ITEM 1. BUSINESS

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements from the use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plan,” “potential,” “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “target” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including among other things, changes in general economic and business conditions, increased competitive pressures, changes in the interest rate environment, legislative and regulatory change, changes in the financial markets, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed from time to time in documents that Bar Harbor Bankshares files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All risk factors set forth in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they were made. The Company is not undertaking an obligation to update forward-looking statements, even though its situation may change in the future, except as required under federal securities law. The Company qualifies all of its forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

GENERAL

Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Bar Harbor Bankshares is referred to as “BHB”, “the Company", “we”, “our”, or “us.” Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (“the Bank”) was established in 1887, and is the only community bank headquartered in Northern New England with branches in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The Bank is a true community bank providing exceptional commercial, retail and wealth management banking services through a network of 48 full-service branches.

The Company’s corporate goal is to be among the most profitable banks in New England, and its business model is centered on the following:

Shown below is a profile and geographical footprint of the Bank as of December 31, 2018:

The Bank serves affluent and growing markets in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Within these markets, tourism, agriculture and fishing industries remain strong and continue to drive economic activity. These core markets have also maintained their strength through diversification into various service industries.

Maine

The Bank operates 14 full-service branches principally located in the regions of downeast, midcoast and central Maine, which can generally be characterized as rural areas. As previously announced, the Bank opened a new commercial loan office in Portland, Maine in December 2018. In Maine, the Bank considers its primary market areas to be Hancock, Knox, Washington, Kennebec and Sagadahoc counties. The economies in these counties are based primarily on tourism, healthcare, fishing and lobstering, agriculture, state government, and small local businesses and are also supported by a large contingent of retirees.

New Hampshire

The Bank operates 21 full-service branches and two stand-alone drive-up windows in New Hampshire located in the regions of the lake sunapee, upper valley and merrimack valley. There are several distinct markets within each of these regions. The towns or cities of Nashua, Manchester, and Concord are considered part of the merrimack valley. Nashua, New Hampshire is a regional commercial, entertainment and dining destination and with its board with Massachusetts, also enjoys a vibrant high-tech industry and a robust retail industry due in part to the state's absence of a sales tax. The upper valley region of New Hampshire includes the towns of Lebanon and Hanover, which are home to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth College, respectively. The lake sunapee market is a popular year-round recreation and resort area that includes both Lake Sunapee and Mount Sunapee and includes the towns of Claremont, New London, and Newport.

Vermont

The Bank operates 13 full-service branches and one stand-alone drive-up window in Vermont. The branches are primarily located in central Vermont within the counties of Rutland, Windsor and Orange. These markets are home to many attractions, including Killington Mountain, Okemo Resort, and the city of Rutland. Popular vacation destinations in this region include Woodstock, Brandon, Ludlow and Quechee.

SUBSIDIARY ACTIVITIES

Bar Harbor Bankshares is a legal entity separate and distinct from its first-tier bank subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and its second-tier subsidiaries, Bar Harbor Trust Services, Charter Trust Company and Cottage Street Corporation. Under Charter Trust Company are third-tier subsidiaries Charter Holding Corporation and Charter New England Agency.

The Company also owns all of the common stock of two Connecticut statutory trusts. These capital trusts are unconsolidated and their only material asset is a $20.6 million trust preferred security related to the junior subordinated debentures reported in Note 8 - Borrowed Funds of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

The Company is required to file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

The Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and amendments to those documents filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are also available free of charge on the Company's website at www.bhbt.com under the Shareholders Relations link as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC.

Investors should note that the Company currently announces material information to investors and others using SEC filings, press releases and postings on the Company's website (www.bhbt.com), including news and announcements regarding the Company's financial performance, key personnel, brands and business strategy. Information that is posted on the corporate website could be deemed material to investors. The Company encourages investors to review the information posted on these channels. Updates may be made, from time to time, to the list of channels used to communicate information that could be deemed material and any such change will be posted on www.bhbt.com. The information on the website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part hereof or incorporated into this or any other filings with the SEC.

COMPETITION

Major competitors in the Company's market areas include local independent banks, local branches of large regional and national bank affiliates, thrift institutions, savings and loan institutions, mortgage companies, and credit unions.

The Company has generally been able to compete effectively with other financial institutions by emphasizing quality customer service, making decisions at the local level, maintaining long-term customer relationships, building customer loyalty, and providing products and services designed to address the specific needs of customers. However, no assurance can be provided regarding the Company’s ongoing ability to compete effectively with other financial institutions in the future.

No part of the Company’s business is materially dependent upon one, or a few customers, or upon a particular industry segment, the loss of which would have a material adverse impact on the operations of the Company.

LENDING ACTIVITIES

General

The Bank originates loans in four basic portfolio categories, which are discussed below. These portfolio categories include construction and land development, commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, agricultural, tax exempt entities, residential mortgages, home equity and other consumer loans. Loan interest rates and other key loan terms are affected principally by the Bank’s lending policy, asset/liability strategy, loan demand, competition, and the supply of money available for lending purposes. The Bank does not engage in subprime lending activities. The Bank monitors and manages the amount of long-term fixed-rate lending and adjustable-rate loan products according to its interest rate management policy. The Bank generally originates loans for investment except for certain residential mortgages that are underwritten with the intention to be sold in the secondary mortgage market.

Loan Portfolio Analysis. The following table sets forth the year-end composition of the Company’s loan portfolio in dollar amounts and as a percentage of the portfolio for the five years indicated. Further information about the composition of the loan portfolio is contained in Note 3 - Loans of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Commercial Real Estate

Commercial real estate loans are secured primarily by multifamily dwellings, industrial/warehouse buildings, retail centers, office buildings and hospitality properties, primarily located in the Company's market area in New England. The Company's loans secured by commercial real estate are originated with either a fixed or an adjustable interest rate. Interest rates on adjustable rate loans are based on a variety of indices, generally determined through negotiations with borrowers. The Bank's commercial real estate underwriting guidelines call for loan-to-value (LTV) ratios not to exceed 80 percent of the appraised value of the underlying property securing the loan. Unless on some sort of seasonal pay basis, to match debt payments with seasonal cash flows. Loans typically require monthly payments containing balloon payments with maturities of 10 years or less based on 20 year amortization schedules for commercial real estate and 25 years for multifamily loans.

Commercial and Industrial Loans

Commercial and industrial loans are made to finance operations, provide working capital, finance the purchase of fixed assets, and business acquisitions. A borrower's cash flow from operations is generally the primary source of repayment. Accordingly, the Company's loan policy provides specific guidelines regarding debt service coverage and other financial ratios. Commercial and industrial loans include lines of credit, commercial term loans and owner-occupied commercial real estate loans. Commercial lines of credit are extended to businesses generally to finance operations and working capital needs. Commercial term loans are typically made to finance the acquisition of fixed assets, refinance short-term debt originally used to purchase fixed assets or make business acquisitions. Commercial and industrial loans are extended based on the financial strength and integrity of the borrower and guarantor(s) and are generally collateralized by the borrower's assets such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment or real estate, typically with a term based on the collateral's useful life of 1-10 years. The interest rates on these loans generally

are adjustable and usually are indexed to The Wall Street Journal's prime rate (Prime Rate) or London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and the spread will vary based on market conditions and perceived credit risk.

In order to mitigate the risk of loss, the Company generally requires collateral and personal guarantees to support commercial and industrial loans. The Company attempts to mitigate risk by limiting advance rates against eligible collateral to no more than 80 percent, though appropriate advance rates can vary depending on asset class.

Commercial and industrial loans also attract multifaceted relationships, which include deposit and treasury management services. During 2018, the Company expanded its offering of treasury management services and introduced customer loan derivatives. The Company facilitates the risk management strategies for commercial banking customers by offering customer loan derivatives, which allows a customer to obtain a lower fixed-rate loan for an upfront fee. Offsetting loan swap arrangements with a highly-rated third-party financial institutions are then executed by the Company to mitigate the interest rate risk.

Residential Real Estate

The Company offers fixed-rate and adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans to individuals with maturities of up to 30 years that are fully amortizing with monthly loan payments. Certain loans are originated for sale with rate lock commitments which are recorded as derivative financial instruments. Mortgages are generally underwritten according to U.S. government sponsored enterprise guidelines designated as “A” or “A-” and referred to as “conforming loans”. The Company also originates jumbo loans above conforming loan amounts which generally are consistent with secondary market guidelines for these loans; however, these are typically held for investment. The Company does not offer a subprime mortgage lending program. Mortgage loans sold on the secondary market are sold on a servicing-retained basis.

Consumer Loans

The Company offers a variety of secured consumer loans, including second deed-of-trust home equity loans, home equity lines of credit ("HELOCs"), personal property and loans secured by deposits. The Company also offers a limited amount of unsecured loans. The Company originates consumer loans primarily in its market area. Consumer loans generally have shorter terms to maturity or variable interest rates, which reduce the Company's exposure to changes in interest rates, and carry higher rates of interest than do residential real estate loans. The Company believes that offering consumer loan products is critical to community banking by providing customer service at the holistic relationship level.

HELOCs have a ten or fifteen year draw period followed by a 20 year amortization and require either interest-only payments during the draw period or the payment of 1.0 percent or 1.5 percent of the outstanding loan balance per month (depending on the terms). Following receipt of payments, the available credit includes amounts repaid up to the credit limit. HELOCs with a ten year draw period have a balloon payment due at the end of the draw period and then amortize for the remaining term. For loans with shorter-term draw periods, once the draw period has lapsed, generally the payment is fixed based on the loan balance and prevailing market interest rates at that time.

Maturity and Sensitivity of the Loan Portfolio

The following table shows contractual final maturities of selected loan categories at December 31, 2018 . The contractual maturities do not reflect premiums, discounts, deferred costs, or prepayments.

Problem Assets

The Bank prefers to work with borrowers to resolve problems rather than proceeding to foreclosure. For commercial loans, this may result in a period of forbearance or restructuring of the loan, which is normally done at current market terms and does not result in a “troubled” loan designation. For residential mortgage loans, the Bank generally follows The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") guidelines to attempt a restructuring that will enable owner-occupants to remain in their home. However, if these processes fail to result in a performing loan, then the Bank generally will initiate foreclosure or other proceedings no later than the 90th day of a delinquency, as necessary, to minimize any potential loss. Management reports delinquent loans and non-performing assets to the Board monthly. Loans are generally removed from accruing status when they reach 90 days delinquent, except for certain loans which are well secured and in the process of collection. Loan collections are managed by a combination of the related business units and the Bank’s Managed Assets Group, which focuses on larger, riskier collections and the recovery of purchased credit impaired loans.

The following table presents the problem assets and accruing troubled debt restructurings ("TDRs") for the five years indicated:

Allowance for Loan Losses

The Bank’s loan portfolio is regularly reviewed by management to evaluate the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses. The allowance represents management’s estimate of inherent losses that are probable and estimatable as of the date of the financial statements. The allowance includes a specific component for impaired loans (a “specific loan loss reserve”) and a general component for portfolios of all outstanding loans (a “general loan loss reserve”). At the time of acquisition, no allowance for loan losses is assigned to loans acquired in business combinations. These loans are carried at fair value, including the impact of expected losses, as of the acquisition date. The loan loss allowance is discussed further in Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The following table presents an analysis of the allowance for loan losses for the five years indicated:

The following table presents year-end data for the approximate allocation of the allowance for loan losses by loan categories at the dates indicated. The table shows for each category the amount of the allowance allocated to that category as a percentage of the outstanding loans in that category. Management believes that the allowance can be allocated by category only on an approximate basis. The allocation of the allowance to each category is not indicative of future losses and does not restrict the use of any of the allowance to absorb losses in any category. Due to the impact of accounting standards for acquired loans, data in the accompanying tables may not be comparable between accounting periods.

INVESTMENT SECURITIES ACTIVITIES

The general objectives of the Company's investment portfolio are to provide liquidity when loan demand is high, and to absorb excess funds when demand is low.  The securities portfolio also provides a medium for certain interest rate risk measures intended to maintain an appropriate balance between interest income from loans and total interest expense. For additional information, see Item 7A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company only invests in high-quality investment-grade securities.  Investment decisions are made in accordance with the Company’s investment policy and include consideration of risk, return, duration, and portfolio concentrations.

The following table presents the amortized cost and fair value of securities available for sale for the three years indicated:

The following table presents the amortized cost and weighted average yields of securities at December 31, 2018 :

DEPOSIT ACTIVITIES AND OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDS

The Company offers a variety of deposit products to consumers, businesses and institutional customers with a wide range of interest rates and terms. The Company's deposits consist of interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, and certificates of deposit. The Company solicits deposits primarily in its market area, excluding brokered deposits. The Company primarily relies on competitive pricing policies, marketing and customer service to attract and retain deposits.

The Company manages pricing of deposits in keeping with the Company's asset/liability management, liquidity and profitability objectives, subject to market competitive factors. Based on the Company's experience, the Company believes that the Company's deposits are relatively stable sources of funds. Despite this stability, the Company's ability to attract and maintain these deposits and rates are significantly affected by market conditions.

The following table presents the average balances and weighted average rates for deposits for the three years indicated:

The following table presents the scheduled maturities of time deposits $100 thousand or greater at December 31, 2018 :

The Company may also utilize borrowings as an alternative source of funds which can be invested at a positive interest rate spread when the Company desires additional capacity to fund loan demand or when they meet the Company's asset/liability management goals to diversify funding sources and enhance interest rate risk management.

The Company's borrowings historically have included advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston ("FHLB"), securities sold under repurchase agreements, and an unsecured line of credit. The Company also has the ability to borrow from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston ("FRB"), as well as through unsecured federal funds lines with correspondent banks. The Company may obtain advances from the FHLB by collateralizing the advances with certain loans and investment securities of the Company. These advances may be made pursuant to several different credit programs, each of which has its own interest rate, range of maturities and call features.

RETAIL BROKERAGE SERVICES

Bar Harbor Financial Services principally serves the brokerage needs of individuals ranging from first-time purchasers, to sophisticated investors. It also offers a line of life insurance, annuity, and retirement products, as well as financial planning services. These products are not deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not guaranteed by the Bank or any affiliate, and may be subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal.

The Bank is a branch office of Infinex Investments, Inc., (“Infinex”) a full-service third-party broker-dealer, conducting business under the assumed business name “Bar Harbor Financial Services.” Infinex is an independent registered broker-dealer and is not affiliated with the Company or its subsidiaries. Infinex was formed by a group of member banks, and is one of the largest providers of third-party investment and insurance services to banks and their customers in New England. Through Infinex, the Bank is able to take advantage of the expertise, capabilities, and experience of a well-established third-party broker-dealer in a cost effective manner.

TRUST MANAGEMENT SERVICES

The Bank has two wholly-owned subsidiaries that provide a comprehensive array of trust and investment management services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and municipalities. Bar Harbor Trust Services is a Maine-chartered trust company, and Charter Trust is a New Hampshire-chartered trust company that was obtained through a 2017 business combination. As a New Hampshire-chartered trust company, Charter Trust is subject to New Hampshire laws applicable to trust companies and fiduciaries. Trust management services include trustee of both living trusts and trusts under wills, including revocable, irrevocable, charitable remainder and testamentary trusts, and in this capacity holds, accounts for and manages financial assets, real estate and special assets. Trust Services offers custody, estate settlement, and fiduciary tax services. The employees include credentialed investment and trust professionals with extensive experience. At December 31, 2018 and 2017 , trust management services had total assets under management of $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion , respectively.

PERSONNEL

As of December 31, 2018 , the Company had 445 full time equivalent employee positions compared to 423 full time equivalents at December 31, 2017 . The Company has augmented the staff with targeted hires to deepen the overall employee skill set. The Company has never had a work stoppage, and no employees are represented by a labor organization or subject to any collective bargaining arrangements. The employee relations of the Company are considered to be good.

REGULATION AND SUPERVISION

As a bank holding company, the Company is regulated under the Bank Holding Company Act (“BHC”) and is subject to inspection, examination and supervision by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the Federal Reserve Board. The Company is also under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and is subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. The Company’s common stock is listed on the NYSE American exchange under the trading symbol “BHB,” and is subject to the rules of NYSE American for listed companies.

As a Maine-chartered financial institution, the Bank is subject to supervision, periodic examination, and regulation by the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions ("BFI") as its chartering authority and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") as its primary federal regulator. The prior approval of the BFI and the FDIC is required, among other things, for the Bank to establish or relocate an additional branch office, assume deposits, or engage in any merger, consolidation, purchase or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of any bank.

As a New Hampshire-chartered trust company, Charter Trust Company and its affiliates (“Charter”) is subject to supervision and periodic examination and regulation by the New Hampshire Banking Department.  Charter’s consolidated capital includes the following legal entities: Charter Holding Corporation, Charter Trust Company and Charter New England Agency.

In accordance with NH RSA 383-C:5-502, Charter’s Capital Plan requires minimum capital of $500 thousand to be held in accordance with NH RSA 564-B:9-902.  As of December 31, 2018 Charter’s total capital was $10.1 million and had liquidation reserves of $501 thousand held in a savings account.  Charter also had operating reserves of $10.4 million held in a U.S. Government money market fund.  As of December 31, 2018, Charter had an appropriate liquidation reserve, minimum capital in excess of statutory requirements, and all funds were held in accordance with prudent investor standards of NH RSA 564-B:9-902.

Bank Holding Company Regulations Applicable to the Company

The BHC Act and other federal laws subject bank holding companies to particular restrictions on the types of activities in which the Company may engage, and to a range of supervisory requirements and activities, including regulatory enforcement actions for violations of laws and regulations.

Permitted Activities

Generally, bank holding companies are prohibited under the BHC Act from engaging in or acquiring direct or indirect control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company engaged in any activity other than (i) banking or managing or controlling banks or (ii) an activity that the Federal Reserve Board determines to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident to the business of banking. The Federal Reserve Board has the authority to require a bank holding company to terminate an activity or terminate control of or liquidate or divest certain subsidiaries or affiliates when the Federal Reserve Board believes the activity or the control of the subsidiary or affiliate constitutes a significant risk to the financial safety, soundness, or stability of any of its banking subsidiaries.

A bank holding company that qualifies and elects to become a financial holding company is permitted to engage in additional activities that are financial in nature or incidental or complementary to financial activity. The Company currently has no plans to make a financial holding company election.

Sound Banking Practices

Bank holding companies and their non-banking subsidiaries are prohibited from engaging in activities that represent unsafe and unsound banking practices. For example, under certain circumstances the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation Y requires a holding company to give the Federal Reserve Board prior notice of any redemption or repurchase of its own equity securities if the consideration to be paid, together with the consideration paid for any repurchases in the preceding year, is equal to 10% or more of the company’s consolidated net worth. The Federal Reserve Board may oppose the transaction if it believes that the transaction would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice or would violate a regulation. As another example, a holding company is prohibited from impairing its subsidiary bank’s soundness by causing the bank to make funds available to non-banking subsidiaries or their customers if the Federal Reserve Board believes it not prudent to do so. The Federal Reserve Board has the power to assess civil money penalties for knowing or reckless violations, if the activities leading to a violation caused a substantial loss to a depository institution. Potential penalties are as high as $1,000,000 for each day the activity continues.

Source of Strength

In accordance with Federal Reserve Board policy, the holding company is expected to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to the Bank. Section 616 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) codifies the requirement that bank holding companies serve as a source of financial strength to their subsidiary depository institutions. Under this policy, the holding company is expected to commit resources to support its bank subsidiary, including at times when the holding company may not be in a financial position to provide it. As discussed below, the holding company could be required to guarantee the capital plan of the Bank if it becomes undercapitalized for purposes of banking regulations. Any capital loans by a bank holding company to its subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary bank. The BHC Act provides that, in the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a bank subsidiary will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to priority of payment.

Regulatory agencies have promulgated regulations to increase the capital requirements for bank holding companies to a level that matches those of banking institutions. See Capital Adequacy and Prompt Corrective Action included in Item I.

Anti-tying Restrictions

Bank holding companies and affiliates are prohibited from tying the provision of services, such as extensions of credit, to other services offered by a holding company or its affiliates.

Mergers & Acquisitions

The BHC Act, the Bank Merger Act, the laws of the State of Maine applicable to financial institutions and other federal and state statutes regulate acquisitions of banks and their holding companies. The BHC Act generally limits acquisitions by bank holding companies to banks and companies engaged in activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. The BHC Act requires every bank holding company to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve before (i) acquiring more than 5% of the voting stock of any bank or other bank holding company, (ii) acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of any bank or bank holding company, or (iii) merging or consolidating with any other bank holding company.

In reviewing applications seeking approval of merger and acquisition transactions, the bank regulatory authorities generally consider, among other things, the competitive effect and public benefits of the transactions, the financial and managerial resources and future prospects of the combined organization (including the capital position of the combined organization), the applicant’s performance record under the Community Reinvestment Act (see Community Reinvestment Act included in Item I), fair housing laws and the effectiveness of the subject organizations in combating money laundering activities.

Limitations on Acquisitions of Bar Harbor Bankshares Common Stock

The Change in Bank Control Act prohibits a person or group of persons from acquiring “control” of a bank holding company unless the appropriate federal bank regulator has been notified and has not objected to the transaction. Under a rebuttable presumption established by the federal bank regulator, the acquisition of 10% or more of a class of voting securities of a bank holding company with a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act would constitute the acquisition of control of a bank holding company. In addition, the BHC Act prohibits any company from acquiring control of a bank or bank holding company without first having obtained the approval of the federal bank regulator. Among other circumstances, under the BHC Act, a company has control of a bank or bank holding company if the company owns, controls or holds with power to vote 25% or more of a class of voting securities of the bank or bank holding company, controls in any manner the election of a majority of directors or trustees of the bank or bank holding company, or the federal bank regulator has determined, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that the company has the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of the bank or bank holding company.

Dividends

Dividends from the Bank are the Company's principal source of cash revenues. The Company's earnings and activities are affected by legislation, by regulations and by local legislative and administrative bodies and decisions of courts in the jurisdictions in which business is conducted. These include limitations on the ability of the Bank to pay dividends to the holding company and the ability to pay dividends to stockholders. It is the policy of the Federal Reserve Board that bank holding companies should pay cash dividends on common stock only out of income available over the past year and only if prospective earnings retention is consistent with the organization’s expected future needs and financial condition. The policy provides that bank holding companies should not maintain a level of cash dividends that undermines the bank holding company’s ability to serve as a source of strength to its banking subsidiary. Consistent with such policy, a banking organization should have comprehensive policies on dividend payments that clearly articulate the organization’s objectives and approaches for maintaining a strong capital position and achieving the objectives of the policy statement.

The FDIC has the authority to use its enforcement powers to prohibit a bank from paying dividends if, in its opinion, the payment of dividends would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. Federal law also prohibits the payment of dividends by a bank that will result in the bank failing to meet its applicable capital requirements on a pro forma basis. Maine law requires the approval of the BFI for any dividend that would reduce a bank's capital below prescribed limits.

Annual Reporting

The Company is required to file an annual report with the Federal Reserve Board, and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require. The Federal Reserve Board may examine a bank holding company and any of its subsidiaries, and charge the Company for the cost of such an examination.

Imposition of Liability for Undercapitalized Subsidiaries: Pursuant to Section 38 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”) federal banking agencies are required to take “prompt corrective action” (“PCA”) should an insured depository institution fail to meet certain capital adequacy standards. In the event an institution becomes “undercapitalized,” it must submit a capital restoration plan. The capital restoration plan will not be accepted by the regulators unless each company “having control of” the undercapitalized institution “guarantees” the subsidiary’s compliance with the capital restoration plan until it becomes “adequately capitalized.” For purposes of this statute, the holding company has control of the Bank. Under FDIA, the aggregate liability of all companies controlling a particular institution is limited to the lesser of five percent of the depository institution’s total assets at the time it became undercapitalized or the amount necessary to bring the institution into compliance with applicable capital standards. FDIA grants greater powers to bank regulators in situations where an institution becomes “significantly” or “critically” undercapitalized or fails to submit a capital restoration plan. For example, a bank holding company controlling such an institution can be required to obtain prior Federal Reserve Board approval of proposed distributions, or might be required to consent to a merger or to divest the troubled institution or other affiliates. See Capital Adequacy and Prompt Corrective Action included in Item I.

Transactions with Affiliates

The holding company and the Bank are considered “affiliates” of each other under the Federal Reserve Act, and transactions between a bank and its affiliates are subject to certain restrictions, under Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Reserve Board's implementing Regulation W. Generally, Sections 23A and 23B: (1) limit the extent to which an insured depository or its subsidiaries may engage in covered transactions (a) with an affiliate (as defined in such sections) to an amount equal to 10% of such institution’s capital and surplus, and (b) with all affiliates, in the aggregate to an amount equal to 20% of such capital and surplus; and (2) require all transactions with an affiliate, whether or not covered transactions, to be on terms substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the institution or subsidiary, as the terms provided or that would be provided to a non-affiliate. The term “covered transaction” includes the making of loans, purchase of assets, issuance of a guarantee and other similar types of transactions.

State Law Restrictions

As a Maine corporation, the holding company is subject to certain limitations and restrictions under applicable Maine corporate law. For example, state law restrictions in Maine include limitations and restrictions relating to indemnification of directors, distributions and dividends to stockholders, transactions involving directors, officers or interested stockholders, maintenance of books, records, and minutes, and observance of certain corporate formalities.

As a New Hampshire-chartered trust company, Charter Trust Company and its affiliates (“Charter”) is subject to supervision and periodic examination and regulation by the New Hampshire Banking Department.  Charter’s consolidated capital includes the following legal entities: Charter Holding Corporation, Charter Trust Company and Charter New England Agency.

Capital Adequacy and Prompt Corrective Action

In July 2013, the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”) issued final rules (the “Capital Rules”) that established a new capital framework for U.S. banking organizations. The Capital Rules generally implement the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s (the “Basel Committee”) December 2010 final capital framework referred to as “Basel III” for strengthening international capital standards. In addition, the Capital Rules implement certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, including the requirements of Section 939A to remove references to credit ratings from the federal banking agencies’ rules. The Capital Rules substantially revised the risk-based capital requirements applicable to bank holding companies and their depository institution subsidiaries. The risk based capital guidelines are designed to make regulatory capital requirements sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banks and bank holding companies, to account for off-balance sheet exposures and to minimize disincentives for holding liquid, low-risk assets.

The Capital Rules: (i) require a capital measure called “Common Equity Tier 1” (“CET1”) and related regulatory capital ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets; (ii) specify that Tier 1 capital consists of CET1 and “Additional Tier 1 capital” instruments meeting certain revised requirements; (iii) mandate that most deductions/adjustments to regulatory capital measures be made to CET1 and not to the other components of capital; and (iv) expand the scope of the deductions from and adjustments to capital as compared to existing regulations. The Capital Rules revised the definitions and the components of regulatory capital and impacted the calculation of the numerator in banking institutions’ regulatory capital ratios. The Capital Rules became effective for the Company and the Bank on January 1, 2015, subject to phase-in periods for certain components and other provisions. Under the Capital Rules, for most banking organizations, the most common form of Additional Tier 1 capital is non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock and the most common forms of Tier 2 capital are subordinated notes and a portion of the allocation for loan losses, in each case, subject to the Capital Rules’ specific requirements. Pursuant to the Capital Rules, the minimum capital ratios plus additional capital conservation buffer for 2018 are as follows:

The Capital Rules also require a “capital conservation buffer,” composed entirely of CET1, on top of these minimum risk-weighted asset ratios. The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking organizations with a ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but below the capital conservation buffer will face constraints on dividends, equity and other capital instrument repurchases and compensation based on the amount of the shortfall. When fully phased-in on January 1, 2019, the capital standards applicable to the Company and the Bank will include an additional capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of CET1, effectively resulting in minimum ratios inclusive of the capital conservation buffer of (i) CET1 to risk-weighted assets of at least 7%, (ii) Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 8.5%, and (iii) Total capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 10.5%. The Capital Rules provide for a number of deductions from and adjustments to CET1. These include, for example, the requirement that mortgage servicing rights and deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences that could not be realized through net operating loss carrybacks and significant investments in non-consolidated financial entities be deducted from CET1 to the extent that any one such category exceeds 10% of CET1 or all such items, in the aggregate, exceed 15% of CET1.

In addition, under the prior general risk-based capital rules, the effects of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss (“AOCI”) items included in shareholders’ equity (for example, mark-to-market of securities held in the available-for-sale portfolio) under U.S. GAAP are reversed for the purposes of determining regulatory capital ratios. Under the Capital Rules, the effects of certain AOCI items are not excluded; however, banking organizations not using the advanced approaches, including the Company and the Bank, were permitted to make a one-time permanent election to continue to exclude these items in January 2015. The Capital Rules also preclude certain hybrid securities, such as trust preferred securities issued after May 19, 2010, from inclusion in bank holding companies’ Tier 1 capital.

Implementation of the deductions and other adjustments to CET1 began on January 1, 2015 and are being phased-in over a 4-year period (beginning at 40% on January 1, 2015 and an additional 20% per year thereafter). The implementation of the capital conservation buffer began on January 1, 2016, at the 0.625% level and increase by 0.625% on each subsequent January 1, until it reaches 2.5% on January 1, 2019.

The Capital Rules prescribe a standardized approach for risk weightings, generally ranging from 0% for U.S. government and agency securities to 600% for certain equity exposures, resulting in higher risk weights for a variety of asset classes.

Pursuant to Section 38 of the FDIA, federal banking agencies are required to take “prompt corrective action” should an insured depository institutions fail to meet certain capital adequacy standards. At each successive lower capital category, an insured depository institution is subject to more restrictions and prohibitions, including restrictions on growth, restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, restrictions or prohibitions on payment of dividends and restrictions on the acceptance of brokered deposits. Furthermore, if an insured depository institution is classified in one of the undercapitalized categories, it is required to submit a capital restoration plan to the appropriate federal banking agency, and the holding company must guarantee the performance of that plan. Based upon its capital levels, a bank that is classified as well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, or undercapitalized may be treated as though it were in the next lower capital category if the appropriate federal banking agency, after notice and opportunity for hearing, determines that an unsafe or unsound condition, or an unsafe or unsound practice, warrants such treatment.

For purposes of PCA, to be: (i) well-capitalized, an insured depository institution must have a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 8%, a CET1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 6.5%, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 5%; (ii) adequately capitalized, an insured depository institution must have a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 8%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 6%, a CET1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 4.5%, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 4%; (iii) undercapitalized, an insured depository institution would have a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6%, a CET1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.5%, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of less than 4%; (iv) significantly undercapitalized, an insured depository institution would have a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4%, a CET1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 3%, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of less than 3%. and (v) critically undercapitalized, an insured depository institution would have a ratio of tangible equity to total assets that is less than or equal to 2%.

Both the Company and the Bank have always maintained the capital ratios and leverage ratio above the levels to be considered quantitatively well-capitalized. For information regarding the capital ratios and leverage ratio of the Company and the Bank as of December 31, 2018 , and December 31, 2017 , see the discussion under the section captioned Capital Resources included in Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in Item 7 and Note 13 - Stock-Based Compensation in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, elsewhere in this report.

The Volker Rule

Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act, commonly known as the Volcker Rule, restricts the ability of banking entities, such as the Company, from: (i) engaging in “proprietary trading” and (ii) investing in or sponsoring certain types of funds (“Covered Funds”), subject to certain limited exceptions. Under the Volcker Rule, a Covered Fund is any issuer that would be an investment company under the Investment Company Act (the “ICA”) but for the exemptions in section 3(c)(1) and 3(c)(7) of the ICA, which includes collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) and collateralized debt obligation securities. The regulation also provides, among other exemptions, an exemption for CLOs meeting certain requirements. The Bank is in compliance with these rules.

Significant Banking Regulations Applicable to the Bank

Deposit Insurance

The Bank’s deposit accounts are fully insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund ("DIF") of the FDIC up to the deposit insurance limit of $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC insured institution, and per ownership category, all in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

The FDIC uses a risk-based assessment system that imposes insurance premiums based upon a risk matrix that accounts for a bank's capital level and supervisory rating (CAMELS rating). The risk matrix uses different risk categories distinguished by capital levels and supervisory ratings. The base for deposit insurance assessments is consolidated average assets less average tangible equity. Assessment rates are calculated using formulas that take into account the risk of the institution being assessed. The FDIC may increase or decrease the assessment rate schedule in order to manage the DIF to prescribed statutory target levels. An increase in the risk category for the Bank or in the assessment rates could have an adverse effect on the Bank’s and consequently the Company’s earnings. The FDIC may terminate deposit insurance if it determines the institution involved has engaged in or is engaging in unsafe or unsound banking practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition, or has violated applicable laws, regulations or orders.

In addition to deposit insurance assessments, the FDIA provides for additional assessments to be imposed on insured depository institutions to pay for the cost of Financing Corporation (“FICO”) funding. The FICO is a mixed-ownership government corporation established by the Competitive Equality Banking Act of 1987, whose sole purpose was to function as a financing vehicle for the now defunct Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corporation. The FICO assessments are adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the assessment base of the DIF and do not vary depending upon a depository institution’s capitalization or supervisory evaluation. The current annualized assessment rate is approximately six basis points and the rate is adjusted quarterly. These assessments will continue until the FICO bonds mature in 2019.

Depositor Preference

The FDIA provides that, in the event of the “liquidation or other resolution” of an insured depository institution, the claims of depositors of the institution, including the claims of the FDIC as subrogee of insured depositors, and certain claims for administrative expenses of the FDIC as a receiver, will have priority over other general unsecured claims against the institution. If an insured depository institution fails, insured and uninsured depositors, along with the FDIC, will have priority in payment ahead of unsecured, non-deposit creditors, including the parent bank holding company, with respect to any extensions of credit they have made to such insured depository institution.

Consumer Financial Protection

The Company is subject to a number of federal and state consumer protection laws that govern its relationship with its customers. These laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Right to Financial Privacy Act, the Service Members Civil Relief Act and these laws’ respective state law counterparts, as well as state usury laws and laws regarding unfair and deceptive acts and practices. These and other federal laws, among other things, require disclosures of the cost of credit and terms of deposit accounts, provide substantive consumer rights, prohibit discrimination in credit transactions, regulate the use of credit report information, provide financial privacy protections, prohibit unfair, deceptive and abusive practices, restrict the Bank's ability to raise interest rates and subject the Bank to substantial regulatory oversight. Violations of applicable consumer protection laws can result in significant potential liability from litigation brought by customers, including actual damages, restitution and attorneys’ fees.

Further, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB") has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer financial laws that apply to all banks, including, among other things, the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. Abusive acts or practices are defined as those that materially interfere with a consumer’s ability to understand a term or condition of a consumer financial product or service or take unreasonable advantage of a consumer’s: (i) lack of understanding on the part of the consumer of the material risks, costs, or conditions of the product or service, (ii) inability of the consumer to protect its interests in selecting or using a consumer financial product or service, or (iii) reasonable reliance on a covered entity to act in the consumer’s interests.

Neither the Dodd-Frank Act nor the individual consumer financial protection laws prevent states from adopting stricter consumer protection standards.

Brokered Deposit Restrictions

Under FDIC Improvement Act, banks may be restricted in their ability to accept brokered deposits, depending on their classification. “Well-capitalized” institutions are permitted to accept brokered deposits, but all banks that are not well-capitalized could be restricted from accepting such deposits. The Bank is currently well-capitalized and not restricted from accepting brokered deposits.

Community Reinvestment Act

The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (“CRA”), requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under the CRA, each depository institution is required to help meet the credit needs of its market areas by, among other things, providing credit to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities. These factors are also considered in evaluating mergers, acquisitions and applications to open a branch or facility. The applicable federal regulators regularly conduct CRA examinations to assess the performance of financial institutions and assign one of four ratings to the institution’s records of meeting the credit needs of its community. During its last examination, a rating of “satisfactory” was received by the Bank.

Insider Credit Transactions

Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act ("FRA") and its implementing Regulation O, restricts loans to directors, executive officers, and principal stockholders (“insiders”). Under Section 22(h), loans to insiders and their related interests may not exceed, together with all other outstanding loans to such persons and affiliated entities, the institution’s total capital and surplus. Loans to insiders above specified amounts must receive the prior approval of the Board of Directors. Further, under Section 22(h) of the FRA, loans to directors, executive officers and principal stockholders must be made on terms substantially the same as offered in comparable transactions to other persons, except that such insiders may receive preferential loans made under a benefit or compensation program that is widely available to the bank’s employees and does not give preference to the insider over the employees. Section 22(g) of the FRA places additional limitations on loans to executive officers. A violation of these restrictions may result in the assessment of substantial civil monetary penalties on the affected bank or any officer, director, employee, agent or other person participating in the conduct of the affairs of that bank, the imposition of a cease and desist order, and other regulatory sanctions.

Safety and Soundness

Under the FDIA, each federal banking agency has prescribed, by regulation, non-capital safety and soundness standards for institutions under its authority. These standards cover internal controls, information and internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits, such other operational and managerial standards as the agency determines to be appropriate, and standards for asset quality, earnings and stock valuation. An institution which fails to meet these standards must develop a plan acceptable to the agency, specifying the steps that the institution will take to meet the standards. Failure to submit or implement such a plan may subject the institution to regulatory sanctions.

Examinations

The Bank is examined from time-to-time by its primary federal banking regulator, the FDIC, and the BFI.

Financial Privacy

Section V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ("GLBA") and its implementing regulations require all financial institutions, including the Company and the Bank, to adopt privacy policies, restrict the sharing of nonpublic customer data with non-affiliated parties at the customer’s request, limit the reuse of certain consumer information received from non-affiliated financial institutions, and establish procedures and practices to protect customer data from unauthorized access. In addition, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), as amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (the "FACT Act”), includes many provisions affecting the Company, Bank, and/or their affiliates, including provisions concerning obtaining consumer reports, furnishing information to consumer reporting agencies, maintaining a program to prevent identity theft, sharing of certain information among affiliated companies, and other provisions. The FACT Act requires entities subject to FCRA to notify their customers if they report negative information about them to a credit bureau or if they are granted credit on terms less favorable than those generally available. The CFPB and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) have extensive rulemaking authority under the FACT Act, and the Company and the Bank are subject to the rules that have been promulgated under the FACT Act, including rules requiring financial institutions with covered accounts (e.g. consumer bank accounts and loans) to develop, implement, and administer an identity theft protection program, as well as rules regarding limitations on affiliate marketing and implementation of programs to identify, detect and mitigate certain identity theft red flags. The Company has developed policies and procedures for itself and its subsidiaries, including the Bank, and believes it is in compliance with all privacy, information sharing, and notification provisions of the GLBA and the FACT Act. The Bank is also subject to data security standards, privacy and data breach notice requirements, primarily those issued by the FDIC.

Anti-Money Laundering Initiatives and the USA Patriot Act

A major focus of governmental policy on financial institutions over the last two decades has been combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (“USA Patriot Act”), substantially broadened the scope of United States anti-money laundering laws and regulations by imposing significant new compliance and due diligence obligations, creating new crimes and penalties and expanding the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a number of regulations that apply various requirements of the USA Patriot Act to financial institutions such as the Bank. These regulations impose obligations on financial institutions to maintain appropriate policies, procedures and controls to detect, prevent and report money laundering and terrorist financing and to verify the identities of their customers. Financial institutions are also prohibited from entering into specified financial transactions and account relationships and must use enhanced due diligence procedures in their dealings with certain types of high-risk customers and implement a written customer identification program. Financial institutions must take certain steps to assist government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering and report certain types of suspicious transactions. Regulatory authorities routinely examine financial institutions for compliance with these obligations, and failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with all of the relevant laws or regulations, can have serious legal and reputational consequences for the institution.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation

The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, nationals and others. These are typically known as the “OFAC” rules based on their administration by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). The OFAC-administered sanctions targeting countries take many different forms. Generally, however, they contain one or more of the following elements: (i) restrictions on trade with or investment in a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from and exports to a sanctioned country and prohibitions on “U.S. persons” engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and (ii) a blocking of assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the sanctioned country have an interest, by prohibiting transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons). Blocked assets (e.g., property and bank deposits) cannot be paid out, withdrawn, set off or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC. The Company is responsible for, among other things, blocking accounts of, and transactions with, such targets and countries, prohibiting unlicensed trade and financial transactions with them and reporting blocked transactions after their occurrence. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences.

Other Laws and Regulations

The Company is not only subject to federal laws applicable to it, it is also subject to the rules and regulations of the various federal agencies charged with the responsibility of implementing these federal laws.

Guidance on Sound Compensation Policies

The Dodd-Frank Act requires publicly traded companies to give stockholders a non-binding vote on executive compensation at their first annual meeting taking place six months after the date of enactment and at least every three years thereafter and on so-called “golden parachute” payments in connection with approvals of mergers and acquisitions.

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires the federal banking agencies and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines prohibiting incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities with at least $1 billion in total consolidated assets that encourage inappropriate risks by providing an executive officer, employee, director or principal shareholder with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits that could lead to material financial loss to the entity. The federal banking agencies and the SEC most recently proposed such regulations in 2016, but the regulations have not yet been finalized. If the regulations are adopted in the form initially proposed, they will restrict the manner in which executive compensation is structured.

Changing Regulatory Structure and Future Legislation and Regulation

Congress may enact further legislation that affects the regulation of the financial services industry, and the Maine or New Hampshire legislature may enact further legislation affecting the regulation of financial institutions chartered by the State of Maine or the State of New Hampshire. Federal and state regulatory agencies also periodically propose and adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. The Company cannot predict the substance or impact of pending or future legislation or regulations, or the application thereof, although enactment of the proposed legislation could impact the regulatory structure under which the Company operates and may significantly increase costs, impede the efficiency of internal business processes, require an increase in regulatory capital, require modifications to the Company’s business strategy, and limit the Company’s ability to pursue business opportunities in an efficient manner. A change in statutes, regulations or regulatory policies applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries could have a material effect on its business.

Monetary Policy and Economic Environment

The earnings of the Company are significantly affected by the monetary and fiscal policies of governmental authorities, including the Federal Reserve Board. Among the instruments of monetary policy used by the Federal Reserve Board to implement these objectives are open-market operations in U.S. Government securities and federal funds, changes in the discount rate on member bank borrowings, and changes in reserve requirements against member bank deposits. These instruments of monetary policy are used in varying combinations to influence the overall level of bank loans, investments, and deposits, and the interest rates charged on loans and paid for deposits. The Federal Reserve Board frequently uses these instruments of monetary policy, especially its open-market operations and the discount rate, to

influence the level of interest rates, thereby affecting the strength of the economy, the level of inflation, or the price of the dollar in foreign exchange markets. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board have had a significant effect on the operating results of banking institutions in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. It is not possible to predict the nature of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies, or the effect which they may have on the Company’s business and earnings.

Environmental Laws

The Company believes that it is in compliance with all federal, state and local environmental regulations. The cost of ongoing compliance with such regulations does not have a material effect on operations.