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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 9, 2019

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank 401(k) Plan

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Maryland   6036   Pending

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck New Jersey 07666

(201) 862-0660

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Joseph Coccaro

President and Chief Executive Officer

Bogota Financial Corp.

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck New Jersey 07666

(201) 862-0660

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Eric Luse, Esq.

Kent M. Krudys, Esq.

Scott A. Brown, Esq.

Luse Gorman, PC

5335 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.,

Suite 780

Washington, D.C. 20015

(202) 274-2000

  Samantha M. Kirby, Esq.
Goodwin Procter LLP
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(617) 570-1000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box:  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional shares for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”):

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
Emerging growth company       

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of each class of

securities to be registered

 

Amount

to be
registered

  Proposed
maximum
offering price
per share
 

Proposed
maximum
aggregate

offering price

 

Amount of

registration fee

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share

  5,920,887 shares   $10.00   $59,208,870 (1)   $7,177

Participation Interests

  (2)    (2)    (2)    (2) 

 

 

(1)

Estimated solely to calculate the registration fee.

(2)

The securities to be purchased by the Bogota Savings Bank 401(k) Plan are included in the amount shown for the common stock. Accordingly, no separate fee is required for the participation interests.

 

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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Prospectus Supplement

Interests in

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK 401(k) SAVINGS PLAN

Offering of Participation Interests of up to 448,001 Shares of

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

Common Stock

In connection with the reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank, a New Jersey-chartered charter savings bank (the “Bank”) from a mutual savings bank (meaning no stockholders) into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form or organization (the “Reorganization”), Bogota Financial Corp., a newly-formed Maryland Corporation and bank holding company of the Bank, is offering shares of its common stock for sale at $10.00 per share. Following the Reorganization, it is expected that shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock (“Common Stock”) will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Markets under the symbol “BSBK.”

As part of the stock offering, Bogota Financial Corp. and the Bank are allowing participants in the Bogota Savings Bank 401(k) Savings Plan (the “Plan”) to elect to purchase participation interests in shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock through the Plan. Based upon the value of the Plan assets at June 30, 2018, the trustee of the Plan could purchase, in the aggregate, up to 448,001 shares of Common Stock on behalf of participants, based upon the $10.00 per share purchase price. As a participant in the Plan, you may direct the trustee of the Plan to invest up to 100% of your Plan account in Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock at the time of the stock offering. This prospectus supplement relates to the election of Plan participants to direct the trustee of the Plan to invest their Plan account balances in Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock at the time of the stock offering.

Before you considering investing, you should read the prospectus of Bogota Financial Corp. dated [DATE], 2019, which is provided with this prospectus supplement. It contains detailed information regarding the Reorganization and related stock offering of Bogota Financial Corp. and the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Bank. This prospectus supplement provides information regarding the Plan. You should read this prospectus supplement together with the prospectus and keep both for future reference.

 

 

For a discussion of risks that you should consider, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page [#] of the accompanying prospectus and “Notice of Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities” below.

The interests in the Plan and the offering of shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock have not been approved or disapproved by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal or state agency. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


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The securities offered in this prospectus supplement and in the prospectus are not deposits or accounts and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

This prospectus supplement may be used only in connection with offers and sales by Bogota Financial Corp. in the stock offering of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock acquired by the Plan. No one may use this prospectus supplement to re-offer or resell interests or shares of Common Stock acquired through the Plan.

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Bogota Financial Corp., the Bank and the Plan have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different.

This prospectus supplement does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation in that jurisdiction. Neither the delivery of this prospectus supplement and the prospectus nor any sale of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock shall under any circumstances imply that there has been no change in the affairs of Bogota Financial Corp., the Bank or the Plan since the date of this prospectus supplement, or that the information contained in this prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference is correct as of any time after the date of this prospectus supplement.

The date of this prospectus supplement is [DATE], 2019.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE OFFERING

     1  

Securities Offered

     1  

Election to Purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock

     1  

Purchase Priorities

     2  

Purchases in the Offering and Oversubscriptions

     3  

Composition of the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund

     4  

Minimum and Maximum Investment

     4  

Value of the Plan Assets

     5  

How to Order Stock in the Offering

     5  

Order Deadline

     7  

Irrevocability of Transfer Direction

     7  

Future Direction to Purchase and Sell Common Stock

     7  

Voting Rights of Common Stock

     8  

DESCRIPTION OF THE 401(k) PLAN

     9  

Introduction

     9  

Eligibility and Participation

     9  

Contributions under the Plan

     9  

Limitations on Contributions

     10  

Benefits under the Plan

     11  

Investment of Contributions and Account Balances

     11  

Performance History

     12  

Description of the Investment Funds

     12  

Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund

     16  

Withdrawals from the Plan

     17  

Administration of the Plan

     17  

Amendment and Termination

     18  

Merger, Consolidation or Transfer

     18  

Federal Income Tax Consequences

     18  

Notice of Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities

     19  

Additional ERISA Considerations

     20  

Securities and Exchange Commission Reporting and Short-Swing Profit Liability

     20  

Financial Information Regarding Plan Assets

     21  

LEGAL OPINION

     21  

 


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THE OFFERING

 

Securities Offered   

Bogota Financial Corp. is offering participants of the Plan the opportunity to purchase participation interests in shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock through the Plan at the stock offering purchase price of  $10.00 per share. A “participation interest” represents your indirect ownership of a share of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock that is acquired by the Plan and is equivalent to one share of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock. In this prospectus supplement, “participation interests” will be referred to as shares of  “Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock.” At the stock offering purchase price of  $10.00 per share, the Plan may acquire up to 448,001 shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the stock offering, based on the fair market value of the) Plan’s assets as of June 30, 2018. Your investment in stock in connection with the stock offering through the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund is subject to the purchase priorities contained in the Bogota Savings Bank Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance dated September 9, 2019 (“Plan of Reorganization”) and described below under “Purchase Priorities.”

 

Information with regard to the Plan is contained in this prospectus supplement and information with regard to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Bogota Financial Corp. and the Bank is contained in the accompanying prospectus. The address of the principal executive office of Bogota Financial Corp. and the Bank is 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. The Bank’s telephone number is (201) 862-0660.

 

All questions about this prospectus supplement should be addressed to Matthew Langer, VP, Human Resources and Marketing, Bogota Savings Bank, 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.

 

Questions about the stock offering, the prospectus, or purchasing Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the stock offering outside the Plan may be directed to the Stock Information Center at [sic number], Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

 

Election to Purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock    In connection with the stock offering, you may elect to transfer all or a portion of your Plan account (up to 100%) to a money market fund called “Stock Purchase,” which will be used to purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock issued in the stock offering. In making this determination, you should carefully read the prospectus and prospectus supplement and consider the information set forth on

 

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  page 19 of this prospectus supplement under “Notice of Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities — The Importance of Diversifying Your Retirement Savings.” The trustee of the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund will purchase common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at $10.00 per share to be held as shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. in accordance with your directions. However, such directions are subject to the purchase priorities and purchase limitations, as described below.

 

Purchase Priorities   

All Plan participants are eligible to elect to purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the stock offering. However, such election is subject to the purchase priorities in the Plan of Reorganization, which provides for a subscription offering and a community offering. In the stock offering, the purchase priorities are as follows and apply in case more shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock are ordered than are available for sale (an “oversubscription):

 

Subscription Offering:

 

(1)   Each depositor of the Bank with aggregate deposit account balances of $50.00 or more at the close of business on December 31, 2017 has first priority.

 

(2)   The Bank’s tax-qualified plans, including the employee stock ownership plan and the Plan, have second priority.

 

(3)   Each depositor of the Bank with aggregate account balances of at least $50.00 at the close of business on September 30, 2019 has third priority.

 

(4)   Each depositor of the Bank at the close of business on [VOTING RECORD DATE] has fourth priority.

 

Community Offering:

 

(5)   Natural persons residing in Bergen County, New Jersey have fifth priority.

 

(6)   Other members of the general public have sixth priority.

 

If you fall into subscription offering categories (1), (3) or (4) above, you have subscription rights to purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the subscription offering and you may use funds in the Plan to pay for the Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock. You may also be able to purchase shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the subscription offering even though you are ineligible to purchase through subscription offering categories (1), (3) or (4) through subscription offering category (2), reserved for the Bank’s tax-qualified employee plans. If you fall into purchase priority (1),

 

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(3) or (4), you will separately receive offering materials in the mail, including a stock order form. You may use the stock order form to purchase shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock outside the Plan. Please refer to the prospectus for information on how to make such purchases.

 

Additionally, instead of  (or in addition to) placing an order outside the Plan using the stock order form, you may place an order for the purchase of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock through the Plan in the manner described below under “How to Order Common Stock in the Stock Offering Through the Plan.”

 

Purchases in the Offering and Oversubscriptions   

The trustee of the Plan will purchase Common Stock in the stock offering in accordance with your directions. Once you make your election, the amount that you elect to transfer from your existing investment options for the purchase of Common Stock will be sold from your existing investment options and the proceeds will be transferred to the Stock Purchase option (which will be invested in a money market fund during the offering period) pending the completion of the stock offering several weeks later. After the end of the stock offering period, we will determine whether all or any portion of your order will be filled (if the offering is oversubscribed you may not receive any or all of your order, depending on your purchase priority, as described above). The amount that can be used toward your order will be applied to the purchase of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock. Following the closing of the stock offering, your purchased shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock will be transferred to the Plan and will be reflected in your Plan account as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

In the event the stock offering is oversubscribed, , and the trustee is unable to use the full amount allocated by you to purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the stock offering, the amount that cannot be invested in shares of Common Stock, and any interest earned on such amount, will be transferred from the Stock Purchase option and reinvested in the existing funds of the Plan, in accordance with your then existing investment election (in proportion to your investment direction for future contributions). The prospectus describes the allocation procedures in the event of an oversubscription. If you choose not to direct the investment of your account balances towards the purchase of any Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in connection with the stock offering, your account balances will remain in the investment funds of the Plan as previously directed by you.

 

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If you choose not to direct the investment of your Plan account balance towards the purchase of any shares of Common Stock in the stock offering, your account balances will remain in the investment funds of the Plan as previously directed by you.

 

Composition of the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund   

Shares purchased by the) Plan in the stock offering will be transferred to the Plan and held by the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund. The Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund is neither a mutual fund nor a diversified or managed investment option. Rather, it is merely a recordkeeping mechanism established by the Plan custodian to track the shares purchased by the participants in the stock offering through the Plan. The Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund will consist solely of shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock purchased by participants in the Plan, which will be initially valued at $10.00 per share (i.e., the purchase price).

 

Following the stock offering, each day the aggregate value of Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund will be determined by dividing the total market value of the fund at the end of the day by the total number of shares held in the fund by all participants as of the previous day’s end. The change in share value reflects the day’s change in stock price of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock, and the value of each participation interest should be the same as one share of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock. Investment in Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock involves risks common to investments in shares of stock. For a discussion of material risks you should consider, see the “Risk Factors” section of the accompanying prospectus and the section of the prospectus supplement called “Notice of Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities” (see below).

 

The portion of your Plan account invested in the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund will be reported to you on your regular Plan participant statements. You can also go online at any time to www.principal.com or call 1-800-547-7754 to review your account balances.

 

Minimum and Maximum Investment   

In connection with the stock offering, the Plan will permit you to use up to 100% of your Plan account balance for the purchase of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the stock offering.

 

The trustee of the Plan will subscribe for shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock offered for sale in the stock offering, in accordance with each participant’s direction. The trustee will pay $10.00 per share, which will be the same price paid by all other persons who purchase shares in the stock offering. To purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock through the 401(k) Plan, the

 

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minimum investment is $250, which will purchase 25 shares. No individual may purchase more than $150,000 (15,000 shares) of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock. Furthermore, no person or entity, together with associates or persons acting in concert with such person or entity, may purchase more than $250,000 (25,000 shares) of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in all categories of the stock offering combined. Please see the prospectus for further details regarding additional maximum purchase limits for investors in the stock offering.

 

Value of the Plan Assets    As of June 30, 2019, the market value of the assets of the Plan attributable to active and former employees of the Bank was approximately $4,480,013.

 

How to Order Stock in the Offering   

•  You can elect to transfer (in whole dollar amounts) all or a portion of your account balance in the Plan to the Stock Purchase option, which will be used by the Plan trustee to purchase shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock. This is done by following the procedures described below. Please note the following conditions concerning this election:

 

•  You can elect to transfer up to 100% of your current Plan account balance to the Stock Purchase option.

 

•  Your election is subject to a minimum purchase of 25 shares of common stock, which equals $250.

 

Your election, plus any order you placed outside the 401(k) Plan, are together subject to a maximum purchase limit of no more than 15,000 shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock, which equals $150,000. The prospectus describes an additional purchase limitation of 25,000 shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock, which equals $250,000, for an individual, together with associates or persons acting in concert with such individual.

 

•  The election period for the Plan purchases ends at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [DATE], 2019 (the “Plan Purchase Period”).

 

•  Your election to purchase common stock in the offering through the Plan will be accepted by Principal Financial Group, the recordkeeper of the Plan. After your election is accepted by Principal Financial Group, it will be rounded down to the closest dollar amount divisible by $10.00, and will be used by the trustee to purchase shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock sold in the stock offering.

 

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This difference will remain in the Stock Purchase option until the completion of the stock offering, which is expected to be several weeks after the Plan Purchase Period ends. At that time, the Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock purchased based on your election will be transferred to the Plan and any remaining funds will be transferred out of the Stock Purchase option for investment in other funds under the Plan, based on your election currently on file for future contributions.

 

•  The amount you elect to transfer to the Stock Purchase option will be held separately until the completion of the stock offering. Therefore, this money is not available for distributions, loans, or withdrawals until the stock offering is completed, which is expected to be several weeks after the Plan Purchase Period ends.

 

•  Following the completion of the stock offering, your purchased shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock will be reflected in your Plan account through the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund.

 

Follow these steps to make your election to use your account balance in the Plan to purchase shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in the stock offering. You are allowed only one election to transfer funds to the Stock Purchase option.

 

•  Go to www.principal.com and log into your Plan account. In Account Login, click on drop down and choose “Personal,” then “GO.” Enter your Username and Password. If you haven’t established your Username and Password, click on the link “Establish your Username and Password” and follow the prompts.

 

•  On your Personal Summary Page, choose the line for the Bogota Savings Bank 401(k) Savings Plan.

 

•  When you reach “Your Account Overview,” click on “Investments” across the top navigation of the screen, and then click on “Change Investments.”

 

•  When you reach the “Change Investments” screen, click on the box titled “Move Balances .” Then click on Make a Transfer.”

 

•  Click on “Advanced Transfer Features” and choose “dollars,” then enter the amount you would like to transfer “From” each investment. When you have completed transferring “From” each investment, choose “Continue.”

 

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•  Enter the dollars that you will be transferring into the Stock Purchase account. The Stock Purchase account is a money market investment that will hold the funds until the stock offering is concluded. All of the funds that you transferred “From” other investments must be transferred to another investment. All of the dollars must be transferred “To” another investment.

 

When you have completed the “To” portion of the transaction, click “Continue.” You will be taken to a confirmation page. Please review your transaction for accuracy. If you need to make changes, click on “Cancel” or “Start Over” or “Previous” to make changes. If the information is correct, click on the box, “I confirm the information above and authorize Principal Life Insurance Company to process this request.” You will receive a communication in your Message Center confirming your transaction.

 

After you completed your online election, you will also need to complete the Stock Information Form and return it either using the self-addressed pre-paid envelope, emailing it to MLanger@BogotaSavingsBank.com, or by delivering it in person, to be received by Matthew Langer, VP, Human Resources and Marketing at Bogota Savings Bank, 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.

Order Deadline    You must make your election online at www.principal.com and return your Stock Information Form in the pre-paid envelope, by emailing to MLanger@BogotaSavingsBank.com or by delivering it in person to Matthew Langer, VP, Human Resources and Marketing; to be received no later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [Expiration Date].
Irrevocability of Transfer Direction   

Once you make an election to transfer amounts to the Stock Purchase option to be used by the trustee to purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock in connection with the stock offering, you may not change your election.

 

Your election is irrevocable. You will, however, continue to have the ability to transfer amounts not directed towards the purchase of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock among all of the other investment funds on a daily basis.

Future Direction to Purchase and Sell Common Stock    You will be able to purchase Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock after the stock offering through the Plan by investing your future contributions through the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund, provided, that: (1) no more than 50% of your future contributions (both employer and employee) may be invested in the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund.

 

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After the stock offering, to the extent that shares are available, the trustee of the Plan will acquire shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock at your election in open market transactions at the prevailing price, which may be less than or more than $10.00 per share. In addition, a brokerage commission of  $0.05 per share of stock purchased will be charged.

 

You may change your investment allocation on a daily basis. However, please be advised that your ability to buy or sell Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock within the Plan largely depends upon the existence of an active market for the stock. If Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock is illiquid (meaning there are a low number of buyers and sellers of the stock) on the date you elect to buy or sell Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock within the Plan, your election may not be immediately processed. As a result, the prevailing price for Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock may be less or more than its fair market value on the date of your election.

 

Special restrictions may apply to purchasing shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock by the participants who are subject to the provisions of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, relating to the purchase and sale of securities by officers, directors and principal stockholders of Bogota Financial Corp.

 

Please note that if you are an officer of the Bank who is restricted by regulation from selling shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock acquired in the stock offering for one year, the Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock that you purchased in the stock offering will not be tradable until the one-year trading restriction has lapsed.

Voting Rights of Common Stock    You may direct the trustee as to how to vote your shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock held in the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund, if permitted by the Bank. If the trustee does not receive your voting instructions, the trustee will be directed by the Bank to vote your shares in the same proportion as the voting instructions received from other participants related to their shares of Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock held by the 401(k) Plan, provided that such vote is made in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). All voting instructions will be kept confidential.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE 401(k) PLAN

Introduction

Bogota Savings Bank originally adopted the Plan effective as of September 1, 1993. In connection with the mutual holding company reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp. and the Bank desire to allow participants to purchase common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. in their accounts in the Plan. The Plan is a tax-qualified plan with a cash or deferred compensation feature established in accordance with the requirements under Section 401(a) and Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

The Bank intends that the Plan, in operation, will comply with the requirements under Section 401(a) and Section 401(k) of the Code. The Bank will adopt any amendments to the Plan that may be necessary to ensure the continuing qualified status of the Plan under the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations.

ERISA. The Plan is an “individual account plan” other than a “money purchase pension plan” within the meaning of ERISA. As such, the Plan is subject to all of the provisions of Title I (Protection of Employee Benefit Rights) and Title II (Amendments to the Code Relating to Retirement Plans) of ERISA, except to the funding requirements contained in Part 3 of Title I of ERISA, which by their terms do not apply to an individual account plan (other than a money purchase plan). The Plan is not subject to Title IV (Plan Termination Insurance) of ERISA. The funding requirements contained in Title IV of ERISA are not applicable to participants or beneficiaries under the Plan.

Reference to Full Text of Plan. The following portions of this prospectus supplement summarize certain provisions of the Plan. They are not complete and are qualified in their entirety by the full text of the Plan. Copies of the Plan are available to all employees by filing a request with the Plan Administrator c/o Bogota Savings Bank, Attn: Matthew Langer, VP, Human Resources and Marketing. You are urged to read carefully the full text of the Plan.

Eligibility and Participation

As an employee of the Bank, you are eligible to become a participant in the Plan on the entry date coinciding with or immediately following completion of one year of service, completion of 1,000 hours of employment and attainment of age 18. The entry dates under the Plan are the first day of the month on or after you meet these requirements.

As of December 31, 2018, there were approximately 52 active and former employees with account balances in the Plan.

Contributions under the Plan

Elective Deferrals. You are automatically enrolled to defer 6% of your compensation as of the date you become a participant in the Plan, unless you choose a different percentage or you choose not to defer. You are permitted to defer up to 25% of your compensation, subject to certain restrictions imposed by the Code, and to have that amount contributed to the Plan on

 

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your behalf. Your elective deferrals are subject to certain restrictions imposed by the Code, and for 2019, you may defer up to $19,000 and you may defer an additional $6,000 if you qualify for catch-up contributions as described in the next paragraph. The Compensation of each participant taken into account under the Plan is limited by the Code, and for 2019 the limit is $280,000 (this limit may change on an annual basis). Canceling or changing your contribution percentage can be accomplished by contacting Human Resources.

Roth Elective Deferrals. You may elect to designate all or a portion of deferrals as Roth elective deferrals. Roth elective deferrals do not reduce your total taxable income or your current taxes. Because you pay taxes on these contributions when they are made, these contributions will not be taxed later when received as a benefit and distributed as a qualified distribution. A distribution will be a qualified distribution if (i) the distribution is made on or after you attain age 59 12, on or after the date of your death, or as a result of you becoming disabled as defined by the Code; or (ii) the distribution is made after the end of the 5-taxable-year period beginning with the first taxable year in which you make a Roth elective deferral contribution to this Plan.

Catch-up Contributions. If you have made the maximum amount of elective deferrals allowed by the Plan or other legal limits and you have attained at least age 50 (or will reach age 50 prior to the end of the tax year, which is December 31), you are also eligible to make an additional catch-up contribution. In 2019, the maximum catch-up contribution is $6,000. You may authorize your employer to withhold a specified dollar amount of your compensation for this purpose.

Matching Contributions. The Bank will make a matching contribution equal to 100% of up to 6% of your contribution. The Bank may from time to time change the Plan to provide for a different matching contribution.

Nonelective Contributions. The Bank will make a nonelective contribution for you as of each December 31. The amount of the nonelective contribution is 3% of your compensation for the portion the Plan year that you have been an active participant.

Limitations on Contributions

Contribution Limits. For the tax year beginning January 1, 2019, the amount of your elective deferrals may not exceed $19,000 per calendar year, or $25,000, if you are eligible to make catch-up contributions. Contributions in excess of this limit are known as excess deferrals. If you defer amounts in excess of this limitation, your gross income for federal income tax purposes will include the excess in the year of the deferral. In addition, unless the excess deferral is distributed before April 15 of the following year, it will be taxed again in the year distributed. Income on the excess deferral distributed by April 15 of the immediately succeeding year will be treated, for federal income tax purposes, as earned and received by you in the tax year in which the contribution is made.

The total amount of contributions that you make and any contribution your employer makes on your behalf to your account in one year is generally limited to the lesser of 100% of your compensation or $56,000 (for 2019), or if applicable, $62,000 (for 2019) including catch-up contributions.

 

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Rollovers. You may make a rollover contribution of an eligible rollover distribution from any other qualified retirement plan or an individual retirement arrangement (IRA). These funds will be maintained in a separate rollover account in which you will have a nonforfeitable vested interest.

Benefits under the Plan

Vesting. At all times, you have a fully vested, nonforfeitable interest in the portion of your account balance attributable to elective deferrals and qualified non-elective contributions. Employer matching contributions and employer discretionary pro-rata contributions are subject to a five-year vesting schedule, such that the participant vests in the first 20% of his or her account attributable to employer matching and profit-sharing contributions after one year of service and an additional 20% each year thereafter until fully vested after five years.

Distribution at Termination of Employment. You will be entitled to receive a distribution of the vested amounts in your account when your employment terminates for any reason. Your benefit will be equal to the vested balance of your account. The Plan will make involuntary cash-out distributions of vested account balances in accordance with the Plan. If you are not a 5% or more owner of your employer, your required benefit commencement date is the April 1st following the close of the year in which the later occurs: you attain age 70 12 or you terminate employment.

Distribution after Death of Participant. In the event of your death, the value of your entire account will be payable to your beneficiary in accordance with the Plan.

Investment of Contributions and Account Balances

All amounts credited to your accounts under the Plan are held in the Plan trust (the “Trust”), which is administered by the trustee of the Plan. Prior to the effective date of the offering, you were provided the opportunity to direct the investments of your account into one of the investment options described below.    

 

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Performance History

The following table provides performance data with respect to the investment funds in the Plan:

 

     Average Annual Total Return
(as of 6/30/2019 quarter end)
 

Investment Option Name

   YTD      1-Year     3-Year      5-Year      10-Year      Since
Incept
     Incept Date  

American Century Income & Growth A Fund

     13.80        4.18       11.17        7.27        12.63        6.29        12/15/1997  

LargeCap S&P 500 Index R5 Fund

     18.31        9.96       13.71        10.25        14.22        5.92        12/06/2000  

ClearBridge Large Cap Growth A Fund

     21.56        13.29       17.26        13.73        15.69        9.15        08/29/1997  

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value A Fund

     22.07        8.31       9.51        7.17        14.20        8.42        07/31/2007  

MidCap S&P 400 Index R5 Fund

     17.79        0.99       10.42        7.54        14.13        8.57        12/06/2000  

Janus Henderson Enterprise S Fund

     26.08        16.34       18.43        13.95        16.85        17.21        07/02/2009  

Wells Fargo Special Small Cap Value A Fund

     17.48        (1.93     10.12        7.07        13.65        11.06        05/07/1993  

SmallCap S&P 600 Index RF5 Fund

     13.53        (5.21     11.51        7.93        14.46        9.37        12/06/2000  

Janus Henderson Triton S Fund

     25.17        7.82       17.06        12.13        16.68        17.11        07/06/2009  

Real Estate Securities R5 Fund

     21.00        14.39       6.15        9.23        15.96        11.41        12/06/2000  

American Funds New World R3 Fund

     17.85        6.11       11.41        3.85        7.46        9.02        06/06/2002  

Diversified International R5 Fund

     14.72        (1.50     7.65        2.20        7.27        4.19        12/06/2000  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid Income CIT Z55

     7.67        5.05       3.77        2.85        —          5.37        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2010 CIT Z55

     8.77        4.78       5.03        3.56        —          7.50        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2015 CIT Z55

     9.75        4.65       5.78        3.99        —          8.36        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2020 CIT Z55

     10.98        4.60       6.62        4.54        —          9.00        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2025 CIT Z55

     12.08        4.65       7.43        5.04        —          9.80        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2030 CIT Z55

     13.05        4.52       8.10        5.41        —          10.30        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2035 CIT Z55

     14.12        4.57       8.75        5.79        —          10.56        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2040 CIT Z55

     14.81        4.35       9.18        6.03        —          10.89        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2045 CIT Z55

     15.36        4.19       9.53        6.21        —          11.19        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2050 CIT Z55

     15.75        4.05       9.84        6.37        —          11.46        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2055 CIT Z55

     16.14        3.92       9.99        6.45        —          11.61        07/07/2009  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2060 CIT Z55

     16.32        3.89       10.06        6.51        —          7.23        01/01/2014  

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2065 CIT Z55

     16.23        3.72       —          —          —          2.07        01/01/2018  

Principal Stable Value Fund

     0.96        1.79       1.45        1.26        1.38        3.10        01/09/1997  

BlackRock Total Return Investor A Fund

     6.91        7.46       2.50        2.94        5.16        4.08        09/24/2007  

AB Global Bond A Fund

     5.79        6.54       2.71        3.35        5.07        6.97        03/27/1992  

American Century Inflation Adjusted Bond A Fund

     5.90        3.77       1.44        1.01        2.90        4.55        06/15/1998  

BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Investor A Fund

     10.84        12.35       13.19        12.61        16.67        14.96        12/21/1999  

Description of the Investment Funds

American Century Income & Growth A Fund. The investment seeks long-term capital growth; income is a secondary consideration. In selecting stocks for the fund, the managers use quantitative management techniques in a two-step process. First, the managers rank stocks, primarily large capitalization, publicly traded U.S. companies with a market capitalization greater than $2 billion, from most attractive to least attractive based on an objective set of measures. Second, the portfolio managers use a quantitative model to build a portfolio of stocks from the ranking that they believe will provide the optimal balance between risk and expected return.

LargeCap S&P 500 Index R5 Fund. The investment seeks long-term growth of capital. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies that compose the S&P 500 Index at the time of purchase. The index is designed to represent U.S. equities with risk/return characteristics of the large cap universe, which include growth and value stocks.

 

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ClearBridge Large Cap Growth A Fund. The investment seeks long-term capital growth. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any, in equity securities or other instruments with similar economic characteristics of U.S. companies with large market capitalizations.

Wells Fargo Special Mid Cap Value A Fund. The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of medium-capitalization companies. It invests principally in equity securities of medium-capitalization companies, which the manager defines as securities of companies with market capitalizations within the range of the Russell Midcap® Index at the time of purchase.

MidCap S&P 400 R5 Fund. The investment seeks long-term growth of capital. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies that compose the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) MidCap 400 Index at the time of purchase. The index is designed to represent U.S. equities with risk/return characteristics of the mid cap universe, which include growth and value stocks.

Janus Henderson Enterprise S Fund. The investment seeks long-term growth of capital. The fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in common stocks selected for their growth potential, and normally invests at least 50% of its equity assets in medium-sized companies. Medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalization falls within the range of companies in the Russell Midcap® Growth Index. Market capitalization is a commonly used measure of the size and value of a company. It may also invest in foreign securities, which may include investments in emerging markets.

Wells Fargo Special Small Cap Value A Fund. The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests: at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in equity securities of small-capitalization companies. It invests principally in equity securities of small-capitalization companies, which the managers define as companies with market capitalization within the range of the Russell 2000® Index at the time of purchase.

SmallCap S&P 600 Index R5 Fund. The investment seeks long-term growth of capital. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies that compose the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) SmallCap 600 Index at the time of purchase. The index is designed to represent U.S. equities with risk/return characteristics of the small cap universe. The fund utilizes derivative strategies and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).

Janus Henderson Triton S Fund.    The investment seeks long-term growth of capital. The fund pursues its investment objective by investing at least 50% of its equity assets in small-and medium-sized companies as defined by the portfolio managers as those companies whose market capitalization falls within the range of companies in the Russell 2500® Growth Index at the time of initial purchase. The fund may also invest in foreign securities, which may include investments in emerging markets.

 

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Real Estate Securities R5 Fund. The investment seeks to generate a total return. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the real estate industry at the time of purchase. It invests in value equity securities, an investment strategy that emphasizes buying securities that appear to be undervalued. The fund concentrates its investments (invest more than 25% of its net assets) in securities in the real estate industry. It is non-diversified.

American Funds New World R3 Fund. The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. The fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies with significant exposure to countries with developing economies and/or markets. Under normal market conditions, the fund will invest at least 35% of its assets in equity and debt securities of issuers primarily in qualified countries that have developing economics and/or markets.

Diversified International R5 Fund. The investment seeks long-term growth of capital. The fund invests primarily in foreign equity securities. It has no limitation on the percentage of assets that are invested in any one country or denominated in any one currency, but the fund typically invests in foreign securities of at least 20 countries. The fund invests in equity securities regardless of market capitalization size (small, medium or large) and style (growth or value).

Principal LifeTime Hybrid Income CIT Z55. The investment option seeks current income and, as a secondary objective, capital appreciation. To pursue its goal, this Target Date Fund generally invests in affiliated and may invest in nonaffiliated open-ended mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts, and collective trust funds that Principal Trust considers appropriate based on investors who have reached their investment time horizon.

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2010, 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, 2050 and 2055 CIT Z Funds: These investment options seek a total return consisting of long-term growth of capital and current income. To pursue its goal, each Target Date Fund generally invest in affiliated open-ended mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts, unaffiliated mutual funds, and unaffiliated collective trust funds that Principal Trust considers appropriate based on the remaining time horizon of a particular Target Date Fund.

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2060 CIT Z: The investment option seeks a total return consisting of long-term growth of capital and current income consistent with the investment strategy of an investor who expects to retire in the year identified in each respective CIT’s name. To pursue its goal, this Target Date CIT generally invests in other open-ended mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts and collective trust funds that PGI Trust Company considers appropriate based on the remaining time horizon of a particular CIT and the expected risk tolerance of those investors associated with that time horizon. Over time, Principal Global Investors Trust Company intends to gradually shift the asset allocation targets of each CIT (other than the Principal LifeTime Hybrid Income CIT) to accommodate investors progressing from asset accumulation years to income generation years. It is expected that within 15 years after its target year, a CIT’s underlying fund allocation will match that of the Principal LifeTime Hybrid Income CIT.

 

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Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2065 CIT Z: The investment option seeks a total return consisting of long-term growth of capital and current income consistent with the investment strategy of an investor who expects to retire in the year identified in each respective CIT’s name. To pursue its goal, this Target Date CIT generally invests in other open-ended mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts and collective trust funds that PGI Trust Company considers appropriate based on the remaining time horizon of a particular CIT and the expected risk tolerance of those investors associated with that time horizon. Over time, Principal Global Investors Trust Company intends to gradually shift the asset allocation targets of each CIT (other than the Principal LifeTime Hybrid Income CIT) to accommodate investors progressing from asset accumulation years to income generation years. It is expected that within 15 years after its target year, a CIT’s underlying fund allocation will match that of the Principal LifeTime Hybrid Income CIT.

Principal Stable Value Fund. The fund primarily consists of a diversified portfolio of Stable Value Investment Contracts (Investment Contracts) issued by life insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions, the performance of which may be predicated on underlying fixed income investments. The principal value of these assets is designed to remain stable regardless of stock and bond market fluctuations. The Fund is typically appropriate for investors who desire low volatility, stable principal value, and returns commensurate with a capital preservation objective for a component of their retirement savings. The Fund is designed for long-term retirement investing.

BlackRock Total Return Investor A Fund. The investment seeks to realize a total return that exceeds that of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The fund typically invests more than 90% of its assets in a diversified portfolio of fixed-income securities such as corporate bonds and notes, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, convertible securities, preferred securities and government obligations. It normally invests at least 80% of its assets in bonds and invests primarily in investment grade fixed-income securities. The fund is a “feeder” fund that invests all of its assets in a corresponding “master” portfolio.

AB Global Bond A Fund. The investment seeks to generate current income consistent with preservation of capital. The fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in fixed-income securities. It invests significantly in fixed-income securities of non-U.S. companies. The fund normally invests in the fixed-income securities of companies located in at least three countries. It may invest in a broad range of fixed-income securities in both developed and emerging markets. The fund may invest across all fixed-income sectors, including U.S. and non-U.S. government and corporate debt securities.

American Century Inflation Adjusted Bond A Fund. The investment seeks total return and inflation protection consistent with investment in inflation-indexed securities. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in inflation-adjusted bonds. It also may invest in derivative instruments such as futures contracts and swap agreements (including, but not limited to, inflation swap agreements and credit default swap agreements), bank loans, securities backed by mortgages or other assets and collateralized debt obligations. The fund may invest in U.S. Treasury futures, inflation swap agreements and credit default swap agreements to manage duration, inflation and credit exposure.

 

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BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Investor A Fund. The investment seeks to provide a long-term growth of capital. The fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities, primarily common stock, of companies in health sciences and related industries. The health sciences sector can include companies in health care equipment and supplies, health care providers and services, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. It will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of its assets) in health sciences or related industries, and may invest in companies located in non-U.S. countries.

An investment in any of the funds listed above is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. As with any mutual fund investment, there is always a risk that you may lose money on your investment in any of the funds listed above.

Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund

In connection with the stock offering, the Plan now offers the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund as an additional choice to the investment options described above. The Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund invests primarily in the shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. In connection with the stock offering, you may, in the manner described earlier, direct the trustee to invest up to 100% of your Plan account in Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund.

As of the date of this prospectus supplement, there is no established market for Bogota Financial Corp. common stock. Accordingly, there is no record of the historical performance of the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund. Performance of the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund depends on a number of factors, including the financial condition and profitability of Bogota Financial Corp. and the Bank and market conditions for shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock generally.

Investments in the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund involve special risks common to investments in the shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. In making a decision to invest all or a part of your account balance in the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund, you should carefully consider the information set forth on page 19 of this prospectus supplement under “Notice of Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities – The Importance of Diversifying Your Retirement Savings.”

For a discussion of material risks you should consider, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page [#] of the attached prospectus and the section of this prospectus supplement called “Notice of Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities” below.

 

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Withdrawals from the Plan

Applicable federal law requires the Plan to impose substantial restrictions on the right of a Plan participant to withdraw amounts held for his or her benefit under the Plan prior to the participant’s termination of employment with the Bank. A substantial federal tax penalty may also be imposed on withdrawals made prior to the participant’s attainment of age 59 12, regardless of whether such a withdrawal occurs during his or her employment with the Bank or after termination of employment.

Withdrawal from your Account prior to Retirement. Once you have attained age 59 12, you may request distribution of all or part of the amounts credited to your accounts attributable to elective deferrals, nonelective contributions and matching contributions.

Hardship Withdrawals. If you incur a financial hardship, you may request a withdrawal from the portion of your account attributable to your pre-tax and after-tax elective deferrals.

Rollover Contributions. You may withdraw amounts you contributed to the Plan as a rollover contribution at any time.

Loan. You may request a loan from your account pursuant to the procedures established in the Plan.

Administration of the Plan

The Trustee. The trustee of the Plan is Principal Trust Company. Principal Trust Company serves as trustee for all the investments funds under the Plan, including during the stock offering period for Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock.

Plan Administrator. Pursuant to the terms of the Plan, the Plan is administered by the Plan administrator. The address of the Plan administrator is Bogota Savings Bank, 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, New Jersey 53226. The Plan administrator is responsible for the administration of the Plan, interpretation of the provisions of the Plan, prescribing procedures for filing applications for benefits, preparation and distribution of information explaining the Plan, maintenance of plan records, books of account and all other data necessary for the proper administration of the Plan, preparation and filing of all returns and reports relating to the Plan which are required to be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service, and for all disclosures required to be made to participants, beneficiaries and others under Sections 104 and 105 of ERISA.

Reports to Plan Participants. The Plan administrator will furnish you a statement at least quarterly showing the balance in your account as of the end of that period, the amount of contributions allocated to your account for that period, and any adjustments to your account to reflect earnings or losses (if any). In addition, you can go on-line to principal.com or call 1-(800) 547-7754 at any time to review your account balances.

 

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Amendment and Termination

It is the intention of the Bank to continue the Plan indefinitely. Nevertheless, the Bank may terminate the Plan at any time. If the Plan is terminated in whole or in part, then regardless of other provisions in the Plan, you will have a fully vested interest in your accounts. The Bank reserves the right to make any amendment or amendments to the Plan which do not cause any part of the trust to be used for, or diverted to, any purpose other than the exclusive benefit of participants or their beneficiaries; provided, however, that the Bank may make any amendment it determines necessary or desirable, with or without retroactive effect, to comply with ERISA.

Merger, Consolidation or Transfer

In the event of the merger or consolidation of the Plan with another plan, or the transfer of the trust assets to another plan, the Plan requires that you would receive a benefit immediately after the merger, consolidation or transfer which is equal to or greater than the benefit you would have been entitled to receive immediately before the merger, consolidation or transfer.

Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following is a brief summary of the material federal income tax aspects of the Plan. You should not rely on this summary as a complete or definitive description of the material federal income tax consequences relating to the Plan. Statutory provisions change, as do their interpretations, and their application may vary in individual circumstances. Finally, the consequences under applicable state and local income tax laws may not be the same as under the federal income tax laws. Please consult your tax advisor with respect to any distribution from the Plan and transactions involving the Plan.

As a “tax-qualified retirement plan,” the Code affords the Plan special tax treatment, including:

(1) the sponsoring employer is allowed an immediate tax deduction for the amount contributed to the Plan each year;

(2) participants pay no current income tax on amounts contributed by the employer on their behalf; and

(3) earnings of the Plan are tax-deferred, thereby permitting the tax-free accumulation of income and gains on investments.

The Bank will administer the Plan to comply with the requirements of the Code as of the applicable effective date of any change in the law.

Lump-Sum Distribution. A distribution from the Plan to a participant or the beneficiary of a participant will qualify as a lump-sum distribution if it is made within one taxable year, on account of the participant’s death, disability or separation from service, or after the participant attains age 59 12, and consists of the balance credited to participants under the Plan and all other profit sharing plans (and in some cases all other stock bonus plans), if any, maintained by the

 

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Bank. The portion of any lump-sum distribution required to be included in your taxable income for federal income tax purposes consists of the entire amount of the lump-sum distribution, less the amount of after-tax contributions, if any, you have made to this Plan and any other profit sharing plans maintained by the Bank, which is included in the distribution.

Bogota Financial Corp. Common Stock Included in Lump-Sum Distribution. If a lump-sum distribution includes Bogota Financial Corp. common stock, the distribution generally will be taxed in the manner described above, except that the total taxable amount may be reduced by the amount of any net unrealized appreciation with respect to Bogota Financial Corp. common stock, that is, the excess of the value of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock at the time of the distribution over its cost or other basis of the securities to the trust. The tax basis of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock, for purposes of computing gain or loss on its subsequent sale, equals the value of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock at the time of distribution, less the amount of net unrealized appreciation. Any gain on a subsequent sale or other taxable disposition of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock, to the extent of the amount of net unrealized appreciation at the time of distribution, will constitute long-term capital gain, regardless of the holding period of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock. Any gain on a subsequent sale or other taxable disposition of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock, in excess of the amount of net unrealized appreciation at the time of distribution, will be considered long-term capital gain. The recipient of a distribution may elect to include the amount of any net unrealized appreciation in the total taxable amount of the distribution, to the extent allowed by regulations to be issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

Distributions: Rollovers and Direct Transfers to Another Qualified Plan or to an IRA. You may roll over virtually all distributions from the Plan to another qualified plan or to an individual retirement account (IRA) in accordance with the terms of the other plan or account.

Notice of Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities

There has been an important change in Federal law that provides specific rights concerning investments in employer securities, such as Bogota Financial Corp. common stock. Because you may in the future have investments in Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund under the Plan, you should take the time to read the following information carefully.

Your Rights Concerning Employer Securities. The Plan must allow you to elect to move any portion of your account that is invested in the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund from that investment into other investment alternatives under the Plan. You may contact the Plan Administrator shown above for specific information regarding this new right, including how to make this election. In deciding whether to exercise this right, you will want to give careful consideration to the information below that describes the importance of diversification. All of the investment options under the Plan are available to you if you decide to diversify out of the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund.

The Importance of Diversifying Your Retirement Savings. To help achieve long-term retirement security, you should give careful consideration to the benefits of a well-balanced and diversified investment portfolio. Spreading your assets among different types of investments can help you achieve a favorable rate of return, while minimizing your overall risk of losing money.

 

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This is because market or other economic conditions that cause one category of assets, or one particular security, to perform very well often cause another asset category, or another particular security, to perform poorly. If you invest more than 20% of your retirement savings in any one company or industry, your savings may not be properly diversified. Although diversification is not a guarantee against loss, it is an effective strategy to help you manage investment risk.

In deciding how to invest your retirement savings, you should take into account all of your assets, including any retirement savings outside of the Plan. No single approach is right for everyone because, among other factors, individuals have different financial goals, different time horizons for meeting their goals, and different tolerance for risk. Therefore, you should carefully consider the rights described here and how these rights affect the amount of money that you invest in Bogota Financial Corp. common stock through the Plan.

It is also important to periodically review your investment portfolio, your investment objectives, and the investment options under the Plan to help ensure that your retirement savings will meet your retirement goals.

Additional ERISA Considerations

As noted above, the Plan is subject to certain provisions of ERISA, including special provisions relating to control over the Plan’s assets by participants and beneficiaries. The Plan’s feature that allows you to direct the investment of your account balances is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 404(c) of ERISA relating to control over plan assets by a participant or beneficiary. The effect of this is two-fold. First, you will not be deemed a “fiduciary” because of your exercise of investment discretion. Second, no person who otherwise is a fiduciary, such as the Bank, the Plan Administrator, or the Plan’s trustee is liable under the fiduciary responsibility provision of ERISA for any loss which results from your exercise of control over the assets in your Plan account.

Because you will be entitled to invest all or a portion of your account balance in the Plan in Bogota Financial Corp. common stock, the regulations under Section 404(c) of ERISA require that the Plan establish procedures that ensure the confidentiality of your decision to purchase, hold, or sell employer securities, except to the extent that disclosure of such information is necessary to comply with federal or state laws not preempted by ERISA. These regulations also require that your exercise of voting and similar rights with respect to the common stock be conducted in a way that ensures the confidentiality of your exercise of these rights.

Securities and Exchange Commission Reporting and Short-Swing Profit Liability

Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, imposes reporting and liability requirements on officers, directors, and persons beneficially owning more than 10% of public companies such as Bogota Financial Corp. Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the filing of reports of beneficial ownership. Within 10 days of becoming an officer, director or person beneficially owning more than 10% of the shares of Bogota Financial Corp. the individual must fill out a Form 3 reporting initial beneficial ownership and file it with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Changes in beneficial ownership, such as purchases, sales and gifts generally must be reported periodically, either on a Form 4 within two business

 

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days after the change occurs, or annually on a Form 5 within 45 days after the close of Bogota Financial Corp.’s fiscal year. Discretionary transactions in and beneficial ownership of the common stock through the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund of the Plan by officers and persons beneficially owning more than 10% of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. generally must be reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission by such individuals.

In addition to the reporting requirements described above, Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, provides for the recovery by Bogota Financial Corp. of profits realized by an officer, director or any person beneficially owning more than 10% of Bogota Financial Corp.’s common stock resulting from non-exempt purchases and sales of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock within any six-month period.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted rules that provide exemptions from the profit recovery provisions of Section 16(b) for all transactions in employer securities within an employee benefit plan, provided certain requirements are met. These requirements generally involve restrictions upon the timing of elections to acquire or dispose of employer securities for the accounts of Section 16(b) persons.

Except for distributions of common stock due to death, disability, retirement, termination of employment or under a qualified domestic relations order, persons affected by Section 16(b) are required to hold shares of common stock distributed from the Plan for six months following such distribution and are prohibited from directing additional purchases within the Bogota Financial Corp. Stock Fund for six months after receiving such a distribution.

Financial Information Regarding Plan Assets

Financial information representing the net assets available for Plan benefits and the change in net assets available for Plan benefits is available upon written request to the Plan Administrator at the address shown above.

LEGAL OPINION

The validity of the issuance of the common stock has been passed upon by Luse Gorman, PC, Washington, D.C., which firm acted as special counsel to Bogota Financial Corp. in connection with Bogota Financial Corp.’s stock offering.

 

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PROSPECTUS

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

(Proposed Holding Company for Bogota Savings Bank)

Up to 4,919,770 Shares of Common Stock

(Subject to increase to up to 5,657,735 Shares)

 

 

Bogota Financial Corp., a Maryland corporation, is offering up to 4,919,770 shares of its common stock for sale at $10.00 per share on a best efforts basis as part of the reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank, a New Jersey-chartered savings bank, from a mutual savings bank (meaning no stockholders) into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form of organization. In connection with the sale of our common stock, we intend to establish and fund a charitable foundation in connection with the reorganization and contribute 2% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. and $250,000 in cash to the charitable foundation. Bogota Financial Corp. has never offered common stock for sale to the public and, as a result, currently there is no trading market for our common stock. We expect to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BSBK.” We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012.

The shares of common stock being offered, including shares issued to the charitable foundation, represent 45% of our shares of common stock that will be outstanding upon completion of the stock offering. After the stock offering, 55% of our outstanding shares of common stock will be owned by our new mutual holding company parent, Bogota Financial, MHC, a New Jersey-chartered mutual holding company. These percentages will not be affected by the number of shares we sell in the stock offering. We must sell a minimum of 3,636,351 shares to complete the stock offering, and we will terminate the stock offering if we do not sell the minimum number of shares. We may sell up to 5,657,735 shares due to increased demand or because of changes in market conditions without resoliciting subscribers.

The shares of common stock are first being offered in a subscription offering to eligible depositors of Bogota Savings Bank and to Bogota Savings Bank’s tax-qualified employee benefit plans. Shares not purchased in the subscription offering may be offered for sale to the general public in a community offering, with a preference given to residents of the communities served by Bogota Savings Bank. Any shares of common stock not purchased in the subscription or community offerings may be offered for sale to the public in a syndicated offering through a syndicate of broker-dealers. The syndicated offering may begin before the subscription and community offerings (including any extensions) have ended. However, shares purchased in the subscription offering or the community offering will not be issued until the completion of any syndicated community offering. The subscription, community, and syndicated community offerings are collectively referred to as the “offering.”

The minimum order is 25 shares of common stock. Generally, no individual may purchase more than 15,000 shares of common stock, and no individual or other person, along with their associates and those with whom they are acting in concert, may purchase more than 25,000 shares of common stock. The subscription and community offerings are expected to expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [expiration date]. We may extend this expiration time and date, without notice to you, until [extension date #1]. Once submitted, stock orders are irrevocable unless the subscription and community offerings are terminated or extended, with regulatory approval, beyond [extension date #1], or the number of shares of common stock offered for sale is increased to more than 5,657,735 shares or decreased to less than 3,636,351 shares. If the subscription and community offerings are extended beyond [extension date #1], we will notify all subscribers and give them an opportunity to confirm, change or cancel their orders. If you do not respond to this notice, we will promptly return your funds with interest or cancel your deposit account withdrawal authorization. If the number of shares to be sold in the offering is increased to more than 5,657,735 shares or decreased to less than 3,636,351 shares, we will resolicit subscribers, and all funds delivered to us to purchase shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings will be returned promptly with interest. Funds received in the subscription and the community offerings will be held in a segregated account at Bogota Savings Bank and will earn interest at [interest rate]% per annum until completion or termination of the offering.

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. is assisting us in selling the shares on a best efforts basis in the subscription and community offerings, and will serve as sole manager for any syndicated community offering. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. is not required to purchase any shares of common stock that are sold in the subscription offering, community offering or syndicated community offering.

 

 

OFFERING SUMMARY

Price: $10.00 per Share

 

     Minimum      Midpoint      Maximum      Adjusted
Maximum
 

Number of shares

     3,636,351        4,278,060        4,919,770        5,657,735  

Gross offering proceeds

   $ 36,363,510      $ 42,780,600      $ 49,197,700      $ 56,577,350  

Estimated offering expenses, excluding selling agent fees and expenses

   $ 1,223,000      $ 1,223,000      $ 1,223,000      $ 1,223,000  

Selling agent fees and expenses (1)

   $ 507,485      $ 565,806      $ 624,127      $ 691,196  

Estimated net proceeds

   $ 34,633,025      $ 40,991,794      $ 47,350,573      $ 54,663,154  

Estimated net proceeds per share

   $ 9.52      $ 9.58      $ 9.62      $ 9.66  

 

(1)

Assumes all shares are sold in the subscription and community offerings and includes reimbursement of selling agent’s expenses. See Pro Forma Data” and The Reorganization and Offering—Plan of Distribution; Selling Agent Compensation” for information regarding compensation to be received by Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. in the subscription and community offerings and the compensation to be received by Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. and other participating broker-dealers in the syndicated offering. If all shares are sold in the syndicated offering, excluding those purchased by our insiders and by our employee stock ownership plan and contributed to our charitable foundation, for which no selling agent fee will be paid, the selling agent fees and expenses would be approximately $1.9 million, $2.3 million, $2.6 million and $2.9 million at the minimum, midpoint, maximum, and adjusted maximum of the offering range, respectively.

 

 

This investment involves a degree of risk, including the possible loss of principal. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 17.

Shares of our common stock are not deposits or accounts and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government agency. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, nor any state securities regulator has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P.

For assistance, please contact the Stock Information Center at [sic number].

The date of this prospectus is [prospectus date].


Table of Contents

[MAP TO BE INSERTED ON INSIDE FRONT COVER]


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

SUMMARY

     1  

RISK FACTORS

     17  

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA

     30  

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     32  

HOW WE INTEND TO USE THE PROCEEDS FROM THE OFFERING

     33  

OUR DIVIDEND POLICY

     34  

MARKET FOR THE COMMON STOCK

     35  

HISTORICAL AND PRO FORMA REGULATORY CAPITAL COMPLIANCE

     36  

CAPITALIZATION

     37  

PRO FORMA DATA

     38  

COMPARISON OF VALUATION AND PRO FORMA INFORMATION WITH AND WITHOUT THE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

     46  

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

     48  

BUSINESS OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL, MHC

     62  

BUSINESS OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

     62  

BUSINESS OF BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

     63  

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

     84  

TAXATION

     93  

MANAGEMENT

     94  

SUBSCRIPTIONS BY DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     103  

THE REORGANIZATION AND OFFERING

     104  

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

     126  

RESTRICTIONS ON ACQUISITION OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

     129  

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

     134  

TRANSFER AGENT

     135  

EXPERTS

     135  

LEGAL MATTERS

     135  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     135  

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

     137  


Table of Contents

SUMMARY

The following summary provides material information about the contents of this prospectus, but it may not contain all of the information that is important to you. Before making an investment decision, you should read carefully this entire document, including the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus and the section entitled “Risk Factors.” The terms “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank, unless the context indicates another meaning.

Bogota Financial, MHC

Bogota Financial, MHC will be formed as a New Jersey-chartered mutual holding company in connection with the reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form of organization. As a mutual holding company, Bogota Financial, MHC will be a non-stock company. Bogota Financial, MHC’s principal assets will be the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. it receives in the reorganization and offering and $50,000 in cash for its initial capitalization. It is expected that the only business activity of Bogota Financial, MHC will be to own a majority of Bogota Financial Corp.’s common stock. Bogota Financial, MHC will be authorized, however, to engage in any other business activities that are permissible for mutual holding companies under New Jersey and Federal law, including investing in loans and securities. Bogota Financial, MHC will be regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) and the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance (the “NJDBI”).

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Financial Corp., a Maryland corporation, was incorporated in September 2019. The offering of common stock by means of this prospectus is being made by Bogota Financial Corp. in connection with the reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form of organization. Upon completion of the reorganization, Bogota Financial Corp. will become the bank holding company for Bogota Savings Bank by owning all the outstanding shares of capital stock of Bogota Savings Bank and will be regulated by the Federal Reserve Board and the NJDBI. To date, Bogota Financial Corp. has engaged in organizational activities only. Following the reorganization and offering, Bogota Financial Corp.’s primary business activity will be to own all the outstanding shares of capital stock of Bogota Savings Bank and Bogota Financial Corp. will be authorized to engage in any other business activities that are permissible for bank holding companies under New Jersey and federal law.

Bogota Savings Bank

Founded in 1893, Bogota Savings Bank is a New Jersey-chartered savings bank that operates two retail banking offices in Teaneck and Bogota, New Jersey. We consider Bergen, Monmouth and Ocean Counties, New Jersey and the surrounding areas as our primary market area for our business operations. We attract deposits from the general public and municipalities and use those funds along with advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and funds generated from operations to originate one- to four-family loans and commercial real estate and multi-family loans and, to a lesser extent, consumer loans, commercial and industrial loans and construction loans. We also invest in securities, which have historically consisted primarily of U.S. Government and agency obligations, municipal obligations, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities. We offer a variety of deposit accounts, including demand accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and certificate of deposit accounts.

At June 30, 2019, we had consolidated total assets of $664.0 million, total deposits of $504.1 million and equity of $73.5 million. We are subject to regulation and examination by the NJDBI and by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Our executive offices are located at 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666. Our website address is www.bogotasavingsbank.com. Information on our website is not and should not be considered a part of this prospectus.



 

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Our Reorganization into a Mutual Holding Company and the Stock Offering

We do not have stockholders in our current mutual form of ownership. Our depositors have the right to vote on certain specific matters pertaining to Bogota Savings Bank, such as the proposed reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank into the mutual holding company form of ownership. The mutual holding company reorganization is a series of transactions by which we will reorganize from a mutual savings bank to the mutual holding company form of ownership by establishing Bogota Financial, MHC and Bogota Financial Corp. and converting our mutual savings bank certificate of incorporation to a stock savings bank certificate of incorporation. The reorganization will be conducted pursuant to a plan of mutual holding company reorganization and minority stock issuance, which we refer to as the “plan of reorganization.” Following the reorganization, Bogota Savings Bank will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bogota Financial Corp., and Bogota Financial Corp. will be a majority-owned subsidiary of Bogota Financial, MHC. After the reorganization, our depositors will continue to have the same limited voting rights in Bogota Financial, MHC as they had in Bogota Savings Bank before the reorganization.

In connection with the reorganization, we are offering for sale shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at a price of $10.00 per share. All investors will pay the same price per share in the offering. The $10.00 per share price was selected primarily because it is the price most commonly used in mutual holding company reorganizations and stock offerings. See “—Terms of the Offering.”

The primary reason for our decision to reorganize into the mutual holding company form of organization and offer our shares of common stock for sale in the offering is to establish an organizational structure that will enable us to:

 

   

preserve Bogota Savings Bank’s mutual form of organization and our ability to remain an independent community savings bank;

 

   

increase our capital to support future growth and profitability although we currently have capital well in excess of all applicable regulatory requirements;

 

   

grow our banking franchise through acquisitions of branch offices, financial institutions or fee-based businesses or organically through de novo branching, although we do not currently have any agreements to acquire any branch office, any financial institution or fee-based business;

 

   

offer our depositors, employees, management and directors an equity ownership interest in Bogota Savings Bank, and thereby an economic interest in our future success; and

 

   

support our local communities through a contribution to a charitable foundation.

The reorganization and the capital raised in the offering are expected to provide us with additional capital to support new loans and higher lending limits, support the growth of our banking franchise and provide us with an additional cushion against unforeseen risks. The reorganization and offering also will allow us to establish stock-based benefit plans for management and other employees that we believe will permit us to attract and retain qualified personnel.

Unlike a standard mutual-to-stock conversion transaction in which all the common stock of the holding company of the converting savings bank is sold to the public, only a minority interest in the stock of a mutual holding company subsidiary is sold to the public in a mutual holding company minority stock offering. Federal and New Jersey laws and regulations require that our mutual holding company own a majority of the outstanding common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. Consequently, the shares that we are permitted to sell in the offering represent a minority of the shares of Bogota Financial Corp. that will be outstanding when the offering is completed. As a result, a mutual holding company offering raises less than half the capital that would be raised in a standard conversion offering. Based on these restrictions and an evaluation of our capital needs, our board of directors has decided that 43% of our outstanding shares of common stock will be offered for sale in the offering, 2% of our outstanding shares will be issued to the charitable foundation, and 55% of our shares will be retained by Bogota Financial, MHC. Our board of directors has determined that offering 43% of our outstanding shares of common



 

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stock for sale in the offering will enable management to effectively reinvest the capital raised in the offering. See “—Possible Conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC to Stock Form.”

The following diagram illustrates our proposed post-reorganization organizational structure:

 

LOGO

Business Strategy

Our business strategy is to operate as a well-capitalized and profitable community bank dedicated to providing personal service to our individual and business customers. We believe that we have a competitive advantage in the markets we serve because of our 126-year history in the community, our knowledge of the local marketplace and our long-standing reputation for providing superior, relationship-based customer service. We believe we can distinguish ourselves by maintaining the culture of a local community bank. The following are the key elements of our business strategy:

Continue to focus on residential real estate lending. We have been, and will continue to be, primarily a one- to four-family residential real estate lender in our market area. As of June 30, 2019, $386.2 million, or 71.5% of our total loan portfolio, consisted of one- to four-family residential real estate loans. We expect that one- to four-family residential real estate lending will remain our primary lending activity.

Continue to emphasize commercial and multi-family real estate lending. We have increased our commercial real estate and multi-family loan portfolio to $120.8 million, or 22.4% of total loans, at June 30, 2019, from $68.4 million, or 15.8% of total loans, at December 31, 2014. We view the growth of commercial real estate and multi-family lending as a means of increasing our interest income and the yield on our loan portfolio, and reducing the average term to repricing of our loans. To accelerate this initiative and expand our commercial lending capacity, we are seeking to hire one or more additional lenders. We believe that local banking consolidation has created opportunities to attract talent with experience originating commercial real estate loans within our market area. Further, the additional capital raised in the offering will enable us to increase our commercial real estate and multi-family loan originations in our market area, and originate loans with larger balances that we intend to retain in our portfolio.

Increase lower-cost core deposits. We continue to emphasize offering core deposits (demand deposit accounts, savings accounts and money market accounts) to individual, businesses and municipalities. We attract and retain transaction accounts by offering competitive products and rates and providing quality customer service. At June 30, 2019, core deposits comprised 19.4% of our total deposits. Core deposits are our least costly source of funds, which improves our interest rate spread and also contributes non-interest income from account related services.

Grow through opportunistic bank or branch acquisitions. We will consider both organic growth as well as acquisition opportunities that may enhance the value of our franchise and yield potential financial benefits for our stockholders. Although we believe opportunities exist to increase our market share in our market, we expect to continue to expand into contiguous markets. We will consider expanding our branch network and establishing a loan production office in central New Jersey. The capital we raise in the offering will also provide us the



 

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opportunity to acquire smaller institutions or fee-based businesses located in our market area. We do not currently have any agreements regarding any specific acquisition transaction.

Continue to emphasize operating efficiencies and cost controls. We are focused on controlling expenses while increasing our net income. We are disciplined in managing non-interest expenses by identifying cost savings opportunities such as renegotiating key third-party contracts and reducing other operating expenses. Our efficiency ratio was 78.64% (annualized) during the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 60.07% during the year ended December 31, 2018. While we expect our non-interest expenses to increase when we become a public company, we will continue to monitor and control expenses as we focus on growth. To support our growth in a cost-effective way, we plan to continue to invest prudently in technology to help improve our operational infrastructure.

Maintain disciplined underwriting. We emphasize a disciplined credit culture based on intimate knowledge of the market, close ties to our customers, sound underwriting standards and experienced loan officers. We are committed to actively monitoring and managing all segments of our loan portfolio in an effort to proactively identify and mitigate credit risks within the portfolio. At June 30, 2019, non-performing assets totaled $541,000, which represented 0.08% of total assets. At June 30, 2019, there were $519,000 of non-performing residential real estate loans and $22,000 of non-performing consumer loans.

Terms of the Offering

We are offering between 3,636,351 and 4,919,770 shares of common stock in a subscription offering to eligible depositors of Bogota Savings Bank and to our tax-qualified employee benefit plans, and, to the extent shares remain available, to the general public in a community offering. If necessary, we will also offer shares to the general public in a syndicated community offering. The number of shares of common stock to be sold may be increased up to 5,657,735 shares as a result of demand for the shares of common stock in the offering or changes in market conditions. Unless the number of shares of common stock to be offered is increased to more than 5,657,735 shares or decreased to fewer than 3,636,351 shares, or the subscription and community offerings are extended beyond [extension date #1], subscribers will not have the opportunity to change or cancel their stock orders once submitted. If the subscription and community offerings are extended past [extension date #1], all subscribers will be notified and given an opportunity to confirm, change or cancel their orders. If you do not respond to this notice, your order will be canceled and we will promptly return your funds with interest at [interest rate]% per annum or cancel your deposit account withdrawal authorization. If the number of shares to be sold is increased to more than 5,657,735 shares or decreased to less than 3,636,351 shares, all subscribers’ stock orders will be canceled, all withdrawal authorizations will be canceled and funds delivered to us to purchase shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings will be returned promptly with interest at the same rate. We will then resolicit subscribers, giving them an opportunity to place new orders for a period of time. No shares purchased in the subscription offering and community offering will be issued until the completion of any syndicated community offering.

The purchase price of each share of common stock offered for sale in the offering is $10.00. All investors will pay the same purchase price per share, regardless of whether the shares are purchased in the subscription offering, the community offering, or the syndicated community offering. Investors will not be charged a commission to purchase shares of common stock in the offering. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., our marketing agent in the subscription and community offerings, will use its best efforts to assist us in selling shares of our common stock in the subscription and community offerings but is not obligated to purchase any shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings or in the syndicated community offering.

How We Determined the Offering Range and the $10.00 per Share Offering Price

The amount of common stock we are offering for sale is based on an independent appraisal of the estimated market value of Bogota Financial Corp., assuming the offering has been completed, the charitable foundation has been established and shares of common stock and cash have been contributed to the charitable foundation. RP Financial, LC. (“RP Financial”), our independent appraiser, has estimated that, as of August 23, 2019, assuming we were undertaking the offering, this market value, including the shares to be issued to the charitable foundation and Bogota Financial, MHC, was $99.5 million. Based on applicable regulations, this market value forms the midpoint of a valuation range with a minimum of $84.6 million and a maximum of $114.4 million.



 

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Based on this valuation range and assuming 43% of the shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock is being offered for sale in the offering at $10.00 per share, 2% of our outstanding shares is issued to the charitable foundation, and 55% of the shares is retained by Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Financial Corp. is offering for sale 3,636,351 shares at the minimum of the offering range, 4,278,060 shares at the midpoint of the offering range and 4,919,770 shares at the maximum of the offering range. The $10.00 per share price was selected primarily because it is the price most commonly used in mutual holding company and standard stock conversion offerings by savings banks. If demand for shares or market conditions warrant, the appraisal can be increased by up to 15%, which would result in an appraised value of $131.6 million, and we may sell up to 5,657,735 shares of common stock in the offering.

RP Financial advised the board of directors that the appraisal was prepared in conformance with the regulatory appraisal methodology, which requires a valuation based on an analysis of the trading prices of comparable public companies whose stock has traded for at least one year prior to the valuation date. RP Financial selected a group of ten comparable public companies for this analysis.

RP Financial considered adjustments to the pro forma market value based on a comparison of Bogota Financial Corp. with the peer group set forth below. The characteristics of publicly-traded shares of a mutual holding company differ from those of publicly-traded shares of fully converted stock holding companies (those in which all shares are held by public stockholders) in several ways, including that: (1) publicly-traded shares of a mutual holding company subsidiary tend to have less liquidity because they represent less than 50% of the outstanding shares of the company; (2) the holders of publicly-traded shares of a mutual holding company subsidiary cannot exercise voting control; (3) publicly-traded shares of a mutual holding company subsidiary are affected by the possibility of a “second-step” conversion transaction; (4) publicly-traded shares of a mutual holding company subsidiary are adversely affected by regulatory restrictions on the ability of a mutual holding company to waive the receipt of dividends declared by its subsidiary, thereby precluding or limiting the subsidiary’s ability to pay dividends to public stockholders; and (5) most existing publicly traded mutual holding companies have formed mid-tier holding companies, facilitating the ability for stock repurchases, thus improving the liquidity of the stock on an interim basis. Given the unique characteristics of the mutual holding company form of ownership, RP Financial concluded that the appropriate peer group for Bogota Financial Corp.’s valuation should be comprised of publicly traded subsidiary institutions of mutual holding companies that are listed on a national exchange. Further, RP Financial excluded from consideration those publicly traded mutual holding companies that are currently pursuing a second step conversion, or those that have not been publicly traded for at least one year.

The appraisal is based in part on Bogota Savings Bank’s financial condition and results of operations, the pro forma effect of the additional capital raised by the sale of shares of common stock in the offering, and an analysis of a peer group of ten publicly-traded subsidiary companies of mutual holding companies that RP Financial considers comparable to Bogota Financial Corp. The appraisal peer group consists of the following companies, all of which are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

 

Company Names

   Ticker
Symbol
   Headquarters    Total Assets at
June 30, 2019
 
               (In millions)  

Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)

   CLBK    Fair Lawn, NJ    $ 6,981  

Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)

   CFBI    Covington, GA      308  (1) 

FFBW, Inc. (MHC)

   FFBW    Brookfield, WI      258  

Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   GCBC    Catskill, NY      1,269  

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)

   KFFB    Frankfort, KY      319  (1) 

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   LSBK    Dunkirk, NY      578  

Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   MGYR    New Brunswick, NJ      633  

Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)

   OFED    Seneca, SC      512  (1) 

PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)

   PDLB    Bronx, NY      1,056  

TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)

   TFSL    Cleveland, OH      14,372  

 

(1)

Assets of March 31, 2019



 

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RP Financial advised the board of directors that the valuation analysis took into consideration that relative to the peer group, a moderate downward adjustment was applied for financial condition, and slight downward adjustments were applied for profitability, growth and viability of earnings and dividends. RP Financial made no adjustments for: (1) asset growth; (2) primary market area; (3) liquidity of the shares; (4) marketing of the issue; (5) management; or (6) effect of government regulations and regulatory reform.

To account for the unique characteristics of publicly-traded shares of a mutual holding company, RP Financial included in its appraisal the pricing ratios of Bogota Financial Corp. on both a non-fully converted basis and a fully converted basis and compared each to non-fully converted and fully converted pricing ratios of the peer group. The decision to also provide Bogota Financial Corp.’s and the peer group’s pricing ratios on a fully converted basis is meant to establish the pro forma market value range of 100% of the shares of Bogota Financial Corp., which forms the basis for determining the offering range. Tables presenting select pricing ratios of Bogota Financial Corp. on both a non-fully converted basis and a fully converted basis and comparing such ratios to similar ratios for the peer group follow.    

The following table presents a summary of selected pricing ratios for the peer group on a non-fully converted basis and Bogota Financial Corp. on a non-fully converted basis (i.e., the table assumes that 43% of our outstanding shares of common stock is sold in the offering). These figures are from the RP Financial appraisal report. Compared to the average pricing ratios of the peer group, and based upon the information in the following table, our pro forma pricing ratios at the midpoint of the offering range indicated a premium of 65.7% on a non-fully converted price-to-earnings basis, a discount of 39.0% on a non-fully converted price-to-book value basis, and a discount of 40.3% on a non-fully converted price-to-tangible book value basis.

 

     Non-Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Earnings
Multiple
     Non-Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Book
Value Ratio
    Non-Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Tangible
Book Value Ratio
 

Bogota Financial Corp.

       

Adjusted Maximum

     52.63      108.81     108.81

Maximum

     45.45        99.90       99.90  

Midpoint

     38.46        91.41       91.41  

Minimum

     33.33        81.83       81.83  

Valuation of peer group companies as of August 23, 2019

       

Averages

     23.21      149.74     153.23

Medians

     24.06        138.68       138.82  

 

 

(1)

Information for the peer group companies as contained in the appraisal is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019 (or for the latest available date) and information for Bogota Financial Corp. is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019. These ratios are different from the ratios in “Pro Forma Data.”

The following table presents a summary of selected pricing ratios for the peer group companies and Bogota Financial Corp. on a fully converted equivalent basis. The pricing ratios in the following table are calculated as though we had sold 100% of our estimated pro forma market value instead of only approximately 43% of that value. The pricing ratios for the peer group have also been adjusted to assume that they were fully public, with all of their outstanding shares held by public shareholders. The fully-converted ratios for the peer group give effect to the pro forma impact on earnings and book value assuming that the shares held by each company’s mutual holding company were sold at their respective trading pricing as of August 23, 2019. Comparing our pricing ratios to the peer group companies on a fully-converted basis removes the distortion created by comparing a company that sold approximately 43% of its outstanding common stock in a minority stock offering (such as we plan to do) with companies that sold a different percentage of their outstanding common stock. Repurchases by the peer group companies of shares of their common stock after their respective offerings can distort the comparison. The non-fully-converted public ownership ratios of the peer group companies as of August 23, 2019 ranged between a low of 27.6% and a high of 46.9%.

Compared to the average fully converted pricing ratios of the peer group, Bogota Financial Corp.’s pro forma fully converted pricing ratios at the midpoint of the offering range indicated a premium of 82.5% on a fully



 

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converted price-to-earnings basis, a discount of 23.3% on a fully converted price-to-book value basis and a discount of 24.6% on a fully converted price-to-tangible book value basis.

 

     Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Earnings
Multiple (1)
     Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Book
Value Ratio(1)
    Fully Converted Pro
Forma  Price-to-

Tangible Book Value
Ratio(1)
 

Bogota Financial Corp.

       

Adjusted Maximum

     55.56      71.28     71.28

Maximum

     47.62        67.34       67.34  

Midpoint

     40.00        63.33       63.33  

Minimum

     33.33        58.58       58.58  

Valuation of peer group companies as of August 23, 2019

       

Averages

     21.92      82.61     83.97

Medians

     21.03        79.94       79.94  

 

 

(1)

Information for the peer group companies as contained in the appraisal is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019 (or for the latest available date) and information for Bogota Financial Corp. is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019. These ratios are different from the ratios in “Pro Forma Data.”

The fully converted pro forma calculations for Bogota Financial Corp. are based on the following assumptions:

 

   

A number of shares equal to 8% of the shares sold in a full conversion and contributed to the charitable foundation are purchased by the employee stock ownership plan, with the expense to be amortized over 20 years; and

 

   

A number of restricted stock awards equal to 4% of the shares sold in a full conversion and contributed to the charitable foundation are purchased by a stock-based benefit plan, with the expense to be amortized over five years.

The independent appraisal does not indicate trading market value. Do not assume or expect that our valuation as indicated in the appraisal means that after the offering the shares of our common stock will trade at or above the $10.00 per share price. Furthermore, RP Financial used the pricing ratios presented in the appraisal to estimate our pro forma appraised value for regulatory purposes and not to compare the relative value of shares of our common stock with the value of the capital stock of the peer group. The value of the capital stock of a particular company may be affected by a number of factors such as financial performance, asset size and market location.

For a more complete discussion of the amount of common stock we are offering for sale and the independent appraisal, see “The Reorganization and Offering—Stock Pricing and Number of Shares to be Issued.”

How We Intend to Use the Proceeds from the Offering

We intend to (1) invest at least 50% of the net proceeds from the offering in Bogota Savings Bank, (2) fund the loan to our employee stock ownership plan to finance its purchase of shares of common stock in the offering, (3) capitalize Bogota Financial, MHC, (4) contribute $250,000 to the charitable foundation and (5) retain the remainder of the net proceeds at Bogota Financial Corp.

Assuming we sell 4,278,060 shares of common stock in the offering at the midpoint of the offering range, resulting in estimated net proceeds of $41.0 million, we intend to invest $20.5 million in Bogota Savings Bank, lend $3.9 million to our employee stock ownership plan to fund its purchase of shares of common stock, capitalize Bogota Financial, MHC with $50,000, use $250,000 of the net proceeds to fund the cash contribution to the charitable foundation, and retain the remaining $16.3 million of the net proceeds at Bogota Financial Corp.



 

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Assuming we sell 5,657,735 shares of common stock in the offering at the adjusted maximum of the offering range, resulting in estimated net proceeds of $54.7 million, we intend to invest $27.3 million in Bogota Savings Bank, lend $5.2 million to our employee stock ownership plan to fund its purchase of shares of common stock, capitalize Bogota Financial, MHC with $50,000, use $250,000 of the net proceeds to fund the cash contribution to the charitable foundation and retain the remaining $21.9 million of the net proceeds at Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Financial Corp. may use the funds it retains to invest in securities, to repurchase shares of common stock when permitted under applicable laws and regulations, to acquire other financial institutions or financial services companies, or for other general corporate purposes. Bogota Savings Bank may use the proceeds it receives to increase lending and investments, to expand its retail banking franchise by establishing or acquiring new branches or to acquire other financial institutions or for other corporate purposes. We do not currently have any agreement regarding any acquisition transaction.

See “How We Intend to Use the Proceeds from the Offering” for more information on the proposed use of the proceeds from the offering.

Persons Who May Order Shares of Common Stock in the Offering

We are offering the shares of common stock in a subscription offering in the following descending order of priority:

 

  1.

To depositors with deposit account(s) at Bogota Savings Bank with aggregate balances of at least $50.00 at the close of business on December 31, 2017.

 

  2.

To our tax-qualified employee benefit plans (including Bogota Savings Bank’s employee stock ownership plan and its 401(k) plan), which may subscribe for, in the aggregate, up to 4.90% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering, including shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC and contributed to the charitable foundation. We expect our employee stock ownership plan to purchase 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering, including shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC and contributed to the charitable foundation.

 

  3.

To depositors (other than officers and directors of Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank) with deposit account(s) at Bogota Savings Bank with aggregate balances of at least $50.00 at the close of business on September 30, 2019, who are not eligible in the first priority.

 

  4.

To other depositors of Bogota Savings Bank at the close of business on [voting record date].

Shares of common stock not purchased in the subscription offering may be offered for sale to the general public in a community offering, with a preference given first to natural persons residing in Bergen County, New Jersey. The community offering may begin concurrently with, during or promptly after the subscription offering. We also may offer for sale shares of common stock not purchased in the subscription offering and the community offering through a syndicated community offering. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will act as sole manager for the syndicated community offering. We have the right to accept or reject, in our sole discretion, orders received in the community offering or syndicated community offering, and our interpretation of the terms and conditions of the plan of reorganization will be final. Any determination to accept or reject stock orders in the community offering or syndicated community offering will be based on the facts and circumstances then available to us.

If we receive orders for more shares than we are offering, we may not be able to fully or partially fill your order. See “The Reorganization and Offering” for a detailed description of the subscription offering, the community offering and the syndicated community offering, as well as a discussion regarding allocation procedures.



 

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Limits on How Much Common Stock You May Purchase

The minimum number of shares of common stock that may be purchased is 25 shares.

Generally, no individual may purchase more than 15,000 shares ($150,000) of common stock. If any of the following persons purchase shares of common stock, their purchases, in all categories of the offering, when combined with your purchases, cannot exceed 25,000 shares ($250,000) of common stock:

 

   

most companies, trusts or other entities in which you are a senior officer, partner, trustee or have a substantial beneficial interest;

 

   

your spouse or any relative of you or your spouse living in your house or who is a director, trustee, or officer of Bogota Financial Corp., Bogota Financial, MHC or Bogota Savings Bank; or

 

   

other persons who may be your associates or persons acting in concert with you.

Unless we determine otherwise, persons having the same address and persons exercising subscription rights through qualifying deposit accounts registered to the same address will be subject to the overall purchase limitation of 25,000 shares ($250,000).

Subject to regulatory approval, we may increase or decrease the purchase limitations at any time. See “The Reorganization and Offering—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases.”

How You May Purchase Shares of Common Stock in the Subscription Offering and the Community Offering

In the subscription offering and community offering, you may pay for your shares only by:

 

  1.

personal check, bank check or money order made payable to Bogota Financial Corp.; or

 

  2.

authorizing us to withdraw available funds from your deposit account(s) at Bogota Savings Bank.

Bogota Savings Bank is prohibited from lending funds to anyone to purchase shares of common stock in the offering. Additionally, you may not use a line of credit check from Bogota Savings Bank or any type of third-party check (such as a check payable to you and endorsed over to Bogota Financial Corp.) to pay for shares of common stock. Do not submit cash. No wire transfer will be accepted without our prior approval. You may not authorize direct withdrawal from an individual retirement account (“IRA”) at Bogota Savings Bank. See “—Using IRA Funds to Purchase Shares of Common Stock.”

You may subscribe for shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings by delivering a signed and completed original stock order form, together with full payment payable to Bogota Financial Corp. or authorization to withdraw funds from one or more of your deposit accounts at Bogota Savings Bank, provided that we receive your stock order form before 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [expiration date], which is the end of the subscription offering period. You may submit your stock order form and payment by mail using the stock order reply envelope provided or by overnight delivery to our Stock Information Center, which is located at [SIC Address]. You may also hand-deliver stock order forms to the Stock Information Center. We will accept hand-delivered stock order forms only at this location. We will not accept stock order forms at our banking offices. Do not mail stock order forms to any of Bogota Savings Bank’s banking offices.

See “The Reorganization and Offering—Procedure for Purchasing Shares in Subscription and Community Offerings—Payment for Shares” for a complete description of how to purchase shares in the subscription and community offerings.



 

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Using IRA Funds to Purchase Shares of Common Stock

You may be able to subscribe for shares of common stock using funds in your IRA. If you wish to use some or all of the funds in an IRA at Bogota Savings Bank, the applicable funds must be transferred to a self-directed account maintained by an independent trustee, such as a brokerage firm, and the purchase must be made through that account. If you do not have such an account, you will need to establish one before placing your stock order. A one-time and/or annual administrative fee may be payable to the independent trustee. Because individual circumstances differ and the processing of retirement fund orders takes additional time, we recommend that you contact our Stock Information Center promptly, preferably at least two weeks before the [expiration date] offering deadline, for assistance with purchases using your IRA or other retirement account you may have at Bogota Savings Bank or elsewhere. Whether you may use such funds to purchase shares in the offering may depend on timing constraints and, possibly, limitations imposed by the institution holding the funds.

See “The Reorganization and Offering—Procedure for Purchasing Shares in Subscription and Community Offerings—Payment for Shares” and “—Using Individual Retirement Account Funds.”

Market for Common Stock

We expect that our common stock will be traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BSBK.” Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. has advised us that it intends to make a market in our common stock following the completion of the offering, but is not obligated to do so.

Our Dividend Policy

Following completion of the stock offering, our board of directors will have the authority to declare dividends on our common stock, subject to statutory and regulatory requirements. However, we currently intend to retain all future earnings, if any, for use in our business and do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay cash dividends on our common stock will be made by our board of directors and will depend upon our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, regulatory restrictions, including the Federal Reserve Board’s current policy of prohibiting mutual holding companies from waiving the receipt of dividends, our business strategy and other factors that our board of directors considers relevant. See “Our Policy Regarding Dividends” for additional information regarding our dividend policy.

Stock Purchases by Directors and Executive Officers

We expect our directors and executive officers, together with their associates, to subscribe for 130,000 shares of common stock in the offering, representing 3.6% of the shares sold in the offering and 1.5% of to be “outstanding shares” at the minimum of the offering range. “Outstanding shares” of common stock are all shares issued by Bogota Financial Corp. as of the completion of the offering, including shares sold in the offering, shares purchased by tax-qualified employee benefit plans, shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC and shares contributed to the charitable foundation. Directors and executive officers will pay the same $10.00 per share price that will be paid by all other persons who purchase shares of common stock in the offering. See “Subscriptions by Directors and Executive Officers.”

Deadline for Orders of Shares of Common Stock in the Subscription and Community Offerings

The deadline for ordering shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings is 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [expiration date], unless we extend this deadline. If you wish to order shares of common stock, a properly completed and signed original stock order form, together with full payment, must be received (not postmarked) by this time.

Although we will make reasonable attempts to provide this prospectus and offering materials to holders of subscription rights, the subscription offering and all subscription rights will expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [expiration date], whether or not we have been able to locate each person entitled to subscription rights.



 

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See “The Reorganization and Offering— Procedure for Purchasing Shares in Subscription and Community Offerings—Expiration Date” for a complete description of the deadline for ordering shares in the offering.

You May Not Sell or Transfer Your Subscription Rights

Applicable regulations prohibit you from transferring your subscription rights. If you order shares of common stock in the subscription offering, you must sign a written certification that you are purchasing the common stock for yourself and that you have no agreement or understanding to sell or transfer your subscription rights or the shares that you are purchasing. We intend to take legal action, including reporting persons to federal or state agencies, against anyone who we believe has sold or transferred his or her subscription rights. We will not accept your order if we have reason to believe that you have sold or transferred your subscription rights. On the order form, you cannot add the names of other individuals for joint stock registration unless they are also named on the qualifying deposit account. Doing so may jeopardize your subscription rights. In addition, the stock order form requires that you list all deposit accounts, giving all names on each account and the account number at the applicable eligibility date. Failure to provide this information, or providing incomplete or incorrect information, may result in a loss of part or all of your share allocation if there is an oversubscription.

Delivery of Shares of Common Stock

All shares of common stock sold will be issued in book entry form. Stock certificates will not be issued. A statement reflecting ownership of shares of common stock issued in the subscription and community offerings will be mailed by our transfer agent to the persons entitled thereto at the registration address noted by them on their stock order forms as soon as practicable following consummation of the offering. We expect trading in the stock to begin on the day of completion of the offering or the next business day. The offering is expected to be completed as soon as practicable following satisfaction of the conditions described below in “—Conditions to Completion of the Reorganization.” Until a statement reflecting ownership of shares of common stock is available and delivered to purchasers, purchasers might not be able to sell the shares of common stock that they purchased, even though the common stock will have begun trading. Your ability to sell your shares of common stock before receiving your statement will depend on arrangements you may make with a brokerage firm.

Conditions to Completion of the Reorganization

We cannot complete the reorganization and offering unless:

 

   

The plan of reorganization is approved by a majority of the total votes eligible to be cast by the voting depositors of Bogota Savings Bank at a special meeting of depositors to be held on [special meeting date];

 

   

We receive orders for at least the minimum number of shares of common stock offered in the offering; and

 

   

We receive final regulatory approvals or non-objections from the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board to complete the reorganization and offering.

Steps We May Take if We Do Not Receive Orders for the Minimum Number of Shares

If we do not receive orders for at least 3,636,351 shares of common stock, we may take several steps to sell the minimum number of shares of common stock in the offering range. Specifically, we may:

 

   

increase the purchase and ownership limitations; and/or

 

   

seek regulatory approval to extend the offering beyond [extension date #1], so long as we resolicit subscribers who previously submitted subscriptions in the offering.



 

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If we extend the offering past [extension date #1], all subscribers will be notified and given an opportunity to confirm, change or cancel their orders. If you do not respond to this notice, we will cancel your stock order and promptly return your funds with interest at [interest rate]% per annum for funds received in the subscription and community offering or cancel your deposit account withdrawal authorization. If one or more purchase limitations are increased, subscribers in the subscription offering who ordered the maximum amount will be given the opportunity to increase their subscriptions up to the then-applicable limit.

Possible Change in the Offering Range

RP Financial will update its appraisal before we complete the offering. If, as a result of demand for the shares or changes in market conditions, RP Financial determines that our pro forma market value has increased, we may sell up to 5,657,735 shares in the offering without further notice to you. If, however, the updated appraisal indicates our pro forma market value is either below $84.6 million or above $131.6 million, then, after consulting with the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board, we may:

 

   

terminate the offering and promptly return all funds (with interest paid on funds received in the subscription and community offerings);

 

   

set a new offering range; or

 

   

take such other actions as may be permitted by the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

If we set a new offering range, we will promptly return funds, with interest at [interest rate]% per annum for funds received for purchases in the subscription and community offerings, and cancel any authorization to withdraw funds from deposit accounts for the purchase of shares of common stock. We will then resolicit subscribers, allowing them to place new stock orders for a period of time.

Possible Termination of the Offering

We may terminate the offering at any time with regulatory approval. If we terminate the offering, we will promptly return your funds with interest at [interest rate]% per annum, and we will cancel deposit account withdrawal authorizations.

Our Contribution of Shares of Common Stock to the Charitable Foundation

To further our commitment to our local community, we intend to establish and fund a charitable foundation as part of the reorganization and offering. Assuming we receive regulatory and depositor approvals, we intend to contribute to the charitable foundation a number of shares of our common stock equal to 2.0% of our outstanding shares of common stock as of the completion of the offering (including shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC), and up to $250,000 in cash. At the minimum, midpoint, maximum and adjusted maximum of the offering range, we would contribute to the charitable foundation 169,132, 198,979, 228,826 and 263,150 shares of common stock, respectively. As a result of the contribution, we expect to record an after-tax expense of approximately $1.6 million during the quarter in which the reorganization and offering is completed, assuming the offering closes at the midpoint of the offering range.

The charitable foundation will be dedicated exclusively to supporting charitable causes and community development activities in the communities in which we operate. The contribution of common stock and cash to the charitable foundation will:

 

   

with respect to the contribution of shares of common stock, dilute the voting and ownership interests of purchasers of shares of our common stock in the offering; and



 

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result in an expense, and a reduction in capital, during the quarter in which the contribution is made, equal to the full amount of the contribution to the charitable foundation, offset in part by a corresponding tax benefit.

The amount of common stock that we would offer for sale in the offering would be greater if the offering were completed without establishing and funding the charitable foundation. For a further discussion of the financial impact of the charitable foundation, including its effect on those who purchase shares in the offering, see “Risk Factors—The contribution to the charitable foundation will dilute your ownership interest and adversely affect net income in 2019,” “Risk Factors—Our contribution to the charitable foundation may not be tax deductible, which could reduce our profits,” “Comparison of Valuation and Pro Forma Information With and Without the Charitable Foundation” and “Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation.”

The funding of the charitable foundation requires the vote of a majority of the total votes eligible to be cast by depositors. However, if the funding of the charitable foundation is not approved and we receive depositor approval and the necessary regulatory approvals to complete the reorganization and the stock offering, we will complete the reorganization and the offering without the charitable foundation.

Our Officers, Directors and Employees Will Receive Additional Benefits and Compensation after the Offering

In connection with the offering, we are establishing an employee stock ownership plan, and, subject to receipt of stockholder approval, we intend to implement one or more stock-based benefit plans that will provide for grants of stock options and restricted stock.

Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Bogota Savings Bank intends to implement an employee stock ownership plan, which will grant shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock to eligible employees primarily based on their compensation. The board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. will, at the completion of the offering, ratify the loan to the employee stock ownership plan and the sale of common stock to the employee stock ownership plan. It is expected that our employee stock ownership plan will purchase in the offering 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the conclusion of the offering.

Stock-Based Benefit Plans. Following the completion of the offering, we intend to implement one or more stock-based benefit plans that will provide for grants of stock options and awards of shares of restricted common stock. In accordance with applicable regulations, we anticipate the plans will authorize a number of stock options and a number of shares of restricted common stock, not to exceed 4.90% and 1.96%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. as of the conclusion of the offering. These limitations will not apply if the plans are implemented more than one year after the completion of the reorganization and offering.

The stock-based benefit plans will not be established sooner than six months after the offering and, if implemented within one year after the stock offering, the plans must be approved by a majority of the votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders, as well as a majority of the votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders other than Bogota Financial, MHC. If stock-based benefit plans are established more than one year after the offering is completed, they must be approved by a majority of votes cast by our stockholders, as well as a majority of votes cast by our stockholders other than Bogota Financial, MHC.

Certain additional restrictions would apply to our stock-based benefit plans if implemented within one year after completion of the offering, including:

 

   

non-employee directors in the aggregate may not receive more than 30% of the options and shares of restricted common stock authorized under the plans;

 

   

no non-employee director may receive more than 5% of the options and restricted stock awards authorized under the plans;



 

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no individual may receive more than 25% of the options and restricted stock awards authorized under the plans;

 

   

the options and shares of restricted common stock may not vest more rapidly than 20% per year, beginning on the first anniversary of stockholder approval of the plans; and

 

   

accelerated vesting of options and restricted stock is not permitted except for death, disability or upon a change in control of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank.

We have not yet determined whether we will present stock-based benefit plans for stockholder approval within one year or more than one year following the completion of the offering. If applicable regulations or policies regarding stock-based benefit plans change, including any regulations or policies restricting the size of awards and vesting of benefits as described above, the restrictions described above may not be applicable.

We may obtain the shares needed for our stock-based benefit plans by issuing additional shares of common stock from authorized but unissued shares or by repurchasing our common stock.

Equity Plan Expenses. The implementation of an employee stock ownership plan and one or more stock-based benefit plans will increase our future compensation costs, thereby reducing our earnings. For example, under our employee stock ownership plan we will be required to expense each year the fair market value of the shares committed to be released for that year to the participating employees. Similarly, if we issue restricted stock awards under a stock-based benefit plan, we would be required to expense as the shares vest, the fair market value of such shares as of the grant date. Finally, if we issue stock options, we would be required to expense as the options vest, the estimated fair value of such options as of the grant date. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Offering—Our stock-based benefit plans will increase our expenses and reduce our income” and “Management—Benefits to be Considered Following Completion of the Stock Offering.”

Benefits to Management. The following table summarizes the stock benefits that our officers, directors and employees may receive following the reorganization and offering, at the adjusted maximum of the offering range and assuming our employee stock ownership plan purchases 3.92% of our outstanding shares as of the completion of the offering, and we implement one or more stock-based benefit plans that would authorize (1) granting options to purchase up to 4.90% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering and (2) awarding shares of restricted common stock equal to 1.96% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering.

 

Plan

  

Individuals Eligible to Receive Awards

   Percent of
Outstanding Shares
    Value of Benefits Based on
Adjusted Maximum of
Offering Range

(In Thousands)
 

Employee stock ownership plan

  

All employees

     3.92   $ 5,158  

Stock awards

  

Directors, officers and employees

     1.96       2,579  

Stock options

  

Directors, officers and employees

     4.90       1,657  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

        10.78   $ 9,394  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

The fair value of stock options has been estimated at $2.57 per option using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: a grant-date share price and option exercise price of $10.00; no dividend yield; expected option life of 10 years; risk free interest rate of 2.00%; and a volatility rate of 13.17% based on an index of publicly traded thrift institutions.

The actual value of the shares of restricted common stock awarded under stock-based benefit plans will be based on the price of Bogota Financial Corp.’s common stock at the time the shares are awarded. The following table presents the total value of all shares of restricted common stock to be available for award and issuance under the stock-based benefit plans, assuming receipt of stockholder approval and the shares are awarded when market prices range from $8.00 per share to $14.00 per share.



 

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Share Price

   165,750 Shares
Awarded at Minimum
of Offering Range
     195,000 Shares
Awarded at Midpoint
of Offering Range
     224,250 Shares
Awarded at Maximum
of Offering Range
     257,887 Shares
Awarded at Adjusted
Maximum of Offering Range
 

$8.00

   $ 1,326      $ 1,560      $ 1,794      $ 2,063  

$10.00

   $ 1,657      $ 1,950      $ 2,242      $ 2,579  

$12.00

   $ 1,989      $ 2,340      $ 2,691      $ 3,095  

$14.00

   $ 2,320      $ 2,730      $ 3,139      $ 3,610  

The grant-date fair value of the options granted under the stock-based benefit plans would be based in part on the trading price of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock at the time the options are granted. The value will also depend on the various assumptions used in the option pricing model ultimately adopted. The following table presents the total estimated value of the options to be available for grant under the stock-based benefit plans, assuming receipt of stockholder approval, using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, and assuming the market price and exercise price for the stock options are equal and the range of market prices for the shares is $8.00 per share to $14.00 per share. The Black-Scholes option pricing model provides an estimate only of the fair value of the options, and the actual value of the options may differ significantly from the value set forth in this table.

 

Market/Exercise Price

   Grant Date Fair
Value Per Option
     414,375
Options at
Minimum of
Offering Range
     487,500
Options at
Midpoint of
Offering Range
     560,625
Options at
Maximum of
Offering Range
     644,719
Options at
Adjusted
Maximum of
Offering Range
 

$8.00

   $ 2.06      $ 854      $ 1,004      $ 1,155      $ 1,328  

$10.00

   $ 2.57      $ 1,065      $ 1,253      $ 1,441      $ 1,657  

$12.00

   $ 3.08      $ 1,276      $ 1,501      $ 1,727      $ 1,986  

$14.00

   $ 3.60      $ 1,492      $ 1,755      $ 2,018      $ 2,321  

Restrictions on the Acquisition of Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank

Federal and state regulations, as well as provisions contained in the governing documents of Bogota Savings Bank and Bogota Financial Corp., restrict the ability of any person, firm or entity to acquire Bogota Financial Corp., Bogota Savings Bank, or their respective capital stock. These restrictions include the requirement that a potential acquirer of common stock obtain prior regulatory approval before acquiring in excess of 10% of the voting stock of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank, as well as a provision in Bogota Financial Corp.’s articles of incorporation that generally provides that, no person, other than Bogota Financial, MHC, may directly or indirectly offer to acquire or acquire the beneficial ownership of more than 10% of any class of equity security of Bogota Financial Corp. and that any shares acquired in excess of this limit would not be entitled to be voted and would not be counted as voting stock in connection with any matters submitted to the stockholders for a vote.

Because a majority of the shares of outstanding common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. must be owned by Bogota Financial, MHC, any acquisition of Bogota Financial Corp. must be approved by Bogota Financial, MHC. Furthermore, Bogota Financial, MHC would not be required to pursue or approve a sale of Bogota Financial Corp. even if such sale were favored by a majority of Bogota Financial Corp.’s public stockholders. Finally, although a mutual holding company with a subsidiary stock holding company with public stockholders may be acquired by a mutual institution or another mutual holding company in what is known as a “remutualization” transaction, current regulatory policy subjects such transactions to heightened regulatory scrutiny because of pricing and other considerations that affect public stockholders and members of the mutual holding company. As a result, effecting a remutualization transaction of Bogota Financial, MHC would be difficult unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that the regulatory concerns are not warranted in the particular case.

Possible Conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC to Stock Form

In the future, Bogota Financial, MHC may convert from the mutual to capital stock form of ownership, in a transaction commonly referred to as a “second-step conversion.” In a second-step conversion, depositors of Bogota Savings Bank would have subscription rights to purchase common stock of a newly formed stock holding company and the public stockholders of Bogota Financial Corp. would be entitled to exchange their shares of common stock



 

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for an equal percentage of shares of the new stock holding company. This percentage may be adjusted to reflect any assets owned by Bogota Financial, MHC.

Our board of directors has no current plans to undertake a second-step conversion transaction. Any second-step conversion transaction would require the approval of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock (excluding shares held by Bogota Financial, MHC) and the approval of depositors of Bogota Savings Bank. Stockholders who purchase our common stock in the offering will not be able to force a second-step conversion without the consent of Bogota Financial, MHC since a second-step conversion also requires the approval of a majority of all of the outstanding common stock of Bogota Financial Corp., which can only be achieved if Bogota Financial, MHC votes to approve the second-step conversion.

Tax Consequences

Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank have received an opinion of counsel, Luse Gorman, PC, regarding the material federal income tax consequences, and have received the opinion of Hamilton & Babitts, CPA regarding the material New Jersey State income tax consequences, of the reorganization and offering. As a general matter, the reorganization and offering will not be a taxable transaction for purposes of federal or state income taxes to Bogota Financial Corp., Bogota Savings Bank or persons eligible to subscribe for shares of stock in the subscription offering.

Emerging Growth Company Status

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012. For as long as we so qualify we are exempt from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to emerging growth companies. See “Risk Factors—We are an emerging growth company, and any decision on our part to comply only with certain reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies could make our common stock less attractive to investors” and “Supervision and Regulation—Federal Securities Laws—Emerging Growth Company Status.”

An emerging growth company may elect to use the extended transition period to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies, but must make such election when the company is first required to file a registration statement. Such an election is irrevocable during the period a company is an emerging growth company. We have elected to use the extended transition period to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies. Accordingly, our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of public companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

How You Can Obtain Additional Information—Stock Information Center

Our banking personnel may not, by law, assist with investment-related questions about the offering. If you have any questions regarding the reorganization and offering, call our Stock Information Center at [sic number]. The Stock Information Center is open Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Stock Information Center will be closed on weekends and bank holidays.

Delivery of Prospectus

To ensure that each purchaser in the offering receives a prospectus at least 48 hours prior to the expiration of the offering, in accordance with federal laws and regulations, we may not mail a prospectus later than five days prior to the expiration date or hand deliver a prospectus any later than two days prior to that date.



 

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RISK FACTORS

You should consider carefully the following risk factors in evaluating an investment in the shares of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Business

The geographic concentration of our loan portfolio and lending activities makes us vulnerable to a downturn in the local economy.

At June 30, 2019, approximately $537.5 million, or 99.5% of our total loan portfolio, was secured by real estate, most of which is located in our primary lending market of Bergen, Monmouth and Ocean Counties in New Jersey. Unlike larger financial institutions that are more geographically diversified, our profitability depends primarily on the general economic conditions in our primary market area. Local economic conditions have a significant impact on our lending, including the ability of borrowers to repay these loans and the value of the collateral securing these loans. Future declines in the real estate values in northern and central New Jersey could significantly impair the value of the collateral securing our loans and our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure for an amount necessary to satisfy the borrower’s obligations to us. This could require increasing our allowance for loan losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

Changes in interest rates may reduce our profits.

Our profitability, like that of most financial institutions, depends to a large extent upon our net interest income, which is the difference between our interest income on interest-earning assets, such as loans and securities, and our interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowed funds. Accordingly, our results of operations depend largely on movements in market interest rates and our ability to manage our interest-rate-sensitive assets and liabilities in response to these movements. Factors such as inflation, recession and instability in financial markets, among other factors beyond our control, may affect interest rates.

As a result of our historical focus on one- to four-family residential real estate loans, the majority of our loans have fixed interest rates. This can create significant earnings volatility because of changes in market interest rates. In a period of rising interest rates, the interest income earned on our assets, such as loans and investments, may not increase as rapidly as the interest paid on our liabilities, such as deposits, which have shorter durations. In a period of declining interest rates, the interest income earned on our assets may decrease more rapidly than the interest paid on our liabilities, as borrowers prepay mortgage loans, thereby requiring us to reinvest these cash flows at lower interest rates. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Management of Market Risk.”

Furthermore, increases in interest rates may adversely affect the ability of borrowers to make loan repayments on adjustable-rate loans, as the interest owed on such loans would increase as interest rates increase.

Any substantial, unexpected or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. While we pursue an asset/liability strategy designed to mitigate our risk from changes in interest rates, changes in interest rates can still have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Changes in interest rates also may negatively affect our ability to originate real estate loans, the value of our assets and our ability to realize gains from the sale of our assets, all of which ultimately affect our earnings. Also, our interest rate risk modeling techniques and assumptions cannot fully predict or capture the impact of actual interest rate changes on our balance sheet or projected operating results. For further discussion of how changes in interest rates could impact us, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Management of Market Risk.”

 

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A deterioration in economic conditions could reduce demand for our products and services and/or result in a decrease in our asset quality, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

While economic conditions in our primary market remain strong, deterioration in economic conditions could result in the following consequences, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations:

 

   

demand for our products and services may decrease;

 

   

loan delinquencies, problem assets and foreclosures may increase;

 

   

collateral for loans, especially real estate, may decline in value, thereby reducing customers’ future borrowing power, and reducing the value of assets and collateral associated with existing loans;

 

   

the value of our securities portfolio may decrease; and

 

   

the net worth and liquidity of loan guarantors may decrease, thereby impairing their ability to honor commitments made to us.

Moreover, a significant decline in general economic conditions, caused by inflation, recession, acts of terrorism, an outbreak of hostilities or other international or domestic calamities, unemployment or other factors beyond our control could further negatively affect our financial performance. In addition, deflationary pressures, while possibly lowering our operating costs, could have a significant negative effect on our borrowers, especially our business borrowers, and the values of underlying collateral securing loans, which could negatively affect our financial performance.

Our inability to generate core deposits could have an adverse effect on our net interest margin and profitability or may cause us to rely more heavily on wholesale funding strategies for liquidity needs.

Certificates of deposit comprised $405.4 million or $80.4% of our total deposits at June 30, 2019. Certificates of deposit due within one year of June 30, 2019 totaled $292.6 million, or 58.0% of total deposits. This included $51.0 million of brokered deposits, which represented 10.1% of total deposits. While part of our business strategy is to emphasize generating transaction accounts, we cannot guarantee if and when this will occur. Further, the considerable competition for deposits in our market area will also make it difficult for us to obtain reasonably-priced deposits. If we are not able to increase our lower-cost transactional deposits, we may be forced to continue to pay higher costs for certificates of deposit, which would adversely affect our operating margins and profitability or to seek other sources of funds, including other certificates of deposit, Federal Home Loan Bank advances, brokered deposits and lines of credit to meet the borrowing and deposit withdrawal requirements of our customers.

If our banking deposits that we receive from municipalities were lost within a short period of time, it could negatively impact our liquidity and earnings.

As of June 30, 2019, we held $37.6 million of deposits from municipalities in our primary market area in New Jersey. These deposits may be more volatile than other deposits and generally are larger than our retail or business deposits. If a significant amount of these deposits were withdrawn within a short period of time, it could have a negative impact on our short-term liquidity and have an adverse impact on our earnings.

Our strategy of increasing the amount of commercial and multi-family real estate loans we originate may expose us to increased lending risks.

At June 30, 2019, $120.8 million, or 22.4% of our loan portfolio, consisted of commercial and multi-family real estate loans. We are committed to increasing our commercial lending. However, commercial and multi-family real estate loans generally expose a lender to a greater risk of loss than one- to four-family residential loans. Repayment of commercial real and multi-family estate loans generally depends, in large part, on sufficient income from the property or business to cover operating expenses and debt service. Commercial and multi-family real estate loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers compared to

 

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one- to four-family residential mortgage loans. Changes in economic conditions that are beyond the control of the borrower and lender could impact the value of the security for the loan or the future cash flows of the affected property. Additionally, any decline in real estate values may affect commercial and multi-family real estate properties more than residential properties. Also, many of our commercial and multi-family real estate borrowers have more than one loan outstanding with us. Consequently, an adverse development with respect to one loan or one credit relationship can expose us to a significantly greater risk of loss compared to an adverse development with respect to a residential mortgage loan.

The absence of a senior commercial lending officer may expose us to increased lending risks.

Currently, the commercial lending department is overseen by our President and Chief Executive Officer, our Executive Vice President and Compliance/BSA Officer and our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, all of whom are responsible for other aspects of our organization. While we currently maintain very strong asset quality metrics, the possibility for credit administration weaknesses, including potential loan downgrades or additions to the allowance for loan losses, increases without a dedicated chief lending officer. Our need for a senior commercial lending officer is even greater because we currently are emphasizing increasing our commercial real estate loan originations, which may also require hiring another dedicated commercial loan officer.

Our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover actual loan losses.

We maintain an allowance for loan losses, which is established through a provision for loan losses that represents management’s best estimate of probable incurred losses within our loan portfolio. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of loans in our portfolio, including the creditworthiness of borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of loans. In determining the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses, we rely on our experience and our evaluation of economic conditions. If our assumptions prove to be incorrect, our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, and adjustments may be necessary to address different economic conditions or adverse developments in the loan portfolio. Consequently, a problem with one or more loans could require us to significantly increase our provision for loan losses. In addition, the NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation review our allowance for loan losses and as a result of such reviews, they may require us to adjust our allowance for loan losses or recognize loan charge-offs. Material additions to the allowance would materially decrease our net income.

We are subject to environmental liability risk associated with lending activities.

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate, and we could become subject to environmental liabilities with respect to one or more of these properties. During the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties securing defaulted loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. In such event, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage, civil fines and criminal penalties regardless of when the hazardous conditions or toxic substances first affected any particular property. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses to address unknown liabilities and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase our exposure to environmental liability. Although we have policies and procedures to perform an environmental review before initiating any foreclosure on nonresidential real property, these reviews may not be sufficient to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on us.

Building market share through de novo branching may cause our expenses to increase faster than revenues.

We are considering building market share by opening de novo branches in contiguous markets. There are considerable costs involved in de novo branching as new branches generally require time to generate sufficient revenues to offset their initial start-up costs, especially in areas in which we do not have an established presence. Accordingly, any new branch can be expected to negatively impact our earnings until the branch attracts a sufficient

 

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number of deposits and loans to offset expenses. We cannot assure you that if we open new branches, they will be successful even after they have been established.

Acquisitions may disrupt our business and dilute shareholder value.

Our business strategy includes pursuing acquisition opportunities of other financial institutions. We would seek acquisition partners that offer us either significant market presence or the potential to expand our market footprint and improve profitability through economies of scale or expanded services. Acquiring other banks may have an adverse effect on our financial results and may involve various other risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including, among other things: difficulty in estimating the value of the target institution; payment of a premium over book and market values that may dilute our tangible book value and earnings per share in the short and long term; potential exposure to unknown or contingent tax or other liabilities; exposure to potential asset quality problems; difficulty and expense of integrating the operations and personnel of the target institution; risk that acquired business will not perform according to management’s expectations because of our inability to realize projected revenue increases, cost savings, improved geographic or product presence, or other projected benefits; potential disruptions to our business; potential diversion of our management’s time and attention; and the possible loss of key employees and customers of the target institution.

Our business strategy contemplates moderate organic growth, and our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected if we fail to grow or fail to manage our growth effectively.

Our assets increased $121.6 million, or 22.4%, from $542.4 million at December 31, 2014 to $664.0 million at June 30, 2019, primarily due to increases in loans receivable. Over the next several years, we expect to experience moderate organic growth in our total assets and deposits, and the scale of our operations. Achieving our organic growth targets requires us to attract customers that currently bank at other financial institutions in our market. Our ability to grow successfully will depend on a variety of factors, including our ability to attract and retain experienced bankers, the availability of attractive business opportunities, competition from other financial institutions in our market area and our ability to manage our growth. While we believe we have the management resources and internal systems in place to successfully manage our future growth, there can be no assurance growth opportunities will be available or that we will successfully manage our growth. If we do not manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to achieve our business plan, which would have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our investments in corporate and municipal debt securities obligations expose us to additional credit risks, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our investment portfolio historically has consisted primarily of mortgage-backed securities insured or guaranteed by the United States or agencies thereof. We also have invested in bank-qualified municipal obligations and corporate bonds that are not backed by the federal government and expose us to a greater credit risk than U.S. agency securities. Any decline in the credit quality of these securities exposes us to the risk that the market value of the securities could decrease that may require us to write down their value and could lead to a possible default in payment.

Changes in the valuation of our securities portfolio may reduce our profits and our capital levels.

Our securities portfolio may be affected by fluctuations in market value, potentially reducing accumulated other comprehensive income or earnings. Fluctuations in market value may be caused by changes in market interest rates, lower market prices for securities and limited investor demand. Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment on a quarterly basis, with more frequent evaluation for selected issues. In analyzing a debt issuer’s financial condition, management considers whether the securities are issued by the federal government or its agencies, whether downgrades by bond rating agencies have occurred, industry analysts’ reports and spread differentials between the effective rates on instruments in the portfolio compared to risk-free rates. If this evaluation shows impairment to the actual or projected cash flows associated with one or more securities, we may take a charge to earnings to reflect such impairment. Changes in interest rates may also have an adverse effect on our financial condition, as our available-for-sale securities are reported at their estimated fair value, and therefore are affected by fluctuations in interest rates. We increase or decrease our stockholders’ equity by the amount of change in the

 

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estimated fair value of the available-for-sale securities, net of taxes. Declines in market value may result in other-than-temporary impairments of these assets, which may lead to accounting charges that could have a material adverse effect on our net income and stockholders’ equity.

We are a community bank and our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the success of our business and the failure to do so may materially adversely affect our performance.

We are a community bank, and our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. A key component of our business strategy is to rely on our reputation for customer service and knowledge of local markets to expand our presence by capturing new business opportunities from existing and prospective customers in our market area and contiguous areas. As such, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. This is done, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities we serve, delivering superior service to our customers and caring about our customers and associates. If our reputation is negatively affected by the actions of our employees, by our inability to conduct our operations in a manner that is appealing to current or prospective customers, or otherwise, our business and, therefore, our operating results may be materially adversely affected.

We may be adversely affected by recent changes in U.S. tax laws.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which became effective January 1, 2018, also enacted limitations on certain deductions including (1) a lower limit on the deductibility of mortgage interest on single-family residential mortgage and home equity loans, (2) a limit on the deductibility of business interest expense and (3) a limit on the deductibility of property taxes and state and local income taxes. These changes in the tax laws may have an adverse effect on the market for, and valuation of, residential properties, and on the demand for residential mortgage loans, and could make it harder for borrowers to make their loan payments. These changes in the tax laws also have a disproportionate effect on taxpayers in states with higher state and local taxes, like New Jersey. If home ownership becomes less attractive, demand for mortgage loans could decrease. The value of the properties securing loans in our loan portfolio may be adversely impacted as a result of the changing economics of home ownership, which could require an increase in our provision for loan losses. This would reduce our profitability and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in laws and regulations and the cost of regulatory compliance with new laws and regulations may adversely affect our operations and/or increase our costs of operations.

We are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by our banking regulators. Such regulation and supervision govern the activities in which a financial institution and its holding company may engage and are intended primarily for the protection of insurance funds and the depositors and borrowers of Bogota Savings Bank rather than for the protection of our stockholders. Regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the ability to impose restrictions on our operations, classify our assets and determine the level of our allowance for loan losses. These regulations, along with the currently existing tax, accounting, securities, deposit insurance and monetary laws, rules, standards, policies, and interpretations, control the ways financial institutions conduct business, implement strategic initiatives, and prepare financial reporting and disclosures. Any change in such regulation and oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, new regulations, legislation or supervisory action, may have a material impact on our operations. Further, changes in accounting standards can be both difficult to predict and may involve judgment and discretion in their interpretation by us and our independent accounting firms. These changes could materially impact, potentially retroactively, how we report our financial condition and results of operations.

Strong competition within our market area may reduce our profits and slow growth.

We face strong competition in making loans and attracting deposits. Price competition for loans and deposits sometimes requires us to charge lower interest rates on our loans and pay higher interest rates on our deposits, and may reduce our net interest income. Competition also makes it more difficult and costly to attract and retain qualified employees. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources and lending limits than we have and may offer services that we do not provide. Our competitors often aggressively price loan and deposit products when they enter into new lines of business or new market areas. If we are unable to effectively compete in

 

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our market area, our profitability would be negatively affected. The greater resources and broader offering of deposit and loan products of some of our competitors may also limit our ability to increase our interest-earning assets. For more information about our market area and the competition we face, see “Business of Bogota Savings Bank—Market Area” and “—Competition.”

We are subject to stringent capital requirements, which may adversely impact our return on equity, require us to raise additional capital, or restrict us from paying dividends or repurchasing shares.

Federal regulations establish minimum capital requirements for insured depository institutions, including minimum risk-based capital and leverage ratios and define what constitutes “capital” for calculating these ratios. The minimum capital requirements are: (1) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%; (2) a Tier 1 to risk-based assets capital ratio of 6%; (3) a total capital ratio of 8%; and (4) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4%. The regulations also require unrealized gains and losses on certain “available-for-sale” securities holdings to be included for calculating regulatory capital requirements unless a one-time opt out is exercised. We elected to exercise our one-time option to opt out of the requirement to include certain “available-for-sale” securities holdings for calculating our regulatory capital ratios. The regulations also establish a “capital conservation buffer” of 2.5%, resulting in the following minimum ratios: (1) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 7.0%, (2) a Tier 1 to risk-based assets capital ratio of 8.5%, and (3) a total capital ratio of 10.5%. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, repurchasing its shares, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount.

Non-compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, Bank Secrecy Act, or other laws and regulations could result in fines or sanctions.

The USA PATRIOT and Bank Secrecy Acts require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money laundering and terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These rules require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers that open new financial accounts. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines or sanctions, including restrictions on conducting acquisitions or establishing new branches. Several banking institutions have received large fines for non-compliance with these laws and regulations. While we have developed policies and procedures designed to assist in compliance with these laws and regulations, these policies and procedures may not be effective in preventing violations of these laws and regulations.

Our success depends on retaining certain key personnel.

Our performance largely depends on the talents and efforts of our experienced senior management team. We rely on key personnel to manage and operate our business, including major revenue generating functions such as loan and deposit generation. The loss of key staff may adversely affect our ability to maintain and manage these functions effectively, which could negatively affect our income. In addition, loss of key personnel could result in increased recruiting and hiring expenses, which would reduce our net income. Our continued ability to compete effectively depends on our ability to attract new employees and to retain and motivate our existing employees.

Systems failures or breaches of our network security could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operation and subject us to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other liabilities.

Our operations depend upon our ability to protect our computer systems and network infrastructure against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or a similar catastrophic event, as well as from security breaches, denial of service attacks, cyber attacks, adversely affects our financial condition or results of operations and viruses, worms and other disruptive problems caused by hackers. Any damage or failure that causes an interruption in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Computer break-ins, phishing and other disruptions could also jeopardize the security of information stored in and transmitted through our computer systems and network infrastructure, which may result in significant liability to us and may cause existing and potential customers to refrain from doing business with us. Although we, with the help of third-party service providers, intend to continue to implement security technology and establish operational procedures designed to prevent such damage, our security measures may not be successful. In addition, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments could result

 

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in a compromise or breach of the algorithms we and our third-party service providers use to encrypt and protect customer transaction data. A failure of such security measures could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

To date we have not experienced any material losses relating to cyber attacks or other information security breaches, but there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses in the future. Our risk and exposure to these matters remains heightened because of, among other things, the evolving nature of these threats. There continues to be a rise in security breaches and cyber attacks within the financial services industry. For example, financial institutions continue to be the target of various evolving and adaptive cyber attacks, including malware, ransomware and denial-of-service, as part of an effort to disrupt the operations of financial institutions, potentially test their cybersecurity capabilities, or obtain confidential, proprietary or other information. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities.

Disruptions or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support our businesses and customers, or cyber attacks or security breaches of the networks, systems or devices that our customers use to access our products and services could result in customer attrition, financial losses, the inability of our customers to transact business with us, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs, any of which could materially adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition.

Natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other external events could harm our business.

Natural disasters can disrupt our operations, result in damage to our properties, reduce or destroy the value of the collateral for our loans and negatively affect the economies in which we operate, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. A significant natural disaster, such as a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, fire or flood, could have a material adverse impact on our ability to conduct business, and our insurance coverage may be insufficient to compensate for losses that may occur. Acts of terrorism, war, civil unrest, violence or human error could cause disruptions to our business or the economy as a whole. While we have established and regularly test disaster recovery procedures, the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.

Changes in accounting standards could affect reported earnings.

The bodies responsible for establishing accounting standards, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission and bank regulators, periodically change the financial accounting and reporting guidance that governs the preparation of our financial statements. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply new or revised guidance retroactively.

 

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The cost of additional finance and accounting systems, procedures and controls to satisfy our new public company reporting requirements will increase our expenses.

Upon completion of this offering, we will become a public reporting company. We expect that the obligations of being a public company, including the substantial public reporting obligations, will require significant expenditures and place additional demands on our management team. We have made, and will continue to make, changes to our internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and accounting systems to meet our reporting obligations as a public company. However, the measures we take may not be sufficient to satisfy our obligations as a public company. In addition, we may need to hire additional compliance, accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical knowledge, and we may not be able to do so in a timely fashion. As a result, we may need to rely on outside consultants to provide these services for us until qualified personnel are hired. These obligations will increase our operating expenses and could divert our management’s attention from our operations.

Our risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating risk and reducing the potential for significant losses.

Our risk management framework is designed to minimize risk and loss to us. We try to identify, measure, monitor, report and control our exposure to risk, including strategic, market, liquidity, compliance and operational risks. While we use broad and diversified risk monitoring and mitigation techniques, these techniques are inherently limited because they cannot anticipate the existence or future development of currently unanticipated or unknown risks. Recent economic conditions and heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny of the financial services industry, among other developments, have increased our level of risk. Accordingly, we could suffer losses if we fail to properly anticipate and manage these risks.

Risks Related to the Offering

The future price of our shares of common stock may be less than the $10.00 offering price per share.

If you purchase shares of common stock in the offering, you may not be able to sell them later at or above the $10.00 offering price. In many cases, shares of common stock issued by newly converted savings institutions have traded below the initial offering price. The aggregate purchase price of the shares of common stock sold in the offering will be based on an independent appraisal. The independent appraisal is not intended, and should not be construed, as a recommendation of any kind as to the advisability of purchasing shares of common stock. The independent appraisal is based on certain estimates, assumptions and projections, all of which are subject to change from time to time. After the shares begin trading, the trading price of our common stock will be determined by the marketplace, and may be influenced by many factors, including our performance, prevailing interest rates, the overall performance of the economy, changes in federal tax laws, new regulations, investor perceptions of Bogota Financial Corp. and the outlook for the financial services industry in general. Price fluctuations in our common stock may be unrelated to our operating performance.

Bogota Financial, MHC’s majority control of our common stock will enable it to exercise voting control over most matters put to a vote of stockholders and will prevent stockholders from forcing a sale or a second-step conversion transaction you may find advantageous.

Bogota Financial, MHC will own a majority of Bogota Financial Corp.’s common stock after the offering and, through its board of directors, will be able to exercise voting control over most matters put to a vote of stockholders. The votes cast by Bogota Financial, MHC may not be in your personal best interests as a stockholder. For example, Bogota Financial, MHC may exercise its voting control to defeat a stockholder nominee for election to the board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. and will be able to elect all of the directors of Bogota Financial Corp. Some stockholders may desire a sale or merger transaction, since stockholders typically receive a premium for their shares. Stockholders may also desire a second-step conversion transaction, since most fully stock institutions tend to trade at higher multiples of book value than mutual holding companies. However, stockholders will not be able to force a merger or a second-step conversion transaction without the consent of Bogota Financial, MHC since such transactions also require, under New Jersey and federal law, the approval of a majority of all of the outstanding voting stock, which can only be achieved if Bogota Financial, MHC votes to approve such transactions.

 

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Our failure to effectively deploy the net proceeds may have an adverse effect on our financial performance.

We intend to invest between $17.3 million and $23.7 million of the net proceeds of the offering (or $27.3 million at the adjusted maximum of the offering range) in Bogota Savings Bank. We may use the remaining net proceeds to invest in securities and for general corporate purposes, including, subject to regulatory limitations, repurchasing shares of common stock. We also expect to use a portion of the net proceeds we retain to fund a loan to Bogota Savings Bank’s employee stock ownership plan to purchase shares of common stock in the offering and to fund the charitable foundation. Bogota Savings Bank may use the net proceeds it receives to fund new loans, expand its retail banking franchise by establishing or acquiring new branches or by acquiring other financial institutions or other financial services companies, or for other general corporate purposes. However, except for funding the loan to the employee stock ownership plan and funding the charitable foundation, we have not allocated specific amounts of the net proceeds for any of these purposes. Therefore, we will have significant flexibility in determining the amount of the net proceeds we apply to different uses and when we apply or reinvest such proceeds. Also, certain of these uses, such as opening new branches or acquiring other financial institutions, may require prior regulatory approval. We have not established a timetable for reinvesting the net proceeds, and we cannot predict how long it will take to reinvest the net proceeds. Our failure to utilize these funds effectively and timely would reduce our profitability and may adversely affect the value of our common stock.

Our return on equity may be low following the offering and this could negatively affect the trading price of our shares of common stock.

Net income divided by average stockholders’ equity, known as “return on equity,” is a ratio many investors use to compare the performance of financial institutions. Our return on equity will be relatively lower until we are able to leverage the additional capital we receive from the offering, which may reduce the market price of our shares of common stock. Our return on equity will be negatively affected by added expenses associated with our employee stock ownership plan and the stock-based benefit plans we intend to implement. At the midpoint of the offering range, Bogota Financial Corp.’s pro forma consolidated return on equity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 would have equaled 1.58% (annualized), compared to Bogota Savings Bank’s return on equity for the six months ended June 30, 2019 of 2.70% (annualized).

We are an emerging growth company, and if we elect to comply only with the reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, our common stock may be less attractive to investors.

We are an emerging growth company and for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we plan to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies, including reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Investors may find our common stock less attractive as we rely on these exemptions.

As an emerging growth company, we also will not be subject to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which would require that our independent auditors review and attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We may be an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of this offering. We will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of: (1) the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering; (2) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenues are $1.07 billion or more; (3) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; or (4) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million at the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

Upon completion of the offering, and particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses associated with being a public company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market and other

 

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applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives, which could divert their attention from our core operations, and we may also need to hire additional compliance, accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical knowledge. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly.

Our stock-based benefit plans, if implemented, will increase our expenses and reduce our income.

We intend to implement one or more stock-based benefit plans after the offering, subject to stockholder approval, which would increase our annual compensation and benefit expenses related to stock options and stock awards granted to participants under the stock-based benefit plans. The amount of these stock-related compensation and benefit expenses would depend on the number of options and stock awards granted, the fair value of the options and our stock on the date of grant, the vesting period, and other factors that we cannot predict at this time. If we implement stock-based benefit plans within 12 months following the offering, the total shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to awards of restricted stock and grants of options under such plans would be limited to 1.96% and 4.90%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering. If we award restricted shares of common stock or grant options in excess of these amounts under stock-based benefit plans implemented more than 12 months after the completion of the offering, our costs would increase further.

We anticipate that our employee stock ownership plan will purchase 3.92% of our outstanding shares. The cost of acquiring the shares of common stock for the employee stock ownership plan is estimated to be between $3.3 million at the minimum of the offering range and $5.2 million at the adjusted maximum of the offering range (assuming we are able to purchase all of such shares in the offering). We will record annual employee stock ownership plan expenses in an amount equal to the fair value of shares of common stock committed to be released to employees. If shares of common stock appreciate in value over time, compensation expense relating to the employee stock ownership plan will increase.

The estimated expense in the first year following the offering for shares purchased in the offering (or in the after-market if the offering is oversubscribed by the eligible account holders) by our employee stock ownership plan and for stock-based benefit plans implemented within one year after the offering, subject to receipt of stockholder approval, is approximately $1.1 million ($900,000 after tax) at the adjusted maximum of the offering range as set forth in the pro forma financial information under “Pro Forma Data,” assuming the $10.00 per share offering price as fair market value. Actual expense may be higher if the price of our common stock at the time the shares are allocated or awarded is greater than $10.00 per share. For further discussion of our proposed stock-based plans, see “Management—Benefits to be Considered Following Completion of the Offering.”

Implementing stock-based benefit plans may dilute your ownership interest. Historically, stockholders have approved these stock-based benefit plans.

We intend to implement one or more stock-based benefit plans following the offering, subject to stockholder approval. These plans may be funded either through open market purchases or by issuing additional authorized but unissued shares of common stock. Our ability to repurchase shares of common stock to fund these plans will be subject to many factors, including applicable regulatory restrictions on common stock repurchases, the availability of our stock in the market, the trading price of our stock, our capital levels, alternative uses for our capital and our financial performance. While we intend to fund the new stock-based benefit plans through open market purchases, stockholders would experience a 6.4% dilution in ownership interest if newly issued shares of our common stock are used to fund stock options and shares of restricted common stock in amounts equal to 4.90% and 1.96%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of offering. If we implement the plans more than 12 months following the offering, new stock-based benefit plans would not be subject to these limitations and stockholders could experience greater dilution.

 

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Although our stockholders must approve the implementation of any stock-based benefit plans follow the offering, the overwhelming majority of stock-based benefit plans implemented by converting institutions and their holding companies have been approved by stockholders.

Federal Reserve Board regulations and policy effectively prohibit Bogota Financial, MHC from waiving the receipt of dividends, which will likely preclude us from paying any dividends on our common stock.

Bogota Financial Corp.’s board of directors will have the authority to declare dividends on our common stock subject to statutory and regulatory requirements. We currently intend to retain all our future earnings, if any, for use in our business and do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay cash dividends will be made by our board of directors and will depend upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, restrictions under Federal Reserve Board regulations and policy, our business strategy and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant.

Under current Federal Reserve Board regulations and policy, if Bogota Financial Corp. pays dividends to its public stockholders, it also would be required to pay dividends to Bogota Financial, MHC, unless Bogota Financial, MHC waives the receipt of such dividends. Current Federal Reserve Board policy has been to prohibit mutual holding companies that are regulated as bank holding companies, such as Bogota Financial, MHC, from waiving the receipt of dividends and the Federal Reserve Board’s regulations implemented after the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act effectively prohibit federally-chartered mutual holding companies from waiving dividends declared by their subsidiaries. See “Subscription and Regulation—Holding Company Regulation—Waivers of Dividends by Bogota Financial, MHC” for a further discussion of the applicable requirements related to the potential waiver of dividends by a mutual holding company. Unless Federal Reserve Board regulations or policy change by allowing Bogota Financial, MHC to waive the receipt of dividends declared by Bogota Financial Corp. without diluting minority stockholders, it is unlikely that Bogota Financial Corp. will pay any dividends.

Various factors may make takeover attempts more difficult to achieve.

Stock banks and savings banks or their holding companies, as well as individuals, may not acquire control of a mutual holding company, such as Bogota Financial Corp. As result, the only persons that may acquire control of a mutual holding company are other mutual savings institutions or mutual holding companies. Accordingly, it is very unlikely, that Bogota Financial Corp. would be subject to any takeover attempt by activist stockholders or other financial institutions. There also are provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws that may be used to delay or block a takeover attempt, including a provision that prohibits any person, other than Bogota Financial, MHC, from voting more than 10% of the shares of common stock outstanding. In addition, state and federal banking laws, including regulatory approval requirements, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of Bogota Financial Corp. without our board of directors’ prior approval.

Under Federal Reserve Board regulations, for a period of three years following completion of the offering, no person may directly or indirectly acquire or offer to acquire beneficial ownership of more than 10% of our common stock without prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board. In addition, under federal law, subject to certain exemptions, a person, entity or group must notify the Federal Reserve Board before acquiring control of a bank holding company. Acquisition of 10% or more of any class of voting stock of a bank holding company creates a rebuttable presumption that the acquirer “controls” the bank holding company. Also, a bank holding company must obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board and the NJDBI before, among other things, acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of any class of voting shares of any bank, including Bogota Savings Bank.

Taken as a whole, these statutory provisions and provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws make it very difficult for any potential acquiror from acquiring control of Bogota Financial Corp. without the approval of our board of directors, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

For additional information, see “Restrictions on Acquisition of Bogota Financial Corp.,” “Management—Employment Agreements” and “—Benefits to be Considered Following Completion of the Offering.”

 

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Our stock value may be negatively affected by applicable regulations that restrict stock repurchases.

Applicable regulations restrict us from repurchasing any of our shares of common stock during the first year following the offering, unless we obtain prior approval from the NJDBI. Stock repurchases are a capital management tool that can enhance the value of a company’s stock, and our inability to repurchase any of our shares of common stock during the first year following the offering may negatively affect our stock price.

We have never issued common stock to the public, and there is no guarantee that a liquid market will develop.

We have never issued common stock to the public. We expect that our common stock will be listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BSBK,” subject to completion of the offering and compliance with certain conditions, including the presence of at least three registered and active market makers. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. has advised us that it intends to make a market in shares of our common stock following the offering, but it is not obligated to do so or to continue to do so once it begins. While we will attempt before completion of the offering to obtain commitments from at least two other broker-dealers to make a market in shares of our common stock, we may not be able to obtain such commitments. This would result in our common stock not being listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which could reduce the liquidity of our common stock. The development of an active trading market depends on the existence of willing buyers and sellers, the presence of which is not within our control, or that of any market maker. The number of active buyers and sellers of the shares of common stock at any particular time may be limited. Under such circumstances, you could have difficulty selling your shares of common stock on short notice, and, therefore, you should not view the shares of common stock as a short-term investment. In addition, our public “float,” which is the total number of our outstanding shares less the shares held by Bogota Financial, MHC and our directors and executive officers, is likely to be limited. As a result, an active trading market for the common stock may not develop or, if it does develop, it may not continue. Additionally, if you purchase shares of common stock, you may not be able to sell them at or above $10.00 per share. Purchasers of common stock in this offering should have long-term investment intent and should recognize that there will be a limited trading market in the common stock. This may make it difficult to sell the common stock after the completion of the offering and may have an adverse impact on the price at which the common stock can be sold.

You may not revoke your order to purchase common stock in the subscription or community offerings after you send us your order form.

Funds submitted or automatic withdrawals authorized in connection with the purchase of shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings will be held by us until the completion or termination of the offering, including any extension of the expiration date and consummation of a syndicated community offering. Because completion of the offering will be subject to regulatory approvals and an update of the independent appraisal prepared by RP Financial, among other factors, there may be one or more delays in completing the offering. Orders submitted in the subscription and community offerings are irrevocable, and purchasers will have no access to their funds unless the offering is terminated, or extended beyond [extension date #1], or the number of shares to be sold in the offering is increased to more than 5,657,735 shares or decreased to fewer than 3,636,351 shares.

 

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You may not be able to sell your shares of common stock until you have received a statement reflecting ownership of shares, which will affect your ability to take advantage of changes in the stock price immediately following the offering.

A statement reflecting ownership of shares of common stock purchased in the offering may not be delivered for several days after the completion of the offering and the commencement of trading in the common stock. Your ability to sell the shares of common stock before receiving your ownership statement will depend on arrangements you may make with a brokerage firm, and you may not be able to sell your shares of common stock until you have received your ownership statement. As a result, you may not be able to take advantage of fluctuations in the price of the common stock immediately following the offering.

Risks Related to the Charitable Foundation

The contribution to the charitable foundation will dilute your ownership interest and adversely affect net income in 2020.

We intend to establish and fund a charitable foundation in connection with the offering. We intend to contribute shares of our common stock equal to 2.0% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering and up to $250,000 in cash. At the minimum, midpoint, maximum and adjusted maximum of the offering range, we will contribute to the charitable foundation 169,132, 198,979, 228,826 and 263,150 shares of common stock, respectively. The contribution will have an adverse effect on our net income for the quarter and year in which we complete the offering and make the contribution to the charitable foundation. The after-tax expense of the contribution is expected to reduce net income for the year ended December 31, 2020 by approximately $1.6 million, assuming the offering closes at the midpoint of the offering range. Our net income for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $970,000 and $4.1 million, respectively. In addition, persons purchasing shares in the offering will have their ownership and voting interests in Bogota Financial Corp. diluted by up to 2.0% due to the contribution of shares of common stock to the charitable foundation.

Our contribution to the charitable foundation may not be fully tax deductible, which could reduce our profits.

We may not have sufficient profits to be able to fully use the tax deduction from our contribution to the charitable foundation. Under the Internal Revenue Code, an entity is permitted to deduct up to 10% of its taxable income (generally income before federal income taxes and charitable contributions expense) in any one year for charitable contributions. Any contribution in excess of the 10% limit may be deducted for federal income tax purposes over each of the five years following the year in which the charitable contribution is made. Accordingly, a charitable contribution could, if necessary, be deducted over a six-year period and expires thereafter.

 

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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA

The following tables set forth selected consolidated historical financial and other data for Bogota Savings Bank, on a consolidated basis, at the dates and for the periods indicated. It is only a summary and it should be read in conjunction with the business and financial information contained elsewhere in this prospectus, including the consolidated financial statements that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus. The information at June 30, 2019 and for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 is not audited but, in the opinion of management, includes all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation. All adjustments are normal and recurring. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019 or any other period. The information at December 31, 2018 and 2017 and for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 is derived in part from the audited consolidated financial statements appearing in this prospectus. The information at December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is derived in part from audited consolidated financial statements not appearing in this prospectus.

 

     At June 30,      At December 31,  
     2019      2018      2017      2016      2015      2014  
     (In thousands)  

Selected Financial Condition Data:

                 

Total assets

   $ 663,951      $ 665,009      $ 642,142      $ 623,301      $ 563,848      $ 542,379  

Cash and cash equivalents

     25,139        24,518        22,558        41,492        21,009        17,432  

Securities held-to-maturity

     57,322        70,049        63,761        48,593        50,603        51,286  

Securities available-for-sale

     13,340        13,600        11,800        15,009        12,647        22,173  

Loans receivable, net

     538,052        526,670        513,590        488,587        456,614        431,911  

Bank owned life insurance

     17,206        17,004        16,548        16,068        7,724        5,026  

Total liabilities

     590,462        592,531        572,834        558,959        503,273        485,814  

Deposits

     504,109        510,293        476,456        477,698        373,843        362,088  

Borrowings

     78,365        74,639        89,231        74,570        122,689        117,254  

Total equity

     73,489        72,478        68,308        64,343        60,575        56,565  

 

     For the Six Months
Ended June 30,
     For the Year Ended December 31,  
     2019      2018      2018      2017      2016      2015      2014  
     (In thousands)  

Selected Operating Data:

                    

Interest income

   $ 11,463      $ 10,922      $ 21,986      $ 20,435      $ 19,043      $ 18,179      $ 17,747  

Interest expense

     5,867        3,978        8,757        6,525        6,058        4,844        4,308  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net interest income

     5,596        6,944        13,229        13,910        12,985        13,335        13,439  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Provision for loan losses

     —          —          —          100        100        75        100  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

     5,596        6,944        13,229        13,810        12,885        13,260        13,339  

Non-interest income

     280        330        614        615        634        570        300  

Non-interest expenses

     4,621        4,125        8,316        7,893        7,483        7,161        6,647  

Income before income taxes

     1,255        3,149        5,527        6,532        6,036        6,669        6,992  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income taxes

     285        800        1,390        2,630        2,229        2,543        2,769  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 970      $ 2,349      $ 4,137      $ 3,902      $ 3,807      $ 4,126      $ 4,223  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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     At or For the Six
Months Ended June

30,
    At or For the Year Ended December 31,  
     2019     2018     2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  

Performance Ratios (1):

              

Return on average assets (2)

     0.29     0.72     0.63     0.63     0.64     0.75     0.81

Return on average equity (3)

     2.70       6.73       5.85       5.85       6.06       7.01       7.72  

Interest rate spread (4)

     1.54       2.10       1.97       2.25       2.16       2.40       2.51  

Net interest margin (5)

     1.76       2.23       2.12       2.36       2.27       2.53       2.67  

Efficiency ratio (6)

     78.64       56.71       60.07       54.34       54.95       51.50       48.38  

Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities

     111.43       110.36       110.68       109.89       110.19       111.82       114.92  

Loans to deposits

     107.13       103.21       103.60       108.21       102.67       122.62       119.75  

Equity to assets (7)

     11.38       10.81       11.19       10.79       10.57       10.94       10.58  

Capital Ratios:

              

Tier 1 capital (to adjusted total assets)

     11.14       10.81       11.19       10.79       10.57       10.94       10.58  

Tier I capital (to risk-weighted assets)

     17.50       17.99       17.85       17.40       16.99       18.29       18.94  

Total capital (to risk-weighted assets)

     17.98       18.49       18.34       17.40       17.49       10.94       N/A  

Common equity Tier 1 capital (to risk-weighted assets)

     17.50       17.99       17.85       17.90       17.49       10.94       N/A  

Asset Quality Ratios:

              

Allowance for loan losses as a percent of total loans

     0.37       0.39       0.37       0.38       0.38       0.39       0.39  

Allowance for loan losses as a percent of non-performing loans

     372.64       182.35       201.43       55.48       112.14       93.97       64.52  

Net recoveries to average outstanding loans during the period (1)

     (0.02     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Non-performing loans as a percent of total loans

     0.10       0.21       0.19       0.69       0.83       0.41       0.60  

Non-performing assets as a percent of total assets

     0.08       0.16       0.15       0.55       0.65       0.34       0.48  

Other Data:

              

Number of offices

     2       2       2       2       2       2       2  

Number of full-time equivalent employees

     46       41       45       42       46       43       43  

 

(1)

Performance ratios for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 are annualized.

(2)

Represents net income divided by average total assets.

(3)

Represents net income divided by average equity.

(4)

Represents the difference between the weighted average yield on average interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost on average interest-bearing liabilities. Tax exempt income is reported on a tax equivalent basis using a combined federal and state marginal tax rate of 30% for 2019 and 2018 and 34% for the previous periods.

(5)

Represents net interest income as a percent of average interest-earning assets. Tax exempt income is reported on a tax equivalent basis using a combined federal and state marginal tax rate of 30% for 2019 and 2018 and 34% for the previous periods.

(6)

Represents non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.

(7)

Represents average equity divided by average total assets.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect” and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

 

   

statements of our goals, intentions and expectations;

 

   

statements regarding our business plans, prospects, growth and operating strategies;

 

   

statements regarding the quality of our loan and investment portfolios; and

 

   

estimates of our risks and future costs and benefits.

These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements:

 

   

general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market area, that are worse than expected;

 

   

changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and charge-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses;

 

   

our ability to access cost-effective funding;

 

   

fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions;

 

   

demand for loans and deposits in our market area;

 

   

our ability to continue to implement our business strategies;

 

   

competition among depository and other financial institutions;

 

   

inflation and changes in market interest rates that reduce our margins and yields, reduce the fair value of financial instruments or reduce our volume of loan originations, or increase the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans we have made and make whether held in portfolio or sold in the secondary market;

 

   

adverse changes in the securities markets;

 

   

changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including changes in regulatory fees and capital requirements;

 

   

our ability to manage market risk, credit risk and operational risk;

 

   

our ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities;

 

   

our ability to successfully integrate into our operations any assets, liabilities or systems we may acquire, as well as new management personnel or customers, and our ability to realize related

 

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revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames and any goodwill charges related thereto;

 

   

changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits;

 

   

changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the bank regulatory agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board;

 

   

our ability to retain key employees;

 

   

our compensation expense associated with equity allocated or awarded to our employees; and

 

   

changes in the financial condition, results of operations or future prospects of issuers of securities that we own.

Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page ____.

HOW WE INTEND TO USE THE PROCEEDS FROM THE OFFERING

Although we cannot determine what the actual net offering proceeds will be until the offering is completed, we estimate that the net proceeds will be between $34.6 million and $47.4 million, or $54.7 million if the offering range is increased by 15%.

We intend to distribute the net proceeds as follows:

 

     Based Upon the Sale at $10.00 Per Share of  
     3,636,351 Shares     4,278,060 Shares     4,919,770 Shares     5,657,735 Shares (1)  
     Amount     Percent of
Net
Proceeds
    Amount     Percent of
Net
Proceeds
    Amount     Percent of
Net
Proceeds
    Amount     Percent of
Net
Proceeds
 
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Gross offering proceeds

   $ 36,364       $ 42,781       $ 49,198       $ 56,577    

Less: offering expenses

     (1,730       (1,789       (1,847       (1,914  
  

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

Net offering proceeds

     34,634       100.0     40,992       100.0     47,351       100.0     54,663       100.0
  

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

Distribution of net proceeds:

                

Proceeds contributed to Bogota Savings Bank

     17,317       50.0     20,496       50.0     23,675       50.0     27,332       50.0

Amount contributed to Bogota Financial, MHC

     50       0.1     50       0.1     50       0.1     50       0.1

Cash contribution to the charitable foundation

     250       0.7     250       0.6     250       0.5     250       0.5

Loan to employee stock ownership plan

     3,315       9.6     3,900       9.5     4,485       9.5     5,158       9.4
  

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

Proceeds retained by Bogota Financial Corp.

   $ 13,702       39.6   $ 16,296       39.8   $ 18,890       39.9   $ 21,874       40.0
  

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

(1)

As adjusted to give effect to an increase in the number of shares, which increase could occur due to a 15% increase in the offering range to reflect demand for the shares or changes in market conditions following the commencement of the offering.

Payments for shares of common stock made through withdrawals from existing deposit accounts will not result in the receipt of new funds for investment but will reduce Bogota Savings Bank’s deposits. The net proceeds may vary because total expenses relating to the offering may be more or less than our estimates. For example, our expenses would increase if fewer shares were sold in the subscription and community offerings and more in the syndicated offering than we have assumed.

 

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Bogota Financial Corp. may use the proceeds it retains from the offering:

 

   

to invest in securities;

 

   

to finance the potential acquisition of financial institutions, although we do not currently have any agreements regarding any specific acquisition transaction;

 

   

to repurchase shares of our common stock, including repurchases to fund stock-based benefit plans; and

 

   

for other general corporate purposes.

See “Our Dividend Policy” for a discussion of our expected dividend policy following the completion of the offering. Under NJDBI regulations, we may not repurchase shares of our common stock during the first year following the completion of the offering without the prior approval of the NJDBI.

Bogota Savings Bank may use the net proceeds it receives from the offering:

 

   

to fund new loans;

 

   

to invest in securities;

 

   

to expand its retail banking franchise by establishing or acquiring new branches or by acquiring other financial institutions or fee-based businesses as opportunities arise, although we do not currently have any agreements to acquire a financial institution or other entity; and

 

   

for other general corporate purposes.

Initially, a substantial portion of the net proceeds retained by Bogota Financial Corp. will be invested in an interest-bearing deposit account in Bogota Savings Bank and in short-term investment securities of the type currently held by Bogota Savings Bank. We have not determined specific amounts of the net proceeds that would be used for the purposes described above. The use of proceeds outlined above may change based on many factors, including changes in interest rates, equity markets, laws and regulations affecting the financial services industry, the attractiveness of potential acquisitions to expand our operations, and overall market conditions.

We expect our return on equity to be low until we are able to effectively deploy the additional capital raised in the offering. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Offering—Our failure to effectively deploy the net proceeds may have an adverse effect on our financial performance.”

OUR DIVIDEND POLICY

Following completion of the offering, our board of directors will have the authority to declare dividends on our shares of common stock, subject to statutory and regulatory requirements. However, we currently do not intend to pay cash dividends. The decision to pay a dividend in the future would depend upon a number of factors, including: regulatory capital requirements; our financial condition and results of operations; our other uses of funds for the long-term value of stockholders; tax considerations; statutory and regulatory limitations, including the Federal Reserve Board’s dividend waiver regulations and policy, which effectively prohibit us from paying any dividends to our public stockholders without also paying the same dividends per share to Bogota Financial, MHC; and general economic conditions. We cannot assure you that any dividends will be paid on our common stock as long as we operate in the mutual holding company form, unless there is a change in Federal Reserve Board regulations or policy that would allow mutual holding companies to waive the receipt of dividends without diluting the ownership interests of minority stockholders. Moreover, even if we pay dividends on our common stock in the future, we cannot assure you that dividends will not be reduced or eliminated. Special cash dividends, stock dividends or returns of capital, to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulations and policy, may be paid in addition to, or in lieu of, regular cash dividends. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Offering—You may not

 

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receive dividends on our common stock, and if we were to declare dividends on our common stock, Bogota Financial, MHC would be restricted from waiving the receipt of dividends.”

We will file a consolidated federal tax return with Bogota Savings Bank. Accordingly, it is anticipated that any cash distributions that we make to our stockholders would be treated as cash dividends and not as a non-taxable return of capital for federal and state tax purposes. Additionally, pursuant to applicable regulations, during the three-year period following the offering, we will not take any action to declare an extraordinary dividend to stockholders that would be treated by recipients as a tax-free return of capital for federal income tax purposes.

Pursuant to our articles of incorporation, we are authorized to issue preferred stock. If we issue preferred stock, the holders thereof may have a priority over the holders of our shares of common stock with respect to the payment of dividends. For a further discussion concerning the payment of dividends on our shares of common stock, see “Description of Capital Stock of Bogota Financial Corp.—Common Stock.” Dividends we can declare and pay also will depend, in part, upon receipt of dividends from Bogota Savings Bank, because initially we will have no source of income other than dividend income from Bogota Savings Bank and earnings from the investment of the net proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock retained by us and interest payments received in connection with the loan to the employee stock ownership plan. New Jersey banking law imposes limitations on capital distributions (including dividends) by Bogota Savings Bank. See “Supervision and Regulation—New Jersey Banking Laws and Supervision—Dividends.”

Any payment of dividends by Bogota Savings Bank to us that would be deemed to be drawn out of Bogota Savings Bank’s tax bad debt reserves, if any, would require a payment of taxes at the then-current tax rate by Bogota Savings Bank on the amount of earnings deemed to be removed from the reserves for such distribution. Bogota Savings Bank does not intend to make any distribution to Bogota Financial Corp. that would create such a federal tax liability.

MARKET FOR THE COMMON STOCK

We have never issued capital stock and there is no established market for our shares of common stock. We expect that our shares of common stock will be listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BSBK,” subject to completion of the offering and compliance with certain listing conditions, including the presence of at least three registered and active market makers. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. has advised us that it intends to make a market in shares of our common stock following the offering, but it is not obligated to do so or to continue to do so once it begins. While we will attempt before completion of the offering to obtain commitments from at least two other broker-dealers to make a market in shares of our common stock, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining such commitments.

The development and maintenance of a public market, having the desirable characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness, depends on the existence of willing buyers and sellers, the presence of which is not within our control or that of any market maker. The number of active buyers and sellers of shares of our common stock at any particular time may be limited, which may have an adverse effect on the price at which shares of our common stock can be sold. There can be no assurance that persons purchasing the shares of common stock will be able to sell their shares at or above the $10.00 offering purchase price per share.

 

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HISTORICAL AND PRO FORMA REGULATORY CAPITAL COMPLIANCE

At June 30, 2019, Bogota Savings Bank exceeded all applicable regulatory capital requirements and was considered “well capitalized.” The table below sets forth, at June 30, 2019, the historical equity capital and regulatory capital and the pro forma equity capital and regulatory capital of Bogota Savings Bank after giving effect to the sale of shares of common stock at $10.00 per share. The tabular data assumes the receipt by Bogota Savings Bank of 50% of the net offering proceeds. See “How We Intend to Use the Proceeds from the Offering.”

 

     Bogota Savings Bank
Historical at
June 30, 2019
    Pro Forma at June 30, 2019 Based Upon the Sale in the Offering of:  
    3,636,351 Shares     4,278,060 Shares     4,919,770 Shares     5,657,735 Shares (1)  
     Amount      Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
 
     (unaudited)                       (Dollars in thousands)                    

Equity capital

   $ 73,489        11.07   $ 85,833       12.63   $ 88,136       12.91   $ 90,437       13.20   $ 93,084       13.52

Tier 1 leverage capital

   $ 73,765        11.14   $ 86,109       12.70   $ 88,412       12.98   $ 90,713       13.27   $ 93,360       13.59

Tier 1 leverage requirement

     33,120        5.00       33,902       5.00       34,047       5.00       34,191       5.00       34,357       5.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 40,646        6.14   $ 52,207       7.70   $ 54,365       7.98   $ 56,522       8.27   $ 59,003       8.59
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Tier 1 risk-based capital (3)

   $ 73,765        17.50   $ 86,109       20.28   $ 88,412       20.79   $ 90,713       21.30   $ 93,360       21.89

Tier 1 risk-based requirement

     33,720        8.00       33,970       8.00       34,017       8.00       34,063       8.00       34,116       8.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 40,045        9.50   $ 52,139       12.28   $ 54,395       12.79   $ 56,650       13.30   $ 59,244       13.89
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total risk-based capital (3)

   $ 75,781        17.98   $ 88,125       20.75   $ 90,428       21.27   $ 92,729       21.78   $ 95,376       22.37

Total risk-based requirement

     42,150        10.00       42,463       10.00       42,521       10.00       42,579       10.00       42,645       10.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 33,631        7.98   $ 45,662       10.75   $ 47,907       11.27   $ 50,150       11.78   $ 52,731       12.37
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Common equity tier 1 capital

   $ 73,765        17.50   $ 86,109       20.28   $ 88,412       20.79   $ 90,713       21.30   $ 93,360       21.89

Common equity tier 1 requirement

     27,397        6.50       27,601       6.50       27,639       6.50       27,676       6.50       27,719       6.50  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 46,368        11.00   $ 58,508       13.78   $ 60,773       14.29   $ 63,037       14.80   $ 65,641       15.39
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Reconciliation:

                     

Net proceeds infused into Bogota Savings Bank

 

  $ 17,317       $ 20,496       $ 23,675       $ 27,332    

Less: Common stock acquired by employee stock ownership plan

 

    (3,315       (3,900       (4,485       (5,158  

Less: Common stock acquired by stock-based benefit plan

 

    (1,658       (1,950       (2,243       (2,579  
       

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

Pro forma increase in tier 1 and risk-based capital

 

  $ 12,344       $ 14,646       $ 16,947       $ 19,595    
       

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

(1)

As adjusted to give effect to an increase in the number of shares, which increase could occur due to a 15% increase in the offering range to reflect demand for the shares or changes in market conditions following the commencement of the offering.

(2)

Equity and Tier 1 leverage capital levels are shown as a percentage of total average assets. Risk-based capital levels are shown as a percentage of risk-weighted assets.

(3)

Pro forma amounts and percentages assume net proceeds are invested in assets that carry a 20% risk weighting.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table presents, at June 30, 2019, the historical consolidated capitalization of Bogota Savings Bank and the pro forma consolidated capitalization of Bogota Financial Corp. after giving effect to the offering based upon the assumptions set forth under “Pro Forma Data.”

 

     Bogota Savings
Bank Historical
at June 30, 2019
    Bogota Financial Corp. Pro Forma at June 30, 2019 Based upon the Sale in
the Offering at $10.00 per Share of:
 
    3,636,351
Shares
    4,278,060
Shares
    4,919,770
Shares
    5,657,735
Shares (1)
 
     (unaudited)     (Dollars in thousands)  

Deposits (2)

   $ 504,109     $ 504,109     $ 504,109     $ 504,109     $ 504,109  

Borrowings

     78,365       78,365       78,365       78,365       78,365  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total deposits and borrowed funds

   $ 582,474     $ 582,474     $ 582,474     $ 582,474     $ 582,474  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

          

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued

   $ —       $ —       $ —       $ —       $ —    

Common stock, $0.01 par value, 30,000,000 shares authorized; shares to be issued as reflected (3)

     —         85       99       114       132  

Additional paid-in capital

     —         36,242       42,883       49,526       57,163  

Tax benefit of contribution to the charitable foundation

     —         514       594       673       764  

Retained earnings (4)

     73,765       73,765       73,765       73,765       73,765  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     (276     (276     (276     (276     (276

Less:

          

Expense of stock contribution to the charitable foundation

     —         (1,691     (1,990     (2,288     (2,632

Expense of cash contribution to the charitable foundation

     —         (250     (250     (250     (250

Capital retained by Bogota Financial, MHC

     —         (50     (50     (50     (50

Common stock to be acquired by employee stock ownership plan (5)

     —         (3,315     (3,900     (4,485     (5,158

Common stock to be acquired by stock-based benefit plans (6)

     —         (1,658     (1,950     (2,243     (2,579
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

   $ 73,489     $ 103,366     $ 108,926     $ 114,486     $ 120,879  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Pro Forma Shares Outstanding

          

Total shares issued

     —         8,456,632       9,948,979       11,441,326       13,157,525  

Shares contributed to charitable foundation

     —         169,132       198,979       228,826       263,150  

Shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC

     —         4,651,149       5,471,940       6,292,730       7,236,640  

Shares sold in the offering

     —         3,636,351       4,278,060       4,919,770       5,657,735  

Total stockholders’ equity as a percentage of total assets

     11.07     14.90     15.57     16.24     16.99

 

(1)

As adjusted to give effect to an increase in the number of shares, which increase could occur due to a 15% increase in the offering range to reflect demand for the shares or changes in market conditions following the commencement of the offering.

(2)

Does not reflect withdrawals from deposit accounts at Bogota Savings Bank for the purchase of shares of common stock. These withdrawals would reduce pro forma deposits and assets by the amount of the withdrawals.

(3)

No effect has been given to the issuance of additional shares of common stock pursuant to the exercise of options under one or more stock-based benefit plans. If the plans are implemented within the first year after the closing of the offering, an amount up to 4.90% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering will be reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options under the plans. See “Management.”

(4)

The retained earnings of Bogota Savings Bank will be substantially restricted after the offering. See “Supervision and Regulation—New Jersey Banking Laws and Supervision—Dividends.”

(5)

Assumes that 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering will be acquired by the employee stock ownership plan financed by a loan from Bogota Financial Corp. The loan will be repaid principally from Bogota Savings Bank’s contributions to the employee stock ownership plan. Since Bogota Financial Corp. will finance the employee stock ownership plan debt, this debt will be eliminated through consolidation and no liability will be reflected on Bogota Financial Corp.’s consolidated balance sheet. Accordingly, the number of shares of common stock acquired by the employee stock ownership plan is shown in this table as a reduction of total stockholders’ equity.

(6)

Assumes a number of shares of common stock equal to 1.96% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering will be purchased for grant by one or more stock-based benefit plans. The funds to be used by such plans to purchase shares will be provided by Bogota Financial Corp. The dollar amount of common stock to be purchased is based on the $10.00 per share offering price and represents unearned compensation. This amount does not reflect possible increases or decreases in the value of common stock relative to the offering price. Bogota Financial Corp. will accrue compensation expense to reflect the vesting of shares pursuant to such stock-based benefit plans and will credit capital in an amount equal to the charge to operations. Implementation of such plans will require stockholder approval.

 

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PRO FORMA DATA

The following tables summarize historical and pro forma data of Bogota Financial Corp. at and for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and at and for the year ended December 31, 2018. This information is based on assumptions set forth below and, in the tables, and should not be used as a basis for projections of market value of the shares of common stock following the offering.

The net proceeds in the table are based upon the following assumptions:

 

  1.

all shares of common stock will be sold in the subscription and community offerings;

 

  2.

our directors, executive officers, and their associates will purchase 130,000 shares of common stock;

 

  3.

our employee stock ownership plan will purchase 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering with the proceeds of a loan from Bogota Financial Corp. The loan will be repaid in substantially equal payments of principal and interest (at the prime rate of interest, calculated at the date of the loan origination) over a 20-year period. Interest income that we earn on the loan will offset the interest paid by Bogota Savings Bank;

 

  4.

Bogota Financial Corp. will contribute $250,000 in cash to the charitable foundation;

 

  5.

we will pay Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. a fee equal to 1.0% of the aggregate dollar amount of shares of common stock sold in the subscription and community offerings;

 

  6.

no fee will be paid to Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. with respect to shares of common stock purchased by our tax-qualified and non-qualified employee stock benefit plans or contributed to our charitable foundation, or stock purchased by our officers, directors, directors and employees, and their immediate families; and

 

  7.

total expenses of the offering, other than the fees and commissions to be paid to Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. and other broker-dealers, will be $1.4 million.

We calculated pro forma consolidated net income for the six months ended December 31, 2018 and the year ended June 30, 2018 as if the estimated net proceeds had been invested at the beginning of the period at an assumed interest rate of 1.76% (1.29% after-tax). This rate represents the yield on the five-year U.S. Treasury Note at June 30, 2019, which, in light of current market interest rates, we consider to more accurately reflect the pro forma reinvestment rate than the arithmetic average of the weighted average yield earned on our interest-earning assets and the weighted average rate paid on our deposits, which is the reinvestment rate generally required by applicable regulations.

We further believe that the reinvestment rate is factually supportable because:

 

   

the yield on the U.S. Treasury Note can be determined or estimated from third-party sources; and

 

   

we believe that U.S. Treasury securities are not subject to credit losses due to a U.S. Government guarantee of payment of principal and interest.

We calculated historical and pro forma per share amounts by dividing historical and pro forma amounts of consolidated net income and stockholders’ equity by the indicated number of shares of common stock. For purposes of pro forma earnings per share calculations, we adjusted these figures to give effect to the shares of common stock purchased by the employee stock ownership plan. We computed per share amounts as if the shares of common stock were outstanding at the beginning of the period, but we did not adjust per share historical or pro forma stockholders’ equity to reflect the earnings on the estimated net proceeds.

 

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The pro forma tables give effect to the implementation of one or more stock-based benefit plans. Subject to the receipt of stockholder approval, we have assumed that stock-based benefit plans will acquire to fund restricted stock awards a number of shares of common stock equal to 1.96% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering at the same price for which they were sold in the offering. We assume that awards of common stock granted under such plans vest over a five-year period.

We have also assumed that options will be granted under stock-based benefit plans to acquire a number of shares of common stock equal to 4.90% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering. In preparing the tables below, we assumed that stockholder approval was obtained, that the exercise price of the stock options and the market price of the stock at the date of grant were $10.00 per share and that the stock options had a term of ten years and vested over five years. We applied the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate a grant-date fair value of $2.57 for each option. In addition to the terms of the options described above, the Black-Scholes option pricing model assumed an estimated volatility rate of 13.17% for the shares of common stock, no dividend yield, an expected option term of 10 years and a risk-free rate of return of 2.00%.

We may grant options and award shares of common stock under one or more stock-based benefit plans in excess of 4.90% and 1.96%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering and that vest sooner than over a five-year period if the stock-based benefit plans are implemented more than one year following the completion of the offering.

As discussed under “How We Intend to Use the Proceeds from the Offering,” we intend to contribute 50% of the net offering proceeds to Bogota Savings Bank, and we will retain the remainder of the net offering proceeds. We will use a portion of the proceeds we retain to fund a loan to the employee stock ownership plan and retain the rest for future use.

The pro forma tables do not give effect to:

 

   

withdrawals from deposit accounts at Bogota Savings Bank to purchase shares of common stock in the offering;

 

   

our results of operations after the offering;

 

   

increased fees that we would pay Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. and other broker-dealers if we would have to conduct a syndicated community offering; or

 

   

changes in the market price of the shares of common stock after the offering.

The following pro forma information may not be representative of the financial effects of the offering at the dates on which the offering actually occurs, and should not be taken as indicative of future results of operations. Pro forma consolidated stockholders’ equity represents the difference between the stated amounts of our assets and liabilities. The pro forma stockholders’ equity is not intended to represent the fair market value of the shares of common stock and may be different than the amounts that would be available for distribution to stockholders if we liquidated. Moreover, pro forma stockholders’ equity per share does not give effect to the liquidation account to be established in Bogota Financial, MHC and/or Bogota Savings Bank, or, in the unlikely event of a liquidation of Bogota Savings Bank, to the tax effect of the recapture of the bad debt reserve.

 

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Table of Contents
     At or for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2019
Based Upon the Sale at $10.00 Per Share of:
 
     3,636,351
Shares
     4,278,060
Shares
     4,919,770
Shares
     5,657,735
Shares (1)
 
     (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)  

Gross proceeds of stock offering

   $ 36,364      $ 42,781      $ 49,198      $ 56,577  

Plus: market value of shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC

     46,511        54,719        62,927        72,367  

Plus: market value of shares contributed to charitable foundation

     1,691        1,990        2,288        2,632  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma market capitalization

   $ 84,566      $ 99,490      $ 114,413      $ 131,575  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Gross proceeds of stock offering

   $ 36,364      $ 42,781      $ 49,198      $ 56,577  

Less: expenses

     (1,730      (1,789      (1,847      (1,914
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Estimated net proceeds

   $ 34,634      $ 40,992      $ 47,351      $ 54,663  

Less: Bogota Financial, MHC contribution

     (50      (50      (50      (50

Less: Cash contribution to charitable foundation

     (250      (250      (250      (250

Less: Common stock purchased by employee stock ownership plan

     (3,315      (3,900      (4,485      (5,158

Less: Common stock purchased by stock-based benefit plans

     (1,658      (1,950      (2,243      (2,579
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Estimated net proceeds, as adjusted

   $ 29,362      $ 34,843      $ 40,324      $ 46,626  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2019

           

Consolidated net earnings:

           

Historical

   $ 970      $ 970      $ 970      $ 970  

Pro forma income on net proceeds

     190        225        281        302  

Pro forma employee stock ownership plan adjustment (2)

     (61      (72      (82      (95

Pro forma stock award adjustment (3)

     (122      (143      (165      (190

Pro forma stock option plan adjustment (4)

     (99      (117      (135      (155
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma net income (5)(6)

   $ 878      $ 863      $ 849      $ 832  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Per share net income:

           

Historical

   $ 0.12      $ 0.10      $ 0.09      $ 0.08  

Pro forma income on net proceeds

     0.02        0.02        0.02        0.02  

Pro forma employee stock ownership plan adjustment (2)

     (0.01      (0.01      (0.01      (0.01

Pro forma stock award adjustment (3)

     (0.01      (0.01      (0.01      (0.02

Pro forma stock option plan adjustment (4)

     (0.01      (0.01      (0.01      (0.01
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma earnings per share (5)(6)

   $ 0.11      $ 0.09      $ 0.08      $ 0.06  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Stock price as a multiple of pro forma earnings per share

     45.45      55.56      62.50      83.33

Shares used for calculating pro forma earnings per share

     8,133,419        9,568,729        11,004,038        12,654,644  

At June 30, 2019

           

Stockholders’ equity:

           

Historical

   $ 73,489      $ 73,489      $ 73,489      $ 73,489  

Estimated net proceeds

     34,634        40,992        47,351        54,663  

Less: capitalization of Bogota Financial, MHC

     (50      (50      (50      (50

Plus: market value of shares contributed to charitable foundation

     1,691        1,990        2,288        2,632  

Less: expense of contribution to charitable foundation

     (1,691      (1,990      (2,288      (2,632

Plus: tax benefit of contribution to charitable foundation

     514        594        673        764  

Less: cash contribution to charitable foundation

     (250      (250      (250      (250

Less: common stock acquired by employee stock ownership plan (2)

     (3,315      (3,900      (4,485      (5,158

Less: common stock acquired by stock-based benefit plans (3)

     (1,658      (1,950      (2,243      (2,579
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma stockholders’ equity (7)

   $ 103,366      $ 108,926      $ 114,486      $ 120,879  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Intangible assets

     —          —          —          —    

Pro forma tangible stockholders’ equity

   $ 103,366      $ 108,926      $ 114,486      $ 120,879  

 

40


Table of Contents

Stockholders’ equity per share:

        

Historical

   $ 8.69     $ 7.39     $ 6.42     $ 5.59  

Estimated net proceeds

     4.10       4.12       4.14       4.15  

Less: capitalization of MHC

     (0.01     (0.01     —         —    

Plus: market value of shares contributed to charitable foundation

     0.20       0.20       0.20       0.20  

Less: market value of shares contributed to charitable foundation

     (0.20     (0.20     (0.20     (0.20

Plus: tax benefit of contribution to charitable foundation

     0.06       0.06       0.06       0.06  

Less: cash contribution to charitable foundation

     (0.03     (0.03     (0.02     (0.02

Less: common stock acquired by employee stock ownership plan (2)

     (0.39     (0.39     (0.39     (0.39

Less: common stock acquired by stock-based benefit plans (3)

     (0.20     (0.20     (0.20     (0.20
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Pro forma stockholders’ equity per share (7)

   $ 12.22     $ 10.94     $ 10.01     $ 9.19  

Intangible assets per share

     —         —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Pro forma tangible stockholders’ equity per share

   $ 12.22     $ 10.94     $ 10.01     $ 9.19  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Offering price as percentage of pro forma equity per share

     81.83     91.41     99.90     108.81

Offering price as percentage of pro forma tangible stockholders’ equity per share

     81.83     91.41     99.90     108.81

Number of shares outstanding for pro forma book value per share calculations

     8,456,632       9,948,979       11,441,326       13,157,525  

(footnotes begin on following page)

 

41


Table of Contents
(1)

As adjusted to give effect to an increase in the number of shares, which increase could occur due to a 15% increase in the offering range to reflect demand for the shares or changes in market conditions following the commencement of the offering.

(2)

Assumes that 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering will be purchased by the employee stock ownership plan. For purposes of this table, the funds used to acquire these shares are assumed to have been borrowed by the employee stock ownership plan from Bogota Financial Corp. Bogota Savings Bank intends to make annual contributions to the employee stock ownership plan in an amount at least equal to the required principal and interest payments on the debt. Bogota Savings Bank’s total annual payments on the employee stock ownership plan debt are based upon 20 equal annual installments of principal and interest. Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718-40, “Compensation—Stock Compensation—Employee Stock Ownership Plans” (“ASC 718-40”) requires that an employer record compensation expense in an amount equal to the fair value of the shares committed to be released to employees. The pro forma adjustments assume that the employee stock ownership plan shares are allocated in equal annual installments based on the number of loan repayment installments assumed to be paid by Bogota Savings Bank, the fair value of the common stock remains equal to the subscription price and the employee stock ownership plan expense reflects an effective combined federal and state tax rate of 26.5%. The unallocated employee stock ownership plan shares are reflected as a reduction of stockholders’ equity. No reinvestment is assumed on proceeds contributed to fund the employee stock ownership plan. The pro forma net income further assumes that 8,287, 9,750, 11,212 and 12,894 shares were committed to be released during the period at the minimum, midpoint, maximum, and adjusted maximum of the offering range, respectively, and according to ASC 718-40, only the employee stock ownership plan shares committed to be released during the period are considered outstanding for purposes of net income per share calculations.

(3)

Assumes that one or more stock-based benefit plans purchase an aggregate number of shares of common stock equal to 1.96% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering. Stockholder approval of the plans and purchases by the plans may not occur earlier than six months after the completion of the offering. The shares may be acquired directly from Bogota Financial Corp. or through open market purchases. Shares in the stock-based benefit plans are assumed to vest over a period of five years. The funds to be used to purchase the shares will be provided by Bogota Financial Corp. The table assumes that (i) the stock-based benefit plans acquire the shares through open market purchases at $10.00 per share, (ii) 10.0% of the amount contributed to the plans is amortized as an expense during the six months ended June 30, 2019, and (iii) the plans’ expense reflects an effective combined federal and state tax rate of 26.5%. The issuance of authorized but unissued shares of common stock to fund these awards would dilute stockholders’ ownership and voting interests by approximately 1.9%.

(4)

Assumes that options are granted under one or more stock-based benefit plans to acquire an aggregate number of shares of common stock equal to 4.90% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering. Stockholder approval of the plans may not occur earlier than six months after the completion of the offering. In calculating the pro forma effect of the stock-based benefit plans, it is assumed that the exercise price of the stock options and the trading price of the common stock at the date of grant were $10.00 per share, the estimated grant-date fair value determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model was $2.57 for each option, the aggregate grant-date fair value of the stock options was amortized to expense on a straight-line basis over a five-year vesting period of the options, and that 25% of the amortization expense (or the assumed portion relating to options granted to directors) resulted in a tax benefit using an assumed tax rate of 26.5%. The actual expense will be determined by the grant-date fair value of the options, which will depend on a number of factors, including the valuation assumptions used and the option pricing model ultimately adopted. Under the above assumptions, the implementation of the stock-based benefit plans will result in no additional shares under the treasury stock method for purposes of calculating earnings per share. There can be no assurance that the actual exercise price of the stock options will be equal to the $10.00 price per share. If a portion of the shares used to satisfy the exercise of options comes from authorized but unissued shares, our net income per share and stockholders’ equity per share would decrease. The issuance of authorized but unissued shares of common stock pursuant to the exercise of options under such plan would dilute stockholders’ ownership and voting interests by approximately 4.7%.

(5)

Net income per share computations are determined by taking the number of shares assumed to be sold in the offering and contributed to the charitable foundation and, according to ASC 718-40, subtracting the employee stock ownership plan shares which have not been committed for release during the period. See footnote 1 above. The number of shares of common stock actually sold and the corresponding number of outstanding shares may be more or less than the assumed amounts.

(6)

Does not give effect to the non-recurring expense that will be recognized during fiscal 2019 as a result of the contribution to the charitable foundation. The following table shows the estimated after-tax expense associated with the contribution to the charitable foundation, as well as pro forma net income and pro forma net income per share assuming the contribution to the charitable foundation had been expensed during the six months ended June 30, 2019.

 

     For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2019
Based upon the Sale at $10.00 Per Share of:
 
   3,636,351
Shares
     4,278,060
Shares
     4,919,770
Shares
     5,657,735
Shares
 
     (In thousands, except per share amounts)  

After-tax expense of stock and cash contribution to charitable foundation

   $ 1,427      $ 1,646      $ 1,866      $ 2,118  

Pro forma net loss, adjusted for foundation contribution

     (549      (783      (1,017      (1,286

Pro forma net loss per share

     (0.07      (0.08      (0.09      (0.10

The pro forma data assume that we will realize 100% of the income tax benefit as a result of the contribution to the charitable foundation based on a 26.5% combined federal and state tax rate. The realization of the tax benefit is generally limited annually to 10% of our annual taxable income. However, for federal and state tax purposes, we can carry forward any unused portion of the deduction for five years following the year in which the contribution is made.

 

(7)

The retained earnings of Bogota Savings Bank will be substantially restricted after the offering. See “Our Dividend Policy,” and “Supervision and Regulation—New Jersey Banking Laws and Supervision—Dividends.”

 

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Table of Contents
     At or for the Year Ended December 31, 2018
Based upon the Sale at $10.00 Per Share of:
 
     3,636,351
Shares
     4,278,060
Shares
     4,919,770
Shares
     5,657,735
Shares (1)
 
     (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)  

Gross proceeds of stock offering

   $ 36,364      $ 42,781      $ 49,198      $ 56,577  

Plus: market value of shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC

     46,511        54,719        62,927        72,367  

Plus: market value of shares contributed to charitable foundation

     1,691        1,990        2,288        2,632  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma market capitalization

   $ 84,566      $ 99,490      $ 114,413      $ 131,575  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Gross proceeds of stock offering

   $ 36,364      $ 42,781      $ 49,198      $ 56,577  

Less: expenses

     (1,730      (1,789      (1,847      (1,914
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Estimated net proceeds

   $ 34,634      $ 40,992      $ 47,351      $ 54,663  

Less: Bogota Financial, MHC contribution

     (50      (50      (50      (50

Less: cash contribution to charitable foundation

     (250      (250      (250      (250

Less: common stock purchased by employee stock ownership plan

     (3,315      (3,900      (4,485      (5,158

Less: common stock purchased by stock-based benefit plans

     (1,658      (1,950      (2,243      (2,579
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Estimated net proceeds, as adjusted

   $ 29,362      $ 34,843      $ 40,324      $ 46,626  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

For the Year Ended December 31, 2018

           

Consolidated net earnings:

           

Historical

   $ 4,137      $ 4,137      $ 4,137      $ 4,137  

Pro forma income on net proceeds

     380        451        522        603  

Pro forma employee stock ownership plan adjustment (2)

     (122      (143      (165      (190

Pro forma stock award adjustment (3)

     (244      (287      (330      (379

Pro forma stock option plan adjustment (4)

     (199      (234      (269      (309
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma net income (5)(6)

   $ 3,952      $ 3,924      $ 3,895      $ 3,862  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Per share net income:

           

Historical

   $ 0.51      $ 0.43      $ 0.38      $ 0.33  

Pro forma income on net proceeds

     0.05        0.05        0.05        0.05  

Pro forma capitalization of Bogota Financial, MHC

     (0.01      (0.01      (0.01      (0.01

Pro forma employee stock ownership plan adjustment (2)

     (0.03      (0.03      (0.03      (0.03

Pro forma stock award adjustment (3)

     (0.02      (0.02      (0.02      (0.02
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma stock option plan adjustment (4)

   $ 0.50      $ 0.42      $ 0.37      $ 0.32  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma net income per share (5)(6)

           

Stock price as a multiple of pro forma earnings per share

     20.00      23.81      27.03      31.25

Shares used for calculating pro forma earnings per share

     8,141,707        9,578,479        11,015,251        12,667,539  

At December 31, 2018

           

Stockholders’ equity:

           

Historical

   $ 72,478      $ 72,478      $ 72,478      $ 72,478  

Estimated net proceeds

     34,634        40,992        47,351        54,663  

Less: capitalization of Bogota Financial, MHC

     (50      (50      (50      (50

Plus: market value of shares contributed to charitable foundation

     1,691        1,990        2,288        2,632  

Less: expense of contribution to charitable foundation

     (1,691      (1,990      (2,288      (2,632

Plus: tax benefit of contribution to charitable foundation

     514        594        673        764  

Less: cash contribution to charitable foundation

     (250      (250      (250      (250

Less: common stock acquired by employee stock ownership plan (2)

     (3,315      (3,900      (4,485      (5,158

Less: common stock acquired by stock-based benefit plans (3)

     (1,658      (1,950      (2,243      (2,579
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Pro forma stockholders’ equity (7)

   $ 102,355      $ 107,915      $ 113,475      $ 119,868  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Intangible assets

     —          —          —          —    

Pro forma tangible stockholders’ equity

   $ 102,355      $ 107,915      $ 113,475      $ 119,868  

Stockholders’ equity per share:

           

Historical

   $ 8.57      $ 7.28      $ 6.33      $ 5.51  

Estimated net proceeds

     4.10        4.12        4.14        4.15  

Less: capitalization of Bogota Financial, MHC

     (0.01      (0.01      —          —    

Plus: market value of shares contributed to charitable foundation

     0.20        0.20        0.20        0.20  

Less: expense of contribution to charitable foundation

     (0.20      0.20        0.20        (0.20

Less: cash contribution to charitable foundation

     (0.03      (0.03      (0.02      (0.02

Plus: tax benefit of contribution to charitable foundation

     0.06        0.06        0.06        0.06  

 

43


Table of Contents
     At or for the Year Ended December 31, 2018
Based upon the Sale at $10.00 Per Share of:
 
     3,636,351
Shares
    4,278,060
Shares
    4,919,770
Shares
    5,657,735
Shares (1)
 
     (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)  

Less: common stock acquired by employee stock ownership plan (2)

     (0.39     (0.39     (0.39     (0.39

Less: common stock acquired by stock-based benefit plans (3)

     (0.20     (0.20     (0.20     (0.20
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Pro forma stockholders’ equity per share (7)

   $ 12.10     $ 10.83     $ 9.92     $ 9.11  

Intangible assets

     —         —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Pro forma tangible stockholders’ equity per share

   $ 12.10     $ 10.83     $ 9.92     $ 9.11  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Offering price as percentage of pro forma stockholders’ equity per share

     82.64     92.34     100.81     109.77

Offering price as percentage of pro forma tangible stockholders’ equity per share

     82.64     92.34     100.81     109.77

Number of shares outstanding for pro forma book value per share calculations

     8,456,632       9,948,979       11,441,326       13,157,525  

(footnotes begin on following page)

 

44


Table of Contents
(1)

As adjusted to give effect to an increase in the number of shares, which increase could occur due to a 15% increase in the offering range to reflect demand for the shares or changes in market conditions following the commencement of the offering.

(2)

Assumes that 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering will be purchased by the employee stock ownership plan. For purposes of this table, the funds used to acquire these shares are assumed to have been borrowed by the employee stock ownership plan from Bogota Financial Corp. Bogota Savings Bank intends to make annual contributions to the employee stock ownership plan in an amount at least equal to the required principal and interest payments on the debt. Bogota Savings Bank’s total annual payments on the employee stock ownership plan debt are based upon 20 equal annual installments of principal and interest. ASC 718-40 requires that an employer record compensation expense in an amount equal to the fair value of the shares committed to be released to employees. The pro forma adjustments assume that the employee stock ownership plan shares are allocated in equal annual installments based on the number of loan repayment installments assumed to be paid by Bogota Savings Bank, the fair value of the common stock remains equal to the offering price and the employee stock ownership plan expense reflects an effective combined federal and state tax rate of 26.5%. The unallocated employee stock ownership plan shares are reflected as a reduction of stockholders’ equity. No reinvestment is assumed on proceeds contributed to fund the employee stock ownership plan. The pro forma net income further assumes that 16,575, 19,500, 22,425 and 25,789 shares were committed to be released during the year at the minimum, midpoint, maximum, and adjusted maximum of the offering range, respectively, and according to ASC 718-40, only the employee stock ownership plan shares committed to be released during the period were considered outstanding for purposes of net income per share calculations.

(3)

Assumes that one or more stock-based benefit plans purchase an aggregate number of shares of common stock equal to 1.96% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering. Stockholder approval of the plans and purchases by the plans may not occur earlier than six months after the completion of the offering. The shares may be acquired directly from Bogota Financial Corp. or through open market purchases. Shares in the stock-based benefit plans are assumed to vest over a period of five years. The funds to be used to purchase the shares will be provided by Bogota Financial Corp. The table assumes that (i) the stock-based benefit plans acquire the shares through open market purchases at $10.00 per share, (ii) 20% of the amount contributed to the plan is amortized as an expense during the year ended December 31, 2018, and (iii) the plans’ expense reflects an effective combined federal and state tax rate of 26.5%. The issuance of authorized but unissued shares of common stock to fund these awards would dilute stockholders’ ownership and voting interests by approximately 1.9%.

(4)

Assumes that options are granted under one or more stock-based benefit plans to acquire an aggregate number of shares of common stock equal to 4.90% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering. Stockholder approval of the plans may not occur earlier than six months after the completion of the offering. In calculating the pro forma effect of the stock-based benefit plans, it is assumed that the exercise price of the stock options and the trading price of the common stock at the date of grant were $10.00 per share, the estimated grant-date fair value determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model was $2.57 for each option, the aggregate grant-date fair value of the stock options was amortized to expense on a straight-line basis over a five-year vesting period of the options, and that 25% of the amortization expense (or the assumed portion relating to options granted to directors) resulted in a tax benefit using an assumed combined federal and state tax rate of 26.5%. The actual expense will be determined by the grant-date fair value of the options, which will depend on a number of factors, including the valuation assumptions used and the option pricing model ultimately adopted. Under the above assumptions, the implementation of the stock-based benefit plans will result in no additional shares under the treasury stock method for purposes of calculating earnings per share. There can be no assurance that the actual exercise price of the stock options will be equal to the $10.00 price per share. If a portion of the shares used to satisfy the exercise of options comes from authorized but unissued shares, our net income per share and stockholders’ equity per share would decrease. The issuance of authorized but unissued shares of common stock pursuant to the exercise of options under such plan would dilute stockholders’ ownership and voting interests by approximately 4.7%.

(5)

Net income per share computations are determined by taking the number of shares assumed to be sold in the offering and contributed to the charitable foundation and, according to ASC 718-40, subtracting the employee stock ownership plan shares which have not been committed for release during the year. See footnote 1 above. The number of shares of common stock actually sold and the corresponding number of outstanding shares may be more or less than the assumed amounts.

(6)

Does not give effect to the non-recurring expense that would be recognized during fiscal 2019 as a result of the contribution to the charitable foundation. The following table shows the estimated after-tax expense associated with the contribution to the charitable foundation, as well as pro forma net income and pro forma net income per share assuming the contribution to the charitable foundation had been expensed during the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

     For the Year Ended December 31, 2018 Based upon the Sale at $10.00 Per Share  of:  
   3,636,351
Shares
     4,278,060
Shares
     4,919,770
Shares
     5,657,735
Shares
 
     (In thousands, except per share amounts)  

After-tax expense of stock and cash contribution to charitable foundation

   $ 1,427      $ 1,646      $ 1,866      $ 2,118  

Pro forma net income, adjusted for foundation contribution

     2,525        2,278        2,029        1,744  

Pro forma net income per share

     0.31        0.24        0.18        0.14  

The pro forma data assume that we will realize 100% of the income tax benefit as a result of the contribution to the charitable foundation based on a combined federal and state tax rate of 26.5%. The realization of the tax benefit is generally limited annually to 10% of our annual taxable income. However, for federal and state tax purposes, we can carry forward any unused portion of the deduction for five years following the year in which the contribution is made.

 

(7)

The retained earnings of Bogota Savings Bank will be substantially restricted after the offering. See “Our Dividend Policy,” and “Supervision and Regulation—New Jersey Banking Laws and Supervision—Dividends.”

 

45


Table of Contents

COMPARISON OF VALUATION AND PRO FORMA INFORMATION

WITH AND WITHOUT THE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

As reflected in the table below, if the charitable foundation is not established and funded in connection with the reorganization and offering, RP Financial estimates that our pro forma valuation would be greater and, as a result, a greater number of shares of common stock would be issued in the offering. At the minimum, midpoint, maximum, and adjusted maximum of the valuation range, our pro forma valuation is $84.6 million, $99.5 million, $114.4 million and $131.6 million, respectively, with the charitable foundation, as compared to $86.7 million, $102.0 million, $117.3 million and $134.9 million, respectively, without the charitable foundation. There is no assurance that if the charitable foundation were not formed, the appraisal prepared at that time would conclude that our pro forma market value would be the same as that estimated in the table below. Any appraisal prepared at that time would be based on the facts and circumstances existing at that time, including, among other things, market and economic conditions.

For comparative purposes only, set forth below are certain pricing ratios, financial data and ratios at and for the six months ended June 30, 2019 at the minimum, midpoint, maximum, and adjusted maximum of the offering range, assuming the offering was completed at the beginning of the period, with and without the charitable foundation.

 

    Minimum of Offering Range     Midpoint of Offering Range     Maximum of Offering Range     Adjusted Maximum of
Offering Range
 
    With
Foundation
    Without
Foundation
    With
Foundation
    Without
Foundation
    With
Foundation
    Without
Foundation
    With
Foundation
    Without
Foundation
 
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)  

Estimated offering amount

  $ 36,364     $ 39,011     $ 42,781     $ 45,895     $ 49,198     $ 52,780     $ 56,577     $ 60,697  

Pro forma market capitalization

    84,566       86,691       99,490       101,990       114,413       117,288       131,575       134,882  

Total assets

    693,828       696,060       699,388       701,981       704,948       707,903       711,341       714,713  

Total liabilities

    590,462       590,462       590,462       590,462       590,462       590,462       590,462       590,462  

Pro forma stockholders’ equity

    103,366       105,598       108,926       111,519       114,486       117,441       120,879       124,251  

Pro forma net income (1)

    878       889       863       876       849       863       832       848  

Pro forma stockholders’ equity per share

    12.22       12.18       10.94       10.94       10.01       10.02       9.19       9.22  

Pro forma net income per share

    0.11       0.11       0.09       0.10       0.08       0.09       0.06       0.07  

Pro forma pricing ratios:

               

Offering price as a percentage of pro forma stockholders’ equity per share

    81.83     82.10     91.41     91.41     99.90     99.80     108.81     108.46

Offering price to pro forma net income per share

    45.45       45.45       55.56       50.00       62.50       55.56       83.33       71.43  

Pro forma financial ratios:

               

Return on assets (annualized)

    0.25     0.26     0.25     0.25     0.24     0.24     0.23     0.24

Return on equity (annualized)

    1.70     1.68     1.58     1.57     1.48     1.47     1.38     1.36

Equity to assets

    14.90     15.17     15.57     15.89     16.24     16.59     16.99     17.38

Total shares issued

    8,456,632       8,669,132       9,948,979       10,198,979       11,441,326       11,728,826       13,157,525       13,488,150  

(footnotes on following page)

 

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(1)

The following table shows the estimated after-tax expense associated with the contribution to the charitable foundation, as well as pro forma net income, pro forma net income per share, pro forma return on assets and pro forma return on stockholders’ equity assuming the contribution to the charitable foundation was expensed during the six months ended June 30, 2019.

 

     Minimum of
Offering Range
     Midpoint of
Offering Range
     Maximum of
Offering Range
     Adjusted
Maximum of
Offering Range
 
     (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)  

Before-tax expense of stock and cash  contribution to foundation

   $ 1,941      $ 2,240      $ 2,538      $ 2,882  

After-tax expense of stock and cash contribution  to foundation

     1,427        1,646        1,866        2,118  

Pro forma net income

     (549      (783      (1,017      (1,286

Pro forma net income per share

     (0.07      (0.08      (0.09      (0.10

Pro forma tax benefit

     514        594        673        764  

Offering price to pro forma net income per share

     45.45        55.56        62.50        83.33  

Pro forma return on assets (annualized)

     (0.16      (0.22      (0.29      (0.36

Pro forma return on equity (annualized)

     (1.06      (1.44      (1.78      (2.13

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This discussion and analysis reflects our consolidated financial statements and other relevant statistical data, and is intended to enhance your understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. The information in this section has been derived in part from the consolidated financial statements that appear beginning on page F-1 of this prospectus and other consolidated financial statements that are not included herein. Please read the information in this section in conjunction with the business and financial information regarding Bogota Savings Bank and the consolidated financial statements that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus.

Overview

Net Interest Income. Our primary source of income is net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between interest income, which is the income we earn on our loans and investments, and interest expense, which is the interest we pay on our deposits and borrowings.

Provision for Loan Losses. The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses. The allowance for loan losses is increased through charges to the provision for loan losses. Loans are charged against the allowance when management believes that the collectability of the principal loan amount is not probable. Recoveries on loans previously charged-off, if any, are credited to the allowance for loan losses when realized.

Non-interest Income. Our primary sources of non-interest income are banking fees and service charges, net gains in cash surrender value of bank-owned life insurance and miscellaneous income.

Non-Interest Expenses. Our non-interest expenses consist of salaries and employee benefits, net occupancy and equipment, data processing, federal deposit insurance premiums, advertising, directors fees, professional fees and other general and administrative expenses.

Salaries and employee benefits consist primarily of salaries and wages paid to our employees, payroll taxes, and expenses for worker’s compensation and disability insurance, health insurance, retirement plans and other employee benefits, as well as other incentives.

Occupancy and equipment expenses, which are the fixed and variable costs of buildings and equipment, consist primarily of depreciation charges, rental expenses, furniture and equipment expenses, maintenance, real estate taxes and costs of utilities. Depreciation of premises and equipment is computed using a straight-line method based on the estimated useful lives of the related assets or the expected lease terms, if shorter.

Federal deposit insurance premiums are payments we make to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for insurance of our deposit accounts.

Data processing expenses are fees we pay to third parties for use of their software and for processing customer information, deposits and loans.

Advertising includes most marketing expenses including multi-media advertising (public and in-store), promotional events and materials, civic and sales focused memberships, and community support.

Professional fees include legal, accounting, auditing, risk management and payroll processing expenses.

Directors fees consist of the fees we pay to our directors for their service on our board of directors, as well as the costs associated with the directors’ retirement plan.

Other expenses include expenses for office supplies, postage, telephone, insurance and other miscellaneous operating expenses.

 

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Income Tax Expense. Our income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax due or refundable and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.

Business Strategy

Our business strategy is to operate as a well-capitalized and profitable community bank dedicated to providing personal service to our individual and business customers. We believe that we have a competitive advantage in the markets we serve because of our 126-year history in the community, our knowledge of the local marketplace and our long-standing reputation for providing superior, relationship-based customer service. We believe we can distinguish ourselves by maintaining the culture of a local community bank. The following are the key elements of our business strategy:

Continue to focus on residential real estate lending. We have been, and will continue to be, primarily a one- to four-family residential real estate lender in our market area. As of June 30, 2019, $386.2 million, or 71.5% of our total loan portfolio, consisted of one- to four-family residential real estate loans. We expect that one- to four-family residential real estate lending will remain our primary lending activity.

Continue to emphasize commercial and multi-family real estate lending. We have increased our commercial real estate and multi-family loan portfolio to $120.8 million, or 22.4% of total loans, at June 30, 2019, from $68.4 million, or 15.8% of total loans, at December 31, 2014. We view the growth of commercial real estate and multi-family lending as a means of increasing our interest income and the yield on our loan portfolio, and reducing the average term to repricing of our loans. To accelerate this initiative and expand our commercial lending capacity, we are seeking to hire one or more additional lenders. We believe that local banking consolidation has created opportunities to attract talent with experience originating commercial real estate loans within our market area. Further, the additional capital raised in the offering will enable us to increase our commercial real estate and multi-family loan originations in our market area, and originate loans with larger balances that we intend to retain in our portfolio.

Increase lower-cost core deposits. We continue to emphasize offering core deposits (demand deposit accounts, savings accounts and money market accounts) to individuals, businesses and municipalities. We attract and retain transaction accounts by offering competitive products and rates and providing quality customer service. At June 30, 2019, core deposits comprised 19.4% of our total deposits. Core deposits are our least costly source of funds, which improves our interest rate spread and also contributes non-interest income from account related services.

Grow through opportunistic bank or branch acquisitions. We will consider both organic growth as well as acquisition opportunities that may enhance the value of our franchise and yield potential financial benefits for our stockholders. Although we believe opportunities exist to increase our market share in our market, we expect to continue to expand into contiguous markets. We will consider expanding our branch network and establishing a loan production office in central New Jersey. The capital we raise in the offering will also provide us the opportunity to acquire smaller institutions or fee-based businesses located in our market area. We do not currently have any agreements regarding any specific acquisition transaction.

Continue to emphasize operating efficiencies and cost controls. We are focused on controlling expenses while increasing our net income. We are disciplined in managing non-interest expenses by identifying cost savings opportunities such as renegotiating key third-party contracts and reducing other operating expenses. Our efficiency ratio was 78.64% (annualized) during the six months ended June 30, 2019, and 60.07% during the year ended December 31, 2018. While we expect our non-interest expenses to increase when we become a public company, we will continue to monitor and control expenses as we focus on growth. To support our growth in a cost-effective way, we plan to continue to invest prudently in technology to help improve our operational infrastructure.

Maintain disciplined underwriting. We emphasize a disciplined credit culture based on intimate knowledge of the market, close ties to our customers, sound underwriting standards and experienced loan officers.

 

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We are committed to actively monitoring and managing all segments of our loan portfolio in an effort to proactively identify and mitigate credit risks within the portfolio. At June 30, 2019, non-performing assets totaled $541,000, which represented 0.08% of total assets. At June 30, 2019, there were $519,000 of non-performing residential real estate loans and $22,000 of non-performing consumer loans.

Anticipated Increase in Non-Interest Expense

Following the completion of the reorganization and stock offering, our non-interest expenses are expected to increase because of the increased costs associated with operating as a public company, and the increased compensation expenses associated with the purchase of shares of common stock by our employee stock ownership plan and the possible implementation of one or more stock-based benefit plans, if approved by our stockholders, no earlier than six months after the completion of the reorganization and stock offering. For further information, see “Summary—Our Officers, Directors and Employees Will Receive Additional Benefits and Compensation After the Reorganization and Offering;” “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Offering—Our stock-based benefit plans will increase our costs, which will reduce our income;” and “Management—Benefits to be Considered Following Completion of the Stock Offering.”

Summary of Critical Accounting Policies

The discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations are based on our financial statements, which are prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of income and expenses. We consider the accounting policy discussed below to be a critical accounting policy, which is presented in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. The estimates and assumptions that we use are based on historical experience and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions, resulting in a change that could have a material impact on the carrying value of our assets and liabilities and our results of operations.

The JOBS Act, which was enacted in 2012, contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. As an “emerging growth company” we plan to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Accordingly, our financial statements may not be fully comparable to companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

The following represent our critical accounting policy:

Allowance for Loan Losses. The allowance for loan losses is the amount estimated by management as necessary to absorb credit losses incurred in the loan portfolio that are both probable and reasonably estimable at the relevant balance sheet date. The amount of the allowance is based on significant estimates, and the ultimate losses may vary from such estimates as more information becomes available or conditions change. The methodology for determining the allowance for loan losses is considered a critical accounting policy by management due to the high degree of judgment involved, the subjectivity of the assumptions used and the potential for changes in the economic environment that could result in changes to the amount of the recorded allowance for loan losses.

As a substantial percentage of our loan portfolio is collateralized by real estate, appraisals of the underlying value of property securing loans are critical in determining the amount of the allowance required for specific loans. Assumptions are instrumental in determining the value of properties. Overly optimistic assumptions or negative changes to assumptions could significantly affect the valuation of a property securing a loan and the related allowance. Management reviews the assumptions supporting such appraisals to determine that the resulting values reasonably reflect amounts realizable on the related loans.

Management performs an evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses at least quarterly. We consider a variety of factors in establishing this estimate including current economic conditions, delinquency statistics, geographic concentrations, the adequacy of the underlying collateral, the financial strength of the

 

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borrower, results of internal loan reviews and other relevant factors. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires material estimates by management that may be susceptible to significant change based on changes in economic and real estate market conditions.

The evaluation has specific and general components. The specific component relates to loans that are deemed to be impaired and classified as special mention, substandard, doubtful, or loss. For such loans that are also classified as impaired, an allowance is generally established when the collateral value of the impaired loan is lower than the carrying value of that loan. The general component covers non-classified loans and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for qualitative factors.

Actual loan losses may be significantly more than the allowance we have established which could have a material negative effect on our financial results. See Note 1 to the Notes to the consolidated financial statements for a complete discussion of the allowance for loan losses.

 

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Average Balances and Yields. The following tables set forth average balances, average yields and costs, and certain other information for the periods indicated. No tax-equivalent yield adjustments have been made, as the effects would be immaterial. All average balances are daily average balances. Non-accrual loans were included in the computation of average balances. The yields set forth below include the effect of deferred fees, discounts, and premiums that are amortized or accreted to interest income or interest expense, as applicable.

 

     At June 30,     Six Months Ended June 30,  
     2019     2019     2018  
     Yield/ Cost     Average
Balance
     Interest and
Dividends
     Yield/Cost(3)     Average
Balance
     Interest and
Dividends
     Yield/Cost(3)  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Assets:

                  

Cash and cash equivalents

     2.57   $ 23,652      $ 296        2.53   $ 26,613      $ 219        1.66

Loans

     3.80       530,798        10,011        3.78       509,452        9,601        3.78  

Securities

     2.66       77,198        1,008        2.61       82,480        929        2.25  

Other interest-earning assets

     —         4,604        148        6.44       4,619        174        7.53  
    

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total interest-earning assets

     3.60       636,252        11,463        3.61       623,164        10,922        3.52  

Non-interest-earning assets

       27,134             27,641        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Total assets

     $  663,386           $  650,805        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Liabilities and equity:

                  

NOW and money market accounts

     1.24     $ 71,456        480        1.35     $ 92,573        385        0.84  

Savings accounts

     0.25       30,586        40        0.26       35,618        45        0.25  

Certificates of deposit

     2.37       397,313        4,428        2.25       364,854        2,953        1.63  
    

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total interest-bearing deposits

     2.11       499,355        4,948        2.00       493,045        3,383        1.38  

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

     2.56       71,637        919        2.59       71,602        596        1.68  
    

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total interest-bearing liabilities

     2.17       570,992        5,867        2.07       564,647        3,979        1.42  

Non-interest-bearing deposits

       13,150             12,636        

Other non-interest-bearing liabilities

       6,285             3,878        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Total liabilities

       590,427             581,161        

Total equity

       72,959             69,444        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Total liabilities and equity

     $ 663,386           $ 650,805        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Net interest income

        $ 5,597           $ 6,944     
       

 

 

         

 

 

    

Interest rate spread (1)

             1.54           2.10
          

 

 

         

 

 

 

Net interest margin (2)

             1.76           2.23
          

 

 

         

 

 

 

Average interest-earning assets to average  interest-bearing liabilities

        $  65,260           $  58,517     
       

 

 

         

 

 

    

 

(1)

Interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities.

(2)

Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

(3)

Annualized.

 

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    Year Ended December 31,  
    2018     2017     2016  
    Average
Balance
    Interest and
Dividends
    Yield/Cost     Average
Balance
    Interest and
Dividends
    Yield/Cost     Average
Balance
    Interest and
Dividends
    Yield/Cost  
    (Dollars in thousands)  

Assets:

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 26,642     $ 500       1.88   $ 14,959     $ 167       1.12   $ 32,893     $ 228       0.70

Loans

    508,873       19,189       3.77       497,709       18,263       3.67       469,462       17,227       3.37  

Securities

    84,185       1,984       2.36       72,240       1,727       2.39       62,654       1,290       2.06  

Other interest-earning assets

    4,412       313       7.09       5,175       278       5.37       5,764       295       5.14  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Total interest-earning assets

    624,112     $  21,986       3.52       590,083     $  20,435       3.46       570,773     $  19,044       3.33  
   

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

   

Non-interest-earning assets

    36,108           33,801           25,909      
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Total assets

  $ 660,220         $ 623,884         $ 596,682      
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Liabilities and equity:

                 

NOW and money market accounts

  $ 88,919     $ 826       0.93     $  107,903     $ 875       0.81     $ 75,976     $ 485       0.64  

Savings accounts

    34,530       88       0.26       38,173       107       0.28       37,943       111       0.29  

Certificates of deposit

    372,908       6,537       1.75       309,172       4,263       1.38       307,900       4,079       1.32  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Total interest-bearing deposits

    496,357       7,450       1.50       455,248       5,245       1.15       421,819       4,673       1.10  

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

    67,512       1,307       1.94       81,733       1,280       1.57       96,156       1,400       1.45  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Total interest-bearing liabilities

    563,869       8,762       1.55       536,981       6,525       1.22       517,975       6,073       1.17  
   

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

   

Non-interest-bearing deposits

    12,721           11,633           11,449      

Other non-interest-bearing liabilities

    5,673           8,875           4,847      
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Total liabilities

    582,263           557,489           534,271      

Total equity

    70,477           66,395           62,411      
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Total liabilities and equity

  $  652,740         $ 623,884         $  596,682      
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Net interest income

    $ 13,228         $ 13,910         $ 12,971    
   

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

   

Interest rate spread (1)

        1.97         2.25         2.16
     

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

 

Net interest margin (2)

        2.12         2.36         2.27
     

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

 

Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities

    $ 60,243         $ 53,102       $ 52,798      
   

 

 

       

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

(1)

Interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities.

(2)

Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

 

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Rate/Volume Analysis

The following table presents the effects of changing rates and volumes on our net interest income for the periods indicated. The rate column shows the effects attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior volume). The volume column shows the effects attributable to changes in volume (changes in volume multiplied by prior rate). The total column represents the sum of the prior two columns. For purposes of this table, changes attributable to both rate and volume, which cannot be segregated, have been allocated proportionately based on the changes due to rate and the changes due to volume.

 

    Six Months Ended
June 30, 2019 Compared to
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2018
    Year Ended December 31,
2018 Compared to Year Ended

December 31, 2017
    Year Ended December 31,
2017 Compared to Year Ended

December 31, 2016
 
    Increase (Decrease) Due
to
          Increase (Decrease) Due
to
          Increase (Decrease) Due
to
       
    Volume     Rate     Net     Volume     Rate     Net     Volume     Rate     Net  
    (In thousands)  

Interest income:

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ (37   $ 115     $ 78     $ 220     $ 114     $ 334     $ (200   $ 138     $ (62

Loans receivable

    404       6       410       421       504       925       1,037       (1     1,036  

Securities

    (69     148       79       281       (24     257       229       207       436  

Other interest-earning assets

    (1     (25     (26     (54     89       35       (32     13       (19
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total interest-earning assets

    297       244       541       868       683       1,551       1,034       357       1,391  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Interest expense:

                 

NOW and money market accounts

    (143     238       95       (176     127       (49     259       131       390  

Savings accounts

    (7     1       (5     (9     (10     (19     1       (5     (4

Certificate of deposit

    365       1,110       1,475       1,118       1,160       2,278       18       166       184  

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

    —         323       323       —         27       27       —         (120     (120
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total interest-bearing liabilities

    215       1,673       1,888       933       1,304       2,237       278       172       452  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net interest income

  $ 85     $ (1,429   $ (1,347   $ (65   $ (621   $ (686   $ 756     $ 185     $ 939  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Comparison of Financial Condition at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018

Total Assets. Total assets decreased $1.1 million, or 0.2%, to $664.0 million at June 30, 2019 from $665.0 million at December 31, 2018. The decrease was primarily due to a $12.7 million, or 18.2%, decrease in securities held-to-maturity, partially offset by a $11.4 million, or 2.2%, increase in loans.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. Total cash and cash equivalents increased $621,000, or 2.5%, to $25.1 million at June 30, 2019 from $24.5 million at December 31, 2018. This increase resulted from proceeds from maturing securities.

Securities Available for Sale. Total securities available for sale decreased $261,000, or 1.9%, to $13.3 million at June 30, 2019 from $13.6 million. The decrease was due to a decrease of $535,000 in mortgage-backed securities, offset by an increase of $275,000 in corporate bonds.

Securities Held to Maturity. Total securities held to maturity decreased $12.7 million, or 18.2%, to $57.3 million at June 30, 2019 from $70.0 million at December 31, 2018, primarily due to maturity of securities. The decrease was primarily due to a $7.2 million decrease in U.S. government agency obligations, a $5.4 million decrease in municipal securities and a $1.3 million decrease in mortgage-backed securities, offset by a $1.4 million increase in corporate bonds.

Net Loans. Net loans increased $11.4 million, or 2.2%, to $538.1 million at June 30, 2019 from $526.7 million at December 31, 2018. The increase was due to a $9.9 million, or 2.6%, increase in one- to four-family residential mortgage loans to $386.2 million at June 30, 2019 from $376.3 million at December 31, 2018, and a $1.7 million, or 6.8%, increase in consumer loans to $27.2 million at June 30, 2019 from $25.5 million at December 31, 2018. The increase in one- to four-family residential real estate loans was due to the purchase of $12.9 million of such loans in the first six months of 2019. This was offset by a $2.4 million, or 2.0%, decrease in commercial real estate and multi-family loans, to $120.8 million at June 30, 2019 from $123.2 million at December 31, 2018. The decrease in commercial real estate and multi-family loans resulted from prepayments of multi-family and commercial real estate loans exceeding originations on new loans.

Deposits. Total deposits decreased $6.2 million, or 1.2%, to $504.1 million at June 30, 2019 from $510.3 million at December 31, 2018. The decrease in deposits reflected a decrease in NOW accounts of $19.6 million, or 46.1%, to $22.8 million at June 30, 2019 from $42.4 million at December 31, 2018, a $5.6 million, or 14.6%, decrease in money market accounts to $32.7 million at June 30, 2019 from $38.3 million at December 31, 2018 and a $2.8 million, or 8.9%, decrease in savings accounts to $28.7 million at June 30, 2019 from $31.5 million at December 31, 2018. This was offset by a $20.7 million, or 5.4%, increase in certificates of deposit from $385.6 million at December 31, 2018 to $406.3 million at June 30, 2019. The decrease in NOW accounts resulted from the withdrawal of a large deposit by a local municipality. The decrease in money market accounts and savings accounts reflected strong competition and pricing in the market. The increase in certificates of deposit reflected special promotions offered throughout the year to attract deposits plus an increase in municipal and brokered certificates of deposit, which were a more affordable funding alternative to Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings. At June 30, 2019, municipal deposits totaled $37.6 million, which represented 7.5% of total deposits, and brokered deposits totaled $51.0 million, which represented 10.1% of total deposits.

Borrowings. Federal Home Loan Bank of New York borrowings increased $3.7 million, or 5.0%, to $78.4 million at June 30, 2019 from $74.6 million at December 31, 2018, as we used borrowings to fund loan growth.

Total Equity. Total equity increased $1.0 million, or 1.4%, to $73.5 million at June 30, 2019 from $72.5 million at December 31, 2018. The increase was primarily due to net income of $970,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2019.

Comparison of Operating Results for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and 2018

General. Net income decreased by $1.4 million, or 58.7%, to $970,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $2.3 million the six months ended June 30, 2018. The decrease was primarily due to a $1.3 million decrease in net interest income and a $496,000 increase in non-interest expenses, offset by a $515,000 decrease in income tax expense.

 

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Interest Income. Interest income increased $541,000, or 5.0%, to $11.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $10.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 primarily due to increases in interest income on loans. The increase reflected a $21.3 million increase in the average balance of loans and a nine basis points increase in the average yield on interest-earning assets to 3.61% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from 3.52% for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

Interest income on loans increased $410,000, or 4.3%, to $10.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $9.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. Interest income on loans increased due to a $21.3 million increase in the average balance of loans to $530.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $509.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The increase in the average balance of loans reflected our continued efforts to increase our loan originations and loan purchases.

Interest Expense. Interest expense increased $1.9 million, or 47.5%, to $5.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $4.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The increase primarily reflected a 65 basis point increase in the average cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 2.07% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from 1.42% for the six months ended June 30, 2018, as well as a $6.3 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities.

Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits increased $1.6 million, or 46.3%, to $4.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $3.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. This increase was due primarily to a 62 basis point increase in the average cost of interest-bearing deposits to 2.00% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from 1.38% for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and a $6.3 million increase in the average balance of deposits to $499.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $493.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The increase in the average cost of deposits was due to the rising interest rate environment, a higher percentage of certificates of deposit relative to total deposits and increased competition from other financial service providers operating in our market. The increase in the average balance of deposits was due to the increase in the average balance of certificates of deposit.

Interest expense on Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings increased $323,000, or 54.2%, from $596,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 to $919,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2019. Interest expense on Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings increased due to a 91 basis point increase in the average cost of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings from 1.68% for the six months ended June 30, 2018 to 2.59% for the six months ended June 30, 2019. The increase in the average cost of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings also reflected the rising interest rate environment during the period.

Net Interest Income. Net interest income decreased $1.3 million, or 19.4%, to $5.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $6.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The decrease reflected a 56 basis point decrease in our net interest rate spread to 1.54% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from 2.10% for the six months ended June 30, 2018. Our net interest margin decreased 11 basis points to 2.12% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from 2.23% for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

Provision for Loan Losses. We did not record a provision for loan losses for either the six months ended June 30, 2019 or 2018, as a result of the low and decreasing level of delinquent and non-accrual loans in the portfolio, as well as the absence of any change-offs. Non-performing assets decreased to $541,000, or 0.08% of total assets, at June 30, 2019. We recorded no net charge-offs for the six months ended June 30, 2019 or 2018. The allowance for loan losses was $2.0 million, or 0.38% of net loans outstanding, at June 30, 2019.

Non-Interest Income. Non-interest income decreased $51,000, or 15.4%, to $280,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $330,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 due to a $28,000 decrease in bank-owned life insurance and a $17,000 decrease in bank fees and service charges. The decrease in bank-owned life insurance was due to changes to contractual yields. Bank fees and service charges decreased in 2019 primarily due to a decrease in late charges.

Non-Interest Expense. Non-interest expense increased $497,000, or 12.0%, to $4.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $4.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The increase was primarily the result of a $103,000 increase in salaries and employee benefits expense and a $298,000 increase in data processing costs. Salaries and employee benefit expense increased during 2019 due to annual salary increases and

 

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an increase in the number of employees. Data processing costs increased during 2019 due to termination costs associated with our data processing conversion.

Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense decreased $515,000, or 64.4% to $285,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2019 from $800,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The decrease was due primarily to a $1.9 million decrease in pre-tax income and a decrease in the effective tax rate. The effective tax rate for 2019 was 22.72% compared to 25.16% for 2018.

Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017

Total Assets. Total assets increased $23.9 million, or 3.7%, to $665.0 million at December 31, 2018 from $641.1 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was primarily due to increases of $13.1 million, or 2.5%, in loans, $8.1 million, or 10.7%, in securities and $2.0 million, or 8.7%, in cash and cash equivalents.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. Total cash and cash equivalents increased $2.0 million, or 8.7%, to $24.5 million at December 31, 2018 from $22.8 million at December 31, 2017. This increase resulted from growth in deposits, which exceeded our funding needs for new lending.

Securities Available for Sale. Total securities available for sale increased $1.8 million, or 15.2%, to $13.6 million at December 31, 2018 from $11.8 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $4.0 million in corporate bonds, offset by a decrease of $2.2 million in mortgage-backed securities.

Securities Held to Maturity. Total securities held to maturity increased $6.3 million, or 9.9%, to $70.0 million at December 31, 2018 from $63.8 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was primarily due to a $5.2 million increase in U.S. government agency obligations, a $3.1 million increase in municipal securities and a $998,000 increase in corporate bonds, offset by a $3.1 million decrease in mortgage-backed securities.

Net Loans. Net loans increased $13.1 million, or 2.5%, to $526.7 million at December 31, 2018 from $513.6 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was due to a $16.4 million, or 4.6%, increase in one- to four-family residential mortgage loans to $376.3 million at December 31, 2018 from $359.9 million at December 31, 2017, offset by a decrease in commercial real estate and multi-family loans of $2.1 million, or 1.7%, to $123.2 million at December 31, 2018 from $125.3 million at December 31, 2017 and a $1.7 million, or 5.8%, decrease in consumer loans, to $25.5 million at December 31, 2018 from $27.1 million at December 31, 2017. The increase in one- to four-family residential mortgage loans resulted primarily from our purchase of $25.8 million of such loans during the year. The decrease in commercial real estate and multi-family loans reflected the prepayment of two loans totaling $13.0 million in the first quarter of 2018.

Deposits. Total deposits increased $33.8 million, or 7.1%, to $510.3 million at December 31, 2018 from $476.5 million at December 31, 2017. The increase in deposits resulted from an increase in certificates of deposit of $58.0 million, or 17.1%, to $385.6 million at December 31, 2018 from $327.6 million at December 31, 2017 and an increase in NOW accounts of $5.3 million, or 14.1%, to $42.4 million at December 31, 2018 from $37.0 million at December 31, 2017. These increases were offset by a $24.2 million, or 38.7%, decrease in money market accounts to $38.3 million at December 31, 2018 from $62.5 million at December 31, 2017 and a $5.8 million, or 15.5%, decrease in savings accounts to $31.5 million at December 31, 2018 from $37.3 million at December 31, 2017. The increase in certificates of deposit reflected special promotions we offered throughout the year plus an increase in municipal and brokered deposits, which were lower-cost funding alternative to Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings. The decrease in money market accounts reflected strong pricing competition and pricing in the market.

Borrowings. Federal Home Loan Bank of New York borrowings decreased $14.6 million, or 16.4%, to $74.6 million at December 31, 2018 from $89.2 million at December 31, 2017, as we repaid borrowings with funds generated from lower-cost deposits.

Total Equity. Total equity increased $4.2 million, or 6.1%, to $72.5 million at December 31, 2018 from $68.3 million at December 31, 2017. The increase was primarily due to net income of $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

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Comparison of Operating Results for the Years Ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017

General. Net income increased by $235,000, or 6.0%, to $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $3.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase was primarily due to a $1.2 million decrease in income tax expense, which was offset by a $681,000 decrease in net interest income and a $422,000 increase in non-interest expenses.

Interest Income. Interest income increased $1.6 million, or 7.6%, to $22.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, from $20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, primarily due to increases in interest income on loans, cash and cash equivalents and securities. The increase reflected a $34.0 million increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets and a six basis points increase in the average yield on interest-earning assets to 3.52% for the year ended December 31, 2018, from 3.46% for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Interest income on loans increased $926,000, or 5.1%, to $19.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $18.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. Interest income on loans increased due to a $11.2 million increase in the average balance of loans to $508.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $497.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and a ten basis points increase in the average yield on loans to 3.77% for the year ended December 31, 2018 from 3.67% for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in average balance of loans was due to our continued demand for new loans and our effort to increase our loan portfolio, while the increase in the average yield on loans was due primarily to originating new loans in a rising interest rate environment.    

Interest income on cash and cash equivalents increased $334,000, or 200.0%, to $501,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $167,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017. This increase was due to a $11.7 million increase in the average balance of cash and cash equivalents to $26.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $15.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and a 76 basis points increase in the average yield to 1.88% for the year ended December 31, 2018, from 1.12% for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in average balance was due to deposit growth exceeding our loan growth, while the increase in the average yield reflected the rising interest rate environment.

Interest income on securities increased $257,000, or 14.5%, to $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. Interest income on securities increased due to a $11.9 million increase in the average balance of securities to $84.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $72.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was offset by a three basis points decrease in the average yield on securities to 2.36% for the year ended December 31, 2018 from 2.39% for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in the average balance of securities was primarily due to our purchase of additional securities with excess deposits.

Interest Expense. Interest expense increased $2.2 million, or 34.2%, to $8.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, primarily due to the increase in interest expense on deposits. The increase primarily reflected a 33 basis point increase in the average cost of interest-bearing liabilities in a rising interest rate environment to 1.55% for the year ended December 31, 2018 from 1.22% for the year ended December 31, 2017, as well as a $26.9 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities.

Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits increased $2.2 million, or 42.0%, to $7.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. Interest expense on interest-bearing deposits increased primarily due to a 35 basis point increase in the average cost of interest-bearing deposits to 1.50% for the year ended December 31, 2018 from 1.15% for the prior year, and a $41.1 million increase in the average balance of deposits to $496.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $455.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in the average cost of deposits was due to the rising interest rate environment, a higher percentage of our deposits consisting of certificates of deposit and continued competition for deposits from other financial service providers operating in our market. The increase in the average balance of deposits was due to an increase in the average balance of certificates of deposit.

Net Interest Income. Net interest income decreased $681,000, or 4.9%, to $13.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $13.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease resulted from a 28

 

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basis points decrease in our net interest rate spread to 1.97% for the year ended December 31, 2018 from 2.25% for the year ended December 31, 2017, and a 21 basis points decrease in our net interest margin to 2.15% for the year ended December 31, 2018 from 2.36% for the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease was offset by a greater increase in the average balance of our interest earning assets, compared to our interest bearing liabilities.

Provision for Loan Losses. We did not record a provision for loan losses for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to a provision for loan losses of $100,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017. The absence of a provision for 2018 reflected the low and decreasing level of delinquent and non-accrual loans in our portfolio, as a well as the absence of any change-offs during 2018. Non-performing loans decreased to $981,000, or 0.15% of total assets, at December 31, 2018, compared to $3.6 million, or 0.56% of total assets, at December 31, 2017. We recorded no net charge-offs for 2018 and 2017. The allowance for loan losses was $2.0 million, or 0.37% of net loans outstanding, at December 31, 2018 and $2.0 million, or 0.37% of net loans outstanding, at December 31, 2017.

Non-Interest Income. Non-interest income decreased $1,000 to $614,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $615,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017, primarily due to a $23,000 increase in fees and service charges that were offset by a $23,000 decrease in bank-owned life insurance. Bank fees and service charges increased in 2018 due to an increase in late charges. The decrease in bank-owned life insurance was due to changes to contractual yields.

Non-Interest Expense. Non-interest expense increased $422,000, or 5.4%, to $8.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $7.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The $958,000 increase resulted primarily from a $227,000 increase in salaries and employee benefits expense and a $210,000 increase in data processing costs. Salaries and employee benefits expense increased during 2018 due to annual salary increases and an increase in the number of our employees. Data processing costs increased during 2018 due to termination costs associated with our data processing conversion.

Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense decreased $1.2 million, or 47.1%, to $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $2.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease was due primarily to a $1.0 million decrease in pre-tax income and a reduction of the top corporate federal income tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018, resulting from the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017. As a result, the effective tax rate for 2018 was 25.16% compared to 40.26% for 2017.

Management of Market Risk

General. The majority of our assets and liabilities are monetary in nature. Consequently, our most significant form of market risk is interest rate risk. Our assets, consisting primarily of loans, have longer maturities than our liabilities, consisting primarily of deposits. As a result, a principal part of our business strategy is to manage our exposure to changes in market interest rates. Accordingly, our board of directors has established an Asset/Liability Management Committee (the “ALCO”), which is comprised of three members of executive management and two independent directors, which takes responsibility for overseeing the asset/liability management process and related procedures. The ALCO meets on at least a quarterly basis and reviews asset/liability strategies, liquidity positions, alternative funding sources, interest rate risk measurement reports, capital levels and economic trends at both national and local levels. Our interest rate risk position is also monitored quarterly by the board of directors.

We manage our interest rate risk to minimize the exposure of our earnings and capital to changes in market interest rates. We have implemented the following strategies to manage our interest rate risk: originating loans with adjustable interest rates; promoting core deposit products; monitoring the length of our borrowings with the Federal Home Loan Bank and brokered deposits depending on the interest rate environment; maintaining a portion of our investments as available-for-sale; diversifying our loan portfolio; and strengthening our capital position. By following these strategies, we believe that we are better positioned to react to changes in market interest rates.

Net Portfolio Value Simulation.    We analyze our sensitivity to changes in interest rates through a net portfolio value of equity (“NPV”) model. NPV represents the present value of the expected cash flows from our assets less the present value of the expected cash flows arising from our liabilities adjusted for the value of off-balance sheet contracts. The NPV ratio represents the dollar amount of our NPV divided by the present value of our total assets for a given interest rate scenario. NPV attempts to quantify our economic value using a discounted cash

 

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flow methodology while the NPV ratio reflects that value as a form of capital ratio. We estimate what our NPV would be at a specific date. We then calculate what the NPV would be at the same date throughout a series of interest rate scenarios representing immediate and permanent, parallel shifts in the yield curve. We currently calculate NPV under the assumptions that interest rates increase 100, 200, 300 and 400 basis points from current market rates and that interest rates decrease 100 points from current market rates.

The following table presents the estimated changes in our net portfolio value that would result from changes in market interest rates as June 30, 2019. All estimated changes presented in the table are within the policy limits approved by the board of directors.

 

     NPV        NPV as Percent of Portfolio
Value of Assets
 
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Basis Point (“bp”) Change in

Interest Rates

   Dollar
Amount
       Dollar
Change
       Percent
Change
       NPV
Ratio
       Change  

400 bp

   $ 36,884        $ (39,585)          (51.77 )%         6.29        (45.40 )% 

300 bp

     47,743          (28,727        (37.57        7.90          (31.42

200 bp

     58,910          (17,559        (22.96        9.44          (18.06

100 bp

     68,863          (7,606        (9.95        10.69          (7.20

0

     76,469          —            —            11.52          —    

(100) bp

     82,908          6,439          8.42          12.16          5.56  

(200) bp

     94,425          17,956          23.48          13.50          11.02  

Certain shortcomings are inherent in the methodologies used in the above interest rate risk measurements. Modeling changes require making certain assumptions that may or may not reflect the manner in which actual yields and costs respond to changes in market interest rates. The above table assumes that the composition of our interest-sensitive assets and liabilities existing at the date indicated remains constant uniformly across the yield curve regardless of the duration or repricing of specific assets and liabilities. Accordingly, although the table provides an indication of our interest rate risk exposure at a particular point in time, such measurements are not intended to and do not provide a precise forecast of the effect of changes in market interest rates on our NPV and will differ from actual results.

Net Interest Income Analysis. We also use income simulation to measure interest-rate risk inherent in our balance sheet at a given point in time by showing the effect on net interest income, over specified time frames and using different interest rate shocks and ramps. The assumptions include management’s best assessment of the effect of changing interest rates on the prepayment speeds of certain assets and liabilities, projections for account balances in each of the product lines offered and the historical behavior of deposit rates and balances in relation to changes in interest rates. These assumptions are inherently changeable, and as a result, the model is not expected to precisely measure net interest income or precisely predict the impact of fluctuations in interest rates on net interest income. Actual results will differ from the simulated results due to timing, magnitude, and frequency of interest rate changes as well as changes in the balance sheet composition and market conditions. Assumptions are supported with quarterly back testing of the model to actual market rate shifts.

As of June 30, 2019, net interest income simulation results indicated that its exposure over one year to changing interest rates was within our guidelines. The following table presents the estimated impact of interest rate changes on our estimated net interest income over one year:

 

Changes in Interest Rates

(basis points)(1)

     Change in Net Interest Income
Year One
(% change from year one base)
 

400

       (25.20 )% 

300

       (18.61

200

       (12.00

100

       (5.71

    0

       —    

(100)

       2.23  

(200)

       3.20  

 

(1)

The calculated change in net interest income assumes an instantaneous parallel shift of the yield curve.

 

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The preceding simulation analyses do not represent a forecast of actual results and should not be relied upon as being indicative of expected operating results. These hypothetical estimates are based upon numerous assumptions, which are subject to change, including: the nature and timing of interest rate levels including the yield curve shape, prepayments on loans and securities, deposit decay rates, pricing decisions on loans and deposits, reinvestment/replacement of asset and liability cash flows, and others. Also, as market conditions vary, prepayment/refinancing levels, the varying impact of interest rate changes on caps and floors embedded in adjustable-rate loans, early withdrawal of deposits, changes in product preferences, and other internal/external variables will likely deviate from those assumed.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity. Liquidity describes our ability to meet the financial obligations that arise in the ordinary course of business. Liquidity is primarily needed to meet the borrowing and deposit withdrawal requirements of our customers and to fund current and planned expenditures. Our primary sources of funds are deposits, principal and interest payments on loans and securities, and proceeds from calls, maturities and sales of securities. We also have the ability to borrow from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. At June 30, 2019, we had the ability to borrow up to $182.5 million, of which $77.7 million was outstanding and $1.5 million was utilized as collateral for letters of credit issued to secure municipal deposits. At June 30, 2019, we had $46.0 million in unsecured lines of credit with four correspondent banks with an outstanding balance of $630,000.

The board of directors is responsible for establishing and monitoring our liquidity targets and strategies in order to ensure that sufficient liquidity exists for meeting the borrowing needs and deposit withdrawals of our customers as well as unanticipated contingencies. We believe that we had enough sources of liquidity to satisfy our short- and long-term liquidity needs as of June 30, 2019.

While maturities and scheduled amortization of loans and securities are predictable sources of funds, deposit flows and loan prepayments are greatly influenced by market interest rates, economic conditions, and competition. Our most liquid assets are cash and cash equivalents. The levels of these assets are dependent on our operating, financing, lending and investing activities during any period. At June 30, 2019, cash and cash equivalents totaled $25.1 million. Securities classified as available-for-sale, which provide additional sources of liquidity, totaled $13.3 million at June 30, 2019.

We are committed to maintaining a strong liquidity position. We monitor our liquidity position on a daily basis. We anticipate that we will have sufficient funds to meet our current funding commitments. Certificates of deposit due within one year of June 30, 2019 totaled $292.6 million, or 58.0%, of total deposits. If these deposits do not remain with us, we will be required to seek other sources of funds, including other deposits and Federal Home Loan Bank of New York advances. Depending on market conditions, we may be required to pay higher rates on such deposits or borrowings than we currently pay. We believe, however, based on past experience that a significant portion of such deposits will remain with us. We have the ability to attract and retain deposits by adjusting the interest rates offered.

Capital Resources. We are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. At June 30, 2019, we exceeded all applicable regulatory capital requirements, and were considered “well capitalized” under regulatory guidelines. See “Historical and Pro Forma Regulatory Capital Compliance” and Note 10 in the Notes to the consolidated financial statements.

The net offering proceeds will significantly increase our liquidity and capital resources. Over time, the initial level of liquidity will be reduced as net offering proceeds are used for general corporate purposes, including funding loans. Our financial condition and results of operations will be enhanced by the net offering proceeds, resulting in increased net interest-earning assets and net interest income. However, due to the increase in equity resulting from the net offering proceeds, as well as other factors associated with the offering, our return on equity will be lower immediately following the offering. See “Risk Factors—Our return on equity may be low following the offering and this could negatively affect the trading price of our shares of common stock.”

 

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Contractual Obligations

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. We are a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of our customers. The financial instruments include commitments to originate loans, unused lines of credit and standby letters of credit, which involve elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheets. Our exposure to credit loss is represented by the contractual amount of the instruments. We use the same credit policies in making commitments as we do for on-balance sheet instruments.

At June 30, 2019, we had $13.9 million of commitments to originate loans, comprised of $5.8 million of commitments under commercial loans and lines of credit (including $2.2 million of unadvanced portions of commercial construction loans), $39.3 million of commitments under home equity loans and lines of credit and $152,000 of unfunded commitments under consumer lines of credit. In addition, at June 30, 2019, we had $50,000 in standby letters of credit outstanding. See Note 11 in the Notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information.

Contractual Obligations. In the ordinary course of our operations, we enter into certain contractual obligations. Such obligations include data processing services, operating leases for premises and equipment, agreements with respect to borrowed funds and deposit liabilities.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Please refer to Note 1 in the Notes to the consolidated financial statements that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus for a description of recent accounting pronouncements that may affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices

The financial statements and related data presented herein have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires the measurement of financial position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without considering changes in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation. The primary impact of inflation on our operations is reflected in increased operating costs. Unlike most industrial companies, virtually all of the assets and liabilities of a financial institution are monetary in nature. As a result, market interest rates generally have a more significant impact on a financial institution’s performance than inflation. Interest rates do not necessarily move in the same direction or to the same extent as the prices of goods and services.

BUSINESS OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL, MHC

Bogota Financial, MHC will be formed as a New Jersey-chartered mutual holding company in connection with the reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form of organization. As a mutual holding company, Bogota Financial, MHC will be a non-stock company. Bogota Financial, MHC’s principal assets will be the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. it receives in the reorganization and offering and $50,000 in cash for its initial capitalization. It is expected that initially the only business activity of Bogota Financial, MHC will be to own a majority of Bogota Financial Corp.’s common stock. Bogota Financial, MHC will be authorized, however, to engage in any other business activities that are permissible for mutual holding companies under New Jersey law, including investing in loans and securities. Bogota Financial, MHC will be subject to comprehensive regulation and examination by the NJDBI and the Federal Reserve Board.

BUSINESS OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

Bogota Financial Corp. is a Maryland corporation that was formed in September 2019 and has not engaged in any business to date, other than organizational activities. Upon completion of the reorganization and offering, Bogota Financial Corp. will own all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Bogota Savings Bank. Bogota Financial Corp. intends to contribute at least 50% of the net offering proceeds to Bogota Savings Bank and retain the remainder of the net offering proceeds. Bogota Financial Corp. intends to use and invest those retained proceeds as discussed under “How We Intend to Use the Proceeds from the Offering.” Bogota Financial Corp.’s executive offices are located at 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666, and its telephone number is (201) 862-0660.

 

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After the reorganization and the offering are completed, Bogota Financial Corp., as the holding company of Bogota Savings Bank, will be authorized to pursue other business activities permitted by applicable laws and regulations, which may include the acquisition of banking and financial services companies. We currently have no agreements to acquire other financial institutions or financial services companies, although we may determine to do so in the future.

Following the reorganization and offering, our cash flows will depend on earnings from the investment of the net offering proceeds and from any dividends we receive from Bogota Savings Bank. Bogota Savings Bank is subject to regulatory limitations on the amount of dividends that it may pay. Initially, Bogota Financial Corp. will not own or lease any property, but instead will pay a fee to Bogota Savings Bank for the use of its premises, furniture and equipment. We intend to employ as officers of Bogota Financial Corp. only persons who are officers of Bogota Savings Bank. However, we will use the support staff of Bogota Savings Bank from time to time. We will pay a fee to Bogota Savings Bank for the time devoted to Bogota Financial Corp. by employees of Bogota Savings Bank; however, these individuals will not be separately compensated by Bogota Financial Corp. Bogota Financial Corp. may hire additional employees, as appropriate, to the extent it expands its business in the future.

BUSINESS OF BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

General

Founded in 1893, Bogota Savings Bank is a New Jersey-chartered savings bank that operates two retail banking offices in Teaneck and Bogota, New Jersey. Bergen County and the surrounding areas are our primary market area for our business operations. We attract deposits from the general public and municipalities and use those funds along with advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and funds generated from operations to originate one- to four-family residential real estate loans and commercial real estate and multi-family loans and, to a lesser extent, consumer loans, commercial and industrial loans and construction loans. We also invest in securities, which have historically consisted primarily of U.S. Government and agency obligations, municipal obligations, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities. We offer a variety of deposit accounts, including demand accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and certificate of deposit accounts.

At June 30, 2019, we had consolidated total assets of $664.0 million, total deposits of $504.1 million and total equity of $73.5 million. Bogota Savings Bank is subject to comprehensive regulation and examination by the NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Our website address is www.bogotasavingsbank.com. Information on this website is not and should not be considered a part of this prospectus.

Market Area

Our branches, including our corporate office, are located in Bergen County, although we consider our lending area to generally encompass Bergen, Monmouth and Ocean Counties in New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Bergen County ranks as the most populous county in New Jersey (out of 21 counties) with a population of approximately 950,000 compared to an estimated population of 630,000 for Monmouth County, 577,000 for Ocean County and 9.0 million for the entire state. The economy in our primary market area has benefited from being varied and diverse, with a broad economic base. Bergen County has a median household income of approximately $101,000, Monmouth County has a median household income of approximately $98,000 and Ocean County has a median household income of $68,000. The median household income for New Jersey is approximately $83,000 and the median household income is approximately $63,000 for the United States. As of June 2019, the unemployment rate was 2.5% for Bergen County, 2.6% for Monmouth County and 3.0% for Ocean County, compared to 3.0% for New Jersey and a national rate of 3.8%.

We believe that we have developed products and services that will meet the financial needs of our current and future customer base; however, we plan, and believe it is necessary, to expand the range of products and services that we offer to be more competitive in our market area. Our marketing strategies focus on the strength of our knowledge of local consumer and small business markets, as well as expanding relationships with current customers and reaching out to develop new, profitable business relationships.

 

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Competition

We face significant competition for deposits and loans. Our most direct competition for deposits has come historically from the numerous financial institutions operating in our market area (including other community banks and credit unions), many of which are significantly larger than we are and have greater resources. We also face competition for investors’ funds from other sources such as brokerage firms, money market funds and mutual funds, as well as from securities offered by the Federal Government, such as Treasury bills. Based on FDIC data at June 30, 2018 (the latest date for which information is available), we had 0.95% of the FDIC-insured deposit market share in Bergen County, which was the 19th largest market share among the 50 institutions with offices in the county. Money center banks, such as Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citi, and large regional banks, such as TD Bank, M&T Bank and PNC Bank, have a significant presence in Bergen County.

Our competition for loans comes primarily from the competitors referenced above and from other financial service providers, such as mortgage companies and mortgage brokers. Competition for loans also comes from the increasing number of non-depository financial service companies participating in the mortgage market, such as insurance companies, securities firms, financial technology companies, specialty finance firms and technology companies.

We expect competition to remain intense in the future as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and the continuing trend toward consolidation of the financial services industry. Technological advances, for example, have lowered barriers to entry, allowed banks to expand their geographic reach by providing services over the internet and made it possible for non-depository institutions, including financial technology companies, to offer products and services that traditionally have been provided by banks. Competition for deposits and the origination of loans could limit our growth in the future.

Lending Activities

Historically, our lending activities have emphasized one- to four-family residential real estate loans, and such loans continue to comprise the largest portion of our loan portfolio. Other areas of lending include commercial real estate and multi-family loans and, to a much lesser extent, consumer loans, consisting primarily of home equity loans and lines of credit, commercial and industrial loans and construction loans. Subject to market conditions and our asset-liability analysis, we expect to continue to focus on commercial real estate and multi-family lending as part of our effort to diversify the loan portfolio and increase the overall yield earned on our loans. We compete for loans by offering high quality personalized service, providing convenience and flexibility, providing timely responses on loan applications, and by offering competitive pricing.

 

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Loan Portfolio Composition. The following table sets forth the composition of our loan portfolio by type of loan at the dates indicated.

 

     At June 30,     At December 31,  
     2019     2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  
     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Real Estate Loans:

                              

Residential

   $ 386,212        71.51     $ 376,304        71.18   $  359,925        69.81   $  329,463        67.17   $  335,172        73.12   $  336,740        77.66

Commercial and multi-family

     120,810        22.37       123,221        23.31       125,339        24.31       130,541        29.62       91,866        20.04       68,352        15.76  

Construction

     3,277        0.61       2,339        0.44       3,204        0.62       1,963        0.40       1,080        0.24       —          —    

Commercial and Industrial

     2,526        0.47       1,267        0.24       —          —         —          —         —          —         —          —    

Consumer:

                              

Home Equity and other

     27,243        5.04       25,515        4.83       27,098        5.26       28,496        5.81       30,272        6.60       28,510        6.58  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total loans receivable

   $ 540,068        100.00   $ 528,646        100.00   $ 515,566        100.00   $ 490,463        100.00   $ 458,390        100.00   $ 433,602        100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Represents amounts disbursed at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. The undrawn amounts of construction loans totaled $2.9 million, $3.6 million, $337,000, $387,000, $837,000 and $874,000 at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

 

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Contractual Maturities. The following tables set forth the contractual maturities of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2018. Demand loans, loans having no stated repayment schedule or maturity, and overdraft loans are reported as being due in one year or less. The table presents contractual maturities and does not reflect repricing or the effect of prepayments. Actual maturities may differ.

 

     At December 31, 2018  
     Residential
Real

Estate
Loans
     Commercial
and Multi-
Family Real
Estate

Loans
     Commercial
and
Industrial
Loans
     Construction
Loans
     Consumer
Loans
     Total Loans  
     (In thousands)  

Amounts due in:

                 

One year or less

   $ 69      $ 179      $ —        $ —        $ 91      $ 339  

More than one year through five years

     5,980        6,032        1,162        —          744        13,918  

More than five years through ten years

     73,618        21,401        105        —          795        95,919  

More than ten years through fifteen years

     55,451        24,944        —          1,944        2,981        85,320  

More than fifteen years

     241,186        70,665        —          395        20,903        333,149  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $  376,304      $  123,221      $  1,267      $  2,339      $  25,515      $  528,645  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table sets forth our fixed and adjustable-rate loans at December 31, 2018 that are contractually due after December 31, 2019.

 

     Fixed Rates      Floating or
Adjustable Rates
     Total  
     (In thousands)  

Residential real estate loans

   $ 324,761      $ 51,203      $ 375,964  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     123,076        145        123,221  

Construction loans

     2,339        —          2,339  

Commercial and industrial loans

     1,162        105        1,267  

Consumer loans

     3,740        21,775        25,515  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $  455,078      $  73,228      $  528,306  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Residential Real Estate Loans. Our one- to four-family residential loan portfolio consists of mortgage loans that enable borrowers to purchase or refinance existing homes, most of which serve as the primary residence of the borrower. At June 30, 2019, one- to four-family residential real estate loans totaled $386.2 million, or 71.5% of our total loan portfolio, and consisted of $330.4 million of fixed-rate loans and $55.8 million of adjustable-rate loans. Most of these one- to four-family residential properties are located in our primary market area.

We offer fixed-rate and adjustable-rate residential real estate loans with maturities up to 30 years. The one- to four-family residential mortgage loans that we originate are generally underwritten according to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, and we refer to loans that conform to such guidelines as “conforming loans.” Loans to be sold to other approved investors or secondary market sources are underwritten to their specific requirements. We generally originate both fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgage loans in amounts up to the maximum conforming loan limits. We also originate loans above the conforming limits up to a maximum amount of $2.5 million, which are referred to as “jumbo loans.” We generally underwrite jumbo loans, whether originated or purchased, in a manner similar to conforming loans.

Our adjustable-rate residential real estate loans have interest rates that are fixed for an initial period ranging from one to ten years. After the initial fixed period, the interest rate on adjustable-rate residential real estate loans is generally reset every year based on a contractual spread or margin above the average yield on U.S. Treasury securities. Our adjustable-rate residential real estate loans have initial and periodic caps of 2% on interest rate changes, with a current cap of 5% over the life of the loan.

 

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We will originate one- to four-family residential mortgage loans with loan-to-value ratios of up to 70% to 80% of the appraised value, depending on the size of the loan. Additionally, we will originate residential mortgage loans on townhouses or condominiums with loan-to-value ratios of up to 65% to 75% of the appraised value, depending on the size of the loan. Our conforming residential real estate loans may be for up to 90% of the appraised value of the property provided the borrower obtains private mortgage insurance. Additionally, mortgage insurance is required for all mortgage loans that have a loan-to-value ratio greater than 80%. The required coverage amount varies based on the loan-to-value ratio and term of the loan. We only permit borrowers to purchase mortgage insurance from companies that have been approved by Bogota Savings Bank.

We generally do not offer “interest only” mortgage loans on one- to four-family residential properties or loans that provide for negative amortization of principal, such as “Option ARM” loans, where the borrower can pay less than the interest owed on the loan, resulting in an increased principal balance during the life of the loan. Additionally, we do not offer “subprime loans” (loans that are made with low down-payments to borrowers with weakened credit histories typically characterized by payment delinquencies, previous charge-offs, judgments, bankruptcies, or borrowers with questionable repayment capacity as evidenced by low credit scores or high debt-burden ratios) or Alt-A loans (defined as loans having less than full documentation).

Commercial and Multi-Family Real Estate Loans. At June 30, 2019, we had $120.8 million in commercial and multi-family real estate loans, representing 22.4% of our total loan portfolio. Our commercial real estate loans are secured primarily by office buildings, industrial facilities, retail facilities and other commercial properties, substantially all of which are located in our primary market area. At June 30, 2019, commercial real estate loans totaled $64.8 million, of which $28.0 million was owner-occupied real estate and $36.8 million was secured by income producing, or non-owner-occupied real estate.

We generally originate commercial real estate loans with maximum terms of ten years based on a 25-year amortization schedule, and loan-to-value ratios of up to 70% of the appraised value of the property for loans that are originated in-house and 60% of the appraised value of the property for loans received from brokers. Our commercial real estate loans are offered with fixed interest rates or adjustable interest rates. Interest rates on our adjustable rate loans generally adjust every three, five, seven and ten years and the interest rate is indexed to the Federal Home Loan Bank advance rate, plus a margin, subject to an interest rate floor. All of our commercial real estate loans are subject to our underwriting procedures and guidelines, including requiring borrowers to generally have three months of operating expenses and loan payment reserves in a liquid account with us. At June 30, 2019, our largest commercial real estate loan totaled $7.9 million and was secured by an office building located in our primary market area. At June 30, 2019, this loan was performing in accordance with its original terms.

We consider a number of factors in originating commercial real estate loans. We evaluate the qualifications and financial condition of the borrower (including credit history), profitability and expertise, as well as the value and condition of the mortgaged property securing the loan. When evaluating the qualifications of the borrower, we consider the financial resources of the borrower, the borrower’s experience in owning or managing similar property and the borrower’s payment history with us and other financial institutions. In evaluating the property securing the loan, among other factors we consider the net operating income of the mortgaged property before debt service and depreciation, the debt service coverage ratio (the ratio of net operating income to debt service) to ensure that it is at least 1.25x of the monthly debt service, and the ratio of the loan amount to the appraised value of the mortgaged property. Our commercial real estate loans are generally appraised by outside independent appraisers approved by the board of directors. Personal guarantees are often obtained from commercial real estate borrowers. Each borrower’s financial information on such loans is monitored on an ongoing basis by requiring periodic financial statement updates.

At June 30, 2019, multi-family real estate loans totaled $58.6 million. Our multi-family real estate loans are generally secured by properties consisting of five or more rental units within our New Jersey market area. We originate multi-family residential real estate loans with fixed interest rates or with a variety of adjustable interest rates with terms and amortization periods generally of up to 25 years. Interest rates on our adjustable-rate multi-family real estate loans adjust and the interest rate is generally indexed to the Federal Home Loan Bank advance rate, plus a margin. At June 30, 2019, our largest multi-family residential real estate loan had an outstanding balance of $6.0 million and is secured by an apartment building located in our primary market area. At June 30, 2019, this loan was performing according to its original terms.

 

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In underwriting multi-family residential real estate loans, we require a debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.20x and consider several factors, including the age and condition of the collateral, the financial resources and income level of the borrower and the borrower’s experience in owning or managing similar properties. Multi-family residential real estate loans have loan-to-value ratios of up to 75% of the appraised value of the property securing the loans for loans that are originated in-house and 60% of the appraised value of the property for loans received from brokers. All of our commercial real estate loans are subject to our underwriting procedures and guidelines, including requiring borrowers to generally have three months of operating expenses and loan payment reserves in a liquid account with us. The borrower’s financial information on such loans is monitored on an ongoing basis by requiring periodic financial statement updates.

Consumer Loans. We offer consumer loans to customers residing in our primary market area. Our consumer loans consist primarily of home equity loans and lines of credit. At June 30, 2019, consumer loans totaled $27.2 million, or 5.0% of our total loan portfolio.

Home equity loans and lines of credit are multi-purpose loans used to finance various home or personal needs, where a one- to four-family primary or secondary residence serves as collateral. We generally originate home equity loans and lines of credit of up to $500,000 with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 70% (75% if Bogota Savings Bank holds the first lien position) and $300,000, with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 80% and terms of up to 30 years. Home equity lines of credit have adjustable rates of interest that are based on the prime interest rate published in The Wall Street Journal, plus a margin, and reset monthly. Home equity lines of credit are secured by residential real estate in a first or second lien position.

The procedures for underwriting consumer loans include assessing the applicant’s payment history on other indebtedness, the applicant’s ability to meet existing obligations and payments on the proposed loan, and the loan-to-value ratio. Although the applicant’s creditworthiness is a primary consideration, the underwriting process also includes a comparison of the value of the collateral, if any, to the proposed loan amount.

Construction Loans. We also originate loans to finance the construction of one- to four-family residential properties. At June 30, 2019, residential construction loans totaled $3.3 million, or 0.6% of our total loan portfolio. Most of these loans are secured by properties located in our primary market area.

Our residential land and acquisition loans are generally structured as two-year interest-only balloon loans. The interest rate is generally a fixed rate based on an index rate, plus a margin. Our construction-to-permanent loans are generally structured as interest-only, adjustable rate loans with a duration of six to twelve months for the construction phase. The interest rate on these loans are based on the prime interest rate as published in The Wall Street Journal, plus a margin. Construction loan-to-value ratios for one- to four-family residential properties generally will not exceed 80% of the appraised value of the property on a completed basis, while loan-to-value rations for land acquisition financing will not exceed 50% of the value of the land for an unimproved lot and 75% of the value of the land for an improved lot. Once the construction project is satisfactorily completed, we look to provide permanent financing.

We also offer loans primarily to established local developers to finance the construction of commercial and multi-family properties or to acquire land for development of commercial and multi-family properties. We also provide construction loans primarily to local developers for the construction of one- to four-family residential developments. At June 30, 2019, we had a single commercial construction loan that totaled $2.2 million, or 0.40% of our total loan portfolio. This loan was secured by an office building located in our primary market area. At June 30, 2019, this loan was performing according to its original terms. We also had undrawn amounts on the commercial construction loan totaling $2.4 million at June 30, 2019.

Historically, our commercial construction loans are generally interest-only loans that provide for the payment of interest during the construction phase, which is usually between 12 to 24 months. The interest rate is generally adjustable based on an index rate, typically the prime interest rate as published in The Wall Street Journal or LIBOR, plus a margin. At the end of the construction phase, the loan generally converts to a permanent commercial real estate mortgage loan, but in some cases it may be payable in full. However, our construction loans for the construction of one- to four-family residential properties do not convert to permanent residential real estate

 

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loans. Loans can be made with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 75% of the appraised market value upon completion of the project or a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 50% for raw land.

Before making a commitment to fund a commercial construction loan, we require an appraisal of the property by an independent licensed appraiser. The construction phase is carefully monitored to minimize our risk. All construction projects must be completed in accordance with approved plans and approved by the municipality in which they are located. Loan proceeds are disbursed periodically in increments as construction progresses and as inspections by our approved inspectors warrant.

Commercial and Industrial Loans. We offer commercial loans and adjustable rate lines of credit in an amount of up to $500,000 to small and medium sized businesses in our market area. These loans are generally secured by accounts receivable, inventory or other business assets, and we may support this collateral with liens on real property. At June 30, 2019, we had eight commercial and industrial loans that totaled $2.5 million, or 0.5% of our total loan portfolio.

Commercial lending products include revolving lines of credit and term loans. Our commercial lines of credit are typically made with adjustable interest rates, indexed to the prime interest rate published in The Wall Street Journal, plus a margin, and we can demand repayment of the borrowed due at any time after it is due. Term loans are generally made with fixed interest rates, indexed to the comparable Federal Home Loan Bank of New York amortizing advance indications, plus a margin, and are for terms up to seven years.

When making commercial and industrial loans, we require a debt service coverage ratio of at least 125% and we review and consider the financial statements of the borrower, our lending history with the borrower, the borrower’s debt service capabilities, the projected cash flows of the business and the value of the collateral, accounts receivable, inventory and equipment. Depending on the collateral used to secure the loans, commercial and industrial loans are made in amounts of up to 70% of the value of the collateral securing the loan. We generally do not make unsecured commercial and industrial loans. Personal guarantees are obtained from commercial and industrial borrowers.

Loan Underwriting Risks

Adjustable-Rate Loans. While we anticipate that adjustable-rate loans will better offset the adverse effects of an increase in interest rates as compared to fixed-rate loans, an increased monthly payment required of adjustable-rate loan borrowers in a rising interest rate environment could cause an increase in delinquencies and defaults. The marketability of the underlying property also may be adversely affected in a high interest rate environment. In addition, although adjustable-rate loans make our asset base more responsive to changes in interest rates, the extent of this interest sensitivity is somewhat limited by the annual and lifetime interest rate adjustment limits on adjustable-rate residential real estate loans.

Commercial and Multi-Family Real Estate Loans. Loans secured by commercial and multi-family real estate generally have larger balances and involve a greater degree of risk than one- to four-family residential real estate loans. Of primary concern in commercial real estate and multi-family lending is the borrower’s creditworthiness and the feasibility and cash flow potential of the project. Payments on loans secured by income properties often depend on the successful operation and management of the properties. As a result, repayment of such loans may be subject to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy to a greater extent than residential real estate loans. To monitor cash flows on income properties, we require borrowers and loan guarantors, if any, to provide annual financial statements on commercial real estate and multi-family loans. In reaching a decision whether to make a commercial real estate or multi-family loan, we consider and review a global cash flow analysis of the borrower and consider the net operating income of the property, the borrower’s expertise, credit history and profitability and the value of the underlying property. We generally have required that the properties securing these real estate loans have debt service coverage ratios (the ratio of earnings before debt service to debt service) of at least 1.25x. We require a Phase One environmental report when we believe there is a possibility exists that hazardous materials may have existed on the site, or the site may have been impacted by adjoining properties that handled hazardous materials.

 

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Consumer Loans. Consumer loans may entail greater risk than residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans that are unsecured or secured by assets that depreciate rapidly, such as motor vehicles. Repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment for the outstanding loan and a small remaining deficiency often does not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower. Consumer loan collections depend on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and therefore are likely to be adversely affected by various factors, including job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy. Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit the amount that can be recovered on such loans.

Construction Loans. Our construction loans are based upon our estimates of costs to complete a project and the value of the completed project. Underwriting is focused on the borrowers’ financial strength, credit history and demonstrated ability to produce a quality product and effectively market and manage its operations. All construction loans for which the builder does not have a binding purchase agreement must be approved by the internal loan committee.

Construction lending involves additional risks when compared to permanent residential lending because funds are advanced upon the security of the project, which is of uncertain value before its completion. Because of the uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs, it is difficult to evaluate accurately the total funds required to complete a project and the related loan-to-value ratio. This type of lending also typically involves higher loan principal amounts and is often concentrated with a small number of builders. In addition, generally during the term of a construction loan, interest may be funded by the borrower or disbursed from an interest reserve set aside from the construction loan budget. These loans often involve the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment substantially dependent on the success of the ultimate project and the ability of the borrower to sell or lease the property or obtain permanent take-out financing, rather than the ability of the borrower or guarantor to repay principal and interest. If the appraised value of a completed project proves to be overstated, we may have inadequate security for the repayment of the loan upon completion of construction of the project and may incur a loss. We use a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the value of any construction project of five or more units. Our ability to continue to originate a significant amount of construction loans is dependent on the strength of the housing market in our market areas.

Commercial and Industrial Loans. Unlike residential real estate loans, which generally are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from his or her employment or other income, and which are secured by real property whose value tends to be readily ascertainable, commercial business loans have higher risk and typically are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from the cash flow of the borrower’s business, and the collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. Our commercial business loans are originated primarily based on the identified cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. Most often, this collateral consists of real estate, accounts receivable, inventory or equipment. Credit support provided by the borrower for most of these loans and the probability of repayment is based on the liquidation value of the pledged collateral and enforcement of a personal guarantee, if any. As a result, the availability of funds for the repayment of commercial business loans may depend substantially on the success of the business itself. Further, any collateral securing such loans may depreciate over time, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value.

Originations, Purchases and Participations of Loans

Lending activities are conducted by our loan personnel operating at our main office and branch office location. We also obtain referrals from existing or past customers and from accountants, real estate brokers, builders and attorneys. All loans that we originate or purchase are underwritten pursuant to our policies and procedures, which incorporate Fannie Mae underwriting guidelines to the extent applicable for residential loans. We originate both adjustable-rate and fixed-rate loans. Our ability to originate fixed or adjustable-rate loans depends upon the relative customer demand for such loans, which is affected by current market interest rates as well as anticipated future market interest rates. Our loan origination and purchase activity may be adversely affected by a rising interest rate environment, which typically results in decreased loan demand.

As a supplement to our in-house loan originations of one- to four-family residential real estate loans, beginning in 2013, we entered into agreements with unaffiliated mortgage brokers as a source for additional

 

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residential real estate loans. We currently work with five different mortgage brokers, none of which we have an ownership interest in or any common employees or directors. Three of the mortgage brokers are located in Morris County, New Jersey and one mortgage broker is located in each of Hudson and Ocean County, New Jersey. These mortgage brokers fund the one- to four-family residential real estate loans and then sell them to Bogota Savings Bank following our underwriting analysis. We use the same parameters in evaluating these loans as we do for our in-house loan originations of one- to four-family residential real estate loans.

For each purchased loan, we generally pay a fixed fee based on the loan balance. For the six months ended June 30, 2019 and for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, we purchased for our portfolio $10.0 million, $26.5 million and $11.1 million, respectively, of loans from these mortgage brokers. As part of purchasing the loans, we acquire the servicing rights to the loans. The purchased loans are acquired from these mortgage brokers without recourse or any right to require the mortgage broker to repurchase the loans. The fixed aggregate fee we pay to acquire the loan and servicing rights are added to the loan balance and amortized over the contractual life of the loan under the interest method.

We purchase for our portfolio both fixed and adjustable interest rate one- to four-family real estate loans, with maturities up to 30 years, with a per loan limit of $1.0 million.

We generally do not purchase whole loans from third parties other than the one- to four-family residential real estate loans described above. However, we purchase participation interests primarily in commercial real estate and multi-family loans where we are not the lead lender. We underwrite our participation interest in the loans that we purchase according to our own underwriting criteria and procedures. At June 30, 2019, the outstanding balances of our loan participations where we are not the lead lender totaled $22.1 million, all of which were commercial or multi-family real estate loans.

Loan Approval Procedures and Authority

Pursuant to New Jersey law, the aggregate amount of loans that Bogota Savings Bank is permitted to make to any one borrower or a group of related borrowers is generally limited to 15% of Bogota Savings Bank’s capital, surplus fund and undivided profits (25% if the amount in excess of 15% is secured by “readily marketable collateral”). At June 30, 2019, based on the 15% limitation, Bogota Savings Bank’s loans-to-one-borrower limit was approximately $11.1 million. On the same date, Bogota Savings Bank had no borrowers with outstanding balances in excess of this amount. Our regulatory loans-to-one borrower limit will increase following completion of the offering. At June 30, 2019, our largest loan relationship with a single borrower was for $9.3 million, which consisted of six loans secured by various commercial real estate and multi-family properties in our primary market area, and the underlying loans were performing in accordance with their terms on that date.

Our lending activities follow written, non-discriminatory, underwriting standards and loan origination procedures established by our board of directors and management. The board of directors has granted loan approval authority to certain officers up to prescribed limits, depending on the officer’s title experience and the type of loan.

Loans in excess of individual officers’ lending limits require approval of our Internal Loan Committee, which is comprised of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President and Compliance/BSA Officer. The Internal Loan Committee can approve individual loans of up to prescribed limits, depending on the type of loan. Loans that involve policy exceptions also must be approved by the Internal Loan Committee and ratified by the board of directors.

Loans in excess of the Internal Loan Committee’s loan approval authority require the approval of the board of directors.    

Delinquencies and Asset Quality

Delinquency Procedures. When a borrower fails to make a required loan payment, we take a number of steps to have the borrower cure the delinquency and restore the loan to current status, including contacting the borrower by letter and phone at regular intervals. System-generated late notices are mailed to a borrower after the late payment “grace period,” which is 10 days in the case of loans secured by commercial real estate and 15 days in

 

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the case of residential and consumer loans. We attempt to contact the borrower and develop a plan of repayment no later than the 36th day of delinquency. A second notice will be mailed to a borrower if the loan remains past due after 40 days for commercial real estate loans and 45 days for residential and consumer loans. By the 120th day of delinquency, we will issue a pre-foreclosure notice that will require the borrower to bring the loan current within 30 days to avoid the beginning of foreclosure proceedings for loans secured by residential real estate. A report of all loans 30 days or more past due is provided to the board of directors monthly.

Loans Past Due and Non-Performing Assets. Loans are reviewed on a regular basis. Management determines that a loan is impaired or non-performing when it is probable that at least a portion of the loan will not be collected in accordance with the original terms due to a deterioration in the financial condition of the borrower or the value of the underlying collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. When a loan is determined to be impaired, the measurement of the loan in the allowance for loan losses is based on the present value of expected future cash flows, except that all collateral-dependent loans are measured for impairment based on the fair value of the collateral, less costs to sell. Non-accrual loans are loans for which collectability is questionable and, therefore, interest on such loans will no longer be recognized on an accrual basis. All loans that become 90 days or more delinquent are placed on non-accrual status unless the loan is well secured and in the process of collection. When loans are placed on non-accrual status, unpaid accrued interest is fully reversed, and further income is recognized only to the extent received on a cash basis or cost recovery method. 

When we acquire real estate as a result of foreclosure, the real estate is classified as real estate owned. The real estate owned is recorded at the lower of carrying amount or fair market value, less estimated costs to sell. Any excess of the recorded value of the loan over the fair market value of the property is charged against the allowance for loan losses, or, if the existing allowance is inadequate, charged to expense in the current period. After acquisition, all costs incurred in maintaining the property are expensed. Costs relating to the development and improvement of the property, however, are capitalized to the extent of estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell.

A loan is classified as a troubled debt restructuring if, for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s financial difficulties, we grant a concession to the borrower that we would not otherwise consider. This usually includes a modification of loan terms, such as a reduction of the interest rate to below market terms, capitalizing past due interest or extending the maturity date and possibly a partial forgiveness of the principal amount due. Interest income on restructured loans is accrued after the borrower demonstrates the ability to pay under the restructured terms through a sustained period of repayment performance, which is generally six consecutive months.

 

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Delinquent Loans. The following tables set forth our loan delinquencies, including non-accrual loans, by type and amount at the dates indicated.

 

     At June 30,
2019
     At December 31,
2018
 
     30-89 Days      90 Days or More      30-89 Days      90 Days or More  
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
 
     (In thousands)  

Residential real estate loans

     1      $  170        2      $  348        2      $  389        2      $  637  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —    

Construction loans

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —    

Consumer loans

     1        27        1        22        —          —          —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     2      $ 197        3      $ 370        2      $ 389        3      $ 659  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     At December 31,  
     2017      2016  
     30-89 Days      90 Days or More      30-89 Days      90 Days or More  
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
     Number of
Loans
     Principal
Balance
 
     (In thousands)  

Residential real estate loans

     2      $  390        4      $  746        1      $ 145        8      $  1,206  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —          —          —          —          2        2,329        —          —    

Construction loans

     —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —    

Consumer loans

     2        40        1        25        —          —          —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     4      $ 430        5      $ 771        3      $  2,474        8      $ 1,206  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Non-Performing Assets. The table below sets forth the amounts and categories of our non-performing assets at the dates indicated. Non-accrual loans include non-accruing troubled debt restructurings of $291,000, $729,000, $3.2 million, $643,000, $346,000 and $503,000 as of June 30, 2019 and as of December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

 

     At June 30,
2019
    At December 31,  
    2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Non-accrual loans:

            

Residential real estate loans

   $ 519     $ 959     $  1,076     $  3,836     $ 1,768     $  2,224  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         2,461       120       —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     22       22       25       117       122       271  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     541       981       3,562       4,073       1,890       2,495  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:

            

Residential real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         126  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     —         —         —         —         —         126  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-performing loans

     541       981       3,562       4,073       1,890       2,621  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Real estate owned

     —         —         —         —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-performing assets

   $ 541     $ 981     $ 3,562     $ 4,073     $ 1,890     $ 2,621  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Troubled debt restructurings (accruing):

            

Residential real estate loans

   $ 687     $ 230     $ 238     $ 395     $ 391     $ 772  

Commercial real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Commercial loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —         —         —         —         —         714  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total troubled debt restructurings (accruing)

   $ 687     $ 230     $ 238     $ 395     $ 391     $ 1,486  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total troubled debt restructurings (accruing) and total non-performing assets

   $  1,228     $  1,211     $ 3,800     $ 4,468     $  2,281     $ 4,107  

Total non-performing loans to total loans

     0.10     0.19     0.69     0.83     0.41     0.60

Total non-performing loans to total assets

     0.08       0.15       0.55       0.65       0.46       0.48  

Total non-performing assets to total assets

     0.08       0.15       0.55       0.65       0.46       0.48  

Total non-performing assets and troubled debt restructurings (accruing) to total assets

     0.18       0.18       0.59       0.72       0.40       0.76  

For the six months ended June 30, 2019, gross interest income that would have been recorded had our non-accruing loans been current in accordance with their original terms was approximately $12,000. Interest income recognized on such loans for the six months ended June 30, 2019 was approximately $8,000.

For the year ended December 31, 2018, gross interest income that would have been recorded had our non-accruing loans been current in accordance with their original terms was approximately $41,000. Interest income recognized on such loans for the year ended December 31, 2018 was approximately $41,000.

Classified Assets. Federal regulations provide for the classification of loans and other assets, such as debt and equity securities considered to be of lesser quality, as “substandard,” “doubtful” or “loss.” An asset is considered “substandard” if it is inadequately protected by the current net worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any. “Substandard” assets include those characterized by the “distinct possibility” that the insured institution will sustain “some loss” if the deficiencies are not corrected. Assets classified as

 

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“doubtful” have all of the weaknesses inherent in those classified “substandard,” with the added characteristic that the weaknesses present make “collection or liquidation in full,” on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, “highly questionable and improbable.” Assets classified as “loss” are those considered “uncollectible” and of such little value that their continuance as assets without the establishment of a specific loss allowance is not warranted. Assets which do not currently expose the insured institution to sufficient risk to warrant classification in one of the aforementioned categories but possess weaknesses are designated as “special mention.”

When an insured institution classifies problem assets as either substandard or doubtful, it may establish general allowances in an amount deemed prudent by management to cover probable accrued losses. General allowances represent loss allowances which have been established to cover probable accrued losses associated with lending activities, but which, unlike specific allowances, have not been allocated to particular problem assets. When an insured institution classifies problem assets as “loss,” it is required either to establish a specific allowance for losses equal to 100% of that portion of the asset so classified or to charge-off such amount. An institution’s determination as to the classification of its assets and the amount of its valuation allowances is subject to review by the regulatory authorities, which may require the establishment of additional general or specific loss allowances.

The following table sets forth our amounts of classified loans and loans designated as special mention as of June 30, 2019 and as of December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016. Classified loans included $541,000, $981,000, $3.5 million and $1.7 million of classified loans at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

 

     At June 30,
2019
     At December 31,  
     2018      2017      2016  
     (In thousands)  

Special mention

   $  1,780      $  1,800      $  2,160      $  3,478  

Substandard

     1,170        915        3,169        3,597  

Doubtful

     —          —          —          —    

Loss

     —          —          —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 2,950      $ 2,715      $ 5,329      $ 7,075  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of June 30, 2019, special mention loans included two residential real estate loans totaling $270,000, two consumer loans totaling $63,000, one commercial real estate loan totaling $182,000 and one multi-family real estate loan totaling $1.3 million. At June 30, 2019, substandard loans represent five loans totaling $1.1 million and one consumer loan totaling $20,000.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level which, in management’s judgment, is adequate to absorb probable credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio. The amount of the allowance is based on management’s evaluation of the collectability of the loan portfolio, including the nature of the portfolio, credit concentrations, trends in historical loss experience, specific impaired loans, and economic conditions. Allowances for loans that are individually classified as impaired are generally determined based on collateral values or the present value of estimated cash flows. The allowance is increased by a provision for loan losses, which is charged to expense and reduced by full and partial charge-offs, net of recoveries. Changes in the allowance relating to impaired loans are charged or credited to the provision for loan losses. Management’s periodic evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance is based on various factors, including historical loss experience, current economic conditions, delinquency statistics, geographic and industry concentrations, the adequacy of the underlying collateral, the financial strength of borrowers, results of internal loan reviews and other qualitative and quantitative factors which could affect potential credit losses.

In addition, the NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation periodically review our allowance for loan losses and as a result of such reviews, they may require us to adjust our allowance for loan losses or recognize loan charge-offs.

 

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The following table sets forth activity in our allowance for loan losses for the periods indicated.

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30,
    Year Ended December 31,  
     2019     2018     2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Allowance for loan losses at beginning of period

   $  1,976     $ 1,976     $ 1,976     $  1,876     $ 1,776     $  1,691     $  1,622  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Provision for loan losses

     —         —         —         100       100       75       100  

Charge-offs:

              

Residential real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         27  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         19  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total charge-offs

     —         —         —         —         —         —         46  

Recoveries:

              

Residential real estate loans

     40       —         —         —         —         10       15  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total recoveries

     40       —         —         —         —         10       15  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net (recoveries) charge-offs

     (40     —         —         —         —         —         31  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses at end of period

   $ 2,016     $ 1,976     $ 1,976     $ 1,976     $ 1,876     $ 1,776     $ 1,691  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans at end of period

     55.48     182.85     201.37     55.48     112.14     94.01     67.79

Allowance for loan losses to total loans outstanding at end of period

     0.38       0.39       0.37       0.38       0.38       0.39       0.39  

Net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans outstanding during period

     (0.02 (1)      —         —         —         —         —         0.01  

 

(1)

Annualized.

 

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Allocation of Allowance for Loan Losses. The following tables set forth the allowance for loan losses allocated by loan category and the percent of the allowance in each category to the total allocated allowance at the dates indicated. The allowance for loan losses allocated to each category is not necessarily indicative of future losses in any particular category and does not restrict the use of the allowance to absorb losses in other categories.

 

     At June 30,     At December 31,  
     2019     2018     2017  
     Amount      Percent of
Allowance to
Total
Allowance
    Percent of
Loans in
Category to
Total Loans
    Amount      Percent of
Allowance to
Total
Allowance
    Percent of
Loans in
Category to
Total Loans
    Amount      Percent of
Allowance to
Total
Allowance
    Percent of
Loans in
Category to
Total Loans
 
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Residential real estate loans

   $  1,300        64.48     71.51   $  1,266        64.07     71.18     $  1,248        63.15     69.81

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     600        29.76       22.37       607        30.72       23.31       621        31.43       24.31  

Construction loans

     12        0.60       0.61       9        0.46       0.44       12        0.61       0.62  

Commercial and industrial loans

     10        0.50       0.47       5        0.25       0.24       —          —         —    

Consumer loans

     89        4.66       5.04       89        4.50       4.83       95        4.81       5.26  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     2,016        100.00       100.00       1,976        100.00       100.00       1,976        100.00       100.00  

Unallocated

     —          —         —         —          —         —         —          —         —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total losses

   $ 2,016        100.00     100.00   $ 1,976        100.00     100.00   $ 1,976        100.00     100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

     At December 31,  
     2016     2015     2014  
     Amount      Percent of
Allowance to
Total
Allowance
    Percent of
Loans in
Category to
Total Loans
    Amount      Percent of
Allowance to
Total
Allowance
    Percent of
Loans in
Category to
Total Loans
    Amount      Percent of
Allowance to
Total
Allowance
    Percent of
Loans in
Category to
Total Loans
 
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Residential real estate loans

   $  1,133        60.40     67.17   $  1,343        75.62     73.12   $  1,311        77.52     77.66

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     639        34.06       29.62       223        12.56       20.04       166        9.82       15.76  

Commercial and industrial loans

     —          —         0.40       —          —         0.24       —          —         —    

Construction loans

     7        0.37       —         5        0.28       —         —          —         —    

Consumer loans

     97        5.17       5.81       151        8.50       6.60       153        9.05       6.58  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     1,876        100.00       100.00       1,722        96.96       100.00       1,630        96.39       100.00  

Unallocated

     —          —         —         54        3.04       —         61        3.61       —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,876        100.00     100.00   $ 1,776        100.00     100.00   $ 1,691        100.00     100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Investment Activities

General. Our board of directors is responsible for approving and overseeing our investment policy, which is reviewed at least annually by the board. This policy dictates that investment decisions be made based on liquidity requirements, potential returns, consistency with our interest rate risk management strategy and an adequate diversification of assets. An investment committee, consisting of authorized officers, selected by the board of directors, oversee our investing activities and strategies. The authorized officers are our President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Compliance Officer and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The board has designated our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer as our investment officer, who is primarily responsible for daily investment activities. All purchases and sales of securities must be authorized by two officers on the investment committee. Security purchases are limited to no more than $7.0 million a day and cannot amount to more than 25% of the investment portfolio in any given month, in each case without the unanimous approval of the members of the investment committee. The board of directors reviews the activities of the investment committee at each of its meetings.

Our current investment policy authorizes us to invest in various types of investment securities and liquid assets, including U.S. Treasury obligations, securities of various government-sponsored enterprises, residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities collateralized mortgage obligations and real estate mortgage investment conduits, municipal securities (limited to no more than 7.5% of our capital), overnight deposits and federal funds, bond anticipation notes with the Borough of Bogota or the Township of Teaneck (limited to no more than 10.0% of our capital), investment grade corporate bonds (limited to no more than 10.0% of our capital), investment grade banker’s acceptances and commercial paper with a maturity of no more than 270 days (limited to no more than 5.0% of our capital), certificates of deposit of federally insured institutions and depositor institution senior debt and capital securities (limited to no more than 10.0% of our capital and no more than 3.0% of our capital with a single issuer). We also are required to maintain an investment in Federal Home Loan Bank of New York stock, which investment is based on the level of our Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings. We do not engage in any investment hedging activities or trading activities, nor do we purchase any high-risk mortgage derivative products, corporate junk bonds, and certain types of structured notes.

Debt securities investment accounting guidance requires that at the time of purchase we designate a security as held to maturity, available for sale, or trading, depending on our ability and intent.

The following tables set forth the amortized cost and estimated fair value of our securities portfolio (excluding Federal Home Loan Bank of New York common stock) at the dates indicated.

 

     At June 30,      At December 31,  
     2019      2018      2017      2016  
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
 
     (In thousands)  

Securities held-to-maturity:

                       

U.S. government and agency obligations

   $ 10,449      $ 10,403      $ 17,674      $ 17,482      $ 12,445      $ 12,291      $ 7,490      $ 7,379  

Municipal securities

     2,722        2,742        8,135        8,102        4,995        4,973        2,530        2,479  

Corporate bonds

     5,437        5,529        4,005        3,961        3,006        3,011        1,507        1,490  

Mortgage-backed securities – residential

     13,500        13,562        14,804        14,560        16,981        16,926        19,906        19,743  

Mortgage-backed securities – commercial

     25,214        25,435        25,431        24,697        26,334        26,246        17,160        17,137  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $  57,322      $  57,671      $  70,049      $  68,803      $  63,761      $  63,447      $  48,593      $  48,228  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Securities available-for-sale:

                       

Mortgage-backed securities – residential

   $ 6,295      $ 6,442      $ 6,832      $ 6,977      $ 8,924      $ 9,141      $ 11,629      $ 11,876  

Corporate bonds

     6,878        6,898        6,658        6,623        2,635        2,659        3,127        3,133  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 13,173      $ 13,340      $ 13,490      $ 13,600      $ 11,559      $ 11,800      $ 14,756      $ 15,009  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Portfolio Maturities and Yields. The composition and maturities of the investment securities portfolio at December 31, 2018 are summarized in the following table. Maturities are based on the final contractual payment dates, and do not reflect the effect of scheduled principal repayments, prepayments, or early redemptions that may occur.

 

     One Year or Less     More than One Year
to Five Years
    More than Five Years
to Ten Years
    More than Ten Years     Total  
     Amortized
Cost
     Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
     Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
     Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
     Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
     Weighted
Average
Yield
 
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Securities held-to-maturity:

 

                         

U.S. government and agency obligations

   $  10,224        1.78   $ 7,449        1.62   $ —          —      $ —          —     $  17,674      $ 17,482        1.71

Municipal securities

     6,461        2.02       1,674        1.83       —          —         —          —         8,135        8,102        1.98  

Corporate bonds

     —          —         —          —         4,005        5.06       —          —         4,005        3,961        5.06  

Mortgage-backed securities – Residential

     37        5.06       3,264        2.66       4,255        2.17       7,248        2.17       14,804        14,560        2.29  

Mortgage-backed securities – commercial

     —          —         15,601        2.38       8,647        2.49       1,183        2.73       25,431        24,697        2.43  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total

   $ 16,722        1.88     $  27,988        2.18     $  16,907        3.02     $  8,431        2.25     $ 70,049      $ 68,803        2.33  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Securities available-for-sale:

 

                         

Mortgage-backed securities – residential

   $ —          —      $ —          —      $ 891        2.54   $ 5,941        3.41   $ 6,832      $ 6,977        3.29

Corporate bonds

     273        3.70       6,035        3.49       350        4.21       —          —         6,658        6,623        3.53  
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total

   $ 273        3.70     $ 6,035        3.49     $ 1,241        3.01     $ 5,941        3.41     $ 13,490      $ 13,600     
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

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Sources of Funds

General. Deposits have traditionally been our primary source of funds for our lending and investment activities. We also use borrowings, primarily Federal Home Loan Bank of New York advances, to supplement cash flows, as needed. In addition, funds are derived from scheduled loan payments, investment maturities, loan sales, loan prepayments, retained earnings and income on earning assets. While scheduled loan payments and income on earning assets are relatively stable sources of funds, deposit inflows and outflows can vary widely and are influenced by prevailing interest rates, market conditions and competition.

Deposit Accounts. The substantial majority of our deposits are from depositors who reside in our primary market area. We access deposit customers by offering a broad selection of deposit instruments for individuals, businesses and municipalities. At June 30, 2019, municipal deposits totaled $37.6 million, which represented 7.5% of total deposits.

Deposit account terms vary according to the minimum balance required, the time period that funds must remain on deposit, and the interest rate, among other factors. In determining the terms of our deposit accounts, we consider the rates offered by our competition, our liquidity needs, profitability, and customer preferences and concerns. We generally review our deposit pricing on a weekly basis and continually review our deposit mix. Our deposit pricing strategy has generally been to offer competitive rates, but generally not the highest rates offered in the market, and to periodically offer special rates to attract deposits of a specific type or with a specific term.

Also, when rates and terms are favorable, we supplement customer deposits with brokered deposits. At June 30, 2019, we had $51.0 million of brokered deposits, which represented 10.1% of total deposits at June 30, 2019 with such funds having a weighted average remaining term to maturity of 36 months. In a rising rate environment, we may be unwilling or unable to pay competitive rates. To the extent that such deposits do not remain with us, they may need to be replaced with borrowings, which could increase our cost of funds and negatively impact our interest rate spread, financial condition and results of operations.

The flow of deposits is influenced significantly by general economic conditions, changes in money market and other prevailing interest rates and competition. The variety of deposit accounts offered allows us to be competitive in obtaining funds and responding to changes in consumer demand. Based on experience, we believe that our deposits are relatively stable. However, the ability to attract and maintain deposits and the rates paid on these deposits, has been and will continue to be significantly affected by market conditions.

 

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The following table sets forth the distribution of total deposits by account type at the dates indicated.

 

     At June 30,     At December 31,  
     2019     2018     2017     2016  
     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent  
     (In thousands)  

Noninterest-bearing demand accounts

   $ 13,517        2.68   $ 12,500        2.45   $ 11,614        2.44   $ 11,457        2.40

NOW accounts

     22,835        4.53       42,390        8.31       37,049        7.78       45,288        9.48  

Money market accounts

     32,735        6.49       38,316        7.51       62,535        13.14       58,803        12.31  

Savings accounts

     28,687        5.69       31,490        6.17       37,250        7.82       38,599        8.08  

Certificates of deposit

     406,335        80.61       385,597        75.56       327,617        68.82       323,551        67.73  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 504,109        100.00   $ 510,293        100.00   $ 476,065        100.00   $ 477,698        100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of June 30, 2019, the aggregate amount of all our certificates of deposit in amounts greater than or equal to $100,000 was approximately $268.6 million. The following table sets forth the maturity of these certificates as of June 30, 2019.

 

Maturity Period

   Dollar Amount  
     (In thousands)  

At June 30, 2019:

  

Three months or less

   $ 85,229  

Over three through six months

     42,529  

Over six through twelve months

     69,931  

Over twelve months

     70,863  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 268,615  
  

 

 

 

 

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Borrowings. Our borrowings consist of advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and lines of credit from correspondent banks. At June 30, 2019, we had the ability to borrow approximately $182.5 million under our credit facilities with the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, of which $77.7 million was advanced. We also had $630,000 outstanding under an existing line of credit. Borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York are secured by our investment in the common stock of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York as well as by a blanket pledge of our mortgage portfolio not otherwise pledged.

The following table sets forth information concerning balances and interest rates on our borrowings at and for the periods shown:

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30,
    Year Ended December 31,  
     2019     2018     2018     2017     2016  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Maximum balance outstanding at any month-end during period

   $  78,365     $  83,104     $  83,103     $ 98,797     $ 119,762  

Average balance outstanding during period

     71,637       68,623       68,224       83,680       94,442  

Weighted average interest rate during period

     2.59     1.75     1.88     1.50     1.46

Balance outstanding at end of period

   $ 78,365     $ 57,320     $ 74,639     $ 89,230     $ 74,570  

Weighted average interest rate at end of period

     2.51     1.82     2.54     1.50     1.60

Properties

As of June 30, 2019, the net book value of our office properties was $4.2 million. The following table sets forth information regarding our offices.

 

Location

   Year
Acquired or Leased
     Owned/ Leased      Net Book Value at
June 30, 2019
 
            (Dollars in thousands)  

Branch Offices:

        

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, NJ 07666

     2004        Owned      $  3,857  

60 East Main Street

Bogota, NJ 07603

     1941        Owned        273  

Other Offices:

        

885 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, NJ 07666

     2015        Leased        44  

655 Pomander Walk (1)

Teaneck, NJ 07666

     2010        Leased        15  

 

(1)

Private location for facility residences and employees.

We believe that the current facilities are adequate to meet our present and foreseeable needs, subject to possible future expansion.

 

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Subsidiaries

Bogota Securities Corp. is a New Jersey investment corporation subsidiary formed in 2014 to buy, sell and hold investment securities. The income earned on Bogota Securities Corp.’s investment securities is subject to a lower state tax than that assessed on income earned on investment securities maintained at Bogota Savings Bank.

In 1999, Bogota Savings Bank established Bogota Properties, a New Jersey-chartered limited liability company to secure, manage and hold foreclosed assets. Bogota Properties, LLC was inactive at June 30, 2019.

Legal Proceedings

We are not involved in any pending legal proceedings as a defendant other than routine legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. At June 30, 2019, we were not involved in any legal proceedings the outcome of which would be material to our financial condition or results of operations.

Expense and Tax Allocation

Bogota Savings Bank will enter into an agreement with Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Financial, MHC to provide them with certain administrative support services for compensation at not less than the fair market value of the services provided. In addition, Bogota Savings Bank and Bogota Financial Corp. will enter into an agreement for allocating and reimbursing the payment of their consolidated tax liability.

Personnel

As of June 30, 2019, we had 44 full-time employees and four part-time employees. Our employees are not represented by any collective bargaining group. Management believes that we have good working relations with our employees.

 

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SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

As a New Jersey-chartered savings bank, Bogota Savings Bank is subject to comprehensive regulation by the NJDBI, as its chartering authority, and by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Bogota Savings Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and its deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Bogota Savings Bank is required to file reports with, and is periodically examined by, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the NJDBI concerning its activities and financial condition and must obtain regulatory approvals before entering into certain transactions, including mergers with or acquisitions of other financial institutions. This regulatory structure is intended primarily for the protection of the insurance fund and depositors. The regulatory structure also gives the regulatory authorities extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies regarding classifying assets and establishing an adequate allowance for loan losses for regulatory purposes.

As a New Jersey-chartered mutual holding company, Bogota Financial, MHC will be regulated and subject to examination by the NJDBI and the Federal Reserve Board. As a mutual holding company, Bogota Financial Corp. also will be required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board and the NJDBI. It will be required to file certain reports with the Federal Reserve Board and the NJDBI and will be subject to examination by, and the enforcement authority of, the Federal Reserve Board and the NJDBI. Bogota Financial Corp. also will be subject to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the federal securities laws.

Set forth below is a brief description of material regulatory requirements that are or will be applicable to Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Financial, MHC. The description is limited to the material aspects of certain statutes and regulations, and is not intended to be a complete list or description of such statutes and regulations and their effects on Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Financial, MHC.

New Jersey Banking Laws and Supervision

Activity Powers. Bogota Savings Bank derives its lending, investment and other activity powers primarily from the New Jersey Banking Act and its related regulations. Under these laws and regulations, savings banks, including Bogota Savings Bank, generally may invest in:

 

   

real estate mortgages;

 

   

consumer and commercial loans;

 

   

specific types of debt securities, including certain corporate debt securities and obligations of federal, state and local governments and agencies;

 

   

certain types of corporate equity securities; and

 

   

certain other assets.

A savings bank may also make other investments pursuant to “leeway” authority that permits investments not otherwise permitted by the New Jersey Banking Act. Leeway investments must comply with a number of limitations on the individual and aggregate amounts of leeway investments. A savings bank may also exercise trust powers upon approval of the NJDBI. New Jersey savings banks also may exercise those powers, rights, benefits or privileges authorized for national banks or out-of-state banks or for federal or out-of-state savings banks or savings associations, provided that before exercising any such power, right, benefit or privilege, prior approval by the NJDBI by regulation or by specific authorization is required. The exercise of these lending, investment and activity powers is limited by federal law and regulations. See “Federal Bank Regulation-Investment Activities” below.

Loan-to-One-Borrower Limitations. With certain specified exceptions, a New Jersey-chartered savings bank may not make loans or extend credit to a single borrower or to entities related to the borrower in an aggregate amount that would exceed 15% of the bank’s capital funds. A savings bank may lend an additional 10% of the

 

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bank’s capital funds if secured by collateral meeting the requirements of the New Jersey Banking Act. Bogota Savings Bank currently complies with applicable loan-to-one-borrower limitations.

Dividends. Under the New Jersey Banking Act, a stock savings bank may declare and pay a dividend on its capital stock only to the extent that the payment of the dividend would not impair the capital stock of the savings bank. In addition, a stock savings bank may not pay a dividend unless the savings bank would, after the payment of the dividend, have a surplus of not less than 50% of its capital stock, or alternatively, the payment of the dividend would not reduce the surplus. Federal law may also limit the amount of dividends that may be paid by Bogota Savings Bank. See “Federal Bank Regulation-Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action” below.

Minimum Capital Requirements. Regulations of the NJDBI impose on New Jersey-chartered depository institutions, including Bogota Savings Bank, minimum capital requirements similar to those imposed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on insured state banks. See “Federal Bank Regulation-Capital Requirements.”

Examination and Enforcement. The NJDBI may examine Bogota Savings Bank whenever it considers an examination advisable. The NJDBI examines Bogota Savings Bank at least every two years. The NJDBI may order any savings bank to discontinue any violation of law or unsafe or unsound business practice and may direct any director, officer, attorney or employee of a savings bank engaged in an objectionable activity, after the NJDBI has ordered the activity to be terminated, to show cause at a hearing before the NJDBI why such person should not be removed. The NJDBI also has authority to appoint a conservator or receiver for a savings bank under certain circumstances such as insolvency or unsafe or unsound condition to transact business.

Federal Bank Regulation

Recent Regulatory Reform. On May 24, 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (the “Regulatory Relief Act”) repeals or modifies certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and eases regulations on all but the largest banks. The Regulatory Relief Act’s provisions include, among other things: (1) exempting banks with less than $10 billion in assets from the ability-to-repay requirements for certain qualified residential mortgage loans held in portfolio; (2) not requiring appraisals for certain transactions valued at less than $400,000 in rural areas; (3) exempting banks that originate fewer than 500 open-end and 500 closed-end mortgages from HMDA’s expanded data disclosures; (4) clarifying that, subject to various conditions, reciprocal deposits of another depository institution obtained using a deposit broker through a deposit placement network for purposes of obtaining maximum deposit insurance would not be considered brokered deposits subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s brokered-deposit regulations; (5) raising eligibility for the 18-month exam cycle from $1 billion to banks with $3 billion in assets; (6) allowing qualifying federal savings banks to elect to operate with the same powers available to a national bank; and (7) simplifying capital calculations by requiring regulators to establish for institutions under $10 billion in assets a community bank leverage ratio (tangible equity to average consolidated assets) at a percentage not less than 8% and not greater than 10% that such institutions may elect to use instead of the generally applicable leverage and risk-based capital ratios for determining well-capitalized status.

Supervision and Enforcement Authority. Bogota Savings Bank is subject to extensive regulation, examination and supervision by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as the insurer of its deposits. This regulatory structure is intended primarily for the protection of the insurance fund and depositors.

Bogota Savings Bank must file reports with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation concerning its activities and financial condition in addition to obtaining regulatory approvals before entering into certain transactions such as mergers with, or acquisitions of, other financial institutions. There are periodic examinations by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to evaluate Bogota Savings Bank’s safety and soundness and compliance with various regulatory requirements.

The regulatory structure also gives the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation extensive discretion in connection with its supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies with respect to the classification of assets and the establishment of an adequate allowance for loan losses for regulatory purposes. The enforcement authority includes, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, issue cease and desist orders and remove directors and officers. In general, these enforcement actions may be initiated in response to violations of laws and regulations, breaches of fiduciary duty and unsafe or unsound practices. The Federal Deposit

 

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Insurance Corporation may also appoint itself as conservator or receiver for an insured bank under specified circumstances, including: (1) insolvency; (2) substantial dissipation of assets or earnings through violations of law or unsafe or unsound practices; (3) the existence of an unsafe or unsound condition to transact business; (4) insufficient capital; or (5) the incurrence of losses that will deplete substantially all of the institution’s capital with no reasonable prospect of replenishment without federal assistance.

Capital Requirements. Under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation regulations, Bogota Savings Bank must meet several minimum capital standards: a common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio, a Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio, a total capital to risk-based assets, and a Tier 1 capital to average total assets leverage ratio. The existing capital requirements were effective January 1, 2015 and are the result of a final rule implementing regulatory amendments based on recommendations of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and certain requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act.

The capital standards require the maintenance of common equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital and total capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 4.5%, 6% and 8%, respectively, and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 4% of average total assets. Common equity Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common equity Tier 1 and Additional Tier 1 capital. Additional Tier 1 capital generally includes certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries. Total capital includes Tier 1 capital (common equity Tier 1 capital plus Additional Tier 1 capital) and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital is comprised of capital instruments and related surplus meeting specified requirements, and may include cumulative preferred stock and long-term perpetual preferred stock, mandatory convertible securities, intermediate preferred stock and subordinated debt. Also included in Tier 2 capital is the allowance for loan and lease losses limited to a maximum of 1.25% of risk-weighted assets and, for institutions that have exercised an opt-out election regarding the treatment of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”), up to 45% of net unrealized gains on available-for-sale equity securities with readily determinable fair market values. Institutions that have not exercised the AOCI opt-out have AOCI incorporated into common equity Tier 1 capital (including unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale-securities). Bogota Savings Bank exercised the opt-out election regarding the treatment of AOCI. Calculation of all types of regulatory capital is subject to deductions and adjustments specified in the regulations.

In determining the amount of risk-weighted assets for purposes of calculating risk-based capital ratios, a bank’s assets, including certain off-balance sheet assets (e.g., recourse obligations, direct credit substitutes, residual interests), are multiplied by a risk weight factor assigned by the regulations based on perceived risks inherent in the type of asset. Higher levels of capital are required for asset categories believed to present greater risk. For example, a risk weight of 0% is assigned to cash and U.S. government securities, a risk weight of 50% is generally assigned to prudently underwritten first lien one- to four-family residential mortgages, a risk weight of 100% is assigned to commercial and consumer loans, a risk weight of 150% is assigned to certain past due loans and a risk weight of between 0% to 600% is assigned to permissible equity interests, depending on certain specified factors.

In addition to establishing the minimum regulatory capital requirements, the regulations limit capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments to management if an institution does not hold a “capital conservation buffer” consisting of 2.5% of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets above the amount necessary to meet its minimum risk-based capital requirements.

The federal banking agencies, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, have proposed a rule pursuant to the Regulatory Relief Act to establish for institutions with assets of less than $10 billion a “community bank leverage ratio” (the ratio of a bank’s tangible equity capital to average total consolidated assets) of 9% that such institutions may elect to utilize in lieu of the generally applicable leverage and risk-based capital requirements under Basel III. A “qualifying community bank” with capital exceeding 9% will be considered compliant with all applicable regulatory capital and leverage requirements, including the requirement to be “well capitalized.” The new community bank leverage ratio is subject to notice and comment by the public and has not been finalized. Until the proposed rule is finalized, the Basel III risk-based and leverage ratios remain in effect.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation also has authority to establish individual minimum capital requirements in appropriate cases upon determination that an institution’s capital level is, or is likely to become,

 

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inadequate in light of the particular circumstances. At June 30, 2019, Bogota Savings Bank exceeded each of its capital requirements.

Standards for Safety and Soundness. As required by statute, the federal banking agencies have adopted final regulations and Interagency Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safety and Soundness. The guidelines set forth the safety and soundness standards the federal banking agencies use to identify and address problems at insured depository institutions before capital becomes impaired. The guidelines address internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, credit underwriting, loan documentation, interest rate exposure, asset growth, asset quality, earnings and compensation, fees and benefits. The agencies have also established standards for safeguarding customer information. If the appropriate federal banking agency determines that an institution fails to meet any standard prescribed by the guidelines, the agency may require the institution to submit to the agency an acceptable plan to achieve compliance with the standard.

Investment Activities. All state-chartered savings banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are generally limited in their investment activities to principal and equity investments of the type and in the amount authorized for national banks, notwithstanding state law, subject to certain exceptions. For example, state-chartered banks may, with Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation approval, continue to exercise state authority to invest in common or preferred stocks listed on a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq Market and to invest in the shares of an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The maximum permissible investment is 100% of Tier 1 Capital, as specified by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s regulations, or the maximum amount permitted by New Jersey law, whichever is less.

In addition, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is authorized to permit state-chartered banks and savings banks to engage in state-authorized activities or investments not permissible for national banks (other than non-subsidiary equity investments) if they meet all applicable capital requirements and it is determined that such activities or investments do not pose a significant risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has adopted procedures for institutions seeking approval to engage in such activities or investments. In addition, a nonmember bank may control a subsidiary that engages in activities as principal that would only be permitted for a national bank to conduct in a “financial subsidiary” if a bank meets specified conditions and deducts its investment in the subsidiary for regulatory capital purposes.

Interstate Banking and Branching. Federal law permits well capitalized and well managed bank holding companies to acquire banks in any state, subject to Federal Reserve Board approval, certain concentration limits and other specified conditions. Interstate mergers of banks are also authorized, subject to regulatory approval and other specified conditions. In addition, banks may establish de novo branches on an interstate basis provided that interstate branching is authorized by the law of the host state for the banks chartered by that state.

Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action. Federal law requires, among other things, that federal bank regulatory authorities take “prompt corrective action” with respect to banks that do not meet minimum capital requirements. For these purposes, the law establishes five capital categories: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has adopted regulations to implement the prompt corrective action legislation. An institution is considered “well capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 6.5% or greater. An institution is “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 4.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 4.5% or greater. An institution is “undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 4.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 4.5%. An institution is “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 3.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 3.0%. An institution is “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets equal to or less than 2.0%. At June 30, 2019, Bogota Savings Bank was classified as a “well capitalized” institution.

 

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At each successive lower capital category, an insured depository institution is subject to more restrictions and prohibitions, including restrictions on growth, interest rates paid on deposits, payment of dividends, and 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. An undercapitalized bank’s compliance with a capital restoration plan is required to be guaranteed by any company that controls the undercapitalized institution in an amount equal to the lesser of 5.0% of the institution’s total assets when deemed undercapitalized or the amount necessary to achieve the status of adequately capitalized. If an “undercapitalized” bank fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is “significantly undercapitalized.” “Significantly undercapitalized” banks must comply with one or more of a number of additional restrictions, including an order by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized, requirements to reduce total assets, cease receipt of deposits from correspondent banks or dismiss directors or officers, and restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, compensation of executive officers and capital distributions by the parent holding company. “Critically undercapitalized” institutions are subject to additional measures including, subject to a narrow exception, the appointment of a receiver or conservator within 270 days after it is determined to be critically undercapitalized.

As noted above, the Regulatory Relief Act has eliminated the Basel III requirements for banks with less than $10.0 billion in assets who elect to follow the community bank leverage ratio once the rule is finalized. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s proposed rule provides that a bank will be well-capitalized with a community bank leverage ratio of 9% or greater, adequately capitalized with a community bank leverage ratio of 7.5% or greater, undercapitalized if a bank’s community bank leverage ratio is less than 7.5% and greater than or equal to 6% and significantly undercapitalized if a bank’s community bank leverage ratio is less than 6%. The definition of critically undercapitalized is unchanged from the current regulations.

Transaction with Affiliates and Regulation W of the Federal Reserve Regulations. Transactions between banks and their affiliates are governed by federal law. Generally, Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation W limit the extent to which a bank or its subsidiaries may engage in “covered transactions” with any one affiliate to an amount equal to 10.0% of the bank’s capital stock and surplus, and with all transactions with all affiliates to an amount equal to 20.0% of the bank’s capital stock and surplus. Section 23B applies to “covered transactions” as well as to certain other transactions and requires that all such transactions be on terms substantially the same, or at least as favorable, to the institution or subsidiary as those provided to a non-affiliate. The term “covered transaction” includes making loans to, purchasing assets from, and issuing guarantees to, an affiliate, and other similar transactions. Section 23B transactions also include the bank’s providing services and selling assets to an affiliate. In addition, loans or other extensions of credit by a bank to an affiliate are required to be collateralized according to the requirements set forth in Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act.

A bank’s loans to its executive officers, directors, any owner of 10% or more of its stock (each, an insider) and any of certain entities affiliated with any such person (an insider’s related interest) are subject to the conditions and limitations imposed by Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and its implementing regulations. Under these restrictions, the aggregate amount of the loans to any insider and the insider’s related interests may not exceed the loans-to-one-borrower limit applicable to national banks, which is comparable to the loans-to-one-borrower limit applicable to Bogota Savings Bank’s loans. See “New Jersey Banking Regulation—Loans-to-One Borrower Limitations.” All loans by a bank to all insiders and insiders’ related interests in the aggregate may not exceed the bank’s unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus. With certain exceptions, loans to an executive officer, other than loans for the education of the officer’s children and certain loans secured by the officer’s residence, may not exceed the lesser of (1) $100,000 or (2) the greater of $25,000 or 2.5% of the bank’s unimpaired capital and surplus. Federal regulation also requires that any proposed loan to an insider or a related interest of that insider be approved in advance by a majority of the Board of Directors of the bank, with any interested directors not participating in the voting, if such loan, when aggregated with any existing loans to that insider and the insider’s related interests, would exceed either (1) $250,000 or (2) the greater of $25,000 or 5% of the bank’s unimpaired capital and surplus. Generally, such loans must be made on substantially the same terms as, and follow credit underwriting procedures that are not less stringent than, those that are prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with other persons.

 

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An exception is made for extensions of credit made pursuant to a benefit or compensation plan of a bank that is widely available to employees of the bank and that does not give any preference to insiders of the bank over other employees of the bank.

In addition, federal law prohibits extensions of credit to a bank’s insiders and their related interests by any other institution that has a correspondent banking relationship with the bank, unless such extension of credit is on substantially the same terms as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with other persons and does not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features.

Provisions of the New Jersey Banking Act impose conditions and limitations on the liabilities to a savings bank of its directors and executive officers and of corporations and partnerships controlled by such persons, that are comparable in many respects to the conditions and limitations imposed on the loans and extensions of credit to insiders and their related interests under federal law, as discussed above. The New Jersey Banking Act also provides that a savings bank that is in compliance with federal law is deemed to be in compliance with such provisions of the New Jersey Banking Act.

Federal Insurance of Deposit Accounts. Bogota Savings Bank is a member of the Deposit Insurance Fund, which is administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Deposit accounts in Bogota Savings Bank are insured up to a maximum of $250,000 for each separately insured depositor. Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule order or regulatory condition imposed in writing. We do not know of any practice, condition or violation that might lead to termination of Bogota Savings Bank’s deposit insurance.

Privacy Regulations. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation regulations generally require that Bogota Savings Bank disclose its privacy policy, including identifying with whom it shares a customer’s “non-public personal information,” to customers at the time of establishing the customer relationship and annually thereafter. In addition, Bogota Savings Bank is required to provide its customers with the ability to “opt-out” of having their personal information shared with unaffiliated third parties and to not disclose account numbers or access codes to non-affiliated third parties for marketing purposes.

Community Reinvestment Act. Under the Community Reinvestment Act, or “CRA,” as implemented by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a state non-member bank has a continuing and affirmative obligation, consistent with its safe and sound operation, to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions nor does it limit an institution’s discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community, consistent with the CRA. The CRA requires the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, in connection with its examination of each state non-member bank, to assess the institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of its community and to take such record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by such institution, including applications to acquire branches and other financial institutions. The CRA requires the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to provide a written evaluation of an institution’s CRA performance utilizing a four-tiered descriptive rating system. Bogota Savings Bank’s latest Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation CRA rating in October 2017 was “Satisfactory.”

Consumer Protection and Fair Lending Regulations. Bogota Savings Bank is subject to a variety of federal and New Jersey statutes and regulations that are intended to protect consumers and prohibit discrimination in the granting of credit. These statutes and regulations provide for a range of sanctions for non-compliance with their terms, including imposition of administrative fines and remedial orders, and referral to the Attorney General for prosecution of a civil action for actual and punitive damages and injunctive relief. Certain of these statutes, including Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive acts and practices against consumers, authorize private individual and class action lawsuits and the award of actual, statutory and punitive damages and attorneys’ fees for certain types of violations. Federal laws also prohibit unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices against consumers, which can be enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and state attorneys general.

 

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Federal Reserve System

Federal Reserve Board regulations require depository institutions to maintain non-interest-earning reserves against their transaction accounts (primarily NOW and regular checking accounts). The regulations generally require that reserves be maintained against aggregate transaction accounts as follows: for that portion of transaction accounts aggregating $124.2 million or less (which may be adjusted by the Federal Reserve Board) the reserve requirement is 3.0% and the amounts greater than $124.2 million require a 10.0% reserve (which may be adjusted annually by the Federal Reserve Board to between 8.0% and 14.0%). The first $16.3 million of otherwise reservable balances (which may be adjusted by the Federal Reserve Board) are exempted from the reserve requirements. Bogota Savings Bank is in compliance with these requirements.

Federal Home Loan Bank System

Bogota Savings Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which consists of 11 regional Federal Home Loan Banks. The Federal Home Loan Banks provide a central credit facility primarily for member institutions. Bogota Savings Bank, as a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, is required to acquire and hold shares of capital stock in the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. Bogota Savings Bank was in compliance with this requirement at June 30, 2019.

Holding Company Regulation

Federal Holding Company Regulation. Upon completion of the reorganization, Bogota Financial, MHC and Bogota Financial Corp. will be bank holding companies and will be registered with the Federal Reserve Board and be subject to regulations, examination, supervision and reporting requirements applicable to bank holding companies. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board will have enforcement authority over Bogota Financial, MHC and Bogota Financial Corp. and their non-savings bank subsidiaries. Among other things, this authority permits the Federal Reserve Board to restrict or prohibit activities that are determined to be a serious risk to the subsidiary savings bank.

A bank holding company is generally prohibited from engaging in non-banking activities, or acquiring direct or indirect control of more than 5% of the voting securities of any company engaged in non-banking activities. One of the principal exceptions to this prohibition is for activities the Federal Reserve Board determines to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. Some of the principal activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined by regulation to be so closely related to banking are: (1) making or servicing loans; (2) performing certain data processing services; (3) providing discount brokerage services; (4) acting as fiduciary, investment or financial advisor; (5) leasing personal or real property; (6) making investments in corporations or projects designed primarily to promote community welfare; and (7) acquiring a savings and loan association whose direct and indirect activities are limited to those permitted for bank holding companies.

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 authorizes a bank holding company that meets specified conditions, including that its depository institution subsidiaries are “well capitalized” and “well managed,” to opt to become a “financial holding company.” A “financial holding company” may engage in a broader range of financial activities than a bank holding company. Such activities may include insurance underwriting and investment banking. Bogota Financial Corp. will not elect “financial holding company” status in connection with the reorganization.

Capital. The Federal Reserve Board must establish for all bank and savings and loan holding companies minimum consolidated capital requirements that are as stringent as those required for their insured depository subsidiaries. Pursuant to the Regulatory Relief Act, bank holding companies with less than $3.0 billion in consolidated assets generally are not subject to the capital requirements unless otherwise advised by the Federal Reserve Board.

Dividends and Stock Repurchases. A bank holding company is generally required to give the Federal Reserve Board prior written notice of any purchase or redemption of its outstanding equity securities if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding 12 months, is equal to 10% or more of the company’s consolidated net worth.

 

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The Federal Reserve Board may disapprove such a purchase or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe and unsound practice, or would violate any law, regulation, Federal Reserve Board order or directive, or any condition imposed by, or written agreement with, the Federal Reserve Board. There is an exception to this approval requirement for well-capitalized bank holding companies that meet certain other conditions.

The Federal Reserve Board has issued a policy statement regarding capital distributions, including dividends, by bank holding companies. In general, the policy provides that dividends should be paid only from current earnings and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention by the bank holding company appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. The policy also requires that a bank holding company serve as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary banks by standing ready to use available resources to provide adequate capital funds to those banks during periods of financial stress or adversity, and by maintaining the financial flexibility and capital-raising capacity to obtain additional resources for assisting its subsidiary banks where necessary. Additionally, under the prompt corrective action laws, the ability of a bank holding company to pay dividends may be restricted if a subsidiary bank becomes undercapitalized. These regulatory policies could affect the ability of Bogota Financial Corp. to pay dividends or otherwise engage in capital distributions.

Waivers of Dividends by Bogota Financial, MHC. Bogota Financial Corp. may pay dividends on its common stock to public stockholders. If it does, it is also required to pay the same dividends per share to Bogota Financial, MHC, unless Bogota Financial, MHC elects to waive the receipt of dividends. Bogota Financial, MHC must receive the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board before it may waive the receipt of any dividends from Bogota Financial Corp., and current Federal Reserve Board policy prohibits any mutual holding company that is regulated as a bank holding company, such as Bogota Financial, MHC, from waiving the receipt of dividends paid by its subsidiary holding company. Moreover, the Federal Reserve Board has issued an interim final rule applicable to federally-chartered mutual holding companies, stating that it will not object to dividend waivers under certain circumstances, provided (1) the mutual holding company’s members have approved the dividend waivers by a majority of votes eligible to be cast, (2) each officer or trustee of the mutual holding company and mid-tier stock holding company, and any tax-qualified or non-tax qualified stock benefit plan in which such individual participates that holds any shares of stock to which the waiver would apply waives the right to receive any dividends declared, or the dividend waivers are approved by a majority of the entire board of directors of the mutual holding company with any officer or trustee of the mutual holding company having any direct or indirect ownership interest in the common stock of the subsidiary mid-tier holding company abstaining from the board vote, and (3) any dividends waived by the mutual holding company are considered in determining an appropriate exchange ratio in the event of a conversion of the mutual holding company to stock form.

Because of the foregoing Federal Reserve Board restrictions on the ability of a mutual holding company, such as Bogota Financial, MHC, to waive the receipt of dividends declared by its subsidiary mid-tier stock holding company, it is unlikely that Bogota Financial, MHC will waive the receipt of any dividends declared by Bogota Financial Corp. Moreover, since Bogota Financial Corp. will sell only a minority of its shares to the public and will contribute the remaining shares to Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Financial Corp. will raise significantly less capital than would have been the case if it sold all its shares to the public. As a result, paying dividends to Bogota Financial, MHC — an entity that will not be paying for the shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock it receives in connection with the offering, may be inequitable to public stockholders and not in their best financial interests. Therefore, unless Federal Reserve Board regulations and policy change by allowing Bogota Financial, MHC to waive the receipt of dividends declared by Bogota Financial Corp. without diluting minority stockholders, it is unlikely that Bogota Financial Corp. will pay any dividends.

Possible Conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC to Stock Form. In the future, Bogota Financial, MHC may convert from the mutual to capital stock form of ownership in a transaction commonly referred to as a “second-step conversion.” Any second-step conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC would require the approval of the NJDBI and the Federal Reserve Board. See “Summary—Possible Conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC to Stock Form.”

Acquisition. Federal laws and regulations and the New Jersey Banking Act provide that no company may acquire control of a bank holding company, such as Bogota Financial Corp., without the prior non-objection or approval of the Federal Reserve Board and the NJDBI. Control, as defined under the applicable federal regulations, means the power, directly or indirectly, to direct the management or policies of the company or to vote 25% or more

 

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of any class of voting securities of the company. Acquisition of 10% or more of any class of a bank holding company’s voting securities constitutes a rebuttable presumption of control under certain circumstances, including where, as will be the case with Bogota Financial Corp., the issuer has registered securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Any company that acquires such control becomes a “bank holding company” subject to registration, examination and regulation by the Federal Reserve Board.

New Jersey Holding Company Regulation. Upon completion of the reorganization, Bogota Financial, MHC and Bogota Financial Corp. will be subject to regulation under New Jersey banking law. Under the New Jersey Banking Act, a company owning or controlling a savings bank is regulated as a bank holding company. The New Jersey Banking Act defines the terms “company” and “bank holding company” as such terms are defined under the federal Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. Each bank holding company controlling a New Jersey-chartered bank or savings bank must file certain reports with the NJDBI and is subject to examination by the NJDBI.

Federal Securities Laws

Bogota Financial Corp.’s common stock will be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission after the offering. Bogota Financial Corp. will be subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading restrictions and other requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of shares of common stock issued in the offering does not cover the resale of those shares. Shares of common stock purchased by persons who are not affiliates of Bogota Financial Corp. may be resold without registration. Shares purchased by an affiliate of Bogota Financial Corp. will be subject to the resale restrictions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933. If Bogota Financial Corp. meets the current public information requirements of Rule 144, each affiliate that complies with the other conditions of Rule 144, including those that require the affiliate’s sale to be aggregated with those of other persons, would be able to sell in the public market without registration, a number of shares not to exceed, in any three-month period, the greater of 1% of the outstanding shares of Bogota Financial Corp., or the average weekly volume of trading in the shares during the preceding four calendar weeks.

Emerging Growth Company Status. Under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), a company with total annual gross revenues of less than $1.07 billion during its most recently completed fiscal year qualifies as an “emerging growth company.” Bogota Financial Corp. qualifies as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.

An “emerging growth company” may choose not to hold stockholder votes to approve annual executive compensation (more frequently referred to as “say-on-pay” votes) or executive compensation payable in connection with a merger (more frequently referred to as “say-on-golden parachute” votes). An emerging growth company also is not subject to the requirement that its auditors attest to the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting, and can provide scaled disclosure regarding executive compensation; however, Bogota Financial Corp. will also not be subject to additional executive compensation disclosure so long as it remains a “smaller reporting company” under Securities and Exchange Commission regulations (generally less than $250 million of voting and non-voting equity held by non-affiliates). Finally, an emerging growth company may elect to comply with new or amended accounting pronouncements in the same manner as a private company, but must make such election when the company is first required to file a registration statement. Such an election is irrevocable during the period a company is an emerging growth company. Bogota Financial Corp. has elected to comply with new or amended accounting pronouncements in the same manner as a private company.

A company loses emerging growth company status on the earlier of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year of the company during which it had total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (2) the last day of the fiscal year of the issuer following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of common equity securities of the company pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933; (3) the date on which such company has, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt; or (4) the date on which such company is deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under Securities and Exchange Commission regulations (generally, a “large accelerated filer” is defined as a corporation with at least $700 million of voting and non-voting equity held by non-affiliates).

 

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Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is intended to improve corporate responsibility, provide for enhanced penalties for accounting and auditing improprieties at publicly traded companies and protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures pursuant to the securities laws. Upon completion of the reorganization, Bogota Financial Corp. will have in place policies, procedures and systems designed to comply with these regulations, and Bogota Financial Corp. will review and document such policies, procedures and systems to ensure continued compliance with these regulations.

TAXATION

Federal Taxation

General. Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank are subject to federal income taxation in the same general manner as other corporations, with some exceptions discussed below. The following discussion of federal taxation is intended only to summarize material federal income tax matters and is not a comprehensive description of the tax rules applicable to Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank.

Method of Accounting. For federal income tax purposes, Bogota Savings Bank currently reports its income and expenses on the accrual method of accounting and uses a tax year ending December 31 for filing its federal income tax returns.

Net Operating Loss Carryovers. Effective with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, net operating loss carrybacks are no longer permitted, and net operating losses are allowed to be carried forward indefinitely. Net operating loss carryforwards arising from tax years beginning after January 1, 2018 are limited to offset a maximum of 80% of a future year’s taxable income. See Note 8 in the Notes to consolidated financial statements that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus for additional information.

Capital Loss Carryovers. Generally, a financial institution may carry back capital losses to the preceding three taxable years and forward to the succeeding five taxable years. Any capital loss carryback or carryover is treated as a short-term capital loss for the year to which it is carried. As such, it is grouped with any other capital losses for the year to which carried and is used to offset any capital gains. Any loss remaining after the five year carryover period that has not been deducted is no longer deductible. At December 31, 2018, Bogota Savings Bank had no capital loss carryovers.

Corporate Dividends. We may generally exclude from our income 100% of dividends received from Bogota Savings Bank as a member of the same affiliated group of corporations.

Audit of Tax Returns. Bogota Savings Bank’s federal income tax returns and New Jersey State income tax returns have not been audited in the last three years.

State Taxation

In 2014, tax legislation was enacted that changed the manner in which financial institutions and their affiliates are taxed in New Jersey. Taxable income is apportioned to New Jersey based on the location of the taxpayer’s customers, with special rules for income from certain financial transactions. The location of the taxpayer’s offices and branches are not relevant to the determination of income apportioned to New Jersey. The statutory tax rate is currently 6.5%. An alternative tax on apportioned capital, capped at $5.0 million for a tax year, is imposed to the extent that it exceeds the tax on apportioned income. The New Jersey alternative tax rate is 0.05% for 2019, 0.025% for 2020 and completely phased out as of January 1, 2021. Qualified community banks and thrift institutions that maintain a qualified loan portfolio are entitled to a specially computed modification that reduces the income taxable to New Jersey.

 

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MANAGEMENT

Our Directors

The board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. initially consists of five members. Directors will serve three-year staggered terms so that approximately one-third of the directors will be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders. Because Bogota Financial, MHC will own a majority of our outstanding common stock, we will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq corporate governance guidelines. As a “controlled company,” we will be exempt from certain requirements, including that a majority of our board of directors be independent under those standards, and that executive compensation and director nominations be overseen by independent directors. However, at the present time, each of our directors, other than Mr. Coccaro, our President and Chief Executive Officer, would be considered independent under the Nasdaq Stock Market corporate governance listing standards. See “—Board Independence.”

 

Name (1)

  

Position(s)

   Age (2)      Director
Since
     Current Term
Expires
 

Joseph Coccaro

  

Director and President and Chief Executive Officer

     61        2006        2021  

Bruce H. Dexter

  

Director

     73        1995        2021  

Gary Gensheimer

  

Director

     72        2006        2022  

Steven M. Goldberg

  

Chairman of the Board

     69        2006        2020  

John Masterson

  

Director

     59        2012        2020  

 

(1)

The mailing address for each individual is 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.

(2)

As of June 30, 2019.

The business experience for the past five years of each or our directors is set forth below. Each individual’s biography also contains information regarding his experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused the board of directors to determine that he should serve as a director. Unless otherwise indicated, each individual has held his position for the past five years.

Joseph Coccaro has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since 2008 and has been employed by Bogota Savings Bank since 2005, when he was initially hired to be our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Coccaro served as the Controller of Liberty Bank, which was acquired by Northfield Bank in 2002, where he worked until joining Bogota Savings Bank. Mr. Coccaro has maintained a Certified Financial Planner designation since 1988 and Series 6 and Series 63 licenses since 1992. Mr. Coccaro’s extensive experience in the local banking industry and involvement in business and civic organizations in the communities in which we serve affords the board of directors valuable insight regarding our business and operations. Mr. Coccaro’s knowledge of our business and history position him well to continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Steven M. Goldberg has served as Chairman of the Board since 2006. Until his retirement in March 2019, Mr. Goldberg was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for 17 years of Cole Schotz, PC, a New Jersey-based law firm with offices throughout the United States that specializes in litigation, bankruptcy law, corporate issues and employment law. Prior to joining Cole Schotz, Mr. Goldberg was a Certified Public Accountant and managing partner at a public accounting firm for 29 years. Mr. Goldberg’s experience as an executive of a large national law practice brings valuable business, administrative and leadership skills to our board. In addition, he provides financial background and expertise in accounting matters.

Bruce H. Dexter is a partner with the law firm of Dexter & Kilcoyne located in Hackensack, New Jersey. His areas of practice include personal injury law, commercial litigation and transactional work with an emphasis on real estate and banking law. Mr. Dexter has been practicing law for over 45 years. Mr. Dexter’s general legal knowledge, as well as his expertise with residential and commercial real estate and banking matters is a significant resource for us.

Gary Gensheimer was President of Control Associates, Inc., an engineering firm, until his retirement in December 2007, after 34 years with the company. Mr. Gensheimer provides valuable executive and business skills to the board.

 

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John Masterson was a managing director in the equities division of Goldman Sachs for almost 35 years before his retirement in 2007. Mr. Masterson currently serves as a director of 50 South Capital Advisors, LLC, a global alternatives investment firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Trust. Mr. Masterson also served as a director or Transparent Value, a London-based hedge fund from 2011 until 2016. Mr. Masterson’s considerable experience in investment banking, capital markets and additional board service are valuable to us in many ways, including assisting in our assessment of sources and uses of capital.

Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors

The following sets forth information regarding our executive officers who are not directors. Age information is as of June 30, 2019. The executive officers of Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank are elected annually.

Brian McCourt, age 58, has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2011.

Kevin Pace, age 40, has served as our Executive Vice President, Compliance, BSA since 2018 under which he has operational oversight over compliance, operations and IT. Before the appointment, Mr. Pace served in various banking positions at Bogota Savings Bank since 2013.

Board Independence

The board of directors has determined that each of our directors, except Mr. Coccaro, is “independent” as defined in, and for purposes of satisfying the listing standards of, the Nasdaq Stock Market. Mr. Coccaro is not considered independent because he is an executive officer of Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank.

In determining the independence of our directors, there were no relationships between Bogota Savings Bank and our directors and officers that are not required to be reported under “Transactions With Certain Related Persons” below.

Transactions With Certain Related Persons

Federal law generally prohibits publicly traded companies from making loans to their executive officers and directors, but it contains a specific exemption from the prohibition for loans made by federally insured financial institutions, such as Bogota Savings Bank, to their executive officers and directors in compliance with federal bank regulations. At June 30, 2019, all of our loans to directors and executive officers were made in the ordinary course of business, were made on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable loans with persons not related to Bogota Savings Bank, and did not involve more than the normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features. These loans were performing according to their original terms at June 30, 2019, and were made in compliance with federal bank regulations.

We engaged the law firm of Dexter & Kilcoyne to provide legal services to Bogota Savings Bank. Mr. Dexter, one of our directors, is a partner of the law firm. In 2018, we paid the law firm $124,000 for legal services rendered to Bogota Savings Bank.

Committees of the Board of Directors

We conduct business through meetings of our board of directors and its committees. The board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. has established standing committees, including a Compensation Committee, an Audit Committee and a Governance and Nominating Committee. Each of these committees operates under a written charter, which governs its composition, responsibilities and operations. Bogota Savings Bank also has standing committees of its board of directors.

 

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The table below sets forth the directors of each of the listed standing committees. Each member of each committee meets the Nasdaq and the Securities and Exchange Commission independence requirements for such committee. The board of directors has determined that Mr. Goldberg will qualify as an “audit committee financial expert” as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Audit Committee

 

Compensation Committee

 

Governance and Nominating

Committee

Gary Gensheimer   Bruce H. Dexter   Gary Gensheimer
Steven M. Goldberg   Gary Gensheimer   Steven M. Goldberg
John Masterson   Steven M. Goldberg   John Masterson
  John Masterson  

Executive Compensation – Summary Compensation Table

The table below summarizes the total compensation paid to or earned by our President and Chief Executive Officer and our two other most highly compensated executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2018. Each individual listed in the table below is referred to as a “Named Executive Officer.”

 

     Year Ended December 31, 2018  

Name and principal position

   Salary      Non-equity
incentive plan
compensation
     All other
compensation (1)
     Total  

Joseph Coccaro
President and Chief Executive Officer

   $ 365,580      $ 236,500      $ —        $ 602,080  

Brian McCourt
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

     207,000        48,000        —          255,000  

Kevin Pace
Executive Vice President, Compliance, BSA

     140,000        35,000        —          175,000  

 

(1)

No perquisites exceeded $10,000, in the aggregate.

Agreements and Benefit Plans

Employment Agreement with Joseph Coccaro. Bogota Savings Bank intends to enter into a new employment agreement with Mr. Coccaro in connection with the reorganization and stock offering that will supersede and replace his existing employment agreement. The agreement will have a term that initially ends on December 31, 2021. Beginning on January 1, 2020 and each January 1 thereafter (each, a “Renewal Date”), the term of the agreement will extend automatically for one additional year so that the term will be three years from such Renewal Date unless either Bogota Savings Bank or Mr. Coccaro gives written notice no later than 30 days before the Renewal Date that the term will not be renewed. At least 30 days prior to each Renewal Date of the employment agreement, disinterested members of the board of directors Bogota Savings Bank will conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation and review of Mr. Coccaro’s performance for purposes of determining whether to take action to not renew the employment agreement.

The employment agreement specifies Mr. Coccaro’s base salary, which initially will be $425,000. The Compensation Committee may increase, but not decrease, Mr. Coccaro’s base salary. In addition to the base salary, the agreements provide that Mr. Coccaro will be eligible to participate in any bonus plan or arrangement of Bogota Savings Bank in which senior management is eligible to participate and/or may receive a bonus on a discretionary basis, as determined by the Compensation Committee. Mr. Coccaro is also entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans, arrangements and perquisites offered to the senior management of Bogota Savings Bank and the reimbursement of reasonable travel and other business expenses incurred in the performance of his duties with

 

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Bogota Savings Bank, including memberships in organizations as the executives and the board mutually agree are necessary and appropriate. Mr. Coccaro is also entitled to receive a company automobile and will be reimbursed for the reasonable expenses for its use.

Bogota Savings Bank may terminate the executive’s employment, and Mr. Coccaro may resign, at any time with or without good reason. In the event of Mr. Coccaro’s termination without cause other than due to death or disability or voluntary resignation for good reason (a “qualifying termination event”), Bogota Savings Bank would pay Mr. Coccaro a gross payment equal to the base salary he would have earned had he remained employed for the greater of: (1) the remaining term of the employment agreement; or (2) 24 months. The severance will be payable to Mr. Coccaro in equal bi-weekly installments for the greater of either the remaining term of the agreement or 24 months, commencing within 60 days following his date of termination. In addition, Mr. Coccaro would receive 18 consecutive monthly cash payments equal to his monthly COBRA premium in effect as of the date of termination for the level of coverage in effect for Mr. Coccaro under Bogota Savings Bank’s group health plan, so long as an election for COBRA coverage is made. A “good reason” condition for purposes of the employment agreement would include: any reduction in base salary; a material reduction in authority, duties or responsibilities associated with Mr. Coccaro’s position with Bogota Savings Bank, including an adverse change such that Mr. Coccaro is no longer reporting to the board; a relocation, in connection with a change in control, of Mr. Coccaro’s principal place of employment by more than 25 miles from Bogota Savings Bank’s main office; or a material breach of the employment agreement by Bogota Savings Bank.

In the event of Mr. Coccaro’s qualifying termination event during the term occurring on or after a change in control of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank, Mr. Coccaro would be entitled to (in lieu of the payments and benefits described in the previous paragraph) a gross severance payment equal to three times the sum of his: (1) base salary in effect as of the date of his termination or immediately prior to the change in control, whichever is higher; and (2) the average annual cash bonus earned for the three most recently completed performance periods prior to the change in control. Such payment is payable in bi-weekly installments for a period of three years, commencing within 30 days following the Mr. Coccaro’s date of termination. In addition, Mr. Coccaro would receive 18 consecutive monthly cash payments equal to his monthly COBRA premium in effect as of the date of termination for the level of coverage in effect for Mr. Coccaro under Bogota Savings Bank’s (or successor’s) group health plan immediately before his termination, regardless if an election for COBRA coverage is made.

The employment agreement would immediately terminate upon the earlier of Mr. Coccaro’s voluntary resignation without good reason, termination for cause, death or disability, and Bogota Savings Bank would have no obligation to pay any additional severance benefits to Mr. Coccaro under the employment agreement.

Upon termination of employment (other than a termination in connection with a change in control), Mr. Coccaro will be required to adhere to one-year non-competition and non-solicitation restrictions set forth in his employment agreement.

Change in Control Agreements. Bogota Savings Bank intends to enter into individual change in control agreements with Messrs. McCourt and Pace, which will supersede and replace their existing change in control agreements with Bogota Savings Bank. The change in control agreements have terms that initially end on December 31, 2021. Beginning on January 1, 2020 and each January 1 thereafter (each, a “Renewal Date”), each agreement will extend automatically for one additional year so that the remaining term will be three years from such Renewal Date unless either Bogota Savings Bank or the executive gives written notice no later than 30 days before such Renewal Date that an agreement will not be renewed. At least 60 days prior to each anniversary date of the change in control agreements, disinterested members of the board of directors of Bogota Savings Bank will conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation and review of each executive’s performance for purposes of determining whether to not renew his or her change in control agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank enters into a transaction that would be considered a change in control as defined under the agreements, the term of the agreements would extend automatically so that they would expire no less than two years beyond the effective date of the change in control.

Upon termination of the executive’s employment by Bogota Savings Bank without “cause” or by executive with “good reason” on or after the effective date of a change in control of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings

 

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Bank, the executive would be entitled to a gross severance payment equal to two times the sum of the executive’s: (1) base salary in effect as of the date of his termination or immediately prior to the change in control, whichever is higher; and (2) the average annual cash bonus earned for the three most recently completed performance periods prior to the change in control. Such payment is payable in equal bi-weekly installments for two years, commencing within 30 days following the executive’s date of termination. In addition, each executive would receive 12 consecutive monthly cash payments equal to his monthly COBRA premium in effect as of the date of termination for the level of coverage in effect for the executive under Bogota Savings Bank’s (or successor’s) group health plan, regardless if an election for COBRA coverage is made.

A “good reason” condition for purposes of each change in control agreement would include a material reduction in base salary, a material reduction in authority, duties or responsibilities associated with the executive’s position with Bogota Savings Bank, a relocation of the executive’s principal place of employment resulting in an increase in the executive’s commute by 25 miles or more from Bogota Savings Bank’s main office or a material breach of the change in control agreement by Bogota Savings Bank.

For purposes of the employment agreement and change in control agreements described above, the reorganization of Bogota Savings Bank into the “two-tier” mutual holding company structure or the conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC from mutual to stock form and a contemporaneous stock offering of a newly-formed stock holding are not considered change in control events.

Executive Bonus Plan. Bogota Savings Bank adopted the Executive Bonus Plan for its executive officers who are approved annually by the board of directors. The named executive officers are participants in the Executive Bonus Plan. The Executive Bonus Plan is designed to provide participants with incentives and motivation to increase Bogota Savings Bank’s profitability and growth while maintaining its safety and soundness. The Executive Bonus Plan provides annual incentive awards to participants based on overall bank-wide, department and/or individual performance goals established annually, which are determined by using performance history, peer data, market data and the compensation committee’s judgment based on previous experience and projected market conditions.

Each participant can achieve annual incentive awards, depending on the satisfaction of certain performance goals. Each performance goal established is weighted. The annual performance period under the Executive Bonus Plan is a 12-month period ending on December 31 (the “plan year”). For the 2018 plan year, the performance goals established were based on: (1) net income; (2) overall performance results based on return on assets, return on equity and efficiency ratio relative to a peer group; and (3) individual goals linked to the executive’s position with Bogota Savings Bank, including adherence to the bank’s strategic business plan, achievement of minimum performance goals related to safety and soundness and achievement of budget income results.

Each participant’s annual incentive award is payable in a cash lump sum as soon as practicable following the completion of the plan year, provided, however, that such payment will be made no later than two and one-half months following the end of the plan year. A participant must be actively employed on the last day of the plan year in order to receive the annual incentive award. Based on the foregoing, Messrs. Coccaro, McCourt and Pace earned $236,500, $48,000 and $35,000, respectively, under the Executive Bonus Plan for the 2018 plan year.

401(k) Plan. Bogota Savings Bank maintains the Bogota Savings Bank 401(k) Plan, which is a qualified, tax-exempt profit-sharing plan with a salary deferral feature under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “401(k) Plan”). All employees except for union employees, leased employees, and employees who are not classified as salaried or commission-paid employees, are eligible to participate in the plan upon reaching age 18 and working for at least one month with respect to making elective salary deferrals and receiving all other employer contributions. Employees are permitted to make elective salary deferrals in an amount up to $19,000 (as indexed annually). Eligible employees who have not made a salary deferral election automatically have withheld 6% of their salary deferred as a pre-tax contribution which will be invested in accordance with the plan’s investment policies. Eligible employees may designate their salary deferrals as either pre-tax or after-tax Roth deferrals.

An employee may also contribute rollover contributions to the plan from another eligible retirement plan. Employees who have attained age 50 before the end of a plan year are also eligible to make catch-up contributions

 

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during the year in an amount not to exceed $6,000 (as indexed annually). All employee elective salary deferrals, catch-up contributions and “rollover” contributions are fully and immediately vested.

In addition, Bogota Savings Bank currently makes an employer matching contribution for the amount a participant contributes as salary deferrals up to 100% of the amount contributed for the first 6% of the participant’s plan compensation. Bogota Savings Bank also makes a discretionary qualified non-elective contribution of 3% of the participant’s salary.

Employer matching contributions and employer discretionary pro-rata contributions are subject to a five-year vesting schedule, such that the participant vests in the first 20% of his or her account attributable to employer matching and profit-sharing contributions after one year of service and an additional 20% each year thereafter until fully vested after five years. The qualified non-elective contributions are fully and immediately vested. Generally, a participant is not entitled to an in-service distribution of his or her account balance until the participant attains age 59-1/2. In addition, the 401(k) Plan permits loans to participants within the limits set forth in the Internal Revenue Code and according to loan procedures established by Bogota Savings Bank. Participants are entitled to benefit payments upon termination of employment, disability or death. Participants may elect that benefits be distributed in the form of a lump sum or in equal annual installments paid over a set of number of years. Bogota Savings Bank has established an employer stock fund in the 401(k) Plan so that participants may use their 40(k) plan to acquire Bogota Financial Corp. common stock.

Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Bogota Savings Bank expects to adopt an employee stock ownership plan for eligible employees, effective as of January 1, 2020, in connection with the stock offering. Eligible employees, which include the named executive officers, who have attained age 21 and have completed one year of service on or before the closing date of the offering, will begin participation in the employee stock ownership plan, retroactively, as of January 1, 2020, the plan’s effective date. All employees except for union employees, leased employees, nonresident aliens and employees compensated on an hourly basis or commission basis are eligible to participate in the employee stock ownership plan. Employees who do not satisfy the eligibility requirements on the closing date of the offering will become eligible to enter the plan on the first entry date commencing on or after both reaching age 21 and completing one year of service.

The employee stock ownership plan trustee is expected to purchase, on behalf of the employee stock ownership plan, 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering. We expect that the employee stock ownership plan will fund its stock purchase with a loan from Bogota Financial Corp. equal to the aggregate purchase price of the common stock. The loan will be repaid principally through Bogota Savings Bank’s contributions to the employee stock ownership plan and any dividends payable on common stock held by the employee stock ownership plan over the anticipated 20-year term of the loan. The interest rate on the employee stock ownership plan loan is expected to be an adjustable-rate equal to the prime rate, as published in The Wall Street Journal, on the closing date of the offering. Thereafter the interest rate will adjust annually and will be based on the prime rate as of the first business day of the calendar year, retroactive to January 1 of such year.

The trustee will hold the shares purchased by the employee stock ownership plan in an unallocated suspense account. Shares will be released from the suspense account on a pro-rata basis as the employee stock ownership plan repays the loan. The trustee will allocate the shares released among participants on the basis of each participant’s proportional share of compensation relative to all participants. Participants will vest 20% per each year of credited service and will become 100% vested in their benefit after five years of credited service. Participants who were employed by Bogota Savings Bank immediately before the offering will receive credit for vesting purposes for years of service before adoption of the employee stock ownership plan. Participants also will become fully vested upon normal retirement, death or disability, a change in control, or termination of the employee stock ownership plan. Generally, participants will receive distributions from the employee stock ownership plan after severance from employment. The employee stock ownership plan reallocates any unvested shares forfeited upon termination of employment among the remaining participants.

 

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The employee stock ownership plan permits participants to direct the trustee as to how to vote the shares of common stock allocated to their accounts. The plan provides that the trustee will vote unallocated shares and allocated shares for which participants do not provide instructions on any matter in the same ratio as those shares for which participants provide instructions, subject to fulfillment of the trustee’s fiduciary responsibilities.

Under applicable accounting requirements, Bogota Savings Bank will record a compensation expense for the employee stock ownership plan at the fair market value of the shares as they are committed to be released from the unallocated suspense account to participants’ accounts. The compensation expense resulting from the release of the common stock from the suspense account and allocation to plan participants will result in a corresponding reduction in Bogota Financial Corp.’s earnings.

Directors’ Compensation

The following table sets forth for the year ended December 31, 2018 certain information as to the total remuneration paid by Bogota Savings Bank to directors other than Mr. Coccaro, who receives no compensation for being a director.

 

     Year Ended December 31, 2018  

Name

   Fees earned or paid
in cash
     All Other
Compensation (1)
     Total  

Bruce H. Dexter

   $  63,290      $  25,343      $ 88,633  

Gary Gensheimer

     63,290        25,358        88,648  

Steven M. Goldberg

     79,115        25,358        104,473  

John Masterson

     63,290        29,595        92,885  

 

(1)

Amounts represent the costs for the director’s medical insurance for the year ended December 31, 2018. Bogota Savings Bank has historically provided the costs of medical insurance to its directors. However, this benefit will not be provided to any new directors.

Director Fees

During the year ended December 31, 2018, directors received an annual fee of $63,290, while the chairman of the board received an annual fee of $79,115.

Except for Mr. McCourt, who will only serve as a director of Bogota Financial, MHC (and will not receive fees for his services), each person who will also serve as a director of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Financial, MHC will also serve as a director of Bogota Savings Bank and will initially earn director fees only in his or her capacity as a board or committee member of Bogota Savings Bank. Upon completion of the reorganization, additional director fees may be paid for Bogota Financial Corp. director meetings, although no such determination has been made at this time.

Amended and Restated Director Retirement Plan

Bogota Savings Bank maintains an unfunded, non-qualified pension plan to provide post-retirement benefits to each non-employee director who separates from service after the later of attaining age 65 or ten years of service but no later than age 75. The monthly retirement benefit is 100% of a director’s average annual retainer paid over a three-year period during which the highest annual retainer was received and payable for the same number of months the director served on the board of directors, up to a period of 120 months. Upon separation from service, the director will be subject to a two-year non-competition restriction. If the director is terminated for cause (as such term is defined in the plan), all benefits under the plan shall be forfeited. If separation from service occurs within three years following a change in control, the director shall be treated as having completed ten years of service. If the director’s separation from service occurs within two years following a change in control, the retirement benefit will commence within 30 days following separation from service, paid in either 120 equal monthly installments or, if the director was elected before December 31, 2008, a lump sum. If the director dies during service, then the director’s beneficiary will receive a survivor’s benefit equal to the full retirement benefit commencing on the

 

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director’s benefit eligibility date (as such term is defined in the plan). If the director’s service is terminated due to disability, the director shall be entitled to the benefit commencing the first day of the month following the month in which the disability determination was made.

Amended and Restated Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan

Bogota Savings Bank maintains an unfunded, non-qualified supplement executive retirement plan (“SERP”) for Mr. Coccaro to provide post-retirement benefits on the later of attainment of age 65 or separation from service. The monthly retirement benefit is 15% of Mr. Coccaro’s average annual salary and bonus for the three consecutive year period following the date of separation from service and payable for a period of 120 months commencing on the later of attainment of age 65 or separation from service. Upon separation from service, as a condition of receiving the SERP benefit, Mr. Coccaro will be subject to a 12-month non-competition restriction. If Mr. Coccaro is terminated for cause (as such term is defined in the SERP), all benefits under the SERP shall be forfeited. If separation from service occurs within two years following a change in control, the SERP benefit shall commence within 30 days following separation from service. If Mr. Coccaro dies during employment with the Bogota Savings Bank, then his beneficiary shall receive the SERP benefit commencing on Mr. Coccaro’s benefit eligibility date (as such term is defined in the SERP). If Mr. Coccaro’s employment is terminated due to disability, Mr. Coccaro shall be entitled to the SERP benefit commencing the first day of the month following the month in which the disability determination was made.

Benefits to be Considered Following Completion of the Stock Offering

Following the stock offering, we intend to implement one or more stock-based benefit plans that will provide for grants of stock options and restricted common stock awards. According to applicable regulations, if implemented within the first year after the offering, we anticipate that the plan will authorize a number of stock options and a number of shares of restricted stock, not to exceed 4.90% and 1.96%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the completion of the offering, including shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC and shares contributed to the charitable foundation. These limitations will not apply if the plan is implemented more than one year after the consummation date of the reorganization.

The stock-based benefit plans will not be implemented sooner than six months after the offering and, if implemented within one year after the stock offering, the plans must be approved by a majority of the votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders, as well as a majority of the votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders other than Bogota Financial, MHC. If stock-based benefit plans are established more than one year after the offering is completed, they must be approved by a majority of votes cast by all stockholders of Bogota Financial Corp., as well as a majority of votes cast by our stockholders other than Bogota Financial, MHC.

Certain additional restrictions would apply to our stock-based benefit plans if implemented within one year after completion of the offering, including:

 

   

non-employee directors in the aggregate may not receive more than 30% of the options and shares of restricted common stock authorized under the plans;

 

   

no non-employee director may receive more than 5% of the options and restricted stock awards authorized under the plans;

 

   

no individual may receive more than 25% of the options and restricted stock awards authorized under the plans;

 

   

the options and shares of restricted common stock may not vest more rapidly than 20% per year, beginning on the first anniversary of stockholder approval of the plans; and

 

   

accelerated vesting is not permitted except for death, disability or upon a change in control of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank.

 

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We have not yet determined whether we will present stock-based benefit plans for stockholder approval within one year or more than one year following the completion of the offering. If applicable regulations or policies regarding stock-based benefit plans change, including any regulations or policies restricting the size of awards and vesting of benefits as described above, the restrictions described above may not be applicable.

We may obtain the shares needed for our stock-based benefit plans by issuing additional shares of common stock from authorized but unissued shares or by repurchasing shares of our common stock.

These restrictions do not apply to plans adopted after one year following the completion of the stock offering.

The actual value of the shares of restricted common stock awarded under stock-based benefit plans would be based on the price of Bogota Financial Corp.’s common stock at the time the shares are awarded. The following table presents the total value of all shares of restricted common stock to be available for award and issuance under the stock-based benefit plans, assuming receipt of stockholder approval and that the shares are awarded when market prices range from $8.00 per share to $14.00 per share.

 

Share Price

   165,750 Shares
Awarded at Minimum
of Offering Range
     195,000 Shares
Awarded at Midpoint
of Offering Range
     224,250 Shares
Awarded at Maximum
of Offering Range
     257,887 Shares
Awarded at Adjusted
Maximum of Offering
Range
 
$8.00    $ 1,326      $ 1,560      $ 1,794      $ 2,063  
$10.00    $ 1,657      $ 1,950      $ 2,242      $ 2,579  
$12.00    $ 1,989      $ 2,340      $ 2,691      $ 3,095  
$14.00    $ 2,320      $ 2,730      $ 3,139      $ 3,610  

The grant-date fair value of the options granted under the stock-based benefit plans would be based in part on the trading price of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock at the time the options are granted. The value will also depend on the various assumptions used in the option pricing model ultimately adopted. The following table presents the total estimated value of the options to be available for grant under the stock-based benefit plans, assuming receipt of stockholder approval, using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, and assuming the market price and exercise price for the stock options are equal and the range of market prices for the shares is $8.00 per share to $14.00 per share. The Black-Scholes option pricing model provides an estimate only of the fair value of the options, and the actual value of the options may differ significantly from the value set forth in this table.

 

Market/Exercise Price

   Grant Date Fair
Value Per Option
     414,375
Options at
Minimum of
Offering Range
     487,500
Options at
Midpoint of
Offering Range
     560,625
Options at
Maximum of
Offering Range
     644,719
Options at
Adjusted
Maximum of
Offering Range
 
$8.00    $ 2.06      $ 854      $ 1,004      $ 1,155      $ 1,328  
$10.00    $ 2.57      $ 1,065      $ 1,253      $ 1,441      $ 1,657  
$12.00    $ 3.08      $ 1,276      $ 1,501      $ 1,727      $ 1,986  
$14.00    $ 3.60      $ 1,492      $ 1,755      $ 2,018      $ 2,321  

The tables presented above are provided for informational purposes only. There can be no assurance that our stock price will not trade below the offering price of $10.00 per share.

 

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SUBSCRIPTIONS BY DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The table below sets forth, for each of Bogota Savings Bank’s directors and executive officers, including their associates, and for all of these individuals as a group, the proposed purchases of subscription shares. In the event of an oversubscription by eligible account holders, directors and executive officers may not be able to purchase the amount of shares listed below. If the individual maximum purchase limitation is increased, persons subscribing for the maximum amount may increase their purchase order. See “The Reorganization and Offering—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases.” Directors and officers will purchase shares of common stock at the same $10.00 purchase price per share and on the same terms as other purchasers in the offering. This table excludes shares of common stock to be purchased by the employee stock ownership plan, as well as any stock awards or stock option grants that may be made no earlier than six months after the completion of the offering. Federal and state regulations prohibit our directors and officers from selling the shares they purchase in the offering for one year after the closing of the offering. Subscriptions by management through our 401(k) plan are included in the proposed purchases set forth below and will be counted as part of the maximum number of shares such individuals may subscribe for in the offering and as part of the maximum number of shares directors and officers may purchase in the offering.

 

Name of Beneficial Owner

   Number of
Shares
     Aggregate
Purchase
Price
 

Directors:

     

Joseph Coccaro

     25,000      $ 250,000  

Bruce H. Dexter

     15,000        150,000  

Gary Gensheimer

     15,000        150,000  

Steven M. Goldberg

     25,000        250,000  

John Masterson

     25,000        250,000  

Executive Officers:

     

Brian McCourt

     15,000        150,000  

Kevin Pace

     10,000        100,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total for Directors and Executive Officers

     130,000      $ 1,300,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

At the minimum and adjusted maximum of the offering range, directors and executive officers would beneficially own 3.6% and 2.3% of our outstanding shares of common stock, respectively.

 

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THE REORGANIZATION AND OFFERING

Bogota Savings Bank’s board of directors has unanimously approved the plan of reorganization and minority stock issuance, which we refer to as the plan of reorganization. We have filed applications and notices with each of NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as well as a holding company application with the Federal Reserve Board, regarding our reorganization into a two-tier mutual holding company structure and to authorize Bogota Financial Corp. to own 100% of the common stock of Bogota Savings Bank, and to issue and sell Bogota Financial Corp. common stock in a minority stock offering. These regulatory agencies have granted Bogota Financial Corp. conditional approval to commence the offering. However, the final approval of the NJDBI and the Federal Reserve Board and the final non-objection of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is required before we can consummate the reorganization and the offering. Any approval by the NJDBI or the Federal Reserve Board or non-objection of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of the plan of reorganization.

General

The board of directors of Bogota Savings Bank unanimously approved the plan of reorganization on September 9, 2019. Pursuant to the plan of reorganization, Bogota Savings Bank will reorganize into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form of organization whereby Bogota Financial Corp. will become the mid-tier stock holding company of Bogota Savings Bank and Bogota Financial, MHC will become the top-tier mutual holding company. Bogota Savings Bank intends to establish and fund a charitable foundation at the completion of the offering with 2.0% of the outstanding shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock, including shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC, and $250,000 in cash. After the completion of the offering, purchasers in the offering and the charitable foundation will own 45% of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Financial, MHC will own the remaining 55% of the outstanding shares of Bogota Financial Corp.

Pursuant to the plan of reorganization, we will offer shares of common stock for sale in the subscription offering to our eligible account holders, to our tax-qualified employee benefit plans, including the employee stock ownership plan that we are establishing in connection with the reorganization and our 401(k) plan, to our supplemental eligible account holders and to our other depositors. If shares remain available for sale, we may offer common stock for sale in a community offering to members of the general public, with a preference given to natural persons residing in Bergen County, New Jersey.

We also may offer for sale shares of common stock not purchased in the subscription or community offerings through a syndicated community offering for which Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will be sole manager. See “—Syndicated Offering.” We have the right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any orders to purchase shares of the common stock received in the community offering. The community offering may begin concurrently with, during or promptly after the subscription offering and must be completed within 45 days after the completion of the subscription offering unless otherwise extended with the permission of the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board. See “—Community Offering.”

We intend to retain between $13.7 million and $18.9 million of the net proceeds of the offering (or $21.9 million at the adjusted maximum of the offering range) and to invest between $17.3 million and $23.7 million of the net proceeds in Bogota Savings Bank (or $27.3 million at the adjusted maximum of the offering range). The offering will be consummated only upon the issuance of at least the minimum number of shares of our common stock offered pursuant to the plan of reorganization.

We determined the number of shares of common stock to be offered in the offering based upon an independent valuation of the estimated pro forma market value of Bogota Financial Corp. All shares of common stock to be sold in the offering will be sold at $10.00 per share. Investors will not be charged a commission to purchase shares of common stock. The independent valuation will be updated and the final number of shares of common stock to be issued in the offering will be determined at the completion of the offering. See “—Stock Pricing and Number of Shares to be Issued” for more information as to the determination of the estimated pro forma market value of the common stock.

 

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The following is a brief summary of the plan of reorganization and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the plan of reorganization, which should be consulted for further information about the reorganization and offering. A copy of the plan of reorganization is available for inspection at each office of Bogota Savings Bank. The plan of reorganization is also filed as an exhibit to Bogota Savings Bank’s application to form a mutual holding company, a copy of which may be obtained from the NJDBI. A copy of the plan of reorganization is also filed as an exhibit to Bogota Savings Bank’s notice of intent to convert, of which this prospectus is a part, a copy of which may be obtained from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and as an exhibit to Bogota Savings Bank’s holding company application, of which this prospectus is a part, a copy of which may be obtained from the Federal Reserve Board. The plan of reorganization is also filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, of which this prospectus is a part, a copy of which may be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission or online at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website, www.sec.gov. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” A copy of the plan of reorganization is also included as an appendix to the proxy statement for Bogota Savings Bank’s special meeting of depositors.

Reasons for the Reorganization

The primary purpose of the reorganization, in which a holding company will be established and Bogota Savings Bank will convert to the stock form of ownership, is to compete and grow more effectively in the financial services marketplace. The stock form of ownership is the corporate form used by commercial banks, most major businesses and a large number of savings institutions.

The reorganization will permit us to issue and sell capital stock, which is a source of capital not available to mutual savings institutions. This will enable customers, employees, management and directors to have an equity ownership interest in our company. Management believes that this will enhance the long-term growth and performance of Bogota Savings Bank and Bogota Financial Corp. by enabling us to attract and retain qualified employees who have a direct interest in our financial success. It may also generate greater customer interest in the performance of Bogota Savings Bank. The reorganization also will give us greater flexibility to structure and finance the expansion of our operations and increase our capital to support future growth and profitability, including the potential acquisition of other financial service businesses, financial institutions and branch offices, and to diversify into other financial services. The reorganization and the capital raised in the offering are expected to increase our lending capacity by providing us with additional capital to support new loans and higher lending limits, support the growth of our banking franchise, provide an additional cushion against unforeseen risk and increase our asset base. Lastly, the reorganization will enable us to better manage our capital by providing broader investment opportunities through the holding company structure and by enabling us to repurchase our common stock if favorable market conditions exist. Although the reorganization and offering will create a stock savings bank and stock holding company, only a minority of our common stock will be offered for sale in the offering. As a result, our mutual form of ownership and our ability to provide community-oriented financial services will be preserved through the mutual holding company structure.

Our board of directors believes that the advantages of the mutual holding company structure outweigh the potential disadvantages of the mutual holding company structure to minority stockholders, including the inability of stockholders other than Bogota Financial, MHC to own a majority of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. A majority of our voting stock will be owned by Bogota Financial, MHC, which will be controlled by its board of directors. While this structure will permit management to focus on our long-term business strategy for growth and capital redeployment without undue pressure from stockholders, it will also serve to perpetuate our existing management and directors. Bogota Financial, MHC will be able to elect all the members of Bogota Financial Corp.’s board of directors, and will be able to control the outcome of nearly all matters presented to our stockholders for resolution by vote. No assurance can be given that Bogota Financial, MHC will not take action adverse to the interests of stockholders other than Bogota Financial, MHC. For example, Bogota Financial, MHC could prevent the sale of control of Bogota Financial Corp., or defeat a candidate for the board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. or other proposals put forth by stockholders.

Since we will not be offering all of our common stock for sale in the offering, the reorganization will result in less capital raised in comparison to a standard mutual-to-stock conversion. We are not undertaking a standard mutual-to-stock conversion at this time because we do not believe we could effectively deploy in the near term the additional capital that would be raised in a standard conversion. The reorganization, however, will allow us to raise

 

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additional capital in the future because a majority of our common stock will be available for sale in the event of a conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC to stock form. Our board of directors has determined that offering 43% of our outstanding shares of common stock for sale in the offering will allow us to reinvest the net proceeds over the next several years.

The reorganization does not preclude the future conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC from the mutual to stock form of organization. We cannot assure you when, if ever, Bogota Financial, MHC will convert to stock form or what conditions the Federal Reserve Board or other regulatory agencies may impose on such a transaction. See “Summary—Possible Conversion of Bogota Financial, MHC to Stock Form.”

Approvals Required

The affirmative vote of a majority of total votes eligible to be cast by depositors of Bogota Savings Bank at a special meeting of depositors, either in person or by proxy, is required to approve the plan of reorganization. In addition, an affirmative vote of a majority of total votes eligible to be cast by depositors is required to approve the funding of the charitable foundation. A special meeting of depositors to consider and vote on the plan of reorganization and the funding of the charitable foundation has been called for [special meeting date]. The reorganization also must be approved by the NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation must issue its intent not to object to the reorganization. Additionally, the Federal Reserve Board must approve the offering and our holding company application. We cannot consummate the reorganization and offering without obtaining these approvals and non-objections.

Effects of Reorganization on Depositors and Borrowers

Continuity. While the reorganization is being accomplished, our normal business of accepting deposits and making loans will continue without interruption. Bogota Savings Bank will continue to be subject to regulation by NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. After the reorganization, we will continue to offer existing services to depositors, borrowers and other customers. The directors serving Bogota Savings Bank at the time of the reorganization will be the directors of Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Financial, MHC after the reorganization. The officers of Bogota Savings Bank at the time of the reorganization will retain their positions after the reorganization.

Effect on Deposit Accounts. Pursuant to the plan of reorganization, each depositor of Bogota Savings Bank at the time of the reorganization will automatically continue as a depositor after the reorganization, and the deposit balance, interest rate and other terms of such deposit accounts will not change as a result of the reorganization. Each such account will be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, without interruption, to the same extent as before the reorganization. Depositors will continue to hold their existing certificates, passbooks and other evidences of their accounts.

Effect on Loans. No loan outstanding from Bogota Savings Bank will be affected by the reorganization, and the amount, interest rate, maturity and security for each loan will remain as it was contractually fixed before the reorganization.

Effect on Voting Rights of Depositors. In Bogota Savings Bank’s current mutual form, the right to elect members of the board of directors is vested exclusively in its board of directors. After the reorganization, Bogota Savings Bank will be under the direction of its board of directors who will be elected by Bogota Financial Corp., as the sole stockholder of Bogota Savings Bank, and will have the authority to vote on all matters of Bogota Savings Bank requiring stockholder approval. The common stockholders of Bogota Financial Corp. will have exclusive voting rights with respect to Bogota Financial Corp. Currently, eligible depositors of Bogota Savings Bank have the right to vote on any liquidation, reorganization or conversion transaction undertaken by Bogota Savings Bank. After the reorganization, Bogota Savings Bank depositors will continue to have the same voting rights in Bogota Financial, MHC as they had in Bogota Savings Bank before the reorganization, specifically the right to vote on any liquidation or mutual-to-stock conversion transaction undertaken by Bogota Financial, MHC.

Tax Effects. We have received opinions of counsel and our tax advisors with regard to the federal and state income tax consequences of the reorganization to the effect that the reorganization will not be taxable for

 

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federal or state income tax purposes to Bogota Savings Bank or its depositors. See “—Material Income Tax Consequences.”

Effect on Liquidation Rights. Each depositor of Bogota Savings Bank, in its present form, has a deposit account in Bogota Savings Bank and a pro rata ownership interest in the net worth of Bogota Savings Bank based upon the deposit balance of his or her account. This interest is tied to the depositor’s account and has no tangible market value separate from the deposit account. This interest may only be realized in the unlikely event of a complete liquidation of Bogota Savings Bank. Any depositor who opens a deposit account obtains a pro rata ownership interest in Bogota Savings Bank without any additional payment beyond the amount of the deposit. A depositor who reduces or closes his or her account receives a portion or all, respectively, of the balance in the deposit account but nothing for his or her ownership interest in the net worth of Bogota Savings Bank, which is lost to the extent that the balance in the account is reduced or closed. Consequently, depositors in a mutual savings bank normally have no way of realizing the value of their ownership interest, which has realizable value only in the unlikely event that the institution is completely liquidated. If this occurs, the depositors of record at that time, would share pro rata in any residual surplus and reserves of Bogota Savings Bank after all other claims of creditors, including claims of depositors to the amounts of their deposits, are paid, subject to the right to garnish such assets under New Jersey law.

Following the reorganization, all holders of a deposit account with Bogota Savings Bank will have a pro rata ownership interest in the net worth of Bogota Financial, MHC based upon their deposit balances and will have liquidation rights with respect to Bogota Financial, MHC to the same extent that depositors currently have liquidation rights in Bogota Savings Bank. In each case, no person who ceases to be the holder of a deposit account with Bogota Savings Bank will have any liquidation rights with respect to Bogota Financial, MHC. Borrowers of Bogota Savings Bank will not receive any rights in the mutual holding company in connection with any borrowings from Bogota Savings Bank.

Additionally, as part of our reorganization into the mutual holding company form of organization, a liquidation account in Bogota Financial, MHC and/or Bogota Savings Bank will be established for the benefit of the Eligible Account Holders. In the unlikely event that Bogota Savings Bank were to liquidate after the reorganization (and only in such event), each eligible account holder, who continues to maintain a deposit account at Bogota Savings Bank, would have a claim to a pro-rata interest in the liquidation account after payment of all creditors but prior to any payment to Bogota Financial Corp., as the sole stockholder of Bogota Savings Bank’s capital stock. See “—Liquidation Rights.”

Stock Pricing and Number of Shares to be Issued

The plan of reorganization and applicable regulations require that the aggregate purchase price of the common stock sold in the offering must be based on the appraised pro forma market value of the common stock, as determined by an independent valuation. We have retained RP Financial to prepare an independent valuation. For its services in preparing the initial valuation, RP Financial will receive a fee of $67,500, as well as payment for reimbursable expenses and an additional $7,500 for each updated valuation prepared. We have paid RP Financial no other fees during the previous three years. We have agreed to indemnify RP Financial and its employees and affiliates against specified losses, including any losses in connection with claims under the federal securities laws, arising out of its services as independent appraiser, except where such liability results from RP Financial’s bad faith or negligence.

The independent valuation was prepared by RP Financial in reliance upon the information contained in this prospectus, including the consolidated financial statements of Bogota Savings Bank that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus. RP Financial also considered the following factors, among others:

 

   

the present results and financial condition of Bogota Savings Bank and the projected consolidated results and financial condition of Bogota Financial Corp.;

 

   

the economic and demographic conditions in Bogota Savings Bank’s existing market area;

 

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certain historical, financial and other information relating to Bogota Savings Bank;

 

   

a comparative evaluation of the operating and financial characteristics of Bogota Savings Bank with those of other publicly traded savings institutions;

 

   

the effect of the offering on Bogota Financial Corp.’s stockholders’ equity and earnings potential;

 

   

the proposed dividend policy of Bogota Financial Corp.; and

 

   

the trading market for securities of comparable institutions and general conditions in the market for such securities.

The independent valuation is also based on an analysis of a peer group of publicly traded savings and loan holding companies that RP Financial considered comparable to Bogota Financial Corp. under regulatory guidelines applicable to the independent valuation. Under these guidelines, ten peer group companies were selected from the universe of all publicly-traded financial institutions with relatively comparable resources, strategies and financial and other operating characteristics. Such companies were also required to be traded on an exchange (such as Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange). The peer group companies selected for Bogota Financial Corp. consisted of subsidiaries of mutual holding companies that were not subject to an actual or rumored acquisition and that had been in partial stock form for at least one year.

The independent valuation considered the pro forma effect of the offering. Consistent with regulatory appraisal guidelines, the appraisal applied three primary methodologies: (1) the pro forma price-to-book value approach applied to both reported book value and tangible book value; (2) the pro forma price-to-earnings approach applied to reported and core earnings; and (3) the pro forma price-to-assets approach. The market value ratios applied in the three methodologies were based on the current market valuations of the peer group companies. RP Financial placed the greatest emphasis on the price-to-earnings and price-to-book approaches in estimating pro forma market value. RP Financial did not consider a pro forma price-to-assets approach to be as meaningful in preparing the appraisal, as this approach is more meaningful when a company has low equity or earnings. The price-to-assets approach is less meaningful for a company like Bogota Financial Corp., as Bogota Savings Bank has equity in excess of regulatory capital requirements and positive reported and core earnings.

RP Financial advised the board of directors that the valuation analysis took into consideration that relative to the peer group, a moderate downward adjustment was applied for financial condition, and slight downward adjustments were applied for profitability, growth and viability of earnings and dividends. RP Financial made no adjustments for: (1) asset growth; (2) primary market area; (3) liquidity of the shares; (4) marketing of the issue; (5) management; and (6) effect of government regulations and regulatory reform. The moderate downward adjustment for financial condition took into account our asset/liability structure, which results in a lower yield/cost spread and related level of net interest income. The slight downward adjustment applied for profitability, growth and viability of earnings took into consideration Bogota Savings Bank’s lower pro forma returns as a percent of assets relative to the comparable peer group measures. The slight downward adjustment applied for dividends took into consideration the mutual holding company structure and dividend waiver restrictions in place for mutual holding companies under Federal Reserve Board regulations and policy that impact the ability of Bogota Financial Corp. to pay dividends to minority stockholders, in comparison to the fully-converted peer group companies.

Included in RP Financial’s independent valuation were certain assumptions as to the pro forma earnings of Bogota Financial Corp. after the offering. These assumptions included estimated expenses, an assumed after-tax rate of return of 1.29% at June 30, 2019 on the net offering proceeds and purchases in the open market of common stock by the stock-based benefit plan at the $10.00 per share purchase price. See “Pro Forma Data” for additional information concerning assumptions included in the independent valuation and used in preparing pro forma data. The use of different assumptions may yield different results.

The independent valuation states that as of August 23, 2019, the estimated pro forma market value of Bogota Financial Corp. was $99.5 million (inclusive of the shares to be contributed to Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation). Based on applicable regulations, this market value forms the midpoint of a range with a minimum of $84.6 million and a maximum of $114.4 million.

 

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Based on this valuation range and assuming 43% of the shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock is being offered for sale in the offering at $10.00 per share, 2% of our outstanding shares is issued to the charitable foundation, and 55% of the shares is retained by Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Financial Corp. is offering for sale 3,636,351 shares at the minimum of the offering range, 4,278,060 shares at the midpoint of the offering range, and 4,919,770 shares at the maximum of the offering range. The $10.00 per share price was selected primarily because it is the price most commonly used in mutual holding company and standard stock conversion offerings by savings banks. If demand for shares or market conditions warrant, the appraisal can be increased by up to 15%, which would result in an appraised value of $131.6 million, and we may sell up to 5,657,735 shares of common stock in the offering.

We will not decrease the minimum of the valuation range and the minimum of the offering range without a resolicitation of subscribers. The offering price of $10.00 per share will remain fixed. See “—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases” as to the method of distribution of additional shares to be issued upon an increase in the offering range to up to 5,657,735 shares.

The board of directors of Bogota Savings Bank reviewed the independent valuation and, in particular, considered the following:

 

   

Bogota Savings Bank’s financial condition and results of operations;

 

   

a comparison of financial performance ratios of Bogota Savings Bank to those of other financial institutions of similar size; and

 

   

market conditions generally and in particular for financial institutions.

All of these factors are set forth in the independent valuation. The board of directors also reviewed the methodology and the assumptions used by RP Financial to prepare the independent valuation and believes that such assumptions were reasonable. The offering range may be amended with the approval of the NJDBI and the Federal Reserve Board as a result of subsequent developments in the financial condition of Bogota Savings Bank or market conditions generally.

The appraisal is based in part on Bogota Savings Bank’s financial condition and results of operations, the pro forma effect of the additional capital raised by the sale of shares of common stock in the offering, and an analysis of a peer group of ten publicly-traded subsidiary companies of mutual holding companies that RP Financial considers comparable to Bogota Financial Corp. The appraisal peer group consists of the following companies, all of which are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

 

Company Names

   Ticker
Symbol
   Headquarters    Total Assets at
June 30, 2019
 
               (In millions)  

Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)

   CLBK    Fair Lawn, NJ    $ 6,981  

Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)

   CFBI    Covington, GA      308  (1) 

FFBW, Inc. (MHC)

   FFBW    Brookfield, WI      258  

Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   GCBC    Catskill, NY      1,269  

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)

   KFFB    Frankfort, KY      319  (1) 

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   LSBK    Dunkirk, NY      578  

Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   MGYR    New Brunswick, NJ      633  

Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)

   OFED    Seneca, SC      512  (1) 

PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)

   PDLB    Bronx, NY      1,056  

TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)

   TFSL    Cleveland, OH      14,372  

 

(1)

As of March 31, 2019.

To account for the unique characteristics of publicly-traded shares of a mutual holding company, RP Financial included in its appraisal the pricing ratios of Bogota Financial Corp. on both a non-fully converted basis

 

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and a fully converted basis and compared each to non-fully converted and fully-converted pricing ratios of the peer group. The decision to also provide Bogota Financial Corp.’s and the peer group’s pricing ratios on a fully converted basis is meant to establish the pro forma market value range of 100% of the shares of Bogota Financial Corp., which forms the basis for determining the offering range. Tables presenting select pricing ratios of Bogota Financial Corp. on both a non-fully converted basis and a fully converted basis and comparing such ratios to similar ratios for the peer group follow.

The following table presents a summary of selected pricing ratios for the peer group on a non-fully converted basis and Bogota Financial Corp. on a non-fully converted basis (i.e., the table assumes that 43% of our outstanding shares of common stock is sold in the offering). These figures are from the RP Financial appraisal report. Compared to the average pricing ratios of the peer group, and based upon the information in the following table, our pro forma pricing ratios at the midpoint of the offering range indicated a premium of 65.7% on a non-fully converted price-to-earnings basis, a discount of 39.0% on a non-fully converted price-to-book value basis, and a discount of 40.3% on a non-fully converted price-to-tangible book value basis.

 

     Non-Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Earnings
Multiple
     Non-Fully Converted Pro
Forma  Price-to-Book Value
Ratio
    Non-Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Tangible
Book Value Ratio
 

Bogota Financial Corp.

       

Adjusted Maximum

     52.63      108.81     108.81

Maximum

     45.45        99.90       99.90  

Midpoint

     38.46        91.41       91.41  

Minimum

     33.33        81.83       81.83  

Valuation of peer group companies as of August 23, 2019

       

Averages

     23.21      149.74     153.23

Medians

     24.06        138.68       138.82  

 

(1)

Information for the peer group companies as contained in the appraisal is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019 (or for the latest available date) and information for Bogota Financial Corp. is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019. These ratios are different from the ratios in “Pro Forma Data.”

The following table presents a summary of selected pricing ratios for the peer group companies and for Bogota Financial Corp. on a fully converted basis. The pricing ratios in the following table are calculated as though we had sold 100% of our estimated pro forma market value instead of only approximately 43% of that value. The pricing ratios for the peer group have also been adjusted to assume that they were fully public, with all of their outstanding shares held by public shareholders. The fully-converted ratios for the peer group give effect to the pro forma impact on earnings and book value assuming that the shares held by each company’s mutual holding company were sold at their respective trading pricing as of August 23, 2019. Comparing our pricing ratios to the peer group companies on a fully-converted basis removes the distortion created by comparing a company that sold approximately 43% of its outstanding common stock in a minority stock offering (such as we plan to do) with companies that sold a different percentage of their outstanding common stock. Repurchases by the peer group companies of shares of their common stock after their respective offerings can distort the comparison. The non-fully-converted public ownership ratios of the peer group companies as of August 23, 2019 ranged between a low of 27.6% and a high of 46.9%.

Compared to the average fully converted pricing ratios of the peer group, Bogota Financial Corp.’s pro forma fully converted pricing ratios at the midpoint of the offering range indicated a premium of 82.5% on a fully converted price-to-earnings basis, a discount of 23.3% on a fully converted price-to-book value basis and a discount of 24.6% on a fully converted price-to-tangible book value basis.

 

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     Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Earnings
Multiple (1)
     Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Book
Value Ratio(1)
    Fully Converted Pro
Forma Price-to-Tangible
Book Value Ratio(1)
 

Bogota Financial Corp.

       

Adjusted Maximum

     55.56      71.28     71.28

Maximum

     47.62        67.34       67.34  

Midpoint

     40.00        63.33       63.33  

Minimum

     33.33        58.58       58.58  

Valuation of peer group companies as of August 23, 2019

       

Averages

     21.92      82.61     83.97

Medians

     21.03        79.94       79.94  

 

(1)

Information for the peer group companies as contained in the appraisal is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019 (or for the latest available date) and information for Bogota Financial Corp. is based upon actual earnings for the twelve months ended June 30, 2019. These ratios are different from the ratios in “Pro Forma Data.”

The fully converted pro forma calculations for Bogota Financial Corp. are based on the following assumptions:

 

   

A number of shares equal to 8% of the shares sold in a full conversion and contributed to the charitable foundation are purchased by the employee stock ownership plan, with the expense to be amortized over 20 years; and

 

   

A number of restricted stock awards equal to 4% of the shares sold in a full conversion and contributed to the charitable foundation are purchased by a stock-based benefit plan, with the expense to be amortized over five years.

The independent valuation is not intended, and must not be construed, as a recommendation of any kind as to the advisability of purchasing our shares of common stock. RP Financial did not independently verify our consolidated financial statements that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus and other information that we provided to them, nor did RP Financial independently value our assets or liabilities. The independent valuation considers Bogota Savings Bank as a going concern and should not be considered as an indication of the liquidation value of Bogota Savings Bank. Moreover, because the valuation is necessarily based upon estimates and projections of a number of matters, all of which may change from time to time, no assurance can be given that persons purchasing our common stock in the offering will thereafter be able to sell their shares at prices at or above the $10.00 price per share.

If the update to the independent valuation at the conclusion of the offering results in an increase in the maximum of the offering range to more than $56.6 million and a corresponding increase in the offering range to more than 5,657,735 shares, or a decrease in the minimum of the offering range to less than $36.4 million and a corresponding decrease in the offering range to less than 3,636,351 shares, then we will promptly return with interest at [interest rate]% per annum all funds previously delivered to us to purchase shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings and cancel deposit account withdrawal authorizations and, after receiving the approval of the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board, we may terminate the plan of reorganization. Alternatively, we may establish a new offering range, extend the offering period and commence a resolicitation of purchasers or take other actions as permitted by the NJDBI, theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board to complete the offering. If we extend the offering and conduct a resolicitation due to a change in the independent valuation, we will notify subscribers of the extension of time and of the rights of subscribers to place a new stock order for a specified period of time. Extensions may not conclude beyond a date that is 90 days after the date on which the NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation approved the plan of reorganization, unless the NJDBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation approves an extension of the stock offering. The plan of reorganization will terminate of the reorganization and

 

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stock offering are not completed by ____________, 2021, which is two years after the NJDBI approved the plan of reorganization.

An increase in the number of shares to be issued in the offering would decrease both a subscriber’s ownership interest and Bogota Financial Corp.’s pro forma earnings and stockholders’ equity on a per share basis while increasing stockholders’ equity on an aggregate basis. A decrease in the number of shares to be issued in the offering would increase both a subscriber’s ownership interest and Bogota Financial Corp.’s pro forma earnings and stockholders’ equity on a per share basis, while decreasing stockholders’ equity on an aggregate basis.

A copy of the independent valuation report of RP Financial, together with the detailed memorandum setting forth the method and assumptions used in the appraisal report, is filed as an exhibit to each of the documents specified under “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

Subscription Offering and Subscription Rights

According to the plan of reorganization, rights to subscribe for shares of common stock in the subscription offering have been granted in the following descending order of priority. The filling of all subscriptions that we receive will depend on the availability of common stock after satisfaction of all subscriptions of all persons having prior rights in the subscription offering and on the purchase and ownership limitations set forth in the plan of reorganization and as described below under “—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases.”

Priority 1: Eligible Account Holders. Subject to the maximum purchase limitations, each depositor of Bogota Savings Bank with aggregate deposit account balances of $50.00 or more (a “Qualifying Deposit”) at the close of business on December 31, 2017 (an “Eligible Account Holder”) will receive, without payment, nontransferable subscription rights to purchase up to the greater of the following:

 

   

$150,000 (15,000 shares) of our common stock,

 

   

0.10% of the total number of shares of common stock issued in the offering, or

 

   

15 times the product of the number of subscription shares offered multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the aggregate Qualifying Deposit account balances of the Eligible Account Holder and the denominator is the aggregate Qualifying Deposit account balances of all Eligible Account Holders.

The balance of qualifying deposits of all Eligible Account Holders was approximately $476.5 million. See “—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases.” If there are insufficient shares available to satisfy all subscriptions, shares will first be allocated to permit each Eligible Account Holder to purchase a number of shares sufficient to make his or her total allocation equal to the lesser of 100 shares or the number of shares for which he or she subscribed. Thereafter, any remaining unallocated shares will be allocated to each remaining Eligible Account Holder whose subscription remains unfilled in the same proportion that the amount of his or her Qualifying Deposit bears to the total amount of Qualifying Deposits of all subscribing Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions remain unfilled. If an amount so allocated exceeds the amount subscribed for by any one or more Eligible Account Holders, the excess shall be reallocated among those Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions are not fully satisfied until all available shares have been allocated.

If there is an oversubscription, failure to list an account could result in fewer shares being allocated than if all accounts had been disclosed. If there is an oversubscription, the subscription rights of Eligible Account Holders who are also directors or officers of Bogota Savings Bank or who are associates of such persons will be subordinated to the subscription rights of other Eligible Account Holders to the extent attributable to their increased deposits in the twelve months preceding December 31, 2017.

To ensure proper allocation of our shares of common stock, each Eligible Account Holder must list on his or her stock order form all deposit accounts in which he or she has an ownership interest on December 31, 2017.

 

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Failure to list an account, or providing incorrect information, could result in the loss of all or part of a subscriber’s stock allocation.

Priority 2: Tax-Qualified Employee Plans. Our tax-qualified employee plans, specifically Bogota Savings Bank’s employee stock ownership plan that we are establishing in connection with the reorganization and our 401(k) plan, will receive, without payment, nontransferable subscription rights to purchase in the aggregate up to 4.90% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. issued and outstanding as of the completion of the offering, which includes shares issued to Bogota Financial, MHC and contributed to the charitable foundation. The employee stock ownership plan intends to purchase 3.92% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. as of the completion of the offering. If the offering is oversubscribed, subscriptions for shares by the tax-qualified employee plans may be satisfied, in whole or in part, through open market purchases by the tax-qualified employee plans after the completion of the offering.

Priority 3: Supplemental Eligible Account Holders. To the extent there are sufficient shares of common stock remaining after satisfaction of subscriptions by Eligible Account Holders and by tax-qualified plans, each depositor of Bogota Savings Bank (other than directors and officers of Bogota Savings Bank) with a Qualifying Deposit at the close of business on September 30, 2019 who is not an Eligible Account Holder (a “Supplemental Eligible Account Holder”) will receive, without payment, nontransferable subscription rights to purchase, subject to the overall purchase limitations, up to the greater of:

 

   

$150,000 (15,000 shares) of our common stock,

 

   

0.10% of the total number of shares of common stock issued in the offering, or

 

   

15 times the product of the number of subscription shares offered multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the aggregate Qualifying Deposit account balances of the Supplemental Eligible Account Holder and the denominator is the aggregate Qualifying Deposit account balances of all Supplemental Eligible Account Holders.

The balance of qualifying deposits of all Supplemental Eligible Account Holders was approximately $______ million. See “—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases.” If there are insufficient shares available to satisfy all subscriptions, shares will first be allocated to permit each Supplemental Eligible Account Holder to purchase a number of shares sufficient to make his or her total allocation equal to the lesser of 100 shares or the number of shares for which he or she subscribed. Thereafter, any remaining unallocated shares will be allocated to each remaining Supplemental Eligible Account Holder whose subscription remains unfilled in the same proportion that the amount of his or her Qualifying Deposit bears to the total amount of Qualifying Deposits of all subscribing Supplemental Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions remain unfilled. If an amount so allocated exceeds the amount subscribed for by any one or more Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, the excess shall be reallocated among those Supplemental Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions are not fully satisfied until all available shares have been allocated.

To ensure proper allocation of our shares of common stock, each Supplemental Eligible Account Holder must list on his or her stock order form all deposit accounts in which he or she has an ownership interest on September 30, 2019. If there is an oversubscription, failure to list an account could result in fewer shares being allocated than if all accounts had been disclosed.

Priority 4: Other Depositors. To the extent that there are sufficient shares of common stock remaining after satisfaction of subscriptions by Eligible Account Holders, the tax-qualified employee plans and Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, and subject to the maximum purchase limitations, each depositor of Bogota Savings Bank who is not an Eligible Account Holder or Supplemental Eligible Account Holder, as of the close of business on [voting record date], will receive nontransferable subscription rights to purchase up to $150,000 (15,000 shares) of common stock (an “Other Depositor”).

If there is an oversubscription in this category, the available shares of common stock will be allocated proportionately based on the size of such Other Depositors’ orders.

 

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To ensure proper allocation of stock, each Other Depositor must list on his or her stock order form all deposit accounts in which he or she had an ownership interest on [voting record date]. Failure to list an account, or providing incorrect information, could result in the loss of all or part of a subscriber’s stock allocation in the event the offering is oversubscribed.

Expiration Date. The subscription offering will expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [expiration date], unless extended by us for up to 45 days or such additional periods with the approval of the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board. Subscription rights will expire whether or not each eligible depositor can be located. We may decide to extend the expiration date of the subscription offering for any reason, whether or not subscriptions have been received for shares at the minimum, midpoint, maximum or adjusted maximum of the offering range. Subscription rights which have not been exercised before the expiration date will become void.

We will not execute orders until at least the minimum number of shares of common stock has been sold in the offering. If at least 3,636,351 shares have not been sold in the offering by [extension date #1] and the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board, have not consented to an extension, all funds delivered to us to purchase shares of common stock in the offering will be returned promptly, with interest at [interest rate]% per annum for funds received in the subscription and community offerings, and all deposit account withdrawal authorizations will be canceled. If an extension beyond [extension date #1] is necessary and granted by the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board, we will resolicit purchasers in the offering as described under “—Procedure for Purchasing Shares in Subscription and Community Offerings—Expiration Date.”

Community Offering

To the extent shares of common stock remain available for purchase after satisfaction of all subscriptions by Eligible Account Holders, our tax-qualified employee stock benefit plans, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and by Other Depositors, we will offer shares pursuant to the plan of reorganization to members of the general public in a community offering. Shares will be offered in the community offering with the following preferences:

 

  1.

Natural persons residing in Bergen County, New Jersey; and

 

  2.

Other members of the general public.

Subscribers in the community offering may purchase up to $150,000 (15,000 shares) of common stock, subject to the overall purchase limitations. See “—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases.” The opportunity to purchase shares of common stock in the community offering category is subject to our right, in our sole discretion and reasonably consistent with achieving a reasonably wide distribution of the common stock, to accept or reject any such orders in whole or in part either at the time of receipt of an order or as soon as practicable following the expiration date of the offering.

If we do not have sufficient shares of common stock available to fill orders received for shares of common stock in the community offering, orders will first be filled up to a maximum of 2% of the shares sold in the offering, and thereafter any remaining shares will be allocated on an equal number of shares basis per order until all shares have been allocated.

The term “residing” or “resident” as used in this prospectus with respect to Bergen County, New Jersey means any person who occupies a dwelling within the local community, has a present intent to remain within the local community for a period of time, and manifests the genuineness of that intent by establishing an ongoing physical presence within the local community together with an indication that such presence within the local community is something other than merely transitory in nature. We may use deposit or loan records or other evidence provided to us to determine whether a person is a resident. In all cases, however, the determination shall be in our sole discretion.

 

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Expiration Date. The community offering may begin concurrently with, during or promptly after the subscription offering, and is currently expected to terminate at the same time as the subscription offering, and must terminate no more than 45 days following the subscription offering, unless extended with the approval of the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board. We may decide to extend the community offering for any reason and are not required to give purchasers notice of any such extension unless such period extends beyond [extension date #1], in which event we will resolicit purchasers.

Syndicated Community Offering

If feasible, our board of directors may decide to offer for sale shares of common stock not subscribed for or purchased in the subscription and community offerings in a syndicated offering, subject to such terms, conditions and procedures as we may determine, and subject to any approvals required from the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board, in a manner that will achieve a wide distribution of our shares of common stock.

If a syndicated offering is held, Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will serve as sole manager. If shares of common stock are sold in a syndicated offering, we will pay a fee of 5.5% of the aggregate purchase price of the shares of common stock sold in the syndicated offering to Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. and any other broker-dealers included in the syndicated offering. The shares of common stock will be sold at the same price per share ($10.00 per share) as the shares sold in the subscription offering and the community offering.

If there is a syndicated offering, it is currently expected that investors would follow the same general procedures applicable to purchasing shares in the subscription and community offerings (the use of order forms and the submission of funds directly to Bogota Financial Corp. for the payment of the purchase price of the shares ordered) except that payment must be in immediately available funds (bank checks drawn on Bogota Savings Bank, money orders, deposit account withdrawals from accounts at Bogota Savings Bank or wire transfers). See “—Procedure for Purchasing Shares in Subscription and Community Offerings.”

If for any reason we cannot undertake a syndicated offering of shares of common stock not purchased in the subscription and community offerings, or if there are an insignificant number of shares remaining unsold after such offerings, we will try to make other arrangements for the sale of unsubscribed shares. The NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority must approve any such arrangements.

Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases

The plan of reorganization includes the following additional limitations on the number of shares of common stock that may be purchased in the offering:

 

   

The aggregate amount of outstanding common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. owned or controlled by persons other than Bogota Financial, MHC at the close of the reorganization and the offering must be less than 50% of Bogota Financial Corp.’s total outstanding common stock.

 

   

No individual, or group of individuals exercising subscription rights through a single qualifying deposit account held jointly, may purchase more than $150,000 (15,000 shares) in the offering. Except for the employee stock ownership plan and the 401(k) plan, as described above, no person or entity, together with associates or persons acting in concert with such person or entity, may purchase more than $250,000 (25,000 shares) of common stock in all categories of the offering combined, except that Bogota Financial Corp. may, in its sole discretion, and without further notice to or solicitation of subscribers or other prospective purchasers, increase such maximum purchase limitation to 9.9% of the number of shares sold in the offering, provided that the total number of shares purchased by persons, their associates and those persons with whom they are acting in concert, to the extent such purchases exceed 5% of the shares sold in the offering, may not exceed, in the aggregate, 10% (or such higher percentage as may be determined by our board of directors with the approval of our banking regulators) of the total number of the shares sold in the offering;

 

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The aggregate amount of common stock acquired in the stock offering by our tax-qualified employee benefit plans, including our employee stock ownership plan and 401(k) plan, may not exceed 4.9% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. at the conclusion of the stock offering, or may not exceed 4.9% of the stockholders’ equity of Bogota Financial Corp. at the conclusion of the stock offering.

 

   

No person may purchase fewer than 25 shares of common stock, to the extent those shares are available for purchase;

 

   

The aggregate amount of common stock acquired in the stock offering by officers, directors and directors of Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank and their associates, excluding any shares acquired through a tax-qualified employee plan, may not exceed 25% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. or 25% of the stockholders’ equity of Bogota Financial Corp. held by persons other than Bogota Financial, MHC at the conclusion of the stock offering;

 

   

Notwithstanding any other provision of the plan of reorganization, no person will be entitled to purchase any common stock to the extent such purchase would be illegal under any federal law or state law or regulation or would violate regulations or policies of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Bogota Financial Corp. and/or its agents may ask for an acceptable legal opinion from any purchaser as to the legality of such purchase and may refuse to honor any purchase order if such opinion is not timely furnished; and

 

   

The board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. has the right in its sole discretion to reject any order submitted by a person whose representations our board of directors believes to be false or who it otherwise believes, either alone or acting in concert with others, is violating, circumventing, or intends to violate, evade or circumvent the terms and conditions of the plan.

Depending upon market or financial conditions, our board of directors, with regulatory approval and without further approval of the depositors of Bogota Savings Bank, may decrease or increase the purchase limitations. If a purchase limitation is increased, subscribers in the subscription offering who ordered the maximum amount will be given the opportunity to increase their orders up to the then applicable limit. The effect of this type of resolicitation will be an increase in the number of shares of common stock owned by persons who choose to increase their orders.

The term “associate” of a person means:

 

  1.

any corporation or organization (other than Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp., Bogota Financial, MHC or a majority-owned subsidiary of any of these entities) of which the person is a senior officer or partner, or beneficially owns directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of equity securities of the corporation or organization;

 

  2.

any trust or other estate in which the person has a substantial beneficial interest or serves as a trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; or

 

  3.

any person who is related by blood or marriage to such person and who either has the same home as the person or who is a director or officer of Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial, MHC or Bogota Financial Corp.

The term “acting in concert” means (1) knowing participation in a joint activity or interdependent conscious parallel action towards a common goal, whether or not pursuant to an express agreement or (2) persons seeking to combine or pool their voting or other interests in the securities of an issuer for a common purpose, pursuant to any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement, whether written or otherwise. When persons act together for such purpose, their group is deemed to have acquired their stock. The determination

 

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of whether a group is acting in concert will be made solely by us and may be based on any evidence upon which we choose to rely, including, without limitation, joint account relationships or the fact that such persons have filed joint Schedules 13D with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to other companies; provided, however, that the determination of whether a group is acting in concert remains subject to review by the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board. Persons with the same address, whether or not related, and persons exercising subscription rights through qualifying deposit accounts registered to the same address will be deemed to be acting in concert unless we determine otherwise. Our directors are not treated as associates of each other solely because of their membership on the boards of directors of Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Financial, MHC.

Common stock purchased in the offering will be freely transferable except for shares purchased by directors and certain officers of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank and except as described below. Any purchases made by any associate of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank for the explicit purpose of meeting the minimum number of shares of common stock required to be sold to complete the offering will be made for investment purposes only and not with a view toward redistribution. In addition, under Financial Industry Regulatory Authority guidelines, members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and their associates are subject to certain restrictions on transfer of securities purchased according to subscription rights and to certain reporting requirements upon purchase of these securities. For a further discussion of limitations on purchases of our shares of common stock at the time of offering and thereafter, see “—Certain Restrictions on Purchase or Transfer of Our Shares After the Offering” and “Restrictions on Acquisition of Bogota Financial Corp.”

Plan of Distribution; Selling Agent and Underwriting Compensation

Subscription and Community Offerings. To assist in the marketing of our shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings, we have retained Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., which is a broker-dealer registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will assist us on a best efforts basis in the subscription and community offerings by:

 

   

consulting as to the securities marketing implications of the plan of reorganization, including the percentage of common stock to be sold in the offering;

 

   

reviewing with the board of directors the financial impact of the offering on us, based upon the independent appraiser’s appraisal of the common stock;

 

   

reviewing all offering documents, including this prospectus, stock order forms and related marketing materials;

 

   

assisting us in the design and implementation of a marketing strategy for the offering;

 

   

assisting our management in scheduling and preparing for discussions and meetings with potential investors and/or other broker-dealers in connection with the offering; and

 

   

providing such other general advice and assistance as may be requested to promote the successful completion of the offering.

For these services, Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will receive a fee of 1.0% of the aggregate dollar amount of all shares of common stock sold in the subscription and community offerings. No fee will be payable to Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. with respect to shares purchased by directors, officers, employees or their immediate families and their personal trusts, shares purchased by our employee benefit plans or trusts established for the benefit of our directors, officers and employees, and shares issued to the charitable foundation.

Syndicated Community Offering. If shares of common stock are sold in a syndicated community offering, we will pay a fee of 5.5% of the aggregate purchase price of the shares of common stock sold in the syndicated community offering to Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. and any other broker-dealers included in the syndicated community offering.

 

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Expenses. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. also will be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket accountable expenses in an amount not to exceed $110,000. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will reimburse any amounts paid or advanced by us in excess of their actual reasonable out-of-pocket accountable expenses. If the plan of reorganization is terminated or if Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.’s engagement is terminated according to the provisions of the agency agreement, Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will only receive reimbursement of its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. We have separately agreed to pay Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. up to $80,000 in fees and expenses for serving as records agent, as described below.

Records Management

We have also engaged Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. as records agent in connection with the subscription and community offerings. In its role as records agent, Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., will assist us in the offering by:

 

   

consolidating deposit accounts and depositor vote calculation;

 

   

assisting in designing and preparing stock order forms and depositor proxy forms;

 

   

organizing and supervising our Stock Information Center;

 

   

coordinating proxy solicitation and vote tabulation; and

 

   

providing subscription services.

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. will receive fees of $40,000 for these services, $10,000 of which was paid at the time of Sandler’s engagement and the remaining balance of which will be paid upon closing of the offering. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. also will be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket accountable expenses in an amount not to exceed $40,000.    

Indemnity

We will indemnify Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. against liabilities and expenses, including legal fees, incurred in connection with certain claims or litigation arising out of or based upon untrue statements or omissions contained in the offering materials for the common stock, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as well as certain other claims and litigation arising out of Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.’s engagement with respect to the offering.

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. has not prepared any report or opinion constituting a recommendation or advice to us or to persons who subscribe for common stock, nor have they prepared an opinion as to the fairness to us of the purchase price or the terms of the common stock to be sold in the offering. Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. does not express any opinion as to the trading prices of our common stock following the closing of the offering.

Solicitation of Offers by Officers and Directors

Some of our directors and executive officers may participate in the solicitation of offers to purchase common stock in the subscription and community offerings. These persons will be reimbursed for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation, which out-of-pocket expenses, if any, are expected to be insignificant. Other regular employees of Bogota Savings Bank may assist in the offering, but only in ministerial capacities, and may provide clerical work in effecting a sales transaction. No offers or sales may be made by tellers or at the teller counters. Investment-related questions of prospective purchasers will be directed to executive officers or registered representatives of Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. Our other employees have been instructed not to solicit offers to purchase shares of common stock or provide advice regarding the purchase of common stock. We will rely on Rule 3a4-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and sales of common stock will be conducted within the requirements of Rule 3a4-1, to permit officers, directors and employees to participate in

 

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the sale of our common stock. None of our officers, directors or employees will be compensated in connection with their participation in the offering.

Procedure for Purchasing Shares in Subscription and Community Offerings

Expiration Date. The subscription and community offerings will expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [expiration date], unless we extend one or both for up to 45 days, with the approval of the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board. This extension may be approved by us, in our sole discretion, without notice to purchasers in the offering. Any extension of the subscription and/or community offering beyond [extension date #1] would require the NJDBI’s, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s and the Federal Reserve Board’s approval. If the offering is so extended, all subscribers will be notified and given an opportunity to confirm, change or cancel their orders. If you do not respond to this notice, we will promptly return your funds with interest at [interest rate]% per annum or cancel your deposit account withdrawal authorization. If the offering range is decreased below the minimum of the offering range or is increased above the adjusted maximum of the offering range, all subscribers’ stock orders will be cancelled, their deposit account withdrawal authorizations will be cancelled, and funds submitted to us will be returned promptly, with interest at [interest rate]% per annum for funds received in the subscription and community offerings. We will then resolicit the subscribers, giving them an opportunity to place a new stock order for a period of time.

We reserve the right in our sole discretion to terminate the offering at any time and for any reason (subject to any required regulatory approvals), in which case we will cancel any deposit account withdrawal authorizations and promptly return all funds submitted, with interest at [interest rate]% per annum from the date of receipt as described above.

Use of Order Forms in the Subscription and Community Offerings. To purchase shares of common stock in the subscription and community offerings, you must properly complete an original stock order form and remit full payment. We are not required to accept orders submitted on photocopied or facsimiled order forms. All order forms must be received (not postmarked) before 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on [expiration date]. We are not required to accept order forms that are not received by that time, are not signed or are otherwise executed defectively or are received without full payment or without appropriate deposit account withdrawal instructions. We are not required to notify subscribers of incomplete or improperly executed order forms, and we have the right to waive or permit the correction of incomplete or improperly executed order forms. We do not represent, however, that we will do so and we have no affirmative duty to notify any prospective subscriber of any such defects. You may submit your order form and payment by mail using the stock order return envelope provided, or by overnight delivery to our Stock Information Center, which will be located at [SIC Address]. You may also hand-deliver stock order forms to the Stock Information Center. Hand-delivered stock order forms will only be accepted at this location. We will not accept stock order forms at our other banking offices. Please do not mail stock order forms to Bogota Savings Bank’s other offices.

Once tendered, an order form cannot be modified or revoked without our consent. We reserve the absolute right, in our sole discretion and reasonably consistent with achieving a reasonably wide distribution of the common stock, to reject orders received in the community offering, in whole or in part, at the time of receipt or at any time before completion of the offering. If you are ordering shares in the subscription offering, you must represent that you are purchasing shares for your own account and that you have no agreement or understanding with any person for the sale or transfer of the shares. We have the right to reject any order submitted in the offering by a person who we believe is making false representations or who we otherwise believe, either alone or acting in concert with others, is violating, evading, circumventing, or intends to violate, evade or circumvent the terms and conditions of the plan of reorganization. Our interpretation of the terms and conditions of the plan of reorganization and of the acceptability of the order forms will be final.

By signing the order form, you will be acknowledging that the common stock is not a deposit or savings account and is not federally insured or otherwise guaranteed by Bogota Savings Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, and that you received a copy of this prospectus. However, signing the order form will not result in waiving your rights under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

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Payment for Shares. Payment for all shares of common stock must accompany all completed order forms for the purchase to be valid. Payment for shares in the subscription and community offerings may be made by:

 

  1.

personal check, bank check or money order, made payable to Bogota Financial Corp.; or

 

  2.

authorization of withdrawal of available funds from your deposit account(s) at Bogota Savings Bank.

Appropriate means for designating withdrawals from deposit accounts at Bogota Savings Bank are provided on the order form. The funds designated must be available in the account(s) at the time the order form is received. A hold will be placed on these funds, making them unavailable to the depositor. Funds authorized for withdrawal will continue to earn interest within the account at the contractual rate until the offering is completed, at which time the designated withdrawal will be made. Interest penalties for early withdrawal applicable to certificate accounts will not apply to withdrawals authorized for the purchase of shares of common stock; however, if a withdrawal results in a certificate account with a balance less than the applicable minimum balance requirement, the certificate will be canceled at the time of withdrawal without penalty and the remaining balance will earn interest at the current passbook rate after the withdrawal. In the case of payments made by personal check, these funds must be available in the account(s). Checks and money orders received in the subscription and community offerings will be immediately cashed and placed in a segregated account at Bogota Savings Bank and will earn interest at [interest rate]% per annum from the date payment is processed until the offering is completed or terminated.

You may not remit cash, Bogota Savings Bank line of credit checks or any type of third-party checks (including those payable to you and endorsed over to Bogota Financial Corp.). You may not designate on your stock order form direct withdrawal from a retirement account held at Bogota Savings Bank. See “—Using Individual Retirement Account Funds.” Subject to NJDBI, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Federal Reserve Board approvals, if we resolicit large purchasers, as described above in “—Additional Limitations on Common Stock Purchases,” such purchasers who wish to increase their purchases will not be able to use personal checks to pay for the additional shares, but instead must pay for the additional shares using immediately available funds. We may accept wire transfers at our sole discretion.

Once we receive your executed stock order form, it may not be modified, amended or rescinded without our consent, unless the offering is not completed by [extension date #1]. If the subscription and community offerings are extended past [extension date #1], all subscribers will be notified and given an opportunity to confirm, change or cancel their orders. If you do not respond to this notice, we will promptly return your funds with interest at [interest rate]% per annum or cancel your deposit account withdrawal authorization. We may resolicit purchasers for a specified period of time.

NJDBI and federal regulations prohibit Bogota Savings Bank from lending funds or extending credit to any persons to purchase shares of common stock in the offering.

We have the right, in our sole discretion, to permit institutional investors to submit irrevocable orders together with the legally binding commitment for payment and to thereafter pay for the shares of common stock for which they subscribe in the community offering at any time before 48 hours before the completion of the offering. This payment may be made by wire transfer.

If our employee stock ownership plan purchases shares in the offering, it will not be required to pay for such shares until completion of the offering, provided that there is a loan commitment from an unrelated financial institution or Bogota Financial Corp. to lend to the employee stock ownership plan the necessary amount to fund the purchase. In addition, if our 401(k) plan purchases shares in the offering on behalf of participants, it will not be required to pay for such shares until completion of the offering.

Using IRA Funds. If you are interested in using funds in your IRA or other retirement account to purchase shares of common stock, you must do so through a self-directed retirement account. By regulation, Bogota Savings Bank’s retirement accounts are not self-directed, so they cannot be invested in our shares of common stock. Therefore, if you wish to use funds that are currently in a retirement account held at Bogota Savings Bank, you may

 

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not designate on the order form that you wish funds to be withdrawn from the account for the purchase of common stock. The funds you wish to use for the purchase of common stock will instead have to be transferred to an independent trustee or custodian, such as a brokerage firm, offering self-directed retirement accounts. The purchase must be made through that account. If you do not have such an account, you will need to establish one before placing a stock order. A one-time and/or annual administrative fee may be payable to the independent trustee or custodian. There will be no early withdrawal or Internal Revenue Service interest penalties for these transfers. Individuals interested in using funds in an IRA or any other retirement account, whether held at Bogota Savings Bank or elsewhere, to purchase shares of common stock should contact our Stock Information Center for guidance as soon as possible, preferably at least two weeks before the [expiration date] offering deadline. Processing such transactions takes additional time, and whether such funds can be used may depend on limitations imposed by the institutions where such funds are currently held. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to use such funds.

Delivery of Shares of Common Stock. All shares of common stock sold will be issued in book entry form. Stock certificates will not be issued. A statement reflecting ownership of shares of common stock issued in the subscription and community offerings will be mailed by our transfer agent to the persons entitled thereto at the registration address noted by them on their stock order forms as soon as practicable following consummation of the offering. We expect trading in the stock to begin on the day of completion of the offering or the next business day. Until a statement reflecting ownership of shares of common stock is available and delivered to purchasers, purchasers might not be able to sell the shares of common stock that they ordered, even though the shares of common stock will have begun trading. Your ability to sell the shares of common stock before receiving your statement will depend on arrangements you may make with a brokerage firm.

Other Restrictions. Notwithstanding any other provision of the plan of reorganization, no person is entitled to purchase any shares of common stock to the extent the purchase would be illegal under any federal or state law or regulation, including state “blue sky” regulations, or would violate regulations or policies of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, particularly those regarding free riding and withholding. We may ask for an acceptable legal opinion from any purchaser as to the legality of his or her purchase and we may refuse to honor any purchase order if an opinion is not timely furnished. In addition, we are not required to offer shares of common stock to any person who resides in a foreign country, or in a state of the United States with respect to which any of the following apply:

 

  1.

a small number of persons otherwise eligible to subscribe for shares under the plan of reorganization reside in such state;

 

  2.

the offer or sale of shares of common stock to such persons would require us or our employees to register, under the securities laws of such state, as a broker or dealer or to register or otherwise qualify our securities for sale in such state; or

 

  3.

such registration or qualification would be impracticable for reasons of cost or otherwise.

Restrictions on Transfer of Subscription Rights and Shares

Applicable banking regulations prohibit any person with subscription rights, including Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors, from transferring or entering into any agreement or understanding to transfer the legal or beneficial ownership of the subscription rights issued under the plan of reorganization or the shares of common stock to be issued upon their exercise. These rights may be exercised only by the person to whom they are granted and only for his or her account. When registering your stock purchase on the order form, you cannot add the name(s) of others for joint stock registration unless they are also named on the qualifying deposit account. Doing so may jeopardize your subscription rights. Each person exercising subscription rights will be required to certify that he or she is purchasing shares solely for his or her own account and that he or she has no agreement or understanding regarding the sale or transfer of such shares. The regulations also prohibit any person from offering or making an announcement of an offer or intent to make an offer to purchase subscription rights or shares of common stock to be issued upon their exercise before completion of the offering.

We will pursue any and all legal and equitable remedies if we become aware of the transfer of subscription rights, and we will not honor orders that we believe involve the transfer of subscription rights.

 

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Stock Information Center

Our banking office personnel may not, by law, assist with investment-related questions about the offering. If you have any questions regarding the offering, please call our Stock Information Center. The telephone number is [sic number]. The Stock Information Center is open Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Stock Information Center will be closed on weekends and bank holidays.

Liquidation Rights

In the unlikely event of a complete liquidation of Bogota Savings Bank before the reorganization, all claims of creditors of Bogota Savings Bank, including those of depositors (to the extent of their deposit balances), would be paid first. To the extent there are remaining assets, a depositor may have a claim to receive a pro rata share of the remaining assets in the same proportion as the amount of such depositor’s deposit accounts bears to the total amount of all deposit accounts at Bogota Savings Bank at the time of liquidation, subject to the right of the State of New Jersey to garnish such assets. After the reorganization, each depositor who had liquidation rights with respect to Bogota Savings Bank as of the date of the reorganization will continue to have such rights solely with respect to Bogota Financial, MHC for so long as he or she remains a depositor of Bogota Savings Bank. All persons who become holders of a deposit account with Bogota Savings Bank after the consummation of the reorganization will have liquidation rights with respect to Bogota Financial, MHC to the same extent as all other depositors had liquidation rights in Bogota Savings Bank before the completion of the reorganization, but will not have an interest in the liquidation account described below. Moreover, in the event of a complete liquidation after the reorganization, each depositor also would have a claim as a creditor of Bogota Savings Bank. However, except as described below, this claim would be solely in the amount of the balance in the deposit account, plus accrued interest. A depositor would not have an interest in the value of the assets of Bogota Savings Bank above that amount.

The plan of reorganization provides for the establishment, upon the completion of the reorganization, of a special “liquidation account” in Bogota Financial, MHC and/or Bogota Savings Bank for the benefit of Eligible Account Holders in an amount equal to the total equity of Bogota Savings Bank at the date of its latest balance sheet contained in this prospectus. The purpose of the liquidation account is to provide Eligible Account Holders who maintain their deposit accounts with Bogota Savings Bank after the reorganization with a liquidation interest in the unlikely event of a complete liquidation of Bogota Savings Bank after the reorganization. Each Eligible Account Holder that continues to maintain his or her deposit account in Bogota Savings Bank would be entitled, on a complete liquidation of Bogota Financial, MHC after the reorganization, to an interest in the liquidation account after payment to all creditors but before any payment to the stockholders of Bogota Financial Corp. Each Eligible Account Holder would have an initial interest in the liquidation account for each deposit account, including savings accounts, transaction accounts such as negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market deposit accounts, and certificates of deposit, with a balance of $50 or more held in Bogota Savings Bank on December 31, 2017. Each Eligible Account Holder would have a pro rata interest in the liquidation account equal to the proportion that the aggregate balance of such deposit account holders accounts on December 31, 2017 bears to the balance of all deposit accounts of Eligible Account Holders on such date.

If, however, on any December 31, the annual closing date commencing on or after the effective date of the reorganization, the amount in any such deposit account is less than the amount in the deposit account on December 31, 2017 or any other annual closing date, then the interest in the liquidation account relating to such deposit account would be reduced from time to time by the proportion of any such reduction, and such interest will cease to exist if such deposit account is closed. In addition, no interest in the liquidation account would ever be increased despite any subsequent increase in the related deposit account. Payment pursuant to liquidation rights of Eligible Account Holders would be separate and apart from the payment of any insured deposit accounts to such depositor. Any assets remaining after the liquidation rights of Eligible Account Holders are satisfied would be distributed to Bogota Financial Corp., as the sole stockholder of Bogota Savings Bank.

Neither Bogota Savings Bank nor Bogota Financial Corp. will be required to set aside funds to establish the liquidation account, and the creation and maintenance of the liquidation account will not restrict the use or application of any of the equity accounts of Bogota Savings Bank, except that Bogota Savings Bank will not declare or pay a cash dividend on, or repurchase any of, its capital stock if the effect would cause its equity to be reduced below the amount required for the liquidation account. The liquidation account will terminate in the event Bogota Financial, MHC converts to stock form, and a new liquidation account will be established as part of the stock conversion.

 

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Material Income Tax Consequences

Consummation of the reorganization is subject to the prior receipt of an opinion of counsel or tax advisor with respect to federal and state income taxation that the reorganization will not be a taxable transaction to Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp., Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors. Unlike private letter rulings, opinions of counsel or tax advisors are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or any state taxing authority, and such authorities may disagree with such opinions. If there is such disagreement, there can be no assurance that Bogota Savings Bank or Bogota Financial Corp. would prevail in a judicial proceeding.

Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank have received an opinion of counsel, Luse Gorman, PC, regarding all of the material federal income tax consequences of the reorganization, which includes the following:

1. The merger of Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form) into Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) will represent a mere change in identity, form, or place of organization of one corporation and will qualify as a reorganization under Internal Revenue Code Section 368(a)(1)(F) (the “F Reorganization”).

2. The holding period of Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) in the assets received from Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form) will include the period during which such assets were held by Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form).

3. The basis of Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) in the assets received from Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form) will be the same as the basis of such assets in the hands of Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form) immediately before the reorganization.

4. Bogota Savings Bank depositors will recognize no gain or loss upon their constructive receipt of the common stock of Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) solely in exchange for their ownership interests in Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form).

5. Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) will succeed to and take into account the earnings and profits or deficit in earnings and profits of Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form), as of the date of the reorganization, pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 381.

6. For purposes of Internal Revenue Code Section 381, Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) will be treated the same as Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form), and therefore, Bogota Savings Bank’s tax year will not end merely as a result of the conversion of Bogota Savings Bank to stock form, and Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) will not be required to obtain a new employee identification number.

7. No gain or loss shall be recognized by depositors of Bogota Savings Bank on the issuance to them of withdrawable deposit accounts in Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) plus liquidation rights with respect to Bogota Financial, MHC, in exchange for their deposit accounts plus liquidation rights in Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form). In addition, Eligible Account Holders and Supplemental Eligible Account Holders will not recognize gain or loss upon receipt of an interest in a liquidation account in Bogota Financial, MHC and/or Bogota Savings Bank in exchange for their ownership interests in Bogota Savings Bank.

8. Gain realized, if any, by the Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors on the distribution to them of nontransferable subscription rights to purchase shares of common stock will be recognized but only in an amount not in excess of the fair market value of such subscription rights. It is more likely than not that the fair market value of the subscription rights to purchase common stock is zero. Accordingly, no gain or loss will be recognized by Eligible Account Holders or Supplemental Eligible Account Holders because they have nontransferable subscription rights to purchase shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors will not realize any taxable income as a result of the exercise by them of the nontransferable subscription rights.

 

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9. The basis of the deposit accounts in Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) to be received by depositors of Bogota Savings Bank will be the same as the basis of their deposit accounts in Bogota Savings Bank (in mutual form) surrendered in exchange therefor. The basis of the interests in the liquidation rights in Bogota Financial, MHC to be received by the depositors of Bogota Savings Bank shall be zero. The basis of Eligible Account Holders’ interests in the liquidation account will be zero, which is the cost of such interests to such persons.

10. The exchange of the common stock of Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) constructively received by depositors in exchange for ownership interests in Bogota Financial, MHC will constitute a tax-free exchange of property solely for “stock” pursuant to Section 351 of the Code.

11. Depositors will recognize no gain or loss upon the transfer of the common stock of Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) that they constructively received in the F Reorganization to Bogota Financial, MHC solely in exchange for ownership interests in Bogota Financial, MHC.

12. Depositors’ basis in Bogota Financial, MHC ownership interests received in the transaction (which basis is zero) will be the same as the basis of the property transferred in exchange therefor.

13. Bogota Financial, MHC will recognize no gain or loss upon the receipt of property from depositors in exchange for ownership interests in Bogota Financial, MHC.

14. Bogota Financial, MHC’s basis in the property received from depositors (which basis is zero) will be the same as the basis of such property in the hands of the depositors immediately before the F Reorganization.

15. Bogota Financial, MHC’s holding period for the property received from depositors will include the period during which such property was held by such persons.

16. Bogota Financial, MHC and the persons who purchased common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. in the Subscription and Community Offering will recognize no gain or loss upon the transfer of the stock of Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) and cash, respectively, to Bogota Financial Corp. in exchange for stock in Bogota Financial Corp., pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 351(a) (the “Secondary 351 Transaction”).

17. Bogota Financial Corp. will recognize no gain or loss on its receipt of the stock of Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) and cash in exchange for Bogota Financial Corp. common stock.

18. Bogota Financial, MHC’s basis in the Bogota Financial Corp. common stock received in the Secondary 351 Transaction will be the same as its basis in the Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) stock transferred.

19. Bogota Financial, MHC’s holding period in the Bogota Financial Corp. common stock received will include the period during which it held the Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) common stock, provided that such property was a capital asset on the date of the exchange.

20. Bogota Financial Corp.’s basis in the Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) stock received from Bogota Financial, MHC will be the same as the basis of such property in the hands of Bogota Financial, MHC.

21. Bogota Financial Corp.’s holding period for the Bogota Savings Bank (in stock form) stock received from Bogota Financial, MHC will include the period during which such property was held by Bogota Financial, MHC.

22. It is more likely than not that the basis of the Bogota Financial Corp. common stock to its stockholders will be the purchase price thereof. The holding period of the common stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of subscription rights will commence on the date on which the right to acquire such stock was exercised.

We believe that that the tax opinions summarized above address all material federal income tax consequences that are generally applicable to Bogota Financial Corp., Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Savings Bank and persons receiving subscription rights. The tax opinions as to items 8 and 22 above are based on the

 

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position that subscription rights to be received by Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors do not have any economic value at the time of distribution or the time the subscription rights are exercised. In this regard, Luse Gorman, PC noted that the subscription rights will be granted at no cost to the recipients, are legally non-transferable and of short duration, and will provide the recipient with the right only to purchase shares of common stock at the same price to be paid by members of the general public in any community offering. The firm also noted that the Internal Revenue Service has not in the past concluded that subscription rights have value. In addition, in the view of RP Financial (which is acting as independent appraiser of the value of the shares of Bogota Financial Corp. common stock in connection with the reorganization), the subscription rights do not have any value for the reasons set forth above. RP Financial’s view is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service. Based on the foregoing, Luse Gorman, PC believes that it is more likely than not that the non-transferable subscription rights to purchase shares of common stock have no value. However, the issue of whether or not the non-transferable subscription rights have value is based on facts and circumstances. If the subscription rights are deemed to have an ascertainable value, receipt of these rights could result in taxable gain, in an amount equal to the ascertainable value, to those Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors who exercise the subscription rights, and we could recognize gain on a distribution of such rights. Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences if subscription rights are deemed to have an ascertainable value.

The opinion of Luse Gorman, PC, unlike a letter ruling issued by the Internal Revenue Service, is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service and the conclusions expressed therein may be challenged at a future date. The Internal Revenue Service has issued favorable rulings for transactions substantially similar to the proposed reorganization and offering, but any such ruling may not be cited as precedent by any taxpayer other than the taxpayer to whom the ruling is addressed. We do not plan to apply for a letter ruling concerning the transactions described herein.

An opinion regarding the New Jersey State income tax consequences of the reorganization, consistent with the federal tax opinion, has been issued by Hamilton & Babitts, CPA.

The federal and state tax opinions have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to Bogota Financial Corp.’s registration statement.

Certain Restrictions on Purchase or Transfer of Our Shares After the Offering

All shares of common stock purchased in the offering by a director or officer of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank, as well as their associates, generally may not be sold for a period of one year following the closing of the offering, except upon death or judicial declaration of incompetency of the individual. Each statement of ownership for restricted shares will bear a legend giving notice of this restriction on transfer, and instructions will be issued to Bogota Financial Corp.’s transfer agent to the effect that any transfer within this time period of any record ownership of the shares other than as provided above is a violation of the restriction. Any shares of common stock issued at a later date as a stock dividend, stock split, or otherwise, with respect to the restricted stock will be similarly restricted. The directors and executive officers of Bogota Financial Corp. also will be restricted by the insider trading rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Purchases of shares of our common stock by any of our directors, certain officers and their associates during the three-year period following the closing of the offering may be made only through a broker or dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, except with the prior written approval of the NJDBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board. This restriction does not apply, however, to purchases of our common stock by our stock option plan or any of our tax-qualified employee stock benefit plans or non-tax-qualified employee stock benefit plans, including any restricted stock plans.

Federal regulations prohibit Bogota Financial Corp. from repurchasing its shares of common stock during the first year following the reorganization unless compelling business reasons exist for such repurchases, or to fund stock equity plans that have been ratified by stockholders (with regulatory approval) or tax-qualified employee stock benefit plans. In addition, the repurchase of shares of common stock is subject to Federal Reserve Board policy related to repurchases of shares by bank holding companies.

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

General

In furtherance of our commitment to the communities in our market area, the plan of reorganization provides that we will establish a new charitable foundation, Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit Delaware corporation in connection with the reorganization and offering. The charitable foundation will be funded with cash and shares of our common stock, as further described below. By further enhancing our visibility and reputation in the communities within our market area, we believe the charitable foundation will enhance the long-term value of Bogota Savings Bank’s community banking franchise. The reorganization and offering presents us with a unique opportunity to provide a substantial and continuing benefit to our community through the charitable foundation.

Purpose of the Charitable Foundation

In connection with the reorganization and offering, Bogota Savings Bank intends to contribute to the charitable foundation 2.0% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. as of the completion of the offering (including shares of common stock issued to Bogota Financial, MHC) and up to $250,000 in cash. At the minimum, midpoint, maximum and adjusted maximum of the offering range, we will contribute to the charitable foundation 169,132, 198,979, 228,826 and 263,150 shares of common stock, respectively.

The purpose of the charitable foundation is to provide financial support to charitable organizations in our market area and to enable the communities that we serve to share in our long-term growth. The charitable foundation will be dedicated completely to community activities and the promotion of charitable causes, and may be able to support such activities in ways that are not presently available to us. It will also support our ongoing obligations to the community under the Community Reinvestment Act. Bogota Savings Bank received a “Satisfactory” rating in its most recent Community Reinvestment Act examination.

Funding the charitable foundation with shares of our common stock is also intended to allow our communities to share in our potential growth and success after the offering is completed because the charitable foundation will benefit directly from any increases in the value of our common stock. In addition, the charitable foundation will maintain close ties with Bogota Savings Bank, thereby forming a partnership within the communities in which Bogota Savings Bank operates.

Structure of the Charitable Foundation

The charitable foundation will be incorporated under Delaware law as a non-stock, non-profit corporation. The certificate of incorporation for the charitable foundation will provide that the corporation is organized exclusively for charitable purposes as set forth in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The certificate of incorporation will further provides that no part of the net earnings of the charitable foundation will inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, directors or officers or to private individuals.

The charitable foundation will be governed by a board of directors, initially consisting of ________________________________ and one other individual who is not one of our officers or directors and who have experience with local charitable organizations and grant making. For five years after the reorganization and offering, one seat on the charitable foundation’s board of directors will be reserved for a person from our local community who has experience with local community charitable organizations and grant making and who is not an officer, director or employee of Bogota Savings Bank, and at least one seat on the charitable foundation’s board of directors will be reserved for a Bogota Savings Bank director.

The board of directors of the charitable foundation is responsible for establishing its grant and donation policies, consistent with the purposes for which it was established. As directors of a non-profit corporation, the directors of the charitable foundation will at all times be bound by their fiduciary duty to advance the charitable foundation’s charitable goals, to protect its assets and to act in a manner consistent with the charitable purposes for

 

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which the charitable foundation is established. The directors also will be responsible for directing the activities of the charitable foundation, including the management and voting of the shares of our common stock held by the charitable foundation. However, as required by applicable regulations, all shares of our common stock held by the charitable foundation must be voted in the same ratio as all other shares of our common stock on all proposals considered by our stockholders.

The charitable foundation’s place of business will be located at our main office. The board of directors of the charitable foundation will appoint such officers and employees as may be necessary to manage its operations. To the extent applicable, we will comply with the affiliates restrictions set forth in Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and applicable NJDBI regulations governing transactions between Bogota Savings Bank and the charitable foundation.

The charitable foundation will receive working capital from the initial cash contribution and:

 

  (1)

any dividends that may be paid on our shares of common stock in the future;

 

  (2)

within the limits of applicable federal and state laws, loans collateralized by the shares of common stock owned by the charitable foundation; and

 

  (3)

the proceeds of the sale of any of the shares of common stock owned by the charitable foundation in the open market from time to time.

As a private foundation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the charitable foundation will be required to distribute annually in grants or donations a minimum of 5% of the average fair market value of its net investment assets.

Tax Considerations

We believe that an organization created for the above purposes should qualify as a Section 501(c)(3) exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code and should be classified as a private foundation. As long as the charitable foundation files an application for tax exempt status within 27 months of the last day of the month in which it was organized, and provided the Internal Revenue Service approves the application, its effective date as a Section 501(c)(3) organization will be the date of its organization. We have not received a tax opinion as to whether the charitable foundation’s tax exempt status will be affected by the regulatory requirement that all shares of our common stock held by it must be voted in the same ratio as all other outstanding shares of our common stock on all proposals considered by our stockholders.

We believe that our contribution of shares of our common stock to the charitable foundation should not constitute an act of self-dealing and that we should be entitled to a deduction in the amount of the fair market value of the stock at the time of the contribution less the nominal amount the charitable foundation is required to pay us for such stock. We are permitted to deduct for charitable purposes only an amount equal to 10% of our annual taxable income in any one year. We are permitted under the Internal Revenue Code to carry the excess contribution over the five-year period following the contribution to the charitable foundation. We estimate that the entire contribution will be deductible over the six-year period (i.e., the year in which the contribution is made and the succeeding five-year period). However, we cannot assure that all of our contribution will be tax deductible. In such event, our contribution to the charitable foundation would be expensed without a tax benefit, resulting in a reduction in earnings in the year in which the Internal Revenue Service makes such a determination. Furthermore, even if the contribution is deductible, we may not have sufficient earnings to be able to use the deduction in full. Any decision to make additional contributions to the charitable foundation in the future would be based on an assessment of, among other factors, our financial condition at that time, the interests of our stockholders and depositors, and the financial condition and operations of the foundation.

As a private foundation, earnings and gains, if any, from the sale of common stock or other assets are exempt from federal and state income taxation. However, investment income, such as interest, dividends and capital gains, is generally taxed at a rate of 1%. The charitable foundation will be required to file an annual return with the

 

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Internal Revenue Service within four and one-half months after the close of its fiscal year. The charitable foundation will be required to make its annual return available for public inspection. The annual return for a private foundation includes, among other things, an itemized list of all grants made or approved, showing the amount of each grant, the recipient, any relationship between a grant recipient and the foundation’s managers and a concise statement of the purpose of each grant. The charitable foundation will also be required to file an annual report with the New Jersey Department of Treasury, Division of Revenue.

Regulatory Requirements Imposed on the Charitable Foundation

Federal Reserve Board regulations require that, before our board of directors approved the plan of reorganization, Joseph Coccaro, as a member of the board of directors who also serves on the charitable foundation’s board, could not participate in our board’s discussions concerning contributions to the charitable foundation, and could not vote on the matter. Our board of directors complied with this regulation in approving the plan of reorganization.

The NJDBI and the Federal Reserve Board will generally not object if a well-capitalized savings bank contributes to a charitable foundation an aggregate amount of 8% or less of the shares or proceeds issued in an offering. Bogota Savings Bank qualifies as a well-capitalized savings bank for purposes of this limitation, and the contribution to the charitable foundation will not exceed this limitation.

Federal Reserve Board regulations impose the following additional requirements on the funding of a charitable foundation with Bogota Financial Corp. common stock in connection with the reorganization and offering:

 

   

the charitable foundation’s primary purpose must be to serve and make grants in our local community;

 

   

the Federal Reserve Board may examine the charitable foundation at the foundation’s expense;

 

   

the charitable foundation must comply with all supervisory directives imposed by the Federal Reserve Board;

 

   

the charitable foundation must provide annually to the Federal Reserve Board a copy of the annual report that the charitable foundation submits to the Internal Revenue Service;

 

   

the charitable foundation must operate according to written policies adopted by its board of directors, including a conflict of interest policy;

 

   

the charitable foundation may not engage in self-dealing and must comply with all laws necessary to maintain its tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code; and

 

   

the charitable foundation must vote its shares of our common stock in the same ratio as all of the other shares voted on each proposal considered by our stockholders.

 

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RESTRICTIONS ON ACQUISITION OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

Although the board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. is not aware of any effort that might be made to obtain control of Bogota Financial Corp. after the reorganization, the board of directors believes that it is appropriate to include certain provisions in Bogota Financial Corp.’s articles of incorporation and bylaws to protect the interests of Bogota Financial Corp. and its stockholders from takeovers that our board of directors might conclude are not in the best interests of Bogota Financial Corp., its stockholders or Bogota Savings Bank.

The following discussion is a general summary of the material provisions of Bogota Financial Corp.’s articles of incorporation and bylaws, Maryland corporation law and certain other regulatory provisions that may be deemed to have an “anti-takeover” effect. The following description of certain of these provisions is necessarily general and, with respect to provisions contained in Bogota Financial Corp.’s articles of incorporation and bylaws, reference should be made in each case to the document in question, each of which is part of Bogota Savings Bank’s applications filed with the NJDBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Bogota Financial Corp.’s registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Bogota Financial Corp.’s bank holding company application filed with the Federal Reserve Board. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

Bogota Financial Corp.’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws

Bogota Financial Corp.’s articles of incorporation and bylaws contain a number of provisions relating to corporate governance and rights of stockholders that might discourage future takeover attempts. As a result, stockholders who may desire to participate in such transactions may not have an opportunity to do so. In addition, these provisions will also render the removal of Bogota Financial Corp.’s board of directors or management more difficult.

Directors. The board of directors will be divided into three classes. The members of each class will be elected for a term of three years and only one class of directors will be elected annually. Therefore, it would take at least two annual elections to replace a majority of our directors. The bylaws establish qualifications for board members, including:

 

   

a prohibition on service as a director by a person (1) who within the past ten years has been the subject of a supervisory or enforcement action by a financial or securities regulatory agency that resulted in a cease and desist, consent or other formal order or an agreement or other written statement that is subject to public disclosure by such agency, (2) who has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or breach of trust that is punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under state or federal law, or (3) who is currently charged in an information, indictment or other complaint with the commission of or participation in a crime described in clause (2);

 

   

a prohibition on service as a director by a person who is a director, trustee, officer, employee or a 10% stockholder of a competitor of Bogota Savings Bank or any other subsidiary of Bogota Financial Corp.;

 

   

a prohibition on any director who does not agree in writing to comply with all Bogota Financial Corp. policies applicable to directors, in addition to written confirmation that such director is qualified to serve;

 

   

a prohibition on any director who does not confirm in writing that he or she is not party to any agreement or understanding with respect to how he or she would act or vote on any issue or question before the board of directors or that would otherwise impact his or her ability to discharge his or her fiduciary duties as a director;

 

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a prohibition on service by nominees or representatives (as defined in applicable Federal Reserve Board regulations) of another person who would not be eligible for service or of an entity the partners or controlling persons of which would not be eligible for service; and

 

   

that no person may be appointed, re-appointed, elected or re-elected as a director following his or her attaining the age of 75.

The bylaws impose notice and information requirements in connection with the nomination by stockholders of candidates for election to the board of directors or the submission of proposals by stockholders of business to be acted upon at an annual meeting of stockholders. Such notice and information requirements are applicable to all stockholder business proposals and nominations, and are in addition to any requirements under the federal securities laws.

Evaluation of Offers. The articles of incorporation of Bogota Financial Corp. provide that its board of directors, when evaluating a transaction that would or may involve a change in control of Bogota Financial Corp. (whether by purchases of its securities, merger, consolidation, share exchange, dissolution, liquidation, sale of all or substantially all of its assets, proxy solicitation or otherwise), may, in connection with the exercise of its business judgment in determining what is in the best interests of Bogota Financial Corp. and its stockholders and in making any recommendation to the stockholders, give due consideration to all relevant factors, including, but not limited to:

 

   

the economic effect, both immediate and long-term, upon Bogota Financial Corp.’s stockholders, including stockholders, if any, who do not participate in the transaction;

 

   

the social and economic effect on the present and future employees, creditors and customers of, and others dealing with, Bogota Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries and on the communities in which Bogota Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries operate or are located;

 

   

whether the proposal is acceptable based on the historical, current or projected future operating results or financial condition of Bogota Financial Corp.;

 

   

whether a more favorable price could be obtained for Bogota Financial Corp.’s stock or other securities in the future;

 

   

the reputation and business practices of the other entity to be involved in the transaction, including its management and affiliates, and how they would affect the employees of Bogota Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries;

 

   

the future value of the stock or any other securities of Bogota Financial Corp. or the other entity to be involved in the proposed transaction;

 

   

any anti-trust or other legal and regulatory issues that are raised by the proposal;

 

   

the business and historical, current or expected future financial condition or operating results of the other entity to be involved in the transaction, including, but not limited to, debt service and other existing financial obligations, financial obligations to be incurred in connection with the proposed transaction, and other likely financial obligations of the other entity to be involved in the proposed transaction; and

 

   

the ability of Bogota Financial Corp. to fulfill its objectives as a financial institution holding company and the ability of its subsidiary financial institution(s) to fulfill the objectives of a federally insured financial institution under applicable statutes and regulations.

If the board of directors determines that any proposed transaction should be rejected, it may take any lawful action to defeat such transaction.

 

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Restrictions on Calling Special Meetings. The bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders can be called by only the Chairperson of the Board or a majority of the total number of directors that Bogota Financial Corp. would have if there were no vacancies on the board of directors, or the Secretary upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all votes entitled to vote at the meeting.

Prohibition of Cumulative Voting. The articles of incorporation prohibit cumulative voting for the election of directors.

Limitation of Voting Rights. The articles of incorporation provide that in no event will any person, other than Bogota Financial, MHC, who beneficially owns more than 10% of the then-outstanding shares of common stock, be entitled or permitted to vote any of the shares of common stock held in excess of the 10% limit. The 10% limit does not apply if, before the stockholder acquires shares in excess of the 10% limit, the acquisition is approved by a majority of the directors who are not affiliated with the holder and who were members of the board of directors before the time of the acquisition (or who were chosen to fill any vacancy of an otherwise unaffiliated director by a majority of the unaffiliated directors).

Restrictions on Removing Directors from Office. The articles of incorporation provide that directors may be removed only for cause, and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of our then-outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (after giving effect to the limitation on voting rights discussed above in “—Limitation of Voting Rights”), voting together as a single class.

Stockholder Nominations and Proposals. The bylaws provide that any stockholder desiring to make a nomination for the election of directors or a proposal for new business at an annual meeting of stockholders must submit written notice to Bogota Financial Corp. between 90 and 120 days before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the previous year’s annual meeting. However, if less than 90 days’ prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders and the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days, or delayed by more than 30 days from the anniversary date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, then stockholders must submit written notice to Bogota Financial Corp. no later than 10 days following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the meeting is first made. Stockholder submissions regarding nominations or business proposals must contain certain information as set forth in the bylaws.

Authorized but Unissued Shares. After the reorganization, Bogota Financial Corp. will have authorized but unissued shares of common and preferred stock. See “Description of Capital Stock of Bogota Financial Corp.” The articles of incorporation authorize 30,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. Bogota Financial Corp. is authorized to issue preferred stock from time to time in one or more series, subject to applicable provisions of law, and the board of directors is authorized to fix the preferences, reorganization and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of such shares. In addition, the articles of incorporation provide that a majority of the total number of directors that Bogota Financial Corp. would have if there were no vacancies on the board of directors may, without action by the stockholders, amend the articles of incorporation to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock of any class or series that Bogota Financial Corp. has the authority to issue. If there is a proposed merger, tender offer or other attempt to gain control of Bogota Financial Corp. that the board of directors does not approve, it would be possible for the board of directors to authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock with rights and preferences that would impede the completion of the transaction. An effect of the possible issuance of preferred stock therefore may be to deter a future attempt to gain control of Bogota Financial Corp. The board of directors has no present plan or understanding to issue any preferred stock.

Amendments to Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. Except as provided under “— Authorized but Unissued Shares,” above, regarding the amendment of the articles of incorporation by the board of directors to increase or decrease the number of shares authorized for issuance, or as otherwise allowed by law, any amendment to the articles of incorporation must be approved by our board of directors and also by two-thirds of the outstanding shares of our voting stock (after giving effect to the limitation on voting rights discussed above in “—Limitation of Voting Rights”); provided, however, that any amendment to the articles of incorporation that is approved by at least two-thirds of our board of directors need only be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of our voting stock. Notwithstanding the forgoing, approval by at least 80% of the outstanding voting stock (after giving effect to

 

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the limitation on voting rights discussed above in “—Limitation of Voting Rights”) is generally required to amend the following provisions:

 

  1.

The limitation on voting rights of persons who directly or indirectly beneficially own more than 10% of the outstanding shares of common stock;

 

  2.

The management of Bogota Financial Corp. by the board of directors and division of the board of directors into three staggered classes;

 

  3.

The ability of the board of directors to fill vacancies on the board;

 

  4.

The prohibition against cumulative voting;

 

  5.

The requirement that at least two-thirds of the voting power of the stockholders must vote to remove directors, and such removal may be for cause only;

 

  6.

The ability of the board of directors to amend and repeal the bylaws and the required stockholder vote to amend or repeal the bylaws;

 

  7.

The ability of the board of directors to evaluate a variety of factors in evaluating offers to purchase or otherwise acquire Bogota Financial Corp.;

 

  8.

The authority of the board of directors to provide for the issuance of preferred stock;

 

  9.

The validity and effectiveness of any action lawfully authorized by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the total number of outstanding shares of common stock;

 

  10.

The number of stockholders constituting a quorum or required for stockholder consent;

 

  11.

The provisions regarding stockholder proposals and nominations;

 

  12.

The indemnification of current and former directors and officers, as well as employees and other agents, by Bogota Financial Corp.;

 

  13.

The limitation of liability of officers and directors to Bogota Financial Corp. for money damages; and

 

  14.

The provision of the articles of incorporation requiring approval of at least 80% of the outstanding voting stock to amend the provisions of the articles of incorporation set forth in (1) through (13) of this list and the provisions related to amendment of the articles of incorporation and bylaws.

The articles of incorporation also provide that the bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors that Bogota Financial Corp. would have if there were no vacancies on the board of directors or by the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least 80% of the votes entitled to be cast in the election of directors (after giving effect to the limitation on voting rights discussed above in “—Limitation of Voting Rights”).

Maryland Corporate Law

Business Combinations. Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, certain transfers of assets, certain stock issuances and transfers, liquidation plans and reclassifications involving interested stockholders and their affiliates or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. Maryland law defines an

 

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interested stockholder as: (1) any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of a corporation’s voting stock after the date on which the corporation had 100 or more beneficial owners of its stock; or (2) an affiliate or associate of the corporation at any time after the date on which the corporation had 100 or more beneficial owners of its stock who, within the two-year period before the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then-outstanding voting stock of the corporation. A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board.

After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least: (1) 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and (2) two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation excluding shares held by the interested stockholder with whom the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder. These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.

Control Share Acquisitions. The Maryland General Corporation Law provides that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the shares entitled to be voted on the matter, excluding shares of stock owned by the acquiror or by officers or directors who are employees of the corporation. The Maryland General Corporation Law defines “control shares” and “control share acquisition,” describes shares and transactions that are excepted from the definition of “control shares” and “control share acquisitions,” and provides for the rights and obligations of an acquiror that initiates a “control share acquisition.” A Maryland corporation may include in its bylaws a provision that makes the Maryland Control Share Acquisition law inapplicable, and as a subsidiary of a mutual holding company, the board of directors of Bogota Financial Corp. has approved a bylaws that make the Maryland Control Share Acquisition law inapplicable.

Reorganization Regulations

Federal Reserve Board regulations provide that, except with the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board, no person for a period of three years following the date the completion of the stock offering may directly or indirectly acquire or offer to acquire the beneficial ownership of more than 10% of any class of capital stock of Bogota Financial Corp.

Change in Control Regulations

Under the Change in Bank Control Act, no person, or group of persons acting in concert, may acquire control of a bank holding company such as Bogota Financial Corp. unless the Federal Reserve Board has been given 60 days’ prior written notice and not disapproved the proposed acquisition. The Federal Reserve Board considers several factors in evaluating a notice, including the financial and managerial resources of the acquirer and competitive effects. Control, as defined under the applicable regulations, means the power, directly or indirectly, to direct the management or policies of the company or to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities of the company. Acquisition of more than 10% of any class of a bank holding company’s voting securities constitutes a rebuttable presumption of control under certain circumstances, including where, as will be the case with Bogota Financial Corp., the issuer has registered securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

In addition, federal regulations provide that no company may acquire control (as defined in the Bank Holding Company Act) of a bank holding company without the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board. Any company that acquires such control becomes a “bank holding company” subject to registration, examination and regulation by the Federal Reserve Board.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK OF BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

General

Bogota Financial Corp. is authorized to issue 30,000,000 shares of common stock, par value of $0.01 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. Bogota Financial Corp. currently expects to issue up to 13,157,525 shares of common stock (which number includes 263,150 shares expected to be contributed to the charitable foundation and 7,236,640 shares to be issued to Bogota Financial, MHC) in the reorganization and offering. It will not issue shares of preferred stock in the reorganization and offering. Each share of common stock will have the same relative rights as, and will be identical in all respects to, each other share of common stock. Upon payment of the subscription price for the common stock according to the plan of reorganization all of the shares of common stock will be duly authorized, fully paid and non-assessable.

The shares of common stock will represent non-withdrawable capital, will not be an account of an insurable type, and will not be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Common Stock

Dividends. Bogota Financial Corp. may pay dividends on its common stock if, after giving effect to such distribution, (1) it would be able to pay its indebtedness as the indebtedness comes due in the usual course of business and (2) its total assets exceed the sum of its liabilities and the amount needed, if it were to be dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of any holders of capital stock who have a preference upon dissolution. The holders of common stock will be entitled to receive and share equally in dividends as may be declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor. If Bogota Financial Corp. issues shares of preferred stock, the holders thereof may have a priority over the holders of the common stock with respect to dividends.

Voting Rights. Upon consummation of the reorganization, the holders of common stock will have exclusive voting rights in Bogota Financial Corp. They will elect its board of directors and act on other matters required to be presented to them under Maryland law or otherwise presented to them by the board of directors. Generally, each holder of common stock will be entitled to one vote per share and will not have any right to cumulate votes in the election of directors. Any person, other than Bogota Financial, MHC, who beneficially owns more than 10% of the then-outstanding shares of common stock, however, will not be entitled or permitted to vote any shares of common stock held in excess of the 10% limit absent certain exceptions discussed under “Restrictions on Acquisition of Bogota Financial Corp.” If Bogota Financial Corp. issues shares of preferred stock, holders of the preferred stock may also possess voting rights. Amendments to the articles of incorporation generally require, in addition to majority approval by the board of directors, a two-thirds approval of the outstanding shares eligible to vote, and certain amendments require the approval of 80% of the outstanding shares eligible to vote.

As a New Jersey-chartered stock savings bank, corporate powers and control of Bogota Savings Bank will be vested in its board of directors, who elect the officers of Bogota Savings Bank and who fill any vacancies on the board of directors. Voting rights in Bogota Savings Bank will be vested exclusively in the sole owner of the shares of capital stock of Bogota Savings Bank, which will be Bogota Financial Corp., and voted at the direction of Bogota Financial Corp.’s board of directors. Consequently, the holders of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. will not have direct control of Bogota Savings Bank.

Liquidation. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Bogota Savings Bank, Bogota Financial Corp., as the holder of 100% of Bogota Savings Bank’s capital stock, would be entitled to receive all assets of Bogota Savings Bank available for distribution, after payment or provision for payment of all debts and liabilities of Bogota Savings Bank, including all deposit accounts and accrued interest thereon. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Bogota Financial Corp., the holders of its common stock would be entitled to receive, after payment or provision for payment of all its debts and liabilities, all of the assets of Bogota Financial Corp. available for distribution. If preferred stock is issued, the holders thereof may have a priority over the holders of the common stock upon any liquidation or dissolution.

 

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Preemptive Rights; Redemption. Holders of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. will not be entitled to preemptive rights with respect to any shares that may be issued, unless such preemptive rights are approved by the board of directors. The common stock is not subject to redemption.

Dissenters’ Rights of Appraisal. Bogota Financial Corp.’s articles of incorporation provide that Bogota Financial Corp.’s stockholders will not be entitled to dissenters’ rights of appraisal with respect to a merger or consolidation of Bogota Financial Corp. with another corporation unless the board of directors determines by a resolution approved by a majority of directors then in office that dissenters’ rights shall apply to all or any classes of stock.

Preferred Stock

Bogota Financial Corp. will not issue any of its authorized shares of preferred stock as part of the offering or the reorganization. Preferred stock may be issued with preferences and designations as our board of directors may from time to time determine. The board of directors may, without stockholder approval, issue shares of preferred stock with voting, dividend, liquidation and reorganization rights that could dilute the voting strength of the holders of the common stock and may assist management in impeding an unfriendly takeover or attempted change in control.

TRANSFER AGENT

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is________________________,______________.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements that appear starting on page F-1 of this prospectus of Bogota Savings Bank and Subsidiaries at December 31, 2018 and 2017 and for the years then ended have been included in this prospectus and in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, in reliance on the report of Crowe LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, which is included herein, upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

RP Financial, LC. has consented to the publication herein of the summary of its report setting forth its opinion as to the estimated pro forma market value of the shares of common stock upon completion of the reorganization and offering and its letter with respect to subscription rights.

LEGAL MATTERS

Luse Gorman, PC, Washington, D.C., counsel to Bogota Financial Corp. and Bogota Savings Bank, has issued to Bogota Financial Corp. its opinion regarding the legality of the common stock and the federal income tax consequences of the reorganization and offering. Hamilton & Babitts, CPA has provided its opinion to us regarding the New Jersey income tax consequences of the reorganization and offering. Certain legal matters will be passed upon for Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. by Goodwin Procter, LLP, Boston, Massachusetts.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Bogota Financial Corp. has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to the shares of common stock offered hereby. As permitted by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, this prospectus does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. Such information, including the appraisal report which is an exhibit to the registration statement, can be examined without charge at the public reference facilities of the Securities and Exchange Commission located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, and copies of such material can be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission at prescribed rates. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s telephone number is 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission maintains a web site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission,

 

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including Bogota Financial Corp. The statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are, of necessity, brief descriptions of the material terms of, and should be read in conjunction with, such contract or document.

Bogota Savings Bank has filed an application with the NJDBI with respect to the reorganization and offering. This prospectus omits certain information contained in such application. The non-confidential portions of the application may be inspected, without charge, at the offices of the NJDBI, 20 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08625. The plan of reorganization is available, upon request, at each of Bogota Savings Bank’s offices.

Bogota Savings Bank has filed a notice with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation a notice with respect to the reorganization and offering. This prospectus omits certain information contained in such notice. The notice may be inspected, without charge, at the offices of the Regional Director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, New York 10118-0110.

Bogota Financial Corp. has filed an application to become a bank holding company with the Federal Reserve Board. This prospectus omits certain information contained in the application. The application may be inspected, without charge, at the offices of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20551 and at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 33 Liberty Street, New York, New Jersey 10045.

In connection with the offering, Bogota Financial Corp. will register its common stock under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and, upon such registration, Bogota Financial Corp. and the holders of its common stock will become subject to the proxy solicitation rules, reporting requirements and restrictions on common stock purchases and sales by directors, officers and greater than 10% stockholders, the annual and periodic reporting and certain other requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Under the plan of reorganization, Bogota Financial Corp. has undertaken that it will not terminate such registration for a period of at least three years following the reorganization and offering.

 

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INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm      F-1  

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at June  30, 2019 (unaudited), December 31, 2018 and 2017

     F-2  

Consolidated Statements of Income for the six months ended June  30, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

     F-3  

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

     F-4  

Consolidated Statements of Equity for the six months ended June  30, 2019 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

     F-5  

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June  30, 2019 and 2018 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

     F-6  

Notes to consolidated financial statements

     F-7  

This prospectus does not include separate financial statements for Bogota Financial Corp. because it has not engaged in any significant activities, has no significant assets, and has no contingent liabilities, revenues or expenses.

All financial statement schedules are omitted because the required information either is inapplicable or is included in the financial statements or related notes.

 

 

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LOGO    LOGO

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

Teaneck, New Jersey

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition of Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”) as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Bank as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Bank’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Bank’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Bank in accordance with the U.S federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the auditing standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Bank is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Bank’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

LOGO

    Crowe LLP

We have served as the Bank’s auditor since 2009.

Livingston, New Jersey

September 5, 2019

 

 

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

 

     June 30,
2019
    December 31,
2018
    December 31,
2017
 
     (unaudited)              

Assets

      

Cash and due from banks

   $ 2,653,038     $ 5,744,106     $ 8,189,729  

Interest-bearing deposits in other banks

     22,485,587       18,773,496       14,368,583  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

     25,138,625       24,517,602       22,558,312  

Securities available for sale

     13,340,052       13,599,806       11,800,277  

Securities held to maturity (fair value of $57,670,540, $68,802,922, and $63,446,860, respectively)

     57,321,974       70,048,579       63,761,053  

Loans, net of allowance of $2,016,175, $1,976,175 and $1,976,175, respectively

     538,052,127       526,669,660       513,589,971  

Premises and equipment, net

     4,212,910       4,656,903       4,445,616  

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock

     4,818,300       4,684,300       5,402,900  

Accrued interest receivable

     2,023,017       1,946,768       1,726,455  

Bank owned life insurance

     17,206,366       17,004,105       16,547,673  

Other assets

     1,837,308       1,880,815       1,310,673  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Assets

   $ 663,950,679     $ 665,008,538     $ 641,142,930  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities and Equity

      

Liabilities

      

Non-interest bearing

   $ 13,516,559     $ 12,500,091     $ 11,614,300  

Interest bearing

     490,592,588       497,793,237       464,841,765  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Deposits

     504,109,147       510,293,328       476,456,065  

FHLB advances

     78,365,011       74,638,690       89,230,876  

Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance

     4,488,679       4,332,611       4,100,016  

Other liabilities

     3,498,819       3,266,141       3,047,484  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     590,461,656       592,530,770       572,834,441  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity

      

Retained earnings

     73,833,689       72,794,887       68,658,210  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     (344,666     (317,119     (349,721
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total equity

     73,489,023       72,477,768       68,308,489  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

   $ 663,950,679     $ 665,008,538     $ 641,142,930  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

 

     Six months ended
June 30,
     Years ended
December 31,
 
     2019      2018      2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Interest income

           

Loans

   $ 10,010,861      $ 9,600,939      $ 19,188,860      $ 18,263,289  

Securities

           

Taxable

     941,701        888,129        1,863,592        1,667,411  

Tax-exempt

     65,950        40,519        120,234        59,364  

Other interest-earning assets

     444,794        392,691        813,617        445,086  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total interest income

     11,463,306        10,922,278        21,986,303        20,435,150  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Interest expense

           

Deposits

     4,947,865        3,382,612        7,450,527        5,245,193  

FHLB advances

     918,739        596,063        1,306,880        1,280,022  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total interest expense

     5,866,604        3,978,675        8,757,407        6,525,215  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net interest income

     5,596,702        6,943,603        13,228,896        13,909,935  

Provision for loan losses

     —          —          —          100,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

     5,596,702        6,943,603        13,228,896        13,809,935  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-interest income

           

Fees and service charges

     60,440        77,754        120,652        97,312  

Bank owned life insurance

     202,261        230,054        456,432        479,508  

Other

     16,976        22,573        37,100        38,153  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total non-interest income

     279,677        330,381        614,184        614,973  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-interest expense

           

Salaries and employee benefits

     2,474,620        2,259,291        4,476,976        4,249,821  

Occupancy and equipment

     350,572        357,799        690,365        719,199  

FDIC insurance assessment

     89,456        93,891        193,452        191,668  

Data processing

     737,043        439,407        1,034,839        824,876  

Advertising

     120,000        120,000        260,000        230,771  

Director fees

     337,945        340,886        671,732        635,362  

Professional fees

     122,500        123,000        225,278        245,750  

Other

     388,993        391,223        763,170        795,911  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total non-interest expense

     4,621,129        4,125,497        8,315,812        7,893,358  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

     1,255,250        3,148,487        5,527,268        6,531,550  

Income tax expense

     285,160        800,410        1,390,591        2,629,796  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 970,090      $ 2,348,077      $ 4,136,677      $ 3,901,754  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

     Six months ended
June 30,
    Years ended
December 31,
 
     2019     2018     2018     2017  
     (unaudited)              

Net income

   $ 970,089     $ 2,349,079     $ 4,136,677     $ 3,901,754  

Other comprehensive income (loss):

        

Unrealized gains/losses on securities available for sale:

        

Unrealized holding gain (loss) arising during the period

     57,262       (66,674     (130,839     (11,533

Tax effect, income tax (benefit) expense

     (16,096     18,742       36,779       4,613  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net of tax

     41,166       (47,932     (94,060     (6,920
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Defined benefit retirement plans:

        

Net (loss) gain arising during the period including changes in assumptions

     —         —         10,053       (25,312

Reclassification adjustment for amortization of prior service cost and net gain/loss included in salaries and employee benefits*

     —         —         146,043       143,728  

Tax effect, income tax benefit

     —         —         (29,434     (47,294
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net of tax

     —         —         126,662       71,122  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other comprehensive income (loss)

     41,166       (47,932     32,602       64,202  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Comprehensive income

   $ 1,011,255     $ 2,301,147     $ 4,169,279     $ 3,965,956  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

*

Income tax expense (benefit) in 2018 and 2017 includes approximately ($41,000) and ($57,000) related to reclassification adjustments, respectively.

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY

 

     Retained
Earnings
     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
    Total
Equity
 

Balance at January 1, 2017

   $ 64,756,456      $ (413,923   $ 64,342,533  

Net Income

     3,901,754        —         3,901,754  

Other comprehensive income

     —          64,202       64,202  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance December 31, 2017

     68,658,210        (349,721     68,308,489  

Net Income

     4,136,677        —         4,136,677  

Other comprehensive income

     —          32,602       32,602  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance December 31, 2018

     72,794,887        (317,119     72,477,768  

Net Income

     970,089        —         970,089  

Other comprehensive income

     —          41,166       41,166  

Reclassification of the stranded tax effects from the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

     68,713        (68,713     —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

   $ 73,833,689      $ (344,666   $ 73,489,023  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

     For the six months ended
June 30,
    For the years ended
December 31,
 
     2019     2018     2018     2017  
     (unaudited)              

Cash flows from operating activities

      

Net income

   $ 970,089     $ 2,349,079     $ 4,136,677     $ 3,901,754  

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities:

        

Provision for loan losses

     —         —         —         100,000  

Depreciation of premises and equipment

     159,926       159,063       312,624       351,151  

Amortization of deferred loan fees

     184,130       267,463       444,271       322,873  

Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts on securities, net

     53,498       96,246       151,244       165,346  

Deferred income tax benefit

     —         —         (93,952     684,261  

Increase in cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance

     (202,261     (230,054     (456,432     (479,508

Changes in:

        

Accrued interest receivable

     (76,249     (142,638     (220,313     (113,179

Net changes in other assets

     350,988       (598,768     (556,038     311,646  

Net changes in other liabilities

     232,679       230,793       461,946       493,805  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     1,672,800       2,131,184       4,180,027       5,738,149  

Cash flows from investing activities

        

Purchases of securities available for sale

     (500,000     (3,000,000     (3,000,000     (1,012,500

Purchases of securities held to maturity

     (2,069,295     (14,050,130     (16,254,130     (22,700,668

Maturities, calls, and repayments of securities available for sale

     763,518       1,166,906       918,388       4,178,292  

Maturities, calls, and repayments of securities held to maturity

     14,795,900       5,922,371       9,966,604       7,398,362  

Net (increase) decrease in loans

     (11,566,597     5,600,862       (13,523,960     (25,425,488

Purchases of premises and equipment

     (39,512     (538,082     (523,911     (126,763

Purchase of FHLB Stock

     (2,305,300     (519,403     (2,404,003     (2,488,800

Redemption of FHLB stock

     2,171,300       1,964,903       3,122,603       1,941,400  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

     1,250,014       (3,452,573     (21,698,409     (38,236,165

Cash flows from financing activities

        

Net (decrease) increase in deposits

     (6,184,180     43,110,498       33,837,263       (1,241,955

Net (decrease) increase in short-term FHLB advances

     (22,370,000     (31,500,000     20,500,000       28,500,000  

Proceeds from long-term FHLB non-repo advances

     28,000,000       12,000,000       —         25,000,000  

Repayments of long-term FHLB non-repo advances

     (1,903,679     (5,410,601     (28,092,186     (31,838,748

Repayments of long-term FHLB repo advances

     —         (7,000,000     (7,000,000     (7,000,000

Net increase in advance payments from borrowers for taxes and insurance

     156,068       1,001,614       232,595       144,669  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

     (2,301,791     12,201,511       19,477,672       13,563,966  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

     621,023       10,880,122       1,959,290       (18,934,050

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

     24,517,602       22,558,312       22,558,312       41,492,362  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

   $ 25,138,625     $ 33,438,434     $ 24,517,602     $ 22,558,312  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental cash flow information

        

Income taxes paid

   $ 360,000     $ 1,705,000     $ 2,185,000     $ 1,465,000  

Interest paid

   $ 5,866,604     $ 3,978,675     $ 8,757,407     $ 6,525,146  

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Operations and Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Bogota Securities Corp. and Bogota Properties, LLC. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Bogota Securities Corp. was formed on August 14, 2014 for the purpose of buying, selling and holding investment securities. Bogota Properties, LLC was inactive at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017.

The Bank generally grants residential, commercial and consumer loans to, and accepts deposits from, customers in New Jersey. The debtors’ ability to repay the loans is dependent upon the region’s economy and the borrowers’ circumstances. The Bank is also subject to the regulations of certain federal and state agencies and undergoes periodic examination by those regulatory authorities.

Use of Estimates: To prepare financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America management makes estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions effect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the disclosures provided, and actual results could differ.

Basis of Presentation: The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP for interim financial information and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Exchange Act. These financial statements include the accounts of the Bank and its subsidiaries, and all significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Amounts in the prior periods’ consolidated financial statements are reclassified whenever necessary to conform to the current period’s presentation.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions based on available information. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and disclosures provided, and actual results could differ. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) and disclosures necessary for the fair presentation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been included. The unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the included audited financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. The results of operations for any interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results which may be expected for the entire year or any other period.

Cash Flows: Cash and cash equivalents include cash and deposits with other banks with maturities within one year. Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions and short-term Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) advances.

Interest-Bearing Deposits in Other Banks: Interest-bearing deposits in other banks mature within one year and are carried at cost.

Securities: Debt securities are classified as held to maturity and carried at amortized cost when management has the positive intent and ability to hold them to maturity. Debt securities are classified as available for sale when they might be sold before maturity. Securities available for sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax.

Interest income includes amortization of purchase premium or discount. Premiums and discounts on securities are amortized on the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments, except for mortgage-backed securities (“MBSs”) where prepayments are anticipated. Gains and losses on sales are recorded on the trade date and determined using the specific identification method.

 

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

 

Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) at least on a quarterly basis, and more frequently when economic or market conditions warrant such an evaluation. For securities in an unrealized loss position, management considers the extent and duration of the unrealized loss, and the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer. Management also assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell, a security in an unrealized loss position before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the entire difference between amortized cost and fair value is recognized as impairment through earnings. For debt securities that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, the amount of impairment is split into two components as follows: (1) OTTI related to credit loss, which must be recognized in the income statement; and (2) OTTI related to other factors, which is recognized in other comprehensive income. The credit loss is defined as the difference between the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected and the amortized cost basis.

Loans: Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are reported at the principal balance outstanding, net of deferred loan fees and costs, and an allowance for loan losses. Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. The Bank makes real estate, commercial and consumer loans to customers. A substantial portion of the loan portfolio is represented by loans in northern New Jersey. The ability of the Bank’s debtors to honor their contracts is dependent upon the real estate values and general economic conditions in this area. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized in interest income using the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments.

Interest income on mortgage, commercial and consumer loans is discontinued at the time the loan is 90 days delinquent unless the loan is well-secured and in process of collection. Past due status is based on the contractual terms of the loan. In all cases, loans are placed on nonaccrual or charged-off at an earlier date if collection of principal or interest is considered doubtful. Nonaccrual loans and loans past due 90 days still on accrual include both smaller balance homogeneous loans that are collectively evaluated for impairment and individually classified impaired loans. A loan is moved to non-accrual status in accordance with the Bank’s policy, typically after 90 days of non-payment.

All interest accrued but not received for loans placed on nonaccrual is reversed against interest income. Interest received on such loans is accounted for on the cash-basis or cost-recovery method, until qualifying for return to accrual. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

Allowance for Loan Losses: The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses. The allowance for loan losses is increased by provisions for loan losses charged to income. Losses are charged to the allowance when all or a portion of a loan is deemed to be uncollectible. Subsequent recoveries of loans previously charged off are credited to the allowance for loan losses when realized. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged off. The allowance consists of specific and general components.

The specific component relates to loans that are individually classified as impaired. A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Bank will be unable to collect all principal and interest contractually due. Loans for which the terms have been modified resulting in a concession, and for which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties, are considered troubled debt restructurings and classified as impaired. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Management determines the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

 

The Bank reviews loans for impairment that are individually evaluated for collectability in accordance with the Bank’s normal loan review procedures (principally commercial real estate loans). If a loan is impaired, a portion of the allowance is allocated so that the loan is reported, net, at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s existing rate or at the fair value of collateral if repayment is expected solely from the collateral. Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans, such as consumer and residential real estate loans, are collectively evaluated for impairment, and accordingly, they are not separately identified for impairment disclosures.

Troubled debt restructurings are separately identified for impairment disclosures and are measured at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s effective rate at inception. If a troubled debt restructuring is considered to be a collateral dependent loan, the loan is reported, net, at the fair value of the collateral. For troubled debt restructurings that subsequently default, the Bank determines the amount of reserve in accordance with the accounting policy for the allowance for loan losses.

The general component covers non-impaired loans and is based on historical loss experience, adjusted for current factors. The historical loss experience is determined by portfolio segment and is based on the actual loss history experienced by the Bank over the most recent two years. This actual loss experience is supplemented with other economic factors based on the risks present for each portfolio segment. These economic factors include consideration of the following: levels of and trends in delinquencies and impaired loans; levels of and trends in charge-offs and recoveries; trends in size, composition and terms of loans; effects of any changes in risk selection and underwriting standards; other changes in lending policies, procedures, and practices; experience, ability, and depth of lending management and other relevant staff; national and local economic trends and conditions; industry conditions; and effects of changes in credit concentrations. The Bank consistently applies this methodology to all portfolio segments. The following portfolio segments have been identified: residential real estate, commercial and multi-family real estate, construction, commercial and industrial and consumer.

Residential Real Estate Loans – Residential real estate loans are generally made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from his or her employment and other income, but are secured by real property whose value tends to be more easily ascertainable. Credit risk for these types of loans is generally influenced by general economic conditions, the characteristics of individual borrowers and the nature of the loan collateral.

Commercial and Multi-Family Real Estate Loans – Commercial and multi-family real estate loans generally have larger balances and involve a greater degree of risk than residential real estate loans, inferring higher potential losses on an individual customer basis. Loan repayment is often dependent on the successful operation and management of the properties and/or businesses occupying the properties, as well as on the collateral securing the loan. Economic events or conditions in the real estate market could have an adverse impact on the cash flows generated by the properties securing the Bank’s commercial and multi-family real estate loans and on the value of such properties.

Construction Loans – Construction financing is generally considered to involve a higher degree of risk of loss than long-term financing on improved, occupied real estate. Risk of loss on a construction loan depends largely upon the accuracy of the initial estimate of the property’s value at completion of construction and the estimated cost of construction. During the construction phase, a number of factors could result in delays and cost overruns. If the estimate of construction costs proves to be inaccurate, additional funds may be required to be advanced in excess of the amount originally committed to permit completion of the building. If the estimate of value proves to be inaccurate, the value of the building may be insufficient to assure full repayment if liquidation is required. If foreclosure is required on a building before or at completion due to a default, there can be no assurance that all of the unpaid balance of, and accrued interest on, the loan as well as related foreclosure and holding costs will be recovered.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

 

Commercial and Industrial Loans – A commercial and industrial loan is a loan to a business rather than a loan to an individual consumer. These short-term loans may have an interest rate based on the LIBOR rate or prime rate and are secured by collateral owned by the business requesting the loan.

Consumer Loans – Consumer loans include home equity lines of credit and home equity loans, which exhibit many of the same credit risk characteristics as residential real estate loans. The amount of a home equity line of credit is generally limited to a certain percentage of the appraised value of the property less the balance of the first mortgage.

Mortgage Loan Sales: The Bank has a partnership through the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (“FHLBNY”) to sell loans within the Mortgage Partnership Finance (“MPF”) Program. Loans are sold at origination; gains or losses on the sale of mortgage loans are recognized at the trade date and are determined by the difference between the net proceeds and the amortized cost. All loans are sold with servicing being retained by the Bank. The outstanding principal balances sold and serviced by the Bank under the program are $14,239,965, $14,587,864 and $16,448,188 at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Under the program, the first layer of losses is paid by the FHLBNY up to 100 basis points of the total funded amount of loans sold. The Bank then provides a second loss credit enhancement obligation, which amount is equivalent to “AA” credit risk less the 100 basis points first loss account. Loan losses beyond the first and second loss accounts are absorbed by the FHLBNY. There are no losses to date over the loans sold under the program. Mortgage servicing rights are $31,379 and $61,371 as of June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $41,322 and $81,625 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and reported as other assets. Servicing fees totaled $17,459 and $20,254 as of June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively and $40,303 and $41,362 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Late fees and ancillary fees related to loan servicing are not material.

Premises and Equipment: Land is carried at cost. Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Buildings and related components are depreciated using the straight line-method with useful lives ranging from fifteen to thirty-nine years. Furniture, fixture and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method with useful lives ranging from one to ten years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the terms of the respective leases or the estimated lives of the improvements.

FHLB Stock: FHLB stock is restricted stock, which is carried at cost, and periodically evaluated for impairment based on ultimate recovery of par value. Federal law requires a member institution of the FHLB to hold stock according to a predetermined formula. Dividends are recorded as income on the consolidated statement of financial condition.

Bank Owned Life Insurance: The Bank has purchased life insurance policies on certain key employees. Bank owned life insurance is recorded at the amount that can be realized under the insurance contract at the balance sheet date, which is the cash surrender value adjusted for other charges or other amounts due that are probable at settlement.

Advertising Costs: Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Any direct response advertising conducted by the Bank is immaterial and has not been capitalized. Advertising costs are included in “non-interest expense” in the consolidated statements of income.

Off-Balance Sheet Financial Instruments: In the ordinary course of business, the Bank enters into off-balance-sheet financial instruments consisting of commitments to extend credit. Such financial instruments are recorded in the consolidated statement of financial condition when funded.

Income Taxes: Income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax due or refundable and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

 

temporary differences between carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

A tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. The Bank had no unrecognized tax positions as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017. The Bank recognizes interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Retirement Plans: Pension expense is the net of service and interest cost and amortization of gains and losses not immediately recognized. Employee 401(k) Plan expense is the amount of matching and safe harbor contributions. Profit sharing expense is based on the amount of contributions made by the Bank as determined by the Board of Directors. Directors’ retirement plan expense allocates the benefits over years of service. Supplemental executive retirement plan (“SERP”) expense allocates the benefits over years of service.

Comprehensive Income: Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) includes net unrealized holding gains and losses on securities available for sale and net unrealized gains and losses on the pension plan, which are also recognized as separate components of equity.

Loss Contingencies: Loss contingencies, including claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, are recorded as liabilities when the likelihood of loss is probable and an amount or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Management does not believe at present time there are such matters that will have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments: Fair values of financial instruments are estimated using relevant market information and other assumptions, as more fully disclosed in a separate note. Fair value estimates involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment regarding interest rates, credit risk, prepayments, and other factors, especially in the absence of broad markets for particular items. Changes in assumptions or in market conditions could significantly affect the estimates.

Operating Segments: While the chief decision-makers monitor the revenue streams of the various products and services, operations are managed and financial performance is evaluated on a Bank-wide basis. Management does not separately allocate expenses, including the cost of funding loan demand, between the commercial and retail operations of the Bank. As such, discrete financial information is not available and segment reporting would not be meaningful.

Newly Issued, Not Yet Effective Accounting Pronouncements: In January 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. ASU 2016-01, among other things, (i) requires equity investments, with certain exceptions, to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income; (ii) simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment; (iii) eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet; (iv) requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; (v) requires an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments; (vi) requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset on the balance sheet or the accompanying notes to the financial statements; and (vii) clarifies that an entity should evaluate the need for a valuation allowance

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

 

on a deferred tax asset related to available-for-sale. In addition, the amendments in this ASU require an entity to disclose the fair value of its financial instruments using the exit price notion. Exit price is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which will supersede the current lease requirements in Topic 840. The ASU requires lessees to recognize a right of use asset and related lease liability for all leases, with a limited exception for short-term leases. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with the classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of income. Currently, leases are classified as either capital or operating, with only capital leases recognized on the balance sheet. The reporting of lease related expenses in the statements of operations and cash flows will be generally consistent with the current guidance. The new guidance will be effective for years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Once effective, the standard will be applied using a modified retrospective transition method to the beginning of the earliest period presented. The Bank is currently assessing the impact this new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. ASU 2016-13 requires entities to report “expected” credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit rather than the current “incurred loss” model. These expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date are to be based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU will also require enhanced disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an entity’s portfolio. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements that provide additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. In July 2019, the FASB proposed changes to delay the effective date of ASU 2016-13 to January 2023 and the Bank is eligible for the proposed delay. The Bank is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement- Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) – Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The amendments in this update affect any entity that is required to apply the provisions of Topic 220, Income Statement- Reporting Comprehensive Income. Deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) related to defined pension benefit plans and securities available for sale that were revalued as of December 31, 2017 created “stranded tax effects” in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”) due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”).

Existing GAAP required recognition of the tax rate change effects on the DTA revaluation as an adjustment to income tax expense. As a result the AOCI contained the stranded amounts from prior periods at the previous tax rate. ASU 2018-12 permits the reclassification of the stranded amounts from AOCI to retained earnings resulting from the Tax Act. However, because the amendments only relate to the reclassification of the income tax effects of the Tax Act, the underlying GAAP guidance that requires the effect of a change in tax laws or rates to be included in income from continuing operations is not affected. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of the amendments is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The Bank adopted this standard as of January 1, 2019, which resulted in a reclassification of $68,713 between retained earnings and accumulated other comprehensive loss.

On January 1, 2019, the Bank adopted ASU 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and all subsequent amendments to the ASU (collectively, “ASU 606”), which creates a single framework for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers that fall within its scope and revises when it is appropriate to recognize a gain (loss) from the transfer of nonfinancial assets. The majority of the Bank’s revenues come from interest income

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

 

and other sources, including loans and securities, that are outside the scope of ASC 606. The Bank’s services that fall within the scope of ASC 606 are presented within non-interest income and are recognized as revenue as the Bank satisfies its obligation to the customer. Services within the scope of ASC 606 include service charges on deposits. The amendments allow for one of two transition methods: full retrospective or modified retrospective. The full retrospective approach requires application to all periods presented. The modified retrospective transition requires application to uncompleted contracts at the date of adoption. Periods prior to the date of adoption are not retrospectively revised, but a cumulative effect is recognized at the date of initial application on uncompleted contracts. The Bank adopted the new revenue guidance using the modified retrospective approach. There was no significant change upon adoption of the standard, as the new standard did not materially change the way the Bank currently records revenue and as such, no cumulative effect adjustment was recorded.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 2 – SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE

The following table summarizes the amortized cost, fair value, and gross unrealized gains and losses of securities available for sale at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrealized
Gains
     Gross
Unrealized
Losses
     Fair
Value
 

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

           

Corporate bonds due in:

           

One through five years

   $ 6,528,079      $ 27,943      $ (7,220    $ 6,548,802  

Five through ten years

     350,000        —          (1,243      348,757  

MBSs – residential

     6,294,515        147,978        —          6,442,493  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 13,172,594      $ 175,921      $ (8,463    $ 13,340,052  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrealized
Gains
     Gross
Unrealized
Losses
     Fair
Value
 

December 31, 2018

           

Corporate bonds due in:

           

One through five years

   $ 5,311,813      $ 15,700      $ (34,519    $ 5,292,994  

Five through ten years

     1,345,749        6,865        (22,290      1,330,324  

MBSs – residential

     6,832,048        160,222        (15,782      6,976,488  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 13,489,610      $ 182,787      $ (72,591    $ 13,599,806  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrealized
Gains
     Gross
Unrealized
Losses
     Fair
Value
 

December 31, 2017

           

Corporate bonds due in:

           

One through five years

   $ 1,281,872      $ 3,698      $ —        $ 1,285,570  

Five through ten years

     1,353,144        22,613        (1,788      1,373,969  

MBSs – residential

     8,924,226        216,512        —          9,140,738  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 11,559,242      $ 242,823      $ (1,788    $ 11,800,277  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

MBSs include Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) securities, all of which are U.S. government sponsored agencies.

There were no sales of securities during the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 2 – SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE (Continued)

 

The age of unrealized losses and the fair value of related securities as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:

 

     Less Than 12 Months     12 Months or More     Total  
     Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
 

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

               

Corporate bonds

   $ 348,757      $ (1,243   $ 1,003,060      $ (7,220   $ 1,351,817      $ (8,463

MBSs – residential

     —          —         —          —         —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 348,757      $ (1,243   $ 1,003,060      $ (7,220   $ 1,351,817      $ (8,463
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Less Than 12 Months     12 Months or More     Total  
     Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
 

December 31, 2018

               

Corporate bonds

   $ 3,968,269      $ (56,809   $ —        $ —       $ 3,968,269      $ (56,809

MBSs – residential

     875,258        (15,782     —          —         875,258        (15,782
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 4,843,527      $ (72,591   $ —        $ —       $ 4,843,527      $ (72,591
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Less Than 12 Months     12 Months or More     Total  
     Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrealized
Losses
 

December 31, 2017

               

Corporate bonds

   $ 348,212      $ (1,788   $ —        $ —       $ 348,212      $ (1,788
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Unrealized losses on corporate bonds available for sale have not been recognized into income because the issuer bonds are of high credit quality, management does not intend to sell and it is likely that management will not be required to sell the securities prior to their anticipated recovery, and the decline in fair value is largely due to changes in interest rates and other market conditions. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, 100% of the MBSs were issued by U.S. government-sponsored entities and agencies, primarily FNMA and FHLMC, institutions which the government has affirmed its commitment to support. Because the decline in fair value is attributable to changes in interest rates and illiquidity, and not credit quality, and because the Bank does not have the intent to sell these MBSs and it is likely that it will not be required to sell the securities before their anticipated recovery, the Bank does not consider these securities to be other-than-temporary impaired at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, securities available for sale with a carrying amount of $0, $1,208,934 and $1,636,039, respectively, were pledged to secure repurchase agreements at the FHLB (see Note 7). At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, securities available for sale with a carrying value of $294,579, $331,270 and $430,818, respectively, were pledged to secure public deposits.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 3 – SECURITIES HELD TO MATURITY

The following table summarizes the amortized cost, fair value, and gross unrecognized gains and losses of securities held to maturity at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrecognized
Gains
     Gross
Unrecognized
Losses
    
Fair
Value
 

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

           

U.S Government-sponsored agencies due in:

           

One through five years

   $ 10,449,457      $ —        $ (46,222    $ 10,403,235  

Corporate bonds due in:

           

Five through ten years

     5,436,751        92,038        —          5,528,789  

Municipal obligations due in:

           

One through five years

     2,721,704        20,153        —          2,741,857  

MBSs:

           

Residential

     9,367,405        115,531        (47,443      9,435,493  

Commercial

     29,346,657        254,023        (39,514      29,561,166  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 57,321,974      $ 481,745      $ (133,179    $ 57,670,540  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrecognized
Gains
     Gross
Unrecognized
Losses
     Fair
Value
 

December 31, 2018

           

U.S Government-sponsored agencies due in:

           

One through five years

   $ 17,673,603      $ —        $ (191,118    $ 17,482,485  

Corporate bonds due in:

           

Five through ten years

     4,004,426        18,319        (61,593      3,961,152  

Municipal obligations due in:

           

One through five years

     8,135,032        —          (32,581      8,102,451  

MBSs:

           

Residential

     14,804,434        57,105        (301,650      14,559,889  

Commercial

     25,431,084        6,649        (740,788      24,696,945  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 70,048,579      $ 82,073      $ (1,327,730    $ 68,802,922  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrecognized
Gains
     Gross
Unrecognized
Losses
     Fair
Value
 

December 31, 2017

           

U.S Government-sponsored agencies due in:

           

One through five years

   $ 12,444,954      $ —        $ (153,658    $ 12,291,296  

Corporate bonds due in:

           

Five through ten years

     3,005,932        4,646        —          3,010,578  

Municipal obligations due in:

           

One through five years

     4,995,033        331        (22,546      4,972,818  

MBSs:

           

Residential

     16,981,277        99,648        (154,363      16,926,562  

Commercial

     26,333,857        94,031        (182,282      26,245,606  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 63,761,053      $ 198,656      $ (512,849    $ 63,446,860  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-16


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 3 – SECURITIES HELD TO MATURITY (Continued)

 

MBSs include FHLMC, FNMA and GNMA securities, all of which are U.S. government sponsored agencies.

The age of unrecognized losses and the fair value of related securities were as follows:

 

     Less Than 12 Months     12 Months or More     Total  
     Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
 

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

               

U.S. Government-sponsored agencies

   $ —        $ —       $ 10,403,235      $ (46,222   $ 10,403,235      $ (46,222

MBSs – residential

     66,528        (102     3,304,742        (47,341     3,371,270        (47,443

MBSs – commercial

     —          —         5,244,246        (39,514     5,244,246        (39,514
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 66,528      $ (102   $ 18,952,223      $ (133,077   $ 19,018,751      $ (133,179
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Less Than 12 Months     12 Months or More     Total  
     Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
 

December 31, 2018

               

U.S. Government-sponsored agencies

   $ 7,218,382      $ (5,891   $ 10,264,103      $ (185,227   $ 17,482,485      $ (191,118

Corporate bonds

     —          —         1,438,407        (61,593     1,438,407        (61,593

Municipal obligations

     6,686,311        (10,842     1,416,140        (21,739     8,102,451        (32,581

MBSs – residential

     1,289,961        (8,679     10,429,486        (292,971     11,719,447        (301,650

MBSs – commercial

     1,826,592        (12,427     21,257,626        (728,361     23,084,218        (740,788
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 17,021,246      $ (37,839   $ 44,805,762      $ (1,289,891   $ 61,827,008      $ (1,327,730
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Less Than 12 Months     12 Months or More     Total  
     Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
    Fair Value      Unrecognized
Losses
 

December 31, 2017

               

U.S. Government-sponsored agencies

   $ 12,291,296      $ (153,658   $ —        $ —       $ 12,291,296      $ (153,658

Municipal obligations

     3,872,143        (17,246     431,247        (5,300     4,303,390        (22,546

MBSs – residential

     9,490,663        (149,819     684,434        (4,544     10,175,097        (154,363

MBSs – commercial

     17,274,590        (103,388     3,476,814        (78,894     20,751,404        (182,282
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 42,928,692      $ (424,111   $ 4,592,495      $ (88,738   $ 47,521,187      $ (512,849
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Unrecognized losses have not been recognized into income because the issuers of the securities are of high credit quality, management does not intend to sell and it is not more likely than not that management would be required to sell the securities prior to their anticipated recovery, and the decline in fair value is largely due to changes in interest rates and other market conditions. The fair value is expected to recover as the securities approach maturity.

At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, securities held to maturity with a carrying amount of $15,102,972, $23,058,995 and $24,300,613, respectively, were pledged to secure repurchase agreements at the FHLBNY (see Note 7).

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 3 – SECURITIES HELD TO MATURITY (Continued)

 

At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, securities held to maturity with a carrying value of $4,164,400, $23,789,123 and $4,153,186 were pledged to secure public deposits.

NOTE 4 – LOANS

Loans are summarized as follows at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     June 30,
2019
     December 31,
2018
     December 31,
2017
 
     (unaudited)                

Real estate:

        

Residential

   $ 386,212,091      $ 376,304,160      $ 359,925,259  

Commercial and multi-family real estate

     120,810,013        123,220,556        125,338,802  

Construction

     3,277,019        2,338,647        3,203,882  

Commercial and industrial

     2,525,645        1,267,313        —    

Consumer:

        

Home equity and other

     27,243,533        25,515,159        27,098,203  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total loans

     540,068,301        528,645,835        515,566,146  

Allowance for loan losses

     (2,016,175      (1,976,175      (1,976,175
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loans

   $ 538,052,126      $ 526,669,660      $ 513,589,971  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Bank has granted loans to officers and directors of the Bank. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, such loans totaled approximately $794,991, $809,956 and $382,443, respectively.

 

F-18


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 4 – LOANS (Continued)

 

The following table presents the activity in the allowance for loan losses by portfolio segments for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     Residential
First
Mortgage
    Commercial
and Multi-
Family Real
Estate
    Construction     Consumer     Commercial
and
Industrial
     Total  

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

             

Allowance for loan losses:

             

Beginning balance

   $ 1,266,175     $ 607,000     $ 9,000     $ 89,000     $ 5,000      $ 1,976,175  

Provision for loan losses (credit)

     (6,000     (7,000     3,000       5,000       5,000        —    

Loans charged off

     —         —         —         —         —          —    

Recoveries

     40,000       —         —         —         —          40,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance balance

   $ 1,300,175     $ 600,000     $ 12,000     $ 94,000     $ 10,000      $ 2,016,175  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

June 30, 2018 (unaudited)

             

Allowance for loan losses:

             

Beginning balance

   $ 1,266,175     $ 607,000     $ 9,000     $ 89,000     $ 5,000      $ 1,976,175  

Provision for loan losses (credit)

     51,000       (56,000     3,000       2,000       —          —    

Loans charged off

     —         —         —         —         —          —    

Recoveries

     —         —         —         —         —          —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance balance

   $ 1,317,175     $ 551,000     $ 12,000     $ 91,000     $ 5,000      $ 1,976,175  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

             

Allowance for loan losses:

             

Beginning balance

   $ 1,248,400     $ 620,775     $ 12,000     $ 95,000     $ —        $ 1,976,175  

Provision for loan losses (credit)

     17,775       (13,775     (3,000     (6,000     5,000        —    

Loans charged off525

     —         —         —         —         —          —    

Recoveries

     —         —         —         —         —          —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance balance

   $ 1,266,175     $ 607,000     $ 9,000     $ 89,000     $ 5,000      $ 1,976,175  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

             

Allowance for loan losses:

             

Beginning balance

   $ 1,133,420     $ 639,175     $ 7,000     $ 96,580     $ —        $ 1,876,175  

Provision for loan losses (credit)

     114,980       (18,400     5,000       (1,580     —          100,000  

Loans charged off

     —         —         —         —         —          —    

Recoveries

     —         —         —         —         —          —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance balance

   $ 1,248,400     $ 620,775     $ 12,000     $ 95,000     $ —        $ 1,976,175  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-19


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 4 – LOANS (Continued)

 

The following table presents the balance in the allowance for loan losses and the recorded investment in loans by portfolio segments and based on impairment method as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     Residential
First

Mortgage
     Commercial
and Multi-
Family Real
Estate
     Construction      Consumer      Commercial
and
Industrial
     Total  

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

                 

Allowance for loan losses:

                 

Ending allowance balance attributable to loans:

                 

Individually evaluated for impairment

   $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —    

Collectively evaluated for impairment

     1,300,175        600,000        12,000        94,000        10,000        2,016,175  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance balance

   $ 1,300,175      $ 600,000      $ 12,000      $ 94,000      $ 10,000      $ 2,016,175  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loans:

                 

Loans individually evaluated for impairment

   $ 1,206,039      $ —        $ —        $ 22,152      $ —        $ 1,228,191  

Loans collectively evaluated for impairment

     385,006,052        120,810,013        3,277,019        27,221,381        2,525,645        538,840,110  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending loan balance

   $ 386,212,091      $ 120,810,013      $ 3,277,019      $ 27,243,533      $ 2,525,645      $ 540,068,301  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

                 

Allowance for loan losses:

                 

Ending allowance balance attributable to loans:

                 

Individually evaluated for impairment

   $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —    

Collectively evaluated for impairment

     1,266,175        607,000        9,000        89,000        5,000        1,976,175  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance balance

   $ 1,266,175      $ 607,000      $ 9,000      $ 89,000      $ 5,000      $ 1,976,175  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loans:

                 

Loans individually evaluated for impairment

   $ 1,186,317      $ —        $ —        $ 22,152      $ —        $ 1,208,469  

Loans collectively evaluated for impairment

     375,117,843        123,220,556        2,338,647        25,493,007        1,267,313        527,437,366  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending loan balance

   $ 376,304,160      $ 123,220,556      $ 2,338,647      $ 25,515,159      $ 1,267,313      $ 528,645,835  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

                 

Allowance for loan losses:

                 

Ending allowance balance attributable to loans:

                 

Individually evaluated for impairment

   $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —        $ —    

Collectively evaluated for impairment

     1,248,400        620,775        12,000        95,000        —          1,976,175  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance balance

   $ 1,248,400      $ 620,775      $ 12,000      $ 95,000      $ —        $ 1,976,175  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loans:

                 

Loans individually evaluated for impairment

   $ 1,314,615      $ 2,461,199      $ —        $ 24,543      $ —        $ 3,800,357  

Loans collectively evaluated for impairment

     358,610,644        122,877,603        3,203,882        27,073,660        —          511,765,789  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending loan balance

   $ 359,925,259      $ 125,338,802      $ 3,203,882      $ 27,098,203      $ —        $ 515,566,146  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-20


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 4 – LOANS (Continued)

 

Impaired loans as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, were as follows:

 

     As of
June 30, 2019
     As of December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Year-end loans with no related allowance recorded

   $ 1,228,191      $ 1,208,469      $ 3,800,357  

Year-end loans with an allowance recorded

     —          —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,228,191      $ 1,208,469      $ 3,800,357  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Amount of the allowance for loan losses allocated

   $ —        $ —        $ —    

Average of individually impaired loans during the year

     1,218,330        1,899,786        4,105,794  

Interest income recognized during impairment and cash-basis interest income recognized for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was nominal.

The Bank has five residential loans totaling $986,428 that were troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”) as of June 30, 2019, with no specific reserves. The Bank had five residential loans totaling $955,987 that were TDRs as of December 31, 2018, with no specific reserves. The Bank had five residential loans totaling $986,712, one multi-family loan totaling $2,340,646 and one commercial loan totaling $120,553 that were TDRs as of December 31, 2017, with no specific reserves. The Bank has not committed to lend additional amounts as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017 to customers with outstanding loans that are classified as TDRs. There were no loans modified as TDRs during the six month periods ended June 30, 2019 or 2018. There were no loans modified as TDRs during 2018. There was one multi-family real estate loan totaling $2,340,646 and one commercial real estate loan totaling $120,553 modified as a TDR during 2017. There were no TDRs and four TDRs in payment default within twelve months following the modification during the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Nonaccrual loans and loans past due 90 days or more still on accrual include both smaller balance homogeneous loans that are collectively evaluated for impairment and individually classified impaired loans.

 

F-21


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 4 – LOANS (Continued)

 

The following table presents the recorded investment in nonaccrual and loans past due 90 days or more and still on accrual by class of loans as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     Nonaccrual      Loans Past Due 90
Days or More Still
Accruing
 

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

     

Residential

   $ 518,536      $ —    

Commercial and multi-family

     —          —    

Consumer

     22,152        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 540,688      $ —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

     

Residential

   $ 959,232      $ —    

Commercial and multi-family

     —          —    

Consumer

     22,152        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 981,384      $ —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

     

Residential

   $ 1,076,003      $ —    

Commercial and multi-family

     2,461,199        —    

Consumer

     24,543        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 3,561,745      $ —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-22


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 4 – LOANS (Continued)

 

The following table presents the aging of the recorded investment in past due loans as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, by class of loans:

 

     30-59 Days
Past Due
     60-89 Days
Past Due
     Greater than 89
Days
Past Due
     Total
Past Due
     Loans Not
Past Due
    
Total
 

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

                 

Residential

   $ —        $ 170,183      $ 356,780      $ 526,963      $ 385,685,128      $ 386,212,091  

Commercial and multi-family

     —          —          —          —          120,810,013        120,810,013  

Construction

     —          —          —          —          3,277,019        3,277,019  

Commercial and industrial

     —          —          —          —          2,525,645        2,525,645  

Consumer

     27,233        —          22,152        49,385        27,194,148        27,243,533  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 27,233      $ 170,183      $ 378,932      $ 576,348      $ 539,491,953      $ 540,068,301  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

                 

Residential

   $ 388,611      $ —        $ 636,612      $ 1,025,223      $ 375,278,937      $ 376,304,160  

Commercial and multi-family

     —          —          —          —          123,220,556        123,220,556  

Construction

     —          —          —          —          2,338,647        2,338,647  

Commercial and industrial

     —          —          —          —          1,267,313        1,267,313  

Consumer

     —          —          22,152        22,152        25,493,007        25,515,159  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 388,611      $ —        $ 658,764      $ 1,047,375      $ 527,598,460      $ 528,645,835  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

                 

Residential

   $ 389,681      $ —        $ 746,258      $ 1,135,939      $ 358,789,320      $ 359,925,259  

Commercial and multi-family

     —          —          —          —          125,338,802        125,338,802  

Construction

     —          —          —          —          3,203,882        3,203,882  

Commercial and industrial

     37,613        2,252        24,543        64,408        27,033,795        27,098,203  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 427,294      $ 2,252      $ 770,801      $ 1,200,347      $ 514,365,799      $ 515,566,146  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loans greater than 89 days past due are considered to be nonperforming.

 

F-23


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 4 – LOANS (Continued)

 

Credit Quality Indicators

The Bank categorizes loans into risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of borrowers to service their debt such as: current financial information, historical payment experience, credit documentation, public information, and current economic trends, among other factors. The Bank analyzes loans individually by classifying the loans as to credit risk. Commercial and multi-family real estate, commercial and industrial and construction loans are graded on an annual basis. Residential and consumer loans are primarily evaluated based on performance. Refer to the immediately preceding table for the aging of the recorded investment of these loan segments. The Bank uses the following definitions for risk ratings:

Special Mention – Loans classified as special mention have a potential weakness that deserves management’s close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or of the institution’s credit position at some future date.

Substandard – Loans classified as substandard are inadequately protected by the current net worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any. Loans so classified have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the debt. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that the institution will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.

Doubtful – Loans classified as doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as substandard, with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, highly questionable and improbable.

Loans not meeting the criteria above are considered to be Pass rated loans.

Based on the most recent analysis performed, the risk category of loans by class is as follows:

 

     Pass      Special
Mention
     Substandard      Doubtful      Totals  

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

              

Residential

   $ 384,792,393      $ 269,547      $ 1,150,151      $ —        $ 386,212,091  

Commercial and multi-family

     119,362,249        1,447,764        —          —          120,810,013  

Construction

     3,277,019        —          —          —          3,277,019  

Commercial and industrial

     2,525,645        —          —          —          2,525,645  

Consumer

     27,161,260        62,503        19,770        —          27,243,533  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 537,118,566      $ 1,779,814      $ 1,169,921      $ —        $ 540,068,301  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

              

Residential

   $ 375,117,843      $ 271,475      $ 914,842      $ —        $ 376,304,160  

Commercial and multi-family

     121,756,420        1,464,136        —          —          123,220,556  

Construction

     2,338,647        —          —          —          2,338,647  

Commercial and industrial

     1,267,313        —          —          —          1,267,313  

Consumer

     25,451,080        64,079        —          —          25,515,159  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 525,931,303      $ 1,799,690      $ 914,842      $ —        $ 528,645,835  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

              

Residential

   $ 358,610,643      $ 606,328      $ 708,288      $ —        $ 359,925,259  

Commercial and multi-family

     121,394,251        1,483,352        2,461,199        —          125,338,802  

Construction

     3,203,882        —          —          —          3,203,882  

Commercial and industrial

     27,027,832        70,371        —          —          27,098,203  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 510,236,608      $ 2,160,051      $ 3,169,487      $ —        $ 515,566,146  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-24


Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 5 – PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT

Premises and equipment consists of the following:

 

     As of
June 30, 2019
     As of December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Land

   $ 1,465,600      $ 1,465,600      $ 1,465,600  

Buildings and improvements

     4,139,892        4,139,892        4,139,892  

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

     2,322,025        2,606,091        2,082,180  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Totals

     7,927,517        8,211,583        7,687,672  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Accumulated depreciation

     (3,714,607      (3,554,680      (3,242,056
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Premises and equipment, net

   $ 4,212,910      $ 4,656,903      $ 4,445,616  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Depreciation expense was $159,926 and $159,063 for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $312,624 and $351,151 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

NOTE 6 – DEPOSITS

The aggregate amount of certificates of deposit with a minimum denomination of $250,000 was approximately $90,025,677, $79,635,234 and $66,094,218 at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The scheduled maturities of certificates of deposit are as follows:

 

     As of      As of December 31,  
     June 30, 2019      2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

2018

   $ —        $ —        $ 182,044,575  

2019

     189,540,897        284,184,435        78,856,896  

2020

     146,156,389        64,327,259        40,984,934  

2021

     47,481,443        22,575,812        16,883,493  

2022

     12,643,829        10,749,222        8,847,298  

2023

     6,265,048        3,759,853        —    

2024

     3,400,853        —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 405,488,459      $ 385,596,581      $ 327,617,296  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Officers and directors of the Bank have deposits at the Bank. At June 30, 2019, December 31, 2018 and 2017, such deposits totaled approximately $2,040,834, $2,308,000 and $1,309,000, respectively.

NOTE 7 – ADVANCES FROM THE FHLBNY

There were short-term advances as of June 30, 2019 totaling $32,630,000 with a weighted average interest rate of 2.74% that mature within one year. There were short-term advances as of December 31, 2018 totaling $60,000,000 with a weighted average interest rate of 2.73% that mature within one year. There were short-term advances as of December 31, 2017 totaling $39,500,000 with a weighted average interest rate of 1.53% that mature within one year.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 7 – ADVANCES FROM THE FHLBNY (Continued)

 

Long-term advances were as follows:

 

As of June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

   Weighted
Average Rate
    Amount  

Amortizing:

    

Maturing in:

    

2019

     1.54   $ 172,607  

2020

     1.65     2,456,148  

2021

     —         —    

2022

     1.92     3,106,256  
    

 

 

 

Total

     1.79   $ 5,735,011  
    

 

 

 

Non-repo advances:

    

Maturing in:

    

2019

     2.37   $ 10,000,000  

2020

     2.45     8,000,000  

2021

     2.41     5,000,000  

2022

     2.46     11,000,000  

2023

     2.39     6,000,000  
    

 

 

 

Total

     2.42   $ 40,000,000  
    

 

 

 

Repurchase agreements:

    

Maturing in:

    

2019

     —         —    

2020

     —         —    
    

 

 

 

Total

     —       $ —    
    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2018

   Weighted
Average Rate
    Amount  

Amortizing:

    

Maturing in:

    

2018

     —       $ —    

2019

     1.68     3,546,206  

2020

     1.77     2,491,607  

2021

     1.92     1,027,901  

2022

     1.90     572,976  
    

 

 

 

Total

     1.76   $ 7,638,690  
    

 

 

 

Non-repo advances:

    

Maturing in:

    

2018

     —       $ —    

2019

     1.71     5,000,000  

2020

     1.76     2,000,000  
    

 

 

 

Total

     1.58   $ 7,000,000  
    

 

 

 

Repurchase agreements:

    

Maturing in:

    

2018

     —       $ —    

2019

     —         —    
    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 7 – ADVANCES FROM THE FHLBNY (Continued)

 

As of December 31, 2017

   Weighted
Average Rate
    Amount  

Amortizing:

    

Maturing in:

    

2018

     1.50   $ 6,092,186  

2019

     1.68     3,546,206  

2020

     1.77     2,491,607  

2021

     1.92     1,027,901  

2022

     1.90     572,976  
    

 

 

 

Total

     1.64   $ 13,730,876  
    

 

 

 

Non-repo advances:

    

Maturing in:

    

2018

     1.53   $ 22,000,000  

2019

     1.71     5,000,000  

2020

     1.76     2,000,000  
    

 

 

 

Total

     1.58   $ 29,000,000  
    

 

 

 

Repurchase agreements:

    

Maturing in:

    

2018

     1.33   $ 7,000,000  

Each advance is payable at maturity, with a pre-payment penalty for fixed-rate advances. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, securities held to maturity and available for sale with a carrying amount of $15,102,972, $22,967,871 and $25,936,652, respectively, were pledged to secure repurchase agreements. Change in the fair value of pledged collateral may require the Bank to pledge additional securities.

Non-repo advances are secured by the FHLB stock owned by the Bank, and a blanket assignment of qualifying loans at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017 amounting to $244,407,141, $225,193,970 and $256,508,657, respectively.

The Bank has available additional borrowing potential in the amount of $182,470,552, $146,896,999 and $158,073,640, with the FHLB as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Bank also has outstanding lines of credit with four correspondent banks in the amount of $46,000,000, $46,000,000 and $32,000,000 as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively; there was a $630,000 outstanding balance as of June 30, 2019 and no outstanding balances against these lines as of December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Payments over the next five years are as follows:

 

     As of
June 30, 2019
     As of
December 31, 2018
 
     (unaudited)         

2019

   $ 35,272,527      $ 68,546,206  

2020

     19,491,607        4,491,607  

2021

     6,027,901        1,027,901  

2022

     11,572,976        572,976  

2023

     6,000,000        —    

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 8 – INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense was as follows:

 

     Six months ended June 30,  
     2019      2018  
     (unaudited)  

Current expense

     

Federal

   $ 205,865      $ 571,860  

State

     95,652        245,208  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current

     301,517        817,068  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred expense

     

Federal

     (11,120      (11,325

State

     (5,237      (5,333
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deferred

     (16,357      (16,658
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total income tax

   $ 285,160      $ 800,410  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 8 – INCOME TAXES (Continued)

 

     Years ended December 31,  
     2018      2017  

Current expense

     

Federal

   $ 946,445      $ 1,567,413  

State

     528,397        378,122  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current

     1,474,842        1,945,535  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred expense

     

Federal

     (18,936      574,118  

State

     (65,315      110,143  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deferred

     (84,251      684,261  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total income tax

   $ 1,390,591      $ 2,629,796  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total income tax expense differed from the amounts computed by applying the federal income tax rate of 21% as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, and 34% as of December 31, 2017, to income before income taxes as a result of the following for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     June 30,
2019
     June 30,
2018
     December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Expected income tax expense at federal tax rate

   $ 263,602      $ 661,393      $ 1,160,726      $ 2,220,727  

Increase (decrease) in taxes resulting from:

           

State income tax, net of federal income tax effect

     71,428        189,501        365,835        322,267  

Bank owned Life Insurance

     (42,475      (48,311      (95,851      (163,033

Enactment of Federal tax reform

     —          —          —          289,621  

Tax exempt interest, net

     (13,850      (8,509      (25,249      (20,184

Other, net

     6,455        6,336        (14,870      (19,602
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 285,160      $ 800,410      $ 1,390,591      $ 2,629,796  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Year-end deferred tax assets and liabilities were due to the following:

           

Deferred tax assets:

           

Allowance for loan losses

   $ 617,151         $ 594,532      $ 555,503  

Deferred compensation

     555,197           524,122        413,214  

Directors’ and officers’ retirement plans

     201,931           201,931        231,369  

Other

     31,647           31,647        53,141  
  

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,405,926         $ 1,352,232      $ 1,253,227  
  

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

           

Depreciation

     3,660           3,660        49,923  

Loan Fees

     538,231           538,231        447,776  

Net unrealized gain on securities available for sale

     47,073           30,976        67,755  
  

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 
     588,964           572,867        565,454  
  

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net Deferred Tax Asset

   $ 816,962         $ 779,365      $ 687,773  
  

 

 

       

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 8 – INCOME TAXES (Continued)

 

In December 2017, the President signed into law a change in the corporate tax rate effective for 2018 from 34% to 21%. Because the change in corporate tax rate was signed in 2017, the Bank adjusted its deferred taxes, which represented a $261 thousand additional federal tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2017. In 2019, the Bank adopted ASU 2018-02 “Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” and reclassified out of retained earnings and into accumulated other comprehensive income $68,173 of tax benefit that was recorded to income tax expense on December 22, 2017 due to remeasuring the deferred tax assets and liabilities to 21% on available for sale securities and benefit plan expenses. Included in retained earnings at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017 is approximately $2,558,000 in bad debt reserves for which no deferred income tax liabilities have been recorded. The amount represents allocations of income to bad debt deductions for tax purposes only. Reduction of these reserves for purposes other than tax bad debt losses would create income for tax purposes only, which would be subject to the then current corporate income tax rate. There were no unrecognized tax benefits at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017. The Bank does not expect the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits to significantly increase or decrease in the next twelve months. There was no material interest or penalties recorded in the income statement or accrued during the six months ended June 30, 2019 and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. The Bank is subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax of the State of New Jersey. The Bank is no longer subject to examination by taxing authorities for years before 2014.

NOTE 9 – BENEFIT PLANS

The Bank has a 401(k) retirement plan covering substantially all employees. The Bank matches 100% of contributions up to the first 6% of salary that the employee defers to the retirement plan. The Bank also contributes a safe harbor contribution of 3% of the employee’s salary. In addition, on an annual basis, the Board of Directors may elect to make discretionary employer contributions. Bank contributions to the plan for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, were $123,000, $214,000 and $230,000, respectively.

Directors’ Retirement Plan: The Bank has an unfunded, non-qualified pension plan (the “Plan”) to provide post-retirement benefits to each non-employee director of the Bank. The annual retirement benefit, paid in equal monthly installments, is equal to 100% of a director’s average annual retainer paid over a three-year period (not necessarily consecutive) during which the highest annual retainer was received and payable for the same number of months the director served on the Board, up to a period of 120 months.

The measurement dates used in the Plan valuations were December 31 for plan years 2018 and 2017, respectively. The following table sets forth the Plan’s funded status at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017:

 

     June 30,
2019
     December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Projected benefit obligation - beginning

   $ 2,001,330      $ 1,971,177      $ 1,941,259  

Service cost

     42,879        98,139        78,212  

Interest cost

     40,611        68,150        74,134  

Actuarial (gain) loss

     —          (14,696      18,214  

Annuity payments

     (70,041      (121,440      (140,642
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Projected benefit obligation - ending

     2,014,779        2,001,330        1,971,177  

Changes in Plan assets

        

Employer contributions

     70,041        121,440        140,642  

Annuity payments

     (70,041      (121,440      (140,642
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Funded status and accrued pension cost included in other liabilities

   $ (2,014,779    $ (2,001,330    $ (1,9671,177
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 9 – BENEFIT PLANS (Continued)

 

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income consist of:

 

     June 30,
2019
     December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Net actuarial loss

   $ 93,885      $ 71,164      $ 108,581  

Prior service cost

     425,627        506,534        602,331  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 519,512      $ 577,698      $ 710,912  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Components of net periodic benefit cost and other amounts recognized in other comprehensive income:

 

     June 30,
2019
     December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Service cost

   $ 42,878      $ 98,139      $ 78,212  

Interest cost

     40,612        68,150        74,134  

Amortization of prior service cost

     58,189        118,515        116,200  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net periodic cost

     141,679        284,804        268,546  

Net (gain) loss

     —          (14,696      18,214  

Amortization of prior service cost

     (58,189      (118,515      (116,200
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total recognized in other comprehensive income

     (58,189      (133,211      (97,986
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive loss

   $ 83,490      $ 151,593      $ 170,560  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Assumptions

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine pension benefit obligations at year end:

 

     December 31,  
     2018     2017  

Discount rate

     4.10     3.50

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic pension cost:

 

     December 31,  
     2018     2017  

Discount rate

     3.50     3.90

Amortization period

     7.9 years       7.9 years  

The estimated prior service cost for the Plan that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year is $118,515.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 9 – BENEFIT PLANS (Continued)

 

For the year ending December 31, 2019, the Bank expects to contribute $104,642 to the Plan.

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid as of year ending December 31:

 

2019

   $ 104,642  

2020

     83,042  

2021

     100,980  

2022

     160,515  

2023 – 2026

     910,557  

In 2014, the Bank adopted an unfunded, non-qualified SERP for the benefit of its senior officers. On May 20, 2016, the SERP was amended and restated as of January 1, 2016. The SERP provides the Bank with the opportunity to supplement the retirement income of the President and CEO to achieve equitable wage replacement at retirement. The Monthly Retirement Benefit is 15% of the final three-year average annual compensation paid in twelve equal installments, up to a period of 120 months. As of June 30, 2019, the accrued SERP obligation was $465,900. The expense was $58,110 for the six months ended June 30, 2019. As of December 31, 2018, the accrued SERP obligation was $407,796. The expense was $108,787 during 2018. At December 31, 2018, the amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss was $89,286. As of December 31, 2017, the accrued SERP obligation was $321,895. The expense was $100,301 during 2017. At December 31, 2017, the amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss was $112,171.

NOTE 10 – REGULATORY CAPITAL MATTERS

Banks are subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by federal banking agencies. Capital adequacy guidelines and prompt corrective action regulations involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance sheet items calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators. The final rules implementing Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s capital guidelines for U.S. banks (Basel III rules) became effective for the Bank on January 1, 2015 and was fully phased in on January 1, 2019. These rules require an institution to establish a capital conservation buffer of common equity Tier 1 capital in an amount above the minimum risk-based capital requirements for “adequately capitalized” institutions of more than 2.5% of total risk weighted assets. The capital conservation buffer for 2019 is 2.5%, for 2018 was 1.875% and for 2017 was 1.25%. The Bank has the following minimum capital to risk-weighted assets ratios: (i) 6.5% based on common equity tier 1 capital; (ii) 8.0% based on tier 1 capital; and (iii) 10.0% based on total capital. The net unrealized gain or loss on available for sale securities is not included in computing regulatory capital. Failure to meet capital requirements can initiate regulatory action. Management believes as of June 30, 2019, the Bank meets all capital adequacy requirements to which it is subject.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 10 – REGULATORY CAPITAL MATTERS (Continued)

 

Prompt corrective action regulations provide five classifications: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, and critically undercapitalized, although these terms are not used to represent overall financial condition. If only adequately capitalized, regulatory approval is required to accept brokered deposits. If undercapitalized, capital distributions are limited, as is asset growth and expansion, and capital restoration plans are required. At June 30, 2019 and at December 31, 2018 and 2017, the most recent regulatory notifications categorized the Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

There are no conditions or events since that notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category.

Actual and required capital amounts (in thousands) and ratios are presented below at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017.

 

     Actual     For Capital Adequacy
Purposes
    To Be Well Capitalized
Under Prompt Corrective
Action Provisions
 

(Dollars in Thousands)

   Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio  

June 30, 2019 (unaudited):

               

Total capital to risk weighted assets

   $ 75,781        17.98   $ 33,720        8.00   $ 42,150        10.00

Tier 1 (Core) capital

     73,765        17.50       25,290        6.00       33,720        8.00  

Tier 1 Common Equity to risk weighted assets

     73,765        17.50       18,967        4.50       27,397        6.50  

Tier 1 (Core) capital to average assets

     73,765        11.14       26,496        4.00       33,120        5.00  

December 31, 2018:

               

Total capital to risk weighted assets

   $ 74,770        18.34   $ 32,620        8.00   $ 40,776        10.00

Tier 1 (Core) capital

     72,794        17.85       24,465        6.00       32,620        8.00  

Tier 1 Common Equity to risk weighted assets

     72,794        17.85       18,349        4.50       26,504        6.50  

Tier 1 (Core) capital to average assets

     72,794        11.19       26,022        4.00       32,528        5.00  

December 31, 2017:

               

Total capital to risk weighted assets

   $ 70,633        17.90   $ 31,572        8.00   $ 39,465        10.00

Tier 1 (Core) capital

     68,657        17.40       23,679        6.00       31,572        8.00  

Tier 1 Common Equity to risk weighted assets

     68,657        17.40       17,759        4.50       25,652        6.50  

Tier 1 (Core) capital to average assets

     68,647        10.79       25,442        4.00       31,803        5.00  

NOTE 11 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Bank is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers and to reduce its own exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. These financial instruments primarily include commitments to extend credit. Such instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated statements of financial condition. The contractual amounts of these instruments reflect the extent of involvement the Bank has in those particular classes of financial instruments.

The Bank’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instruments for commitments to extend credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Bank uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instruments.

 

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Table of Contents

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 11 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Continued)

 

The Bank had outstanding firm commitments, all of which expire within two months, to originate, or purchase participation interests in, loans at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017 is as follows:

 

     June 30,
2019
     December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Fixed Rate

        

Residential mortgage loans

   $ 3,515,250      $ 1,916,750      $ 1,031,000  

Commercial real estate

     3,085,000        1,228,000        5,020,000  

Commercial and industrial

     3,991,844        5,000,000        —    

Home equity

     665,560        —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 11,257,654      $ 8,144,750      $ 6,051,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     June 30,
2019
     December 31,  
     2018      2017  
     (unaudited)                

Variable Rate

        

Residential mortgage loans

   $ 1,441,400      $ 1,912,000      $ 129,350  

Construction (residential)

     —          —          604,784  

Home equity

     1,213,000        750,000        400,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 2,654,400      $ 2,662,000      $ 1,134,134  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Commitments to make loans are generally made for periods of 90 days or less. The fixed rate loan commitments have interest rates ranging from 3.75% to 6.25% and maturities ranging from 10 years to 30 years.

At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, undisbursed funds from approved lines of credit under a homeowners’ equity lending program amounted to approximately $39,311,190, $38,489,682 and $39,436,591, respectively. At June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017, undisbursed funds from approved lines of credit under a business line of credit program amounted to $544,450, $727,696 and $300,000, respectively. Unless they are specifically cancelled by notice from the Bank, these funds represent firm commitments available to the respective borrowers on demand.

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since some of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. The Bank evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary by the Bank upon extension of credit, is based on management’s credit evaluation of the counterparty. Collateral held varies but primarily includes commercial and residential real estate.

The Bank leases certain Bank properties and equipment under operating leases. Rent expense was $18,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 and $36,000 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 12 – FAIR VALUE

Fair value is the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair values:

Level 1 – Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the entity has the ability to access as of the measurement date.

Level 2 – Significant other observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3 – Significant unobservable inputs that reflect a bank’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

The Bank used the following methods and significant assumptions to estimate the fair value of each type of financial instrument:

The Bank’s available-for-sale portfolio is carried at estimated fair value on a recurring basis, with any unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, reported as accumulated other comprehensive income/loss in stockholders’ equity. The securities available-for-sale portfolio consists of corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities. The fair values of these securities are obtained from an independent nationally recognized pricing service. An independent pricing service provides prices which are categorized as Level 2, as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets are generally not available for the securities.

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 12 – FAIR VALUE (Continued)

 

Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below:

 

     Carrying Value      Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
     Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 

As of June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

           

Securities available for sale:

           

Corporate bonds

   $ 6,897,559      $ —        $ 6,897,559      $ —    

MBSs - residential

     6,442,493        —          6,442,493        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 13,340,052      $ —        $ 13,340,052      $ —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2018

           

Securities available for sale:

           

Corporate bonds

   $ 6,623,318      $ —        $ 6,623,318      $ —    

MBSs - residential

     6,976,488        —          6,976,488        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 13,599,806      $ —        $ 13,599,806      $ —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2017

           

Securities available for sale:

           

Corporate bonds

   $ 2,659,539      $ —        $ 2,659,539      $ —    

MBSs - residential

     9,140,738        —          9,140,738        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 11,800,277      $ —        $ 11,800,277      $ —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

There were no transfers between level 1 and level 2 during the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 and the years ended December 31, 2018 or 2017.

Assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis are summarized below:

 

     Carrying
Value
     Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
     Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 

December 31, 2018

           

Impaired Loans

   $ 371,633      $ —        $ —        $ 371,633  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 371,633      $ —        $ —        $ 371,633  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

           

Impaired Loans

   $ 179,007      $ —        $ —        $ 179,007  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 179,007      $ —        $ —        $ 179,007  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

 

December 31, 2018

   Fair Value
Estimate
    

Valuation

Techniques

  

Unobservable Input

  

Range (Weighted Average)

Impaired loans

   $  371,633      Appraisal of collateral (1)    Appraisal adjustments (2)    10.2% to 32.0% (21.3%)

December 31, 2017

   Fair Value
Estimate
    

Valuation Techniques

  

Unobservable Input

  

Range (Weighted Average)

Impaired loans

   $  179,007      Appraisal of collateral (1)    Appraisal adjustments (2)    10.2% to 32.0% (21.3%)

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 12 – FAIR VALUE (Continued)

 

(1)

Fair value is generally determined through independent appraisals for the underlying collateral, which generally include various level 3 inputs which are not identifiable.

(2)

Appraisals may be adjusted by management for qualitative factors such as economic conditions and estimated liquidation expenses. The range and weighted average of liquidation expenses and other appraisal adjustments are presented as a percent of the appraisal

An impaired loan is evaluated and valued at the time the loan is identified as impaired at the lower of cost or market value. Loans for which it is probable that payment of interest and principal will not be made in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement are considered impaired. Market value is measured based on the value of the collateral securing the loan and is classified at a Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Once a loan is identified as individually impaired, management measures impairment in accordance with the FASB’s guidance on accounting by creditors for impairment of a loan with the fair value estimated using the market value of the collateral reduced by estimated disposal costs. Those impaired loans not requiring an allowance represent loans for which the fair value of the expected repayments or collateral exceeds the recorded investments in such loans. Impaired loans are reviewed and evaluated on at least a quarterly basis for additional impairment and adjusted accordingly.

The carrying amounts and estimated fair values of financial instruments, at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, are as follows:

 

     Carrying      Fair      Fair Value Measurement Placement  
     Amount      Value      (Level 1)      (Level 2)      (Level 3)  
     (In thousands)  

December 31, 2018

              

Financial instruments - assets

              

Cash and due from banks

   $ 5,744      $ 5,744      $ 5,744      $ —        $ —    

Interest - bearing deposits in other

     18,773        18,773        18,773        —          —    

Investment securities held-to-maturity

     70,049        68,803        —          68,803        —    

Loans

     526,670        519,261        —          —          519,261  

Financial instruments - liabilities

              

Certificates of deposit

     385,597        384,346        —          384,346        —    

Borrowings

     74,639        74,450        —          74,450        —    

December 31, 2017

              

Financial instruments - assets

              

Cash and due from banks

   $ 8,190      $ 8,190      $ 8,190      $ —        $ —    

Interest - bearing deposits in other

     14,369        14,369        14,369        —          —    

Investment securities held-to-maturity

     63,761        63,447        —          63,447        —    

Loans

     513,590        512,046        —          —          512,046  

Financial instruments - liabilities

              

Certificates of deposit

     328,487        326,669        —          326,669        —    

Borrowings

     89,231        89,468        —          89,468        —    

The methods and assumptions, not previously presented, used to estimate fair values are described as follows:

Carrying amount is the estimated fair value for cash and cash equivalents, accrued interest receivable and payable, demand deposits, short-term debt, and variable rate loans or deposits that reprice frequently and fully. The methods for determining the fair values for securities were described previously. For fixed rate loans or deposits and for variable rate loans or deposits with infrequent repricing or repricing limits, fair value is based on discounted cash flows using current market rates applied to the estimated life and credit risk. Fair value of FHLB advances is based

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

on current rates for similar financing. It was not practicable to determine the fair value of FHLB stock due to restrictions placed on its transferability. The fair value of off-balance sheet items is not considered material.

NOTE 13 – ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss included in equity as of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and 2017 is as follows:

 

     Unrealized gain
and losses on
available for sale
securities
     Benefit plans      Total  

June 30, 2019 (unaudited)

        

Beginning balance at January 1, 2019

   $ 50,561      $ (367,680    $ (317,119

Cumulative effect of accounting changes

     28,659        (97,372      (68,713
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Beginning balance at January 1, 2019, as adjusted

     79,220      $ (465,052    $ (385,832

Other comprehensive gain

     41,166        —          41,166  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ending balance

   $ 120,386      $ (465,052    $ (344,666
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

        

Beginning balance

   $ 144,621      $ (494,342    $ (349,721

Other comprehensive (loss) gain before reclassification

     (94,060      8,153        (85,907

Amounts reclassified

     —          118,509        118,509  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net period comprehensive income

     (94,060      126,662        32,602  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ending balance

   $ 50,561      $ (367,680    $ (317,119
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

        

Beginning balance

   $ 151,541      $ (565,464    $ (413,923

Other comprehensive (loss) gain before reclassification

     (6,920      (15,187      (22,107

Amounts reclassified

     —          86,309        86,309  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net period comprehensive income

     (6,920      71,122        64,202  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ending balance

   $ 144,621      $ (494,342    $ (349,721
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018 (unaudited) and

Years Ended December 31, 2018 and 2017

 

NOTE 14 — SUBSEQUENT EVENT (unaudited)

On September 9, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Bank adopted a Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance (the “Plan”). The Plan is subject to the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance and must be approved by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the total votes eligible to be cast by the voting depositors of the Bank at a special meeting. Pursuant to the Plan, the Bank proposes to reorganize into a mutual holding company form of ownership. The Bank will convert to a stock savings bank and issue all of its outstanding stock to a new holding company, which will be named Bogota Financial Corp. Pursuant to the Plan, the new holding company will sell stock to the public, with the total offering value and number of shares of common stock based upon an independent appraiser’s valuation. The stock will be priced at $10.00 per share. In addition, the Bank’s Board of Directors will adopt an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”), which will subscribe for up to 3.92% of the common stock of the new holding company to be outstanding upon the completion of the reorganization and stock issuance. Bogota Financial Corp. will be organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland and will offer 45% of its common stock to be outstanding to the Bank’s eligible depositors, the ESOP, a community foundation and certain other persons. Bogota Financial, MHC will be organized as a mutual holding company under the laws of the State of New Jersey and will own 55% of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp. to be outstanding upon completion of the reorganization and stock issuance.

The costs of the reorganization and the issuing of the common stock will be deferred and deducted from the sales proceeds of the offering. If the conversion is unsuccessful, all deferred costs will be charged to operations. As of June 30, 2019, no reorganization costs had been incurred.

 

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No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representation other than as contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, such other information or representation must not be relied upon as having been authorized by Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities offered hereby to any person in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so, or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any sale hereunder shall under any circumstances imply that there has been no change in the affairs of Bogota Financial Corp. or Bogota Savings Bank since any of the dates as of which information is furnished herein or since the date hereof.

Bogota Financial Corp.

(Proposed Holding Company for Bogota Savings Bank)

Up to 4,919,770 Shares

(Subject to increase to up to 5,657,735 Shares)

COMMON STOCK

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P.

 

 

[prospectus date]

These securities are not deposits or accounts and are not insured or guaranteed.

Until _________________, 2019, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

PART II: INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13.

Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

     Estimated Amount  

Registrant’s Legal Fees and Expenses

   $ 600,000  

Registrant’s Accounting Fees and Expenses

     290,000  

Marketing Agent Fees and Expenses (1)

     611,196  

Records Management Fees and Expenses

     80,000  

Appraisal Fees and Expenses

     77,000  

Printing, Postage, Mailing and EDGAR Fees

     86,000  

Filing Fees (NASDAQ, FINRA and SEC)

     66,560  

Transfer Agent Fees and Expenses

     15,000  

Business Plan Fees and Expenses

     40,000  

State Tax Opinion Fee

     15,000  

Other

     33,440  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,914,196  
  

 

 

 

 

(1)

Estimated at the adjusted maximum of the offering range, assuming 100% of the shares are sold in the subscription offering.

 

Item 14.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Article 10 and Article 11 of the Articles of Incorporation of Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Corporation”) sets forth the circumstances under which directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation may be insured or indemnified against liability which they may incur in their capacities as such:

ARTICLE 10. Indemnification, etc. of Directors and Officers.

A. Indemnification. The Corporation shall indemnify (1) its current and former directors and officers, whether serving the Corporation or at its request any other entity, to the fullest extent required or permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) now or hereafter in force, including the advancement of expenses under the procedures and to the fullest extent permitted by law, and (2) other employees and agents to such extent as shall be authorized by the Board of Directors and permitted by law; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section B of this Article 10 with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, the Corporation shall indemnify any such indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

B. Procedure. If a claim under Section A of this Article 10 is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, except in the case of a claim for an advancement of expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be twenty (20) days, the indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the indemnitee shall also be entitled to be reimbursed the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. It shall be a defense to any action for advancement of expenses that the Corporation has not received both (i) an undertaking as required by law to repay such advances if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met and (ii) a written affirmation by the indemnitee of his or her good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation has been met. In (i) any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) any suit by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the indemnitee has not met the applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the MGCL. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination before the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the indemnitee has met the applicable

 

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standard of conduct set forth in the MGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct, or, in the case of such a suit brought by the indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article 10 or otherwise, shall be on the Corporation.

C. Non-Exclusivity. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article 10 shall not be exclusive of any other right that any Person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, these Articles, the Corporation’s Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of stockholders or the Board of Directors, or otherwise.

D. Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to insure itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such Person against such expense, liability or loss under the MGCL.

E. Miscellaneous. The Corporation shall not be liable for any payment under this Article 10 in connection with a claim made by any indemnitee to the extent such indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment under any insurance policy, agreement, or otherwise, of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in Sections A and B of this Article 10 shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators.

F. Limitations Imposed by Federal Law. Notwithstanding any other provision set forth in this Article 10, in no event shall any payments made by the Corporation pursuant to this Article 10 exceed the amount permissible under applicable federal law, including, without limitation, Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Any repeal or modification of this Article 10 by the stockholders of the Corporation or the Board of Directors shall not in any way diminish any rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses of such director or officer or the obligations of the Corporation arising hereunder with respect to events occurring, or claims made, while this Article 10 is in force.

ARTICLE 11. Limitation of Liability.

An officer or director of the Corporation, as such, shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for money damages, except (A) to the extent that it is proved that the Person actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services, for the amount of the benefit or profit in money, property or services actually received; or (B) to the extent that a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the Person is entered in a proceeding based on a finding in the proceeding that the Person’s action, or failure to act, was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding; or (C) to the extent otherwise provided by the MGCL. If the MGCL is amended to further eliminate or limit the personal liability of officers and directors, then the personal liability of officers and directors of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL, as so amended.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

 

Item 15.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Not Applicable.

 

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Item 16.

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

The exhibits and financial statement schedules filed as part of this registration statement are:

 

  (a)

List of Exhibits

 

  1.1

Engagement Letter between Bogota Savings Bank and Sandler O’Neill  & Partners, L.P.

 

  1.2

Form of Agency Agreement between Bogota Financial, MHC, Bogota Financial Corp., Bogota Savings Bank and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.*

 

  2

Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance of Bogota Savings Bank

 

  3.1

Articles of Incorporation of Bogota Financial Corp.

 

  3.2

Bylaws of Bogota Financial Corp.

 

  4

Form of Common Stock Certificate of Bogota Financial Corp.

 

  5

Opinion of Luse Gorman, PC regarding legality of securities being registered

 

  8.1

Form of Federal Income Tax Opinion of Luse Gorman, PC

 

  8.2

Form of State Income Tax Opinion of Hamilton & Babitts, CPA

 

10.1

Form of Employment Agreement between Bogota Savings Bank and Joseph Coccaro

 

10.2

Form of Change in Control Agreement between Bogota Savings Bank and certain executive officers

 

10.3

Bogota Savings Bank Director’s Retirement Plan

 

10.4

Bogota Savings Bank Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan

 

10.5

Form of Bogota Savings Bank Executive Bonus Plan

 

21

Subsidiaries of Bogota Financial Corp.

 

23.1

Consent of Luse Gorman, PC (contained in Opinions included as Exhibits 5 and 8.1 )

 

23.2

Consent of RP Financial, LC.

 

23.3

Consent of Crowe LLP

 

23.4

Consent of Hamilton  & Babitts, CPA (contained in Opinion included as Exhibit 8.2)

 

24

Power of Attorney (set forth on signature page)

 

99.1

Appraisal Agreement between Bogota Savings Bank and RP Financial, LC.

 

99.2

Letter of RP Financial, LC. with respect to value of Subscription Rights

 

99.3

Appraisal Report of RP Financial, LC.

 

99.4

Marketing Materials*

 

99.5

Stock Order and Certification Form*

 

 

*

To be filed by amendment.

 

  (b)

Financial Statement Schedules

No financial statement schedules are filed because the required information is inapplicable or is included in the consolidated financial statements and related notes.

 

Item 17.

Undertakings

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or

 

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high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (§230.424 of this chapter);

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(5) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(6) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(7) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

 

II-4


Table of Contents

(8) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

II-5


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Teaneck, State of New Jersey on September 9, 2019.

 

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.
By:   /s/ Joseph Coccaro
  Joseph Coccaro
 

President and Chief Executive Officer

(Duly Authorized Representative)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned directors and officers of Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Corporation”) hereby severally constitute and appoint Joseph Coccaro as our true and lawful attorney and agent, to do any and all things in our names in the capacities indicated below which said individual may deem necessary or advisable to enable the Corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations and requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with the registration statement on Form S-1 relating to the offering of the Corporation’s common stock, including specifically, but not limited to, power and authority to sign for us in our names in the capacities indicated below the registration statement and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto; and we hereby approve, ratify and confirm all that said individual shall do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signatures

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Joseph Coccaro

Joseph Coccaro

  

President and Chief Executive Officer and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

  September 9, 2019

/s/ Brian McCourt

Brian McCourt

  

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

  September 9, 2019

/s/ Steven M. Goldberg

Steven M. Goldberg

  

Chairman of the Board

  September 9, 2019

/s/ Bruce Dexter

Bruce Dexter

  

Director

  September 9, 2019

/s/ Gary Gensheimer

Gary Gensheimer

  

Director

  September 9, 2019

/s/ John Masterson

John Masterson

  

Director

  September 9, 2019

 

II-6

Exhibit 1.1

 

LOGO    INVESTMENT BANKING GROUP

June 11, 2019

Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

60 East Main Street

Bogota, NJ 07603

Attention:    Mr. Joseph F. Coccaro

                    President and Chief Executive Officer

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We understand that the Board of Directors of Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”) is considering the adoption of a Plan of Reorganization and Stock Issuance (the “Plan”) pursuant to which the Bank will be reorganized into mutual holding company form (the “Reorganization”) and certain shares of the common stock (the “Shares”) of a newly organized mid-tier stock holding company (the “Holding Company”) will be offered and sold in a public offering. The Holding Company and the Bank are sometimes collectively referred to herein as the “Company.” Sandler O’ Neill & Partners, L.P. (“Sandler”) is pleased to assist the Company with the Offering and this letter is to confirm the terms and conditions of our engagement.

Under the terms of the Plan and applicable regulations, the Shares will be offered first to eligible depositors of the Bank and the Company’s tax-qualified employee stock benefit plans (the “Subscription Offering”). Subject to the prior rights of subscribers in the subscription offering, the Shares may be offered in a community offering, with a preference given in the community offering to residents of the communities served by the Bank (the “Community Offering,” and together with the Subscription Offering, the “Subscription and Community Offering”). Shares not subscribed for in the Subscription and Community Offering, if any, may be offered to the general public by Sandler on a best efforts basis (“Syndicated Offering” and together with the Subscription and Community Offering, the “Offering”).

SERVICES

Sandler will work with the Company and its management, counsel, accountants and other advisors in preparing for and completing the Offering and anticipate that our services will include the following:

 

  1.

Consulting as to the marketing implications of any aspect of the Plan, including the percentage of the Holding Company’s common stock to be offered in the Offering;

SANDLER O’NEILL + PARTNERS, L.P.

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10020

T: (212 ) 466-7700 / (800) 635-6855

www.sandleroneill.com


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Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 2

 

  2.

Reviewing with the Board the financial impact of the Offering on the Company, based upon the independent appraiser’s appraisal of the Holding Company’s common stock;

 

  3.

Reviewing all offering documents, including the Prospectus, stock order forms and related offering materials (it being understood that preparation and filing of such documents will be the responsibility of the Company and its counsel);

 

  4.

Assisting in the design and implementation of a marketing strategy for the Offering;

 

  5.

Assisting Company management in scheduling and preparing for meetings with potential investors and/or other broker-dealers in connection with the Offering; and

 

  6.

Providing such other general advice and assistance as may be reasonably necessary to promote the successful completion of the Offering.

Sandler will act as exclusive marketing agent for the Company in the Subscription and Community Offering and will serve as sole manager of any Syndicated Offering. Sandler may also seek to form a syndicate of registered broker-dealers to assist in any Syndicated Offering (all such registered broker-dealers participating in the Syndicated Offering, including Sandler, the “Syndicate Member Firms”). Sandler will consult with the Company in selecting the Syndicate Member Firms and the extent of their participation in the Offering. Pursuant to the terms of the Plan, Sandler will endeavor to distribute the Shares among dealers in a fashion that best meets the distribution objectives of the Company and the requirements of the Plan, which may result in limiting the allocation of stock to certain Syndicate Member Firms. It is understood that in no event shall any Syndicate Member Firm be obligated to take or purchase any Shares in the Offering.

FEES

If the Offering is consummated, the Company agrees to pay Sandler for its marketing agent services a fee of 1.0% of the aggregate Actual Purchase Price of all Shares sold in the Subscription and Community Offering, excluding Shares purchased by or on behalf of (i) any employee benefit plan or trust of the Company established for the benefit of its directors, officers and employees, (ii) any director, officer or employee of the Company or members of their immediate families (whether directly or through a personal trust), and (iii) shares issued to the Company’ s charitable foundation established in connection with the Reorganization.

With respect to any Shares sold in the Syndicated Offering, the Company agrees to pay an aggregate fee of 5.5% of the aggregate Actual Purchase Price of all Shares sold in the Syndicated

 


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Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 3

 

Offering.

For purposes of this letter, the term “Actual Purchase Price” shall mean the price at which the Shares are sold in the Offering. All fees payable hereunder shall be payable in immediately available funds by wire transfer at the time of the closing of the Offering. If the Offering is terminated by the Company, no marketing agent services fees shall be payable by the Company to Sandler hereunder.

COSTS AND EXPENSES

In addition to any fees that may be payable to Sandler hereunder and the expenses to be borne by the Company pursuant to the following paragraph, the Company agrees to reimburse Sandler, upon request made from time to time, for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with its engagement hereunder, regardless of whether the Offering is consummated, including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses, travel and syndication expenses, up to a maximum of $110,000; provided, however, that Sandler shall document such expenses to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company. The provisions of this paragraph are not intended to apply to or in any way impair the indemnification or contribution provisions of this letter.

As is customary, the Company will bear all other expenses incurred in connection with the Offering, including, without limitation, (i) the cost of obtaining all securities and bank regulatory approvals, including any required FINRA filing fees; (ii) the cost of printing and distributing the offering materials; (iii) the costs of blue sky qualification (including fees and expenses of blue sky counsel) of the Shares in the various states; (iv) listing fees; (v) all fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants, transfer agent and other advisors; and (vi) the establishment and operational expenses for the Stock Information Center (e.g., postage, telephones, supplies, temporary employees, etc.). In the event Sandler incurs any such fees and expenses on behalf of the Company, the Company will reimburse Sandler for such fees and expenses whether or not the Offering is consummated.

DUE DILIGENCE REVIEW

Sandler’s obligation to perform the services contemplated by this letter shall be subject to the satisfactory completion of such investigation and inquiries relating to the Company and its directors, officers, agents and employees as Sandler and its counsel in their sole discretion may deem appropriate under the circumstances. In this regard, the Company agrees that, at its expense, it will make available to Sandler all information that Sandler reasonably requests, and will allow Sandler the opportunity to discuss with the management of the Company the financial condition, business and operations of the Company. The Company acknowledges that Sandler will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of all information received from the Company and its directors,

 


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Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 4

 

officers, employees, agents, independent accountants and counsel.

BLUE SKY MATTERS

Sandler and the Company agree that the Company’s counsel shall serve as counsel with respect to blue sky matters in connection with the Offering. The Company will cause such counsel to prepare a Blue Sky Memorandum related to the Subscription and Community Offering and, if applicable, the Syndicated Offering, including Sandler’s participation therein, and shall furnish Sandler a copy thereof addressed to Sandler or upon which such counsel shall state Sandler may rely.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Except as contemplated in connection with the performance of its services under this agreement, as authorized by the Company or as required by law, regulation , legal process or order of any court or governmental or regulatory authority, Sandler agrees that it will treat as confidential all material, non-public information relating to the Company obtained in connection with its engagement hereunder (the “Confidential Information”); provided, however, that Sandler may disclose such information to its affiliates, partners, directors, employees, agents and advisors who are assisting or advising Sandler in performing its services hereunder and who have been directed to comply with the terms and conditions of this paragraph. As used in this paragraph, the term “Confidential Information” shall not include information which (a) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of a disclosure by Sandler in breach of the confidentiality obligations contained herein, (b) was available to Sandler on a non-confidential basis prior to its disclosure to Sandler by the Company, (c) becomes available to Sandler on a non-confidential basis from a person other than the Company who is not otherwise known to Sandler to be bound not to disclose such information pursuant to a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation owed to the Company, or (d) is independently developed by Sandler without use of or reference to the Confidential Information disclosed hereunder.

The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the financial models and presentations used by Sandler in performing its services hereunder have been developed by and are proprietary to Sandler and are protected under applicable copyright laws. The Company agrees that it will not reproduce or distribute all or any portion of such models or presentations without the prior written consent of Sandler.

REPRESENTATIONS

The Bank represents and warrants that it has all requisite power and authority to enter into and carry out the terms and provisions of this agreement, the execution, delivery and performance

 


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Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 5

 

of this agreement does not breach or conflict with any agreement, document or instrument to which it is a party or bound and this agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Bank.

INDEMNIFICATION; CONTRIBUTION

The Bank agrees to, and shall cause the Holding Company to, indemnify and hold Sandler and its affiliates and their respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Sandler and each such person being an “Indemnified Party”) harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject under applicable federal or state law, or otherwise, (i) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the offering documents, including documents described or incorporated by reference therein, or in any other written or oral communication provided by or on behalf of the Holding Company or the Bank to any actual or prospective purchaser of the Shares or arising out of or based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (ii) arising out of or based in whole or in part on any inaccuracy in the representations or warranties of the Holding Company or the Bank contained in any agency agreement, or any failure of the Holding Company or the Bank to perform its obligations thereunder or (iii) related to or arising out of the Offering or the engagement of Sandler pursuant to, or the performance by Sandler of the services contemplated by, this letter, and will reimburse any Indemnified Party for all expenses (including reasonable legal fees and expenses) as they are incurred, including expenses incurred in connection with the investigation of, preparation for or defense of any pending or threatened claim or any action or proceeding arising therefrom, whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party; provided, however, that the Company shall only be obligated to pay for one separate counsel (in addition to any required local counsel) in any one action or proceeding or group of related actions or proceedings for all Indemnified Parties collectively, and provided, further, that the Company will not be liable to Sandler (a) to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement of a material fact or the omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make not misleading any statements contained in any final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, made in reliance on and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by Sandler expressly for use therein, or (b) under clause (iii) of this paragraph to the extent that it is finally judicially determined that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense is primarily attributable to the gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of Sandler. If the foregoing indemnification is unavailable for any reason other than for the reasons stated in subparagraph (a) or (b) above, the Company agrees to contribute to such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in the proportion that its financial interest in the Offering bears

 


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Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 6

 

to that of Sandler. The Bank further agrees, and shall cause the Holding Company to agree, that neither Sandler nor any of its controlling persons, affiliates, partners, directors, officers, employees or consultants shall have any liability to the Holding Company or the Bank or any person asserting claims on behalf of or in right of the Holding Company or the Bank for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses arising out of or relating to this agreement or the services to be rendered by Sandler hereunder, unless it is finally judicially determined that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses resulted directly from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of Sandler.

The Bank agrees to, and shall cause the Holding Company to, notify Sandler promptly of the assertion against it or any other person of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding relating to any transaction contemplated by this agreement. The Bank will not, and shall cause the Holding Company not to, without Sandler’s prior written consent, settle, compromise, consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any claim, action or proceeding in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, whether or not any Indemnified Party is an actual or potential party thereto, unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination (i) includes an explicit and unconditional release of each Indemnified Party from any liabilities arising out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Party. If the Holding Company or the Bank enters into any agreement or arrangement with respect to, or effects, any proposed sale, exchange, dividend or other distribution or liquidation of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of transactions, the Bank shall provide, and shall cause the Holding Company to provide, for the assumption of its obligations under this section by the purchaser or transferee of such assets or another party reasonably satisfactory to Sandler.

DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT

Sandler and the Company agree that (a) except as set forth in clause (b) below, the foregoing represents the general intention of the Company and Sandler with respect to the services to be provided by Sandler in connection with the Offering, which will serve as a basis for Sandler commencing activities, and (b) the only legal and binding obligations of the Company and Sandler with respect to the Offering (such obligations to survive any termination of this agreement) shall be (1) the Company’s obligation to reimburse costs and expenses pursuant to the section captioned “Costs and Expenses,” (2) those set forth under the captions “Confidentiality”, “Representations” and “Indemnification; Contribution,” and (3) as set forth in a duly negotiated and executed definitive Agency Agreement to be entered into prior to the commencement of the Subscription and Community Offering. Such Agency Agreement shall be in form and content satisfactory to Sandler and the Company and their respective counsel and shall contain standard indemnification and contribution provisions consistent herewith.

 


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Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 7

 

Sandler’s execution of such Agency Agreement shall also be subject to (i) Sandler’s satisfaction with its investigation of the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations, (ii) preparation of offering materials that are satisfactory to Sandler and its counsel, (iii) compliance with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements to the reasonable satisfaction of Sandler and its counsel, (iv) agreement that the price established by the independent appraiser is reasonable, and (v) market conditions at the time of the proposed Offering. Sandler may terminate this agreement if such Agency Agreement is not entered into prior June 30, 2020.

MISCELLANEOUS

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and can be altered only by written consent signed by the parties. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflicts of laws principles thereof.

 


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Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 8

 

Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to Sandler the duplicate copy of this letter enclosed herewith.

 

Very truly yours,
SANDLER O’ NEILL & PARTNERS, LP.
By:  

Sandler O’ Neill & Partners Corp.,

the sole general partner

By:  

/s/ Derek Szot

  Derek Szot
  Authorized Signatory

 

Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written:
BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK
By:  

/s/ Joseph Coccaro

  Joseph Coccaro
  President and Chief Executive Officer

 


LOGO    INVESTMENT BANKING GROUP

June 11, 2019

Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

60 East Main Street

Bogota, NJ 07603

Attention:    Mr. Joseph F. Coccaro

                    President and Chief Executive Officer

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We understand that Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”) has determined to adopt a Plan of Reorganization and Stock Issuance (the “Plan”) pursuant to which the Bank will be reorganized into mutual holding company form (the “Reorganization”) and certain shares of the common stock (the “Common Stock”) of a newly organized mid-tier stock holding company (the “Holding Company”) will be offered and sold to the Bank’s eligible depositors and certain tax-qualified employee benefit plans in a subscription offering and, to the extent shares remain available, to members of the Bank’s community in a community offering and, under certain circumstances, to the general public in a syndicated community offering (collectively, the “Offering”). The Holding Company and the Bank are sometimes collectively referred to herein as the “Company.” Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. (“Sandler”) is pleased to act as records management agent (“Records Management Agent”) for the Bank in connection with the vote of the Bank’s depositors on the Plan and the offer and sale of shares of the common stock in the Offering. This letter is to confirm the terms and conditions of our engagement.

SERVICES AND FEES

In our role as Records Management Agent, we anticipate that our services will include the services outlined below, each as may be necessary and as the Company may reasonably request:

 

  I.

Consolidation of Deposit Accounts for Voting and Offering

 

  II.

Coordinate Vote Solicitation and Special Meeting Services

 

  III.

Design and Preparation of Stock Order Forms for the Offering

 

  IV.

Organization and Supervision of the Stock Information Center

 

  V.

Subscription Services

SANDLER O’NEILL + PARTNERS, L.P.

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10020

T: (212 ) 466-7700 / (800) 635-6855

www.sandleroneill.com


LOGO   

Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 2

 

Each of these services is further described in Appendix A to this agreement.

For its services hereunder, the Company agrees to pay Sandler a fee of $40,000. This fee is based upon the requirements of current regulations and the Plan as currently contemplated. The Company will inform Sandler within a reasonable period of time of any changes in the Plan or regulations that require changes in Sandler’s services.

All fees under this agreement shall be due and payable in cash, as follows: (a) $10,000 due and payable upon execution of this agreement; and (b) the balance due and payable on the day of closing of the Offering.

COSTS AND EXPENSES

It is understood that all expenses associated with the operation of the Stock Information Center will be borne by the Company. In addition to any fees that may be payable to Sandler hereunder, the Company also agrees to reimburse Sandler, upon request made from time to time, for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with its engagement hereunder, regardless of whether the Offering is consummated, including, without limitation, travel, lodging, food, telephone, postage, communications and other similar expenses, up to a maximum of $40,000; provided, however, that Sandler shall document such expenses to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company. The provisions of this paragraph are not intended to apply to or in any way impair the indemnification or contribution provisions of this agreement.

RELIANCE ON INFORMATION PROVIDED; CONFIDENTIALITY

The Company will furnish Sandler with such information as Sandler reasonably believes appropriate to its assignment (all such information so furnished being the “Records”). The Company recognizes and confirms that Sandler (a) will use and rely primarily on the Records without having independently verified the same, and (b) does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the Records.

Except as contemplated in connection with the performance of its services under this agreement, as authorized by the Company or as required by law, regulation, legal process or order of any court or governmental or regulatory authority, Sandler agrees that it will treat as confidential all material, non-public information relating to the Company obtained in connection with its engagement hereunder (the “Confidential Information”); provided, however, that Sandler may disclose such information to its affiliates, partners, directors, employees, agents and advisors who are assisting or advising Sandler in performing its services hereunder and who have been directed to comply with the terms and conditions of this paragraph. As used in this paragraph, the term “Confidential Information” shall not include information which (a) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of a disclosure by Sandler in breach of the

 


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Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 3

 

confidentiality obligations contained herein, (b) was available to Sandler on a non-confidential basis prior to its disclosure to Sandler by the Company, (c) becomes available to Sandler on a non-confidential basis from a person other than the Company who is not otherwise known to Sandler to be bound not to disclose such infom1ation pursuant to a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation owed to the Company, or (d) is independently developed by Sandler without use of or reference to the Confidential Information disclosed hereunder.

LIMITATIONS

Sandler, as Records Management Agent hereunder, (a) shall have no duties or obligations other than those specifically set forth herein; (b) will be regarded as making no representations and having no responsibilities as to the validity, sufficiency, value or genuineness of any order form or any stock certificates or the shares represented thereby, and will not be required to and will make no representations as to the validity, value or genuineness of the offer; (c) shall not be liable to any person, firm or corporation including the Company by reason of any error of judgment or for any act done by it in good faith, or for any mistake of law or fact in connection with this agreement and the performance hereof unless caused by or arising out of its own willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence, as determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction; (d) will not be obliged to take any legal action hereunder which might in its reasonable judgment involve any expense or liability, unless it shall have been furnished with reasonable indemnity satisfactory to it; and (e) may rely on and shall be protected in acting in reliance upon any certificate, instrument, opinion, notice, letter, telex, telegram, or other document or security delivered to it and in good faith believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper party or parties. Anything in this agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall Sandler be liable for special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if Sandler has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

INDEMNIFICATION; CONTRIBUTION

The Bank agrees to, and shall cause the Holding Company to, indemnify and hold Sandler and its affiliates and their respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Sandler and each such person being an “Indemnified Party”) harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject under applicable federal or state law, or otherwise related to or arising out of any actual or proposed transaction resulting hereunder or the engagement of Sandler pursuant to, or the performance by Sandler of the services contemplated by, this letter, and will reimburse any Indemnified Party for all expenses (including reasonable legal fees and expenses) as they are incurred, including expenses incurred in connection with the investigation of, preparation for or defense of any pending or threatened claim or any action or

 


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Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 4

 

proceeding arising therefrom, whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party; provided, however, that the Company shall only be obligated to pay for one separate counsel (in addition to any required local counsel) in any one action or proceeding or group of related actions or proceedings for all Indemnified Parties collectively, and provided, further, that the Company will not be liable to Sandler under this paragraph to the extent that it is finally judicially determined that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense is primarily attributable to the gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of Sandler. If the foregoing indemnification is unavailable for any reason other than for the reason stated above, the Company agrees to contribute to such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in the proportion that its financial interest in the Offering bears to that of Sandler. The Bank further agrees, and shall cause the Holding Company to agree, that neither Sandler nor any of its controlling persons, affiliates, partners, directors, officers, employees or consultants shall have any liability to the Holding Company or the Bank or any person asserting claims on behalf of or in right of the Holding Company or the Bank for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses arising out of or relating to this agreement or the services to be rendered by Sandler hereunder, unless it is finally judicially determined that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses resulted directly from the gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of Sandler.

The Bank agrees to, and shall cause the Holding Company to, notify Sandler promptly of the assertion against it or any other person of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding relating to any transaction contemplated by this agreement. The Bank will not, and shall cause the Holding Company not to, without Sandler’s prior written consent, settle, compromise, consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any claim, action or proceeding in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, whether or not any Indemnified Party is an actual or potential party thereto, unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination (i) includes an explicit and unconditional release of each Indemnified Party from any liabilities arising out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Party. If the Holding Company or the Bank enters into any agreement or arrangement with respect to, or effects, any proposed sale, exchange, dividend or other distribution or liquidation of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of transactions, the Bank shall provide, and shall cause the Holding Company to provide, for the assumption of its obligations under this section by the purchaser or transferee of such assets or another party reasonably satisfactory to Sandler.

REPRESENTATIONS

The Bank represents and warrants that it has all requisite power and authority to enter into and carry out the terms and provisions of this agreement, the execution, delivery and performance of this agreement does not breach or conflict with any agreement, document or instrument to which it is a party or bound and this agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the

 


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Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 5

 

Bank.

MISCELLANEOUS

The following addresses shall be sufficient for written notices to each other:

 

If to you:   

Bogota Savings Bank

60 East Main Street

Bogota, NJ 07603

Attention: Mr. Joseph F. Coccaro

If to us:   

Sandler O’ Neill & Partners, L.P.

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor

New York, New York 10020

Attention: General Counsel

The agreement and the appendix hereto constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and can be altered only by written consent signed by the parties. This agreement is governed by the laws of the State of New York.

It is understood that the provisions relating to the payment of fees and expenses and those contained under the captions “Limitations”, “Indemnification; Contribution” and “Representations” will survive any termination of this agreement.

[Signature page to follow.]

 


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Bogota Savings Bank

June 11, 2019

Page 6

 

Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to Sandler the duplicate copy of this letter enclosed herewith.

 

Very truly yours,
SANDLER O’NEILL & PARTNERS, L.P.
By:  

Sandler O’Neill & Partners Corp.,

the sole general partner

By:  

/s/ Derek Szot

 

Derek Szot

Authorized Signatory

 

Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written:
BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK
By:  

/s/ Joseph Coccaro

 

Joseph Coccaro

President and Chief Executive Officer

 


LOGO   

 

APPENDIX A

OUTLINE OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT AGENT SERVICES

 

I.

Consolidation of Deposit Accounts for Voting and Offering

 

  1.

Consolidate files in accordance with regulatory guidelines and create central file.

 

  2.

Our EDP format will be provided to your IT representatives.

 

II.

Coordinate Vote Solicitation and Special Meeting Services

 

  1.

Vote calculation.

 

  2.

Prepare deposit account holder data for Information Statement mailing.

 

  3.

Coordinate with Bank and other advisors in designing and executing vote campaign.

 

  4.

If required, delete voting record date accounts closed prior to special meeting.

 

  5.

Act as or support inspector of election, it being understood that Sandler will not act as inspector of election in the case of a contested election.

 

III.

Design and Preparation of Stock Order Forms for the Offering

 

  1.

Assist in designing stock order forms for ordering stock.

 

  2.

Prepare deposit account holder data for stock order forms.

 

IV.

Organization and Supervision of Stock Information Center

 

  1.

Advising on the physical organization of the Stock Information Center, including materials requirements.

 

  2.

Assist in the training of all Bank personnel and temporary employees who will be staffing the Stock Information Center.

 

  3.

Establish reporting procedures.

 

  4.

On-site supervision of the Stock Information Center during the offering period.

 

V.

Subscription Services

 

  1.

Produce list of depositors by state (Blue Sky report).

 

  2.

Production of subscription rights and research books.

 

  3.

Stock order form processing.

 

  4.

Acknowledgment letter to confirm receipt of stock order.

 

  5.

Daily reports and analysis.

 

  6.

Proration calculation and share allocation in the event of an oversubscription.

 

  7.

Produce charter shareholder list.

 

  8.

Interface with Transfer Agent for DRS Statement issuance to shareholders.

 

  9.

Refund and interest calculations.

 

  10.

Confirmation letter to confirm purchase of stock.

 

  11.

Notification of full/partial rejection of orders.

 

  12.

Production of 1099/Debit tape.

 

A - 1

Exhibit 2

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

PLAN OF MUTUAL HOLDING COMPANY REORGANIZATION

AND MINORITY STOCK ISSUANCE

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

1.

  Introduction      1  

2.

  Definitions      2  

3.

  The Reorganization      7  

4.

  Conditions to Implementation of the Reorganization and Stock Offering      10  

5.

  Special Meeting of Depositors      11  

6.

  Liquidation Rights      11  

7.

  Conversion of MHC to Stock Form      12  

8.

  Timing of the Reorganization and Sale of Capital Stock      12  

9.

  Number of Shares to be Offered      13  

10.

  Independent Valuation and Purchase Price of Shares      13  

11.

  Method of Offering Shares and Rights to Purchase Stock      14  

12.

  Additional Limitations on Purchases of Common Stock      18  

13.

  Payment for Common Stock      20  

14.

  Manner of Exercising Subscription Rights Through Order Forms      21  

15.

  Undelivered, Defective or Late Order Form; Insufficient Payment      22  

16.

  Completion of the Stock Offering      23  

17.

  Market for Common Stock      23  

18.

  Stock Purchases by Management Persons After the Stock Offering      23  

19.

  Resales of Stock by Directors and Officers      23  

20.

  Restriction on Financing Stock Purchases      23  

21.

  Stock Benefit Plans      23  

22.

  Post-Reorganization Filing and Market Making      24  

23.

  Liquidation Account      24  

24.

  Payment of Dividends and Repurchase of Stock      25  

25.

  Contribution to the Foundation      26  

26.

  Reorganization and Stock Offering Expenses      26  

27.

  Employment and Other Severance Agreements      27  

28.

  Residents of Foreign Countries and Certain States      27  

29.

  Interpretation      27  

30.

  Amendment or Termination of the Plan      27  

Exhibits

 

Exhibit A    Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Stock Bank
Exhibit B    Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Holding Company
Exhibit C    Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the MHC

 


1.

Introduction

This Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance dated September 9, 2019 (the “Plan”) provides for the reorganization of the Bank, a New Jersey-chartered mutual savings bank, into the mutual holding company structure (the “Reorganization”), in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey and the regulations of the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance (the “Department”), regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”), regulations of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and other applicable laws and regulations. The mutual holding company (the “MHC”) will be a mutually owned corporation organized under the laws of New Jersey. As part of the Reorganization and the Plan, the Bank will convert to a New Jersey-chartered stock savings bank (the “Stock Bank”), and a stock holding company (the “Holding Company”) will be established as a Maryland-chartered corporation and will be a majority-owned subsidiary of the MHC so long as the MHC remains in existence. Concurrently with the Reorganization, the Holding Company intends to offer for sale up to 49.9% of its Common Stock in the Stock Offering, which will be made on a priority basis to Depositors and the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans, with any remaining shares offered for sale to the public in a Community Offering, a Syndicated Community Offering, or a Firm Commitment Offering, or a combination thereof. The Reorganization and the Stock Offering will be conducted in accordance with applicable New Jersey laws and regulations of the Department, regulations of the Federal Reserve and FDIC, the Securities Act and the regulations of the SEC thereunder, and other applicable regulatory requirements.

The primary purpose of the Reorganization is to establish the Holding Company as a capital stock corporation, which will enable the Bank to compete more effectively with other financial services providers. The Holding Company will be authorized to issue Capital Stock to support the growth of the Bank, which is a source of capital not available to mutual savings banks. The Holding Company will not offer all its Common Stock for sale to Depositors and the public in the Stock Offering. However, the Holding Company will have flexibility to raise additional capital as needed and as market conditions permit, since a majority of the Holding Company’s Common Stock (the common stock held by the MHC) will remain available for sale in the future. Formation of the Holding Company as a subsidiary of the MHC will also provide the Bank with greater flexibility to structure and finance the expansion of its operations, including the potential acquisition of other financial institutions. Although the Reorganization and Stock Offering will create the Stock Bank and the Holding Company, the MHC will be required to own at least a majority of the Holding Company’s Common Stock and, therefore, the mutual holding company structure will preserve the Bank’s mutual form of ownership and its ability to remain an independent community bank for so long as the MHC remains in existence.

In furtherance of the Bank’s commitment to its community, this Plan provides for a contribution of Common Stock and/or cash, subject to regulatory limitations, to the Foundation. The funding of the Foundation is intended to enhance the Bank’s existing community reinvestment activities in a manner that will allow the Bank’s local communities to share in the growth and profitability of the Holding Company and the Bank over the long term.

This Plan has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Bank. This Plan must be approved by at least a majority of the total number of votes eligible to be cast in person or by valid

 

1


proxy by Voting Depositors. In addition, the contribution of Common Stock to the Foundation in connection with the Offering must be approved by at least a majority of the total number of votes eligible to be cast by Voting Depositors. Each Voting Depositor will be entitled to cast one vote for each $100, or fraction thereof, of deposits in the Bank on the Voting Record Date. No Voting Depositor may cast more than 1,000 votes at the Special Meeting. The Department must approve this Plan and the transactions contemplated hereby before it is presented to Voting Depositors for their approval. In addition, the Holding Company will make any and all filings in a timely manner with the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and the SEC to obtain any requisite regulatory approvals or non-objections to complete the Reorganization.

 

2.

Definitions

As used in this Plan, the terms set forth below have the following meanings:

Account Holder: Any Person holding a Deposit Account at the Bank.

Acting in Concert: The term Acting in Concert means (i) knowing participation in a joint activity or interdependent conscious parallel action towards a common goal, whether or not pursuant to an express agreement, or (ii) a combination or pooling of voting or other interests in the securities of an issuer for a common purpose pursuant to any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement, whether written or otherwise. A Person or company which acts in concert with another Person or company (“other party”) will also be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any Person or company who is also Acting in Concert with that other party, except that any Tax-Qualified Employee Plan will not be deemed to be Acting in Concert with its trustee or a Person who serves in a similar capacity solely for the purpose of determining whether stock held by the trustee and stock held by the plan will be aggregated. The determination of whether a Person is Acting in Concert with another Person shall be made solely by the Board of Directors of the Holding Company or Officers delegated by such Board of Directors and may be based on any evidence upon which such Board or such delegate chooses to rely, including, without limitation, joint account relationships or the fact that such Persons share a common address (whether or not related by blood or marriage) or have filed joint Schedules 13D or Schedules 13G with the SEC with respect to other companies. Directors of the MHC, the Holding Company and the Bank, shall not be deemed to be Acting in Concert solely as a result of their membership on any of the boards of such entities.

Affiliate: Any Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another Person.

Application: The Application of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization, submitted by the Bank to the Department, for approval by the Department of the Reorganization and the Stock Offering.

Associate: The term “Associate,” when used to indicate a relationship with any Person, means: (i) any corporation or organization (other than the Bank, the Holding Company, the MHC or a majority-owned subsidiary of any thereof) of which such Person is a senior officer or partner, or beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of equity securities of the corporation or organization; (ii) any trust or other estate, if the Person has a substantial beneficial

 

2


interest in the trust or estate or is a trustee or fiduciary of the trust or estate except that for the purposes of this Plan relating to subscriptions in the Stock Offering and the sale of Common Stock following the Reorganization, a Person who has a substantial beneficial interest in any Non-Tax-Qualified Employee Plan or any Tax-Qualified Employee Plan, or who is a trustee or fiduciary of such plan, is not an associate of such plan, and except that for purposes of aggregating total shares that may be held by Officers and Directors, the term “Associate” does not include any Tax-Qualified Employee Plan; and (iii) any Person who is related by blood or marriage to such Person and who (A) lives in the same home as such Person or (B) is a director or Officer of the Bank, the Holding Company, the MHC or a subsidiary of the Bank, the Holding Company or the MHC.

BHCA: The Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended.

Bank: Bogota Savings Bank either in its pre-Reorganization mutual form or post-Reorganization stock form, as indicated by the context.

Bank Regulators: The Department and other bank regulatory agencies, including the FDIC and the Federal Reserve, as applicable, responsible for reviewing and approving the Reorganization and Stock Offering, including all steps necessary to complete the Reorganization and Stock Offering.

Capital Stock: Any and all authorized capital stock of the Bank or of the Holding Company.

Commissioner: The Commissioner of the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance.

Common Stock: The common stock issuable by the Holding Company in connection with the Reorganization and Stock Offering, including securities convertible into Common Stock, pursuant to its articles of incorporation.

Community: Bergen County in New Jersey.

Community Offering: The offering to certain members of the general public of any shares of Common Stock unsubscribed for in the Subscription Offering. The Community Offering may occur concurrently with the Subscription Offering and/or any Syndicated Community Offering.

Control: (including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by,” and “under common control with”) means the direct or indirect power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise as described in 12 CFR Part 238.

Conversion Transaction: The conversion of the MHC from the mutual to stock form of organization, as described more specifically in Section 7 of this Plan.

Department: The New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance.

Deposit Account(s): Any withdrawable account, including, without limitation, savings, time, demand, NOW account, money market, certificate and passbook accounts.

 

3


Depositor: Any Person that has a Deposit Account with the Bank.

Effective Date: The date on which, after all necessary approvals to complete the Reorganization and the Stock Offering will have been obtained, the Reorganization and the Stock Offering is completed.

Eligible Account Holder: Any Person holding a Qualifying Deposit on the Eligibility Record Date for purposes of determining subscription rights.

Eligibility Record Date: December 31, 2017, the date for determining the Depositors that qualify as Eligible Account Holders.

Employee Plans: The Tax-Qualified and Non-Tax Qualified Employee Plans of the Bank and/or the Company.

ESOP: The Stock Bank’s employee stock ownership plan.

Estimated Valuation Range: The range of the estimated pro forma market value of the total number of shares of Common Stock to be issued by the Holding Company to the MHC and to Minority Stockholders, as determined by the Independent Appraiser before the commencement of the Subscription Offering and as it may be amended from time to time thereafter.

Exchange Act: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Federal Reserve: The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

FDIC: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

FDIC Notice: The Notice of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Offering submitted by the Bank to the FDIC, to notify the FDIC of the Reorganization and the Stock Offering.

Firm Commitment Offering: The offering, at the sole discretion of the Holding Company, of shares of Common Stock not subscribed for in the Subscription Offering and any Community Offering or Syndicated Community Offering, to members of the general public through one or more underwriters. A Firm Commitment Offering may occur following the Subscription Offering and any Community Offering or Syndicated Community Offering.

Foundation: Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, Inc., a charitable foundation that qualifies as an exempt organization under Code Section 501(c)(3) that will receive Holding Company Common Stock and/or cash in connection with the Stock Offering.

Foundation Shares: Shares of the Common Stock issued to the Foundation in connection with the Stock Offering.

Holding Company: The Maryland-chartered corporation that will be majority-owned by the MHC upon completion of the Reorganization and Stock Offering and will own all the outstanding common stock of the Stock Bank.

 

4


Holding Company Application: The Holding Company Application, on such form as may be prescribed by the Federal Reserve, which will be filed with the Federal Reserve in connection with the Reorganization and the formation of the MHC and the Holding Company.

Independent Appraiser: The independent appraiser retained by the Bank to prepare an appraisal of the pro forma market value of the Bank and the Holding Company.

Liquidation Account: The liquidation account established pursuant to Section 23 of this Plan.

Management Person: Any Officer, director or trustee of the Bank, the Holding Company or MHC, or any Affiliate of the Bank, the Holding Company or MHC, and any Person Acting in Concert with any such Officer, director or trustee.

Market Maker: A dealer (i.e., any person who engages directly or indirectly as agent, broker, or principal in the business of offering, buying, selling or otherwise dealing or trading in securities issued by another person) who, with respect to a particular security, (i) regularly publishes bona fide competitive bid and offer quotations on request, and (ii) is ready, willing and able to effect transactions in reasonable quantities at the dealer’s quoted prices with other brokers or dealers.

MHC: The mutual holding company created in the Reorganization. The MHC will become the mutual holding company of the Holding Company and the Bank upon completion of the Reorganization.

Minority Ownership Interest: The shares of Common Stock owned by Persons, other than the MHC, expressed as a percentage of the total shares of Common Stock outstanding.

Minority Stock Offering: One or more offering(s) of Common Stock to Persons other than the MHC, provided that upon completion of each Minority Stock Offering, no more than 49.9% of the outstanding Common Stock, in the aggregate, is owned by Persons other than the MHC.

Minority Stockholder: An owner of the Common Stock, other than the MHC.

Offering Range: The aggregate purchase price of the Common Stock to be sold in the Stock Offering based on the Independent Valuation expressed as a range, which may vary within 15% above or 15% below the midpoint of such range, with a possible adjustment by up to 15% above the maximum of such range. The Offering Range will be based on the Estimated Valuation Range but will represent a Minority Ownership Interest equal up to 49.9% of the outstanding Common Stock.

Officer: An executive officer of the MHC, the Holding Company or the Bank, including the Chief Executive Officer, President, Executive Vice Presidents, Senior Vice Presidents in charge of principal business functions, Secretary, Treasurer and any other person performing similar policy making functions.

 

5


Order Form: Any form (together with any attached cover letter and/or certifications or acknowledgements), sent by the Bank to any Person containing among other things a description of the alternatives available to such Person under the Plan and by which any such Person may make elections regarding purchases of Common Stock in the Subscription and Community Offerings.

Other Depositor: Any Person who has a Qualifying Deposit at the Bank at the close of business on the Voting Record Date who is not an Eligible Account Holder or Supplemental Eligible Account Holder, or Tax-Qualified Employee Plan.

Person: An individual, corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization, or a government or political subdivision of a government.

Plan: This Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance.

Qualifying Deposit: The aggregate balance of all Deposit Accounts in the Bank of (i) an Eligible Account Holder at the close of business on the Eligibility Record Date, provided such aggregate balance is not less than $50, or (ii) a Supplemental Eligible Account Holder at the close of business on the Supplemental Eligibility Record Date, provided such aggregate balance is not less than $50.

Regulations: The rules and regulations of the Bank Regulators, including the Department’s rules and regulations regarding mutual holding companies and any applicable rules and regulations of the Federal Reserve and the FDIC.

Reorganization: The reorganization of the Bank into the “two-tier” mutual holding company structure pursuant to this Plan by establishing the MHC, the Holding Company and the Stock Bank.

Resident: The terms “resident,” “residence,” “reside,” “resided” or “residing,” when used in this Plan with respect to any Person, means any Person who occupies a dwelling within the Community, has an intent to remain within the Community for a period of time, and manifests the genuineness of that intent by establishing an ongoing physical presence within the Community together with an indication that the nature of such presence within the Community is something other than merely transitory. If a Person is a corporation or other business entity, the principal place of business or headquarters must be in the Community. If the Person is a personal benefit plan, the circumstances of the beneficiary will apply with respect to this definition. In the case of all other benefit plans, the circumstances of the trustee will be examined for purposes of this definition. The Bank may utilize deposit or loan records or such other evidence provided to it to determine whether a Person is a Resident. In all cases, however, such a determination will be in the sole discretion of the Bank.

SEC: The United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Securities Act: The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

6


Special Meeting: The Special Meeting of Depositors called to vote on this Plan.

Stock Bank: The New Jersey-chartered stock savings bank established as part of the Reorganization, which will be the successor to the Bank and which will be wholly-owned by the Holding Company.

Stock Offering: The offering of Common Stock for sale to Persons, other than the MHC, pursuant to this Plan in the Subscription Offering and, to the extent shares remain available for sale, in the Community Offering, the Syndicated Community Offering or the Firm Commitment Offering, as the case may be.

Subscription Offering: The offering of Common Stock for subscription and purchase pursuant to Section 11 of this Plan.

Subsidiary: A company that is controlled by another company, either directly or indirectly through one or more subsidiaries.

Supplemental Eligible Account Holder: A Person holding a Qualifying Deposit as of the close of business on the Supplemental Eligibility Record Date, who is not an Eligible Account Holder, a Tax-Qualified Employee Plan or an Officer or director of the Bank.

Supplemental Eligibility Record Date: The date for determining the Depositors that qualify as Supplemental Eligible Account Holders. The Supplemental Eligibility Record Date will be the last day of the calendar quarter preceding the Department’s approval of the Reorganization.

Syndicated Community Offering: The offering of Common Stock through a syndicate of broker-dealers, which may occur either following or contemporaneously with the Community Offering.

Tax-Qualified Employee Plan: Any defined benefit plan or defined contribution plan (including any employee stock ownership plan, stock bonus plan, profit-sharing plan, or other plan) of the Bank, the Holding Company, the MHC or any of their Affiliates, which, with its related trusts, meets the requirements to be qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code. The term “Non-Tax-Qualified Employee Plan” means any stock benefit plan that is not so qualified under Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Voting Depositor: A Depositor as of the close of business on the Voting Record Date who is entitled to vote at the Special Meeting.

Voting Record Date: The date established by the Bank for determining the Depositors entitled to vote on the Plan.

 

3.

The Reorganization

 

  A.

Organization of the MHC, the Holding Company and the Stock Bank

As part of the Reorganization, the Bank will convert its charter to stock form and become the Stock Bank and will establish the Holding Company as a Maryland corporation and the MHC

 

7


as a New Jersey corporation. The Reorganization will be effected as follows or in any other manner approved by the Bank Regulators that is consistent with the purposes of this Plan and applicable laws and regulations:

 

  (i)

the Bank will organize a New Jersey-chartered interim stock savings bank as a wholly-owned subsidiary (“Interim One”);

 

  (ii)

Interim One will organize a New Jersey-chartered interim stock savings bank as a wholly-owned subsidiary (“Interim Two”);

 

  (iii)

Interim One will organize the Holding Company as a wholly-owned subsidiary;

 

  (iv)

the Bank will convert to stock form and exchange its mutual savings bank organization certificate for a New Jersey stock savings bank organization certificate and thereby become the Stock Bank, and Interim One will become the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Stock Bank;

 

  (v)

the shares of common stock of Interim One held by the Stock Bank will be cancelled and Interim One will exchange its organization certificate for a New Jersey mutual holding company organization certificate to become the MHC;

 

  (vi)

concurrently with steps (iv) and (v), Interim Two will merge with and into the Stock Bank with the Stock Bank as the resulting entity and a subsidiary of the MHC, whereby all stock of the Stock Bank will be issued to the MHC in exchange for liquidation interests in the MHC; and

 

  (vii)

the MHC will contribute the capital stock of the Stock Bank to the Holding Company, and the Stock Bank will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Holding Company.

Contemporaneously with the Reorganization, the Holding Company will offer for sale in the Stock Offering shares of Common Stock representing less than 50% of the pro forma market value of the Holding Company and the Bank.

Upon consummation of the Reorganization, the Stock Bank will be deemed to be a continuation of the Bank, and all property of the Bank, including its right, title and interest in and to all property of whatever kind and nature, all interest and assets previously existing or pertaining to the Bank, or which would inure to the Bank immediately by operation of law and without the necessity of any conveyance or transfer and without any further act or deed, will vest in the Stock Bank, except for up to $100,000.00. The Stock Bank will have, hold, and enjoy the same rights and to the same extent as those rights were possessed, held, and enjoyed by the Bank. The Stock Bank will continue to have, succeed to, and be responsible for all the rights, assets, liabilities, deposits and obligations of the Bank (other than assets expressly transferred to or retained by the MHC or the Holding Company), and will maintain its headquarters and operations at the Bank’s present locations. The Stock Bank may distribute additional capital to the Holding Company following the Reorganization, subject to the applicable requirements set forth in the Regulations governing capital distributions.

 

8


  B.

Effect on Deposit Accounts and Borrowings

Each Deposit Account in the Bank on the Effective Date will remain a Deposit Account in the Stock Bank in the same amount and upon the same terms and conditions, and will continue to be federally insured up to the legal maximum by the FDIC in the same manner as the Deposit Account existed in the Bank immediately before the Reorganization. Upon consummation of the Reorganization, all loans and other borrowings from the Bank will retain the same status with the Stock Bank after the Reorganization as they had with the Bank immediately before the Reorganization.

 

  C.

The Stock Bank

Upon the completion of the Reorganization, the Stock Bank will be authorized to exercise any and all powers, rights and privileges of, and will be subject to all limitations applicable to, capital stock savings banks under New Jersey law. A copy of the proposed certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Stock Bank is attached hereto as Exhibit A and are made a part of this Plan. The Reorganization will not reduce the amount of retained earnings (other than the assets of the Bank retained by or distributed to the Holding Company or the MHC), undivided profits, and general loss reserves that the Bank had before the Reorganization. The retained earnings and general loss reserves will be accounted for by the MHC, the Holding Company and the Stock Bank on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

The initial members of the Board of Directors of the Stock Bank will be the members of the Board of Directors of the Bank serving immediately before the consummation of the Reorganization. Thereafter, the Holding Company, as the sole stockholder of the Stock Bank, will elect approximately one-third of the Stock Bank’s Board of Directors annually. The current management of the Bank will continue as the management of the Stock Bank following the Reorganization. The Stock Bank will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Holding Company. The Holding Company will be owned by its stockholders.

 

  D.

The Holding Company.

The Holding Company will be authorized to exercise any and all powers, rights and privileges, and will be subject to all limitations applicable to bank holding companies and mutual bank holding companies under applicable laws and regulations. The initial members of the Board of Directors of the Holding Company will be the members of the Board of Directors of the Bank serving immediately before the consummation of the Reorganization. Thereafter, the voting stockholders of the Holding Company will elect approximately one-third of the Holding Company’s directors annually. A copy of the proposed articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Holding Company is attached as Exhibit B and are made part of this Plan.

The Holding Company will have the power to issue shares of Capital Stock to persons other than the MHC. However, so long as the MHC is in existence, the MHC will be required to own at least a majority of the Common Stock of the Holding Company. The Holding Company will be authorized to undertake one or more Minority Stock Offerings, provided that upon completion of each Minority Stock Offering, no more than 49.9% of the Holding Company’s outstanding

 

9


Common Stock, in the aggregate, is owned by Persons other than the MHC. The Holding Company intends to offer for sale up to 49.9% of its Common Stock in the Stock Offering.

 

  E.

The MHC

As a mutual corporation, the MHC will have no stockholders. The directors of the MHC will have exclusive voting authority as to all matters relating to the MHC other than any conversion of the MHC to stock form. Except as provided in Section 23 of this Plan, any liquidation rights of Depositors that existed under New Jersey law prior to the Reorganization will continue in the MHC following the Reorganization, and such rights will continue so long as a Depositor maintains a Deposit Account with the Stock Bank. The rights and powers of the MHC, including any rights of Depositors exercisable through the MHC, will be defined by the MHC’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws (a copy of which is attached to this Plan as Exhibit C and are made a part hereof) and by the statutory and regulatory provisions applicable to bank holding companies and mutual holding companies.

The Bank will apply to the Department, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve to have the MHC receive or retain (as the case may be) up to $100,000.00 in connection with the Reorganization. All assets, rights, obligations and liabilities of whatever nature of the Bank not expressly retained by the MHC will be deemed transferred to the Stock Bank.

The initial members of the Board of Directors of the MHC will be the members of the Board of Directors of the Bank serving immediately before the consummation of the Reorganization plus the addition of one additional director as identified in the MHC’s certificate of incorporation. Thereafter, approximately one-third of the directors of the MHC will be elected annually by the members of the Board of Directors of the MHC.

 

4.

Conditions to Implementation of the Reorganization and Stock Offering

Completion of the Reorganization and Stock Offering is subject to the following conditions:

 

  A.

Approval of the Plan by two-thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors of the Bank.

 

  B.

Approval by the Department of this Plan, the certificates of incorporation of the Holding Company and the MHC, and all other transactions contemplated by this Plan for which approval is required by the Department.

 

  C.

The filing of a Holding Company Application with the Federal Reserve pursuant to the BHCA for the Holding Company and MHC to become bank holding companies by owning or acquiring 100% of the common stock of the Stock Bank in the case of the Holding Company, and a majority of the Common Stock of the Holding Company in the case of the MHC, and the approval of such Holding Company Application by the Federal Reserve.

 

  D.

The filing of the FDIC Notice with the FDIC, and the approval or non-objection of the FDIC Notice by the FDIC. In addition, the FDIC must approve any merger or

 

10


  transfer of assets and liabilities involving the Bank or an interim savings bank in connection with the Reorganization.

 

  E.

Submission of the Plan to the Voting Depositors at the Special Meeting for approval pursuant to a proxy statement and form of proxy cleared in advance by the Bank Regulators, and such Plan is approved by a majority of the total votes eligible to be cast by the Voting Depositors either in person or by valid proxy.

 

  F.

Receipt by the Bank of an opinion of the Bank’s counsel as to the federal income tax consequences of the Reorganization to the MHC, the Holding Company and the Bank.

 

  G.

Receipt by the Bank of an opinion of the Bank’s counsel or independent public accountant as to the New Jersey income tax consequences of the Reorganization to the MHC, the Holding Company and the Bank.

 

5.

Special Meeting of Depositors

After the approval of the Plan by the Bank Regulators, the Bank will schedule the Special Meeting. Promptly after receipt of regulatory approval of the Plan and at least 20 days, but not more than 45 days, before the Special Meeting, the Bank will distribute proxy solicitation materials to all Voting Depositors. The proxy solicitation materials will include a proxy statement and other documents authorized for use by the Bank Regulators. The Bank will make available a copy of the Plan to Voting Depositors upon request. The affirmative vote of at least a majority of the total votes eligible to be cast by the Voting Depositors represented at the Special Meeting either in person or by valid proxy is required for approval of the Plan. Voting may be in person or by proxy. Proxy voting may be via telephone, text message, e-mail and/or Internet, in each case as permissible. Each Voting Depositor will be entitled to cast one vote for each $100, or fraction thereof, of deposits in the Bank on the Voting Record Date. No Voting Depositor may cast more than 1,000 votes at the Special Meeting. The Bank will notify the Bank Regulators promptly of the actions of the Voting Depositors and will certify to the Commissioner the result of the vote taken at the Special Meeting.

 

6.

Liquidation Rights

Following the Reorganization, each Eligible Account Holder will have an interest in the Liquidation Account established pursuant to Section 23 of this Plan so long as such Person maintains his or her Qualifying Deposit after the Reorganization. In addition, all Persons who became Depositors with the Stock Bank after the Eligibility Record Date or become Depositors after the completion of the Reorganization will have liquidation rights with respect to the MHC to the same extent that Depositors had liquidation rights in the Bank prior to the completion of the Reorganization, but will not have an interest in the Liquidation Account. The liquidation rights of each Eligible Account Holder will be limited to such Depositor’s current interest in the Liquidation Account. In each case, no Person who ceases to be the holder of a Deposit Account with the Bank will have any liquidation rights with respect to the MHC. Borrowers of the Bank will not receive liquidation rights in the MHC in connection with any borrowings from the Bank.

 

11


7.

Conversion of MHC to Stock Form

Following the completion of the Reorganization and Stock Offering, the MHC may elect to undertake a Conversion Transaction in accordance with applicable laws. The Board of Directors of the Bank has no current intention to conduct a Conversion Transaction, and there can be no assurance when, if ever, a Conversion Transaction would occur.

In a Conversion Transaction, it is expected that the MHC would merge with and into the Holding Company with the Holding Company as the resulting entity, followed by the merger of the Holding Company with and into a new stock holding company, with the new stock holding company as the resulting entity. Depositors of the Stock Bank would receive the right to subscribe for shares of common stock of the new stock holding company, which shares would represent the ownership interest of the MHC in the Holding Company immediately before the Conversion Transaction. The additional shares of common stock of the new stock holding company issued in the Conversion Transaction would be sold at their aggregate pro forma market value as determined by an independent appraisal.

Any Conversion Transaction must be fair and equitable to Minority Stockholders. In any Conversion Transaction, the Minority Stockholders shall be entitled, without additional consideration, to maintain the same percentage ownership interest in the new stock holding company after the Conversion Transaction as their percentage ownership interest in the Holding Company immediately before the Conversion Transaction (i.e., the “Minority Ownership Interest”), subject to adjustment, if any, required by the Bank Regulators to reflect assets of the MHC, including any dividends paid to the MHC.

At the sole discretion of the Boards of Directors of the MHC and the Holding Company, a Conversion Transaction may be effected in any other manner necessary to qualify the Conversion Transaction as a tax-free reorganization under applicable federal and state tax laws, provided such Conversion Transaction does not diminish the rights and ownership interests of Minority Stockholders other than as set forth in this Plan. If a Conversion Transaction does not occur, the MHC will always own a majority of the Common Stock of the Holding Company.

A Conversion Transaction would require the prior approval of the Department and the Federal Reserve, and would also require the approval of Depositors of the Stock Bank and the stockholders of the Holding Company, including the MHC. Federal regulations require that in any Conversion Transaction the Depositors of the Stock Bank will be accorded the same stock purchase priorities as if the MHC were a mutual savings bank converting to stock form.

 

8.

Timing of the Reorganization and Sale of Capital Stock

The Bank intends to consummate the Reorganization and Stock Offering as soon as feasible following the receipt of all approvals referred to in Section 4 of this Plan. Subject to the approval of the Bank Regulators, the Holding Company intends to commence the Stock Offering concurrently with the proxy solicitation of Depositors. The Holding Company may close the Stock Offering before the Special Meeting, provided that the offer and sale of the Common Stock will be conditioned upon approval of the Plan by the Voting Depositors at the Special Meeting. Subject to Bank Regulator approval, the Bank’s proxy solicitation materials may permit certain Depositors

 

12


to return to the Bank, by a reasonable date certain, a postage paid card or other written communication requesting receipt of the prospectus if the prospectus is not mailed concurrently with the proxy solicitation materials. The Stock Offering will be conducted in compliance with the Regulations and the securities offering regulations of the SEC.

 

9.

Number of Shares to be Offered

The total number of shares (or range thereof) of Common Stock to be issued and offered for sale pursuant to the Plan will be determined initially by the Board of Directors of the Bank and the Board of Directors of the Holding Company in conjunction with the determination of the Independent Appraiser. The number of shares to be issued and offered may be adjusted before the completion of the Stock Offering. The total number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued to persons other than the MHC at the close of the Stock Offering must be less than 50% of the Holding Company’s issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock.

 

10.

Independent Valuation and Purchase Price of Shares

All shares of Common Stock sold in the Stock Offering will be sold at a uniform purchase price per share determined prior to the commencement of the Stock Offering. The purchase price per share and number of shares to be outstanding will be determined by the Board of Directors of the Holding Company based on the estimated consolidated pro forma market value of the Holding Company and the Bank as determined for such purposes by the Independent Appraiser. The aggregate purchase price for the Common Stock will be consistent with the pro forma market value of the Holding Company and the Bank.

The Holding Company intends to offer for sale and issue up to 49.9% of its Common Stock in the Stock Offering, and the Board of Directors of the Bank and Board of Directors of the Holding Company will fix the percentage of shares to be offered for sale prior to the commencement of the Stock Offering. The number of shares of Common Stock to be issued and the ownership interest of the MHC may be increased or decreased by the Holding Company, taking into consideration any change in the independent valuation and other factors, at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Bank and the Board of Directors of the Holding Company.

Before the commencement of the Stock Offering, an Estimated Valuation Range will be established, which range may vary within 15% above to 15% below the midpoint of such range, and up to 15% greater than the maximum of such range, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Holding Company at the time of the Stock Offering and consistent with applicable requirements set forth in the Regulations. In the event the aggregate purchase price of the Common Stock is below the minimum of the Estimated Value Range, or materially above the maximum of the Estimated Value Range, a resolicitation of subscribers may be required, provided that up to a 15% increase above the maximum of the Estimated Value Range will be deemed not material and thus will not require a resolicitation. Any such resolicitation will be effected in such manner and within such time as the Bank and Holding Company establish, provided that all required regulatory approvals are obtained.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no sale of Common Stock may be consummated unless, before such consummation, the Independent Appraiser confirms to the Holding Company, the

 

13


Bank and to the Bank Regulators that, to the best knowledge of the Independent Appraiser, nothing of a material nature has occurred that, taking into account all relevant factors, would cause the Independent Appraiser to conclude that the aggregate value of the Common Stock sold in the Stock Offering is incompatible with its estimate of the aggregate consolidated pro forma market value of the Holding Company and the Bank. If such confirmation is not received, the Holding Company may cancel the Stock Offering, extend the Stock Offering and establish a new price range and/or estimated price range, extend, reopen or hold a new Stock Offering or take such other action as the Bank Regulators may permit.

The estimated market value of the Holding Company and the Bank will be determined by an Independent Appraiser based on such appropriate factors that are consistent with the applicable Regulations. The Common Stock to be issued in the Stock Offering will be fully paid and nonassessable.

If there is a Community Offering, Syndicated Community Offering or Firm Commitment Offering of shares of Common Stock not subscribed for in the Subscription Offering, the price per share at which the Common Stock is sold in such Community Offering, Syndicated Community Offering or Firm Commitment Offering will be equal to the purchase price per share at which the Common Stock is sold to persons in the Subscription Offering. Shares sold in the Community Offering, Syndicated Community Offering or Firm Commitment Offering will be subject to the same limitations as shares sold in the Subscription Offering.

 

11.

Method of Offering Shares and Rights to Purchase Stock

In descending order of priority, the opportunity to purchase Common Stock in the Subscription Offering will be given to: (1) Eligible Account Holders; (2) Tax-Qualified Employee Plans; (3) Supplemental Eligible Account Holders; and (4) Other Depositors. Any shares of Common Stock that are not subscribed for in the Subscription Offering may at the discretion of the Bank and the Holding Company be offered for sale in the Community Offering, the Syndicated Community Offering or the Firm Commitment Offering. The minimum purchase by any Person will be 25 shares. The Holding Company will determine in its sole discretion whether each prospective purchaser is a Resident, Associate, or Acting in Concert as defined in the Plan, and will interpret all other provisions of the Plan in its sole discretion. All such determinations may be based on whatever evidence the Holding Company chooses to use in making any such determination.

In addition to the priorities set forth below, the Board of Directors of the Bank may establish other priorities for the purchase of Common Stock, subject to the approval of the Bank Regulators. The priorities for the purchase of shares in the Stock Offering are as follows:

 

  A.

Subscription Offering

Priority 1: Eligible Account Holders. Each Eligible Account Holder will receive non-transferable subscription rights to subscribe for shares of Common Stock offered in the Stock Offering in an amount equal to the greater of $150,000, one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of the total shares offered in the Stock Offering, or 15 times the product (rounded down to the nearest whole number) obtained by multiplying the total number of shares of Common Stock to be issued

 

14


in the Stock Offering by a fraction, of which the numerator is the Qualifying Deposit of the Eligible Account Holder and the denominator is the total amount of Qualifying Deposits of all Eligible Account Holders, in each case on the Eligibility Record Date and subject to the provisions of Section 12; provided, that the Holding Company may, in its sole discretion and without further notice to or solicitation of subscribers or other prospective purchasers, increase such maximum purchase limitation to 5% of the maximum number of shares offered in the Stock Offering or decrease such maximum purchase limitation to 0.1% of the maximum number of shares offered in the Stock Offering, subject to the overall purchase limitations set forth in Section 12. If there are insufficient shares available to satisfy all subscriptions of Eligible Account Holders, shares will be allocated to Eligible Account Holders to permit each such subscribing Eligible Account Holder to purchase a number of shares sufficient to make his total allocation equal to the lesser of 100 shares or the number of shares subscribed for. Thereafter, unallocated shares will be allocated pro rata to remaining subscribing Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions remain unfilled in the same proportion that each such subscriber’s Qualifying Deposit bear to the total amount of Qualifying Deposits of all subscribing Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions remain unfilled. If the amount so allocated exceeds the amount subscribed for by any one or more Eligible Account Holders, the excess will be reallocated (one or more times as necessary) among those Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions are still not fully satisfied on the same principle until all available shares have been allocated. To ensure proper allocation of stock, each Eligible Account Holder must list on his subscription Order Form all accounts in which he had an ownership interest as of the Eligibility Record Date. Officers and directors of the Bank, and their Associates, may qualify as Eligible Account Holders. However, if an officer or trustee of the Bank, or his or her Associate, receives subscription rights based on increased deposits at the Bank in the year before the Eligibility Record Date, subscription rights based upon these increased deposits are subordinate to the subscription rights of other Eligible Account Holders.

Priority 2: Tax-Qualified Employee Plans. The Tax-Qualified Employee Plans will be given the opportunity to purchase, in the aggregate, up to 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering. In the event of an oversubscription in the Stock Offering, subscriptions for shares by the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans may be satisfied, in whole or in part, out of authorized but unissued shares of the Holding Company subject to the maximum purchase limitations applicable to such plans as set forth herein, or may be satisfied, in whole or in part, through open market purchases by the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans after the closing of the Stock Offering. If the final valuation exceeds the maximum of the Offering Range, up to 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering may be sold to the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans notwithstanding any oversubscription by Eligible Account Holders, subject to FDIC non-objection.

Priority 3: Supplemental Eligible Account Holders. To the extent there are sufficient shares remaining after satisfaction of subscriptions by Eligible Account Holders, and the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans, each Supplemental Eligible Account Holder will receive non-transferable subscription rights to subscribe for shares of Common Stock offered in the Stock Offering in an amount equal to the greater of $150,000, one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of the total shares offered in the Stock Offering, or 15 times the product (rounded down to the nearest whole number) obtained by multiplying the total number of shares of Common Stock to be issued in the Stock Offering by a fraction, of which the numerator is the Qualifying Deposit of the

 

15


Supplemental Eligible Account Holder and the denominator is the total amount of Qualifying Deposits of all Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, in each case on the Supplemental Eligibility Record Date and subject to the provisions of Section 12; provided that the Bank may, in its sole discretion and without further notice to or solicitation of subscribers or other prospective purchasers, increase such maximum purchase limitation to 5% of the maximum number of shares offered in the Stock Offering, or decrease such maximum purchase limitation to 0.1% of the maximum number of shares offered in the Stock Offering, subject to the overall purchase limitations set forth in Section 12. If Supplemental Eligible Account Holders subscribe for a number of shares which, when added to the shares subscribed for by Eligible Account Holders and the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans, exceeds the total shares offered in the Stock Offering, the subscriptions of Supplemental Eligible Account Holders will be allocated among subscribing Supplemental Eligible Account Holders to permit each subscribing Supplemental Eligible Account Holder to purchase a number of shares sufficient to make his total allocation equal to the lesser of 100 shares or the number of shares subscribed for. Thereafter, unallocated shares will be allocated to each subscribing Supplemental Eligible Account Holder whose subscription remains unfilled in the same proportion that such subscriber’s Qualifying Deposits on the Supplemental Eligibility Record Date bear to the total amount of Qualifying Deposits of all subscribing Supplemental Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions remain unfilled. If the amount so allocated exceeds the amount subscribed for by any one or more Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, the excess will be reallocated (one or more times as necessary) among those Supplemental Eligible Account Holders whose subscriptions are still not fully satisfied on the same principle until all available shares have been allocated. Directors and Officers do not qualify as Supplemental Eligible Account Holders.

Priority 4: Other Depositors. To the extent that there are sufficient shares remaining after satisfaction of subscriptions by Eligible Account Holders, the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans and Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, each Other Depositor shall receive non-transferable subscription rights to subscribe for shares of Common Stock offered in the Stock Offering in an amount equal to $150,000, provided that the Bank may, in its sole discretion and without further notice to or solicitation of subscribers or other prospective purchasers, increase such maximum purchase limitation to 5% of the maximum number of shares offered in the Stock Offering, or decrease such maximum purchase limitation to 0.1% of the maximum number of shares offered in the Stock Offering, subject to the overall purchase limitations set forth in Section 12. In the event Other Depositors subscribe for a number of shares which, when added to the shares subscribed for by the Eligible Account Holders, Tax-Qualified Employee Plans and Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, exceeds the total number of shares offered in the Stock Offering, the subscriptions of such Other Depositors will be allocated among subscribing Other Depositors on a pro rata basis based on the size of such Other Depositors’ orders.

 

  B.

Community Offering

Any shares of Common Stock not subscribed for in the Subscription Offering may be offered for sale in the Community Offering. This will involve an offering of all unsubscribed shares directly to the general public with a preference to those natural persons residing in the Community. The Community Offering, if any, will be for a period of not more than 45 days, unless extended by the Holding Company and the Bank, and will begin concurrently with, during or promptly after the Subscription Offering. The Holding Company and the Bank may use one or

 

16


more investment banking firms on a best efforts basis to sell the unsubscribed shares in the Subscription and Community Offering. The Holding Company and the Bank may pay a commission or other fee to such investment banking firm(s) for shares sold by such firm(s) in the Subscription and Community Offerings and may reimburse such firm(s) for expenses incurred in connection with the sale. No Person may purchase more than $150,000 of Common Stock in the Community Offering, subject to the overall purchase limitations set forth in Section 12. If orders for shares of Common Stock in the Community Offering exceed the number of shares available for sale, then shares will be allocated (to the extent shares remain available) first, to cover orders of natural persons residing in the Community, and, then, to the extent any shares remain available, to cover orders of other members of the general public on a basis that will promote a widespread distribution of the Common Stock. If orders for shares of Common Stock in each of these categories exceed the number of shares available for sale within such category, then orders will first be filled up to a maximum of 2% of the shares sold in the Stock Offering, and thereafter remaining shares will be allocated on an equal number of shares basis per order.

The Bank and the Holding Company, in their sole discretion, may reject orders, in whole or in part, received from any Person in the Community Offering.

 

  C.

Syndicated Community Offering or Firm Commitment Offering

If feasible, any shares of Common Stock not sold in the Subscription Offering or in the Community Offering, if any, may be offered for sale to the general public by a selling group of broker-dealers in a Syndicated Community Offering, subject to terms, conditions and procedures, including the timing of the offering, as may be determined by the Bank and the Holding Company, subject to the right of the Holding Company, in its sole discretion, to accept or reject in whole or in part all orders in the Syndicated Community Offering. It is expected that the Syndicated Community Offering would begin as soon as practicable after termination of the Subscription Offering and the Community Offering, if any. The Syndicated Community Offering will be completed within 45 days after the termination of the Subscription Offering, unless such period is extended as provided herein. No Person may purchase more than $150,000 of Common Stock in the Syndicated Community Offering, subject to the overall purchase limitations set forth in Section 12.

Alternatively, if feasible, the Board of Directors may determine to offer any shares of Common Stock sold in the Subscription Offering and any Community Offering for sale in a Firm Commitment Offering subject to such terms, conditions and procedures as may be determined by the Bank and the Holding Company, subject to the right of the Holding Company, in its sole discretion, to accept or reject in whole or in part any orders in the Firm Commitment Offering. Provided the Subscription Offering has begun, the Holding Company may begin the Firm Commitment Offering at any time. Any Firm Commitment Offering will be completed within 45 days after the termination of the Subscription Offering, unless such period is extended as provided herein. No Person may purchase more than $150,000 of Common Stock in the Firm Commitment Offering, subject to the overall purchase limitations set forth in Section 12.

If, for any reason, a Syndicated Community Offering or a Firm Commitment Offering for the shares of Common Stock not sold in the Subscription Offering or any Community Offering cannot be effected and any shares remain unsold after the Subscription Offering and the

 

17


Community Offering, if any, the Board of Directors of the Holding Company and the Board of Directors of the Bank will seek to make other arrangements to sell unsubscribed shares aggregating at least the minimum of the Offering Range. Such other arrangements will be subject to the receipt of any required approvals of the Bank Regulators.

 

12.

Additional Limitations on Purchases of Common Stock

Purchases of Common Stock in the Stock Offering will be subject to the following purchase limitations:

 

  A.

The aggregate amount of outstanding Common Stock of the Holding Company owned or controlled by persons other than MHC at the close of the Stock Offering shall be less than 50% of the Holding Company’s total outstanding Common Stock.

 

  B.

The maximum purchase of Common Stock in the Subscription Offering by a Person or group of Persons through a single Deposit Account is $150,000. No Person by himself, with an Associate or group of Persons Acting in Concert, may purchase more than $250,000 of the Common Stock offered in the Stock Offering except that: (i) the Holding Company may, in its sole discretion and without further notice to or solicitation of subscribers or other prospective purchasers, increase such maximum purchase limitation to 9.9% of the number of shares sold in the Stock Offering, provided that the total number of shares purchased by Persons, their Associates and those Persons with whom they are Acting in Concert, to the extent such purchases exceed 5% of the shares sold in the Stock Offering, may not exceed, in the aggregate, 10% (or such higher percentage as may be determined by the Board of Directors of the Bank with the approval of the Bank Regulators) of the total number of the shares sold in the Stock Offering; (ii) the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans may purchase, in the aggregate, up to 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering; and (iii) for purposes of this subsection 12.B, shares to be held by any Tax-Qualified Employee Plan and attributable to a Person will not be aggregated with other shares purchased directly by or otherwise attributable to such Person.

 

  C.

The aggregate amount of Common Stock acquired in the Stock Offering, plus all prior issuances by the Holding Company, by any one or more Tax-Qualified Employee Plans, exclusive of any shares of Common Stock acquired by such plans in the secondary market, may not exceed 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company or 4.9% of the stockholders’ equity of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering.

 

  D.

The aggregate amount of Common Stock acquired in the Stock Offering, plus all prior issuances by the Holding Company, by any one or more Tax-Qualified Employee Plans and any one or more Non-Tax-Qualified Employee Plans, exclusive of any shares of Common Stock acquired by such plans in the secondary market, may not exceed 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company or 4.9% of the stockholders’ equity of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering, provided, however, if the Holding Company’s

 

18


  tangible capital ratio equals at least 10% at the time of implementation of such plans, the Tax-Qualified and Non-Tax Qualified Employee Plans may purchase in the aggregate up to 5.88% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or stockholders’ equity of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering.

 

  E.

The aggregate amount of Common Stock acquired in the Stock Offering, plus all prior issuances by the Holding Company, by any one or more restricted stock plans, exclusive of any shares of Common Stock acquired by such plans in the secondary market, may not exceed 1.47% of the outstanding shares of Holding Company Common Stock or 1.47% of the Holding Company’s stockholders’ equity at the conclusion of the Stock Offering; provided, however, if the Holding Company tangible capital ratio equals at least 10% at the time of implementation of the plans, any restricted stock plans may purchase in the aggregate up to 1.96% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or stockholders’ equity of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering.

 

  F.

The aggregate amount of Common Stock acquired in the Stock Offering, plus all prior issuances by the Holding Company, by one or more stock option plans, exclusive of any Common Stock acquired by such plans in the secondary market, may not exceed 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Holding Company Common Stock or stockholders’ equity of the Holding Company at the conclusion of the Stock Offering.

 

  G.

The aggregate amount of Common Stock acquired in the Stock Offering, plus all prior issuances by the Holding Company, by all stock option plans and restricted stock plans or acquired by all Management Persons and their Associates in the secondary market, may not exceed 25% (or such higher percentage as may be set by the Board of Directors with the approval of the Bank Regulators) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or 25% of the stockholders’ equity of the Holding Company held by persons other than the MHC at the conclusion of the Stock Offering. In calculating the number of shares held by Management Persons and their Associates under this paragraph, shares held by any Tax-Qualified Employee Plan or Non-Tax-Qualified Employee Plan that are attributable to such persons will not be counted.

 

  H.

The amount of common stock that may be encompassed under all stock option plans and restricted stock plans of the Holding Company may not exceed, in the aggregate, 25% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company held by persons other than the MHC at the conclusion of the Stock Offering.

 

  I.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, no Person will be entitled to purchase any Common Stock to the extent such purchase would be illegal under any federal law or state law or regulation or would violate regulations or policies of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, particularly those regarding free riding and withholding. The Holding Company and/or its agents may ask for an

 

19


  acceptable legal opinion from any purchaser as to the legality of such purchase and may refuse to honor any purchase order if such opinion is not timely furnished.

 

  J.

The Board of Directors of the Holding Company has the right in its sole discretion to reject any order submitted by a Person whose representations the Board of Directors of the Holding Company believes to be false or who it otherwise believes, either alone or Acting in Concert with others, is violating, circumventing, or intends to violate, evade or circumvent the terms and conditions of this Plan.

 

  K.

A minimum of 25 shares of Common Stock must be purchased by each Person purchasing shares in the Stock Offering to the extent those shares are available; provided, however, that in the event the minimum number of shares of Common Stock purchased times the price per share exceeds $500, then such minimum purchase requirement will be reduced to such number of shares which when multiplied by the price per share will not exceed $500, as determined by the Board.

Subscription rights afforded by this Plan and by Bank Regulator requirements, are non-transferable. No Person may transfer, offer to transfer, or enter into any agreement or understanding to transfer, the legal or beneficial ownership of any subscription rights under this Plan. No Person may transfer, offer to transfer or enter into an agreement or understanding to transfer legal or beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock except pursuant to this Plan.

Each Person purchasing Common Stock in the Stock Offering will be deemed to confirm that such purchase does not conflict with the purchase limitations in the Plan. All questions concerning whether any Persons are Associates or a group Acting in Concert or whether any purchase conflicts with the purchase limitations in this Plan or otherwise violates any provisions of this Plan shall be determined by the Bank in its sole discretion. Such determination shall be conclusive, final and binding on all Persons, and the Bank may take any remedial action including, without limitation, rejecting the purchase or referring the matter to the Bank Regulators for action, as the Bank may in its sole discretion consider appropriate.

 

13.

Payment for Common Stock

All payments for Common Stock subscribed for or ordered in the Stock Offering must be delivered in full to the Bank or an agent of the Bank, together with a properly completed and executed Order Form, or purchase order in the case of the Syndicated Community Offering, on or before the expiration date specified on the Order Form or purchase order, as the case may be, unless such date is extended by the Bank; provided, that if the Employee Plans subscribe for shares of Common Stock during the Subscription Offering, such plans may pay for such shares upon consummation of the Stock Offering. The Holding Company or the Bank may make scheduled discretionary contributions to the ESOP provided such contributions from the Bank, if any, do not cause the Bank to fail to meet its regulatory capital requirements.

Payment for Common Stock must be made by either a personal check, a bank draft or a money order or, if a purchaser has a Deposit Account, the purchaser’s authorization of withdrawal

 

20


from the purchaser’s Deposit Account in an amount equal to the purchase price of such shares. Such authorized withdrawal, whether from a savings passbook or certificate account, will be without any premature withdrawal penalty. If the authorized withdrawal is from a certificate account, and the remaining balance does not meet the applicable minimum balance requirements, the certificate will be canceled at the time of withdrawal, without penalty, and the remaining balance will earn interest at the Bank’s passbook rate. Funds for which a withdrawal is authorized will remain in the purchaser’s Deposit Account but may not be used by the purchaser until the Common Stock has been sold or the 45-day period (or such longer period as may be approved by the Bank Regulators) following the Stock Offering has expired, whichever occurs first. Thereafter, the withdrawal will be given effect only to the extent necessary to satisfy the subscription (to the extent it can be filled) at the purchase price per share set forth in the Order Form. Interest will continue to be earned on any amounts authorized for withdrawal until such withdrawal is given effect.

Subscription funds received before the completion of the Stock Offering will be held in a segregated deposit account at the Bank or, in the Bank’s discretion, at another federally insured depository institution. The Bank will pay interest on subscription funds made by personal check, bank draft or money order at a rate no less than the Bank’s passbook rate. Such interest will be paid from the date payment is received by the Bank until consummation or termination of the Stock Offering. If, for any reason, the Stock Offering is not consummated, all payments made by subscribers in the Stock Offering will be refunded to them with interest. In case of amounts authorized for withdrawal from Deposit Accounts, such amounts will be refunded by canceling the authorization for withdrawal.

 

14.

Manner of Exercising Subscription Rights Through Order Forms

As soon as practicable after the prospectus prepared by the Holding Company has been declared effective by the SEC, and the Bank Regulators have approved the Reorganization and Stock Offering, copies of the prospectus and Order Forms will be distributed to all Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, Other Depositors and the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans at their last known addresses appearing on the records of the Bank to subscribe for shares of Common Stock in the Subscription Offering and will be made available for use by those other persons to whom a prospectus is delivered.

Each Order Form will be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus describing the Holding Company, the Bank, the Common Stock and the Subscription and Community Offerings. Each Order Form will contain, among other things, the following:

 

  A.

A specified date by which all Order Forms must be received by the Bank, which date will be not less than 20, nor more than 45 days, following the date on which the Order Forms are mailed by the Bank, and which date will constitute the termination of the Subscription Offering;

 

  B.

The purchase price per share for shares of Common Stock to be sold in the Subscription and Community Offerings;

 

21


  C.

A description of the minimum and maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be subscribed for pursuant to the exercise of Subscription Rights or otherwise purchased in the Community Offering;

 

  D.

Instructions as to how the recipient of the Order Form must indicate thereon the number of shares of Common Stock for which such Person elects to subscribe and the available alternative methods of payment therefor;

 

  E.

An acknowledgment that the recipient of the Order Form has received a final copy of the prospectus before the execution of the Order Form;

 

  F.

A statement indicating the consequences of failing to properly complete and return the Order Form, including a statement to the effect that all subscription rights are nontransferable, will be void at the end of the Subscription Offering, and can only be exercised by delivering to the Bank within the subscription period such properly completed and executed Order Form, together with a personal check, bank draft or money order in the full amount of the purchase price as specified in the Order Form for the shares of Common Stock for which the recipient elects to subscribe in the Subscription Offering (or by authorizing on the Order Form that the Bank withdraw said amount from the subscriber’s Deposit Account at the Bank);

 

  G.

A statement to the effect that the executed Order Form, once received by the Bank, may not be modified or amended by the subscriber without the consent of the Bank; and

 

  H.

Certain legends stating that subscription rights may not be transferred and the shares of the Common Stock are not deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the federal government, and a certification stating that the subscriber is purchasing the shares for his or her own account.

The Bank and the Holding Company reserve the right in their sole discretion to accept or reject orders received on photocopied or facsimiled Order Forms.

 

15.

Undelivered, Defective or Late Order Form; Insufficient Payment

If an Order Form (a) is not delivered and is returned to the Bank by the United States Postal Service or the Bank is unable to locate the addressee, (b) is not received back by the Bank or is received by the Bank after the expiration date specified thereon, (c) is defectively completed or executed, (d) is not accompanied by the full required payment for the shares of Common Stock subscribed for (including cases in which Deposit Accounts from which withdrawals are authorized are insufficient to cover the amount of the required payment), or (e) is not mailed pursuant to a “no mail” order placed in effect by the account holder, then, in each case, the subscription rights of the Person to whom such rights have been granted will lapse as though such Person failed to return the completed Order Form within the time period specified thereon; provided, that the Bank may, but is not required to, waive any immaterial irregularity on any Order Form or require the submission of a corrected Order Form or the remittance of full payment for subscribed shares by such date as the Bank may specify. The interpretation by the Bank of terms and conditions of this Plan and of the Order Forms will be final, subject to the authority of the Bank Regulators.

 

22


16.

Completion of the Stock Offering

The Stock Offering will terminate if not completed within 90 days from the date on which the Bank Regulators approve the Plan, unless the Bank Regulators approve an extension of the Stock Offering.

 

17.

Market for Common Stock

Upon completion of the Stock Offering, the Holding Company will use its best efforts to:

 

  (i)

encourage and assist a Market Maker to establish and maintain a market for that class of stock; and

 

  (ii)

list that class of stock on a national or regional securities exchange, or on the Nasdaq quotation system.

 

18.

Stock Purchases by Management Persons After the Stock Offering

For a period of three years after the consummation of the Stock Offering, no Management Person or his or her Associates may purchase, without the prior written approval of the Bank Regulators, any Common Stock of the Holding Company, except from a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The foregoing will not apply to purchases of stock made by and held by any Tax-Qualified or Non-Tax Qualified Employee Plan even if such stock is attributable to Management Persons or their Associates.

 

19.

Resales of Stock by Directors and Officers

Common Stock purchased by Management Persons and their Associates in the Stock Offering may not be resold for a period of at least one year following the date of purchase, except in the case of death or judicial declaration of incompetency of a Management Person or an Associate. Each certificate will bear a legend giving appropriate notice of this restriction. Appropriate instructions will be issued to the Holding Company’s transfer agent with respect to applicable restrictions on transfers of such stock. Any shares of stock issued as a stock dividend, stock split or otherwise with respect to such restricted stock, will be subject to the same restrictions as apply to the restricted stock.

 

20.

Restriction on Financing Stock Purchases

The Holding Company and the Bank will not loan funds to any Person to purchase Common Stock in the Stock Offering, and will not knowingly offer or sell any of the Common Stock to any Person whose purchase would be financed by funds loaned to the Person by the Holding Company, the Bank or any Affiliate.

 

21.

Stock Benefit Plans

A. The Holding Company and the Bank are authorized to implement Tax-Qualified Employee Plans in connection with the Reorganization and Stock Offering, and this Plan authorizes one or more existing as well as new Tax-Qualified Employee Plans including, without

 

23


limitation, the ESOP, to purchase a number of shares equal to up to 4.9% of the Holding Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock upon completion of the Stock Offering. Such purchases may be made in the Stock Offering or purchased by the Holding Company thereafter in the open market.

B. The Holding Company and the Bank also are authorized to implement stock option plans, restricted stock plans, and other Non-Tax-Qualified Employee Plans no sooner than six months after the completion of the Reorganization and Stock Offering, and the Holding Company intends to implement such plans for the benefit of employees, officers and directors of the Stock Bank or Holding Company after the completion of the Reorganization and Stock Offering, subject to any necessary stockholder approvals. This Plan specifically authorizes the grant and issuance by the Holding Company, no earlier than six months after the completion of the Stock Offering, of (i) awards of Common Stock pursuant to one or more stock recognition and award plans (“Recognition Plans”) in an amount equal to up to 1.96% of the Holding Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock upon completion of the Stock Offering (and in a greater amount if the Recognition Plans are implemented more than one year after the completion of the Stock Offering in accordance with applicable law), and (ii) options to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock pursuant to one or more stock option plans in an amount equal to up to 4.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company upon completion of the Stock Offering (and a greater amount if the stock option plans are implemented more than one year after the completion of the Stock Offering in accordance with applicable law).

 

22.

Post-Reorganization Filing and Market Making

There may be a limited market for the Common Stock sold in the Stock Offering, and purchasers must be prepared to hold the Common Stock indefinitely. Upon completion of the Stock Offering, the Holding Company will register the Common Stock with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, and will undertake not to deregister the Common Stock for a period of three years thereafter.

 

23.

Liquidation Account

At the time of the Reorganization, the MHC will establish a Liquidation Account in the MHC and/or the Bank in an amount equal to the Bank’s total equity as reflected in the latest statement of financial condition contained in the final Prospectus used in the Offering. The Liquidation Account will be maintained for the benefit of the Eligible Account Holders who continue to maintain their Deposit Accounts at the Bank. Each Eligible Account Holder shall, with respect to his or her Deposit Account, hold a related inchoate interest in a portion of the Liquidation Account balance in relation to his or her Deposit Account balance at the Eligibility Record Date, or to such balance as it may be subsequently reduced, as hereinafter provided.

In the unlikely event of a complete liquidation of the Bank (and only in such event), following all liquidation payments to creditors (including those to Account Holders to the extent of their Deposit Accounts) each Eligible Account Holder will be entitled to receive a liquidating distribution from the Liquidation Account (and only from the Liquidation Account) in the amount of the then adjusted subaccount balance of his or her Deposit Account then held, before any liquidation distribution may be made to any holders of the Bank’s or Holding Company’s capital

 

24


stock. No merger, consolidation, purchase of bulk assets, assumption of Deposit Accounts and other liabilities, or similar transactions with an FDIC-insured institution, in which the Bank is not the surviving institution will be deemed to be a complete liquidation for this purpose. In such transactions, the Liquidation Account will be assumed by the surviving institution.

The initial subaccount balance for a Deposit Account held by an Eligible Account Holder will be determined by multiplying the opening balance in the Liquidation Account by a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount of the Qualifying Deposits of such Account Holder and the denominator of which is the total amount of all Qualifying Deposits of all Eligible Account Holders. Such initial subaccount balance will not be increased, but will be subject to downward adjustment as described below.

If, at the close of business on the last day of any period for which the Bank or the Holding Company, as the case may be, has prepared audited financial statements subsequent to the effective date of the Reorganization and Stock Offering, the deposit balance in the Deposit Account of an Eligible Account Holder is less than the lesser of: (i) the balance in the Deposit Account at the close of business on the last day of any period for which the Bank or the Holding Company, as the case may be, has prepared audited financial statements after the Eligibility Record Date; or (ii) the amount of the Qualifying Deposit in such Deposit Account as of the Eligibility Record Date, the subaccount balance for such Deposit Account will be adjusted by reducing such subaccount balance in an amount proportionate to the reduction in such deposit balance. If there is such a downward adjustment, the subaccount balance will not be subsequently increased notwithstanding any subsequent increase in the deposit balance of the related Deposit Account. If any such Deposit Account is closed or reduced to zero, the related subaccount balance will be reduced to zero. The creation and maintenance of the Liquidation Account will not operate to restrict the use or application of any of the equity accounts of the Bank, except that the Bank will not declare or pay a cash dividend on, or repurchase any of, its capital stock if the effect thereof would cause its equity to be reduced below the amount required for the Liquidation Account. In the event of a conversion of the MHC to stock form, the Liquidation Account will be extinguished or terminated and no liquidating distribution will be made to Eligible Account Holders. Instead, in a conversion of the MHC to stock form, a new liquidation account or accounts will be established pursuant to the mutual-to-stock conversion regulations of the Department and the Federal Reserve, or any successor thereto.

 

24.

Payment of Dividends and Repurchase of Stock

The Holding Company may not declare or pay a cash dividend on its Common Stock if the effect thereof would reduce the consolidated capital of the Holding Company to a level below any applicable regulatory capital requirement or below the amount required for the Liquidation Account. Otherwise, the Holding Company may declare dividends or make other capital distributions subject to compliance with any applicable Regulations. Following completion of the Stock Offering, the Holding Company may repurchase its Common Stock so long as such repurchases do not reduce the consolidated capital of the Holding Company to a level below any applicable regulatory capital requirements or below the amount required for the Liquidation Account. The Holding Company will comply with any applicable laws and regulations in connection with the repurchase of any shares of its Common Stock following completion of the Stock Offering. The MHC may from time to time purchase Common Stock of the Holding

 

25


Company, subject to compliance with any applicable Regulations. Subject to any notice or approval requirements of the Federal Reserve, the MHC may waive its right to receive dividends declared by the Holding Company.

 

25.

Contribution to the Foundation

As part of the Reorganization, the Holding Company and the Bank intend to donate shares of Common Stock and cash to the Foundation, in such amounts, subject to regulatory limits, as approved by the Board of Directors. This contribution to the Foundation is intended to enhance the Bank’s existing community reinvestment activities, and to share with the communities in which the Bank conducts its business a part of the Bank’s financial success as a community oriented financial services institution. The contribution of Common Stock to the Foundation may further this goal as it may enable the community to share in the growth and profitability of the Holding Company and the Bank over the long term.

The Foundation is dedicated to the promotion of charitable purposes including community development, grants or donations to support housing assistance, not-for-profit community groups and other types of organizations or civic-minded projects. The Foundation will annually distribute total grants to assist charitable organizations or to fund projects within its local community of not less than 5% of the average fair market value of Foundation assets each year, less certain expenses. In order to serve the purposes for which it was formed and to maintain its qualification under Code Section 501(c)(3), the Foundation may sell, on an annual basis, a portion of the Foundation Shares.

For a period of five years following the Reorganization, except for temporary periods resulting from death, resignation, removal or disqualification, (i) at least one director of the Foundation will be an independent director who is unaffiliated with the Holding Company and the Bank, who is from the Bank’s local community and who has experience with local community charitable organizations and grant making, and (ii) at least one director must be a person who is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank. The board of directors of the Foundation will be responsible for establishing the policies of the Foundation, including a conflicts of interest policy, consistent with the stated purposes of the Foundation.

The contribution to the Foundation as part of the Reorganization must be approved by a majority of the total number of votes eligible to be cast by Voting Depositors. The decision to proceed with the formation and/or grant of Common Stock and/or cash to the Foundation will be at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors. If the Foundation is not approved by Voting Depositors, the Common Stock that would have been contributed to the Foundation as part of the Reorganization will be retained by or issued to the MHC.

 

26.

Reorganization and Stock Offering Expenses

In accordance with the regulations of the FDIC and the Department, the expenses incurred by the Bank and the Holding Company in effecting the Reorganization and the Stock Offering will be reasonable.

 

26


27.

Employment and Other Severance Agreements

Prior to, concurrently with or following the completion of the Stock Offering, the Bank and/or the Holding Company may enter into or amend existing employment and/or severance arrangements with one or more executive officers of the Bank and/or the Holding Company. The Bank and/or the Holding Company also may enter into severance arrangements with one or more executive officers, which provide for the payment of severance compensation in the event of a change in control of the Bank and/or the Holding Company. The material terms of such employment and severance arrangements, if implemented, would be described in the prospectus circulated in connection with the Stock Offering and would be subject to and comply with all applicable Regulations of the Bank Regulators.

 

28.

Residents of Foreign Countries and Certain States

The Holding Company will make reasonable efforts to comply with the securities laws of all States in the United States in which Persons entitled to subscribe for shares of Common Stock pursuant to this Plan reside. However, no Person will be issued subscription rights or be permitted to purchase shares of Common Stock in the Subscription Offering if such Person resides in a foreign country or resides in a state of the United States with respect to which any of the following apply: (A) a small number of Persons otherwise eligible to subscribe for shares under this Plan reside in such state; (B) the issuance of subscription rights or the offer or sale of shares of Common Stock to such Persons would require the Holding Company, under the securities laws of such state, to register as a broker, dealer, salesman or agent or to register or otherwise qualify its securities for sale in such state; or (C) such registration or qualification would be impracticable for reasons of cost or otherwise.

 

29.

Interpretation

All interpretations of this Plan and application of its provisions to particular circumstances by a majority of the Board of Directors of the Bank will be final, subject to the authority of the Bank Regulators.

 

30.

Amendment or Termination of the Plan

If necessary or desirable, the terms of this Plan may be substantially amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Bank as a result of comments received from the Bank Regulators, or otherwise, at any time before the solicitation of proxies and submission of the Plan and proxy materials to a vote of the Voting Depositors. At any time after the solicitation of proxies and submission of the Plan and proxy materials to a vote of the Voting Depositors, the terms of the Plan that relate to the Reorganization may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Bank only with the concurrence of the Bank Regulators. The terms of this Plan relating to the Stock Offering, including, without limitation, Sections 8 through 29, may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Bank as a result of comments received from the Bank Regulators, or for any other reason, at any time before the approval of the Plan by the Bank Regulators, and at any time thereafter with the concurrence of the Bank Regulators. The Plan may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Bank at any time before the earlier of the approval of the Plan by the Bank Regulators and the date of the Special Meeting,

 

27


and may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the Bank at any time thereafter with the concurrence of the Bank Regulators. In its discretion, the Board of Directors of the Bank may modify or terminate the Plan upon the order of the Bank Regulators without a resolicitation of proxies or another meeting of the Voting Depositors; however, any material amendment of the terms of the Plan that relate to the Reorganization which occur after the Special Meeting will require a resolicitation of Voting Depositors. Failure of the Voting Depositors to approve the Plan will terminate the Plan. This Plan will terminate if the Reorganization and Stock Offering are not completed within 24 months from the date upon which the Commissioner approves the Plan.

 

28


EXHIBIT A

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Stock Bank


BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

SECTION 1. Corporate Title. The full corporate title of the Savings Bank is “Bogota Savings Bank.”

SECTION 2. Office. The home office of the Savings Bank shall be located at 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666.

SECTION 3. Duration. The duration of the Savings Bank is perpetual.

SECTION 4. Purpose and Powers. The Savings Bank is a capital stock savings bank incorporated under Title 17, Chapter 9A-1 et seq. of the New Jersey Revised Statutes, as amended, and has and may exercise all the express, implied and incidental powers conferred thereby and by all acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto, subject to the Constitution and laws of the State of New Jersey as they are now in effect, or as they may hereafter be amended, and subject to all lawful and applicable rules, regulations, and orders of the Commissioner of the Department of Banking and Insurance of the State of New Jersey (the “Commissioner”). In addition, the Savings Bank may make any investment and engage in any activity as may be specifically authorized by action of the Commissioner or his or her delegate in connection with action approving the issuance of this Certificate of Incorporation. This Savings Bank shall not have the power to exercise any fiduciary power that may by law be exercised only by banks which are qualified to act as fiduciaries.

SECTION 5. Capital Stock. The total number of shares of all classes of the capital stock that the Savings Bank has authority to issue five million (5,000,000), all of which are to be shares of Common Stock, $2.00 par value per share. These shares may be issued by the Savings Bank from time to time as approved by its Board of Directors and the Commissioner without the approval of its stockholders.

The consideration for the issuance of the shares shall be paid in full before their issuance and shall not be less than the par value per share. Neither promissory notes nor future services shall constitute payment or part payment for the issuance of shares of the Savings Bank. The consideration for the shares shall be cash, tangible or intangible property, labor or services actually performed for the Savings Bank or any combination of the foregoing. In the absence of actual fraud in the transaction, the value of such property, labor or services, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Savings Bank, shall be conclusive. Upon payment of such consideration such shares shall be deemed to be fully paid and nonassessable. The Savings Bank shall have a reserve fund for organizational expenses of at least seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500). The Savings Bank shall also maintain a capital surplus of at least thirty thousand dollars ($30,000). As of ________________, 2019, the amount of surplus of the Savings Bank’s mutual savings bank predecessor was $[•].

Dividends may be paid in capital stock of the Savings Bank without an amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Savings Bank notwithstanding the payment of such stock dividend effects an increase in the outstanding capital stock of the Savings Bank. In such a case, stock dividends may be paid from time to time in common stock at the discretion of the Board of


Directors; provided, that, prior to the date of the payment of any such stock dividend, an appropriate certificate of the officers of the Savings Bank, with the endorsement of approval of the Commissioner, is filed with the Department of Banking and Insurance of the State of New Jersey. In the case of a stock dividend, that part of the surplus of the Savings Bank that is transferred to stated capital upon the issuance of shares as a stock dividend shall be deemed to be the consideration for their issuance.

The holders of the common stock shall exclusively possess all voting power. Each holder of shares of common stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share held by such holder, including the election of directors.

In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Savings Bank, the holders of the capital stock shall be entitled, after payment or provision for payment of all debts and liabilities of the Savings Bank, to receive the remaining assets of the Savings Bank available for distribution, in cash or in kind.

SECTION 6. Preemptive Rights. Holders of the capital stock of the Savings Bank shall not be entitled to preemptive rights with respect to any shares of the Savings Bank that may be issued.

SECTION 7. Directors. The Savings Bank shall be under the direction of a board of directors. The number of directors shall consist of no less than five (5), and not more than twenty-one (21) members, as determined by the Board of Directors. The directors shall be divided into three classes. The members of each class shall be elected for a term of three years and until their successors are elected and qualify. One class shall be elected annually. The Board of Directors may increase or decrease the number of directors as authorized by Section 189 of The Banking Act of 1948 (N.J.S.A., 17:9A-189) and may appoint persons to fill the vacancies so created, subject to the limitation, however, that there shall not at any time be more directors than authorized by Section 188 of The Banking Act of 1948 (N.J.S.A., 17:9A-188).

The persons serving as members of the Board of Directors of Bogota Savings Bank, a New Jersey-chartered mutual savings bank and the Savings Bank’s predecessor, at the date of consummation of the conversion of Bogota Savings Bank to the stock form, shall become the initial directors of the Savings Bank and be divided into three classes. The term of office of the first class shall expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders after such consummation, the term of office of directors of the second class shall expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders after such consummation, and the term of office of directors of the third class shall expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders after such consummation; and, as to directors of each class, when their respective successors are elected and qualified. At each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders, directors elected to succeed those whose terms are expiring shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders and when their respective successors are elected and qualified.

Vacancies in the Board of Directors of the Savings Bank shall be filled by a majority vote of the directors then in office, whether or not a quorum, and any director so chosen shall hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders at which the term of the class to which he has chosen expires and when his successor is elected and qualified.

 

2


SECTION 8. Initial Directors. The number of directors constituting the initial Board of Directors of the Savings Bank is five (5). The names and classes of such initial directors are as follows:

 

Name

   Term Expires

Steven M. Goldberg

   2020

John Masterson

   2020

Joseph Coccaro

   2021

Bruce H. Dexter

   2021

Gary Gensheimer

   2022

SECTION 9. Registered Office. The street address of the Savings Bank’s initial registered office in the State of New Jersey is 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666, and the name of its initial registered agent at such address is Joseph Coccaro.

SECTION 10. Incorporators. The names and addresses of each incorporator are as follows:

 

Name

  

Residential Address

Joseph Coccaro    6 Heather Lane, Middletown, NJ 07748
Bruce H. Dexter    23 Mountain Road, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Gary Gensheimer    215 Cedar Island Drive, Brick, NJ 08723
Steven M. Goldberg    137 Brewster Road, Wyckoff, NJ 07481
John Masterson    24 Country Club Way, Demarest, NJ 07627
Brian McCourt    63 Woodside Avenue, Midland Park, NJ 07432
Kevin Pace    225 Williams Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
Steve Petropoulos    18-19 Chandler Drive, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Brian Kohles    140 Mayhill Street, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663

SECTION 12. Limitation of Liability of Officers and Directors

A director or officer of the Savings Bank shall not be personally liable to the Savings Bank or to any stockholder of the Savings Bank for damages for breach of any duty owed to the Savings Bank or its stockholders, except that this provision shall not relieve a director or officer from liability for any breach of duty based upon an act or omission (a) in breach of such person’s duty of loyalty to the Savings Bank, (b) not in good faith or involving a knowing violation of law, or (c) resulting in receipt by such person of an improper benefit. If the Banking Act of 1948 as presently enacted is amended after the date hereof to authorize action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of a director or officer of the Savings Bank shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Banking Act of 1948, as so amended. Any repeal or modification of this Section 12 shall be prospective only and shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

 

3


SECTION 13. Amendments of Certificate and Bylaws.

This Certificate of Incorporation may be amended as provided by Article 19 of the Banking Act of 1948, as amended.

The Board of Directors may make, alter, amend and repeal the bylaws of the Savings Bank, subject to the right of stockholders to make, alter, amend and repeal the bylaws, as provided by Article 16 of the Banking Act of 1948, as amended.

 

4


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, WE THE UNDERSIGNED, being each of the incorporators hereinbefore named, for the purpose of forming a capital stock savings bank, pursuant to Title 17, Chapter 9A-1 et seq. of the New Jersey Revised Statutes, do make this certificate hereby declaring and certifying that this our act and deed and the facts herein stated are true, and accordingly have hereunto set our hands this ______ day of _____________________, 2019.

 

 

Joseph Coccaro

    

 

Bruce H. Dexter

 

Gary Gensheimer

    

 

Steven M. Goldberg

 

John Masterson

    

 

Brian McCourt

 

Kevin Pace

    

 

Steve Petropoulos

 

Brian Kohles

    

 

5


BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I

NAME AND LOCATION

The name of this savings bank is Bogota Savings Bank, in Teaneck, New Jersey, located in the County of Bergen, and State of New Jersey.

ARTICLE II

SEAL

The Board of Directors of this Savings Bank shall have the power to adopt and use a corporate seal, and to change the same from time to time.

ARTICLE III

OBJECTS

The objects of this Savings Bank shall be to operate as a stock savings bank as is and may be permitted and provided by the laws of the State of New Jersey, including The Banking Act of 1948 of New Jersey, as amended, (the “Banking Act”) (N.J.S.A. 17:9A-1, et seq.), and to do and perform all things and acts consistent with law, as shall be authorized or approved by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IV

STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1. Place of Meetings. All annual and special meetings of stockholders shall be held at the Corporate Headquarters of the Savings Bank or at such other place as the Board of Directors may determine in accordance with applicable law.

Section 2. Annual Meetings. A meeting of the stockholders of the Savings Bank for the election of Directors and for the transaction of any other business of the Savings Bank shall be held annually at such date and time as the Board of Directors may determine within 120 days after the closing of the fiscal year.

Section 3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called at any time (i) by the Chairman of the Board, (ii) the Vice Chairman of the Board, (iii) the Chief Executive Officer, (iv) the President, (v) a majority of the Board of Directors of the Savings Bank, or (vi) by the holders of not less than one-tenth of all shares outstanding and entitled to vote.


Section 4. Notice of Meetings.

A. Annual Meetings. Written notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting and the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be delivered not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting, either personally or by mail, by or at the direction of the Chairman of the Board, the President, the Secretary or the Directors calling the meeting, to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States Mail, addressed to the stockholder at his address as it appears on the stock transfer books or records of the Savings Bank as of the record date prescribed in Section 5 of this Article IV, with postage thereon prepaid. When any stockholders’ meeting, either annual or special, is adjourned for thirty (30) days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. It shall not be necessary to give any notice of the time and place of any meeting adjourned for less than thirty (30) days or of the business to be transacted thereat, other than an announcement at the meeting at which such adjournment is taken. Notice may be waived by the unanimous action of the stockholders.

B. Special Meetings. At any time upon the written request of any person or persons entitled to call a special meeting the Secretary of the Savings Bank shall notify stockholders of the call of the special meeting, to be held at such time and place (within the State of New Jersey) as the notice shall specify, but in no event shall such notice specify a time more than sixty (60) days after the receipt of the request.

Section 5. Fixing of Record Date. For the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, or stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose, the Board of Directors shall fix in advance a date as the record date for any such determination of stockholders. Such date in any case shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to the date on which the particular action, requiring such determination of stockholders, is to be taken. When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.

Section 6. Voting Lists. The officer or agent having charge of the stock transfer books for shares of the Savings Bank shall make, or cause to be made, and certify a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting, or any adjournment thereof. Such list shall (a) be arranged in alphabetical order, with the address of and the number of shares held by each, (b) be produced and kept open at the time and place of the meeting and (c) be subject to the inspection of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting. The original stock transfer book shall be prima facie evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine such list or transfer books or to vote at any meeting of stockholders.

Section 7. Quorum. A majority of the outstanding shares of the Savings Bank entitled to vote, represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of stockholders. If less than a majority of the outstanding shares are represented at a meeting, a majority of the shares so represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further

 

2


notice. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified. The stockholders present at a duly organized meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

Section 8. Proxies. At all meetings of stockholders, a stockholder may vote by proxy executed in writing by the stockholder or by his duly authorized attorney-in-fact. Proxies solicited on behalf of the management shall be voted as directed by the stockholder or, in the absence of such direction, as determined by a majority of the Board of Directors. No proxy shall be valid after eleven (11) months from the date of its execution except for a proxy coupled with an interest.

Section 9. Voting of Shares in the Name of Two or More Persons. When ownership stands in the name of two or more persons, in the absence of written directions to the Savings Bank to the contrary, at any meeting of the stockholders of the Savings Bank any one or more of such stockholders may cast, in person or by proxy, all votes to which such ownership is entitled. In the event an attempt is made to cast conflicting votes, in person or by proxy, by the several persons in whose names shares of stock stand, the vote or votes to which those persons are entitled shall be cast as directed by a majority of those holding such stock and present in person or by proxy at such meeting, but no votes shall be cast for such stock if a majority cannot agree.

Section 10. Voting of Shares by Certain Holders. Shares standing in the name of another corporation may be voted by an officer, agent or proxy as the bylaws of such corporation may prescribe, or, in the absence of such provision, as the board of directors of such corporation may determine. Shares held by an administrator, executor, guardian or conservator may be voted by him, either in person or by proxy, without a transfer of such shares into his name. Shares standing in the name of a person holding a power under a trust instrument may be voted by him, either in person or by proxy, but no such person shall be entitled to vote shares held by him without a transfer of such shares into his name. Shares standing in the name of a receiver may be voted by such receiver, and shares held by or under the control of a receiver may be voted by such receiver without the transfer thereof into his name if authority to do so is contained in an appropriate order of the court or other public authority by which such receiver was appointed.

A stockholder whose shares are pledged shall be entitled to vote such shares until the shares have been transferred into the name of the pledgee and thereafter the pledgee shall be entitled to vote the shares so transferred.

Treasury shares of its own stock held by the Savings Bank shall not be voted at any meeting or counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time for purposes of any meeting.

Section 11. Inspectors of Election. In advance of any meeting of stockholders, the Board of Directors may appoint any persons other than nominees for office as inspectors of election to act at such meeting or any adjournment thereof. The number of inspectors shall be either one or three. If the Board of Directors so appoints either one or three such inspectors, that appointment shall not be altered at the meeting. If inspectors of election are not so appointed, the

 

3


Chairman of the Board or the President may, and on the request of not less than ten (10) percent of the votes represented at the meeting shall, make such appointment at the meeting. If appointment at the meeting, the majority of the votes present shall determine whether one or three inspectors are to be appointed. In case any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or refuses to act, the vacancy may be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors in advance of the meeting or at the meeting by the Chairman of the Board or the President.

Unless otherwise prescribed by applicable law or regulation, the duties of such inspectors shall include: determining the number of shares of stock and the voting power of each share, the shares of stock represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the authenticity, validity and effect of proxies; receiving votes, ballots or consents; hearing and determining all challenges and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote; counting and tabulating all votes or consents; determining the result; and such acts as may be proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders.

Section 12. Action at Meeting. Any action required to be taken or that may be taken at any Annual or Special Meeting of stockholders of the Savings Bank may be taken without a meeting, if all stockholders consent thereto in writing.

ARTICLE V

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Board of Directors. The property, business and affairs of the Savings Bank shall be managed and directed by a Board of Directors of not less than five (5), and not more than twenty-one (21) members, as determined by the Board of Directors. Each Director shall have such qualifications and meet with such eligibility requirements as are required herein, or by any resolution or adopted written policy of the Board of Directors and by the Banking Act. The Board of Directors shall have the power to exercise any and all of the powers of the Savings Bank. Each Director shall, following his election and before he assumes office, take an oath of office in accordance with the laws of this State.

Section 2. Vacancies. The Board of Directors may increase or decrease the number of directors and may appoint persons to fill the vacancies so created as provided in Section 7 of the Savings Bank’s Certificate of Incorporation.

Section 3. Election of Directors. Election of Directors shall be held annually. Members of the Board of Directors shall be elected for a term of three (3) years and until their successors have been elected and qualified, or such lesser or greater term as may be provided by the Banking Act.

Section 4. Term of Office. The Board of Directors shall be divided into three (3) groups or classes so that the term of office of approximately one-third of the members of the Board shall expire each year, or as otherwise in accordance with the laws of the State. At the first meeting of the Board of Directors, the Board shall divide the members named in its certificate of incorporation into three classes of equal size; the members of one class shall hold office until the Annual Meeting of the board next succeeding the first meeting; the members of

 

4


one class shall hold office until the second Annual Meeting next succeeding the first meeting; and the members of one class shall hold office until the third Annual Meeting next succeeding the first meeting, so that at each election of Directors following the first meeting, approximately an equal number of Directors shall be elected.

Section 5. Removal of Directors. Any Director may be removed at any time without cause by a vote of two-thirds of the entire membership of the Board at the time in office.

Section 6. Directors Meetings. Except as otherwise required by law, the Board of Directors shall hold at least one regular meeting each month, at such time and place as it may determine. The annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Savings Bank shall be held at such date and time as the Board of Directors may determine within 120 days after the closing of the fiscal year. Notice of a regular meeting shall be given to Directors not less than two (2) and not more than twenty (20) days prior to such meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Directors at a meeting may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken shall be signed by all of the Directors. Any Board member may cause an item to be added to the Board’s meeting agenda upon request to the Secretary made not less than two (2) days prior to the next scheduled Board meeting. Directors may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors, or a committee thereof, by means of conference telephone or any means of communication by which all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear each other.

Section 7. Special Meetings of Directors. Special meetings of the Board may be called at any time (i) by the Chairman of the Board, or in the absence of the Chairman, then by the Vice Chairman of the Board, (ii) by the President, or (iii) by the Chief Executive Officer; and shall be called by the Secretary upon the written request of not less than twenty percent (20%) of the Directors then serving. Whenever the Secretary shall call a special meeting of the Board as herein provided, he shall call the meeting to be held in not less than ten (10) days or not more than forty (40) days after he has been requested to call said meeting. Notice of the place, date, and time of each such special meeting shall be given to each Director by whom it is not waived by mailing written notice not less than two (2) days before the meeting or by e-mailing, faxing or by telephoning of the same not less than twenty-four (24) hours before the meeting. Such notice shall state the purpose for which such special meeting is to be held and the time and place of such meeting. Notice of any meeting may be waived by any Director, before, at or after the meeting, and if so waived, said meeting shall be sufficiently called as to such Director.

Section 8. Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. Except as otherwise provided herein or as otherwise required by law, action taken by a majority of a meeting with a quorum being present shall be deemed the action of the Board.

Section 9. Executive Committee. If the Savings Bank has nine (9) or more directors, an Executive Committee of any five (5) members of the Board of Directors may, from time to time, be appointed by the Board of Directors, which Executive Committee, subject to the provisions of these bylaws, shall exercise the powers of the Board permitted by applicable law in the management of the business and affairs of the Savings Bank during the interval between

 

5


meetings of the Board. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any of its meetings. The minutes of each Executive Committee meeting shall be presented to the Board at or prior to its next regular meeting.

Section 10. Nominating Committee. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall meet to determine the necessary and appropriate criteria to be used by the Nominating Committee to make recommendations to the Board of Directors for candidates to be considered for election to the Board to fill any vacancies or anticipated vacancies thereto, and to make recommendations to the Board of Directors of candidates for consideration for election or re-election as a Director.

Section 11. Other Committees. The Board of Directors may, from time to time, appoint such other committees, standing or special, of the Board as are permitted by law.

Section 12. Disaster Plan. In the event of a state of disaster of sufficient severity to prevent the conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Savings Bank by its Directors and officers as contemplated by these bylaws, any three (3) or more available members of the then incumbent Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum of that committee for the full conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Savings Bank in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. In the event of the unavailability, at such time, of a minimum of three members of the then incumbent Executive Committee, any three (3) available Directors shall constitute the Executive Committee for the full conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Savings Bank in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section. This bylaw provision shall be subject to implementation by resolutions of the Board of Directors passed from time to time for that purpose, and any provisions of these bylaws (other than this section) and any resolutions that are contrary to the provisions of this section or to the provisions of any such implementary resolutions shall be suspended until it shall be determined by any interim Executive Committee acting under this section that it shall be to the advantage of the Savings Bank to resume the conduct and management of its affairs and business under all of the other provisions of these bylaws.

Section 13. Compensation. Directors may receive a stated compensation for their services. By resolution of the Board of Directors, a reasonable fixed sum, and reasonable expenses of attendance, if any, may be allowed for actual attendance at each regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors. Members of either standing or special committees may be allowed such compensation for attendance at committee meetings as the Board of Directors may determine.

 

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Section 14. Director Qualifications.

(a) No person shall be eligible for election or appointment to the Board: (i) if a financial or securities regulatory agency has, within the past ten years, issued a cease and desist, consent or other formal order, other than a civil money penalty, against such person, which order is subject to public disclosure by such agency; (ii) if such person has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or breach of trust which is punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under state or federal law; or (iii) if such person is currently charged in any information, indictment, or other complaint with the commission of or participation in such a crime. No person may serve on the Board if such person is: (i) at the same time, a director, trustee, officer, employee or ten percent (10%) or more stockholder of a bank, savings institution, credit union, mortgage banking company, consumer loan company or similar organization, other than an affiliate of the Savings Bank, that engages in business activities or solicits customers, whether through a physical presence or electronically, in the same market area as the Savings Bank or any of its affiliates; (ii) does not agree in writing to comply with all of the Savings Bank’s policies applicable to directors including but not limited to its confidentiality policy; (iii) does not confirm in writing that he is not a party to any agreement, understanding or commitment with respect to how he would act or vote on any issue or question before the Board or that would otherwise impact his ability to discharge his fiduciary duties as a director; (iv) is the representative or agent of, or a member of a group acting in concert that includes, a person who is ineligible for election or appointment to the Board under this Section 14; or (v) is the nominee or representative, as that term is defined in the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 12 C.F.R §212.2(n) or any successor provision, of a company of which any of the directors, partners, trustees, or ten percent (10%) stockholders would not be eligible for election or appointment to the Board under this Section 14. For purposes of this Section 14, a person shall be deemed to be acting in concert with another person if such person knowingly acts toward a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of the corporation in parallel with such other person and there are overt actions by, or communications between, such persons reasonably suggesting that they are coordinating their efforts toward such common goal or if such persons are acting in concert within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. §303.81 or any successor provision.

(b) The Board shall have the power to construe and apply the provisions of this Section 14 and to make all determinations necessary or desirable to implement such provisions, including but not limited to determinations as to whether a person is a nominee or representative of a person, a company or a group, whether a person or company is included in a group, and whether a person is the representative, agent or nominee of a group acting in concert.

Section 15. Eligibility.

(a) No Director shall be eligible for re-election if, during the preceding fiscal year, such Director shall not have attended at least twenty percent (20%) of the meetings held by the Board during such fiscal year, unless such absences are for reasonable cause shown, as determined by a majority of the other members of the Board.

 

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(b) No person may be appointed, re-appointed, elected or re-elected as a Director following his attaining the age of seventy-five (75).

ARTICLE VI

OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers. At each annual meeting of the Board, the Board may elect one of their members to preside at their meetings as Chairman of the Board. The Board may elect one of its members as a Vice Chairman of the Board. It shall elect a President from among the Board of Directors, one or more Vice Presidents, a Treasurer and a Secretary, all of whom shall hold office for one year and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. Unless prohibited by law, more than one office may be held by the same person. The Board may designate one full time operational officer as the Chief Executive Officer. The Board may appoint such other officers as it deems necessary for the proper conduct of the business of the Savings Bank. The Board may also appoint or employ or authorize the President (or Chief Executive Officer, if one is designated) to appoint or employ assistant officers or assistants to officers, subject to confirmation of the Board; provided, however, that employees appointed as assistants to officers shall not be considered officers. The Board may delegate to the President or Chief Executive Officer the authority to appoint any other employees or agents.

Section 2. Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board, if such be elected by the Board of Directors, shall preside at all meetings of the Board and shall be a member of the Executive Committee and shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee. The Chairman shall perform such other duties, as usually pertain to the Office of the Chairman of the Board or the Executive Committee shall order, and as by law provided.

Section 3. Vice Chairman of the Board. The Vice Chairman of the Board, if such be elected by the Board of Directors, shall, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, preside at all meetings of the Board and all meetings of the executive Committee. Further, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the Office of Chairman of the Board or as the Board of Directors shall order, and as by law provided.

Section 4. Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer, if such be designated by the Board of Directors, shall be a full time operational officer, and shall have the full authority to direct the operation and conduct of the Savings Bank under the direction of the Board of Directors. He shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office, as the Board of Directors shall order, and as provided by law.

Section 5. President. The President, in instances where the Board of Directors has not designated a Chief Executive Officer, or in the absence or disability of the Chief Executive Officer, shall have the same authority and responsibilities as set forth in Section 4 of this Article VI. The President shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office, as the Board of Directors shall order, and as provided by law.

 

8


Section 6. Succession. In the event of the absence or unavailability of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if one is so elected, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, a member of the Board of Directors chosen from among the Board members by a majority vote of such members shall preside at all meetings of the Board and all meetings of the Executive Committee.

Section 7. Vice Presidents. The Vice Presidents shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to their respective offices and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President. A Vice President or Vice Presidents may be designated as Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President.

Section 8. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to the office and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to them by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President. In the absence or disability of the Treasurer, his duties may be performed by an Assistant Treasurer elected by the Board of Directors.

Section 9. Secretary. The Secretary or an Assistant Secretary shall issue notices of meetings, shall keep their minutes, shall have charge of the seal and the corporate books, shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are usually incident to such offices and/or such other duties and powers as are properly assigned thereto by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President. In the absence or disability of the Secretary, his duties may be performed by an Assistant Secretary elected by the Board of Directors.

Section 10. Officer Powers. Each officer, in addition to such powers and duties as may be provided herein, and as may be delegated to him by the Board, shall have such powers and duties as usually pertain to his office. All checks, notes and drafts of the Savings Bank shall be executed in a manner and form determined by resolution of the Board of the Savings Bank.

Section 11. Removal. Officers chosen or appointed by the Board shall be subject to removal by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Board. Any termination of employment of an officer by the Board will not affect any contractual rights such officers may have under any employment agreement with the Savings Bank. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the power of the President or the Chief Executive Officer to dismiss any employee as provided herein.

ARTICLE VII

DEPOSITS

Payments of interest upon all types of deposits shall be within the maximums permitted by law and the Board may further limit the amount of payments to be accepted upon any type of deposit and may refuse to accept any deposit. The Board may delegate the power to limit or refuse deposits to any officer or officers of the Savings Bank. The Board may likewise retire any deposit in accordance with the provisions of applicable law.

 

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A depositor may transfer, absolutely or conditionally, his deposits to any other person, subject to the provisions of the Banking Act. No such absolute transfer shall be effective against the Savings Bank until the written assignment and the deposit account book, shall be delivered to the Savings Bank with a request that it complete such transfer upon its records. No such conditional transfer shall be effective against the Savings Bank unless and until it actually receives notice thereof in writing.

ARTICLE VIII

INVESTMENTS

The funds of the Savings Bank shall be invested in such a manner as now or hereafter may be authorized by the laws of the State of New Jersey. No preference among depositors shall be created with respect to the distribution of assets upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up the Savings Bank.

ARTICLE IX

POWERS

The Savings Bank shall have all powers now or hereafter conferred by the laws of the State of New Jersey, both express and implied, and such other powers as are incidental thereto, and incidental or necessary to the operation of its business and the attainment of its purpose.

ARTICLE X

LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

Section 1. Limitations on Liability. No Director or officer of the Savings Bank shall be personally liable to the Savings Bank or its stockholders for any damages for breach of any duty owed to the Savings Bank or its stockholders, except to the extent of any act or omission that is:

 

  (i)

in breach of the Director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to the Savings Bank; or

 

  (ii)

not in good faith or involving a knowing violation of law; or

 

  (iii)

resulting in the receipt by the Director or officer of an improper personal benefit.

As used herein, an act or omission in breach of a person’s duty of loyalty means an act or omission that the person knows or believes to be contrary to the best interests of the Savings Bank or its depositors in connection with a matter in which the person has a material conflict of interest.

Section 2. Indemnification. The Directors, officers, employees and agents of the Savings Bank, present or former, shall be entitled to indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law, now or hereinafter enacted with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with any proceedings involving such Director, officer, employee or agent by reason

 

10


of his activities in connection with the Savings Bank. The right to indemnification hereunder shall include the right to an advancement of expenses incurred in defending any civil, criminal, investigative or administrative suit, action or proceeding in accordance with applicable law. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses under this Article are subject to the applicable provisions of Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and the regulations issued thereunder by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

ARTICLE XI

CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES AND THEIR TRANSFER

Section 1. Certificates of Shares. Certificates representing shares of capital stock of the Savings Bank shall be in such form as shall be determined by the Board of Directors, subject to applicable law and regulations. Such certificates shall be signed by the Chief Executive Officer or by any other officer of the Savings Bank authorized by the Board of Directors, attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and sealed with the Corporate Seal or a facsimile thereof. The signatures of such officers upon a certificate may be facsimiles if the certificate is manually signed on behalf of a transfer agent or a registrar, other than the Savings Bank itself or one of its employees. Each certificate for shares of capital stock shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified. The name and address of the person to whom the shares are issued, with the number of shares and date of issued, shall be entered on the stock transfer books of the Savings Bank. All certificates surrendered to the Savings Bank for transfer shall be cancelled and no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate for a like number of shares shall have been surrendered and cancelled, except that in case of a lost or destroyed certificate, a new certificate may be issued therefor upon such terms and indemnity to the Savings Bank as the Board of Directors may prescribe.

Section 2. Transfer of Shares. Transfer of shares of capital stock of the Savings Bank shall be made only on its stock transfer books. Authority for such transfer shall be given only by the holder of record thereof or by his legal representative, who shall furnish proper evidence of such authority, or by his attorney thereunto authorized by power of attorney duly executed and filed with the Savings Bank. Such transfer shall be made only on surrender or cancellation of the certificate for such shares. The person in whose name shares of capital stock stand on the books of the Savings Bank shall be deemed by the Savings Bank to be the owner thereof for all purposes.

ARTICLE XII

FISCAL YEAR; ANNUAL AUDIT

The fiscal year of the Savings Bank shall end on the 31st day of December of each year. The Savings Bank shall be subject to an annual audit as of the end of its fiscal year by independent public accountants appointed by and responsible to the Board of Directors.

 

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ARTICLE XIII

AMENDMENTS

Any amendment or revision of these bylaws must be presented in writing at a regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Savings Bank provided notice of the intention to amend or revise these bylaws is given in writing to each member of the Board of Directors at least five (5) days prior to the date set for the meeting at which the revision or amendment is to be acted upon.

To amend or revise these bylaws, the vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the entire Board of Directors then serving is required or a vote of the holders of a majority of the total votes eligible to be cast at a meeting of the Savings Bank’s stockholders.

ARTICLE XIV

DEFINITIONS

Wherever in these bylaws a word in the singular number is used, it shall be construed to mean the plural of such word whenever the circumstances requiring such construction shall arise; and whenever in these bylaws a word in the plural number is used, it shall be construed to mean the singular of such word whenever the circumstances requiring such construction shall arise.

When the word “Board” is used in these bylaws, it shall be construed to mean the Board of Directors of the Savings Bank.

The word “person” means an individual, bank, corporation, savings bank, savings and loan association, partnership, trust, association, joint venture, pool, syndicate, sole proprietorship, unincorporated organization, or any form of entity.

The use of the masculine pronouns his or he shall also refer to the feminine pronouns her or she as the circumstances requiring such constructions shall arise.

 

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EXHIBIT B

Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Holding Company


ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

The undersigned Scott. A. Brown, whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 780, Washington, DC 20015, being at least eighteen (18) years of age, does hereby form a corporation under the general laws of the State of Maryland having the following Articles of Incorporation (the “Articles”):

ARTICLE 1. Name. The name of the corporation is Bogota Financial Corp. (herein, the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE 2. Principal Office. The street address of the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is c/o CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

ARTICLE 3. Purpose. The purpose for which the Corporation is formed is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the general laws of the State of Maryland as now or hereafter in force.

ARTICLE 4. Resident Agent. The name and address of the registered agent of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Said resident agent is a Maryland corporation.

ARTICLE 5. Capital Stock

A. Authorized Capital Stock. The total number of shares of capital stock of all classes that the Corporation has authority to issue is thirty-one million (31,000,000) shares, consisting of:

1. One million (1,000,000) shares of preferred stock, par value one cent ($0.01) per share (the “Preferred Stock”); and

2. Thirty million (30,000,000) shares of common stock, par value one cent ($0.01) per share (the “Common Stock”).

The aggregate par value of all the authorized shares of capital stock is three hundred and ten thousand dollars ($310,000). Except to the extent required by governing law, rule or regulation, the shares of capital stock may be issued from time to time by the Board of Directors without further approval of the stockholders of the Corporation. The Corporation shall have the authority to purchase its capital stock out of funds lawfully available therefor, which funds shall include, without limitation, the Corporation’s unreserved and unrestricted capital surplus. The Board of Directors, pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number), and without action by the stockholders, may amend these Articles to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Corporation has authority to issue. For the purposes of these Articles, the term “Whole Board” shall mean the total number of directors that the

 


Corporation would have if there were no vacancies on the Board of Directors at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board of Directors for adoption.

B. Common Stock. Except as provided under the terms of any series of the Preferred Stock and as limited by Section D of this Article 5, the exclusive voting power shall be vested in the Common Stock. Except as otherwise provided for in these Articles, each holder of the Common Stock shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock standing in the holder’s name on the books of the Corporation. Subject to any rights and preferences of any series of Preferred Stock, holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled to such dividends as may be declared by the Board of Directors out of funds lawfully available therefor. Upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled to receive all the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by them, respectively, after: (i) payment or provision for payment of the Corporation’s debts and liabilities; and (ii) distributions or provisions for distributions to holders of any class or series of stock having a preference over the Common Stock in the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

C. Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, to provide for the issuance of shares of the Preferred Stock in series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of the shares of each such series. The number of authorized shares of the Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Common Stock, without a vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required by law or pursuant to the terms of the Preferred Stock. The power of the stockholders to increase or decrease the authorized shares of the Preferred Stock shall not limit any of the powers of the Board of Directors provided under these Articles.

D. Restrictions on Voting Rights of the Corporation’s Equity Securities.

1. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, in no event shall the record owner (or if more than one record owner, all such record owners taken as a group) of any outstanding Common Stock that is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a Person who, as of any record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote on any matter, beneficially owns in excess of ten percent (10%) of the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock (the “Limit”), be entitled, or permitted to any vote in respect of the shares held in excess of the Limit. The number of votes that may be cast by any particular record owner by virtue of the provisions hereof in respect of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person owning shares in excess of the Limit (a “Holder in Excess”) shall be a number equal to the total number of votes that a single record owner of all Common Stock owned by such Holder in Excess would be entitled to cast after giving effect to the provisions hereof, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of such class or series that are both (i) beneficially owned by such Holder in Excess and (ii) owned of record by such particular record owner, and the denominator of which is the total number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by

 

2


such Holder in Excess. The provisions of this Section D of this Article 5 shall not be applicable to any mutual holding company parent of the Corporation. The provisions of this Section D of this Article 5 also shall not be applicable if, before the Holder in Excess acquired beneficial ownership of such shares in excess of the Limit, such acquisition was approved by a majority of the “Unaffiliated Directors.” For this purpose, the term “Unaffiliated Director” means any member of the Board of Directors who is unaffiliated with the Holder in Excess and was a member of the Board of Directors before the time that the Holder in Excess became such, and any director who is thereafter chosen to fill any vacancy on the Board of Directors and who is elected and who, in either event, is unaffiliated with the Holder in Excess and in connection with his or her initial assumption of office is recommended for appointment or election by a majority of the Unaffiliated Directors then serving on the Board of Directors.

 

  2.

The following definitions shall apply to this Section D of this Article 5:

 

  (a)

An “affiliate” of a specified Person shall mean a Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified.

 

  (b)

“Beneficial ownership” shall be determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (or any successor rule or statutory provision), or, if said Rule 13d-3 shall be rescinded and there shall be no successor rule or statutory provision thereto, pursuant to said Rule 13d-3 as in effect on the filing date of these Articles; provided, however, that a Person shall, in any event, also be deemed the “beneficial owner” of any Common Stock:

 

  (1)

that such Person or any of its affiliates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly; or

 

  (2)

that such Person or any of its affiliates has (i) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (but shall not be deemed to be the beneficial owner of any voting shares solely by reason of an agreement, contract, or other arrangement with the Corporation to effect any transaction of the type described in clause (i) or (ii) of the first sentence of Article 9 hereof) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants, or options or otherwise, or (ii) sole or shared voting or investment power with respect thereto pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise (but shall not be deemed to be the beneficial owner of any voting shares solely by reason of a revocable proxy granted for a particular meeting of stockholders, pursuant to a public solicitation of proxies for such meeting, with respect to shares of which neither such Person nor any such affiliate is otherwise deemed the beneficial owner); or

 

3


  (3)

that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such first mentioned Person or any of its affiliates acts as a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate or other group pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any shares of capital stock of the Corporation; and provided further, however, that (i) no director or officer of the Corporation (or any affiliate of any such director or officer) shall, solely by reason of any or all of such directors or officers acting in their capacities as such, be deemed, for any purposes hereof, to beneficially own any Common Stock beneficially owned by any other such director or officer (or any affiliate thereof), and (ii) neither any employee stock ownership or similar plan of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation nor any trustee with respect thereto (or any affiliate of such trustee) shall, solely by reason of such capacity of such trustee, be deemed, for any purposes hereof, to beneficially own any Common Stock held under any such plan. For purposes of computing the percentage of beneficial ownership of Common Stock of a Person, the outstanding Common Stock shall include shares deemed owned by such Person through application of this subsection but shall not include any other shares of Common Stock that may be issuable by the Corporation pursuant to any agreement, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise. For all other purposes, the outstanding Common Stock shall include only Common Stock then outstanding and shall not include any Common Stock that may be issuable by the Corporation pursuant to any agreement, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

 

  (c)

A “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, or other entity.

 

  (d)

The Board of Directors shall have the power to construe and apply the provisions of this Section D and to make all determinations necessary or desirable to implement such provisions including, but not limited to, matters with respect to (i) the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by any Person, (ii) whether a Person is an affiliate of another, (iii) whether a Person has an agreement, arrangement, or understanding with another as to the matters referred to in the definition of beneficial ownership, (iv) the application of any other definition or operative provision of this Section D to the given facts, or (v) any other matter relating to the applicability or effect of this Section D.

3. The Board of Directors shall have the right to demand that any Person reasonably believed by the Board of Directors to be a Holder in Excess (or holder of record of Common Stock beneficially owned by any Holder in Excess) supply the Corporation with complete information as to (i) the record owner(s) of all shares beneficially owned by such Holder in Excess, and (ii) any other factual matter relating to the applicability or effect of this section as may reasonably be requested of such Holder in Excess. The Board of Directors shall

 

4


further have the right to receive from any Holder in Excess reimbursement for all expenses incurred by the Board in connection with its investigation of any matters relating to the applicability or effect of this section on such Holder in Excess, to the extent such investigation is deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors as a result of the Holder in Excess refusing to supply the Corporation with the information described in the previous sentence.

4. Any constructions, applications, or determinations made by the Board of Directors pursuant to this Section D in good faith and on the basis of such information and assistance as was then reasonably available for such purpose, shall be conclusive and binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders.

5. If any provision (or portion thereof) of this Section D shall be found to be invalid, prohibited or unenforceable for any reason, the remaining provisions (or portions thereof) of this Section D shall remain in full force and effect, and shall be construed as if such invalid, prohibited or unenforceable provision had been stricken herefrom or otherwise rendered inapplicable, it being the intent of the Corporation and its stockholders that each such remaining provision (or portion thereof) of this Section D remain, to the fullest extent permitted by law, applicable and enforceable as to all stockholders, including Holders in Excess, notwithstanding any such finding.

E. Majority Vote for Certain Actions. With respect to those actions as to which any provision of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) requires stockholder authorization by a greater proportion than a majority of the total number of shares of all classes of capital stock or of the total number of shares of any class of capital stock, any such action shall be valid and effective if authorized by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the total number of shares of all classes outstanding and entitled to vote thereon, except as otherwise provided in these Articles.

F. Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law or expressly provided in these Articles, the presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of record of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitling the holders thereof to cast a majority of the votes (after giving effect, if required, to the provisions of Article 5, Section D) entitled to be cast by the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders, and every reference in these Articles to a majority or other proportion of capital stock (or the holders thereof) for purposes of determining any quorum requirement or any requirement for stockholder consent or approval shall be deemed to refer to such majority or other proportion of the votes (or the holders thereof) then entitled to be cast in respect of such capital stock.

ARTICLE 6. Preemptive Rights and Appraisal Rights.

A. Preemptive Rights. Except for preemptive rights approved by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the directors then in office, no holder of the capital stock of the Corporation or series of stock or of options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of any class or series of stock or of other securities of the Corporation shall have any preemptive right to purchase or subscribe for any unissued capital stock of any class or series, or any unissued bonds, certificates of indebtedness, debentures or other securities

 

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convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock of any class or series or carrying any right to purchase stock of any class or series.

B. Appraisal Rights. Holders of shares of stock shall not be entitled to exercise any rights of an objecting stockholder provided for under Title 3, Subtitle 2 of the MGCL or any successor statute unless the Board of Directors, pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the directors then in office, shall determine that such rights apply with respect to all or any classes or series of stock, to one or more transactions occurring after the date of such determination in connection with which holders of such shares would otherwise be entitled to exercise such rights.

ARTICLE 7. Directors. The following provisions are made a part of these Articles for the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:

A. Management of the Corporation. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. All powers of the Corporation may be exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Directors, except as conferred on or as reserved to the stockholders by law or by these Articles or the bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that any limitations on the Board of Directors’ management or direction of the affairs of the Corporation shall reserve the directors’ full power to discharge their fiduciary duties.

B. Number, Class and Terms of Directors; No Cumulative Voting. The number of directors constituting the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall initially be five (5), which number may be increased or decreased in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that such number shall never be less than the minimum number of directors required by the MGCL now or hereafter in force. The directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, shall be divided into three (3) classes, with the term of office of the first class (“Class I”) to expire at the conclusion of the first annual meeting of stockholders, the term of office of the second class (“Class II”) to expire at the conclusion of the annual meeting of stockholders one year thereafter and the term of office of the third class (“Class III”) to expire at the conclusion of the annual meeting of stockholders two years thereafter, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election or for such shorter period of time as the Board of Directors may determine, with each director to hold office until his or her term expires and until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

The names of the individuals who will serve as the initial directors of the Corporation until their successors are elected and qualify are as follows:

 

Name

   Term Expires

Steven M. Goldberg

   2020

John Masterson

   2020

 

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Name

   Term Expires

Joseph Coccaro

   2021

Bruce H. Dexter

   2021

John Gary Gensheimer

   2022

Stockholders shall not be permitted to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present is sufficient to elect a director.

C. Vacancies. Any vacancies in the Board of Directors may be filled in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation.

D. Removal. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (after giving effect to the provisions of Article 5 hereof) voting together as a single class.

E. Stockholder Proposals and Nominations of Directors. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation. Stockholder proposals to be presented in connection with a special meeting of stockholders shall be presented by the Corporation only to the extent required by Section 2-502 of the MGCL and the bylaws of the Corporation.

ARTICLE 8. Bylaws. The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the bylaws of the Corporation by the Board of Directors shall require the approval of a majority of the Whole Board. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation. In addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by these Articles, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least eighty percent (80%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (after giving effect to the provisions of Article 5 hereof), voting together as a single class, shall be required for the adoption, amendment or repeal of any provisions of the bylaws of the Corporation by the stockholders.

ARTICLE 9. Evaluation of Certain Offers. The Board of Directors, when evaluating (i) any offer of another Person (as defined below) to (A) make a tender or exchange offer for any equity security of the Corporation, (B) merge or consolidate the Corporation with another corporation or entity, or (C) purchase or otherwise acquire all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Corporation or (ii) any other actual or proposed transaction that would or may involve a change in control of the Corporation (whether by purchases of shares of stock or any other securities of the Corporation in the open market or otherwise, tender offer, merger, consolidation, share exchange, dissolution, liquidation, sale of all or substantially all of

 

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the assets of the Corporation, proxy solicitation or otherwise), may, in connection with the exercise of its business judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the Corporation and its stockholders and in making any recommendation to the Corporation’s stockholders, give due consideration to all relevant factors, including, but not limited to: (A) the economic effect, both immediate and long-term, upon the Corporation’s stockholders, including stockholders, if any, who do not participate in the transaction; (B) the social and economic effect on the present and future employees, creditors and customers of, and others dealing with, the Corporation and its subsidiaries and on the communities in which the Corporation and its subsidiaries operate or are located; (C) whether the proposal is acceptable based on the historical, current or projected future operating results or financial condition of the Corporation; (D) whether a more favorable price could be obtained for the Corporation’s stock or other securities in the future; (E) the reputation and business practices of the other entity to be involved in the transaction and its management and affiliates as they would affect the employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries; (F) the future value of the stock or any other securities of the Corporation or the other entity to be involved in the proposed transaction; (G) any anti-trust or other legal and regulatory issues that are raised by the proposal; (H) the business and historical, current or expected future financial condition or operating results of the other entity to be involved in the transaction, including, but not limited to, debt service and other existing financial obligations, financial obligations to be incurred in connection with the proposed transaction, and other likely financial obligations of the other entity to be involved in the proposed transaction; and (I) the ability of the Corporation to fulfill its objectives as a financial institution holding company and on the ability of its subsidiary financial institution(s) to fulfill the objectives of a federally insured financial institution under applicable statutes and regulations. If the Board of Directors determines that any proposed transaction of the type described in clause (i) or (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence should be rejected, it may take any lawful action to defeat such transaction, including, but not limited to, any or all of the following: advising stockholders not to accept the proposal; instituting litigation against the party making the proposal; filing complaints with governmental and regulatory authorities; acquiring the stock or any of the securities of the Corporation; selling or otherwise issuing authorized but unissued stock or other securities or granting options or rights with respect thereto; and obtaining a more favorable offer from another individual or entity. This Article 9 sets forth certain factors that may be considered by the Board of Directors, but does not create any implication concerning the factors that must be considered, or any other factors that may or may not be considered, by the Board of Directors regarding any proposed transaction of the type described in clause (i) or (ii) of the first sentence of this Article 9.

For purposes of this Article 9, a “Person” shall include an individual, a group acting in concert, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a joint venture, a pool, a joint stock company, a trust, an unincorporated organization or similar company, a syndicate or any other group or entity formed to acquire, hold or dispose of securities.

 

8


ARTICLE 10. Indemnification, etc. of Directors and Officers.

A. Indemnification. The Corporation shall indemnify (1) its current and former directors and officers, whether serving the Corporation or at its request any other entity, to the fullest extent required or permitted by the MGCL now or hereafter in force, including the advancement of expenses under the procedures and to the fullest extent permitted by law, and (2) other employees and agents to such extent as shall be authorized by the Board of Directors and permitted by law; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section B of this Article 10 with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, the Corporation shall indemnify any such indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

B. Procedure. If a claim under Section A of this Article 10 is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, except in the case of a claim for an advancement of expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be twenty (20) days, the indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the indemnitee shall also be entitled to be reimbursed the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. It shall be a defense to any action for advancement of expenses that the Corporation has not received both (i) an undertaking as required by law to repay such advances if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met and (ii) a written affirmation by the indemnitee of his or her good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation has been met. In (i) any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) any suit by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the indemnitee has not met the applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the MGCL. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination before the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the MGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct, or, in the case of such a suit brought by the indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article 10 or otherwise, shall be on the Corporation.

C. Non-Exclusivity. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article 10 shall not be exclusive of any other right that any Person

 

9


may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, these Articles, the Corporation’s bylaws, any agreement, any vote of stockholders or the Board of Directors, or otherwise.

D. Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to insure itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such Person against such expense, liability or loss under the MGCL.

E. Miscellaneous. The Corporation shall not be liable for any payment under this Article 10 in connection with a claim made by any indemnitee to the extent such indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment under any insurance policy, agreement, or otherwise, of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in Sections A and B of this Article 10 shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators.

F. Limitations Imposed by Federal Law. Notwithstanding any other provision set forth in this Article 10, in no event shall any payments made by the Corporation pursuant to this Article 10 exceed the amount permissible under applicable federal law, including, without limitation, Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Any repeal or modification of this Article 10 by the stockholders of the Corporation or the Board of Directors shall not in any way diminish any rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses of such director or officer or the obligations of the Corporation arising hereunder with respect to events occurring, or claims made, while this Article 10 is in force.

ARTICLE 11. Limitation of Liability. An officer or director of the Corporation, as such, shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for money damages, except (A) to the extent that it is proved that the Person actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services, for the amount of the benefit or profit in money, property or services actually received; or (B) to the extent that a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the Person is entered in a proceeding based on a finding in the proceeding that the Person’s action, or failure to act, was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding; or (C) to the extent otherwise provided by the MGCL. If the MGCL is amended to further eliminate or limit the personal liability of officers and directors, then the personal liability of officers and directors of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL, as so amended.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

ARTICLE 12. Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation. The Corporation reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision contained in these Articles in the manner prescribed by the MGCL, including any amendment altering the terms or contract rights, as

 

10


expressly set forth in these Articles, of any of the Corporation’s outstanding stock by classification, reclassification or otherwise, and no stockholder approval shall be required if the approval of stockholders is not required for the proposed amendment or repeal by the MGCL, and all rights conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to this reservation.

The Board of Directors, pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number), and without action by the stockholders, may amend these Articles to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Corporation has authority to issue.

No proposed amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles shall be submitted to a stockholder vote unless the Board of Directors shall have (1) approved the proposed amendment or repeal, (2) determined that it is advisable, and (3) directed that it be submitted for consideration at either an annual or special meeting of the stockholders pursuant to a resolution approved by the Board of Directors. Any proposed amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles may be abandoned by the Board of Directors at any time before its effective time upon the adoption of a resolution approved by a majority of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number).

The amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles shall be approved by at least two-thirds (2/3) of all votes entitled to be cast by the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the matter (after giving due effect to the provisions of Article 5 of these Articles), except that the proposed amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles need only be approved by the vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the matter (after giving due effect to the provisions of Article 5 of these Articles) if the amendment or repeal of such provision is approved by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution approved by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number).

Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles or any provision of law that might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of the stock of the Corporation required by law or by these Articles, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least eighty percent (80%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (after giving effect to the provisions of Article 5), voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend or repeal this Article 12, Section C, D, E or F of Article 5, Article 7 (other than the removal of the list of original directors), Article 8, Article 9, Article 10 or Article 11.

 

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ARTICLE 13. Name and Address of Incorporator. The name and mailing address of the sole incorporator are as follows:

Scott A. Brown

5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Suite 780

Washington, DC 20015

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

12


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed these Articles of Incorporation and acknowledge the same to be my act, this ____ day of ___________, 2019.

 

 

Scott A. Brown

Incorporator

 

13


BYLAWS

OF

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

ARTICLE I

STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1. Annual Meeting.

Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Corporation”) shall hold an annual meeting of its stockholders to elect directors and to transact any other business within its powers, at such place, on such date and at such time as the Board of Directors shall fix. Failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Corporation’s existence or affect any otherwise valid corporate act.

Section 2. Special Meetings.

Special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called by the Chairperson of the Board or by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors that the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies on the Board of Directors (hereinafter the “Whole Board”). Special meetings of the stockholders shall be called by the Secretary at the request of stockholders only on the written request of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting. Such written request shall state the purpose or purposes of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted upon at the meeting, and shall be delivered at the principal office of the Corporation addressed to the President or the Secretary. The Secretary shall inform the stockholders who make the request of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing a notice of the meeting and, upon payment of these costs to the Corporation, notify each stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. The Board of Directors shall have the sole power to fix (i) the record date for determining stockholders entitled to request a special meeting of stockholders and the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the special meeting and (ii) the date, time and place of the special meeting and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be considered present in person and may vote at the special meeting.

Section 3. Notice of Meetings; Adjournment.

Not less than ten (10) nor more than ninety (90) days before each stockholders’ meeting, the Secretary shall give notice of the meeting in writing or by electronic transmission to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting and to each other stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. The notice shall state the time and place of the meeting, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and may vote at the meeting, and, if the meeting is a special meeting or notice of the purpose is required by statute, the purpose of the meeting. Notice is given to a stockholder when it is personally delivered to the stockholder, left at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business, mailed to the stockholder at his or her address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, or transmitted to the stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or

 


number of the stockholder at which the stockholder receives electronic transmissions. If the Corporation has received a request from a stockholder that notice not be sent by electronic transmission, the Corporation may not provide notice to the stockholder by electronic transmission. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, each person who is entitled to notice waives notice if such person, before or after the meeting, delivers a written waiver or waiver by electronic transmission that is filed with the records of the stockholders’ meeting or is present at the meeting in person or by proxy.

A meeting of stockholders convened on the date for which it was called may be adjourned from time to time and without further notice to a date not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the original record date. At any adjourned meeting, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the original meeting.

As used in these bylaws, the term “electronic transmission” shall have the meaning given to such term by Section 1-101(m) of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) or any successor provision.

 

Section 4.

Quorum.

Unless the Articles of the Corporation provide otherwise, where a separate vote by a class or classes is required, a majority of the shares of such class or classes, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter.

If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting, the chairperson of the meeting or the holders of a majority of the shares of stock who are present at the meeting, in person or by proxy, may, in accordance with Section 3 of this Article I, adjourn the meeting to another place, date or time.

 

Section 5.

Organization and Conduct of Business.

The Chairperson of the Board of the Corporation or in his or her absence, the Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence, such other person as may be designated by a majority of the Whole Board, shall call to order any meeting of the stockholders and act as chairperson of the meeting. In the absence of the Secretary, the secretary of the meeting shall be such person as the chairperson appoints. The chairperson of any meeting of stockholders shall determine the order of business and the procedure at the meeting, including such regulation of the manner of voting and the conduct of discussion as seem to him or her to be in order.

 

Section 6.

Advance Notice Provisions for Business to be Transacted at Annual Meetings and Elections of Directors.

(a) At any annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been brought before the meeting (i) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of the meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who (1) is a stockholder of record on the date such stockholder gives the notice provided for in this Section 6(a) and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such annual meeting, and (2) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 6(a). For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder

 

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pursuant to clause (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation and such business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by stockholders.

To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation by not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting and not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, that if (A) less than ninety (90) days’ prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders and (B) the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days before or delayed more than thirty (30) days after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, such written notice shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. With respect to the first annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation following the Corporation becoming the sole stockholder of Bogota Savings Bank, notice by the stockholder shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the date of the annual meeting and (ii) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is first made. No adjournment or postponement of a meeting of stockholders shall commence a new period for the giving of notice hereunder.

A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth as to each matter such stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting: (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting; (ii) the name and address of such stockholder as they appear on the Corporation’s books and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; (iii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are owned beneficially or of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner; (iv) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such stockholder and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder and any material interest of such stockholder in such business; and (v) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to bring such business before the meeting.

Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be brought before or conducted at an annual meeting except in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6(a). The officer of the Corporation or other person presiding over the annual meeting shall, if the facts so warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6(a) and, if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business so determined to be not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

At any special meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of the meeting.

 

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(b) Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the following procedures shall be eligible for election as directors of the Corporation. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation may be made at a meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who (1) is a stockholder of record on the date such stockholder gives the notice provided for in this Section 6(b) and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting, and (2) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 6(b). Such nominations, other than those made by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, shall be made by timely notice in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation by not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting and not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, that if (A) less than ninety (90) days’ prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders and (B) the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days before or delayed more than thirty (30) days after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, such written notice shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. With respect to the first annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation following the Corporation becoming the sole stockholder of Bogota Savings Bank, notice by the stockholder shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the date of the annual meeting and (ii) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is first made. No adjournment or postponement of a meeting of stockholders shall commence a new period for the giving of notice hereunder.

A stockholder’s notice must be in writing and set forth (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director, (i) all information relating to such person that would indicate such person’s qualification to serve on the Board of Directors of the Corporation; (ii) an affidavit that such person would not be disqualified under the provisions of Article II, Sections 12 and 13 of these bylaws; (iii) such information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or any successor rule or regulation and (iv) a written consent of each proposed nominee to be named as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected; and (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice: (i) the name and address of such stockholder as they appear on the Corporation’s books and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made; (ii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are owned beneficially or of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner; (iii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such stockholder and each proposed nominee and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by such stockholder; (iv) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the persons named in its notice; and (v) any other information relating to such stockholder that

 

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would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act or any successor rule or regulation. No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6(b). The chairperson of the meeting shall, if the facts so warrant, determine that a nomination was not made in accordance with such provisions and, if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.

(c) For purposes of subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 6, the term “public disclosure” shall mean disclosure (i) in a press release issued through a nationally recognized news service, (ii) in a document publicly filed or furnished by the Corporation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or (iii) on a website maintained by the Corporation or its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bogota Savings Bank. The timely notice requirements provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 6 shall apply to all stockholder nominations for election as a director and all stockholder proposals for business to be conducted at an annual meeting regardless of whether such proposal is submitted for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act.

 

Section 7.

Proxies and Voting.

Unless the Articles of the Corporation provide for a greater or lesser number of votes per share or limits or denies voting rights, each outstanding share of stock, regardless of class, is entitled to one (1) vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders; however, a share is not entitled to be voted if any installment payable on it is overdue and unpaid. In all elections for directors, directors shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast, and except as otherwise required by law or as provided in the Articles of the Corporation, all other matters voted on by stockholders shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast on the matter.

A stockholder may vote the stock the stockholder owns of record either in person or by proxy. A stockholder may sign a writing authorizing another person to act as proxy. Signing may be accomplished by the stockholder or the stockholder’s authorized agent signing the writing or causing the stockholder’s signature to be affixed to the writing by any reasonable means, including facsimile signature. A stockholder may authorize another person to act as proxy by transmitting, or authorizing the transmission of, an authorization for the person to act as the proxy to the person authorized to act as proxy or to any other person authorized to receive the proxy authorization on behalf of the person authorized to act as the proxy, including a proxy solicitation firm or proxy support service organization. The authorization may be transmitted by a telegram, cablegram, datagram, electronic mail or any other electronic or telephonic means. Unless a proxy provides otherwise, it is not valid more than eleven (11) months after its date. A proxy is revocable by a stockholder at any time without condition or qualification unless the proxy states that it is irrevocable and the proxy is coupled with an interest. A proxy may be made irrevocable for as long as it is coupled with an interest. The interest with which a proxy may be coupled includes an interest in the stock to be voted under the proxy or another general interest in the Corporation or its assets or liabilities.

 

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Section 8.

Conduct of Voting

The Board of Directors shall, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one (1) or more persons as inspectors of election, to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof and make a written report thereof, in accordance with applicable law. If one (1) or more inspectors are not so elected, the Chairperson of the Board shall make such appointment at the meeting of stockholders. At all meetings of stockholders, the proxies and ballots shall be received, and all questions relating to the qualification of voters and the validity of proxies and the acceptance or rejection of votes shall be decided or determined by, the inspector of election. All voting, including on the election of directors but excepting where otherwise required by law, may be by a voice vote; provided, however, that upon demand therefor by a stockholder entitled to vote or his or her proxy or the chairperson of the meeting, a written vote shall be taken. Every written vote shall be taken by ballot, each of which shall state the name of the stockholder or proxy voting and such other information as may be required under the procedure established for the meeting. No candidate for election as a director at a meeting shall serve as an inspector at such meeting.

 

Section 9.

Control Share Acquisition Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Articles of the Corporation or these bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the MGCL (or any successor statute) shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation. This Section 9 may be repealed by a majority of the Whole Board, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of Control Shares (as defined in Section 3-701(d) of the MGCL, or any successor provision) and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent Control Share Acquisition (as defined in Section 3-701(d) of the MGCL, or any successor provision).

ARTICLE II

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.

General Powers, Number and Term of Office.

The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of directors of the Corporation shall, by virtue of the Corporation’s election made hereby to be governed by Section 3-804(b) of the MGCL, be fixed from time to time exclusively by vote of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that such number shall never be less than the minimum number of directors required by the MGCL now or hereafter in force. The Board of Directors shall annually elect a Chairperson of the Board from among its members and shall designate the Chairperson of the Board or his or her designee to preside at its meetings.

The directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of preferred stock, shall be divided into three (3) classes, as nearly equal in number as reasonably possible, with the term of office of the first class to expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders, the term of office of the second class to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders one year thereafter and the term of office of the third class to expire at the annual

 

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meeting of stockholders two years thereafter, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. At each annual meeting of stockholders, commencing with the first annual meeting, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election or for such shorter period of time as the Board of Directors may determine, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

 

Section 2.

Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships.

By virtue of the Corporation’s election made hereby to be subject to Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL, any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from an increase in the size of the Board of Directors or the death, resignation or removal of a director may be filled only by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

 

Section 3.

Regular Meetings.

Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such place or places or by means of remote communication, on such date or dates, and at such time or times as shall have been established by the Board of Directors and publicized among all directors. A notice of each regular meeting shall not be required. Any regular meeting of the Board of Directors may adjourn from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, and no notice need be given of any such adjourned meeting other than by announcement.

 

Section 4.

Special Meetings.

Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by one-third (1/3) of the directors then in office (rounded up to the nearest whole number) or the Chairperson of the Board and shall be held at such place or by means of remote communication, on such date, and at such time as they or he or she shall fix. Notice of the place, date, and time of each such special meeting shall be given to each director who has not waived notice by mailing and post-marking written notice not less than five (5) days before the meeting, or by facsimile or other electronic transmission of the same not less than twenty four (24) hours before the meeting. Any director may waive notice of any special meeting, either before or after such meeting, by delivering a written waiver or a waiver by electronic transmission that is filed with the records of the meeting. Attendance of a director at a special meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where the director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted nor the purpose of any special meeting of the Board of Directors need be specified in the notice of such meeting. Any special meeting of the Board of Directors may adjourn from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, and no notice need be given of any such adjourned meeting other than by announcement.

 

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Section 5.

Quorum.

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, a majority of the Whole Board shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting, a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting to another place, date, or time, without further notice or waiver thereof.

 

Section 6.

Participation in Meetings by Conference Telephone.

Members of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of such Board or committee by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Such participation shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

Section 7.

Conduct of Business.

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, business shall be transacted in such order and manner as the Board may from time to time determine, and all matters shall be determined by the vote of a majority of the directors present, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws or the Corporation’s Articles or required by law. Action may be taken by the Board of Directors without a meeting if a unanimous consent that sets forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the Board of Directors and filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 8.

Powers.

All powers of the Corporation may be exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Directors except as provided by the Articles of the Corporation. Consistent with the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall have, among other powers, the unqualified power:

 

  (i)

To declare dividends from time to time in accordance with law;

 

  (ii)

To purchase or otherwise acquire any property, rights or privileges on such terms as it shall determine;

 

  (iii)

To authorize the creation, making and issuance, in such form as it may determine, of written obligations of every kind, negotiable or non-negotiable, secured or unsecured, and to do all things necessary in connection therewith;

 

  (iv)

To remove any officer of the Corporation with or without cause, and from time to time to devolve the powers and duties of any officer upon any other person for the time being;

 

  (v)

To confer upon any officer of the Corporation the power to appoint, remove and suspend subordinate officers, employees and agents;

 

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  (vi)

To adopt from time to time such stock, option, stock purchase, bonus or other compensation plans for directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation and its subsidiaries as it may determine;

 

  (vii)

To adopt from time to time such insurance, retirement, and other benefit plans for directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation and its subsidiaries as it may determine; and

 

  (viii)

To adopt from time to time regulations, not inconsistent with these bylaws, for the management of the Corporation’s business and affairs.

 

Section 9.

Compensation of Directors.

Directors, as such, may receive, pursuant to resolution of the Board of Directors, fixed fees and other compensation for their services as directors, including, without limitation, their services as members of committees of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 10.

Resignation.

Any director may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the President or the Secretary at the principal office of the Corporation. Unless otherwise specified therein, such resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

 

Section 11.

Presumption of Assent.

A director of the Corporation who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to such action unless such director announces his or her dissent at the meeting and (a) such director’s dissent is entered in the minutes of the meeting, (b) such director files his or her written dissent to such action with the secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof, or (c) such director forwards his or her written dissent within twenty four (24) hours after the meeting is adjourned, by certified mail, return receipt requested, bearing a postmark from the United States Postal Service, to the secretary of the meeting or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a director who voted in favor of such action or failed to make his or her dissent known at the meeting.

 

Section 12.

Director Qualifications.

(a) No person shall be eligible for election or appointment to the Board of Directors: (i) if a financial or securities regulatory agency has, within the past ten years, issued a cease and desist, consent or other formal order, other than a civil money penalty, against such person, which order is subject to public disclosure by such agency; (ii) if such person has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or breach of trust which is punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under state or federal law; or (iii) if such person is currently charged in any information, indictment, or other complaint with the commission of or participation in such a crime. No person may serve on the Board of Directors if such person is: (i) at the same time, a director, trustee, officer, employee or ten percent (10%) or more stockholder of a bank, savings institution, credit union, mortgage banking company, consumer loan company or similar

 

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organization, other than an affiliate of the Corporation, that engages in business activities or solicits customers, whether through a physical presence or electronically, in the same market area as the Corporation or any of its affiliates; (ii) does not agree in writing to comply with all of the Corporation’s policies applicable to directors including but not limited to its confidentiality policy; (iii) does not confirm in writing that he or she is not a party to any agreement, understanding or commitment with respect to how he or she would act or vote on any issue or question before the Board of Directors or that would otherwise impact his or her ability to discharge his or her fiduciary duties as a director; (iv) is the representative or agent of, or a member of a group acting in concert that includes, a person who is ineligible for election or appointment to the Board of Directors under this Section 12; or (v) is the nominee or representative, as that term is defined in the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 12 C.F.R §212.2(n) or any successor provision, of a company of which any of the directors, partners, trustees, or ten percent (10%) stockholders would not be eligible for election or appointment to the Board of Directors under this Section 12. For purposes of this Section 12, a person shall be deemed to be acting in concert with another person if such person knowingly acts toward a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of the corporation in parallel with such other person and there are overt actions by, or communications between, such persons reasonably suggesting that they are coordinating their efforts toward such common goal or if such persons are acting in concert within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. §303.81 or any successor provision.

(b) The Board of Directors shall have the power to construe and apply the provisions of this Section 12 and to make all determinations necessary or desirable to implement such provisions, including but not limited to determinations as to whether a person is a nominee or representative of a person, a company or a group, whether a person or company is included in a group, and whether a person is the representative, agent or nominee of a group acting in concert.

 

Section 13.

Eligibility.

No person may be appointed, re-appointed, elected or re-elected as a director following his or her attaining the age of seventy-five (75).

 

Section 14.

Attendance at Board Meetings.

The Board of Directors shall have the right to remove any director from the Board upon a director’s unexcused absence from (i) three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors or (ii) five (5) regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors in any fiscal year of the Corporation. No director shall be eligible for re-election if, during the preceding fiscal year, such director shall not have attended at least twenty percent (20%) of the meetings held by the Board during such fiscal year, unless such absences are for reasonable cause shown.

 

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ARTICLE III

COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.

Committees of the Board of Directors.

(a) General Provisions. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating/Governance Committee, and such other committees as the Board of Directors deems necessary or desirable. The Board of Directors may delegate to any committee so appointed any of the powers and authorities of the Board of Directors to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL and any other applicable law.

(b) Composition. Each committee shall be composed of one (1) or more directors or any other number of members specified in these bylaws. The Chairperson of the Board may recommend committees, committee memberships, and committee chairs to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to appoint the chairperson and the members of any committee, change the membership of any committee, to fill all vacancies on committees, to designate alternate members to replace or act in the place of any absent or disqualified member of a committee, or to dissolve any committee. A member of a committee may resign from that committee at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the Chairperson of the Board. Unless otherwise specified therein, such resignation from the committee shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

(c) Issuance of Stock. If the Board of Directors has given general authorization for the issuance of stock providing for or establishing a method or procedure for determining the maximum number of shares to be issued, a committee of the Board of Directors, in accordance with that general authorization or any stock option or other plan or program adopted by the Board of Directors, may authorize or fix the terms of stock subject to classification or reclassification and the terms on which any stock may be issued, including all terms and conditions required or permitted to be established or authorized by the Board of Directors. Any committee so designated may exercise the power and authority of the Board of Directors if the resolution that designated the committee or a supplemental resolution of the Board of Directors shall so provide.

 

Section 2.

Conduct of Business.

Each committee may determine the procedural rules for meeting and conducting its business and shall act in accordance therewith, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law. Adequate provision shall be made for notice to members of all meetings; one-third (1/3) of the members shall constitute a quorum unless the committee shall consist of one (1) or two (2) members, in which event one member shall constitute a quorum; and all matters shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present. Action may be taken by any committee without a meeting if a unanimous consent that sets forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the committee and filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of the proceedings of such committee. The members of any committee may conduct any meeting thereof by conference telephone or other communications equipment in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of Article II.

 

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ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

 

Section 1.

Generally.

(a) The Board of Directors as soon as may be practicable after the annual meeting of stockholders shall choose a Chairperson of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President, a Secretary and a Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer and from time to time may choose one or more Vice Presidents or such other officers as it may deem proper. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, except that no person may concurrently serve as both President and Vice President of the Corporation.

(b) The term of office of all officers shall be until the next annual election of officers and until their respective successors are chosen, but any officer may be removed from office at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole Board.

(c) All officers chosen by the Board of Directors shall each have such powers and duties as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the specific provisions of this Article IV. Such officers shall also have such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred by the Board of Directors or by any committee thereof.

 

Section 2.

Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall perform all duties and have all powers that are commonly incident to the office of Chairperson of the Board or that are delegated to him or her by the Board of Directors. He or she shall have power to sign all stock certificates, contracts and other instruments of the Corporation that are authorized.

 

Section 3.

Chief Executive Officer.

The Chief Executive Officer, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, shall serve in a general executive capacity and have general power over the management and oversight of the administration and operation of the Corporation’s business and general supervisory power and authority over its policies and affairs. The Chief Executive Officer shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors and of any committee thereof are carried into effect.

 

Section 4.

President.

The President shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer in the Chief Executive Officer’s absence or during his or her disability to act. In addition, the President shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to his or her office and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to the President from time to time by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

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Section 5.

Vice President.

The Vice President or Vice Presidents (including Executive Vice Presidents or other levels of Vice President designated by the Board of Directors), if any, shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer in the absence of both the Chief Executive Officer and the President, or during their disability to act. In addition, the Vice Presidents shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to their respective office and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to the Vice Presidents from time to time by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Section 6.

Secretary.

The Secretary or an Assistant Secretary shall issue notices of meetings, keep the minutes of meetings, have charge of the seal and the corporate books, perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are usually incident to such offices and/or such other duties and powers as are properly assigned thereto by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Section 7.

Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer.

The Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer shall have charge of all monies and securities of the Corporation, other than monies and securities of any division of the Corporation that has a treasurer or financial officer appointed by the Board of Directors, and shall keep regular books of account. The funds of the Corporation shall be deposited in the name of the Corporation by the Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer with such banks or trust companies or other entities as the Board of Directors from time to time shall designate. The Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer shall sign or countersign such instruments as require his or her signature, shall perform all such duties and have all such powers as are usually incident to such office and/or such other duties and powers as are properly assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer, and may be required to give bond for the faithful performance of his or her duties in such sum and with such surety as may be required by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 8.

Other Officers.

The Board of Directors may designate and fill such other offices in its discretion and the persons holding such other offices shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer may from time to time assign.

 

Section 9.

Action with Respect to Securities of Other Corporations

Stock of other corporations or associations, registered in the name of the Corporation, may be voted by the Chief Executive Officer, the President, a Vice President, or a proxy appointed by any of them. The Board of Directors, however, may by resolution appoint some other person to vote such shares, in which case such person shall be entitled to vote such shares upon the production of a certified copy of such resolution.

 

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ARTICLE V

STOCK

 

Section 1.

Certificates of Stock.

The Board of Directors may determine to issue certificated or uncertificated shares of capital stock and other securities of the Corporation. For certificated stock, each stockholder is entitled to certificates that represent and certify the shares of stock he or she holds in the Corporation. Each stock certificate shall include on its face the name of the Corporation, the name of the stockholder or other person to whom it is issued, and the class of stock and number of shares it represents. It shall also include on its face or back (a) a statement of any restrictions on transferability and a statement of the designations and any preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption of the stock of each class that the Corporation is authorized to issue, of the differences in the relative rights and preferences between the shares of each series of preferred stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue, to the extent they have been set, and of the authority of the Board of Directors to set the relative rights and preferences of subsequent series of preferred stock or (b) a statement that provides in substance that the Corporation will furnish a full statement of such information to any stockholder on request and without charge. Such request may be made to the Secretary or to the Corporation’s transfer agent. Upon the issuance of uncertificated shares of capital stock, the Corporation shall send the stockholder a written statement of the same information required above with respect to stock certificates. Each stock certificate shall be in such form, not inconsistent with law or with the Corporation’s Articles, as shall be approved by the Board of Directors or any officer or officers designated for such purpose by resolution of the Board of Directors. Each stock certificate shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Board, the President, or a Vice President, and countersigned by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer or the Treasurer. Each certificate may be sealed with the actual corporate seal or a facsimile of it or in any other form and the signatures may be either manual or facsimile signatures. A certificate is valid and may be issued whether or not an officer who signed it is still an officer when it is issued. A certificate may not be issued until the stock represented by it is fully paid.

 

Section 2.

Transfers of Stock.

Transfers of stock shall be made only upon the transfer books of the Corporation kept at an office of the Corporation or by transfer agents designated to transfer shares of the stock of the Corporation. Except where a certificate is issued in accordance with Section 4 of Article V of these bylaws, an outstanding certificate for the number of shares involved shall be surrendered for cancellation before a new certificate is issued therefor.

 

Section 3.

Record Dates or Closing of Transfer Books.

The Board of Directors may, and shall have the power to, set a record date or direct that the stock transfer books be closed for a stated period to make any proper determination with respect to stockholders, including which stockholders are entitled to notice of a meeting, vote at a meeting, receive a dividend, or be allotted other rights. The record date may not be before the close of business on the day the record date is fixed nor, subject to Section 3 of Article I of these

 

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bylaws, more than ninety (90) days before the date on which the action requiring the determination will be taken; the transfer books may not be closed for a period longer than twenty (20) days; and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, the record date or the closing of the transfer books shall be at least ten (10) days before the date of the meeting. Any shares of the Corporation’s own stock acquired by the Corporation between the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders and the time of the meeting may be voted at the meeting by the holder of record as of the record date and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at the meeting.

 

Section 4.

Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates.

The Board of Directors of the Corporation may determine the conditions for issuing a new stock certificate in place of one that is alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, or the Board of Directors may delegate such power to any officer or officers of the Corporation or to the transfer agent designated to transfer shares of the stock of the Corporation. In their discretion, the Board of Directors or such officer or officers may require the owner of the certificate to give a bond, with sufficient surety, to indemnify the Corporation against any loss or claim arising as a result of the issuance of a new certificate. In their discretion, the Board of Directors or such officer or officers may refuse to issue such new certificate without the order of a court having jurisdiction over the matter.

 

Section 5.

Stock Ledger.

The Corporation shall maintain a stock ledger that contains the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of stock of each class that the stockholder holds. The stock ledger may be in written form or in any other form that can be converted within a reasonable time into written form for visual inspection. The original or a duplicate of the stock ledger shall be kept at the offices of a transfer agent for the particular class of stock or, if none, at the principal executive office of the Corporation.

 

Section 6.

Regulations.

The issue, transfer, conversion and registration of certificates of stock shall be governed by such other regulations as the Board of Directors may establish.

ARTICLE VI

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 1.

Facsimile Signatures.

In addition to the provisions for use of facsimile signatures elsewhere specifically authorized in these bylaws, facsimile signatures of any officer or officers of the Corporation may be used whenever and as authorized by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof.

 

Section 2.

Corporate Seal.

The Board of Directors may provide a suitable seal, bearing the name of the Corporation, which shall be in the charge of the Secretary. The Board of Directors may authorize one or more

 

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duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof. If the Corporation is required to place its corporate seal to a document, it is sufficient to meet the requirement of any law, rule, or regulation relating to a corporate seal to place the word “(seal)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to sign the document on behalf of the Corporation.

 

Section 3.

Books and Records.

The Corporation shall keep correct and complete books and records of its accounts and transactions and minutes of the proceedings of its stockholders and Board of Directors and of any committee when exercising any of the powers of the Board of Directors. The books and records of the Corporation may be in written form or in any other form which can be converted within a reasonable time into written form for visual inspection. Minutes shall be recorded in written form but may be maintained in the form of a reproduction. The original or a certified copy of these bylaws shall be kept at the principal office of the Corporation.

 

Section 4.

Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records.

Each director, each member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors, and each officer and agent of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties, in addition to any protections conferred upon him or her by law, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees, or committees of the Board of Directors so designated, or by any other person as to matters which such director, committee member, officer or agent reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.

 

Section 5.

Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall commence on the first day of January and end on the last day of December in each year.

 

Section 6.

Time Periods.

In applying any provision of these bylaws that requires that an act be done or not be done a specified number of days before an event or that an act be done during a period of a specified number of days before an event, calendar days shall be used, the day of the doing of the act shall be excluded and the day of the event shall be included.

 

Section 7.

Checks, Drafts, Etc.

All checks, drafts and orders for the payment of money, notes and other evidences of indebtedness, issued in the name of the Corporation, shall be signed by any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation that is authorized by the Board of Directors.

 

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Section 8.

Mail.

Any notice or other document that is required by these bylaws to be mailed shall be deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid.

 

Section 9.

Contracts and Agreements.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, and except as otherwise prescribed by the Articles or these bylaws, the Board of Directors may authorize any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. A person who holds more than one office in the Corporation may not act in more than one capacity to execute, acknowledge, or verify an instrument required by law to be executed, acknowledged, or verified by more than one officer.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed as provided in the Articles of the Corporation.

 

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EXHIBIT C

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the MHC


BOGOTA FINANCIAL, MHC

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

FIRST: Corporate Title. The name of the mutual holding company hereby incorporated is Bogota Financial, MHC (the “Mutual Company”).

SECOND: Principal Office. The principal office of the Mutual Company is to be located at 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666.

THIRD: Duration. The duration of the Mutual Company is perpetual.

FOURTH: Purpose and Powers. The purpose of the Mutual Company is to pursue any or all of the lawful objectives of a mutual savings bank holding company incorporated under Article 49 of the New Jersey Banking Act of 1948, as amended, and to exercise all of the express, implied, and incidental powers conferred thereby and all acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto, subject to the Constitution and the laws of the State of New Jersey as they are now in effect, or as they may hereafter be amended, and subject to all lawful and applicable rules, regulations, and orders of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (the “Department”).

FIFTH: Capital. The Mutual Company shall have no capital stock. The Mutual Company will receive $50,000 to serve as the initial capitalization of the Mutual Company.

SIXTH: Organizers. The names of the directors of the organizing mutual savings bank are as follows:

 

Name

  

Residential Address

Joseph Coccaro    6 Heather Lane, Middletown, NJ 07748
Bruce H. Dexter    23 Mountain Road, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Gary Gensheimer    215 Cedar Island Drive, Brick, NJ 08723
Steven M. Goldberg    137 Brewster Road, Wyckoff, NJ 07481
John Masterson    24 Country Club Way, Demarest, NJ 07627

The business address of the organizers of the organizing mutual savings bank is 819 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666.

SEVENTH: Number of Trustees. The number of Trustees of the Mutual Company shall be not less than six (6), and not more than twenty-one (21), as fixed from time to time by the Board of Trustees of the Mutual Company.

EIGHTH: Initial Trustees. The persons who shall serve as Trustees of the Mutual Company, until their successors are elected and qualified are as follows:


Name

   Term Expires

Steven M. Goldberg

   2020

John Masterson

   2020

Joseph Coccaro

   2021

Bruce H. Dexter

   2021

Gary Gensheimer

   2022

Brian McCourt

   2022

NINTH: Amendment of Bylaws. The Board of Trustees of the Mutual Company shall have power to make, amend and repeal the bylaws of the Mutual Company. The power conferred by this Article NINTH shall be subject to such limitations as from time to time be imposed by law.

TENTH: Interest of Depositors in Assets. In addition to the liquidation rights described in Article ELEVENTH below, each depositor of Bogota Saving Bank (the “Bank”) shall have the same interest in the assets of the Mutual Company as a depositor had in the Bank immediately prior to the formation of the Mutual Company. In the event of the liquidation of the Bank and the Mutual Company, the proceeds of the liquidation of the assets of the Mutual Company shall be distributed as set forth in Section 284 of the Banking Act of 1948 (N.J.S.A. 17:9A-284), except that the reference in such statute to “savings bank,” shall refer to the Mutual Company.

ELEVENTH: Liquidation Rights. Pursuant to the requirements of the laws of the State of New Jersey and the rules and regulations of the Department, the Mutual Company shall maintain a liquidation account in the Mutual Company or the Bank for the benefit of each holder of a qualifying deposit account with the Bank as of December 31, 2017. In the event the Mutual Company engages in a “Conversion Transaction,” as described in Article FOURTEENTH below, the liquidation account shall terminate and a new liquidation account shall be established by the new stock holding company or the Bank as part of the Conversion Transaction pursuant to applicable federal regulations, the laws of the State of New Jersey and the rules and regulations of the Department. In addition, all persons who became holders of a deposit account with the Bank subsequent to December 31, 2017 will have liquidation rights with respect to the Mutual Company to the same extent that depositors hold liquidation rights in the Bank prior to the organization of the Mutual Company, but will not have an interest in the liquidation account described in this Article ELEVENTH. No person who ceases to be the holder of a deposit account with the Bank shall have any liquidation rights with respect to the Mutual Company or any interest in the liquidation account. Borrowers from the Bank will not receive liquidation rights in the Mutual Company in connection with any borrowings from the Bank. A “Conversion Transaction” as described in Article FOURTEENTH below shall not be deemed a liquidation of the Mutual Company.

TWELFTH: Limitation of Liability. A Trustee or officer of the Mutual Company shall not be personally liable to the Mutual Company or the depositors of the organizing mutual savings bank for damages for breach of any duty owed to the Mutual Company or depositors of the organizing savings bank, except that this provision shall not relieve a Trustee or officer from liability for any breach of duty based upon an act or omission (a) in breach of such person’s duty of loyalty to the Mutual Company or depositors of the organizing savings bank, (b) not in good faith or involving a knowing violation of law, or (c) resulting in receipt by such person of an

 

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improper benefit. If the Banking Act of 1948 as presently enacted is amended after the date hereof to authorize action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability or Trustees or officers, then the liability of a Trustee or officer of the Mutual Company shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Banking Act of 1948, as so amended. Any repeal or modification of this Article TWELFTH shall be prospective only and shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a Trustee or officer existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

THIRTEENTH: Ownership of Voting Stock of Bogota Financial Corp. At all times so long as the Mutual Company and Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Stock Holding Company”) are in existence, the Mutual Company must own at least a majority of the Voting Stock of the Stock Holding Company. For these purposes, “Voting Stock” means common stock or preferred stock, or similar interests if the shares by statute, charter or in any manner, entitle the holder: (i) to vote for or to select directors of the Stock Holding Company; and (ii) to vote on or to direct the conduct of the operations or other significant policies of the Stock Holding Company. Notwithstanding anything in the preceding sentence, preferred stock is not “Voting Stock” if: (i) voting rights associated with the preferred stock are limited solely to the type customarily provided by statute with regard to matters that would significantly and adversely affect the rights or preferences of the preferred stock, such as the issuance of additional amounts or classes of senior securities, the modification of the terms of the preferred stock, the dissolution of the Stock Holding Company, or the payment of dividends by the Stock Holding Company when preferred dividends are in arrears; (ii) the preferred stock represents an essentially passive investment or financing device and does not otherwise provide the holder with control over the Stock Holding Company; and (iii) the preferred stock does not at the time entitle the holder, by statute, charter, or otherwise, to select or to vote for the selection of directors of the Stock Holding Company. Notwithstanding anything in the preceding two sentences, “Voting Stock” shall be deemed to include preferred stock and other securities that, upon transfer or otherwise, are convertible into Voting Stock or exercisable to acquire Voting Stock where the holder of the stock, convertible security or right to acquire Voting Stock has the preponderant economic risk in the underlying Voting Stock. Securities immediately convertible into Voting Stock at the option of the holder without payment of additional consideration shall be deemed to constitute the Voting Stock into which they are convertible; other convertible securities and rights to acquire Voting Stock shall not be deemed to vest the holder with the preponderant economic risk in the underlying Voting Stock if the holder has paid less than 50% of the consideration required to directly acquire the Voting Stock and has no other economic interest in the underlying Voting Stock.

FOURTEENTH: Conversion Transaction. The Mutual Company may elect at any time to convert to stock form in accordance with applicable law and regulation (a “Conversion Transaction”). In a Conversion Transaction, the Mutual Company will merge with and into the Stock Holding Company with the Stock Holding Company as the resulting entity, followed by the merger of the Stock Holding Company with and into a new stock holding company, with the new stock holding company as the resulting entity. Depositors of Bogota Savings Bank, a stock savings bank, will receive the right to subscribe for a number of shares of common stock of the new stock holding company. The additional shares of common stock of the new stock holding company issued in the Conversion Transaction shall be sold at their aggregate pro forma market value.

 

3


In any Conversion Transaction, stockholders other than the Mutual Company (“Minority Stockholders”), if any, will be entitled to maintain the same percentage ownership interest in the new stock holding company after the Conversion Transaction as their ownership interest in the Stock Holding Company immediately prior to the Conversion Transaction (i.e., the “Minority Ownership Interest”), subject only to adjustment (if required by federal or state law, regulations, or regulatory policy) to reflect assets of the Mutual Company, including any dividends paid to the Mutual Company.

At the sole discretion of the Board of Trustees of the Mutual Company and the board of directors of the Stock Holding Company, a Conversion Transaction may be effected in any other manner necessary to qualify the Conversion Transaction as a tax-free reorganization under applicable federal and state tax laws, provided such Conversion Transaction does not diminish the rights and ownership interest of Minority Stockholders as set forth in the preceding paragraphs of this Article FOURTEENTH.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we, organizers of the Mutual Company, have hereunto set our hands and seals this ______ day of _____________________, 2019.

 

 

    

 

Joseph Coccaro      Bruce H. Dexter

 

    

 

Gary Gensheimer      Steven M. Goldberg

 

    
John Masterson     

 

5


BOGOTA FINANCIAL, MHC

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I

NAME AND LOCATION

The name of this mutual savings bank holding company is Bogota Financial, MHC (the “Mutual Company”), in Teaneck, New Jersey, located in the County of Bergen and State of New Jersey.

ARTICLE II

SEAL

The Board of Trustees of this Mutual Company shall have the power to adopt and use a corporate seal, and to change the same from time to time.

ARTICLE III

OBJECTS

The objects of this Mutual Company shall be to operate as a mutual savings bank holding company as hereinafter and by the laws of the State of New Jersey is and may be permitted and provided, including The Banking Act of 1948 of New Jersey, as amended (the “Banking Act”), and to do and perform all things and acts consistent with law, as shall be authorized or approved by the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE IV

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Section 1. Board of Trustees. The property, business and affairs of the Mutual Company shall be managed and directed by a Board of Trustees of not less than six (6) nor more than twenty-one (21) persons, as provided from time to time by resolution of the Board. Each Trustee shall have such qualifications and meet with such eligibility requirements as are required herein, and by the Banking Act. The Board of Trustees shall have the power to exercise any and all of the powers of the Mutual Company. Each Trustee shall, following his election and before he assumes office, take an oath of office in accordance with the laws of this State.

Section 2. Vacancies. A vacancy in the Board of Trustees may be filled for the unexpired term by a plurality vote of the remaining members of the Board of Trustees.

Section 3. Election of Trustees. Election of Trustees shall be held annually. Members of the Board of Trustees shall be elected for a term of three (3) years and until their successors have been elected and qualified, or such lesser or greater term as may be provided by the Banking Act.


Section 4. Nominating Committee. The Board of Trustees shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall meet to determine the necessary and appropriate criteria to be used by the Nominating Committee to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees for candidates to be considered for election to the Board to fill any vacancies or anticipated vacancies thereto, and to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees of candidates for consideration for election or re-election as a Trustee.

Section 5. Term of Office. The Board of Trustees shall be divided into three (3) groups. At the first meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Board shall divide the members named in its certificate of incorporation into three (3) classes; the members of one class shall hold office until the annual meeting of the board next succeeding the first meeting; the members of one class shall hold office until the annual meeting of the board next succeeding the second meeting; and the members of one class shall hold office until the annual meeting next succeeding the third meeting, so that, at each election of Trustees following the first meeting, approximately an equal number of Trustees shall be elected.

Section 6. Removal of Trustees. Any member of the Board of Trustees may be removed at any time without cause by a vote of two-thirds of the entire membership of the Board at the time in office.

Section 7. Trustees’ Meetings. The Board of Trustees shall hold at least one annual meeting within four months of each calendar year, at such time and place as it may determine, and such other meetings as shall be deemed necessary. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board of Trustees at a meeting may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken shall be signed by all of the Trustees. Trustees may participate in a meeting of the Board, or a committee thereof, by means of conference telephone or any means of communication by which all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear each other.

Section 8. Special Meetings of Trustees. Special Meetings of the Board may be called at any time (i) by the Chairman of the Board, or in the absence of the Chairman, then by the Vice Chairman of the Board, or (ii) by the President or (iii) by the Chief Executive Officer; and shall be called by the Secretary upon the written request of not less than twenty percent (20%) of the Trustees then serving. Whenever the Secretary shall call a Special Meeting of the Board upon request of Trustees as herein provided, he shall call the meeting to be held in not less than ten (10) days or not more than forty (40) days after he has been requested to call said meeting. The Secretary shall notify each member of the Board in person, by telephone, by facsimile, by email or by mail, at least one (1) day prior to such meeting. Such notice shall state the purpose for which such special meeting is to be held and the time and place of such meeting. Such notice of any meeting may be waived by any Trustee, before, at or after the meeting, and if so waived, said meeting shall be sufficiently called as to such Trustee.

Section 9. Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. Except as otherwise provided herein or as otherwise required by law, action taken by a majority of a meeting with a quorum being present shall be deemed the action of the Board.

 

2


Section 10. Executive Committee. An Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, be appointed by the Board of Trustees, which Executive Committee, subject to the provisions of these bylaws, shall exercise the powers of the Board permitted by applicable law in the management of the business and affairs of the Mutual Company during the interval between meetings of the Board. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any of its meetings.

Section 11. Other Committees. The Board of Trustees may, from time to time, appoint such other committees, standing or special, of the Board as are permitted by law or the needs of the Mutual Company may require.

Section 12. Disaster Plan. In the event of a state of disaster of sufficient severity to prevent the conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Mutual Company by its Trustees and officers as contemplated by these bylaws, any three or more available members of the then incumbent Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum of that committee for the full conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Mutual Company in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. In the event of the unavailability, at such time, of a minimum of three members of the then incumbent Executive Committee, any three available Trustees shall constitute the Executive Committee for the full conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Mutual Company in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section. This By-law provision shall be subject to implementation by resolutions of the Board of Trustees passed from time to time for that purpose, and any provisions of these bylaws (other than this section) and any resolutions that are contrary to the provisions of this section or to the provisions of any such implementing resolutions shall be suspended until it shall be determined by any interim Executive Committee acting under this section that it shall be to the advantage of the Mutual Company to resume the conduct and management of its affairs and business under all of the other provisions of these bylaws.

Section 13. Compensation. The Board shall have full power and authority to fix the compensation of the Trustees.

Section 14. Trustee Qualifications.

(a) No person shall be eligible for election or appointment to the Board: (i) if a financial or securities regulatory agency has, within the past ten years, issued a cease and desist, consent or other formal order, other than a civil money penalty, against such person, which order is subject to public disclosure by such agency; (ii) if such person has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or breach of trust which is punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under state or federal law; or (iii) if such person is currently charged in any information, indictment, or other complaint with the commission of or participation in such a crime. No person may serve on the Board if such person is: (i) at the same time, a Trustee, director, officer, employee or ten percent (10%) or more stockholder of a bank, savings institution, credit union, mortgage banking company, consumer loan company or similar organization, other than an affiliate of the Mutual Company, that engages in business activities or solicits customers, whether through a physical presence or electronically, in the same market area as the Mutual Company or any of its affiliates; (ii) does not agree in writing to comply with all of the Mutual Company’s policies applicable to Trustees including but not limited to its confidentiality policy; (iii) does not confirm in writing that he is not a party to any agreement,

 

3


understanding or commitment with respect to how he would act or vote on any issue or question before the Board or that would otherwise impact his ability to discharge his fiduciary duties as a Trustee; (iv) is the representative or agent of, or a member of a group acting in concert that includes, a person who is ineligible for election or appointment to the Board under this Section 14; or (v) is the nominee or representative, as that term is defined in the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 12 C.F.R §212.2(n) or any successor provision, of a company of which any of the Trustees, partners, directors, or ten percent (10%) stockholders would not be eligible for election or appointment to the Board under this Section 14. For purposes of this Section 14, a person shall be deemed to be acting in concert with another person if such person knowingly acts toward a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of the corporation in parallel with such other person and there are overt actions by, or communications between, such persons reasonably suggesting that they are coordinating their efforts toward such common goal or if such persons are acting in concert within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. §303.81 or any successor provision.

(b) The Board shall have the power to construe and apply the provisions of this Section 14 and to make all determinations necessary or desirable to implement such provisions, including but not limited to determinations as to whether a person is a nominee or representative of a person, a company or a group, whether a person or company is included in a group, and whether a person is the representative, agent or nominee of a group acting in concert.

Section 15. Eligibility.

(a) No Trustee shall be eligible for re-election if, during the preceding fiscal year, such Trustee shall not have attended at least twenty percent (20%) of the meetings held by the Board during such fiscal year, unless such absences are for reasonable cause shown, as determined by a majority of the other members of the Board.

(b) No person may be appointed, re-appointed, elected or re-elected as a Trustee following his attaining the age of seventy-five (75).

ARTICLE V

OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers. At each annual meeting of the Board, the Board may elect one of their members to preside at their meetings as Chairman of the Board. The Board may elect one of its members as a Vice Chairman of the Board. It shall elect a President, one or more Vice Presidents, a Treasurer and a Secretary, all of whom shall hold office for one year and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. Unless prohibited by law, more than one office may be held by the same person. The Board may designate one full time operational officer as the Chief Executive Officer. The Board may appoint such other officers as it deems necessary for the proper conduct of the business of the Mutual Company. The Board may also appoint or employ or authorize the President (or Chief Executive Officer, if one is designated) to appoint or employ assistant officers or assistants to officers, subject to confirmation of the Board; provided, however, that employees appointed as assistants to officers shall not be considered as officers. The Board may delegate to the President or Chief Executive Officer the authority to appoint any other employees or agents.

 

4


Section 2. Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board, if such be elected by the Board of Trustees, shall preside at all meetings of the Board and shall be a member of the Executive Committee and shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee. The Chairman shall perform such other duties, as usually pertain to the Office of the Chairman of the Board or the Executive Committee shall order, and as by law provided.

Section 3. Vice Chairman of the Board. The Vice Chairman of the Board, if such be elected by the Board of Trustees, shall, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, preside at all meetings of the Board and all meetings of the Executive Committee. Further, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the Office of Chairman of the Board or as the Board of Trustees shall order, and as by law provided.

Section 4. Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer, if such be designated by the Board of Trustees, shall be a full time operational officer, and shall have the full authority to direct the operation and conduct of the Mutual Company under the direction of the Board of Trustees. He shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office, as the Board of Trustees shall order, and as provided by law. The Chief Executive Officer shall be a member of the Board.

Section 5. President. The President, in instances where the Board of Trustees has not designated a Chief Executive Officer, or in the absence or disability of the Chief Executive Officer, shall have the same authority and responsibilities as set forth in Section 4 of this Article V. The President shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office, as the Board of Trustees shall order, and as provided by law. The President shall be a member of the Board.

Section 6. Succession. In the event of the absence or unavailability of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if one is so elected, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, a member of the Board of Trustees chosen from among the Board members by a majority vote of such members shall preside at all meetings of the Board and all meetings of the Executive Committee.

Section 7. Vice Presidents. The Vice Presidents shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to their respective offices and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to them by the Board of Trustees, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President. A Vice President or Vice Presidents may be designated as Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President.

Section 8. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to the office and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to them by the Board of Trustees, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President. In the absence or disability of the Treasurer, his duties may be performed by an Assistant Treasurer elected by the Board of Trustees.

Section 9. Secretary. The Secretary or an Assistant Secretary shall issue notices of meetings, shall keep their minutes, shall have charge of the seal and the corporate books, shall

 

5


perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are usually incident to such offices and/or such other duties and powers as are properly assigned thereto by the Board of Trustees, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President. In the absence or disability of the Secretary, his duties may be performed by an Assistant Secretary elected by the Board of Trustees.

Section 10. Officer Powers. Each officer, in addition to such powers and duties as may be provided herein, and as may be delegated to him by the Board, shall have such powers and duties as usually pertain to his office. All checks, notes and drafts of the Mutual Company shall be executed in a manner and form determined by resolution of the Board of the Mutual Company.

Section 11. Removal. Officers chosen or appointed by the Board shall be subject to removal by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Board. Any termination of employment of an officer by the Board will not affect any contractual rights such officers may have under any employment agreement with the Mutual Company. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the power of the President or the Chief Executive Officer to dismiss any employee as provided herein.

ARTICLE VI

INVESTMENTS

The funds of the Mutual Company shall be invested in such a manner as now or hereinafter may be authorized by the laws of the State of New Jersey.

ARTICLE VII

POWERS

The Mutual Company shall have all powers now or hereafter conferred by the laws of the State of New Jersey, both express and implied, and such other powers as are incidental thereto, and incidental or necessary to the operation of its business and the attainment of its purpose.

ARTICLE VIII

LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

Section 1. Limitations on Liability. No Trustee or officer of the Mutual Company shall be personally liable to the Mutual Company for any damages for breach of any duty owed to the Mutual Company, except to the extent of any act or omission that is:

 

  (i)

in breach of the Trustee’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to the Mutual Company; or

 

  (ii)

not in good faith or involving a knowing violation of law; or

 

  (iii)

resulting in the receipt by the Trustee or officer of an improper personal benefit.

As used herein, an act or omission in breach of a person’s duty of loyalty means an act or omission that the person knows or believes to be contrary to the best interests of the Mutual Company in connection with a matter in which the person has a material conflict of interest.

 

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Section 2. Indemnification. The Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Mutual Company, present or former, shall be entitled to indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law, now or hereinafter enacted with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with any proceedings involving such Trustee, officer, employee or agent by reason of his activities in connection with the Mutual Company. The right to indemnification hereunder shall include the right to an advancement of expenses incurred in defending any civil, criminal, investigative or administrative suit, action or proceeding in accordance with applicable law. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses under this Article are subject to the applicable provisions of Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and the regulations issued thereunder by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

ARTICLE IX

FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Mutual Company shall end on December 31st of each year.

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENTS

Any amendment or revision of these bylaws must be presented in writing at a regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Mutual Company provided notice of the intention to amend or revise these bylaws is given in writing to each member of the Board of Trustees at least five (5) days prior to the date set for the meeting at which the revision or amendment is to be acted upon.

To amend or revise these bylaws, the vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the entire Board of Trustees then serving is required.

ARTICLE XI

DEFINITIONS

Whenever in these bylaws a word in the singular number is used, it shall be construed to mean the plural of such word whenever the circumstances requiring such construction shall arise; and whenever in these bylaws a word in the plural number is used, it shall be construed to mean the singular of such word whenever the circumstances requiring such construction shall arise.

When the word “Board” is used in these bylaws, it shall be construed to mean the Board of Trustees of the Mutual Company.

The word “person” means an individual, bank, corporation, savings bank, savings and loan association, partnership, trust, association, joint venture, pool, syndicate, sole proprietorship, unincorporated organization, or any form of entity.

The use of the masculine pronouns “his” or “he” shall also refer to the feminine pronouns “her” or “she” whenever the circumstances requiring such construction shall arise.

 

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Exhibit 3.1

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

The undersigned Scott. A. Brown, whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 780, Washington, DC 20015, being at least eighteen (18) years of age, does hereby form a corporation under the general laws of the State of Maryland having the following Articles of Incorporation (the “Articles”):

ARTICLE 1. Name. The name of the corporation is Bogota Financial Corp. (herein, the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE 2. Principal Office. The street address of the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is c/o CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

ARTICLE 3. Purpose. The purpose for which the Corporation is formed is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the general laws of the State of Maryland as now or hereafter in force.

ARTICLE 4. Resident Agent. The name and address of the registered agent of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Said resident agent is a Maryland corporation.

ARTICLE 5. Capital Stock

A. Authorized Capital Stock. The total number of shares of capital stock of all classes that the Corporation has authority to issue is thirty-one million (31,000,000) shares, consisting of:

1. One million (1,000,000) shares of preferred stock, par value one cent ($0.01) per share (the “Preferred Stock”); and

2. Thirty million (30,000,000) shares of common stock, par value one cent ($0.01) per share (the “Common Stock”).

The aggregate par value of all the authorized shares of capital stock is three hundred and ten thousand dollars ($310,000). Except to the extent required by governing law, rule or regulation, the shares of capital stock may be issued from time to time by the Board of Directors without further approval of the stockholders of the Corporation. The Corporation shall have the authority to purchase its capital stock out of funds lawfully available therefor, which funds shall include, without limitation, the Corporation’s unreserved and unrestricted capital surplus. The Board of Directors, pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number), and without action by the stockholders, may amend these Articles to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Corporation has authority to issue. For the purposes of these Articles, the term “Whole Board” shall mean the total number of directors that the

 


Corporation would have if there were no vacancies on the Board of Directors at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board of Directors for adoption.

B. Common Stock. Except as provided under the terms of any series of the Preferred Stock and as limited by Section D of this Article 5, the exclusive voting power shall be vested in the Common Stock. Except as otherwise provided for in these Articles, each holder of the Common Stock shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock standing in the holder’s name on the books of the Corporation. Subject to any rights and preferences of any series of Preferred Stock, holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled to such dividends as may be declared by the Board of Directors out of funds lawfully available therefor. Upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled to receive all the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by them, respectively, after: (i) payment or provision for payment of the Corporation’s debts and liabilities; and (ii) distributions or provisions for distributions to holders of any class or series of stock having a preference over the Common Stock in the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

C. Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, to provide for the issuance of shares of the Preferred Stock in series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of the shares of each such series. The number of authorized shares of the Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Common Stock, without a vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required by law or pursuant to the terms of the Preferred Stock. The power of the stockholders to increase or decrease the authorized shares of the Preferred Stock shall not limit any of the powers of the Board of Directors provided under these Articles.

D. Restrictions on Voting Rights of the Corporation’s Equity Securities.

1. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, in no event shall the record owner (or if more than one record owner, all such record owners taken as a group) of any outstanding Common Stock that is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a Person who, as of any record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote on any matter, beneficially owns in excess of ten percent (10%) of the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock (the “Limit”), be entitled, or permitted to any vote in respect of the shares held in excess of the Limit. The number of votes that may be cast by any particular record owner by virtue of the provisions hereof in respect of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Person owning shares in excess of the Limit (a “Holder in Excess”) shall be a number equal to the total number of votes that a single record owner of all Common Stock owned by such Holder in Excess would be entitled to cast after giving effect to the provisions hereof, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of such class or series that are both (i) beneficially owned by such Holder in Excess and (ii) owned of record by such particular record owner, and the denominator of which is the total number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by

 

2


such Holder in Excess. The provisions of this Section D of this Article 5 shall not be applicable to any mutual holding company parent of the Corporation. The provisions of this Section D of this Article 5 also shall not be applicable if, before the Holder in Excess acquired beneficial ownership of such shares in excess of the Limit, such acquisition was approved by a majority of the “Unaffiliated Directors.” For this purpose, the term “Unaffiliated Director” means any member of the Board of Directors who is unaffiliated with the Holder in Excess and was a member of the Board of Directors before the time that the Holder in Excess became such, and any director who is thereafter chosen to fill any vacancy on the Board of Directors and who is elected and who, in either event, is unaffiliated with the Holder in Excess and in connection with his or her initial assumption of office is recommended for appointment or election by a majority of the Unaffiliated Directors then serving on the Board of Directors.

2. The following definitions shall apply to this Section D of this Article 5:

 

  (a)

An “affiliate” of a specified Person shall mean a Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified.

 

  (b)

“Beneficial ownership” shall be determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (or any successor rule or statutory provision), or, if said Rule 13d-3 shall be rescinded and there shall be no successor rule or statutory provision thereto, pursuant to said Rule 13d-3 as in effect on the filing date of these Articles; provided, however, that a Person shall, in any event, also be deemed the “beneficial owner” of any Common Stock:

 

  (1)

that such Person or any of its affiliates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly; or

 

  (2)

that such Person or any of its affiliates has (i) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (but shall not be deemed to be the beneficial owner of any voting shares solely by reason of an agreement, contract, or other arrangement with the Corporation to effect any transaction of the type described in clause (i) or (ii) of the first sentence of Article 9 hereof) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants, or options or otherwise, or (ii) sole or shared voting or investment power with respect thereto pursuant to any agreement, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise (but shall not be deemed to be the beneficial owner of any voting shares solely by reason of a revocable proxy granted for a particular meeting of stockholders, pursuant to a public solicitation of proxies for such meeting, with respect to shares of which neither such Person nor any such affiliate is otherwise deemed the beneficial owner); or

 

3


  (3)

that are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such first mentioned Person or any of its affiliates acts as a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate or other group pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any shares of capital stock of the Corporation; and provided further, however, that (i) no director or officer of the Corporation (or any affiliate of any such director or officer) shall, solely by reason of any or all of such directors or officers acting in their capacities as such, be deemed, for any purposes hereof, to beneficially own any Common Stock beneficially owned by any other such director or officer (or any affiliate thereof), and (ii) neither any employee stock ownership or similar plan of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation nor any trustee with respect thereto (or any affiliate of such trustee) shall, solely by reason of such capacity of such trustee, be deemed, for any purposes hereof, to beneficially own any Common Stock held under any such plan. For purposes of computing the percentage of beneficial ownership of Common Stock of a Person, the outstanding Common Stock shall include shares deemed owned by such Person through application of this subsection but shall not include any other shares of Common Stock that may be issuable by the Corporation pursuant to any agreement, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise. For all other purposes, the outstanding Common Stock shall include only Common Stock then outstanding and shall not include any Common Stock that may be issuable by the Corporation pursuant to any agreement, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

 

  (c)

A “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, or other entity.

 

  (d)

The Board of Directors shall have the power to construe and apply the provisions of this Section D and to make all determinations necessary or desirable to implement such provisions including, but not limited to, matters with respect to (i) the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by any Person, (ii) whether a Person is an affiliate of another, (iii) whether a Person has an agreement, arrangement, or understanding with another as to the matters referred to in the definition of beneficial ownership, (iv) the application of any other definition or operative provision of this Section D to the given facts, or (v) any other matter relating to the applicability or effect of this Section D.

3. The Board of Directors shall have the right to demand that any Person reasonably believed by the Board of Directors to be a Holder in Excess (or holder of record of Common Stock beneficially owned by any Holder in Excess) supply the Corporation with complete information as to (i) the record owner(s) of all shares beneficially owned by such Holder in Excess, and (ii) any other factual matter relating to the applicability or effect of this section as may reasonably be requested of such Holder in Excess. The Board of Directors shall

 

4


further have the right to receive from any Holder in Excess reimbursement for all expenses incurred by the Board in connection with its investigation of any matters relating to the applicability or effect of this section on such Holder in Excess, to the extent such investigation is deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors as a result of the Holder in Excess refusing to supply the Corporation with the information described in the previous sentence.

4. Any constructions, applications, or determinations made by the Board of Directors pursuant to this Section D in good faith and on the basis of such information and assistance as was then reasonably available for such purpose, shall be conclusive and binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders.

5. If any provision (or portion thereof) of this Section D shall be found to be invalid, prohibited or unenforceable for any reason, the remaining provisions (or portions thereof) of this Section D shall remain in full force and effect, and shall be construed as if such invalid, prohibited or unenforceable provision had been stricken herefrom or otherwise rendered inapplicable, it being the intent of the Corporation and its stockholders that each such remaining provision (or portion thereof) of this Section D remain, to the fullest extent permitted by law, applicable and enforceable as to all stockholders, including Holders in Excess, notwithstanding any such finding.

E. Majority Vote for Certain Actions. With respect to those actions as to which any provision of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) requires stockholder authorization by a greater proportion than a majority of the total number of shares of all classes of capital stock or of the total number of shares of any class of capital stock, any such action shall be valid and effective if authorized by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the total number of shares of all classes outstanding and entitled to vote thereon, except as otherwise provided in these Articles.

F. Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law or expressly provided in these Articles, the presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of record of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitling the holders thereof to cast a majority of the votes (after giving effect, if required, to the provisions of Article 5, Section D) entitled to be cast by the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders, and every reference in these Articles to a majority or other proportion of capital stock (or the holders thereof) for purposes of determining any quorum requirement or any requirement for stockholder consent or approval shall be deemed to refer to such majority or other proportion of the votes (or the holders thereof) then entitled to be cast in respect of such capital stock.

ARTICLE 6. Preemptive Rights and Appraisal Rights.

A. Preemptive Rights. Except for preemptive rights approved by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the directors then in office, no holder of the capital stock of the Corporation or series of stock or of options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of any class or series of stock or of other securities of the Corporation shall have any preemptive right to purchase or subscribe for any unissued capital stock of any class or series, or any unissued bonds, certificates of indebtedness, debentures or other securities

 

5


convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock of any class or series or carrying any right to purchase stock of any class or series.

B. Appraisal Rights. Holders of shares of stock shall not be entitled to exercise any rights of an objecting stockholder provided for under Title 3, Subtitle 2 of the MGCL or any successor statute unless the Board of Directors, pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the directors then in office, shall determine that such rights apply with respect to all or any classes or series of stock, to one or more transactions occurring after the date of such determination in connection with which holders of such shares would otherwise be entitled to exercise such rights.

ARTICLE 7. Directors. The following provisions are made a part of these Articles for the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:

A. Management of the Corporation. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. All powers of the Corporation may be exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Directors, except as conferred on or as reserved to the stockholders by law or by these Articles or the bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that any limitations on the Board of Directors’ management or direction of the affairs of the Corporation shall reserve the directors’ full power to discharge their fiduciary duties.

B. Number, Class and Terms of Directors; No Cumulative Voting. The number of directors constituting the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall initially be five (5), which number may be increased or decreased in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that such number shall never be less than the minimum number of directors required by the MGCL now or hereafter in force. The directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, shall be divided into three (3) classes, with the term of office of the first class (“Class I”) to expire at the conclusion of the first annual meeting of stockholders, the term of office of the second class (“Class II”) to expire at the conclusion of the annual meeting of stockholders one year thereafter and the term of office of the third class (“Class III”) to expire at the conclusion of the annual meeting of stockholders two years thereafter, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election or for such shorter period of time as the Board of Directors may determine, with each director to hold office until his or her term expires and until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

The names of the individuals who will serve as the initial directors of the Corporation until their successors are elected and qualify are as follows:

 

Name

   Term Expires

Steven M. Goldberg

   2020

John Masterson

   2020

 

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Name

   Term Expires

Joseph Coccaro

   2021

Bruce H. Dexter

   2021

John Gary Gensheimer

   2022

Stockholders shall not be permitted to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present is sufficient to elect a director.

C. Vacancies. Any vacancies in the Board of Directors may be filled in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation.

D. Removal. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (after giving effect to the provisions of Article 5 hereof) voting together as a single class.

E. Stockholder Proposals and Nominations of Directors. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation. Stockholder proposals to be presented in connection with a special meeting of stockholders shall be presented by the Corporation only to the extent required by Section 2-502 of the MGCL and the bylaws of the Corporation.

ARTICLE 8. Bylaws. The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the bylaws of the Corporation by the Board of Directors shall require the approval of a majority of the Whole Board. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation. In addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by these Articles, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least eighty percent (80%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (after giving effect to the provisions of Article 5 hereof), voting together as a single class, shall be required for the adoption, amendment or repeal of any provisions of the bylaws of the Corporation by the stockholders.

ARTICLE 9. Evaluation of Certain Offers. The Board of Directors, when evaluating (i) any offer of another Person (as defined below) to (A) make a tender or exchange offer for any equity security of the Corporation, (B) merge or consolidate the Corporation with another corporation or entity, or (C) purchase or otherwise acquire all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Corporation or (ii) any other actual or proposed transaction that would or may involve a change in control of the Corporation (whether by purchases of shares of stock or any other securities of the Corporation in the open market or otherwise, tender offer, merger, consolidation, share exchange, dissolution, liquidation, sale of all or substantially all of

 

7


the assets of the Corporation, proxy solicitation or otherwise), may, in connection with the exercise of its business judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the Corporation and its stockholders and in making any recommendation to the Corporation’s stockholders, give due consideration to all relevant factors, including, but not limited to: (A) the economic effect, both immediate and long-term, upon the Corporation’s stockholders, including stockholders, if any, who do not participate in the transaction; (B) the social and economic effect on the present and future employees, creditors and customers of, and others dealing with, the Corporation and its subsidiaries and on the communities in which the Corporation and its subsidiaries operate or are located; (C) whether the proposal is acceptable based on the historical, current or projected future operating results or financial condition of the Corporation; (D) whether a more favorable price could be obtained for the Corporation’s stock or other securities in the future; (E) the reputation and business practices of the other entity to be involved in the transaction and its management and affiliates as they would affect the employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries; (F) the future value of the stock or any other securities of the Corporation or the other entity to be involved in the proposed transaction; (G) any anti-trust or other legal and regulatory issues that are raised by the proposal; (H) the business and historical, current or expected future financial condition or operating results of the other entity to be involved in the transaction, including, but not limited to, debt service and other existing financial obligations, financial obligations to be incurred in connection with the proposed transaction, and other likely financial obligations of the other entity to be involved in the proposed transaction; and (I) the ability of the Corporation to fulfill its objectives as a financial institution holding company and on the ability of its subsidiary financial institution(s) to fulfill the objectives of a federally insured financial institution under applicable statutes and regulations. If the Board of Directors determines that any proposed transaction of the type described in clause (i) or (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence should be rejected, it may take any lawful action to defeat such transaction, including, but not limited to, any or all of the following: advising stockholders not to accept the proposal; instituting litigation against the party making the proposal; filing complaints with governmental and regulatory authorities; acquiring the stock or any of the securities of the Corporation; selling or otherwise issuing authorized but unissued stock or other securities or granting options or rights with respect thereto; and obtaining a more favorable offer from another individual or entity. This Article 9 sets forth certain factors that may be considered by the Board of Directors, but does not create any implication concerning the factors that must be considered, or any other factors that may or may not be considered, by the Board of Directors regarding any proposed transaction of the type described in clause (i) or (ii) of the first sentence of this Article 9.

For purposes of this Article 9, a “Person” shall include an individual, a group acting in concert, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a joint venture, a pool, a joint stock company, a trust, an unincorporated organization or similar company, a syndicate or any other group or entity formed to acquire, hold or dispose of securities.

 

8


ARTICLE 10. Indemnification, etc. of Directors and Officers.

A. Indemnification. The Corporation shall indemnify (1) its current and former directors and officers, whether serving the Corporation or at its request any other entity, to the fullest extent required or permitted by the MGCL now or hereafter in force, including the advancement of expenses under the procedures and to the fullest extent permitted by law, and (2) other employees and agents to such extent as shall be authorized by the Board of Directors and permitted by law; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section B of this Article 10 with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, the Corporation shall indemnify any such indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

B. Procedure. If a claim under Section A of this Article 10 is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, except in the case of a claim for an advancement of expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be twenty (20) days, the indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the indemnitee shall also be entitled to be reimbursed the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. It shall be a defense to any action for advancement of expenses that the Corporation has not received both (i) an undertaking as required by law to repay such advances if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met and (ii) a written affirmation by the indemnitee of his or her good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation has been met. In (i) any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) any suit by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the indemnitee has not met the applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the MGCL. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination before the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the MGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct, or, in the case of such a suit brought by the indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article 10 or otherwise, shall be on the Corporation.

C. Non-Exclusivity. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article 10 shall not be exclusive of any other right that any Person

 

9


may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, these Articles, the Corporation’s bylaws, any agreement, any vote of stockholders or the Board of Directors, or otherwise.

D. Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to insure itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such Person against such expense, liability or loss under the MGCL.

E. Miscellaneous. The Corporation shall not be liable for any payment under this Article 10 in connection with a claim made by any indemnitee to the extent such indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment under any insurance policy, agreement, or otherwise, of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in Sections A and B of this Article 10 shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators.

F. Limitations Imposed by Federal Law. Notwithstanding any other provision set forth in this Article 10, in no event shall any payments made by the Corporation pursuant to this Article 10 exceed the amount permissible under applicable federal law, including, without limitation, Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Any repeal or modification of this Article 10 by the stockholders of the Corporation or the Board of Directors shall not in any way diminish any rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses of such director or officer or the obligations of the Corporation arising hereunder with respect to events occurring, or claims made, while this Article 10 is in force.

ARTICLE 11. Limitation of Liability. An officer or director of the Corporation, as such, shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for money damages, except (A) to the extent that it is proved that the Person actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services, for the amount of the benefit or profit in money, property or services actually received; or (B) to the extent that a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the Person is entered in a proceeding based on a finding in the proceeding that the Person’s action, or failure to act, was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding; or (C) to the extent otherwise provided by the MGCL. If the MGCL is amended to further eliminate or limit the personal liability of officers and directors, then the personal liability of officers and directors of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL, as so amended.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

ARTICLE 12. Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation. The Corporation reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision contained in these Articles in the manner prescribed by the MGCL, including any amendment altering the terms or contract rights, as

 

10


expressly set forth in these Articles, of any of the Corporation’s outstanding stock by classification, reclassification or otherwise, and no stockholder approval shall be required if the approval of stockholders is not required for the proposed amendment or repeal by the MGCL, and all rights conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to this reservation.

The Board of Directors, pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number), and without action by the stockholders, may amend these Articles to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Corporation has authority to issue.

No proposed amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles shall be submitted to a stockholder vote unless the Board of Directors shall have (1) approved the proposed amendment or repeal, (2) determined that it is advisable, and (3) directed that it be submitted for consideration at either an annual or special meeting of the stockholders pursuant to a resolution approved by the Board of Directors. Any proposed amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles may be abandoned by the Board of Directors at any time before its effective time upon the adoption of a resolution approved by a majority of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number).

The amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles shall be approved by at least two-thirds (2/3) of all votes entitled to be cast by the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the matter (after giving due effect to the provisions of Article 5 of these Articles), except that the proposed amendment or repeal of any provision of these Articles need only be approved by the vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote on the matter (after giving due effect to the provisions of Article 5 of these Articles) if the amendment or repeal of such provision is approved by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution approved by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Whole Board (rounded up to the nearest whole number).

Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles or any provision of law that might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of the stock of the Corporation required by law or by these Articles, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least eighty percent (80%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (after giving effect to the provisions of Article 5), voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend or repeal this Article 12, Section C, D, E or F of Article 5, Article 7 (other than the removal of the list of original directors), Article 8, Article 9, Article 10 or Article 11.

 

11


ARTICLE 13. Name and Address of Incorporator. The name and mailing address of the sole incorporator are as follows:

Scott A. Brown

5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Suite 780

Washington, DC 20015

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

12


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed these Articles of Incorporation and acknowledge the same to be my act, this 5th day of September, 2019.

 

/s/ Scott A. Brown

Scott A. Brown
Incorporator

 

13

Exhibit 3.2

BYLAWS

OF

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

ARTICLE I

STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 1.

Annual Meeting.

Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Corporation”) shall hold an annual meeting of its stockholders to elect directors and to transact any other business within its powers, at such place, on such date and at such time as the Board of Directors shall fix. Failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Corporation’s existence or affect any otherwise valid corporate act.

 

Section 2.

Special Meetings.

Special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called by the Chairperson of the Board or by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors that the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies on the Board of Directors (hereinafter the “Whole Board”). Special meetings of the stockholders shall be called by the Secretary at the request of stockholders only on the written request of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting. Such written request shall state the purpose or purposes of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted upon at the meeting, and shall be delivered at the principal office of the Corporation addressed to the President or the Secretary. The Secretary shall inform the stockholders who make the request of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing a notice of the meeting and, upon payment of these costs to the Corporation, notify each stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. The Board of Directors shall have the sole power to fix (i) the record date for determining stockholders entitled to request a special meeting of stockholders and the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the special meeting and (ii) the date, time and place of the special meeting and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be considered present in person and may vote at the special meeting.

 

Section 3.

Notice of Meetings; Adjournment.

Not less than ten (10) nor more than ninety (90) days before each stockholders’ meeting, the Secretary shall give notice of the meeting in writing or by electronic transmission to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting and to each other stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. The notice shall state the time and place of the meeting, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and may vote at the meeting, and, if the meeting is a special meeting or notice of the purpose is required by statute, the purpose of the meeting. Notice is given to a stockholder when it is personally delivered to the stockholder, left at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business, mailed to the stockholder at his or her address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, or transmitted to the stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or

 


number of the stockholder at which the stockholder receives electronic transmissions. If the Corporation has received a request from a stockholder that notice not be sent by electronic transmission, the Corporation may not provide notice to the stockholder by electronic transmission. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, each person who is entitled to notice waives notice if such person, before or after the meeting, delivers a written waiver or waiver by electronic transmission that is filed with the records of the stockholders’ meeting or is present at the meeting in person or by proxy.

A meeting of stockholders convened on the date for which it was called may be adjourned from time to time and without further notice to a date not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the original record date. At any adjourned meeting, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the original meeting.

As used in these bylaws, the term “electronic transmission” shall have the meaning given to such term by Section 1-101(m) of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) or any successor provision.

 

Section 4.

Quorum.

Unless the Articles of the Corporation provide otherwise, where a separate vote by a class or classes is required, a majority of the shares of such class or classes, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter.

If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting, the chairperson of the meeting or the holders of a majority of the shares of stock who are present at the meeting, in person or by proxy, may, in accordance with Section 3 of this Article I, adjourn the meeting to another place, date or time.

 

Section 5.

Organization and Conduct of Business.

The Chairperson of the Board of the Corporation or in his or her absence, the Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence, such other person as may be designated by a majority of the Whole Board, shall call to order any meeting of the stockholders and act as chairperson of the meeting. In the absence of the Secretary, the secretary of the meeting shall be such person as the chairperson appoints. The chairperson of any meeting of stockholders shall determine the order of business and the procedure at the meeting, including such regulation of the manner of voting and the conduct of discussion as seem to him or her to be in order.

 

Section 6.

Advance Notice Provisions for Business to be Transacted at Annual Meetings and Elections of Directors.

(a) At any annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been brought before the meeting (i) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of the meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who (1) is a stockholder of record on the date such stockholder gives the notice provided for in this Section 6(a) and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such annual meeting, and (2) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 6(a). For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder

 

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pursuant to clause (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation and such business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by stockholders.

To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation by not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting and not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, that if (A) less than ninety (90) days’ prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders and (B) the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days before or delayed more than thirty (30) days after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, such written notice shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. With respect to the first annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation following the Corporation becoming the sole stockholder of Bogota Savings Bank, notice by the stockholder shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the date of the annual meeting and (ii) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is first made. No adjournment or postponement of a meeting of stockholders shall commence a new period for the giving of notice hereunder.

A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must set forth as to each matter such stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting: (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting; (ii) the name and address of such stockholder as they appear on the Corporation’s books and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; (iii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are owned beneficially or of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner; (iv) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such stockholder and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder and any material interest of such stockholder in such business; and (v) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the annual meeting to bring such business before the meeting.

Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be brought before or conducted at an annual meeting except in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6(a). The officer of the Corporation or other person presiding over the annual meeting shall, if the facts so warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6(a) and, if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business so determined to be not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

At any special meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of the meeting.

 

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(b) Only persons who are nominated in accordance with the following procedures shall be eligible for election as directors of the Corporation. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation may be made at a meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who (1) is a stockholder of record on the date such stockholder gives the notice provided for in this Section 6(b) and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting, and (2) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 6(b). Such nominations, other than those made by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, shall be made by timely notice in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation by not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting and not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the anniversary date of the proxy statement relating to the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, that if (A) less than ninety (90) days’ prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders and (B) the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days before or delayed more than thirty (30) days after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, such written notice shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made. With respect to the first annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation following the Corporation becoming the sole stockholder of Bogota Savings Bank, notice by the stockholder shall be timely if delivered or mailed to and received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the one hundred twentieth (120th) day before the date of the annual meeting and (ii) the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is first made. No adjournment or postponement of a meeting of stockholders shall commence a new period for the giving of notice hereunder.

A stockholder’s notice must be in writing and set forth (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director, (i) all information relating to such person that would indicate such person’s qualification to serve on the Board of Directors of the Corporation; (ii) an affidavit that such person would not be disqualified under the provisions of Article II, Sections 12 and 13 of these bylaws; (iii) such information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or any successor rule or regulation and (iv) a written consent of each proposed nominee to be named as a nominee and to serve as a director if elected; and (b) as to the stockholder giving the notice: (i) the name and address of such stockholder as they appear on the Corporation’s books and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made; (ii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are owned beneficially or of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner; (iii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between such stockholder and each proposed nominee and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by such stockholder; (iv) a representation that such stockholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the persons named in its notice; and (v) any other information relating to such stockholder that

 

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would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act or any successor rule or regulation. No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6(b). The chairperson of the meeting shall, if the facts so warrant, determine that a nomination was not made in accordance with such provisions and, if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.

(c) For purposes of subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 6, the term “public disclosure” shall mean disclosure (i) in a press release issued through a nationally recognized news service, (ii) in a document publicly filed or furnished by the Corporation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or (iii) on a website maintained by the Corporation or its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bogota Savings Bank. The timely notice requirements provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 6 shall apply to all stockholder nominations for election as a director and all stockholder proposals for business to be conducted at an annual meeting regardless of whether such proposal is submitted for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act.

 

Section 7.

Proxies and Voting.

Unless the Articles of the Corporation provide for a greater or lesser number of votes per share or limits or denies voting rights, each outstanding share of stock, regardless of class, is entitled to one (1) vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders; however, a share is not entitled to be voted if any installment payable on it is overdue and unpaid. In all elections for directors, directors shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast, and except as otherwise required by law or as provided in the Articles of the Corporation, all other matters voted on by stockholders shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast on the matter.

A stockholder may vote the stock the stockholder owns of record either in person or by proxy. A stockholder may sign a writing authorizing another person to act as proxy. Signing may be accomplished by the stockholder or the stockholder’s authorized agent signing the writing or causing the stockholder’s signature to be affixed to the writing by any reasonable means, including facsimile signature. A stockholder may authorize another person to act as proxy by transmitting, or authorizing the transmission of, an authorization for the person to act as the proxy to the person authorized to act as proxy or to any other person authorized to receive the proxy authorization on behalf of the person authorized to act as the proxy, including a proxy solicitation firm or proxy support service organization. The authorization may be transmitted by a telegram, cablegram, datagram, electronic mail or any other electronic or telephonic means. Unless a proxy provides otherwise, it is not valid more than eleven (11) months after its date. A proxy is revocable by a stockholder at any time without condition or qualification unless the proxy states that it is irrevocable and the proxy is coupled with an interest. A proxy may be made irrevocable for as long as it is coupled with an interest. The interest with which a proxy may be coupled includes an interest in the stock to be voted under the proxy or another general interest in the Corporation or its assets or liabilities.

 

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Section 8.

Conduct of Voting

The Board of Directors shall, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one (1) or more persons as inspectors of election, to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof and make a written report thereof, in accordance with applicable law. If one (1) or more inspectors are not so elected, the Chairperson of the Board shall make such appointment at the meeting of stockholders. At all meetings of stockholders, the proxies and ballots shall be received, and all questions relating to the qualification of voters and the validity of proxies and the acceptance or rejection of votes shall be decided or determined by, the inspector of election. All voting, including on the election of directors but excepting where otherwise required by law, may be by a voice vote; provided, however, that upon demand therefor by a stockholder entitled to vote or his or her proxy or the chairperson of the meeting, a written vote shall be taken. Every written vote shall be taken by ballot, each of which shall state the name of the stockholder or proxy voting and such other information as may be required under the procedure established for the meeting. No candidate for election as a director at a meeting shall serve as an inspector at such meeting.

 

Section 9.

Control Share Acquisition Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Articles of the Corporation or these bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the MGCL (or any successor statute) shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation. This Section 9 may be repealed by a majority of the Whole Board, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of Control Shares (as defined in Section 3-701(d) of the MGCL, or any successor provision) and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent Control Share Acquisition (as defined in Section 3-701(d) of the MGCL, or any successor provision).

ARTICLE II

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.

General Powers, Number and Term of Office.

The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of directors of the Corporation shall, by virtue of the Corporation’s election made hereby to be governed by Section 3-804(b) of the MGCL, be fixed from time to time exclusively by vote of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that such number shall never be less than the minimum number of directors required by the MGCL now or hereafter in force. The Board of Directors shall annually elect a Chairperson of the Board from among its members and shall designate the Chairperson of the Board or his or her designee to preside at its meetings.

The directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of preferred stock, shall be divided into three (3) classes, as nearly equal in number as reasonably possible, with the term of office of the first class to expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders, the term of office of the second class to expire at the annual meeting of stockholders one year thereafter and the term of office of the third class to expire at the annual

 

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meeting of stockholders two years thereafter, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. At each annual meeting of stockholders, commencing with the first annual meeting, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election or for such shorter period of time as the Board of Directors may determine, with each director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

 

Section 2.

Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships.

By virtue of the Corporation’s election made hereby to be subject to Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL, any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from an increase in the size of the Board of Directors or the death, resignation or removal of a director may be filled only by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

 

Section 3.

Regular Meetings.

Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such place or places or by means of remote communication, on such date or dates, and at such time or times as shall have been established by the Board of Directors and publicized among all directors. A notice of each regular meeting shall not be required. Any regular meeting of the Board of Directors may adjourn from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, and no notice need be given of any such adjourned meeting other than by announcement.

 

Section 4.

Special Meetings.

Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by one-third (1/3) of the directors then in office (rounded up to the nearest whole number) or the Chairperson of the Board and shall be held at such place or by means of remote communication, on such date, and at such time as they or he or she shall fix. Notice of the place, date, and time of each such special meeting shall be given to each director who has not waived notice by mailing and post-marking written notice not less than five (5) days before the meeting, or by facsimile or other electronic transmission of the same not less than twenty four (24) hours before the meeting. Any director may waive notice of any special meeting, either before or after such meeting, by delivering a written waiver or a waiver by electronic transmission that is filed with the records of the meeting. Attendance of a director at a special meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where the director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted nor the purpose of any special meeting of the Board of Directors need be specified in the notice of such meeting. Any special meeting of the Board of Directors may adjourn from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, and no notice need be given of any such adjourned meeting other than by announcement.

 

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Section 5.

Quorum.

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, a majority of the Whole Board shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting, a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting to another place, date, or time, without further notice or waiver thereof.

 

Section 6.

Participation in Meetings by Conference Telephone.

Members of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of such Board or committee by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Such participation shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

Section 7.

Conduct of Business.

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, business shall be transacted in such order and manner as the Board may from time to time determine, and all matters shall be determined by the vote of a majority of the directors present, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws or the Corporation’s Articles or required by law. Action may be taken by the Board of Directors without a meeting if a unanimous consent that sets forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the Board of Directors and filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 8.

Powers.

All powers of the Corporation may be exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Directors except as provided by the Articles of the Corporation. Consistent with the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall have, among other powers, the unqualified power:

 

  (i)

To declare dividends from time to time in accordance with law;

 

  (ii)

To purchase or otherwise acquire any property, rights or privileges on such terms as it shall determine;

 

  (iii)

To authorize the creation, making and issuance, in such form as it may determine, of written obligations of every kind, negotiable or non-negotiable, secured or unsecured, and to do all things necessary in connection therewith;

 

  (iv)

To remove any officer of the Corporation with or without cause, and from time to time to devolve the powers and duties of any officer upon any other person for the time being;

 

  (v)

To confer upon any officer of the Corporation the power to appoint, remove and suspend subordinate officers, employees and agents;

 

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  (vi)

To adopt from time to time such stock, option, stock purchase, bonus or other compensation plans for directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation and its subsidiaries as it may determine;

 

  (vii)

To adopt from time to time such insurance, retirement, and other benefit plans for directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation and its subsidiaries as it may determine; and

 

  (viii)

To adopt from time to time regulations, not inconsistent with these bylaws, for the management of the Corporation’s business and affairs.

 

Section 9.

Compensation of Directors.

Directors, as such, may receive, pursuant to resolution of the Board of Directors, fixed fees and other compensation for their services as directors, including, without limitation, their services as members of committees of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 10.

Resignation.

Any director may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the President or the Secretary at the principal office of the Corporation. Unless otherwise specified therein, such resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

 

Section 11.

Presumption of Assent.

A director of the Corporation who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to such action unless such director announces his or her dissent at the meeting and (a) such director’s dissent is entered in the minutes of the meeting, (b) such director files his or her written dissent to such action with the secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof, or (c) such director forwards his or her written dissent within twenty four (24) hours after the meeting is adjourned, by certified mail, return receipt requested, bearing a postmark from the United States Postal Service, to the secretary of the meeting or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a director who voted in favor of such action or failed to make his or her dissent known at the meeting.

 

Section 12.

Director Qualifications.

(a) No person shall be eligible for election or appointment to the Board of Directors: (i) if a financial or securities regulatory agency has, within the past ten years, issued a cease and desist, consent or other formal order, other than a civil money penalty, against such person, which order is subject to public disclosure by such agency; (ii) if such person has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or breach of trust which is punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year under state or federal law; or (iii) if such person is currently charged in any information, indictment, or other complaint with the commission of or participation in such a crime. No person may serve on the Board of Directors if such person is: (i) at the same time, a director, trustee, officer, employee or ten percent (10%) or more stockholder of a bank, savings institution, credit union, mortgage banking company, consumer loan company or similar

 

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organization, other than an affiliate of the Corporation, that engages in business activities or solicits customers, whether through a physical presence or electronically, in the same market area as the Corporation or any of its affiliates; (ii) does not agree in writing to comply with all of the Corporation’s policies applicable to directors including but not limited to its confidentiality policy; (iii) does not confirm in writing that he or she is not a party to any agreement, understanding or commitment with respect to how he or she would act or vote on any issue or question before the Board of Directors or that would otherwise impact his or her ability to discharge his or her fiduciary duties as a director; (iv) is the representative or agent of, or a member of a group acting in concert that includes, a person who is ineligible for election or appointment to the Board of Directors under this Section 12; or (v) is the nominee or representative, as that term is defined in the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 12 C.F.R §212.2(n) or any successor provision, of a company of which any of the directors, partners, trustees, or ten percent (10%) stockholders would not be eligible for election or appointment to the Board of Directors under this Section 12. For purposes of this Section 12, a person shall be deemed to be acting in concert with another person if such person knowingly acts toward a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of the corporation in parallel with such other person and there are overt actions by, or communications between, such persons reasonably suggesting that they are coordinating their efforts toward such common goal or if such persons are acting in concert within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. §303.81 or any successor provision.

(b) The Board of Directors shall have the power to construe and apply the provisions of this Section 12 and to make all determinations necessary or desirable to implement such provisions, including but not limited to determinations as to whether a person is a nominee or representative of a person, a company or a group, whether a person or company is included in a group, and whether a person is the representative, agent or nominee of a group acting in concert.

 

Section 13.

Eligibility.

No person may be appointed, re-appointed, elected or re-elected as a director following his or her attaining the age of seventy-five (75).

 

Section 14.

Attendance at Board Meetings.

The Board of Directors shall have the right to remove any director from the Board upon a director’s unexcused absence from (i) three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors or (ii) five (5) regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors in any fiscal year of the Corporation. No director shall be eligible for re-election if, during the preceding fiscal year, such director shall not have attended at least twenty percent (20%) of the meetings held by the Board during such fiscal year, unless such absences are for reasonable cause shown.

 

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ARTICLE III

COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.

Committees of the Board of Directors.

(a) General Provisions. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating/Governance Committee, and such other committees as the Board of Directors deems necessary or desirable. The Board of Directors may delegate to any committee so appointed any of the powers and authorities of the Board of Directors to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL and any other applicable law.

(b) Composition. Each committee shall be composed of one (1) or more directors or any other number of members specified in these bylaws. The Chairperson of the Board may recommend committees, committee memberships, and committee chairs to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to appoint the chairperson and the members of any committee, change the membership of any committee, to fill all vacancies on committees, to designate alternate members to replace or act in the place of any absent or disqualified member of a committee, or to dissolve any committee. A member of a committee may resign from that committee at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the Chairperson of the Board. Unless otherwise specified therein, such resignation from the committee shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

(c) Issuance of Stock. If the Board of Directors has given general authorization for the issuance of stock providing for or establishing a method or procedure for determining the maximum number of shares to be issued, a committee of the Board of Directors, in accordance with that general authorization or any stock option or other plan or program adopted by the Board of Directors, may authorize or fix the terms of stock subject to classification or reclassification and the terms on which any stock may be issued, including all terms and conditions required or permitted to be established or authorized by the Board of Directors. Any committee so designated may exercise the power and authority of the Board of Directors if the resolution that designated the committee or a supplemental resolution of the Board of Directors shall so provide.

 

Section 2.

Conduct of Business.

Each committee may determine the procedural rules for meeting and conducting its business and shall act in accordance therewith, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law. Adequate provision shall be made for notice to members of all meetings; one-third (1/3) of the members shall constitute a quorum unless the committee shall consist of one (1) or two (2) members, in which event one member shall constitute a quorum; and all matters shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present. Action may be taken by any committee without a meeting if a unanimous consent that sets forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the committee and filed in paper or electronic form with the minutes of the proceedings of such committee. The members of any committee may conduct any meeting thereof by conference telephone or other communications equipment in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of Article II.

 

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ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

 

Section 1.

Generally.

(a) The Board of Directors as soon as may be practicable after the annual meeting of stockholders shall choose a Chairperson of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President, a Secretary and a Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer and from time to time may choose one or more Vice Presidents or such other officers as it may deem proper. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, except that no person may concurrently serve as both President and Vice President of the Corporation.

(b) The term of office of all officers shall be until the next annual election of officers and until their respective successors are chosen, but any officer may be removed from office at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole Board.

(c) All officers chosen by the Board of Directors shall each have such powers and duties as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the specific provisions of this Article IV. Such officers shall also have such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred by the Board of Directors or by any committee thereof.

 

Section 2.

Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall perform all duties and have all powers that are commonly incident to the office of Chairperson of the Board or that are delegated to him or her by the Board of Directors. He or she shall have power to sign all stock certificates, contracts and other instruments of the Corporation that are authorized.

 

Section 3.

Chief Executive Officer.

The Chief Executive Officer, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, shall serve in a general executive capacity and have general power over the management and oversight of the administration and operation of the Corporation’s business and general supervisory power and authority over its policies and affairs. The Chief Executive Officer shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors and of any committee thereof are carried into effect.

 

Section 4.

President.

The President shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer in the Chief Executive Officer’s absence or during his or her disability to act. In addition, the President shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to his or her office and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to the President from time to time by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

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Section 5.

Vice President.

The Vice President or Vice Presidents (including Executive Vice Presidents or other levels of Vice President designated by the Board of Directors), if any, shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer in the absence of both the Chief Executive Officer and the President, or during their disability to act. In addition, the Vice Presidents shall perform the duties and exercise the powers usually incident to their respective office and/or such other duties and powers as may be properly assigned to the Vice Presidents from time to time by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Section 6.

Secretary.

The Secretary or an Assistant Secretary shall issue notices of meetings, keep the minutes of meetings, have charge of the seal and the corporate books, perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are usually incident to such offices and/or such other duties and powers as are properly assigned thereto by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.

 

Section 7.

Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer.

The Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer shall have charge of all monies and securities of the Corporation, other than monies and securities of any division of the Corporation that has a treasurer or financial officer appointed by the Board of Directors, and shall keep regular books of account. The funds of the Corporation shall be deposited in the name of the Corporation by the Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer with such banks or trust companies or other entities as the Board of Directors from time to time shall designate. The Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer shall sign or countersign such instruments as require his or her signature, shall perform all such duties and have all such powers as are usually incident to such office and/or such other duties and powers as are properly assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer, and may be required to give bond for the faithful performance of his or her duties in such sum and with such surety as may be required by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 8.

Other Officers.

The Board of Directors may designate and fill such other offices in its discretion and the persons holding such other offices shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer may from time to time assign.

 

Section 9.

Action with Respect to Securities of Other Corporations

Stock of other corporations or associations, registered in the name of the Corporation, may be voted by the Chief Executive Officer, the President, a Vice President, or a proxy appointed by any of them. The Board of Directors, however, may by resolution appoint some other person to vote such shares, in which case such person shall be entitled to vote such shares upon the production of a certified copy of such resolution.

 

13


ARTICLE V

STOCK

 

Section 1.

Certificates of Stock.

The Board of Directors may determine to issue certificated or uncertificated shares of capital stock and other securities of the Corporation. For certificated stock, each stockholder is entitled to certificates that represent and certify the shares of stock he or she holds in the Corporation. Each stock certificate shall include on its face the name of the Corporation, the name of the stockholder or other person to whom it is issued, and the class of stock and number of shares it represents. It shall also include on its face or back (a) a statement of any restrictions on transferability and a statement of the designations and any preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption of the stock of each class that the Corporation is authorized to issue, of the differences in the relative rights and preferences between the shares of each series of preferred stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue, to the extent they have been set, and of the authority of the Board of Directors to set the relative rights and preferences of subsequent series of preferred stock or (b) a statement that provides in substance that the Corporation will furnish a full statement of such information to any stockholder on request and without charge. Such request may be made to the Secretary or to the Corporation’s transfer agent. Upon the issuance of uncertificated shares of capital stock, the Corporation shall send the stockholder a written statement of the same information required above with respect to stock certificates. Each stock certificate shall be in such form, not inconsistent with law or with the Corporation’s Articles, as shall be approved by the Board of Directors or any officer or officers designated for such purpose by resolution of the Board of Directors. Each stock certificate shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Board, the President, or a Vice President, and countersigned by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer or the Treasurer. Each certificate may be sealed with the actual corporate seal or a facsimile of it or in any other form and the signatures may be either manual or facsimile signatures. A certificate is valid and may be issued whether or not an officer who signed it is still an officer when it is issued. A certificate may not be issued until the stock represented by it is fully paid.

 

Section 2.

Transfers of Stock.

Transfers of stock shall be made only upon the transfer books of the Corporation kept at an office of the Corporation or by transfer agents designated to transfer shares of the stock of the Corporation. Except where a certificate is issued in accordance with Section 4 of Article V of these bylaws, an outstanding certificate for the number of shares involved shall be surrendered for cancellation before a new certificate is issued therefor.

 

Section 3.

Record Dates or Closing of Transfer Books.

The Board of Directors may, and shall have the power to, set a record date or direct that the stock transfer books be closed for a stated period to make any proper determination with respect to stockholders, including which stockholders are entitled to notice of a meeting, vote at a meeting, receive a dividend, or be allotted other rights. The record date may not be before the close of business on the day the record date is fixed nor, subject to Section 3 of Article I of these

 

14


bylaws, more than ninety (90) days before the date on which the action requiring the determination will be taken; the transfer books may not be closed for a period longer than twenty (20) days; and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, the record date or the closing of the transfer books shall be at least ten (10) days before the date of the meeting. Any shares of the Corporation’s own stock acquired by the Corporation between the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders and the time of the meeting may be voted at the meeting by the holder of record as of the record date and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at the meeting.

 

Section 4.

Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates.

The Board of Directors of the Corporation may determine the conditions for issuing a new stock certificate in place of one that is alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, or the Board of Directors may delegate such power to any officer or officers of the Corporation or to the transfer agent designated to transfer shares of the stock of the Corporation. In their discretion, the Board of Directors or such officer or officers may require the owner of the certificate to give a bond, with sufficient surety, to indemnify the Corporation against any loss or claim arising as a result of the issuance of a new certificate. In their discretion, the Board of Directors or such officer or officers may refuse to issue such new certificate without the order of a court having jurisdiction over the matter.

 

Section 5.

Stock Ledger.

The Corporation shall maintain a stock ledger that contains the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of stock of each class that the stockholder holds. The stock ledger may be in written form or in any other form that can be converted within a reasonable time into written form for visual inspection. The original or a duplicate of the stock ledger shall be kept at the offices of a transfer agent for the particular class of stock or, if none, at the principal executive office of the Corporation.

 

Section 6.

Regulations.

The issue, transfer, conversion and registration of certificates of stock shall be governed by such other regulations as the Board of Directors may establish.

ARTICLE VI

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 1.

Facsimile Signatures.

In addition to the provisions for use of facsimile signatures elsewhere specifically authorized in these bylaws, facsimile signatures of any officer or officers of the Corporation may be used whenever and as authorized by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof.

 

Section 2.

Corporate Seal.

The Board of Directors may provide a suitable seal, bearing the name of the Corporation, which shall be in the charge of the Secretary. The Board of Directors may authorize one or more

 

15


duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof. If the Corporation is required to place its corporate seal to a document, it is sufficient to meet the requirement of any law, rule, or regulation relating to a corporate seal to place the word “(seal)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to sign the document on behalf of the Corporation.

 

Section 3.

Books and Records.

The Corporation shall keep correct and complete books and records of its accounts and transactions and minutes of the proceedings of its stockholders and Board of Directors and of any committee when exercising any of the powers of the Board of Directors. The books and records of the Corporation may be in written form or in any other form which can be converted within a reasonable time into written form for visual inspection. Minutes shall be recorded in written form but may be maintained in the form of a reproduction. The original or a certified copy of these bylaws shall be kept at the principal office of the Corporation.

 

Section 4.

Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records.

Each director, each member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors, and each officer and agent of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties, in addition to any protections conferred upon him or her by law, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees, or committees of the Board of Directors so designated, or by any other person as to matters which such director, committee member, officer or agent reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.

 

Section 5.

Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall commence on the first day of January and end on the last day of December in each year.

 

Section 6.

Time Periods.

In applying any provision of these bylaws that requires that an act be done or not be done a specified number of days before an event or that an act be done during a period of a specified number of days before an event, calendar days shall be used, the day of the doing of the act shall be excluded and the day of the event shall be included.

 

Section 7.

Checks, Drafts, Etc.

All checks, drafts and orders for the payment of money, notes and other evidences of indebtedness, issued in the name of the Corporation, shall be signed by any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation that is authorized by the Board of Directors.

 

16


Section 8.

Mail.

Any notice or other document that is required by these bylaws to be mailed shall be deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid.

 

Section 9.

Contracts and Agreements.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, and except as otherwise prescribed by the Articles or these bylaws, the Board of Directors may authorize any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. A person who holds more than one office in the Corporation may not act in more than one capacity to execute, acknowledge, or verify an instrument required by law to be executed, acknowledged, or verified by more than one officer.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed as provided in the Articles of the Corporation.

 

17

Exhibit 4

INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND

 

 

No.

 

  

 

BOGOTA FINANCIAL CORP.

 

 

 

Shares

 

     CUSIP:

FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE

PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS

CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO

RESTRICTIONS, SEE REVERSE SIDE

 

THIS CERTIFIES that    is the owner of

SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

of

Bogota Financial Corp.

a Maryland corporation

The shares evidenced by this certificate are transferable only on the books of Bogota Financial Corp. by the holder hereof, in person or by attorney, upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed. THE CAPITAL STOCK EVIDENCED HEREBY IS NOT AN ACCOUNT OF AN INSURABLE TYPE AND IS NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER FEDERAL OR STATE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Bogota Financial Corp. has caused this certificate to be executed by the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers and has caused a facsimile of its seal to be hereunto affixed.

 

By:  

 

  [SEAL]   By:  

 

  SUSANNE C. HARTMANN-SILVA       JOSEPH COCCARO
  CORPORATE SECRETARY       PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER


The Board of Directors of Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Company”) is authorized by resolution or resolutions, from time to time adopted, to provide for the issuance of more than one class of stock, including preferred stock in series, and to fix and state the voting powers, designations, preferences, limitations and restrictions thereof. The Company will furnish to any stockholder upon request and without charge a full description of each class of stock and any series thereof.

The shares evidenced by this certificate are subject to a limitation contained in the Articles of Incorporation to the effect that in no event shall any record owner (other than Bogota Financial, MHC) of any outstanding common stock that is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a person who beneficially owns in excess of 10% of the outstanding shares of common stock (the “Limit”) be entitled or permitted to any vote in respect of shares held in excess of the Limit.

The shares represented by this certificate may not be cumulatively voted on any matter. The Articles of Incorporation require that, with limited exceptions, no amendment, addition, alteration, change or repeal of the Articles of Incorporation shall be made, unless such is first approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and approved by the stockholders by a majority of the total shares entitled to vote, or in certain circumstances approved by the affirmative vote of up to 80% of the shares entitled to vote.

The following abbreviations when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations.

 

TEN COM

  - as tenants in common   UNIF GIFT MIN ACT  

- _________ Custodian __________

(Cust)                                  (Minor)

     

TEN ENT

  - as tenants by the entireties    
      Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act

JT TEN

 

-  as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common

     
    (State)

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list

For value received,                                                                   hereby sell, assign and transfer unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER

 

    

 

 

(please print or typewrite name and address including postal zip code of assignee)

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Shares of the Common Stock represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                                                                                                                                                                         Attorney to transfer the said shares on the books of the within named corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated,                             

 

In the presence of     Signature:
 

 

     

 

NOTE: THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME OF THE STOCKHOLDER(S) AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE, IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT, OR ANY CHANGE WHATSOEVER.

Exhibit 5

LUSE GORMAN, PC

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 780

Washington, D.C. 20015

 

 

Telephone (202) 274-2000

Facsimile (202) 362-2902

www.luselaw.com

September 9, 2019

Board of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

819 Teaneck Road    

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

 

  Re:

Bogota Financial Corp.

Registration Statement on Form S-1

Members of the Board:

You have requested the opinion of this firm as to certain matters in connection with the offer and sale and contribution of the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Company”), a Maryland corporation.

We have reviewed the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and its Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Form S-1”), the Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance of Bogota Savings Bank (the “Plan”), as well as applicable statutes and regulations governing the Company and the offer and sale of the Common Stock. The opinion expressed below is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland (which includes applicable provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law, the Maryland Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the Maryland General Corporation Law and the Maryland Constitution).

We are of the opinion that, upon the declaration of effectiveness of the Form S-1, the Common Stock, when issued and sold, and, in the case of Bogota Community Foundation, Inc., contributed, in accordance with the Plan, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to our firm being referenced under the caption “Legal and Tax Matters” in the Prospectus contained in the Form S-1 and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Form S-1.

 

Very truly yours,

/s/ Luse Gorman, PC

Luse Gorman, PC

Exhibit 8.1

LUSE GORMAN, PC

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

5335 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 780

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20015

TELEPHONE (202) 274-2000

FACSIMILE (202) 362-2902

www.luselaw.com

______________________, 2019

Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

 

  Re:

Federal Income Tax Consequences of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Offering

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As special counsel to Bogota Savings Bank, a New Jersey-chartered mutual savings bank (the “Bank” or “Stock Bank,” as the context requires), Bogota Financial, MHC, a to-be-formed New Jersey-chartered mutual holding company (“MHC”) that will own at least a majority of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp., a newly-formed Maryland stock corporation subsidiary holding company (“Holding Company”), you have requested that we express our opinion concerning certain federal income tax consequences relating to the reorganization of the Bank into the “two-tier” mutual holding company structure (the “Reorganization”) pursuant to that certain Bogota Savings Bank Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance, dated September 9, 2019 (the “Plan of Reorganization”). Concurrently with the Reorganization, the Holding Company will offer for sale 43% of its common stock on a priority basis to depositors and the Tax-Qualified Employee Plans in a subscription and community offering (collectively, the “Offering”), contribute 2% of its common stock to the Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, a charitable foundation established by the Bank, and issue 55% of its common stock to the Mutual Holding Company. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the meanings given to them in the Plan of Reorganization.

Source of Facts. In preparing this letter, we relied on the attached, duly authorized and executed representations regarding the Reorganization. If any of the facts are incorrect or incomplete, our discussion and conclusion may be different than those set forth below. We are under no obligation and we expressly disavow any obligation to advise the Bank, the MHC or the Holding Company if we learn that the facts are not as they have been represented to us. We have made such investigations as we have deemed relevant or necessary for the purpose of this opinion. In our examination, we have assumed the authenticity of original documents, the accuracy of copies and the genuineness of signatures.


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 2

 

In connection therewith, we have examined the Plan of Reorganization and certain other documents of or relating to the Reorganization, some of which are described or referred to in the Plan of Reorganization and which we considered necessary to examine in order to issue the opinions set forth below. In issuing our opinions, we have assumed that the Plan of Reorganization has been duly and validly authorized and has been approved and adopted by the board of directors of the Bank at a meeting duly called and held; that the Bank will comply with the terms and conditions of the Plan of Reorganization, and that the various representations and warranties which are provided to us are accurate, complete, true and correct. Accordingly, we express no opinion concerning the effect, if any, of variations from the foregoing. We specifically express no opinion concerning tax matters relating to the Plan of Reorganization under state and local tax laws and under federal income tax laws except on the basis of the documents and assumptions described above.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Plan of Reorganization.

Source of Law. In issuing the opinions set forth below, we have referred solely to existing provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing and proposed regulations of the United States Treasury Department (“Treasury Regulations”) thereunder, and upon current Internal Revenue Service (the “Service”) administrative rulings, notices and procedures and court decisions. Such laws, regulations, administrative rulings, notices and procedures and court decisions are subject to change at any time. Any such change could affect the continuing validity of the opinions set forth below. These opinions are as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change in any matter considered herein after the date hereof.

In rendering our opinions, we have assumed that the persons and entities identified in the Plan of Reorganization will at all times comply with the requirements of Code Section 368(a)(1)(F) and Code Section 351, and the other applicable state and federal laws and the representations of the Bank. In addition, we have assumed that the activities of the persons and entities identified in the Plan of Reorganization will be conducted strictly in accordance with the Plan of Reorganization. Any variations may affect the opinions we are rendering.

We emphasize that the outcome of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty and, although we have attempted in good faith to opine as to the probable outcome of the merits of each tax issue with respect to which an opinion was requested, we cannot assure you that our conclusions are correct or that they would be adopted by the Service or a court.


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 3

 

Facts Regarding the Reorganization.

On September 9, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Bank unanimously adopted the Plan of Reorganization for the valid business purposes set forth therein, whereby the Bank will reorganize into the mutual holding company structure pursuant to applicable law. The following steps are proposed to effect the Reorganization:

 

  (i)

the Bank will organize a New Jersey-chartered interim stock savings bank as a wholly-owned subsidiary (“Interim One”);

 

  (ii)

Interim One will organize a New Jersey-chartered interim stock savings bank as a wholly-owned subsidiary (“Interim Two”);

 

  (iii)

Interim One will organize the Holding Company as a wholly-owned subsidiary;

 

  (iv)

the Bank will convert to stock form and exchange its certificate of incorporation for a certificate of incorporation of a New Jersey stock savings bank and thereby become the Stock Bank (the “Conversion”), and Interim One will become the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Stock Bank. In the Conversion, the Bank depositors will constructively receive shares of common stock in Stock Bank in exchange for their mutual ownership interest in the Bank;

 

  (v)

the shares of common stock of Interim One held by the Stock Bank will be cancelled and Interim One will exchange its certificate of incorporation for a New Jersey mutual holding company certificate of incorporation to become the MHC;

 

  (vi)

concurrently with steps (iv) and (v), Interim Two will merge with and into the Stock Bank with the Stock Bank as the resulting entity. The former depositors of the Bank will constructively exchange the common stock of the Stock Bank received in the Conversion for either an interest in the Liquidation Account or liquidation rights in the MHC, as well as limited voting rights in the MHC (the “351 Transaction”); and


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 4

 

  (vii)

the MHC will contribute the common stock of the Stock Bank to the Holding Company, and the Stock Bank will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Holding Company.

 

  (viii)

Contemporaneously with the Reorganization, the Holding Company will offer less than 50% of its outstanding shares of common stock in the Subscription Offering and, if applicable, the Community Offering (steps (vii) and (viii) are referred to herein as the “Secondary 351 Transaction”).

Those persons who, as of the date of the Conversion, hold depository rights with respect to the Bank will thereafter have such rights solely with respect to the Stock Bank. Each deposit account with the Bank at the time of the exchange will become a deposit account in the Stock Bank in the same amount and upon the same terms and conditions.

The principal purpose of the Reorganization is to reorganize the Bank into a corporate structure that enables it to access capital sources not available to mutual savings banks. The Holding Company will have the power to issue shares of capital stock (consisting of common and preferred stock) to persons other than the MHC; however, so long as the MHC is in existence, it must own a majority of the voting stock of the Holding Company. The Holding Company may issue any amount of non-voting stock to persons other than the MHC. No such non-voting stock will be issued as of the date of the Reorganization.

At the time of the Reorganization, the MHC will establish a Liquidation Account in the MHC and/or the Bank in an amount equal to the Bank’s total equity as reflected in the latest statement of financial condition contained in the final Prospectus used in the Offering. The Liquidation Account will be maintained for the benefit of the Eligible Account Holders who continue to maintain their Deposit Accounts at the Bank. Each Eligible Account Holder shall, with respect to his or her Deposit Account, hold a related inchoate interest in a portion of the Liquidation Account balance in relation to his or her Deposit Account balance at the Eligibility Record Date, or to such balance as it may subsequently be reduced, as provided in the Plan of Reorganization.

LAW AND ANALYSIS

Code Section 368(a)(1)(F) provides that the term “reorganization” means a mere change in identity, form, or place of organization of one corporation, however effected. In the Reorganization, the Bank, in mutual form, will incorporate a stock bank subsidiary. The Bank will convert to stock form by exchanging its certificate of incorporation for a New Jersey stock


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 5

 

bank certificate of incorporation in a transaction that qualifies as a mere change in identity, form or place of organization within the meaning of Code Section 368(a)(1)(F).

The MHC is initially organized in stock form as Interim One. Although the MHC is temporarily organized as a stock corporation solely due to regulatory requirements, the parties intend at the time that the MHC will operate as a mutual holding company and function in mutual form. Because the status of the MHC as a stock corporation is transitory, the conversion of MHC from a stock corporation to a mutual holding company is disregarded. Rev. Rul. 2003-48, 2003-2 C.B. 86; C.f. Rev. Rul. 67-448, 1967-2 C.B. 144.

Code Section 351(a) provides that no gain or loss will be recognized if property is transferred to a corporation by one or more persons solely in exchange for stock in such corporation and immediately after the exchange such person or persons are in control (as defined in Code Section 368(c)) of the corporation. The “transfer” requirement is satisfied so long as the transferor transfers to the transferee all substantial rights associated with the transferred property. In connection with the merger of Interim Two into Stock Bank, the depositors who constructively exchanged their ownership interests in the Bank for common stock in Stock Bank will constructively transfer such common Stock to the MHC in exchange for liquidation rights in the MHC and are thereafter in control of the MHC, within the meaning of Code Section 368(c).

Code Section 368(c) provides that “control” means the ownership of stock possessing at least 80 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote and at least 80 percent of the total number of shares of all other classes of stock of the corporation. Because the former owners of Stock Bank are in control (within the meaning of Code Section 368(c)) of the MHC, their transfer of their equity interests in the Stock Bank to the MHC in exchange for ownership interests in the MHC qualifies as a transfer described in Code Section 351.

In Revenue Ruling 2003-48, in a similar reorganization, the Service ruled that because the former owners of a state-chartered mutual bank were in control (within the meaning of Code Section 368(c)) of the mutual holding company, the transfer of their equity interests in a state-chartered mutual bank to the mutual holding company, in exchange for ownership interests in the mutual holding company, qualified as a transfer described in Code Section 351.

In Revenue Ruling 2003-48, the Service also ruled that contribution of the common stock of the stock bank to the mutual holding company’s stock holding company subsidiary in exchange for the voting stock of the stock holding company combined with the almost contemporaneous sale of additional shares of stock holding company to members of the public through an underwriting transaction also constituted a transfer under Code Section 351. Treasury Regulations Section 1.351-1(a)(3) provides that for purposes of Code Section 351, if a person


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 6

 

acquires stock of a corporation for cash in a qualified underwriting transaction, the person who acquires stock from the underwriter is treated as transferring cash directly to the corporation in exchange for stock of the corporation and the underwriter is disregarded.

In Revenue Ruling 2003-51, the Service ruled that a transfer of assets to a corporation (the “first corporation”) in exchange for an amount of stock of the first corporation constituting control satisfies the control requirement of Code Section 351, even if pursuant to a binding agreement entered into by the transferor with a third party prior to the exchange, the transferor transfers the stock of the first corporation to another corporation (the “second corporation”) simultaneously with the transfer of assets by the third party to the second corporation and, immediately thereafter, the transferor and the third party are in control of the second corporation.

Code Section 354(a) provides that, in general, no gain or loss shall be recognized if stock or securities in a corporation a party to a reorganization are, in pursuance of the plan of reorganization, exchanged solely for stock or securities in such corporation or in another corporation a party to the reorganization.

Code Section 361(a) provides that no gain or loss shall be recognized to a corporation if such corporation is a party to a reorganization and exchanges property, pursuant to the plan of reorganization, solely for stock or securities in another corporation a party to a reorganization.

Code Section 357(a) provides generally that, if a taxpayer received property which would be permitted to be received under Section 351 or 361 without the recognition of gain if it were the sole consideration and, as part of the consideration, another property to the exchange assumes a liability of the taxpayer, then such assumption will not be treated as money or other property, and shall not prevent the exchange from being considered within the provisions of Section 351 or 361, as the case may be.

In the case of an exchange to which Code Section 351, 354 or 361 applies, Code Section 358(a)(1) provides that the basis of property permitted to be received under such Section without the recognition of gain or loss to the taxpayer is the same as the basis of the property exchanged, reduced by: (i) the fair market value of any other property (except money) received by the taxpayer, (ii) the amount of any money received by the taxpayer and (iii) the amount of loss to the taxpayer which was recognized on such exchange, and increased by: (x) the amount which was treated as a dividend, and (y) the amount of gain to the taxpayer which was recognized on such exchange (not including any portion of such gain which was treated as a dividend).

Code Section 1032(a) provides that a corporation will recognize no gain or loss on the receipt of money or other property in exchange for its stock.


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 7

 

Code Section 1223(1) provides that, in determining the period for which a taxpayer has held property received in an exchange, there shall be included the period for which he held the property exchanged, if for purposes of determining gain or loss from a sale or exchange, the property has the same basis in whole or in part in his hands as the property exchanged and the property was a capital asset on the date of the exchange.

Code Section 1223(2) provides that in determining the period for with the taxpayer has held property, however acquired, there shall be included the period for which such property was held by any other person, if such property has, for the purpose of determining gain or loss from a sale or exchange, the same basis in whole or in part in his hands as it would have in the hands of such other person.

Overall Conclusions.

Based on the facts, representations and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

With Respect to the Conversion

1. The Bank’s exchange of its certificate of incorporation for a New Jersey stock bank certificate of incorporation is a mere change in identity and form and therefore qualifies as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code.

2. No gain or loss will be recognized by the Bank upon the transfer of its assets to the Stock Bank solely in exchange for shares of the Stock Bank common stock and the assumption by the Stock Bank of the liabilities of the Bank. (Code Sections 361(a) and 357(a)).

3. No gain or loss will be recognized by the Stock Bank upon the receipt of the assets of the Bank in exchange for shares of the Stock Bank common stock. (Code Section 1032(a)).

4. The Stock Bank’s holding period in the assets received from the Bank will include the period during which such assets were held by the Bank. (Code Section 1223(2)).

5. The Stock Bank’s basis in the assets of the Bank will be the same as the basis of such assets in the hands of the Bank immediately prior to the Conversion. (Code Section 362(b)).

6. The Bank’s depositors will recognize no gain or loss upon the constructive receipt of the Stock Bank common stock in exchange for their ownership interests in the Bank. (Code Section 354(a)(1)).


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 8

 

7. The basis of the Stock Bank common stock to be constructively received by the Bank’s depositors will be the same as their basis in their ownership interests in the Bank surrendered in exchange therefor. (Code Section 358(a)(1)).

8. No gain or loss shall be recognized by depositors of the Bank on the issuance to them of withdrawable deposit accounts in the Stock Bank, in exchange for their deposit accounts in the Bank. (Code Section 354(a)(1)). In addition, Eligible Account Holders will not recognize gain or loss upon receipt of an interest in the Liquidation Account in the MHC and/or the Bank in exchange for their ownership interests (i.e., liquidation rights and limited voting rights) in the Bank. (Code Section 354(a)(1)).

9. Gain realized, if any, by the Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors on the distribution to them of nontransferable subscription rights to purchase shares of common stock will be recognized but only in an amount not in excess of the fair market value of such subscription rights. (Code Section 356(a)(1)). It is more likely than not that the fair market value of the subscription rights to purchase common stock is zero. Accordingly, no gain or loss will be recognized by Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders or Other Depositors upon the distribution to them of the nontransferable subscription rights to purchase shares of common stock of Holding Company. Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors will not realize any taxable income as a result of the exercise by them of the nontransferable subscription rights (Rev. Rul. 56-572, 1956-2 C.B. 182).

10. The basis of the deposit accounts in the Stock Bank to be received by depositors of the Bank will be the same as the basis of their deposit accounts in the Bank surrendered in exchange therefor. (Code Section 358(a)(1)). The basis of the interests in the liquidation rights in the MHC to be received by the depositors of the Bank shall be zero. The basis of each Eligible Account Holder’s interest in the Liquidation Account will be zero, which is the cost of such interests to such persons (Rev. Rul. 71-233, 1971-1 C.B. 113).

With Respect to the 351 Transaction:

11. The exchange of the Stock Bank common stock constructively received by the depositors in exchange for ownership interests in the MHC will constitute a tax-free exchange of property solely for “stock” pursuant to Section 351 of the Code. (Rev. Rul. 2003-48, 2003-19 I.R.B. 863).

12. Depositors will recognize no gain or loss upon the transfer of the Stock Bank common stock which they constructively received in the Conversion to the MHC solely in


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 9

 

exchange for an interest in the Liquidation Account and limited voting rights (i.e., the ownership interests) in the MHC. (Code Section 351).

13. Depositors’ basis in the MHC ownership interests received in the transaction (which basis is zero) will be the same as the basis of the property transferred in exchange therefor. (Code Section 358(a)(1)).

14. The MHC will recognize no gain or loss upon the receipt of the Bank common stock from the depositors in constructive exchange for the ownership interests in the MHC. (Code Section 1032(a)).

15. The MHC’s basis in the Bank common stock received from depositors (which basis is zero) will be the same as the basis of such property in the hands of the depositors immediately before the Conversion. (Code Section 362(a)).

16. The MHC’s holding period for the Bank common stock received from the depositors will include the period during which such property was held by such persons. (Code Section 1223(2)).

With Respect to the Secondary 351 Transaction:

17. The MHC and the persons who purchase common stock of the Holding Company in the Subscription and Community Offering (“Minority Stockholders”) will recognize no gain or loss upon the transfer of the Stock Bank common stock and cash, respectively, to the Holding Company in exchange for common stock in the Holding Company (Code Section 351(a)).

18. The Holding Company will recognize no gain or loss on its receipt of the Stock Bank common stock and cash in exchange for Holding Company common stock. (Code Section 1032(a)).

19. The MHC’s basis in the Holding Company common stock received in the Secondary 351 Transaction will be the same as its basis in the Stock Bank common stock transferred. (Code Section 358(a)(1)).

20. The MHC’s holding period in the Holding Company common stock received will include the period during which it held the Stock Bank common stock, provided that such property was a capital asset on the date of the exchange. (Code Section 1223(1)).


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 10

 

21. The Holding Company’s basis in the Stock Bank common stock received from MHC will be the same as the basis of such property in the hands of the MHC. (Code Section 362(a)).

22. The Holding Company’s holding period for the Stock Bank common stock received from MHC will include the period during which such property was held by the MHC. (Code Section 1223(2)).

23. It is more likely than not that the basis of the Holding Company common stock to its stockholders will be the purchase price thereof. (Code Section 1012). The holding period of the Holding Company common stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of subscription rights shall commence on the date on which the right to acquire such common stock was exercised. (Code Section 1223(5)).

The opinions set forth above represent our conclusions as to the application of existing Federal income tax law to the facts of the instant transaction, and we cannot assure you that changes in such law, or in the interpretation thereof, will not affect the opinions expressed by us. Moreover, we cannot assure you that contrary positions will not be taken by the IRS, or that a court considering the issues would not hold contrary to such opinions.

Our opinion under paragraph 9 above is predicated on the representation that no person shall receive any payment, whether in money or property, in lieu of the issuance of subscription rights. With respect to our opinion under paragraphs 9 and 23, we note that the subscription rights will be granted at no cost to the recipients, will be legally non-transferable and of short duration, and will provide the recipient with the right only to purchase shares of common stock at the same price to be paid by members of the general public in any Community Offering. We also note that RP Financial, LC. has issued a letter to the Board of Directors of the Bank, dated September 9, 2019, that the subscription rights will have no ascertainable fair market value. Finally, we note that the Internal Revenue Service has not in the past concluded that subscription rights have value.

If the subscription rights are subsequently found to have a fair market value, income may be recognized by various recipients of the subscription rights (in certain cases, whether or not the rights are exercised) and the Holding Company and/or the Stock Bank may be taxable on the distribution of the subscription rights.

* * *                

The opinions set forth above represent our conclusions as to the application of existing federal income tax law to the facts of the instant transaction, and we cannot assure you that


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 11

 

changes in such law, or in the interpretation thereof, will not affect the opinions expressed by us. Moreover, we cannot assure you that contrary positions may not be taken by the Service, or that a court considering the issues would not hold contrary to such opinions.

All of the opinions set forth above are qualified to the extent that the validity of any provision of any agreement may be subject to or affected by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally. We do not express any opinion as to the availability of any equitable or specific remedy upon any breach of any of the covenants, warranties or other provisions contained in any agreement.

It is expressly understood that the opinions set forth above represent our conclusions based upon the documents reviewed by us and the facts presented to us. Any material amendments to such documents or changes in any significant fact would affect the opinions expressed herein.


Boards of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

______________, 2019

Page 12

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Bank’s Notice of Intent to Convert, as filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as an exhibit to the Holding Company’s and the Mutual Holding Company’s Applications on Form FR Y-3, as filed with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and as an exhibit to the Holding Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, as filed with the SEC. We also consent to the references to our firm in the Prospectus contained in such filings under the captions “The Reorganization and Offering—Material Income Tax Consequences” and “Legal and Tax Matters,” and to the summarization of our opinion in such Prospectus.

 

Very truly yours,

 

LUSE GORMAN, PC

Exhibit 8.2

Hamilton & Babitts, CPAs

271 Route 46 West, Suite D-109

Fairfield, NJ 07004

973-276-0044 (phone)

973-276-3226 (fax)

______________, 2019

Board of Directors

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey, 07666

Re:  New Jersey Income Tax Consequences of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization

Dear Board Members:

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

We have been requested by Bogota Savings Bank, a New Jersey chartered savings bank (the “Bank,” or “Stock Bank,” as the context requires), Bogota Financial, MHC, a to-be-formed New Jersey chartered Mutual Holding Company (“MHC”) that will own at least the majority of the common stock of Bogota Financial Corp., a newly-formed Maryland stock corporation (the “Holding Company”), to express our opinion concerning certain New Jersey income tax consequences relating to the reorganization of the Bank from a mutual savings bank into a mutual holding company structure (all steps in such reorganization are collectively referred to herein as the “Reorganization”) pursuant to that certain Plan of Mutual Holding Company Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance (the “Plan of Reorganization”) of Bogota Savings Bank.

In rendering this opinion, we have assumed that the statement of the opinions issued by Bogota’s special counsel, Luse Gorman, PC, dated September 9, 2019 with respect to the federal income tax laws (“Federal Opinion Letter”), is in fact, an accurate statement of the federal income tax consequences of mutual holding company reorganization.

FACTS REGARDING THE REORGANIZATION

On September 9, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Bank unanimously adopted the Plan of Reorganization for the valid business purposes set forth therein, whereby the Bank will reorganize into the MHC structure pursuant to applicable law. The following steps are proposed to effect the Reorganization:

 

  (i)

the Bank will organize a New Jersey-chartered interim stock savings bank as a wholly-owned subsidiary (“Interim One”);

 

  (ii)

Interim One will organize a New Jersey-chartered interim stock savings bank as a wholly-owned subsidiary (“Interim Two”);

 

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  (iii)

Interim One will organize the Holding Company as a wholly-owned subsidiary;

 

  (iv)

the Bank will convert the stock form and exchange its certificate of incorporation for a certificate of incorporation of a New Jersey stock savings bank and thereby become the Stock Bank (the “Conversion”), and Interim One will become the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Stock Bank. In the Conversion, the Bank depositors will constructively receive shares of common stock in Stock Bank in exchange for their mutual ownership interest in the Bank;

 

  (v)

the shares of common stock of Interim One held by the Stock Bank will be cancelled and Interim One will exchange its certificate of incorporation for a New Jersey mutual holding company certificate of incorporation to become the MHC;

 

  (vi)

concurrently with steps (iv) and (v), Interim Two will merge with and into the Stock Bank with the Stock Bank as the resulting entity. The former depositors of the Bank will constructively exchange the common stock of the Stock Bank received in the Conversion for either an interest in the liquidation account or liquidation rights in the MHC, as well as limited voting rights in the MHC (the “351 Transaction”); and

 

  (vii)

the MHC will contribute the common stock of the Stock Bank to the Holding Company, and the Stock Bank will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Holding Company.

 

  (viii)

Contemporaneously with the Reorganization, the Holding Company will offer less than 50% of its outstanding shares of common stock in the subscription offering and, if applicable, the Community Offering (steps (vii) and (viii) are referred to herein as the “Secondary 351 Transaction”).

Those persons who, as of the date of the Conversion, hold depository rights with respect to the Bank will thereafter have such rights solely with respect to the Stock Bank. Each deposit account with the Bank at the time of the exchange will become a deposit account in the Stock Bank in the same amount and upon the same terms and conditions.

The principal purpose of the Reorganization is to reorganize the Bank into a corporate structure that enables it to access capital sources not available to mutual savings banks. The Holding Company will have the power to issue shares of capital stock (consisting of common and preferred stock) to persons other than the MHC, however, so long as the MHC is in existence, it must own a majority of the voting stock of the Holding Company. The Holding Company may issue any amount of non-voting stock to persons other than the MHC. No such non-voting stock will be issued as of the date of the Reorganization.

At the time of the Reorganization, the MHC will establish a liquidation account in the MHC and/or the Bank in an amount equal to the Bank’s total equity as reflected in the latest statement of financial condition contained in the final Prospectus used in the Offering. The liquidation account will be maintained for the benefit of the eligible account holders who continue to maintain their deposit accounts at the Bank. Each eligible account holder shall, with respect to his or her deposit account, hold a related inchoate interest in a portion of the liquidation account balance in relation to his or her deposit account balance at the eligibility record date, or to such balance as it may subsequently be reduced, as provided in the Plan of Reorganization.

 

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LAW AND ANALYSIS

A taxpayer’s entire net income for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax (CBT) is initially equal to its federal taxable income before net operating losses and special deductions. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)). There are specified adjustments that must be made to federal taxable income to determine entire net income, however, none are pertinent here. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4).

The Federal Opinion Letter concludes that for federal income tax none of the transactions contemplated in the Reorganization will result in the recognition of taxable income or loss to the MHC, the Holding Company, Bank, Stock Bank, or depositors; that the basis and holding periods of the assets of the Bank will carryover to the Stock Bank in the Conversion; that the basis and holding periods of depositors in their ownership interests in the Bank will carryover to their ownership interests in the MHC; that the basis and holding periods of the MHC in its Stock Bank stock, which carried over from depositors basis and holding periods in their ownership interests in the Bank, will carryover to the Holding Company and that the MHC’s basis in its Holding Company shares will be increased by its basis in its Stock Bank stock.

OPINION

Based upon our review of the agreements and documents mentioned herein, and information provided and the federal tax opinion, it is our opinion that:

New Jersey Income Tax Consequences of the Conversion

1. To the extent that the Bank’s exchange of its certificate of incorporation for a New Jersey stock bank certificate of incorporation is a mere change in identity and form and therefore qualifies as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

2. To the extent that no gain or loss will be recognized under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) by the Bank upon the transfer of its assets to the Stock Bank solely in exchange for shares of the Stock Bank common stock and the assumption by the Stock Bank of the liabilities of the Bank in the Conversion, there will be no gain or loss recognized for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

3. To the extent that no gain or loss will be recognized under the Code by the Stock Bank upon the receipt of the assets of the Bank in exchange for shares of the Stock Bank common stock in the Conversion, there will be no gain or loss recognized for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

4. To the extent the Stock Bank’s holding period in the assets received from the Bank will include the period during which such assets were held by the Bank, as allowed by the Code, such holding period should be the same for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax since New Jersey does not differentiate between short term and long term gains.

5. To the extent the Stock Bank’s basis in the assets received from the Bank in the Conversion will be the same as the basis of such assets in the hands of the Bank immediately prior to the Conversion, as allowed by the Code, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

 

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6. To the extent depositors will recognize no gain or loss under the Code upon the constructive receipt of the Stock Bank common stock solely in exchange for the ownership interests in the Bank in the Conversion, there will be no gain or loss recognized for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

7. To the extent the basis of the Stock Bank common stock to be constructively received by depositors in the Conversion, as allowed by the Code, will be the same as their basis in their ownership interests in the Bank surrendered in exchange therefore. Such treatment will be the same for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

8. To the extent depositors will recognize no gain or loss under the Code upon the transfer of the Stock Bank common stock they constructively receive solely in exchange for ownership interests in the MHC in the 351 Transaction, there will be no gain or loss recognized for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c).

9. To the extent depositors will recognize no gain or loss under the Code on the issuance to them of withdrawable deposit accounts in the Stock Bank, in exchange for their deposit accounts in the Bank. In addition, eligible account holders and supplemental eligible account holders will recognize no gain or loss under the Code upon the receipt of an interest in the liquidation account in the Stock Bank in exchange for their ownership interests in the Bank, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

10. To the extent gain is recognized, if any, by eligible account holders, supplemental eligible account holders, and other depositors under the Code on the distribution to them of nontransferable subscription rights to purchase shares of common stock but only in an amount not in excess of the fair market value of such subscription rights, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

11. To the extent depositors’ basis of the deposit accounts in the Stock Bank, as allowed by the Code, will be the same as the basis of their deposit accounts in the Bank surrendered in exchange therefore, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

12. To the extent that the exchange of the Stock Bank common stock constructively received by the depositors in exchange for the ownership interests in the MHC will constitute a tax-free exchange of property solely for “stock” pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

13. To the extent depositors’ basis in the ownership interests in the MHC received in the 351 Transaction will be the same as the basis of depositors in the common stock of the Stock Bank transferred in exchange therefore, as allowed by the Code, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54A:5-1.c) (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

14. To the extent the MHC will recognize no gain or loss under the Code upon the receipt of the Stock Bank stock from depositors in exchange for ownership interests in the MHC, there will be no gain or loss recognized for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

15. To the extent the MHC’s basis in the Stock Bank common stock received from depositors in the 351 Transaction will be the same as the basis of such property in the hands of depositors immediately prior to the 351 Transaction, as allowed by the Code, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

 

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16. To the extent the MHC’s holding period for the Stock Bank common stock received from depositors in the 351 Transaction will include the period during which such stock was held by depositors, as allowed by the Code, such holding period will be the same for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

17. To the extent the MHC will recognize no gain or loss under the Code upon the transfer of the Stock Bank common stock to the Holding Company in constructive exchange for the Holding Company stock in the Secondary 351 Transaction, there will be no gain or loss recognized for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

18. To the extent the Holding Company will recognize no gain or loss under the Code on its receipt of the Stock Bank common stock in constructive exchange for the Holding Company stock in the Secondary 351 Transaction, there will be no gain or loss recognized for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

19. To the extent the MHC’s basis in the Holding Company common stock received in the Secondary 351 Transaction will be the same as its basis in the Stock Bank stock transferred, as allowed by the Code, such holding period will be the same for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

20. To the extent the MHC’s holding period in the Holding Company common stock received will include the period which it held the Stock Bank common stock, as allowed by the Code, provided that such property was a capital asset on the date of the exchange, such holding period will be the same for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

21. To the extent the Holding Company’s basis in the Stock Bank common stock received from the MHC in constructive exchange for the Holding Company stock will equal the basis of the Stock Bank common stock of the MHC in that stock immediately before the Secondary 351 Transaction, as allowed by the Code, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

22. To the extent the Holding Company’s holding period for the Stock Bank common stock received from the MHC in the Secondary 351 Transaction will include the period that the Mutual Holding Company held, or is deemed to have held that stock, as allowed by the Code, such holding period will be the same for the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

23. To the extent the holding period of the common stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of subscription rights, as allowed by the Code, shall commence on the date on which the right to acquire such stock was exercised. It’s more likely than not that the basis of the Holding Company common stock to its stockholders under the Code will be the purchase price thereof, such treatment will be the same for New Jersey Corporation Business Tax. (N.J.R.S. §54:10A-4(k)).

*             *             *            *            *

 

5


Since this letter is provide in advance of the closing of the Reorganization, we have assumed that the Reorganization will be consummated. Any change to the Reorganization could cause us to modify the opinion expressed herein.

Our opinion is limited to New Jersey income tax matters described above and does not address any other New Jersey tax considerations. If any of the information on which we have relied is incorrect, or if changes in the relevant facts occur after the date hereof, our opinion could be affected thereby. Moreover, our opinion is based on the New Jersey tax laws. These laws are all subject to change, and such change may be made with retroactive effect. We can give no assurance that, after such change, our opinion would not be different. We undertake no responsibility to update or supplement our opinion. This opinion is not binding on New Jersey, and there can be no assurance, and none is hereby given, that New Jersey will not take a position contrary to one or more of the positions reflected in the foregoing opinion, or that our opinion will be upheld by the courts if challenged by New Jersey.

We are furnishing this opinion in connection with the Reorganization and it may not be relied upon by any other person or entity or referred to in any document without our express written consent. We also consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Bank’s Notice of Intent to Convert, as filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as an exhibit to the Holding Company’s and the MHC’s Application on Form FR Y-3 as filed with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and as an exhibit to the Holding Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, as filed with the SEC. We also consent to the references to our firm in the Prospectus contained in such filing under the captions “The Reorganization and Offering – Material Income Tax Consequences” and “Legal and Tax Matters,” and to the summarization of our opinion in such Prospectus.

 

Very truly yours,
Steven Babitts
Certified Public Accountant

 

6

Exhibit 10.1

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into, effective as of                     , 2019 (the “Effective Date”), by and between Bogota Savings Bank, a New Jersey-chartered stock savings bank (the “Bank”) and Joseph Coccaro (“Executive”). Any reference to the “Company” shall mean Bogota Financial Corp., the newly-formed stock holding company of the Bank, or any successor thereto.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Bank desires to continue to employ Executive in an executive capacity in the conduct of its businesses, and Executive desires to be so employed on the terms contained herein;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, and upon the other terms and conditions hereinafter provided, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

1.

POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

(a)    Employment. During the Term (as defined in Section 2(a) below) of this Agreement, Executive agrees to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank and the Company or any successor executive position with the Bank and the Company that is consented to, in writing, by Executive (the “Executive Position”), and will perform the duties of and have all powers associated with the Executive Position as are appropriate for a person in the position of the Executive Position, as well as those as shall be assigned by the Board of Directors of the Bank (the “Board”). As President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive will report directly to the Board. During the period provided in this Agreement, Executive also agrees to serve, if elected, as an officer, director or trustee of any subsidiary or affiliate of the Bank and in such capacity carry out such duties and responsibilities reasonably appropriate to that office.

(b)    Responsibilities. During Executive’s employment hereunder, Executive will be employed on a full-time basis and devote Executive’s full business time and best efforts, business judgment, skill and knowledge to the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities related to the Executive Position. Except as otherwise provided in Section 1(c) or as may be approved by the Board, Executive will not engage in any other business activity during the term of this Agreement.

(c)    Service on Other Boards and Committees. The Bank encourages participation by Executive on community boards and committees and in activities generally considered to be in the public interest, but the Board shall have the right to approve or disapprove, in its sole discretion, Executive’s participation on such boards and committees.

 

2.

TERM.

(a)    Term and Annual Renewal. The term of this Agreement and the period of Executive’s employment hereunder will begin as of the Effective Date and will continue through December 31, 2021 (the “Term”). Commencing on January 1, 2020 and continuing on each


January 1st thereafter (each, a “Renewal Date”), the Term will extend automatically for one additional year, so that the Term will be three (3) years from such Renewal Date, unless either the Bank or Executive by written notice to the other given at least 30 days prior to such Renewal Date notifies the other of its intent not to extend the same. In the event that notice not to extend is given by either the Bank or Executive, this Agreement will terminate as of the last day of the then current Term. For avoidance of doubt, any extension to the Term will become the “Term” for purposes of this Agreement.

At least 30 days prior to the Renewal Date, the disinterested members of the Board will conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation and review of Executive for purposes of determining whether to take action regarding non-renewal of the Agreement, and the results thereof will be included in the minutes of the Board’s meeting.

(b)    Change in Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Bank or the Company has entered into an agreement to effect a transaction that would be considered a Change in Control as defined under Section 5 hereof, the Term of this Agreement will be extended automatically so that it is scheduled to expire no less than two (2) years beyond the effective date of the Change in Control, subject to extensions as set forth above.

(c)    Continued Employment Following Expiration of Term. Nothing in this Agreement will mandate or prohibit a continuation of Executive’s employment following the expiration of the term of this Agreement.

 

3.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND REIMBURSEMENT.

(a)    Base Salary. In consideration of Executive’s performance of the responsibilities and duties set forth in this Agreement, Executive shall receive an annual base salary of $_________ per year (“Base Salary”). Such Base Salary will be payable in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Bank. During the term of this Agreement, the Board (or the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Committee”)) may increase, but not decrease, Executive’s Base Salary. Any increase in Base Salary will become the “Base Salary” for purposes of this Agreement.

(b)    Bonus and Incentive Compensation. Executive (1) is eligible to participate in any bonus plan or arrangement of the Bank in which senior management is eligible to participate, pursuant to which a bonus may be paid to Executive in accordance with such plan or arrangement; and/or (2) may receive a bonus, if any, on a discretionary basis, as determined by the Board or the Committee.

(c)    Benefit Plans. Executive will be entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans, arrangements and perquisites offered to senior management of the Bank, on terms and conditions no less favorable than such plans are available to other members of senior management of the Bank. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing provisions of this Section 3(c), Executive also will be entitled to participate in any employee benefit plans including but not limited to retirement plans, pension plans, profit-sharing plans, health-and-accident plans, or any other employee benefit plan or arrangement made available by the Bank in the future to management employees, subject to and on a basis consistent with the terms, conditions and overall administration of such plans and arrangements as applicable to other management employees.

 

2


(d)    Vacation Leave and Paid Time Off. Executive will be entitled to paid vacation time each year during the term of this Agreement measured on a calendar year basis, in accordance with the Bank’s customary practices, as well as sick leave, holidays and other paid absences in accordance with the Bank’s policies and procedures for officers, provided, however, that Executive shall be entitled to each calendar year at least 20 working days of paid vacation and five (5) paid time off days. Any unused paid time off during an annual period will be treated in accordance with the Bank’s personnel policies as in effect from time to time.

(e)    Expense Reimbursements. The Bank will reimburse Executive for all reasonable travel, entertainment and other reasonable expenses incurred by Executive during the course of performing Executive’s obligations under this Agreement, including, without limitation, fees for memberships in such organizations as Executive and the Board mutually agree are necessary and appropriate in connection with the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement. All reimbursements shall be made as soon as practicable upon substantiation of such expenses by Executive in accordance with the applicable policies and procedures of the Bank and, in any event, not later than the last day of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which Executive incurred such expense. In addition, the Bank shall provide Executive with a company-owned automobile or a reasonable car allowance in and shall pay or reimbursement Executive for the reasonable maintenance, insurance, gas, tolls and other charges related to the business of said vehicle in accordance with the Bank’s automobile policy.

 

4.

TERMINATION AND TERMINATION PAY.

Subject to Section 5 of this Agreement which governs the occurrence of a Change in Control, Executive’s employment under this Agreement will terminate under the following circumstances:

(a)    Death. This Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Bank will terminate upon Executive’s death, in which event the Bank’s sole obligation shall be to pay or provide Executive’s estate or beneficiary any “Accrued Obligations.”

For purposes of this Agreement, “Accrued Obligations” means the sum of : (i) any Base Salary earned through Executive’s Date of Termination, (ii) unpaid expense reimbursements (subject to, and in accordance with, Section 3(e) of this Agreement), (iii) unused paid time off that accrued through the Date of Termination, (iv) any earned but unpaid short-term and long-term incentive compensation for the year immediately preceding the year of termination and (v) any vested benefits Executive may have under any employee benefit plan of the Bank through the Date of Termination, which vested benefits shall be paid and/or provided in accordance with the terms of such employee benefit plans. Unless otherwise provided by the applicable employee benefit plan, the Accrued Obligations, if any, will be paid to Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiary) within 30 days following Executive’s Date of Termination.

 

3


(b)    Disability. The Bank shall be entitled to terminate Executive’s employment and this Agreement due to Executive’s Disability. If Executive’s employment is terminated due to Executive’s Disability, the Bank’s sole obligation under this Agreement shall be to pay or provide Executive any Accrued Obligations. For purposes of this Agreement, “Disability” means that Executive is deemed disabled for purposes of the Bank’s long-term disability plan or policy that covers Executive or is determined to be disabled by the Social Security Administration.

(c)    Termination for Cause. The Board may immediately terminate Executive’s employment and this Agreement at any time for “Cause.” In the event Executive’s employment is terminated for Cause, the Bank’s sole obligation will be to pay or provide to Executive any Accrued Obligations. Termination for “Cause” means termination because of, in the good faith determination of the Board, Executive’s:

(i)    material act of dishonesty or fraud in performing Executive’s duties on behalf of the Bank;

(ii)    willful misconduct that in the judgment of the Board will likely cause economic damage to the Bank or injury to the business reputation of the Bank;

(iii)    breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit;

(iv)    intentional failure to perform stated duties under this Agreement after written notice thereof from the Board and Executive’s failure to take corrective or curative action within two (2) weeks thereafter;

(v)    willful violation of any law, rule or regulation (other than traffic violations or similar offenses which results only in a fine or other non-custodial penalty) that reflect adversely on the reputation of the Bank, any felony conviction, any violation of law involving moral turpitude, or any violation of a final cease-and-desist order; or any violation of the policies and procedures of the Bank as outlined in the Bank’s employee handbook, which would result in termination of the Bank employees, as from time to time amended and incorporated herein by reference; or

(vi)    material breach by Executive of any provision of this Agreement.

Any determination of Cause under this Agreement will be made by resolution adopted by at least two-thirds vote of the disinterested members of the Board at a meeting called and held for that purpose. Executive will be provided with reasonable notice of such meeting and Executive will be given an opportunity to be heard before such vote is taken by the disinterested members of the Board.

(d)    Resignation by Executive without Good Reason. Executive may resign from employment during the term of this Agreement without Good Reason upon at least 30 days prior written notice to the Board, provided, however, that the Bank may accelerate the Date of Termination upon receipt of written notice of Executive’s resignation. In the event Executive resigns without Good Reason, the Bank’s sole obligation under this Agreement will be to pay or provide to Executive any Accrued Obligations.

 

4


(e)    Termination Without Cause or With Good Reason.

 

  (i)

The Board may immediately terminate Executive’s employment at any time for a reason other than Cause (a termination “Without Cause”), and Executive may, by written notice to the Board, terminate this Agreement at any time within 90 days following an event constituting “Good Reason,” as defined below (a termination “With Good Reason”); provided, however, that the Bank will have 30 days to cure the “Good Reason” condition, but the Bank may waive its right to cure. In the event of termination as described under this Section 4(e)(i) during the Term and subject to the requirements of Section 4(e)(iii), the Bank will pay or provide Executive with the following:

(A)    any Accrued Obligations;

(B)    a gross cash payment equal to the amount of Base Salary that Executive would have earned had Executive remained employed for the greater of: (1) the remaining Term; or (2) 24 months, which shall be payable in equal bi-weekly installments in accordance with the payroll practices of the Bank for the period for which Executive receives such payments (i.e., the greater of the remaining Term or 24 months), commencing within 60 days following Executive’s Date of Termination; and

(C)    provided that Executive has elected continued health care coverage in accordance with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”), reimbursement of such COBRA health care costs by the Bank for up to 18 consecutive months, or if less, for the period for which Executive has elected COBRA coverage (commencing with the first month following Executive’s Date of Termination and continuing until the eighteenth month following Executive’s Date of Termination) in an amount necessary to provide Executive and his dependents, if any, with the same level of coverage under the Bank’s group health plan, as in effect immediately prior to Executive’s Date of Termination.

 

  (ii)

Good Reason” exists if, without Executive’s express written consent, any of the following occurs:

 

  (A)

any reduction in Executive’s Base Salary;

 

  (B)

a material reduction in Executive’s authority, duties or responsibilities from the position and attributes associated with the Executive Position, including an adverse change in Executive’s reporting obligations such that Executive is no longer reporting to the person or the Board, as applicable pursuant to Section 1(a) above;

 

5


  (C)

in connection with or following a Change in Control, Executive is required to be based at any office or location resulting in an increase in Executive’s commute of 25 miles or more; or

 

  (D)

a material breach of this Agreement by the Bank.

 

  (iii)

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(e)(i), Executive will not receive any payments or benefits under Sections 4(e)(i)(B) or 4(e)(i)(C) unless and until Executive executes a release of claims (the “Release”) against the Bank and any affiliate, and their officers, directors, successors and assigns, releasing said persons from any and all claims, rights, demands, causes of action, suits, arbitrations or grievances relating to the employment relationship, including claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, but not including claims for benefits under tax-qualified plans or other benefit plans in which Executive is vested, claims for benefits required by applicable law or claims with respect to obligations set forth in this Agreement that survive the termination of this Agreement. The Release must be executed and become irrevocable by the 60th day following the Date of Termination, provided that if the 60-day period spans two (2) calendar years, then, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”), the payments and benefits described in this Section 4(e) will be paid, or commence, in the second calendar year.

(f)    Effect on Status as a Director. In the event of Executive’s termination of employment under this Agreement for any reason, unless otherwise agreed to by the mutual consent of Executive and the Board, such termination will also constitute Executive’s resignation as a director of the Bank or the Company, or as a director or trustee of any subsidiary or affiliate thereof, to the extent Executive is acting as a director or trustee of any of the aforementioned entities.

(g)    Notice; Effective Date of Termination. Notice of Termination of employment under this Agreement must be communicated by or to Executive or the Bank, as applicable, in accordance with Section 18. “Date of Termination” as referenced in this Agreement means Executive’s termination of employment pursuant to this Agreement, which will be effective on the earliest of: (i) immediately after the Bank gives notice to Executive of Executive’s termination Without Cause, unless the parties agree to a later date, in which case, termination will be effective as of such later date; (ii) immediately upon approval by the Board of termination of Executive’s employment for Cause; (iii) immediately upon Executive’s death or Disability; (iv) 30 days after Executive gives written notice to the Bank of Executive’s resignation from employment (including With Good Reason), provided that the Bank may set an earlier termination date at any time prior to the date of termination of employment, in which case Executive’s resignation shall be effective as of such date; or (v) in the event of Executive’s termination With Good Reason due to a material reduction in Base Salary, the date on which Executive provides Notice of Termination in accordance with Section 4(e)(i).

 

6


5.

CHANGE IN CONTROL.

(a)    Change in Control Defined. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Change in Control” means: (i) a change in the ownership of the Corporation; (ii) a change in the effective control of the Corporation; or (iii) a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Corporation as defined in accordance with Code Section 409A. For purposes of this Section 5(a), the term “Corporation” is defined to include the Bank, the Company or any of their successors, as applicable.

 

  (i)

A change in the ownership of a Corporation occurs on the date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as defined in Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B)), acquires ownership of stock of the Corporation that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50 percent of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of such Corporation.

 

  (ii)

A change in the effective control of the Corporation occurs on the date that either (A) any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as defined in Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vi)(D)) acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) ownership of stock of the Corporation possessing 30 percent or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Corporation, or (B) a majority of the members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election, provided that this subsection “(B)” is inapplicable where a majority stockholder of the Corporation is another corporation.

 

  (iii)

A change in a substantial portion of the Corporation’s assets occurs on the date that any one person or more than one person acting as a group (as defined in Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vii)(C)) acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the Corporation that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 40 percent of the total gross fair market value of (A) all of the assets of the Corporation, or (B) the value of the assets being disposed of, either of which is determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets. For all purposes hereunder, the definition of Change in Control shall be construed to be consistent with the requirements of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5), except to the extent that such regulations are superseded by subsequent guidance.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, a Change in Control will not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Agreement in connection with the Bank’s mutual holding company reorganization and/or minority stock offering of the Company. Similarly, a Change in Control for purposes of this Agreement will not be deemed to have occurred in the event of a second-step conversion of the Bank’s mutual holding company from mutual-to-stock form and/or contemporaneous stock offering of a newly-formed stock holding company.

 

7


(b)    Change in Control Benefits. Upon the termination of Executive’s employment by the Bank (or any successor) Without Cause or by Executive With Good Reason during the Term on or after the effective time of a Change in Control, the Bank (or any successor) will pay or provide Executive, or Executive’s estate in the event of Executive’s subsequent death, with the following:

 

  (i)

any Accrued Obligations;

 

  (ii)

a gross payment (the “Change in Control Severance”) equal to three (3) times the sum of Executive’s: (A) Base Salary at the Date of Termination (or Executive’s Base Salary in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control, if higher; and (B) the average annual cash bonus earned by Executive for the three (3) most recently completed annual performance periods prior to the Change Control. The Change in Control Severance shall be payable in equal bi-weekly installments in accordance with the payroll practices of the Bank (or any successor) for a period of three years, commencing within 30 days following Executive’s Date of Termination; and

 

  (iii)

18 consecutive monthly cash payments (commencing with the first month following Executive’s Date of Termination and continuing until the eighteenth month following Executive’s Date of Termination) in an amount that would be necessary to provide Executive and his dependents, if any, the same level of coverage under the Bank’s (or successors) group health plan for such 18 month period (regardless of whether Executive actually elects such COBRA coverage) as was in effect for Executive and his dependents, if any, immediately prior to Executive’s termination of employment.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the payments and benefits provided in this Section 5(b) will be payable to Executive in lieu of any payments or benefits that are payable under Section 4(e).

 

6.

COVENANTS OF EXECUTIVE.

(a)     Non-Solicitation/Non-Compete. Executive hereby covenants and agrees that during the “Restricted Period,” Executive shall not, without the written consent of the Bank, either directly or indirectly:

 

  (i)

solicit, offer employment to, or take any other action intended (or that a reasonable person acting in like circumstances would expect) to have the effect of causing any officer or employee of the Bank, or any of its respective subsidiaries or affiliates, to terminate his or her employment with the Bank and/or accept employment with another employer; or

 

8


  (ii)

become an officer, employee, consultant, director, trustee, independent contractor, agent, joint venturer, partner or trustee of any savings bank, savings and loan association, savings and loan holding company, credit union, bank or bank holding company, insurance company or agency, any mortgage or loan broker or any other entity that competes with the business of the Bank or any of their direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates that: (A) has a headquarters within 30 miles of the Bank’s headquarters (the “Restricted Territory”), or (B) has one or more offices, but is not headquartered, within the Restricted Territory, but in the latter case, only if Executive would be employed, conduct business or have other responsibilities or duties within the Restricted Territory; or

 

  (iii)

solicit, provide any information, advice or recommendation or take any other action intended (or that a reasonable person acting in like circumstances would expect) to have the effect of causing any customer of the Bank to terminate an existing business or commercial relationship with the Bank.

The restrictions contained in this Section 6(a) shall not apply in the event of Executive’s termination of employment on or after the effective time of a Change in Control.

For purposes of this Section 6(a), the “Restricted Period” will be: (i) at all times during Executive’s period of employment with the Bank; and (ii) except as provided above, during the period beginning on Executive’s Date of Termination and ending on the one-year anniversary of the Date of Termination.

(b)    Confidentiality. Executive recognizes and acknowledges that Executive has been and will be the recipient of confidential and proprietary business information concerning the Bank, including without limitation, past, present, planned or considered business activities of the Bank, and Executive acknowledges and agrees that Executive will not, during or after the term of Executive’s employment, disclose such confidential and proprietary information for any purposes whatsoever, except as may be expressly permitted in writing signed by the Bank, or as may be required by regulatory inquiry, law or court order.

(c)    Information/Cooperation. Executive will, upon reasonable notice, furnish such information and assistance to the Bank as may be reasonably required by the Bank, in connection with any litigation in which it or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates is, or may become, a party; provided, however, that Executive shall not be required to provide information or assistance with respect to any litigation between Executive and the Bank or any other subsidiaries or affiliates.

(d)    Reliance. Except as otherwise provided, all payments and benefits to Executive under this Agreement will be subject to Executive’s compliance with this Section 6, to the extent applicable. The parties hereto, recognizing that irreparable injury will result to the Bank, its business and property in the event of Executive’s breach of this Section 6, agree that, in the event of any such breach by Executive, the Bank will be entitled, in addition to any other remedies and damages available, to an injunction to restrain the violation hereof by Executive and all persons acting for or with Executive. Executive represents and admits that Executive’s experience and

 

9


capabilities are such that Executive can obtain employment in a business engaged in other lines of business than the Bank, and that the enforcement of a remedy by way of injunction will not prevent Executive from earning a livelihood. Nothing herein will be construed as prohibiting the Bank from pursuing any other remedies available to them for such breach or threatened breach, including the recovery of damages from Executive.

 

7.

SOURCE OF PAYMENTS.

All payments provided in this Agreement shall be timely paid by check or direct deposit from the general funds of the Bank (or any successor of the Bank).

 

8.

EFFECT ON PRIOR AGREEMENTS AND EXISTING BENEFITS PLANS.

This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior employment agreement between the Bank or any predecessor of the Bank and Executive, except that this Agreement shall not affect or operate to reduce any benefit or compensation inuring to Executive under another plan, program or agreement (other than an employment agreement) between the Bank and Executive.

 

9.

NO ATTACHMENT; BINDING ON SUCCESSORS.

(a)    Except as required by law, no right to receive payments under this Agreement shall be subject to anticipation, commutation, alienation, sale, assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge, or hypothecation, or to execution, attachment, levy, or similar process or assignment by operation of law, and any attempt, voluntary or involuntary, to affect any such action shall be null, void, and of no effect.

(b)     The Bank shall require any successor or assignee, whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, to all or substantially all the business or assets of the Bank, expressly and unconditionally to assume and agree to perform the Bank’s obligations under this Agreement, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Bank would be required to perform if no such succession or assignment had taken place. A successor’s failure to assent to this Agreement following a Change in Control shall be deemed to be a material breach of this Agreement under Section 4(e) hereof.

 

10.

MODIFICATION AND WAIVER.

(a)    This Agreement may not be modified or amended except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.

(b)    No term or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been waived, nor shall there be any estoppel against the enforcement of any provision of this Agreement, except by written instrument of the party charged with such waiver or estoppel. No such written waiver shall be deemed a continuing waiver unless specifically stated therein, and each such waiver shall operate only as to the specific term or condition waived and shall not constitute a waiver of such term or condition for the future as to any act other than that specifically waived.

 

10


11.

CERTAIN APPLICABLE LAW.

Notwithstanding anything herein contained to the contrary, the following provisions shall apply:

(a)    The Bank may terminate Executive’s employment at any time, but any termination by the Bank other than termination for Cause shall not prejudice Executive’s right to compensation or other benefits under this Agreement. Executive shall have no right to receive compensation or other benefits under this Agreement for any period after Executive’s termination for Cause, other than the Accrued Obligations.

(b)    In no event shall the Bank (nor any affiliate) be obligated to make any payment pursuant to this Agreement that is prohibited by Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (codified at 12 U.S.C. sec. 1828(k)), 12 C.F.R. Part 359, or any other applicable law.

(c)    Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that a payment or benefit described in this Agreement constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code, and to the extent that such payment or benefit is payable upon Executive’s termination of employment, then such payments or benefits will be payable only upon Executive’s “Separation from Service.” For purposes of this Agreement, a “Separation from Service” will have occurred if the Bank and Executive reasonably anticipate that either no further services will be performed by Executive after the Date of Termination (whether as an employee or as an independent contractor) or the level of further services performed is less than 50 percent of the average level of bona fide services in the 36 months immediately preceding the termination. For all purposes hereunder, the definition of Separation from Service shall be interpreted consistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(ii).

(d)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Executive is a “Specified Employee” (i.e., a “key employee” of a publicly traded company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the final regulations issued thereunder) and any payment under this Agreement is triggered due to Executive’s Separation from Service, then solely to the extent necessary to avoid penalties under Section 409A of the Code, no payment shall be made during the first six (6) months following Executive’s Separation from Service. Rather, any payment which would otherwise be paid to Executive during such period shall be accumulated and paid to Executive in a lump sum on the first day of the seventh month following such Separation from Service. All subsequent payments shall be paid in the manner specified in this Agreement.

(e)    To the extent not specifically provided in this Agreement, any compensation or reimbursements payable to Executive shall be paid or provided no later than two and one-half (2.5) months after the calendar year in which such compensation is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(d).

(f)    Each payment pursuant to this Agreement is intended to constitute a separate payment for purposes Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2).

(g)    Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Executive understands that nothing contained in this Agreement limits Executive’s ability to file a charge or complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal, state or local

 

11


governmental agency or commission (“Government Agencies”) about a possible securities law violation without approval of the Bank (or any affiliate). Executive further understands that this Agreement does not limit Executive’s ability to communicate with any Government Agency or otherwise participate in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any Government Agency, including providing documents or other information, without notice to the Bank (or any affiliate) related to the possible securities law violation. This Agreement does not limit Executive’s right to receive any resulting monetary award for information provided to any Government Agency.

 

12.

SEVERABILITY.

If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be void or unenforceable, then the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect.

 

13.

GOVERNING LAW.

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, but only to the extent not superseded by federal law.

 

14.

ARBITRATION.

Any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be settled exclusively by arbitration, conducted by a single arbitrator selected by the Bank (or in the case of arbitration following a Change in Control, selected by Executive) within 50 miles of Teaneck, New Jersey, in accordance with the Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators’ award in any court having jurisdiction. The above notwithstanding, the Bank may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction in New Jersey to restrain any breach or threatened breach of any provision of this Agreement, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that may otherwise be available to the Bank.

 

15.

PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES

To the extent that such payment(s) may be made without triggering a penalty under Code Section 409A, all reasonable legal fees paid or incurred by Executive pursuant to any dispute or question of interpretation relating to this Agreement shall be paid or reimbursed by the Bank, provided that the dispute or interpretation has been resolved in Executive’s favor, and such reimbursement shall occur no later than 60 days after the end of the year in which the dispute is settled or resolved in Executive’s favor.

 

16.

INDEMNIFICATION.

The Bank will provide Executive (including Executive’s heirs, executors and administrators) with coverage under a standard directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy at its expense, and will indemnify Executive (and Executive’s heirs, executors and administrators) in accordance with the charter and bylaws of the Bank and to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law against all expenses and liabilities reasonably incurred by Executive in connection with or arising out of any action, suit or proceeding in which Executive may be involved by reason of having been a trustee, director or officer of the Bank or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Bank.

 

12


17.

TAX WITHHOLDING.

The Bank may withhold from any amounts payable to Executive hereunder all federal, state, local or other taxes that the Bank may reasonably determine are required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation (it being understood that Executive is responsible for payment of all taxes in respect of the payments and benefits provided herein).

 

18.

NOTICE.

For the purposes of this Agreement, notices and all other communications provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered or mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the respective addresses set forth below or if sent by facsimile or email, on the date it is actually received.

 

To the Bank:           

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

Attention: Corporate Secretary

To Executive:    Most recent address on file with the Bank

[Signature Page Follows]

 

13


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

By signing below, the Bank and Executive acknowledge and agree that: (1) this Agreement shall supersede and replace the Executive Employment Agreement between the Bank and Executive dated December 31, 2008 (the “Prior Agreement”) as of the Effective Date; and (2) the Prior Agreement shall be terminated as of the Effective Date.

 

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK
By:    
Name:  
Title:  
EXECUTIVE

 

Joseph Coccaro

 

14

Exhibit 10.2

CHANGE IN CONTROL AGREEMENT

This Change in Control Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made effective as of the      day of                      2019 (the “Effective Date”), by and between Bogota Savings Bank, a New Jersey-chartered stock savings bank (the “Bank”) and                          (“Executive”). Any reference to the “Company” shall mean Bogota Financial Corp., the newly-formed stock holding company of the Bank, or any successor thereto.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Executive is currently employed as an executive officer of the Bank;

WHEREAS, the Bank desires to assure itself of Executive’s continued active participation in the business of the Bank; and

WHEREAS, in order to induce Executive to remain in the employ of the Bank and in consideration of Executive’s agreeing to remain in the employ of the Bank, the parties desire to specify the severance benefits which shall be due Executive in the event that his employment with the Bank is terminated under specified circumstances.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, and upon the other terms and conditions hereinafter provided, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

1.

TERM OF AGREEMENT.

(a)    Three Year Contract; Annual Renewal. The term of this Agreement will begin as of the Effective Date and will continue through December 31, 2021 (the “Term”). Commencing on January 1, 2020 and continuing on each January 1st thereafter (each, a “Renewal Date”), the Term will extend automatically for one additional year, so that the Term will be three (3) years from such Renewal Date, unless either the Bank or Executive by written notice to the other given at least 60 days prior to such Renewal Date notifies the other of its intent not to extend the same. In the event that notice not to extend is given by either the Bank or Executive, this Agreement will terminate as of the last day of the then current Term. For avoidance of doubt, any extension to the Term will become the “Term” for purposes of this Agreement.

At least 30 days prior to the Renewal Date, the disinterested members of the Board of Directors of the Bank (the “Board”) will conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation and review of Executive for purposes of determining whether to take action regarding non-renewal of the Agreement, and the results thereof will be included in the minutes of the Board’s meeting. It is expected that the non-renewal should be communicated in writing to Executive no later than the Renewal Date, provided that a failure to communicate such non-renewal in writing shall not negate the fact of non-renewal.

(b)    Change in Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Bank or the Company has entered into an agreement to effect a transaction that would be considered a Change in Control as defined under Section 2(b) hereof, the Term of this Agreement will be extended automatically so that it is scheduled to expire no less than two (2) years beyond the effective date of the Change in Control, subject to extensions as set forth above.


2.

DEFINITIONS.

(a)    Base Salary. Executive’s “Base Salary” for purposes of this Agreement shall mean the annual rate of base salary paid to Executive by the Bank.

(b)    Change in Control. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Change in Control” means: (i) a change in the ownership of the Corporation; (ii) a change in the effective control of the Corporation; or (iii) a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Corporation as defined in accordance with Code Section 409A. For purposes of this Section 2(b), the term “Corporation” is defined to include the Bank, the Company or any of their successors, as applicable.

 

  (i)

A change in the ownership of a Corporation occurs on the date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as defined in Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B)), acquires ownership of stock of the Corporation that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50 percent of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of such Corporation.

 

  (ii)

A change in the effective control of the Corporation occurs on the date that either (A) any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as defined in Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vi)(D)) acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) ownership of stock of the Corporation possessing 30 percent or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Corporation, or (B) a majority of the members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election, provided that this subsection “(B)” is inapplicable where a majority stockholder of the Corporation is another corporation.

 

  (iii)

A change in a substantial portion of the Corporation’s assets occurs on the date that any one person or more than one person acting as a group (as defined in Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vii)(C)) acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the Corporation that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 40 percent of the total gross fair market value of (A) all of the assets of the Corporation, or (B) the value of the assets being disposed of, either of which is determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets. For all purposes hereunder, the definition of Change in Control shall be construed to be consistent with the requirements of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(i)(5), except to the extent that such regulations are superseded by subsequent guidance.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, a Change in Control will not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Agreement in connection with the Bank’s mutual holding company reorganization and/or minority stock offering of the Company. Similarly, a Change in

 

2


Control for purposes of this Agreement will not be deemed to have occurred in the event of a second-step conversion of the Bank’s mutual holding company from mutual-to-stock form and/or contemporaneous stock offering of a newly-formed stock holding company.

(c)    Code. “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(d)    Good Reason. “Good Reason” shall mean a termination by Executive following a Change in Control if, without Executive’s express written consent, any of the following occurs:

 

  (i)

a material reduction in Executive’s Base Salary;

 

  (ii)

a material reduction in Executive’s authority, duties or responsibilities from the position and attributes associated with Executive’s executive position with the Bank in effect as of the Effective Date or any successor executive position, as mutually agreed to by the Bank and Executive;

 

  (iii)

Executive is required to be based at any office or location resulting in an increase in Executive’s commute of 25 miles or more; or

 

  (iv)

a material breach of this Agreement by the Bank;

provided, however, that prior to any termination of employment for Good Reason, Executive must first provide written notice to the Bank (or its successor) within 90) days following the initial existence of the condition, describing the existence of such condition, and the Bank shall thereafter have the right to remedy the condition within 30 days of the date the Bank received the written notice from Executive. If the Bank remedies the condition within such 30 day cure period, then no Good Reason shall be deemed to exist with respect to such condition. If the Bank does not remedy the condition within such 30-day cure period, then Executive may deliver a Notice of Termination for Good Reason at any time within 60 days following the expiration of such cure period.

(e)    Termination for Cause shall mean termination because of, in the good faith determination of the Board, Executive’s:

(i)    material act of dishonesty or fraud in performing Executive’s duties on behalf of the Bank;

(ii)    willful misconduct that in the judgment of the Board will likely cause economic damage to the Bank or injury to the business reputation of the Bank;

(iii)    breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit;

(iv)    intentional failure to perform stated duties under this Agreement after written notice thereof from the Board and Executive’s failure to take corrective or curative action within two (2) weeks thereafter;

(v)    willful violation of any law, rule or regulation (other than traffic violations or similar offenses which results only in a fine or other non-custodial penalty) that reflect adversely on the reputation of the Bank, any felony conviction, any violation of law

 

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involving moral turpitude, or any violation of a final cease-and-desist order; or any violation of the policies and procedures of the Bank as outlined in the Bank’s employee handbook, which would result in termination of the Bank employees, as from time to time amended and incorporated herein by reference; or

(vi)    material breach by Executive of any provision of this Agreement.

 

3.

BENEFITS UPON TERMINATION.

Upon the termination of Executive’s employment by the Bank (or any successor) without Cause or by Executive with Good Reason during the Term on or after the effective time of a Change in Control, the Bank (or any successor) will pay or provide Executive, or Executive’s estate in the event of Executive’s subsequent death, with the following:

(i)    a gross cash payment (the “Change in Control Severance”) equal to two (2) times the sum of Executive’s: (A) Base Salary (or Executive’s Base Salary in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control, if higher); and (B) the average annual cash bonus earned by Executive for the three (3) most recently completed annual performance periods prior to the Change Control. The Change in Control Severance shall be payable in equal bi-weekly installments in accordance with the payroll practices of the Bank (or any successor) for a period of two years, commencing within 30 days following Executive’s Date of Termination; and

(ii)    12 consecutive monthly cash payments (commencing with the first month following Executive’s Date of Termination and continuing until the twelfth month following Executive’s Date of Termination) in an amount that would be necessary to provide for Executive and his dependents, if any, the same level of coverage under the Bank’s (or successor’s) group health plan under the applicable provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”) for such 12 month period (regardless of whether Executive actually elects continued health care coverage under COBRA) as was in effect for Executive, and his dependents, if any, immediately prior to Executive’s Date of Termination.

 

4.

NOTICE OF TERMINATION.

Any purported termination by the Bank or by Executive in connection with or following a Change in Control shall be communicated by Notice of Termination to the other party hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” shall mean a written notice which shall indicate the Date of Termination and, in the event of termination by Executive, the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon and shall set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated. “Date of Termination” shall mean the date specified in the Notice of Termination (which, in the case of a termination for Cause, shall be immediate). In no event shall the Date of Termination exceed 30 days from the date the Notice of Termination is given.

 

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5.

SOURCE OF PAYMENTS.

All payments provided in this Agreement shall be timely paid in cash or check from the general funds of the Bank (or any successor of the Bank).

 

6.

NO ATTACHMENT.

Except as required by law, no right to receive payments under this Agreement shall be subject to anticipation, commutation, alienation, sale, assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge, or hypothecation, or to execution, attachment, levy, or similar process or assignment by operation of law, and any attempt, voluntary or involuntary, to effect any such action shall be null, void, and of no effect.

 

7.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT; MODIFICATION AND WAIVER.

(a)    This Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior employment agreement between the Bank or any predecessor of the Bank and Executive, except that this Agreement shall not affect or operate to reduce any benefit or compensation inuring to Executive under another plan, program or agreement (other than an employment agreement) between the Bank and Executive.

(b)    This Agreement may not be modified or amended except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.

(c)    No term or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been waived, nor shall there be any estoppel against the enforcement of any provision of this Agreement, except by written instrument of the party charged with such waiver or estoppel. No such written waiver shall be deemed a continuing waiver unless specifically stated therein, and each such waiver shall operate only as to the specific term or condition waived and shall not constitute a waiver of such term or condition for the future or as to any act other than that specifically waived.

 

8.

SEVERABILITY.

If, for any reason, any provision of this Agreement, or any part of any provision, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement or any part of such provision not held so invalid, and each such other provision and part thereof shall to the full extent consistent with law continue in full force and effect.

 

9.

GOVERNING LAW.

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey but only to the extent not superseded by federal law.

 

10.

ARBITRATION.

Any dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be settled exclusively by arbitration, conducted by a single arbitrator selected by the Bank (or in the case of arbitration following a Change in Control selected by Executive) within 50 miles of Teaneck, New Jersey, in accordance with the Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators’ award in any court

 

5


having jurisdiction. The above notwithstanding, the Bank may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction in New Jersey to restrain any breach or threatened breach of any provision of this Agreement, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that may otherwise be available to the Bank.

 

11.

PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES.

To the extent that such payment(s) may be made without triggering penalty under Code Section 409A, all reasonable legal fees paid or incurred by Executive pursuant to any dispute or question of interpretation relating to this Agreement shall be paid or reimbursed by the Bank, provided that the dispute or interpretation has been resolved in Executive’s favor, and such reimbursement shall occur no later than 60 days after the end of the year in which the dispute is settled or resolved in Executive’s favor.

 

12.

OBLIGATIONS OF BANK.

The termination of Executive’s employment, other than following a Change in Control, shall not result in any obligation of the Bank under this Agreement.

 

13.

SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.

The Bank shall require any successor or assignee, whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, to all or substantially all the business or assets of the Bank, expressly and unconditionally to assume and agree to perform the Bank’s obligations under this Agreement, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Bank would be required to perform if no such succession or assignment had taken place. A successor’s failure to assent to this Agreement following a Change in Control shall be deemed to be a material breach of this Agreement under Section 2(d)(iv) hereof.

 

14.

CERTAIN APPLICABLE LAW.

(a)    The Bank may terminate Executive’s employment at any time, but any termination by the Bank other than termination for Cause following a Change in Control shall not prejudice Executive’s right to compensation or other benefits under this Agreement. Executive shall have no right to receive compensation or other benefits under this Agreement for any period after Executive’s termination for Cause.

(b)    In no event shall the Bank (nor any affiliate) be obligated to make any payment pursuant to this Agreement that is prohibited by Section 18(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (codified at 12 U.S.C. sec. 1828(k)), 12 C.F.R. Part 359, or any other applicable law.

(c)    Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that a payment or benefit described in this Agreement constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code, and to the extent that such payment or benefit is payable upon Executive’s termination of employment, then such payments or benefits will be payable only upon Executive’s “Separation from Service.” For purposes of this Agreement, a “Separation from Service” will have occurred if the Bank and Executive reasonably anticipate that either no further services will be performed by Executive after the Date of Termination (whether as an employee or as an independent contractor) or the level of further services performed is less than 50 percent of the average level of bona fide services in the 36 months immediately preceding the termination. For all purposes hereunder, the definition of Separation from Service shall be interpreted consistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(ii).

 

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(d)    If Executive is a “Specified Employee” (i.e., a “key employee” of a publicly traded company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the final regulations issued thereunder) and any payment under this Agreement is triggered due to Executive’s Separation from Service, then solely to the extent necessary to avoid penalties under Section 409A of the Code, no payment shall be made during the first six (6) months following Executive’s Separation from Service. Rather, any payment which would otherwise be paid to Executive during such period shall be accumulated and paid to Executive in a lump sum on the first day of the seventh month following such Separation from Service. All subsequent payments shall be paid in the manner specified in this Agreement.

(e)    Each payment pursuant to this Agreement is intended to constitute a separate payment for purposes Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2).

 

15.

TAX WITHHOLDING.

The Bank may withhold from any amounts payable to Executive hereunder all federal, state, local or other taxes that the Bank may reasonably determine are required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation (it being understood that Executive is responsible for payment of all taxes in respect of the payments and benefits provided herein).

 

16.

NOTICE.

For the purposes of this Agreement, notices and all other communications provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered or mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the respective addresses set forth below or if sent by facsimile or email, on the date it is actually received.

 

To the Bank:           

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

Attention: Corporate Secretary

To Executive:    Most recent address on file with the Bank

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Bank has caused this Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized officer, and Executive has signed this Agreement, as of the date first written above.

By signing below, the Bank and Executive acknowledge and agree that: (1) this Agreement shall supersede and replace the Change in Control Agreement between the Bank and Executive dated                      (the “Prior Agreement”) as of the Effective Date; and (2) the Prior Agreement shall be terminated as of the Effective Date.

 

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK
By:    
Name:  
Title:  
EXECUTIVE

 

 

8

Exhibit 10.3

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

AMENDED AND RESTATED

DIRECTOR RETIREMENT PLAN

Bogota, New Jersey

Originally Effective July 1, 2005

Amendment and Restatement Effective January 1, 2014

(incorporating Amendments One and Two)


AMENDED AND RESTATED DIRECTOR RETIREMENT PLAN

This Amended and Restated Director Retirement Plan (the “Plan”), initially effective as of the 1st day of July, 2005, and as amended and restated, effective as of the 1st day of January, 2014, subject to the approval of the Division of Banking of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, formalizes the understanding by and between Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”), a New Jersey chartered mutual savings bank, and its non-employee directors, hereinafter referred to as “Director(s)”, who shall be eligible to participate in this Plan by execution of a Director Retirement Plan Joinder Agreement (“Joinder Agreement”) in a form provided by the Bank.

W I T N E S S E T H :

WHEREAS, the Directors serve the Bank as members of the Board of Directors (“Board”); and

WHEREAS, the Bank previously adopted a Directors Retirement Plan for Directors who have provided long and faithful service to the Bank and to ensure the continued service on the Board by such Directors until retirement age; and

WHEREAS, the Directors Retirement Plan was approved by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance; and

WHEREAS, the Bank and the Directors wish to amend and restated the Directors Retirement Plan at this time in order to increase the level of retirement benefits provided thereunder and to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Bank shall pay such additional compensation to the Directors after retirement or other Separation from Service and/or death benefits to their beneficiaries after death; and

WHEREAS, this Plan shall be an unfunded arrangement, maintained primarily to provide supplemental retirement income for such Directors; and

WHEREAS, the Bank has adopted this Amended and Restated Director Retirement Plan, subject to the further approval of the Division of Banking of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, which controls all issues relating to Retirement Benefits as described herein; and

 

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WHEREAS, Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”) requires that certain types of deferred compensation arrangements comply with its terms or be subject to current taxes and penalties.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual promises herein contained, the Bank and the Directors agree as follows:

SECTION I

DEFINITIONS

When used herein, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings below unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

 

1.1

Act” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

 

1.2

Administrator” means the Board of Directors of the Bank.

 

1.3

Average Annual Retainer” means the average annual retainer paid to Directors of the Bank for the three calendar years (not necessarily consecutive) during which the Director received the highest annual retainer.

 

1.4

Bank” means Bogota Savings Bank and any successor thereto.

 

1.5

Beneficiary” means the person or persons (and their heirs) designated as Beneficiary in the Director’s Joinder Agreement to whom the deceased Director’s benefits are payable. If no Beneficiary is so designated, then the Director’s Spouse, if living, will be deemed the Beneficiary. If the Director’s Spouse is not living, then the Children of the Director will be deemed the Beneficiaries and will take on a per stirpes basis. If there are no living Children, then the Estate of the Director will be deemed the Beneficiary.

 

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1.6

Benefit Age” shall mean the later of age 65 or the date that is ten (10) years after commencement of service on the Board of Directors; but no later than age 75, the age for mandatory retirement from the Board.

 

1.7

Benefit Eligibility Date” shall be the date on which a Director is entitled to receive a benefit under the Plan. Unless otherwise set forth in another Section of this Plan, a Director’s “Benefit Eligibility Date” shall occur on the 1st day of the month coincident with or next following (i) the month in which the Director retires following attainment of his Benefit Age; (ii) the first day of the month coincident to or next following attainment of Benefit Age, if Separation from Service occurs due to voluntary or involuntary Separation from Service prior to Benefit Age (other than due to death or Disability or within two (2) years following a Change in Control); (iii) the month in which a Disability determination is made; (iv) the month in which the Director dies; or (v) the month in which the Director has a Separation from Service (either voluntarily or involuntarily) within two (2) years of a Change in Control. For purposes of this Plan, the Director’s Benefit Eligibility Date shall not be deemed to have occurred until the Director’s Separation from Service.

 

1.8

Board” means the Board of Directors of the Bank.

 

1.9

Cause” means (i) a material violation by a Director of any applicable material law or regulation respecting the business of the Bank; (ii) a Director being found guilty of a felony or an act of dishonesty in connection with the performance of such Director’s duties as a director of the Bank, or which disqualifies Director from serving as a director of the Bank; (iii) Director is removed or suspended from banking pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended (the “FDIA”), or any other applicable state or federal law or (iv) Director’s willful or negligent failure to perform his duties hereunder in any material respect. Director shall be entitled to at least thirty (30) days prior written notice of the Bank’s intention to terminate Director’s service for Cause, specifying the grounds for such termination, a reasonable opportunity to cure any conduct or act, if curable, alleged as grounds for such termination, and a reasonable opportunity to present to the Board the Director’s position regarding any dispute relating to the existence of such Cause.

 

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1.10

Change in Control” shall mean (i) a change in ownership of the Bank under paragraph (a) below, or (ii) a change in effective control of the Bank under paragraph (b) below, or (iii) a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Bank under paragraph (c) below:

 

  (a)

Change in the ownership of the Bank. A change in the ownership of the Bank shall occur on the date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as defined in paragraph (b)), acquires ownership of stock of the corporation that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50 percent of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of such corporation. However, if any one person or more than one person acting as a group, is considered to own more than 50 percent of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of a corporation, the acquisition of additional stock by the same person or persons is not considered to cause a change in the ownership of the corporation (or to cause a change in the effective control of the corporation (within the meaning of paragraph (b) below). An increase in the percentage of stock owned by any one person, or persons acting as a group, as a result of a transaction in which the corporation acquires its stock in exchange for property will be treated as an acquisition of stock for purposes of this Section. This paragraph (a) applies only when there is a transfer of stock of a corporation (or issuance of stock of a corporation) and stock in such corporation remains outstanding after the transaction.

 

  (b)

Change in the effective control of the Bank. A change in the effective control of the Bank shall occur on the date that either (i) any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as determined below), acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) ownership of stock of the corporation possessing 30 percent or more of the total voting power of the stock of such corporation; or (ii) a majority

 

5


  of members of the corporation’s board of directors is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the corporation’s board of directors prior to the date of the appointment or election, provided that for purposes of this paragraph (b)(ii), the term corporation refers solely to a corporation for which no other corporation is a majority shareholder. In the absence of an event described in paragraph (i) or (ii), a change in the effective control of a corporation will not have occurred. If any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, is considered to effectively control a corporation (within the meaning of this paragraph (b)), the acquisition of additional control of the corporation by the same person or persons is not considered to cause a change in the effective control of the corporation (or to cause a change in the ownership of the corporation within the meaning of paragraph (a)). Persons will not be considered to be acting as a group solely because they purchase or own stock of the same corporation at the same time, or as a result of the same public offering.

 

  (c)

Change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Bank’s assets. A change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Bank’s assets shall occur on the date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (as determined below), acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the corporation that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 40% of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the corporation immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions. For this purpose, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the corporation, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets. There is no Change in Control event under this paragraph (c) when there is a transfer to an entity that is controlled by the shareholders of the transferring corporation immediately after the transfer.

 

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  (d)

Each of the sub-paragraphs (a) through (c) above shall be construed and interpreted consistent with the requirements of Code Section 409A and any Treasury regulations or other guidance issued thereunder.

 

  (e)

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the reorganization of the Bank as the wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company in a standard conversion or mutual holding company reorganization shall not be deemed to be a Change in Control.

 

1.11

Children” means the Director’s children, or the issue of any deceased Children, then living at the time payments are due the Children under this Plan. The term “Children” shall include both natural and adopted Children.

 

1.12

Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

1.13

Disability” means any case in which a Director: (i) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months; (ii) is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three months under an accident and health plan covering employees or non-employee directors of the Bank; or (iii) is determined to be disabled by the Social Security Administration.

 

1.14

Disability Benefit” means the monthly benefit payable to the Director following a determination of the Director’s Disability.

 

1.15

Effective Date” of this Plan was, originally, July 1, 2005. The Effective Date of this Amendment and Restatement is January 1, 2014, subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Division of Banking.

 

1.16

Estate” means the estate of the Director.

 

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1.17

Interest Factor” means six percent (6%) or such other percentage as determined from time to time by the Board by a written resolution. The Interest Factor shall be applied for purposes of compounding or discounting, as applicable, on a monthly basis, the accruals under FAS 87 toward the Retirement Benefit and shall be based on reasonable assumptions. For purposes of determining the Interest Factor to be applied to a lump sum distribution under Sections 3.4 or 10.2(c) hereof, the Interest Factor shall be determined using the applicable Federal rate as set forth in Code Section 1274(d) for the month in which the benefit shall be paid.

 

1.18

Joinder Agreement” means the agreement entered into by a Director on initial participation in the Plan. It is intended that the Joinder Agreement shall be consistent with the Plan in all respects, however, in the event of an inconsistency between the Joinder Agreement and the Plan, the Plan shall control.

 

1.19

Payout Period” means the time frame during which certain benefits payable hereunder shall be distributed. Payments shall be made in equal monthly installments commencing within thirty (30) days following the occurrence of the event which triggers distribution.

 

  (a)

If the Director has a Separation from Service on the Board on or after attainment of his Benefit Age, the Payout Period shall be a period of One Hundred Twenty (120) consecutive months.

 

  (b)

If the Director has a Separation from Service on the Board prior to attainment of his Benefit Age, including due to Disability, the Payout Period shall be the same number of months as the Director served on the Board, up to One Hundred Twenty (120) Months. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change in Control and Separation from Service prior to Benefit Age, the Payout Period shall be as set forth in Section 3.4(b) or 3.4(c) hereof.

 

  (c)

For purposes of the Survivor’s Benefits payable hereunder, the Payout Period shall be One Hundred Twenty (120) consecutive months.

 

1.20

Plan Year” shall mean the calendar year.

 

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1.21

Retirement Benefit” means an annual amount payable to the Director who retires from or otherwise has a Separation from Service with the Board (other than for Cause). The annual Retirement Benefit shall be 100% of the Directors Average Annual Retainer paid for the thirty-six (36) month period prior to the Director’s Separation from Service from the Board. The Retirement Benefit shall be paid over the Payout Period.

 

1.22

Separation from Service” or “Separate from Service” shall mean, consistent with Code Section 409A(2)(a)(i), the Director’s death, Disability, retirement or Separation from Service (involuntary or voluntary) from the Board following a resignation from the Board or failure to be reappointed or reelected to the Board. For these purposes, a Director shall not be deemed to have a “Separation from Service” if the Director serves on the Board of the Bank or any member of a controlled group of corporations with the Bank within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(a)(3).

 

1.23

Spouse” means the individual to whom the Director is legally married at the time of the Director’s death.

 

1.24

Survivor’s Benefit” means an annual amount payable to the Beneficiary in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period, and subject to Section 3.2.

 

1.25

Treasury Regulations” means the regulations promulgated under the Code.

SECTION II

ESTABLISHMENT OF RABBI TRUST

The Bank may establish a rabbi trust into which the Bank may contribute assets which shall be held therein, subject to the claims of the Bank’s creditors in the event of the Bank’s “Insolvency” as defined in the plan which establishes such rabbi trust, until the contributed assets are paid to the Directors and their Beneficiaries in such manner and at such times as specified in this Plan. It is the intention of the Bank to make contributions to the rabbi trust to provide the Bank with a source of funds to assist it in meeting the liabilities of this Plan. The rabbi trust and any assets held therein shall conform to the terms of the rabbi trust agreement which may be established in conjunction with this Plan. To the extent the language in this Plan is modified by the language in the rabbi trust agreement, the rabbi trust agreement shall supersede this Plan. Any contributions to the rabbi trust shall be made during each Plan Year in accordance with the rabbi trust agreement.

 

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SECTION III

BENEFITS

 

3.1

Retirement Benefit. A Director who remains in the service of the Board until attainment of his Benefit Age shall be entitled to the Retirement Benefit. Such Retirement Benefit shall commence on the Benefit Eligibility Date, and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period. In the event a Director dies after commencement of the Retirement Benefit payments but before completion of all such payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank shall pay to the Director’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period.

 

3.2

Death During Service on the Board. If the Director dies while in the service of the Bank, the Director’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to the Survivor’s Benefit. The Survivor’s Benefit shall commence on the Benefit Eligibility Date and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period. The Survivor’s Benefit shall be equal to the full Retirement Benefit, calculated as if the Director had survived and remained in the service of the Bank until reaching his Benefit Age.

 

3.3

Voluntary or Involuntary Termination Prior to Benefit Age.

If the Director’s service with the Bank is voluntarily or involuntarily terminated prior to the attainment of his Benefit Age, for any reason other than for Cause, the Director’s death, Disability, or following a Change in Control, the Director (or his Beneficiary) shall be entitled to the monthly Retirement Benefit throughout the Payout Period commencing at the Director’s Benefit Age set forth in his or her Joinder Agreement. In the event the Director dies at any time after commencement of payments hereunder, but prior to completion of all such payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank shall pay to the Director’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period. In the event the Director dies after Separation from Service but before

 

10


commencement of payments hereunder, the Director’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to the Retirement Benefit that would have been payable to the Director at his or her Benefit Age, payable over the applicable Payout Period determined under Section 1.19(b) hereof, commencing on the first day of the month following the month in which the Director dies. All payments made under this Section 3.3 shall only be made if the Director’s termination from the Board constitutes a Separation from Service.

 

3.4

Separation from Service Related to a Change in Control.

 

  (a)

If a Change in Control occurs at the Bank, and thereafter the Director’s service on the Board is terminated (either voluntarily or involuntarily) within three (3) years following such Change in Control, other than due to termination for Cause, the Director shall be entitled to his Retirement Benefit as if the Director had ten (10) years of service at the Bank at time of termination.

 

  (b)

If the Director’s service on the Board is terminated on or before the second (2nd) anniversary date of the effective date of the Change in Control, such benefit shall commence within thirty (30) days following his Separation from Service, and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if necessary to comply with Code Section 409A, the Payout Period shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.19(b), however the amount paid each month shall be determined by determining the aggregate value of the monthly benefit payable over 120 months and dividing that into the number of months that the Director was a member of the Board of the Bank. Alternatively, if the Director has made an election in his Joinder Agreement, on or before December 31, 2008 (or if the Director was not a member of the Board as of December 31, 2008, the 30th day following the date on which the Director is initially eligible to participate in the Plan), to have the benefit paid in a lump sum if Separation from Service occurs on or before the second (2nd) anniversary date of the effective date of the Change in Control and Separation from Service does occur within such two year period, then the present value of his Retirement Benefit (discounted using the Interest Factor) shall be payable commencing within thirty (30) days of the Change in Control in the form of a single lump sum distribution.

 

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  (c)

If the Director’s service on the Board is terminated after the second anniversary date of the effective date of the Change in Control, such benefit shall commence at the Director’s Benefit Age, and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if necessary to comply with Code Section 409A, the Payout Period shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.19(b), however the amount paid each month shall be determined by determining the aggregate value of the monthly benefit payable over 120 months and dividing that into the number of months that the Director was a member of the Board of the Bank.

 

  (d)

In the event that the Director dies at any time after commencement of the payments, but prior to completion of all such payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank, or its successor, shall pay to the Director’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period.

 

  (b)

If, after such Separation from Service, the Director dies prior to commencement of the Retirement Benefit hereunder, the Director’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to the Survivor’s Benefit which shall commence on the Benefit Eligibility Date. The Survivor’s Benefit shall be payable in monthly installments over the Payout Period.

 

3.5

Termination for Cause. If the Director is terminated for Cause, all benefits under this Plan shall be forfeited and this Plan shall become null and void as to the Director.

 

3.6

Disability Benefit.

 

  (a)

Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, a Director who has not attained his Benefit Eligibility Date shall be entitled to receive the Disability Benefit hereunder, in any case in which it is determined that the Director has incurred a Disability. If the Director’s service is terminated pursuant to this paragraph, the Director’s Benefit Eligibility Date shall be the first day of the month following

 

12


  the month in which the Disability determination is made. The Director shall receive the Disability Benefit in lieu of any benefit available under Section 3.3. The Disability Benefit shall be payable in monthly installments over the Payout Period, determined in accordance with Section 1.19(b) hereof. In the event the Director dies while receiving payments pursuant to this Subsection, but prior to the completion of all payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank shall pay to the Director’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period.

 

  (b)

If the Director dies after it is determined that such Director has incurred a Disability but before the commencement of such payments, the Director’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to the Director’s Disability Benefit payable over the Payout Period set forth in Section 1.19(b) hereof. Such benefit shall be payable to the Beneficiary in monthly installments over the Payout Period commencing within thirty (30) days of the Director’s death.

 

3.7

Non-Competition During and After Service on the Board.

 

  (a)

In order to be eligible for the benefits hereunder the Director shall not actively engage, either directly or indirectly, in any business or other activity which is or may be deemed to be in any way competitive with or adverse to the best interests of the business of the Bank so long as he remains in the service of the Bank and for two (2) years following Separation from Service, unless the Director’s participation therein has been consented to, in writing, by the Board of Directors. In the event a Director violates this Section 3.7(a) within two (2) years of Separation from Service, any benefits being paid to the Director shall cease being paid unless or until the Director ceases violation of this Section 3.7(a) upon, and within thirty (30) days of, written notice from the Board to cease such activity, or the Director is the successful party in a claims or arbitration proceeding brought under Section 8.2 hereof.

 

  (b)

In order to receive or continue receiving benefits under this Plan, the Director shall not, without the prior written consent of the Bank, become associated with,

 

13


  in the capacity of an employee, director, officer, principal, agent, trustee or in any other capacity whatsoever, any enterprise conducted in the trading area of the business of the Bank which enterprise is, or may be deemed to be, competitive with any business carried on by the Bank either during service with the Bank or, as of the date of the termination of the Director’s service or his retirement, for a period of two (2) years following Separation from Service. In the event the Director violates this Section 3.7(b), any benefits being paid to the Director shall cease being paid unless or until the Director ceases violation of this Section 3.7(b) upon, and within thirty (30) days of, written notice from the Board to cease such activity or affiliation, or the Director is the successful party in a claims or arbitration proceeding brought under Section 8.2 hereof.

 

  (c)

In the event of a termination of the Director’s service related to a Change in Control pursuant to Section 3.4, paragraph (b) of this Section 3.7 shall cease to be a condition to the performance by the Bank of its obligations under this Plan.

 

3.8

Breach. In the event of any breach by the Director of the agreements and covenants contained herein, the Board of Directors of the Bank shall direct that any unpaid balance of any payments to the Director under this Plan be suspended, and shall thereupon notify the Director of such suspensions, in writing. Thereupon, if the Board of Directors of the Bank shall determine that said breach by the Director has continued for a period of one (1) month following notification of such suspension, all rights of the Director and his Beneficiaries under this Plan, including rights to further payments hereunder, shall thereupon terminate.

SECTION IV

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

The Director shall make an initial designation of primary and secondary Beneficiaries upon execution of his Joinder Agreement and shall have the right to change such designation, at any subsequent time, by submitting to the Administrator in substantially the form attached as Exhibit A to the Joinder Agreement, a written designation of primary and secondary Beneficiaries. Any Beneficiary designation made subsequent to execution of the Joinder Agreement shall become effective only when receipt thereof is acknowledged in writing by the Administrator.

 

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SECTION V

DIRECTOR’S RIGHT TO ASSETS

The rights of the Director, any Beneficiary, or any other person claiming through the Director under this Plan, shall be solely those of an unsecured general creditor of the Bank. The Director, the Beneficiary, or any other person claiming through the Director, shall only have the right to receive from the Bank those payments so specified under this Plan. The Director agrees that he, his Beneficiary, or any other person claiming through him shall have no rights or interests whatsoever in any asset of the Bank, including any insurance policies or contracts which the Bank may possess or obtain to informally fund this Plan. Any asset used or acquired by the Bank in connection with the liabilities it has assumed under this Plan, unless expressly provided herein, shall not be deemed to be held under any trust for the benefit of the Director or his Beneficiaries, nor shall any asset be considered security for the performance of the obligations of the Bank. Any such asset shall be and remain, a general, unpledged, and unrestricted asset of the Bank.

SECTION VI

RESTRICTIONS UPON FUNDING

The Bank shall have no obligation to set aside, earmark or entrust any fund or money with which to pay its obligations under this Plan. The Director, his Beneficiaries or any successor in interest to him shall be and remain simply a general unsecured creditor of the Bank in the same manner as any other creditor having a general claim for matured and unpaid compensation. The Bank reserves the absolute right in its sole discretion to either purchase assets to meet its obligations undertaken by this Plan or to refrain from the same and to determine the extent, nature, and method of such asset purchases. Should the Bank decide to purchase assets such as life insurance, mutual funds, disability policies or annuities, the Bank reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, to terminate such assets at any time, in whole or in part. At no time shall the Director be deemed to have any lien, right, title or interest in or to any specific investment or to any assets of the Bank. If the Bank elects to invest in a life

 

15


insurance, disability or annuity policy upon the life of the Director, then the Director shall assist the Bank by freely submitting to a physical examination and by supplying such additional information necessary to obtain such insurance or annuities.

SECTION VII

ALIENABILITY AND ASSIGNMENT PROHIBITION

Neither the Director nor any Beneficiary under this Plan shall have any power or right to transfer, assign, anticipate, hypothecate, mortgage, commute, modify or otherwise encumber in advance any of the benefits payable hereunder, nor shall any of said benefits be subject to seizure for the payment of any debts, judgments, alimony or separate maintenance owed by the Director or his Beneficiary, nor be transferable by operation of law in the event of bankruptcy, insolvency or otherwise. In the event the Director or any Beneficiary attempts assignment, communication, hypothecation, transfer or disposal of the benefits hereunder, the Bank’s liabilities shall forthwith cease and terminate.

SECTION VIII

ACT PROVISIONS

 

8.1

Named Fiduciary and Administrator. The Board of Directors of the Bank, as Administrator, shall be the “Named Fiduciary” of this Plan, as defined under the Act. As Administrator, the Board of Directors of the Bank shall be responsible for the management, control and administration of the Plan as established herein. The board of Directors may delegate the administration of the Plan to its executive committee or to a pension committee appointed by the Board. Any committee so delegated shall be entitled to employ advisors and delegate ministerial duties to qualified individuals.

 

8.2

Claims Procedure and Arbitration. In the event that benefits under this Plan are not paid to the Director (or to his Beneficiary in the case of the Director’s death) or the payment of benefits is curtailed for reasons set forth in Sections 3.7(a) or 3.7(b) and such claimant feels that he or she is entitled to receive such benefits, then a written claim must be made to the Administrator within sixty (60) days from the date payments are refused. The Administrator shall review the written claim and, if the claim is denied, in whole or in

 

16


  part, they shall provide in writing, within ninety (90) days of receipt of such claim, their specific reasons for such denial, reference to the provisions of this Plan or the Joinder Agreement upon which the denial is based, and any additional material or information necessary to perfect the claim. Such writing by the Administrator shall further indicate the additional steps which must be undertaken by claimants if an additional review of the claim denial is desired.

If claimants desire a second review, they shall notify the Administrator in writing within sixty (60) days of the first claim denial. Claimants may review this Plan, the Joinder Agreement or any documents relating thereto and submit any issues and comments, in writing, they may feel appropriate. In its sole discretion, the Administrator shall then review the second claim and provide a written decision within sixty (60) days of receipt of such claim. This decision shall state the specific reasons for the decision and shall include reference to specific provisions of this Plan or the Joinder Agreement upon which the decision is based.

If claimants continue to dispute the benefit denial based upon completed performance of this Plan and the Joinder Agreement or the meaning and effect of the terms and conditions thereof, then claimants may submit the dispute to mediation, administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) (or a mediator selected by the parties) in accordance with the AAA’s Commercial Mediation Rules. If mediation is not successful in resolving the dispute, it shall be settled by arbitration administered by the AAA under its Commercial Arbitration Rules, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

SECTION IX

MISCELLANEOUS

 

9.1

No Effect on Director’s Rights. Nothing contained herein will confer upon the Director the right to be retained in the service of the Bank nor limit the right of the Bank to deal with the Director without regard to the existence of the Plan.

 

17


9.2

State Law. The Plan is established under, and will be construed according to, the laws of the State of New Jersey, to the extent such laws are not preempted by the Act and valid regulations published thereunder.

 

9.3

Construction and Severability. This Plan is adopted following the enactment of Code Section 409A and is intended to be construed consistent with the requirements of that Section, the Treasury regulations and other guidance issued thereunder. If any provision of the Plan shall be determined to be inconsistent therewith for any reason, then the Plan shall be construed, to the maximum extent possible, to give effect to such provision in a manner that is consistent with Code Section 409A, and if such construction is not possible, as if such provision had never been included. In the event that any of the provisions of this Plan or portion thereof are held to be inoperative or invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, then: (1) insofar as is reasonable, effect will be given to the intent manifested in the provisions held to be invalid or inoperative, and (2) the invalidity and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not be affected thereby. If required by Code Section 409A, a Director’s Separation from Service on the Board shall be deemed to be defined in accordance with the definition of Separation from Service set forth thereunder.

 

9.4

Incapacity of Recipient. In the event the Director is declared incompetent and a conservator or other person legally charged with the care of his person or Estate is appointed, any benefits under the Plan to which such Director is entitled shall be paid to such conservator or other person legally charged with the care of his person or Estate.

 

9.5

Unclaimed Benefit. The Director shall keep the Administrator informed of his current address and the current address of his Beneficiaries. The Administrator shall not be obligated to search for the whereabouts of any person. If the location of the Director is not made known to the Administrator as of the date upon which any payment of any benefits may first be made, the Administrator shall delay payment of the Director’s benefit payment(s) until the location of the Director is made known to the Administrator; however, the Administrator shall only be obligated to hold such benefit payment(s) for the Director until the expiration of thirty-six (36) months. Upon expiration of the thirty-

 

18


  six (36) month period, the Administrator may discharge its obligation by payment to the Director’s Beneficiary. If the location of the Director’s Beneficiary is not made known to the Administrator by the end of an additional two (2) month period following expiration of the thirty-six (36) month period, the Administrator may discharge its obligation by payment to the Director’s Estate. If there is no Estate in existence at such time or if such fact cannot be determined by the Administrator, the Director and his Beneficiary(ies) shall thereupon forfeit any rights to the balance, if any, of any benefits provided for such Director and/or Beneficiary under this Plan.

 

9.6

Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any of the preceding provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as an employee or agent of the Bank, or as a member of the Board of Directors shall be personally liable to the Director or any other person for any claim, loss, liability or expense incurred in connection with the Plan.

 

9.7

Gender. Whenever in this Plan words are used in the masculine or neuter gender, they shall be read and construed as in the masculine, feminine or neuter gender, whenever they should so apply.

 

9.8

Effect on Other Corporate Benefit Plans. Nothing contained in this Plan shall affect the right of the Director to participate in or be covered by any other corporate benefit available to Directors of the Bank constituting a part of the Bank’s existing or future compensation structure.

 

9.9

Suicide. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan, the benefits otherwise provided herein shall not be payable and this Plan shall become null and void with respect to the Director if the Director’s death results from suicide, whether sane or insane, within twenty-four (24) months after the execution of his Joinder Agreement.

 

9.10

Inurement. This Plan shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Bank, its successors and assigns, and the Director, his successors, heirs, executors, administrators, and Beneficiaries.

 

9.11

Headings. Headings and sub-headings in this Plan are inserted for reference and convenience only and shall not be deemed a part of this Plan.

 

19


9.12

Payment of Code Section 409A Taxes. This Plan shall permit the acceleration of the time or schedule of a payment to pay any taxes that may become due at any time that the arrangement fails to meet the requirements of Code Section 409A and the regulations and other guidance promulgated thereunder. Such payments shall not exceed the amount required to be included in income as the result of the failure to comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A.

 

9.13

Acceleration of Benefit Payments. Except as specifically permitted herein or in other sections of this Plan, no acceleration of the time or schedule of any payment may be made hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, payments may be accelerated hereunder by the Bank, in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(j)(4) and any subsequent guidance issued by the United States Treasury Department. Accordingly, payments may be accelerated, in accordance with requirements and conditions of the Treasury Regulations (or subsequent guidance) in the following circumstances: (i) as a result of certain domestic relations orders; (ii) in compliance with ethics agreements with the Federal government; (iii) in compliance with ethics laws or conflicts of interest laws; (iv) in limited cash-outs (but not in excess of the limit under Code Section 402(g)(1)(B)); or (v) for any other purpose set forth in the Treasury Regulations and subsequent guidance.

SECTION X

AMENDMENT/TERMINATION

 

10.1

This Plan shall not be amended or modified at any time, in whole or part, as to any Director, without the mutual written consent of the Director and the Bank, and such mutual consent shall be required even if the Director is no longer in the service of the Bank.

 

20


10.2

Complete Termination. The Board may completely terminate the Plan, subject to the requirements of Code Section 409A. In the event of complete termination, the Plan shall cease to operate and the Employer shall pay out to each Director his Account as if that Director had a Separtion from Service as of the effective date of the complete termination. Such complete termination of the Plan shall occur only under the following circumstances and conditions:

 

  (a)

The Board may terminate the Plan within 12 months of a corporate dissolution taxed under Code section 331, or with approval of a bankruptcy court pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §503(b)(1)(A), provided that the amounts deferred under the Plan are included in each Director’s gross income in the latest of (i) the calendar year in which the Plan terminates; (ii) the calendar year in which the amount is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture; or (iii) the first calendar year in which the payment is administratively practicable.

 

  (b)

The Board may terminate the Plan within the 30 days preceding a Change in Control (but not following a Change in Control), provided that the Plan shall only be treated as terminated if all substantially similar arrangements sponsored by the Employer are terminated so that the Directors and all participants under substantially similar arrangements are required to receive all amounts of compensation deferred under the terminated arrangements within 12 months of the date of the termination of the arrangements.

 

  (c)

The Board may terminate the Plan provided that (i) the termination and liquidation does not occur proximate to a downturn in the financial health of the Bank, (ii) all arrangements sponsored by the Bank that would be aggregated with this Plan under Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(c) if the Director covered by this Plan was also covered by any of those other arrangements are also terminated; (iii) no payments other than payments that would be payable under the terms of the arrangement if the termination had not occurred are made within twelve (12) months of the termination of the arrangement; (iv) all payments are made within twenty-four (24) months of the termination of the arrangements; and (v) the Bank does not adopt a new arrangement that would be aggregated with any terminated arrangement under Treasury Regulations 1.409A-1(c) if the Director participated in both arrangements, at any time within three years following the date of termination of the arrangement.

 

21


  (d)

The Board may terminate the Plan pursuant to such other terms and conditions as the Internal Revenue Service may permit from time to time.

SECTION XI

EXECUTION

 

11.1

This Plan sets forth the entire understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and any previous agreements or understandings between the parties hereto regarding the subject matter hereof are merged into and superseded by this Plan.

 

11.2

This Plan shall be executed in triplicate, each copy of which, when so executed and delivered, shall be an original, but all three copies shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Bank has caused this amended and restated Plan to be executed and effective as of January 1, 2014, subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Division of Banking.

 

ATTEST:                                       BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

/s/ Joseph Coccaro

     By:  

/s/ Steven M. Goldberg

     Its:  

Chairman of the Board

 

22


DIRECTOR RETIREMENT PLAN

JOINDER AGREEMENT

I,                                     , and Bogota Savings Bank hereby agree that I shall participate in the Director Retirement Plan (“Plan”) established on July 1, 2005, as amended and restated as of January 1, 2014, by Bogota Savings Bank, as such Plan may now exist or hereafter be modified; and do further agree to the terms and conditions thereof. I understand that my receipt (or my Beneficiary’s receipt) of the Retirement Benefit (or Survivor’s Benefit) shall be subject to all provisions of the Plan. I acknowledge that a copy of the Plan document has been provided to me along with a copy of this Joinder Agreement. I acknowledge that I have read the Plan and agree to be bound by its terms. In the event of any inconsistencies in the Plan and this Joinder Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall control.

I understand that I must execute this Director Retirement Plan Joinder Agreement (“Joinder Agreement”) within 30 days of my first becoming eligible for the Plan with respect to amounts deferred in my initial year of eligibility and that thereafter, any Joinder Agreement I execute shall only take effect as of the January 1 following my execution of such Joinder Agreement.

My “Benefit Age” shall be the later of age Sixty-Five (65) or my age at the time I have 10 years of service on the Board, provided however, my Benefit Age shall not be later than age 75, the mandatory age for retirement from the Board.

My annual “Retirement Benefit” shall be equal to 100% of my Average Annual Retainer paid over a three year period (not necessarily consecutive) during which the highest annual retainer was received. Such annual Retirement Benefit shall be paid in twelve equal monthly installments. I shall be entitled to a Retirement Benefit upon my Separation from Service upon attainment of my Benefit Age or following a Change in Control.

My “Payout Period” generally shall be one hundred twenty (120) consecutive months (i.e., 10 years), except to the extent that I have a voluntary or involuntary Separation from Service prior to 10 years of service, other than due to my death or a Change in Control, but including due to Disability. In the event of my Separation form Service prior to 10 years of service, other than due to my death or a Change in Control, but including due to my Disability, then my Payout Period shall equal the number of full months that I was on the Board of the Bank.

In the event of a Change in Control and my Separation from Service in connection with or within two (2) years following the Change in Control, I elect to receive my Retirement Benefit in the form of:

         120 monthly payments

         a lump sum payment that is the present value of 120 monthly payments.

I hereby designate the following individuals as my “Beneficiary” and I am aware that I can subsequently change such designation by submitting to the Administrator, at any subsequent time, and in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, a written designation of the primary and secondary Beneficiaries to whom payment under the Plan shall be made in the event of my death prior to complete distribution of the benefits due and payable under the Plan. I understand that any Beneficiary designation made subsequent to execution of the Joinder Agreement shall become effective only when receipt thereof is acknowledged in writing by the Administrator.

PRIMARY BENEFICIARY:

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  


SECONDARY BENEFICIARY (if all Primary Beneficiaries pre-decease the Director):

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

I further understand that I am entitled to review or obtain a copy of the Plan, at any time, and may do so by contacting the Bank.

Effective as of the          day of                     , 20    .

 

 

     

 

Director       Bank’s Duly Authorized Officer


Exhibit A

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

DIRECTOR RETIREMENT PLAN

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

The Director, under the terms of the Director Retirement Plan executed by Bogota Savings Bank, of Bogota, New Jersey, established on July 1, 2005, as amended and restated as of January 1, 2014, hereby designates the following Beneficiary(ies) to receive any guaranteed payments or death benefits under such Plan, following his death:

PRIMARY BENEFICIARY:

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

SECONDARY BENEFICIARY (if all Primary Beneficiaries pre-decease the Director):

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

This Beneficiary Designation hereby revokes any prior Beneficiary Designation which may have been in effect and this Beneficiary Designation is revocable.

 

Date:   

 

     

 

     

 

Witness       Director

Exhibit 10.4

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE

RETIREMENT PLAN

Amended and Restated as of January 1, 2016

Bogota, New Jersey


SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT PLAN

This Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (hereinafter the “Plan”), effective as of January 1, 2014, as amended and restated effective January 1, 2016 (subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Division of Banking), formalizes the understanding by and between Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”), a New Jersey state chartered mutual savings bank, and a select group of management or highly compensated employees selected by the Board, hereinafter referred to as “Participant(s)”, who shall be eligible to participate in this Plan by execution of a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan Joinder Agreement (“Joinder Agreement”) in a form provided by the Bank.

W I T N E S S E T H :

WHEREAS, the Participants serve the Bank as a select group of management or highly compensated employees; and

WHEREAS, the Bank desires to recognize the Participants for their valued, long and faithful service to the Bank and to ensure the continued service with the Bank by such Participants until retirement age; and

WHEREAS, the Participants wish to be assured that they will be entitled to a certain amount of additional compensation for some definite period of time from and after retirement from active service with the Bank or other qualifying termination of service and wish to provide their beneficiaries with benefits after their death; and

WHEREAS, the Bank and the Participants wish to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Bank shall pay such additional compensation to the Participants after retirement or other termination of service and/or death benefits to their beneficiaries after death; and

WHEREAS, the Bank and the Participants intend this Plan to be considered an unfunded arrangement, maintained primarily to provide supplemental retirement income for such Participants; and

 

2


WHEREAS, the Bank, through its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has adopted this Plan, subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, which controls all issues relating to Retirement Benefits described herein; and

WHEREAS, Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”) requires that certain types of deferred compensation arrangements comply with its terms or be subject to current taxes and penalties.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual promises herein contained, the Bank and the Participants agree as follows:

SECTION I

DEFINITIONS

When used herein, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings below unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

 

1.1

Administrator” means the Board.

 

1.2

Bank” means Bogota Savings Bank and any successor thereto.

 

1.3

Beneficiary” means the person or persons (and their heirs) designated as Beneficiary in the Participant’s Joinder Agreement or Beneficiary Designation to whom the deceased Participant’s benefits are payable. If no Beneficiary is so designated, then the Participant’s Spouse, if living, will be deemed the Beneficiary. If the Participant’s Spouse is not living, then the Children of the Participant will be deemed the Beneficiaries and will take on a per stirpes basis. If there are no living Children, then the Estate of the Participant will be deemed the Beneficiary.

 

1.4

Benefit Age” shall mean the age specified on each Participant’s Joinder Agreement.

 

1.5

Benefit Eligibility Date” shall be the date on which a Participant is entitled to receive a benefit under the Plan. Unless otherwise set forth in another Section of this Plan, a Participant’s “Benefit Eligibility Date” shall occur on the first day of the month coincident with or next following (i) the month in which the Participant retires following

 

3


  attainment of his Benefit Age; (ii) Participant’s attainment of his Benefit Age, if Participant’s Separation from Service occurs due to voluntary or involuntary termination of employment prior to Benefit Age (other than due to death or Disability or within two (2) years following a Change in Control); (iii) the month in which a Disability determination is made; (iv) the month in which the Participant dies; or (v) the month in which the Participant has a Separation from Service (either voluntarily or involuntarily), if within two (2) years of a Change in Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Participant is a Specified Employee of a publicly traded company, the Benefit Eligibility Date in the event of a Separation from Service (other than due to death or Disability) shall commence on the later of the date specified above or the first day of the seventh (7th) month following the event which triggers a distribution.

 

1.6

Board” means the board of directors of the Bank.

 

1.7

Cause” means (a) “cause” as defined in an employment agreement applicable to the Participant, or (b) in the case of a Participant who does not have an employment agreement that defines “cause”: (i) a material violation by a Participant of any applicable material law or regulation respecting the business of the Bank; (ii) a Participant being found guilty of, or Participant entering a plea of nolo contendere to, a felony or an act of dishonesty in connection with the performance of such Participant’s duties for the Bank, or which disqualifies Participant from serving as an executive of the Bank; (iii) Participant is removed or suspended from banking pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended (the “FDIA”), or any other applicable state or federal law or (iv) Participant’s willful or negligent failure to perform his duties hereunder in any material respect.

 

1.8

Change in Control” shall have occurred if one or more of the following events occurs:

 

  (a)

A Person (as that term is defined for purposes of Section 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934) becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of, or obtains, directly or indirectly, control of the voting rights in the Bank in a transaction or transactions subject to the notice provision of the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978, as amended, or approval under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended;

 

4


  (b)

A Person other than the Bank becomes the owner of more than 25% of the voting securities or obtains control of more than 25% of the outstanding voting power of the Bank;

 

  (c)

The consummation of a sale, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or similar type of transaction with or into the Bank where less than a majority of the combined voting power of the resulting corporation or bank immediately after the sale, merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization is held by persons who held the majority of the voting power of the Bank immediately prior to the sale, merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization;

 

  (d)

The filing by the Bank of a report or proxy statement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) disclosing that a Change in Control of the Bank has or may have occurred pursuant to any contract or transaction;

 

  (e)

The sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Bank to a third party, other than a transfer to a Subsidiary (defined for purposes of this Agreement as a corporation or other Person in which a majority of the voting power, voting equity securities or voting equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly by the Bank);

 

  (f)

During any period of two (2) consecutive years, the individuals who constitute the Board at the beginning of the two-year period cease for any reason (other than retirement) to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided however, that any director elected by a majority of the directors who were directors at the beginning of the two-year period shall be deemed to have also been a director at the beginning of such period; or

 

5


  (g)

A complete liquidation or dissolution of the Bank.

Notwithstanding anything in this Section 1.10 to the contrary, the reorganization of the Bank from a mutual to a stock form of organization shall not constitute a Change in Control.

 

1.9

Children” means the Participant’s children, or the issue of any deceased Children, then living at the time payments are due the Children under this Plan. The term “Children” shall include both natural and adopted Children.

 

1.10

Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

1.11

Disability” means any case in which a Participant: (i) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months; or (ii) is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Bank; or (iii) is determined to be disabled by the Social Security Administration.

 

1.12

Disability Benefit” means the monthly benefit payable to the Participant following a determination of the Participant’s Disability as set forth in Section 3.6.

 

1.13

Effective Date” of this amendment and restatement of the Plan shall be January 1, 2016, subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Division of Banking. The original effective date of the Plan was January 1, 2014.

 

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1.14

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

 

1.15

Estate” means the estate of the Participant.

 

1.16

Final Average Compensation” means the average base salary and bonus paid to the Participant over the three consecutive year period ending on the date of the Participant’s Separation from Service.

 

1.17

Joinder Agreement” the agreement between the Bank and the Participant which signifies the Participant’s participation and sets forth the features of the Plan as specifically applicable to the Participant.

 

1.18

Participant” means an executive who has been selected to participate by the Board and who enters into a Joinder Agreement with the Bank.

 

1.19

Payout Period” shall be a period of One Hundred Twenty (120) consecutive months.

 

1.20

Plan Year” shall mean the calendar year.

 

1.21

Retirement” means the Participant’s Separation from Service as an Executive of the Bank on or after attainment of the Participant’s Benefit Age.

 

1.22

Retirement Benefit” means an annual amount payable hereunder to the Participant who retires from or otherwise has a Separation from Service other than for Cause. The Retirement Benefit shall be specified in the Participant’s Joinder Agreement.

 

1.23.

“Separation from Service” or “Separate from Service” means the Participant’s death, Retirement or other termination of employment with the Bank within the meaning of Code Section 409A. No Separation from Service shall be deemed to occur due to military leave, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence if the period of such leave does not exceed six months or, if longer, so long as the Participant’s right to reemployment is provided by law or contract. If the leave exceeds six months and the Participant’s right to reemployment is not provided by law or by contract, then the Participant shall have a Separation from Service on the first date immediately following such six-month period.

 

7


Whether a Separation from Service has occurred is determined based on whether the facts and circumstances indicate that the Bank and Participant reasonably anticipated that no further services would be performed after a certain date or that the level of bona fide services the employee would perform after such date (whether as an employee or as an independent contractor) would permanently decrease to an amount less than 50% of the average level of bona fide services performed over the immediately preceding 36 months (or such lesser period of time in which the Participant performed services as an employee for the Bank). The determination of whether a Participant has had a Separation from Service shall be made by applying the presumptions set forth in the Treasury Regulations under Code Section 409A.

 

1.24

Specified Employee” with respect to an Employee of a publicly traded company, shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 409A and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

1.25

Spouse” means the individual to whom the Participant is legally married at the time of the Participant’s death.

 

1.26

Survivor’s Benefit” means an annual amount payable to the Beneficiary in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period, as elsewhere detailed hereunder, including, without limitation, subject to Section 3.

 

1.27

Treasury Regulations” means the regulations promulgated under the Code.

SECTION II

ESTABLISHMENT OF RABBI TRUST

The Bank may establish a rabbi trust into which the Bank may contribute assets which shall be held therein, subject to the claims of the Bank’s creditors in the event of the Bank’s “Insolvency” as defined in the plan which establishes such rabbi trust, until the contributed assets are paid to the Participants and their Beneficiaries in such manner and at such times as specified

 

8


in this Plan. The rabbi trust and any assets held therein, if any, shall conform to the terms of the rabbi trust agreement which may be established in conjunction with this Plan. To the extent the language in this Plan is modified by the language in the rabbi trust agreement, the rabbi trust agreement shall supersede this Plan. Contributions to the rabbi trust, if any, shall be made during each Plan Year in accordance with the rabbi trust agreement.

SECTION III

BENEFITS

 

3.1

Retirement Benefit. A Participant who remains in the service of the Bank until attainment of his Benefit Age shall be entitled to the Retirement Benefit. Such Retirement Benefit shall commence on the Benefit Eligibility Date, and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period. In the event a Participant dies after commencement of the Retirement Benefit payments but before completion of all such payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank shall pay to the Participant’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period.

 

3.2

Death During Employment. If the Participant dies during employment with the Bank, the Participant’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to a Survivor’s Benefit equal to the Retirement Benefit as if the Participant had terminated employment on the date of death. The Survivor’s Benefit shall commence on the Benefit Eligibility Date and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period.

 

3.3

Voluntary or Involuntary Termination Prior to Benefit Age.

 

  (a)

If the Participant has a voluntarily or involuntarily Separation from Service prior to the attainment of his Benefit Age for any reason (other than for Cause, the Participant’s death, Disability, or within two (2) years following a Change in Control), the Participant shall be entitled to the monthly Retirement Benefit throughout the Payout Period set forth in Section 1.22(B) hereof, commencing at the Participant’s Benefit Age set forth in the Participant’s Joinder Agreement.

 

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  (b)

In the event the Participant dies at any time after commencement of payments hereunder, but prior to completion of all such payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank shall pay to the Participant’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period.

 

  (c)

In the event the Participant dies after Separation from Service but before commencement of payments hereunder, the Participant’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to the Retirement Benefit that would have been payable to the Participant at his or her Benefit Age, payable over the applicable Payout Period, commencing on the first day of the month following the month in which the Participant dies.

 

3.4

Termination of Service Related to a Change in Control.

 

  (a)

If the Participant’s Separation from Service occurs on or before the second (2nd) anniversary date of the effective date of the Change in Control, the Retirement Benefit shall commence within thirty (30) days following his Separation from Service, whether or not Participant has reached his Benefit Age, and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period.

 

  (b)

If the Participant’s Separation from Service with the Bank occurs after the second (2nd) anniversary of the effective date of the Change in Control, the Retirement Benefit shall commence at the Participant’s Benefit Age, and shall be payable in monthly installments throughout the Payout Period.

 

  (c)

In the event that the Participant dies at any time after commencement of the payments, but prior to completion of all such payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank, or its successor, shall pay to the Participant’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period.

 

  (d)

If, after such termination of service, the Participant dies prior to commencement of the Retirement Benefit hereunder, the Participant’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to the Survivor’s Benefit which shall commence on the Benefit Eligibility Date. The Survivor’s Benefit shall be payable in monthly installments over the Payout Period.

 

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3.5

Termination for Cause. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, if the Participant is terminated for Cause, all benefits under this Plan shall be forfeited by the Participant and this Plan shall become null and void as to the Participant.

 

3.6

Disability Benefit.

 

  (a)

Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, a Participant who has not attained his Benefit Eligibility Date shall be entitled to receive the Disability Benefit hereunder, in any case in which it is determined that the Participant has incurred a Disability. If the Participant’s service is terminated pursuant to this paragraph, the Participant’s Benefit Eligibility Date shall be the first day of the month following the month in which the Disability determination is made. The Disability Benefit shall equal the Retirement Benefit determined as if the Participant had terminated employment on the first day of the month following the month in which the Disability determination is made The Disability Benefit shall be payable in monthly installments over the Payout Period. In the event the Participant dies while receiving payments pursuant to this Subsection, but prior to the completion of all payments due and owing hereunder, the Bank shall pay to the Participant’s Beneficiary a continuation of the monthly installments for the remainder of the Payout Period.

 

  (b)

If the Participant dies after it is determined that such Participant has incurred a Disability but before the commencement of such payments, the Participant’s Beneficiary shall be entitled to the Participant’s Disability Benefit payable over the Payout Period commencing within thirty (30) days of the Participant’s death.

 

3.7

Non-Competition During and After Employment.

 

  (a)

In order to be eligible for the benefits hereunder, during the period of his service with the Bank and for twelve (12) months following termination of service with the Bank, the Participant shall not:

 

  (i)

without the prior written consent of the Board, actively engage, either directly or indirectly, in any business or other activity which is or may be deemed to be in any way competitive with or adverse to the best interests of the business of the Bank; and

 

11


  (ii)

without the prior written consent of the Board, become associated with, in the capacity of an employee, director, officer, principal, agent, trustee or in any other capacity whatsoever, any enterprise conducted in New Jersey which enterprise is, or may be deemed to be, competitive with any business carried on by the Bank either during service with the Bank or, as of the date of the Participant’s Separation from Service or his Retirement.

 

  (b)

In the event the Participant violates Section 3.7(a), in addition to Section 3.8 and the suspension of any payments being made to Participant, any benefits previously paid shall be reimbursed to the Bank within thirty (30) days of the Bank’s notification to Participant of its determination that Section 3.7(a) has been violated.

 

  (c)

In the event of an involuntary termination of the Participant’s service by the Bank related to a Change in Control pursuant to Section 3.4, paragraph (a) of this Section 3.7 shall cease to be a condition to the performance by the Bank of its obligations under this Plan.

 

3.8

Breach. In the event of any breach by the Participant of the agreements and covenants contained herein, the Board shall direct that any unpaid balance of any payments to the Participant under this Plan be suspended, and shall thereupon notify the Participant of such suspensions, in writing. Thereupon, if the Board shall determine that said breach by the Participant has continued for a period of one (1) month following notification of such suspension, all rights of the Participant and his Beneficiaries under this Plan, including rights to further payments hereunder, shall thereupon terminate.

 

3.9

Release. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, amounts payable under this Section III to the Participant or his Beneficiaries are contingent upon the Participant and/or the Beneficiaries, as applicable, timely signing and not revoking a release of claims in the form provided by the Bank within the thirty (30) day period beginning on the date the Participant or Beneficiary become eligible for the benefit, provided further, that if such thirty (30) day period crosses over into a different calendar year, then the payment shall commence in the later calendar year.

 

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SECTION IV

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

The Participant shall make an initial designation of primary and secondary Beneficiaries upon execution of his Joinder Agreement and shall have the right to change such designation, at any subsequent time, by submitting to the Administrator in substantially the form attached as Exhibit A to the Joinder Agreement, a written designation of primary and secondary Beneficiaries. Any Beneficiary designation made subsequent to execution of the Joinder Agreement shall become effective only when receipt thereof is acknowledged in writing by the Administrator. If the Beneficiary is neither designated or surviving, then the Estate becomes the Beneficiary.

SECTION V

RIGHTS TO ASSETS

The rights of the Participant, any Beneficiary, or any other person claiming through the Participant under this Plan, shall be solely those of an unsecured general creditor of the Bank. The Participant, the Beneficiary, or any other person claiming through the Participant, shall only have the right to receive from the Bank those payments so specified under this Plan. The Participant agrees that he, his Beneficiary, or any other person claiming through him shall have no rights or interests whatsoever in any asset of the Bank, including any insurance policies or contracts which the Bank may possess or obtain to informally fund this Plan. Any asset used or acquired by the Bank in connection with the liabilities it has assumed under this Plan, unless expressly provided herein, shall not be deemed to be held under any trust for the benefit of the Participant or his Beneficiaries, nor shall any asset be considered security for the performance of the obligations of the Bank. Any such asset shall be and remain, a general, unpledged, and unrestricted asset of the Bank.

 

13


SECTION VI

RESTRICTIONS UPON FUNDING

The Bank shall have no obligation to set aside, earmark or entrust any fund or money with which to pay its obligations under this Plan. The Participant, his Beneficiaries or any successor in interest to him shall be and remain simply a general unsecured creditor of the Bank in the same manner as any other creditor having a general claim for matured and unpaid compensation. The Bank reserves the absolute right in its sole discretion to either purchase assets to meet its obligations undertaken by this Plan or to refrain from the same and to determine the extent, nature, and method of such asset purchases. Should the Bank decide to purchase assets such as life insurance, mutual funds, disability policies or annuities, the Bank reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, to terminate such assets at any time, in whole or in part. At no time shall the Participant be deemed to have any lien, right, title or interest in or to any specific investment or to any assets of the Bank. If the Bank elects to invest in a life insurance, disability or annuity policy upon the life of the Participant, then the Participant shall assist the Bank by freely submitting to a physical examination and by supplying such additional information necessary to obtain such insurance or annuities.

SECTION VII

ALIENABILITY AND ASSIGNMENT PROHIBITION

Neither the Participant nor any Beneficiary under this Plan shall have any power or right to transfer, assign, anticipate, hypothecate, mortgage, commute, modify or otherwise encumber in advance any of the benefits payable hereunder, nor shall any of said benefits be subject to seizure for the payment of any debts, judgments, alimony or separate maintenance owed by the Participant or his Beneficiary, nor be transferable by operation of law in the event of bankruptcy, insolvency or otherwise. In the event the Participant or any Beneficiary attempts assignment, communication, hypothecation, transfer or disposal of the benefits hereunder, the Bank’s liabilities shall forthwith cease and terminate.

 

14


SECTION VIII

ERISA PROVISIONS

 

8.1

Named Fiduciary and Administrator. The Board, as Administrator, shall be the “Named Fiduciary” of this Plan, as defined under ERISA. As Administrator, the Board shall be responsible for the management, control and administration of the Plan as established herein. The Board may delegate the administration of the Plan to its executive committee or to a pension committee appointed by the Board. Any committee so delegated shall be entitled to employ advisors and delegate ministerial duties to qualified individuals.

 

8.2

Claims Procedure and Arbitration. In the event that benefits under this Plan are not paid to the Participant (or to his Beneficiary in the case of the Participant’s death) or the payment of benefits is curtailed for reasons set forth in Sections 3.7(a) or 3.7(b) and such claimant feels that he or she is entitled to receive such benefits, then a written claim must be made to the Administrator within sixty (60) days from the date payments are refused to be paid. The Administrator shall review said written claim and, if the claim is denied, in whole or in part, they shall provide in writing, within ninety (90) days of receipt of such claim, their specific reasons for such denial, reference to the provisions of this Plan or the Joinder Agreement upon which the denial is based, and any additional material or information necessary to perfect the claim. Such writing by the Bank and its Board of Directors shall further indicate the additional steps which must be undertaken by claimants if an additional review of the claim denial is desired.

If claimant desires a second review, they shall notify the Administrator in writing within sixty (60) days of the date of the first claim denial. Claimant may review this Plan, the Joinder Agreement or any documents relating thereto and submit any issues and comments, in writing, they may feel appropriate. In its sole discretion, the Administrator shall then review the second claim and provide a written decision within sixty (60) days of receipt of such claim. This decision shall state the specific reasons for the decision and shall include reference to specific provisions of this Plan or the Joinder Agreement upon which the decision is based.

 

15


If claimant continues to dispute the benefit denial based upon completed performance of this Plan and the Joinder Agreement or the meaning and effect of the terms and conditions thereof, then claimant may submit the dispute to mediation, administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in accordance with the AAA’s Commercial Mediation Rules (or by a mediator selected by the parties).

SECTION IX

MISCELLANEOUS

 

9.1

No Effect on Participant’s Rights. Nothing contained herein will confer upon the Participant the right to be retained in the service of the Bank as an employee or otherwise nor limit the right of the Bank to deal with the Participant without regard to the existence of the Plan.

 

9.2

State Law. The Plan is established under, and will be construed according to, the laws of the State of New Jersey, to the extent such laws are not preempted by ERISA and valid regulations published thereunder.

 

9.3

Construction and Severability.

 

  (a)

409A Compliance. This Plan will, at all times, be operated in good faith compliance with Code Section 409A of the Code in accordance with applicable Internal Revenue Service regulations, notices or guidance. In the event of inconsistency, the Plan shall be construed to the maximum extent possible to give effect to the Plan provision in a manner consistent with Code Section 409A and, if such construction is not possible, as if such provision had never been included.

 

  (b)

Severability. In the event that any of the provisions of this Plan or portion thereof are held to be inoperative or invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, then: (i) insofar as is reasonable, effect will be given to the intent manifested in the provisions held to be invalid or inoperative, and (ii) the invalidity and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not be affected thereby.

 

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9.4

Incapacity of Recipient. In the event the Participant is declared incompetent and a conservator or other person legally charged with the care of his person or Estate is appointed, any benefits under the Plan to which such Participant is entitled shall be paid to such conservator or other person legally charged with the care of his person or Estate.

 

9.5

Unclaimed Benefit. The Participant shall keep the Administrator informed of his current address and the current address of his Beneficiaries. The Administrator shall not be obligated to search for the whereabouts of any person. If the location of the Participant is not made known to the Administrator as of the date upon which any payment of any benefits may first be made, the Administrator shall delay payment of the Participant’s benefit payment(s) until the location of the Participant is made known to the Administrator; however, the Bank shall only be obligated to hold such benefit payment(s) for the Participant until the expiration of thirty-six (36) months. Upon expiration of the thirty-six (36) month period, the Bank may discharge its obligation by payment to the Participant’s Beneficiary. If the location of the Participant’s Beneficiary is not made known to the Administrator by the end of an additional two (2) month period following expiration of the thirty-six (36) month period, the Bank may discharge its obligation by payment to the Participant’s Estate. If there is no Estate in existence at such time or if such fact cannot be determined by the Administrator, the Participant and his Beneficiary (ies) shall thereupon forfeit any rights to the balance, if any, of any benefits provided for such Participant and/or Beneficiary under this Plan.

 

9.6

Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any of the preceding provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as an employee or agent of the Bank, or as a member of the Board shall be personally liable to the Participant or any other person for any claim, loss, liability or expense incurred in connection with the Plan.

 

9.7

Gender. Whenever in this Plan words are used in the masculine or neuter gender, they shall be read and construed as in the masculine, feminine or neuter gender, whenever they should so apply.

 

9.8

Effect on Other Corporate Benefit Plans. Nothing contained in this Plan shall affect the right of the Participant to participate in or be covered by any other corporate benefit available to Participants of the Bank constituting a part of the Bank’s existing or future compensation structure.

 

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9.9

Suicide. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan, the benefits otherwise provided herein shall not be payable and this Plan shall become null and void with respect to the Participant if the Participant’s death results from suicide, whether sane or insane, within twenty-four (24) months after the execution of his initial Joinder Agreement under the Plan.

 

9.10

Inurement. This Plan shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Bank, its successors and assigns, and the Participant, his successors, heirs, executors, administrators, and Beneficiaries.

 

9.11

Headings. Headings and sub-headings in this Plan are inserted for reference and convenience only and shall not be deemed a part of this Plan.

 

9.12

Acceleration of Benefit Payments. Except as specifically permitted herein or in other sections of this Plan, no acceleration of the time or schedule of any payment may be made hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, payments may be accelerated hereunder by the Bank, in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-3(j)(4) and any subsequent guidance issued by the United States Treasury Department. Accordingly, payments may be accelerated, in accordance with requirements and conditions of the Treasury Regulations (or subsequent guidance) in the following circumstances: (i) as a result of certain domestic relations orders; (ii) in compliance with ethics agreements with the Federal government; (iii) in compliance with ethics laws or conflicts of interest laws; (iv) in limited cash-outs (but not in excess of the limit under Code Section 402(g)(1)(B)); or (v) for any other purpose set forth in the Treasury Regulations and subsequent guidance.

SECTION X

AMENDMENT/TERMINATION

 

10.1

This Plan shall not be amended or modified at any time, in whole or part, as to the Participant, without the mutual written consent of the Participant and the Bank, and such mutual consent shall be required even if the Participant is no longer in the service of the Bank.

 

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10.2

Complete Termination. The Board may completely terminate the Plan, without the Participant’s consent, subject to the requirements of Code Section 409A. In the event of complete termination, the Plan shall cease to operate and the Bank shall pay out to the Participant his full Retirement Benefit. If the Participant has not terminated service as of the effective date of the complete termination, the Retirement Benefit shall be calculated as if the Participant had terminated service as of the effective date of the complete termination with payments made in accordance with the applicable payment schedule of Section 3.1 or 3.3 (or in the case of a termination in accordance with Section 10.2(b) below, in accordance with the payment schedule of Section 3.4(a)). Such complete termination of the Plan shall occur only under the following circumstances and conditions:

 

  (a)

The Board may terminate the Plan within 12 months of a corporate dissolution taxed under Code section 331, or with approval of a bankruptcy court pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §503(b)(1)(A), provided that the amounts deferred under the Plan are included in each Participant’s gross income in the latest of (i) the calendar year in which the Plan terminates; (ii) the calendar year in which the amount is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture; or (iii) the first calendar year in which the payment is administratively practicable.

 

  (b)

The Board may terminate the Plan within the 30 days preceding a Change in Control or one month following a Change in Control, but in the later case, only if the Board which was in existence prior to the Change in Control consents to the termination, provided that the Plan shall only be treated as terminated if all substantially similar arrangements sponsored by the Bank are terminated so that the Participants and all participants under substantially similar arrangements are required to receive all amounts of compensation deferred under the terminated arrangements within 12 months of the date of the termination of the arrangements.

 

  (c)

The Board may terminate the Plan provided that (i) the termination and liquidation does not occur proximate to a downturn in the financial health of the Bank, (ii) all arrangements sponsored by the Bank that would be aggregated with

 

19


  this Plan under Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(c) if the Participant covered by this Plan was also covered by any of those other arrangements are also terminated; (iii) no payments other than payments that would be payable under the terms of the arrangement if the termination had not occurred are made within twelve (12) months of the termination of the arrangement; (iv) all payments are made within twenty-four (24) months of the termination of the arrangements; and (v) the Bank does not adopt a new arrangement that would be aggregated with any terminated arrangement under Treasury Regulations 1.409A-1(c) if the Participant participated in both arrangements, at any time within three years following the date of termination of the arrangement.

 

  (d)

The Board may terminate the Plan pursuant to such other terms and conditions as the Internal Revenue Service may permit from time to time.

SECTION XI

EXECUTION

 

11.1

This Plan sets forth the entire understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and any previous agreements or understandings between the parties hereto regarding the subject matter hereof are merged into and superseded by this Plan.

 

11.2

This Plan shall be executed in triplicate, each copy of which, when so executed and delivered, shall be an original, but all three copies shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

20


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Bank has caused this amended and restated Plan to be executed and effective as of January 1, 2016, subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Division of Banking.

 

    BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

July 27, 2016

                                         By:  

/s/ Steven M. Goldberg

Date     Its:   Chairman, Board of Directors

 

21


SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT PLAN

JOINDER AGREEMENT

I, JOSEPH COCCARO, and Bogota Savings Bank hereby agree that I shall participate in the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“Plan”) established by Bogota Savings Bank, as such Plan may now exist or hereafter be modified; and do further agree to the terms and conditions thereof. I understand that my receipt (or my Beneficiary’s receipt) of the Retirement Benefit (or Survivor’s Benefit) shall be subject to all provisions of the Plan, including subject to execution of a release as provided pursuant to Plan Section 3.9. I acknowledge that a copy of the Plan document has been provided to me along with a copy of this Joinder Agreement. I acknowledge that I have read the Plan and agree to be bound by its terms. In the event of any inconsistencies in the Plan and this Joinder Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall control; provided, this Joinder Agreement is to read in conjunction with the Plan and the terms of the Plan shall apply, as specifically supplemented herein.

I understand that I must execute this Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan Joinder Agreement (“Joinder Agreement”) within 30 days of my first becoming eligible for the Plan with respect to amounts deferred in my initial year of eligibility and that thereafter, any amended or new Joinder Agreement I execute shall take effect as of the execution of such Joinder Agreement.

My “Benefit Age” shall be age 65.

My annual “Retirement Benefit” shall be equal to 15% of my Final Average Compensation. Such annual Retirement Benefit shall be paid in twelve equal monthly installments throughout my Payment Period. I shall be entitled to a Retirement Benefit upon my Separation from Service upon attainment of my Benefit Age, or due to voluntary or involuntary Separation from Service prior to Benefit Age (including following a Change in Control) or due to Disability.

My “Payout Period” shall be one hundred twenty (120) consecutive months (i.e., 10 years).


I hereby designate the following individuals as my “Beneficiary” and I am aware that I can subsequently change such designation by submitting to the Administrator, at any subsequent time, and in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, a written designation of the primary and secondary Beneficiaries to whom payment under the Plan shall be made in the event of my death prior to complete distribution of the benefits due and payable under the Plan. I understand that any Beneficiary designation made subsequent to execution of the Joinder Agreement shall become effective only when receipt thereof is acknowledged in writing by the Administrator.

PRIMARY BENEFICIARY:

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

SECONDARY BENEFICIARY (if all Primary Beneficiaries pre-decease the Participant):

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

I hereby consent to the amendment and restatement of the Plan effective January 1, 2016. I further understand that I am entitled to review or obtain a copy of the Plan, at any time, and may do so by contacting the Bank.

 

 

                                        

 

Date     Participant

 

   

 

Date     Bank’s Duly Authorized Officer


Exhibit A

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT PLAN

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION (FORM FOR AMENDMENT)

The Participant, under the terms of the Supplemental Retirement Plan executed by Bogota Savings Bank, of Bogota, New Jersey hereby designates the following Beneficiary(ies) to receive any guaranteed payments or death benefits under such Plan, following his death:

PRIMARY BENEFICIARY:

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

SECONDARY BENEFICIARY (if all Primary Beneficiaries pre-decease the Participant):

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

Name:                                                                  % of Benefit:                                                                  

This Beneficiary Designation hereby revokes any prior Beneficiary Designation which may have been in effect and this Beneficiary Designation is revocable.

 

 

                                        

 

Date     Participant

 

   

 

Date     Bank’s Duly Authorized Officer

Exhibit 10.5

BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

EXECUTIVE BONUS PLAN

ARTICLE I

Establishment, Purpose and Duration

1.1     Establishment. This Executive Bonus Plan (the “Plan”) is adopted by Bogota Savings Bank (the “Bank”), effective as of                     , 2019 (the “Effective Date”).

1.2    Purpose. The objectives of the Plan are to optimize the profitability and growth of the Bank (including Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Company”), the bank holding company for the Bank, and other affiliates) through incentives consistent with the Bank’s goals in order to link and align the personal interests of the Participants with the incentive for individual and overall performance of the Bank, while maintaining safety and soundness of the Bank. This Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Bank in its ability to motivate, attract and retain the services of Participants who make significant contributions to the Bank’s success and to allow Participants to share in the success of the Bank.

1.3    Duration of this Plan. This Plan shall commence on the Effective Date, and shall remain in effect until terminated, modified or amended in accordance with Section 4.1 of the Plan.

ARTICLE II

Certain Definitions

Certain Definitions. Whenever used in this Plan, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings specified:

2.1    “Base Salary” means the Participant’s annual rate of base salary paid during each calendar year, excluding bonuses and other forms of variable income, fringe benefits, reimbursements, etc.

2.2    “Bonus Award” means an annual bonus paid as a cash lump sum under the Plan.

2.3    “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Bank or the Company, as applicable.

2.4    “Eligible Employee” means employees of the Bank who are selected by the Committee, in its sole discretion, to participate in this Plan. Being selected to participate in this Plan for one Plan Year does not guarantee selection for participation in the Plan for any other Plan Year.

2.5    “Plan Year” means the Bank’s fiscal year, which is the calendar year.

2.6    “Participant” means an Eligible Employee who has been notified by the Committee that he or she has been selected to participate in this Plan for the current Plan Year.


ARTICLE III

Annual Cash Bonuses

3.1    Bonus Award

(a)    No later than 120 days after the commencement of each Plan Year, the Committee shall set performance objectives pursuant to Section 3.2 for each Participant in writing in an incentive work sheet (the “Work Sheet”), which shall be provided to each Participant and included as an exhibit to the Plan. If the performance objectives for the Participant are accomplished, the Participant shall receive a Bonus Award under the Plan equal to a designated percentage of the Participant’s Base Salary, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion and set forth in the Participant’s Work Sheet.

(b)    In addition to the attainment of the performance objectives set forth by the Committee for the Participant in the Work Sheet, payment of the Bonus Award is also contingent on the Bank’s and/or the Participant’s overall performance level being satisfactory, as determined by the Committee. The Committee shall have the final authority to determine whether the Bank and/or any Participant has satisfied these requirements.

(c)    If an Eligible Employee becomes a Participant at any time after the beginning of a Plan Year, the Bonus Award payable to that Participant may be pro-rated (at the sole discretion of the Committee), in which case the percentage of Base Salary that constitutes the Bonus Award for that Plan Year shall be multiplied by a fraction, where the numerator is the number of days that the individual was a Participant during the Plan and the denominator is 365.

3.2    Performance Objectives.

(a)    Payment of Bonus Awards in any Plan Year is contingent upon the performance objectives specified by the Committee for any Participant being met by the Bank and/or Participant. The specific performance objectives are determined annually by the Committee and are subject to change by the Committee, but generally include objective performance targets focused on financial performance, profitability growth, asset quality, and risk management, including, but not limited to, net income, return on average assets, return on equity, net loan growth, asset quality, efficiency ratio (including as compared to a peer group) and subjective, discretionary performance targets, such as particular qualitative factors for each Participant, based on his or her duties for the Bank or the satisfaction of, or continue adherence to, the Bank’s strategic business plan.

(b)    Each performance objective may specify levels of achievement of goals (e.g., ranging from threshold level to maximum level) and be weighted based on priority as a percentage of the total Bonus Award payable to the Participant. The weight of each performance objective attributable to a Participant shall be set forth in his or her Work Sheet.

3.3    Termination of Employment. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, a Participant who is not employed as of the payout date for his or her Bonus Award shall forfeit the Bonus Award.

 

2


3.4    Time of Payout. No later than two and one half (2 12) months after the close of the Plan Year for which performance is measured, the Bonus Award will be paid to the Participant in a cash lump sum, through the Bank’s regular payroll practices, including all applicable withholdings. Bonus Awards under the Plan are intended to be exempt from Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code under the “short term deferral rule” set forth in Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4). The Bonus Awards shall be certified by the Committee.

ARTICLE IV

Amendments, Termination and Clawback

4.1    Right to Amend or Terminate. The Committee may amend or terminate this Plan at any time without the consent of any Participants, provided, however, that except as otherwise provided in the Plan and/or a Work Sheet, the Committee may not reduce the amount of the Bonus Award already earned by any Participant in any Plan Year (determined based on the sole discretion of the Committee) without the Participant’s consent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee has the authority to adjust the Bonus Award (both positively or negatively) in the event of extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual circumstances or events, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.

4.2    Clawback. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan or Work Sheet to the contrary, any Bonus Award received under the Plan shall be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of any applicable Company or Bank clawback policy or any applicable law, rule or regulation, as may in effect from time to time.

ARTICLE V

Miscellaneous

5.1    Binding Effect. This Plan shall be binding on the Participants, the Bank and their beneficiaries, survivors, executors, successors, administrators and transferees.

5.2    No Guarantee of Employment. This Plan is not an employment policy or contract. It does not give any Participant the right to remain an employee of the Bank, nor does it interfere with the Bank’s right to discharge the Participant. It also does not interfere with the Participant’s right to terminate employment at any time.

5.3    Non-Transferability. Bonus Awards under this Plan cannot be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, attached, or encumbered in any manner.

5.4    Applicable Law. The Plan and all rights hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, except to the extent preempted by the laws of the United States of America.

5.5    Entire Agreement. This Plan constitutes the entire agreement between the Bank and each Participant as to the subject matter hereof. No rights are granted to the Participant by virtue of this Plan other than those specifically set forth herein.

 

3


5.6    Administration. The Committee shall have powers which are necessary to administer this Plan, including but not limited to:

 

  (a)

Interpreting the provisions of the Plan, including the determining the amount of Bonus Awards payable hereunder;

 

  (b)

Determine the persons eligible to participate in the Plan;

 

  (c)

Maintaining a record of benefit payments;

 

  (d)

Establishing rules and prescribing any forms necessary or desirable to administer the Plan; and

 

  (e)

Allocating all or a portion of its responsibilities (at its sole discretion) to any one or more of its members, including to other disinterested members of the Board of Directors of the Company or the Bank.

[Signature Page to Follow]

 

4


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Bank has executed this Plan on the date set forth below.

 

      BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

 

                                                                                                           By:  

 

Date      

 

5


BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK

EXECUTIVE BONUS PLAN

WORKSHEET

[Name]

[Position]

Salary = $                            

PERFORMANCE

RESULT FACTORS

Bonus Award Amount

        % of Base Salary or $                

 

Weight

  

Summary of Criteria

  
  
  
  
  
  

Total = 100%

   n/a

Notes:

Exhibit 21

Subsidiaries of the Registrant

 

Name

   Percent Ownership     State of Incorporation

Bogota Savings Bank

     100   New Jersey

Bogota Securities Corp.*

     100   New Jersey

Bogota Properties, LLC*

     100   New Jersey

 

*

Subsidiary of Bogota Savings Bank

Exhibit 23.2

 

LOGO

September 9, 2019

Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

Members of the Board of Directors:

We hereby consent to the use of our firm’s name in the Registration Statement on Form S-1, and any amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Application and Procedures for the Establishment of a Mutual Holding Company and any amendments thereto, to be filed with the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and the Notice of Intent to Convert, and any amendments thereto, to be filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. We also hereby consent to the inclusion of, summary of and references to our Valuation Appraisal Report and any Valuation Appraisal Report Updates and our statement concerning subscription rights in such filings including the prospectus of Bogota Financial Corp. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.

 

Sincerely,
RP® FINANCIAL, LC.
LOGO

 

 

 

4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600    Telephone: (703) 528-1700
Arlington, VA 22203    Fax No.: (703) 528-1788
www.rpfinancial.com    Toll-Free No.: (866) 723-0594
   E-Mail: mail@rpfinancial.com

Exhibit 23.3

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement of Bogota Financial Corp. (Proposed Holding Company for Bogota Savings Bank) on Form S-1 of our report dated September 5, 2019 on the consolidated financial statements of Bogota Savings Bank and to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.

 

/s/ Crowe LLP

Crowe LLP

Livingston, New Jersey

September 5, 2019

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

June 18, 2019

Joseph Coccaro

President and Chief Executive Officer

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

Dear Mr. Coccaro:

This letter sets forth the agreement whereby Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, New Jersey, (the “Bank”), has engaged RP® Financial, LC. (“RP Financial”) for independent conversion appraisal services in conjunction with a minority stock offering to be conducted by a mid-tier holding company to be formed by the Bank. The specific appraisal services to be rendered, along with the timing and fee structure for these appraisal services, are described below.

These appraisal services will be performed by RP Financial senior staff with the assistance of associates.

Description of Appraisal Services

RP Financial will conduct financial due diligence, including interviews of senior management and reviews of historical and pro forma financial information and other documents and records, to gain insight into the operations, financial condition, profitability, market area, risks and various internal and external factors which will be considered in estimating the pro forma market value of the Bank in accordance with the applicable regulatory appraisal guidelines.

RP Financial will prepare a detailed written valuation report of the Bank and the mid-tier holding company that will be fully consistent with applicable regulatory appraisal guidelines and standard pro forma valuation practices, taking into consideration the intended minority stock offering. The appraisal report will include an analysis of the Bank’s financial condition and operating results, as well as an assessment of the Bank’s interest rate risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. The appraisal report will incorporate an evaluation of the Bank’s business strategies, market area, prospects for the future and the intended use of proceeds both in the short term and over the longer term. A peer group analysis relative to certain relatively comparable publicly-traded companies will be conducted for the purpose of determining appropriate valuation adjustments for the Bank relative to the peer group’s pricing ratios.    

We will review pertinent sections of the prospectus and hold discussions with the Bank’s management and legal, accounting and investment banking representatives of the Bank regarding key information for the appraisal, including key deal elements on the

 

 

 

 

4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600    Direct:    (703) 647-6549
Arlington, VA 22203    Telephone:    (703) 528-1700
E-Mail: joren@rpfinancial.com    Fax No.:    (703) 528-1788
   Toll-Free No.:    (866) 723-0594


Joseph F. Coccaro

June 18, 2019

Page 2

 

appraised value, such as dividend policy and related regulatory requirements, use of proceeds and reinvestment rate, tax rate, offering expenses, characteristics of stock plans and the charitable foundation contribution (if applicable).

The original appraisal report will establish a midpoint pro forma market value in accordance with the applicable regulatory requirements. The appraisal report will provide the basis for the Bank to determine the size of the minority stock offering based on the percentage to be sold in the offering. The appraisal report may be periodically updated throughout the reorganization process as needed, and, in accordance with the applicable regulations, there will be at least one updated appraisal document prepared at the closing of the minority stock offering to determine the number of shares to be issued. In the event of a syndicated community offering it may be necessary to file an update in conjunction with the close of the subscription offering and before the pricing phase in the syndicated community offering. In the event of a syndicated community offering, RP Financial will participate in the various all hands calls regarding the offering results, pricing discussions and timing.

RP Financial agrees to deliver the original appraisal and subsequent updates, in writing, to the Bank at the above address in conjunction with the filing of the regulatory application. Subsequent updates will be filed promptly as certain events occur which would warrant the preparation and filing of such valuation updates. Further, RP Financial agrees to perform such other services as are necessary or required in connection with the regulatory review of the appraisal and respond to the regulatory comments, if any, regarding the valuation appraisal and subsequent updates. RP Financial will also prepare the pro forma presentations for inclusion in the prospectus, reflecting the original appraisal and subsequent updates, as appropriate.

RP Financial expects to formally present the appraisal report, including the appraisal methodology, peer group selection and assumptions, to the Board of Directors of the Bank (the “Board”) for review and consideration. If appropriate, RP Financial will present subsequent updates to the Board. It is understood that this appraisal may be presented either in person or telephonically.

Fee Structure and Payment Schedule

The Bank agrees to pay RP Financial a fixed fee of $67,500 for preparation and delivery of the original appraisal report and $7,500 for each subsequent update, plus reimbursable expenses. Payment of these fees shall be made according to the following schedule:

 

   

$10,000 upon execution of this letter of agreement engaging RP Financial’s appraisal services;

 

   

$57,500 upon delivery of the completed original appraisal report; and,

 

   

$7,500 for each valuation update that may be required, provided that the transaction is not delayed for reasons described below. It is anticipated that there will be at least one appraisal update report, specifically the update to be prepared in conjunction with the completion of the stock offering.

The Bank will reimburse RP Financial for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in preparation of the original appraisal and subsequent updates. Such out-of-pocket expenses will likely include travel, printing, shipping, reasonable counsel fees, computer and data services, and


Joseph F. Coccaro

June 18, 2019

Page 3

 

will not exceed $2,000 in the aggregate, excluding travel expenses, without the Bank’s authorization to exceed this level. Travel expenses will be invoiced as incurred.

In the event the Bank shall, for any reason, discontinue the conversion prior to delivery of the completed documents set forth above and payment of the respective progress payment fees, the Bank agrees to compensate RP Financial according to RP Financial’s standard billing rates for consulting services based on accumulated and verifiable time expenses, not to exceed the respective fee and expense caps noted above, after giving full credit to the initial retainer fee. RP Financial’s standard billing rates range from $125 per hour for research associates to $450 per hour for managing directors.

If during the course of the proposed transaction, unforeseen events occur so as to materially change the nature or the work content of the services described in this contract, the terms of said contract shall be subject to renegotiation by the Bank and RP Financial. Such unforeseen events shall include, but not be limited to, material changes to the structure of the transaction such as inclusion of a simultaneous business combination transaction, material changes in the applicable regulations, appraisal guidelines or processing procedures as they relate to appraisals, material changes in management or procedures, operating policies or philosophies, or excessive delays or suspension of processing of applications by the regulators such that completion of the transaction requires the preparation by RP Financial of a new appraisal.

Covenants, Representations and Warranties

The Bank and RP Financial agree to the following:

1. The Bank agrees to make available or to supply to RP Financial such information with respect to its business and financial condition as RP Financial may reasonably request in order to provide the aforesaid valuation. Such information heretofore or hereafter supplied or made available to RP Financial shall include, but not be limited to: annual audited and unaudited internal financial statements and management reports, business plans and budgets, periodic regulatory filings and material agreements, debt instruments, off balance sheet assets or liabilities, commitments and contingencies, and other corporate books and records. All information provided by the Bank to RP Financial shall remain strictly confidential (unless such information is otherwise made available to the public), and if the MHC reorganization and minority stock offering is not consummated, or the services of RP Financial are terminated hereunder, RP Financial shall promptly return to the Bank the original and any copies of such information.

2. RP Financial represents that it will comply with any and all federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances governing or relating to the privacy, security, confidentiality or integrity of personal information, data, and confidential information (“Privacy Laws”). RP Financial shall implement such physical, administrative and technical safeguards as shall be necessary to ensure the security and confidentiality of any personal information, data, and confidential information it receives, including maintaining written policies and procedures detailing its compliance with any applicable Privacy Laws. Such written policies and procedures shall be made available to the Bank for review upon request. The Bank represents and warrants to RP Financial that any information provided to RP Financial does not and will not, to the best of the Bank’s knowledge, at the times it is provided to RP Financial, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or in response to informational requests by RP Financial fail to state a material fact


Joseph F. Coccaro

June 18, 2019

Page 4

 

necessary to make the statements therein not false or misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made.

3. (a) The Bank agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless RP Financial, any affiliates of RP Financial, the respective members, officers, agents and employees of RP Financial or their successors and assigns who act for or on behalf of RP Financial in connection with the services called for under this agreement (hereinafter referred to as “RP Financial”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and all losses and expenses in connection with claims under the federal securities laws) attributable to (i) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the financial statements or other information furnished or otherwise provided by the Bank to RP Financial, either orally or in writing; (ii) the omission of a material fact from the financial statements or other information furnished or otherwise made available by the Bank to RP Financial; or (iii) any action or omission to act by the Bank, or the Bank’s respective officers, directors, employees or agents, which action or omission is undertaken in bad faith or is negligent. The Bank will be under no obligation to indemnify RP Financial hereunder if a court determines that RP Financial was negligent or acted in bad faith with respect to any actions or omissions of RP Financial related to a matter for which indemnification is sought hereunder. Reasonable time devoted by RP Financial to situations for which RP Financial is deemed entitled to indemnification hereunder, shall be an indemnifiable cost payable by the Bank at the normal hourly professional rate chargeable by such employee.

Notwithstanding anything in this agreement to the contrary, RP Financial shall notify the Bank immediately via telephone, to be followed up in writing, of any actual, suspected or threatened security breach or incident involving confidential information, and shall cooperate fully in investigating and responding to each successful or attempted security breach. RP Financial will defend, indemnify and hold the Bank harmless from and against all third party claims, losses, damages and liabilities arising out of a security breach and shall pay for all costs associated with responding to such breach, including without limitation, all legal, forensic, public relations, consultancy and other expert fees incurred by Bank, the costs of any and all notifications that Bank sends to individuals whose information was affected by any incident, and the cost of an annual credit monitoring services subscription for all such individuals.

(b) RP Financial shall give written notice to the Bank of such claim or facts within thirty days of the assertion of any claim or discovery of material facts upon which RP Financial intends to base a claim for indemnification hereunder, including the name of counsel that RP Financial intends to engage in connection with any indemnification related matter. In the event the Bank elects, within seven days of the receipt of the original notice thereof, to contest such claim by written notice to RP Financial, the Bank shall not be obligated to make payments under Section 3(c), but RP Financial will be entitled to be paid any amounts payable by the Bank hereunder within five days after the final non-appealable determination of such contest either by written acknowledgement of the Bank or a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction or alternative adjudication forum, unless it is determined in accordance with Section 3(c) hereof that RP Financial is not entitled to indemnity hereunder. If the Bank does not so elect to contest a claim for indemnification by RP Financial hereunder, RP Financial shall (subject to the Bank’s receipt of the written statement and undertaking under Section 3(c) hereof) be paid promptly and in any event within thirty days after receipt by the Bank of detailed billing statements or invoices for which RP Financial is entitled to reimbursement under Section 3(c) hereof.


Joseph F. Coccaro

June 18, 2019

Page 5

 

(c) Subject to the Bank’s right to contest under Section 3(b) hereof, the Bank shall pay for or reimburse the reasonable expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by RP Financial in advance of the final disposition of any proceeding within thirty days of the receipt of such request if RP Financial furnishes the Bank: (1) a written statement of RP Financial’s good faith belief that it is entitled to indemnification hereunder; (2) a written undertaking to repay the advance if it ultimately is determined in a final, non-appealable adjudication of such proceeding that it or he is not entitled to such indemnification; and, (3) a detailed invoice of the expenses for which reimbursement is sought.

(d) In the event the Bank does not pay any indemnified loss or make advance reimbursements of expenses in accordance with the terms of this agreement, RP Financial shall have all remedies available at law or in equity to enforce such obligation.

This agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the Bank and RP Financial concerning the subject matter addressed herein, and such contract shall be governed and construed in accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia. This agreement may not be modified, supplemented or amended except by written agreement executed by both parties.

The Bank and RP Financial are not affiliated, and neither the Bank nor RP Financial has an economic interest in, or is held in common with, the other and has not derived a significant portion of its gross revenues, receipts or net income for any period from transactions with the other. RP Financial represents and warrants that it is not aware of any fact or circumstance that would cause it not to be “independent” within the meaning of the regulations of the federal banking agencies or otherwise prohibit or restrict in anyway RP Financial from serving in the role of independent appraiser for the Bank.

*******************************

Please acknowledge your agreement to the foregoing by signing as indicated below and returning to RP Financial a signed copy of this letter, together with the engagement fee of $10,000.

 

Sincerely,

 

LOGO

 

Director

 

Agreed To and Accepted By:   /s/ Joseph Coccaro
  President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Upon Authorization of the Board of Directors of:    Bogota Savings Bank   
   Teaneck, New Jersey   

 

Date Executed:  

July 9, 2019

 

Exhibit 99.2

 

LOGO

September 9, 2019

Board of Directors

Bogota Financial, MHC

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

 

Re:

Plan of Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance

Bogota Financial, MHC

Bogota Financial Corp.

Bogota Savings Bank

Members of the Boards of Directors:

All capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this letter have the meanings given such terms in the Plan of Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance (the “Plan”) adopted by the Board of Directors of Bogota Savings Bank, a state-chartered savings bank. Pursuant to the Plan, Bogota Financial Corp. (the “Company”) will issue a majority of its common stock to Bogota Financial, MHC, a New Jersey mutual holding company, and sell a minority of its common stock to the public.

We understand that in accordance with the Plan, subscription rights to purchase shares of common stock in the Company are to be issued to: (1) Eligible Account Holders; (2) Tax-Qualified Plans; (3) Supplemental Eligible Account Holders; and, (4) Other Depositors. Based solely upon our observation that the subscription rights will be available to such parties without cost, will be legally non-transferable and of short duration, and will afford such parties the right only to purchase shares of common stock at the same price as will be paid by members of the general public in the community or syndicated offerings but without undertaking any independent investigation of state or federal law or the position of the Internal Revenue Service with respect to this issue, we are of the belief that, as a factual matter:

 

  (1)

the subscription rights will have no ascertainable market value; and,

 

  (2)

the price at which the subscription rights are exercisable will not be more or less than the pro forma market value of the shares upon issuance.

Changes in the local and national economy, the legislative and regulatory environment, the stock market, interest rates, and other external forces (such as natural disasters or significant world events) may occur from time to time, often with great unpredictability and may materially impact the value of thrift stocks as a whole or the Company’s value alone. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that persons who subscribe to shares of common stock in the subscription offering will thereafter be able to buy or sell such shares at the same price paid in the subscription offering.

 

Sincerely,
LOGO
RP Financial, LC.

 

 

 

4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600    Telephone: (703) 528-1700
Arlington, VA 22203    Fax No.: (703) 528-1788
www.rpfinancial.com    Toll-Free No.: (866) 723-0594
   E-Mail: mail@rpfinancial.com

Exhibit 99.3

 

LOGO

Dated as of August 23, 2019

 

LOGO

4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600

Arlington, Virginia 22203

703.528.1700

rpfinancial.com


LOGO

August 23, 2019

Board of Directors

Bogota Savings Bank

819 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, New Jersey 07666

Members of the Board of Directors:

At your request, we have completed and hereby provide an independent appraisal (“Appraisal”) of the estimated pro forma market value of the common stock which is to be issued in connection with the stock issuance transaction described below.

This Appraisal is furnished pursuant to the requirements stipulated in the Code of Federal Regulations and has been prepared in accordance with the “Guidelines for Appraisal Reports for the Valuation of Savings and Loan Associations Converting from Mutual to Stock Form of Organization” (the “Valuation Guidelines”) as originally issued by the Office of Thrift Supervision (“OTS”) and accepted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance (the “Department”), and applicable regulatory interpretations thereof.

Description of Plan of Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance

The Board of Directors of Bogota Savings Bank (“Bogota” or the “Bank”) adopted the Plan of Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance (the “Plan”). Pursuant to the Plan, Bogota will reorganize into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form of organization. In connection with the Plan, Bogota has organized a new Maryland stock holding company named Bogota Financial Corp. (“Bogota Financial” or the “Company”), which will issue a majority of its common stock to a newly-formed mutual holding company, named Bogota Financial, MHC (the “MHC”) and sell a minority of its common stock to the public. When the reorganization and minority stock offering are completed, all of the outstanding capital stock of Bogota will be owned by Bogota Financial. The MHC will own a controlling interest in the Company of 55% and the Company will a subsidiary of the MHC.

Bogota Financial will offer its common stock in a subscription offering to Eligible Account Holders, Tax-Qualified Plans, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors as such terms are defined for purposes of applicable regulatory guidelines governing stock offerings by mutual institutions. To the extent that shares remain available for purchase after satisfaction of all subscriptions received in the subscription offering, the shares may be offered for sale to members of the general public in a community offering and a syndicated or firm commitment offering.

 

 

4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600

  

Telephone: (703) 528-1700

Arlington, VA 22203

  

Fax No.: (703) 528-1788

www.rpfinancial.com

  

Toll-Free No.: (866) 723-0594

  

E-Mail: mail@rpfinancial.com


Board of Directors

August 23, 2019

Page 2

 

At this time, no other activities are contemplated for the Company other than 100% ownership of its subsidiary, the Bank, investment of the net cash proceeds retained at the holding company level and extending a loan to the employee stock ownership plan (the “ESOP”). In the future, Bogota Financial may acquire or organize other operating subsidiaries, diversify into other banking-related activities, pay dividends or repurchase its stock, although there are no specific plans to undertake such activities at the present time.

The Plan provides for the establishment of a new charitable foundation, the Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation (the “Foundation”). The Foundation’s contribution will be funded with 2.0% of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock to be outstanding at completion of the offering and $250,000 of cash funded by the net proceeds retained by the Company. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide financial support to charitable organizations in the communities in which Bogota operates and to enable those communities to share in the Company’s long-term growth. The Foundation will be dedicated exclusively to supporting charitable causes and community development activities in the communities in which the Company operates.

RP® Financial, LC.

RP® Financial, LC. (“RP Financial”) is a financial consulting firm serving the financial services industry nationwide that, among other things, specializes in financial valuations and analyses of business enterprises and securities, including the pro forma valuation for savings institutions converting from mutual-to-stock form. The background and experience of RP Financial is detailed in Exhibit V-1. We believe that, except for the fee we will receive for the Appraisal, we are independent of the Bank and the other parties engaged by Bogota to assist in the minority stock offering process.

Valuation Methodology

In preparing our Appraisal, we have reviewed the regulatory applications of the Company, the Bank and the MHC, including the prospectus as filed with the FRB, the FDIC, the Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We have conducted a financial analysis of Bogota that has included a review of audited financial information for the years ended 2014 through 2018 and unaudited financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2019, a review of various unaudited information and internal financial reports through June 30, 2019, and due diligence related discussions with the Bank’s management; Crowe LLP, the Bank’s independent auditor; Luse Gorman, PC, the Bank’s counsel for the stock issuance and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., the Bank’s marketing advisor in connection with the stock offering. All assumptions and conclusions set forth in the Appraisal were reached independently from such discussions. In addition, where appropriate, we have considered information based on other available published sources that we believe are reliable. While we believe the information and data gathered from all these sources are reliable, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of such information.

We have investigated the competitive environment within which Bogota operates and have assessed Bogota’s relative strengths and weaknesses. We have kept abreast of the changing regulatory and legislative environment for financial institutions and analyzed the potential impact on Bogota and the industry as a whole. We have analyzed the potential effects of the stock offering on Bogota’s operating characteristics and financial performance as they relate to the pro forma market value of Bogota Financial. We have reviewed the economic and demographic


Board of Directors

August 23, 2019

Page 3

 

characteristics of the Bank’s primary market area. We have compared Bogota’s financial performance and condition with selected publicly-traded thrifts in accordance with the Valuation Guidelines, as well as all publicly-traded thrifts and thrift holding companies. We have reviewed the current conditions in the securities markets in general and the market for thrift stocks in particular, including the market for existing thrift issues and initial public offerings by thrifts and thrift holding companies. We have excluded from such analyzes thrifts subject to announced or rumored acquisitions, and/or institutions that exhibit other unusual characteristics.

The Appraisal is based on Bogota’s representation that the information contained in the regulatory applications and additional information furnished to us by Bogota and its independent auditor, legal counsel and other authorized agents are truthful, accurate and complete. We did not independently verify the financial statements and other information provided by Bogota, or its independent auditor, legal counsel and other authorized agents nor did we independently value the assets or liabilities of Bogota. The valuation considers Bogota only as a going concern and should not be considered as an indication of Bogota’s liquidation value.

Our appraised value is predicated on a continuation of the current operating environment for Bogota and for all thrifts and their holding companies. Changes in the local, state and national economy, the legislative and regulatory environment for financial institutions and mutual holding companies, the stock market, interest rates, and other external forces (such as natural disasters or significant world events) may occur from time to time, often with great unpredictability and may materially impact the value of thrift stocks as a whole or the value of Bogota Financial’s stock alone. It is our understanding that there are no current plans for selling control of Bogota Financial following completion of the stock offering. To the extent that such factors can be foreseen, they have been factored into our analysis.

The estimated pro forma market value is defined as the price at which Bogota Financial’s common stock, immediately upon completion of the stock offering, would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts.

Valuation Conclusion

Based on the foregoing, it is our opinion that, as of August 23, 2019, the estimated aggregate pro forma market value of the shares to be issued immediately following the minority stock offering, both shares issued publicly as well as to the MHC, equaled $99,489,790 at the midpoint, equal to 9,948,979 shares offered at a per share value of $10.00. Pursuant to conversion guidelines, the 15% offering range indicates a minimum value of $84,566,320 and a maximum value of $114,413,260. Based on the $10.00 per share offering price determined by the Board, this valuation range equates to total shares outstanding of 8,456,632 at the minimum and 11,441,326 at the maximum. In the event the appraised value is subject to an increase, the aggregate pro forma market value may be increased up to a super maximum value of $131,575,250 without a resolicitation. Based on the $10.00 per share offering price, the super maximum value would result in total shares outstanding of 13,157,525. The Board of Directors has established a public offering range such that the public ownership of the Company will constitute a 43.0% ownership interest excluding the issuance of shares to the Foundation. Accordingly, the offering to the public of the minority stock will equal $36,363,510 at the minimum, $42,780,600 at the midpoint, $49,197,700 at the maximum and $56,577,350 at the super maximum of the valuation range. Based on the public offering range and inclusive of the shares issued to the Foundation, equal to 2.0% of the shares issued in the stock issuance, the public ownership of shares will represent 45.0% of the shares issued throughout the valuation range.


Board of Directors

August 23, 2019

Page 4

 

Limiting Factors and Considerations

The valuation is not intended, and must not be construed, as a recommendation of any kind as to the advisability of purchasing shares of the common stock. Moreover, because such valuation is determined in accordance with applicable regulatory guidelines and is necessarily based upon estimates and projections of a number of matters, all of which are subject to change from time to time, no assurance can be given that persons who purchase shares of common stock in the stock offering will thereafter be able to buy or sell such shares at prices related to the foregoing valuation of the estimated pro forma market value thereof. The appraisal reflects only a valuation range as of this date for the pro forma market value of Bogota Financial immediately upon issuance of the stock and does not take into account any trading activity with respect to the purchase and sale of common stock in the secondary market on the date of issuance of such securities or at anytime thereafter following the completion of the stock offering.

RP Financial’s valuation was based on the financial condition and operations of Bogota as of June 30, 2019, the date of the financial data included in the prospectus.

RP Financial is not a seller of securities within the meaning of any federal and state securities laws and any report prepared by RP Financial shall not be used as an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any securities. RP Financial maintains a policy which prohibits RP Financial, its principals or employees from purchasing stock of its client institutions.


Board of Directors

August 23, 2019

Page 5

 

This valuation will be updated as provided for in the conversion regulations and guidelines. These updates will consider, among other things, any developments or changes in the financial performance and condition of Bogota, management policies, and current conditions in the equity markets for thrift shares, both existing issues and new issues. These updates may also consider changes in other external factors which impact value including, but not limited to: various changes in the legislative and regulatory environment for financial institutions, the stock market and the market for thrift stocks, and interest rates. Should any such new developments or changes be material, in our opinion, to the valuation of the shares, appropriate adjustments to the estimated pro forma market value will be made. The reasons for any such adjustments will be explained in the update at the date of the release of the update. The valuation will also be updated at the completion of Bogota Financial’s stock offering.

 

  Respectfully submitted,
  RP® FINANCIAL, LC.
 

LOGO

 

Marcus Faust

Managing Director

 

 

LOGO

 

James J. Oren

Director


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

TABLE OF CONTENTS

i

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bogota Financial Corp

Teaneck, New Jersey

 

DESCRIPTION

   PAGE
NUMBER

CHAPTER ONE         OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

Introduction

     I.1

Plan of Reorganization

     I.1

Strategic Overview

     I.2

Balance Sheet Trends

     I.4

Income and Expense Trends

     I.8

Interest Rate Risk Management

     I.11

Lending Activities and Strategy

     I.12

Loan Originations, Purchases and Sales

     I.17

Asset Quality

     I.18

Funding Composition and Strategy

     I.18

Subsidiary Operations

     I.19

Legal Proceedings

     I.19

CHAPTER TWO         MARKET AREA

Introduction

    II.1

National Economic Factors

    II.1

Interest Rate Environment

    II.4

Demographic and Economic Trends

    II.5

Local Economy

    II.7

Market Area Largest Employers

    II.8

Market Area Unemployment Data

    II.8

Deposit Trends

    II.9

Competition

    II.10

CHAPTER THREE         PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

Peer Group Selection

   III.1

Basis of Comparison

   III.2

Bogota’s Peer Group

   III.3

Financial Condition

   III.6

Income and Expense Components

   III.8

Loan Composition

   III.11

Credit Risk

   III.13

Interest Rate Risk

   III.13

Summary

   III.16

 



 

RP® Financial, LC.   

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ii

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bogota Financial Corp.

Teaneck, New Jersey

(continued)

 

DESCRIPTION

   PAGE
NUMBER

CHAPTER FOUR        VALUATION ANALYSIS

  

Introduction

   IV.1

Appraisal Guidelines

   IV.1

RP Financial Approach to the Valuation

   IV.1

Valuation Analysis

   IV.2

1. Financial Condition

   IV.3

2. Profitability, Growth and Viability of Earnings

   IV.4

3. Asset Growth

   IV.6

4. Primary Market Area

   IV.6

5. Dividends

   IV.7

6. Liquidity of the Shares

   IV.9

7. Marketing of the Issue

   IV.9

A. The Public Market

   IV.9

B. The New Issue Market

   IV.14

C. The Acquisition Market

   IV.15

8. Management

   IV.17

9. Effect of Government Regulation and Regulatory Reform

   IV.18

Summary of Adjustments

   IV.18

Valuation Approaches: Fully-Converted Basis

   IV.18

Basis of Valuation- Fully-Converted/Non Fully-Converted Pricing Ratios

   IV.20

1. Price-to-Earnings (“P/E”)

   IV.20

2. Price-to-Book (“P/B”)

   IV.22

3. Price-to-Assets (“P/A”)

   IV.24

Comparison to Recent Offerings

   IV.24

Valuation Conclusion

   IV.25

 



 

RP® Financial, LC.   

LIST OF TABLES

iii

 

LIST OF TABLES

Bogota Financial Corp.

Teaneck, New Jersey

 

TABLE
NUMBER

  

DESCRIPTION

   PAGE

1.1

  

Historical Balance Sheets

   I.5

1.2

  

Historical Income Statements

   I.9

2.1

  

Summary Demographic Data

   II.6

2.2

  

Primary Market Area Employment Sectors

   II.7

2.3

  

Largest Private Employers

   II.8

2.4

  

Unemployment Trends

   II.9

2.5

  

Deposit Summary

   II.10

2.6

  

Market Area Deposit Competitors – As of June 30, 2018

   II.11

3.1

  

Peer Group of Publicly-Traded Thrifts

   III.5

3.2

  

Balance Sheet Composition and Growth Rates

   III.7

3.3

  

Income as a Pct. of Avg. Assets and Yields, Costs, Spreads

   III.9

3.4

  

Loan Portfolio Composition and Related Information

   III.12

3.5

  

Credit Risk Measures and Related Information

   III.14

3.6

  

Interest Rate Risk Measures and Net Interest Income Volatility

   III.15

4.1

  

Peer Group Market Area Unemployment Rates

   IV.8

4.2

  

Pricing Characteristics and After-Market Trends

   IV.16

4.3

  

Valuation Adjustments

   IV.18

4.4

  

Public Market Pricing (Fully-Conversion Basis) Versus Peer Group

   IV.21

4.5

  

Public Market Pricing (MHC Basis) Versus Peer Group

   IV.23

 



 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.1

 

I. OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

Introduction

Bogota is a New Jersey-chartered mutual savings bank originally organized in 1893. The Bank is headquartered in Township of Teaneck, Bergen County, New Jersey, in northeastern New Jersey across the Hudson River from New York City. The Bank operates a community banking business through its headquarters office, a limited service facility in a senior living center and an operations office, all of which are located in Teaneck, and a full-service branch office in Bogota Borough, Bergen County. The Bank’s office locations are relatively close together in Bergen County, resulting in a deposit base concentrated in Bergen County. The Bank’s primary market area coverage for lending operations expands beyond Bergen County to other counties in northern and central New Jersey, with concentrations of loans in Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Passaic Counties. These counties plus Bergen County account for the location of 84% of the Bank’s total loan portfolio. A map of the Bank’s offices is provided in Exhibit I-1. The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) system, and its deposits are insured up to the regulatory maximums by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Bogota is subject to regulatory oversight and examination by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance as its chartering agency and by the FDIC for deposit insurance purposes. At June 30, 2019, Bogota reported $664.0 million in assets, $504.1 million in deposits and equity of $73.5 million, equal to 11.07% of assets. Bogota’s audited financial statements are included by reference as Exhibit I-2.

Plan of Reorganization

The Board of Directors of Bogota Savings Bank (“Bogota” or the “Bank”) adopted the Plan of Reorganization and Minority Stock Issuance (the “Plan”). Pursuant to the Plan, Bogota will reorganize into the “two-tier” mutual holding company form of organization. In connection with the Plan, Bogota has organized a new Maryland stock holding company named Bogota Financial Corp. (“Bogota Financial” or the “Company”), which will issue a majority of its common stock to a newly-formed mutual holding company, named Bogota Financial, MHC (the “MHC”) and sell a minority of its common stock to the public. When the reorganization and minority stock offering are completed, all of the outstanding capital stock of Bogota will be owned by Bogota Financial. Concurrent with the completion of the public stock offering, Bogota will receive at least 50% of the net stock proceeds and the balance will be retained by the Company, after providing funds to


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.2

 

capitalize the MHC, fund the loan to the employee stock ownership plan and fund the cash contribution to the charitable foundation. The MHC will own a controlling interest in the Company of 55% and the Company will a subsidiary of the MHC. For purposes of this document, the consolidated entity will hereinafter be referred to as Bogota or the Company.

Bogota Financial will offer its common stock in a subscription offering to Eligible Account Holders, Tax-Qualified Plans, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders and Other Depositors as such terms are defined for purposes of applicable regulatory guidelines governing stock offerings by mutual institutions. To the extent shares remain available for purchase after satisfaction of all subscriptions received in the subscription offering, the shares may be offered for sale to members of the general public in a community offering and further, if appropriate, a syndicated or firm commitment offering.

At this time, no other activities are contemplated for the Company other than full ownership of its subsidiary, the Bank, investment of the net cash proceeds retained at the holding company level and extending a loan to the newly-formed employee stock ownership plan (the “ESOP”). In the future, Bogota Financial may acquire or organize other operating subsidiaries, diversify into other banking-related activities, pay dividends or repurchase its stock, although there are no specific plans to undertake such activities at the present time.

The Plan provides for the establishment of a new charitable foundation, the Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation (the “Foundation”). The Foundation’s contribution will be funded with 2.0% of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock to be outstanding at completion of the offering and $250,000 of cash funded by the net proceeds retained by the Company. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide financial support to charitable organizations in the communities in which Bogota operates and to enable those communities to share in the Company’s long-term growth. The Foundation will be dedicated exclusively to supporting charitable causes and community development activities in the communities in which the Company operates.

Strategic Overview

Bogota has been serving Bergen County and northern New Jersey marketplace as a locally-owned and operated financial institution since its founding in 1893. For many years Bogota operated as a traditional thrift institution, originating for portfolio long-term fixed rate residential loans funded with certificates of deposit. In recent years, the Bank has strived to diversify the


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.3

 

loan portfolio into commercial real estate and multi-family real estate loans, along with a much more modest level of commercial and industrial and construction/land loans. The Bank’s products and services are focused on the lending and investment needs of the local retail and commercial customer base as well as households in the market area. Based on the operating history and growth of the Bank since its founding, the Bank has established, to certain degree, its name recognition and overall reputation in the area. In addition, the Bank views itself as an integral part of the local communities served, and thus has historically strongly supported the retail customer base through providing residential loan products.

The Bank’s conservative credit activities were evident in the national recession of 2007-2009, as conservative lending practices resulted in no lending losses, and Bogota remained profitable over the course of the recession and the eventual economic recovery. Since the end of the great recession, the economic condition of Bergen County, the surrounding region and Bogota’s customer base, have improved such that the local market area economy is currently expanding in terms of population. The current management team has been in place for a number of years, directing the operations of the Bank.

The equity from the stock offering will increase the Bank’s liquidity, leverage and growth capacity and the overall financial strength. Bogota’s higher equity position resulting from the infusion of stock proceeds is anticipated to reduce interest rate risk through enhancing the interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities (“IEA/IBL”) ratio. The increased equity is expected to reduce overall funding costs for the asset base. The Bank will be better positioned to pursue growth and revenue diversification. The projected use of proceeds is highlighted below.

 

   

The Company. The Company will retain a portion of the net conversion proceeds. At present, the net funds retained at the holding company level are expected to be initially invested primarily into short-term liquid investments, after providing funds to capitalize the MHC, fund the loan to the employee stock ownership plan and fund the cash contribution to the charitable foundation. Over time, the funds may be utilized for various other corporate purposes.

 

   

The Bank. 50% of the net conversion proceeds will be infused into the Bank as cash and equity. Cash proceeds (i.e., net proceeds less deposits withdrawn to fund stock purchases) infused into the Bank are expected to be deposited as an interest-earning deposit, providing additional funds for reinvestment in earning assets.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.4

 

With the Bank’s enhanced equity position, following the completion of the offering, Bogota intends to continue to pursue the following strategies in order to operate as a well-capitalized and profitable community bank focused on meeting the needs of individuals, small businesses, and community organizations in Bergen County and the related regional market area:

 

   

Continue to focus on residential real estate lending, both first and second position security;

 

   

Emphasize commercial real estate/multi-family lending;

 

   

Increase core deposits, with an emphasis on low cost demand deposits;

 

   

Expand market area coverage through branch or whole-bank acquisitions or fee-based businesses;

 

   

Continue to emphasize operating efficiencies and cost controls, including use of technology;

 

   

Manage credit risk to maintain a low level of nonperforming assets through a strict and disciplined credit culture.

Balance Sheet Trends

Table 1.1 presents the Bank’s historical balance sheet data for the most recent five fiscal years and as of June 30, 2019 reflects data for Bogota as a mutual savings bank. Over this period, Bogota’s total assets have increased at a 4.6% annual rate, with loans receivable, representing the majority of the asset base, increasing at a 5.0% annual rate, a slightly higher rate than assets over the same time period.

Assets have steadily increased since fiscal 2014 as a result of efforts and strategies put into place by directors and management. Funding for such growth consisted of deposits, while borrowings have declined over the past four and one-half years. Newly added funds were directed to various categories within the asset base, including the loan portfolio, which has been maintained at approximately 80% of assets over the time period shown in Table 1.1. Cash and investments have been maintained at sufficient levels for liquidity purposes, while some funds have been placed into bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”). Equity reached $73.5 million at June 30, 2019 or 11.07% of assets. A summary of Bogota’s key operating ratios for the past five years is presented in Exhibit I-3.

A key long-term business strategy of Bogota is to maintain a significant investment in whole loans receivable. As such, the Bank’s loan portfolio totaled $538.1 million, or 81.0% of assets at June 30, 2019, an increase from $431.9 million, or 79.6% of assets as of December 31, 2014. From fiscal 2014 through June 30, 2019, the increase in the loan balance was enabled


RP® Financial, LC.    OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
   I.5

 

Table 1.1

Bogota Savings Bank

Historical Balance Sheets

 

                                                                            

12/31/14-

6/30/2019

Annualized

Growth Rate

 
                                                                          
     As of December 31,     As of June 30,  
     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Pct  
     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     (%)  

Total Amount of:

                                                                              

Assets

   $ 542,379       100.00   $ 563,848       100.00   $ 623,301       100.00   $ 641,142       100.00   $ 665,009       100.00   $ 663,951       100.00     4.60

Cash and equivalents

     17,432       3.21     21,009       3.73     41,492       6.66     22,558       3.52     24,518       3.69     25,139       3.79     8.48

Investment Securities AFS

     22,173       4.09     12,647       2.24     15,009       2.41     11,800       1.84     13,600       2.05     13,340       2.01     -10.68

Investment Securities HTM

     51,286       9.46     50,603       8.97     48,593       7.80     63,761       9.94     70,049       10.53     57,322       8.63     2.50

Loans receivable (net)

     431,911       79.63     456,614       80.98     488,587       78.39     513,590       80.11     526,670       79.20     538,052       81.04     5.00

Bank owned life insurance

     5,026       0.93     7,724       1.37     16,068       2.58     16,548       2.58     17,004       2.56     17,206       2.59     31.45

Premises and equipment (net)

     4,861       0.90     4,698       0.83     4,670       0.75     4,446       0.69     4,657       0.70     4,212       0.63     -3.13

FHLB Stock

     6,372       1.17     6,841       1.21     4,856       0.78     5,403       0.84     4,684       0.70     4,818       0.73     -6.02

Other Assets

     3,318       0.61     3,712       0.66     4,026       0.65     3,036       0.47     3,827       0.58     3,862       0.58     3.43

Deposits

   $ 362,088       66.76   $ 373,843       66.30   $ 477,698       76.64   $ 476,456       74.31   $ 510,293       76.73   $ 504,109       75.93     7.63

Borrowings

     117,254       21.62     122,689       21.76     74,570       11.96     89,231       13.92     74,639       11.22     78,365       11.80     -8.57

Other Liabilities

     6,472       1.19     6,741       1.20     6,690       1.07     7,147       1.11     7,599       1.14     7,988       1.20     4.79

Equity

   $ 56,565       10.43   $ 60,575       10.74   $ 64,343       10.32   $ 68,308       10.65   $ 72,478       10.90   $ 73,489       11.07     5.99

MEMO: AFS Adjustment

     ($259     -0.05     ($374     -0.07     ($414     -0.07     ($350     -0.05     ($317     -0.05     ($276     -0.04  

Loans/deposits

     119.28       122.14       102.28       107.79       103.21       106.73    

Offices open

     2         2         2         2         2         2      

 

(1)

Ratios are as a percent of ending assets.

Source: Bogota SB’s audit reports, preliminary prospectus.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.6

 

though the overall increase in balance sheet funding. The combination of the increase in loans receivable as a percent of assets and the additional use of deposits to fund assets resulted in the loan/deposit ratio decreasing from 119.3% at December 31, 2014 to 106.7% at June 30, 2017.

Bogota‘s investment in loans reflects the Bank’s historical concentration in traditional long-term fixed rate 1-4 family residential loans, along with a level of diversity into commercial real estate and multi-family lending. The 1-4 family residential loan portfolio comprised approximately 72% of total loans as of June 30, 2019. In recent years, the Bank has pursued additional lending in the areas of commercial real estate, construction/land and commercial and industrial loans, resulting in a decline in the 1-4 family residential portfolio as a portion of the loan portfolio. 1-4 family residential loans (1st and 2nd position) were $365.3 million, or 84.6% of loans at December 31, 2014, increasing to $413.5 million or 76.8% of loans at June 30, 2019. The commercial real estate/multifamily lending activities represent a primary part of the Bank’s business strategy to maximize revenue (in terms of yield on portfolio loans) and provide benefits in areas such as interest rate risk. Further, Bogota has recently begun originating construction/land loans (in 2015) and commercial and industrial loans (in 2018) although such loans comprised less than 1% of total loans as of June 30, 2019. Similarly, consumer loans have historically been limited to small amounts of personal loans to consumers.

The intent of the Bank’s cash and investment policy is to provide adequate liquidity and to generate a favorable return within the context of supporting Bogota’s cash operating needs and credit and interest rate risk objectives. Historically, the level of cash and equivalents has remained in the range of 3% to 4% of assets, which has been sufficient for daily operational needs. The ratio equaled 3.79% as of June 30, 2019.

Regarding the investment securities portfolio, as of June 30, 2019 the Bank held investments both as available for sale (“AFS”) and as held to maturity (“HTM”), and the portfolio is managed in concert with the overall asset/liability management policy guidance and to maximize revenue. As of June 30, 2019, securities classified as AFS and HTM equaled 18.9% and 81.1% of total investments, respectively. The investment portfolio consisted of a variety of investment types, including U.S. government agency securities, mortgage backed securities, municipal bonds and corporate bonds, with the AFS portion of the portfolio consisting of mortgage backed securities and corporate bonds. The only other investment security consisted of the required equity investment of FHLB of New York of $4.8 million. The level of cash and investments is anticipated to increase initially following the stock offering, pending gradual redeployment into higher yielding loans. The practice of holding a majority of the investment security portfolio as HTM reflects the Bank’s intent to hold securities until maturity. Details of the Bank’s investment securities portfolio are presented in Exhibit I-4.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.7

 

Bogota owns the corporate office/full service office in Teaneck and the original main office in Bogota. The limited service facility in a senior living center and an operations office, both of which are located in Teaneck, are leased and have minimal investment in fixed assets. The corporate office building accounts for most of the fixed assets investment on the balance sheet. This office, along with investment in the Bogota branch office and the two leased offices (including land, buildings, and furniture, fixtures and equipment), totaled $4.2 million, or 0.6% of assets as of June 30, 2019. The investment in fixed assets has declined somewhat since fiscal 2014 as the existing offices have depreciated in carrying value and there have been no significant investments made in fixed assets.

Reflecting favorable asset quality, Bogota has not recorded a balance of other real estate owned (“OREO”) over the period from 2014 to 2019. Bogota maintains an investment in bank-owned life insurance (“BOLI”) policies, as a source of funding for employee benefit expenses and to provide tax-advantaged income. As of June 30, 2019, the cash surrender value of the Bank’s BOLI equaled $17.2 million or 2.59% of assets.

Since December 31, 2014, Bogota’s funding needs have been provided by retail deposits, borrowings and retained earnings. In contrast to the modest but relatively steady increase in assets, the balance of the Bank’s deposits has increased at a higher pace since 2014, recording an annualized growth rate of 7.6%. As a result of the relative growth in assets, the proportion of assets funded with deposits has increased from 66.8% to 75.9% since fiscal 2014. The Bank maintains a concentration of deposits in certificates of deposit (reflective of the traditional thrift operations), which comprised 80.6% of deposits at June 30, 2019, with this ratio increasing from 67.7% as of December 31, 2016.

Offsetting the faster growth in deposits, the use of borrowings as a funding source has declined over the time period shown in Table 1.1. Borrowings use is generally based on the indicated cost of these funds in comparison to deposits, and the respective term for interest rate risk management purposes, along with the ability to obtain such funds in a timely manner to support the lending and overall growth objectives. As indicated in Table 1.1, borrowings have declined since fiscal 2014 at an annual rate of 8.6%, and totaled $78.5 million, or 11.8% of assets as of June 30, 2019.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.8

 

The balance of equity increased between fiscal 2014 and June 30, 2019 as Bogota recorded consistent profitable operations. Reflecting the combination of this increase in equity and the increase in assets over that time period, the equity-to-assets ratio has remained in the range of 10% to 11% of assets over that time period, and equaled 11.07% at June 30, 2017. All of the Bank’s equity is tangible, and the Bank maintained surpluses relative to all of its regulatory capital requirements at June 30, 2019. The pro forma return on equity (“ROE”) is expected to initially decline given the increased equity position.

Income and Expense Trends

Table 1.2 presents the Bank’s income and expense trends over the past five fiscal years and for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019. The table reveals the Bank has recorded consistently profitable operations over the time period, and profitability has averaged 0.65% of average assets since fiscal 2014. Non-operating items have been substantially limited and consistent only of gains on the sale of investment securities and expenses related to a data processing system conversion in the most recent period. Net interest income and operating expenses represent the primary components of the Bank’s income statement. Other revenues for the Bank largely are derived from customer service fees and charges on the deposit base and lending operations, along with a modest amount of gains on the sale of loans through fiscal 2016. The level of loan loss provisions has remained low reflecting favorable asset quality trends since fiscal 2014.

Bogota’s net interest income to average assets ratio has reflected the impact of market interest rate trends and internal lending strategies over the time period shown in Table 1.2. Net interest income as a percent of average assets has decreased from a high of 2.58% during fiscal 2014 to 1.81% for the most recent 12-month period. The net interest income ratio is impacted by several factors, including: (1) the high proportion of loans on the balance sheet as a percent of assets; (2) the relatively significant fixed rate residential loan portfolio and increasing diversification into higher yielding commercial real estate, construction and non-real estate loans; (3) through 2016, the prevailing low interest rate environment, which kept deposit funding costs low and the increasing interest rate environment since early 2017; and (4) the relatively modest level of non-accruing loans, which would act to reduce the level of interest income recognized. Interest income as a percent of average assets has remained relatively stable in the range of 3.20% to 3.40% since fiscal 2014, with such ratio equaling 3.43% for the 12 months ended June


RP® Financial, LC.    OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
   I.9

 

Table 1.2

Bogota Savings Bank

Historical Income Statements

 

     For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31,     12 Months Ended,  
     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     June 30, 2019  
     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)     Amount     Pct(1)  
     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)     ($000)     (%)  

Interest income

   $ 17,747       3.40   $ 18,179       3.30   $ 19,043       3.20   $ 20,435       3.30   $ 21,986       3.35   $ 22,527       3.43

Interest expense

     (4,308     -0.83     (4,844     -0.88     (6,058     -1.02     (6,525     -1.05     (8,757     -1.33     (10,645     -1.62
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net interest income

     13,439       2.58     13,335       2.42     12,985       2.18     13,910       2.25     13,229       2.02     11,882       1.81

Provisions for loan losses

     (100     -0.02     (75     -0.01     (100     -0.02     (100     -0.02     0       0.00     0       0.00
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net interest income after provisions

     13,339       2.56     13,260       2.41     12,885       2.17     13,810       2.23     13,229       2.02     11,882       1.81

Non-interest income

     163       0.03     323       0.06     476       0.08     615       0.10     614       0.09     564       0.09

Gain on sale of loans

     92       0.02     106       0.02     159       0.03     0       0.00     0       0.00     0       0.00

Non-interest expense

     (6,647     -1.27     (7,160     -1.30     (7,483     -1.26     (7,893     -1.27     (8,316     -1.27     (8,445     -1.29
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net operating income

     6,947       1.33     6,529       1.19     6,036       1.01     6,532       1.05     5,527       0.84     4,001       0.61

Non-operating income/exp.

                        

Gains on sale of securities

     45       0.01     140       0.03     0       0.00     0       0.00     0       0.00     0       0.00

Data processsing contract termination costs

     0       0.00     0       0.00     0       0.00     0       0.00     0       0.00     (368     -0.06

Income before taxes

     6,992       1.34     6,669       1.21     6,036       1.01     6,532       1.05     5,527       0.84     3,633       0.55

Provision for taxes

     (2,769     -0.53     (2,543     -0.46     (2,229     -0.37     (2,630     -0.42     (1,391     -0.21     (876     -0.13
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

   $ 4,223       0.81   $ 4,126       0.75   $ 3,807       0.64   $ 3,902       0.63   $ 4,136       0.63   $ 2,757       0.42

Memo:

                        

Expense Coverage Ratio (%)

     202.18       186.24       173.53       176.23       159.08       140.70  

Efficiency Ratio (%)

     48.54       52.02       54.95       54.34       60.07       67.85  

Return on Average Equity (%)

     4.03       7.01       6.06       5.85       5.85       3.82  

Effective Tax Rate (%)

     39.60       38.13       36.93       40.26       25.17       24.11  

 

(1)

Ratios are as a percent of average assets.

(2)

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) enacted December 22, 2017, reduced the Federal corporate tax rate from 34% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018

 

Source:

Bogota SB’s audit reports, preliminary prospectus.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.10

 

30, 2019. Interest expense as a percent of average assets has increased steadily since fiscal 2014, rising from 0.83% for fiscal 2014 to 1.62% for the most recent 12-month period, reflecting in part the impact of increases in market interest rates since late 2016 by the Federal Reserve. Further, Bogota’s deposit base has a significant proportion in certificates of deposit (“CDs”), which generally carry a higher rate than core deposits. In addition, the use of borrowed funds by Bogota since fiscal 2014 also tends to increase funding costs, as borrowings are in general higher costing funds. The Bank’s interest rate spreads and yields and costs for the past three and one-half years are set forth in Exhibits I-3 and I-5.

Non-interest operating income has historically been a modest contributor to the Bank’s income statement and averaged 0.08% of average assets for fiscal years and 12 months ended 2014 through June 30, 2019 and equaled 0.09% of average assets for the most recent 12-month period. Bogota does not recognize notable levels of fee income from typical sources such as deposit account fees given the concentration of CDs in the deposit portfolio, and the recent increase in non-interest income is from in part the BOLI investment income. For the 12 months ended June 30, 2019, non-interest income totaled $564,000, or 0.09% of average assets.

In fiscal years 2014 through 2016 the Bank had followed a strategy of selling long-term fixed rate residential loans into the secondary market, all on a servicing retained basis. Thus, the Bank recorded income on gains on sale of loans sold. Since fiscal 2017, the Bank has not sold loans, and as of June 30, 2019, the Bank maintained a loans serviced for others portfolio of $15.1 million and a corresponding capitalized mortgage servicing rights of $31,000.

Operating expenses represent the other major component of the Bank’s income statement, and as shown in Table 1.2, such expenses have remained relatively stable as a percent of average assets and have increased in dollar amount since 2014. Total operating expenses equaled $8.4 million, or 1.29% of average assets during the 12 months ended June 30, 2019. The Bank benefits from the operation of only two full-service offices, which minimizes personnel and other operating costs, particularly in relation to the overall asset size of the Bank. The increase in the dollar amount of operating expenses since 2014 reflects general inflation costs, the overall costs of operations and increases in compensation/benefits for employees to staff the various operating departments of the Bank, including the lending operations, along with higher data processing costs. Additional pressure on increasing operating expenses may include higher data processing and marketing costs as the Bank attempts to continue to grow the balance sheet and loan portfolio. Upward pressure will be placed on the Bank’s expense ratio following the stock offering, due to expenses associated with operating as a publicly-traded company, including expenses related to the stock benefit plans, auditing and legal costs.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.11

 

The trends in the net interest income and operating expense ratios since fiscal 2014 have caused the expense coverage ratio (net interest income divided by operating expenses) to decrease gradually from a high of 202.2% in fiscal 2014 to 140.7% for the period ending June 30, 2019 as the operating expense ratio has remained relatively stable while the net interest income ratio has declined. Also reflecting a similar trend, Bogota’s efficiency ratio (operating expenses as a percent of the sum of net interest income and other operating income, including mortgage banking income) has increased from 48.5% for fiscal 2014 to 67.9% for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019.

As noted earlier, loan loss provisions have had a modest impact on the income statement as Bogota has maintained favorable asset quality ratios and recorded limited asset charge offs. Loan loss provisions have averaged $62,500 over the time period in Table 1.2, and there were zero loan loss provisions booked for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019. As of June 30, 2019, the ALLL equaled 164.17% of non-performing loans and 0.38% of total loans receivable. Exhibit I-6 sets forth the Bank’s allowance for loan loss activity during the past five and one-half years.

Non-operating items have had a minimal impact on the Bank’s income statement since fiscal 2014 and have consisted of gains on the sale of investment securities in 2014 through 2016, and expenses related to a data processing system conversion in the most recent period.

Bogota’s effective tax rate was in the range of 35% to 40% through fiscal 2017, reflecting the marginal federal and state tax rates and offset for certain items, including the tax-advantaged income from the BOLI investment. For fiscal 2018 and the most recent 12 months, the Bank recorded tax rates of approximately 25%. In 2018, the Bank’s marginal effective statutory federal tax declined to 21% pursuant to federal tax law changes and the overall marginal effective tax rate is currently 26.50%, and this is the rate utilized to calculate the net reinvestment benefit from the offering proceeds.

Interest Rate Risk Management

Bogota’s balance sheet is liability-sensitive in the shorter-term and, thus, the net interest margin will typically be unfavorably affected during periods of rising and higher interest rates. Bogota measures its interest rate risk exposure by use of the net portfolio value of equity (“NPV”) methodology, which provides an analysis of estimated changes in the Bank’s NPV under the assumed instantaneous changes in the U.S. treasury yield curve. Utilizing figures as of June 30, 2019, based on a 2.0% instantaneous and sustained increase in interest rates, the NPV model indicates that the Bank’s NPV would decrease by 23.0% (see Exhibit I-7).


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.12

 

The Bank pursues strategies to manage interest rate risk, particularly with respect to seeking to limit the repricing mismatch between interest rate sensitive assets and liabilities. The Bank manages interest rate risk from the asset side of the balance sheet through diversifying into other types of lending beyond 1-4 family permanent fixed rate mortgage loans such as originating commercial real estate, commercial business and construction/land loans, all of which have shorter terms to repricing or maturity, and carry higher interest rates. On the liability side of the balance sheet, management of interest rate risk has been pursued through attempting to retain the balance of deposits in lower cost and less interest rate sensitive transaction and savings accounts and attempting to lengthen the term-to-maturity of the CD portfolio. The Bank has also lengthened the term-to-maturity of the borrowings portfolio, to the extent possible. Core deposits, which consist of transaction and savings accounts, comprised 19.4% of the Bank’s deposits at June 30, 2019. As of December 31, 2017, of the Bank’s total loans due after December 31, 2018, ARM loans comprised 13.9% of those loans (see Exhibit I-8). In addition, the Bank maintains a notable balance of cash and cash equivalents, which provide for short-term to maturity funds on the balance sheet. Finally, the Bank maintains an equity position of over 11% of assets, representing interest-free funds that can be used to fund earning assets. The infusion of stock proceeds will serve to further limit the Bank’s interest rate risk exposure, as most of the net proceeds will be redeployed into interest-earning assets and the increase in the Bank’s equity will lessen the proportion of interest rate sensitive liabilities funding assets.

There are numerous limitations inherent in interest rate risk analyses such as the credit risk of Bank’s loans pursuant to changing interest rates. Additionally, such analyses do not measure the impact of changing spread relationships, as interest rates among various asset and liability accounts rarely move in tandem, as the shape of the yield curve for various types of assets and liabilities is constantly changing in response to investor perceptions and economic events and circumstances.

Lending Activities and Strategy

Bogota operates two principal lending activities: (1) the origination of 1-4 family residential first and second position mortgage loans, originated for retention in portfolio; and, (2) commercial real estate and multifamily lending as part of a commercial lending focus. In recent periods,


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.13

 

Bogota has also begun originating commercial and industrial and construction/land loans in an effort to diversify its overall loan portfolio, shorten the term-to-maturity or repricing, and increase the overall yield earned on loans. Details of the Bank’s loan portfolio composition are shown in Exhibit I-9, while Exhibit I-10 provides details of the Bank’s loan portfolio by contractual maturity date.

Residential Real Estate Lending

Bogota’s historical lending focus has been the origination of first position fixed-rate 1-4 family residential real estate loans. Loans are originated for portfolio as the Bank has not sold loans in the last several years. As of June 30, 2019, residential first position mortgage loans equaled $386.2 million, or 71.5% of total loans, with adjustable rate loans totaling approximately 19% of total residential first mortgage loans. As shown in Exhibit I-9, while the balance of first position residential mortgage loans has increased since December 31, 2014, other loan types have grown in balance at a higher rate, given the higher focus on other lending activities.

Bogota’s first mortgage loans are generally underwritten to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae origination guidelines and thus are deemed to be “conforming” loans. Most of the 1-4 family mortgage loans are secured by residences in the Bergen Country market surrounding the office locations, along with contiguous counties and other counties in northern and central New Jersey. Loan-to-value ratios (“LTV”) of mortgage loans are generally limited to 80% LTV or the purchase price, whichever is lower, or a ratio of 90% if the loans carry private mortgage insurance. LTV ratios for condominiums or townhouses are limited to 75%. Fixed rate 1-4 family residential real estate loans typically have terms of up to 30 years, while adjustable rate loans have an initial fixed interest rate period of one to ten years, followed by annual adjustments to the interest rate, with a 2% period cap on changes in interest rates and a 5% lifetime interest rate cap. Interest rates are generally based on U.S. Treasury rates of a similar term. Bogota does not offer “interest only” “negative amortization”, subprime or Alt-A loans, which have higher risk underwriting characteristics.

Commercial Real Estate/Multi-Family Lending

As of June 30, 2019, commercial real estate/multi-family loans totaled $120.8 million, or 22.4% of the total loan portfolio, versus $68.4 million, or 15.8% of loans as of December 31, 2014. The balances of these loans have been trending upward in recent years due to the Bank’s focus to diversify its loan portfolio and increase yield. These types of loans are attractive credits given the higher yields, larger balances, shorter duration and prospective relationship potential.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.14

 

Commercial real estate loans (“CRE”) totaled $64.8 million as of June 30, 2019, with 43% of such loans secured by owner-occupied property. The Bank generally originates CRE loans with maximum terms of 10 years based on a 25-year amortization schedule, and loan-to-value ratios of up to 70% of the appraised value of the property for loans that are originated in-house and 60% of the appraised value of the property for loans received from brokers. A number of loan brokers are used as loan sources for CRE loans. Such loans typically have fixed rates or an adjustable rate which generally adjusts every three, five, seven and ten years that is indexed to the Federal Home Loan Bank advance rate, plus a margin, subject to an interest rate floor. All CRE loans are subject to underwriting procedures and guidelines, including requesting borrowers to have three months of operating expenses and loan payment reserves in a liquid account.

These loans are generally priced at a higher rate of interest, have larger balances and involve a greater risk profile than 1-4 residential mortgage loans. Often the payments on commercial real estate loans are dependent on successful operations and management of the property. When originating commercial real estate loans, the Bank evaluates the qualifications and financial condition of the borrower, as well as the value and condition of the property securing the loan. The Bank will also generally require and obtain personal guarantees from the principals. The commercial real estate loans are generally secured by office buildings, industrial facilities, retail facilities and other types of commercial property, and 1-4 family owner-occupied and non-owner occupied investment properties in the primary market area.

Multi-family loans, which totaled $58.6 million as of June 30, 2019, are typically secured by properties consisting of five or more rental units, with the properties within the lending primary market area. Multi-family residential real estate loans are generally balloon loans, either carrying a fixed rate of interest, or with adjustable rates with terms and amortization periods of up to 25 years. The maximum loan-to-value ratio of multi-family property loans is generally 75% for loans originated in-house and 60% for loans received from brokers. As with CRE loans, when originating multi-family loans, the Bank evaluates the qualifications and financial condition of the borrower, as well as the value and condition of the property securing the loan. The Bank may also require and obtain personal guarantees from the principals, and generally requires a debt service coverage ratio of at least 125%.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.15

 

Construction Loans

Construction loans representing an area of lending diversification for Bogota, begun in fiscal 2015, and such loans totaled $3.3 million, or 0.6% of loans as of June 30, 2019. Construction loans are made both to individuals and builders to finance the construction of 1-4 family residential properties and commercial and multi-family properties located within the general lending market area. The Bank does not originate speculative construction loans, and the Bank did not have any such loans outstanding as of June 30, 2019. Residential construction-to-permanent loans generally are interest-only, with up to a one-year term and are adjustable rate. Upon completion of construction, these loans convert to fixed rate permanent loans. LTV ratios on 1-4 family residential property generally will not exceed 80% of appraised value on completed basis. The Bank originates residential land acquisition loans, structured as two-year interest only balloon loans, with a fixed rate plus a margin. LTV ratios on these loans does not exceed 50% of the value of the land for an unimproved lot and 75% of the value of the land for an improved lot.

Bogota originates commercial construction loans or land acquisition loans which typically involve local developers. Commercial construction loans are interest-only loans that provide for the payment of interest during the construction phase, which is usually up to 24 months. The interest rate is generally a variable rate based on an index rate, typically the prime rate, LIBOR or Treasury rate, plus a margin. At the end of the construction phase, the loan generally converts to a permanent commercial real estate mortgage loan, but in some cases it may be payable in full. Construction loans for the construction of one- to four-family residential developments do not convert to permanent residential real estate loans. Loans can be made with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 75% of the appraised market value upon completion of the project or a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 50% for raw land.

Construction loans generally involve greater credit risk than improved owner-occupied real estate lending. Bogota reviews and inspects each property before disbursement of loan funds, and also requires detailed cost estimates to complete the construction project and an appraisal of the property.

Commercial Business Loans

As part of the strategy of diversifying the loan portfolio, Bogota originates commercial business loans and lines of credit on non-real estate commercial business assets. The Bank originates commercial business loans to small businesses, professionals and sole proprietorships located in its market area. Such lending began in fiscal 2018, and as of June 30, 2019, the Bank had $2.5 million of commercial business loans in portfolio, equal to 0.5% of total loans. Bogota encourages the borrowers to maintain their primary deposit accounts with the Bank.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.16

 

Commercial business loans include term loans and lines of credit and are originated with a maximum amount of $500,000 and secured by accounts receivable, inventory or other business assets. Lines of credit typically carry variable interest rates tied to the prime rate of interest that adjust annually or are tied to an index. Term loans are usually fixed rate loans for equipment and have terms of up to seven years tied to a comparable FHLB of New York advance rate plus a margin and a maximum LTV ratio of 70%. Commercial business loans have greater credit risk compared to 1-4 family residential real estate loans, because the availability of funds for the repayment of commercial business loans are dependent on the success of the business and the general economic environment of the Bank’s market area. The Bank generally considers the financial statements, debt service capabilities, cash flows and the Bank’s history of the borrower, and generally required a debt service coverage ratio of at least 125%.

Consumer Lending (including Home Equity/HELOCs)

To a minor extent, Bogota originates personal consumer loans to individuals who reside or work in the Bank’s market area, including loans secured by second mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit and personal consumer loans. As of June 30, 2019, personal consumer loans totaled $559,000. The Bank offers such loans as a convenience to customers and does not emphasize such loans. These loans help to expand and create stronger customer relationships and opportunities for cross-marketing. Consumer loans have greater risk compared to mortgage loans, due to their dependence on the borrower’s continuing financial stability.

Home equity loans and lines of credit are multi-purpose loans used to finance various home or personal needs, where a one- to four-family primary or secondary residence serves as collateral. The Bank generally originate home equity loans and lines of credit of up to $500,000 with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 70% (75% if Bogota holds the first lien position) and $300,000, with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 80% and terms of up to 30 years. Home equity lines of credit have adjustable rates of interest that are based on the prime interest rate published in The Wall Street Journal, plus a margin, and reset monthly. Home equity lines of credit are secured by residential real estate in a first or second lien position.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.17

 

Loan Originations, Purchases and Sales

All lending activities are conducted by bank personnel located at the office locations, underwritten pursuant to bank policies and procedures. Loan sources typically include loan officers, marketing efforts, the existing customer base, walk-in customers and referrals from real estate brokers, builders and attorneys.

As a supplement to the in-house loan originations of one- to four-family residential real estate loans, beginning in 2013, the Bank entered into agreements with unaffiliated mortgage banking companies as a source for additional loans. Bogota currently has five such broker relationships. Loans provided by the brokers are funded by the mortgage broker and then sold to Bogota after completion of an internal underwriting analysis. The Bank uses the same parameters in evaluating these loans as is done for in-hose originations of one- to four-family residential real estate loans.

For each purchased loan, the Bank generally pays a fixed aggregate fee as a percentage of the loan balance. For the six months ended June 30, 2019 and for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, Bogota purchased for portfolio $10.0 million, $26.5 million and $11.1 million, respectively, of loans from mortgage brokers. As part of purchasing the loans, the Bank acquires the servicing rights to the loans to best assist the customer relationship. The purchased loans are acquired from these mortgage brokers without recourse or any right against the mortgage banking company to require the loans to be repurchased from us. The fee paid to acquire the loan and servicing rights is deferred as part of the loan balance and amortized over the contractual life of the loan under the interest method. The Bank purchases for portfolio both fixed- and adjustable-rate one- to four-family real estate loans, with maturities up to 30 years with a per loan limit of $1.0 million.

Bogota has historically purchased whole loan packages in the past, including the one- to four-family residential real estate loans described above. However, the Bank purchases participation interests in primarily commercial real estate and multi-family loans. Such loans are underwritten according to the Bank’s underwriting criteria and procedures. At June 30, 2019, the outstanding balances of loan participations where Bogota is not the lead lender totaled $22.1 million, all of which were commercial or multi-family real estate loans.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.18

 

Asset Quality

Bogota’s lending operations include originations of commercial real estate/multi-family, commercial business, construction/land and consumer loans for portfolio, all of which carry a higher risk profile than traditional 1-4 family mortgage lending. Since fiscal 2014 the Bank has recorded a general declining level of non-performing assets (“NPAs”), consisting of non-accruing loans, accruing loans more than 90 days delinquent and performing troubled debt restructured loans (“TDRs”). NPAs have ranged from a high of $4.1 million as of December 31, 2014 to a low of $230,000 at December 31, 2018. At June 30, 2019, non-accruing loans totaled $541,000 and accruing troubled debt restructured loans equaled $687,000, resulting in total NPAs of $1,228,000. The non-accruing loans were comprised of 1-4 family first and second position loans (96%) and consumer loans (4%), while all of the performing TDRs were secured by residential property. Exhibit I-11 presents a history of NPAs for the Bank since 2014.

To track the Bank’s asset quality and the adequacy of valuation allowances, Bogota has established detailed asset classification policies and procedures which are consistent with regulatory guidelines. Detailed asset classifications are reviewed quarterly by senior management and the Board. Pursuant to these procedures, when needed, the Bank establishes additional valuation allowances to cover anticipated losses in classified or non-classified assets. As of June 30, 2019, the Bank maintained an allowance for loan losses of $2,016,000, equal to 0.38% of total loans receivable and 373% of non-accruing loans.

Funding Composition and Strategy

Bogota has traditionally utilized both deposits and borrowings as funding sources. At June 30, 2019, deposits equaled $504.1 million. Exhibit I-12 sets forth the Bank’s deposit composition since December 31, 2016 and Exhibit I-13 provides the maturity composition of the certificate of deposit (“CD”) portfolio at June 30, 2019 for all CDs in excess of $100,000 in balance. CDs constitute the largest portion of the Bank’s deposit base, totaling 80.6% of deposits at June 30, 2019 versus 67.7% of deposits as of December 31, 2016. Checking and savings accounts equaled $65.0 million, or 12.9% of total deposits as of June 30, 2019, versus $95.3 million, or 20.0% of total deposits at December 31, 2016.

Bogota’s current CD composition reflects a concentration of short-term CDs (maturities of one year or less). As of June 30, 2019, the CD portfolio totaled $406.3 million, including $268.6 million of CDs with balances in excess of $100,000. Of the CDs with balances greater than $100,000, 73.6% of the CDs were scheduled to mature in one year or less.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

OVERVIEW AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

I.19

 

The Bank utilizes wholesale funds in the form of municipal deposits and brokered deposits as part of the funding base. As of June 30, 2019, brokered deposits totaled $51.0 million, or 10.1% of deposits, while municipal deposits equaled $37.6 million, or 7.5% of total deposits.

Bogota has historically utilized borrowed funds as a funding source, and such borrowings totaled $78.4 million as of June 30, 2019 with the funds used to support lending activities and liquidity. Additional detail of the borrowings portfolio is presented in Exhibit I-14. These borrowings consisted of FHLB of New York advances with a weighted average rate of 2.51%. The existing borrowings mature over a ladder time frame which is done for interest rate risk purposes.

Subsidiary Operations

Bogota Securities Corp. is a New Jersey investment corporation subsidiary formed in 2014 to buy and hold investment securities. The income earned on Bogota Securities Corp.’s investment securities is subject to a lower New Jersey state tax than that assessed on income earned on investment securities maintained at Bogota.

In 1999, Bogota established Bogota Properties, a New Jersey-chartered limited liability company to secure, manage and hold foreclosed assets. Bogota Properties, LLC was inactive at June 30, 2019.

Upon completion of the reorganization, Bogota will become the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

Legal Proceedings

Bogota is not involved in any pending legal proceedings other than routine legal proceedings occurring in the ordinary course of business which, in the aggregate, are believed by management to be immaterial to the financial condition of the Bank.


 

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OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET AREA

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II. OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET AREA

Introduction

Bogota is headquartered in the Township of Teaneck, Bergen County, New Jersey, in northeastern New Jersey across the Hudson River from New York City. The Bank operates a community banking business through its headquarters office, a limited service facility in a senior living center and an operations office, all of which are located in Teaneck, and a full-service branch office in Bogota Borough, Bergen County. A map of the Bank’s office locations is included as Exhibit I-1 and Exhibit II-1 contains details regarding the office properties.

The Bank focuses on providing personal service while meeting the needs of its retail and business customer base, emphasizes personalized banking services to retail customers and offers an array of deposit services including demand deposits, regular savings accounts, money market deposits, certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts. The Bank’s office locations are relatively close together in Bergen County, resulting in a deposit base concentrated in Bergen County. The Bank’s primary market area coverage for lending operations expands beyond Bergen County to other counties in northern and central New Jersey, with concentrations of loans in Monmouth, Hudson, Essex, Morris, Ocean and Passaic Counties. These counties plus Bergen County account for 84% of the Bank’s total loan portfolio.

Future business and growth opportunities for the Bank depend on the future growth trends of the local and regional economy, demographic growth trends and the nature and intensity of the competitive environment. These factors have been briefly examined to help determine the growth potential that exists for the Bank, the relative economic health of the Bank’s market area, and the resultant impact on value.

National Economic Factors

The business potential of a financial institution is partially dependent on the future operating environment and growth opportunities for the financial services industry and the economy as a whole. In recent years, economic growth in terms of gross domestic product growth (“GDP”) has ranged from a low of 1.6% in calendar year 2011 to a high of 2.97% in calendar year 2018. Annualized GDP growth was 2.9% for calendar year 2018 and 3.2% for Q1 of 2019, indicating continued steady growth for the US economy. The federal tax law changes that went into effect in late 2017 have been cited as one of the reasons for the stronger economic growth


 

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in 2018. The economy has recorded steady job growth in recent years, with an average of 2.5 million jobs added annually over the 2015-2018 time period, indicating a steady and notable growth period. For the six months ended June 30, 2019, a total of 970,000 jobs were added in the United States, reflecting an annualized rate of 1.9 million jobs.

For the six months ended June 2019, the annualized national inflation rate was 1.6%, compared to 2.44% for calendar year 2018 and the 2.13% inflation rate for calendar year 2017, indicating inflation has been kept under control, which is a focus of the Federal Reserve policy. Economists have been focused in recent periods on the national unemployment rate, which has been at levels considered to be “full employment” for approximately one year. The unemployment rate equaled 3.6% as of June 2019, equal to the May 2019 low of 3.6%. Unemployment averaged 3.9% for all of 2018, compared to an average of 4.4% for the 12 months ended December 2017. Longer term impacts on job growth are expected to include the aging of the employment base, further loss of the working age population base as baby boomers begin to retire, an overall slower rate of population growth compared to prior generations, as previously noted, the economy is generally considered to be at full employment level nationally. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates nine times since late 2015 and based on the most recent economic and other data, the Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate by 25bps on July 31, 2019. Limiting market interest rates is expected to remain a focus in order to support continued strength of the economy in general and the housing sector specifically.

In 2018, the major stock exchange indices experienced their first down year since 2015, as the stock markets reacted in part to actions taken by the federal government in terms of international relations, tariffs, and other actions that were thought to negatively impact the national economy. Additional concern was evident about the continued increases in market interest rates by the Federal Reserve and the potential impact on economic growth. Finally, the government’s partial shutdown in late 2018 added to the uncertainty of the national economy. The general equity markets have recovered notably during the first half of 2019, as the expectations for market interest rates have changed to an expected reduction in rates at some point in 2019. Further, there has been little fallout from international trade issues in terms of economic performance, and all indications are that GDP growth in 2019 will remain relatively similar to prior periods. As a result, the general stock markets have recorded strong increases for year-to-date 2019. As an indication of the changes in the nation’s stock markets, on August 23, 2019, the DJIA closed at 25,628.9, an increase of 9.87% since December 31, 2018. On August 23, 2019, the NASDAQ Composite Index closed at 7,751.8, an increase of 16.8% since December 31, 2018. Finally, the S&P 500 index was 2,847.1 at August 23, 2019, an increase of 13.6% year to date.


 

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Such market trends were also evident in banking industry-related stock indices. For the year ended December 31, 2018, the SNL US Thrift index declined by 17.7%, and then increased by 7.7% through August 23, 2019, while the SNL US Bank index declined by 18.6% in 2018 and increased by 4.9% through June 28, 2019. These indexes consist of all banks or thrifts that are listed on major exchanges (NASDAQ, NYSE, NYSE American) that are covered by S&P Global Market Intelligence, with the component companies weighted by market capitalization. The expected reductions in market interest rates by the Federal Reserve are expected to reduce pressure on funding costs and therefore improve profit measures.

Regarding factors that most directly impact the banking and financial services industries, the residential real estate industry has been relatively healthy in recent periods, as new and previously-owned home sales have increased, and residential housing prices have continued to trend upward in most metropolitan areas of the country. Homebuilders continue to report positive trends for new home construction with residential housing starts projected to increase by almost 0.5% in 2019 compared to 2018 and in the range of 3% to 4% in 2020. National home price indices have reached new all-time highs, with the national median home price reaching $277,700 in May 2019 versus a generational low of $169,000 in March 2009.

Based on the consensus outlook of economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal in July 2019, GDP growth was projected to decrease to 2.2% in 2019. The unemployment rate was forecasted to 3.6% in December 2019 and to 3.7% in June 2020. On average, the economists forecasted a decrease in the federal funds rate to 2.15% in December 2019 and to 2.04% in June 2020. On average, the economists forecasted that the 10-year Treasury yield would decrease to 2.38% in December 2019 and increase to 2.46% in June 2020. The surveyed economists also forecasted home prices would rise 4.2% in 2019 and housing starts were forecasted to continue to trend slightly higher in 2019.

The June 2019 mortgage finance forecast from the Mortgage Bankers Association (the “MBA”) was for 2019 existing home sales to increase by 1.0% from 2018 sales and new home sales were forecasted to increase by 7.8% in 2019 compared to 2018 sales. The 2019 median sale price for existing homes was forecasted to increase by 2.0% while new homes was forecasted to decrease by 1.2%. Total mortgage production was forecasted to increase in 2019 to $1.737 trillion, compared to $1.643 trillion in 2018. The forecasted increase in 2019 originations


 

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was based on a 5.8% increase in purchase volume and a 5.5% increase in refinancing volume. Purchase mortgage originations were forecasted to total $1.254 trillion in 2019, versus refinancing volume totaling $483 billion. Housing starts for 2019 were projected to decrease by 1.5% to total 1.231 million. As a result, uncertainty remains about the near term future, particularly in terms of the speed at which the economy will recover, the impact of the housing crisis on longer term economic growth, and the near-term future performance of the real estate industry, including both residential and CRE prices, all of which have the potential to impact future economic growth. The current and projected size of government spending and deficits also has the ability to impact the longer-term economic performance of the country.

Interest Rate Environment

The Federal Reserve manages interest rates in order to promote economic growth and to avoid inflationary periods. Through 2015, a relatively low interest rate environment had been maintained since the great recession of 2007-2009 as part of a strategy to stimulate the economy by keeping both personal and business borrowing costs as low as possible. In more recent periods, the Federal Reserve has acted to increase interest rates somewhat as a reaction to an improving rate of economic growth, a more full-employment situation, and certain indications of increased wages and overall inflation. The increases in interest rates also provides the Federal Reserve with a level of opportunity to impact the economy if needed by having the ability to lower interest rates. Since late 2015, the Federal Reserve has increased its baseline interest rate nine times by a total of 2.25%. On July 31, 2019, the Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate by 25bps, based on recent economic data and trends. There are indications additional rate reductions may be implemented by the Federal Reserve in the coming months.

As of August 23, 2019, the bond equivalent yields for U.S. Treasury bonds with terms of one and ten years equaled 1.73% and 1.52%, respectively, versus 2.63% and 2.69% at December 31, 2018. The inverted yield curve increases the impact on yield-cost spreads for financial institutions, based on the lower yields on longer term assets and the higher costs of shorter-term funding sources. While in many cases asset yields remain under pressure from competitive factors, the recent and numerous increases in market interest rates has caused liability costs to increase as institutions seek funds for lending activities. Institutions who originate substantial volumes of prime-based loans have benefited from the rise in rates as the prime rate has increased from 3.25% in late 2015 to the current 5.25% as of August 23, 2019. Exhibit II-2 presents certain historical interest rate trends for key market rates.


 

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OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET AREA

Page II.5

 

Demographic and Economic Trends

Table 2.1 presents information regarding the demographic and economic trends for the Bank’s market area from 2010 to 2019 and projected through 2024, with additional detail shown in Exhibit II-3. Data for the nation and the State of New Jersey are included for comparative purposes. The size and scope of the market area is evidenced by the demographic data, which shows as of 2019 the Bergen County population was 957,000, as Bergen County is the most populous county in New Jersey. The data also indicates the growth characteristics of the market area, as the State of New Jersey recorded annual population growth of 0.3% over the last nine years, lower than the national growth rate of 0.7%. Bergen County recorded a population growth rate slightly lower than the national rate and twice the state rate, indicating a relatively positive environment in terms of demographic trends. This population growth supports growth potential for financial institutions, given the implied growth of the potential customer base and resulting higher demand for housing and other related products and services. Over the next projected five years, the state and Bergen County are expected to continue these trends, indicating a favorable operating environment for financial institutions.

Changes in the number of households in the market area have generally paralleled trends with respect to population, although at slightly more favorable rates of change. This reflects a national trend towards smaller average household sizes. These growth trends in households also increases business opportunities for community financial institutions such as Bogota.

Table 2.1 provides certain median age distribution figures for the market area, the state of New Jersey and the nation. The data reveals the state and Bergen County contained somewhat older population bases than the nation as a whole, with Bergen County reporting the oldest population base of all comparative data. The population growth indicated above may provide for the addition of a level of younger residents.

Table 2.1 contains data concerning household and per capita income levels, which are important indicators of a market area’s health and attractiveness in terms of housing and economic activity. The 2019 median household income for Bergen County was $109,596, which was notably higher than the state and national averages. The New Jersey state average median


 

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Table 2.1

Bogota Savings Bank

Summary Demographic Data

 

     Year      Growth Rate
(Annualized)
 
  

 

 

 
     2010      2019      2024      2010-2019     2019-2024  
                          (%)     (%)  

Population (000)

             

USA

     308,746        329,236        340,950        0.7     0.7

New Jersey

     8,792        9,043        9,196        0.3     0.3

Bergen, NJ

     905        957        983        0.6     0.5

Households (000)

             

USA

     116,716        125,019        129,684        0.8     0.7

New Jersey

     3,214        3,313        3,371        0.3     0.4

Bergen, NJ

     336        353        362        0.6     0.5

Median Household Income ($)

             

USA

     NA        63,174        68,744        NA       1.7

New Jersey

     NA        82,517        90,362        NA       1.8

Bergen, NJ

     NA        100,667        109,596        NA       1.7

Per Capita Income ($)

             

USA

     NA        34,902        38,568        NA       2.0

New Jersey

     NA        44,235        48,532        NA       1.9

Bergen, NJ

     NA        53,099        57,519        NA       1.6
2019 Age Distribution (%)    0-14 Yrs.      15-34 Yrs.      35-54 Yrs.      55-69 Yrs.     70+ Yrs.  

USA

     18.6        26.9        25.3        18.5       10.7  

New Jersey

     17.9        25.6        26.4        19.2       10.9  

Bergen, NJ

     16.8        23.9        27.4        20.0       11.8  
2019 HH Income Dist. (%)    Less Than
25,000
     $25,000 to
50,000
     $50,000 to
100,000
     $100,000+        

USA

     19.6        21.5        29.2        29.7    

New Jersey

     15.4        16.7        26.2        41.7    

Bergen, NJ

     12.1        13.5        24.1        50.3    

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence.


 

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household income was substantially higher than the national average, given the location of New Jersey along the MidAtlantic region of United States in the New York/New Jersey major metropolitan area, while Bergen County’s higher income levels reflected the location adjacent to the New York City area. Projected annual income growth over the next five years is similar for the comparative areas shown in Table 2.1. Per capita incomes generally tracked the household income data, with Bergen County recording the highest per capita income of all comparative areas. Household income distribution patterns shown in Table 2.1 also provide support for earlier statements regarding the nature of Bogota’s market as approximately 74% of Bergen County households had income levels in excess of $50,000 annually in 2019 while the ratio was 67% for New Jersey and 59% for the national average.

Local Economy

Containing a population base of almost 1.0 million residents, and a location directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan, Bergen County contains a diverse economy with significant economic activity across all economic sectors. As an extension of Manhattan easily reached via the George Washington Bridge, Bergen County has a diverse population base containing many

Table 2.2

Bogota Savings Bank

Primary Market Area Employment Sectors

(Percent of Labor Force)

 

Employment Sector

   New Jersey     Bergen, NJ  
     (%)     (%)  

Services

     26.3     23.1

Education, Healthcare, Soc. Serv.

     23.7     24.0

Government

     4.0     3.8

Wholesale/Retail Trade

     14.7     14.5

Finance/Insurance/Real Estate

     8.5     6.4

Manufacturing

     8.1     15.8

Construction

     5.8     5.1

Information

     2.8     1.7

Transportation/Utility

     5.8     4.9

Agriculture

     0.3     0.8
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     100.0     100.0

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence


 

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nationalities. As shown in Table 2.2, the Bank’s primary market area has an employment base concentrated in services, education/healthcare/social services, manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade. The distribution of employment exhibited in the primary market area is indicative of a relatively diverse economic environment with a level of dependence on manufacturing, which typically has higher overall wages compared to other economic sectors.

Market Area Largest Employers

The significance of the healthcare sector to the local economy is also reflected in Table 2.3, as health care employment accounts for the five largest employers in Bergen County, along with other representation in sectors such as professional services.

Market Area Unemployment Data

Recent comparative unemployment rates for the geographic areas examined are shown in Table 2.4. The unemployment data reveals that the Bergen County unemployment rate is lower than respective statewide and national averages, indicating a relatively strong job market. The low unemployment rate in Bergen County is notable given the population growth recorded, which tends to increase the available labor supply. However, as noted above, a portion of Bergen County residents commute to jobs in New York City or elsewhere, providing additional sources of employment for residents beyond Bergen County.

Table 2.3

Bogota Savings Bank

Largest Private Employers

 

Company/Institution

  

Industry

Bergen County

  

Hackensack University Medical Center

  

Medical Center

Valley Health System, Inc.

  

Healthcare

Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc.

  

Healthcare Services

Express Scripts

  

Healthcare

Quest Diagnostics, Inc.

  

Healthcare Services

KPMG LLP

  

Accounting

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center

  

Medical Center

Englewood Hospital Home Health Care Serv.

  

Healthcare

Unilever Best Foods

  

Food Production

Stryker

  

Medical Devices

Source: ChooseNJ.com


 

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OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET AREA

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Table 2.4

Bogota Savings Bank

Unemployment Trends

 

     Unemployment Rate(1)     Net  

Region

   June 2018     June 2019     Change  

USA

     4.2     3.8     -0.4

New Jersey

     4.4     3.0     -1.4

Counties

                  

Bergen, NJ

     3.8     2.5     -1.3

 

(1)

Not seasonally adjusted.

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Deposit Trends

The competitive environment for financial institution products and services on a national, regional and local level can be expected to become even more competitive going into the future. Consolidation among the bank and thrift industries provides economies of scale to larger institutions, while the heightened availability of investment options provides consumers with attractive alternatives to the deposit products offered by financial institutions. The Bank’s market area for deposits includes primarily other local and regional commercial banks and credit unions.

Table 2.5 displays deposit market trends and deposit market share, respectively, for commercial banks and savings institutions for the state of New Jersey and for Bergen County from June 30, 2014 to June 30, 2018. Deposit growth trends serve as indicators of a market area’s current and future prospects for growth and attractiveness for financial institutions. New Jersey state deposits grew at a rate of 3.9% over the four-year time period shown in Table 2.5. Commercial banks increased deposits at an annual rate of 6.5% in New Jersey, while savings institutions saw their deposits decline at a rate of 5.5%, due in part to acquisitions of savings institutions by commercial banks or charter conversions to commercial banks. Commercial banks continue to dominate the deposit market in New Jersey, with an aggregate market share equal to 83.4% of total bank and thrift deposits in market.

Deposits within Bergen County grew over the four-year period at an annual rate of 6.4%, exceeding the statewide rate. Consistent with statewide trends, savings institutions continue to experience declining deposits in Bergen County. Savings institutions held a similar market share position in Bergen County of 18% as of June 30, 2018.


 

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OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET AREA

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Table 2.5

Bogota Savings Bank

Deposit Summary

 

     As of June 30,         
     2014      2018      Deposit  
            Market     No. of             Market     No. of      Growth Rate  
     Deposits      Share     Branches      Deposits      Share     Branches      2014-2018  
     (Dollars in Thousands)      (%)  

New Jersey

   $ 286,334,000        100.0     3,171      $ 333,967,000        100.0     2,886        3.9

Commercial Banks

     216,778,000        75.7     2,420        278,464,000        83.4     2,293        6.5

Savings Institutions

     69,556,000        24.3     751        55,503,000        16.6     593        -5.5

Bergen County

   $ 43,060,429        100.0     475      $ 55,239,476        100.0     442        6.4

Commercial Banks

     31,112,419        72.3     353        45,336,591        82.1     341        9.9

Savings Institutions

     11,948,010        27.7     122        9,902,885        17.9     101        -4.6

Bogota Savings Bank

     358,525        0.8     4        524,859        1.0     4        10.0

Source: FDIC.

As of June 30, 2018, the Bank maintained a deposit market share of 1.0% in Bergen County, a low market share indicative of the large deposit base within the county. Future deposit gains and market share gains may be likely given the Bank’s low market penetration. Since June 30, 2014, the Bank has increased deposits at an annualized rate of 10.0%. The Bank’s deposit growth rate has exceeded the corresponding county and statewide growth rate, which indicates Bogota has been successful in expanding its deposit market share position.

Competition

Competition among financial institutions in the market area is significant. Among the Bank’s competitors are much larger and more diversified institutions, which have greater resources and offer more products and services than maintained by the Bank. Financial institution competitors in the Bank’s market area include primarily commercial banks, including banks with a national and regional presence. There are also a number of smaller community-based banks and credit unions that pursue similar operating strategies as the Bank. From a competitive standpoint, the Bank benefits from its status of a locally-owned financial institution, longstanding customer relationships, and continued efforts to offer competitive products and services. However, competitive pressures will also likely continue to build as the financial services industry continues to consolidate and as additional non-bank investment options for consumers become available. A total of 50 banking institutions operate in Bergen County.


 

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OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND MARKET AREA

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Table 2.6 lists the Bank’s largest competitors in the Bergen County market, based on deposit market share as noted. Going forward, it will be important to maintain the market share in Bergen County through continuing the strong ties to the community and operational planning to continue deposit and loan growth. Additionally, there is room to expand regionally in the market area based on the relatively positive economic and demographic environment and the current deposit market share maintained.

Table 2.6

Bogota Savings Bank

Market Area Deposit Competitors—As of June 30, 2018

 

Location

  

Name

   Market
Share
     Rank  
          (%)         

Bergen, NJ

   Bank of America, N.A.      15.39     
   TD Bank, N.A.      13.76     
   JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.      10.98     
   Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.      5.15     
   Valley National Bank      4.96     
   Citibank, N.A.      4.79     
   Oritani Bank      4.74     
   Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co.      4.57     
   ConnectOne Bank      4.48     
   PNC Bank, N.A.      3.85     
   Columbia Bank      3.53     
   Bogota Savings Bank      0.95        19 out of 50  

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.1

 

III. PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

This chapter presents an analysis of Bogota’s operations versus a group of comparable banks (the “Peer Group”) selected from the universe of all publicly-traded savings institutions in a manner consistent with the regulatory valuation guidelines. The basis of the pro forma market valuation of Bogota is derived from the pricing ratios of the Peer Group institutions, incorporating valuation adjustments for key differences in relation to the Peer Group. Since no Peer Group can be exactly comparable to Bogota, key areas examined for differences are: financial condition; profitability, growth and viability of earnings; asset growth; primary market area; dividends; liquidity of the shares; marketing of the issue; management; and effect of government regulations and regulatory reform.

Peer Group Selection

The mutual holding company form of ownership has been in existence in its present form since 1991. As of the date of this appraisal, there are 15 exchange-listed (NASDAQ or NYSE) institutions operating as subsidiaries of MHCs. We believe there are a number of characteristics of MHC shares that make them different from the shares of fully-converted companies. These factors include: (1) lower after market liquidity in the MHC shares since less than 50% of the shares are available for trading; (2) guaranteed minority ownership interest, with no opportunity of exercising voting control of the institution in the MHC form of organization; (3) the potential impact of “second-step” conversions on the pricing of public MHC institutions; (4) the regulatory policies regarding the dividend waiver by MHC institutions; and (5) most MHCs have formed mid-tier holding companies, facilitating the ability for stock repurchases, thus improving the liquidity of the stock on an interim basis. We believe each of these factors has an impact on the pricing of the shares of MHC institutions, and that such factors are not reflected in the pricing of fully-converted public companies.

Given the unique characteristics of the MHC form of ownership, RP Financial concluded the appropriate Peer Group for Bogota’s valuation should be comprised of subsidiary institutions of mutual holding companies. The selection of publicly-traded mutual holding companies for the Bank’s Peer Group is consistent with the regulatory guidelines and other recently completed MHC transactions. Further, the Peer Group should be comprised of only those MHC institutions whose common stock is either listed on a national exchange or is NASDAQ listed, since the market for companies trading in this fashion is regular and reported. We believe non-exchange


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.2

 

listed MHC institutions are inappropriate for the Peer Group, since the trading activity for thinly-traded stocks is typically highly irregular in terms of frequency and price and may not be a reliable indicator of market value. We have excluded from the Peer Group those public MHC institutions that are currently pursuing a “second-step” conversion and/or companies whose market prices appear to be distorted by speculative factors or unusual operating conditions. MHCs which have recently completed a minority stock offering have been excluded as well, due to the lack of a seasoned trading history and insufficient quarterly financial data that includes the impact of the offering proceeds. The universe of all publicly-traded savings institutions is included as Exhibit III-1.

Basis of Comparison

This appraisal includes two sets of financial data and ratios for the Peer Group institutions. The first set of financial data reflects the actual book value, earnings, assets and operating results reported by the Peer Group institutions in its public filings inclusive of the minority ownership interest outstanding to the public. The second set of financial data, discussed at length in the following chapter, places the Peer Group institutions on equal footing by restating their financial data and pricing ratios on a “fully-converted” basis through assuming the sale of the majority shares held by the MHCs in public offerings based on their current trading prices and standard assumptions for a thrift conversion offering. Throughout the appraisal, the adjusted figures will be specifically identified as being on a “fully-converted” basis. Unless so noted, the figures referred to in the appraisal will be actual financial data reported by the Peer Group institutions.

Both sets of financial data have their specific use and applicability to the appraisal. The actual financial data, as reported by the Peer Group companies and reflective of the minority interest outstanding, will be used in Chapter III to make financial comparisons between the Peer Group and the Bank. The differences between the Peer Group’s reported financial data and the financial data of Bogota are not significant enough to distort the conclusions of the comparison (in fact, such differences are greater in a standard conversion appraisal). The adjusted financial data (fully-converted basis) will be more fully described and quantified in the pricing analysis discussed in Chapter IV. The fully-converted pricing ratios are considered critical to the valuation analysis in Chapter IV, because they place each Peer Group institution on a fully-converted basis (making their pricing ratios comparable to the pro forma valuation conclusion reached herein), eliminate distortion in pricing ratios between Peer Group institutions that have sold different percentage ownership interests to the public, and reflect the implied pricing ratios being placed on the Peer Group institutions in the market today to reflect the unique trading characteristics of publicly-traded MHC institutions.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.3

 

Bogota’s Peer Group

Under ideal circumstances, the Peer Group would be comprised of ten publicly-traded New Jersey-based MHC institutions with capital, earnings, credit quality and interest rate risk comparable to Bogota. However, given the limited number of publicly-traded institutions in the MHC form of ownership, the selection criteria was necessarily broad-based and not confined to a particular geographic market area. Of the 15 publicly-traded MHC institutions, four of such companies have completed their MHC first step conversion offerings within the last 12 months, and thus are not considered to be “seasoned” stocks for use in a peer group. Further, one of the remaining MHC institutions have announced it will be completing a second step reorganization to the full stock ownership. Thus, this institution is also not eligible to be used in a peer group. Thus, given the preference for using MHC institutions in the peer group, we have determined it appropriate to utilize the remaining 10 publicly traded MHC institutions in our peer group. The universe of all exchange listed MHC institutions, inclusive of institutions that are recent conversions or have announced second-step conversions, is included as Exhibit III-2 and Exhibit III-3 provides summary demographic and deposit market share data for the primary market areas served by each of the Peer Group companies.

Unlike the universe of fully-converted publicly-traded thrifts, which consists of 52 companies, the universe of public MHC institutions is small, potentially limiting the comparability of the Peer Group companies to the Bank. Nonetheless, because the trading characteristics of public MHC institution shares are significantly different from those of fully-converted companies, public MHC institutions were the most appropriate group to consider as Peer Group candidates for this valuation. Relying solely on full stock public companies for the Peer Group would not capture to the same extent the difference in current market pricing for public MHC institutions and thus could lead to distorted valuation conclusions. The federal regulatory agencies have previously concurred with this selection procedure of the Peer Group for MHC valuations. To account for differences between Bogota and the MHC Peer Group in reaching a valuation conclusion, it will be necessary to make certain valuation adjustments. The following discussion addresses financial similarities and differences between Bogota and the Peer Group which form the basis of the valuation adjustment in the valuation section to follow.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.4

 

Table 3.1 on the following page summarizes the general characteristics of the Peer Group companies. Although there are differences among several of the Peer Group members, by and large they are well-capitalized and profitable institutions and their decision to reorganize in MHC form suggests a commonality of operating philosophy. Importantly, the trading prices of the Peer Group companies reflect the unique operating and other characteristics of public MHC institutions. While the Peer Group is not exactly comparable to Bogota, we believe such companies form a good basis for the valuation of Bogota, subject to certain valuation adjustments.

In aggregate, the Peer Group companies maintain a higher level of equity relative to the universe of all public thrifts (14.37% of assets versus 10.71% for the all public average), generate lower earnings on a return on average assets basis (0.52% ROAA versus 0.81% for the all public average), and generate a lower return on equity (4.56% ROE versus 6.83% for the all public average). The summary table below underscores the similarities as well as the key differences between all public companies and the Peer Group, particularly in the average pricing ratios between full stock and MHC institutions (both as reported and on a fully-converted basis).

 

     All Fully Conv.
Publicly-Traded
    Peer Group
Reported
Basis
    Fully
Converted
Basis
(Pro Forma)
 

Financial Characteristics (Medians)

      

Assets ($Mil)

   $ 1,258     $ 605     $ 644  

Tang. Equity/Assets (%)

     10.87     14.37     23.59  

Return on Assets (%)

     0.81       0.52       0.61  

Return on Equity (%)

     6.83       4.56       2.39  

Pricing Ratios (Averages)(1)

      

Price/Earnings (x)

     14.09     24.06     34.15

Price/Tang. Book (%)

     116.86     138.82     79.94

Price/Assets (%)

     13.79       23.60       21.45  

 

(1)

Based on market prices as of August 23, 2019.

The following sections present a comparison of Bogota’s financial condition, income and expense trends, loan composition, interest rate risk and credit risk versus the figures reported by the Peer Group. Figures referenced for the Peer Group are on a median basis unless otherwise noted. The conclusions drawn from the comparative analysis are then factored into the valuation analysis discussed in the final chapter.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.5

 

Table 3.1

Peer Group of Publicly-Traded Banks & Thrifts

As of June 30, 2019 or the Most Recent Date Available.

 

                                              As of
August 23, 2019
 

Ticker

  

Financial Institution

   Exchange    Region    City    State    Total
Assets
    Offices    Fiscal
Mth End
   Stock
Price
     Market
Value
 
                              ($Mil)               ($)      ($Mil)  

CLBK

   Columbia Financial, Inc, (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Fair Lawn    NJ      6,981     51    Dec      14.88        1,655  

CFBI

   Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    SE    Covington    GA      308  (1)    2    Dec      10.01        76  

FFBW

   FFBW, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MW    Brookfield    WI      258     4    Dec      9.55        61  

GCBC

   Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Catskill    NY      1,269     17    Jun      26.80        229  

KFFB

   Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)    NASDAQ    MW    Frankfort    KY      319  (1)    7    Jun      7.69        64  

LSBK

   Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Dunkirk    NY      578     12    Dec      14.90        87  

MGYR

   Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    New Brunswick    NJ      633     7    Sep      11.81        69  

OFED

   Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)    NASDAQ    SE    Seneca    SC      512  (1)    7    Jun      22.76        129  

PDLB

   PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Bronx    NY      1,056     14    Dec      13.86        239  

TFSL

   TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)    NASDAQ    MW    Cleveland    OH      14,372     37    Sep      17.56        4,837  

 

(1)

As of March 31, 2019 or the most recent date available.

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.6

 

Financial Condition

Table 3.2 shows comparative balance sheet measures for Bogota and the Peer Group, reflecting the expected similarities and some differences given the selection procedures outlined above. The Bank’s and Peer Group ratios reflect balances as of June 30, 2019 or the latest date available. Bogota’s equity-to-assets ratio of 11.07% was lower than the Peer Group’s average equity ratio of 15.04%. The Bank’s pro forma equity position will increase with the addition of stock proceeds, with such ratio within the range of the Peer Group’s ratio. Tangible equity-to-assets ratios for the Bank and the Peer Group equaled 11.07% and 15.00%, respectively. The increase in Bogota’s pro forma equity ratio will be favorable from a risk perspective and in terms of future earnings potential that could be realized through leverage and lower funding costs. At the same time, the Bank’s higher pro forma equity ratio will depress return on equity. Both Bogota’s and the Peer Group’s equity ratios reflected surpluses with respect to the regulatory capital requirements, with the Bank’s ratios currently lower than the Peer Group’s ratios. On a pro forma basis, the Bank’s regulatory surpluses will be in-line with the Peer Group averages.

The interest-earning asset compositions for the Bank and the Peer Group were similar, with loans constituting the bulk of interest-earning assets for both. The Bank’s loans-to-assets ratio of 81.04% was higher than the comparable Peer Group median ratio of 76.15%. Comparatively, the Bank’s cash/equivalents-to-assets ratio of 3.79% was also higher than the median ratio for the Peer Group of 2.77%. Bogota reported a lower total investment in securities and BOLI of 13.23% compared to a combined median ratio of 14.11% for the Peer Group. Overall, Bogota’s earning assets amounted to 98.06% of assets, which was higher than the comparable Peer Group ratio of 93.03%.

Bogota’s funding liabilities reflected a funding strategy that relied on a similar level of deposits as the Peer Group’s funding composition. The Bank’s deposits equaled 75.93% of assets, which was slightly above the Peer Group’s ratio of 74.83%. Comparatively, the Bank maintained a notably higher level of borrowings, reflecting Bogota’s lower equity position.

Total interest-bearing liabilities maintained by the Bank and the Peer Group, as a percent of assets, equaled 87.73% and 82.35%, respectively. Following the increase in equity provided by the net proceeds of the stock offering, the Bank’s ratio of interest-bearing liabilities as a percent of assets will decline, and likely be similar to the Peer Group’s ratio. A key


RP® Financial, LC.    PEER GROUP ANALYSIS
   III.7

 

Table 3.2

Balance Sheet Composition and Growth Rates

Comparable Institution Analysis

As of June 30, 2019 or the Most Recent Date Available.

 

                    Balance Sheet as a Percent of Assets     Balance Sheet Annual Growth Rates      Regulatory Capital  
                    Cash &
Equivalents
    MBS &
Invest
    BOLI     Net
Loans (1)
    Deposits     Borrowed
Funds
    Sub.
Debt
    Total
Equity
    Goodwill
& Intang
    Tangible
Equity
    Assets     MBS, Cash &
Investments
    Loans     Deposits     Borrow s.
& Sub debt
    Total
Equity
    Tangible
Equity
     Tier 1
Leverage
     Tier 1
Risk-Based
     Risk-Based
Capital
 

Bogota SB

                                                 

December 31, 2018

           3.79     10.64     2.59     81.04     75.93     11.80     0.00     11.07     0.00     11.07     2.36     5.88     3.15     3.83     -8.29     4.99     4.99      11.14      17.50      17.98

Comparable Group

                                                 

Averages

           3.50     13.58     1.72     77.20     73.56     9.76     0.00     15.98     0.53     15.45     5.39     2.75     7.90     6.15     7.00     3.77     3.76      14.42      21.74      22.75

Medians

           2.77     12.17     1.94     76.15     74.83     7.52     0.00     15.04     0.02     15.00     6.04     4.69     8.68     6.17     13.21     2.95     3.09      13.52      18.67      19.55

Comparable Group

                                                 

CLBK

   Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)       NJ      0.78     20.91     2.68     72.38     66.88     16.66     0.00     14.44     0.08     14.36     11.20     16.57     8.68     8.70     25.00     7.08     7.12      12.38      17.11      18.36

CFBI

   Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)    (2)    GA      9.96     7.28     2.37     76.41     73.68     0.00     0.00     24.78     0.00     24.78     6.06     NA       3.90     12.41     -100.00     0.89     0.89      20.11      27.73      28.99

FFBW

   FFBW, Inc. (MHC)       WI      2.09     17.07     2.75     75.47     68.73     6.10     0.00     23.68     0.03     23.65     -2.85     -15.59     0.98     6.74     -58.55     3.18     3.21      19.05      24.49      25.60

GCBC

   Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)       NY      2.55     33.79     0.00     61.90     88.27     1.70     0.00     8.85     0.00     8.85     10.25     8.30     11.54     9.30     19.01     16.82     16.82      8.69      14.53      15.79

KFFB

   Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)    (2)    KY      4.74     2.45     0.78     NA       61.12     17.54     0.00     20.82     4.54     16.28     2.07     NA       NA       0.77     13.21     -1.48     -1.89      22.25      38.45      39.59

LSBK

   Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)       NY      3.77     NA       NA       76.15     79.14     NA       0.00     14.13     0.00     14.13     6.39     NA       15.13     5.82     NA       3.99     3.99      13.38      17.45      18.34

MGYR

   Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)       NJ      1.25     NA       NA       83.20     82.21     7.97     0.00     8.57     0.00     8.57     2.67     NA       5.51     2.37     3.33     7.29     7.29      8.67      11.69      12.67

OFED

   Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)    (2)    SC      2.99     20.01     3.70     70.20     78.98     3.71     0.00     16.99     0.57     16.41     6.02     NA       12.71     5.19     46.15     2.73     2.97      15.46      28.56      29.03

PDLB

   PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)       NY      5.02     2.53     0.00     88.46     75.98     7.52     0.00     15.64     0.00     15.64     9.01     -0.21     9.86     6.53     110.20     -0.83     -0.83      13.65      18.29      19.54

TFSL

   TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)       OH      1.89     4.62     1.50     90.67     60.64     26.67     0.00     11.90     0.07     11.83     3.12     4.69     2.83     3.64     4.61     -1.99     -2.01      10.54      19.05      19.55

 

(1)

Includes loans held for sale.

(2)

As of March 31, 2019 or the latest date available.

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP® Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this table has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.8

 

measure of balance sheet strength for a thrift institution is its IEA/IBL ratio. Presently, the Bank’s IEA/IBL ratio is lower than the Peer Group’s ratio, based on IEA/IBL ratios of 111.77% and 112.97%, respectively. The additional equity realized from stock proceeds will serve to strengthen Bogota’s IEA/IBL ratio in comparison to the Peer Group ratio, as the increase in equity provided by the infusion of stock proceeds will lower the level of interest-bearing liabilities funding assets and will be primarily deployed into interest-earning assets.

The growth rate section of Table 3.2 shows annual growth rates for key balance sheet items, with growth rates for Bogota based on the 18 months ended June 30, 2019, and the Peer Group numbers based on annual growth rates for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019 or the latest date available for the Peer Group companies. Bogota recorded annualized asset growth of 2.36%, lower than the Peer Group’s asset growth of 6.04%. The Bank’s cash and investments increased by an annualized 5.88% over the past 18 months, while the Bank’s loans increased at a rate of 3.15%. The asset growth for the Peer Group was also evident in the higher loan growth, with a corresponding lower increase in cash/investments. Funding of Bogota’s growth was obtained from growth in deposits, offset in part by a decrease in borrowings. The Peer Group recorded higher increases in both deposits and borrowings compared to Bogota.

Reflecting the recent levels of net income, Bogota’s equity increased at a 4.99% annual rate, versus a lower median increase for the Peer Group. The increase in equity realized from stock proceeds will likely depress the Bank’s equity growth rate initially following the stock offering. Dividend payments and stock repurchases, pursuant to regulatory limitations and guidelines could also potentially slow the Bank’s equity growth rate in the longer term following the stock offering.

Income and Expense Components

Table 3.3 displays statements of operations for the Bank and the Peer Group, with the income ratios based on earnings for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019 for the Bank and the Peer Group, or latest 12-month period available.

Bogota reported net income of 0.42% of average assets for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019 somewhat lower than the average net income of 0.52% of average assets for the Peer Group. A lower level of net interest income and non-interest income primarily accounted


RP® Financial, LC.    PEER GROUP ANALYSIS
   III.9

 

Table 3.3

Income as Percent of Average Assets and Yields, Costs, Spreads

Comparable Institution Analysis

For the 12 Months Ended June 30, 2019 or the Most Recent 12 Months Available

 

                             Net Interest Income           Non-Interest Income           Non-Op. Items           Yields, Costs, and Spreads               
                       Net
Income
    Income     Expense     NII     Loss
Provis.
on IEA
    NII
After
Provis.
    Gain
on Sale of
Loans
    Other
Non-Int
Income
    Total
Non-Int
Expense
    Net Gains/
Losses (1)
    Extrao.
Items
    Provision
for
Taxes
    Yield
On IEA
    Cost
Of IBL
    Yld-Cost
Spread
    MEMO:
Assets/
FTE Emp.
     MEMO:
Effective
Tax Rate
 
                       (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     ($000)      (%)  

Bogota SB

                                        

12 Mths. Ended June 30, 2019

          0.42     3.43     1.62     1.81     0.00     1.81     0.00     0.09     1.29     -0.06     0.00     0.13     3.57     1.88     1.69   $ 14,127        -24.11

Comparable Group

                                        

Averages

          0.60     4.07     0.92     3.15     0.08     3.07     0.04     0.29     2.66     -0.01     0.00     0.16     4.63     1.39     3.24   $ 7,021        20.92

Medians

          0.52     4.03     0.97     3.19     0.10     3.07     0.01     0.24     2.72     0.00     0.00     0.16     4.55     1.32     3.33   $ 6,242        21.42

Comparable Group

                                        

CLBK

   Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)        NJ        0.79     3.69     1.17     2.51     0.04     2.47     0.01     0.34     1.78     0.00     0.00     0.26     6.70     2.85     3.85   $ 5,638        24.65

CFBI

   Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)      (2     GA        0.45     4.91     0.63     4.27     0.17     4.11     NA       NA       4.23     0.00     0.00     0.04     5.06     1.11     3.95   $ 3,565        8.65

FFBW

   FFBW, Inc. (MHC)        WI        0.46     4.20     1.01     3.20     0.14     3.06     0.13     0.22     2.72     -0.08     0.00     0.14     4.77     1.46     3.31   $ 6,460        23.91

GCBC

   Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)        NY        1.45     3.85     0.52     3.33     0.14     3.19     0.00     0.70     2.13     NA       0.00     0.29     3.98     0.63     3.35   $ 7,494        16.85

KFFB

   Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)      (2     KY        0.16     3.91     0.93     2.98     0.03     2.95     0.01     0.09     2.86     0.00     0.00     0.03     4.10     1.27     2.83   $ 9,579        13.82

LSBK

   Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)        NY        0.68     4.14     0.79     3.35     0.11     3.23     NA       NA       2.88     NA       0.00     0.10     4.46     1.10     3.36   $ 5,165        12.74

MGYR

   Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)        NJ        0.45     4.18     1.00     3.19     0.11     3.08     NA       NA       2.73     NA       0.00     0.21     4.65     1.37     3.28   $ 6,024        31.72

OFED

   Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)      (2     SC        0.74     3.66     0.61     3.05     0.05     3.00     0.06     0.27     2.43     0.01     0.00     0.17     4.11     0.93     3.18   $ 6,870        18.94

PDLB

   PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)        NY        0.26     4.82     1.10     3.71     0.10     3.62     NA       NA       3.52     NA       0.00     0.13     4.97     1.52     3.45   $ 5,763        33.97

TFSL

   TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)        OH        0.57     3.36     1.45     1.91     -0.07     1.98     0.01     0.13     1.37     NA       0.00     0.18     3.48     1.68     1.80   $ 13,653        23.95

 

(1)

Net gains/losses includes gain/loss on sale of securities and nonrecurring income and expense.

(2)

For the 12 months ended March 31, 2019 or the latest date available.

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP® Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this table has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.10

 

for the Bank’s less favorable reported results, despite of the Bank’s lower operating expense ratio.

Bogota’s net interest income ratio was lower than the Peer Group’s ratio, due to both lower interest income and lower interest expense. The Bank’s interest income is limited by the concentration in 1-4 family residential mortgage loans in portfolio, with more limited diversification into other loan types. Interest expense for the Bank is elevated due to a concentration in generally higher cost CDs, and greater relative use of borrowings. Bogota’s overall yield earned on interest-earning assets, 3.57%, was lower than the 4.55% ratio for the Peer Group. Alternatively, the Bank’s cost of funds was relatively much higher than the Peer Group (1.88% versus 1.32% for the Peer Group). Overall, Bogota reported a lower net interest income to average assets ratio than the Peer Group, at 1.81% and 3.19%, respectively.

In a key area of core earnings strength, Bogota reported a much lower ratio of operating expenses, 1.29% of average assets versus the Peer Group (2.72% of average assets). In connection with the operating expense ratios, Bogota maintained a comparatively lower number of employees relative to its asset size. Assets per full time equivalent employee equaled $14.1 million for the Bank versus a comparable measure of $6.2 million for the Peer Group. On a post-offering basis, the Bank’s operating expenses can be expected to further increase with the addition of the ESOP and certain expenses that result from being a publicly-traded savings institution, with such expenses already impacting the Peer Group’s operating expenses. At the same time, Bogota’s capacity to leverage operating expenses will be enhanced following the increase in capital realized from the infusion of net stock proceeds.

When viewed together, net interest income and operating expenses provide considerable insight into a bank’s earnings strength, since those sources of income and expenses are typically the most prominent components of earnings and are generally more predictable than losses and gains realized from the sale of assets or other non-recurring activities. In this regard, as measured by their expense coverage ratios (net interest income divided by operating expenses), the Bank’s earnings were more favorable than the Peer Group’s, based on respective expense coverage ratios of 1.40x for Bogota and 1.17x for the Peer Group. A ratio less than 1.00x indicates that an institution depends on non-interest operating income to achieve profitable operations.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.11

 

Offsetting Bogota’s advantage in lower operating expenses is the Bank’s lower contribution to earnings from non-interest operating income compared to the Peer Group. Non-interest operating income equaled 0.09% and 0.25% of Bogota’s and the Peer Group’s average assets, respectively. These figures include the impact of gains on the sale of loans, which are assumed to be recurring income. Taking non-interest operating income into account in comparing the Bank’s and the Peer Group’s earnings, Bogota’s efficiency ratio (operating expenses, net of amortization of intangibles, as a percent of the sum of non-interest operating income and net interest income) of 67.9% was more favorable than the Peer Group’s efficiency ratio of 79.1%.

Loan loss provisions had a modest, but larger impact on the Peer Group’s earnings, with loan loss provisions established by the Bank and the Peer Group equaling 0.00% and 0.10% of average assets, respectively. The impact of loan loss provisions on the Bank’s and the Peer Group’s earnings, particularly when taking into consideration the prevailing credit market environment for mortgage-based lenders, were indicative of the asset quality position of the Bank and Peer Group.

For the 12 months ended June 30, 2019, the Bank reported non-operating expense of 0.06% of average assets, from a data processing conversion, while the Peer Group reported zero net non-operating gains or losses. Typically, gains and losses generated from non-operating items are viewed as non-recurring in nature, particularly to the extent such gains and losses result from the sale of investments or other assets are not considered to be part of an institution’s core operations. Extraordinary items were not a factor in either the Bank’s or the Peer Group’s earnings.

On average, the Peer Group reported an average effective tax rate of 21.42%, while Bogota reported an effective tax rate of 24.11%. As indicated in the prospectus, the Bank’s effective marginal tax rate is assumed to equal 26.5% (inclusive of both federal and state corporate taxes) when calculating the after-tax return on conversion proceeds.

Loan Composition

Table 3.4 presents data related to the Bank’s and the Peer Group’s loan portfolio compositions (including any investment in MBS). The Bank’s loan portfolio composition reflected a higher concentration of investment in 1-4 family property secured assets (permanent mortgage loans and MBS) than maintained by the Peer Group (68.99% of assets versus 43.59% for the Peer Group). Both the Bank and the Peer Group reported a similar level of


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.12

 

Table 3.4

Loan Portfolio Composition and Related Information

Comparable Institution Analysis

As of June 30, 2019 or the Most Recent Date Available.

 

            Portfolio Composition as a Percent of Assets                     
            MBS     1-4
Family
    Constr.
& Land
    Multi-
Family
    Comm RE     Commerc.
Business
    Consumer     RWA/
Assets
    Serviced
For Others
     Servicing
Assets
 
            (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     ($000)      ($000)  

Bogota Savings Bank

                        

June 30, 2019

        6.80     62.19     0.49     8.82     9.38     0.38     0.08     63.48   $ 15,117      $ 31  

Comparable Group

                        

Averages

        7.34     45.81     4.92     7.40     16.29     3.79     1.03     66.56   $ 237,861      $ 967  

Medians

        6.66     36.93     4.98     5.63     18.12     3.97     0.31     71.13   $ 3,729      $ 0  

Comparable Group

                        

Columbia Bank (MHC)

     NJ        17.79     32.39     4.21     11.54     20.02     5.17     0.02     70.01   $ 435,521      $ 475  

Newton Federal Bank (MHC)

     GA        3.59     42.01     6.34     0.36     17.51     8.26     6.37     72.24   $ 0      $ 0  

First Federal Bank of Wisconsin (MHC)

     WI        12.04     26.13     6.10     12.05     26.70     5.30     0.10     77.87   $ 0      $ 0  

Bank of Greene County (MHC)

     NY        12.52     29.04     4.32     5.33     17.02     6.31     0.43     59.06   $ 0      $ 0  

First Federal Savings and Loan Association (MHC)

     KY        0.27     75.17     2.27     5.92     5.37     0.03     1.32     55.13   $ 0      $ 0  

Lake Shore Savings Bank (MHC)

     NY        6.35     36.23     4.84     11.43     21.32     2.77     0.18     74.92   $ 19,562      $ 0  

Magyar Bank (MHC)

     NJ        6.98     32.86     5.12     4.38     32.62     8.17     0.78     75.24   $ 7,457      $ 33  

Oconee Federal Savings and Loan Association (MHC)

     SC        9.78     55.63     6.36     0.30     3.66     0.83     1.00     52.64   $ 83,938      $ 868  

Ponce Bank (MHC)

     NY        0.13     37.63     9.52     22.69     18.74     1.08     0.11     73.65   $ 0      $ 0  

Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland (MHC)

     OH        3.91     90.97     0.16     0.02     0.00     0.00     0.02     54.80   $ 1,832,127      $ 8,289  

Note: Bank level data

 

Source:

S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP® Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this table has been obtained from sources we believe are reilable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.13

 

investment in MBS. Bogota reported a smaller portfolio of loans serviced for others compared to the Peer Group average, and lower capitalized mortgage servicing right as a percent of assets.

Diversification into higher risk and higher yielding types of lending was greater for the Peer Group, as the Peer Group reported total loans other than 1-4 family and MBS of 33.01% of assets, versus 19.15% for the Bank. Commercial real estate/multi-family loans represented the most significant area of lending diversification for the Bank (18.20% of assets). The Peer Group’s lending diversification consisted primarily also of commercial real estate/multi-family loans (23.75% of assets), followed by construction/land loans (4.98% of assets). The relative concentration of assets in loans and diversification into higher risk types of loans by the Peer Group translated into a higher risk weighted assets-to-assets ratio for the Peer Group (71.13%) than the Bank (63.48%).

Credit Risk

Based on a comparison of credit quality measures, the Bank’s credit risk exposure was considered to be more favorable to that of the Peer Group. As shown in Table 3.5, the Bank’s non-performing assets/assets (excluding performing troubled debt restructured loans) and foreclosed real estate/assets equaled 0.08% and 0.00%, respectively, versus comparable measures of 0.63% and 0.02% for the Peer Group, indicating an advantage for the Bank. At the same time, the Bank recorded a lower non-performing loans/loans ratio than the Peer Group, at 0.23% and 1.27% respectively. The Bank maintained a higher reserve coverage ratio, loss reserves as a percent of total NPAs, which equaled 164.17% for the Bank versus 75.99% for the Peer Group. Loss reserves maintained as percent of net loans receivable equaled 0.37% for the Bank versus 1.02% for the Peer Group, one area of disadvantage for the Bank. Net loan recoveries or charge-offs were modest for both the Bank and Peer Group, based on ratios of a recovery of 0.01% for Bogota and net chargeoffs of 0.04% of net loans receivable for the Peer Group, indicating a limited level of activities in terms of addressing problem assets.

Interest Rate Risk

Table 3.6 reflects various key ratios highlighting the relative interest rate risk exposure of the Bank versus the Peer Group. In terms of balance sheet ratios, Bogota’s interest rate risk characteristics were considered to be less favorable than the Peer Group. The Bank’s equity-


RP® Financial, LC.    PEER GROUP ANALYSIS
   III.14

 

Table 3.5

Credit Risk Measures and Related Information

Comparable Institution Analysis

As of June 30, 2019 or the Most Recent Date Available.

 

            REO/
Assets
    NPAs &
90+Del/
Assets (1)
    Adj NPAs &
90+Del/
Assets (2)
    NPLs/
Loans (3)
    Rsrves/
Loans HFI
    Rsrves/
NPLs (3)
    Rsrves/
NPAs &
90+Del (1)
    Net Loan
Chargeoffs (4)
    NLCs/
Loans
 
            (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     ($000)     (%)  

Bogota Savings Bank

                     

June 30, 2019

        0.00     0.18     0.08     0.23     0.37     164.17     164.17   -$ 40       -0.01

Comparable Group

                     

Averages

        0.22     1.49     0.95     1.38     1.02     103.28     97.10   ($ 229     0.03

Medians

        0.02     1.02     0.63     1.27     1.02     77.54     75.99    $ 83       0.04

Comparable Group

                     

Columbia Bank (MHC)

     NJ        0.00     0.37     0.10     0.50     1.22     242.66     242.66    $ 2,961       0.06

Newton Federal Bank (MHC)

     GA        0.00     1.02     0.50     1.26     1.70     135.03     135.03    $ 94       0.04

First Federal Bank of Wisconsin (MHC)

     WI        0.03     1.01     0.46     1.28     1.15     89.47     86.58    $ 20       0.01

Bank of Greene County (MHC)

     NY        0.00     0.40     0.29     0.63     1.65     263.74     260.97    $ 455       0.06

First Federal Savings and Loan Association (MHC)

     KY        0.69     4.73     3.19     3.09     0.70     22.51     13.27    $ 72       0.10

Lake Shore Savings Bank (MHC)

     NY        0.13     0.75     0.72     0.81     0.87     107.97     89.21    $ 242       0.06

Magyar Bank (MHC)

     NJ        1.19     2.69     1.84     1.78     0.88     49.65     27.63    $ 0       0.00

Oconee Federal Savings and Loan Association (MHC)

     SC        0.15     0.89     0.89     1.09     0.36     33.11     27.43    $ 35       0.01

Ponce Bank (MHC)

     NY        0.01     1.81     0.96     2.02     1.32     65.60     65.40    $ 275       0.03

Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland (MHC)

     OH        0.01     1.20     0.53     1.30     0.30     23.10     22.82   -$ 6,448       -0.05

 

(1)

NPAs are defined as non-accrual loans, performing TDRs, and OREO.

(2)

Adjusted NPAs are defined as non-accrual loans and OREO (performing TDRs are excluded).

(3)

NPLs are defined as non-accrual loans and performing TDRs.

(4)

Net loan chargeoffs are shown on a last twelve month basis.

 

Source:

S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP® Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this table has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


RP® Financial, LC.    PEER GROUP ANALYSIS
  

III.15

 

Table 3.6

Interest Rate Risk Measures and Net Interest Income Volatility

Comparable Institution Analysis

As of June 30, 2019 or the Most Recent Date Available.

 

                       Balance Sheet Measures                                           
                       Tangible     Avg     Non-Earn.     Quarterly Change in Net Interest Income  
                St.      Equity/
Assets
    IEA/
Avg IBL
    Assets/
Assets
    6/30/2019      3/31/2019      12/31/2018      9/30/2018      6/30/2018      3/31/2018  
                       (%)     (%)     (%)     (change in net interest income is annualized in basis points)  

Bogota Savings Bank

                            

6/302019

       NJ        11.1     111.3     4.6     -1        -17        -12        -6        -19        9  

Comparable Group

                            

Average

          13.9     129.0     5.4     -3        -9        -5        -1        6        0  

Median

             14.1     131.2     4.8     -3        -11        4        -5        3        -4  

Comparable Group

                            

CLBK

   Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)        NJ        14.4     129.6     7.3     -13        -11        9        -7        -1        -5  

CFBI

   Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)      (1     GA        NA       NA       NA       NA        -11        -71        42        13        -3  

FFBW

   FFBW, Inc. (MHC)        WI        23.7     138.4     4.8     6        -13        11        -28        39        -9  

GCBC

   Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)        NY        8.9     NA       2.5     -3        -14        7        6        8        -6  

KFFB

   Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)      (1     KY        NA       NA       NA       NA        -4        2        -8        -4        -14  

LSBK

   Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)        NY        14.1     NA       9.5     -2        -9        7        6        -4        8  

MGYR

   Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)        NJ        8.6     131.2     4.6     7        2        -13        -1        7        -1  

OFED

   Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)      (1     SC        NA       NA       NA       NA        -15        2        -8        -3        -5  

PDLB

   PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)        NY        15.6     133.2     5.4     -7        -12        5        -5        7        28  

TFSL

   TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)        OH        11.8     112.3     4.0     -7        -1        -5        -6        -4        3  

NA=Not Available or change is greater than 100 basis points during the quarter.

 

(1)

As of March 31, 2019 or the latest date available.

 

Source:

S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP® Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this table has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

PEER GROUP ANALYSIS

III.16

 

to-assets and IEA/IBL ratios were lower than the Peer Group, thereby implying a higher dependence on the yield-cost spread to sustain the net interest margin for the Bank. The Bank reported a lower level of non-interest earning assets, which provides an indication of the earnings capabilities and interest rate risk of the balance sheet. On a pro forma basis, the infusion of stock proceeds can be expected to provide the Bank with improved balance sheet interest rate risk characteristics, with such ratios likely closer to those maintained by the Peer Group, particularly with respect to the increases that will be realized in the Bank’s equity-to-assets and IEA/IBL ratios.

To analyze interest rate risk associated with the net interest margin, we reviewed quarterly changes in net interest income as a percent of average assets for Bogota and the Peer Group. The relative fluctuations in the Bank’s net interest income to average assets ratio were considered to be higher than the Peer Group and, thus, based on the interest rate environment that prevailed during the period analyzed in Table 3.6, Bogota was viewed as maintaining a higher degree of interest rate risk exposure in the net interest margin. The stability of the Bank’s net interest margin should be enhanced by the infusion of stock proceeds, as the increase in capital will reduce the level of interest rate sensitive liabilities funding Bogota’s assets.

Summary

Based on the above analysis, RP Financial concluded the Peer Group forms a reasonable basis for determining the pro forma market value of the Bank. Such general characteristics as asset size, capital position, interest-earning asset composition, funding composition, core earnings measures, loan composition, credit quality and exposure to interest rate risk all tend to support the reasonability of the Peer Group from a financial standpoint. Those areas where differences exist will be addressed in the form of valuation adjustments to the extent necessary.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.1

 

IV. VALUATION ANALYSIS

Introduction

This chapter presents the valuation analysis and methodology, prepared pursuant to the regulatory valuation guidelines, and valuation adjustments and assumptions used to determine the estimated pro forma market value of the common stock to be issued in conjunction with the Company’s minority stock offering.

Appraisal Guidelines

The federal regulatory appraisal guidelines utilized by the federal banking agencies specify the pro forma market value methodology for estimating the pro forma market value of an institution. Pursuant to this methodology: (1) a peer group of comparable publicly-traded institutions is selected; (2) a financial and operational comparison of the subject company relative to the peer group is conducted to discern key differences, leading to valuation adjustments; and, (3) a valuation analysis in which the pro forma market value of the converting thrift is determined based on the market pricing of the peer group as of the date of the valuation, incorporating valuation adjustments for key differences. In addition, the pricing characteristics of recent conversions and reorganizations, both at conversion and in the aftermarket, must be considered. Given the unique differences in the pricing characteristics of publicly-traded MHCs relative to fully-converted thrift stocks, we have performed the peer group pricing analysis on a fully-converted basis.

RP Financial Approach to the Valuation

The valuation analysis herein complies with such regulatory approval guidelines. Accordingly, the valuation incorporates a detailed analysis based on the Peer Group, discussed in Chapter III, which constitutes “fundamental analysis” techniques. Additionally, the valuation incorporates a “technical analysis” of recently completed conversions and reorganizations, including closing pricing and aftermarket trading of such offerings. It should be noted these valuation analyses cannot possibly fully account for all the market forces which impact trading activity and pricing characteristics of a particular stock on a given day.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.2

 

The pro forma market value determined herein is a preliminary value for the Company’s to-be-issued stock. Throughout the stock issuance process, RP Financial will: (1) review changes in Bogota’s operations and financial condition; (2) monitor the Bank’s operations and financial condition relative to the Peer Group to identify any fundamental changes; (3) monitor the external factors affecting value including, but not limited to, local and national economic conditions, interest rates, and the stock market environment, including the market for thrift stocks; and, (4) monitor pending conversion and reorganization offerings, both regionally and nationally. If material changes should occur prior to closing of the offering, RP Financial will evaluate if updated valuation reports should be prepared reflecting such changes and their related impact on value, if any. RP Financial will also prepare a final valuation update at the closing of the offering to determine if the prepared valuation analysis and resulting range of value continues to be appropriate.

The appraised value determined herein is based on the current market and operating environment for the Bank and for all thrifts. Subsequent changes in the local and national economy, the legislative and regulatory environment, the stock market, interest rates, and other external forces (such as natural disasters or major world events), which may occur from time to time (often with great unpredictability) may materially impact the market value of all thrift stocks, including the Company’s value, or the Company’s value alone. To the extent a change in factors impacting the Company’s value can be reasonably anticipated and/or quantified, RP Financial has incorporated the estimated impact into the analysis.

Valuation Analysis

A fundamental analysis discussing similarities and differences relative to the Peer Group was presented in Chapter III. The following sections summarize the key differences between the Bank and the Peer Group and how those differences affect the pro forma valuation. Emphasis is placed on the specific strengths and weaknesses of Bogota relative to the Peer Group in such key areas as financial condition, profitability, growth and viability of earnings, asset growth, primary market area, dividends, liquidity of the shares, marketing of the issue, management, and the effect of government regulations and/or regulatory reform. We have considered the market for thrift stocks, in particular new issues, to assess the impact on value of the Bank coming to market at this time.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.3

 

1.

Financial Condition

The financial condition of an institution is an important determinant in pro forma market value because investors typically look to such factors as liquidity, capital, asset composition and quality, and funding sources in assessing investment attractiveness. The similarities and differences in the Bank’s and the Peer Group’s financial strengths are noted as follows:

 

   

Overall A/L Composition. In comparison to the Peer Group, the Bank’s IEA composition was similar, with as somewhat higher concentration of loans, and a lower concentration of cash and investments, resulting in an implied higher earnings capacity. In terms of funding liabilities, Bogota’s deposits were similar and borrowings were higher as a percent of assets compared to the Peer Group, resulting from the lower equity position of the Bank. The higher level of borrowings is unfavorable given the higher cost and inability to gain fee income from these liabilities compared to deposits. Lending diversification into higher yielding types of loans (albeit higher risk loans) was less significant for the Bank, with such loans approximating 19% percent of assets for Bogota versus 33% for the Peer Group. The higher investment in higher risk loans resulted in the Peer Group reporting a higher risk weighted assets-to-assets ratio in comparison to the Bank’s ratio. The lower loan portfolio diversification away from traditional 1-4 family residential loans by Bogota resulted in a much lower yield earned on IEA, while the Bank’s cost of IBL was much higher than the Peer Group’s cost of funds. As a percent of assets, Bogota maintained a higher level of IEA and a higher level of IBL, given the lower pre-conversion equity position of the Bank. After factoring in the impact of the net stock proceeds, the Company’s IEA/IBL ratio will be enhanced by the additional equity raised that can be invested in earning assets. RP Financial concluded that A/L composition was a moderate downward factor in the adjustment for financial condition.

 

   

Credit Quality. Bogota’s NPAs/assets and NPLs/loans ratios were lower than the comparable Peer Group ratios. Additionally, when excluding performing TDRs from the NPA/assets ratio, Bogota’s ratio remained lower than the Peer Group average. Loan loss reserves as a percent of loans were lower than the Peer Group averages, and higher than NPLs and total NPAs. Net loan charge-offs as a percent of loans were minimal for both Bogota and the Peer Group. As noted above, Bogota’s risk weighted assets-to-assets ratio was lower than the Peer Group’s ratio. In addition, the Bank’s loan portfolio composition was concentrated in lower risk residential assets. Overall, RP Financial concluded that credit quality was a slight upward factor in the adjustment for financial condition.

 

   

Balance Sheet Liquidity. As of the valuation date, Bogota reported a lower level of cash and investment securities relative to the Peer Group, with the Bank’s investments concentrated in mortgage backed securities. Following the infusion of stock proceeds, the Bank’s cash and investments ratio is expected to increase as the proceeds retained at the holding company level will be initially deployed into shorter term investment securities while the Bank’s portion of the proceeds will also be deployed into investments pending the longer term reinvestment into loans. The Bank’s future borrowing capacity was considered to be similar to the Peer Groups’, given current levels of borrowings currently utilized by the Bank and Peer Group in funding the asset base. Overall, RP Financial concluded that pro forma balance sheet liquidity was a neutral factor in our adjustment for financial condition.

 

   

Funding Liabilities. Bogota’s IBL composition reflected a similar concentration of deposits and higher use of borrowings relative to the comparable Peer Group ratios, and Bogota’s cost of funds was notably higher than the Peer Group’s ratio, in part due to the level of higher cost borrowings and the higher proportion of CDs in portfolio,


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.4

 

 

including brokered CDs. Total IBL as a percent of assets were higher for the Bank as compared to the Peer Group’s ratio due to the lower pre-conversion equity ratio maintained by the Bank. Following the stock offering, the increase in the Bank’s equity position will reduce the level of IBL, and such level will be closer to the Peer Group level. Overall, RP Financial concluded that funding liabilities were a moderately negative factor in our adjustment for financial condition.

 

   

Tangible Equity/Return on Equity. Bogota currently operates with a lower tangible equity-to-assets ratio as compared to the Peer Group. Following the stock offering, Bogota’s pro forma tangible equity position will increase to within the range of the Peer Group ratio, which will result in similar level of leverage potential. At the same time, the Bank’s pro forma level of earnings is calculated to result in a similar ROE, an important metric from an investor view. On balance, RP Financial concluded that the tangible equity position was a neutral factor in our adjustment for financial condition.

On balance, Bogota’s financial condition, taking into account the above factors, was considered to be somewhat less favorable to the Peer Group’s, and thus a moderate downward adjustment was applied for this valuation adjustment.

 

2.

Profitability, Growth and Viability of Earnings

Earnings are a key factor in determining pro forma market value, as the level and risk characteristics of a financial institution’s earnings stream and the prospects and ability to generate future earnings, heavily influence the multiple that the investment community will pay for earnings. The major factors considered in the valuation are described below.

 

   

Reported Profitability. For the most recent 12-month period, Bogota reported net income of $2,758,000, or 0.42% of average assets, versus average and median profitability of 0.60% and 0.52% of average assets for the Peer Group. The Bank’s lower income in comparison to the Peer Group was attributable a lower level of net interest income and non-interest income, offset in part by lower operating expense. The Peer Group relied to a limited extent on gains on the sale of loans, while Bogota did not report any mortgage banking income. An important difference between the Bank and the Peer Group is Bogota’s lower net interest income ratio, a result of the both the Bank having lower yields on earning assets (from the residential loan concentration) and higher costs of funds (from the high proportion of CDs and borrowings as a funding source) which leads to a lower overall yield/cost spread. Bogota benefits from the lower operating expense ratio currently. Reinvestment of the proceeds from the stock offering into interest-earning assets will serve to increase the Bank’s bottom line income, with the benefit of reinvesting proceeds expected to be offset by higher operating expenses associated with operating as a publicly-traded company and the implementation of the planned benefit plans. Bogota’s level of NPAs likely will remain as positive factor in future earnings as there are no significant changes planned for the overall lending strategy. On balance, RP Financial concluded the Bank’s reported earnings were a slight downward factor in our adjustment for profitability, growth and viability of earnings.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.5

 

   

Core Profitability. Net interest income, operating expenses, non-interest operating income and loan loss provisions were reviewed in assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of core profitability. Bogota operated with a lower net interest income ratio and a lower level of non-interest operating income, based on a comparison to the Peer Group averages and medians. The disadvantage in terms of revenues were mitigated by the Bank’s lower operating expense ratio such that the Bank’s efficiency ratio was more favorable than the Peer Group’s ratio. Loan loss provisions had a larger impact on the Peer Group’s earnings, although Peer Group provisions were modest in total. The expected earnings benefits the Bank should realize from the redeployment of stock proceeds into IEA and leveraging of post-conversion equity will likely be negated by expenses associated with the stock benefit plans, as well as incremental costs associated with the growth oriented business plan. On balance, we believe the Bank’s core profitability was a slight downward factor in this valuation adjustment.

 

   

Interest Rate Risk. Quarterly changes in the net interest income ratio for Bogota indicated a somewhat higher degree of volatility, with the primary cause being the use of short-term borrowings and a relatively short-term CD base that has recently repriced upward, along with a loan portfolio containing notable balances of long-term fixed rate residential loans. Other measures of interest rate risk, such as tangible equity and the IEA/IBL ratio were more favorable for the Peer Group. On a pro forma basis, the infusion of stock proceeds can be expected to provide the Bank with equity-to-assets and IEA/IBL ratios that will be in the range of the Peer Group. On balance, RP Financial concluded interest rate risk was a significant downward factor in our adjustment for profitability, growth and viability of earnings.

 

   

Credit Risk. Loan loss provisions were a lower factor in the Bank’s income statement over the most recent 12-month time period. In terms of future exposure to credit quality related losses, Bogota maintained a similar concentration of assets in loans and lower lending diversification into higher credit risk loans. The Bank’s risk weighted assets-to-assets ratio was lower than the Peer Group’s ratio. The Bank’s NPAs/assets ratio was more favorable than the Peer Group and loss reserves were less favorable for the Bank in comparison to loans receivable, and more favorable in comparison to NPAs and NPLs. Net loan charge-offs over the last 12 months as a percent of loans were minimal for both the Bank and Peer Group. Overall, RP Financial concluded credit risk was a moderately positive factor in the adjustment for profitability, growth and viability of earnings.

 

   

Earnings Growth Potential. Bogota maintained a lower level of net interest income and a lower interest rate spread as compared to the Peer Group. The concentration in fixed rate residential loans in portfolio and the higher deposit costs in comparison to the Peer Group represent a future risk given the uncertainty of the level of market interest rates. The Bank’s earnings growth potential is similar to the Peer Group in terms of the pro forma equity ratio which will likely be within the range of the Peer Group – a key part of the future operating strategy. The Bank’s original primary market area reveals slightly more favorable current demographic and economic data and future trends, which assist with future franchise growth and profitability. The infusion of stock proceeds will provide the Bank with a similar or slightly more leverage potential than the Peer Group. On balance, because of the exposure to interest rate changes and the likely increase in operating expenses associated with operating as a publicly-traded company, we concluded that a slight downward adjustment was warranted for this factor.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.6

 

   

Return on Equity. Currently, the Bank’s trailing 12-month ROE on either a reported or core basis is somewhat higher than the Peer Group’s ROE. On a pro forma basis, immediately following the conversion offering, the Bank’s earnings increase will be limited whereas the equity will increase considerably, thus resulting in a lower pro forma ROE that will be similar to that of the Peer Group. Accordingly, this was neutral factor in the adjustment for profitability, growth and viability of earnings.

On balance, Bogota’s pro forma earnings strength was considered to be slightly less favorable than the Peer Group’s and, thus, a slight downward adjustment was warranted for profitability, growth and viability of earnings.

 

3.

Asset Growth

Bogota’s assets increased at an annual rate of 2.4% during the most recent 12-month period, while the Peer Group’s assets increased by 6.0% over the same time period. Nine of the ten Peer Group companies reported increases in assets, with the highest growth of a peer member equal to 11.20% (due to organic growth). The recent asset growth reported by Bogota reflects the ongoing growth achieved and has resulted in an equity/assets ratio of slightly above 11.0%. On a pro forma basis, Bogota’s tangible equity-to-assets ratio is calculated to be slightly above the Peer Group’s tangible equity-to-assets ratio, indicating more leverage capacity for the Bank. Bogota’s market area location in Bergen County and the related size and growth rate of the population base implies a relatively unrestricted growth capability. After taking into account the lower recent historical asset growth rate, higher leverage capacity with the enhanced equity base following the offering, and the market area characteristics, we concluded that no adjustment for valuation was warranted for asset growth.

 

4.

Primary Market Area

The general condition of an institution’s market area has an impact on value, as future success is in part dependent upon opportunities for profitable activities in the local market served. Bogota’s primary market area for deposits is considered to be Bergen County, with additional lending activities in contiguous counties and other counties of northern and central New Jersey. Within this market, the Bank faces significant competition for loans and deposits from both community-based institutions and larger regional financial institutions, which provide a broader array of services and have significantly larger branch networks. However, the Peer Group companies by virtue of their relatively comparable size relative to Bogota also face numerous and/or large competitors.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.7

 

Demographic and economic trends and characteristics in the Bank’s primary market area are presented in Exhibit III-3 along with Peer Group comparable data. In this regard, the total population of Bergen County is higher than the average and median primary market areas of the Peer Group. In addition, the historical and projected population growth rate in Bergen County is slightly higher than the Peer Group average over the 2014-2019 and 2019-2024 periods. While these demographic trends are slightly more favorable for the Bank, the per capita income level in Bergen County ($53,099 as of 2019) is well above the average and median of the Peer Group’s markets. As a percentage of the state average, Bergen County is also above the average and median of the Peer Group. The deposit market share exhibited by the Bank in Bergen County is below the Peer Group average and median, indicative of the larger market within which the Bank operates, while several of the Peer Group members operate in smaller demographic areas. As shown in Table 4.1, the average unemployment rate for the primary market area counties served by the Peer Group companies was above the unemployment rate reflected for Bergen County. On balance, we concluded no adjustment was appropriate for the Bank’s market area.

 

5.

Dividends

At this time the Bank has not established a dividend policy. Future declarations of dividends by the Board of Directors will depend upon a number of factors, including investment opportunities, growth objectives, financial condition, profitability, tax considerations, minimum capital requirements, regulatory limitations, stock market characteristics and general economic conditions.

Five of the ten Peer Group companies pay regular cash dividends, with implied dividend yields ranging from 1.64% to 5.20%. The median dividend yield on the stocks of the Peer Group institutions was 3.22% as of August 23, 2019, representing a median payout ratio of 74.19% of earnings. Comparatively, as of August 23, 2019, the median dividend yield on the stocks of all fully-converted publicly-traded thrifts equaled 32.75%.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.8

 

Table 4.1

Bogota Savings Bank

Peer Group Market Area Unemployment Rates (1)

 

     County    Unemply. Rate
June 2019
 
          (%)  

Bogota Savings Bank

   Bergen, NJ      2.5

Peer Group Average

        3.9

Peer Group

     

Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)

   Bergen, NJ      2.5

Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)

   Newton, GA      4.4

FFBW, Inc. (MHC)

   Waukesha, WI      3.3

Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   Greene, NY      3.6

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)

   Franklin, KY      4.3

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   Chautauqua, NY      4.0

Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

   Middlesex, NJ      2.6

Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)

   Oconee, SC      3.6

PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)

   Bronx, NY      5.6

TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)

   Cuyahoga, OH      4.9

 

(1)

Unemployment rates not seasonally adjusted

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence

Our valuation adjustment for dividends for Bogota also considered the regulatory policy with regard to payment of dividends to the MHC. Under current FRB policy, any dividends declared by Bogota would be required to be paid to all shareholders. Accordingly, dividends paid by Bogota would increase the amount of assets held by the MHC, after adjusting for applicable income taxes, and, thereby, increase the implied dilution incurred by the minority shareholders in a second-step conversion pursuant to the calculation to account for net assets held by the MHC in a second-step offering.

Overall, while the Bank has not established a definitive dividend policy prior to its stock offering, the Bank will have the capacity to pay a dividend comparable to the Peer Group’s average dividend yield based on pro forma earnings and capitalization. At the same time, dividend payments retained by the MHC would increase the implied dilution to minority shareholders in a second-step offering. On balance, we concluded that a slight downward adjustment was warranted for purposes of the Bank’s dividend policy.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.9

 

6.

Liquidity of the Shares

The Peer Group is by definition composed of companies that are traded in the public markets. All ten of the Peer Group members trade on NASDAQ. Typically, the number of shares outstanding and market capitalization provides an indication of how much liquidity there will be in a particular stock. The market capitalization of the Peer Group companies, based on public shares outstanding, ranged from $27.9 million to $928.4 million as of August 23, 2019, with average and median market values of $213.3 million and $35.5 million, respectively. The shares issued and outstanding to the public shareholders of the Peer Group members ranged from 3.2 million to 227.1 million, with average and median public shares outstanding of 32.7 million and 4.4 million, respectively. The Bank’s stock offering at the midpoint is expected to provide for pro forma shares outstanding that will be much lower than the average and slightly higher than the median shares outstanding indicated for the Peer Group companies. Likewise, the market capitalization of the Company at the midpoint of the offering range will be somewhat higher than the Peer Group average and median values. The Company’s stock is expected to be quoted on the NASDAQ following the stock offering, and the stock will retain characteristics of an initial public offering. Overall, we anticipate that the Bank’s public stock will have a similar liquid trading market compared to the stocks of the Peer Group companies and, therefore, concluded that no adjustment was warranted for this factor.

 

7.

Marketing of the Issue

We believe three separate markets exist for thrift stocks, including those coming to market such as Bogota’s: (A) the after-market for public companies both fully-converted and MHCs, in which trading activity is regular and investment decisions are made based upon financial condition, earnings, capital, ROE, dividends and future prospects; (B) the new issue market in which converting thrifts are evaluated on the basis of the same factors, but on a pro forma basis without the benefit of prior operations as a fully-converted publicly-held company and stock trading history; and, (C) the thrift acquisition market. All three of these markets were considered in the valuation of the Company’s to-be-issued stock.

 

  A.

The Public Market

The value of publicly-traded thrift stocks is easily measurable, and is tracked by most investment houses and related organizations. Exhibit IV-1 provides pricing and financial data on all publicly-traded thrifts. In general, thrift stock values react to market stimuli such as interest


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.10

 

rates, inflation, perceived industry health, projected rates of economic growth, regulatory issues, and stock market conditions in general. Exhibit IV-2 displays historical stock market trends for various indices and includes historical stock price index values for thrifts and commercial banks. Exhibit IV-3 displays historical stock price indices for thrifts only.

In terms of assessing general stock market conditions, the performance of the overall stock market has been mixed in recent quarters. Stocks trended higher at the end of September and the beginning of October 2018, as manufacturer shares led the Dow Jones Industrial Average (“DJIA”) to a new record high following completion of a new North American trade pact. A sell-off in Treasury bonds prompted a broader stock market downturn at the end of the first week of October, as investors reacted to the September employment report which showed the national unemployment rate hitting a 50-year low. The sell-off in stocks deepened in the second week of October, with the DJIA recording a two-day decline of 5.2% before rebounding at the end of the week. Volatility continued to prevail in the broader stock market during the second half of October, as investors reacted to mixed third quarter earnings reports and signs of softer global economic growth. Following a sell-off heading into late-October 2018, stocks rebounded sharply higher at the end of October and at the start of November. The rebound in the stock market was led by technology shares, based on some favorable third quarter earnings reports. Stocks continued to surge higher following the mid-term elections, as a congressional power divide eased worries about swift policy changes. Following the mid-term election rally, stocks trended sharply lower through late-November. Factors contributing to the sell-off included U.S.-China trade tensions, concerns about the health of the technology sector, worries about slowing global growth and oil prices dropping to a three-year low. Stocks rebounded in the last week of November, with the DJIA and the S&P 500 erasing their November declines after the Federal Reserve Chairman eased investor worries about aggressively increasing interest rates. A strong retail sales report for the Thanksgiving weekend and a trade truce between the U.S. and China also contributed to the stock market rally at the end of November. Energy shares led the stock market higher at the start of December, as oil prices rounded after an easing of geopolitical concerns. Stocks tumbled lower to close out the first trading week of December, as investors’ doubts about the U.S.-China trade truce and a flattening yield curve raised fears of an economic slowdown. A rally in technology shares helped the broader stock market to edge higher going into mid-December, which was followed by a mid-December sell-off prompted by signs that China’s economy may be slowing. The stock market route deepened going into the second half of December, as investors reacted to the Federal Reserve’s rate hike and possible government


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.11

 

shutdown. After four days of sharp declines, the DJIA logged its biggest daily point gain which was led by a rebound in energy shares. The positive trend in the broader stock market continued in the final trading days of 2018, although 2018 was the worst yearly decline for stocks since 2008.

Volatility continued to prevail in the broader stock market at the start of 2019. Soft economic data for U.S. December manufacturing activity prompted a sharp sell-off, which was followed a robust rally on the strong job growth reported for December. The rally in the broader stock market gained momentum through mid-January, which was supported signs of progress in the U.S.- China trade talks and the Federal Reserve signaling its willingness to slow its pace of interest rate increases. The broad-based stock market rally paused in late-January, as stocks retreated on signs that a slowdown in China’s economy was hurting corporate profits in the U.S. Stocks soared higher after the Federal Reserve concluded its end of January policy meeting, in which it elected to hold interest rates steady and stated that is was done raising interest rates for a while. Overall, stocks posted their best January in three years, which was led by the biggest laggards during the fourth quarter sell-off. Strong job growth reflected in the January employment report helped to sustain stock market gains at the start of February, which was followed by a pullback related to China trade tensions. Stocks rebounded in the second half of February, as the DJIA and S&P 500 closed out February with their best two-month start to a year in almost three decades. Factors contributing to the stock market rally included renewed optimism on U.S.-China trade negotiations, the President and Congress reaching a border security agreement to avert another government shutdown and the Federal Reserve signaling that it was taking a pause to further rate increases. Worries about a slowing global economy and weaker-than-expected job growth reported for February contributed to a pullback in the stock market in the first week of March, which was followed by a technology led rebound in the stock market going into mid-March. The outcome of the Federal Reserve’s March meeting lifted stocks heading into the close of the first quarter, as investors moved into riskier assets on indications that the Federal Reserve would hold interest rates steady for the rest of 2019. After a one day sell-off on concerns of slowing global growth, stocks closed out the first quarter trading higher on optimism about U.S.-China trade talks and the Federal Reserve’s signal to halt further interest rate increases.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.12

 

The upward trend in stocks continued into the first week of April 2019, which was supported by some upbeat economic data reported by Europe and China and a favorable U.S. jobs report for March. U.S. trade tensions with Europe contributed to a pullback in the stock market heading into mid-April, which was followed by an uneven trading market going into the second half of April. Investors reacting to first quarter earnings reports and ongoing concerns about the health of the world economy were among the factors that provided for an up and down market in the second half of April. A strong GDP report for the first quarter of 2019 helped to lift stocks at the end of April, with major stock indexes recording their best four-month start to a year since at least 1999. Stocks fell at the start of May after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and reiterated that it would remain patient on moving its target rate. A strong jobs report for April helped stocks to rebound to close out the first trading week of May. Stocks reversed course the following week, as escalating U.S.-China trade tensions precipitated a sell-off in the broader stock market. Aided by some stronger-than-expected earnings reports from Cisco Systems and Walmart, stocks rebounded going into the second half of May 2019. Stocks closed out May trading down sharply, as a flare-up in U.S.-China trade tensions, worries about slowing economic growth and threat of tariffs being imposed on Mexico spurred a retreat from riskier investments. A weak jobs report for May and indications from the Federal Reserve that a rate cut may be warranted to boost the economy contributed to stocks rebounding strongly higher in the first week of June. Stocks continued to rally higher going into the second half of June, as the S&P 500 closed at a new record high. Factors that helped to sustain the stock market rally included the U.S.’s decision to hold off on implementing trade tariffs on Mexico and growing expectations for a near term rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Stocks traded unevenly at the close of the second quarter.

Signs of a thawing in trade relations between the U.S. and China contributed to stock market gains at the start of the third quarter of 2019. Stocks retreated following the release of the June employment report, as better-than-expected job growth diminished hopes that the Federal Reserve would aggressively cut rates. A rally in healthcare stocks and indications from the Federal Reserve that it was poised to cut interest rates to bolster a slowing U.S. economy contributed to major U.S. stock indexes closing at record highs in mid-July. Some better-than expected second quarter earnings reports helped to sustain gains in the broader stock market going into the second half of July, which was followed by stocks trading lower after the European Central Bank hinted that it was preparing to cut interest rates for the first time since 2016. Further fears of the US tariff issue with China and other counties caused the general market to decline sharply in early August, although such stocks rebounded upon further news regarding tariffs. On August 23, 2019, the DJIA closed at 25628.9, a decrease of 0.1% from one year ago and an increase of 9.9% year-to-date, and the NASDAQ closed at 7751.8, a decrease of 1.6% from one year ago and an increase of 16.8% year-to-date. The S&P 500 Index closed at 2847.1 on August 23, 2019, a decrease of 0.4% from one year ago and an increase of 13.6% year-to-date.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.13

 

The performance of thrift stocks has also been uneven in recent quarters. Thrift shares experienced a sell-off in the first week of October 2018, as the shares of mortgage-based lenders were negatively impacted by the rise in long-term Treasury yields and concerns that higher mortgage rates could further deter home buyers in a slumping housing market. Financial shares were among the worst performers in the market sell-off that occurred during second week of October, as investors dumped bank stocks heading into third quarter earnings season. The downturn in thrift stocks continued into the second half of October, as third quarter earnings reports showed a trend of net interest margin compression among mortgage-based lenders. After easing lower through mid-November 2018, comments by the Federal Reserve Chairman signaling a less aggressive approach to raising interest rates spurred a rally in thrift shares at the end of November. Thrift shares reversed course during the first half of December, as financial shares experienced a broad-based sell-off on concerns about the flattening yield curve and slower economic growth translating into weaker demand for bank loans. The sell-off in thrift shares accelerated in the closing weeks of 2018, as financial shares were among the hardest hit in the stock market route that occurred in the second half of December.

The favorable jobs report for December 2018 helped thrift stocks to rebound at the start of 2019. Thrift shares continued to rally through mid-January, as some favorable fourth quarter earnings posted by some large banks served to lift financial shares in general. Expectations that the Federal Reserve would slow down its pace of rate increases helped to sustain the positive trend in thrift shares through the second half of January. The favorable jobs report for January, the Federal Reserve’s indication that it was taking a pause in raising interest rates and consolidation in the banking sector contributed to sustaining the rebound in thrift shares through the first week of February. News that another government shutdown had been averted helped to continue the positive trend in thrift shares going into the second half of February. After stabilizing in the last week of February, thrift shares retreated during the first half of March. Weak job growth reflected in the February employment report and a flattening yield curve were factors that contributed to the downturn in thrift stocks. Thrift shares traded sharply lower following the Federal Reserve’s March 20th policy meeting, as signals from the Federal Reserve that they would not raise rates for the remainder of 2019 elevated concerns of a slowing U.S. economy. Thrift shares were also pressured lower by the inversion of the 10-year Treasury yield relative to the 3-month Treasury yield. Following the sell-off, financial shares led a rebound in the broader stock market at the close of the first quarter.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.14

 

The upward trend in thrift stocks continued during the first half of April 2019, which was supported by the strong job growth reflected in the March employment report and mild inflation data. Thrift shares retreated slightly going into late-April, as investors reacted to first quarter earnings reports and the prospect of interest rate spreads coming under further pressure as the result of higher funding costs and a slowdown in loan growth. Low inflation data and stronger-than-expected first quarter GDP growth boosted thrift shares at the close of April, which was followed by a pullback in thrift stocks at the start of May as the Federal Reserve concluded its policy meeting leaving interest rates unchanged and indicated that it would not move to cut rates in the near future despite recent low inflation data. Thrift shares traded higher on the strong jobs report for April and then followed the broader stock market lower in the second week of May. Ongoing concerns of weakening loan demand and the flat yield curve continued to pressure thrift shares lower going in the second half of May 2019. An increase in non-performing loans reported in the first quarter of 2019 and President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexico contributed to financial shares retreating further at the end of May. The May employment report sparked a rebound in thrift stocks at the close of the first week of trading in June, as investors bet that the weak job growth reported for May would increase the potential for the Federal Reserve to cut rates. In contrast to the broader stock market, thrift shares edged lower following the Federal Reserve’s June policy meeting and conclusion to hold rates steady. News that all of the big U.S. banks passed their stress test and increased both stock buy-backs and dividends contributed to broader market gains in the financial sector at the close of the second quarter.

Thrift shares traded in fairly narrow range throughout July and August, as second quarter earnings reports were generally in line with expectations. Thrift shares rebounded upon the most recent interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve on July 31, 2019, and reacted either upward or downward based on the most recent information regarding the ongoing international trade conflicts. On August 23, 2019, the SNL Index for all publicly-traded thrifts closed at 831.2, a decrease of 12.2% from one year ago and an increase of 7.7% year-to-date.

 

  B.

The New Issue Market

In addition to thrift stock market conditions in general, the new issue market for converting thrifts is also an important consideration in determining the Bank’s pro forma market value. The new issue market is separate and distinct from the market for seasoned thrift stocks


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.15

 

in that the pricing ratios for converting issues are computed on a pro forma basis, specifically: (1) the numerator and denominator are both impacted by the offering amount, unlike existing stock issues in which price change affects only the numerator; and (2) the pro forma pricing ratio incorporates assumptions regarding source and use of proceeds, effective tax rates, stock plan purchases, etc. which impact pro forma financials, whereas pricing for existing issues are based on reported financials. The distinction between pricing of converting and existing issues is perhaps no clearer than in the case of the price/book (“P/B”) ratio in that the P/B ratio of a converting thrift will typically result in a discount to book value whereas in the current market for existing thrifts the P/B ratio may reflect a premium to book value. Therefore, it is appropriate to also consider the market for new issues, both at the time of the conversion and in the aftermarket.

As shown in Table 4.2, two standard conversions, one second step conversion and two mutual holding company offerings have been completed during the past three months, with one of the standard conversions, the second step conversion and both mutual holding companies trading on the NASDAQ exchange. The standard conversions and the second step conversion are not considered to be totally relevant for Bogota’s pro forma pricing, given the MHC offering structure. For the two mutual holding company offerings, which are more comparable, the Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. offering closed at the top of the offering range and raised $111.7 million in proceeds. The First Seacoast Bancorp offering was a smaller offering which raised $26.8 million. The average closing pro forma price/tangible book ratio of these two offerings equaled 73.8% on a fully-converted basis. On average, the two mutual holding company offerings reflected price appreciation of 15.9% after the first week of trading. As of August 23, 2019, the two recent mutual holding company conversion offerings reflected a 15.3% increase in price on average.

 

  C.

The Acquisition Market

Also considered in the valuation was the potential impact on Bogota’s stock price of recently completed and pending acquisitions of other savings institutions operating in New Jersey. As shown in Exhibit IV-4, there have been 16 financial institution acquisitions completed from the beginning of 2011 through August 9, 2019, and there is currently one acquisition pending of a New Jersey savings institution. The recent acquisition activity may imply a certain degree of acquisition speculation for the Company’s stock. To the extent that acquisition speculation may impact the offering, we have largely taken this into account in selecting companies for the Peer Group which operate in markets that have experienced a level of acquisition activity and, thus,


RP® Financial, LC.    VALUATION ANALYSIS
   IV.16

 

RP® Financial, LC.

Table 4.2

Pricing Characteristics and After-Market Trends

Conversions Completed in Trailing 3 Months

 

Institutional Information

  Pre-Conversion Data     Offering Information     Contribution to
Char. Found.
    Insider Purchases           Pro Forma Data           Post-IPO Pricing Trends  
  Financial Info.     Asset Quality     % Off Incl. Fdn.+Merger Shares     Pricing
Ratios(2)(5)
    Financial Charac.     Closing Price:  

Institution

  Conversion
Date
    Ticker   Assets     Equity/
Assets
    NPAs/
Assets
    Res.
Cov.
    Excluding Foundation     Form     % of
Public Off.
Inc. Fdn.
    Benefit Plans    

 

    Initial
Div.
Yield
    P/TB     Core
P/E
    P/A     Core
ROA
    TE/A     Core
ROE
    IPO
Price
    First
Trading
Day
    %
Chg
    After
First
Week(3)
    %
Chg
    After
First
Month(4)
    %
Chg
    Thru
8/23/2019
    %
Chg
 
  Gross
Proc.
    %
Offer
    % of
Mid.
    Exp./
Proc.
    ESOP     Recog.
Plans
    Stk
Option
    Mgmt.&
Dirs.
 
              ($Mil)     (%)     (%)     (%)     ($Mil.)     (%)     (%)     (%)           (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)(1)     (%)     (%)     (x)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)     ($)     ($)     (%)     ($)     (%)     ($)     (%)     ($)     (%)  

Standard Conversions

 

                                       
Eureka Homestead Bancorp, Inc., LA     7/10/19     ERKH-OTC
Pink
  $ 98       12.52     0.00     NM     $ 14.3       100     89     8.9     N.A.       N.A.       8.0     4.0     10.0     3.7     0.00     60.5     44.0x       13.0     0.3     21.5     1.4   $ 10.00     $ 12.10       21.0   $ 12.10       21.0   $ 12.17       21.7   $ 12.18       21.8
Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc., IN*     7/2/19     RMBI-
NASDAQ
  $ 883       9.40     0.48     143   $ 130.3       100     132     2.2     C/S       3.7     8.0     4.0     10.0     1.0     0.00     73.2     21.2x       13.7     0.7     18.8     3.6   $ 10.00     $ 13.65       36.5   $ 13.50       35.0   $ 13.23       32.3   $ 13.24       32.4
                                                               
    Averages -
Standard
Conversions:
  $ 491       10.96     0.24     143   $ 72.3       100     111     5.5     N.A.       N.A.       8.0     4.0     10.0     3.7     0.00     66.9     44.0x       13.4     0.5     20.2     2.5   $ 10.00     $ 12.88       28.8   $ 12.80       28.0   $ 12.70       27.0   $ 12.71       27.1
    Medians -
Standard
Conversions:
  $ 491       10.96     0.24     143   $ 72.3       100     111     5.5     N.A.       N.A.       8.0     4.0     10.0     3.7     0.00     66.9     44.0x       13.4     0.5     20.2     2.5   $ 10.00     $ 12.88       28.8   $ 12.80       28.0   $ 12.70       27.0   $ 12.71       27.1

Second Step Conversions

 

                                       
HarborOne Northeast Bancorp, Inc., MA*     8/15/19     HONE-
NASDAQ
  $ 3,656       9.94     0.53     116   $ 310.4       53     115     1.4     N.A.       N.A.       8.0     4.0     10.0     0.6     0.00     105.4     39.8x       14.9     0.4     14.4     2.3   $ 10.00     $ 10.02       0.2   $ 10.17       1.7   $ 9.97       -0.3   $ 10.09       0.9
                                                               
    Averages -
Second Step
Conversions:
  $ 3,656       9.94     0.53     116   $ 310.4       53     115     1.4     N.A.       N.A.       8.0     4.0     10.0     0.6     0.00     105.4     39.8x       14.9     0.4     14.4     2.3   $ 10.00     $ 10.02       0.2   $ 10.17       1.7   $ 9.97       -0.3   $ 10.09       0.9
    Medians -
Second Step
Conversions:
  $ 3,656       9.94     0.53     116   $ 310.4       53     115     1.4     N.A.       N.A.       8.0     4.0     10.0     0.6     0.00     105.4     39.8x       14.9     0.4     14.4     2.3   $ 10.00     $ 10.02       0.2   $ 10.17       1.7   $ 9.97       -0.3   $ 10.09       0.9

Mutual Holding Companies

 

                                       
Pioneer Bancorp, Inc., NY*     7/18/19     PBFS-
NASDAQ
  $ 1,386       9.51     0.94     108   $ 111.7       43     132     2.2     C/S       2.0     8.7     4.4     10.9     2.1     0.00     76.0     14.1x       16.2     1.2     14.7     7.9   $ 10.00     $ 14.75       47.50   $ 14.29       42.9   $ 14.03       40.3   $ 14.12       41.2
First Seacoast Bancorp, NH     7/17/19     FSEA-
NASDAQ
  $ 395       8.47     0.08     889   $ 26.8       44     132     5.6     C/S       2.2     8.7     4.4     10.9     2.9     0.00     71.6     52.4x       13.6     0.3     13.2     1.9   $ 10.00     $ 9.75       -2.50   $ 9.14       -8.6   $ 8.93       -10.7   $ 8.93       -10.7
                                                               
    Averages -
MHC
Conversions:
  $ 890       8.99     0.51     499   $ 69.2       44     132     3.9     N.A.       N.A.       8.7     4.4     10.9     2.5     0.00     73.8     33.2x       14.9     0.7     13.9     4.9   $ 10.00     $ 12.25       22.5   $ 11.71       17.1   $ 11.48       14.8   $ 11.53       15.3
    Medians -
MHC
Conversions:
  $ 890       8.99     0.51     499   $ 69.2       44     132     3.9     N.A.       N.A.       8.7     4.4     10.9     2.5     0.00     73.8     33.2x       14.9     0.7     13.9     4.9   $ 10.00     $ 12.25       22.5   $ 11.71       17.1   $ 11.48       14.8   $ 11.53       15.3
    Averages -
All
Conversions:
  $ 1,283       9.97     0.41     314   $ 118.7       68     120     4.1     N.A.       N.A.       8.3     4.1     10.4     2.0     0.00     77.3     34.3x       14.3     0.6     16.5     3.4   $ 10.00     $ 12.05       20.5   $ 11.84       18.4   $ 11.67       16.7   $ 11.71       17.1
    Medians -
All
Conversions:
  $ 883       9.51     0.48     130   $ 111.7       53     132     2.2     N.A.       N.A.       8.0     4.0     10.0     2.1     0.00     73.2     39.8x       13.7     0.4     14.7     2.3   $ 10.00     $ 12.10       21.0   $ 12.10       21.0   $ 12.17       21.7   $ 12.18       21.8

Note: * - Appraisal performed by RP Financial; BOLD = RP Financial assisted in the business plan preparation, “NT” - Not Traded; “NA” - Not Applicable, Not Available; C/S-Cash/Stock.

 

(1)

As a percent of MHC offering for MHC transactions.

(2)

Does not take into account the adoption of SOP 93-6.

(3)

Latest price if offering is less than one week old.

(4)

Latest price if offering is more than one week but less than one month old.

(5)

Mutual holding company pro forma data on full conversion basis.

(6)

Simultaneously completed acquisition of another financial institution.

(7)

Simultaneously converted to a commercial bank charter.

(8)

Former credit union.

 

8/23/2019


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.17

 

are subject to the same type of acquisition speculation that may influence the Company’s stock. However, since converting thrifts are subject to a three-year regulatory moratorium from being acquired, acquisition speculation in the Company’s stock would tend to be less, compared to the stocks of the Peer Group companies. Furthermore, in comparison to the stocks of the fully-converted Peer Group companies, the degree of acquisition speculation in the Bank’s stock is also viewed to be relatively more limited since there are fewer potential acquirers for the Bank’s stock as a re-mutualization transaction can only be completed by a mutual institution or an institution in the MHC form of ownership. Additionally, there tends to be less acquisition speculation in the stocks of publicly-traded MHCs in general, given the majority of the shares are held by the MHC rather than public shareholders which own 100% of the stocks of the fully-converted Peer Group companies. Accordingly, the Peer Group companies are considered to be subject to a greater degree of acquisition speculation relative to the acquisition speculation that may influence Bogota Financial’s trading price.

* * * * * * * * * * *

In determining our valuation adjustment for marketing of the issue, we considered trends in both the overall thrift market, the new issue market including the new issue market for MHC conversions and the local acquisition market for thrift stocks. Taking these factors and trends into account, RP Financial concluded that no valuation adjustment was appropriate in the valuation analysis for purposes of marketing of the issue.

 

8.

Management

The Bank’s management team appears to have experience and expertise in all of the key areas of the Bank’s operations. Exhibit IV-5 provides summary resumes of Bogota’s Board of Directors and senior management. The financial characteristics of the Bank suggest that the Board and senior management have been effective in pursuing an operating strategy that can be well managed by the Bank’s present organizational structure. The Bank currently does not have any senior management positions that are vacant and that the Bank is trying to fill.

Similarly, the returns, equity positions, and other operating measures of the Peer Group companies are indicative of well-managed financial institutions, which have Boards and management teams that have been effective in implementing competitive operating strategies. Therefore, on balance, we concluded no valuation adjustment relative to the Peer Group was appropriate for this factor.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.18

 

9.

Effect of Government Regulation and Regulatory Reform

In summary, as a federally-insured savings institution operating in the MHC form of ownership, Bogota will be operating in substantially the same regulatory environment as the Peer Group members — all of whom are adequately capitalized institutions and are operating with no apparent restrictions. Exhibit IV-6 reflects the Bank’s pro forma regulatory capital ratios. Accordingly, no adjustment has been applied for the effect of government regulation and regulatory reform.

Summary of Adjustments

Overall, based on the factors discussed above, we concluded that the Bank’s pro forma market value should reflect the following valuation adjustments relative to the Peer Group:

Table 4.3

Bogota Savings Bank

Valuation Adjustments

 

   

Key Valuation Parameters:

  

Valuation Adjustment

  Financial Condition    Moderate Downward
  Profitability, Growth and Viability of Earnings    Slight Downward
  Asset Growth    No Adjustment
  Primary Market Area    No Adjustment
  Dividends    Slight Downward
  Liquidity of the Shares    No Adjustment
  Marketing of the Issue    No Adjustment
  Management    No Adjustment
  Effect of Govt. Regulations and Regulatory Reform    No Adjustment

Valuation Approaches-Fully Converted Basis

In applying the accepted valuation methodology promulgated by the FDIC, the FRB and the Department, i.e., the pro forma market value approach, we considered the three key pricing ratios in valuing the Company’s to-be-issued stock — price/earnings (“P/E”), price/book (“P/B”), and price/assets (“P/A”) approaches — all performed on a pro forma basis including the effects of the stock proceeds. In computing the pro forma impact of the conversion and the related pricing ratios, we have incorporated the valuation parameters disclosed in the Bank’s prospectus for the reinvestment rate, effective tax rate, stock benefit plan assumptions, the Foundation and offering expenses (summarized in Exhibits IV-9 and IV-10). The assumptions utilized in the pro forma analysis in calculating the Company’s full conversion value were consistent with the assumptions utilized for the minority stock offering (summarized in Exhibits IV-7 and IV-8).


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.19

 

In our estimate of value, we assessed the relationship of the pro forma pricing ratios relative to the Peer Group, recent conversion offerings and publicly-traded MHCs on a fully-converted basis.

RP Financial’s valuation placed an emphasis on the following:

 

   

P/E Approach. The P/E approach is generally the best indicator of long-term value for a stock. Given the similarities between the Company’s and the Peer Group’s earnings composition and overall financial condition, the P/E approach was carefully considered in this valuation. At the same time, recognizing that (1) the earnings multiples will be evaluated on a pro forma fully-converted basis for the Company; and (2) the Peer Group on average has had the opportunity to realize the benefit of reinvesting net conversion proceeds, we also gave weight to the other valuation approaches.

 

   

P/B Approach. P/B ratios have generally served as a useful benchmark in the valuation of thrift stocks, particularly in the context of an initial public offering, as the earnings approach involves assumptions regarding the use of proceeds. RP Financial considered the P/B approach to be a valuable indicator of pro forma value taking into account the pricing ratios under the P/E and P/A approaches. We have also modified the P/B approach to exclude the impact of intangible assets (i.e., price/tangible book value or “P/TB”), in that the investment community frequently makes this adjustment in its evaluation of this pricing approach.

 

   

P/A Approach. P/A ratios are generally a less reliable indicator of market value, as investors typically assign less weight to assets and attribute greater weight to book value and earnings. Furthermore, this approach as set forth in the regulatory valuation guidelines does not take into account the amount of stock purchases funded by deposit withdrawals, thus understating the pro forma P/A ratio. At the same time, the P/A ratio is an indicator of franchise value, and, in the case of highly capitalized institutions, high P/A ratios may limit the investment community’s willingness to pay market multiples for earnings or book value when ROE is expected to be low.

The Company will adopt “Employers’ Accounting for Employee Stock Ownership Plans” (“ASC 718-40”), which will cause earnings per share computations to be based on shares issued and outstanding excluding unreleased ESOP shares. For purposes of preparing the pro forma pricing analyses, we have reflected all shares issued in the offering, including all ESOP shares, to capture the full dilutive impact, particularly since the ESOP shares are economically dilutive, receive dividends and can be voted. However, we did consider the impact of ASC 718-40 in the valuation.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.20

 

Based on the application of the three valuation approaches, taking into consideration the valuation adjustments discussed above, RP Financial concluded that as of August 23, 2019, the pro forma market value of the Company’s full conversion offering equaled $99,489,790 at the midpoint, equal to 9,948,979 shares at $10.00 per share. The $10.00 per share price was determined by the Bogota Board.

Basis of Valuation – Fully Converted/Non Fully-Converted Pricing Ratios

1. Price-to-Earnings (“P/E”). The application of the P/E valuation method requires calculating the Company’s pro forma market value by applying a valuation P/E multiple (fully-converted basis) to the pro forma earnings base. In applying this technique, we considered both reported earnings and a recurring earnings base, that is, earnings adjusted to exclude any one-time non-operating items, plus the estimated after-tax earnings benefit of the reinvestment of the net proceeds. The Bank reported net income of $2,758,000 for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019. In examining Bogota’s income statement over that time period, non-recurring items consisted of one-time expenses related to a data processing system conversion, totaling $500,000. Excluding this expense on an after-tax basis resulted in a calculation of core net income of $3,125,000 for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019. This figure was used for the core earnings base in the valuation calculations.

Based on the Company’s reported and estimated core earnings, and incorporating the impact of the pro forma assumptions discussed previously, the Company’s pro forma reported and core P/E multiples (fully-converted basis) at the $99.5 million midpoint value equaled 40.00 and 34.48 times, respectively, indicating a premiums of 82.5% and 47.5%, relative to the Peer Group’s fully-converted average reported and core earnings multiples of 21.92 times and 23.37 times (see Table 4.4). In calculating the Peer Group earnings multiples, we excluded any earnings multiples in excess of 35x as “not meaningful”. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median reported and core earnings multiples of 21.03 times and 21.34 times, the Company’s pro forma reported and core P/E multiples (fully-converted basis) at the midpoint value indicated premiums of 90.2% and 61.6%, respectively. The Company’s pro forma P/E ratios (fully-converted basis) based on reported and core earnings at the minimum and the maximum, as adjusted equaled 33.33 and 55.56 times and 29.41 and 47.62 times, respectively.


RP® Financial, LC.    VALUATION ANALYSIS
   IV.21

 

RP Financial, LC.

Table 4.4

MHC Institutions, Implied Pricing Ratios, Full Conversion Basis

Financial Data as of the Most Recent Quarter or Twelve Month Period Available

Prices as of August 23, 2019

 

                                                                                                          Key Financial Data(2)  
                                                  Per Share Data      Pricing Ratios(4)      Dividends                    LTM  
                                    Stock      Mkt      LTM      Tang.      P/E      P/E Cre      Price/      Price/      Price/      Ann Div      Total      Tang.      Reported      Core  
    

Ticker

  

Company Name

   City      State      Exchange      Price(1)      Value(2)      EPS      BV/Sh      LTM(3)      LTM(3)      Book      TBk      Assts      Rate      Assets      E/A      ROAA      ROAE      ROAA      ROAE  
                                    ($)      ($M)      ($)      ($)      (x)      (x)      (%)      (%)      (%)      ($)      ($000)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (%)  
      Bogota Savings Bank                                                         
      Supermaximum      —          —          —        $ 10.00      $ 131.58      $ 0.18      $ 14.03        55.56        47.62        71.28        71.28        16.98      $ 0.00      $ 775,145        23.81        0.31        1.30        0.36        1.50  
      Maximum      —          —          —          10.00        114.41        0.21        14.85        47.62        40.00        67.34        67.34        15.05        0.00        760,449        22.34        0.32        1.44        0.37        1.65  
      Midpoint      —          —          —          10.00        99.49        0.25        15.79        40.00        34.48        63.33        63.33        13.31        0.00        747,670        21.01        0.33        1.58        0.38        1.81  
      Minimum      —          —          —          10.00        84.57        0.30        17.07        33.33        29.41        58.58        58.58        11.51        0.00        734,891        19.64        0.34        1.74        0.39        2.00  
   Publicly Traded MHCs, Full Conversion Basis - Averages               14.98        760.7        0.60        16.50        21.92        23.37        82.61        83.97        19.67        0.54        3,089,736        23.55        0.63        3.00        0.51        2.28  
   Publicly Traded MHCs, Full Conversion Basis - Medians               14.37        109.8        0.48        15.36        21.03        21.34        79.94        79.94        21.45        0.44        643,940        23.59        0.61        2.39        0.48        1.94  
   Publicly Traded MHCs, Full Conversion Basis                                                         

1

   CLBK    Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)      Fair Lawn        NJ        NASDAQ        14.88        1,720.5        0.54        15.43        27.70        27.79        96.11        96.42        22.16        NA        7,762,945        22.99        0.80        3.47        0.80        3.46  

2

   CFBI    Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)      Covington        GA        NASDAQ        10.01        75.7        0.17        14.68        NM        NM        68.17        68.17        22.30        NA        339,316        32.71        0.37        1.13        0.37        1.13  

3

   FFBW    FFBW, Inc. (MHC)      Brookfield        WI        NASDAQ        9.55        63.3        0.24        13.63        NM        NM        70.02        70.08        22.01        NA        287,499        31.40        0.55        1.74        0.61        1.94  

4

   GCBC    Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      Catskill        NY        NASDAQ        26.80        228.8        2.19        25.31        12.21        NM        105.87        105.87        16.66        0.44        1,373,226        15.74        1.36        8.67        NA        NA  

5

   KFFB    Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)      Frankfort        KY        NASDAQ        7.69        64.3        0.11        9.88        NM        NM        66.26        77.91        18.38        0.40        349,979        23.59        0.26        0.92        0.26        0.92  

6

   LSBK    Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      Dunkirk        NY        NASDAQ        14.90        88.7        0.72        21.34        20.58        20.98        69.78        69.78        14.23        0.48        623,556        20.39        0.69        3.39        0.68        3.33  

7

   MGYR    Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      New Brunswick        NJ        NASDAQ        11.81        68.7        0.56        14.77        21.03        21.34        79.94        79.94        10.35        NA        664,324        12.94        0.49        3.80        0.48        3.75  

8

   OFED    Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)      Seneca        SC        NASDAQ        22.76        130.9        0.81        NA        28.06        NM        NA        NA        21.55        0.40        607,436        NA        0.77        NA        NA        NA  

9

   PDLB    PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)      Bronx        NY        NASDAQ        13.86        249.3        0.22        15.36        NM        NM        90.21        90.21        21.36        NA        1,167,247        23.67        0.34        1.45        0.34        1.44  

10

   TFSL    TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)      Cleveland        OH        NASDAQ        17.56        4,916.6        0.43        18.04        NM        NM        97.16        97.34        27.74        1.00        17,721,837        28.50        0.68        2.39        NA        NA  

 

(1)

Current stock price of minority stock.

(2)

Current stock price of minority stock times total shares (public and MHC) outstanding.

(3)

P/E or Core P/E = “NM” if multiple >35x.

(4)

Ratios are pro forma assumings a second step conversion to full stock form.

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP Financial, LC. Calculations. The information provided in this report has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.22

 

On an MHC reported basis, the Company’s reported and core P/E multiples at the midpoint value of $99.5 million equaled 38.46 times and 34.48 times, respectively (see Table 4.5). The Company’s reported and core P/E multiples provided for premiums of 65.7% and 28.0% relative to the Peer Group’s average reported and core P/E multiples of 23.21 times and 26.94 times, respectively. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median reported and core earnings multiples which equaled 24.06 times and 24.55 times, respectively, the Company’s pro forma reported and core P/E multiples (MHC basis) at the midpoint value indicated premiums of 59.9% and 40.5%, respectively. The Company’s pro forma reported and core P/E ratios (MHC basis) at the minimum equaled 33.33 times and 52.63 times, respectively, and equaled 52.63 times and 45.45 times at the supermaximum, respectively.

2. Price-to-Book (“P/B”). The application of the P/B valuation method requires calculating the Company’s pro forma market value by applying a valuation P/B ratio, as derived from the Peer Group’s P/B ratio, to the Company’s pro forma book value (fully-converted basis). Based on the $99.5 million midpoint valuation, the Company’s pro forma P/B and P/TB ratios (fully-converted basis) both equaled 63.33% (see Table 4.5). In comparison to the average P/B and P/TB ratios for the Peer Group of 82.61% and 83.97%, respectively, the Company’s ratios reflected a discount of 23.3% on a P/B basis and a discount of 24.6% on a P/TB basis. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median P/B and P/TB ratios of 79.94% and 21.45%, respectively, the Company’s pro forma P/B and P/TB ratios (fully-converted basis) at the midpoint value reflected discounts of 20.8%. At the top of the range or supermaximum, the Company’s P/B and P/TB ratios (fully-converted basis) both equaled 71.28%. In comparison to the Peer Group’s average P/B and P/TB ratios, the Bank’s P/B and P/TB ratios at the top of the range reflected discounts of 13.7% and 15.1%, respectively. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median P/B and P/TB ratios, the Company’s P/B and P/TB ratios at the top of the range reflected discounts of 10.9%. RP Financial considered the discounts under the P/B approach to be reasonable, given the nature of the calculation of the P/B ratio, which mathematically results in a ratio discounted to book value, along with consideration of the Company’s higher pro forma equity ratio and in consideration of the trading of recent conversions.


RP® Financial, LC.    VALUATION ANALYSIS
   IV.23

 

RP® Financial, LC.

Table 4.5

Public Market Pricing Versus Peer Group

As of August 23, 2019

 

              Market
Capitalization
     Per Share Data                                                                          
              Core
12 Month
EPS(2)
     Book
Value/
Share
            Dividends(4)     Financial Characteristics(6)  
              Price/
Share(1)
     Market
Value(1)
     Pricing Ratios(3)      Amount/
Share
     Yield     Payout
Ratio(5)
    Total
Assets
     Tang. Eq./
T. Assets
    NPAs/
Assets
    Reported      Core  
         P/E      P/B     P/A     P/TB     P/Core     ROAA     ROAE      ROAA      ROAE  
              ($)      ($Mil)      ($)      ($)      (x)      (%)     (%)     (%)     (x)      ($)      (%)     (%)     ($Mil)      (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)      (%)      (%)  

Bogota Financial Corp.

                                                  

Supermaximum

     $ 10.00      $ 59.21      $ 0.22      $ 9.19        52.63x        108.81     18.50     108.81     45.45x      $ 0.00        0.00     0.00   $ 711        16.99     0.17     0.35     2.05      0.40      2.36

Maximum

     $ 10.00        51.49      $ 0.25        10.01        45.45x        99.90     16.23     99.90     40.00x      $ 0.00        0.00     0.00     705        16.24     0.17     0.36     2.20      0.41      2.52

Midpoint

     $ 10.00        44.77      $ 0.29        10.95        38.46x        91.32     14.23     91.32     34.48x      $ 0.00        0.00     0.00     699        15.57     0.18     0.36     2.34      0.42      2.67

Minimum

     $ 10.00        38.05      $ 0.35        12.22        33.33x        81.83     12.19     81.83     28.57x      $ 0.00        0.00     0.00     694        14.90     0.18     0.37     2.49      0.42      2.85

Comparable Group

                                                  

Averages

     $ 14.98      $ 213.30      $ 0.30      $ 9.73        23.21x        149.74     21.79     153.23     26.94x      $ 0.54        3.50     236.10   $ 2,630        15.48     1.41     0.58     4.72      0.45      3.03

Medians

     $ 14.37      $ 35.49      $ 0.22      $ 9.24        24.06x        138.68     23.60     138.82     24.55x      $ 0.44        3.22     74.19   $ 605        14.37     1.23     0.52     4.56      0.44      2.33

Comparable Group

                                                  

CLBK

   Columbia
Financial,
Inc. (MHC)
  NJ    $ 14.88      $ 789.31      $ 0.47      $ 8.72        31.66x        170.70     24.65     171.67     31.78x        NA        NA       NA     $ 6,981        14.37     NA       0.79     5.42      0.79      5.40

CFBI

   Community
First
Bancshares,
Inc. (MHC)
  GA    $ 10.01      $ 34.91      $ 0.12      $ 10.16        NM        98.57     24.80     98.57     NM        NA        NA       NA     $ 305        25.16     NA       0.28     1.10      0.28      1.10

FFBW

   FFBW,
Inc. (MHC)
  WI    $ 9.55      $ 28.53      $ 0.22      $ 9.24        NM        103.40     24.49     103.54     NM        NA        NA       NA     $ 258        23.66     0.58     0.46     2.02      0.53      2.33

GCBC

   Greene
County
Bancorp,
Inc. (MHC)
  NY    $ 26.80      $ 105.29        NA      $ 13.16        13.07x        203.63     18.02     203.63     NM      $ 0.44        1.64     20.00   $ 1,269        8.85     NA       1.45     16.82      NA        NA  

KFFB

   Kentucky
First Federal
Bancorp (MHC) (7)
  KY    $ 7.69      $ 27.94      $ 0.06      $ 7.96        NM        96.71     20.14     123.69     NM      $ 0.40        5.20     666.67   $ 319        17.05     NA       0.16     0.78      0.16      0.78

LSBK

   Lake Shore
Bancorp,
Inc. (MHC)
  NY    $ 14.90      $ 34.57      $ 0.61      $ 13.71        24.02x        108.67     15.35     108.67     24.55x      $ 0.48        3.22     74.19   $ 578        14.13     0.74     0.68     4.69      0.67      4.59

MGYR

   Magyar
Bancorp,
Inc. (MHC)
  NJ    $ 11.81      $ 30.95      $ 0.48      $ 9.32        24.10x        126.73     10.87     126.73     24.49x        NA        NA       NA     $ 633        8.57     2.69     0.45     5.54      0.44      5.45

OFED

   Oconee
Federal
Financial
Corp. (MHC)
  SC    $ 22.76      $ 36.07        NA        NA        NM        150.63     NA       155.87     NM      $ 0.40        1.76     62.50   $ 528        NA       NA       0.73     NA        NA        NA  

PDLB

   PDL
Community
Bancorp (MHC)
  NY    $ 13.86      $ 116.99      $ 0.15      $ 9.19        NM        150.90     23.60     150.90     NM        NA        NA       NA     $ 1,056        15.64     1.82     0.26     1.57      0.26      1.57

TFSL

   TFS
Financial
Corporation (MHC)
  OH    $ 17.56      $ 928.40        NA      $ 6.11        NM        287.44     34.21     289.08     NM      $ 1.00        5.69     357.14   $ 14,372        11.84     1.23     0.57     4.56      NA        NA  

 

(1)

Closing price at date indicated, market value equal to public (minority shares) times current stock price.

(2)

Core earnings reflect net income less non-recurring items

(3)

P/E = Price to earnings; P/B = Price to book; P/A = Price to assets; P/TB = Price to tangible book value; and P/Core = Price to core earnings. P/E and P/Core =NM if the ratio is negative or above 35x.

(4)

Dividend is as of most recent quarterly dividend. Indicated 12 month dividend as a percent of trailing 12 month earnings.

(5)

ROAA (return on average assets) and ROAE (return on average equity) are indicated ratios based on trailing 12 month earnings and average equity and assets balances.

(6)

Excludes from averages and medians those companies the subject of actual or rumored acquisition activities or unusual operating characteristics.

(7)

Financial information is as of or for the 12 months ended March 31, 2019

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this report has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.24

 

On an MHC reported basis, the Company’s P/B and P/TB ratios at the $99.5 million midpoint value both equaled 91.32% (see Table 4.5). In comparison to the average P/B and P/TB ratios indicated for the Peer Group of 149.74% and 153.23%, respectively, the Company’s ratios were discounted by 39.0% on a P/B basis and 40.4% on a P/TB basis. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median P/B and P/TB ratios of 138.68% and 138.82%, respectively, the Company’s pro forma P/B and P/TB ratios (MHC basis) at the midpoint value reflected discounts of 34.2% and 34.2%, respectively. At the top of the range, the Company’s P/B and P/TB ratios (MHC basis) both equaled 108.81%. In comparison to the Peer Group’s average P/B and P/TB ratios, the Company’s P/B and P/TB ratios at the top of the range reflected discounts of 27.3% and 29.0%, respectively. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median P/B and P/TB ratios, the Company’s P/B and P/TB ratios at the top of the range reflected discounts of 21.5% and 21.6%, respectively.

3. Price-to-Assets (“P/A”). The P/A valuation methodology determines market value by applying a valuation P/A ratio (fully-converted basis) to the Company’s pro forma asset base, conservatively assuming no deposit withdrawals are made to fund stock purchases. In all likelihood there will be deposit withdrawals, which results in understating the pro forma P/A ratio, which is computed herein. At the $99.5 million midpoint of the valuation range, the Company’s pro forma P/A ratio (fully-converted basis) equaled 13.31% of pro forma assets. Comparatively, the Peer Group companies exhibited an average P/A ratio of 19.67%, which implies a discount of 32.3% has been applied to the Company’s pro forma P/A ratio. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median P/A ratio of 21.45%, the Bank’s pro forma P/A ratio (fully-converted basis) at the midpoint value reflects a discount of 38.0%.

On an MHC reported basis, the Company’s pro forma P/A ratio at the $99.5 million midpoint value equaled 14.23% (see Table 4.5). In comparison to the Peer Group’s average P/A ratio of 21.79%, the Company’s P/A ratio (MHC basis) indicated a discount of 34.7%. In comparison to the Peer Group’s median P/A ratio of 23.60%, the Company’s pro forma P/A ratio (MHC basis) at the midpoint value reflects a discount of 39.7%.

Comparison to Recent Offerings

As indicated at the beginning of this section, RP Financial’s analysis of recent conversion offering pricing characteristics at closing and in the aftermarket has been limited to a “technical” analysis and, thus, the pricing characteristics of recent conversion offerings cannot be a primary determinate of value. Particular focus was placed on the P/TB approach in this analysis, since the P/E multiples do not reflect the actual impact of reinvestment and the source of the stock proceeds (i.e., external funds vs. deposit withdrawals).


 

RP® Financial, LC.   

VALUATION ANALYSIS

IV.25

 

As discussed previously, the two mutual holding company conversion offerings that were completed during the past three months had an average pro forma fully converted P/TB ratio at closing of 73.8%. In comparison, the Company’s P/TB ratio (fully-converted basis) of 63.33% at the midpoint value reflects an implied discount of 14.2%. At the top of the range, the Company’s fully converted P/TB ratio of 71.28% reflects an implied discount of 3.4% relative to the recent mutual holding company conversions.

Valuation Conclusion

Based on the foregoing, it is our opinion that, as of August 23, 2019, the estimated aggregate pro forma market value of the shares to be issued immediately following the conversion, both shares issued publicly as well as to the MHC and the Foundation, equaled $99,489,790 at the midpoint, equal to 9,948,979 shares offered at a per share value of $10.00. Pursuant to conversion guidelines, the 15% offering range indicates a minimum value of $84,566,320 and a maximum value of $114,413,260. Based on the $10.00 per share offering price determined by the Board, this valuation range equates to total shares outstanding of 8,456,632 at the minimum and 11,441,326 at the maximum. In the event the appraised value is subject to an increase, the aggregate pro forma market value may be increased up to a super maximum value of $131,575,250 without a resolicitation. Based on the $10.00 per share offering price, the super maximum value would result in total shares outstanding of 13,157,525.

The Board of Directors has established a public offering range such that the public ownership of the Company will constitute a 43.0% ownership interest, prior to the issuance of shares to the Foundation. Accordingly, the offering to the public of the minority stock will equal $36,363,510 at the minimum, $42,780,600 at the midpoint, $49,197,700 at the maximum and $56,577,350 at the super maximum of the valuation range. Based on the public offering range and inclusive of the shares issued to the Foundation, equal to 2.0% of the shares issued in the conversion, the public ownership of shares will represent 45.0% of the shares issued throughout the valuation range. The pro forma valuation calculations relative to the Peer Group (fully-converted basis) are shown in Table 4.4, and are detailed in Exhibit IV-7 and Exhibit IV-8; the pro forma valuation calculations relative to the Peer Group based on reported financials are shown in Table 4.5 and are detailed in Exhibits IV-9 and IV-10.


EXHIBITS


RP® Financial, LC.

LIST OF EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

I-1    Map of Branch Office Network
I-2    Audited Financial Statements
I-3    Key Operating Ratios
I-4    Investment Securities
I-5    Yields and Costs
I-6    Loan Loss Allowance Activity
I-7    Interest Rate Risk Analysis
I-8    Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate Loans
I-9    Loan Portfolio Composition
I-10    Contractual Maturity By Loan Type
I-11    Non-Performing Assets
I-12    Deposit Composition
I-13    CDs >$100,000 in balance by Maturity
I-14    Borrowings Details
II-1    Description of Office Facilities
II-2    Historical Interest Rates
II-3    Market Area Demographic/Economic Information


LIST OF EXHIBITS (continued)

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

III-1    General Characteristics of Publicly-Traded Institutions
III-2    Public Market Pricing of Publicly-Traded MHC Institutions
III-3    Peer Group Summary Demographic and Deposit Market Share Data
IV-1    Thrift Stock Prices: As of August 23, 2019
IV-2    Historical Stock Price Indices
IV-3    Historical Thrift Stock Indices
IV-4    Market Area Acquisition Activity
IV-5    Director and Senior Management Summary Resumes
IV-6    Pro Forma Regulatory Capital Ratios
IV-7    Pro Forma Analysis Sheet – Fully Converted Basis
IV-8    Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds – Fully Converted Basis
IV-9    Pro Forma Analysis Sheet – Fully Converted Basis
IV-10    Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds – Fully Converted Basis
V-1    Firm Qualifications Statement


EXHIBIT I-1

Bogota Savings Bank

Map of Branch Office Network

 

LOGO


EXHIBIT I-2

Bogota Savings Bank

Audited Financial Statements

(Incorporated by Reference)


EXHIBIT I-3

Bogota Savings Bank

Key Operating Ratios

 

     At or For the
Six Months Ended
June 30,
    At or For the Year Ended December 31,  
     2019     2018     2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  

Performance Ratios (1):

              

Return on average assets (2)

     0.29     0.72     0.63     0.63     0.64     0.75     0.81

Return on average equity (3)

     2.70       6.73       5.85       5.85       6.06       7.01       7.72  

Interest rate spread (4)

     1.54       2.10       1.97       2.25       2.16       2.40       2.51  

Net interest margin (5)

     1.76       2.23       2.12       2.36       2.27       2.53       2.67  

Efficiency ratio (6)

     78.64       56.71       60.07       54.34       54.95       51.50       48.38  

Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities

     111.43       110.36       110.68       109.89       110.19       111.82       114.92  

Loans to deposits

     107.13       103.21       103.60       108.21       102.67       122.62       119.75  

Equity to assets (7)

     11.38       10.81       11.19       10.79       10.57       10.94       10.58  

Capital Ratios:

              

Tier 1 capital (to adjusted total assets)

     11.1       10.8       11.2       10.8       10.6       10.9       10.6  

Tier I capital (to risk-weighted assets)

     17.5       18.0       17.9       17.4       17.0       18.3       18.9  

Total capital (to risk-weighted assets)

     18.0       18.5       18.3       17.4       17.5       10.9       N/A  

Common equity Tier 1 capital (to risk-weighted assets)

     17.5       18.0       17.9       17.9       17.5       10.9       N/A  

Asset Quality Ratios:

              

Allowance for loan losses as a percent of total loans

     0.37       0.39       0.37       0.38       0.38       0.39       0.39  

Allowance for loan losses as a percent of non-performing loans

     373.00       182.35       201.37       55.48       112.14       94.01       67.79  

Net charge-offs to average outstanding loans during the period

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Non-performing loans as a percent of total loans

     0.10       0.21       0.19       0.69       0.34       0.41       0.58  

Non-performing assets as a percent of total assets

     0.08       0.16       0.15       0.56       0.27       0.34       0.46  

Other Data:

              

Number of offices

     2       2       2       2       2       2       2  

Number of full-time equivalent employees

     46       41       45       42       46       43       43  

 

 

(1)

Performance ratios for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 are annualized.

(2)

Represents net income divided by average total assets.

(3)

Represents net income divided by average equity.

(4)

Represents the difference between the weighted average yield on average interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost on average interest-bearing liabilities. Tax exempt income is reported on a tax equivalent basis using a combined federal and state marginal tax rate of 30% for 2019 and 2018 and 34% for the previous periods.

(5)

Represents net interest income as a percent of average interest-earning assets. Tax exempt income is reported on a tax equivalent basis using a combined federal and state marginal tax rate of 30% for 2019 and 2018 and 34% for the previous periods.

(6)

Represents non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.

(7)

Represents average equity divided by average total assets.

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-4

Bogota Savings Bank

Investment Securities

 

     At June 30,      At December 31,  
     2019      2018      2017      2016  
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
 
                          (In thousands)                       

Securities held-to-maturity:

                       

U.S. government and agency obligations

   $ 10,449      $ 10,403      $ 17,674      $ 17,482      $ 12,445      $ 12,291      $ 7,490     

$

7,379

 

Municipal securities

     2,722        2,742        8,135        8,102        4,995        4,973        2,530        2,479  

Corporate bonds

     5,437        5,529        4,005        3,961        3,006        3,011        1,507        1,490  

Mortgage-backed securities residential

     13,500        13,562        14,804        14,560        16,981        16,926        19,906        19,743  

Mortgage-backed securities commercial

     25,214        25,435        25,431        24,697        26,334        26,246        17,160        17,137  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 57,322      $ 57,671      $ 70,049      $ 68,803      $ 63,761      $ 63,447      $ 48,593      $ 48,228  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Securities available-for-sale:

                       

Mortgage-backed securities residential

   $ 6,295      $ 6,442      $ 6,832      $ 6,977      $ 8,924      $ 9,141      $ 11,629     

$

11,876

 

Corporate bonds

     6,878        6,898        6,658        6,623        2,635        2,659        3,127        3,133  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 13,173      $ 13,340      $ 13,490      $ 13,600      $ 11,559      $ 11,800      $ 14,756      $ 15,009  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-5

Bogota Savings Bank

Yields and Costs

 

     At June 30,
2019
    Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2019     2018  
     Yield/Cost     Average
Balance
     Interest and
Dividends
     Yield/Cost(3)     Average
Balance
     Interest and
Dividends
     Yield/Cost(3)  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Assets:

                  

Cash and cash equivalents

     2.57   $ 23,652      $ 296        2.53   $ 26,613      $ 219        1.66

Loans

     3.80       530,798        10,011        3.78       509,452        9,601        3.78  

Securities

     2.66       77,198        1,008        2.61       82,480        929        2.25  

Other interest-earning assets

     —         4,604        148        6.44       4,619        174        7.53  
    

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total interest-earning assets

     3.60       636,252        11,463        3.61       623,164        10,922        3.52  

Non-interest-earning assets

       27,134             27,641        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Total assets

     $ 663,386           $ 650,805        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Liabilities and equity:

                  

NOW and money market accounts

     1.24     $ 71,456        480        1.35     $ 92,573        385        0.84  

Savings accounts

     0.25       30,586        40        0.26       35,618        45        0.25  

Certificates of deposit

     2.37       397,313        4,428        2.25       364,854        2,953        1.63  
    

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total interest-bearing deposits

     2.11       499,355        4,948        2.00       493,045        3,383        1.38  

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

     2.56       71,637        919        2.59       71,602        596        1.68  
    

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

    

Total interest-bearing liabilities

     2.17       570,992        5,867        2.07       564,647        3,979        1.42  

Non-interest-bearing deposits

       13,150             12,636        

Other non-interest-bearing liabilities

       6,285             3,878        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Total liabilities

       590,427             581,161        

Total equity

       72,959             69,444        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Total liabilities and equity

     $ 663,386           $ 650,805        
    

 

 

         

 

 

       

Net interest income

        $ 5,597           $ 6,944     
       

 

 

         

 

 

    

Interest rate spread (1)

             1.54           2.10
          

 

 

         

 

 

 

Net interest margin (2)

             1.76           2.23
          

 

 

         

 

 

 

Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities

        $ 65,260           $ 58,517     
       

 

 

         

 

 

    

 

(1)

Interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities.

(2)

Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

(3)

Annualized.


EXHIBIT I-5 (Continued)

Bogota Savings Bank

Yields and Costs

 

    Year Ended December 31,  
    2018     2017     2016  
    Average
Balance
    Interest and
Dividends
    Yield/Cost     Average
Balance
    Interest and
Dividends
    Yield/Cost     Average
Balance
    Interest and
Dividends
     Yield/Cost  
    (Dollars in thousands)  

Assets:

                  

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 26,642     $ 500       1.88   $ 14,959     $ 167       1.12   $ 32,893     $ 228        0.70

Loans

    508,873       19,189       3.77       497,709       18,263       3.67       469,462       17,227        3.37  

Securities

    84,185       1,984       2.36       72,240       1,727       2.39       62,654       1,290        2.06  

other interest-earning assets

    4,412       313       7.09       5,175       278       5.37       5,764       295        5.14  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

    

Total interest-earning assets

    624,112     $ 21,986       3.52       590,083     $ 20,435       3.46       570,773     $ 19,044        3.33  
   

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

    

Non-interest-earning assets

    36,108           33,801           25,909       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

      

Total assets

  $ 660,220         $ 623,884         $ 596,682       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

      

Liabilities and equity:

                  

NOW and money market accounts

  $ 88,919     $ 826       0.93     $ 107,903     $ 875       0.81     $ 75,976     $ 485        0.64  

Savings accounts

    34,530       88       0.26       38,173       107       0.28       37,943       111        0.29  

Certificates of deposit

    372,908       6,541       1.75       309,172       4,263       1.38       307,900       4,079        1.32  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

    

Total interest-bearing deposits

    496,357       7,455       1.50       455,248       5,245       1.15       421,819       4,673        1.10  

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

    67,512       1,307       1.94       81,733       1,280       1.57       96,156       1,400        1.45  
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

    

Total interest-bearing liabilities

    563,869       8,762       1.55       536,981       6,525       1.22       517,975       6,073        1.17  
   

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

    

Non-interest-bearing deposits

    12,721           11,633           11,449       

Other non-interest-beairing liabilities

    5,673           8,875           4,847       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

      

Total liabilities

    582,263           557,489           534,271       

Total equity

    70,477           66,395           62,411       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

      

Total liabilities and equity

  $ 652,740         $ 623,884         $ 596,682       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

      

Net interest income

    $ 13,224         $ 13,910         $ 12,971     
   

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

    

Interest rate spread (1)

        1.97         2.25          2.16
     

 

 

       

 

 

        

 

 

 

Net interest margin (2)

        2.12         2.36          2.27
     

 

 

       

 

 

        

 

 

 

Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities

    $ 60,243         $ 53,102       $ 52,798       
   

 

 

       

 

 

     

 

 

      

 

(1)

Interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities.

(2)

Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-6

Bogota Savings Bank

Loan Loss Allowance Activity

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30,
    Year Ended December 31,  
     2019     2018     2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Allowance for loan losses at beginning of period

   $ 1,976     $ 1,976     $ 1,976     $ 1,876     $ 1,776     $ 1,691     $ 1,622  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Provision for loan losses

     —         —         —         100       100       75       100  

Charge-offs:

              

Residential real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         27  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         19  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total charge-offs

     —         —         —         —         —         —         46  

Recoveries:

              

Residential real estate loans

     40       —         —         —         —         10       15  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total recoveries

     40       —         —         —         —         10       15  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net (recoveries) charge-offs

     (40     —         —         —         —         —         31  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses at end of period

   $ 2,016     $ 1,976     $ 1,976     $ 1,976     $ 1,876     $ 1,776     $ 1,691  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans at end of period

     55.48 % (1)      182.85 % (1)      201.37     55.48     112.14     94.01     67.79

Allowance for loan losses to total loans outstanding at end of period

     0.38  (1)      0.39  (1)      0.37       0.38       0.38       0.39       0.39  

Net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans outstanding during period

     —         —         —         —         —         —         0.01  

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-7

Bogota Savings Bank

Interest Rate Risk Analysis

 

     Net Portfolio Value (“NPV”)     NPV as Percent of Portfolio
Value of Assets
 
     (Dollars in thousands)        

Basis Point (“bp”) Change in
Interest Rates

   Dollar
Amount
     Dollar
Change
    Percent
Change
    NPV Ratio     Change  

400 bp

   $ 36,884      $ (39,585     (51.77 )%      6.29     (45.40 )% 

300 bp

     47,743        (28,727     (37.57     7.90       31.42  

200 bp

     58,910        (17,559 )      (22.96     9.44       (18.06

100 bp

     68,863        (7,606     (9.95     10.69       (7.20

0

     76,469        —         —         11.52       —    

(100) bp

     82,908        6,439       8.42       12.16       5.56  

(200) bp

     94,425        17,956       23.48       13.50       11.02  

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-8

Bogota Savings Bank

Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate Loans

 

     Fixed Rates      Floating or
Adjustable Rates
     Total  
            (In thousands)         

Residential real estate loans

   $ 325,024      $ 51,280      $ 376,304  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     123,076        145        123,221  

Construction loans

     2,339        —          2,339  

Commercial and industrial loans

     1,162        105        1,267  

Consumer loans

     3,740        21,775        25,515  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 455,341      $ 73,305      $ 528,646  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-9

Bogota Savings Bank

Loan Portfolio Composition

 

     At June 30,
2019
    At December 3l,  
    2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  
     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent  
                                      (Dollars in thousands)                                   

Real Estate Loans:

                              

Residential

   $ 386,212        71.51     $ 376,304        71.18   $ 359,925        69.81   $ 329,463        67.17   $ 335,172        73.12   $ 336,740        77.66

Commercial and multi-family

     120,810        22.37       123,221        23.31       125,339        24.31       130,541        29.62       91,866        20.04       68,352        15.76  

Construction

     3,277        0.61       2,339        0.44       3,204        0.62       1,963        0.40       1,080        0.24       —          —    

Commercial and Industrial

     2,526        0.47       1,267        0.24       —          —         —          —         —          —         —          —    

Consumer:

                              

Home Equity and other

     27,243        5.04       25,515        4.83       27,098        5.26       28,496        5.81       30,272        6.60       28,510        6.58  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total loans receivable

   $ 540,068        100.00   $ 528,646        100.00   $ 515,566        100.00   $ 490,463        100.00   $ 458,390        100.00   $ 433,602        100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Represents amounts disbursed at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. The undrawn amounts of construction loans totaled $2.9 million, $3.6 million, $337,000, $387,000, $837,000 and $874,000 at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-10

Bogota Savings Bank

Contractual Maturity By Loan Type

 

     At December 31, 2018  
     Residential
Real Estate
Loans
     Commercial
and Multi-
Family Real
Estate
Loans
     C & I
Loans
     Construction
Loans
     Consumer
Loans
     Total Loans  
     (In thousands)  

Amounts due in:

                 

One year or less

   $ 69      $ 179      $ —        $ —        $ 91      $ 339  

More than one year through five years

     5,980        6,032        1,162        —          744        13,918  

More than five years through ten years

     73,618        21,401        105        —          795        95,919  

More than ten years through fifteen years

     55,451        24,944        —          1,944        2,981        85,320  

More than fifteen years

     241,186        70,665        —          395        20,903        333,149  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 376,304      $ 123,221      $ 1,267      $ 2,339      $ 25,515      $ 528,645  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-11

Bogota Savings Bank

Non-Performing Assets

 

     At June 30,
2019
    At December 31,  
    2018     2017     2016     2015     2014  
     (Dollars in thousands)  

Non-accrual loans:

            

Residential real estate loans

   $ 519     $ 959     $ 1,076     $ 1,556     $ 1,768     $ 2,224  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         2,461       —         —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     22       22       25       120       122       271  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     541       981       3,562       1,673       1,889       2,495  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:

            

Residential real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         126  

Commercial and multi-family real estate loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Construction loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —                  —         —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     —         981       3,562       1,673       1,889       2,621  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-performing loans

     541       981       3,562       1,673       1,889       2,621  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Real estate owned

     —         —                  —         —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-performing assets

   $ 541     $ 981     $ 3,562     $ 1,673     $ 1,889     $ 2,621  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Troubled debt restructurings (accruing):

            

Residential real estate loans

   $ 687     $ 230     $ 238     $ 395     $ 391     $ 772  

Commercial real estate loans

     —         —         —                  —         —    

Commercial loans

     —         —         —         —         —         —    

Consumer loans

     —         —                           —         714  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total troubled debt restructurings (accruing)

   $ 687     $ 230     $ 238     $ 395     $ 391     $ 1,486  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total troubled debt restructurings (accruing) and total non-performing assets

   $ 1,228     $ 1,211     $ 3,800     $ 2,068     $ 3,012     $ 4,107  

Total non-performing loans to total loans

     0.10     0.19     0.69     0.34     0.41     0.58

Total non-performing loans to total assets

     0.08       0.15       0.56       0.27       0.46       0.48  

Total non-performing assets to total assets

     0.08       0.15       0.56       0.27       0.46       0.48  

Total non-performing assets and troubled debt restructurings (accruing) to total assets

     0.19       0.18       0.59      
0.33
 
    0.53       0.76  

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-12

Bogota Savings Bank

Deposit Composition

 

     At June 30,
2019
    At December 31,  
    2018     2017     2016  
     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent  
                         (In thousands)                      

Noninterest bearing demand accounts

   $ 13,517        2.68   $ 12,500        2.45   $ 11,614        2.44   $ 11,457        2.40

NOW accounts

     22,835        4.53       42,390        8.31       37,049        7.78       45,288        9.48  

Money market accounts

     32,735        6.49       38,316        7.51       62,535        13.14       58,803        12.31  

Savings accounts

     28,687        5.69       31,490        6.17       37,250        7.82       38,599        8.08  

Certificates of deposit

     406,335        80.61       385,597        75.56       327,617        68.82       323,551        67.73  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 504,109        100.00   $ 510,293        100.00   $ 476,065        100.00   $ 477,698        100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-13

Bogota Savings Bank

CDs >$100,000 in Balance by Maturity

 

     At June 30,
2019
    At December 31,  
    2018     2017     2016  
     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent  
                         (In thousands)                      

Noninterest bearing demand accounts

   $ 13,517        2.68   $ 12,500        2.45   $ 11,614        2.44   $ 11,457        2.40

NOW accounts

     22,835        4.53       42,390        8.31       37,049        7.78       45,288        9.48  

Money market accounts

     32,735        6.49       38,316        7.51       62,535        13.14       58,803        12.31  

Savings accounts

     28,687        5.69       31,490        6.17       37,250        7.82       38,599        8.08  

Certificates of deposit

     406,335        80.61       385,597        75.56       327,617        68.82       323,551        67.73  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 504,109        100.00   $ 510,293        100.00   $ 476,065        100.00   $ 477,698        100.00
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT I-14

Bogota Savings Bank

Borrowings Detail

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30,
    Year Ended December 31,  
     2019     2018     2018     2017     2016  
           (Dollars in thousands)        

Maximum balance outstanding at any month-end during period

   $ 78,365     $ 83,104     $ 83,103     $ 98,797     $  119,762  

Average balance outstanding during period

     71,637       68,623       68,224       83,680       94,442  

Weighted average interest rate during period

     2.59     1.75     1.88     1.50     1.46

Balance outstanding at end of period

   $ 78,365     $ 57,320     $ 74,639     $ 89,230     $ 74,570  

Weighted average interest rate at end of period

     2.51 %      1.82     2.54 %      1.50     1.60

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT II-1

Bogota Savings Bank

Description of Office Facilities

 

Location

   Year
Acquired or Leased
     Owned/Leased      Net Book Value at
June 30, 2019
 
                   (Dollars in thousands)  

Branch Offices:

        

819 Teaneck Road

     2004        Owned      $ 3,857  

Teaneck, NJ 07666

        

60 East Main Street

     1941        Owned        273  

Bogota, NJ 07603

        

Other Offices:

        

885 Teaneck Road

     2015        Leased        44  

Teaneck, NJ 07666

        

655 Pomander Walk (1)

     2010        Leased        15  

Teaneck, NJ 07666

        

 

(1)

Private location for facility residences and employees.

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT II-2

Bogota Savings Bank

Historical Interest Rates


Exhibit II-2

Historical Interest Rates(1)

 

Year/Qtr. Ended

   Prime
Rate
    90 Day
T-Note
    One Year
T-Note
    10 Year
T-Note
 

2010:       Quarter 1

     3.25     0.16     0.41     3.84

Quarter 2

     3.25     0.18     0.32     2.97

Quarter 3

     3.25     0.18     0.32     2.97

Quarter 4

     3.25     0.12     0.29     3.30

2011:       Quarter 1

     3.25     0.09     0.30     3.47

Quarter 2

     3.25     0.03     0.19     3.18

Quarter 3

     3.25     0.02     0.13     1.92

Quarter 4

     3.25     0.02     0.12     1.89

2012:       Quarter 1

     3.25     0.07     0.19     2.23

Quarter 2

     3.25     0.09     0.21     1.67

Quarter 3

     3.25     0.10     0.17     1.65

Quarter 4

     3.25     0.05     0.16     1.78

2013:       Quarter 1

     3.25     0.07     0.14     1.87

Quarter 2

     3.25     0.04     0.15     2.52

Quarter 3

     3.25     0.02     0.10     2.64

Quarter 4

     3.25     0.07     0.13     3.04

2014:       Quarter 1

     3.25     0.05     0.13     2.73

Quarter 2

     3.25     0.04     0.11     2.53

Quarter 3

     3.25     0.02     0.13     2.52

Quarter 4

     3.25     0.04     0.25     2.17

2015:       Quarter 1

     3.25     0.03     0.26     1.94

Quarter 2

     3.25     0.01     0.28     2.35

Quarter 3

     3.25     0.00     0.33     2.06

Quarter 4

     3.50     0.16     0.65     2.27

2016:       Quarter 1

     3.50     0.21     0.59     1.78

Quarter 2

     3.50     0.26     0.45     1.49

Quarter 3

     3.50     0.29     0.59     1.60

Quarter 4

     3.75     0.51     0.85     2.45

2017:       Quarter 1

     4.00     0.76     1.03     2.40

Quarter 2

     4.25     1.03     1.24     2.31

Quarter 3

     4.25     1.06     1.31     2.33

Quarter 4

     4.50     1.39     1.76     2.40

2018:       Quarter 1

     4.75     1.73     2.09     2.74

Quarter 2

     5.00     1.93     2.33     2.85

Quarter 3

     5.25     2.19     2.59     3.05

Quarter 4

     5.50     2.45     2.63     2.69

2019:       Quarter 1

     5.50     2.40     2.40     2.41

Quarter 2

     5.50     2.12     1.92     2.00

As of August 23, 2019

     5.25     1.97     1.73     1.52

 

(1)

End of period data.

Sources: Federal Reserve and The Wall Street Journal.


EXHIBIT II-3

Bogota Savings Bank

Market Area Demographic/Economic Information


Demographic Detail: US

 

     Base 2010      Current 2019      Projected 2024      % Change
2010-2019
    % Change
2019-2024
 

Total Population (actual)

     308,745,538        329,236,175        340,950,101        6.64       3.56  

0-14 Age Group (%)

     19.83        18.61        18.08        0.05       0.63  

15-34 Age Group (%)

     27.43        26.93        26.18        4.69       0.68  

35-54 Age Group (%)

     27.88        25.30        24.71        (3.22     1.14  

55-69 Age Group (%)

     15.84        18.51        19.12        24.56       6.97  

70+ Age Group (%)

     9.01        10.66        11.91        26.06       15.75  

Median Age (actual)

     37.1        38.5        39.5        3.77       2.60  

Female Population (actual)

     156,964,212        167,139,967        173,027,484        6.48       3.52  

Male Population (actual)

     151,781,326        162,096,208        167,922,617        6.80       3.59  

Population Density (#/ sq miles)

     87.50        93.31        96.63        6.64       3.56  

Diversity Index (actual)

     NA        NA        NA        NA       NA  

Black (%)

     12.61        12.88        13.05        8.92       4.92  

Asian (%)

     4.75        5.77        6.34        29.50       13.79  

White (%)

     72.41        69.79        68.32        2.79       1.36  

Hispanic (%)

     16.35        18.43        19.59        20.20       10.05  

Pacific Islander (%)

     0.17        0.20        0.21        20.20       10.03  

American Indian/Alaska Native (%)

     0.95        0.99        1.01        10.68       5.84  

Multiple races (%)

     2.92        3.47        3.78        26.76       12.82  

Other (%)

     6.19        6.90        7.30        18.94       9.49  

Total Households (actual)

     116,716,292        125,018,808        129,683,914        7.11       3.73  

< $25K Households (%)

     NA        19.57        17.76        NA       (5.89

$25-49K Households (%)

     NA        21.51        20.03        NA       (3.39

$50-99K Households (%)

     NA        29.25        28.50        NA       1.07  

$100-$199K Households (%)

     NA        21.61        23.46        NA       12.62  

$200K+ Households (%)

     NA        8.06        10.25        NA       31.93  

Average Household Income ($)

     NA        89,646        98,974        NA       10.41  

Median Household Income ($)

     NA        63,174        68,744        NA       8.82  

Per Capita Income ($)

     NA        34,902        38,568        NA       10.50  

Total Owner Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     75,986,074        81,287,885        84,266,838        6.98       3.66  

Renter Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     40,730,218        43,730,923        45,417,076        7.37       3.86  

Vacant Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     14,988,438        15,880,404        16,174,202        5.95       1.85  

Source: Claritas

Demographic data is provided by Claritas based primarily on US Census data. For non-census year data, Claritas uses samples and projections to estimate the demographic data. SNL performs calculations on the underlying data provided by Claritas for some of the data presented on this page.

% Change values are calculated using the underlying actual data.


Demographic Detail: New Jersey

 

     Base 2010      Current 2019      Projected 2024      % Change
2010-2019
    % Change
2019-2024
 

Total Population (actual)

     8,791,894        9,043,254        9,195,640        2.86       1.69  

0-14 Age Group (%)

     19.26        17.88        17.22        (4.52     (2.05

15-34 Age Group (%)

     25.58        25.59        25.28        2.91       0.44  

35-54 Age Group (%)

     29.77        26.43        24.95        (8.70     (4.01

55-69 Age Group (%)

     15.89        19.23        20.45        24.47       8.12  

70+ Age Group (%)

     9.50        10.87        12.11        17.76       13.22  

Median Age (actual)

     38.7        40.2        41.1        3.88       2.24  

Female Population (actual)

     4,512,294        4,625,885        4,699,205        2.52       1.58  

Male Population (actual)

     4,279,600        4,417,369        4,496,435        3.22       1.79  

Population Density (#/ sq miles)

     1,197.01        1,231.24        1,251.98        2.86       1.69  

Diversity Index (actual)

     NA        NA        NA        NA       NA  

Black (%)

     13.70        13.90        14.01        4.36       2.47  

Asian (%)

     8.25        10.04        11.05        25.13       11.89  

White (%)

     68.58        64.94        62.90        (2.60     (1.50

Hispanic (%)

     17.69        20.99        22.83        22.06       10.59  

Pacific Islander (%)

     0.03        0.05        0.05        37.46       15.99  

American Indian/Alaska Native (%)

     0.33        0.36        0.38        12.66       6.57  

Multiple races (%)

     2.73        3.25        3.54        22.18       10.77  

Other (%)

     6.37        7.46        8.07        20.52       9.98  

Total Households (actual)

     3,214,360        3,312,916        3,371,470        3.07       1.77  

< $25K Households (%)

     NA        15.39        13.94        NA       (7.86

$25-49K Households (%)

     NA        16.67        15.51        NA       (5.35

$50-99K Households (%)

     NA        26.21        24.96        NA       (3.09

$100-$199K Households (%)

     NA        27.19        27.93        NA       4.55  

$200K+ Households (%)

     NA        14.54        17.67        NA       23.66  

Average Household Income ($)

     NA        118,307        129,757        NA       9.68  

Median Household Income ($)

     NA        82,517        90,362        NA       9.51  

Per Capita Income ($)

     NA        44,235        48,532        NA       9.71  

Total Owner Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     2,102,465        2,149,254        2,180,197        2.23       1.44  

Renter Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     1,111,895        1,163,662        1,191,273        4.66       2.37  

Vacant Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     339,202        369,481        378,234        8.93       2.37  

Source: Claritas

Demographic data is provided by Claritas based primarily on US Census data. For non-census year data, Claritas uses samples and projections to estimate the demographic data. SNL performs calculations on the underlying data provided by Claritas for some of the data presented on this page.

% Change values are calculated using the underlying actual data.


Demographic Detail: Bergen, NJ

 

     Base 2010      Current 2019      Projected 2024      % Change
2010-2019
    % Change
2019-2024
 

Total Population (actual)

     905,116        956,674        983,047        5.70       2.76  

0-14 Age Group (%)

     18.41        16.85        15.83        (3.28     (3.45

15-34 Age Group (%)

     23.19        23.88        24.06        8.83       3.54  

35-54 Age Group (%)

     30.60        27.40        25.38        (5.38     (4.81

55-69 Age Group (%)

     16.89        20.05        21.72        25.46       11.31  

70+ Age Group (%)

     10.91        11.83        13.02        14.64       13.06  

Median Age (actual)

     40.9        42.2        43.4        3.18       2.84  

Female Population (actual)

     469,154        492,882        506,159        5.06       2.69  

Male Population (actual)

     435,962        463,792        476,888        6.38       2.82  

Population Density (#/ sq miles)

     3,885.40        4,106.73        4,219.94        5.70       2.76  

Diversity Index (actual)

     NA        NA        NA        NA       NA  

Black (%)

     5.80        6.27        6.54        14.35       7.20  

Asian (%)

     14.51        17.22        18.76        25.41       11.99  

White (%)

     71.89        66.61        63.59        (2.07     (1.90

Hispanic (%)

     16.05        20.80        23.52        37.00       16.17  

Pacific Islander (%)

     0.03        0.03        0.04        41.05       17.34  

American Indian/Alaska Native (%)

     0.23        0.26        0.28        20.86       10.12  

Multiple races (%)

     2.51        3.18        3.56        33.92       15.13  

Other (%)

     5.04        6.43        7.23        34.90       15.47  

Total Households (actual)

     335,730        353,013        362,203        5.15       2.60  

< $25K Households (%)

     NA        12.10        11.09        NA       (5.94

$25-49K Households (%)

     NA        13.48        12.39        NA       (5.66

$50-99K Households (%)

     NA        24.15        22.74        NA       (3.38

$100-$199K Households (%)

     NA        30.09        30.08        NA       2.57  

$200K+ Households (%)

     NA        20.18        23.69        NA       20.44  

Average Household Income ($)

     NA        142,329        154,449        NA       8.52  

Median Household Income ($)

     NA        100,667        109,596        NA       8.87  

Per Capita Income ($)

     NA        53,099        57,519        NA       8.32  

Total Owner Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     221,966        232,208        237,794        4.61       2.41  

Renter Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     113,764        120,805        124,409        6.19       2.98  

Vacant Occupied Housing Units (actual)

     16,658        17,204        17,481        3.28       1.61  

Source: Claritas

Demographic data is provided by Claritas based primarily on US Census data. For non-census year data, Claritas uses samples and projections to estimate the demographic data. SNL performs calculations on the underlying data provided by Claritas for some of the data presented on this page.

% Change values are calculated using the underlying actual data.


EXHIBIT III-1

Bogota Savings Bank

General Characteristics of Publicly-Traded Institutions


Exhibit III-1

Characteristics of Publicly-Traded Thrifts

August 23, 2019

 

                                                       As of
August 23, 2019
 

Ticker

  

Financial Institution

   Exchange    Region   

City

   State    Total
Assets
    Offices      Fiscal
Mth End
     Conv.
Date
   Stock
Price
     Market
Value
 
                              ($Mil)                        ($)      ($Mil)  

AX

   Axos Financial, Inc.    NYSE    WE    San Diego    CA    $ 11,220       2        Jun      3/14/05    $ 24.91      $ 1,523  

FBC

   Flagstar Bancorp, Inc.    NYSE    MW    Troy    MI    $ 20,206       161        Dec      4/30/97    $ 35.43      $ 2,001  

NYCB

   New York Community Bancorp, Inc.    NYSE    MA    Westbury    NY    $ 52,776       241        Dec      11/23/93    $ 11.41      $ 5,333  

PFS

   Provident Financial Services, Inc.    NYSE    MA    Jersey City    NJ    $ 9,938       86        Dec      1/15/03    $ 23.20      $ 1,541  

BCOW

   1895 Bancorp Of Wisconsin, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MW    Greenfield    WI    $ 483       8        Dec      1/8/19    $ 9.33      $ 44  

BCTF

   Bancorp 34, Inc.    NASDAQ    SW    Alamogordo    NM    $ 381       4        Dec      5/16/00    $ 15.38      $ 49  

BYFC

   Broadway Financial Corporation    NASDAQ    WE    Los Angeles    CA    $ 430       3        Dec      1/8/96    $ 1.80      $ 33  

CFFN

   Capitol Federal Financial, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Topeka    KS    $ 9,286       55        Sep      3/31/99    $ 13.16      $ 1,813  

CARV

   Carver Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    New York    NY    $ 572       8        Mar      10/24/94    $ 3.08      $ 11  

CBMB

   CBM Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Baltimore    MD    $ 221       4        Dec      9/27/18    $ 13.51      $ 53  

CLBK

   Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Fair Lawn    NJ    $ 6,981       51        Dec      4/19/18    $ 14.88      $ 1,655  

CFBI

   Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    SE    Covington    GA    $ 305       2        Dec      4/27/17    $ 10.01      $ 76  

EFBI

   Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Cincinnati    OH    $ 141       3        Dec      7/20/17    $ 15.75      $ 24  

ESBK

   Elmira Savings Bank    NASDAQ    MA    Elmira    NY    $ 610       13        Dec      3/1/85    $ 14.47      $ 51  

ESSA

   ESSA Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Stroudsburg    PA    $ 1,800       23        Sep      3/15/07    $ 14.90      $ 164  

FFBW

   FFBW, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MW    Brookfield    WI    $ 258       4        Dec      10/10/17    $ 9.55      $ 61  

FDEF

   First Defiance Financial Corp.    NASDAQ    MW    Defiance    OH    $ 3,278       44        Dec      7/19/93    $ 25.89      $ 511  

FNWB

   First Northwest Bancorp    NASDAQ    WE    Port Angeles    WA    $ 1,258       12        Dec      1/29/15    $ 15.87      $ 160  

FSEA

   First Seacoast Bancorp (MHC)    NASDAQ    NE    Dover    NH    $ 407       5        Dec      7/16/19    $ 8.93      $ 54  

FSBW

   FS Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    WE    Mountlake Terrace    WA    $ 1,641       23        Dec      7/9/12    $ 47.81      $ 210  

FSBC

   FSB Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Fairport    NY    $ 327       5        Dec      8/10/07    $ 17.36      $ 33  

GCBC

   Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Catskill    NY    $ 1,269       17        Jun      12/30/98    $ 26.80      $ 229  

HONE

   HarborOne Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    NE    Brockton    MA    $ 3,737       28        Dec      6/29/16    $ 10.09      $ 590  

HIFS

   Hingham Institution for Savings    NASDAQ    NE    Hingham    MA    $ 2,614       12        Dec      12/13/88    $ 180.11      $ 384  

HMNF

   HMN Financial, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Rochester    MN    $ 723       14        Dec      6/30/94    $ 21.08      $ 97  

HFBL

   Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana    NASDAQ    SW    Shreveport    LA    $ 442       8        Jun      1/18/05    $ 31.92      $ 55  

HVBC

   HV Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Huntingdon Valley    PA    $ 344       6        Jun      1/11/17    $ 14.27      $ 30  

IROQ

   IF Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Watseka    IL    $ 663  (1)      8        Jun      7/7/11    $ 21.70      $ 73  

ISBC

   Investors Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Short Hills    NJ    $ 27,064       147        Dec      10/11/05    $ 10.84      $ 2,874  

KRNY

   Kearny Financial Corp.    NASDAQ    MA    Fairfield    NJ    $ 6,635       48        Jun      2/23/05    $ 12.36      $ 1,079  

KFFB

   Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)    NASDAQ    MW    Frankfort    KY    $ 319  (1)      7        Jun      3/2/05    $ 7.69      $ 64  

LSBK

   Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Dunkirk    NY    $ 578       12        Dec      4/3/06    $ 14.90      $ 87  

MGYR

   Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    New Brunswick    NJ    $ 633       7        Sep      1/23/06    $ 11.81      $ 69  

EBSB

   Meridian Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    NE    Peabody    MA    $ 6,369       39        Dec      1/22/08    $ 17.28      $ 880  

CASH

   Meta Financial Group, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Sioux Falls    SD    $ 6,101       11        Sep      9/20/93    $ 30.06      $ 1,139  

MSVB

   Mid-Southern Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Salem    IN    $ 208       3        Dec      4/8/98    $ 12.65      $ 43  

MSBF

   MSB Financial Corp.    NASDAQ    MA    Millington    NJ    $ 581       4        Dec      1/4/07    $ 16.40      $ 76  

NFBK

   Northfield Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Woodbridge    NJ    $ 4,768       41        Dec      11/7/07    $ 15.18      $ 750  

NWBI

   Northwest Bancshares, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Warren    PA    $ 10,505       184        Dec      11/4/94    $ 15.80      $ 1,685  

OFED

   Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)    NASDAQ    SE    Seneca    SC    $ 528       7        Jun      1/13/11    $ 22.76      $ 129  

ORIT

   Oritani Financial Corp.    NASDAQ    MA    Township of Washington    NJ    $ 4,071       27        Jun      1/23/07    $ 16.76      $ 724  

OTTW

   Ottawa Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Ottawa    IL    $ 302       3        Dec      7/11/05    $ 12.67      $ 39  

PBBI

   PB Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    NE    Putnam    CT    $ 524  (1)      8        Jun      10/4/04    $ 11.45      $ 81  

PCSB

   PCSB Financial Corporation    NASDAQ    MA    Yorktown Heights    NY    $ 1,638       17        Jun      4/20/17    $ 19.32      $ 320  

PDLB

   PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Bronx    NY    $ 1,056       14        Dec      9/29/17    $ 13.86      $ 239  

PBFS

   Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Albany    NY    $ 1,386  (1)      23        Jun      7/17/19    $ 14.12      $ 367  

PVBC

   Provident Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    NE    Amesbury    MA    $ 1,031       7        Dec      7/15/15    $ 25.59      $ 237  

PROV

   Provident Financial Holdings, Inc.    NASDAQ    WE    Riverside    CA    $ 1,085       14        Jun      6/27/96    $ 20.02      $ 150  


Exhibit III-1

Characteristics of Publicly-Traded Thrifts

August 23, 2019

 

                                                        As of
August 23, 2019
 

Ticker

  

Financial Institution

   Exchange    Region   

City

   State    Total
Assets
     Offices      Fiscal
Mth End
     Conv.
Date
   Stock
Price
     Market
Value
 
                              ($Mil)                         ($)      ($Mil)  

PBIP

   Prudential Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Philadelphia    PA    $ 1,191        11        Sep      3/29/05    $ 15.65      $ 139  

RNDB

   Randolph Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    NE    Stoughton    MA    $ 653        6        Dec      7/1/16    $ 15.01      $ 80  

RBKB

   Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)    NASDAQ    MA    Poughkeepsie    NY    $ 913        15        Dec      1/16/19    $ 10.78      $ 115  

RVSB

   Riverview Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    WE    Vancouver    WA    $ 1,165        19        Mar      10/26/93    $ 6.99      $ 159  

SVBI

   Severn Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MA    Annapolis    MD    $ 862        6        Dec      1/0/00    $ 7.98      $ 102  

STXB

   Spirit of Texas Bancshares, Inc.    NASDAQ    SW    Conroe    TX    $ 1,898        27        Dec      5/3/18    $ 20.61      $ 326  

STND

   Standard AVB Financial Corp.    NASDAQ    MA    Monroeville    PA    $ 990        19        Dec      10/6/10    $ 27.00      $ 123  

SBT

   Sterling Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Southfield    MI    $ 3,279        30        Dec      11/16/17    $ 9.47      $ 478  

TBNK

   Territorial Bancorp Inc.    NASDAQ    WE    Honolulu    HI    $ 2,088        30        Dec      7/13/09    $ 27.00      $ 249  

TFSL

   TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)    NASDAQ    MW    Cleveland    OH    $ 14,372        37        Sep      4/20/07    $ 17.56      $ 4,837  

TSBK

   Timberland Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    WE    Hoquiam    WA    $ 1,247        24        Sep      1/12/98    $ 23.66      $ 197  

TBK

   Triumph Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    SW    Dallas    TX    $ 4,783        61        Dec      11/6/14    $ 28.74      $ 749  

TRST

   TrustCo Bank Corp NY    NASDAQ    MA    Glenville    NY    $ 5,228        148        Dec      1/0/00    $ 7.54      $ 731  

UBNK

   United Financial Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    NE    Hartford    CT    $ 7,336        58        Dec      5/20/05    $ 12.27      $ 621  

WSBF

   Waterstone Financial, Inc.    NASDAQ    MW    Wauwatosa    WI    $ 2,015        13        Dec      10/4/05    $ 16.31      $ 423  

WEBK

   Wellesley Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    NE    Wellesley    MA    $ 957        6        Dec      1/25/12    $ 31.25      $ 77  

WNEB

   Western New England Bancorp, Inc.    NASDAQ    NE    Westfield    MA    $ 2,127        24        Dec      12/27/01    $ 8.51      $ 222  

WSFS

   WSFS Financial Corporation    NASDAQ    MA    Wilmington    DE    $ 12,157        120        Dec      11/26/86    $ 41.12      $ 2,179  

WVFC

   WVS Financial Corp.    NASDAQ    MA    Pittsburgh    PA    $ 356        6        Jun      11/29/93    $ 16.94      $ 30  

 

(1)

Financial Data as of March 31, 2019.

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence.


EXHIBIT III-2

Bogota Savings Bank

Public Market Pricing of Publicly-Traded Institutions-

$750 Million in Assets or Less


RP® Financial, LC.

Exhibit III-2

Public Market Pricing - All Public MHCs, MHC Basis

As of August 23, 2019

 

               Market
Capitalization
    Per Share Data                                                                                
               Core
12 Month
EPS(2)
    Book
Value/
Share
                                  Dividends(4)     Financial Characteristics(6)  
               Price/
Share(1)
    Market
Value(1)
    Pricing Ratios(3)     Amount/
Share
    Yield     Payout
Ratio(5)
    Total
Assets
    Tang. Eq./
T. Assets
    NPAs/
Assets
    Reported  
               P/E     P/B     P/A     P/TB     P/Core     ROAA     ROAE  
               ($)     ($Mil)     ($)     ($)     (x)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (x)     ($)     (%)     (%)     ($Mil)     (%)     (%)     (%)     (%)  

Comparable Group

                                    

Averages

     $ 14.57     $ 451.66     $ 0.39     $ 10.21       23.54x       144.39     20.21     147.22     26.47x     $ 0.54       3.50     236.10   $ 2,035       13.76     1.06     0.57     4.58

Medians

     $ 13.86     $ 116.99     $ 0.34     $ 9.40       24.10x       126.73     21.87     126.73     24.81x     $ 0.44       3.22     74.19   $ 633       12.34     0.84     0.57     4.56

Comparable Group-All Publicly Traded MHCs

 

                         

CLBK

 

Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)

     NJ     $ 14.88     $ 789.31     $ 0.47     $ 8.72       31.66x       170.70     24.65     171.67     31.78x       NA       NA       NA     $ 6,981       14.37     NA       0.79     5.42

CFBI

 

Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)

     GA     $ 10.01     $ 34.91     $ 0.12     $ 10.16       NM       98.57     24.80     98.57     NM       NA       NA       NA     $ 305       25.16     NA       0.28     1.10

FFBW

 

FFBW, Inc. (MHC)

     WI     $ 9.55     $ 28.53     $ 0.22     $ 9.24       NM       103.40     24.49     103.54     NM       NA       NA       NA     $ 258       23.66     0.58     0.46     2.02

GCBC

 

Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

     NY     $ 26.80     $ 105.29       NA     $ 13.16       13.07x       203.63     18.02     203.63     NM     $ 0.44       1.64     20.00   $ 1,269       8.85     NA       1.45     16.82

KFFB

 

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC) (7)

     KY     $ 7.69     $ 27.94     $ 0.06     $ 7.96       NM       96.71     20.14     123.69     NM     $ 0.40       5.20     666.67   $ 319       17.05     NA       0.16     0.78

LSBK

 

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

     NY     $ 14.90     $ 34.57     $ 0.61     $ 13.71       24.02x       108.67     15.35     108.67     24.55x     $ 0.48       3.22     74.19   $ 578       14.13     0.74     0.68     4.69

MGYR

 

Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

     NJ     $ 11.81     $ 30.95     $ 0.48     $ 9.32       24.10x       126.73     10.87     126.73     24.49x       NA       NA       NA     $ 633       8.57     2.69     0.45     5.54

OFED

 

Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)

     SC     $ 22.76     $ 36.07       NA       NA       NM       150.63     NA       155.87     NM     $ 0.40       1.76     62.50   $ 528       NA       NA       0.73     NA  

PDLB

 

PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)

     NY     $ 13.86     $ 116.99     $ 0.15     $ 9.19       NM       150.90     23.60     150.90     NM       NA       NA       NA     $ 1,056       15.64     1.82     0.26     1.57

TFSL

 

TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)

     OH     $ 17.56     $ 928.40       NA     $ 6.11       NM       287.44     34.21     289.08     NM     $ 1.00       5.69     357.14   $ 14,372       11.84     1.23     0.57     4.56

BCOW

 

1895 Bancorp Of Wisconsin, Inc. (MHC)

     WI     $ 9.33     $ 928.40       NA     $ 11.79       NM       79.11     9.41     79.11     NM       NA       NA       NA     $ 483       11.90     0.44     -0.04     -0.41

FSEA

 

First Seacoast Bancorp (MHC)

     NH     $ 8.93     $ 928.40       NA       NA       NM       NA       NA       NA       NM       NA       NA       NA     $ 407       8.36     0.08     NA       3.03

PBFS

 

Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. (MHC) (7)

     NY     $ 14.12     $ 928.40       NA       NA       NM       NA       NA       NA       NM       NA       NA       NA     $ 1,386       8.86     0.93     NA       NA  

PVBC

 

Provident Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

     MA     $ 25.59     $ 928.40     $ 1.02     $ 13.69       24.84x       186.87     23.88     186.87     25.08x       NA       NA       NA     $ 1,031       12.78     NA       1.00     7.62

RBKB

 

Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

     NY     $ 10.78     $ 928.40       NA     $ 9.48       NM       113.67     13.14     115.50     NM       NA       NA       NA     $ 913       11.40     NA       0.62     6.77

 

(1)

Closing price at date indicated, market value equal to public (minority shares) times current stock price.

(2)

Core earnings reflect net income less non-recurring items

(3)

P/E = Price to earnings; P/B = Price to book; P/A = Price to assets; P/TB = Price to tangible book value; and P/Core = Price to core earnings. P/E and P/Core =NM if the ratio is negative or above 35x.

(4)

Dividend is as of most recent quarterly dividend. Indicated 12 month dividend as a percent of trailing 12 month earnings.

(5)

ROAA (return on average assets) and ROAE (return on average equity) are indicated ratios based on trailing 12 month earnings and average equity and assets balances.

(6)

Excludes from averages and medians those companies the subject of actual or rumored acquisition activities or unusual operating characteristics.

(7)

Financial information is as of or for the 12 months ended March 31, 2019

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence and RP Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this report has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


EXHIBIT III-3

Bogota Savings Bank

Peer Group Summary Demographic and Deposit Market Share Data


Exhibit III-3  
Bogota Savings Bank  

Peer Group Market Area Comparative Analysis

 

 
                                        Per Capita Income     Deposit  
          Population (000s)     2014-2019     2019-2024     2019     % State     Market  

Institution

  County     2014     2019     2024 (1)     % Change     % Change     ($)     Average     Share(2)  

Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)

    Bergen, NJ       927,534       956,674       983,047       0.6     0.5     53,099       120.0     3.53

Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)

    Newton, GA       102,442       110,196       116,750       1.5     1.2     22,807       71.4     21.89

FFBW, Inc. (MHC)

    Waukesha, WI       394,063       403,406       411,875       0.5     0.4     46,994       137.9     0.99

Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

    Greene, NY       48,235       47,210       46,769       -0.4     -0.2     32,556       81.7     48.74

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)

    Franklin, KY       50,282       50,825       51,939       0.2     0.4     30,930       108.6     7.07

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

    Chautauqua, NY       132,463       127,783       125,622       -0.7     -0.3     25,994       65.3     14.69

Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)

    Middlesex, NJ       831,782       847,762       866,879       0.4     0.4     42,622       96.4     1.25

Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)

    Oconee, SC       74,962       78,200       81,922       0.8     0.9     29,783       98.7     22.98

PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)

    Bronx, NY       1,424,881       1,484,024       1,528,028       0.8     0.6     21,167       53.1     1.94

TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)

    Cuyahoga, OH       1,255,742       1,242,100       1,232,009       -0.2     -0.2     33,450       104.0     8.74
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    Averages:       524,239       534,818       544,484       0.3     0.4     33,940       93.7     13.18
    Medians:       263,263       265,595       268,749       0.4     0.4     31,743       97.5     7.91

Bogota Savings Bank

    Bergen, NJ       927,534       956,674       983,047       0.6     0.5     53,099       120.0     0.95

 

(1)

Projected population

(2)

Total institution deposits in headquarters county as percent of total county deposits as of June 30, 2018.

Sources: S&P Global Market Intelligence, FDIC.


EXHIBIT IV-1

Bogota Savings Bank

Thrift Stock Prices: As of August 23, 2019


RP ® Financial, LC.

Exhibit IV-1A  
Weekly Thrift Market Line – Part One  

Prices As of August 23, 2019

 

 
          Market Capitalization      Price Change Data      Current Per Share Financials  
          Price/      Shares      Market      52 Week (1)             % Change From      LTM      LTM Core      BV/      TBV/      Assets/  
          Share(1)      Outstanding      Capitalization      High      Low      Last Wk      Last Wk      52 Wks (2)      MRY (2)      EPS (3)      EPS (3)      Share      Share (4)      Share  
          ($)      (000)      ($Mil)      ($)      ($)      ($)      (%)      (%)      (%)      ($)      ($)      ($)      ($)      ($)  

AX

   Axos Financial, Inc.      28.06        61,129        1,719.7        38.85        23.87        28.46        -8.15        -35.50        -1.07        2.45        2.53        15.84        14.77        160.18  

FBC

   Flagstar Bancorp, Inc.      31.51        56,484        1,779.7        36.43        25.30        31.62        -0.73        4.70        34.20        1.49        2.92        26.34        25.13        331.01  

NYCB

   New York Community Bancorp, Inc.      9.64        467,362        4,505.2        12.72        8.61        10.10        -0.87        5.16        21.25        0.86        0.77        12.83        7.86        109.65  

PFS

   Provident Financial Services, Inc.      23.62        66,427        1,572.9        27.94        22.22        23.90        -2.15        -9.80        -3.85        1.57        1.65        19.92        13.66        146.17  

BCTF

   Bancorp 34, Inc.      15.40        3,162        48.0        16.63        12.86        15.35        -1.28        -5.32        3.99        0.09        0.49        13.56        13.51        118.05  

BYFC

   Broadway Financial Corporation      1.39        27,243        37.9        2.03        0.95        1.35        -4.76        13.21        71.43        0.02        0.03        1.75        1.75        15.40  

CFFN

   Capitol Federal Financial, Inc.      13.51        137,803        1,566.6        14.18        11.80        13.61        -2.23        -2.08        3.05        0.73        0.68        9.85        9.73        68.57  

CARV

   Carver Bancorp, Inc.      3.03        3,699        11.2        6.67        2.62        2.91        -0.29        -50.24        3.36        -0.27        -1.15        0.85        0.85        166.26  

CBMB

   CBM Bancorp, Inc.      13.91        3,927        54.6        15.30        12.02        13.70        -1.17        35.10        7.91        NA        NA        14.23        14.23        55.38  

EFBI

   Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc.      15.80        1,499        24.0        16.05        14.56        15.80        0.00        -0.19        3.82        NA        NA        17.05        17.05        91.94  

ESBK

   Elmira Savings Bank      16.50        3,511        57.9        20.65        14.01        16.25        0.06        -28.90        -17.09        1.33        1.69        16.42        12.90        162.55  

ESSA

   ESSA Bancorp, Inc.      15.60        10,993        171.5        16.80        14.15        15.51        0.68        -8.31        -4.55        0.60        1.00        15.21        13.92        166.81  

FDEF

   First Defiance Financial Corp.      27.70        19,728        546.2        33.18        22.78        27.42        -5.16        -20.53        5.63        2.12        2.07        19.29        14.22        157.04  

FNWB

   First Northwest Bancorp      16.21        10,099        164.0        16.98        13.56        16.11        -2.10        -4.97        7.01        0.47        0.56        15.18        15.18        122.56  

FSBW

   FS Bancorp, Inc.      49.63        4,388        217.4        58.99        41.25        48.09        -2.69        -18.12        11.50        4.33        4.35        35.82        34.91        271.49  

FSBC

   FSB Bancorp, Inc.      18.32        1,908        34.9        19.33        15.96        18.09        1.25        -4.01        2.15        -0.05        0.07        16.12        16.12        171.49  

HIFS

   Hingham Institution for Savings      185.75        2,134        396.3        229.99        163.00        186.49        -5.81        -18.13        -8.92        14.83        14.46        98.35        98.35        1110.89  

HMNF

   HMN Financial, Inc.      21.58        4,613        99.5        23.34        18.45        21.10        1.34        1.85        7.46        1.28        1.52        17.35        17.12        159.87  

HFBL

   Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana      33.26        1,735        57.9        37.30        25.64        32.68        -1.78        -8.80        8.35        1.97        2.31        25.32        25.32        246.82  

HVBC

   HV Bancorp, Inc.      15.77        2,114        33.2        16.75        14.25        15.40        0.14        -4.87        -4.74        0.39        0.51        13.72        13.72        143.00  

IROQ

   IF Bancorp, Inc.      20.95        3,345        70.1        25.00        18.70        19.98        2.12        -10.70        7.85        0.46        0.82        20.94        20.94        195.93  

ISBC

   Investors Bancorp, Inc.      10.60        265,127        2,844.4        13.04        9.94        10.83        -1.81        -16.23        4.23        0.57        0.79        10.39        10.09        96.25  

KRNY

   Kearny Financial Corp.      13.46        87,331        1,175.5        14.24        11.26        13.39        -3.44        -11.71        -3.59        0.29        0.39        12.64        10.42        76.22  

EBSB

   Meridian Bancorp, Inc.      17.82        50,948        911.3        19.32        13.67        17.42        -4.16        -4.27        20.67        1.00        1.08        12.52        12.11        113.36  

CASH

   Meta Financial Group, Inc.      28.57        37,880        1,127.1        31.61        17.84        27.33        -0.73        4.86        55.03        1.67        2.53        19.00        9.45        154.04  

MSVB

   Mid-Southern Bancorp, Inc.      12.72        3,366        42.8        14.00        11.55        12.70        1.12        2.68        9.33        0.64        0.84        13.35        13.35        59.26  

MSBF

   MSB Financial Corp.      14.90        4,660        77.3        21.50        13.26        14.40        -0.61        -22.64        -8.12        0.71        0.83        12.70        12.70        126.70  

NFBK

   Northfield Bancorp, Inc.      15.19        49,386        750.0        16.73        12.76        15.24        -2.19        -8.66        12.03        0.60        0.84        13.21        12.41        86.79  

NWBI

   Northwest Bancshares, Inc.      17.13        106,643        1,820.1        18.81        15.50        17.02        -4.88        -13.99        -6.73        0.98        0.98        12.01        8.83        89.79  

OTTW

   Ottawa Bancorp, Inc.      13.06        3,068        41.4        14.00        12.50        13.02        0.96        -7.85        -4.95        0.30        0.57        15.56        15.30        90.52  

PBBI

   PB Bancorp, Inc.      11.45        7,042        80.6        12.10        10.50        11.33        2.23        -2.55        6.02        0.54        0.55        11.19        10.28        73.81  

PCSB

   PCSB Financial Corporation      19.56        16,568        324.1        21.00        18.16        19.20        -1.98        -7.29        -1.23        0.43        0.42        15.96        15.60        89.00  

PROV

   Provident Financial Holdings, Inc.      20.35        7,486        152.6        21.81        14.67        20.35        -3.89        10.98        29.16        0.55        0.85        16.22        16.22        154.62  

PBIP

   Prudential Bancorp, Inc.      17.15        8,889        152.8        19.57        13.92        17.17        -5.38        -16.35        -11.08        0.78        1.02        14.29        13.55        121.63  

RNDB

   Randolph Bancorp, Inc.      14.79        5,352        80.5        17.20        13.16        14.90        0.30        -11.71        6.08        -0.62        -0.29        13.05        NA        110.18  

RVSB

   Riverview Bancorp, Inc.      8.32        22,721        188.2        9.99        5.46        8.10        -5.28        -28.01        -3.98        0.59        0.67        5.42        4.17        50.54  

SVBI

   Severn Bancorp, Inc.      8.64        12,778        110.4        9.94        7.22        8.53        0.88        -10.34        0.00        0.44        0.58        7.55        7.47        69.60  

STXB

   Spirit of Texas Bancshares, Inc.      22.44        15,794        309.2        23.53        16.70        21.83        0.19        -6.02        -9.53        0.90        1.09        15.38        14.26        69.79  

STND

   Standard AVB Financial Corp.      27.30        4,571        127.1        39.45        26.97        27.22        -0.22        -10.95        -9.64        1.79        2.00        28.16        22.22        214.99  

SBT

   Sterling Bancorp, Inc.      9.82        50,517        509.0        13.54        6.65        9.58        0.11        -17.80        36.26        1.03        1.11        6.03        6.02        63.28  

TBNK

   Territorial Bancorp Inc.      27.84        9,207        254.7        31.44        24.96        27.55        -4.22        -9.97        3.93        1.78        2.00        24.36        24.36        220.06  

TSBK

   Timberland Bancorp, Inc.      27.99        8,341        233.4        36.45        21.91        26.18        -0.59        -34.09        6.10        2.22        2.34        16.84        16.08        122.08  

TBK

   Triumph Bancorp, Inc.      29.51        26,050        773.8        44.70        27.21        27.89        -3.13        -31.98        -3.23        1.66        2.23        23.10        15.42        174.17  

TRST

   TrustCo Bank Corp NY      7.64        96,910        739.7        9.45        6.51        7.42        -2.58        -19.79        9.91        0.55        0.60        4.94        4.93        50.41  

WSBF

   Waterstone Financial, Inc.      16.77        25,912        469.3        17.29        15.20        16.71        -2.97        -3.92        -2.68        1.01        1.10        13.93        13.91        74.07  

WEBK

   Wellesley Bancorp, Inc.      33.40        2,464        81.9        35.50        27.74        33.04        0.00        -8.09        12.65        1.85        2.24        24.96        24.96        339.67  

WNEB

   Western New England Bancorp, Inc.      9.20        26,130        242.3        10.90        8.50        9.28        -3.08        -21.20        -15.24        0.43        0.55        8.19        7.64        82.30  

WSFS

   WSFS Financial Corporation      41.35        52,988        2,208.4        50.03        33.75        39.89        -2.37        -16.85        8.47        2.94        3.36        25.08        19.26        135.12  

WVFC

   WVS Financial Corp.      17.22        1,788        30.8        18.44        12.25        17.26        -0.37        2.96        14.67        1.30        1.38        17.64        17.64        195.67  

BCOW

   1895 Bancorp Of Wisconsin, Inc. (MHC)      9.40        4,705        44.2        10.50        8.66        9.45        -1.47        -6.70        -6.70        NA        NA        NA        NA        102.63  

CLBK

   Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)      14.51        111,241        1,617.9        17.00        14.01        14.47        -3.44        -11.85        -2.68        NA        NA        8.17        8.12        59.04  

CFBI

   Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)      10.04        7,558        74.5        11.92        9.82        9.98        0.60        -13.77        -14.08        0.06        0.18        10.17        10.17        40.49  

FFBW

   FFBW, Inc. (MHC)      10.18        6,344        65.1        11.79        9.36        10.21        -2.10        -15.49        -4.79        0.06        0.17        9.00        8.99        42.30  

FSEA

   First Seacoast Bancorp (MHC)      NA        6,084        NA        10.29        8.74        NA        0.00        -10.70        -10.70        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

GCBC

   Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      29.32        8,538        250.3        35.00        26.19        29.02        -1.40        -22.09        -13.88        1.79        1.76        11.67        11.67        139.13  

HONE

   HarborOne Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      18.08        58,458        570.4        20.08        9.63        18.02        -0.39        -48.76        -36.50        0.41        0.43        10.84        10.42        48.80  

KFFB

   Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)      7.46        8,277        62.3        8.45        6.52        7.50        0.16        -1.98        11.35        0.15        0.09        7.99        6.27        38.26  

LSBK

   Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      14.92        5,813        87.2        17.35        14.25        14.87        0.64        -13.65        -1.10        0.57        0.59        13.03        13.03        93.95  

MGYR

   Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      12.10        5,821        70.4        13.50        10.93        11.80        -2.49        -4.45        -3.59        0.35        0.41        8.82        8.82        107.20  

OFED

   Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)      22.92        5,685        130.3        27.49        22.26        23.26        -2.75        -15.73        -8.59        0.52        0.69        14.62        14.10        87.32  

PDLB

   PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)      14.01        17,258        246.8        15.18        12.42        13.89        -2.05        -7.23        8.79        -0.05        0.07        9.05        9.05        56.94  

PBFS

   Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      NA        25,978        NA        14.75        13.87        NA        0.64        41.20        41.20        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

PVBC

   Provident Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      27.05        9,274        250.8        30.80        19.81        26.86        -3.07        -11.91        18.04        0.89        0.86        12.68        12.68        98.68  

RBKB

   Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      10.79        10,708        115.4        12.30        10.65        10.87        -1.58        7.77        7.77        NA        NA        NA        NA        76.55  

TFSL

   TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)      17.98        275,431        4,950.4        18.61        14.19        17.83        -1.73        15.00        8.87        0.30        NA        6.27        6.24        51.33  

ORIT

   Oritani Financial Corp.      16.23        43,183        700.6        18.30        14.07        16.09        -0.77        1.27        13.63        0.99        1.28        12.08        12.08        95.18  

UBNK

   United Financial Bancorp, Inc.      13.60        50,651        688.6        18.09        12.21        13.26        -2.46        -31.53        -16.53        1.13        1.19        13.88        11.55        142.30  

 

(1)

Average of High/Low or Bid/Ask price per share.

(2)

Or since offering price if converted of first listed in the past 52 weeks. Percent change figures are actual year-to-date and are not annualized.

(3)

EPS (earnings per share) is based on actual trailing 12 month data and is not shown on a pro forma basis.

(4)

Excludes intangibles (such as goodwill, value of core deposits, etc.).

(5)

ROA (return on assets) and ROE (return on equity) are indicated ratios based on trailing 12 month common earnings and average common equity and total assets balances.

(6)

Annualized based on last regular quarterly cash dividend announcement.

(7)

Indicated dividend as a percent of trailing 12 month earnings.

(8)

Excluded from averages due to actual or rumored acquisition activities or unusual operating characteristics.

(9)

For MHC institutions, market value reflects share price multiplied by public (non-MHC) shares.

Source: S&P Market Intelligence, LC. and RP® Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this table has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


RP ® Financial, LC.

Exhibit IV-1B  
Weekly Bank and Thrift Market Line – Part Two  
Prices as of August 23, 2019  
          Key Financial Ratios      Asset Quality Ratios      Pricing Ratios      Dividend Data (6)  
          Equity/      Tang Equity/      Reported Earnings      Core Earnings      NPAs/      Rsvs/      Price/      Price/      Price/      Price/      Price/      Div/      Dividend      Payout  
          Assets(1)      Assets(1)      ROA(5)      ROE(5)      ROA(5)      ROE(5)      Assets      NPLs      Earnings      Book      Assets      Tang Book      Core Earnings      Share      Yield      Ratio (7)  
          (%)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (x)      (%)      (%)      (%)      (x)      ($)      (%)      (%)  

AX

   Axos Financial, Inc.      10.22        9.60        1.68        16.86        0.00        17.41        0.40        166.31        10.04        142.58        13.58        163.19        9.71        NA        NA        NM  

FBC

   Flagstar Bancorp, Inc.      8.12        7.77        0.50        5.97        0.00        11.50        0.45        171.79        10.27        120.86        9.90        135.41        10.43        0.16        0.45        3.48  

NYCB

   New York Community Bancorp, Inc.      13.26        8.93        0.93        6.74        0.00        6.11        0.15        247.77        14.82        86.40        10.20        142.37        14.79        0.68        5.96        88.31  

PFS

   Provident Financial Services, Inc.      13.71        9.83        1.05        7.76        0.00        8.18        0.74        81.72        11.90        110.72        15.50        161.52        11.90        0.92        3.97        56.41  

BCTF

   Bancorp 34, Inc.      12.37        12.32        0.09        0.62        0.00        3.33        1.43        60.52        NM        110.86        13.49        111.23        NA        0.20        1.30        NM  

BYFC

   Broadway Financial Corporation      11.45        11.45        0.03        0.30        0.00        1.39        2.20        37.95        45.00        102.35        11.67        102.35        45.00        0.00        0.00        NM  

CFFN

   Capitol Federal Financial, Inc.      14.73        14.57        0.94        7.25        0.00        6.76        0.35        27.12        19.07        140.24        20.04        141.95        18.70        0.34        2.58        142.03  

CARV

   Carver Bancorp, Inc.      7.85        7.85        0.54        7.24        0.00        -8.73        2.07        38.42        NM        160.50        2.16        160.50        NM        0.00        0.00        NM  

CBMB

   CBM Bancorp, Inc.      27.69        27.69        NA        1.99        0.00        NA        0.89        110.18        39.74        93.56        25.88        93.56        39.74        NA        NA        NM  

EFBI

   Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc.      20.11        20.11        0.41        1.95        0.00        1.24        0.79        136.04        NM        92.40        18.37        92.40        82.89        NA        NA        NM  

ESBK

   Elmira Savings Bank      10.08        8.09        0.85        8.06        0.00        10.08        0.79        100.00        14.05        87.13        8.32        110.47        14.07        0.92        6.36        89.32  

ESSA

   ESSA Bancorp, Inc.      9.77        9.02        0.36        3.61        0.00        6.01        0.64        110.09        13.55        90.38        9.44        98.18        13.38        0.40        2.68        35.45  

FDEF

   First Defiance Financial Corp.      12.70        9.69        1.45        11.51        0.00        11.16        1.14        82.41        11.16        125.42        15.58        167.55        11.13        0.76        2.94        31.90  

FNWB

   First Northwest Bancorp      13.89        13.89        0.40        2.78        0.00        3.33        0.51        148.27        19.12        98.29        13.79        98.29        19.12        0.12        0.76        14.46  

FSBW

   FS Bancorp, Inc.      11.17        10.92        1.54        13.06        0.00        13.12        0.18        554.56        7.93        112.99        13.04        118.07        9.07        0.60        1.25        9.78  

FSBC

   FSB Bancorp, Inc.      9.57        9.57        -0.03        -0.30        0.00        0.43        0.03        NM        NM        105.97        10.31        105.97        NM        NA        NA        NM  

HIFS

   Hingham Institution for Savings      8.85        8.85        1.42        16.55        0.00        16.14        0.08        719.32        12.28        167.40        14.70        167.40        12.36        1.56        0.87        13.63  

HMNF

   HMN Financial, Inc.      10.85        10.72        0.87        7.55        0.00        8.93        0.93        137.72        10.33        114.99        14.13        116.31        10.22        0.00        0.00        NM  

HFBL

   Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana      11.20        11.20        0.90        8.09        0.00        9.46        1.72        62.96        12.77        117.02        13.31        117.02        12.77        0.64        2.00        23.20  

HVBC

   HV Bancorp, Inc.      10.26        10.26        0.30        2.59        0.00        3.37        0.60        51.61        33.19        99.07        9.41        99.07        NA        NA        NA        NM  

IROQ

   IF Bancorp, Inc.      12.37        12.37        0.27        2.06        0.00        3.66        1.18        228.76        25.53        97.01        11.73        97.01        25.53        0.30        1.38        32.35  

ISBC

   Investors Bancorp, Inc.      11.89        11.59        0.65        5.27        0.00        6.93        0.49        196.22        16.18        102.52        11.09        105.65        13.86        0.44        4.06        65.67  

KRNY

   Kearny Financial Corp.      18.57        15.82        0.45        2.25        0.00        2.95        0.39        128.92        26.87        97.73        16.60        120.95        25.52        0.24        1.94        84.78  

EBSB

   Meridian Bancorp, Inc.      11.76        11.42        0.96        7.95        0.00        8.50        0.35        245.10        15.03        132.44        14.47        136.92        14.85        0.28        1.62        22.61  

CASH

   Meta Financial Group, Inc.      12.81        6.84        1.13        10.58        0.00        16.47        0.66        197.64        13.73        138.96        18.67        250.08        9.86        0.20        0.67        9.13  

MSVB

   Mid-Southern Bancorp, Inc.      23.90        23.90        0.57        4.04        0.00        5.03        1.77        55.15        29.42        88.77        21.72        88.77        26.60        0.08        0.63        18.60  

MSBF

   MSB Financial Corp.      11.86        11.86        0.69        5.41        0.00        6.36        2.26        42.38        20.00        129.78        14.81        129.78        20.00        0.00        0.00        117.07  

NFBK

   Northfield Bancorp, Inc.      15.27        14.48        0.69        4.39        0.00        6.00        0.62        104.24        19.97        109.46        15.64        116.16        19.84        0.44        2.90        55.26  

NWBI

   Northwest Bancshares, Inc.      12.96        9.86        1.07        8.33        0.00        8.36        1.00        59.80        15.49        126.31        16.03        174.60        14.49        0.72        4.56        69.61  

OTTW

   Ottawa Bancorp, Inc.      18.96        18.69        0.36        1.77        0.00        3.46        NA        NA        20.11        80.77        13.54        82.15        19.64        0.24        1.89        82.54  

PBBI

   PB Bancorp, Inc.      16.41        15.28        0.75        4.65        0.00        4.74        NA        NA        19.74        101.15        16.26        110.18        19.84        0.28        2.45        58.62  

PCSB

   PCSB Financial Corporation      19.66        19.30        0.50        2.51        0.00        3.08        NA        NA        38.64        122.28        21.01        125.14        39.04        0.16        0.83        28.00  

PROV

   Provident Financial Holdings, Inc.      10.51        10.51        0.36        3.44        0.00        5.40        0.76        86.34        34.52        124.83        13.88        124.83        23.01        0.56        2.80        96.55  

PBIP

   Prudential Bancorp, Inc.      11.88        11.33        0.72        5.45        0.00        7.12        1.39        36.80        15.19        103.24        11.68        108.54        15.92        0.20        1.28        63.11  

RNDB

   Randolph Bancorp, Inc.      13.25        NA        -0.63        -4.24        0.00        -1.82        0.95        70.24        NM        109.67        13.34        NA        NM        NA        NA        NM  

RVSB

   Riverview Bancorp, Inc.      10.66        8.42        1.16        11.05        0.00        12.48        0.53        190.77        9.32        114.46        13.62        143.36        9.43        0.18        2.58        21.33  

SVBI

   Severn Bancorp, Inc.      10.78        10.67        0.69        5.98        0.00        7.99        1.94        47.38        10.78        99.27        11.83        100.35        10.78        0.12        1.50        16.22  

STXB

   Spirit of Texas Bancshares, Inc.      13.69        12.82        0.76        6.79        0.00        8.16        0.35        174.10        17.18        116.43        14.97        154.41        13.70        NA        NA        NM  

STND

   Standard AVB Financial Corp.      13.77        11.19        0.86        6.33        0.00        7.13        0.30        184.96        15.25        91.03        13.01        113.48        13.89        0.88        3.27        49.94  

SBT

   Sterling Bancorp, Inc.      9.99        9.98        1.80        19.19        0.00        20.57        0.19        348.52        8.16        140.77        14.68        140.87        8.14        0.04        0.42        3.45  

TBNK

   Territorial Bancorp Inc.      11.64        11.64        0.83        7.10        0.00        7.95        NA        77.66        12.00        107.93        12.50        107.93        13.42        0.88        3.26        52.44  

TSBK

   Timberland Bancorp, Inc.      12.24        11.75        1.70        14.27        0.00        15.04        0.65        223.08        8.86        118.69        15.82        132.45        8.52        0.60        2.54        29.21  

TBK

   Triumph Bancorp, Inc.      13.59        9.57        1.12        8.00        0.00        10.92        0.88        72.97        14.09        117.03        15.74        167.81        11.57        NA        NA        NM  

TRST

   TrustCo Bank Corp NY      9.77        9.76        1.08        11.36        0.00        12.45        0.77        127.48        12.08        141.58        13.96        141.73        12.11        0.27        3.61        32.75  

WSBF

   Waterstone Financial, Inc.      21.08        21.06        1.52        6.91        0.00        7.55        0.61        138.22        14.43        116.49        22.36        116.70        14.43        0.48        2.94        86.73  

WEBK

   Wellesley Bancorp, Inc.      7.53        7.53        0.57        7.59        0.00        9.20        NA        NA        13.24        114.84        8.36        114.84        13.24        0.24        0.77        7.20  

WNEB

   Western New England Bancorp, Inc.      11.22        10.54        0.59        5.00        0.00        6.67        0.69        82.82        16.06        98.92        10.68        106.32        15.79        0.20        2.35        35.85  

WSFS

   WSFS Financial Corporation      11.16        8.80        1.37        12.62        0.00        14.63        0.76        79.73        13.10        119.18        18.01        173.07        10.90        0.48        1.17        14.65  

WVFC

   WVS Financial Corp.      9.92        9.92        0.67        6.96        0.00        7.37        0.07        209.01        10.79        91.30        9.25        91.30        NA        0.40        2.36        29.30  

BCOW

   1895 Bancorp Of Wisconsin, Inc. (MHC)      7.82        7.82        NA        NA        0.00        NA        0.43        154.82        NA        79.11        9.41        79.11        NA        NA        NA        NA  

CLBK

   Columbia Financial, Inc. (MHC)      14.42        14.34        0.19        1.72        0.00        2.41        NA        NA        31.66        170.70        24.65        171.67        31.78        NA        NA        NM  

CFBI

   Community First Bancshares, Inc. (MHC)      24.96        24.96        0.15        0.59        0.00        1.75        2.09        61.74        NM        98.57        24.80        98.57        83.42        NA        NA        NM  

FFBW

   FFBW, Inc. (MHC)      22.18        22.15        0.16        0.73        0.00        1.96        0.40        186.69        50.26        103.40        24.49        103.54        43.15        NA        NA        NM  

FSEA

   First Seacoast Bancorp (MHC)      NA        NA        NA        NA        0.00        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

GCBC

   Greene County Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      8.39        8.39        1.37        16.51        0.00        16.24        0.42        249.25        13.07        203.63        18.02        203.63        NA        0.44        1.64        20.00  

HONE

   HarborOne Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      12.39        11.96        0.48        3.73        0.00        3.84        1.25        55.58        24.61        88.56        8.79        111.65        23.74        NA        NA        NM  

KFFB

   Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (MHC)      21.27        17.49        0.38        1.75        0.00        0.92        NA        NA        NM        96.71        20.14        123.69        128.24        0.40        5.20        666.67  

LSBK

   Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      14.43        14.43        0.68        4.55        0.00        4.71        0.94        98.40        24.02        108.67        15.35        108.67        24.55        0.48        3.22        74.19  

MGYR

   Magyar Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      8.23        8.23        0.33        3.95        0.00        4.58        2.25        77.08        24.10        126.73        10.87        126.73        24.49        NA        NA        NM  

OFED

   Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (MHC)      16.97        16.47        0.63        3.66        0.00        4.90        1.17        22.86        35.56        150.63        NA        155.87        NA        0.40        1.76        62.50  

PDLB

   PDL Community Bancorp (MHC)      17.01        17.01        -0.09        -0.46        0.00        0.72        1.79        70.36        NM        150.90        23.60        150.90        92.68        NA        NA        NM  

PBFS

   Pioneer Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      NA        NA        NA        NA        0.00        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

PVBC

   Provident Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      13.35        13.35        0.91        6.95        0.00        6.34        NA        NA        24.84        186.87        23.88        186.87        25.08        NA        NA        NM  

RBKB

   Rhinebeck Bancorp, Inc. (MHC)      6.96        6.76        NA        NA        0.00        NA        NA        NA        NA        113.67        13.14        115.50        NA        NA        NA        NA  

TFSL

   TFS Financial Corporation (MHC)      12.44        12.38        0.62        4.91        0.00        NA        1.30        23.49        62.71        287.44        34.21        289.08        NA        1.00        5.69        357.14  

ORIT

   Oritani Financial Corp.      13.70        13.70        1.07        7.91        0.00        10.20        0.27        305.25        14.20        142.84        18.57        142.84        13.72        1.00        5.97        97.46  

UBNK

   United Financial Bancorp, Inc.      9.85        8.34        0.81        8.23        0.00        8.70        0.59        123.24        16.36        87.07        8.55        104.82        13.96        0.48        3.91        64.00  

 

(1)

Average of High/Low or Bid/Ask price per share.

(2)

Or since offering price if converted of first listed in the past 52 weeks. Percent change figures are actual year-to-date and are not annualized.

(3)

EPS (earnings per share) is based on actual trailing 12 month data and is not shown on a pro forma basis.

(4)

Exludes intangibles (such as goodwill, value of core deposits, etc.).

(5)

ROA (return on assets) and ROE (return on equity) are indicated ratios based on trailing 12 month common earnings and average common equity and total assets balances.

(6)

Annualized based on last regular quarterly cash dividend announcement.

(7)

Indicated dividend as a percent of trailing 12 month earnings.

(8)

Excluded from averages due to actual or rumored acquisition activities or unusual operating characteristics.

(9)

For MHC institutions, market value reflects share price multiplied by public (non-MHC) shares.

Source: S&P Market Intelligence, LC. and RP® Financial, LC. calculations. The information provided in this table has been obtained from sources we believe are reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Copyright (c) 2019 by RP® Financial, LC.


EXHIBIT IV-2

Bogota Savings Bank

Historical Stock Price Indices


Exhibit IV-2

Historical Stock Price Indices(1)

Year/Qtr. Ended

   DJIA      S&P 500      NASDAQ
Composite
     SNL
Thrift
Index
     SNL
Bank
Index
 

2010:       Quarter 1

     10856.6        1169.4        2398.0        626.3        301.1  

Quarter 2

     9744.0        1030.7        2109.2        564.5        257.2  

Quarter 3

     9744.0        1030.7        2109.2        564.5        257.2  

Quarter 4

     11577.5        1257.6        2652.9        592.2        290.1  

2011:       Quarter 1

     12319.7        1325.8        2781.1        578.1        293.1  

Quarter 2

     12414.3        1320.6        2773.5        540.8        266.8  

Quarter 3

     10913.4        1131.4        2415.4        443.2        198.9  

Quarter 4

     12217.6        1257.6        2605.2        481.4        221.3  

2012:       Quarter 1

     13212.0        1408.5        3091.6        529.3        284.9  

Quarter 2

     12880.1        1362.2        2935.1        511.6        257.3  

Quarter 3

     13437.1        1440.7        3116.2        557.6        276.8  

Quarter 4

     13104.1        1426.2        3019.5        565.8        292.7  

2013:       Quarter 1

     14578.5        1569.2        3267.5        602.3        318.9  

Quarter 2

     14909.6        1606.3        3404.3        625.3        346.7  

Quarter 3

     15129.7        1681.6        3771.5        650.8        354.4  

Quarter 4

     16576.7        1848.4        4176.6        706.5        394.4  

2014:       Quarter 1

     16457.7        1872.3        4199.0        718.9        410.8  

Quarter 2

     16826.6        1960.2        4408.2        723.9        405.2  

Quarter 3

     17042.9        1972.3        4493.4        697.7        411.0  

Quarter 4

     17823.1        2058.9        4736.1        738.7        432.8  

2015:       Quarter 1

     17776.1        2067.9        4900.9        749.3        418.8  

Quarter 2

     17619.5        2063.1        4986.9        795.7        448.4  

Quarter 3

     16284.7        1920.0        4620.2        811.7        409.4  

Quarter 4

     17425.0        2043.9        5007.4        809.1        431.5  

2016:       Quarter 1

     17685.1        2059.7        4869.9        788.1        381.4  

Quarter 2

     17930.0        2098.9        4842.7        780.9        385.6  

Quarter 3

     18308.2        2168.3        5312.0        827.2        413.7  

Quarter 4

     19762.6        2238.8        5383.1        966.7        532.7  

2017:       Quarter 1

     20663.2        2362.7        5911.7        918.9        535.8  

Quarter 2

     21349.6        2423.4        6140.4        897.1        552.4  

Quarter 3

     22405.1        2519.4        6496.0        939.3        573.2  

Quarter 4

     24719.2        2673.6        6903.4        937.6        617.7  

2018:       Quarter 1

     24103.1        2640.9        7063.5        941.5        606.8  

Quarter 2

     24271.4        2718.4        7510.3        961.2        597.8  

Quarter 3

     26458.3        2914.0        8046.4        905.6        597.8  

Quarter 4

     23327.5        2506.9        6635.3        772.0        502.9  

2019:       Quarter 1

     25928.7        2834.4        7729.3        837.3        543.8  

Quarter 2

     26600.0        2941.8        8006.2        845.3        573.0  

As of August 23, 2019

     25628.9        2847.1        7751.8        831.2        527.3  

 

(1)

End of period data.

Sources: SNL Financial and The Wall Street Journal.


EXHIBIT IV-3

Bogota Savings Bank

Historical Thrift Stock Indices


Exhibit IV-3

Thrift Industry Index Summary (Total Return (%))

Geography United States and Canada

 

                   Total Return (%)  

Index Name

   Current Value      As Of      1 Day     1 Week     MTD     QTD     YTD     1 Year     3 Years  

SNL Banking Indexes

                    

SNL U.S. Bank and Thrift

     1,447.35        8/23/2019        (2.79     (2.08     (10.74     (7.39     6.64       (15.03     34.46  

SNL U.S. Bank

     1,464.23        8/23/2019        (2.80     (2.07     (10.89     (7.52     6.56       (15.10     35.34  

SNL U.S. Thrift

     1,112.26        8/23/2019        (2.39     (2.25     (3.73     (1.16     9.98       (9.52     8.78  

SNL TARP Participants

     151.60        8/23/2019        (3.30     (3.14     (12.66     (11.82     3.69       (6.12     81.59  

KBW Nasdaq Bank Index

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

KBW Nasdaq Regional Bank Index

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

S&P 500 Bank

     585.64        8/23/2019        (2.70     (1.83     (10.99     (7.27     8.95       (12.50     45.09  

NASDAQ Bank

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

S&P 500 Commercial Banks

     845.11        8/23/2019        (2.70     (1.83     (10.99     (7.27     8.95       (12.50     45.09  

S&P 500 Diversified Banks

     1,028.21        8/23/2019        (2.61     (1.60     (10.36     (6.49     9.63       (10.76     46.58  

S&P 500 Regional Banks

     155.25        8/23/2019        (3.04     (2.69     (13.32     (10.10     6.48       (18.84     40.35  

SNL Asset Size Indexes

                    

SNL U.S. Bank < $250M

     48.40        8/23/2019        2.04       17.92       (28.16     (23.54     (17.39     (40.03     (31.70

SNL U.S. Bank $250M-$500M

     1,921.12        8/23/2019        (1.20     (0.13     (4.44     (0.94     9.18       (4.79     40.10  

SNL U.S. Thrift < $250M

     1,760.54        8/23/2019        (0.33     (0.13     (0.77     (1.09     8.63       6.88       30.96  

SNL U.S. Thrift $250M-$500M

     5,776.12        8/23/2019        (0.17     (0.70     (2.00     (2.25     1.84       (6.92     23.47  

SNL U.S. Bank < $500M

     1,567.79        8/23/2019        (1.09     0.41       (5.49     (2.52     6.81       (6.76     39.08  

SNL U.S. Thrift < $500M

     4,287.93        8/23/2019        (0.19     (0.60     (1.79     (2.06     2.92       (6.92     21.83  

SNL U.S. Bank $500M-$1B

     2,343.69        8/23/2019        (0.86     (1.33     (4.06     (0.89     8.69       (5.61     60.52  

SNL U.S. Thrift $500M-$1B

     4,903.81        8/23/2019        (0.27     (0.15     (0.91     (1.78     3.33       (10.45     51.66  

SNL U.S. Bank $1B-$5B

     2,474.55        8/23/2019        (2.70     (3.39     (7.58     (6.67     2.41       (18.30     30.07  

SNL U.S. Thrift $1B-$5B

     3,084.92        8/23/2019        (2.35     (2.21     (5.04     (5.39     8.03       (25.77     (2.88

SNL U.S. Bank $5B-$10B

     3,077.90        8/23/2019        (3.21     (3.27     (9.15     (8.59     3.45       (16.26     22.50  

SNL U.S. Thrift $5B-$10B

     2,665.80        8/23/2019        (2.77     (2.62     (4.85     (3.33     6.67       (10.49     25.97  

SNL U.S. Bank > $10B

     1,347.23        8/23/2019        (2.79     (1.99     (11.05     (7.53     6.80       (15.03     35.93  

SNL U.S. Thrift > $10B

     359.53        8/23/2019        (2.43     (2.27     (2.91     1.67       15.07       2.89       (0.60

SNL Market Cap Indexes

                    

SNL Micro Cap U.S. Bank

     1,124.52        8/23/2019        (0.94     (1.25     (3.07     (2.97     2.81       (9.50     39.59  

SNL Micro Cap U.S. Thrift

     1,934.04        8/23/2019        (1.01     (1.14     (3.16     (4.21     1.46       (9.62     33.37  

SNL Micro Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift

     1,306.81        8/23/2019        (0.95     (1.23     (3.08     (3.12     2.65       (9.53     38.12  

SNL Small Cap U.S. Bank

     1,122.47        8/23/2019        (2.52     (2.84     (7.08     (5.76     3.40       (16.57     28.22  

SNL Small Cap U.S. Thrift

     1,273.44        8/23/2019        (2.42     (2.30     (5.06     (4.63     8.10       (10.29     20.78  

SNL Small Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift

     1,155.32        8/23/2019        (2.51     (2.78     (6.83     (5.43     4.23       (15.62     27.42  

SNL Mid Cap U.S. Bank

     699.45        8/23/2019        (3.30     (2.84     (10.24     (7.92     5.64       (21.96     13.49  

SNL Mid Cap U.S. Thrift

     651.75        8/23/2019        (2.75     (2.65     (3.90     (1.86     7.38       (14.54     7.31  

SNL Mid Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift

     712.18        8/23/2019        (3.24     (2.82     (9.66     (7.31     5.77       (20.52     13.81  

SNL Large Cap U.S. Bank

     649.59        8/23/2019        (2.73     (1.91     (11.08     (7.46     6.92       (14.29     38.75  

SNL Large Cap U.S. Thrift

     114.53        8/23/2019        (1.55     (0.87     0.42       (56.79     (53.34     (56.87     (66.09

SNL Large Cap U.S. Bank & Thrift

     653.99        8/23/2019        (2.72     (1.90     (11.04     (7.37     7.06       (14.15     38.45  

SNL Geographic Indexes

                    

SNL Mid-Atlantic U.S. Bank

     1,621.76        8/23/2019        (2.69     (2.14     (10.39     (7.51     9.73       (9.55     49.76  

SNL Mid-Atlantic U.S. Thrift

     2,624.30        8/23/2019        (2.37     (2.05     (3.05     0.67       8.49       (5.77     10.55  

SNL Midwest U.S. Bank

     1,519.09        8/23/2019        (2.79     (2.81     (11.52     (6.46     7.59       (13.99     27.33  

SNL Midwest U.S. Thrift

     3,269.76        8/23/2019        (1.98     (1.59     (1.95     (0.94     17.62       8.12       13.54  

SNL New England U.S. Bank

     1,119.08        8/23/2019        (2.94     (2.09     (13.70     (10.98     (6.81     (30.15     2.78  

SNL New England U.S. Thrift

     3,762.48        8/23/2019        (2.11     (2.79     (6.04     (5.00     8.51       (8.01     30.81  

SNL Southeast U.S. Bank

     911.36        8/23/2019        (2.88     (2.39     (12.33     (8.03     9.15       (14.67     53.56  

SNL Southeast U.S. Thrift

     734.29        8/23/2019        (2.62     (1.54     (1.89     (0.36     (11.07     (16.19     12.88  

SNL Southwest U.S. Bank

     2,839.71        8/23/2019        (3.14     (2.55     (11.58     (9.72     0.64       (24.67     27.91  

SNL Southwest U.S. Thrift

     1,026.74        8/23/2019        (2.24     (2.10     (6.31     (3.03     (3.38     (26.94     20.17  

SNL Western U.S. Bank

     2,921.63        8/23/2019        (2.82     (0.76     (8.56     (6.35     (0.48     (22.57     4.23  

SNL Western U.S. Thrift

     111.23        8/23/2019        (4.71     (6.02     (11.96     (9.60     3.21       (28.04     22.17  

SNL Stock Exchange Indexes

                    

SNL U.S. Bank NYSE

     1,398.51        8/23/2019        (2.71     (1.88     (10.88     (7.38     7.06       (14.01     38.11  

SNL U.S. Thrift NYSE

     260.01        8/23/2019        (2.44     (2.17     (2.26     6.74       18.21       (2.00     (1.48

SNL U.S. Bank NYSE American

     2,078.86        8/23/2019        (2.30     (3.30     (6.50     (8.78     4.99       (15.96     6.73  

SNL U.S. Bank NASDAQ

     1,873.26        8/23/2019        (3.21     (2.90     (10.97     (8.19     4.41       (19.78     23.55  

SNL U.S. Thrift NASDAQ

     3,195.47        8/23/2019        (2.38     (2.28     (4.24     (3.71     7.39       (11.91     12.14  

SNL U.S. Bank Pink

     708.17        8/23/2019        (0.53     (0.42     (0.63     (0.18     4.88       (1.14     52.70  

SNL U.S. Thrift Pink

     616.00        8/23/2019        (0.29     (0.14     0.67       0.87       2.87       (1.22     40.37  

SNL Bank TSX

     2,617.31        8/23/2019        (1.45     (1.07     (5.87     (4.67     6.48       (6.27     27.18  

SNL OTHER Indexes

                    

SNL U.S. Thrift MHCs

     17,015.95        8/23/2019        (1.79     (1.87     (2.10     (2.34     7.47       5.52       3.93  

SNL Pink Asset Size Indexes

                    

SNL U.S. Bank Pink < $100M

     279.21        8/23/2019        (5.54     (4.57     7.88       3.35       9.55       (0.73     38.92  

SNL U.S. Bank Pink $100M-$500M

     787.60        8/23/2019        (0.10     (0.01     (0.33     0.84       9.04       2.83       57.18  

SNL U.S. Bank Pink > $500M

     628.77        8/23/2019        (0.61     (0.50     (0.76     (0.46     3.82       (2.14     51.58  

Broad Market Indexes

                    

DJIA

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

S&P 500

     5,735.63        8/23/2019        (2.59     (1.42     (4.30     (2.92     15.08       1.69       38.27  

S&P 400 Mid Cap

     2,790.97        8/23/2019        (2.75     (1.94     (6.51     (5.40     11.61       (7.84     22.68  

S&P 600 Small Cap

     1,182.89        8/23/2019        (3.11     (2.49     (6.85     (5.80     7.10       (16.30     23.69  

S&P 500 Financials

     731.94        8/23/2019        (2.53     (1.87     (7.84     (5.58     10.70       (5.33     41.59  

SNL U.S. Financial Institutions

     1,858.97        8/23/2019        (2.40     (2.28     (8.14     (5.67     8.01       (8.57     37.31  

MSCI US IMI Financials

     2,404.76        8/23/2019        (2.59     (1.93     (7.80     (5.33     11.38       (6.10     39.39  

NASDAQ

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

NASDAQ Finl

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

NYSE

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

Russell 1000

     9,090.87        8/23/2019        (2.57     (1.41     (4.44     (2.95     15.33       1.39       37.93  

Russell 2000

     7,338.33        8/23/2019        (3.09     (2.27     (7.22     (6.68     9.17       (13.78     21.75  

Russell 3000

     8,886.03        8/23/2019        (2.60     (1.46     (4.62     (3.20     14.91       0.23       36.74  

S&P TSX Composite

     56,169.99        8/23/2019        (1.33     (0.64     (2.11     (1.78     14.16       1.42       18.80  

MSCI AC World (USD)

     1,038.96        8/23/2019        (1.56     (0.52     (4.27     (3.96     11.98       (0.53     28.20  

MSCI World

     8,798.31        8/23/2019        (1.74     (0.63     (4.05     (3.55     13.21       (0.02     29.80  

Bermuda Royal Gazette/BSX

     NA        8/23/2019        NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA  

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence.


EXHIBIT IV-4

Bogota Savings Bank

Market Area Acquisition Activity


Exhibit IV-4

New Jersey State Thrift Acquisitions 2011-Present

 

                                Target Financials at Announcement      Deal Terms and Pricing at Announcement  

Announce
Date

  

Complete
Date

  

Buyer Name

       

Target Name

          Total
Assets
($000)
     E/A
(%)
     TE/A
(%)
     ROAA
(%)
     ROAE
(%)
     NPAs/
Assets
(%)
     Rsrvs/
NPLs
(%)
     Deal
Value
($M)
     Value/
Share
($)
     P/B
(%)
     P/TB
(%)
     P/E
(x)
     P/A
(%)
     Prem/
Cdeps
(%)
 

6/26/2019

   Pending    Valley National Bancorp    NJ    Oritani Financial Corp.      NJ        4,074,702        13.02        13.02        1.28        9.62        0.27        274.01        744.0        16.288        138.35        138.35        13.69        18.26        10.17  

5/24/2018

   10/31/2018    MB MHC    NJ    Metuchen, MHC      NJ        259,000        10.26        10.26        0.13        1.26        0.19        447.02        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

12/7/2017

   7/1/2018    William Penn Bncp Inc. (MHC)    PA    Audubon Savings Bank      NJ        157,421        7.09        7.09        0.07        1.11        0.30        164.32        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

11/3/2017

   3/26/2018    Spencer Savings Bank SLA    NJ    Wawel Bank (MHC)      NJ        71,802        9.42        9.42        -0.68        -7.05        0.21        374.03        3.4        4.000        126.89        126.89        NM        4.68        99.99  

11/1/2017

   4/2/2018    Kearny Financial Corp.    NJ    Clifton Bancorp Inc.      NJ        1,554,521        18.39        18.39        0.43        2.08        0.36        133.66        401.8        17.925        138.32        138.32        59.75        25.85        18.81  

10/18/2017

   4/30/2018    First Bank    NJ    Delanco Bancorp, Inc.      NJ        127,050        10.76        10.76        0.15        1.44        3.96        28.30        13.5        14.153        97.87        97.87        67.39        10.63        -0.17  

7/13/2016

   11/30/2016    OceanFirst Financial Corp.    NJ    Ocean Shore Holding Co.      NJ        1,042,835        11.09        10.66        0.65        6.19        0.93        40.41        150.3        22.466        124.57        130.22        20.24        14.42        5.44  

1/5/2016

   5/2/2016    OceanFirst Financial Corp.    NJ    Cape Bancorp, Inc.      NJ        1,601,985        10.51        9.10        0.84        7.37        0.78        106.53        205.7        14.790        118.94        139.51        15.41        12.84        5.30  

9/21/2015

   12/1/2015    NexBank Capital Inc.    TX    College Savings Bank      NJ        374,506        12.81        12.81        1.73        17.57        0.00        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

3/12/2015

   10/2/2015    Glen Rock Savings Bank    NJ    Llewellyn-Edison Savings Bank, FSB      NJ        121,885        17.93        17.93        -0.40        -2.26        1.37        31.26        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

9/10/2014

   4/1/2015    Cape Bancorp Inc.    NJ    Colonial Financial Services, Inc.      NJ        550,650        11.45        11.45        -0.13        -1.21        4.29        24.80        55.9        14.352        87.86        87.86        NM        10.15        -1.63  

4/5/2013

   1/10/2014    Investors Bancorp Inc. (MHC)    NJ    Gateway Community Financial Corp.      NJ        309,777        7.94        7.94        -1.33        -15.50        2.34        52.46        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

12/28/2012

   7/2/2013    TF Financial Corp.    PA    Roebling Financial Corp, Inc.      NJ        161,793        10.44        10.44        0.08        0.75        2.09        45.25        14.6        8.641        86.26        86.26        NM        9.01        -1.99  

12/19/2012

   12/6/2013    Investors Bancorp Inc. (MHC)    NJ    Roma Financial Corporation (MHC)      NJ        1,835,093        11.92        11.83        0.23        2.01        NA        NA        459.3        15.444        215.03        216.85        NM        25.03        NA  

8/27/2012

   11/1/2015    M&T Bank Corp.    NY    Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.      NJ        43,590,185        10.70        10.38        -0.28        -2.74        2.50        27.38        3812.4        7.214        81.70        84.50        NM        8.75        -3.59  

1/12/2012

   1/12/2012    Investor group    0    College Savings Bank      NJ        530,910        7.96        7.96        0.34        4.42        0.00        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA  

2/15/2011

   8/1/2011    Ocean Shore Holding Co.    NJ    CBHC Financialcorp, Inc.      NJ        136,038        7.69        7.69        0.91        12.28        0.61        122.71        11.9        15.500        130.00        130.00        10.30        8.76        1.57  
                 

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
            Average:         3,323,538        11.14        11.01        0.24        2.20        1.26        133.72              122.34        125.15        31.13        13.49        13.39  
            Median:         374,506        10.70        10.44        0.15        1.44        0.69        79.49              124.57        130.00        17.83        10.63        3.44  

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence.


EXHIBIT IV-5

Bogota Savings Bank

Director and Senior Management Resumes


EXHIBIT IV-5

Bogota Savings Bank

Director and Senior Management Resumes

Joseph Coccaro has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since 2008 and has been employed by Bogota Savings Bank since 2005, when he was initially hired to be our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Coccaro served as the controller of Liberty Bank, which was acquired by Northfield Bank in 2002, where he worked until joining Bogota Savings Bank. Mr. Coccaro’s extensive experience in the local banking industry and involvement in business and civic organizations in the communities in which we serve affords the Board valuable insight regarding our business and operations. Mr. Coccaro’s knowledge of our business and history position him well to continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Steven M. Goldberg has served as chairman of the board since 2006. Until his retirement in March 2019, Mr. Goldberg was the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Cole Schotz. PC, a New Jersey-based law with offices throughout the United States that specializes in litigation, bankruptcy law, corporate issues and employment law. Mr. Goldberg’s experience as an executive of a large national law practice brings valuable business, administrative and leadership skills to our board.

Bruce A. Dexter is a partner with the law firm of Dexter & Kilcoyne located in Hackensack, New Jersey. His areas of practice includes personal injury law, commercial litigation and transactional work with an emphasis on real estate and banking law. Mr. Dexter has been practicing law for over 45 years. Mr. Dexter’s general legal knowledge, as well as his expertise with residential and commercial real estate and banking matters is a significant resource for us.

John Gary Gensheimer was President of Control Associates, Inc., an engineering firm, until his retirement in December 2017. Gensheimer provides valuable executive and business skills to the board.

John Masterson was a managing director in the equities division of Goldman Sachs for almost 35 years before his retirement in 2007. Mr. Masterson currently serves as a director of 50 South Capital Advisors, LLC, a global alternatives investment firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Trust. Mr. Masterson also served as a director or Transparent Value, a London-based hedge fund from 2011 until 2016. Mr. Masterson’s considerable experience in investment banking, capital markets and additional board service are valuable to us in many ways, including assisting in our assessment of sources and uses of capital.

Brian McCourt, age 58, has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2011.

Kevin Pace, age 40, has served as our Executive Vice President, Compliance, BSA since 2018 under which he has operational oversight over compliance, operations and IT. Before the appointment, Mr. Pace served in various banking positions at Bogota Savings Bank since 2013.

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT IV-6

Bogota Savings Bank

Pro Forma Regulatory Capital Ratios


EXHIBIT IV-6

Bogota Savings Bank

Pro Forma Regulatory Capital Ratios

 

     Bogota Savings Bank
Historical at
    Pro Forma at June 30, 2019 Based Upon the Sale in the Offering of :  
     June 30, 2019     3,636,351 Shares     4,278,060 Shares     4,919,770 Shares     5,657,735 Shares (l)  
     Amount      Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
    Amount     Percent of
Assets (2)
 
     (unaudited)                       (Dollars in thousands)                    

Equity capital

   $ 73,489        11.07   $ 85,833       12.63   $ 88,136       12.91   $ 90,437       13.20   $ 93,084       13.52 % 

Tier 1 leverage capital

   $ 73,765        11,14   $ 86,109       12.70   $ 88,412       12.98   $ 90,713       13.27   $ 93,360       13.59

Tier 1 leverage requirement

     33,120        5.00       33,902       5.00       34,047       5.00       34,191       5.00       34,357       5.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 40,646        6.14   $ 52,207       7.70   $ 54,365       7.98   $ 56,522       8.27   $ 59,003       8.59 % 
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Tier 1 risk based capital (3)

   $ 73,765        17.50   $ 86,109       20.28   $ 88,412       20.79   $ 90,713       21.30   $ 93,360       21.89 % 

Tier 1 risk based requirement

     33,720        8.00       33,970       8.00       34,017       8.00       34,063       8.00       34,116       8.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 40,045        9.50   $ 52,139       12.28   $ 54,395       12.79   $ 56,650       13.30   $ 59,244       13.89
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total risk based capital (3)

   $ 75,781        17.98   $ 88,125       20.75   $ 90,428       21.27   $ 92,729       21.78   $ 95,376       22.37

Total risk based requirement

     42,150        10.00       42,463       10.00       42,521       10.00       42,579       10.00       42,645       10.00  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 33,631        7.98   $ 45,662       10.75   $ 47,907       11.27   $ 50,150       11.78   $ 52,731       12.37 % 
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Common equity tier 1 capital

   $ 73,765        17.50   $ 86,109       20.28   $ 88,412       20.79   $ 90,713       21.30   $ 93,360       21.89 % 

Common equity tier 1 requirement

     27,397        6.50       27,601       6.50       27,639       6.50       27,676       6.50       27,719       6.50  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Excess

   $ 46,368        11.00   $ 58,508       13.78   $ 60,773       14.29   $ 63,037       14.80   $ 65,641       15.39
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Reconciliation:

 

               

Net proceeds infused into Bogota Savings Bank

 

  $ 17,317       $ 20,496       $ 23,675       $ 27,332    

Less: Common stock acquired by employee stock ownership plan

 

    (3,315       (3,900 )         (4,485       (5,158 )   

Less: Common stock acquired by stock based benefit plan

 

    (1,658       (1,950 )         (2,243       (2,579 )   
       

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

Pro forma increase in tier 1 and risk based capital

 

  $ 12,344       $ 14,646       $ 16,947       $ 19,595    
       

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

(l)

As adjusted to give effect to an increase in the number of shares, which increase could occur due to a 15% increase in the offering range to reflect demand for the shares or changes in market conditions following the commencement of the offering.

(2)

Equity and Tier 1 leverage capital levels are shown as a percentage of total average assets Risk-based capital levels are shown as a percentage of risk-weighted assets.

(3)

Pro forma amounts and percentages assume net proceeds are invested in assets that carry a 20% risk weighting.

Source: Bogota Financial’s Preliminary Offering Prospectus


EXHIBIT IV-7

Bogota Savings Bank

Pro Forma Analysis Sheet – Fully Converted Basis


Exhibit IV-7

Pro Forma Analysis - Fully Converted Basis

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

Prices as of August 23, 2019

 

 
              Symbol      Subject at
Midpoint
    Peer Group      All Public MHC Thrifts  

Valuation Pricing Multiples

         Mean      Median      Mean      Median  

Price-earnings multiple

     =      P/E        40.17     21.92      21.03      21.92      21.03

Price-core earnings multiple

     =      P/CE        34.98     23.37      21.34      23.37      21.34

Price-book ratio

     =      P/B        63.33     82.61      79.94      82.61      79.94

Price-tangible book ratio

     =      P/TB        63.33     83.97      79.94      83.97      79.94

Price-assets ratio

     =      P/A        13.31     19.67      21.45      19.67      21.45

 

Valuation Parameters

                  % of           % of Offering  
                  Offering           + Foundation  

Pre-Conversion Earnings (Y)

  $ 2,758,000       (12 Mths 6/19)     ESOP Stock as % of Offering (E)     8.1633       8.0000

Pre-Conversion Core Earnings

  $ 3,125,500       (12 Mths 6/19)     Cost of ESOP Borrowings (S)     0.00    

Pre-Conversion Book Value (B)

  $ 73,489,000       (6/19)     ESOP Amortization (T)     20.00       years    

Intangibles

  $ 0       (6/19)     RRP Stock as % of Offering (M)     4.0816       4.0000

Pre-Conv. Tang. Book Value (B)

  $ 73,489,000       (6/19)     Stock Programs Vesting (N)     5.00       years    

Pre-Conversion Assets (A)

  $ 663,951,000       (6/19)     Fixed Expenses   $ 1,410,000      

Reinv. Rate: (5 Yr Treas) @ 6/2019

    1.760     Subscr/Dir Comm Exp (Mdpnt)   $ 885,408         1.00
       

 

 

     

Tax rate (TAX)

    26.50     Total Expenses (Midpoint)   $ 2,295,408      

A-T Reinvestment Rate(R)

    1.294     Syndicate Expenses (Mdpnt)   $ 0         0.00

Est. Conversion
Expenses (1)(X)

    2.31     Syndicate Amount   $ 0      

Insider Purchases ($)

  $ 1,000,000       Percent Sold (PCT)     100.00    

Price/Share

  $ 10.00       MHC Assets   $ 0      

Foundation Cash Contrib. (FC)

  $ 250,000       Options as % of Offering (O1)     10.2041       10.00

Found. Stk Contrib (% of Total Shrs (FS)

    2.0000     Estimated Option Value (O2)     25.70    

Foundation Tax Benefit (Z)

  $ 593,544       Option Vesting Period (O3)     5.00       years    

Foundation Amount (Mdpt.)

  $ 1,989,790       % of Options taxable (O4)     25.00    

 

Calculation of Pro Forma Value After Conversion

                                  

1.

 

V=

 

P/E * (Y)

 

     V=      $ 99,489,790  
   

 

       
   

1 - P/E * PCT *  ((1-X-E-M-FC-FS)*R - (1-TAX)*E/T - (1-TAX)*M/N)-(1-(TAX*O4))*(O1*O2)/O3)

 

     

1.

 

V=

 

P/E * (Y)

 

     V=      $ 99,489,790  
   

 

       
   

1 - P/Core E * PCT *  ((1-X-E-M-FC-FS)*R - (1-TAX)*E/T - (1-TAX)*M/N)-(1-(TAX*O4))*(O1*O2)/O3)

 

     

2.

 

V=

 

                         P/B * (B+Z)                                

 

           V=      $ 99,489,790  
   

    1 - P/B * PCT * (1-X-E-M-FC-FS)

              

2.

 

V=

 

                         P/TB * (TB+Z)                            

 

           V=      $ 99,489,790  
   

    1 - P/TB * PCT * (1-X-E-M-FC-FS)

 

           

3.

 

V=

 

                         P/A * (A+Z+PA)                          

 

           V=      $ 99,489,790  
   

    1 - P/A * PCT * (1-X-E-M-FC-FS)

 

           

 

Valuation Conclusion

   Shares Issued
to MHC
    Shares Sold
to Public
    Foundation
Shares
    Total Shares
Issued
    Market Value
of Stock Sold
in Offering
     Market Value
of Stock Issued
in Reorganization
 

Supermaximum

     0       12,894,375       263,150       13,157,525     $ 128,943,750      $ 131,575,250  

Maximum

     0       11,212,500       228,826       11,441,326       112,125,000      $ 114,413,260  

Midpoint

     0       9,750,000       198,979       9,948,979       97,500,000      $ 99,489,790  

Minimum

     0       8,287,500       169,132       8,456,632       82,875,000      $ 84,566,320  

Valuation Conclusion

   Shares Issued
to MHC
    Shares Sold
to Public
    Foundation
Shares
    Total Shares
Issued
              

Supermaximum

     0.000     98.000     2.00000     100.000     

Maximum

     0.000     98.000     2.00000     100.000     

Midpoint

     0.000     98.000     1.99999     100.000     

Minimum

     0.000     98.000     1.99999     100.000     

Foundation Value Summary

   Foundation
Cash
    Foundation
Shares
    Total
Foundation
Value
    Total
Foundation Value
as % of Offering
              

Supermaximum

   $ 250,000     $ 2,631,500     $ 2,881,500       2.235     

Maximum

   $ 250,000     $ 2,288,260     $ 2,538,260       2.264     

Midpoint

   $ 250,000     $ 1,989,790     $ 2,239,790       2.297     

Minimum

   $ 250,000     $ 1,691,320     $ 1,941,320       2.342     

 

(1)

Estimated offering expenses at midpoint of the offering.


EXHIBIT IV-8

Bogota Savings Bank

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds – Fully Converted Basis


Exhibit IV-8

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Minimum of the Range

 

1.

   Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:      $82,875,000  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:      1,691,320  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Market Value of Company:

     $84,566,320  

2.

   Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering      $82,875,000  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

     2,161,097  
     

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds      $80,713,903  

3.

   Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds   
   Net Conversion Proceeds      $80,713,903  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

     (250,000
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Stock Purchases (1)

     (6,765,300
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Stock Purchases (2)

     (3,382,650
     

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds Reinvested      $70,315,953  
   Estimated After-Tax Reinvestment Rate      1.29
     

 

 

 
  

Earnings from Reinvestment of Proceeds

     $     909,607  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings(1)

     0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(1)

     (248,625
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (2)

     (497,250
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (3)

     (405,874
     

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase      ($    242,142

 

4.    Pro Forma Earnings           Before
Conversion
     Net
Earnings
Increase
    After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)       $ 2,758,000      ($ 242,142   $ 2,515,858  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)       $ 3,125,500      ($ 242,142   $ 2,883,358  
5.    Pro Forma Net Worth    Before
Conversion
     Net Equity
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 73,489,000      $ 70,315,953      $ 514,450     $ 144,319,403  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)    $ 73,489,000      $ 70,315,953      $ 514,450     $ 144,319,403  
6.    Pro Forma Assets    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 663,951,000      $ 70,315,953      $ 514,450     $ 734,781,403  

 

(1)

ESOP stock (3.92% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 20 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(2)

Restricted stock program (1.96% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 5 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 5 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


Exhibit IV-8

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Midpoint of the Range

 

1.

   Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:           $97,500,000  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:           1,989,790  
          

 

 

 
  

Total Market Value of Company:

          $99,489,790  

2.

   Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering           $97,500,000  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

          2,295,408  
          

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds           $95,204,592  

3.

   Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds        
   Net Conversion Proceeds           $95,204,592  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

          (250,000
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Stock Purchases (1)

          (7,959,183
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Stock Purchases (2)

          (3,979,590
          

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds Reinvested           $83,015,819  
   Estimated After-Tax Reinvestment Rate           1.29
          

 

 

 
  

Earnings from Reinvestment of Proceeds

          $  1,073,893  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings(1)

          0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(1)

          (292,500
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (2)

          (585,000
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (3)

          (477,499
          

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase           ($    281,106
4.    Pro Forma Earnings         Before
Conversion
    Net
Earnings
Increase
    After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)     $ 2,758,000     ($ 281,106   $ 2,476,894  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)     $ 3,125,500     ($ 281,106   $ 2,844,394  
5.    Pro Forma Net Worth   Before
Conversion
    Net Capital
Proceeds
    Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019   $ 73,489,000     $ 83,015,819     $ 593,544     $ 157,098,363  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)   $ 73,489,000     $ 83,015,819     $ 593,544     $ 157,098,363  
6.    Pro Forma Assets   Before
Conversion
    Net Cash
Proceeds
    Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019   $ 663,951,000     $ 83,015,819     $ 593,544     $ 747,560,363  

 

(1)

ESOP stock (3.92% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 20 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(2)

Restricted stock program (1.96% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 5 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 5 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


Exhibit IV-8

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Maximum of the Range

 

1.

   Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:           $112,125,000  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:           2,288,260  
        

 

 

 
  

Total Market Value of Company:

          $114,413,260  

2.

   Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering           $112,125,000  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

          2,429,719  
          

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds           $109,695,281  

3.

   Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds        
   Net Conversion Proceeds           $109,695,281  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

          (250,000
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Stock Purchases (1)

          (9,153,061
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Stock Purchases (2)

          (4,576,530
        

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds Reinvested           $  95,715,690  
   Estimated After-Tax Reinvestment Rate           1.29
          

 

 

 
  

Earnings from Reinvestment of Proceeds

          $    1,238,178  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings(1)

          0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(1)

          (336,375
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (2)

          (672,750
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (3)

          (549,124
          

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase           ($      320,070
4.    Pro Forma Earnings         Before
Conversion
    Net
Earnings
Increase
    After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)     $ 2,758,000     ($ 320,070   $ 2,437,930  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)     $ 3,125,500     ($ 320,070   $ 2,805,430  
5.    Pro Forma Net Worth   Before
Conversion
    Net Capital
Proceeds
    Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019   $ 73,489,000     $ 95,715,690     $ 672,639     $ 169,877,329  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)   $ 73,489,000     $ 95,715,690     $ 672,639     $ 169,877,329  
6.    Pro Forma Assets   Before
Conversion
    Net Cash
Proceeds
    Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019   $ 663,951,000     $ 95,715,690     $ 672,639     $ 760,339,329  

 

(1)

ESOP stock (3.92% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 20 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(2)

Restricted stock program (1.96% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 5 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 5 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


Exhibit IV-8

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Supermaximum Value

 

1.

   Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:           $128,943,750  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:           2,631,500  
        

 

 

 
  

Total Market Value of Company:

          $131,575,250  

2.

   Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering           $128,943,750  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

          2,584,177  
          

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds           $126,359,573  

3.

   Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds        
   Net Conversion Proceeds           $126,359,573  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

          (250,000
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Stock Purchases (1)

          (10,526,020
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Stock Purchases (2)

          (5,263,010
        

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds Reinvested           $110,320,543  
   Estimated After-Tax Reinvestment Rate           1.29
          

 

 

 
  

Earnings from Reinvestment of Proceeds

          $    1,427,107  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings(1)

          0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(1)

          (386,831
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (2)

          (773,662
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (3)

          (631,492
          

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase           ($      364,879
4.    Pro Forma Earnings         Before
Conversion
    Net
Earnings
Increase
    After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)     $ 2,758,000     ($ 364,879   $ 2,393,121  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)     $ 3,125,500     ($ 364,879   $ 2,760,621  
5.    Pro Forma Net Worth   Before
Conversion
    Net Capital
Proceeds
    Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019   $ 73,489,000     $ 110,320,543     $ 763,598     $ 184,573,140  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)   $ 73,489,000     $ 110,320,543     $ 763,598     $ 184,573,140  
6.    Pro Forma Assets   Before
Conversion
    Net Cash
Proceeds
    Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019   $ 663,951,000     $ 110,320,543     $ 763,598     $ 775,035,140  

 

(1)

ESOP stock (3.92% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 20 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(2)

Restricted stock program (1.96% of total shares issued in conversion) amortized over 5 years, amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 5 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


EXHIBIT IV-9

Bogota Savings Bank

Pro Forma Analysis Sheet – MHC Basis


Exhibit IV-9

PRO FORMA ANALYSIS SHEET-MHC BASIS

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

Prices as of August 23, 2019

 

                 Subject at     Peer Group     All Public MHC Thrifts  

Final Valuation Pricing Multiples

        Symbol      Midpoint     Mean     Median     Mean     Median  

Price-earnings multiple

   =      P/E        38.46     23.21     24.06     23.54     24.10

Price-core earnings multiple

   =      P/CE        34.48     26.94     24.55     26.47     24.81

Price-book ratio

   =      P/B        91.34     149.74     138.68     144.39     126.73

Price-tangible book ratio

   =      P/TB        91.34     153.23     138.82     147.22     126.73

Price-assets ratio

   =      P/A        14.23     21.79     23.60     20.21     21.87

 

Valuation Parameters (2)

                               As a % of Offering
+ Foundation
 

Pre-Conversion Earnings (Y)

  $ 2,757,353     (12 Mths 6/19)    ESOP Purchases-% of Public Off (E)

 

    9.1163       8.71

Pre-Conversion Core Earnings

  $ 3,124,853     (12 Mths 6/19)    Cost of ESOP Borrowings (S)

 

    0.00    

Pre-Conversion Book Value (B)

  $ 73,439,000     (6/19)    ESOP Amortization (T)

 

    20.00       years    

Pre-Conv. Tang. Book Value (B)

  $ 73,439,000     (6/19)    MRP Purchases-% of Public Off (M)

 

    4.5581       4.36

Pre-Conversion Assets (A)

  $ 663,901,000     (6/19)    Stock Programs Vesting (N)

 

    5.00       years    

Reinvestment Rate:

    1.76      Fixed Expenses

 

  $ 1,410,000      

Tax rate (TAX)

    26.50      Variable Expenses

 

    1.00    

A-T Reinvestment Rate(R)

    1.29      Percent Sold (PCT)

 

    45.0000    

Est. Conversion
Expenses (1)(X)

    4.00      MHC Assets      $ 50,000      

Insider Purchases

  $ 1,000,000        Options as % of
Offering (O1)

 

    11.40       10.89

Price/Share

  $ 10.00        Estimated Option Value (O2)

 

    25.70    

Foundation Cash
Contrib. (FC)

  $ 250,000        Option Vesting Period (O3)

 

    5.00       years    

Foundation Stock
Contrib. (FS)

    2.00      % of Options taxable (O4)

 

    25.00    

Foundation Tax Benefit (Z)

  $ 593,544                

 

Calculation of Pro Forma Value After Conversion

                                       

1. V=

   P/E * (Y)

 

     V=      $ 99,489,790  
  

 

       
   1 - P/E * PCT * ((1-X-E-M-C-D)*R - (1-TAX)*E/T - (1-TAX)*M/N)

 

     

1. V=

   P/E * (Y)

 

     V=      $ 99,489,790  
  

 

       
   1 - P/Core E * PCT * ((1-X-E-M-FC-FS)*R - (1-TAX)*E/T - (1-TAX)*M/N)-(1-(TAX*O4))*(O1*O2)/O3)

 

     

2. V=

   P/B * B

 

                 V=      $ 99,489,790  
  

 

                   
   1 - P/B * PCT * (1-X-E-M-FC-FS)                     

2. V=

   P/TB * TB

 

                 V=      $ 99,489,790  
  

 

                   
   1 - P/B * PCT * (1-X-E-M-FC-FS)                     

3. V=

   P/A * (A+Z)

 

                 V=      $ 99,489,790  
  

 

                   
   1 - P/A * PCT * (1-X-E-M-FC-FS)                     

 

Valuation Conclusion

   Shares Issued
to MHC
    Shares Sold
to Public
    Foundation
Shares
    Total Shares
Issued
    Mark. Val of
Stock Sold in
Offering+Issued
to Foundation
     Full Value of
Total Shares
 

Supermaximum

     7,236,640       5,657,735       263,150       13,157,525     $ 59,208,850      $ 131,575,250  

Maximum

     6,292,730       4,919,770       228,826       11,441,326       51,485,960        114,413,260  

Midpoint

     5,471,940       4,278,060       198,979       9,948,979       44,770,390        99,489,790  

Minimum

     4,651,149       3,636,351       169,132       8,456,632       38,054,830        84,566,320  

Valuation Conclusion

   Shares Issued
to MHC
    Shares Sold
to Public
    Foundation
Shares
    Total Shares
Issued
              

Supermaximum

     55.000     43.000     2.000     100.000     

Maximum

     55.000     43.000     2.000     100.000     

Midpoint

     55.000     43.000     2.000     100.000     

Minimum

     55.000     43.000     2.000     100.000     

Foundation Value Summary

   Foundation
Cash
    Foundation
Shares
    Total
Foundation
Value
    Total
Foundation Value
as % of Market Cap.
              

Supermaximum

   $ 250,000     $ 2,631,500     $ 2,881,500       2.19     

Maximum

   $ 250,000     $ 2,288,260     $ 2,538,260       2.22     

Midpoint

   $ 250,000     $ 1,989,790     $ 2,239,790       2.25     

Minimum

   $ 250,000     $ 1,691,320     $ 1,941,320       2.30     

 

(1)

Estimated offering expenses at midpoint of the offering.

(2)

Reflects reduction in earnings, equity and assets due to $50,000 contributed to the MHC.


EXHIBIT IV-10

Bogota Savings Bank

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds – MHC Basis


Exhibit IV-10

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Minimum of the Range

 

1.

   Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:      $36,363,510  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:      1,691,320  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to MHC:      46,511,490  
     

 

 

 
  

Total Market Value of Company:

     $84,566,320  

2.

   Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering      $36,363,510  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

     1,730,485  
     

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds      $34,633,025  

3.

   Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds   
   Net Conversion Proceeds      $34,633,025  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

     (250,000
  

Less: Cash for Capitalization of the MHC

     0  
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Purchases (1)

     (3,314,999
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Purchases (1)

     (1,657,500
     

 

 

 
   Net Proceeds Reinvested      $29,410,526  
   Estimated net incremental rate of return      1.29
     

 

 

 
   Earnings Increase      $     380,455  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings

     0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(2)

     (121,826
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (3)

     (243,652
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (4)

     (198,878
     

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase      ($   183,902

 

4.    Pro Forma Earnings           Before
Conversion
     Net
Earnings
Increase
     After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)         $ 2,757,353      ($ 183,902)          $ 2,573,451  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)         $ 3,124,853      ($ 183,902)          $ 2,940,951  

 

5.    Pro Forma Net Worth    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
     After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 73,439,000      $ 29,410,526      $ 514,450      $ 103,363,975  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)    $ 73,439,000      $ 29,410,526      $ 514,450      $ 103,363,975  

 

6.    Pro Forma Assets    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
     After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 663,901,000      $ 29,410,526      $ 514,450      $ 693,825,975  

 

(1)

Includes ESOP purchases equal to 3.92% of total shares issued in the conversion, and stock program purchases equal to 1.96% of total shares issued in the conversion.

(2)

ESOP stock amortized over 20 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Stock programs amortized over 5 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(4)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 10 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


Exhibit IV-10

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Midpoint of the Range

 

1.

   Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:              $42,780,600  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:              1,989,790  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to MHC:              54,719,400  
             

 

 

 
  

Total Market Value of Company:

             $99,489,790  

2.

   Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering              $42,780,600  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

             1,788,806  
             

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds              $40,991,794  

3.

   Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds Net Conversion Proceeds              $40,991,794  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

             (250,000
  

Less: Cash for Capitalization of the MHC

             0  
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Purchases (1)

             (3,899,999
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Purchases (1)

             (1,950,000
             

 

 

 
   Net Proceeds Reinvested              $34,891,795  
   Estimated net incremental rate of return              1.29
             

 

 

 
   Earnings Increase              $     451,360  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings

             0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(2)

             (143,325
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (3)

             (286,650
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (4)

             (233,974
             

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase              ($     212,589
4.      Pro Forma Earnings           Before
Conversion
     Net
Earnings
Increase
    After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)       $ 2,757,353      ($ 212,589   $ 2,544,764  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)       $ 3,124,853      ($ 212,589   $ 2,912,264  
5.      Pro Forma Net Worth    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 73,439,000      $ 34,891,795      $ 593,544     $ 108,924,339  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)    $ 73,439,000      $ 34,891,795      $ 593,544     $ 108,924,339  
6.      Pro Forma Assets    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 663,901,000      $ 34,891,795      $ 593,544     $ 699,386,339  

 

(1)

Includes ESOP purchases equal to 3.92% of total shares issued in the conversion, and stock program purchases equal to 1.96% of total shares issued in the conversion.

(2)

ESOP stock amortized over 20 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Stock programs amortized over 5 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(4)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 10 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


Exhibit IV-10

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Maximum of the Range

 

1.    Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:            $ 49,197,700  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:              2,288,260  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to MHC:

 

          62,927,300  
  

Total Market Value of Company:

           $ 114,413,260  
2.    Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering            $ 49,197,700  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

             1,847,127  
             

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds            $ 47,350,573  
3.    Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds Net Conversion Proceeds            $ 47,350,573  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

             (250,000
  

Less: Cash for Capitalization of the MHC

             0  
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Purchases (1)

             (4,485,000
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Purchases (1)

             (2,242,500
             

 

 

 
   Net Proceeds Reinvested            $ 40,373,073  
   Estimated net incremental rate of return              1.29
             

 

 

 
   Earnings Increase            $ 522,266  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings

             0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(2)

             (164,824
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (3)

             (329,648
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (4)

             (269,071
             

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase            ($ 241,276
4.      Pro Forma Earnings           Before
Conversion
     Net
Earnings
Increase
    After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)       $ 2,757,353      ($ 241,276   $ 2,516,077  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)       $ 3,124,853      ($ 241,276   $ 2,883,577  
5.      Pro Forma Net Worth    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 73,439,000      $ 40,373,073      $ 672,639     $ 114,484,712  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)    $ 73,439,000      $ 40,373,073      $ 672,639     $ 114,484,712  
6.      Pro Forma Assets    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 663,901,000      $ 40,373,073      $ 672,639     $ 704,946,712  

 

(1)

Includes ESOP purchases equal to 3.92% of total shares issued in the conversion, and stock program purchases equal to 1.96% of total shares issued in the conversion.

(2)

ESOP stock amortized over 20 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Stock programs amortized over 5 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(4)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 10 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


Exhibit IV-10

Pro Forma Effect of Conversion Proceeds

Bogota Savings Bank, Teaneck, NJ

At the Supermaximum Value

 

1.

   Market Value of Shares Sold In Offering:            $ 56,577,350  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to Foundation:              2,631,500  
   Market Value of Shares Issued to MHC:

 

          72,366,400  
  

Total Market Value of Company:

           $ 131,575,250  

2.

   Offering Proceeds of Shares Sold In Offering            $ 56,577,350  
  

Less: Estimated Offering Expenses

             1,914,196  
             

 

 

 
   Net Conversion Proceeds            $ 54,663,154  

3.

   Estimated Additional Equity and Income from Offering Proceeds Net Conversion Proceeds            $ 54,663,154  
  

Less: Cash Contribution to Foundation

             (250,000
  

Less: Cash for Capitalization of the MHC

             0  
  

Less: Non-Cash ESOP Purchases (1)

             (5,157,750
  

Less: Non-Cash MRP Purchases (1)

             (2,578,875
             

 

 

 
   Net Proceeds Reinvested            $ 46,676,529  
   Estimated net incremental rate of return              1.29
   Earnings Increase            $ 603,808  
  

Less: Estimated cost of ESOP borrowings

             0  
  

Less: Amortization of ESOP borrowings(2)

             (189,547
  

Less: Stock Programs Vesting (3)

             (379,095
  

Less: Option Plan Vesting (4)

             (309,431
             

 

 

 
   Net Earnings Increase            ($ 274,265
4.      Pro Forma Earnings           Before
Conversion
     Net
Earnings
Increase
    After
Conversion
 
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (reported)       $ 2,757,353      ($ 274,265   $ 2,483,088  
   12 Months ended June 30, 2019 (core)       $ 3,124,853      ($ 274,265   $ 2,850,588  
5.      Pro Forma Net Worth    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 73,439,000      $ 46,676,529      $ 763,598     $ 120,879,127  
   June 30, 2019 (Tangible)    $ 73,439,000      $ 46,676,529      $ 763,598     $ 120,879,127  
6.      Pro Forma Assets    Before
Conversion
     Net Cash
Proceeds
     Tax Benefit
of Foundation
    After
Conversion
 
   June 30, 2019    $ 663,901,000      $ 46,676,529      $ 763,598     $ 711,341,127  

 

(1)

Includes ESOP purchases equal to 3.92% of total shares issued in the conversion, and stock program purchases equal to 1.96% of total shares issued in the conversion.

(2)

ESOP stock amortized over 20 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(3)

Stock programs amortized over 5 years, and amortization expense is tax effected at 26.5%.

(4)

Option valuation based on Black-Scholes model, 10 year vesting, and assuming 25% taxable.


EXHIBIT V-1

RP® Financial, LC.

Firm Qualifications Statement


LOGO

FIRM QUALIFICATION STATEMENT

RP® Financial (“RP®) provides financial and management consulting, merger advisory and valuation services to the financial services industry nationwide. We offer a broad array of services, high quality and prompt service, hands-on involvement by principals and senior staff, careful structuring of strategic initiatives and sophisticated valuation and other analyses consistent with industry practices and regulatory requirements. Our staff maintains extensive background in financial and management consulting, valuation and investment banking. Our clients include commercial banks, thrifts, credit unions, mortgage companies, insurance companies and other financial services companies.

STRATEGIC PLANNING SERVICES

RP®’s strategic planning services are designed to provide effective feasible plans with quantifiable results. We analyze strategic options to enhance shareholder value, achieve regulatory approval or realize other objectives. Such services involve conducting situation analyses; establishing mission/vision statements, developing strategic goals and objectives; and identifying strategies to enhance franchise and/or market value, capital management, earnings enhancement, operational matters and organizational issues. Strategic recommendations typically focus on: capital formation and management, asset/liability targets, profitability, return on equity and stock pricing. Our proprietary financial simulation models provide the basis for evaluating the impact of various strategies and assessing their feasibility and compatibility with regulations.

MERGER ADVISORY SERVICES

RP®’s merger advisory services include targeting potential buyers and sellers, assessing acquisition merit, conducting due diligence, negotiating and structuring merger transactions, preparing merger business plans and financial simulations, rendering fairness opinions, preparing mark-to-market analyses, valuing intangible assets and supporting the implementation of post-acquisition strategies. Our merger advisory services involve transactions of financially healthy companies and failed bank deals. RP® is also expert in de novo charters and shelf charters. Through financial simulations, comprehensive data bases, valuation proficiency and regulatory familiarity, RP®’s merger advisory services center on enhancing shareholder returns.

VALUATION SERVICES

RP®’s extensive valuation practice includes bank and thrift mergers, thrift mutual-to-stock conversions, goodwill impairment, insurance company demutualizations, ESOPs, subsidiary companies, merger accounting and other purposes. We are highly experienced in performing appraisals which conform to regulatory guidelines and appraisal standards. RP® is the nation’s leading valuation firm for thrift mutual-to-stock conversions, with appraised values ranging up to $4 billion.

OTHER CONSULTING SERVICES

RP® offers other consulting services including evaluating the impact of regulatory changes, branching and diversification strategies, feasibility studies and special research. We assist banks/thrifts in preparing CRA plans and evaluating wealth management activities on a de novo or merger basis. Our other consulting services are facilitated by proprietary valuation and financial simulation models.

KEY PERSONNEL (Years of Relevant Experience & Contact Information)

 

Ronald S. Riggins, Managing Director (39)    (703) 647-6543    rriggins@rpfinancial.com
William E. Pommerening, Managing Director (35)    (703) 647-6546    wpommerening@rpfinancial.com
Marcus Faust, Managing Director (31)    (703) 647-6553    mfaust@rpfinancial.com
James J. Oren, Director (32)    (703) 647-6549    joren@rpfinancial.com
James P. Hennessey, Director (33)    (703) 647-6544    jhennessey@rpfinancial.com
Gregory E. Dunn, Director (35)    (703) 647-6548    gdunn@rpfinancial.com
Carla Pollard, Senior Vice President (29)    (703) 647-6556    cpollard@rpfinancial.com

 

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Arlington, VA 22203    Fax No.: (703) 528-1788
www.rpfinancial.com    Toll-Free No.: (866) 723-0594
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