Business Description

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain matters discussed in this Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance or business. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact but are based on certain assumptions and are generally identified by use of the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "targets," "potentially," "probably," "projects," "outlook" or similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would" and "could." Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, assumptions and statements about, among other things, expectations of the business environment in which we operate, projections of future performance or financial items, perceived opportunities in the market, potential future credit experience, and statements regarding our mission and vision. These forward-looking statements are based upon current management expectations and may, therefore, involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those suggested, expressed, or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety or range of factors including, but not limited to: • adverse economic conditions in our market areas, and other markets where we have lending relationships; • effects of employment levels, inflation, a recession, or slowed economic growth; • changes in interest rate levels and volatility, and the timing and pace of such changes, including actions by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”), which could adversely affect our revenues and expenses, the values of our assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital and liquidity; • the impact of inflation and related monetary and fiscal policy responses thereto, including their effects on consumer and business behavior; • the effects of any federal government shutdown, debt ceiling standoff, or other fiscal uncertainties; • changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; • the risks of lending and investing activities, including delinquencies write-offs and changes in our allowance for credit losses, and provision for credit losses; • monetary and fiscal policies of the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Government and other governmental initiatives affecting the financial services industry; • bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative publicity about the banking industry on investor and depositor sentiment; • fluctuations in the demand for loans, unsold homes, land and other properties; • fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial and multifamily real estate market conditions in our market area; • our ability to access cost-effective funding, including maintaining the confidence of depositors; • the possibility that unexpected outflows of uninsured deposits may require us to sell investment securities at a loss; • our ability to control operating costs and expenses; • secondary market conditions for loans and our ability to sell loans in the secondary market; • results of examinations of us by regulatory authorities and the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, limit our business activities, require us to increase our allowance for credit losses, write-down asset values or increase our capital levels, or affect our ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits; • the inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; • our ability to attract and retain deposits; • competitive pressures among financial services companies; • our ability to successfully integrate into