First Community Financial
Corporation (the Corporation) is a one bank holding company incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Corporation is headquartered in
Mifflintown, Pennsylvania and was organized on November 13, 1984 for the purpose of acquiring The First National Bank of Mifflintown (the Bank) as a wholly-owned national bank subsidiary. The Corporations principal activity
consists of owning and supervising the Bank, which is engaged in providing banking and banking related services in central Pennsylvania, principally in Juniata and Perry Counties. The day-to-day management of the Bank is conducted by its officers,
subject to review by its Board of Directors. Each Director of the Corporation also is a Director of the Bank. The Corporation derives substantially all of its current income from the Bank. The Corporation also has made certain investments in other
Pennsylvania banking institutions, the dividends on which also are included in our current income.
The First National Bank of
Mifflintown
The Bank became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation pursuant to a Plan of Reorganization and Merger consummated
in April 1985. The Bank was originally chartered as a private bank in 1864 and converted to a national bank in 1889. The Bank conducts business through twelve full service banking offices. The main banking office is located in the Borough of
Mifflintown, five branch offices are maintained in Juniata County and seven branch offices are maintained in Perry County, Pennsylvania.
As
of December 31, 2012, the Bank had total assets of $420.7 million, total shareholders equity of $34.8 million, and total deposits of $365.1 million.
The deposits of the Bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the FDIC) to the extent provided by law. The Bank provides a wide range of banking services to businesses and
individuals, with particular emphasis on serving the needs of the individual consumer. Banking services include secured and unsecured financing, real estate financing, agricultural financing, mortgage lending, and trust and other related services,
as well as checking, savings and time deposits, and a wide variety of other financial services to individuals, businesses, municipalities and governmental bodies.
The Bank concentrates its lending activities on residential real estate, commercial real estate, commercial loans, agricultural loans and consumer installment loans. A substantial portion of the loan
portfolio is secured by commercial and residential real estate, either as primary or secondary collateral. Loan approvals are made in accordance with a policy that includes delegated authorities approved by the Board of Directors. Loans are approved
at various management levels up to and including the Board of Directors, depending on the amount of the loan.
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As of December 31, 2012, residential real estate loans represented 58.7% of the total loan portfolio.
These types of loans represent a relatively low level of risk, especially in the absence of speculative lending. The most prominent risks in this market are those associated with declining economic conditions resulting from economic downturns and
increases in unemployment, which could affect borrowers abilities to repay loans. The Bank limits its risk in this area by often requiring private mortgage insurance for certain residential real estate loans in excess of 80% of the appraised
value.
Commercial real estate loans represented 19.8%, commercial, financial and agricultural loans represented 18.4% and construction loans
represented 1.1% of the total loan portfolio at December 31, 2012. Commercial real estate loans consist primarily of loans to local businesses where the collateral for the loans includes the real estate occupied by the business. Commercial
loans are comprised of loans to small businesses whose demand for funds fall within the legal lending limits of the Bank. The Banks agricultural loans generally consist of operating lines used to finance farming operations through the growing
season and term loans to finance farm equipment purchases. Risks associated with these types of loans can be significant and include, but are not limited to, fraud, bankruptcy, economic downturn, deteriorated or non-existing collateral and changes
in interest rates. The Bank attempts to limit its risk by using certified appraisers in determining property values, by performing thorough credit analysis and by limiting the Banks total exposure to these types of loans.
As of December 31, 2012, consumer installment loans represented 2.0% of the total loan portfolio and are made on a secured and unsecured basis,
primarily to fund personal, family and household purposes, including loans for automobiles, home improvement, education loans and investments. Risks associated with consumer installment loans include, but are not limited to, fraud, deteriorated or
non-existing collateral, general economic downturn and customer financial problems. Risk in this area is limited by analyzing creditworthiness and controlling debt to income limits.
The Banks Trust Department provides a broad range of personal trust services. It administers and provides investment management services for estates, trusts, agency accounts and employee benefit
plans. Nondeposit investment products such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuities and insurance are offered through Infinex Financial Group. For the year ended December 31, 2012, income from the Banks fiduciary activities amounted to
$498,000 and the Bank had assets worth $77.9 million under management in its Trust Department at that time.
The Bank is subject to regulation
and periodic examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the OCC).
During the last five years, the Corporation
has experienced substantial growth. Specifically, the Corporations total assets increased from $326.7 million as of December 31, 2008 to $420.7 million as of December 31, 2012, funded primarily by an increase in the Banks total
deposits over this period from $262.6 million to $365.1 million. Additionally, the Banks loans increased from $212.4 million to $242.9 million over this same period, while the Corporations annual net income ranged between $2.2 million
and $4.5 million.
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The growth in the Banks deposits and loans reflect its efforts to increase its market share in Juniata
and Perry Counties and is largely attributable to the maturation of the Banks branches and expansion of its products, services and areas of expertise.
Market Area and Competition
The Banks market area lies within Juniata and
Perry Counties, Pennsylvania. By all indications, this region has good economic prospects. Juniata and Perry Counties had a combined estimated population of 68,599 in 2012, representing an increase of approximately 3.3% since 2000. The primary
industries in the region are agriculture and timber/woodworking. Unemployment rates in 2012 were 6.6% in Juniata County and 7.1% in Perry County. With a stable workforce and growing population, the Corporation believes that the regions long
term economic prospects are positive.
As of June 30, 2012 (the most recent date for which such information is available), three
commercial banks (the Bank, Juniata Valley Bank, and First National Bank of Pennsylvania) operated offices in Juniata County. Of all financial institutions operating in Juniata County, the Bank ranked first in terms of total deposits at
June 30, 2012 with 51.0%. Juniata Valley Bank followed closely with 40.8% and First National Bank of Pennsylvania ranked third with 8.2%. Each of the institutions with which the Bank competes in Juniata County is larger than the Bank. With the
advantages of larger asset and capital bases, these competitors tend to have larger lending limits and tend to offer a somewhat wider variety of services than does the Bank.
In Perry County, the Bank faces competition from six banks. Several of these competitors also are substantially larger than the Bank and are likely to enjoy the competitive advantages provided by larger
asset and capital bases. Moreover, the Perry County market is less concentrated, and therefore more competitive, than the Juniata County market. The Banks principal competitors in Perry County are Bank of Landisburg, with 32.0% of deposits at
June 30, 2012, Riverview National Bank, with approximately 17.4%, and Orrstown Bank, with approximately 15.6%. The Bank has 18.2% of the deposits in Perry County as of June 30, 2012, now ranking second in Perry County.
The Bank also competes with other types of financial institutions, including credit unions, finance companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies and
retailers. Deposit deregulation has intensified the competition for deposits in recent years.
Supervision and Regulation
As a bank holding company, the Corporation is subject to regulation by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the
Federal Reserve Board. The deposits of the Bank are insured by the FDIC. The Bank is therefore subject to regulation by the FDIC, but, as a national bank, is primarily regulated and examined by the OCC.
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The Corporation is required to file with the Federal Reserve Board an annual report and such additional
information as the Federal Reserve Board may require pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the BHC Act). The Federal Reserve Board may also make examinations of the Corporation. The BHC Act requires each bank
holding company to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board before it may acquire substantially all the assets of any bank, or before it may acquire ownership or control of any voting shares of any bank if, after such acquisition, it would
own or control, directly or indirectly, more than five percent of the voting shares of such bank.
Pursuant to provisions of the BHC Act and
regulations promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board thereunder, the Corporation may only engage in or own companies that engage in activities deemed by the Federal Reserve Board to be closely related to the business of banking or managing or
controlling banks, and the Corporation must gain permission from the Federal Reserve Board prior to engaging in most new business activities.
A bank holding company and its subsidiaries are subject to certain restrictions imposed by the BHC Act on any extensions of credit to the Bank or any of
its subsidiaries, investments in the stock or securities thereof, and on the taking of such stock or securities as collateral for loans to any borrower. A bank holding company and its subsidiaries are also prevented from engaging in certain tie-in
arrangements in connection with any extension of credit, lease or sale of property or furnishing of services.
Source of
Strength Doctrine
Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) and Federal Reserve
Board regulations, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks and may not conduct its operations in an unsafe or unsound manner. In addition, it is the Federal Reserve
Boards policy that in serving as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks, a bank holding company should stand ready to use available resources to provide adequate capital funds to its subsidiary banks during periods of financial stress or
adversity and should maintain the financial flexibility and capital-raising capacity to obtain additional resources for assisting its subsidiary banks. A bank holding companys failure to meet its obligations to serve as a source of strength to
its subsidiary banks will generally be considered by the Federal Reserve Board to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice or a violation of the Federal Reserve Board regulations or both. This doctrine is commonly known as the source of
strength doctrine.
Dividends
Dividends are paid by the Corporation from its earnings, which are mainly provided by dividends from the Bank. However, certain regulatory restrictions exist regarding the ability of the Bank to transfer
funds to the Corporation in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances. The approval of the OCC is required if the total of all dividends declared by a national bank in any calendar year exceeds the Banks net profits (as defined) for that
year combined with its retained net
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profits for the preceding two calendar years. Under this restriction, at December 31, 2012, the Bank, without prior regulatory approval, could currently declare dividends to the Corporation
totaling approximately $9,153,000.
Capital Adequacy
The federal banking regulators have adopted risk-based capital guidelines for bank holding companies and banks, such as the Corporation and the Bank. Currently, the required minimum ratio of total capital
to risk-weighted assets (including off-balance sheet activities, such as standby letters of credit) is 8%. At least half of the total capital is required to be Tier 1 capital, consisting principally of common shareholders equity,
non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, a limited amount of cumulative perpetual preferred stock and minority interests in the equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries, less goodwill. The remainder (Tier 2 capital) may consist of a limited
amount of subordinated debt and intermediate-term preferred stock, certain hybrid capital instruments and other debt securities, perpetual preferred stock and a limited amount of the general loan loss allowance.
In addition to the risk-based capital guidelines, the Federal banking regulators established minimum leverage ratio (Tier 1 capital to total assets)
guidelines for bank holding companies. These guidelines provide for a minimum leverage ratio of 3% for those bank holding companies which have the highest regulatory examination ratings and are not contemplating or experiencing significant growth or
expansion. All other bank holding companies are required to maintain a leverage ratio of at least 1% to 2% above the 3% stated minimum. The Corporation and the Bank exceed all applicable capital requirements.
FDICIA
The Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (FDICIA) was enacted into law in 1991. FDICIA established five different levels of capitalization of financial institutions, with prompt corrective actions and significant
operational restrictions imposed on institutions that are capital deficient under the categories. The five categories are: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized.
To be considered well capitalized, a depository institution must have a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10%, a Tier 1 risk-based
capital ratio of at least 6%, a leverage capital ratio of 5%, and must not be subject to any order or directive requiring the institution to improve its capital level. An institution falls within the adequately capitalized category if it has a total
risk-based capital ratio of at least 8%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 4%, and a leverage capital ratio of at least 4%. Institutions with lower capital levels are deemed to be undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or
critically undercapitalized, depending on their actual capital levels. In addition, the appropriate federal regulatory agency may downgrade an institution to the next lower capital category upon a determination that the institution is in an unsafe
or unsound condition, or is engaged in an unsafe or unsound practice. Institutions are required under FDICIA to closely monitor their capital levels and to notify their appropriate regulatory agency of any basis for a change in capital category.
Regulatory oversight of an
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institution becomes more stringent with each lower capital category, with certain prompt corrective actions imposed depending on the level of capital deficiency. As of
December 31, 2012, the Bank exceeded the minimum capital levels of the well-capitalized category.
Other Provisions of
FDICIA
Each depository institution must submit audited financial statements to its primary regulator and the FDIC, which reports are made
publicly available. In addition, the audit committee of depository institutions with assets of $500 million or more must consist of a majority of outside directors and the audit committee of depository institutions with $1 billion or more in total
assets must consist entirely of outside directors. In addition, an institution must notify the FDIC and the institutions primary regulator of any change in the institutions independent auditor, and annual management letters must be
provided to the FDIC and the depository institutions primary regulator.
Under FDICIA, each federal banking agency must prescribe
certain safety and soundness standards for depository institutions and their holding companies. Three types of standards must be prescribed: asset quality and earnings, operational and managerial, and compensation. Such standards would include a
ratio of classified assets to capital, minimum earnings, and, to the extent feasible, a minimum ratio of market value to book value for publicly traded securities of such institutions and holding companies. Operational and managerial standards must
relate to: (i) internal controls, information systems and internal audit systems, (ii) loan documentation, (iii) credit underwriting, (iv) interest rate exposure, (v) asset growth, and (vi) compensation, fees and
benefits.
Provisions of FDICIA relax certain requirements for mergers and acquisitions among financial institutions and provide specific
authorization for a federally chartered savings association or national bank to be acquired by an insured depository institution.
Under
FDICIA, all depository institutions must provide 90 days notice to their primary federal regulator of branch closings, and penalties are imposed for false reports by financial institutions. Depository institutions with assets in excess of $500
million must be examined on-site annually by their primary federal or state regulator or the FDIC.
FDIC Insurance and
Assessments
Deposit accounts in the Bank are insured by the FDIC generally up to a maximum of $250,000 per separately insured depositor
and up to a maximum of $250,000 for self-directed retirement accounts. The Banks deposits, therefore, are subject to FDIC deposit insurance assessments.
In 2008 and 2009, higher levels of bank failures dramatically increased the resolution costs of the FDIC, and depleted the deposit insurance fund. In addition, the FDIC and the U.S. Congress have taken
action to increase federal insurance coverage, placing additional stress on the deposit insurance fund. In order to maintain a strong funding position and restore reserve ratios of the deposit insurance fund, the FDIC increased assessment rates of
insured institutions uniformly by
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seven cents for every $100 of deposits beginning with the first quarter of 2009, with additional changes beginning April 1, 2009, which require riskier institutions to pay a larger share of
premiums by factoring in rate adjustments based on secured liabilities and unsecured debt levels. To further support the rebuilding of the deposit insurance fund, the FDIC imposed a special assessment on each insured institution, equal to five basis
points of the institutions total assets minus Tier 1 capital as of September 30, 2009. For the Bank, an aggregate charge of $660,000 was recorded as a charge to operating costs in 2009. The FDIC has indicated that future special
assessments are possible, although it has not determined the magnitude or timing of any future assessments.
On November 12, 2009, the
FDIC adopted a final rule that required insured depository institutions to prepay their estimated quarterly risk-based assessments for the fourth quarter of 2009 and for all of 2010, 2011, and 2012. In December 2009, the Bank prepaid its estimated
assessment total for the next three years, which totaled approximately $1.6 million. The pre-payment amount has been included in Other Assets in the Corporations consolidated balance sheet and will continue to be amortized, subject to
adjustments imposed by the FDIC.
Community Reinvestment Act
Under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA) and implementing regulations of the banking agencies, a financial institution has a continuing and affirmative obligation, consistent with
safe and sound operation, to meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low and moderate income neighborhoods. The CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions, nor does it limit an
institutions discretion to develop the types of products and services it believes to be best suited to its particular community. The CRA requires that bank regulatory agencies conduct regular CRA examinations and provide written evaluations of
institutions CRA performance. The CRA also requires that an institutions CRA performance rating be made public. CRA performance evaluations are based on a four-tiered rating system: Outstanding, Satisfactory, Needs to Improve and
Substantial Noncompliance. Although CRA examinations occur on a regular basis, CRA performance evaluations have been used principally in the evaluation of regulatory applications submitted by an institution. CRA performance evaluations are
considered in evaluating applications for such things as mergers, acquisitions and applications to open branches. A bank holding company cannot elect to be a financial holding company with the expanded securities, insurance and other
powers that designation entails unless all of the depository institutions owned by the holding company have a CRA rating of satisfactory or better. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act also provides that a financial institution will be subject to CRA
examinations no more frequently than every 5 years if its most recent CRA rating was outstanding, or every 4 years if its rating was satisfactory. Following a CRA examination as of January 25, 2012, the Bank
received a rating of satisfactory.
Bank Secrecy Act and Related Laws and Regulations
These laws and regulations have significant implications for all financial institutions. They increase due diligence requirements and reporting
obligations for financial institutions, create
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new crimes and penalties, and require the federal banking agencies, in reviewing merger and other acquisition transactions, to consider the effectiveness of the parties to such transactions in
combating money laundering activities. Even innocent noncompliance and inconsequential failure to follow the regulations can result in significant fines or other penalties which could have a material adverse impact on the Corporations
financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the
Act)
Signed into law July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act will, over time, implement significant changes to the U.S.
financial system, including among others, (i) the creation of a new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection with supervisory authority, including the power to conduct examinations and take enforcement actions with respect to financial
institutions with assets of $10.0 billion or more, (ii) the creation of a Financial Stability Oversight Council with authority to identify institutions and practices that might pose a systemic risk, (iii) provisions affecting corporate
governance and executive compensation of all companies subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (iv) a provision that would broaden the base for FDIC insurance assessments, and (v) a
provision that would require bank regulators to set minimum capital levels for bank holding companies that are as strong as those required for their insured depository subsidiaries, subject to a grandfather clause for holding companies with less
than $15.0 billion in assets as of December 31, 2009.
The Dodd-Frank Act contains numerous other provisions affecting financial
institutions of all types, many of which may have an impact on our operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways. While some of the Dodd-Frank Acts provisions were effective immediately, many are to be implemented by rules yet to
be promulgated by the applicable regulatory authorities.
The Dodd-Frank Act and the regulations to be adopted are expected to subject
financial institutions to additional restrictions, oversight and costs that may have an adverse impact on their business, financial condition, results of operations or the price of the common stock. The Dodd-Frank Act substantially increases
regulation of the financial services industry and imposes restrictions on the operations and general ability of firms within the industry to conduct business consistent with historical practices. However, the ultimate effect of the Dodd-Frank Act on
the financial services industry in general, and us in particular, is uncertain at this time.
Other Laws and Regulations
State usury and credit laws limit the amount of interest and various other charges collected or contracted by a bank on loans. The
Banks loans are also subject to federal laws applicable to credit transactions, such as the following:
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Federal Truth-In-Lending Act, which governs disclosures of credit terms to consumer borrowers;
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Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, requiring financial institutions to provide information to enable public officials to determine whether a financial
institution is fulfilling its obligations to meet the housing needs of the community it serves;
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Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, creed or other prohibitive factors in extending credit;
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Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, which requires lenders to disclose certain information regarding the nature and cost of real estate settlements,
and prohibits certain lending practices, as well as limits escrow account amounts in real estate transactions;
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Fair Credit Reporting Act governing the manner in which consumer debts may be collected by collection agencies; and
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Various rules and regulations of various federal agencies charged with the implementation of such federal laws.
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Additionally, our operations are subject to additional federal laws and regulations, including, without limitation:
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Privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and related regulations, which require us to maintain privacy policies intended to safeguard customer
financial information, to disclose the policies to our customers and to allow customers to opt out of having their financial service providers disclose their confidential financial information to non-affiliated third parties, subject to
certain exceptions;
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Right to Financial Privacy Act, which imposes a duty to maintain confidentiality of consumer financial records and prescribes procedures for complying
with administrative subpoenas of financial records;
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Consumer protection rules for the sale of insurance products by depository institutions, adopted pursuant to the requirements of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley
Act; and
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Title III of the USA Patriot Act, which requires financial institutions to take certain actions to help prevent, detect and prosecute international
money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
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Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires management to issue a report on the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial
reporting. Certifications of the Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer as required by Sarbanes Oxley and the resulting SEC rules can be found in the Signatures and Exhibits sections.
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Basel III
In December 2010, the Basel Committee released its final framework for strengthening international capital and liquidity regulation, officially identified by the Basel Committee as Basel III.
In June 2012, the Federal Reserve Board, OCC, and FDIC (collectively, the Agencies) each issued Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRs) that would revise and replace the Agencies current capital rules to align with the
BASEL III capital standards and meet certain requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act. The comment period for the NPRs ended October 22, 2012, and comments received by such deadline are currently being evaluated by the Agencies.
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The standards set forth in the NPRs, when implemented by the Agencies and fully phased-in, will require bank
holding companies and their bank subsidiaries to maintain substantially more capital, with a greater emphasis on common equity. As set forth in the NPRs, the new capital rules would, among other things:
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Narrow the types of instruments that can be included in Tier 1 Capital (including removing trust preferred securities from such definition);
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Introduce a new Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 6.5% (to be well-capitalized);
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Increase the Tier 1 Capital Ratio from 4% to 6%; and
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Introduce a capital conservation buffer of an additional 2.5% of common equity to risk-weighted assets.
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The timing for the Agencies adoption and implementation of final rules to implement the Basel III/Dodd-Frank Act capital framework is uncertain.
Accordingly, the regulations ultimately applicable to the Corporation and the Bank may be substantially different from the Basel III final framework as published in December 2010 (and updated in 2011) or the NPRs. The requirements to maintain higher
levels of capital or to maintain higher levels of liquid assets could adversely impact the Corporations financial results.
Proposed Legislation and Regulations
From time to time, various federal and state
legislation is proposed that could result in additional regulation of, and restrictions on, the business of the Corporation or the Bank, or otherwise change the business environment. We cannot predict whether any of this legislation, if enacted,
will have a material effect on the business of the Corporation or the Bank.
Employees
As of December 31, 2012, the Bank had a total of 76 full-time and 57 part-time employees.
Selected Statistical Information
Certain statistical information is included as
part of Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations, included on pages 51 through 66 of the Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2012, attached to this Report as Exhibit
13 and incorporated herein by reference.