Independent Bank Corporation was incorporated under the laws of the State of Michigan on September 17, 1973, for the purpose of becoming a bank holding company. We are registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and own all of the outstanding stock of Independent Bank (the “bank”), which is also organized under the laws of the State of Michigan.

Aside from the stock of our bank, we have no other substantial assets. We conduct no business except for the collection of dividends or returns of capital from our bank and the payment of dividends to our shareholders and the payment of interest on subordinated debentures. We have established certain employee retirement plans, including an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and deferred compensation plans, as well as health and other insurance programs, the cost of which is borne by our subsidiaries. We have no material patents, trademarks, licenses or franchises except the corporate charter of our bank, which permits it to engage in commercial banking pursuant to Michigan law.

Our bank transacts business in the single industry of commercial banking. It offers a broad range of banking services to individuals and businesses, including checking and savings accounts, commercial lending, direct and indirect consumer financing, mortgage lending, and safe deposit box services. Our bank does not offer trust services. Our principal markets are the rural and suburban communities across lower Michigan, which are served by the bank’s main office in Ionia, Michigan, and a total of 70 branches, 2 drive-thru facilities, and 7 loan production offices. Most of our bank’s branches provide full-service lobby and drive-thru services, as well as automatic teller machines (ATMs). In addition, we provide internet and mobile banking capabilities to our customers. We continue to see customer transaction volume declining at our bank offices and increasing through our electronic channels.

Our bank competes with other commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, mortgage banking companies, securities brokerage companies, insurance companies, and money market mutual funds. Many of these competitors have substantially greater resources than we do and offer certain services that we do not currently provide. Such competitors may also have greater lending limits than our bank. In addition, non-bank competitors are generally not subject to the extensive regulations applicable to us. Price (the interest charged on loans and paid on deposits) remains a principal means of competition within the financial services industry. Our bank also competes on the basis of service and convenience in providing financial services.

As of December 31, 2014, our bank had total loans (excluding loans held for sale) of $1.410 billion and total deposits of $1.924 billion. As of December 31, 2014, we had 700 full-time employees and 176 part-time employees.

In addition to general banking services, our bank also offers title insurance services through a separate subsidiary and investment and insurance services through a third party agreement with Cetera Investment Services LLC.

Mepco Finance Corporation (“Mepco”), a subsidiary of our bank, acquires and services payment plans used by consumers to purchase vehicle service contracts provided and administered by third parties. Mepco purchases payment plans from companies (which we refer to as Mepco’s “counterparties”) that provide vehicle service contracts to consumers. The payment plans (which are classified as payment plan receivables in our consolidated statements of financial condition) permit a consumer to purchase a service contract by making installment payments, generally for a term of 12 to 24 months, to the sellers of those contracts (one of the counterparties). Mepco does not have recourse against the consumer for non-payment of a payment plan and therefore does not evaluate the creditworthiness of the individual customer. When consumers stop making payments or exercise their right to voluntarily cancel the contract, the remaining unpaid balance of the payment plan is normally recouped by Mepco from the counterparties that sold the contract and provided the coverage. The refund obligations of these counterparties are not fully secured. We record losses or charges in vehicle service contract counterparty contingencies expense, included in non-interest expenses, for estimated defaults by these counterparties in their obligations to Mepco.

Recent Developments

In January 2015, we adopted a plan to consolidate certain branch offices. This consolidation reflects our ongoing cost reduction initiatives and undertakings to further improve the overall efficiency of our operations.  The consolidation will result in the closing of six of our branch offices.  It is expected that the aggregate, annual reduction in non-interest expenses resulting from this consolidation will amount to approximately $1.6 million. We also estimate a potential annual loss of revenue of approximately $0.3 million to $0.4 million due to possible customer attrition.  We expect that the consolidation will be completed not later than April 30, 2015. We also undertook certain additional staffing reductions related to our retail banking operations. In connection with the consolidation, we expect to incur one-time expenses and charges of approximately $0.3 million in the first four months of 2015, which consist primarily of severance and certain other costs. We do not expect any material loss related to the sale or disposition of real property or other fixed assets that are not otherwise deployed.

In 2013, we successfully completed the implementation of a capital plan we had adopted to restore and improve our capital position.  In particular, during the last half of 2013, we completed the following:

Supervision and Regulation

The following is a summary of certain statutes and regulations affecting us. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutes and regulations. A change in applicable laws or regulations may have a material effect on us and our bank.

General

Financial institutions and their holding companies are extensively regulated under federal and state law. Consequently, our growth and earnings performance can be affected not only by management decisions and general and local economic conditions, but also by the statutes administered by, and the regulations and policies of, various governmental regulatory authorities. Those authorities include, but are not limited to, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (“Michigan DIFS”), the Internal Revenue Service, and state taxing authorities. The effect of such statutes, regulations and policies and any changes thereto can be significant and cannot necessarily be predicted.

Federal and state laws and regulations generally applicable to financial institutions and their holding companies regulate, among other things, the scope of business, investments, reserves against deposits, capital levels, lending activities and practices, the nature and amount of collateral for loans, the establishment of branches, mergers, consolidations and dividends. The system of supervision and regulation applicable to us establishes a comprehensive framework for our operations and is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund, our depositors, and the public, rather than our shareholders.

Regulatory Developments

Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan . On February 18, 2009, President Obama announced the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (“HASP”). The HASP is intended to support a recovery in the housing market and ensure that borrowers can continue to pay off their mortgages through the following elements:

The Treasury has issued extensive guidance on the scope and mechanics of various components of HASP. We continue to monitor these developments and assess their potential impact on our business.

Dodd-Frank Act . On July 21, 2010, the President signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) into law. This federal law includes the following:

The CFPB has issued new consumer protection regulations, including regulations that impact residential mortgage lending and servicing. We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, increased costs and expenses related to compliance with these and other new consumer protection and other regulations. The Dodd-Frank Act and regulations being issued as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act have had, and we expect will continue to have, a significant impact on the banking industry, including our organization.

New Capital Rules Under Basel III . On July 2, 2013, the Federal Reserve approved a final rule that establishes an integrated regulatory capital framework (the “New Capital Rules”). The rule implements in the United States the Basel III regulatory capital reforms from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and certain changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act. In general, under the New Capital Rules, minimum requirements have increased for both the quantity and quality of capital held by banking organizations. Consistent with the international Basel framework, the New Capital Rules include a new minimum ratio of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 4.5% and a common equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets that applies to all supervised financial institutions. The rule also raises the minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets from 4% to 6% and includes a minimum leverage ratio of 4% for all banking organizations. As to the quality of capital, the New Capital Rules emphasize common equity Tier 1 capital, the most loss-absorbing form of capital, and implements strict eligibility criteria for regulatory capital instruments. The New Capital Rules also change the methodology for calculating risk-weighted assets to enhance risk sensitivity. The application of the New Capital Rules to our organization is described below.

Volcker Rule . The federal banking agencies and the SEC published final regulations to implement the Volcker Rule on December 10, 2013. The Volcker Rule generally prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading and from owning and sponsoring “covered funds” (e.g. hedge funds and private equity funds). The final rule became effective April 1, 2014, with full compliance generally required by July 21, 2015. We do not currently expect implementation of the Volcker Rule to have a material impact on our business as we believe our investment activity will involve only investments exempt from the Volcker Rule.

Future Legislation . Various other legislative and regulatory initiatives, including proposals to overhaul the bank regulatory system, are from time to time introduced in Congress and state legislatures, as well as regulatory agencies. Such future legislation regarding financial institutions may change banking statutes and our operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways and could increase or decrease the cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities, or affect the competitive balance among organizations within the industry. The nature and extent of future legislative and regulatory changes affecting financial institutions is very unpredictable. We cannot determine the ultimate effect that any such potential legislation, if enacted, would have upon our financial condition or results of operations.

Independent Bank Corporation

We are a bank holding company and, as such, are registered with, and subject to regulation by, the Federal Reserve under the Bank Holding Company Act, as amended (the “BHCA”). Under the BHCA, we are subject to periodic examination by the Federal Reserve and are required to file periodic reports of operations and such additional information as the Federal Reserve may require.

Federal Reserve policy historically has required bank holding companies to act as a source of strength to their bank subsidiaries and to commit capital and financial resources to support those subsidiaries. The Dodd-Frank Act codified this policy as a statutory requirement. Such support may be required by the Federal Reserve at times when we might otherwise determine not to provide it.

In addition, if the Michigan DIFS deems a bank’s capital to be impaired, it may require a bank to restore its capital by special assessment upon the bank holding company, as the bank’s sole shareholder. If the bank holding company failed to pay such assessment, the directors of that bank would be required, under Michigan law, to sell the shares of bank stock owned by the bank holding company to the highest bidder at either public or private auction and use the proceeds of the sale to restore the bank’s capital.

Any capital loans by a bank holding company to a subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary bank. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to a priority of payment.

Investments and Activities . Federal law places restrictions on the ability of our holding company to engage in certain transactions, make investments, and participate (directly or indirectly through a subsidiary) in various activities.

In general, any direct or indirect acquisition by a bank holding company of any voting shares of any bank which would result in the bank holding company’s direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of any class of voting shares of such bank, and any merger or consolidation of the bank holding company with another bank holding company, will require the prior written approval of the Federal Reserve under the BHCA. In acting on such applications, the Federal Reserve must consider various statutory factors including the effect of the proposed transaction on competition in relevant geographic and product markets and each party’s financial condition, managerial resources, and record of performance under the Community Reinvestment Act.

The merger or consolidation of an existing bank subsidiary of a bank holding company with another bank, or the acquisition by such a subsidiary of the assets of another bank, or the assumption of the deposit and other liabilities by such a subsidiary requires the prior written approval of the responsible federal regulatory agency under the Bank Merger Act, based upon a consideration of statutory factors similar to those outlined above with respect to the BHCA. In addition, in certain cases, an application to, and the prior approval of, the Federal Reserve under the BHCA and/or Michigan DIFS under Michigan banking laws, may be required.

With certain limited exceptions, the BHCA prohibits any bank holding company from engaging, either directly or indirectly through a subsidiary, in any activity other than managing or controlling banks unless the proposed non-banking activity is one the Federal Reserve has determined to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. Under current Federal Reserve regulations, such permissible non-banking activities include such things as mortgage banking, equipment leasing, securities brokerage, and consumer and commercial finance company operations. Well-capitalized and well-managed bank holding companies may, however, engage de novo in certain types of non-banking activities without prior notice to, or approval of, the Federal Reserve, provided that written notice of the new activity is given to the Federal Reserve within 10 business days after the activity is commenced. If a bank holding company wishes to engage in a non-banking activity by acquiring a going concern, prior notice and/or prior approval will be required, depending upon the activities in which the company to be acquired is engaged, the size of the company to be acquired and the financial and managerial condition of the acquiring bank holding company.

Eligible bank holding companies that elect to operate as financial holding companies may engage in, or own shares in companies engaged in, a wider range of non-banking activities, including securities and insurance activities and any other activity the Federal Reserve, in consultation with the Treasury, determines by regulation or order is financial in nature, incidental to any such financial activity or complementary to any such financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety or soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally. The BHCA generally does not place territorial restrictions on the domestic activities of non-bank subsidiaries of bank or financial holding companies. We have not applied for approval to operate as a financial holding company and have no current intention of doing so.

Capital Requirements . The Federal Reserve uses capital adequacy guidelines in its examination and regulation of bank holding companies. If capital falls below minimum guidelines, a bank holding company may, among other things, be denied approval to acquire or establish additional banks or non-bank businesses.

The Federal Reserve’s capital guidelines establish the following minimum regulatory capital requirements for bank holding companies: (i) a leverage capital requirement expressed as a percentage of total assets, and (ii) a risk-based requirement expressed as a percentage of total risk-weighted assets. The leverage capital requirement consists of a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital (which consists principally of shareholders’ equity) to total assets of 3% for the most highly-rated companies with minimum requirements of 4% to 5% for all others. The risk-based requirement consists of a minimum ratio of total capital to total risk-weighted assets of 8%, of which at least one-half must be Tier 1 capital. The risk-based and leverage standards presently used by the Federal Reserve are minimum requirements, and higher capital levels will be required if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual banking organizations. The federal bank regulatory agencies are required biennially to review risk-based capital standards to ensure that they adequately address interest rate risk, concentration of credit risk and risks from non-traditional activities.

Our Tier 1 capital as of December 31, 2014, includes $34.5 million of trust preferred securities (classified on our balance sheet as “Subordinated debentures”). The Federal Reserve has issued rules regarding trust preferred securities as a component of the Tier 1 capital of bank holding companies. The aggregate amount of trust preferred securities and certain other capital elements is limited to 25 percent of Tier 1 capital elements, net of goodwill (net of any associated deferred tax liability). The amount of trust preferred securities and certain other elements in excess of the limit could be included in the Tier 2 capital, subject to restrictions. The provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act imposed additional limitations on the ability to include trust preferred securities as Tier 1 capital; however, these additional limitations do not apply to our outstanding trust preferred securities.

We became subject to the New Capital Rules described above on January 1, 2015. The 2.5% capital conservation buffer is being phased in over a four-year period beginning in 2016. Also, under the New Capital Rules, our existing trust preferred securities are grandfathered as qualifying regulatory capital. We believe that we currently exceed all of the capital ratio requirements of the New Capital Rules.

Dividends . Historically, most of our revenues have been received in the form of dividends paid by our bank. We can also make requests for returns of capital from our bank; however, such requests require the approval of the Michigan DIFS. Thus, our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders is indirectly limited by restrictions on the ability of our bank to pay dividends or return capital to us, as described below. Further, in a policy statement, the Federal Reserve has expressed its view that a bank holding company experiencing earnings weaknesses should not pay cash dividends exceeding its net income or that can only be funded in ways that weaken the bank holding company’s financial health, such as by borrowing. The Federal Reserve 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. The “prompt corrective action” provisions of federal law and regulation authorize the Federal Reserve to restrict the amount of dividends that can be paid by an insured bank that fails to meet specified capital levels.

In addition to the restrictions on dividends imposed by the Federal Reserve, the Michigan Business Corporation Act provides that dividends may be legally declared or paid only if, after the distribution, the corporation can pay its debts as they come due in the usual course of business and its total assets equal or exceed the sum of its liabilities plus the amount that would be needed to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of any holders of preferred stock whose preferential rights are superior to those receiving the distribution.

Change in Control Limitations . Subject to certain exceptions, the Change in the Bank Control Act (“Control Act”) and regulations promulgated thereunder by the Federal Reserve, require any person acting directly or indirectly, or through or in concert with one or more persons, to give the Federal Reserve 60 days’ written notice before acquiring control of a bank holding company. Pursuant to the Control Act, the Federal Reserve has the authority to prevent any such acquisition. Transactions that are presumed to constitute the acquisition of control include the acquisition of any voting securities of a bank holding company having securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, if, after the transaction, the acquiring person (or persons acting in concert) owns, controls or holds with power to vote 10% or more of any class of voting securities of the institution.

Federal Securities Regulation . Our common stock is registered with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We are therefore subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading and other restrictions and requirements of the SEC under the Exchange Act.

Independent Bank

Independent Bank is a Michigan banking corporation and a member of the Federal Reserve System, and its deposit accounts are insured by the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”). As a member of the Federal Reserve System and a Michigan-chartered bank, our bank is subject to the examination, supervision, reporting and enforcement requirements of the Federal Reserve as its primary federal regulator and the Michigan DIFS as the chartering authority for Michigan banks. These agencies and the federal and state laws applicable to our bank and its operations extensively regulate various aspects of the banking business including, among other things, permissible types and amounts of loans, investments and other activities, capital adequacy, branching, interest rates on loans and on deposits, the maintenance of non-interest bearing reserves on deposit accounts, and the safety and soundness of banking practices.

Deposit Insurance . As an FDIC-insured institution, our bank is required to pay deposit insurance premium assessments to the FDIC. Under the FDIC’s risk-based assessment system for deposit insurance premiums, all insured depository institutions are placed into one of four categories (Risk Categories I, II, III, and IV), based primarily on their level of capital and supervisory evaluations, for purposes of determining the institution’s assessment rate. Deposit insurance premium assessments are generally based on an institution’s total assets minus its tangible equity.

FICO Assessments . Our bank, as a member of the DIF, is subject to assessments to cover the payments on outstanding obligations of the Financing Corporation (“FICO”). FICO was created to finance the recapitalization of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, the predecessor to the FDIC’s Savings Association Insurance Fund, which was created to insure the deposits of thrift institutions and was merged with the Bank Insurance Fund into the newly formed DIF in 2006. From now until the maturity of the outstanding FICO obligations in 2019, DIF members will share the cost of the interest on the FICO bonds on a pro rata basis. It is estimated that FICO assessments during this period will be approximately 0.006% of average tangible assets.

Michigan DIFS Assessments . Michigan banks are required to pay supervisory fees to the Michigan DIFS to fund their operations. The amount of supervisory fees paid by a bank is based upon the bank’s total assets.

Capital Requirements . The Federal Reserve has established the following minimum capital standards for state-chartered, FDIC-insured member banks, such as our bank: a leverage requirement consisting of a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets of 3% for the most highly-rated banks with minimum requirements of 4% to 5% for all others, and a risk-based capital requirement consisting of a minimum ratio of total capital to total risk-weighted assets of 8%, at least one-half of which must be Tier 1 capital. Tier 1 capital consists principally of shareholders’ equity. These capital requirements are minimum requirements. Higher capital levels will be required if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual institutions. For example, Federal Reserve regulations provide that higher capital may be required to take adequate account of, among other things, interest rate risk and the risks posed by concentrations of credit, nontraditional activities, or securities trading activities.

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 “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized,” or “critically undercapitalized.” Federal regulations define these capital categories as follows:

At December 31, 2014, our bank’s ratios exceeded minimum requirements for the well-capitalized category.

Depending upon the capital category to which an institution is assigned, the regulators’ corrective powers include: requiring the submission of a capital restoration plan; placing limits on asset growth and restrictions on activities; requiring the institution to issue additional capital stock (including additional voting stock) or to be acquired; restricting transactions with affiliates; restricting the interest rates the institution may pay on deposits; ordering a new election of directors of the institution; requiring that senior executive officers or directors be dismissed; prohibiting the institution from accepting deposits from correspondent banks; requiring the institution to divest certain subsidiaries; prohibiting the payment of principal or interest on subordinated debt; and ultimately, appointing a receiver for the institution.

In general, a depository institution may be reclassified to a lower category than is indicated by its capital levels if the appropriate federal depository institution regulatory agency determines the institution to be otherwise in an unsafe or unsound condition or to be engaged in an unsafe or unsound practice. This could include a failure by the institution to correct the deficiency following receipt of a less-than-satisfactory rating on its most recent examination report.

Dividends . Under Michigan law, banks are restricted as to the maximum amount of dividends they may pay on their common stock. Our bank may not pay dividends except out of its net income after deducting its losses and bad debts. In addition, a Michigan bank may not declare or pay a dividend unless the bank will have a surplus amounting to at least 20 percent of its capital after the payment of the dividend.

In addition, as a member of the Federal Reserve System, our bank is required to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve for the declaration or payment of a dividend if the total of all dividends declared in any year will exceed the total of (a) the bank’s retained net income (as defined by federal regulation) for that year, plus (b) the bank’s retained net income for the preceding two years.

Federal law also generally prohibits a depository institution from making any capital distribution (including payment of a dividend) or paying any management fee to its holding company if the depository institution would thereafter be undercapitalized. In addition, the Federal Reserve may prohibit the payment of dividends by a bank if such payment is determined, by reason of the financial condition of the bank, to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice or if the bank is in default of payment of any assessment due to the FDIC.

At December 31, 2014, our bank had negative retained earnings of approximately $31.1 million and therefore cannot pay dividends to the holding company. In lieu of the payment of dividends, we intend to make periodic requests to the Federal Reserve and the Michigan DIFS to approve a return of capital from our bank. In August 2013 and April 2014, pursuant to requests approved by the Michigan DIFS, our bank made returns of capital to our holding company in the amounts of $7.5 million and $15.0 million, respectively. On February 13, 2015, the Michigan DIFS approved an $18.5 million return of capital. The bank paid this return of capital to us on February 17, 2015.

Insider Transactions . Our bank is subject to certain restrictions imposed by the Federal Reserve Act on “covered transactions” with us or our subsidiaries, which include investments in our stock or other securities issued by us or our subsidiaries, the acceptance of our stock or other securities issued by us or our subsidiaries as collateral for loans, and extensions of credit to us or our subsidiaries. Certain limitations and reporting requirements are also placed on extensions of credit by our bank to the directors and officers of the holding company, the bank, and the subsidiaries of the bank; to the principal shareholders of the holding 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 becoming one of our directors or officers or a principal shareholder may obtain credit from banks with which our bank maintains a correspondent relationship.

Safety and Soundness Standards . Pursuant to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), the FDIC adopted guidelines to establish operational and managerial standards to promote the safety and soundness of federally-insured depository institutions. The guidelines establish 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.

Investment and Other Activities . Under federal law and 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. FDICIA, as implemented by FDIC regulations, also prohibits FDIC-insured state banks and their subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, from engaging as a principal in any activity that is not permitted for a national bank or its subsidiary, respectively, unless the bank meets, and continues to meet, its minimum regulatory capital requirements and the bank’s primary federal regulator determines the activity would not pose a significant risk to the DIF. Impermissible investments and activities must be otherwise divested or discontinued within certain time frames set by the bank’s primary federal regulator in accordance with federal law. These restrictions are not currently expected to have a material impact on the operations of our bank.

Consumer Banking . Our bank’s business includes making a variety of types of loans to individuals. In making these loans, our bank is subject to state usury and other consumer protection laws and to various federal statutes, including provisions of the Gramm Leach-Bliley Act aimed at protecting the privacy of consumer financial information, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, and the regulations promulgated under these statutes, which (among other things) prohibit discrimination, specify disclosures to be made to borrowers regarding credit and settlement costs, and regulate the mortgage loan servicing activities of our bank, including the maintenance and operation of escrow accounts and the transfer of mortgage loan servicing. In receiving deposits, our bank is subject to extensive regulation under state and federal law and regulations, including the Truth in Savings Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. Violation of these laws could result in the imposition of significant damages and fines upon our bank and its directors and officers.

Branching Authority . Michigan banks, such as our bank, have the authority under Michigan law to establish branches anywhere in the State of Michigan, subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals. Banks may establish interstate branch networks through acquisitions of other banks. The establishment of de novo 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) is allowed only if specifically authorized by state law.

Michigan permits both U.S. and non-U.S. banks to establish branch offices in Michigan. The Michigan Banking Code permits, in appropriate circumstances and with the approval of the Michigan DIFS (1) the acquisition of Michigan banks by FDIC-insured banks or savings banks located in other states, (2) the sale by a Michigan bank of branches to an FDIC-insured bank or savings bank located in a state in which a Michigan bank could purchase branches of the purchasing entity, (3) the consolidation of Michigan banks and FDIC-insured banks or savings banks located in other states having laws permitting such consolidation, (4) the establishment of branches in Michigan by FDIC-insured banks located in other states, the District of Columbia or U.S. territories or protectorates having laws permitting a Michigan bank to establish a branch in such jurisdiction, and (5) the establishment by foreign banks of branches located in Michigan.

Mepco Finance Corporation

Our subsidiary, Mepco Finance Corporation, is engaged in the business of acquiring and servicing payment plans used by consumers throughout the United States who have purchased a vehicle service contract and choose to make monthly payments for their coverage.  In the typical transaction, no interest or other finance charge is charged to these consumers.  As a result, Mepco is generally not subject to regulation under consumer lending laws.  However, Mepco is subject to various federal and state laws designed to protect consumers, including laws against unfair and deceptive trade practices and laws regulating Mepco’s payment processing activities, such as the Electronic Funds Transfer Act.

Available Information

Our annual reports on Forms 10-K, quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q, current reports on Forms 8-K, and all amendments to those reports are available free of charge through our website at www.IndependentBank.com as soon as reasonably practicable after filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The information set forth in the tables captioned “Average Balances and Rates” and “Change in Net Interest Income” of our annual report, to be delivered to shareholders in connection with the April 21, 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (filed as exhibit 13 to this report on Form 10-K), is incorporated herein by reference.

The rates set forth in the tables above for those obligations of state and political subdivisions that are tax exempt have been restated on a tax equivalent basis assuming a marginal tax rate of 35%. The amount of the adjustment is as follows.

The loan portfolio is periodically and systematically reviewed, and the results of these reviews are reported to the Board of Directors of our bank. The purpose of these reviews is to assist in assuring proper loan documentation, to facilitate compliance with applicable laws and regulations, to provide for the early identification of potential problem loans (which enhances collection prospects) and to evaluate the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses.

(B)  The following table sets forth scheduled loan repayments (excluding 1-4 family residential mortgages and installment loans) at December 31, 2014: 

The following table sets forth loans due after one year which have predetermined (fixed) interest rates and/or adjustable (variable) interest rates at December 31, 2014: