Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There are risks inherent in the Bank's and Company's business. The following is a summary of material risks and uncertainties relating to the operations of the Bank and the Company. Adverse experiences with these could have a material impact on the Company's financial condition and results of operations. Some of these risks and uncertainties are interrelated, and the occurrence of one or more of them may exacerbate the effect of others. These material risks and uncertainties are not necessarily presented in order of significance. In addition to the risks set forth below and the other risks described in this Annual Report, there may be risks and uncertainties that are not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results.
Risks Related to Macroeconomic Conditions
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers, employees and business operations has had, and will likely continue to have, an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The COVID-19 pandemic created a global public-health crisis that resulted in challenging economic conditions for households and businesses. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted a broad range of industries. Many areas of consumer spending have rebounded since the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is uncertainty surrounding the future economic conditions that will emerge in the months and years following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, management is confronted with a significant and unfamiliar degree of uncertainty in estimating the impact of the pandemic on credit quality, revenues and asset values. The Bank continues to have commercial borrowers that have deferred payments on their loans, and we recognize that those borrowers in the hotel and convention center industries are experiencing a slower recovery than certain other industries. The Bank has deferred foreclosures on
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one- to four-family loans as a result of federal and state foreclosure moratoriums, and when foreclosures resume, we could experience losses on the impacted loans. The Bank has been forced to leave staff positions unfilled, as qualified candidates for open positions have been difficult to find. The changes in market rates of interest and their impact on our ability to price our products may continue to reduce our net interest income or negatively impact the demand for our products.
The Company continues to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and governmental mandates regarding COVID-19 protocols and vaccinations. While it is not possible to predict the administrative costs, compliance costs or impacts to our available workforce, the Company continues to develop compliance processes for implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) testing and vaccination mandates. In addition, we are monitoring legal actions and pending state legislation regarding the mandates for further guidance.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition, as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios, will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic.
Changes in interest rates could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
Our results of operations are primarily dependent on net interest income, which is the difference between the interest earned on loans, securities, cash at the Federal Reserve Bank and dividends received on FHLB stock, and the interest paid on deposits and borrowings. Changes in interest rates could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition because the majority of our interest-earning assets are long-term, fixed-rate loans, while the majority of our interest-bearing liabilities are shorter term, and therefore subject to a greater degree of interest rate fluctuations. This type of risk is known as interest rate risk and is affected by prevailing economic and competitive conditions, including monetary policies of the FRB and fiscal policies of the United States federal government.
The impact of changes in interest rates is generally observed on the income statement. The magnitude of the impact will be determined by the difference between the amount of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, both of which either reprice or mature within a given period of time. This difference provides an indication of the extent to which our net interest rate spread will be impacted by changes in interest rates. In addition, changes in interest rates will impact the expected level of repricing of the Bank's mortgage-related assets and callable debt securities. Generally, as interest rates decline, the amount of interest-earning assets expected to reprice will increase as borrowers have an economic incentive to reduce the cost of their mortgage or debt, which would negatively impact the Bank's interest income. Conversely, as interest rates rise, the amount of interest-earning assets expected to reprice will decline as the economic incentive to refinance the mortgage or debt is diminished. As this occurs, the amount of interest-earning assets repricing could diminish to the point where interest-bearing liabilities reprice to a higher interest rate at a faster pace than interest-earning assets, thus negatively impacting the Bank's net interest income.
Changes in interest rates can also have an adverse effect on our financial condition as available-for-sale ("AFS") securities are reported at estimated fair value. We increase or decrease our stockholders' equity, specifically accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI"), by the amount of change in the estimated fair value of our AFS securities, net of deferred taxes. Increases in interest rates generally decrease the fair value of AFS securities. Decreases in the fair value of AFS securities would, therefore, adversely impact stockholders' equity.
Changes in interest rates, as they relate to customers, can also have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. In times of rising interest rates, default risk may increase among borrowers with adjustable-rate loans as the rates on their loans adjust upward and their payments increase. Fluctuations in interest rates also affect customer demand for deposit products. Local competition could affect our ability to attract deposits, or could result in us paying more than competitors for deposits.
In addition to general changes in interest rates, changes that affect the shape of the yield curve could negatively impact the Bank. The Bank's interest-bearing liabilities are generally priced based on short-term interest rates while the majority of the Bank's interest-earning assets are priced based on long-term interest rates. Income for the Bank is primarily driven by the spread between these rates. As a result, a steeper yield curve, meaning long-term interest rates are significantly higher than short-term interest rates, would provide the Bank with a better opportunity to increase net interest income. When the yield curve is flat, meaning long-term interest rates and short-term interest rates are essentially the same, or when the yield curve is
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inverted, meaning long-term interest rates are lower than short-term interest rates, the yield between interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities that reprice is compressed or diminished and would likely negatively impact the Bank's net interest income. See "Part II, Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" for additional information about the Bank's interest rate risk management.
An economic downturn, especially one affecting our geographic market areas and certain regions of the country where we have correspondent loans secured by one- to four-family properties or commercial real estate participation loans, could have an adverse impact on our business and financial results.
Our primary lending emphasis is the origination and purchase of one- to four-family first mortgage loans secured by residential properties. As we have grown our commercial real estate lending portfolio, we have continued to maintain relationships not only in our local markets but in geographically diverse markets. As a result, we are particularly exposed to downturns in regional housing and commercial real estate markets and, to a lesser extent, the U.S. housing and commercial real estate markets, along with changes in the levels of unemployment or underemployment. We monitor the current status and trends of local and national employment levels and trends and current conditions in the real estate and housing markets, as well as commercial real estate markets, in our local market areas and certain areas where we have correspondent loans and commercial participation loans. Decreases in local real estate values could adversely affect the value of the property used as collateral for our loans, which could cause us to realize a loss in the event of a foreclosure. Adverse conditions in our local economies and in certain areas where we have correspondent loans and commercial participation loans, such as inflation, unemployment, recession, natural disasters or pandemics, or other factors beyond our control, could impact the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans. Any one or a combination of these events may have an adverse impact on borrowers' ability to repay their loans, which could result in increased delinquencies, non-performing assets, loan losses, and future loan loss provisions.
Risks Related to Lending Activities
The increase in commercial loans in our loan portfolio exposes us to increased lending and credit risks, which could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
A growing portion of our loan portfolio consists of commercial loans. These loan types tend to be larger than and in different geographic regions from most of our existing loan portfolio and are generally considered to have different and greater risks than one- to four-family residential real estate loans and may involve multiple loans to groups of related borrowers. A growing commercial loan portfolio also subjects us to greater regulatory scrutiny. Furthermore, these loan types can expose us to a greater risk of delinquencies, non-performing assets, loan losses, and future loan loss provisions than one- to four-family residential real estate loans because repayment of such loans often depends on the successful operation of a business or of the underlying property. Repayment of such loans may be affected by factors outside the borrower's control, such as adverse conditions in the real estate market, the economy, environmental factors, natural disasters or pandemics, and/or changes in government regulation. Also, there are risks inherent in commercial real estate construction lending as the value of the project is uncertain prior to the completion of construction and subsequent lease-up. A sudden downturn in the economy or other unforeseen events could result in stalled projects or collateral shortfalls, thus exposing us to increased credit risk.
Commercial and industrial loans are primarily made based on the identified cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the collateral underlying the loans. The borrowers' cash flow may prove to be unpredictable, and collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. Most often, this collateral consists of accounts receivable, inventory and equipment. Significant adverse changes in a borrower's industries and businesses could cause rapid declines in values of, and collectability associated with, those business assets, which could result in inadequate collateral coverage for our commercial and industrial loans and expose us to future losses. In the case of loans secured by accounts receivable, the availability of funds for the repayment of these loans may be substantially dependent on the ability of the borrower to collect amounts due from its clients. Inventory and equipment may depreciate over time, may be difficult to appraise, may be illiquid and may fluctuate in value based on the success of the business. If the cash flow from business operations is reduced, the borrower's ability to repay the loan may be impaired. An increase in valuation allowances and charge-offs related to our commercial and industrial loan portfolio could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects.
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The expected discontinuation of LIBOR, and the identification and use of alternative replacement reference rates, may adversely affect our results of operations and subject the Company to litigation risk.
LIBOR is used extensively in the United States as a reference rate for various financial contracts, including adjustable-rate loans, asset-backed securities, and interest rate swaps. In July 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. On November 30, 2020, authorities announced a plan to extend the date that most U.S. LIBOR values would cease being published from December 31, 2021 to June 30, 2023. The announcement means the continuation of LIBOR cannot be guaranteed after June 30, 2023.
In the United States, the Alternative Reference Rate Committee ("ARRC"), a group of diverse private-market participants assembled by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was tasked with identifying alternative reference interest rates to replace LIBOR. The Secured Overnight Finance Rate ("SOFR") has emerged as the ARRC's preferred alternative rate for LIBOR; however, other market alternatives have been developed. SOFR is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement market. The use of SOFR continues to steadily grow. At this time, it is not possible to predict how markets will respond to alternative reference rates as markets continue to transition away from LIBOR.
The Company's LIBOR steering committee is composed of individuals from lending, compliance/risk, treasury and legal. The LIBOR steering committee has been charged with overseeing the coordination of the Company's enterprise-wide LIBOR transition program and evaluating and mitigating the risks associated with the transition from LIBOR. The LIBOR transition program includes a comprehensive review by management of the financial products, agreements, contracts and business processes that may use LIBOR as a reference rate. As financial products, agreements, contracts and business processes that use LIBOR are identified, the LIBOR steering committee works with management to develop a strategy to transition away from LIBOR. During the strategy development process, management and the LIBOR steering committee considers the financial, customer/counterparty, regulatory and legal impacts of all proposed strategies.
As of September 30, 2021, the Company has identified $268.6 million of adjustable-rate one- to four-family loans in its portfolio for which the repricing index was tied to LIBOR and the loan maturity date is after December 31, 2021. The majority of these loans have maturity dates after June 30, 2023. Our one- to four-family loan agreements generally allow the Bank to choose a new alternative reference rate based upon comparable information if the current index is no longer available. During the June 30, 2019 quarter, the Bank discontinued the use of LIBOR for the origination of adjustable-rate one- to four-family loans and no longer purchases correspondent one- to four-family loans that use LIBOR. The Bank began using the one-year Constant Maturity Treasury ("CMT") index for newly originated and correspondent purchased one- to four-family adjustable-rate loans. At September 30, 2021, none of the consumer or commercial loans in the Company's portfolio use a repricing index tied to LIBOR.
The Bank's swap agreements are governed by the International Swap Dealers Association ("ISDA"). ISDA is in the process of developing fallback language for swap agreements and is expected to establish a protocol to allow counterparties to modify legacy trades to include the new fallback language. During fiscal year 2021, the Bank began to preemptively transition its FHLB advances and interest rate swaps that were tied to LIBOR into SOFR instruments. The early transition was driven by the FHLB policy that no longer allows LIBOR-based advances with a maturity beyond December 31, 2021. The Bank has interest rate swaps maturing on December 1, 2021 with a notional amount of $100.0 million at September 30, 2021 that are tied to LIBOR.
The market transition away from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate is complex. If LIBOR rates are no longer available, and we are required to implement replacement reference rates for the calculation of interest rates under our loan agreements with borrowers, we may incur significant expense in effecting the transition and we may be subject to disputes or litigation with our borrowers over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the replacement reference rates. The replacement reference rates could also result in a reduction in our interest income. We may also receive inquiries and other actions from regulators with respect to the Company's preparation and readiness for the replacement of LIBOR with alternative reference rates.
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Risks Related to Cybersecurity, Third Parties, and Technology
The occurrence of any information system failure or interruption, breach of security or cyber-attack, at the Company, at its third-party service providers or counterparties may have an adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations.
Information systems are essential to the conduct of our business, as we use such systems to manage our customer relationships, our general ledger, our deposits and our loans. In the normal course of our business, we collect, process, retain and transmit (by email and other electronic means) sensitive and confidential information regarding our customers, employees and others. We also outsource certain aspects of our data processing, data processing operations, remote network monitoring, engineering and managed security services to third-party service providers. In addition to confidential information regarding our customers, employees and others, we, and in some cases a third party, compile, process, transmit and store proprietary, non-public information concerning our business, operations, plans and strategies.
Information security risks for financial institutions continue to increase in part because of evolving technologies, the use of the Internet and telecommunications technologies (including mobile devices) to conduct financial and other business transactions and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, perpetrators of fraud, hackers, terrorists and others. Cyber criminals use a variety of tactics, such as ransomware, denial of service, and theft of sensitive business and customer information to extort payment or other concessions from victims. In some cases, these attacks have caused significant impacts on other businesses' access to data and ability to provide services. We are not able to anticipate or implement effective preventive measures against all incidents of these types, especially because the techniques used change frequently and because attacks can originate from a wide variety of sources, including attacks on third party vendors and their applications and products used by the Bank.
We use a variety of physical, procedural and technological safeguards to prevent or limit the impact of system failures, interruptions and security breaches and to protect confidential information from mishandling, misuse or loss, including detection and response mechanisms designed to contain and mitigate security incidents. However, there can be no assurance that such events will not occur or that they will be promptly detected and adequately addressed if they do, and early detection of security breaches may be thwarted by sophisticated attacks and malware designed to avoid detection. If there is a failure in or breach of our information systems, or those of a third-party service provider, the confidential and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, such information systems could be jeopardized, or could otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations or the operations of our customers, employees, or others.
Our business and operations depend on the secure processing, storage and transmission of confidential and other information in our information systems and those of our third-party service providers. Although we devote significant resources and management focus to ensuring the integrity of our information systems through information security measures, risk management practices, relationships with threat intelligence providers and business continuity planning, our facilities, computer systems, software and networks, and those of our third-party service providers, may be vulnerable to external or internal security breaches, acts of vandalism, unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses or other malicious code and cyber-attacks that could have a security impact. In addition, breaches of security may occur through intentional or unintentional acts by those having authorized or unauthorized access to our confidential or other information or the confidential or other information of our customers, employees or others. While we regularly conduct security and risk assessments on our systems and those of our third-party service providers, there can be no assurance that their information security protocols are sufficient to withstand a cyber-attack or other security breach. Across our industry, the cost of minimizing these risks and investigating incidents has continued to increase with the frequency and sophistication of these threats. To date, the Company has no knowledge of a material information security breach affecting its systems.
The occurrence of any of the foregoing could subject us to litigation or regulatory scrutiny, cause us significant reputational damage or erode confidence in the security of our information systems, products and services, cause us to lose customers or have greater difficulty in attracting new customers, have an adverse effect on the value of our common stock or subject us to financial losses that may not be covered by insurance, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As information security risks and cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to further enhance or modify our information security measures and/or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or other exposures arising from operational and security risks.
Furthermore, there continues to be heightened legislative and regulatory focus on privacy, data protection and information security. New or revised laws and regulations may significantly impact our current and planned privacy, data protection and
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information security-related practices, the collection, use, sharing, retention and safeguarding of consumer and employee information, and current or planned business activities. Compliance with current or future privacy, data protection and information security laws could result in higher compliance and technology costs and could restrict our ability to provide certain products and services, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our customers are also targets of cyber-attacks and identity theft. There continues to be instances involving financial services and consumer-based companies reporting the unauthorized disclosure of client or customer information or the destruction or theft of corporate data. Large scale identity theft could result in customers' accounts being compromised and fraudulent activities being performed in their name. We have implemented certain safeguards against these types of activities but they may not fully protect us from fraudulent financial losses. The occurrence of a breach of security involving our customers' information, regardless of its origin, could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and business and subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, and could expose us to litigation and possible financial liability. Any of these events could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Third party vendors subject the Company to potential business, reputation and financial risks.
Third party vendors are sources of operational and information security risk to the Company, including risks associated with operations errors, information system interruptions or breaches, and unauthorized disclosures of sensitive or confidential customer information. The Company requires third party vendors to maintain certain levels of information security; however, vendors may remain vulnerable to breaches, unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses, and/or other malicious attacks that could ultimately compromise sensitive information. We have developed procedures and processes for selecting and monitoring third party vendors, but ultimately we are dependent on these third party vendors to secure their information. If these vendors encounter any of these types of issues, or if we have difficulty communicating with them, we could be exposed to disruption of operations, loss of service or connectivity to customers, reputational damage, and litigation risk that could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The failure of an external vendor to perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements, because of changes in the vendor's organizational structure, financial condition, support for existing products and services or strategic focus or for any other reason, could be disruptive to our operations, which could have an adverse effect on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, replacing certain third party vendors could also entail significant delay and expense.
We are heavily reliant on technology, and a failure to effectively implement technology initiatives or anticipate future technology needs or demands could adversely affect our business or performance.
Like most financial institutions, the Bank significantly depends on technology to deliver its products and other services and to otherwise conduct business. To remain technologically competitive and operationally efficient, the Bank invests in system upgrades, new technological solutions, and other technology initiatives. Many of these solutions and initiatives have a significant duration, are tied to critical information systems, and require substantial resources. Although the Bank takes steps to mitigate the risks and uncertainties associated with these solutions and initiatives, there is no guarantee that they will be implemented on time, within budget, or without negative operational or customer impact. The Bank also may not succeed in anticipating its future technology needs, the technology demands of its customers, or the competitive landscape for technology. If the Bank were to falter in any of these areas, it could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Competition
Strong competition may limit growth and profitability.
While we are one of the largest mortgage loan originators in the state of Kansas, we compete in the same market areas as local, regional, and national banks, credit unions, mortgage brokerage firms, investment banking firms, investment brokerage firms, and savings institutions. We also compete with online investment and mortgage brokerages and online banks that are not confined to any specific market area. Many of these competitors operate on a national or regional level, are a conglomerate of various financial services providers housed under one corporation, or otherwise have substantially greater financial or technological resources than the Bank. We compete primarily on the basis of the interest rates offered to depositors, the terms of loans offered to borrowers, and the benefits afforded to customers as a local institution and portfolio lender. Our pricing strategy for loan and deposit products includes setting interest rates based on secondary market prices
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and local competitor pricing for our local markets, and secondary market prices and national competitor pricing for our correspondent lending markets. Should we face competitive pressure to increase deposit rates or decrease loan rates, our net interest income could be adversely affected. Additionally, our competitors may offer products and services that we do not or cannot provide, as certain deposit and loan products fall outside of our accepted level of risk. Our profitability depends upon our ability to compete in our local market areas.
Risks Related to Regulation
We operate in a highly regulated environment which limits the manner and scope of our business activities and we may be adversely affected by new and/or changes in laws and regulations or interpretation of existing laws and regulations.
We are subject to extensive regulation, supervision, and examination by the OCC, FRB, and the FDIC. These regulatory authorities exercise broad discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the ability to impose restrictions on a bank's operations, reclassify assets, determine the adequacy of a bank's ACL, and determine the level of deposit insurance premiums assessed. The CFPB has broad powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws, including a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks and savings institutions, like the authority to prohibit "unfair, deceptive or abusive" acts and practices. The CFPB also has examination and enforcement authority over all banks with regulatory assets exceeding $10 billion at four consecutive quarter-ends. The Bank has not exceeded $10 billion in regulatory assets at four consecutive quarter-ends, but it may at some point in the future. Smaller banks, like the Bank, will continue to be examined for compliance with the consumer laws and regulations of the CFPB by their primary bank regulators (the OCC, in the case of the Bank). The Dodd-Frank Act also weakens the federal preemption rules that have been applicable for national banks and federal savings associations, and gives state attorneys general the ability to enforce federal consumer protection laws.
Any change in such regulation and oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, regulations, legislation, interpretation or application, could have an adverse impact on our operations. Moreover, bank regulatory agencies have been active in responding to concerns and trends identified in examinations, and have issued formal enforcement orders requiring capital ratios in excess of regulatory requirements and/or assessing monetary penalties. Bank regulatory agencies, such as the OCC and the FDIC, govern the activities in which we may engage, primarily for the protection of depositors, and not for the protection or benefit of investors. The CFPB enforces consumer protection laws and regulations for the benefit of the consumer and not the protection or benefit of investors. In addition, new laws and regulations may continue to increase our costs of regulatory compliance and of doing business, and otherwise affect our operations. New laws and regulations may significantly affect the markets in which we do business, the markets for and value of our loans and securities, the products we offer, the fees we can charge and our ongoing operations, costs, and profitability.
The Company is also directly subject to the requirements of entities that set and interpret the accounting standards such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and indirectly subject to the actions and interpretations of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which establishes auditing and related professional practice standards for registered public accounting firms and inspects registered firms to assess their compliance with certain laws, rules, and professional standards in public company audits. These regulations, along with the currently existing tax, accounting, securities, and monetary laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations, control the methods by which financial institutions and their holding companies conduct business, engage in strategic and tax planning, implement strategic initiatives, and govern financial reporting.
The Company's failure to comply with laws, regulations or policies could result in civil or criminal sanctions and money penalties by state and federal agencies, and/or reputation damage, which could have an adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. See "Part I, Item 1. Business - Regulation and Supervision" for more information about the regulations to which the Company is subject.
Other Risks
The Company's ability to pay dividends is subject to the ability of the Bank to make capital distributions to the Company.
The long-term ability of the Company to pay dividends to its stockholders is based primarily upon the ability of the Bank to make capital distributions to the Company, and also on the availability of cash at the holding company level in the event
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earnings are not sufficient to pay dividends. Under certain circumstances, capital distributions from the Bank to the Company may be subject to regulatory approvals. See "Item 1. Business – Regulation and Supervision" for additional information.
Our risk management and compliance programs and functions may not be effective in mitigating risk and loss.
We maintain an enterprise risk management program that is designed to identify, quantify, monitor, report, and control the risks that we face. These risks include: interest-rate, credit, liquidity, operations, reputation, compliance and litigation. We also maintain a compliance program to identify, measure, assess, and report on our adherence to applicable laws, policies and procedures. While we assess and improve these programs on an ongoing basis, there can be no assurance that our risk management or compliance programs, along with other related controls, will effectively mitigate all risk and limit losses in our business. If conditions or circumstances arise that expose flaws or gaps in our risk management or compliance programs, or if our controls do not function as designed, the performance and value of our business could be adversely affected.
The Company may not be able to attract and retain skilled employees.
The Company's success depends, in large part, on its ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best people can be intense, and the Company spends considerable time and resources attracting and hiring qualified people for its operations. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of the Company's key personnel could have an adverse impact on the Company's business because of their skills, knowledge of the Company's market, and years of industry experience, as well as the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.