ITEM 1. BUSINESS

A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (individually referred to herein as "Parent Company" and collectively with all of its subsidiaries and affiliates referred to herein as "Heartland," "we," "us," or "our") is a multi-bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the "BHCA"), that was originally formed in the state of Iowa in 1981 and reincorporated in the State of Delaware in 1993. Heartland's headquarters are located at 1398 Central Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa. Our website address is www.htlf.com . You can access, free of charge, our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any other amendments to those reports, at our website under the Investor Relations tab, or at the SEC website at www.sec.gov . Proxy materials for our upcoming 2018 Annual Shareholders Meeting to be held on May 16, 2018, will be available electronically via a link on our website at www.htlf.com .

At December 31, 2017, Heartland had total assets of $9.81 billion , total loans of $6.39 billion and total deposits of $8.15 billion . Heartland’s total capital as of December 31, 2017, was $991.5 million . Net income available to common stockholders for 2017 was $75.2 million .

Heartland conducts a community banking business through independently chartered community banks (collectively, the "Banks") operating in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and California. All Banks are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC"). Listed below are our current ten Banks, which, as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, operate a total of 118 banking locations:

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company also has two wholly-owned non-bank subsidiaries:

Heartland has three active non-bank subsidiaries as listed below:

In addition, as of December 31, 2017, Heartland had trust preferred securities issued through special purpose trust subsidiaries formed for the purpose of offering cumulative capital securities, including Heartland Financial Statutory Trust IV, Heartland Financial Statutory Trust V, Heartland Financial Statutory Trust VI, Heartland Financial Statutory Trust VII, Morrill Statutory Trust I, Morrill Statutory Trust II, Sheboygan Statutory Trust I, CBNM Capital Trust I, Citywide Capital Trust III, Citywide Capital Trust IV and Citywide Capital Trust V.

All of Heartland’s subsidiaries were wholly owned as of December 31, 2017.

The principal business of our Banks consists of making loans to and accepting deposits from businesses and individuals. Our Banks provide full service commercial and retail banking in their communities. Both our loans and our deposits are generated primarily through strong banking and community relationships, and through management that is actively involved in the community. Our lending and investment activities are funded primarily by core deposits. This stable source of funding is achieved by developing strong banking relationships with customers through value-added product offerings, competitive market pricing, convenience and high-touch personal service. Deposit products, which are insured by the FDIC to the full extent permitted by law, include checking and other demand deposit accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, health savings accounts and other time deposits. Loan products include commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, small business, agricultural, real estate mortgage, consumer, and credit cards for commercial, business and personal use.

We enhance the customer-centric local services of our Banks with a full complement of value-added services, including wealth management, investment and insurance services. We provide contemporary technology solutions that provide our customers convenient electronic banking services and client access to account information through business and personal online banking, mobile banking, bill payment, remote deposit capture, treasury management services, credit and debit cards and automated teller machines.

Business Model and Operating Philosophy

Heartland’s operating philosophy is to maximize the benefits of a community banking model by:

We believe the personal and professional service we offer to our customers provides an appealing alternative to the service provided by the "megabanks." While we are committed to a community banking philosophy, we believe our size, combined with our robust suite of financial products and services, allows us to effectively compete in our respective market areas. To remain price competitive, we also believe that we must manage expenses and gain economies of scale by centralizing back office support functions. Although each of our Banks operates under the direction of its own board of directors, we have standard operating policies regarding asset/liability management, liquidity management, investment management, and lending and deposit structure management.

Another component of our operating strategy is to encourage all directors, officers and employees to maintain a strong ownership interest in Heartland. We have established ownership guidelines for our directors and executive management and have an employee stock purchase plan available to employees.

We maintain a strong community commitment by encouraging the active participation of our employees, officers and board members in local charitable, civic, school, religious and community development activities.

Acquisition and Expansion Strategy

Our primary objectives are to increase profitability and diversify our market area and asset base by expanding through acquisitions and to grow organically by increasing our customer base in the markets we serve. In the current environment, we are continuing to seek opportunities for growth through acquisitions. Although we are focused on opportunities in our existing and adjacent markets, we would consider acquisitions in new growth markets if they fit our business model, support our customer-centric culture, provide a sufficient return on investment and would be accretive to earnings within the first year of combined operations. We typically consider acquisitions of established financial institutions, primarily commercial banks or thrifts. We have also formed de novo banking institutions in locations determined to have high growth market potential and management with banking expertise and a philosophy similar to our own.

In recent years, we have focused on markets with growth potential in the Midwestern and Western regions of the United States. Our strategy is to balance the growth in our Western markets with the stability of our Midwestern markets.

Through acquisition and organic growth, our goal is to reach at least $1 billion in assets in each state where Heartland operates. To that end, as of December 31, 2017, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Wisconsin Bank & Trust, New Mexico Bank & Trust, and Citywide Banks each have assets over $1 billion.

The following table provides information about the implementation of Heartland's expansion strategy:

On February 23, 2018, Heartland completed the acquisition of Signature Bancshares, Inc., parent company of Signature Bank, headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Under the terms of the definitive merger agreement, Heartland acquired Signature Bancshares, Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $61.4 million, of which $7.7 million was cash and the remainder was settled by delivery of approximately 1,001,246 shares of Heartland common stock. As of December 31, 2017, Signature Bank had total assets of $409.2 million, including $339.1 million of gross loans held to maturity, and deposits of $368.1 million. Signature Bank was merged with Heartland’s wholly-owned subsidiary Minnesota Bank & Trust, and the combined entity operates under the Minnesota Bank & Trust brand name. The transaction was a tax-free reorganization with respect to the stock consideration received by the stockholders of Signature Bancshares, Inc. The systems conversion for this transaction is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2018.

On December 12, 2017, Heartland entered into a definitive merger agreement with First Bank Lubbock Bancshares, Inc., parent company of FirstBank & Trust Company, headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. Under the terms of the definitive merger agreement, Heartland will acquire First Bank Lubbock Bancshares, Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $185.6 million as of the

announcement date, subject to certain adjustments. Shareholders of First Bank Lubbock Bancshares, Inc. will receive a combination of Heartland common stock and cash. As of December 31, 2017, FirstBank & Trust Company had total assets of $929.6 million, including $669.3 million of gross loans held to maturity, and deposits of $821.9 million. FirstBank & Trust Company will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heartland. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018.

Primary Business Lines

General

Our Banks provide a wide range of commercial, small business and consumer banking services to businesses, including public sector and non-profit entities, and to individuals. We provide a contemporary menu of traditional and non-traditional service channels including online banking, mobile banking and telephone banking. Our Banks provide a comprehensive suite of banking services comprised of competitively priced deposit and innovative credit offerings, along with treasury management and private client services.

Our bankers actively solicit the business of new companies entering their market areas as well as established companies in their respective business communities. We believe that the Banks are successful in attracting new customers in their markets through professional service, a suite of comprehensive banking products, competitive pricing, innovative credit facilities, convenient locations and proactive communications.

Commercial Banking

Our Banks have a strong commercial loan base generated primarily through business networks and personal relationships in the communities they serve. The current portfolios of the Banks reflect the businesses in those communities and include a wide range of business loans, including lines of credit for working capital and operational purposes and term loans for the acquisition of equipment and real estate. Although most loans are made on a secured basis, loans may be made on an unsecured basis where warranted by the overall financial condition of the borrower. Generally, terms of commercial business loans range from one to five years.

Commercial bankers at the Banks provide a consultative customer-centric approach utilizing the comprehensive suite of banking products and services to deliver tailored solutions to the client in an organized and efficient manner both for the client and the bank. Bankers are trained and experienced in providing consultative solutions to clients to assist them in accomplishing their business strategies and objectives. The suite of banking services used to accompany this approach are developed to be at the highest level in the industry and can be customized to fit the objectives of the client.

Closely integrated with our loan programs is a significant emphasis on treasury management services that enhance our business clients' ability to monitor, accumulate and disburse funds efficiently. Our treasury management has five basic functions:

Our treasury management services suite includes online banking and bill payment, automated clearing house ("ACH") services, wire transfer, zero balance accounts, transaction reporting, lock box services, remote deposit capture, accounts receivable solutions, commercial purchasing cards, merchant credit card services, investment sweep accounts, reconciliation services, foreign exchange and several fraud prevention services, including check and electronic positive pay, and virus/malware protection service.

Many of the businesses in the communities we serve are small to mid-sized businesses, and commercial lending to small businesses has been, and continues to be, an emphasis for the Banks. The table below shows the certifications granted to the Banks from the United States Small Business Administration ("SBA") and United States Department of Agriculture (the "USDA") Rural Development Business and Industry loan program.

Our commercial loans are primarily made based on the identified cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. We value the collateral for most of these loans based upon its estimated fair market value and require personal guarantees in most instances. The primary repayment risks of commercial loans are that the cash flow of the borrowers may be unpredictable, and the collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value.

In order to limit underwriting risk, we are committed to ensuring that all loan personnel are well trained. We use a third-party assessment to assess the credit skills and training needs for our loan personnel, and we have developed specific individualized training. All new lending personnel are expected to complete a similar diagnostic training program. Centralized staff in the credit administration department assists all of the commercial and agricultural lending officers of the Banks in the analysis and underwriting of credit.

In addition to the lending personnel of the Banks reporting to their respective board of directors each month, we use an internal loan review function to analyze credits of the Banks and provide periodic reports to their boards of directors. To reduce the risk of loss, we have processes to help identify problem loans early, and we aggressively seek resolution of credit problems.

As a result of the economic recession between 2008 and 2011, an internal Special Assets group was formed to focus on resolving assets. Commercial or agricultural loans in a default or workout status are assigned to the Special Assets group. Special Assets personnel are also responsible for marketing repossessed properties and meet with representatives from each Bank on a monthly basis.

Small Business Banking

In 2013, Heartland established a Small Business Lending Center dedicated to serving the credit needs of small businesses with annual sales generally under $5 million. The Center is designed to provide quick turnaround on small business customer credit requests on a wide variety of credit products. We believe that small businesses are an underserved market segment and see additional opportunity in serving this market with competitively priced deposit offerings and convenient electronic banking services, as well as wealth management, retirement plan services and brokerage services. The Banks have designated business bankers and banking center managers that serve the distinct banking needs of this customer segment.

Agricultural Loans

Agricultural loans are emphasized by those Banks with operations in and around rural areas, including Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Rocky Mountain Bank, Wisconsin Bank & Trust's Monroe and Platteville banking centers, New Mexico Bank & Trust’s Clovis banking offices and the Morrill & Janes Bank & Trust Company's northeast Kansas banking offices. Agricultural loans constituted approximately 8% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2017. Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Wisconsin Bank & Trust and Morrill & Janes Bank and Trust Company are designated as Preferred Lenders by the USDA Farm Service Agency (the "FSA"). In making agricultural loans, we have policies designating a primary lending area for each Bank, in which a majority of its agricultural operating and real estate loans are made. Under this policy, loans in a secondary market area must be secured by real estate.

Agricultural loans, many of which are secured by crops, machinery and real estate, are provided to finance capital improvements and farm operations as well as acquisitions of livestock and machinery. Agricultural loans present unique credit risks relating to adverse weather conditions, loss of livestock due to disease or other factors, declines in market prices for agricultural products and the impact of government regulations. The ultimate repayment of agricultural loans is dependent upon the profitable operation or management of the agricultural entity.

In underwriting agricultural loans, the lending officers of the Banks work closely with their customers to review budgets and cash flow projections for the ensuing crop year. These budgets and cash flow projections are monitored closely during the year and reviewed with the customers at least annually. The Banks also work closely with governmental agencies, including the FSA, to help agricultural customers obtain credit enhancement products such as loan guarantees or interest assistance.

Residential Real Estate Mortgage Lending

Mortgage lending remains a focal point for Heartland as we continue to strengthen our residential real estate lending business. As long-term interest rates have remained at low levels during the past several years, many customers have elected mortgage loans that are fixed rate with fifteen- year or thirty-year maturities. We generally sell these loans into the secondary market and retain servicing rights. We believe that mortgage servicing on loans sold in the secondary market provides a relatively steady source of fee income compared to fees generated solely from mortgage origination operations. Moreover, the retention of servicing provides an opportunity to maintain ongoing contact with borrowers and to cross-sell a wide variety of additional services such as checking, savings, consumer loans, wealth management and investment products. At December 31, 2017, residential real estate mortgage loans serviced, primarily for government sponsored entities ("GSEs"), totaled $3.56 billion .

As with agricultural and commercial loans, we encourage participation in lending programs sponsored by U.S. government agencies when justified by market conditions. Loans insured or guaranteed under programs through the Veterans Administration (the "VA") and the Federal Home Administration (the "FHA") are offered at all of the Banks.

Our mortgage unit, which operates as a division of our lead bank, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, provides operational, administrative and back office support for our Banks to offer a full complement of mortgage services. Residential mortgage lending services are provided as a direct channel under the brand, "National Residential Mortgage."

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company has been a Ginnie Mae ("GNMA") issuer since 2012 for the GNMA I and II single-family mortgage-backed securities program. As a GNMA issuer, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is allowed to pool and securitize FHA loans, VA loans, and Department of Agriculture's Rural Development loans. Beginning July 1, 2017, any GNMA government guaranteed residential real estate loans originated by Heartland's banks are sold into the secondary market with servicing released.

Retail Banking

A wide variety of retail banking services are delivered through our 118 banking centers. Services include checking, savings, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts ("IRAs"), health savings accounts ("HSAs") and consumer credit cards. Brokerage services, including fixed rate annuity products are also provided in many locations. Consumer lending services of the Banks include a broad array of consumer loans, including motor vehicle, home improvement, home equity lines of credit ("HELOC"), fixed rate home equity and personal lines of credit. Consumer loans typically have shorter terms, lower balances, higher yields and higher risks of default than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans. Consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and are therefore more likely to be affected by adverse personal circumstances.

Our Banks continue to enhance our retail customers' banking experience through the addition of secure electronic banking options including on-line account opening and mobile banking. Our retail customers receive high-touch service in our banking center locations and further enjoy the convenience of on-line bill pay, mobile deposit, and 24-hour access to account detail. As technology advances, we are committed to offering our customers the convenience of online and mobile delivery channels with the security they expect.

Consumer Finance

Our consumer finance company, Citizens Finance Parent Co., specializes in consumer lending and currently serves the consumer credit needs of nearly 16,000 customers from 14 locations in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Citizens Finance Parent Co., through its subsidiaries Citizens Finance Co. and Citizens Finance of Illinois Co., and typically lends to borrowers with past credit problems or limited credit histories. Heartland expects to incur a higher level of credit losses on Citizens' loans compared to consumer loans originated by the Banks. Correspondingly, returns on these loans are higher than those at the Banks.

Private Client Services

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, Illinois Bank & Trust, Wisconsin Bank & Trust, New Mexico Bank & Trust, Arizona Bank & Trust, Citywide Banks, Minnesota Bank & Trust and Morrill & Janes Bank and Trust Company offer trust and investment services in their respective communities. In the Heartland markets that do not yet warrant a full trust department, the sales and administration of trust and investment services is performed by Dubuque Bank and Trust Company personnel. As of December 31, 2017, total trust assets under management were $2.31 billion. Collectively, the Banks provide a full complement of trust, investment and financial planning services for individuals and corporations. Heartland also specializes in Retirement Plan Services, offering business clients customized 401(k), 403(b) and Profit Sharing plans.

Heartland has contracted with LPL Financial Institution Services, a division of LPL Financial, to operate independent securities brokerage offices at all of the Banks. Through LPL Financial, Heartland offers a full array of investment services including mutual funds, annuities, retirement products, education savings products, brokerage services, employer sponsored plans and insurance products. A complete line of vehicle, property and casualty, life and disability insurance is also offered by Heartland through DB&T Insurance, Inc. and Heartland Financial USA, Inc. Insurance Services.

Heartland's consumer finance company, Citizens Finance Parent Co., operates two subsidiary companies in the following locations:

                                        

C.  COMPETITION

We face direct competition for deposits, loans and other financial related services. To compete effectively, develop our market share, maintain flexibility and keep pace with changing economic and social conditions, we continuously refine and develop our banking products and services. We have found the principal methods of competing in the financial services industry are through personal service, product selection, convenience and technology.

The market areas of the Banks are highly competitive, and our competitors are comprised of other commercial banks, credit unions, thrifts, stock brokers, mutual fund companies, mortgage companies and loan production offices, insurance companies and on-line providers and other non-bank financial service companies. Some of these competitors are local, while others are regional, national or global.

Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, effective in 2000, securities firms and insurance companies that elect to become financial holding companies may acquire banks and other financial institutions. As a result of the enactment of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") in 2010, substantial changes to the regulation of bank holding companies and their subsidiaries have occurred, significantly changing the regulatory environment in which we operate.

The financial services industry is also likely to face heightened competition as technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services. These technological advances may diminish the importance of depository institutions and other financial intermediaries in the transfer of funds between parties.

We believe we are positioned to compete for loans effectively through the array and quality of the credit services we provide, and the high-touch, customer-centric way in which we provide them. We invest in building long-lasting customer relationships, and our strategy is to serve our customers above and beyond their expectations through excellence in customer service and providing banking solutions that are tailored to our customers’ needs. We believe that our long-standing presence and commitment to the communities we serve and the personal service we emphasize enhance our ability to compete favorably in attracting and retaining consumer and business customers. We continue to attract deposit-oriented customers by offering personal attention, combined with contemporary electronic banking convenience, professional service and competitive interest rates. The breadth of our product suite, coupled with our superior customer service allows us to compete favorably with our larger competitors.

D. EMPLOYEES

At December 31, 2017, Heartland employed 2,008 full-time equivalent employees, none of whom are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

E.  INTERNET ACCESS

Heartland maintains an Investor Relations website at www.htlf.com . We offer our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and other reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, free of charge from our website.

F.  SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

Financial institutions, their holding companies, and their affiliates are extensively regulated under federal and state law. As a result, the growth and earnings performance of Heartland may be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the requirements of federal and state statutes and by the regulations and policies of various bank regulatory authorities.

As a bank holding company with subsidiary banks chartered under the laws of ten different states, Heartland is regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal Reserve"). Each of the Banks is regulated by the FDIC as its principal federal regulator and one of the following as its state regulator: the Arizona State Banking Department (the "Arizona Department"); the California Department of Business Oversight, Division of Financial Institutions (the "California Division"); the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Banking (the "Colorado Division"); the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (the "Illinois DFPR"); the Iowa Superintendent of Banking (the "Iowa Superintendent"); the State Bank Commissioner of Kansas Division of Banking (the "Kansas Division"); the Minnesota Department of Commerce: Division of Financial Institutions (the "Minnesota Division"); the Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (the "Montana Division"); the New Mexico Financial Institutions Division (the "New Mexico FID"); and the Division of Banking of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (the "Wisconsin DFI").

Heartland also operates a consumer finance company, Citizens Finance Parent Co., with state licenses in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Citizens Finance Parent Co. is subject to regulation by the state banking authorities of those states. Further, the Dodd-Frank Act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the "CFPB"), which has direct supervisory authority for compliance with federal consumer financial service laws over banks with assets of more than $10 billion and over nonbank entities that provide consumer financial services and products. The CFPB has rulemaking authority for federal laws covering the consumer financial services and products offered by all Heartland subsidiaries.

Federal and state laws and regulations generally applicable to financial institutions regulate, among other things, the scope of business, the kinds and amounts of investments, reserve requirements, capital levels, the establishment of branches, mergers and consolidations and the payment of dividends. This system of supervision and regulation establishes a comprehensive framework for the respective operations of Heartland and its subsidiaries and is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC-insured deposits and depositors of the Banks, rather than stockholders.

The following is a summary of material elements of the regulatory framework that applies to Heartland and its subsidiaries. It does not describe all of the statutes, regulations and regulatory policies that apply to us, nor does it disclose all of the requirements

of the statutes, regulations and regulatory policies requirements that are described. Any change in regulations or regulatory policies including further changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act, or further change in applicable law, may have a material effect on the business of Heartland and its subsidiaries.

Heartland

General

Heartland, as the sole shareholder of Dubuque Bank and Trust Company, New Mexico Bank & Trust, Rocky Mountain Bank, Wisconsin Bank & Trust, Illinois Bank & Trust, Arizona Bank & Trust, Citywide Banks, Minnesota Bank & Trust, Morrill & Janes Bank and Trust Company and Premier Valley Bank, is a bank holding company. As a bank holding company, Heartland is registered with, and is subject to regulation by, the Federal Reserve under the BHCA. In accordance with Federal Reserve policy, Heartland is expected to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to the Banks and to commit resources to support the Banks in circumstances where Heartland might not otherwise do so. In addition, under the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC has backup enforcement authority over a depository institution holding company, such as Heartland, if the conduct or threatened conduct of the holding company poses a risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund, although such authority may not be used if the holding company is in sound condition and does not pose a foreseeable and material risk to the insurance fund.

Under the BHCA, Heartland is subject to periodic examination by the Federal Reserve. Heartland is also required to file with the Federal Reserve periodic reports of Heartland's operations and such additional information regarding Heartland and its subsidiaries as the Federal Reserve may require.

Acquisitions, Activities and Change in Control

The primary purpose of a bank holding company is to control and manage banks.   The BHCA generally requires the prior approval of the Federal Reserve for any merger involving a bank holding company or any acquisition by a bank holding company. Subject to certain conditions (including certain deposit concentration limits established by the BHCA), the Federal Reserve may allow a bank holding company to acquire banks located in any state of the United States. In approving interstate acquisitions, the Federal Reserve is required to give effect to applicable state law limitations on the aggregate amount of deposits that may be held by the acquiring bank holding company and its insured depository institution affiliates in the state in which the target bank is located (provided that those limits do not discriminate against out-of-state depository institutions or their holding companies).

The BHCA generally prohibits Heartland from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company that is not a bank and from engaging in any business other than that of banking, managing and controlling banks, or furnishing services to banks and their subsidiaries. This general prohibition is subject to a number of exceptions. The principal exception allows bank holding companies to engage in, and to own shares of companies engaged in, certain businesses found by the Federal Reserve to be "so closely related to banking ... as to be a proper incident thereto." This authority permits Heartland to engage in a variety of banking-related businesses, including consumer finance, equipment leasing, mortgage banking, brokerage and the operation of a computer service bureau (which may engage in software development). Under the Dodd-Frank Act, however, any non-bank subsidiary would be subject to regulation no less stringent than the regulation applicable to the lead bank of the bank holding company. The BHCA generally does not place territorial restrictions on the domestic activities of non-bank subsidiaries of bank holding companies.

Additionally, bank holding companies that meet certain eligibility requirements prescribed by the BHCA and elect to operate as financial holding companies may engage in, or own shares in companies engaged in, a wider range of nonbanking activities. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Heartland has not applied for approval to operate as a financial holding company.

Federal law also prohibits any person or persons acting in concert from acquiring "control" of an FDIC-insured institution or its holding company without prior notice to the appropriate federal bank regulator or any other company from acquiring "control" without Federal Reserve approval to become a bank holding company. "Control" is conclusively presumed to exist upon the acquisition of 25% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a bank or bank holding company, but may exist at 10% ownership levels for public companies, such as Heartland, and under certain other circumstances. Each of the Banks is generally subject to similar restrictions on changes in control under the law of the state granting its charter.

Capital Requirements

Bank holding companies are required to maintain minimum levels of capital in accordance with Federal Reserve capital adequacy guidelines, separate from and in addition to the capital requirements applicable to subsidiary financial institutions. If a bank holding company is not well-capitalized, it will have difficulty engaging in acquisition transactions, and, if its capital levels fall below the minimum required levels, a bank holding company, among other things, may be denied approval to acquire or establish additional banks or non-bank businesses.

In general, the regulations of the Federal Reserve and the FDIC as the primary regulator of state banks, separate capital into two components, Tier 1 or "Core" capital and Tier 2 or "Supplementary" capital, and test these capital components based on their ratio to assets and to "risk weighted assets." Beginning January 1, 2015, when the third installment of the Basel Accords ("Basel III") regulatory capital reforms became applicable to Heartland, a third category of capital, "Common Equity Tier 1 capital," has been added. It is tested against risk weighted assets. Tier 1 capital generally consists of (a) common stockholders' equity, qualifying noncumulative preferred stock, and to the extent they do not exceed 25% of total Tier 1 capital, qualifying cumulative perpetual preferred stock and trust preferred securities, and (b) among other things, goodwill and specified intangible assets, credit enhancing strips and investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries. Tier 2 capital includes, to the extent not in excess of Tier 1 capital, the allowance for loan losses, other qualifying perpetual preferred stock, certain hybrid capital instruments, qualifying term subordinated debt and unrealized gains on equity securities. Risk weighted assets include the sum of specific assets of an institution multiplied by risk weightings for each asset class.

Until the implementation of the Basel III requirements, the Federal Reserve's capital guidelines applicable to bank holding companies, like the regulations applicable to subsidiary banks, required holding companies with less than $10 billion of assets to comply with three capital ratios: (i) a leverage requirement consisting of a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets (the "Leverage Ratio") of 3.0% for the most highly-rated banks with a minimum requirement of at least 4.0% for all others; (ii) a risk-based capital requirement consisting of a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to total risk-weighted assets (the "Tier1 Capital Ratio") of 4.0% and (iii) a risk-based capital requirement consisting of a minimum ratio of total capital to total risk-weighted assets (the "Total Capital Ratio") of 8.0%. The Basel III regulations, which became effective for Heartland and the Banks on January 1, 2015, (1) increased the minimum Leverage Ratio to 4.0% for all banks, (2) increased the Tier 1 Capital Ratio to 6.0% on January 1, 2015 and will increase the Tier 1 Capital Ratio to 8.5% on January 1, 2019, and (3) created a new requirement to maintain a ratio of Common Equity Tier 1 capital ("Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio") to risk-weighted assets of 4.5% as of January 1, 2015, gradually increasing to 7.0% on January 1, 2019. The Basel III Rules require inclusion in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital of the effects of other comprehensive income adjustments, such as gains and losses on securities held to maturity, that are currently excluded from the definition of Tier1 capital, but allow institutions, such as Heartland, to make a one-time election not to include those effects. Heartland and its banks elected not to include the effects of other comprehensive income in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital. Further, under the Basel III rules, if an institution grows beyond $15 billion in assets and makes an acquisition, its ability to include trust preferred securities in Tier 1 capital is phased out. However, the trust preferred securities issued by Heartland, as a holding company with less than $15 billion in assets, is grandfathered as Tier 1 capital by the Dodd-Frank Act.

Additional requirements may be imposed in the future. The Basel Committee has recently finalized a package of revisions to the Basel III framework, unofficially known as Basel IV. The changes are meant to improve the calculation of risk-weighted assets and the comparability of capital ratios. Federal banking regulators are expected to undertake one or more rulemakings in future years to implement these revisions in the United States. The ultimate impact on our capital and liquidity will depend on the final United States rulemakings and implementation process thereafter.

Further, federal law and regulations provide various incentives for financial institutions to maintain regulatory capital at levels in excess of minimum regulatory requirements. For example, a financial institution generally must be "well-capitalized" to engage in acquisitions, and well-capitalized institutions may qualify for exemptions from prior notice or application requirements otherwise applicable to certain types of activities and may qualify for expedited processing of other required notices or applications. Additionally, one of the criteria that determines a bank holding company's eligibility to operate as a financial holding company is a requirement that both the holding company and all of its financial institution subsidiaries be "well-capitalized." Under current federal regulations, in order to be "well-capitalized" a financial institution must maintain a Total Capital Ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 6.0% or greater and a Leverage Ratio of 5.0% or greater. In order to be "well-capitalized" under the new Basel III Rules, a bank or bank holding company will be required to have a Total Capital Ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Leverage Ratio of 5.0% or greater, and a Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 6.5% or greater. As of December 31, 2017, Heartland had regulatory capital in excess of the Federal Reserve requirements for well-capitalized bank holding companies.

Dividend Payments

Heartland's ability to pay dividends to its stockholders may be affected by both general corporate law consideration, and policies of the Federal Reserve applicable to bank holding companies .  As a Delaware corporation, Heartland is subject to the limitations of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"), which allows Heartland to pay dividends only out of its surplus (as defined and computed in accordance with the provisions of the DGCL) or, if Heartland has no such surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year. In addition, policies of the Federal Reserve suggest that a bank holding company should not pay cash dividends unless its net income available to common stockholders over the past year has been sufficient to fully fund the dividends and the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with its capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. The Federal Reserve also possesses enforcement powers over bank holding companies and their non-bank subsidiaries to prevent or remedy actions that represent unsafe or unsound practices or

violations of applicable statutes and regulations. Among these powers is the ability to proscribe the payment of dividends by banks and bank holding companies.

Income Tax Expense

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted into law. As additional regulations and transition relief are adopted, we will continue to assess the impact of the Tax Cuts and Job Act on Heartland, including the following:

The legislation replaces the graduated corporate tax rates applicable under prior law, which imposed a maximum tax rate of 35%, with a reduced 21% flat tax rate. Although the reduced tax rate generally should be favorable to Heartland by resulting in increased earnings and capital, it decreased the value of existing deferred tax assets. Generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") requires that the impact of the provisions of the legislation be accounted for in the period of enactment. Accordingly, the incremental income tax expense recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017 was $10.4 million.

The legislation prohibits taxpayers with consolidated assets between $10 and $50 billion from deducting the portion of the FDIC premiums equal to the ratio, expressed as a percentage, that (i) the taxpayer’s total consolidated assets over $10 billion, as of the close of the taxable year, bears to (ii) $40 billion. Heartland's ability to deduct FDIC premiums could be limited in future years.

A "publicly held corporation" is not permitted to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million per year paid to certain covered employees. Subject to a transition period, the legislation eliminates certain exceptions to the $1 million limit related to performance-based compensation, such as equity grants and cash bonuses that are paid only on the attainment of performance goals. As a result, Heartland's ability to deduct certain compensation paid to the most highly compensated employees will be limited.

The legislation allows taxpayers to immediately expense the entire cost (instead of only 50%, as under prior law) of certain depreciable tangible property and real property improvements acquired and placed in service after September 27, 2017, and before January 1, 2023 (with an additional year for certain property). This 100% “bonus” depreciation is phased out proportionately for property placed in service on or after January 1, 2023, and before January 1, 2027 (with an additional year for certain property).

The legislation limits a taxpayer’s annual deduction of business interest expense to the sum of (i) business interest income and (ii) 30% of "adjusted taxable income," defined as a business’s taxable income without taking into account business interest income or expense, net operating losses, and, for 2018 through 2021, depreciation, amortization and depletion. Because the Banks generate significant amounts of net interest income, this limitation is not expected to have an impact to Heartland's results of operations.

The foregoing description of the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act should be read in conjunction with Note 13," Income Taxes" of the notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Banks

General

All of the Banks are state chartered, non-member banks, which means that they are all formed under state law and are not members of the Federal Reserve System. As a result, each Bank is subject to direct regulation by the banking authorities in the state in which it was chartered, as well as by the FDIC as its primary federal regulator.

Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is an Iowa-chartered bank. As an Iowa-chartered bank, Dubuque Bank and Trust Company is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Iowa Superintendent, the chartering authority for Iowa banks.

Illinois Bank & Trust is an Illinois-chartered bank. As an Illinois-chartered bank, Illinois Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Illinois DFPR, the chartering authority for Illinois banks.

Wisconsin Bank & Trust is a Wisconsin-chartered bank. As a Wisconsin-chartered bank, Wisconsin Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Wisconsin DFI, the chartering authority for Wisconsin banks.

New Mexico Bank & Trust is a New Mexico-chartered bank. As a New Mexico-chartered bank, New Mexico Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the New Mexico FID, the chartering authority for New Mexico banks.

Arizona Bank & Trust is an Arizona-chartered bank. As an Arizona-chartered bank, Arizona Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Arizona Department, the chartering authority for Arizona banks.

Rocky Mountain Bank is a Montana-chartered bank. As a Montana-chartered bank, Rocky Mountain Bank is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Montana Division, the chartering authority for Montana banks.

Citywide Banks is a Colorado-chartered bank. As a Colorado-chartered bank, Citywide Banks is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Colorado Division, the chartering authority for Colorado banks.

Minnesota Bank & Trust is a Minnesota-chartered bank. As a Minnesota-chartered bank, Minnesota Bank & Trust is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Minnesota Division, the chartering authority for Minnesota banks.

Morrill & Janes Bank and Trust Company is a Kansas-chartered bank. As a Kansas-chartered bank, Morrill & Janes Bank and Trust Company is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Kansas Division, the chartering authority for Kansas banks.

Premier Valley Bank is a California-chartered bank. As a California-chartered bank, Premier Valley Bank is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the California Division, the chartering authority for California banks.

Deposit Insurance

The FDIC is an independent federal agency that insures the deposits, up to $250,000 per depositor, of federally insured banks and savings institutions and safeguards the safety and soundness of the commercial banking and thrift industries.

As FDIC-insured institutions, the Banks are required to pay deposit insurance premium assessments to the FDIC using a risk-based assessment system based upon average total consolidated assets minus tangible equity of the insured bank.

The Dodd-Frank Act directed that the minimum deposit insurance fund reserve ratio would increase from 1.15% to 1.35% by September 30, 2020, and the cost of the increase will be borne by depository institutions with assets of $10 billion or more. The Dodd-Frank Act also provides the FDIC with discretion to determine whether to pay rebates to insured depository institutions when its deposit insurance reserves exceed certain thresholds. Previously, the FDIC was required to give rebates to depository institutions equal to the excess once the reserve ratio exceeded 1.50%, and was required to rebate 50% of the excess over 1.35% but not more than 1.50% of insured deposits. In July 2016, the FDIC implemented rules for the reserve ratio requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act. Under the rules, banks with assets of less than $10 billion will receive assessment credits for the portion of their assessments that contribute to the increase in the reserve ratio from 1.15% to 1.35%. The FDIC will apply the credits each quarter that the bank's reserve ratio is at or above 1.38% to offset the regular deposit insurance assessments.

In addition, all institutions with deposits insured by the FDIC are required to pay assessments to fund interest payments on bonds issued by the Financing Corporation, an agency of the federal government established to recapitalize the predecessor to the Savings Association Insurance Fund. Since December 31, 2013, the assessment rate was 0.01450% of total deposits. These assessments will continue until the Financing Corporation bonds mature in 2019.

Supervisory Assessments

Each of the Banks is required to pay supervisory assessments to its respective state banking regulator to fund the operations of that agency. In general, the amount of the assessment is calculated on the basis of each institution's total assets. During 2017, the Banks paid supervisory assessments totaling $920,000.

Capital Requirements

Like Heartland, under current federal regulations, each Bank is required to maintain the minimum Leverage Ratio, Tier 1 Capital Ratio and Total Capital Ratio described under the caption "Heartland-Capital Requirements " above, and effective January 1, 2015, was required to comply with the enhanced capital requirements under the Basel III regulations, as well as the new Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio. The capital requirements described above are minimum requirements and higher capital levels may be required

if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual institutions. For example, federal regulators regularly require new institutions to maintain higher capital ratios during the first few years after their formation, and may require additional capital to take adequate account of, among other things, interest rate risk or the risks posed by concentrations of credit, nontraditional activities or securities trading activities.

Federal law also provides the federal banking regulators with broad power to take prompt corrective action to resolve the problems of undercapitalized institutions. The extent of the regulators' powers depends on whether the institution in question is "adequately capitalized," "undercapitalized," "significantly undercapitalized" or "critically undercapitalized," in each case as defined by regulation. Depending upon the capital category to which an institution is assigned, the regulators' corrective powers include: (i) requiring the institution to submit a capital restoration plan; (ii) limiting the institution's asset growth and restricting its activities; (iii) requiring the institution to issue additional capital stock (including additional voting stock) or to be acquired; (iv) restricting transactions between the institution and its affiliates; (v) restricting the interest rate the institution may pay on deposits; (vi) ordering a new election of directors of the institution; (vii) requiring that senior executive officers or directors be dismissed; (viii) prohibiting the institution from accepting deposits from correspondent banks; (ix) requiring the institution to divest certain subsidiaries; (x) prohibiting the payment of principal or interest on subordinated debt; and (xi) ultimately, appointing a receiver for the institution.

As of December 31, 2017: (i) none of the Banks was subject to a directive from its primary federal regulator to increase its capital; (ii) each of the Banks exceeded its minimum regulatory capital requirements under applicable capital adequacy guidelines; (iii) each of the Banks was "well-capitalized," as defined by applicable regulations; and (iv) each of the Banks subject to a directive to maintain capital higher than the regulatory capital requirements, as discussed below under the caption "Safety and Soundness Standards," complied with the directive.

Liability of Commonly Controlled Institutions

Under federal law, institutions insured by the FDIC may be liable for any loss incurred by, or reasonably expected to be incurred by, the FDIC in connection with the default of commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institutions or any assistance provided by the FDIC to commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institutions in danger of default. Because Heartland controls each of the Banks, the Banks are commonly controlled for purposes of these provisions of federal law.

Anti-Money Laundering

The Bank Secrecy Act, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the "PATRIOT Act") and other related federal laws and regulations require financial institutions, including the Banks, to implement policies and procedures relating to anti-money laundering, customer identification and due diligence requirements and the reporting of certain types of transactions and suspicious activity. In May 2016, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network published a final rule that requires financial institutions to develop policies, procedures and practices to prevent and deter money laundering. The program must be a written board-approved program that is reasonably designed to identify and verify the identities of beneficial owners of legal entity customers at the time a new account is opened. The program must, at a minimum (1) provide for a system of internal controls to assure ongoing compliance; (2) designate a compliance officer; (3) establish an ongoing employee training program; and (4) implement an independent audit function to test programs. Financial institutions must comply with the new rule beginning May 11, 2018. This rule will increase compliance costs for the Banks.

Dividend Payments

The primary source of funds for Heartland is dividends from the Banks. In general, the Banks may only pay dividends either out of their historical net income after any required transfers to surplus or reserves have been made or out of their retained earnings.

The payment of dividends by any financial institution is affected by the requirement to maintain adequate capital pursuant to applicable capital adequacy guidelines and regulations, and a financial institution generally is prohibited from paying any dividends if, following payment thereof, the institution would be undercapitalized. As described above, each of the Banks exceeded its minimum capital requirements under applicable guidelines as of December 31, 2017.

As of December 31, 2017, approximately $242.3 million was available in retained earnings at the Banks for payment of dividends to Heartland under the regulatory capital requirements to remain well-capitalized. Notwithstanding the availability of funds for dividends, however, the FDIC and state regulators may reduce or prohibit the payment of dividends by the Banks.

Transactions with Affiliates

The Federal Reserve regulates transactions between Heartland and its subsidiaries. Generally, the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation W, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, limit lending and other "covered transactions" between the Banks and their affiliates. The aggregate amount of covered transactions a Bank may enter into with an affiliate may not exceed 10% of the capital

stock and surplus of the Bank. The aggregate amount of covered transactions with all affiliates may not exceed 20% of the capital stock and surplus of the Bank.

Covered transactions with affiliates are also subject to collateralization requirements and must be conducted on arm’s length terms. Covered transactions include (a) a loan or extension of credit by a Bank, including derivative contracts, (b) a purchase of securities issued to a Bank, (c) a purchase of assets by a Bank unless otherwise exempted by the Federal Reserve, (d) acceptance of securities issued by an affiliate to the Bank as collateral for a loan, and (e) the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance or letter of credit by a Bank on behalf of an affiliate.

Insider Transactions

The Banks are subject to certain restrictions imposed by federal law on extensions of credit to Heartland and its subsidiaries, on investments in the stock or other securities of Heartland and its subsidiaries and the acceptance of the stock or other securities of Heartland or its subsidiaries as collateral for loans made by the Banks. Certain limitations and reporting requirements are also placed on extensions of credit by each of the Banks to its directors and officers, to directors and officers of Heartland and its subsidiaries, to principal stockholders of Heartland and to "related interests" of such directors, officers and principal stockholders. In addition, federal law and regulations may affect the terms upon which any person who is a director or officer of Heartland or any of its subsidiaries or a principal stockholder of Heartland may obtain credit from banks with which the Banks maintain correspondent relationships.

Safety and Soundness Standards

The federal banking agencies have adopted guidelines that establish operational and managerial standards to promote the safety and soundness of federally insured depository institutions. The guidelines set forth standards for internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits, vendor and model risk management, asset quality and earnings. In general, the safety and soundness guidelines prescribe the goals to be achieved in each area, and each institution is responsible for establishing its own procedures to achieve those goals. If an institution fails to comply with any of the standards set forth in the guidelines, the institution's primary federal regulator may require the institution to submit a plan for achieving and maintaining compliance. If an institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan, or fails in any material respect to implement a compliance plan that has been accepted by its primary federal regulator, the regulator is required to issue an order directing the institution to cure the deficiency. Until the deficiency cited in the regulator's order is cured, the regulator may restrict the institution's rate of growth, require the institution to increase its capital, restrict the rates the institution pays on deposits or require the institution to take any action the regulator deems appropriate under the circumstances. Noncompliance with the standards established by the safety and soundness guidelines may also constitute grounds for other enforcement action by the federal banking regulators, including cease and desist orders and civil money penalty assessments.

In June 2016, the Federal Reserve Board issued supervisory guidance for assessing risk management for supervised institutions with total consolidated assets of less than $50 billion ("SR 16-11"). This guidance provides four key areas to evaluate in assessing a risk management system: board and senior management oversight of risk management; policies, procedures and limits; risk monitoring and management information systems and internal controls. In August 2017, the Federal Reserve Board issued a proposed guidance addressing supervisory expectations of boards of directors that includes a proposal to further revise and align the supervisory expectations of boards of directors in areas beyond risk management with the board expectations set forth in SR 16-11.

Branching Authority

Each of the Banks has the authority, pursuant to the laws under which it is chartered, to establish branches anywhere in the state in which its main office is located, subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

Federal law permits state and national banks to merge with banks in other states subject to: (i) regulatory approval; (ii) federal and state deposit concentration limits; and (iii) state law limitations requiring the merging bank to have been in existence for a minimum period of time (not to exceed five years) prior to the merger.

State Bank Investments and Activities

Each of the Banks generally is permitted to make investments and engage in activities directly or through subsidiaries as authorized by the laws of the state under which it is chartered. However, under federal law and FDIC regulations, FDIC-insured state banks are prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from making or retaining equity investments of a type, or in an amount, that are not permissible for a national bank. Federal law and FDIC regulations also prohibit FDIC-insured state banks and their subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, from engaging as principal in any activity that is not permitted for a national bank, unless the bank meets, and continues to meet, its minimum regulatory capital requirements and the FDIC determines the activity would not pose a significant risk to the deposit insurance fund of which the bank is a member.

Incentive Compensation Policies and Restrictions

In July 2010, the federal banking agencies issued guidance that applies to all banking organizations supervised by the agencies. Pursuant to the guidance, to be consistent with safety and soundness principles, Heartland's incentive compensation arrangements should: (1) appropriately balance risk and financial reward; (2) be compatible with effective controls and risk management; and (3) be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by Heartland's board of directors.

In addition, in March 2011, the federal banking agencies, along with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, released a proposed rule intended to ensure that regulated financial institutions design their incentive compensation arrangements to account for risk. In May 2016, financial regulators proposed a rule replacing the 2011 proposed rule. While the proposed 2011 proposed rule was principles-based, the new proposed rule is prescriptive in nature and is intended to prohibit incentive-based compensation arrangements that could encourage inappropriate risk taking by providing excessive compensation or could lead to material financial loss. The new proposed rule would require financial institutions to consider compensation arrangements for "senior executive officers" and "significant risk takers" against several factors, and would require that such arrangements contain both financial and non-financial measures of performance. Until a final rule is issued, it is not clear whether and how this rule will ultimately impact the Banks.

The Volcker Rule and Proprietary Trading

In December 2013, federal banking regulators jointly issued a final rule to implement Section 13 of the BHCA (adopted as part 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act), which prohibits banking entities (including Heartland and the Banks) from engaging in proprietary trading of securities, derivatives and certain other financial instruments for the entity's own account, and prohibits certain interests in, or relationships with, a hedge fund or private equity fund. It also imposes rules regarding compliance programs. Commonly referred to as the "Volcker Rule," the final rule as originally adopted was effective on April 1, 2014 and would have required banking entities to conform their activities to its requirements by July 21, 2015. However, based upon announcements of the Federal Reserve Board in December 2014, certain key elements that require sale of investment in private equity and hedge funds were not effective until July 21, 2017. Heartland did not engage in any significant amount of proprietary trading, as defined in the Volcker Rule, and the impact of the Volcker Rule on Heartland's business activities and investment portfolio was minimal. Heartland has reviewed its investment portfolio to determine if any investments meet the Volcker Rule's definition of covered funds. Based on the review, Heartland determined that the impact related to investments considered to be covered funds did not have a significant effect on its financial condition or results of operations.

Federal Reserve Liquidity Regulations

Federal Reserve regulations, as presently in effect, require depository institutions to maintain non-interest earning reserves against their transaction accounts (primarily NOW and regular checking accounts), as follows: (i) for transaction accounts aggregating $10.7 million or less, there is no reserve requirement; (ii) for transaction accounts over $10.7 million and up to $55.2 million, the reserve requirement is 3% of total transaction accounts; and (iii) for transaction accounts aggregating in excess of $55.2 million, the reserve requirement is $1.3 million plus 10% of the aggregate amount of total transaction accounts in excess of $55.2 million. These reserve requirements are subject to annual adjustment by the Federal Reserve. The Banks are in compliance with the foregoing requirements.

Community Reinvestment Act Requirements

The Community Reinvestment Act imposes a continuing and affirmative obligation on each of the Banks to help meet the credit needs of their respective communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, in a safe and sound manner. The FDIC and the respective state regulators regularly assess the record of each Bank in meeting the credit needs of its community. Applications for additional acquisitions would be subject to evaluation of the effectiveness of the Banks' in meeting their Community Reinvestment Act requirements.

Consumer Protection

The CFPB has undertaken numerous rule-making and other initiatives, including issuing informal guidance and taking enforcement actions against certain financial institutions. The CFPB’s rulemaking, examination and enforcement authority has affected and will continue to significantly affect financial institutions involved in the provision of consumer financial products and services.

The CFPB has also been publishing complaints submitted by consumers regarding consumer financial products and services in a publicly-accessible online portal. In June 2015, the CFPB also began publishing complaint narratives from consumers that opted to have their narratives made public. The publication of complaint narratives could affect the Banks in the following ways: (i) complaint data might be used by the CFPB to make decisions regarding regulatory, enforcement or examination issues; and (ii) the publication of such narratives may have a negative effect on the reputation of those institutions that are the subject of complaints.

Mortgage Operations

Each of the Banks is subject to a number of laws and rules affecting residential mortgages, including the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act ("HMDA") and Regulation C and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act ("RESPA") and Regulation X. In recent years, the CFPB and other federal agencies have proposed and finalized a number of rules affecting residential mortgages. These rules implement the Dodd-Frank Act amendments to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Truth in Lending Act ("TILA") and RESPA. The final rules, among other things, impose requirements regarding procedures to ensure compliance with "ability to repay" requirements, policies and procedures for servicing mortgages, and additional rules and restrictions regarding mortgage loan originator compensation and qualification and registration requirements for individual loan originator employees. These rules also impose new or revised disclosure requirements, including a new integrated mortgage origination disclosure that combines disclosures currently required under TILA and RESPA.

Regulation C requires lenders to report certain information regarding home loans. In October 2015, the CFPB issued a final rule amending Regulation C which, among other things, revises tests for determining what financial institutions and credit transactions are covered under HMDA and imposes reporting requirements for new data points identified in the Dodd-Frank Act or identified by the CPFB as necessary to carry out the purposes of HMDA. The final rule requires more detailed information from lenders and requires lenders to deliver certain information about mortgage loan underwriting and pricing.

In October 2016, federal regulators issued a proposed rule to implement provisions of the Briggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act. Federal law generally requires financial institutions to impose a mandatory purchase requirement for flood insurance for loans secured by certain real property located in areas with special flood hazards. The proposed rule outlines provisions for identifying when private flood insurance policies must be accepted and criteria to apply in determining whether certain types of coverage qualify as "flood insurance" for federal flood insurance law purposes. Until a final rule is issued, it is not clear whether and how this rule will ultimately impact the Banks.

Ability-to-Repay and Qualified Mortgage Rule

Effective on January 10, 2014, Regulation Z was amended to require mortgage lenders to make a reasonable and good faith determination based on verified and documented information that a consumer applying for a mortgage loan has a reasonable ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Mortgage lenders are required to determine consumers’ ability to repay in one of two ways. The first alternative requires the mortgage lender to consider the following eight underwriting factors when making the credit decision: (1) current or reasonably expected income or assets; (2) current employment status; (3) the monthly payment on the covered transaction; (4) the monthly payment on any simultaneous loan; (5) the monthly payment for mortgage-related obligations; (6) current debt obligations, alimony and child support; (7) the monthly debt-to-income ratio or residual income; and (8) credit history. Alternatively, the mortgage lender can originate "qualified mortgages," which are entitled to a presumption that the creditor making the loan satisfied the ability-to-repay requirements. In general, a "qualified mortgage" is a mortgage loan without negative amortization, interest-only payments, balloon payments or terms exceeding 30 years. In addition, to be a qualified mortgage, the points and fees paid by a consumer cannot exceed 3% of the total loan amount. Qualified mortgages that are "higher-priced" (e.g., subprime loans) have a rebuttable presumption of compliance with the ability-to-repay rules, while qualified mortgages that are not "higher-priced" (e.g., prime loans) are given a safe harbor of compliance. The Banks primarily originate compliant qualified mortgages.

Risk Retention and Qualified Residential Mortgage Rule

In October 2014, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and four other federal regulatory agencies issued a final rule to implement amendments to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that impose risk retention requirements on asset-backed securities. The final rule generally requires a sponsor of an asset-backed securitization to retain not less than 5% of the credit risk of the underlying asset. Certain securitizations that are comprised of "qualified residential mortgages" are exempt from the risk retention requirements, with qualified residential mortgage defined to be consistent with the definition of qualified mortgages. The final rule for residential securitizations was effective December 24, 2015, and rules for all other categories of covered asset-based securitizations were effective December 24, 2016. The operations of the Banks were not materially impacted by the final rule particularly since the Banks primarily originate qualified residential mortgages.

Data Security

In January 2015, new legislative proposals and administration efforts regarding privacy and cybersecurity were announced which, among other things, propose a national data breach notification standard. Legislation regarding data security with respect to security breach notifications and sharing cybersecurity threat information has also been proposed. In 2015, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council ("FFIEC") developed the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool to help institutions identify their risks and determine their preparedness for cybersecurity threats.

In September 2016, the FFIEC issued a revised Information Security booklet. The revised booklet includes updated guidelines for evaluating the adequacy of information security programs (including effective threat identification, assessment and monitoring, and incident identification assessment and response), assurance reports and testing of information security programs.

New laws or guidance with respect to data security could impact card issuers and increase compliance costs related to credit card or debit card products. However, it is currently uncertain what (if any) impact these developments will have on the Banks.

Increased Supervision and Regulation for Bank Holding Companies with Consolidated Assets of $10 Billion or More

Heartland currently has total consolidated assets of approximately $9.81 billion . If Heartland’s assets increase and exceed $10 billion, which is likely to occur in 2018, Heartland will become subject to increased supervision and regulation, including the following:

Publicly traded bank holding companies with $10 billion or more in total assets are required to establish a risk committee responsible for oversight of enterprise-wide risk management practices. The committee must be comprised only of independent directors and must include at least one risk management expert with experience in managing risk exposures of a large, complex firm.

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, any banking organization, including whether a bank holding company or a depository institution, with more than $10 billion in total consolidated assets and regulated by a federal financial regulatory agency is required to conduct annual stress tests to ensure it has sufficient capital during periods of economic downturn. Currently, the Federal Reserve and FDIC release stress-test scenarios on February 15 of each year, and banking organizations are required to submit the results of their tests to the appropriate regulator by July 31 of the following year. Currently, the results of each year's stress tests are publicly disclosed in October, following each banking organization's submission.

The Dodd-Frank Act included provisions (known as the "Durbin Amendment") which restrict interchange fees to those which are "reasonable and proportionate" for certain debit card issuers and limits the ability of networks and issuers to restrict debit card transaction routing. The Federal Reserve issued final rules implementing the Durbin Amendment on June 29, 2011.  In the final rules, interchange fees for debit card transactions were capped at $0.21 plus five basis points in order to be eligible for a safe harbor such that the fee is conclusively determined to be reasonable and proportionate.  The interchange fee restrictions contained in the Durbin Amendment, and the rules promulgated thereunder, only apply to debit card issuers with $10 billion or more in total consolidated assets. Based on estimated calculations using 2017 debit card volume, the impact of the Durbin Amendment would be approximately $6.0 million.