Our business, financial condition and results of operations are subject to various risks, including those discussed below. The risks discussed are those that we believe are the most significant risks, although additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem less significant may also adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, perhaps materially.

Risks Relating to Recent Economic Conditions and Governmental Response Efforts

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread are expected to continue to have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and such effects will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and difficult to predict.

Global health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and related government actions taken to reduce the spread of the virus have impacted the macroeconomic environment, significantly increased economic uncertainty and reduced economic activity. Our business and earnings are closely tied to the economies of Guam, San Francisco, CNMI, FSM, RMI and ROP. These local economies rely heavily on tourism, real estate, construction, and other service-based industries. Lower visitor arrivals or spending, real or threatened acts of war or terrorism, public health issues and the spread of the COVID-19 virus may impact consumer and corporate spending. The impacts of the various travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders and quarantine requirements for visitors to Guam have had a dramatic impact on tourism. These events have contributed to a significant deterioration in general economic conditions in our markets which adversely impacted us and our customers’ operations. It is uncertain how long these conditions will last or how significant the impacts will be.

We have modified our business practices and operations as a result of the spread of COVID-19, including providing loan payment deferrals and adjustments to our commercial and consumer customers. Many of our employees are working from home. These measures could impair our ability to perform critical functions and may adversely impact our results of operations.

Federal, state, local and foreign governmental authorities have enacted, and may enact in the future, legislation, regulations and protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including governmental programs intended to provide economic relief to businesses and individuals. Our participation in and execution of any such programs may cause operational, compliance, reputational and credit risks, which could result in litigation, governmental action or other forms of loss. The extent of these impacts, which may be substantial, will depend on the degree of our participation in these programs. There remains significant uncertainty regarding the measures that authorities will enact in the future and the ultimate impact of the legislation, regulations and protocols that have been and will be enacted.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is creating extensive disruptions to the global economy and the lives of individuals throughout the world. While the scope, duration and full effects of the pandemic are rapidly evolving and not fully known, the pandemic and related efforts to contain it have disrupted global economic activity, adversely affected the functioning of financial markets, impacted interest rates, increased economic and market uncertainty and disrupted trade and supply chains. If these effects continue for a prolonged period or result in sustained economic stress or recession, many of the other risk factors identified below could be exacerbated and such effects could have a material adverse impact on us in a number of ways related to credit, collateral, capital, customer demand, funding, liquidity, operations, interest rate risk, and human capital.

Risks Related to Our Markets and Business

Our business may be adversely affected by conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions generally.

Our operating results are impacted by general business and economic conditions in the islands where we operate, the U.S. and, to some extent, abroad. These conditions include short-term and long-term interest rates, inflation, money supply, political issues, legislative and regulatory changes, fluctuations in both debt and equity markets, broad trends in industry and finance, the strength of the U.S. economy and uncertainty in financial markets globally, all of which are beyond our control. A deterioration in economic conditions in one or more of these areas could result in an increase in loan delinquencies and non-performing assets, decreases in loan collateral values, and a decrease in demand for our products and services, among other things, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our profitability is dependent upon the economic conditions of the markets in which we operate.

We operate on ten relatively remote Pacific islands and in San Francisco, California, and, as a result, our financial condition and results of operations are affected by changes in the economic conditions in each of those areas. Our success depends upon the business activity, population, income levels, deposits and lending activity in these markets. Because some of our customers’ business and financial interests may extend well beyond these market areas, adverse economic conditions that affect those other market areas could reduce our growth rate, affect the ability of those customers to repay their loans, and generally affect our financial condition and results of operations. Other than in San Francisco, our lending operations are located in market areas dependent on tourism and fishing, along with a military presence and other federal government activities in Guam. Because of the magnified influence of external events, these small island economies tend to be somewhat more volatile than larger economic systems. Thus, our borrowers could be adversely impacted by a downturn in these sectors of the economy that could reduce the demand for loans and adversely impact the borrowers’ ability to repay their loans, which would, in turn, increase our nonperforming assets. Because of our geographic concentration in several relatively small island economies, we are less able than many regional or national financial institutions to diversify our credit risks across multiple dissimilar markets. In recent years, we have taken the initiative to expand our operations in California in an effort to increase and help to stabilize our profitability.

Our loan portfolio has a large concentration of real estate loans in Guam and in San Francisco, which involves risks specific to real estate values.

A downturn in our real estate markets could adversely affect our business because many of our loans are secured by real estate. Real estate lending (including commercial and construction) is a large portion of our loan portfolio. At December 31, 2020, approximately $866.4 million, or 60.5% of our loan portfolio, was secured by various forms of real estate, including residential and commercial real estate. The real estate securing our loan portfolio is concentrated in Guam and San Francisco. From time to time, there have been adverse developments affecting real estate values in one or more of our markets, and the market value of real estate can fluctuate significantly in a short period of time as a result of changing market conditions. Real estate values and real estate markets are generally affected by changes in national, regional or local economic conditions, fluctuations in interest rates and the availability of loans to potential purchasers, changes in tax laws and other governmental statutes, regulations and policies, and acts of nature, such as earthquakes and typhoons. Additionally, commercial real estate lending typically involves larger loan principal amounts and the repayment of the loans generally is dependent, in large part, on sufficient income from the properties securing the loans to cover operating expenses and debt service. If real estate values decline, the value of the collateral securing some of our loans could be significantly reduced. Our ability to recover on defaulted loans by foreclosing and selling the real estate collateral would then be diminished, and we would be more likely to suffer losses on defaulted loans.

Our largest loan relationships currently make up a significant percentage of our total loan portfolio.

As of December 31, 2020, our 10 largest borrowing relationships totaled $345.0 million in commitments (including unfunded commitments), or approximately 24.1% of our total gross loans. The concentration risk associated with having a small number of relatively large loan relationships is that, if one or more of these relationships were to become delinquent or suffer default, we could be at risk of material losses. The allowance for credit losses may not be adequate to cover losses associated with any of these relationships, and any loss or increase in the allowance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

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If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.

Effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports, effectively prevent fraud and to operate successfully as a public company. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our reputation and business would be harmed. In addition, failure in our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could cause us to fail to meet the requirements of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act and, as a result, risk errors in our financial reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Each calendar quarter, management conducts an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the framework established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. For additional information on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, see Part II. Item 9A. “Controls and Procedures” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our performance depends on attracting and retaining key employees and skilled personnel to operate our business effectively, and the loss of one or more of those key personnel may materially and adversely affect our prospects.

Our success is dependent on our ability to recruit and retain qualified, skilled management, loan origination, finance, administrative, marketing and technical personnel to operate our business effectively. Competition for qualified employees and personnel in the banking industry is intense, and there is a limited number of persons with knowledge of, and experience in, the community banking industry in the markets we serve. In particular, our success has been and continues to be highly dependent upon the abilities of key executives, including our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Operating Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, and certain other key employees. Failure to maintain adequate staffing in key positions could adversely impact our operations and our ability to compete.

We are subject to credit risk.

There are inherent risks associated with our lending activities. These risks include, among other things, the impact of changes in interest rates and changes in the economic conditions in the markets where we operate, as well as those within our region, across the United States and abroad. Increases in interest rates and/or weakening economic conditions could adversely impact the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans or the value of the collateral securing those loans. We are also subject to various laws and regulations that affect our lending activities. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject us to regulatory enforcement action, which could result in the assessment of significant civil money penalties against us.

We seek to mitigate the risks inherent in our loan portfolio by adhering to specific underwriting practices. Although we believe that our underwriting criteria are appropriate for the various kinds of loans we make, our underwriting criteria may not correctly assess the creditworthiness of a borrower, and we may incur losses on loans that meet our underwriting standards. These losses may exceed the amounts set aside as reserves in our allowance for loan losses. Due to economic conditions in the recent past, many lending institutions, including the Bank, experienced declines in the performance of their loans, including consumer and commercial loans. The value of real estate collateral supporting some commercial loans declined and may decline again in the future. Developments in the financial industry and credit markets may adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Our allowance for loan losses may not be adequate to cover actual loan losses, which could adversely affect our earnings.

We maintain an allowance for loan losses for possible defaults and other reductions in the principal value of the Bank’s loan portfolio. The allowance is established through a provision for loan losses based on management’s evaluation of the risks inherent in the loan portfolio and the general economy. The allowance is also appropriately increased for new loan growth. The allowance is based upon a number of factors, including the size of the loan portfolio, asset classifications, economic trends, industry experience and trends, industry and geographic concentrations, estimated collateral values, management’s assessment of the credit risk inherent in the portfolio, historical loan loss experience and loan underwriting policies.

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We strive to carefully manage and monitor credit quality and to identify deteriorating loans, and adjust the allowance for loan losses accordingly. However, because future events are uncertain and because we may not successfully identify all deteriorating loans in a timely manner, there may be loans that deteriorate in an accelerated time frame. As a result, future additions to the allowance may be necessary. Further, because the loan portfolio contains some commercial real estate, construction, and land development loans with relatively large balances, deterioration in the credit quality of one or more of these loans may require a significant increase to the allowance for loan losses. Future additions to the allowance may also be required due to changes in the financial condition of borrowers, such as changes resulting from potentially worsening economic conditions, or as a result of incorrect assumptions by management in determining the allowance for loan losses. As discussed in Note 6, in 2019 two commercial loan borrowers filed for bankruptcy. The first borrower filed on January 16, 2019, and sought bankruptcy protection in order to reorganize under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code. This borrower has an outstanding relationship of $8.2 million in unsecured loans as of December 31, 2020. The Bank retains the right of offset against a minimum of $6.8 million in the customer’s depository accounts, and has made a specific allowance for loan losses of $3.5 million at December 31, 2020. The second borrower filed for bankruptcy on April 30, 2019, with an outstanding relationship of $2.3 million at December 31, 2019. This bankruptcy case was settled during the third quarter of 2020.

Our regulators, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review our allowance for loan losses and may require us to increase our allowance for loan losses by making additional provisions for loan losses, charged as an expense, or to decrease our allowance for loan losses by recognizing loan charge-offs, net of recoveries. Any such additional provisions for loan losses or charge-offs, as required by these regulatory agencies, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Nonperforming assets take significant time to resolve and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

At December 31, 2020, nonperforming loans were 1.04% of the total loan portfolio, and 0.63% of total assets, as compared to 0.84% and 0.57% at December 31, 2019, respectively, indicating a decreased level of risk. Nonperforming assets adversely affect our earnings in various ways. Depending upon economic and market conditions, we may incur losses relating to an increase in nonperforming assets. We do not record interest income on non-accrual loans or other real estate owned, thereby adversely affecting our income, and increasing our loan administration costs. Upon foreclosure or similar proceedings, we record the foreclosed asset at the fair value of the asset, reduced by estimated selling costs, which may result in a loss. An increase in the level of nonperforming assets increases our risk profile and may impact the capital levels our regulators believe are appropriate in light of the increased risk profile. While we reduce problem assets through collection efforts, asset sales, workouts, restructurings and otherwise, decreases in the value of the underlying collateral or in these borrowers’ performance or financial condition, whether or not due to economic and market conditions beyond our control, could adversely affect our business, our results of operations and our financial condition.

In addition, the resolution of nonperforming assets requires significant commitments of time from management and our directors, which can hinder the performance of their other responsibilities. If economic and market conditions worsen, it is possible that we will experience future increases in nonperforming assets, particularly if we are unsuccessful in our efforts to reduce our classified assets, which would have an adverse effect on our business.

We may be required to make additional provisions for loan losses and charge off additional loans in the future, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded a $10.4 million provision for loan losses, charged off $5.6 million of loans, and recovered $2.2 million of loans previously charged off. At December 31, 2020, we had $866.4 million in commercial and residential real estate loans and construction loans, of which $9.2 million was on non-accrual. Nonperforming commercial & industrial loans comprise of 58.6% of our nonperforming assets, commercial real estate loans comprise 18.1%, and residential mortgage loans comprise 14.9%. Deterioration in the real estate market in Guam, San Francisco and/or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands could affect the ability of our loan customers to service their debt, which could result in additional loan charge-offs and provisions for loan losses in the future, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and capital.

The Bank has one significant borrowing relationship in bankruptcy totaling $8.2 million at December 31, 2020. The Bank has calculated a specific reserve within the allowance for this borrowing relationship in bankruptcy in the amount of $3.5 million, and believes it has sufficient collateral for the remaining amount. As a result, the Bank’s management believes that at December 31, 2020,  there is sufficient coverage to protect the Bank’s exposure to this relationship.

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Our business is subject to interest rate risk, and variations in interest rates may negatively affect our financial performance.

Our earnings and cash flows are highly dependent upon net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on interest-bearing assets, such as loans and securities, and interest expense paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowed funds. Our net interest income (including net interest spread and margin) and ultimately our earnings are impacted by changes in interest rates and monetary policy. Changes in interest rates and monetary policy can impact the demand for new loans, the credit profile of our borrowers, the yields earned on loans and securities, and the rates paid on deposits and borrowings. Given our current volume and mix of interest-bearing liabilities and interest-earning assets, we expect our interest rate spread (the difference in the rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities and the yields earned on interest-earning assets) as well as net interest income to increase as interest rates rise and, conversely, to decline if interest rates fall. Additionally, increasing levels of in-market and out-of-market competition in the banking and financial services business may decrease our net interest spread as well as net interest margin by forcing us to offer lower lending interest rates and pay higher deposit interest rates. Although we believe our current level of interest rate sensitivity is reasonable, significant fluctuations in interest rates (such as a sudden and substantial increase in Prime and Fed Funds rates) as well as increasing competition may require us to increase rates on deposits at a faster pace than the yield we receive on interest-earning assets increases. The impact of any sudden and substantial move in interest rates and/or increased competition may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, as our net interest income may be adversely affected.

Additionally, a sustained decrease in market interest rates could negatively affect our earnings. When interest rates decline, borrowers tend to refinance higher-rate, fixed-rate loans at lower rates, prepaying their existing loans. Under those circumstances, we would not be able to reinvest those prepayments in assets earning interest rates as high as the rates on the prepaid loans. In addition, our commercial loans, which carry variable interest rates that generally adjust in accordance with changes in the prime rate, will adjust to lower rates. Because of this, we have established minimum interest rates on those loans to mitigate our interest rate risk and potential reductions in income.

We are also significantly affected by the level of loan demand available in our markets. The inability to make sufficient loans directly affects the interest income we earn. Lower loan demand will generally result in lower interest income realized as we place funds in lower-yielding investments.

Liquidity risk could impair our ability to fund operations and jeopardize our financial condition.

Liquidity is essential to our business. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities could be impaired by factors that affect us specifically or the financial services industry in general. Factors that could detrimentally impact our access to liquidity sources include a decrease in the level of our business activity due to a market downturn in markets in which our loans are concentrated, a change in our financial condition or adverse regulatory action against us. Our ability to borrow could also be impaired by factors that are not specific to us, such as a severe disruption of the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry as a whole.

If we lost a significant portion of our low-cost deposits, it would negatively impact our liquidity and profitability.

Our profitability depends in part on our success in attracting and retaining a stable base of low-cost deposits. At December 31, 2020, 36.3% of our deposit base was comprised of non-interest bearing deposits, and the average rate on our interest-bearing deposits during 2020 was 0.10%. While we generally do not believe these core deposits are very sensitive to interest rate fluctuations, the competition for these deposits in our markets is strong. If we were to lose a significant portion of our low-cost deposits, it could negatively impact our liquidity and profitability.

We may be the subject of litigation, which could result in legal liability and damage to our business and reputation.

From time to time, we may be subject to claims or legal action from customers, employees or others. Financial institutions like the Company and the Bank are facing a growing number of significant class actions, including those based on the manner of calculation of interest on loans and the assessment of overdraft fees. Future litigation could include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. We are also involved from time to time in other reviews, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental and other agencies regarding our business. These matters also could result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. Like other large financial institutions, we are also subject to risk from potential employee misconduct, including non-compliance with policies and improper use or disclosure of confidential information.

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Our insurance may not cover all claims that may be asserted against us, and any claims asserted against us, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, may harm our reputation. Should the ultimate judgments or settlements in any litigation exceed our insurance coverage, they could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may not be able to obtain appropriate types or levels of insurance in the future, nor may we be able to obtain adequate replacement policies with acceptable terms, if at all.

If we are limited in our ability to originate loans secured by commercial real estate we may face greater risk in our loan portfolio.

Federal banking agencies have issued guidance regarding high concentrations of commercial real estate loans within bank loan portfolios. The guidance requires financial institutions that exceed certain levels of commercial real estate lending compared with their total capital to maintain heightened risk management practices that address the following key elements: board and management oversight and strategic planning, portfolio management, development of underwriting standards, risk assessment and monitoring through market analysis and stress testing, and maintenance of increased capital levels as needed to support the level of commercial real estate lending. If there is any deterioration in our commercial real estate portfolio or if our regulators conclude that we have not implemented appropriate risk management practices, it could adversely affect our business, and could result in the requirement to maintain increased capital levels. Such capital may not be available at that time, and may result in our regulators requiring us to reduce our concentration in commercial real estate loans.

If because of our concentration of commercial real estate loans, or for any other reasons, we are limited in our ability to originate loans secured by commercial real estate, our results of operations may be negatively impacted and we may incur greater risk in our loan portfolio.

The laws and regulations applicable to the banking industry could change at any time, and these changes may adversely affect our business and profitability.

We are subject to extensive federal and state regulation and may be the subject of further significant legislation or regulation in the future, none of which is within our control. The increased scope, complexity, and cost of corporate governance, reporting, and disclosure practices are proportionately higher for a company of our size and will affect our profitability more than that of some of our larger competitors. Current and future legal and regulatory requirements, restrictions, and regulations, may adversely impact our profitability, financial condition and operations; may require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make any changes required by the legislation and related regulations; and may make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified executive officers and employees.

New legislation or regulations could impose restrictions on our operations and our ability to conduct business consistent with our historical practices. Financial regulatory agencies frequently adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. Changes to statutes, regulations, accounting standards or regulatory policies, including changes in their interpretation or implementation by regulators, could affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways. Such changes could, among other things, subject us to additional costs and lower revenues, limit the types of financial services and products that we may offer, ease restrictions on non-banks and thereby enhance their ability to offer competing financial services and products, increase compliance costs, and require a significant amount of management’s time and attention. Changes in accounting standards could materially impact, potentially even retroactively, how we report our financial condition and results of our operations. Failure to comply with statutes, regulations, or policies could result in sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil monetary penalties, or reputational damage, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Additionally, like all regulated financial institutions, we are affected by monetary policies implemented by the Federal Reserve and other federal instrumentalities. A primary instrument of monetary policy employed by the Federal Reserve is the restriction or expansion of the money supply through open market operations. This instrument of monetary policy frequently causes volatile fluctuations in interest rates, and it can have a direct, material adverse effect on the operating results of financial institutions including our business. Borrowings by the United States government to finance government debt may also cause fluctuations in interest rates and have similar effects on the operating results of such institutions. We do not have any control over monetary policies implemented by the Federal Reserve or otherwise and any changes in these policies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

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Any future FDIC insurance premium increases will adversely affect our earnings.

As an FDIC-insured institution, the bank is assessed a quarterly deposit insurance premium. The FDIC uses a risk-based assessment system that calculates FDIC insurance premiums based on an institution’s unsecured debt, secured liabilities and brokered deposits. If the Bank or insured institutions as a whole present a greater risk to the FDIC Deposit Insurance Fund in the future than they do today, if the FDIC Deposit Insurance Fund becomes depleted in any material respect, or if other circumstances arise that lead the FDIC to determine that the FDIC Deposit Insurance Fund should be strengthened, the Bank could be required to pay significantly higher deposit insurance premiums and/or additional special assessments to the FDIC. Those premiums and/or assessments could have a material adverse effect on the Bank’s earnings, thereby reducing the availability of funds to pay dividends to to the Company.Our FDIC deposit insurance expense for the year ended December 31, 2020, was $1.4 million.

The complying with consumer protection regulations and policies could adversely affect our business.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), is a regulatory entity with broad powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has extensive rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to banks and other types of lenders, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. It also has examination and enforcement authority over all banks with more than $10 billion in assets. Institutions with less than $10 billion in assets, like the Bank, are examined for compliance with consumer protection laws by their primary bank regulators, but these regulators defer to the CFPB’s rules and interpretations in evaluating a bank’s compliance with consumer protection laws. Therefore, although the CFPB does not directly supervise us, the actions of the CFPB significantly impact our operations.

The CFPB has set forth numerous rules and guidance documents since its inception concerning a wide range of consumer protection laws, many of which are directly applicable to our operations. For example, the CFPB recently imposed new requirements regarding the origination and servicing of residential mortgage loans, limitations on the manner in which loan originators may be compensated, mandatory disclosures on documentation given to borrowers, and an obligation on the part of lenders to verify a borrower’s “ability to repay” a residential mortgage loan before extending credit, among others. The CFPB likely will continue to make rules relating to consumer protection, and it is difficult to predict which of our products and services will be subject to these rules or how these rules will be implemented. However, compliance with CFPB regulations likely will result in additional operating and compliance costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

We have the ability to borrow from the Federal Home Loan Bank, and there can be no assurance their programs will continue in their current manner.

We have access to funding by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines for term advances; we also borrow from correspondent banks under our Fed Funds lines of credit from time to time, primarily to test the continuing availability of those lines. The amount loaned to us is generally dependent on the value of the collateral pledged. These lenders could reduce the percentages loaned against various collateral categories, could eliminate their acceptance of certain types of collateral, and could otherwise modify or even terminate their loan programs, particularly to the extent they are required to do so because of capital adequacy or other balance sheet concerns. Any change or termination of the programs under which we borrow from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines or correspondent banks could have an adverse effect on our liquidity and profitability.

Our results of operations may be adversely affected by other-than-temporary impairment charges relating to our securities portfolio.

We may be required to record future impairment charges on our securities, including our stock in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, if they suffer declines in value that we consider other-than-temporary. Numerous factors, including the lack of liquidity for re-sale of certain securities, the absence of reliable pricing information for some securities, adverse changes in the business climate, adverse regulatory actions or unanticipated changes in the competitive environment, could have a negative effect on our securities portfolio in future periods. Significant impairment charges could also negatively impact our regulatory capital ratios and result in the Bank not being classified as “well-capitalized” for regulatory purposes.

We may need to raise additional capital in the future, and such capital may not be available when needed or at all.

We may need to raise additional capital in the future to provide us with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet regulatory requirements, our commitments or our business needs. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend, among other things, on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and our financial performance. The loss of confidence in financial institutions may increase our cost of funding and limit our access to some of our customary funding sources, including, but not limited to, inter-bank borrowings and borrowings from the discount window of the Federal Reserve.

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We cannot provide assurances that such capital will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. Any occurrence that may limit our access to the capital markets, such as a decline in the confidence of debt purchasers, depositors of the Bank or counterparties participating in the capital markets, may adversely affect our capital costs and our ability to raise capital and, in turn, our liquidity.

We must effectively manage our growth strategy.

As part of our general growth strategy, we may expand into additional communities or attempt to strengthen our position in our current markets by opening new offices. To the extent that we are able to open additional offices, we are likely to temporarily experience the effects of higher operating expenses relative to operating income from the new operations for a period of time, which may have an adverse effect on our levels of reported net income, return on average equity and return on average assets. Our current growth strategies involve internal growth from our current offices and the addition of new offices over time, so that the additional overhead expenses associated with recent openings are absorbed prior to opening other new offices.

We have a nominal amount of deferred tax asset and cannot assure that it will be fully realized.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between the carrying amounts and tax basis of assets and liabilities computed using enacted tax rates. If we determine that we will not achieve sufficient future taxable income to realize our net deferred tax asset, we are required under generally accepted accounting principles to establish a full or partial valuation allowance. If we determine that a valuation allowance is necessary, we are required to incur a charge to operations. We regularly assess available positive and negative evidence to determine whether it is more likely than not that our net deferred tax asset will be realized. Realization of a deferred tax asset requires us to apply significant judgment and is inherently speculative because it requires estimates that cannot be made with certainty. At December 31, 2020, we had a net deferred tax asset of $8.5 million. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we established a partial valuation allowance of $1.3 million to reduce the net deferred tax asset of $9.8 million because, in management’s opinion, it is more likely than not that only the remaining $8.5 million will be realized. If we were to determine at some point in the future that we will not achieve sufficient future taxable income to realize our net deferred tax asset, we would be required, under generally accepted accounting principles, to establish a full or increase any partial valuation allowance, which would require us to incur a charge to operations for the period in which the determination was made. The deferred tax asset valuation allowance at December 31, 2020, was decreased by $550 thousand, as compared to a decrease of $373 million at December 31, 2019.

We face strong competition from financial service companies and other companies that offer banking services.

We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors. Our competitors, including larger commercial banks, community banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, consumer finance companies, insurance companies, brokers, investment advisors and other financial institutions, compete with the lending and deposit-gathering services we offer. Increased competition in our markets may result in reduced loans and deposits.

Many of these competing institutions have much greater financial and marketing resources than we have. Due to their size, many competitors can achieve larger economies of scale in a broader range of products and services than we can. If we are unable to offer competitively priced products and services, our business may be negatively affected.

Some of the financial services organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as is imposed on bank holding companies and federally insured financial institutions, and are not subject to increased supervisory oversight arising from regulatory examinations. As a result, these non-bank competitors have certain advantages over us in accessing funding and in providing various services. The banking business in our primary market areas is very competitive, and the level of competition facing us may increase further, which may limit our asset growth and financial results.

In the future, the Bank and/or the Company may become subject to supervisory actions and/or enhanced regulation that could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating flexibility, financial condition, the value of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders.

Under federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to the safety and soundness of insured depository institutions, various state or local regulators (for non-federally chartered banks), the Federal Reserve Board (for bank holding companies and member banks), the local financial industry regulators of the various jurisdictions in which the Bank operates and, separately, the FDIC as the insurer of bank deposits, each have the authority to compel or restrict certain activities on our part if they determine that we have insufficient capital or are otherwise operating in a manner that may be deemed to be inconsistent with safe and sound banking practices. Under their respective authority, our bank regulators can require us to enter into informal or formal enforcement orders, including board resolutions, memoranda of understanding, written agreements, and consent or cease and desist orders, pursuant to which we may be required to take identified corrective actions to address cited concerns or to refrain from taking certain actions. Neither the Bank nor the Company is currently operating under any regulatory enforcement orders.

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Technology is continually changing and we must effectively implement new technologies.

The financial services industry is undergoing rapid technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition to better serving customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables us to reduce costs. Our future success will depend in part upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy their demands for convenience, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations as we continue to grow and expand our geographic and product markets. In order to anticipate and develop new technology, we employ a qualified staff of internal information system specialists and consider this area a core part of our business. We do not develop our own software products, but have been able to respond to technological changes in a timely manner through association with leading technology vendors. We must continue to make substantial investments in technology, which may affect our results of operations. If we are unable to make such investments, or we are unable to respond to technological changes in a timely manner, our operating costs may increase, which could adversely affect our operating results.

System failure or breaches of our network security could subject us to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other potential liabilities.

The computer systems and network infrastructure we use could be vulnerable to unforeseen problems. Our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our computer equipment 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, viruses, worms and other disruptive problems caused by malicious parties. 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 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. We employ external auditors to conduct auditing and testing for weaknesses in our systems, controls, firewalls and encryption to reduce the likelihood of any security failures or breaches, as well as both internal and external monitoring systems to detect and report any attempt to overcome our electronic defenses. Although we, with the help of third-party service providers and auditors, intend to continue to implement effective security technology and establish operational procedures to prevent such damage, there can be no assurance that these security measures will ultimately be successful. In addition, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments could result 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 would present a reputational risk, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Breaches of third parties’ network security could subject us to increased operating costs and other liabilities.

In recent years, there have been numerous highly publicized breaches of customer databases maintained by both public and private entities, often compromising personally identifiable information. These breaches increase the risk that compromised information may be used to fraudulently obtain financial services. The Bank has established systems to mitigate the possibility that some compromised information could be used fraudulently to open deposit and/or loan accounts.  Despite all reasonable efforts, though, we are unable to be absolutely certain that the risk of that form of fraud is entirely eliminated.

Further, some of these third party data breaches have compromised credit card information, creating an opportunity to defraud the Bank and its credit card customers by initiating fraudulent charges using the compromised card information. Under current law, the Bank retains potential liabilities associated with those fraudulent charges. Also, when it is known that a credit card has been compromised, the Bank incurs costs in replacing the card. As a result, a third-party network security breach could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and the results of our operations.

Managing operational risk is important to attracting and maintaining customers, investors and employees.

Operational risk represents the risk of loss resulting from our operations, including but not limited to, the risk of fraud by employees or persons outside the Bank, the execution of unauthorized transactions by employees, transaction processing errors and breaches of the internal control system, and failure to effectively meet compliance requirements. This risk of loss also includes the potential legal actions that could arise as a result of an operational deficiency or as a result of noncompliance with applicable regulatory standards, adverse business decisions or their implementation, and customer attrition due to potential negative publicity. Operational risk is inherent in all business activities, and the management of this risk is important to the achievement of our business objectives. In the event of a breakdown in our internal control system, improper operation of systems or improper employee actions, we could suffer financial loss, face regulatory action and suffer damage to our reputation. We have a stringent code of ethics and attendant procedures in place to protect our reputation and promote ethical conduct, but these policies and procedures might not be fully effective. Negative publicity regarding our business, employees, or customers, with or without merit, may result in the loss of customers, investors and employees, costly litigation, a decline in revenues and increased regulatory oversight.

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Severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism, and other external events could significantly impact our business.

Severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism, and other adverse external events or conditions have the potential to significantly impact our ability to conduct business. Such events or conditions could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in loss of revenue and/or cause us to incur additional expenses. For example, our primary market areas in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (the “CNMI”) are subject to typhoons, earthquakes and wildland fires, and our California region is subject to earthquakes and wildland fires. All of the islands in our market are at risk from more frequent and more intense storms, coastal flooding and coastal erosion related to climate change. Operations in our market could be disrupted by both the evacuation of large portions of the population as well as damage and/or lack of access to our banking and operational facilities. While we have experienced severe weather and strong earthquakes in the past and resumed our operations promptly, a recurrence of these, along with acts of war, terrorism or other adverse external events or conditions, may occur in the future. Although management has established a business continuity plan, disaster recovery policies and corresponding procedures, the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Epidemics, including pandemics, present a risk to the island markets that we serve and may cause unpredictable effects on their economies and performance, and the market value of our common stock.

With the advent of globalization and the substantial expansion of international transportation, combined with regional and worldwide climate changes, the increase in the number of bacterial and viral diseases that are widely and quickly distributed may affect our profitability in one or more of our market areas. In an island environment, an epidemic has effectively the same result as a pandemic and may potentially have greater or lesser effects on economic conditions, whether locally or throughout our network. We may decide to defer payments, extend maturities or otherwise modify the terms of existing commercial and/or consumer loans in order to protect the value of our loan portfolio, although there is the possibility that we may experience some loan losses. Depending on the severity of those effects, a decline in the market price of our common stock could occur.

Uncertain geopolitical conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business and the markets that we serve, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Our business is subject to geopolitical conditions in the western Pacific, including concerns over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and China’s expanded military operations in the South and East China Seas. This has resulted in increased uncertainty regarding both China’s and North Korea’s actions and the potential responses of the United States. In addition, after several years of substantial Chinese investment in tourism activities in two of the islands in the Bank’s market, both investments and the arrival of tourists from China into those islands were suddenly curtailed, more or less disrupting both of those economies. Any of these conditions could result in a decline in the market price of shares of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Securities

The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, and this may make it difficult for stockholders to resell shares of common stock at times or at prices they find attractive.

The Company common stock is traded in the Over-the-Counter market under the symbol “BKGM.” The trading volume has historically been substantially less than that of larger financial services companies. This may make it difficult for stockholders to resell shares of common stock at times or at prices they find attractive. Stock price volatility may also make it more difficult to sell common stock quickly and at attractive prices.