note 28, “Regulatory Capital Requirements,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information regarding the Bank’s and BMBC’s regulatory capital ratios.
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLB Act”) repealed provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act, which prohibited commercial banks and securities firms from affiliating with each other and engaging in each other’s businesses. Thus, many of the barriers prohibiting affiliations between commercial banks and securities firms have been eliminated.
The GLB Act amended the Glass-Steagall Act to allow new “financial holding companies” (“FHC”) to offer banking, insurance, securities and other financial products to consumers. Specifically, the GLB Act amended section 4 of the Act in order to provide for a framework for the engagement in new financial activities. A bank holding company may elect to become a financial holding company if all its subsidiary depository institutions are well-capitalized and well-managed. If these requirements are met, a bank holding company may file a certification to that effect with the Federal Reserve Board and declare that it elects to become an FHC. After the certification and declaration is filed, the FHC may engage either de novo or through an acquisition in any activity that has been determined by the Federal Reserve Board to be financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity. Bank holding companies may engage in financial activities without prior notice to the Federal Reserve Board if those activities qualify under the new list in section 4(k) of the Act. However, notice must be given to the Federal Reserve Board, within 30 days after the FHC has commenced one or more of the financial activities. The Corporation has not elected to become an FHC at this time.
Under the GLB Act, a bank subject to various requirements is permitted to engage through “financial subsidiaries” in certain financial activities permissible for affiliates of FHC’s. However, to be able to engage in such activities a bank must continue to be “well-capitalized” and “well-managed” and receive at least a “satisfactory” rating in its most recent Community Reinvestment Act examination.
• Community Reinvestment Act and Fair Lending
The Community Reinvestment Act requires banks to help serve the credit needs of their communities, including providing credit to low and moderate income individuals and areas. Should the Bank fail to serve adequately the communities it
Table of Contents
serves, potential penalties may include regulatory denials to expand branches, relocate, add subsidiaries and affiliates, expand into new financial activities and merge with or purchase other financial institutions. In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury issued a memorandum to the federal banking regulators recommending changes to the Community Reinvestment Act’s regulations to reduce their complexity and associated burden on banks, and in December 2019, the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed for public comment rules to modernize the agencies' regulations under the Community Reinvestment Act. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency adopted its final rules in May 2020, and, to date, the FDIC has not adopted revised rules. In September 2020, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System released for public comment its proposed rules to modernize Community Reinvestment Act regulations. We will continue to evaluate the impact of any changes to the Community Reinvestment Act regulations.
The Community Reinvestment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. A successful regulatory challenge to an institution’s performance under the Community Reinvestment Act or fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity, restrictions on expansion, and restrictions on entering new business lines. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects.
• Privacy of Consumer Financial Information
The GLB Act also contains a provision designed to protect the privacy of each consumer’s financial information in a financial institution. Pursuant to the requirements of the GLB Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has promulgated final regulations intended to better protect the privacy of a consumer’s financial information maintained by financial institutions. The regulations are designed to prevent financial institutions, such as the Bank, from disclosing a consumer’s nonpublic personal information to third parties that are not affiliated with the financial institution.
However, financial institutions may share a customer’s nonpublic personal information or information about business and corporations with their affiliated companies. The regulations also provide that financial institutions can disclose nonpublic personal information to nonaffiliated third parties for marketing purposes but the financial institution must provide a description of its privacy policies to its consumers and give such consumers an opportunity to opt-out of such disclosure and, thus, prevent disclosure by the financial institution of the consumer’s nonpublic personal information to nonaffiliated third parties.
These privacy regulations affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors. These privacy regulations have not had a material adverse impact on the Corporation's operations thus far.
• Consumer Protection Rules – Sale of Insurance Products
In addition, as mandated by the GLB Act, the regulatory agencies have published consumer protection rules which apply to the retail sales practices, solicitation, advertising or offers of insurance products, including annuities, by depository institutions such as banks and their subsidiaries.
The rules provide that before the sale of insurance or annuity products can be completed, disclosures must be made that state (i) such insurance products are not deposits or other obligations of or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other agency of the United States, the Bank or its affiliates; and (ii) in the case of an insurance product that involves an investment risk, including an annuity, that there is an investment risk involved with the product, including a possible loss of value.
The rules also provide that the Bank may not condition an extension of credit on the consumer’s purchase of an insurance product or annuity from the Bank or its affiliates or on the consumer’s agreement not to obtain or a prohibition on the consumer obtaining an insurance product or annuity from an unaffiliated entity.
The rules also require formal acknowledgement from the consumer that such disclosures have been received. In addition, to the extent practical, the Bank must keep insurance and annuity sales activities physically separate from the areas where retail banking transactions are routinely accepted from the general public.
Table of Contents
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) addresses, among other matters, increased disclosures; audit committees; certification of financial statements by the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer; evaluation by management of our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting; auditor reports on our internal control over financial reporting; forfeiture of bonuses and profits made by directors and senior officers in the twelve (12) month period covered by restated financial statements; a prohibition on insider trading during BMBC's stock blackout periods; disclosure of off-balance sheet transactions; a prohibition applicable to companies, other than federally insured financial institutions, on personal loans to their directors and officers; expedited filing of reports concerning stock transactions by a company’s directors and executive officers; the formation of a public accounting oversight board; auditor independence; and increased criminalpenalties for violation of certain securities laws.
• USA PATRIOT Act of 2001
The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, which was enacted in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, includes provisions designed to combat international money laundering and advance the U.S. government’s war against terrorism. The USA PATRIOT Act and the regulations which implement it contain many obligations which must be satisfied by financial institutions, including the Bank. Those regulations impose obligations on financial institutions, such as the Bank, to maintain appropriate policies, procedures and controls to detect, prevent and report money laundering and terrorist financing and to verify the identity of their customers. The failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could have serious legal and reputational consequences for the financial institution.
• Government Policies and Future Legislation
As the enactment of the GLB Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act confirm, from time to time various laws are passed in the United States Congress as well as the Pennsylvania legislature and by various bank regulatory authorities which would alter the powers of, and place restrictions on, different types of banks and financial organizations. It is impossible to predict whether any potential legislation or regulations will be adopted and the impact, if any, of such adoption on the business of BMBC or its subsidiaries, especially the Bank.
As a result of the 2020 presidential election and a different political party gaining control of the Executive Branch of the Federal government, we anticipate that there may be changes to national financial services policy and supervision, though we cannot predict the extent or speed of any such changes. These changes may result in modifications to policies and regulations that implement current federal law, including laws that implement the Dodd-Frank Act, or the adoption of new regulations and supervisory priorities that otherwise affect the financial services industry. Such changes may result in increased compliance costs and burden for BMBC and its subsidiaries.
• Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”)
The Dodd-Frank Act was passed by Congress on July 15, 2010, and was signed into law by President Obama on July 21, 2010. It is intended to promote financial stability in the U.S., reduce the risk of bailouts and protect againstabusive financial services practices by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system and ending the concept of “too big to fail” institutions by giving regulators the ability to liquidate large financial institutions. It is the broadest overhaul of the U.S. financial system since the Great Depression and the overall impact on BMBC and its subsidiaries is a general increase in costs related to compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act.
The Dodd-Frank Act has significantly changed the current bank regulatory structure and will affect into the immediate future the lending and investment activities and general operations of depository institutions and their holding companies.
As discussed earlier, the Dodd-Frank Act requires the Federal Reserve Board to establish minimum consolidated capital requirements for bank holding companies that are as stringent as those required for insured depository institutions; the components of Tier I capital are restricted to capital instruments that are considered to be Tier I capital for insured depository institutions. In addition, the proceeds of trust preferred securities are excluded from Tier I capital unless (i) such securities are issued by bank holding companies with assets of less than $500 million or (ii) such securities were issued prior to May 19, 2010 by bank or savings and loan holding companies with less than $15 billion of assets.
The Dodd-Frank Act also created the CFPB with extensive powers to implement and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks, among
Table of Contents
other things, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. However, institutions of less than $10 billion in assets, such as the Bank, will continue to be examined for compliance with consumer protection and fair lending laws and regulations by, and be subject to the enforcement authority of, their prudential regulators.
The Dodd-Frank Act made many other changes in banking regulation. These include allowing depository institutions, for the first time, to pay interest on business checking accounts, requiring originators of securitized loans to retain a percentage of the risk for transferred loans, establishing regulatory rate-setting for certain debit card interchange fees and establishing a number of reforms for mortgage originations. Effective October 1, 2011, the debit-card interchange fee was capped at $0.21 per transaction, plus an additional 5 basis point charge to cover fraudlosses. These fees are much lower than the current market rates. The regulation only impacts banks with assets above $10 billion.
The Dodd-Frank Act also broadened the base for FDIC insurance assessments. The FDIC was required to promulgate rules revising its assessment system so that it is based on the average consolidated total assets less tangible equity capital of an insured institution instead of deposits. That rule took effect April 1, 2011. The Dodd-Frank Act also permanently increased the maximum amount of deposit insurance for banks, savings institutions and credit unions to $250,000 per depositor, retroactive to January 1, 2008.
Although many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act are currently effective, there remain some regulations yet to be implemented. It is therefore difficult to predict at this time what impact the Dodd-Frank Act and implementing regulations will have on BMBC and the Bank. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act could limit our business activities, require changes to certain of our business practices, impose upon us more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage requirements or otherwise materially and adversely affect us. These changes may also require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make any changes necessary to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with the new requirements could also materially and adversely affect us.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investment in BMBC’s Common Stock involves risk. The following list, which contains certain risks that may be unique to the Corporation and to the banking industry, is neither all-inclusive nor are the factors in any particular order.
Risks Related to the Pandemic
The recent global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to periods of significant volatility in financial, commodities and other markets and could harm our business and results of operations.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since then, COVID-19 infections have spread to additional countries including the United States. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is difficult to predict the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our business, and there is no guarantee that our efforts to address or mitigate the adverse impacts of the coronavirus will be effective. The impact to date has included periods of significant volatility in financial, commodities and other markets. This volatility, if it continues, could have an adverse impact on our customers and on our business, financial condition and results of operations as well as our growth strategy.
Our business is dependent upon the willingness and ability of our customers to conduct banking and other financial transactions. The spread of COVID-19 has caused and could continue to cause severedisruptions in the U.S. economy at large, and has resulted and may continue to result in disruptions to our customers’ businesses, and a decrease in consumer confidence and business generally. In addition, actions by US federal, state and local governments to address the pandemic, including travel bans, stay-at-home orders and school, business and entertainment venue closures have had and, may continue to have a significant adverse effect on our customers and the markets in which we conduct our business. The extent of impacts resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and other events beyond our control will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus pandemic and actions taken to contain the coronavirus or its impact, among others.
Disruptions to our customers could result in increased risk of delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and losses on our loans. The escalation of the pandemic may also negatively impact regional economic conditions for a period of time, resulting in declines in local loan demand, liquidity of loan guarantors, loan collateral (particularly in real estate), loan originations and deposit availability.
Table of Contents
For a description of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our business and results of operations during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operation and Financial Condition – Impact of COVID-19” beginning at page 36 . If the global response to contain COVID-19 escalates or is unsuccessful, we could experience additional effects, including a material adverse effect, on our business, financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows.
The spread of the COVID-19 outbreak and the governmental responses may disrupt banking and other financial activity in the
areas in which we operate and could potentially create widespread business continuity issues for us.
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the U.S. federal, state and local governmental responses may result in a disruption in the services we provide. We rely on our third-party vendors to conduct business and to process, record, and monitor transactions. If any of these vendors are unable to continue to provide us with these services or experience interruptions in their ability to provide us with these services, it could negatively impact our ability to serve our customers. Furthermore, the coronavirus pandemic could negatively impact the ability of our employees and customers to engage in banking and other financial transactions in the geographic areas in which we operate and could create widespread business continuity issues for us. We also could be adversely affected if key personnel or a significant number of employees were to become unavailable due to infection, quarantine or other effects and restrictions of a COVID-19 outbreak in our market areas. Although we have business continuity plans and other safeguards in place, there is no assurance that such plans and safeguards will be effective. If we are unable to promptly recover from such business disruptions, our business and financial conditions and results of operations would be adversely affected. We also may incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by such disruptions, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our past participation in the SBA PPP loan program exposes us to risks related to noncompliance with the PPP, as well as
litigation risk related to our administration of the PPP loan program, which could have a material adverse impact on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
We participated as a lender in the PPP, a loan program administered through the SBA, that was created to help eligible businesses, organizations and self-employed persons fund their operational costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this program, the SBA guarantees 100% of the amounts loaned under the PPP. The PPP opened on April 3, 2020; however, because of the short window between the passing of the CARES Act and the opening of the PPP, there is some ambiguity in the laws, rules and guidance regarding the operation of the PPP, which exposes us to risks relating to noncompliance with the PPP. For instance, other financial institutions have experienced litigation related to their process and procedures used in processing applications for the PPP. Any financial liability, litigation costs or reputational damage caused by PPP related litigation could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As previously announced, we have sold our PPP loan portfolio, however, we may be required to repurchase, and as a result be exposed to credit risk, on sold PPP loans in certain circumstances if a determination is made by the SBA that there was a deficiency by the Bank with respect to the manner in which the loan was originated, funded, or serviced.
Interest rate volatility stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively affect our net interest income, lending activities, deposits and profitability.
Our net interest income, lending activities, deposits and profitability could be negatively affected by volatility in interest rates caused by uncertainties stemming from COVID-19. In March 2020, the Federal Reserve lowered the target range for the federal funds rate to a range from 0 to 0.25 percent, citing concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on markets and the economy in general. A prolonged period of extremely volatile and unstable market conditions would likely increase our funding costs and negatively affect market risk mitigation strategies. Higher income volatility from changes in interest rates and spreads to benchmark indices could cause a loss of future net interest income and a decrease in current fair market values of our assets. Fluctuations in interest rates will 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.
We are subject to increasing credit risk as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could adversely impact our profitability.
Our business depends on our ability to successfully measure and manage credit risk. As a commercial lender, we are exposed to the risk that the principal of, or interest on, a loan will not be paid timely or at all or that the value of any collateral supporting a loan will be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure. In addition, we are exposed to risks with respect to the risks resulting from changes in economic and industry conditions and risks inherent in dealing with individual loans and borrowers. As the overall economic climate in the U.S., generally, and in our market areas specifically, experiences material
Table of Contents
disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our borrowers may experience difficulties in repaying their loans and governmental actions may provide payment relief to borrowers affected by COVID-19 and preclude our ability to initiate foreclosure proceedings in certain circumstances and, as a result, the collateral we hold may decrease in value or become illiquid, and the level of our nonperforming loans, charge-offs and delinquencies could rise and require significant additional provisions for credit losses. Additional factors related to the credit quality of certain commercial real estate and multifamily residential loans include the duration of state and local moratoriums on evictions for non-payment of rent or other fees. The payment on these loans that are secured by income producing properties are typically dependent on the successful operation of the related real estate property and may subject us to risks from adverse conditions in the real estate market or the general economy.
We are actively working to support our borrowers to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on them and on our loan portfolio, including through loan modifications that defer payments for those who experienced a hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although recent regulatory guidance provides that such loan modifications are exempt from the calculation and reporting of TDRs and loan delinquencies, we cannot predict whether such loan modifications may ultimately have an adverse impact on our profitability in future periods. Our inability to successfully manage the increased credit risk caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Unpredictable future developments related to or resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic could materially and adversely affect
our business and results of operations.
Because there have been no comparable recent global pandemics that resulted in a similar global impact, we do not yet know the full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on our business, operations, or the global economy as a whole. Any future development will be highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the pandemic, the effectiveness of our work from home arrangements, third party providers’ ability to support our operation, and any actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic. We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and related risks, although the rapid development and fluidity of the situation precludes any specific prediction as to its ultimate impact on us. However, if the pandemic continues to spread or otherwise results in a continuation or worsening of the current economic and commercial environments, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios could be materially adversely affected and many of the risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K will be heightened.
Risks Related to General Economic and Market Conditions
The Corporation’s performance and financial condition may be adversely affected by national and regional economic conditions and real estate values.
The U.S. economy experienced a recession during 2020 and unemployment rates remain elevated as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. A continuation of those recessionary conditions and/or negative developments in the domestic and
international credit markets may significantly affect the markets in which we do business, the value of our loans and investments, and our ongoing operations, costs and profitability. In addition, the Bank’s loan and deposit activities are largely based in eastern Pennsylvania. As a result, the Corporation’s consolidated financial performance depends largely upon economic conditions in this eastern Pennsylvania region. Continuing higher unemployment rates and deterioration in the regional real estate market could harm our financial condition and results of operations because of the geographic concentration of loans within this regional area and because a large percentage of our loans are secured by real property. Declines in real estate values and sales volumes and continuing higher unemployment levels may result in higher than expected loan delinquencies, increases in our levels of nonperforming and classified assets and a decline in demand for our products and services. If real estate values decline, the collateral for the Corporation’s loans will provide less security. As a result, the Corporation’s ability to recover on defaulted loans by selling the underlying real estate will be diminished, and the Bank will be more likely to sufferlosses on defaulted loans.
Additionally, a significant portion of the Corporation’s loan portfolio is invested in commercial real estate loans. Often in a commercial real estate transaction, repayment of the loan is dependent on rental income. Economic conditions may affect the tenant’s ability to make rental payments on a timely basis, or may cause some tenants not to renew their leases, each of which may impact the debtor’s ability to make loan payments. Further, if expenses associated with commercial properties increase dramatically, the tenant’s ability to repay, and therefore the debtor’s ability to make timely loan payments, could be adversely affected.
All of these factors could increase the amount of the Corporation’s non-performing loans, increase its provision for credit losses and reduce the Corporation’s net income.
Table of Contents
Economic troubles may negatively affect our leasing business.
The Corporation’s leasing business consists of the nationwide leasing of various types of equipment to small- and medium-sized businesses. Economic sluggishness may result in higher credit losses than we would experience in our traditional lending business, as well as potential increases in state regulatory burdens such as state income taxes, personal property taxes and sales and use taxes.
A general economic slowdown could impact Wealth Management Division revenues.
A general economic slowdown may cause current clients to seek alternative investment opportunities with other providers, which would decrease the value of Wealth Management Division's assets under management and administration resulting in lower fee income to the Corporation.
Revenues from our capital markets business line may be adversely affected by adverse market or economic conditions.
Unfavorable financial or economic conditions have the ability to reduce the number and size of transactions in which we provide capital markets advisory and other advisory services. Specifically, a number of our clients engaging in capital markets and strategic and other types of transactions often rely on access to the equity and credit markets to finance their transactions. A lack of available equity investments or credit or an increased cost of credit can adversely affect the size, volume and timing of these transactions by our clients. Because the revenues of our capital markets business are in the form of financial advisory other fees and are directly related to the number and size of the transactions in which we participate, a decrease in the number and size of transactions would adversely affect our capital markets business.
Governmental discretionary policies may impact the operations and earnings of the Corporation.
The operations of the Corporation are affected not only by general economic conditions, but also by the policies of various regulatory authorities. In particular, the Federal Reserve Board regulates monetary policy and interest rates in order to influence general economic conditions. These policies have a significant influence on overall growth and distribution of loans, investments and deposits and affect interest rates charged on loans or paid for deposits. Federal Reserve Board monetary policies have had a significant effect on the operating results of all financial institutions in the past and may continue to do so in the future.
Market Risk
Rapidly changing interest rate environment could reduce the Corporation’s net interest margin, net interest income, fee income and net income.
Interest and fees on loans and securities, net of interest paid on deposits and borrowings, are a significant part of the Corporation’s net income. Interest rates are key drivers of the Corporation’s net interest margin and subject to many factors beyond the Corporation's control. As interest rates change, net interest income is affected. Rapidly increasing interest rates in the future could result in interest expenses increasing faster than interest income because of divergence in financial instrument maturities and/or competitive pressures. Further, substantially higher interest rates generally reduce loan demand and may result in slower loan growth. Decreases or increases in interest rates could have a negative effect on the spreads between the interest rates earned on assets and the rates of interest paid on liabilities, and therefore decrease net interest income. Changes in interest rates might also impact the values of equity and debt securities under management and administration by the Wealth Management Division which may have a negative impact on fee income. See the section captioned “Net Interest Income” in the MD&A section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details regarding interest rate risk.
A large or unexpected rise in interest rates could materially impact consumer and business ability to repay, thus increasing our level of nonperforming loans and reducing demand for loans. These negative events may cause us to incur losses and may adversely affect our capital, liquidity, and financial condition.
Our mortgage servicing rights could become impaired, which may require us to take non-cash charges.
Because we have retained the servicing rights on loans which we have sold in the secondary market, we are required to record a mortgage servicing right asset, which we test quarterly for impairment. The value of mortgage servicing rights is heavily dependent on market interest rates and tends to increase with rising interest rates and decrease with falling interest rates. If we are required to record an impairment charge, it would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Table of Contents
Declines in asset values may result in impairment charges or credit losses and may adversely affect the value of the Corporation’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
A majority of the Corporation’s investment portfolio is comprised of securities which are collateralized by residential mortgages. These residential mortgage-backed securities include securities of U.S. government agencies, U.S. government-sponsored entities, and private-label collateralized mortgage obligations. The Corporation’s securities portfolio also includes obligations of U.S. government-sponsored entities, obligations of states and political subdivisions thereof, corporate bonds, and collateralized loan obligations. The fair value of investments may be affected by factors other than the underlying performance of the issuer or composition of the obligations themselves, such as rating downgrades, adverse changes in the business climate and a lack of liquidity for resale of certain investment securities. Quarterly, the Corporation evaluates investments and other assets for credit losses or impairment indicators in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Given the significant judgments involved, if we are incorrect in our assessment, this error could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation, financial condition, and cash flows. If the Corporation incurs credit losses or impairment charges that result in its falling below the “well capitalized” regulatory requirement, it may need to raise additional capital. Further, a decline in the fair value of the securities in our investment portfolio could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation, financial condition, and cash flows.
Downgrades in U.S. government and federal agency securities could adversely affect the Corporation.
In addition to causing economic and financial market disruptions, any downgrades in U.S. government and federal agency securities, or failures to raise the U.S. debt limit if necessary in the future, could, among other things, have a materially adverse effect on the market value of the U.S. and other government and governmental agency securities that we hold, the availability of those securities as collateral for borrowing, and our ability to access capital markets on favorable terms, as well as have other material adverse effects on the operation of our business and our financial results and condition. In particular, it could increase interest rates and disrupt payment systems, money markets, and long-term or short-term fixed income markets, adversely affecting the cost and availability of funding, which could negatively affect profitability. Also, the adverse consequences of a downgrade could extend to the borrowers of the loans and leases the Bank makes and, as a result, could adversely affect borrowers’ ability to repay their loans and leases.
Credit Risk
Provision for credit losses on loans and leases and level of non-performing loans and leases may need to be modified in connection with internal or external changes.
All borrowers carry the potential to default and our remedies to recover may not fully satisfy money previously loaned. We maintain an allowance for credit losses on loans and leases, which is a reserve established through a provision for credit losses on loans and leases charged to expense, which represents the Corporation’s best estimate of probable credit losses that are expected to be incurred over the remaining contractual terms of the related loans and leases (as adjusted for prepayments and reasonably expected TDRs). The allowance for credit losses on loans and leases, in the judgment of the Corporation, is necessary to reserve for estimated loan losses and risks inherent in the loan portfolio. The level of the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases reflects the Corporation’s continuing evaluation of industry concentrations; specific credit risks; loan loss experience; current loan portfolio quality; present and future economic conditions; and unidentified losses inherent in the current loan portfolio. The determination of the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates of current and expected credit risks using existing qualitative and quantitative information, all of which may undergo material changes. Changes in current and future 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 allowance for credit losses on loans and leases. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review our allowance for credit losses on loans and leases and may require an increase in the provision for credit losses on loans and leases or the recognition of additional loan charge-offs, based on judgments different than those of the Corporation. An increase in the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases results in a decrease in net income, and possibly risk-based capital, and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
FASB ASU 2016-13 has resulted in a significant change in how we recognize credit losses on loans and leases and may have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
Issued in June 2016, ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326 - Credit Losses), commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”), eliminates the Provision for Loan and Lease Losses (the “Provision”) and Allowance for Loan and Lease
Table of Contents
Losses (the “Allowance”) line items and establishes the Provision for Credit Losses ("PCL") and Allowance for Credit Losses ("ACL") line items.
The new CECL standard requires projection of credit loss over the contract lifetime of loans and leases, adjusted for prepayment tendencies. Further, management’s specific expectations for the future economic environment must be incorporated in the projection, with loss expectations to revert to the long-run historical mean after such time as management can make or obtain a reasonable and supportable forecast. This valuation reserve has been established in the ACL on loans and leases and is maintained through expense (provision) in the PCL. The methodology for determining the Corporation's ACL on loans and leases under the CECL standard is a dynamic process that relies on third party economic forecasts, and incorporate changes in various factors including, but not limited to, levels and trends of delinquencies and charge-offs, trends in volume and types of loans, national and economic trends and industry conditions. As a result, the Corporation's ACL on loans and leases may fluctuate materially, which in turn causes fluctuation in the Corporations PCL (or recapture). These fluctuations may have a material impact on the Corporation's financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Business Operations
Potential losses incurred in connection with possible repurchases and indemnification payments related to mortgages that we have sold into the secondary market may require us to increase our financial statement reserves in the future.
We engage in the origination and sale of residential mortgages into the secondary market. In connection with such sales, we make certain representations and warranties, which, if breached, may require us to repurchase such loans or indemnify the purchasers of such loans for actual losses incurred in respect of such loans. These representations and warranties vary based on the nature of the transaction and the purchaser’s or insurer’s requirements, but generally pertain to the ownership of the mortgage loan, the real property securing the loan and compliance with applicable laws and applicable lender and government-sponsored entity underwriting guidelines in connection with the origination of the loan. While we believe our mortgage lending practices and standards to be adequate, we have settled a small number of claims we consider to be immaterial; we may receive requests in the future, however, which could be material in volume. If that were to happen, we could incur losses in connection with loan repurchases and indemnification claims, and any such losses might exceed our financial statement reserves, requiring us to increase such reserves. In that event, any losses we might have to recognize and any increases we might have to make to our reserves could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, liquidity, results of operations or cash flows.
Our ability to attract and maintain customer and investor relationships depends largely on our reputation.
Damage to our reputation could undermine the confidence of our current and potential customers and investors in our ability to provide high-quality financial services. Such damage could also impair the confidence of our counterparties and vendors and ultimately affect our ability to effect transactions. Maintenance of our reputation depends not only on our success in maintaining our service-focused culture and controlling and mitigating the various risks described in this report, but also on our success in identifying and appropriately addressing issues that may arise in areas such as potential conflicts of interest, anti-money laundering, customer personal information and privacy issues, customer and other third-party fraud, record-keeping, technology-related issues including but not limited to cyber fraud, regulatory investigations and any litigation that may arise from the failure or perceived failure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Maintaining our reputation also depends on our ability to successfully prevent third parties from infringing on our brands and associated trademarks and our other intellectual property. Defense of our reputation, trademarks and other intellectual property, including through litigation, could result in costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Technological systems failures, interruptions and security breaches could negatively impact our operations and reputation.
Communications and information systems are essential to the conduct of our business, as we use such systems to manage our customer relationships, our general ledger, our deposits, and our loans. While we have established policies and procedures to prevent or limit the impact of systems failures, interruptions, and security breaches, there can be no assurance that such events will not occur or that they will be adequately addressed if they do. In addition, any compromise of our security systems could deter customers from using our web site and our online banking service, which involve the transmission of confidential information. Although we rely on commonly used security and processing systems to provide the security and authentication necessary to effect the secure transmission of data, these precautions may not protect our systems from compromises or breaches of security.
In addition, we outsource certain of our data processing to third-party providers. If our third-party providers encounter difficulties, or if we have difficulty in communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for customer
Table of Contents
transactions could be affected, and our business operations could be adversely impacted. Threats to information security also exist in the processing of customer information through various other vendors and their personnel.
The occurrence of any systems failure, interruption, or breach of security could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and business, could subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or could expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We face security risks, including denial of service attacks, hacking, social engineering attacks targeting our customers and other institutions, malware intrusion or data corruption attempts, and identity theft that could result in the disclosure of confidential information, adversely affect our business or reputation, and create significant legal and financial exposure.
Our computer systems and network infrastructure and those of third parties, on which we are highly dependent, are subject to security risks and could be susceptible to cyber-attacks, such as denial of service attacks, hacking, terrorist activities, or identity theft. Our business relies on the secure processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval of confidential, proprietary, and other information in our computer and data management systems and networks, and in the computer and data management systems and networks of third parties. In addition, to access our network, products, and services, our customers and other third parties may use personal mobile devices or computing devices that are outside of our network environment and are subject to their own cybersecurity risks.
We, our customers, regulators, and other third parties, including other financial services institutions and companies engaged in data processing, have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyber-attacks. These cyber-attacks include computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denial of service or information, ransomware, improper access by employees or vendors, attacks on personal email of employees, ransom demands to not expose security vulnerabilities in our systems or the systems of third parties or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss, or destruction of confidential, proprietary, and other information of ours, our employees, our customers, or of third parties, damage our systems or otherwise materially disrupt our or our customers’ or other third parties’ network access or business operations. As cyber threats continue to evolve, 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 or incidents. Despite efforts to ensure the integrity of our systems and implement controls, processes, policies, and other protective measures, we may not be able to anticipate all security breaches, nor may we be able to implement guaranteed preventive measures against such security breaches. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks and could be held liable for any security breach or loss.
Cybersecurity risks for banking organizations have significantly increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of new technologies, and the use of the internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions. For example, cybersecurity risks may increase in the future as we continue to increase our mobile-payment and other internet-based product offerings and expand our internal usage of web-based products and applications. In addition, cybersecurity risks have significantly increased in recent years in part due to the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime groups, hackers, terrorist organizations, hostile foreign governments, disgruntled employees or vendors, activists and other external parties, including those involved in corporate espionage. Even the most advanced internal control environment may be vulnerable to compromise. Additionally, the existence of cyber attacks or security breaches at third parties with access to our data, such as vendors, may not be disclosed to us in a timely manner.
Although to date we have not experienced any material losses or other material consequences relating to technology failure, cyber attacks or other information or security breaches, whether directed at us or third parties, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses or other consequences in the future. As a result, cybersecurity and the continued development and enhancement of our controls, processes and practices designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage or unauthorized access remain a priority.
We also face indirect technology, cybersecurity and operational risks relating to the customers, clients and other third parties with whom we do business or upon whom we rely to facilitate or enable our business activities, including financial counterparties; financial intermediaries such as clearing agents, exchanges and clearing houses; vendors; regulators; and providers of critical infrastructure such as internet access and electrical power. As a result of increasing consolidation, interdependence and complexity of financial entities and technology systems, a technology failure, cyber attack or other information or security breach that significantly degrades, deletes or compromises the systems or data of one or more financial entities could have a material impact on counterparties or other market participants, including us. This consolidation interconnectivity and complexity increases the risk of operational failure, on both individual and industry-wide bases, as disparate systems need to be integrated, often on an accelerated basis. Any third-party technology failure, cyber attack or other
Table of Contents
information or security breach, termination or constraint could, among other things, adversely affect our ability to effect transactions, service our clients, manage our exposure to risk or expand our businesses.
Cyber attacks or other information or security breaches, whether directed at us or third parties, may result in a material loss or have material consequences. Furthermore, the public perception that a cyber attack on our systems has been successful, whether or not this perception is correct, may damage our reputation with customers and third parties with whom we do business. A successful penetration or circumvention of system security could cause us negative consequences, including loss of customers and business opportunities, disruption to our operations and business, misappropriation or destruction of our confidential information and/or that of our customers, or damage to our customers’ and/or third parties’ computers or systems, and could result in a violation of applicable privacy laws and other laws, litigation exposure, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, loss of confidence in our security measures, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, additional compliance costs, and could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
The Corporation is subject to certain operational risks, including, but not limited to, customer or employee fraud and data processing system failures and errors.
Employee errors and misconduct could subject us to financial losses or regulatory sanctions and seriouslyharm our reputation. Misconduct by our employees could include hiding unauthorized activities from us, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of our customers 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 operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors and customer or employee fraud. Management diligently reviews and updates its internal controls over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Should 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, results of operations and financial condition.
The Corporation is dependent on key personnel and the loss of one or more of those key personnel may materially and adversely affect the Corporation’s operations and prospects.
The Corporation currently depends on the services of a number of key management personnel. The loss of key personnel could materially and adversely affect the results of operations and financial condition. The Corporation’s success also depends in part on the ability to attract and retain additional qualified management personnel. Competition for such personnel is strong and the Corporation may not be successful in attracting or retaining the personnel it requires.
Climate change, severe weather, natural disasters, global health risks or pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, and other external events could significantly impact our business.
Natural disasters, including severe weather events of increasing strength and frequency due to climate change, global health risks or pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business or upon third parties who perform operational services for us or our customers. Such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in lost revenue, or cause us to incur additional expenses.
Environmental risk associated with our lending activities could affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Although we perform limited environmental due diligence in conjunction with originating loans secured by properties that we believe have environmental risk, we could be subject to environmental liabilities on real estate properties we foreclose upon and take title to in the normal course of our business. In connection with environmental contamination, we may be held liable to governmental entities or to third parties for property damage, personal injury, investigation and clean-up costs incurred by these parties, or we may be required to investigate or clean-up hazardous or toxic substances at a property. The investigation or remediation costs associated with such activities could be substantial. Furthermore, we may be subject to common law claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination even if we were the former owner of a contaminated site. The incurrence of a significant environmental liability could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These risks are present even though we perform environmental due diligence on our collateral properties. Such diligence may not reflect all current risks or threats, and unforeseen or unpredictable future events may cause a change in the environmental risk profile of a property after a loan has been made.
Table of Contents
Regulatory, Compliance and Legal Risks
Increased regulatory oversight, uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process and potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2021 may adversely affect the results of our operations.
On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the London Interbank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”), announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. The announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021. It is impossible to predict whether and to what extent banks will continue to provide LIBOR submissions to the administrator of LIBOR, whether LIBOR rates will cease to be published or supported before or after 2021 or whether any additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Efforts in the United States to identify a set of alternative U.S. dollar reference interest rates include proposals by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee of the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes in other reforms to LIBOR may adversely affect LIBOR rates and the value of LIBOR-based loans, and to a lesser extent securities in our portfolio, and may impact the availability and cost of hedging instruments and borrowings, including the rates we pay on our subordinated debentures and trust preferred securities. If LIBOR rates are no longer available, any successor or replacement interest rates may perform differently and we may incur significant costs to transition both our borrowing arrangements and the loan agreements with our customers from LIBOR, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Members from the Corporation’s finance, lending, credit, capital markets, treasury and legal departments are leading our LIBOR transition efforts. Management has identified and evaluated the scope of existing financial instruments and contracts that may be affected by the transition, which are primarily within its commercial lending, consumer lending and capital markets lines of business. For those contracts which do not contain appropriate fallback language, management is conducting appropriate outreach to clients, as needed, to begin distributing amendments. Management continues to evaluate any needed enhancements or modifications to systems, controls and processes associated with the transition to a new reference rate or benchmark the reference rate alternatives.
Accounting standards periodically change and the application of our accounting policies and methods may require management to make estimates about matters that are uncertain.
The regulatory bodies that establish accounting standards, including, among others, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the SEC, periodically revise or issue new financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. The effect of such revised or new standards on our financial statements can be difficult to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, management must exercise judgment in appropriately applying many of our accounting policies and methods so they comply with generally accepted accounting principles. In some cases, management may have to select a particular accounting policy or method from two or more alternatives. In some cases, the accounting policy or method chosen might be reasonable under the circumstances and yet might result in our reporting materially different amounts than would have been reported if we had selected a different policy or method. Accounting policies are critical to fairly presenting our financial condition and results of operations and may require management to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments about matters that are uncertain.
Legal proceedings to which we are subject or may become subject may have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.
Like many banks and other financial services organizations in our industry, we are from time to time involved in various legal proceedings and subject to claims and other legal actions related to our business activities brought by customers, employees and others. All such legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable and, regardless of the merits of the claims, litigation is often expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to our operations and resources, and distracting to management. If resolved against us, such legal proceedings could result in excessiveverdicts and judgments, injunctive relief, equitable relief, and other adverse consequences that may affect our financial condition and how we operate our business. Similarly, if we settle such legal proceedings, it may affect our financial condition and how we operate our business. Future court decisions, alternative dispute resolution awards, matters arising due to business expansion, or legislative activity may increase our exposure to litigation and regulatory investigations. In some cases, substantial non-economic remedies or punitivedamages may be sought. Although we maintain liability insurance coverage, there can be no assurance that such coverage will cover any particular verdict, judgment, or settlement that may be entered against us, that such coverage will prove to be adequate, or that such coverage will continue to remain available on acceptable terms, if at all. Legal proceedings to which we are subject or may become subject may have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.
Table of Contents
Increases in FDIC insurance premiums may adversely affect the Corporation’s earnings.
In February 2011, as required under the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC issued a ruling that changed the assessment base against which FDIC assessments for deposit insurance are made. Instead of FDIC insurance assessments being based upon an insured bank’s deposits, FDIC insurance assessments are generally based on an insured bank’s total average assets minus average tangible equity. A change in the risk categories applicable to BMBC’s bank subsidiaries, further adjustments to base assessment rates, and any special assessments could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation.
In addition, should bank failures begin to increase in number or the FDIC insurance fund become depleted in others ways, FDIC premiums could increase or additional special assessments could be imposed. These increased premiums would have an adverse effect on our net income and results of operations.
Any failure of BMBC, the Bank or their subsidiaries to comply with federal and state regulatory requirements, including but not limited to requirements with respect to residential mortgages, could adversely affect our business and net income.
BMBC and the Bank are supervised by the Federal Reserve Board, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the State of Delaware. Accordingly, BMBC, the Bank and our subsidiaries are subject to extensive federal and state legislation, regulation and administrative decisions imposing requirements and restrictions on almost all aspects of our business operations and which are primarily designed to protect consumers, depositors and the government's deposit insurance funds, and is not designed to protect shareholders. These include, but are not limited to, the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering regulations, the USA PATRIOT Act, the GLB Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, regulations and sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, real estate-secured consumer lending regulations (such as Truth-in-Lending), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act regulations, trust laws and regulations, and licensing and registration requirements for mortgage originators and insurance brokers. Federal and state banking regulators have significant discretion and authority to prevent or remedy unsafe or unsound practices or violations of laws or regulations by financial institutions and bank holding companies in the performance of their supervisory and enforcement duties.
Because our business is highly regulated, the laws, rules and regulations applicable to us are subject to regular modification and change. Regulations affecting banks and other financial institutions, such as the Dodd-Frank Act, are continuously reviewed and change frequently. For instance, the Dodd-Frank Act has changed the bank regulatory framework, created an independent consumer protection bureau that has assumed the consumer protection responsibilities of the various federal banking agencies, and established more stringent capital standards for banks and bank holding companies. The ultimate effect of such changes cannot be predicted. While the Corporation has policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the applicable laws, rule and regulations, there is risk that BMBC and the Bank may be determined not to have complied with applicable requirements, and any failure, even if such failure was unintentional or inadvertent, could result in adverse action to be taken by regulators, including through formal or informal supervisory enforcement actions, and could result in the assessment of fines and penalties. In some circumstances, additional negative consequences also may result from regulatory action, including restrictions on the Corporation’s business activities, acquisitions and other growth initiatives. The occurrence of one or more of these events may have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.
In addition, the Corporation originates, sells and services residential mortgage loans. New regulations, increased regulatory reviews, and/or changes in the structure of the secondary mortgage markets which the Corporation utilizes to sell mortgage loans may be introduced and may increase costs and make it more difficult to operate a residential mortgage origination business.
There is also no assurance that laws, rules and regulations will not be proposed or adopted in the future, or that the enforcement of current or existing laws, rules or regulations will not be enhanced in the future, which in either case could (i) make compliance much more difficult or expensive, (ii) restrict our ability to originate, modify, broker or sell loans or accept certain deposits, (iii) restrict our ability to foreclose on property securing loans, (iv) further limit or restrict the amount of commissions, interest or other charges earned on loans originated or sold by us, or (v) otherwise materially and adversely affect our business or prospects for business. These risks could affect our deposit funding and the performance and value of our loan and investment securities portfolios, which could negatively affect our financial performance and financial condition.
Previously enacted and potential future legislation, including legislation to reform the U.S. financial regulatory system, could adversely affect our business.
The change in President and political party controlling the Executive Branch of the Federal Government resulting from the 2016 U.S. presidential election brought changes to laws and regulations of the U.S. financial services industry, including the 2018 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (“EGRRCPA”), and may continue to bring changes
Table of Contents
that we cannot now predict. The EGRRCPA, which amended the Dodd-Frank Act, directed certain federal banking regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, to take action to reduce the regulatory burden on certain banks and financial institutions. Federal banking regulatory agencies are currently working on taking the actions congressionally mandated by the EGRRCPA; however, the 2021 change in President and political party has created uncertainty about the timing and scope of any such changes as well as the cost of complying with a new regulatory regime, which may negatively impact our business.
Additionally, the federal government has passed a variety of other reforms related to banking and the financial industry including, without limitation, the Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act imposed significant regulatory and compliance changes. Effects of the Dodd-Frank Act on our business include:
• changes to regulatory capital requirements;
• exclusion of hybrid securities, including trust preferred securities, issued on or after May 19, 2010 from Tier I capital;
• creation of new government regulatory agencies (such as the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which will oversee systemic risk, and the CFPB, which will develop and enforce rules for bank and non-bank providers of consumer financial products);
• potential limitations on federal preemption;
• changes to deposit insurance assessments;
• regulation of debit interchange fees we earn;
• changes in retail banking regulations, including potential limitations on certain fees we may charge; and
• changes in regulation of consumer mortgage loan origination and risk retention.
In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act restricts the ability of banks to engage in certain proprietary trading or to sponsor or invest in private equity or hedge funds, commonly referred to as the Volcker Rule. The EGRRCPA provided an exemption from the Volcker Rule’s restrictions for banks with less than $10 billion in assets. The Dodd-Frank Act also contains provisions designed to limit the ability of insured depository institutions, their holding companies and their affiliates to conduct certain swaps and derivatives activities and to take certain principal positions in financial instruments.
Some provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act became effective immediately upon its enactment. Many provisions, however, require regulations to be promulgated by various federal agencies in order to be implemented, some of which have been proposed by the applicable federal agencies. The provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act may have unintended effects, which will not be clear until implementation. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act could limit our business activities, require changes to certain of our business practices, impose upon us more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage requirements or otherwise materially and adversely affect us. These changes may also require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make any changes necessary to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with the new requirements could also materially and adversely affect us.
The CFPB may reshape the consumer financial laws through rulemaking and enforcement of unfair, deceptive or abusive practices, which may directly impact the business operations of depository institutions offering consumer financial products or services including the Bank.
The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority to administer and carry out the purposes and objectives of the “Federal consumer financial laws, and to prevent evasions thereof,” with respect to all financial institutions that offer financial products and services to consumers. The CFPB is also authorized to prescribe rules applicable to any covered person or service provider identifying and prohibiting acts or practices that are “unfair, deceptive, or abusive” in connection with any transaction with a consumer for a consumer financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service (“UDAAP authority”). The potential reach of the CFPB’s broad rulemaking powers and UDAAP authority on the operations of financial institutions offering consumer financial products or services, including the Bank, is currently unknown.
Our ability to realize our deferred tax asset may be reduced as a result of the tax reform legislation enacted in late 2017, which could adversely impact results of operation and negatively affect our financial condition.
Realization of a deferred tax asset requires us to exercise significant judgment and is inherently uncertain because it requires the prediction of future occurrences. The deferred tax asset may be reduced in the future if estimates of future income or our tax planning strategies do not support the amount of the deferred tax asset. If it is determined that a valuation allowance of its deferred tax asset is necessary, the Corporation may incur a charge to earnings. The value of our deferred tax asset is directly related to the income tax rates in effect at the time of use. In late 2017, the U.S. Congress passed significant legislation
Table of Contents
reforming the Internal Revenue Code known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Reform" or the “Tax Act”). On December 22, 2017, legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Reform”), was signed into law. The Tax Act, among other changes, reduced the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. As a result of the Tax Act, the Corporation recorded a $15.2 million one-time income tax charge related to the re-measurement of the Corporation’s net deferred tax asset, triggered by the Tax Act, during the year ended December 31, 2017, and a $2.5 million tax benefit recorded during the year ended December 31, 2018 for certain discrete items included on our 2017 tax return that was filed during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Strategic Risks
Potential acquisitions may disrupt the Corporation’s business and dilute shareholder value.
We regularly evaluate opportunities to advance our strategic objectives by opening new branches or offices or acquiring and investing in banks and in other complementary businesses, such as wealth advisory or insurance agencies. As a result, we may engage in negotiations or discussions that, if they were to result in a transaction, could have a material effect on our operating results and financial condition, including short and long-term liquidity. Our acquisition activities could be material to us. For example, we could issue additional shares of common stock in a purchase transaction, which could dilute current shareholders’ ownership interest. These activities could require us to use a substantial amount of cash, other liquid assets, and/or incur debt. In addition, if goodwill recorded in connection with our prior or potential future acquisitions were determined to be impaired, then we would be required to recognize a charge against our earnings, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations during the period in which the impairment was recognized. Any potential charges for impairment related to goodwill would not directly impact cash flow or tangible capital.
Our acquisition activities could involve a number of additional risks, including the risks of:
• incurring time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions and negotiating potential transactions, resulting in the Corporation’s attention being diverted from the operation of our existing business;
• using inaccurate estimates and judgments to evaluate credit, operations, management, and market risks with respect to the target institution or assets;
• potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of banks and businesses we acquire;
• the time and expense required to integrate the operations and personnel of the combined businesses;
• experiencing higher operating expenses relative to operating income from the new operations;
• creating an adverse short-term effect on our results of operations;
• losing key employees and customers as a result of an acquisition that is poorly received;
• risk of significant problems relating to the conversion of the financial and customer data of the entity being acquired into the Corporation’s financial and customer product systems; and,
• potential impairment of intangible assets created in business acquisitions.
There is no assurance that we will be successful in overcoming these risks or any other problems encountered in connection with pending or potential acquisitions. Our inability to overcome these risks could have an adverse effect on our levels of reported net income, return on average equity and return on average assets, and our ability to achieve our business strategy and maintain our market value.
Attractive acquisition opportunities may not be available to us in the future which could limit the growth of our business.
We may not be able to sustain a positive rate of growth or expand our business. We expect that other banking and financial service companies, many of which have significantly greater resources than us, will compete with us in acquiring other financial institutions if we pursue such acquisitions. This competition could increase prices for potential acquisitions that we believe are attractive. Also, acquisitions are subject to various regulatory approvals. If we fail to receive the appropriate regulatory approvals for a transaction, we will not be able to consummate such transaction which we believe to be in our best interests. Among other things, our regulators consider our capital, liquidity, profitability, regulatory compliance and levels of goodwill and intangibles when considering acquisition and expansion proposals. Other factors, such as economic conditions and legislative considerations, may also impede or prohibit our ability to expand our market presence. If we are not able to successfully grow our business, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Table of Contents
Competition Risks
Changes in interest rates and other pricing decisions by our competitors could affect our net income.
The Corporation originates, sells and services residential mortgage loans. Changes in interest rates and pricing decisions by our loan competitors affect demand for the Corporation's residential mortgage loan products, the revenue realized on the sale of loans and revenues received from servicing such loans for others, ultimately reducing the Corporation's net income.
The financial services industry is very competitive, especially in the Corporation’s market area, and such competition could affect our operating results.
The Corporation faces competition in attracting and retaining deposits, making loans, and providing other financial services such as trust and investment management services throughout the Corporation’s market area. The Corporation’s competitors include other community banks, larger banking institutions, trust companies and a wide range of other financial institutions such as credit unions, registered investment advisors, financial planning firms, leasing companies, government-sponsored enterprises, on-line banking enterprises, mutual fund companies, insurance companies and other non-bank businesses. Many of these competitors have substantially greater resources than the Corporation. This is especially evident in regard to advertising and public relations spending. For a more complete discussion of our competitive environment, see “General Development and Description of Our Business Competition” in Item 1 above. If the Corporation is unable to compete effectively, the Corporation may lose market share and income from deposits, loans, and other products may be reduced.
Additionally, increased competition among financial services companies due to consolidation of certain competing financial institutions and the conversion of certain investment banks to bank holding companies may adversely affect our ability to market our products and services.
Failure to meet customer expectations for technology-driven products and services could reduce demand for bank and wealth services.
Financial products and services have become increasingly technology-driven. Our ability to meet the needs of our customers competitively, and in a cost-efficient manner, is dependent on our ability to keep pace with technological advances and to invest in new technology as it becomes available. Many of our competitors have greater resources to invest in technology than we do and may be better equipped to market new technology-driven products and services. The ability to keep pace with technological change is important, and the failure to do so on our part could significantly reduce the number of new wealth and bank customers resulting in a material adverse impact on our business and therefore on our financial condition and results of operations.
Liquidity Risk
The capital and credit markets are volatile and could have a detrimental impact on our ability to raise additional capital in the future.
We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations and may need to raise additional capital in the future, whether in the form of debt or equity, to provide us with sufficient capital resources to meet our regulatory and business needs. We cannot assure you that such capital will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. The capital and credit markets periodically experience volatility. In some cases, the markets may produce downward pressure on stock prices and credit availability for certain issuers seemingly without regard to those issuers’ underlying financial strength. Market volatility may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and/or our ability to access capital. Several factors could cause the market price for our common stock to fluctuate substantially in the future, including without limitation:
• announcements of developments related to our business, any of our competitors or the financial services industry in general;
• fluctuations in our results of operations;
• sales of substantial amounts of our securities into the marketplace;
• general conditions in our markets or the worldwide economy;
• a shortfall in revenues or earnings compared to securities analysts’ expectations;
Table of Contents
• changes in analysts’ recommendations or projections;
• our announcement of new acquisitions or other projects; and
• compliance with regulatory changes.
If the Corporation is unable to generate sufficient additional capital though its earnings, or other sources, including sales of assets, and the Corporation is unable to raise additional capital on acceptable terms when needed, it would be necessary to slow earning asset growth and or pass up possible acquisition opportunities, which may result in a reduction of future net income growth and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If sufficient wholesale funding to support earning-asset growth is unavailable, the Corporation’s net income may decrease.
Management recognizes the need to grow both non-wholesale and wholesale funding sources to support earning asset growth and to provide appropriate liquidity. The Corporation’s asset growth over the past few years has been supplemented by various forms of wholesale funding which is defined as wholesale deposits (primarily wholesale certificates of deposit) and borrowed funds (Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (“FHLB”), Federal advances and Federal fund line borrowings). Wholesale funding at December 31, 2020 represented approximately 7.2% of total funding compared to 18.0% at December 31, 2019 and 17.1% at December 31, 2018. Wholesale funding is subject to certain practical limits such as the FHLB’s Maximum Borrowing Capacity and the Corporation’s liquidity targets. Additionally, regulators might consider wholesale funding beyond certain points to be imprudent and might suggest that future asset growth be reduced or halted.
In the absence of wholesale funding sources, the Corporation may need to reduce earning asset growth through the reduction of current production, sale of assets, and/or the participating out of future and current loans or leases. This in turn might reduce future net income of the Corporation.
The amount loaned to us is generally dependent on the value of the collateral pledged and the Corporation’s financial condition. These lenders could reduce the percentages loaned against various collateral categories, eliminate certain types of collateral and otherwise modify or even terminate their loan programs, particularly to the extent they are required to do so because of capital adequacy or other balance sheet concerns, or if disruptions in the capital markets occur. Any change or termination of our borrowings from the FHLB, the Federal Reserve or correspondent banks may have an adverse effect on our liquidity and profitability.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock, like many of our peers, has fluctuated significantly over the recent past and may fluctuate significantly in the future, which may make it difficult for you to resell your shares of common stock at times or at prices you find attractive.
Stock price volatility may make it difficult for holders of our common stock to resell their common stock when desired and at desirable prices. Our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors including, among other things:
• Inaccurate management decisions regarding the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired which could materially affect our financial condition;
• Natural disasters, fires, and severe weather;
• Failure of internal controls;
• Rumors or erroneous information;
• Reliance on other companies to provide key components of our business processes;
• Meeting capital adequacy standards and the need to raise additional capital in the future if needed, including through future sales of our common stock;
• Actual or anticipated variations in quarterly or annual results of operations;
• Recommendations by securities analysts;
• Failure of securities analysts to cover, or continue to cover, us;
• Operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us;
Table of Contents
• News reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in the financial services industry, including the failures of other financial institutions in the current economic downturn;
• Perceptions in the marketplace regarding us and/or our competitors;
• Departure of our management team or other key personnel;
• New technology used, or services offered, by competitors;
• Significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors;
• Failure to integrate acquisitions or realize anticipated benefits from acquisitions;
• Existing or increased regulatory and compliance requirements, changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations, or differing interpretations thereof affecting our business, or enforcement of these laws and regulations;
• Governmental investigations and actions;
• Changes in government regulations or restructuring of government sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac;
• New litigation or changes in existing litigation; and
• Geopolitical conditions such as acts or threats of terrorism or military conflicts.
General market fluctuations, industry factors and general economic and political conditions and events, such as economic slowdowns or recessions, interest rate changes or credit loss trends, could also cause our stock price to decrease regardless of operating results as evidenced by the current volatility and disruption of capital and credit markets.
We may reduce or discontinue the payment of dividends on common stock.
Our shareholders are only entitled to receive such dividends as our Board of Directors may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Although we currently pay quarterly dividends on our common stock, we are not required to do so and may reduce or eliminate our common stock dividend in the future. Our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders is subject to the restrictions set forth in Pennsylvania law, by the Federal Reserve, and by certain covenants contained in our subordinated debentures, and depends on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, debt service requirements, other cash needs and any other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant. Notification to the Federal Reserve is also required prior to our declaring and paying a cash dividend to our shareholders during any period in which our quarterly and/or cumulative twelve-month net earnings are insufficient to fund the dividend amount, among other requirements. We may not pay a dividend if the Federal Reserve objects or until such time as we receive approval from the Federal Reserve or we no longer need to provide notice under applicable regulations. In addition, we may be restricted by applicable law or regulation or actions taken by our regulators, now or in the future, from paying dividends to our shareholders. We cannot provide assurance that we will continue paying dividends on our common stock at current levels or at all. A reduction or discontinuance of dividends on our common stock could have a material adverse effect on our business, including the market price of our common stock.
Any decisions to suspend or discontinue our stock repurchase plan could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
Although BMBC has previously repurchased its common stock pursuant to stock repurchase programs, our stock repurchase plan may be suspended or discontinued at any time. A suspension or discontinuation of our stock repurchase plan could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Additionally, the existence of a stock repurchase program could cause the market price of our common stock to be higher than it would be in the absence of such a program and could potentially reduce the liquidity of our stock. As a result, any repurchase program may not ultimately result in enhanced value to our shareholders and may not prove to be the best use of our cash resources.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
The Corporation’s headquarters are located at 801 Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2020, the Corporation operates banking locations, including retirement home community locations, wealth management offices, insurance and risk management locations, and administrative offices in the following counties: Montgomery (12 leased, 4 owned),
Table of Contents
Chester (5 leased, 2 owned), Delaware (6 leased, 7 owned), Philadelphia (3 leased, 3 owned), and Dauphin (1 leased) Counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle County in Delaware (2 leased); and Mercer (2 leased) and Camden (1 leased) Counties in New Jersey. Management believes the current facilities are suitable for their present and intended purposes. For additional detail regarding our properties and equipment, See Note 6, “Premises and Equipment,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Business locations and hours are available on the Corporation’s website at www.bmt.com .
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The information required by this Item is set forth in the “Legal Matters” discussion in Note 25, “Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk, Contingencies and Concentration of Credit Risk,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is included in Item 8 of this Report, and which is incorporated herein by reference in response to this Item.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not Applicable.
Table of Contents
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The common stock of BMBC is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol BMTC. As of February 24, 2021, there were 799 holders of record of BMBC’s common stock. During 2020, the Corporation declared and paid quarterly cash dividends on shares of its common stock. The Corporation currently expects that it will continue to pay comparable quarterly cash dividends for the foreseeable future, subject to the limitations described in “Federal Reserve Board and Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities Regulation” at page 7.
• Comparison of Cumulative Total Return Chart
The following chart compares the yearly percentage change in the cumulative shareholder return on the Corporation’s common stock during the five years ended December 31, 2020, with (1) the Total Return of the NASDAQ Community Bank Index; (2) the Total Return of the NASDAQ Market Index; (3) the Total Return of the SNL Bank and Thrift Index; and (4) the Total Return of the SNL Mid-Atlantic Bank Index. This comparison assumes $100.00 was invested on December 31, 2015, in our common stock and the comparison groups and assumes the reinvestment of all cash dividends prior to any tax effect and retention of all stock dividends.
Table of Contents
Five Year Cumulative Return Summary
As of December 31,
Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation
NASDAQ Community Bank Index
NASDAQ Market Index
SNL Bank and Thrift
SNL Mid-Atlantic Bank
• Equity Compensation Plan Information
The information set forth under the caption “Equity Plan Compensation Information” in the 2021 Proxy Statement is incorporated by reference herein. Additional information regarding the Corporation’s equity compensation plans can be found at Note 21, “Stock-Based Compensation,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
• Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following tables present the repurchasing activity of the Corporation during the fourth quarter of 2020:
Shares Repurchased in the 4 th Quarter of 2020
Period
Total Number of Shares Purchased (1)(2)
Average Price Paid Per Share
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (3)
Maximum
Number of
Shares that
May Yet Be
Purchased
Under the Plan
or Programs
October 1, 2020 – October 31, 2020
November 1, 2020 – November 30, 2020
December 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
Total
(1) On December 31, 2020, 947 shares were purchased by the Corporation’s deferred compensation plans through open market transactions.
(2) Includes shares purchased to cover statutory tax withholding requirements on vested stock awards for certain officers of BMBC or Bank as follows: 656 shares on December 15, 2020 and 595 shares on December 27, 2020.
(3) On April 18, 2019, BMBC announced a new stock repurchase program (the “2019 Program”) pursuant to which the Corporation may repurchase up to 1,000,000 shares of BMBC's common stock. Under the 2019 Program, the Corporation may repurchase BMBC's common stock at any price, but the aggregate purchase price is not to exceed $45 million. No shares were repurchased during the three months ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the maximum number of shares remaining authorized for repurchase under the 2019 Program was 710,032, at an aggregate purchase price not to exceed $34.8 million.
Table of Contents
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Earnings
As of or for the Year Ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
Interest income
Interest expense
Net interest income
Provision for credit losses
Net interest income after provision for credit losses
Noninterest income
Noninterest expense
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
Net income
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
Net income attributable to Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation
Per Share Data
Weighted-average shares outstanding
Dilutive potential common stock
Adjusted weighted-average shares
Earnings per common share:
Basic
Diluted
Dividends paid or accrued
Dividends paid or accrued per share to net income per basic common share
Shares outstanding at year end
Book value per share
Tangible book value per share
Profitability Ratios
Tax-equivalent net interest margin
Return on average assets
Return on average equity
Noninterest expense to net interest income and noninterest income
Noninterest income to net interest income and noninterest income
Average equity to average total assets
Financial Condition
Total assets
Total liabilities
Total shareholders’ equity
Interest-earning assets
Portfolio loans and leases
Investment securities
Goodwill
Intangible assets
Deposits
Borrowings
Wealth assets under management, administration, supervision and brokerage
Capital Ratios
Tier I leverage ratio (Tier I capital to total quarterly average assets)
Tier I capital to risk weighted assets
Total regulatory capital to risk weighted assets
Asset quality
ACL as a percentage of portfolio loans and leases
Non-performing loans and leases as a % of portfolio loans and leases
Table of Contents
Information related to business combinations and accounting changes may be found under the caption “Nature of Business” at Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” and Note 2, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements,” respectively, in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Table of Contents
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OPERATIONS (“MD&A”)
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Brief History of the Corporation
The Bryn Mawr Trust Company (the “Bank”) received its Pennsylvania banking charter in 1889 and is a member of the Federal Reserve System. In 1986, Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (“BMBC”) was formed and on January 2, 1987, the Bank became a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMBC. The Bank and BMBC are headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a western suburb of Philadelphia. BMBC and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Corporation”) offer a full range of personal and business banking services, consumer and commercial loans, equipment leasing, mortgages, insurance and wealth management services, including investment management, trust and estate administration, retirement planning, custody services, and tax planning and preparation from 41 banking locations, seven wealth management offices and two insurance and risk management locations in the following counties: Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, and Dauphin Counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle County in Delaware; and Mercer and Camden Counties in New Jersey. The common stock of BMBC trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol BMTC.
The Corporation operates in a highly competitive market area that includes local, national and regional banks as competitors along with savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, trust companies, registered investment advisors and mutual fund families. BMBC and its subsidiaries are regulated by many agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), NASDAQ, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (the “Department of Banking”). The goal of the Corporation is to become the preeminent community bank and wealth management organization in the Philadelphia area.
Since January 1, 2010, the Corporation has completed ten acquisitions:
• Domenick & Associates (“Domenick”) - May 1, 2018
• Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania, Inc. (“RBPI”) - December 15, 2017 (the “RBPI Merger”)
• Harry R. Hirshorn & Company, Inc. (“Hirshorn”) - May 24, 2017
• Robert J. McAllister Agency, Inc. (“RJM”) - April 1, 2015
• Continental Bank Holdings, Inc. (“CBH”) - January 1, 2015 (the CBH Merger)
• Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc. (“PCPB”) - October 1, 2014
• First Bank of Delaware (“FBD”) - November 17, 2012
• Davidson Trust Company (“DTC”) - May 15, 2012
• The Private Wealth Management Group of the Hershey Trust Company (“PWMG”) - May 11, 2011
• First Keystone Financial, Inc. (“FKB”) - July 1, 2010
For a more complete discussion regarding certain of these acquisitions, see Item 1 – “General Development and Description of Our Business – Growth through Acquisitions” beginning at page 3 in this Form 10-K.
Results of Operations
The following is management’s discussion and analysis of the significant changes in the financial condition, results of operations, capital resources and liquidity presented in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The Corporation’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations are comprised primarily of the Bank’s financial condition and results of operations. Current performance does not guarantee, and may not be indicative of, similar performance in the future. For more information on the factors that could affect performance, see “Special Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements” immediately following the index at the beginning of this document.
The geographic information required by Item 101(d) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is impracticable for the Corporation to calculate; however, the Corporation does not believe that a material amount of revenue in any of the last three years was attributable to customers outside of the United States, nor does it believe that a material amount of its long-lived assets, in any of the past three years, was located outside of the United States.
Table of Contents
Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates
The accounting and reporting policies of the Corporation conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation and certain reclassifications are made when necessary in order to conform the previous years' consolidated financial statements to the current year's presentation. In preparing the Consolidated Financial Statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities as of the dates of the balance sheets and revenues and expenditures for the periods presented. Therefore, actual results could differ from these estimates.
The Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”) on Loans and Leases
On January 1, 2020, ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326 - Credit Losses), commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) became effective for the Corporation. CECL has changed the way we estimate credit losses for loans and leases, including off-balance sheet (“OBS”) credit exposures for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2020. For more information regarding the CECL standard, see Note 2, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Ann ual Report on Form 10-K.
The ACL on loans and leases represents management’s estimate of all expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of our existing portfolio loans and leases. Determining the appropriateness of the ACL on loans and leases is complex and requires judgment by management about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Subsequent evaluations of the then-existing loan portfolio, in light of the factors then prevailing, may result in significant changes in the ACL on loans and leases in those future periods.
The provision for credit loss recorded through earnings is the amount necessary to maintain the ACL on loans and leases at the amount of expected credit losses within the loans and leases portfolio. The amount of expense and the corresponding level of ACL on loans and leases are based on management’s evaluation of the collectability of the loan and lease portfolio based on historical loss experience, reasonable and supportable forecasts, and other significant qualitative and quantitative factors not captured in the historical loss experience. The ACL on loans and leases, as reported in our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition, is adjusted by an expense for credit losses, which is recognized in earnings, and reduced by the charge-off of loan and lease amounts, net of recoveries. For further information on the ACL on loans and leases, see Note 5 - Loans and Leases in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Management employs a disciplined process and methodology to establish the ACL on loans and leases that has two basic components: first, a collective (pooled) component for estimated expected credit losses for pools of loans and leases that share similar risk characteristics; and second, an asset-specific component involving individual loans and leases that do not share risk characteristics with other loans and leases and the measurement of expected credit losses for such individual loans.
Based upon this methodology, management establishes an asset-specific ACL on loans and leases that do not share risk characteristics with other loans and leases, which generally include nonaccrual loans and leases, TDRs, and PCD loans. The asset-specific ACL is based on the amount of expected credit losses calculated on those loans and leases and amounts determined to be uncollectible are charged off. Factors we consider in measuring the extent of expected credit loss include payment status, collateral value, borrower financial condition, guarantor support and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due.
When a loan or lease does not share risk characteristics with other loans or leases, they are individually evaluated for expected credit loss. For loans and leases that are not collateral-dependent, management measures expected credit loss as the difference between the amortized cost basis in the loan and the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate. For collateral-dependent loans and leases, expected credit loss is measured as the difference between the amortized cost basis in the loan and the fair value of the underlying collateral. The fair value of the collateral is adjusted for the estimated cost to sell if repayment or satisfaction of a loan is dependent on the sale (rather than only on the operation) of the collateral. If the calculated expected credit loss is determined to be permanent, fixed or nonrecoverable, the credit loss portion of the loan will be charged off against the ACL on loans and leases. Loans and leases designated as having significantly increased credit risk are generally placed on nonaccrual and remain in that status until all principal and interest payments are current and the prospects for future payments in accordance with the loan agreement are reasonably assured, at which point the loan is returned to accrual status.
In estimating the component of the ACL on loans and leases that share common risk characteristics, loans and leases are segregated into portfolio segments based on federal call report codes which classify loans and leases based on the primary collateral supporting the loan and lease. Methods utilized by management to estimate expected credit losses include 1) a
Table of Contents
discounted cash flow (“DCF”) methodology that discounts instrument-level contractual cash flows, adjusted for prepayments and curtailments, incorporating loss expectations, and 2) a weighted average remaining maturity (“WARM”) methodology which contemplates expected losses at a pool-level, utilizing historic loss information.
Under both methodologies, management estimates the ACL on loans and leases using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. After the end of the reasonable and supportable forecast period, the loss rates revert to the long-term mean loss rate, or in the case of an input-driven predictive method, the long-term mean of the input, using a reversion period where applicable. Historical credit loss experience, including examination of loss experience at representative peer institutions when the Corporation’s own loss history does not result in estimations that are meaningful to users of the Corporation’s Consolidated Financial Statements, provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are considered for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics such as differences in underwriting standards, portfolio mix, delinquency level, or term as well as for changes in environmental conditions, such as changes in unemployment rates, property values, or other relevant factors.
The DCF methodology uses inputs of current and forecasted macroeconomic indicators to predict future loss rates. The current macroeconomic indicator utilized by the bank is the Pennsylvania unemployment rate. In building the CECL model, a correlation between this indicator and historic loss levels was developed, enabling a prediction of future loss rates related to future Pennsylvania unemployment rates. The portfolio segments utilizing the DCF methodology as of December 31, 2020 included: CRE - owner-occupied and nonowner-occupied loans, home equity lines of credit, residential mortgages (first and junior liens), construction loans and consumer loans.
The WARM methodology uses combined historic loss rates for the Bank and peer institutions, if necessary, gathered from Call Report filings. The selected period for which historic loss rates are used is dependent on management's evaluation of current conditions and expectations of future loss conditions. The portfolio segments utilizing the WARM methodology as of December 31, 2020 included leases and Commercial & Industrial loans.
Impact of COVID-19
In the first quarter of 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in authorities implementing numerous measures attempting to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19. Our banking products and services are delivered primarily in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern and Central New Jersey, and Delaware, each of which had a stay at home order in place and had closed all non-essential businesses during a period of the second quarter of 2020.
To address the economic impact in the U.S., in March and April 2020, the President signed into law four economic stimulus packages to provide relief to businesses and individuals, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). Among other measures, the CARES Act created funding for the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which provides loans to small businesses to keep their employees on payroll and make other eligible payments. The original funding for the PPP was fully allocated by mid-April 2020, with additional funding made available on April 24, 2020 under the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.
On April 9, 2020, the Federal Reserve took additional steps to bolster the economy by providing additional funding sources for small and mid-sized businesses as well as for state and local governments as they work through cash flow stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Federal Reserve has taken other steps to provide fiscal and monetary stimuli, including reducing the federal funds rate and the interest rate on the Federal Reserve’s discount window, and implementing programs to promote liquidity in certain securities markets. The Federal Reserve, along with other U.S. banking regulators, has also issued interagency guidance to financial institutions that are working with borrowers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We participated in the PPP and during the second quarter of 2020 originated 1,866 loans with a recorded investment of $307.9 million. Recognizing the significance of operational risk that this portfolio posed, and the continued complexity and uncertainty surrounding evolving regulatory pronouncements regarding various aspects of the PPP, management reviewed several options for continued servicing of the PPP loan portfolio through forgiveness and beyond. After thoughtful consideration, management decided that it was in the best interests of both the Bank and our PPP borrowers that the loans be serviced by an organization that has the servicing infrastructure in place to support the significant volume and short timeframe involved in the complex and evolving PPP forgiveness process. In that regard, in late June 2020 the Bank sold substantially all of its PPP loans to The Loan Source, Inc., which, together with its servicing partner, ACAP SME, LLC, have taken over the forgiveness and ongoing servicing process for the PPP loans. In connection with the sale, the Corporation recognized a $2.4 million gain on the sale of
Table of Contents
approximately $292.1 million of PPP loans in the second quarter of 2020. The remaining loans within the Bank's PPP portfolio were sold in the third quarter of 2020 and did not result in a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Also, the Corporation recognized $1.8 million of net deferred PPP loan origination fees during the second quarter of 2020, which is included within interest and fees on loans and leases on the Consolidated Statement of Income for the year ended December 31, 2020.
To provide relief from the economic impacts of COVID-19, the Corporation has offered assistance to our commercial, consumer and small business clients by waiving fees for early CD redemptions, overdrafts, and minimum deposit balance requirements, as well as implemented consumer and commercial loan modification programs.
The Corporation’s modification program for consumer credit products includes a six-month deferral of principal and interest, with interest continuing to accrue on unpaid principal. Upon completion of the deferral period, resumed payments will be applied to the interest accrued during the deferral period, followed by principal and interest payments through the extended maturity date. As of December 31, 2020, 66 consumer loans in the amount of $7.3 million were within a deferral period under the program. Management is taking proactive measures and is working prudently with borrowers who may be unable to meet their obligations due to continuing financial challenges caused by COVID-19. As a result, the Bank may enter into an additional modification in an effort to mitigate losses for the Bank and the borrower.
The Corporation’s modification programs for commercial loan and lease products include a three- or six-month deferral of principal and interest or a three- or six-month period of interest-only payments, with interest continuing to accrue on unpaid principal. Upon completion of the deferral period, resumed payments will be applied to the interest accrued during the deferral period, followed by principal and interest payments through the contractual maturity date. As of December 31, 2020, 37 commercial loans and leases in the amount of $67.7 million were within a deferral period under the program, of which $59.0 million, or 87.2% of deferred commercial loans, continue to make interest-only payments. Management is taking proactive measures and is working prudently with borrowers who may be unable to meet their obligations due to continuing financial challenges caused by COVID-19. As a result, the Bank may enter into an additional modification in an effort to mitigate losses for the Bank and the borrower.
Based on the provisions of the CARES Act, COVID-19 related modifications to consumer and commercial loans that were not more than 30 days past due as of December 31, 2019 are exempt from TDR classification under GAAP. In addition, the bank regulatory agencies issued interagency guidance stating that COVID-19 related short-term modifications (i.e., six months or less) granted to consumer or commercial loans that were less than 30 days past due as of the loan modification program implementation date are not considered TDRs. For more information, see Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 5 –Loans and Leases to the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
As discussed in more detail below, we recorded an increase in PCL and ACL on loans and leases, both of which were driven by the current and forward-looking adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the high degree of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the full extent of COVID-19’s effects on our business, operations or the economy as a whole are not yet known. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a complex and significant adverse impact on the economy, the banking industry and the Corporation in future fiscal periods. For more information on how the risks related to COVID-19 may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, see Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Executive Overview
The following Executive Overview provides a summary-level review of the results of operation for 2020 compared to 2019 and 2019 compared to 2018 as well as a comparison of the December 31, 2020 balance sheet to the December 31, 2019 balance sheet. More detailed information regarding these comparisons can be found in the sections that follow.
2020 Compared to 2019
Income Statement
The Corporation reported net income attributable to Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation of $32.6 million, or $1.63 diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2020, a decrease of $26.6 million and $1.30, respectively, as compared to net income attributable to Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation of $59.2 million, or $2.93 diluted earnings per share, for the year ended
Table of Contents
December 31, 2019. Return on average equity (“ROE”) and return on average assets (“ROA”) for the year ended December 31, 2020, were 5.34% and 0.64%, respectively, as compared to 10.05% and 1.26%, respectively, for the same period in 2019. The decrease in net income was primarily due to a $33.1 million increase in provision for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019. Also contributing to the decrease in net income were decreases in net interest income and noninterest income of $3.9 million and $213 thousand, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $6.8 million and $3.7 million in income tax expense and noninterest expense, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.
Tax-equivalent net interest income of $144.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $3.9 million as compared to $148.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to decreases of $22.5 million and $2.9 million in interest income on tax-equivalent interest and fees on loans and leases and tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $18.9 million and $2.1 million in interest expense on interest-bearing deposits and short-term borrowings, respectively.
The Provision for credit losses (the “Provision”), which includes the provision for credit losses on loans and leases, off-balance sheet credit exposures, and accrued interest receivable on COVID-19 deferrals was $41.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as calculated under the CECL framework. This was an increase of $33.1 million as compared to a Provision of $8.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 as calculated in accordance with previously-applicable GAAP. The increase in Provision was primarily driven by the adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the Corporation’s adoption of CECL effective January 1, 2020.
Noninterest income of $82.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $213 thousand, or 0.3%, as compared to $82.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Decreases of $2.1 million, $1.8 million, $966 thousand, $560 thousand, and $506 thousand in other operating income, capital markets revenue, insurance commissions, loan servicing and other fees, and service charges on deposits, respectively, in 2020 were partially offset by increases of $3.4 million and $2.3 million in net gain on sale of loans and net gain on sale of long-lived assets, respectively. The increase in net gain on sale of loans was driven by a $2.4 million gain on the sale of approximately $292.1 million of PPP loans in the second quarter of 2020. A $2.3 million gain on sale of long-lived assets was recognized in the fourth quarter of 2020 in connection with the sale of owned office space.
Noninterest expense of $142.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $3.7 million, or 2.5%, as compared to $146.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to decreases of $5.5 million, $1.5 million, and $851 thousand in salaries and wages, Pennsylvania bank shares tax, and employee benefits, respectively, as compared to 2019. The decreases in salaries and wages and employee benefits was largely driven by the $4.5 million one-time expense from the voluntary Years of Service Incentive Program (the “Incentive Program”) adopted by the Corporation during the first quarter of 2019, which offered certain benefits to eligible employees who met the Incentive Program requirements and voluntarily exited from service with the Corporation during 2019, and, to a lesser extent, reduced headcount. The decrease in Pennsylvania bank shares tax in 2020 was driven by an increase in tax credits and refunds recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 in connection with contributions to qualified organizations under Pennsylvania tax credit programs. These decreases were partially offset by a $2.1 million increase in other operating expenses, as well as a $1.6 million impairment charge of long-lived assets recognized in the fourth quarter of 2020 related to a planned branch closure.
Balance Sheet
Total portfolio loans and leases of $3.63 billion as of December 31, 2020 decreased $60.9 million, or 1.7%, from December 31, 2019. Decreases of $85.3 million, $54.9 million, $40.9 million, $17.6 million, $13.0 million and $12.7 million in residential mortgage 1st liens, home equity lines of credit, construction loans, consumer loans, residential mortgage 2nd liens and leases, respectively, were partially offset by increases of $98.4 million, $50.9 million and $14.2 million in nonowner-occupied commercial real estate loans, owner-occupied commercial real estate loans and Commercial & Industrial loans, respectively. In conjunction with the adoption of CECL, the Corporation has revised its portfolio segmentation to align with the methodology applied in determining the ACL for loans and leases under CECL, which is based on federal call report codes which classify loans based on the primary collateral supporting the loan. Portfolio segmentation prior to the adoption of CECL was based on product type or purpose. As such, certain reclassifications were made to conform previous years to the current year's presentation.
The ACL on loans and leases was $22.6 million as of December 31, 2019. Effective January 1, 2020, the Corporation adopted CECL and recognized an increase in the ACL on loans and leases of approximately $3.2 million, as a cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle, with a corresponding decrease, net of tax, in retained earnings. The ACL on loans and leases was $53.7 million as of December 31, 2020, an increase of $31.1 million as compared to December 31, 2019. The significant increase was driven by the current and forward-looking adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic included in the
Table of Contents
estimation of expected credit losses on loans and leases as of December 31, 2020 as compared to our initial adoption of CECL. While the ACL on loans and leases increased, asset quality as of December 31, 2020 remained stable, with nonperforming loans and leases comprising 0.15% of portfolio loans and leases as compared to 0.29% of portfolio loans and leases as of December 31, 2019.
Investment securities available for sale of $1.17 billion as of December 31, 2020 increased $169.0 million, or 16.8%, from $1.01 billion as of December 31, 2019. Increases of $94.4 million, $87.9 million, and $11.4 million in collateralized loan obligations, mortgage-backed securities, and corporate bonds, respectively, were partially offset by decreases of $12.6 million and $8.9 million in collateralized mortgage obligations and U.S. Government and agency securities, respectively.
Total deposits of $4.38 billion as of December 31, 2020 increased $534.0 million, or 13.9%, from $3.84 billion as of December 31, 2019. Increases of $503.7 million, $97.1 million, $62.0 million, and $57.1 million in noninterest bearing deposits, wholesale non-maturity deposits, savings accounts, and money market accounts, respectively, were offset by decreases of $73.6 million, $59.1 million, and $53.2 million in retail time deposits, interest-bearing demand accounts, and wholesale time deposits, respectively. The increase in noninterest bearing deposits was primarily due to the Bank's PPP loan customers depositing loan funds into Bank deposit accounts during the second quarter of 2020.
Wealth Assets
Wealth assets under management, administration, supervision and brokerage of $18.98 billion as of December 31, 2020
increased $2.43 billion, or 14.68%, from $16.55 billion as of December 31, 2019. Wealth assets consisted of $11.86 billion of wealth assets where fees are set at fixed amounts and $7.12 billion of wealth assets where fees are predominantly determined based on the market value of the assets held in their accounts as of December 31, 2020, increases of $2.28 billion and $144.5 million, respectively, from December 31, 2019.
Other Matters
Crusader Servicing Corporation (“Crusader”), which was an 80% owned subsidiary of Royal Bank America that was acquired by the Bank in the RBPI Merger, along with the Bank as successor-in-interest to Royal Bank America, are defendants in the case captioned Snyder v. Crusader Servicing Corporation et al., Case No. 2007-01027, in the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The case involves claims brought by a former Crusader shareholder in 2007 against Crusader, its former directors and remaining shareholders related, among other things, to a purportedfailure to pay amounts allegedly due to Snyder for his shares of Crusader stock. On May 1, 2019, the Court rendered a decision in favor of Snyder and ordered Crusader to pay Snyder the amount of $2,190,000 plus interest at the rate of 6% from December 1, 2006. The matter was appealed, and on March 18, 2020, the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania returned an opinion reversing in part and affirming in part the trial court's judgment. The effect of this was to vacate the initial judgment awarded by the trial court, and instead to require an appraisal process in accordance with Crusader's Shareholders' Agreement to determine the value of Mr. Snyder's shares. The parties anticipate the appraisal to commence within the coming months. We do not believe that this ruling and any monetary award ultimately payable by Crusader will be material to the consolidated financial position, consolidated results of operations or consolidated cash flows of the Corporation.
2019 Compared to 2018
Income Statement
The Corporation reported net income attributable to Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation of $59.2 million, or $2.93 diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2019, a decrease of $4.6 million and $0.20, respectively, as compared to net income attributable to Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation of $63.8 million, or $3.13 diluted earnings per share, for the year ended December 31, 2018. ROE and ROA for the year ended December 31, 2019 were 10.05% and 1.26%, respectively, as compared to 11.78% and 1.47%, respectively, for the same period in 2018. Contributing to the net income decrease was a decrease of $1.8 million in net interest income and increases of $6.2 million, $1.4 million, and $1.3 million in noninterest expense, income tax expense, and Provision, respectively, offset by a $6.2 million increase in noninterest income.
Tax-equivalent net interest income of $148.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased $1.8 million as compared to $149.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The decrease was primarily due to a $15.4 million increase in interest expense on interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by increases of $9.8 million and $2.2 million in interest income on tax-equivalent interest and fees on loans and leases and tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities, respectively, and decreases of $708 thousand and $600 thousand in interest expense on long-term FHLB advances and short-term borrowings, respectively.
Table of Contents
The Provision of $8.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $1.5 million as compared to $7.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The primary driver for the increased Provision was the $262.2 million increase in portfolio loans during the twelve month period ended December 31, 2019, as compared to the $141.3 million increase in portfolio loans during the same period in 2018.
Noninterest income of $82.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $6.2 million, or 8.2%, as compared to $76.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to increases of $6.4 million and $2.1 million in capital markets revenue and fees for wealth management services, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $1.3 million and $941 thousand in other operating income and net gain on sale of loans, respectively. The increase in capital markets revenue was primarily due to increased volume and size of interest rate swap transactions with commercial loan customers for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2018 driven by the continued organic growth of our capital markets group. The increase in fees for wealth management services was primarily related to the $3.12 billion increase in wealth assets under management, administration, supervision and brokerage from $13.43 billion at December 31, 2018 to $16.55 billion at December 31, 2019, and was comprised of a $1.7 million increase from accounts whose fees are charged on a flat or fixed basis, primarily due to a $1.91 billion increase in fixed rate flat-fee account balances, and a $328 thousand increase in fees derived from market-value based fee accounts. The decrease in other operating income was primarily due to the $4.3 million decrease in recoveries of purchase accounting fair value marks resulting from the pay off of purchased credit impaired loans acquired in the RBPI Merger, partially offset by increases of $1.5 million and $1.2 million in gain on trading investments and miscellaneous other income, respectively.
Noninterest expense of $146.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $6.0 million, or 4.3%, as compared to $140.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to a $7.7 million increase in salaries and wages, largely driven by a pre-tax, non-recurring, charge of $4.5 million related to the Incentive Program recognized during the first quarter of 2019, and to a lesser extent, additional recruiting efforts and increases in our incentive accruals. Also contributing to the increase were increases of $1.4 million, $1.3 million, $1.2 million and $992 thousand in other operating expenses, furniture, fixtures and equipment expenses, professional fees, and occupancy and bank premises expenses, respectively. Partially offsetting these increases in noninterest expense was a decrease of $7.8 million in due diligence, merger-related and merger integration expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the same period in 2018.
Table of Contents
Components of Net Income
Net income is comprised of five major elements:
• Net Interest Income, or the difference between the interest income earned on loans, leases and investments and the interest expense paid on deposits and borrowed funds;
• Provision for Credit Losses , or changes in the ACL on loans and leases, off-balance sheet credit exposures, and other financial assets measured at amortized cost;
• Noninterest Income , which is made up primarily of wealth management revenue, capital markets revenue, gains and losses from the sale of residential mortgage loans, gains and losses from the sale of available for sale investment securities and other fees from loan and deposit services;
• Noninterest Expense , which consists primarily of salaries and employee benefits, occupancy, intangible asset amortization, professional fees, due diligence, merger-related and merger integration expenses, and other operating expenses; and
• Income Tax Expense, which include state and federal jurisdictions.
Net Interest Income
Rate/Volume Analyses (Tax-equivalent Basis) (1)
The rate volume analysis in the table below analyzes dollar changes in the components of interest income and interest expense as they relate to the change in average balances (volume) and the change in average interest rates (rate) of tax-equivalent net interest income for the years 2020 as compared to 2019, and 2019 as compared to 2018. The change in interest income / expense due to both volume and rate has been allocated to changes due to volume.
Year Ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
2020 Compared to 2019
2019 Compared to 2018
increase/(decrease)
Volume
Rate
Total
Volume
Rate
Total
Interest income:
Interest-bearing deposits with banks
Investment securities – taxable
Investment securities – nontaxable
Loans and leases
Total interest income
Interest expense:
Savings, NOW and market rate accounts
Wholesale deposits
Retail time deposits
Borrowed funds – short-term
Borrowed funds – long-term
Subordinated notes
Junior subordinated debentures
Total interest expense
Interest differential
(1) The tax rate used in the calculation of the tax-equivalent income is 21%.
Table of Contents
Analysis of Interest Rates and Interest Differential
The table below presents the major asset and liability categories on an average daily basis for the periods presented, along with tax-equivalent interest income and expense and key rates and yields:
For the Year Ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
Average
Balance
Interest
Income/
Expense
Average
Rates
Earned/
Paid
Average
Balance
Interest
Income/
Expense
Average
Rates
Earned/
Paid
Average
Balance
Interest
Income/
Expense
Average
Rates
Earned/
Paid
Assets:
Interest-bearing deposits with banks
Investment securities - available for sale:
Taxable
Tax –Exempt
Total investment securities – available for sale
Investment securities – held to maturity
Investment securities – trading
Loans and leases (1)(2)(3)
Total interest-earning assets
Cash and due from banks
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities:
Savings, NOW, and market rate accounts
Wholesale deposits
Time deposits
Total interest-bearing deposits
Short-term borrowings
Long-term FHLB advances
Subordinated notes
Junior subordinated debt
Total interest-bearing liabilities
Noninterest-bearing deposits
Other liabilities
Total noninterest-bearing liabilities
Total liabilities
Shareholders’ equity
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Net interest spread
Effect of noninterest-bearing sources
Net interest income/margin on earning assets
Tax-equivalent adjustment (4)
Table of Contents
(1) Non-accrual loans have been included in average loan balances, but interest on non-accrual loans has not been included for purposes of determining interest income.
(2) Includes portfolio loans and leases and loans held for sale.
(3) Interest on loans and leases includes deferred fees of $1.1 million, $2.3 million and $1.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
(4) Tax rate used for tax-equivalent calculations is 21%.
Tax-Equivalent Net Interest Income and Margin – 2020 Compared to 2019
Tax-equivalent net interest income of $144.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $3.9 million as compared to $148.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Tax-equivalent net interest margin of 3.16% for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased 39 basis points as compared to 3.55% for the year ended December 31, 2019. These decreases were primarily driven by the 90 basis point decrease in tax-equivalent yield on average loans and leases partially offset by the 71 basis point decrease in the rate paid on interest-bearing deposits for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Tax-equivalent interest and fees on loans and leases of $156.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $22.5 million as compared to $178.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The tax-equivalent yield on average loans and leases for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 4.16%, a 90 basis point decrease as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. The effect of the decrease in the tax-equivalent yield was partially offset by an increase of $225.2 million in average loans and leases for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities of $11.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $2.9 million as compared to $14.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The tax-equivalent yield on average available for sale investment securities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 1.94%, a 50 basis point decrease as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Average available for sale investment securities for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $5.2 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Partially offsetting the decreases in tax-equivalent interest and fees earned on loans and leases and tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities were decreases in interest expense on interest-bearing deposits and interest expense on short-term borrowings.
Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits of $17.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $18.9 million as compared to $35.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The rate paid on average interest-bearing deposits for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 0.59%, a 71 basis point decrease as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Average interest-bearing deposits for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased $108.4 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Interest expense on short-term borrowings of $702 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $2.1 million as compared to $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a $45.6 million decrease in average short-term borrowings for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, coupled with a 132 basis point decrease in the rate paid for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Tax-Equivalent Net Interest Income and Margin – 2019 Compared to 2018
Tax-equivalent net interest income of $148.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased $1.8 million as compared to $149.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Tax-equivalent net interest margin of 3.55% for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased 25 basis points as compared to 3.80% for the year ended December 31, 2018. These decreases were primarily driven by the 48 basis point increase in the rate paid on interest-bearing deposits for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2018.
Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits of $35.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $15.4 million as compared to $20.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to a 48 basis point increase in the rate paid on interest-bearing deposits for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase in rate paid was related to the competitive dynamics in the markets in which we operate during the year ended 2019 and certain promotional interest rates offered during the first and second quarters of 2019. A $254.9 million increase in average interest-bearing deposits also contributed to the increase in interest expense on deposits.
Table of Contents
Partially offsetting the effect on net interest income associated with the increase in average balances and rates paid on interest-bearing deposits were increases in interest income on tax-equivalent interest and fees on loans and leases and tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities, and decreases in interest expense on long-term FHLB advances and short-term borrowings.
Tax-equivalent interest and fees on loans and leases of $178.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $9.8 million as compared to $169.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Average loans and leases for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $177.4 million from the same period in 2018 and experienced a two basis point increase in tax-equivalent yield. The increase in average loans and leases was primarily related to organic loan and lease growth between the periods.
Tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities of $14.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $2.2 million as compared to $11.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Average available for sale investment securities for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $44.0 million from the same period in 2018 and experienced a 21 basis point increase in tax-equivalent yield.
Interest expense on long-term FHLB advances of $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased $708 thousand as compared to $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Average long-term FHLB advances decreased $41.8 million, offset by a 17 basis point increase in the rate paid for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the same period in 2018.
Interest expense on short-term borrowings of $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased $600 thousand as compared to $3.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Average short-term borrowings decreased $49.1 million, offset by a 26 basis point increase in the rate paid for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the same period in 2018.
Tax-Equivalent Net Interest Margin – Quarterly Comparison
The tax-equivalent net interest margin and related components for the past five quarters are shown in the table below:
Quarter
Year
Earning-Asset
Yield
Interest-
Bearing
Liability Cost
Net Interest
Spread
Effect of Non-
Interest-
Bearing Sources
Tax-Equivalent
Net Interest
Margin
Interest Rate Sensitivity
Management actively manages the Corporation’s interest rate sensitivity position. The objectives of interest rate risk management are to control exposure of net interest income changes associated with interest rate movements and to achieve sustainable growth in net interest income. The Corporation’s Asset Liability Committee (“ALCO”), using policies approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors, is responsible for the management of the Corporation’s interest rate sensitivity position. The Corporation manages interest rate sensitivity by changing the mix, pricing and re-pricing characteristics of its assets and liabilities. This is accomplished through the management of the investment portfolio, the pricings of loans and deposit offerings and through wholesale funding. Wholesale funding is available from multiple sources including borrowings from the FHLB, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s discount window, federal funds from correspondent banks, certificates of deposit from institutional brokers, Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”), Insured Network Deposit (“IND”) Program, and Insured Cash Sweep (“ICS”).
Management utilizes several tools to measure the effect of interest rate risk on net interest income. These methods include gap analysis, market value of portfolio equity analysis, and net interest income simulations under various scenarios. The results of these analyses are compared to limits established by the Corporation’s ALCO policies and make adjustments as appropriate if the results are outside the established limits.
Table of Contents
The below table demonstrates the annualized result of an interest rate simulation and the estimated effect that a parallel interest rate shift, or “shock”, in the yield curve and subjective adjustments in deposit pricing, might have on management’s projected net interest income over the next 12 months.
This simulation assumes that there is no growth in interest-earning assets or interest-bearing liabilities over the next twelve months. By definition, the simulation assumes static interest rates and does not incorporate forecasted changes in the yield curve. The changes to net interest income shown below are in compliance with the Corporation’s policy guidelines.
Summary of Interest Rate Simulation
Change in Net Interest Income Over the Twelve Months Beginning After December 31, 2020
Change in Net Interest Income Over the Twelve Months Beginning After December 31, 2019
(dollars in thousands)
Amount
Percentage
Amount
Percentage
+300 basis points
+200 basis points
+100 basis points
-100 basis points
The above interest rate simulation suggests that the Corporation’s balance sheet is asset sensitive as of December 31, 2020 in the +100 basis point scenario, demonstrating that a 100 basis point increase in interest rates would have a positive impact on net interest income over the next 12 months. The balance sheet is more asset sensitive in a rising-rate environment as of December 31, 2020 than it was as of December 31, 2019. The increase was related to an increase of variable rate assets and non-interest bearing liabilities as of December 31, 2020 as compared to December 31, 2019. The decrease in the loss in the -100 basis point scenario is related to floor rates on loans and non-maturity deposit rates having limited room to reprice lower.
The interest rate simulation is an estimate based on assumptions, which are derived from past behavior of customers, along with expectations of future behavior relative to interest rate changes. In today’s economic environment and emerging from an extended period of very low interest rates, the reliability of management’s assumptions in the interest rate simulation model is more uncertain than in prior years. Actual customer behavior, as it relates to deposit activity, may be significantly different than expected behavior, which could cause an unexpected outcome and may result in lower net interest income than that derived from the analysis referenced above.
Gap Analysis
The interest sensitivity, or gap analysis, identifies interest rate risk by showing repricing gaps in the Corporation’s balance sheet. All assets and liabilities are reflected based on behavioral sensitivity, which is usually the earliest of: repricing, maturity, contractual amortization, prepayments or likely call dates. Non-maturity deposits, such as NOW, savings and money market accounts are spread over various time periods based on the expected sensitivity of these rates considering liquidity. Non-rate-sensitive assets and liabilities are spread over time periods to reflect management’s view of the maturity of these funds.
Non-maturity deposits (demand deposits in particular) are recognized by the industry to have different sensitivities to interest rate environments. Consequently, it is an accepted practice to spread non-maturity deposits over defined time periods to capture that sensitivity. Commercial demand deposits are often in the form of compensating balances, and fluctuate inversely to the level of interest rates; the maturity of these deposits is reported as having a shorter life than typical retail demand deposits. Additionally, the industry practice has suggested distribution limits for non-maturity deposits. However, management has taken a more conservative approach than these limits would suggest by forecasting these deposit types with a shorter maturity. These assumptions are also reflected in the above interest rate simulation.
Table of Contents
The following table presents the Corporation’s gap analysis as of as of December 31, 2020:
(dollars in millions)
Days
Days
Years
Over
5 Years
Non-Rate
Sensitive
Total
Assets:
Interest-bearing deposits with banks
Investment securities (1)
Loans and leases (2)
ACL on loans and leases
Cash and due from banks
Operating lease right-of-use assets
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity:
Demand, noninterest-bearing
Savings, NOW and market rate
Time deposits
Wholesale non-maturity deposits
Wholesale time deposits
Short-term borrowings
Long-term FHLB advances
Subordinated notes
Junior subordinated debentures
Operating lease liabilities
Other liabilities
Shareholders’ equity
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Interest-earning assets
Interest-bearing liabilities
Difference between interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities
Cumulative difference between interest earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities
Cumulative earning assets as a % of cumulative interest-bearing liabilities
(1) Investment securities include available for sale, held to maturity and trading.
(2) Loans include portfolio loans and leases and loans held for sale.
The table above indicates that the Corporation is asset-sensitive in the immediate 90-day time frame and may experience an increase in net interest income during that time period if rates rise. Conversely, if rates decline, net interest income may decline. It should be noted that the gap analysis is only one tool used to measure interest rate sensitivity and should be used in conjunction with other measures such as the interest rate simulation discussed above. The gap analysis measures the timing of changes in rate, but not the true weighting of any specific component of the Corporation’s balance sheet. The asset-sensitive position reflected in this gap analysis is similar to the Corporation’s position at December 31, 2019.
Table of Contents
Provision for Credit Losses on Loans and Leases
General Discussion of the Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Leases
As further described in Note 2, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Corporation adopted ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326 - Credit Losses) on January 1, 2020, which changed the way we estimate credit losses for loans and leases. After adoption of this amended guidance, management maintains the ACL on loans and leases to absorb the amount of credit losses that are expected to be incurred over the remaining contractual terms of the related loans and leases (as adjusted for prepayments and reasonably expected TDRs). Management’s methodology for determining the ACL on loans and leases includes an estimate of expected credit losses on a collective basis for groups of loans and leases with similar risk characteristics and specific allowances for loans and leases which are individually evaluated. The methodologies, including management’s assumptions, to determine the ACL on loans and leases are summarized earlier in this document under the heading “Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates.”
The ACL on loans and leases was $22.6 million as of December 31, 2019. Effective January 1, 2020, the Corporation adopted CECL and recognized an increase in the ACL on loans and leases of approximately $3.2 million, as a cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle, with a corresponding decrease, net of tax, in retained earnings. The ACL on loans and leases was $53.7 million as of December 31, 2020, an increase of $31.1 million as compared to December 31, 2019. The significant increase was driven by the current and forward-looking adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic included in the estimation of expected credit losses on loans and leases as of December 31, 2020 as compared to our initial adoption of CECL.
Increases to the ACL on loans and leases are implemented through a corresponding Provision (expense) in the Corporation’s Statement of Income. Loans and leases deemed uncollectible are charged against the ACL on loans and leases. Recoveries of previously charged-off amounts are credited to the ACL on loans and leases.
While management considers the ACL on loans and leases to be adequate, based on information currently available, future additions to the ACL on loans and leases may be necessary due to changes in economic conditions or management’s assumptions, recoveries and losses and management’s intent regarding the disposition of loans. In addition, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, as an integral part of their examination processes, periodically review the Corporation’s ACL on loans and leases.
ACL on Loans and Leases Portfolio Segmentation – For those loans and leases where the ACL is measured on a collective (pool) basis, management has identified the following portfolio segments based on federal call report codes which classify loans and leases based on the primary collateral supporting the loan or lease. These segments are as follows:
• CRE - nonowner occupied
• CRE - owner occupied
• Home equity lines and loans
• Residential mortgages secured by first liens
• Residential mortgages secured by junior liens
• Construction
• Commercial & industrial
• Consumer
• Leases
Refer to Note 5, “Loans and Leases,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the section of this MD&A under the heading Portfolio Loans and Leases for details of the Corporation’s loan and lease portfolio, broken down by portfolio segment.
As part of the process of determining the ACL for the different segments of the loan and lease portfolio, management considers certain credit quality indicators in order to assess the need for qualitative adjustments to the loss estimates forecast by the econometric modeling. For the commercial mortgage, construction and Commercial & Industrial loan segments, periodic reviews of the individual loans are performed by both in-house employees as well as an external loan review service. The results of these reviews are reflected in the risk grade assigned to each loan. These internally assigned grades are as follows:
• Pass - Loans considered satisfactory with no indications of deterioration.
Table of Contents
• Special mention - Loans classified as special mention have a potential weakness that deserves management’s close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or of the institution’s credit position at some future date.
• Substandard - Loans classified as substandard are inadequately protected by the current net worth and payment capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any. Substandard loans have well-defined weaknesses that may jeopardize the liquidation of the collateral and repayment of the debt. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that the institution will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.
• Doubtful - Loans classified as doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as substandard, with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, highly questionable and improbable.
As discussed in Section I, "ACL on Loans and Leases," of Note 1, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, management currently utilizes the Pennsylvania unemployment rate as a macroeconomic indicator to predict future loss rates based on historic correlations between movements in this rate and observed loss experience. Historically, the Corporation has had relatively nominal levels of adversely-rated loans. As such, a meaningful correlation between these adversely-rated loans and unemployment rates is not available. As of December 31, 2020, management considered the recent downgrades in the risk ratings of certain subsegments of the CRE - nonowner-occupied loans, in particular, retail and hospitality, and applied a qualitative adjustment to estimate a larger ACL for these loan types.
Refer to Section E, “Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Leases,” of Note 5, “Loans and Leases,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details regarding credit quality indicators associated with the Corporation’s loan and lease portfolio.
Loans and Leases Individually Evaluated for Credit Losses - When a loan or lease does not share risk characteristics with other loans or leases, management employs one of three methods to determine and measure credit losses:
• the Present Value of Future Cash Flow Method;
• the Fair Value of Collateral Method;
• the Observable Market Price of a Loan Method.
Loans and leases for which there is an indication that all contractual payments may not be collectible are evaluated for credit losses on an individual basis. Loans that are evaluated on an individual basis generally include non-performing loans, troubled debt restructurings and purchased credit-deteriorated loans.
Nonaccrual Loans – In general, loans and leases that are delinquent on contractually due principal or interest payments for more than 89 days are placed on nonaccrual status and any unpaid interest is reversed as a charge to interest income. When the loan resumes payment, all payments (principal and interest) are applied to reduce principal. After a period of six months of satisfactory performance, the loan may be placed back on accrual status. Any interest payments received during the nonaccrual period that had been applied to reduce principal are reversed and recorded as a deferred fee which accretes to interest income over the remaining term of the loan or lease. In certain cases, management may have information about a loan or lease that may indicate a future disruption or curtailment of contractual payments. In these cases, management will preemptively place the loan or lease on nonaccrual status.
Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDRs”) – Management follows guidance provided by ASC 310-40, “Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors.” A restructuring of a debt constitutes a TDR if the creditor, for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor’s financial difficulties, grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider in the normal course of business. A concession may include an extension of repayment terms which would not normally be granted, a reduction of interest rate or the forgiveness of principal and/or accrued interest. If the debtor is experiencing financial difficulty and the creditor has granted a concession, management will make the necessary disclosures related to the TDR. In certain cases, a modification may be made in an effort to retain a customer who is not experiencing financial difficulty. This type of modification is not considered to be a TDR. Once a loan or lease has been modified and is considered a TDR, it is reported as an impaired loan or lease. If the loan or lease deemed a TDR has performed for at least six months at the level prescribed by the modification, it is not considered to be non-performing; however, it will generally continue to be individually evaluated for credit losses. Loans and leases that have performed for at least six months are reported as TDRs in compliance with modified terms.
Table of Contents
Refer to Section F, “Troubled Debt Restructurings,” of Note 5, “Loans and Leases,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Charge-off Policy - The Corporation’s charge-off policy is that, on a periodic basis, not less often than quarterly, delinquent and non-performing loans that exceed the following limits are considered for full or partial charge-off:
• Open-ended consumer loans exceeding 180 days past due.
• Closed-ended consumer loans exceeding 120 days past due.
• All commercial/business purpose loans exceeding 180 days past due.
• All leases exceeding 120 days past due.
Any other loan or lease, for which management has reason to believe collectability is unlikely, and for which sufficient collateral does not exist, is also charged off.
Refer to Section E, “Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Leases,” of Note 5, “Loans and Leases,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information regarding the Corporation's charge-offs and factors which influenced management’s judgment with respect thereto.
Asset Quality and Analysis of Credit Risk
Management continues to be diligent in its credit underwriting process and very proactive with its loan review process, including engaging the services of an independent outside loan review firm, which helps identify developing credit issues. These proactive steps include the procurement of additional collateral (preferably outside the current loan structure) whenever possible. Management believes that timely identification of credit issues and appropriate actions early in the process serve to mitigate overall losses.
As of December 31, 2020, total non-performing loans and leases were $5.3 million, representing 0.15% of portfolio loans and leases, as compared to $10.6 million, or 0.29% of portfolio loans and leases, as of December 31, 2019. The $5.3 million decrease in non-performing loans and leases was primarily due to decreases of $2.5 million, $2.3 million, $405 thousand and $142 thousand in non-performing CRE owner-occupied loans, residential mortgage 1st lien loans, Commercial & Industrial loans, and CRE non-owner-occupied loans, respectively, partially offset by a $93 thousand increase in non-performing home equity lines of credit.
The provision for credit losses on loans and leases was $39.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as calculated under the CECL framework. This was an increase of $31.4 million as compared to a Provision of $8.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 as calculated in accordance with previously-applicable GAAP. The increase in provision for credit losses on loans and leases was primarily driven by the adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the Corporation’s adoption of CECL effective January 1, 2020. Net loan and lease charge-offs for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $12.0 million as compared to $5.3 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. As of December 31, 2020, the ACL on loans and leases of $53.7 million represented 1.48% of portfolio loans and leases, as compared to the ACL on loans and leases as of December 31, 2019 of $22.6 million, which represented 0.61% of portfolio loans and leases as of that date.
As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Corporation had no other real estate owned (“OREO”).
As of December 31, 2020, the Corporation had $8.8 million of TDRs, of which $7.0 million were in compliance with their modified terms for six months or greater, and hence, excluded from non-performing loans and leases. As of December 31, 2019, the Corporation had $8.1 million of TDRs, of which $5.1 million were in compliance with their modified terms.
Table of Contents
Non-Performing Assets, TDRs and Related Ratios as of or for the Year Ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
Non-accrual loans and leases
Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing
Total non-performing loans and leases
Other real estate owned
Total non-performing assets
TDRs included in non-performing assets
TDRs in compliance with modified terms
Total TDRs
ACL on loans and leases to non-performing loans and leases
Non-performing loans and leases to total loans and leases
ACL on loans and leases to total portfolio loans and leases
Non-performing assets to total assets
Period-end portfolio loans and leases
Average portfolio loans and leases
ACL on loans and leases
As of December 31, 2020, management is not aware of any loan or lease, other than those disclosed in the table above, for which it has any seriousdoubt as to the borrower’s ability to pay in accordance with the terms of the loan.
Table of Contents
Summary of Changes in the ACL on Loans and Leases
(dollars in thousands)
Balance (1) , January 1
Charge-offs:
Commercial real estate - nonowner-occupied
Commercial real estate - owner-occupied
Home equity lines of credit
Residential mortgage - first lien
Residential mortgage - junior lien
Construction
Commercial & Industrial
Consumer
Leases
Total charge-offs
Recoveries:
Commercial real estate - nonowner-occupied
Commercial real estate - owner-occupied
Home equity lines of credit
Residential mortgage - first lien
Residential mortgage - junior lien
Construction
Commercial & Industrial
Consumer
Leases
Total recoveries
Net charge-offs
Provision for credit losses on loans and leases
Balance, December 31
Ratio of net charge-offs to average portfolio loans outstanding
(1) Included in the beginning January 1, 2020 balance is a $3.2 million increase in ACL on loans and leases due to adoption of ASC 326. For further information on the adoption of ASC 326, see Note 2, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Allocation of ACL on Loans and Leases
The following table sets forth an allocation of the ACL on Loans and Leases by portfolio segment. The specific allocations in any portfolio segment may be changed in the future to reflect then-current conditions. Accordingly, management considers the entire ACL on loans and leases to be available to absorb losses in any portfolio segment.
Table of Contents
December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
ACL on loans and leases
Loans
Total
Loans
ACL on loans and leases
Loans
Total
Loans
ACL on loans and leases
Loans
Total
Loans
ACL on loans and leases
Loans
Total
Loans
ACL on loans and leases
Loans
Total
Loans
ACL on loans and leases at end of period applicable to:
CRE - nonowner-occupied
CRE - owner-occupied
Home equity lines of credit
Residential mortgage - 1st liens
Residential mortgage - jr. liens
Construction
Commercial and industrial
Consumer
Leases
Total
Noninterest Income
2020 Compared to 2019
Noninterest income of $82.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $213 thousand, or 0.3%, as compared to $82.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Decreases of $2.1 million, $1.8 million, $966 thousand, $560 thousand, and $506 thousand in other operating income, capital markets revenue, insurance commissions, loan servicing and other fees, and service charges on deposits, respectively, were partially offset by increases of $3.4 million and $2.3 million in net gain on sale of loans and net gain on sale of long-lived assets, respectively. The increase in net gain on sale of loans was driven by a $2.4 million gain on the sale of approximately $292.1 million of PPP loans in the second quarter of 2020. A $2.3 million gain on sale of long-lived assets was recognized in the fourth quarter of 2020 in connection with the sale of owned office space.
Components of other operating income for the indicated years ended December 31 include:
(dollars in thousands)
Visa debit card income
Bank owned life insurance income
Commissions and fees
Safe deposit box rentals
Other investment income
Rent income
Gain (loss) on trading investments
Recovery of purchase accounting fair value loan mark
Miscellaneous other income
Other operating income
2019 Compared to 2018
Noninterest income of $82.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $6.2 million, or 8.2%, as compared to $76.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to increases of $6.4 million and $2.1
Table of Contents
million in capital markets revenue and fees for wealth management services, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $1.3 million and $941 thousand in other operating income and net gain on sale of loans, respectively.
The increase in capital markets revenue was primarily due to increased volume and size of interest rate swap transactions with commercial loan customers during the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2018 driven by the continued organic growth of our capital markets group. The increase in fees for wealth management services was primarily related to the $3.12 billion increase in wealth assets under management, administration, supervision and brokerage from $13.43 billion at December 31, 2018 to $16.55 billion at December 31, 2019, and was comprised of a $1.7 million increase from accounts whose fees are charged on a flat or fixed basis, primarily due to a $1.91 billion increase in fixed rate flat-fee account balances, and a $328 thousand increase in fees derived from market-value based fee accounts.
The decrease in other operating income, which is further detailed in the table below, was primarily due to the $4.3 million decrease in recoveries of purchase accounting fair value marks resulting from the pay off of purchased credit impaired loans acquired in the RBPI Merger, partially offset by increases of $1.5 million and $1.2 million in gain on trading investments and miscellaneous other income, respectively.
Noninterest Expense
2020 Compared to 2019
Noninterest expense of $142.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $3.7 million, or 2.5%, as compared to $146.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to decreases of $5.5 million, $1.5 million, and $851 thousand in salaries and wages, Pennsylvania bank shares tax, and employee benefits, respectively. The decreases in salaries and wages and employee benefits was largely driven by the $4.5 million one-time expense from the Incentive Program recorded in the first quarter of 2019, and, to a lesser extent, reduced headcount. The decrease in Pennsylvania bank shares tax was driven by an increase in tax credits and refunds recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 in connection with contributions to qualified organizations under Pennsylvania tax credit programs. These decreases were partially offset a $2.1 million increase in other operating expenses, as well as a $1.6 million impairment charge of long-lived assets recognized in the fourth quarter of 2020 related to a planned branch closure.
Components of other operating expense for the indicated years ended December 31 include:
(dollars in thousands)
Contributions
Deferred compensation expense
Director fees
Dues and subscriptions
FDIC insurance
Impairment of OREO and other repossessed assets
Insurance
Loan processing
Miscellaneous other expense
MSR amortization and impairment
Other taxes
Outsourced services
Wealth custodian fees
Postage
Stationary and supplies
Telephone and data lines
Temporary help and recruiting
Travel and entertainment
Other operating expense
Table of Contents
2019 Compared to 2018
Noninterest expense of $146.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $6.2 million, or 4.4%, as compared to $140.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.
The increase was primarily due to a $7.7 million increase in salaries and wages, largely driven by a pre-tax, non-recurring, charge of $4.5 million related to the Incentive Program recognized during the first quarter of 2019, and to a lesser extent, additional recruiting efforts and increases in our incentive accruals.
Also contributing to the increase were increases of $1.4 million, $1.3 million, $1.2 million and $992 thousand in other operating expenses, furniture, fixtures and equipment expenses, professional fees, and occupancy and bank premises expenses, respectively.
Partially offsetting these increases in noninterest expense was a decrease of $7.8 million in due diligence, merger-related and merger integration expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the same period in 2018.
Secondary Market Sold-Loan Repurchase Demands
In the course of originating residential mortgage loans and selling those loans in the secondary market, the Corporation makes various representations and warranties to the purchasers of the mortgage loans. Each residential mortgage loan originated by the Corporation is evaluated by an automated underwriting application, which verifies the underwriting criteria and certifies the loan’s eligibility for sale to the secondary market. Any exceptions discovered during this process are remedied prior to sale. These representations and warranties also apply to underwriting the real estate appraisal opinion of value for the collateral securing these loans. Under the representations and warranties, failure by the Corporation to comply with the underwriting and appraisal standards could result in the Corporation’s being required to repurchase the mortgage loan or to reimburse the investor for losses incurred (make whole requests) if such failure cannot be cured by the Corporation within the specified period following discovery. As of December 31, 2020, there was one pending and unsettled loan repurchase demand of approximately $200 thousand.
Income Tax Expense
Income tax expense of $8.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $6.7 million as compared to $15.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were 21.4% and 20.9%, respectively. The increase in the effective tax rate was primarily related to a $258 thousand increase in discrete expense related to stock-based compensation for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Income tax expense of $15.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $1.4 million as compared to $14.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were 20.9% and 18.2%, respectively. The increase was primarily related to a $2.6 million decrease in discrete benefits for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2018. The $2.6 million discrete benefit recorded in 2018 primarily related to certain tax return versus provision adjustments made upon the filing of the Corporation’s 2017 tax return.
For more information related to income taxes, refer to Note 17, “Income Taxes,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Table of Contents
Balance Sheet Analysis
Asset Changes
Total assets of $5.43 billion as of December 31, 2020 increased $168.8 million, or 3.2%, from $5.26 billion as of December 31, 2019. Increases of $169.0 million, $71.3 million, and $42.4 million in available for sale investment securities, other assets, and cash and cash equivalents, respectively, were partially offset by a decrease of $60.9 million in portfolio loans and leases and an increase of $31.1 million in the ACL on loans and leases. The changes in available for sale investment securities, portfolio loans and leases, and the ACL on loans and leases are discussed in the sections below. The increase in other assets was primarily driven by a $66.2 million increase in the fair value of interest rate swaps.
Investment Securities
Available for sale investment securities as of December 31, 2020 totaled $1.17 billion, an increase of $169.0 million from December 31, 2019. Increases of $94.4 million, $87.9 million, and $11.4 million in collateralized loan obligations, mortgage-backed securities, and corporate bonds, respectively, were partially offset by decreases of $12.6 million and $8.9 million in collateralized mortgage obligations and U.S. Government and agency securities, respectively.
Upon adoption of ASC 326 on January 1, 2020, management evaluates available for sale investment securities in an unrealized loss position to determine whether all or a portion of the unrealized loss on such securities is a credit loss. If credit losses are identified, they are generally recognized as an allowance for credit losses (a contra account to the amortized cost basis of the securities) with the periodic change in the allowance recognized in earnings. Prior to January 1, 2020, investment securities were evaluated for other-than-temporary-impairment (“OTTI”) with any identified OTTI recognized as a charge to income and a direct reduction of the amortized cost basis of the securities.
As of December 31, 2020, management completed its evaluation of the available for sale investment securities in an unrealized loss position and did not recognize an allowance for credit losses. Management did not recognize provision expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 related to available for sale investment securities in an unrealized loss position, and did not have any OTTI during the year ended December 31, 2019.
Table of Contents
The following table details the maturity and weighted average tax-equivalent yield of the available for sale investment portfolio as of December 31, 2020:
(dollars in thousands)
Maturing
During
Maturing
From
Through
Maturing
From
Through
Maturing
After
Total
U.S. Treasury securities:
Amortized cost
Weighted average yield
Obligations of the U.S. government and agencies:
Amortized cost
Weighted average yield
State and political subdivisions:
Amortized cost
Weighted average yield
Mortgage-related securities (1) :
Amortized cost
Weighted average yield
Collateralized loan obligations:
Amortized cost
Weighted average yield
Corporate bonds:
Amortized cost
Weighted average yield
Other investment securities:
Amortized cost
Weighted average yield
Total amortized cost
Weighted average yield
(1) Mortgage-related securities are included in the above table based on their contractual maturity. However, mortgage-related securities, by design, have scheduled monthly principal payments which are not reflected in this table.
The following table details the amortized cost of the available for sale investment portfolio as of the dates indicated:
Amortized Cost as of December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
U.S. Treasury securities
Obligations of the U.S. government and agencies
Obligations of state and political subdivisions
Mortgage-backed securities
Collateralized mortgage obligations
Collateralized loan obligations
Corporate bonds
Other investment securities
Total amortized cost
Table of Contents
Portfolio Loans and Leases
Total portfolio loans and leases of $3.63 billion as of December 31, 2020 decreased $60.9 million, as compared to $3.69 billion as of December 31, 2019. Decreases of $85.3 million, $54.9 million, and $13.0 million in residential mortgage 1st liens, home equity lines of credit and residential mortgage 2nd liens and leases, respectively, were primarily due to increased prepayment activity driven by the decreasing mortgage interest rates in the current interest rate environment.
The table below details the loan and lease portfolio as of the dates indicated:
December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
CRE - nonowner-occupied
CRE - owner-occupied
Home equity lines of credit
Residential mortgage - 1st liens
Residential mortgage - junior liens
Construction
Commercial & Industrial
Consumer
Leases
Total portfolio loans and leases
Loans held for sale
Total loans and leases
The following table summarizes the loan maturity distribution and interest rate sensitivity as of December 31, 2020. Excluded from the table are residential mortgage 1st and junior liens, home equity lines of credit, and consumer loans:
(dollars in thousands)
Maturing
During
Maturing
From
Through
Maturing
After
Total
Loan portfolio maturity:
CRE - nonowner-occupied
CRE - owner-occupied
Construction
Commercial & Industrial
Leases
Total
Interest sensitivity on the above loans:
Loans with fixed rates
Loans with adjustable or floating rates
Total
The Corporation’s $3.63 billion loan and lease portfolio is predominantly based in the Corporation’s traditional market areas of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern and Central New Jersey, and Delaware. These markets have exhibited relatively stable economic attributes, and have generally not seen the high levels of real estate price volatility experienced in other regions nationwide.
The Corporation has a significant portion of its portfolio loans (excluding leases) in real estate-related loans. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, loans secured by real estate were $2.99 billion and $3.03 billion, or 82.4% and 82.3%, of the total loan portfolio of $3.63 billion and $3.69 billion. A predominant percentage of the Corporation’s real estate exposure, both commercial and residential, is within Pennsylvania, Delaware and Southern and Central New Jersey. Management is aware of this concentration and mitigates this risk to the extent possible in many ways, including maintaining a diverse group of collateral property types within the portfolio, and by exercising underwriting discipline which includes
Table of Contents
assessment of the borrower’s capacity to repay, equity in the underlying real estate collateral and a review of a borrower’s global cash flows. For a substantial portion of the loans in the real estate portfolio, the Corporation has recourse to the owners/sponsors, primarily through personal guaranties, in addition to liens on collateral. This recourse provides credit strength, as it incorporates the borrowers’ global cash flows.
In addition to loans secured by real estate, Commercial & Industrial loans comprise 12.3% of the total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2020. Commercial & Industrial loans are typically repaid first by the cash flows generated by the borrower’s business operations. To mitigate the risk characteristics of Commercial & Industrial loans, commercial real estate may be included as a secondary source of collateral. The Bank will often require more frequent reporting requirements from the borrower in order to better monitor its business performance.
The table below summarizes certain key characteristics of the Corporation’s loan and lease portfolio as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. Refer to Note 5, “Loans and Leases,” and Section I, “ACL on Loans and Leases” of Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
As of December 31, 2020
(dollars in thousands)
Balance
% loans / total portfolio loans and leases
NPLs
% NPLs / segment loans and leases
Delinquent performing loans and leases
% Delinquent performing loans and leases / segment loans and leases
Real estate loans:
CRE - nonowner-occupied
CRE - owner-occupied
Home equity lines of credit
Residential mortgage - 1st liens
Residential mortgage - junior liens
Construction
Total real estate loans
Commercial & Industrial
Consumer
Leases
Total portfolio loans and leases
As of December 31, 2019
(dollars in thousands)
Balance
% loans / total portfolio loans and leases
NPLs
% NPLs / segment loans and leases
Delinquent performing loans and leases
% Delinquent performing loans and leases / segment loans and leases
Real estate loans:
CRE - nonowner-occupied
CRE - owner-occupied
Home equity lines of credit
Residential mortgage - 1st liens
Residential mortgage - junior liens
Construction
Total real estate loans
Commercial & Industrial
Consumer
Leases
Total portfolio loans and leases
Table of Contents
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill of $184.0 million as of December 31, 2020 was unchanged as compared to December 31, 2019.
Intangible assets, other than mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”), of $15.6 million as of December 31, 2020 decreased $3.6 million, or 18.6%, from $19.1 million as of December 31, 2019. The decrease was due to $3.6 million of amortization.
For more information regarding goodwill and intangible assets, see Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 2, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements,” Note 3, “Business Combinations,” and Note 8, “Goodwill and Intangible Assets,” respectively, in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
FHLB Stock
The Corporation’s investment in stock issued by the FHLB was $12.7 million as of December 31, 2020, a decrease of $11.0 million, or 46.7%, from $23.7 million as of December 31, 2019. The Corporation must purchase, or the FHLB must redeem, its stock based on the Corporation’s borrowings balance with the FHLB. The decrease in FHLB stock is primarily due to the decrease in FHLB advances at December 31, 2020 as compared to December 31, 2019. Short-term FHLB advances and long-term FHLB advances of $33.3 million and $39.9 million as of December 31, 2020 decreased $449.1 million and $12.4 million, respectively, as compared to $482.4 million and $52.3 million as of December 31, 2019. The increase in deposits reduced the need to obtain wholesale funding at December 31, 2020 as compared to December 31, 2019.
Mortgage Servicing Rights
MSRs of $2.6 million as of December 31, 2020 decreased $1.8 million, or 41.0%, from $4.5 million as of December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to amortization and net impairment of $1.3 million and $599 thousand, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to $576 thousand and $21 thousand, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increases were driven by increased estimated prepayment speeds and actual prepayment activity, both primarily due to the decreasing mortgage interest rates in the current interest rate environment, driving an increase in refinancing activity. There were no mortgage loans sold with servicing retained for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The following table details activity related to MSRs for the periods indicated:
For the Year Ended or as of December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
Mortgage originations
Mortgage loans sold:
Servicing retained
Servicing released
Total mortgage loans sold
Percentage of originated mortgage loans sold
Servicing retained %
Servicing released %
Residential mortgage loans serviced for others
Mortgage servicing rights
Gain on sale of mortgage loans
Loan servicing and other fees
Amortization of MSRs
Net Impairment of MSRs
Liability Changes
Total liabilities of $4.81 billion as of December 31, 2020 increased $158.7 million, or 3.4%, from $4.65 billion as of December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily due to the increases in total deposits partially offset by the decrease in short-term borrowings discussed in the following sections.
Table of Contents
Deposits
Deposits of $4.38 billion as of December 31, 2020 increased $534.0 million, or 13.9%, from $3.84 billion as of December 31, 2019. Increases of $503.7 million, $97.1 million, $62.0 million, and $57.1 million in noninterest bearing deposits, wholesale non-maturity deposits, savings accounts, and money market accounts, respectively, were offset by decreases of $73.6 million, $59.1 million, and $53.2 million in retail time deposits, interest-bearing demand accounts, and wholesale time deposits, respectively. The increase in noninterest bearing deposits was primarily due to the Bank's PPP loan customers depositing loan funds into Bank deposit accounts during the second quarter of 2020.
The following table details deposits as of the dates indicated:
As of December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
Interest-bearing demand
Money market
Savings
Retail time deposits
Wholesale non-maturity deposits
Wholesale time deposits
Total interest-bearing deposits
Noninterest-bearing deposits
Total deposits
The following table summarizes the maturities of certificates of deposit of $100,000 or greater as of December 31, 2020:
(dollars in thousands)
Retail
Wholesale
Three months or less
Three to six months
Six to twelve months
Greater than twelve months
Total
For more information regarding deposits, including average amount of deposits and average rate paid, refer to the sections of this MD&A under the headings “Balance Sheet Analysis” and “Analysis of Interest Rates and Interest Differential.”
Borrowings
Borrowings of $232.9 million as of December 31, 2020, which include short-term borrowings, long-term FHLB advances, subordinated notes and junior subordinated debentures, decreased $433.1 million, or 65.0%, from $665.9 million as of December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to decreases of $421.1 million and $12.4 million in short-term borrowings and long-term FHLB advances, respectively, as the increase in deposits reduced the need to obtain wholesale funding at December 31, 2020 as compared to December 31, 2019.
The following table details borrowings as of the dates indicated:
As of December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
Short-term borrowings
Long-term FHLB advances
Subordinated notes
Jr. subordinated debentures
Total borrowings
See the Liquidity Section of this MD&A under the heading “Liquidity” for further details on the Corporation’s FHLB available borrowing capacity.
Table of Contents
Discussion of Segments
The Corporation has two operating segments: Wealth Management and Banking. These segments are discussed below. Detailed segment information appears in Note 31, “Segment Information,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Wealth Management Segment Activity
The Wealth Management segment, which includes the insurance reporting unit, reported a pre-tax segment profit (“PTSP”) for the year ended December 31, 2020 of $15.7 million, a decrease of $744 thousand as compared to $16.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease in PTSP was primarily driven by non-recurring costs associated with the wind-down of BMT Investment Advisers, which had a $2.2 million impact on fees for wealth management services, primarily on fees which are charged on a flat or fixed basis, in the second quarter of 2020. Fees for wealth management services of $44.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased $132 thousand as compared to $44.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in fees was comprised of a $1.0 million increase from accounts whose fees are charged on a flat or fixed basis, offset by an $898 thousand decrease in fees derived from market-value based fee accounts. The increase in fees which are charged on a flat or fixed basis was primarily due to a $2.28 billion increase in fixed rate flat-fee account balances. Revenue from the insurance division of $5.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, which is reported as part of the Wealth Management segment, decreased $1.0 million as compared to $6.9 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
The PTSP of the Wealth Management segment for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $16.4 million, relatively unchanged as compared to $16.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Fees for wealth management services of $44.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $2.1 million, or 4.9%, as compared to $42.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase in fees was comprised of a $1.7 million increase from accounts whose fees are charged on a flat or fixed basis, primarily due to a $1.91 billion increase in fixed rate flat-fee account balances, and a $328 thousand increase in fees derived from market-value based fee accounts. Revenue from the insurance division of $6.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, which is reported as part of the Wealth Management segment, was relatively unchanged as compared to the year ended December 31, 2018.
Wealth Assets Under Management, Administration, Supervision and Brokerage (“Wealth Assets”)
Wealth Asset accounts are categorized into two groups; the first account group consists predominantly of clients whose fees are determined based on the market value of the assets held in their accounts (“Market Value” basis). The second account group consists predominantly of clients whose fees are set at fixed amounts (“Fixed Fee” basis), and, as such, are not affected by market value changes.
The following tables detail the composition of Wealth Assets as it relates to the calculation of fees for wealth management services:
(dollars in thousands)
Wealth Assets as of:
Fee Basis
December 31,
December 31,
December 31,
Market value
Fixed fee
Total
Percentage of Wealth Assets as of:
Fee Basis
December 31,
December 31,
December 31,
Market value
Fixed fee
Total
Table of Contents
The following tables detail the composition of fees for wealth management services for the periods indicated:
(dollars in thousands)
For the Year Ended:
Fee Basis
December 31,
December 31,
December 31,
Market value
Fixed fee
Total
Percentage of Fees for Wealth Management Services
For the Year Ended:
Fee Basis
December 31,
December 31,
December 31,
Market value
Fixed fee
Total
Banking Segment Activity
Banking segment data as presented in Note 31, “Segment Information,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K indicates a PTSP of $25.7 million in 2020, $58.4 million in 2019 and $61.4 million in 2018. See the section of this MD&A under the heading “Components of Net Income” for a discussion of the Banking Segment results.
Capital and Regulatory Capital Ratios
Consolidated shareholders’ equity of the Corporation was $622.3 million, or 11.5% of total assets, as of December 31, 2020, as compared to $612.2 million, or 11.6% of total assets, as of December 31, 2019.
In May 2018, BMBC filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, SEC File No. 333-224849 (the “Shelf Registration Statement”). The Shelf Registration Statement allows BMBC to raise additional capital from time to time through offers and sales of registered securities consisting of common stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts, rights and units or units consisting of any combination of the foregoing securities. BMBC may sell these securities using the prospectus in the Shelf Registration Statement, together with applicable prospectus supplements, from time to time, in one or more offerings.
In addition, BMBC has in place under its Shelf Registration Statement a Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan (the “Plan”), which allows it to issue up to 1,500,000 shares of registered common stock. The Plan allows for the grant of a request for waiver (“RFW”) above the Plan’s maximum investment of $120 thousand per account per year. An RFW is granted based on a variety of factors, including the Corporation’s current and projected capital needs, prevailing market prices of BMBC’s common stock and general economic and market conditions.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, BMBC did not issue any shares through the Plan, nor were any RFWs approved. The Plan administrator conducted dividend reinvestments for Plan participants through open market purchases. No other sales of equity securities were executed under the Shelf Registration Statement during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Accumulated other comprehensive income of $8.9 million as of December 31, 2020 increased $6.8 million, or 309.1%, from $2.2 million as of December 31, 2019. The primary cause of the increase was the increase in net unrealized losses on available for sale investment securities primarily due to decreasing interest rates.
As detailed in Section E, “Regulatory Capital Ratios,” of Note 28, “Regulatory Capital Requirements,” in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the capital ratios, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 indicate levels above the regulatory minimum to be considered “well capitalized.”
Table of Contents
Liquidity
The Corporation has significant sources of liquidity as of December 31, 2020. The liquidity position is managed on a daily basis as part of the daily settlement function, and on a monthly basis as part of the asset liability management process. The Corporation’s primary liquidity is maintained by managing its deposits, along with the utilization of borrowings from the FHLB, purchased federal funds, and utilization of other wholesale funding sources. Secondary sources of liquidity include the sale of certain investment securities and certain loans in the secondary market.
Other wholesale funding sources include deposit from brokers, generally available in blocks of $1.0 million or more. Funds obtained through these programs totaled $236.0 million as of December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2020, the maximum borrowing capacity with the FHLB was $1.77 billion, with an unused borrowing availability of $1.70 billion. Borrowing availability at the Federal Reserve Discount Window was $127.7 million, and overnight Fed Funds lines, consisting of lines from six banks, totaled $74.0 million. On a monthly basis, the ALCO reviews the Corporation’s liquidity needs. This information is reported to the Risk Management Committee of the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.
As of December 31, 2020, the Corporation held $12.7 million of FHLB stock as required by the borrowing agreement between the FHLB and the Corporation.
The Corporation has an agreement with Insured Network Deposits to provide up to $175 million, excluding accrued interest, of money market and NOW funds at an agreed upon interest rate equal to the current Fed Funds rate plus 20 basis points. The Corporation had $75.0 million in balances as of December 31, 2020 under this program.
The Corporation’s available for sale investment portfolio of $1.17 billion as of December 31, 2020 was 21.6% of total assets. As of December 31, 2020 the Corporation held $500.0 million of short-term, highly liquid U.S. Treasury securities to manage our near term liquidity position. The Corporation’s policy is to maintain its investment portfolio at a minimum level of 10% of total assets. The portion of the investment portfolio that is not already pledged against borrowings from the FHLB or other funding sources, provides the Corporation with the ability to utilize the securities to borrow additional funds through the FHLB, Federal Reserve or other repurchase agreements.
Management continually evaluates its borrowing capacity and sources of liquidity. Management currently believes that it has sufficient capacity to fund expected short- and long-term earning asset growth with wholesale sources, along with deposit growth from its internal branch and wealth products.
Off Balance Sheet Risk
The Corporation becomes party to financial instruments in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit and create off-balance sheet risk.
Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the loan agreement.
Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Bank to a customer for a third party. Such standby letters of credit are issued to support private borrowing arrangements. The credit risk involved in issuing standby letters of credit is similar to that involved in granting loan facilities to customers.
The following chart presents the off-balance sheet commitments of the Corporation as of December 31, 2020, listed by dates of funding or payment:
(dollars in thousands)
Total
Within
1 Year
Years
Years
After
5 Years
Unfunded loan commitments
Standby letters of credit
Total
Table of Contents
Estimated fair values of the Corporation’s off-balance sheet instruments are based on fees and rates currently charged to enter into similar loan agreements, taking into account the remaining terms of the agreements and the counterparties’ credit standing. Collateral requirements for off-balance sheet items are generally based upon the same standards and policies as booked loans. Since fees and rates charged for off-balance sheet items are at market levels when set, there is no material difference between the stated amount and the estimated fair value of off-balance sheet instruments.
Contractual Cash Obligations of the Corporation as of December 31, 2020
(dollars in thousands)
Total
Less than
1 Year
Years
Years
More than
5 Years
Deposits without a stated maturity
Wholesale and retail certificates of deposit
Short-term borrowings
Long-term FHLB Advances
Subordinated Notes
Junior subordinated debentures
Operating leases
Purchase obligations
Total
Other Information
Effects of Inflation
Inflation has some impact on the Corporation’s operating costs. Unlike many industrial companies, however, substantially all of the Corporation’s assets and liabilities are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on the Corporation’s performance than the general level of inflation. Over short periods of time, interest rates may not necessarily move in the same direction or in the same magnitude as prices of goods and services.
Effect of Government Monetary Policies
The earnings of the Corporation are and will be affected by domestic economic conditions and the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government and its agencies. An important function of the Federal Reserve Board is to regulate the money supply and interest rates. Among the instruments used to implement those objectives are open market operations in United States government securities and changes in reserve requirements against member bank deposits. These instruments are used in varying combinations to influence overall growth and distribution of bank loans, investments, and deposits, and their use may also affect rates charged on loans or paid for deposits.
The Corporation is a member of the Federal Reserve System and, therefore, the policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board have a significant effect on its deposits, loans and investment growth, as well as the rate of interest earned and paid, and are expected to affect the Corporation’s operations in the future. The effect of such policies and regulations upon the future business and earnings of the Corporation cannot be predicted.
