General

MidWest One Financial Group, Inc. (“MidWest One ” or the “Company,” which is also referred to herein as “we,” “our” or “us”) is an Iowa corporation incorporated in 1983, a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 and a financial holding company under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999. Our principal executive offices are located at 102 South Clinton Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240.

We currently operate primarily through our bank subsidiary, MidWest One Bank, an Iowa state non-member bank chartered in 1934 with its main office in Iowa City, Iowa (the “Bank”), as well as MidWest One Insurance Services, Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiary that operates through three agencies located in central and east-central Iowa.

On May 1, 2015, we consummated a merger with Central Bancshares, Inc. (“Central”), a Minnesota corporation. In connection with the merger, Central Bank, a Minnesota-chartered commercial bank and wholly-owned subsidiary of Central, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of MidWest One . On April 2, 2016, Central Bank merged into the Bank. See Note 2. “Business Combination” to our consolidated financial statements.

As of December 31, 2017 , we had total consolidated assets of $3.21 billion , total deposits of $2.61 billion and total shareholders’ equity of $340.3 million , all of which is common shareholders’ equity. For the year ended December 31, 2017 , we generated net income available to common shareholders of $18.7 million , which was a decrease from the net income available to common shareholders of $20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 , and a decrease from the net income available to common shareholders of $25.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 . For our complete financial information as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017 , see Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

The Bank operates a total of 44 branch locations, including its specialized Home Mortgage Center. It operates 23 branches in 13 counties throughout central and east-central Iowa, and 18 offices, which includes 17 branches and a loan production office, in the Twin Cities metro area and western Wisconsin. Additionally, the Bank operates two Florida offices in Naples and Fort Myers, and one office in Denver, Colorado. The Bank provides full-service retail banking in and around the communities in which their respective branch offices are located. Deposit products offered include checking and other demand deposit accounts, NOW accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts and other time deposits. The Bank offers commercial and industrial, agricultural, commercial and residential real estate and consumer loans. Other products and services include debit cards, automated teller machines, online banking, mobile banking, and safe deposit boxes. The principal services of the Bank consist of making loans to and accepting deposits from individuals, businesses, governmental units and institutional customers. The Bank also has a trust and investment department through which it offers a variety of trust and investment services, including administering estates, personal trusts, and conservatorships and providing property management, farm management, custodial, financial planning, investment management and retail brokerage services (the latter of which is provided through an agreement with a third-party registered broker-dealer).

Operating Strategy

Our operating strategy is based upon a sophisticated community banking model delivering a complete line of financial products and services while following five guiding principles: (1) hire and retain excellent employees; (2) take care of our customers; (3) conduct business with the utmost integrity; (4) work as one team; and (5) learn constantly so we can continually improve.

Management believes the personal and professional service offered to customers provides an appealing alternative to the “megabanks” that have resulted from large out-of-state national banks acquiring Iowa and Minnesota-based community banks. While we employ a community banking philosophy, we believe that our size, combined with our complete line of financial products and services, is sufficient to effectively compete in our relevant market areas. To remain price competitive, management also believes that we must grow organically as well as through strategic transactions, manage expenses and our efficiency ratio, and remain disciplined in our asset/liability management practices.

Market Areas

Our holding company’s principal offices are located in Iowa City, Iowa. The city of Iowa City is located in east-central Iowa, approximately 220 miles west of Chicago, Illinois, and approximately 115 miles east of Des Moines, Iowa. It is situated approximately 60 miles west of the Mississippi River on Interstate 80 and is the home of the University of Iowa, a public university

with approximately 24,500 undergraduate students and 8,900 graduate and professional students. Iowa City is the home of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, a 811-bed comprehensive academic medical center and regional referral center with approximately 1,650 staff physicians, residents, and fellows and approximately 2,300 professional nurses. The city of Iowa City has a total population of approximately 74,000 and the Iowa City metropolitan statistical area (“MSA”) has a total population of approximately 161,000. Iowa City is the fifth largest city in the state of Iowa, and Johnson County is the second fastest growing county in Iowa. Based on deposit information collected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the ”FDIC”) as of June 30, 2017, the most recent date for which data is available, the Bank had the second highest deposit market share in the Iowa City MSA at approximately 16.8% compared to 20 other institutions in the market.

The Bank operates 23 branch offices in 13 counties in central and east-central Iowa, 13 branches along with a loan production office in Minnesota, 4 branches in Wisconsin, 2 branches in Florida, and 1 branch in Denver, Colorado. Based on deposit information collected by the FDIC as of June 30, 2017, in 7 of the 13 counties in Iowa, the Bank held between 8% and 43% of the deposit market share, which includes Mahaska County, Iowa, where the Bank held approximately 42% of the deposit market share. In the remaining 6 counties of Iowa, the Bank’s market share is less than 8%. In Chisago County, Minnesota, the Bank held approximately 17% of the deposit market share, but less than 6% of the deposit market share in the other 7 counties in Minnesota. In Polk County, Wisconsin, the Bank held approximately 25% of the deposit market share. In the remaining 4 counties in Wisconsin, Florida and Colorado, the Bank’s market share is less than 5%.

Lending Activities

General

We provide a range of commercial and retail lending services to businesses, individuals and government agencies. These credit activities include commercial and industrial loans; agricultural loans; commercial and residential real estate loans; and consumer loans.

We market our services to qualified lending customers. Lending officers actively solicit the business of new companies entering their market areas as well as long-standing members of the business communities in which we operate. Through professional service, competitive pricing and innovative structure, we have been successful in attracting new lending customers. We also actively pursue consumer lending opportunities. With convenient locations, advertising and customer communications, we believe that we have been successful in capitalizing on the credit needs of our market areas.

Our management emphasizes credit quality and seeks to avoid undue concentrations of loans to a single industry or based on a single class of collateral. We have established lending policies that include a number of underwriting factors to be considered in making a loan, including location, loan-to-value ratio, cash flow, interest rate and credit history of the borrower.

Real Estate Loans

Construction and Development Loans . We offer loans both to individuals who are constructing personal residences and to real estate developers and building contractors for the acquisition of land for development and the construction of homes and commercial properties. These loans are generally in-market to known and established borrowers. Construction and development loans generally have a short term, such as one to two years. As of December 31, 2017 , construction and development loans constituted approximately 7.3% of our total loan portfolio.

  Mortgage Loans . We offer residential, commercial and agricultural mortgage loans. As of December 31, 2017 , we had $1.64 billion in combined residential, commercial, including construction and development loans, and farmland mortgage loans outstanding, which represented approximately 71.8% of our total loan portfolio.

Residential mortgage lending is a focal point for us, as residential real estate loans constituted approximately 20.5% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2017 . Included in this category are home equity loans made to individuals. As long-term interest rates have remained at relatively low levels since 2008, many customers opted for mortgage loans that have a fixed rate with 15- or 30-year maturities. We generally retain short-term residential mortgage loans that we originate for our own portfolio, but sell most long-term loans to other parties while retaining servicing rights on the majority of such loans. We also perform loan servicing activity for third parties on participations sold. At December 31, 2017 , we serviced approximately $287.9 million in mortgage loans for others. We do not offer subprime mortgage loans and do not operate a wholesale mortgage business.

We also offer mortgage loans to our commercial and agricultural customers for the acquisition of real estate used in their businesses, such as offices, farmland, warehouses and production facilities, and to real estate investors for the acquisition of

apartment buildings, retail centers, office buildings and other commercial buildings. In deciding whether to make a commercial real estate loan, we consider, among other things, the experience and qualifications of the borrower as well as the value and cash flow of the underlying property. Some factors considered are net operating income of the property before debt service and depreciation, the debt service coverage ratio (the ratio of the property’s net cash flow to debt service requirements), the cash flows of the borrower, the ratio of the loan amount to the property value and the overall creditworthiness of the prospective borrower. As of December 31, 2017 , commercial and farmland real estate mortgage loans, including construction and development loans, constituted approximately 51.3% of our total loan portfolio.

Commercial and Industrial Loans

We have a strong commercial loan base. We focus on, and tailor our commercial loan programs to, small- to mid-sized businesses in our market areas. Our loan portfolio includes loans to wholesalers, manufacturers, contractors, business services companies and retailers. We provide a wide range of business loans, including lines of credit for working capital and operational purposes and term loans for the acquisition of equipment. Although most loans are made on a secured basis, loans may be made on an unsecured basis where warranted by the overall financial condition of the borrower. Terms of commercial business loans generally range from one to five years.

Our commercial and industrial loans are primarily made based on the reported cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. The collateral support provided by the borrower for most of these loans and the probability of repayment is based on the liquidation of the pledged collateral and enforcement of a personal guarantee, if any exists. The primary repayment risks of commercial loans are that the cash flows of the borrower may be unpredictable, and the collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. As of December 31, 2017 , commercial and industrial loans comprised approximately 22.0% of our total loan portfolio.

Agricultural Loans

Due to the rural market areas in and around which we operate, agricultural loans are an important part of our business. Agricultural loans include loans made to finance agricultural production and other loans to farmers and farming operations. Agricultural loans comprised approximately 4.6% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2017 .

Agricultural loans, most of which are secured by crops, livestock and machinery, are generally provided to finance capital improvements and farm operations as well as acquisitions of livestock and machinery. The ability of the borrower to repay may be affected by many factors outside of the borrower’s control, including adverse weather conditions, loss of livestock due to disease or other factors, declines in market prices for agricultural products and the impact of government regulations. The ultimate repayment of agricultural loans is dependent upon the profitable operation or management of the agricultural entity.

Our agricultural lenders work closely with our customers, including companies and individual farmers, and review the preparation of budgets and cash flow projections for the ensuing crop year. These budgets and cash flow projections are monitored closely during the year and reviewed with the customers at least once annually. We also work closely with governmental agencies to help agricultural customers obtain credit enhancement products such as loan guarantees or interest rate assistance.

Consumer Lending

Our consumer lending department provides all types of consumer loans, including personal loans (secured or unsecured) and automobile loans. Consumer loans typically have shorter terms, lower balances, higher yields and higher risks of default than one- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans. Consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability and are therefore more likely to be affected by adverse personal circumstances. As of December 31, 2017 , consumer loans comprised only  1.6% of our total loan portfolio.

Loan Pool Participations

The Company acquired its loan pool participations in the merger with former MidWestOne in 2008, and continued in this business following that merger. However, in 2010, the Company made the decision to exit this line of business and did not purchase new loan pool participations as existing pools paid down. The Company sold its remaining loan pool participations in June 2015, and has now completely exited this line of business.

Other Products and Services

Deposit Products

We believe that we offer competitive deposit products and programs that address the needs of customers in each of the local markets that we serve. The deposit products are offered to individuals, nonprofit organizations, partnerships, small businesses, corporations and public entities. These products include non-interest-bearing and interest-bearing demand deposits, savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit.

Trust and Investment Services

We offer trust and investment services, primarily in our Iowa market at this time, to help our business and individual clients in meeting their financial goals and preserving wealth. Our services include administering estates, personal trusts, conservatorships and providing property management, farm management, investment advisory, retail securities brokerage, and financial planning and custodial services. Licensed brokers (who are registered representatives of a third-party registered broker-dealer) serve selected branches and provide investment-related services including securities trading, financial planning, mutual funds sales, fixed and variable annuities and tax-exempt and conventional unit trusts.

Insurance Services

Through our insurance subsidiary, MidWest One Insurance Services, Inc., we offer property and casualty insurance products to individuals and small businesses in the Iowa markets that we service.

Liquidity and Funding

A discussion of our liquidity and funding programs has been included in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under “Liquidity,” and Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk under “ Liquidity Risk .”

Competition

We encounter competition in all areas of our business pursuits. To compete effectively, grow our market share, maintain flexibility and keep pace with changing economic and social conditions, we continuously refine and develop our products and services. The principal methods of competing in the financial services industry are through service, convenience and price.

The banking industry is highly competitive, and we face strong direct competition for deposits, loans, and other finance-related services. Our offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, and Colorado compete with other commercial banks, thrifts, credit unions, stockbrokers, finance divisions of auto and farm equipment companies, agricultural suppliers, and other agriculture-related lenders. Some of these competitors are local, while others are statewide, regional or nationwide. We compete for deposits principally by offering depositors a wide variety of deposit programs, convenient office locations, hours and other services, and for loan originations primarily through the interest rates and loan fees we charge, the variety of our loan products and the efficiency and quality of services we provide to borrowers, with an emphasis on building long-lasting relationships. Some of the financial institutions and financial service organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as that imposed on federally insured state-chartered banks. The financial services industry is also likely to become more competitive as technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services. These technological advances may diminish the importance of depository institutions and other financial intermediaries in the transfer of funds between parties.

We compete for loans principally through the range and quality of the services we provide, with an emphasis on building long-lasting relationships. Our strategy is to serve our customers above and beyond their expectations through excellence in customer service and needs-based selling. We believe that our long-standing presence in the communities we serve and the personal service we emphasize enhance our ability to compete favorably in attracting and retaining individual and business customers. We actively solicit deposit-oriented clients and compete for deposits by offering personal attention, combined with electronic banking convenience, professional service and competitive interest rates.

Employees

As of December 31, 2017 , we had 610 full-time equivalent employees. We provide our employees with a comprehensive program of benefits, some of which are on a contributory basis, including comprehensive medical and dental plans, life insurance,

long-term and short-term disability coverage, a 401(k) plan, and an employee stock ownership plan. None of our employees are represented by unions. Our management considers its relationship with our employees to be good.

Company Website

We maintain a website for the Bank at www.midwestone.com. We make available, free of charge, on this website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Information on, or accessible through, our website is not part of, or incorporated by reference in, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Supervision and Regulation

General

FDIC-insured institutions, like the Bank, their holding companies and their affiliates are extensively regulated under federal and state law. As a result, our growth and earnings performance may be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the requirements of federal and state statutes and by the regulations and policies of various bank regulatory agencies, including the Iowa Division of Banking (the “Iowa Division”), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”), the FDIC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”). Furthermore, taxation laws administered by the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities, accounting rules developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”), securities laws administered by the SEC and state securities authorities, and anti-money laundering laws enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) have an impact on our business. The effect of these statutes, regulations, regulatory policies and accounting rules are significant to our operations and results.

Federal and state banking laws impose a comprehensive system of supervision, regulation and enforcement on the operations of FDIC-insured institutions, their holding companies and affiliates that is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC-insured deposits and depositors of banks, rather than shareholders. These laws, and the regulations of the bank regulatory agencies issued under them, affect, among other things, the scope of our business, the kinds and amounts of investments we may make, reserve requirements, required capital levels relative to our assets, the nature and amount of collateral for loans, the establishment of branches, our ability to merge, consolidate and acquire, dealings with our insiders and affiliates and our payment of dividends. In reaction to the global financial crisis and particularly following passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), we experienced heightened regulatory requirements and scrutiny. Although the reforms primarily targeted systemically important financial service providers, their influence filtered down in varying degrees to community banks over time and caused our compliance and risk management processes, and the costs thereof, to increase. After the 2016 federal elections, momentum to decrease the regulatory burden on community banks gathered strength. Although these deregulatory trends continue to receive much discussion among the banking industry, lawmakers and the bank regulatory agencies, little substantive progress has yet been made. The true impact of proposed reforms remains difficult to predict with any certainty.

The supervisory framework for U.S. banking organizations subjects banks and bank holding companies to regular examination by their respective regulatory agencies, which results in examination reports and ratings that are not publicly available and that can impact the conduct and growth of their business. These examinations consider not only compliance with applicable laws and regulations, but also capital levels, asset quality and risk, management ability and performance, earnings, liquidity, and various other factors. The regulatory agencies generally have broad discretion to impose restrictions and limitations on the operations of a regulated entity where the agencies determine, among other things, that such operations are unsafe or unsound, fail to comply with applicable law or are otherwise inconsistent with laws and regulations or with the supervisory policies of these agencies.  

The following is a summary of the material elements of the supervisory and regulatory framework applicable to the Company and the Bank, beginning with a discussion of the continuing regulatory emphasis on our capital levels. It does not describe all of the statutes, regulations and regulatory policies that apply, nor does it restate all of the requirements of those that are described. The descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the particular statutory and regulatory provision.

Regulatory Emphasis on Capital

Regulatory capital represents the net assets of a banking organization available to absorb losses. Because of the risks attendant to their business, FDIC-insured institutions are generally required to hold more capital than other businesses, which

directly affects our earnings capabilities. While capital has historically been one of the key measures of the financial health of both bank holding companies and banks, its role became fundamentally more important in the wake of the global financial crisis, as the banking regulators recognized that the amount and quality of capital held by banks prior to the crisis was insufficient to absorb losses during periods of severe stress. Certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and Basel III, discussed below, establish strengthened capital standards for banks and bank holding companies, require more capital to be held in the form of common stock and disallow certain funds from being included in capital determinations. These standards represent regulatory capital requirements that are meaningfully more stringent than those in place previously.

Minimum Required Capital Levels. Banks have been required to hold minimum levels of capital based on guidelines established by the bank regulatory agencies since 1983. The minimums have been expressed in terms of ratios of capital divided by total assets. As discussed below, bank capital measures have become more sophisticated over the years and have focused more on the quality of capital and the risk of assets. Bank holding companies have historically had to comply with less stringent capital standards than their bank subsidiaries and have been able to raise capital with hybrid instruments such as trust preferred securities. The Dodd-Frank Act mandated the Federal Reserve to establish minimum capital levels for holding companies on a consolidated basis as stringent as those required for FDIC-insured institutions. A result of this change is that the proceeds of hybrid instruments, such as trust preferred securities, are being excluded from capital over a phase-out period. However, if such securities were issued prior to May 19, 2010 by bank holding companies with less than $15 billion of assets, they may be retained, subject to certain restrictions. Because we have assets of less than $15 billion, we are able to maintain our trust preferred proceeds as capital but we have to comply with new capital mandates in other respects and will not be able to raise capital in the future through the issuance of trust preferred securities.

The Basel International Capital Accords. The risk-based capital guidelines for U.S. banks since 1989 were based upon the 1988 capital accord known as “Basel I” adopted by the international Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, a committee of central banks and bank supervisors that acts as the primary global standard-setter for prudential regulation, as implemented by the U.S. bank regulatory agencies on an interagency basis. The accord recognized that bank assets for the purpose of the capital ratio calculations needed to be risk-weighted (the theory being that riskier assets should require more capital) and that off-balance sheet exposures needed to be factored in the calculations. Basel I had a very simple formula for assigning risk weights to bank assets from 0% to 100% based on four categories.  In 2008, the banking agencies collaboratively began to phase-in capital standards based on a second capital accord, referred to as “Basel II,” for large or “core” international banks (generally defined for U.S. purposes as having total assets of $250 billion or more, or consolidated foreign exposures of $10 billion or more) known as “advanced approaches” banks. The primary focus of Basel II was on the calculation of risk weights based on complex models developed by each advanced approaches bank. As most banks were not subject to Basel II, the U.S. bank regulators worked to improve the risk sensitivity of Basel I standards without imposing the complexities of Basel II. This “standardized approach” increased the number of risk weight categories and recognized risks well above the original 100% risk-weighting. It is institutionalized by the Dodd-Frank Act for all banking organizations, even for the advanced approaches banks, as a floor.

On September 12, 2010, the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision, the oversight body of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, announced agreement on a strengthened set of capital requirements for banking organizations around the world, known as Basel III, to address deficiencies recognized in connection with the global financial crisis. 

The Basel III Rule. In July 2013, the U.S. federal banking agencies approved the implementation of the Basel III regulatory capital reforms in pertinent part, and, at the same time, promulgated rules effecting certain changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act (the “Basel III Rule”). In contrast to capital requirements historically, which were in the form of guidelines, Basel III was released in the form of regulations by each of the regulatory agencies. The Basel III Rule is applicable to all banking organizations that are subject to minimum capital requirements, including federal and state banks and savings and loan associations, as well as to bank and savings and loan holding companies, other than “small bank holding companies” (generally bank holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $1 billion).

The Basel III Rule required higher capital levels, increased the required quality of capital, and required more detailed categories of risk-weighting of riskier, more opaque assets. For nearly every class of assets, the Basel III Rule requires a more complex, detailed and calibrated assessment of credit risk and calculation of risk weightings.

Not only did the Basel III Rule increase most of the required minimum capital ratios in effect prior to January 1, 2015, but it introduced the concept of Common Equity Tier 1 Capital, which consists primarily of common stock, related surplus (net of Treasury stock), retained earnings, and Common Equity Tier 1 minority interests subject to certain regulatory adjustments. The Basel III Rule also changed the definition of capital by establishing more stringent criteria that instruments must meet to be considered Additional Tier 1 Capital (primarily non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock that meets certain requirements) and Tier 2 Capital (primarily other types of preferred stock and subordinated debt, subject to limitations). A number of instruments

that qualified as Tier 1 Capital under Basel I do not qualify, or their qualifications will change. For example, noncumulative perpetual preferred stock, which qualified as simple Tier 1 Capital under Basel I, does not qualify as Common Equity Tier 1 Capital, but qualifies as Additional Tier 1 Capital. The Basel III Rule also constrained the inclusion of minority interests, mortgage-servicing assets, and deferred tax assets in capital and requires deductions from Common Equity Tier 1 Capital in the event that such assets exceed a certain percentage of a banking institution’s Common Equity Tier 1 Capital.

The Basel III Rule required minimum capital ratios as of January 1, 2015, as follows:

In addition, institutions that seek the freedom to make capital distributions (including for dividends and repurchases of stock) and pay discretionary bonuses to executive officers without restriction must also maintain 2.5% in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital attributable to a capital conservation buffer being phased in over four years beginning in 2016 (as of January 1, 2018, it had phased in to 1.875%). The purpose of the conservation buffer is to ensure that banking institutions maintain a buffer of capital that can be used to absorb losses during periods of financial and economic stress. Factoring in the fully phased-in conservation buffer increases the minimum ratios depicted above to 7% for Common Equity Tier 1 Capital, 8.5% for Tier 1 Capital and 10.5% for Total Capital.

Banking organizations (except for large, internationally active banking organizations) became subject to the new rules on January 1, 2015. However, there are separate phase-in/phase-out periods for: (i) the capital conservation buffer; (ii) regulatory capital adjustments and deductions; (iii) nonqualifying capital instruments; and (iv) changes to the prompt corrective action rules discussed below. The phase-in periods commenced on January 1, 2016 and extend until January 1, 2019.

Well-Capitalized Requirements. The ratios described above are minimum standards in order for banking organizations to be considered “adequately capitalized.” Bank regulatory agencies uniformly encourage banks to hold more capital and be “well-capitalized” and, to that end, federal law and regulations provide various incentives for banking organizations to maintain regulatory capital at levels in excess of minimum regulatory requirements. For example, a banking organization that is well-capitalized may: (i) qualify for exemptions from prior notice or application requirements otherwise applicable to certain types of activities; (ii) qualify for expedited processing of other required notices or applications; and (iii) accept, roll-over or renew brokered deposits. Higher capital levels could also be required if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual banking organizations. For example, the Federal Reserve’s capital guidelines contemplate that additional capital may be required to take adequate account of, among other things, interest rate risk, or the risks posed by concentrations of credit, nontraditional activities or securities trading activities. Further, any banking organization experiencing or anticipating significant growth would be expected to maintain capital ratios, including tangible capital positions (i.e., Tier 1 Capital less all intangible assets), well above the minimum levels.

Under the capital regulations of the FDIC and Federal Reserve, in order to be well‑capitalized, a banking organization must maintain:

It is possible under the Basel III Rule to be well-capitalized while remaining out of compliance with the capital conservation buffer discussed above.

As of December 31, 2017: (i) the Bank was not subject to a directive from the FDIC to increase its capital and (ii) the Bank was well-capitalized, as defined by FDIC regulations. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had regulatory capital in excess of the Federal Reserve’s requirements and met the Basel III Rule requirements to be well-capitalized.

Prompt Corrective Action. An FDIC-insured institution’s capital plays an important role in connection with regulatory enforcement as well. Federal law provides the federal banking regulators with broad power to take prompt corrective action to resolve the problems of undercapitalized institutions. The extent of the regulators’ powers depends on whether the institution in

question is “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized,” in each case as defined by regulation. Depending upon the capital category to which an institution is assigned, the regulators’ corrective powers include: (i) requiring the institution to submit a capital restoration plan; (ii) limiting the institution’s asset growth and restricting its activities; (iii) requiring the institution to issue additional capital stock (including additional voting stock) or to sell itself; (iv) restricting transactions between the institution and its affiliates; (v) restricting the interest rate that the institution may pay on deposits; (vi) ordering a new election of directors of the institution; (vii) requiring that senior executive officers or directors be dismissed; (viii) prohibiting the institution from accepting deposits from correspondent banks; (ix) requiring the institution to divest certain subsidiaries; (x) prohibiting the payment of principal or interest on subordinated debt; and (xi) ultimately, appointing a receiver for the institution.

Regulation and Supervision of the Company

General. The Company, as the sole shareholder of the Bank, is a bank holding company that has elected financial holding company status. As a financial holding company, we are registered with, and subject to regulation by, the Federal Reserve under the BHCA. We are legally obligated to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to the Bank and to commit resources to support the Bank in circumstances where we might not otherwise do so. Under the BHCA, we are subject to periodic examination by the Federal Reserve and are required to file with the Federal Reserve periodic reports of our operations and such additional information regarding us and the Bank as the Federal Reserve may require.

Acquisitions, Activities and Change in Control. The primary purpose of a bank holding company is to control and manage banks. The BHCA generally requires the prior approval of the Federal Reserve for any merger involving a bank holding company or any acquisition by a bank holding company of another bank or bank holding company. Subject to certain conditions (including deposit concentration limits established by the BHCA), the Federal Reserve may allow a bank holding company to acquire banks located in any state of the United States. In approving interstate acquisitions, the Federal Reserve is required to give effect to applicable state law limitations on the aggregate amount of deposits that may be held by the acquiring bank holding company and its FDIC-insured institution affiliates in the state in which the target bank is located (provided that those limits do not discriminate against out-of-state institutions or their holding companies) and state laws that require that the target bank have been in existence for a minimum period of time (not to exceed five years) before being acquired by an out-of-state bank holding company. Furthermore, in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Act, bank holding companies must be well-capitalized and well-managed in order to effect interstate mergers or acquisitions. For a discussion of the capital requirements, see “Regulatory Emphasis on Capital” above.

The BHCA generally prohibits the Company from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company that is not a bank and from engaging in any business other than that of banking, managing and controlling banks or furnishing services to banks and their subsidiaries. This general prohibition is subject to a number of exceptions. The principal exception allows bank holding companies to engage in, and to own shares of companies engaged in, certain businesses found by the Federal Reserve prior to November 11, 1999 to be “so closely related to banking ... as to be a proper incident thereto.” This authority would permit us to engage in a variety of banking-related businesses, including the ownership and operation of a savings association, or any entity engaged in consumer finance, equipment leasing, the operation of a computer service bureau (including software development) and mortgage banking and brokerage services. The BHCA does not place territorial restrictions on the domestic activities of nonbank subsidiaries of bank holding companies.

Additionally, bank holding companies that meet certain eligibility requirements prescribed by the BHCA and elect to operate as financial holding companies may engage in, or own shares in companies engaged in, a wider range of nonbanking activities, including securities and insurance underwriting and sales, merchant banking and any other activity that the Federal Reserve, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, determines by regulation or order is financial in nature or incidental to any such financial activity or that the Federal Reserve determines by order to be complementary to any such financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety or soundness of FDIC-insured institutions or the financial system generally. We have elected to operate as a financial holding company.

In order to maintain our status as a financial holding company, both the Company and the Bank must be well-capitalized, well-managed, and have a least a satisfactory Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) rating. If the Federal Reserve determines that we are not well-capitalized or well-managed, we will have a period of time in which to achieve compliance, but during the period of noncompliance, the Federal Reserve may place any limitations on us it believes to be appropriate. Furthermore, if the Federal Reserve determines that the Bank has not received a satisfactory CRA rating, we will not be able to commence any new financial activities or acquire a company that engages in such activities.

Federal law also prohibits any person or company from acquiring “control” of an FDIC-insured depository institution or its holding company without prior notice to the appropriate federal bank regulator. “Control” is conclusively presumed to exist

upon the acquisition of 25% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a bank or bank holding company, but may arise under certain circumstances between 10% and 24.99% ownership.

Capital Requirements. Bank holding companies are required to maintain capital in accordance with Federal Reserve capital adequacy requirements. For a discussion of capital requirements, see “-Regulatory Emphasis on Capital” above.

Dividend Payments. Our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders may be affected by both general corporate law considerations and policies of the Federal Reserve applicable to bank holding companies. As an Iowa corporation, we are subject to the limitations of Iowa law, which allows us to pay dividends unless, after such dividend, (i) we would not be able to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of business or (ii) our total assets would be less than the sum of our total liabilities plus any amount that would be needed if we were to be dissolved at the time of the dividend payment, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of shareholders whose rights are superior to the rights of the shareholders receiving the distribution.

As a general matter, the Federal Reserve has indicated that the board of directors of a bank holding company should eliminate, defer or significantly reduce dividends to shareholders if: (i) the company’s net income available to shareholders for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid during that period, is not sufficient to fully fund the dividends; (ii) the prospective rate of earnings retention is inconsistent with the company’s capital needs and overall current and prospective financial condition; or (iii) the company will not meet, or is in danger of not meeting, its minimum regulatory capital adequacy ratios. The Federal Reserve also possesses enforcement powers over bank holding companies and their non-bank subsidiaries to prevent or remedy actions that represent unsafe or unsound practices or violations of applicable statutes and regulations. Among these powers is the ability to proscribe the payment of dividends by banks and bank holding companies. In addition, under the Basel III Rule, institutions that seek the freedom to pay dividends will have to maintain 2.5% in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital attributable to the capital conservation buffer to be phased in over three years beginning in 2016. See “-Regulatory Emphasis on Capital” above.

Incentive Compensation. There have been a number of developments in recent years focused on incentive compensation plans sponsored by bank holding companies and banks, reflecting recognition by the bank regulatory agencies and Congress that flawed incentive compensation practices in the financial industry were one of many factors contributing to the global financial crisis. Layered on top of that are the abuses in the headlines dealing with product cross-selling incentive plans. The result is interagency guidance on sound incentive compensation practices and proposed rulemaking by the agencies required under Section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Act.

The interagency guidance recognized three core principles: Effective incentive plans should: (i) provide employees incentives that appropriately balance risk and reward; (ii) be compatible with effective controls and risk-management; and (iii) be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the organization’s board of directors. Much of the guidance addresses large banking organizations and, because of the size and complexity of their operations, the regulators expect those organizations to maintain systematic and formalized policies, procedures, and systems for ensuring that the incentive compensation arrangements for all executive and non-executive employees covered by this guidance are identified and reviewed, and appropriately balance risks and rewards.  Smaller banking organizations like the Company that use incentive compensation arrangements are expected to be less extensive, formalized, and detailed than those of the larger banks. 

Section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Act required the banking agencies, the National Credit Union Administration, the SEC and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to jointly prescribe regulations that prohibit types of incentive-based compensation that encourage inappropriate risk taking and to disclose certain information regarding such plans. On June 10, 2016, the agencies released an updated proposed rule for comment. Section 956 will only apply to banking organizations with assets of greater than $1 billion. We have consolidated assets greater than $1 billion and less than $50 billion and we are considered a Level 3 banking organization under the proposed rules. The proposed rules contain mostly general principles and reporting requirements for Level 3 institutions so there are no specific prescriptions or limits, deferral requirements or claw-back mandates. Risk management and controls are required, as is board or committee level approval and oversight. Management expects to review its incentive plans in light of the proposed rulemaking and guidance and implement policies and procedures that mitigate unreasonable risk. As of December 31, 2017, these rules remain in proposed form.

Monetary Policy. The monetary policy of the Federal Reserve has a significant effect on the operating results of financial or bank holding companies and their subsidiaries. Among the tools available to the Federal Reserve to affect the money supply are open market transactions in U.S. government securities, changes in the discount rate on bank borrowings and changes in reserve requirements against bank deposits. These means are used in varying combinations to influence overall growth and distribution of bank loans, investments and deposits, and their use may affect interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits.

Federal Securities Regulation. Our common stock is registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). Consequently, we are subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading and other restrictions and requirements of the SEC under the Exchange Act.

Corporate Governance. The Dodd-Frank Act addressed many investor protection, corporate governance and executive compensation matters that will affect most U.S. publicly traded companies. The Dodd-Frank Act increased shareholder influence over boards of directors by requiring companies to give stockholders a non-binding vote on executive compensation and so-called “golden parachute” payments, and authorizing the SEC to promulgate rules that would allow shareholders to nominate and solicit voters for their own candidates using a company’s proxy materials. The legislation also directed the Federal Reserve to promulgate rules prohibiting excessive compensation paid to executives of bank holding companies, regardless of whether such companies are publicly traded.

Regulation and Supervision of the Bank

General. The Bank is an Iowa-chartered bank. The deposit accounts of the Bank are insured by the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) to the maximum extent provided under federal law and FDIC regulations, currently $250,000 per insured depositor category. As an Iowa-chartered FDIC-insured bank, the Bank is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Iowa Division, the chartering authority for Iowa banks, and the FDIC, designated by federal law as the primary federal regulator of insured state banks that, like the Bank, are not members of the Federal Reserve System (nonmember banks).

Deposit Insurance. As an FDIC-insured institution, the Bank is required to pay deposit insurance premium assessments to the FDIC.  The FDIC has adopted a risk-based assessment system whereby FDIC-insured institutions pay insurance premiums at rates based on their risk classification. For institutions like the Bank that are not considered large and highly complex banking organizations, assessments are now based on examination ratings and financial ratios. The total base assessment rates currently range from 1.5 basis points to 30 basis points. At least semi-annually, the FDIC updates its loss and income projections for the DIF and, if needed, increases or decreases the assessment rates, following notice and comment on proposed rulemaking. The assessment base against which an FDIC-insured institution’s deposit insurance premiums paid to the DIF are calculated is based on its average consolidated total assets less its average tangible equity. This method shifts the burden of deposit insurance premiums toward those large depository institutions that rely on funding sources other than U.S. deposits. 

The reserve ratio is the FDIC insurance fund balance divided by estimated insured deposits. The Dodd-Frank Act altered the minimum reserve ratio of the DIF, increasing the minimum from 1.15% to 1.35% of the estimated amount of total insured deposits, and eliminating the requirement that the FDIC pay dividends to FDIC-insured institutions when the reserve ratio exceeds certain thresholds.  The reserve ratio reached 1.28% on September 30, 2017. If the reserve ratio does not reach 1.35% by December 31, 2018 (provided it is at least 1.15%), the FDIC will impose a shortfall assessment on March 31, 2019 on insured depository institutions with total consolidated assets of $10 billion or more. The FDIC will provide assessment credits to insured depository institutions, like the Bank, with total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion for the portion of their regular assessments that contribute to growth in the reserve ratio between 1.15% and 1.35%. The FDIC will apply the credits each quarter that the reserve ratio is at least 1.38% to offset the regular deposit insurance assessments of institutions with credits.

FICO Assessments.    In addition to paying basic deposit insurance assessments, FDIC-insured institutions must pay Financing Corporation (FICO) assessments. FICO is a mixed-ownership governmental corporation chartered by the former Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) Board pursuant to the Competitive Equality Banking Act of 1987 to function as a financing vehicle for the recapitalization of the former Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation. FICO issued 30-year noncallable bonds of approximately $8.1 billion that mature in 2017 through 2019. FICO’s authority to issue bonds ended on December 12, 1991. Since 1996, federal legislation has required that all FDIC-insured institutions pay assessments to cover interest payments on FICO’s outstanding obligations. The FICO assessment rate is adjusted quarterly and for the fourth quarter of 2017 was 54 cents per $100 dollars of assessable deposits.

Supervisory Assessments. All Iowa banks are required to pay supervisory assessments to the Iowa Division to fund the operations of that agency. The amount of the assessment is calculated on the basis of the Bank’s total assets. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Bank paid supervisory assessments to the Iowa Division totaling approximately $147,000 .

Capital Requirements. Banks are generally required to maintain capital levels in excess of other businesses. For a discussion of capital requirements, see “-Regulatory Emphasis on Capital” above.

Liquidity Requirements. Liquidity is a measure of the ability and ease with which bank assets may be converted to cash. Liquid assets are those that can be converted to cash quickly if needed to meet financial obligations. To remain viable, FDIC-insured institutions must have enough liquid assets to meet their near-term obligations, such as withdrawals by depositors. Because the global financial crisis was in part a liquidity crisis, Basel III also includes a liquidity framework that requires FDIC-insured institutions to measure their liquidity against specific liquidity tests. One test, referred to as the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR), is designed to ensure that the banking entity has an adequate stock of unencumbered high-quality liquid assets that can be converted easily and immediately in private markets into cash to meet liquidity needs for a 30-calendar day liquidity stress scenario. The other test, known as the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR), is designed to promote more medium- and long-term funding of the assets and activities of FDIC-insured institutions over a one-year horizon. These tests provide an incentive for banks and holding companies to increase their holdings in Treasury securities and other sovereign debt as a component of assets, increase the use of long-term debt as a funding source and rely on stable funding like core deposits (in lieu of brokered deposits).

In addition to liquidity guidelines already in place, the federal bank regulatory agencies implemented the Basel III LCR in September 2014, which requires large financial firms to hold levels of liquid assets sufficient to protect against constraints on their funding during times of financial turmoil, and in 2016 proposed implementation of the NSFR. While these tests only apply to the largest banking organizations in the country, certain elements are expected to filter down to all FDIC-insured institutions. We are reviewing our liquidity risk management policies in light of the LCR and NSFR.

Stress Testing . A stress test is an analysis or simulation designed to determine the ability of a given FDIC-insured institution to deal with an economic crisis. In October 2012, U.S. bank regulators unveiled new rules mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act that require the largest U.S. banks to undergo stress tests twice per year, once internally and once conducted by the regulators. Stress tests are not required for banks with less than $10 billion in assets; however, the FDIC now recommends stress testing as means to identify and quantify loan portfolio risk.

Dividend Payments. The primary source of funds for the Company is dividends from the Bank. Under the Iowa Banking Act, Iowa-chartered banks generally may pay dividends only out of undivided profits. The Iowa Division may restrict the declaration or payment of a dividend by an Iowa-chartered bank, such as the Bank. The payment of dividends by any FDIC-insured institution is affected by the requirement to maintain adequate capital pursuant to applicable capital adequacy guidelines and regulations, and a FDIC-insured institution generally is prohibited from paying any dividends if, following payment thereof, the institution would be undercapitalized. As described above, the Bank exceeded its capital requirements under applicable guidelines as of December 31, 2017. Notwithstanding the availability of funds for dividends, however, the FDIC and the Iowa Division may prohibit the payment of dividends by the Bank if either or both determine such payment would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. In addition, under the Basel III Rule, institutions that seek the freedom to pay dividends will have to maintain 2.5% in Common Equity Tier 1 Capital attributable to the capital conservation buffer to be phased in over three years beginning in 2016. See “Regulatory Emphasis on Capital” above.

State Bank Investments and Activities. The Bank is permitted to make investments and engage in activities directly or through subsidiaries as authorized by Iowa law. However, under federal law and FDIC regulations, FDIC-insured state banks are prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from making or retaining equity investments of a type, or in an amount, that are not permissible for a national bank. Federal law and FDIC regulations also prohibit FDIC-insured state banks and their subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, from engaging as principal in any activity that is not permitted for a national bank unless the Bank meets, and continues to meet, its minimum regulatory capital requirements and the FDIC determines that the activity would not pose a significant risk to the DIF. These restrictions have not had, and are not currently expected to have, a material impact on the operations of the Bank.

Insider Transactions. The Bank is subject to certain restrictions imposed by federal law on “covered transactions” between the Bank and its “affiliates.” The Company is an affiliate of the Bank for purposes of these restrictions, and covered transactions subject to the restrictions include extensions of credit to the Company, investments in the stock or other securities of the Company and the acceptance of the stock or other securities of the Company as collateral for loans made by the Bank. The Dodd-Frank Act enhanced the requirements for certain transactions with affiliates, including an expansion of the definition of “covered transactions” and an increase in the amount of time for which collateral requirements regarding covered transactions must be maintained.

Certain limitations and reporting requirements are also placed on extensions of credit by the Bank to its directors and officers, to directors and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries, to principal shareholders of the Company and to “related interests” of such directors, officers and principal shareholders. In addition, federal law and regulations may affect the terms upon which any person who is a director or officer of the Company or the Bank, or a principal shareholder of the Company, may obtain credit from banks with which the Bank maintains a correspondent relationship.

Safety and Soundness Standards/Risk Management. The federal banking agencies have adopted guidelines that establish operational and managerial standards to promote the safety and soundness of FDIC-insured institutions. The guidelines set forth standards for internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits, asset quality and earnings.

In general, the safety and soundness guidelines prescribe the goals to be achieved in each area, and each institution is responsible for establishing its own procedures to achieve those goals. If an institution fails to comply with any of the standards set forth in the guidelines, the FDIC-insured institution’s primary federal regulator may require the institution to submit a plan for achieving and maintaining compliance. If a FDIC-insured institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan, or fails in any material respect to implement a compliance plan that has been accepted by its primary federal regulator, the regulator is required to issue an order directing the institution to cure the deficiency. Until the deficiency cited in the regulator’s order is cured, the regulator may restrict the FDIC-insured institution’s rate of growth, require the FDIC-insured institution to increase its capital, restrict the rates the institution pays on deposits or require the institution to take any action the regulator deems appropriate under the circumstances. Noncompliance with the standards established by the safety and soundness guidelines may also constitute grounds for other enforcement action by the federal bank regulatory agencies, including cease and desist orders and civil money penalty assessments.

During the past decade, the bank regulatory agencies have increasingly emphasized the importance of sound risk management processes and strong internal controls when evaluating the activities of the FDIC-insured institutions they supervise.  Properly managing risks has been identified as critical to the conduct of safe and sound banking activities and has become even more important as new technologies, product innovation, and the size and speed of financial transactions have changed the nature of banking markets.  The agencies have identified a spectrum of risks facing a banking institution including, but not limited to, credit, market, liquidity, operational, legal, and reputational risk. In particular, recent regulatory pronouncements have focused on operational risk, which arises from the potential that inadequate information systems, operational problems, breaches in internal controls, fraud, or unforeseen catastrophes will result in unexpected losses. New products and services, third-party risk and cybersecurity are critical sources of operational risk that FDIC-insured institutions must address in the current environment. The Bank is expected to have active board and senior management oversight; adequate policies, procedures, and limits; adequate risk measurement, monitoring, and management information systems; and comprehensive internal controls.

Branching Authority. Iowa banks, such as the Bank, have the authority under Iowa law to establish branches anywhere in the State of Iowa, subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals. Federal law permits state and national banks to merge with banks in other states subject to: (i) regulatory approval; (ii) federal and state deposit concentration limits; and (iii) state law limitations requiring the merging bank to have been in existence for a minimum period of time (not to exceed five years) prior to the merger. The establishment of new interstate branches has historically been permitted only in those states the laws of which expressly authorize such expansion. The Dodd-Frank Act permits well-capitalized and well-managed banks to establish new interstate branches or the acquisition of individual branches of a bank in another state (rather than the acquisition of an out-of-state bank in its entirety) without impediments.

Transaction Account Reserves. Federal Reserve regulations require FDIC-insured institutions to maintain reserves against their transaction accounts (primarily NOW and regular checking accounts). For 2018, the first $16 million of otherwise reservable balances are exempt from reserves and have a zero percent reserve requirement; for transaction accounts aggregating more than $16 million to $122.3 million, the reserve requirement is 3% of total transaction accounts; and for net transaction accounts in excess of $122.3 million, the reserve requirement is 3% up to $122.3 million plus 10% of the aggregate amount of total transaction accounts in excess of $122.3 million. These reserve requirements are subject to annual adjustment by the Federal Reserve.

Community Reinvestment Act Requirements. The Community Reinvestment Act requires the Bank to have a continuing and affirmative obligation in a safe and sound manner to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Federal regulators regularly assess the Bank’s record of meeting the credit needs of its communities. Applications for additional acquisitions would be affected by the evaluation of the Bank’s effectiveness in meeting its Community Reinvestment Act requirements.

Anti-Money Laundering. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act) is designed to deny terrorists and criminals the ability to obtain access to the U.S. financial system and has significant implications for FDIC-insured institutions, brokers, dealers and other businesses involved in the transfer of money. The USA PATRIOT Act mandates financial services companies to have policies and procedures with respect to measures designed to address any or all of the following matters: (i) customer identification programs; (ii) money laundering; (iii) terrorist financing; (iv) identifying and reporting suspicious activities and currency transactions; (v) currency crimes; and (vi) cooperation between FDIC-insured institutions and law enforcement authorities.

Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate. Concentration risk exists when FDIC-insured institutions deploy too many assets to any one industry or segment. A concentration in commercial real estate is one example of regulatory concern. The interagency Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices guidance (CRE Guidance) provides supervisory criteria, including the following numerical indicators, to assist bank examiners in identifying banks with potentially significant commercial real estate loan concentrations that may warrant greater supervisory scrutiny: (i) commercial real estate loans exceeding 300% of capital and increasing 50% or more in the preceding three years; or (ii) construction and land development loans exceeding 100% of capital. The CRE Guidance does not limit banks’ levels of commercial real estate lending activities, but rather guides institutions in developing risk management practices and levels of capital that are commensurate with the level and nature of their commercial real estate concentrations. On December 18, 2015, the federal banking agencies issued a statement to reinforce prudent risk-management practices related to CRE lending, having observed substantial growth in many CRE asset and lending markets, increased competitive pressures, rising CRE concentrations in banks, and an easing of CRE underwriting standards. The federal bank agencies reminded FDIC-insured institutions to maintain underwriting discipline and exercise prudent risk-management practices to identify, measure, monitor, and manage the risks arising from CRE lending. In addition, FDIC-insured institutions must maintain capital commensurate with the level and nature of their CRE concentration risk.

Based on the Bank’s loan portfolio as of December 31, 2017, it did not exceed the 300% guideline for commercial real estate loans.

Consumer Financial Services. The historical structure of federal consumer protection regulation applicable to all providers of consumer financial products and services changed significantly on July 21, 2011, when the CFPB commenced operations to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all providers of consumer products and services, including the Bank, as well as the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over providers with more than $10 billion in assets. FDIC-insured institutions with $10 billion or less in assets, like the Bank, continue to be examined by their applicable bank regulators. We do not currently expect the CFPB’s rules to have a significant impact on our operations, except for higher compliance costs.

Special Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of such term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We and our representatives may, from time to time, make written or oral statements that are “forward-looking” and provide information other than historical information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the factors listed below.

Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of our management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plans,” “intend,” “project,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “may” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Additionally, we undertake no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events, except as required under federal securities law.

Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors that could have an impact on our ability to achieve operating results, growth plan goals and future prospects include, but are not limited to, the following:

We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by the foregoing cautionary statements. Because of these risks and other uncertainties, our actual future results, performance or achievement, or industry results, may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements. In addition, our past results of operations are not necessarily indicative of our future results.