Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business
General
Riverview Bancorp, Inc., a Washington corporation, is the bank holding company of Riverview Bank. At March 31, 2024, the Company had total assets of $1.52 billion, total deposits of $1.23 billion and total shareholders’ equity of $155.6 million. The Company’s executive offices are located in Vancouver, Washington. The Bank has two subsidiaries Riverview Trust Company (the “Trust Company”) and Riverview Services, Inc. (“Riverview Services”). The Trust Company is a trust and financial services company located in downtown Vancouver, Washington, and provides full-service brokerage activities, trust and asset management services. Riverview Services acts as a trustee for deeds of trust on mortgage loans granted by the Bank and receives a reconveyance fee for each deed of trust.
Substantially all of the Company’s business is conducted through the Bank, which until April 28, 2021, was a federal savings bank subject to extensive regulation by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”). The Bank converted from a federally chartered savings bank to a Washington state-chartered commercial bank on April 28, 2021. As a Washington state-chartered commercial bank, the Bank’s regulators are the WDFI and the FDIC, the insurer of its deposits. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC. The Federal Reserve remains the primary federal regulator for the Company. In connection with the Bank’s charter conversion, the Company converted from a Savings and Loan Holding Company to a Bank Holding Company. The Bank is also a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (“FHLB”) which is one of the 11 regional banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System (“FHLB System”).
As a progressive, community-oriented financial services company, the Company emphasizes local, personal service to residents of its primary market area. The Company considers Clark, Klickitat and Skamania counties of Washington, and Multnomah, Washington and Marion counties of Oregon as its primary market area. The Company is engaged predominantly in the business of attracting deposits from the general public and using such funds in its primary market area to originate commercial business, commercial real estate, multi-family real estate, land, real estate construction, residential real estate and other consumer loans. The Company’s loans receivable, net, totaled $1.01 billion at March 31, 2024 compared to $993.5 million at March 31, 2023.
The Company’s strategic plan includes targeting the commercial banking customer base in its primary market area for loan originations and deposit growth, specifically small and medium size businesses, professionals and wealth building individuals. In pursuit of these goals, the Company will seek to increase the loan portfolio consistent with its strategic plan and asset/liability and regulatory capital objectives, which includes maintaining a significant amount of commercial business and commercial real estate loans in its loan portfolio which typically carry adjustable rates, higher yields and shorter terms, as well as higher credit risk, compared to traditional fixed-rate consumer real estate one-to-four family loans.
Our strategic plan also stresses increased emphasis on non-interest income, including increased fees for asset management through the Trust Company and deposit service charges. The strategic plan is designed to enhance earnings, reduce interest rate risk and provide a more complete range of financial services to customers and the local communities the Company serves. We believe we are well positioned to attract new customers and to increase our market share through our 17 branch locations, including, among others, 10 in Clark County, three in the Portland metropolitan area and three lending centers.
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Market Area
The Company conducts operations from its home office in Vancouver, Washington and 17 branch offices located in Camas, Washougal, Stevenson, White Salmon, Battle Ground, Goldendale, Ridgefield and Vancouver, Washington (six branch offices), and Portland, Gresham, Tualatin and Aumsville, Oregon. The Trust Company has two locations, one in downtown Vancouver, Washington and one in Lake Oswego, Oregon, providing full-service brokerage activities, trust and asset management services. Riverview Mortgage, a mortgage broker division of the Bank, originates mortgage loans for various mortgage companies predominantly in the Vancouver/Portland metropolitan areas, as well as for the Bank. The Bank’s Business and Professional Banking Division, with two lending offices located in Vancouver and one in Portland, offers commercial and business banking services.
Vancouver is located in Clark County, Washington, which is just north of Portland, Oregon. Many businesses are located in the Vancouver area because of the favorable tax structure and lower energy costs in Washington as compared to Oregon. Companies located in the Vancouver area include: Sharp Microelectronics, Hewlett Packard, Georgia Pacific, Underwriters Laboratory, WaferTech, Barrett Business Services, PeaceHealth and Banfield Pet Hospitals, as well as several support industries. In addition to this industry base, the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area and the Portland metropolitan area are sources of tourism.
Lending Activities
General . At March 31, 2024, the Company’s net loans receivable totaled $1.01 billion, or 66.3% of total assets at that date. The principal lending activity of the Company is the origination of loans collateralized by commercial properties and commercial business loans. A substantial portion of the Company’s loan portfolio is secured by real estate, either as primary or secondary collateral, located in its primary market area. The Company’s lending activities are subject to the written, non-discriminatory, underwriting standards and loan origination procedures established by the Bank’s Board of Directors (“Board”) and management. The customary sources of loan originations are realtors, walk-in customers, referrals and existing customers. The Bank also uses commissioned loan brokers and print advertising to market its products and services. Loans are approved at various levels of management, depending upon the amount of the loan. Our current loan policy generally limits the maximum amount of loans we can make to one borrower to the greater of $500,000 or 15% of unimpaired capital and surplus (except for loans fully secured by certain readily marketable collateral, in which case this limit is increased to 25% of unimpaired capital and surplus). The regulatory limit of loans we can make to one borrower is 20% of total risk-based capital, or $35.5 million, at March 31, 2024. At this date, the Bank’s largest lending relationship with one borrower was $28.7 million, which consisted of a multi-family loan of $17.2 million and a commercial real estate loan of $11.5 million, both of which were performing in accordance with their original payment terms at March 31, 2024.
Loan Portfolio Analysis . The following table sets forth the composition of the Company’s loan portfolio, excluding loans held for sale, by type of loan at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
At March 31,
2024
2023
Amount
Percent
Amount
Percent
Commercial and construction:
Commercial business
$
229,404
22.40
%
$
232,868
23.08
%
Commercial real estate
583,501
56.98
564,496
55.95
Land
5,693
0.56
6,437
0.64
Multi-family
70,771
6.91
55,836
5.54
Real estate construction
36,538
3.57
47,762
4.73
Total commercial and construction
925,907
90.42
907,399
89.94
Consumer:
Real estate one-to-four family
96,366
9.41
99,673
9.88
Other installment
1,740
0.17
1,784
0.18
Total consumer
98,106
9.58
101,457
10.06
Total loans
1,024,013
100.00
%
1,008,856
100.00
%
Less:
ACL / Allowance for loan and lease losses ("ALLL")
15,364
15,309
Total loans receivable, net
$
1,008,649
$
993,547
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Loan Portfolio Composition. The following tables set forth the composition of the Company’s commercial and construction loan portfolio based on loan purpose at the dates indicated (in thousands):
Commercial Business
Commercial Real Estate Mortgage
Real Estate Construction
Commercial and Construction Total
March 31, 2024
Commercial business
$
229,404
$
—
$
—
$
229,404
Commercial construction
—
—
20,388
20,388
Office buildings
—
114,714
—
114,714
Warehouse/industrial
—
106,649
—
106,649
Retail/shopping centers/strip malls
—
89,448
—
89,448
Assisted living facilities
—
378
—
378
Single purpose facilities
—
272,312
—
272,312
Land
—
5,693
—
5,693
Multi-family
—
70,771
—
70,771
One-to-four family construction
—
—
16,150
16,150
Total
$
229,404
$
659,965
$
36,538
$
925,907
March 31, 2023
Commercial business
$
232,868
$
—
$
—
$
232,868
Commercial construction
—
—
29,565
29,565
Office buildings
—
117,045
—
117,045
Warehouse/industrial
—
106,693
—
106,693
Retail/shopping centers/strip malls
—
82,700
—
82,700
Assisted living facilities
—
396
—
396
Single purpose facilities
—
257,662
—
257,662
Land
—
6,437
—
6,437
Multi-family
—
55,836
—
55,836
One-to-four family construction
—
—
18,197
18,197
Total
$
232,868
$
626,769
$
47,762
$
907,399
Commercial Business Lending. At March 31, 2024, the commercial business loan portfolio totaled $229.4 million, or 22.4% of total loans. Commercial business loans are typically secured by business equipment, accounts receivable, inventory or other property. The Company’s commercial business loans may be structured as term loans or as lines of credit. Commercial term loans are generally made to finance the purchase of assets and usually have maturities of five years or less. Commercial lines of credit are typically made for the purpose of providing working capital and usually have a term of one year or less. Lines of credit are made at variable rates of interest equal to a negotiated margin above an index rate and term loans are at either a variable or fixed rate. The Company also generally obtains personal guarantees from financially capable parties based on a review of personal financial statements.
Commercial business lending typically involves risks that are different from those associated with residential and commercial real estate lending. Although commercial business loans are often collateralized by equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other business assets, the liquidation of collateral in the event of default is often an insufficient source of repayment because accounts receivable may be uncollectible and inventories may be obsolete or of limited use, among other things. Accordingly, the repayment of commercial business loans depends primarily on the cash flow and credit-worthiness of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. Additionally, the borrower’s cash flow may be unpredictable and collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. At March 31, 2024, the Company had one commercial business loan totaling $58,000 on non-accrual status compared to two commercial business loans totaling $97,000 at March 31, 2023.
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Other Real Estate Mortgage Lending. The Company originates other real estate mortgage loans secured by office buildings, warehouse/industrial, retail, assisted living facilities and single-purpose facilities (collectively “commercial real estate ” or “CRE”) and land and multi-family loans primarily located in its market area, collectively referred to herein as the “other real estate mortgage loan portfolio”. At March 31, 2024, the commercial real estate and multi-family real estate mortgage loan portfolios totaled $583.5 million and $70.8 million, or 57.0% and 6.9% of total loans, respectively. At March 31, 2024, owner occupied properties accounted for 25.1% and non-owner occupied properties accounted for 74.9% of the Company’s commercial real estate loans.
Commercial real estate and multi-family loans typically have higher loan balances, are more difficult to evaluate and monitor, and involve a higher degree of risk than residential one-to-four family loans. As a result, commercial real estate and multi-family loans are generally priced at a higher rate of interest than residential one-to-four family loans. Often payments on loans secured by commercial properties are dependent on the successful operation and management of the property securing the loan or business conducted on the property securing the loan; therefore, repayment of these loans may be affected by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy. Real estate lending is generally considered to be collateral based lending with loan amounts based on predetermined loan to collateral values and liquidation of the underlying real estate collateral being viewed as the primary source of repayment in the event of borrower default. The Company seeks to minimize these risks by generally limiting the maximum loan-to-value ratio to 80% and strictly scrutinizing the financial condition of the borrower, the quality of the collateral and the management of the property securing the loan. Loans are secured by first mortgages and often require specified debt service coverage (“DSC”) ratios depending on the characteristics of the collateral. The Company generally imposes a minimum DSC ratio of 1.20 for loans secured by income producing properties. Rates and other terms on such loans generally depend on our assessment of credit risk after considering such factors as the borrower’s financial condition and credit history, loan-to-value ratio, DSC ratio and other factors.
The Company had one commercial real estate loan of $79,000 and $100,000 on non-accrual status at March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For more information concerning risks related to commercial real estate loans, see Item 1A. “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Lending Activities – Commercial and multi-family real estate lending involves higher risks than one-to-four family real estate and other consumer lending, which exposes us to increased lending risks.”
Land loans represent loans made to developers for the purpose of acquiring raw land and/or for the subsequent development and sale of residential lots. Such loans typically finance land purchases and infrastructure development of properties (e.g., roads, utilities, etc.) with the aim of making improved lots ready for subsequent sales to consumers or builders for ultimate construction of residential units. The primary source of repayment is generally the cash flow from developer sale of lots or improved parcels of land, secondary sources and personal guarantees, which may provide an additional measure of security for such loans.
At March 31, 2024, land loans totaled $5.7 million, or 0.6% of total loans, compared to $6.4 million, or 0.6% of total loans at March 31, 2023. The largest land loan had an outstanding balance at March 31, 2024 of $2.4 million and was performing according to its original payment terms. At March 31, 2024, all of the land loans were secured by properties located in Washington and Oregon. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no land loans on non-accrual status.
Real Estate Construction. The Company originates three types of residential construction loans: (i) speculative construction loans, (ii) custom/presold construction loans and (iii) construction/permanent loans. The Company also originates construction loans for the development of business properties and multi-family dwellings. All of the Company’s real estate construction loans were made on properties located in Washington and Oregon.
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The composition of the Company’s construction loan portfolio, including undisbursed funds, was as follows at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
At March 31,
2024
2023
Amount (1)
Percent
Amount (1)
Percent
Speculative construction
$
15,358
16.61
%
$
16,224
19.23
%
Commercial/multi-family construction
75,095
81.22
63,973
75.85
Custom/presold construction
2,003
2.17
4,149
4.92
Total
$
92,456
100.00
%
$
84,346
100.00
%
(1) Includes undisbursed funds of $55.9 million and $36.6 million at March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
At March 31, 2024, the Company’s construction loan portfolio, including undisbursed funds, was $92.5 million compared to $84.3 million at March 31, 2023. The $8.1 million increase was primarily due to a $11.1 million increase in commercial/multi-family construction loans, partially offset by a decrease of $2.1 million in custom/presold construction loans. The Company plans to continue to proactively manage its construction loan portfolio in fiscal year 2025 while continuing to originate new construction loans to selected customers.
Speculative construction loans are made to home builders and are termed “speculative” because the home builder does not have, at the time of loan origination, a signed contract with a home buyer who has a commitment for permanent financing with either the Company or another lender for the finished home. The home buyer may be identified either during or after the construction period, with the risk that the builder will have to service the speculative construction loan and finance real estate taxes and other carrying costs of the completed home for a significant period after the completion of construction until a home buyer is identified. The largest speculative construction loan at March 31, 2024 was a loan to finance the construction of 36 townhomes totaling $8.2 million that is secured by property located in the Company’s market area. The average balance of loans in the speculative construction loan portfolio at March 31, 2024 was $907,000. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no speculative construction loans on non-accrual status.
Presold construction loans are made to homebuilders who, at the time of construction, have a signed contract with a home buyer who has a commitment for permanent financing for the finished home from the Company or another lender. Presold construction loans are generally originated for a term of 12 months. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, presold construction loans totaled $2.0 million and $4.1 million, respectively.
The composition of land and speculative/presold construction loans by geographical area is as follows at the dates indicated (in thousands):
Northwest
Southwest
Other
Oregon
Washington
Washington
Total
March 31, 2024
Land
$
—
5,338
$
355
$
5,693
Speculative and presold construction
—
15,158
992
16,150
Total
$
—
$
20,496
$
1,347
$
21,843
Northwest
Southwest
Other
Oregon
Washington
Washington
Total
March 31, 2023
Land
$
1,884
4,553
$
—
$
6,437
Speculative and presold construction
—
17,105
1,092
18,197
Total
$
1,884
$
21,658
$
1,092
$
24,634
Unlike speculative and presold construction loans, custom construction loans are made directly to the homeowner. Construction/permanent loans are originated to the homeowner rather than the homebuilder along with a commitment by the Company to originate a permanent loan to the homeowner to repay the construction loan at the completion of construction. The
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construction phase of a construction/permanent loan generally lasts six to nine months. At the completion of construction, the Company may either originate a fixed-rate mortgage loan or an adjustable rate mortgage (“ARM”) loan or use its mortgage brokerage capabilities to obtain permanent financing for the customer with another lender. For adjustable rate loans, the interest rates adjust on their first adjustment date. See “Mortgage Brokerage” and “Mortgage Loan Servicing” below for more information. At March 31, 2024, the Company had no construction/permanent loans.
The Company provides construction financing for non-residential business properties and multi-family dwellings. At March 31, 2024, commercial construction loans totaled $20.4 million, or 55.8% of total real estate construction loans, and 2.0% of total loans. Borrowers may be the business owner/occupier of the building who intends to operate their business from the property upon construction, or non-owner developers. The expected source of repayment of these loans is typically the sale or refinancing of the project upon completion of the construction phase. In certain circumstances, the Company may provide or commit to take-out financing upon construction. Take-out financing is subject to the project meeting specific underwriting guidelines. No assurance can be given that such take-out financing will be available upon project completion. These loans are secured by office buildings, retail rental space, mini storage facilities, assisted living facilities and multi-family dwellings located in the Company’s market area. At March 31, 2024, the largest commercial construction loan had a balance of $4.7 million and was performing according to its original repayment terms. The average balance of loans in the commercial construction loan portfolio at March 31, 2024 was $1.5 million. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no commercial construction loans on non-accrual status.
The Company has originated construction and land acquisition and development loans where a component of the cost of the project was the interest required to service the debt during the construction period of the loan, sometimes known as interest reserves. The Company allows disbursements of this interest component as long as the project is progressing as originally projected and if there has been no deterioration in the financial standing of the borrower or the underlying project. If the Company determines that there is such deterioration, or if the loan becomes nonperforming, the Company halts any disbursement of those funds identified for use in paying interest. In some cases, additional interest reserves may be taken by use of deposited funds or through credit lines secured by separate and additional collateral. For additional information concerning the risks related to construction lending, see Item 1A. “Risk Factors – Risks Related to our Lending Activities – Our real estate construction loans are based upon estimates of costs and the value of the completed project, and as with land loans may be more difficult to liquidate, if necessary.”
Consumer Lending. Consumer loans totaled $98.1 million at March 31, 2024 and were comprised of $82.4 million of real estate one-to-four family loans, $13.5 million of home equity lines of credit, $452,000 of land loans to consumers for the future construction of one-to-four family homes and $1.7 million of other secured and unsecured consumer loans.
The majority of our real estate one-to-four family loans are located in the Company’s primary market area. Underwriting standards require that real estate one-to-four family loans generally be owner occupied and that originated loan amounts not exceed 80% (95% with private mortgage insurance) of the lesser of current appraised value or cost of the underlying collateral. Terms typically range from 15 to 30 years. At March 31, 2024, the Company had one residential real estate loan totaling $36,000 on non-accrual status compared to three residential real estate loans totaling $86,000 at March 31, 2023. All of these loans were secured by properties located in Oregon and Washington. The Company no longer originates real estate one-to-four family loans.
The Company also originates a variety of installment loans, including loans for debt consolidation and other purposes, automobile loans, boat loans and savings account loans. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no installment loans on non-accrual status. The Company did not purchase any automobile loans during fiscal years 2024 and 2023 and does not have plans to purchase any additional automobile loan pools.
Installment consumer loans generally entail greater risk than do residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans that are unsecured or secured by assets that depreciate rapidly, such as mobile homes, automobiles, boats and recreational vehicles. In these cases, we face the risk that any collateral for a defaulted loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance. Thus, the recovery and sale of such property could be insufficient to compensate us for the principal outstanding on these loans as a result of the greater likelihood of damage, loss or depreciation. The remaining deficiency often does not warrant further collection efforts against the borrower beyond obtaining a deficiency judgment. In addition, consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability and are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy. Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit our ability to recover on such loans.
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Loan Maturity. The following table sets forth certain information at March 31, 2024 regarding the dollar amount of loans maturing in the loan portfolio based on their contractual terms to maturity, but does not include potential prepayments. Demand loans, loans having no stated schedule of repayments or stated maturity and overdrafts are reported as due in one year or less. Loan balances are reported net of deferred fees (in thousands):
Within
Between 1-5
Between 5-15
Beyond 15
1 Year
Years
Years
Years
Total
Commercial and construction:
Commercial business
$
7,523
$
24,806
$
92,014
$
105,061
$
229,404
Commercial real estate
19,352
170,446
389,298
4,405
583,501
Land
—
4,146
1,547
—
5,693
Multi-family
50
2,842
65,371
2,508
70,771
Real estate construction
5,698
2,761
28,079
—
36,538
Total commercial and construction
32,623
205,001
576,309
111,974
925,907
Consumer:
Real estate one-to-four family
24
458
2,998
92,886
96,366
Other installment
69
1,507
130
34
1,740
Total consumer
93
1,965
3,128
92,920
98,106
Total loans
$
32,716
$
206,966
$
579,437
$
204,894
$
1,024,013
The following table sets forth the dollar amount of loans due after one year from March 31, 2024, which have fixed and adjustable interest rates (in thousands):
Adjustable
Fixed Rate
Rate
Total
Commercial and construction:
Commercial business
$
128,844
$
93,037
$
221,881
Commercial real estate
303,035
261,114
564,149
Land
2,434
3,259
5,693
Multi-family
48,398
22,323
70,721
Real estate construction
12,876
17,964
30,840
Total commercial and construction
495,587
397,697
893,284
Consumer:
Real estate one-to-four family
80,532
15,810
96,342
Other installment
1,217
454
1,671
Total consumer
81,749
16,264
98,013
Total loans
$
577,336
$
413,961
$
991,297
Loan Commitments . The Company issues commitments to originate commercial loans, other real estate mortgage loans, construction loans, real estate one-to-four family (“home equity”) loans and other installment loans conditioned upon the occurrence of certain events. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments as it does for on-balance sheet instruments. Commitments to originate loans are conditional and are honored for up to 45 days subject to the Company’s usual terms and conditions. Collateral is not required to support commitments. At March 31, 2024, the Company had outstanding commitments to originate loans of $10.0 million compared to $12.5 million at March 31, 2023.
Mortgage Brokerage. The Company employs commissioned brokers who originate mortgage loans (including construction loans) for various mortgage companies. Loans brokered to mortgage companies are closed in the name of, and funded by, the purchasing mortgage company and are not originated as an asset of the Company. In return, the Company receives a fee ranging from 1.5% to 2.0% of the loan amount that it shares with the commissioned broker. Loans previously brokered to the Company are closed on the Company’s books and the commissioned broker receives a portion of the origination fee. Beginning in fiscal year 2021, the Company transitioned to a model where it no longer originates and sells mortgage loans to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Company (“FHLMC”) as all mortgage loan originations are instead brokered to various third-party mortgage companies. The Company does, however, continue to service its existing FHLMC portfolio. Brokered loans totaled $21.3 million and $22.0 million as of March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. There were no loans brokered to the Company for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. Gross fees of $213,000 and $346,000, including brokered loan fees, were earned in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. The interest rate environment has a strong influence on the loan volume and amount of fees generated from the mortgage broker activity. In general, during periods of rising interest rates, the volume of loans and the amount
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of loan fees generally decrease as a result of decreased mortgage loan demand. Conversely, during periods of falling interest rates, the volume of loans and the amount of loan fees generally increase as a result of the increased mortgage loan demand.
Mortgage Loan Servicing. The Company is a qualified servicer for the FHLMC. Prior to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, the Company historically sold its fixed-rate residential one-to-four family mortgage loans that it originated with maturities of 15 years or more and balloon mortgages to the FHLMC as part of its asset/liability strategy. Mortgage loans were sold to the FHLMC on a non-recourse basis whereby foreclosure losses are the responsibility of the FHLMC and not the Company. Upon sale, the Company continues to collect payments on the loans, supervise foreclosure proceedings, and otherwise service the loans. At March 31, 2024, total loans serviced for others were $67.3 million, of which $31.4 million were serviced for the FHLMC.
Nonperforming Assets. Nonperforming assets were $178,000 or 0.01% of total assets at March 31, 2024 compared with $1.9 million or 0.12% of total assets at March 31, 2023. The Company had net recoveries totaling $13,000 and $36,000 during fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in nonperforming assets is attributed to the progress made in resolving the delay in servicing transfer between two third-party servicers of SBA and United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) government guaranteed loans. Non-performing SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans totaled $5,000 at March 31, 2024 compared to $1.6 million at March 31, 2023.
Loans are reviewed regularly and it is the Company’s general policy that when a loan is 90 days or more delinquent or when collection of principal or interest appears doubtful, it is placed on non-accrual status, at which time the accrual of interest ceases and a reserve for any unrecoverable accrued interest is established and charged against operations. In general, payments received on non-accrual loans are applied to reduce the outstanding principal balance on a cash-basis method.
The Company continues to proactively manage its residential construction and land acquisition and development loan portfolios. At March 31, 2024, the Company’s residential construction and land acquisition and development loan portfolios were $16.2 million and $5.7 million, respectively, as compared to $18.2 million and $6.4 million, respectively, at March 31, 2023. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no nonperforming loans in the residential construction loan portfolio or the land acquisition and development portfolio. For the years ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no charge-offs or recoveries in the residential construction and land acquisition and development loan portfolios.
The following table sets forth information regarding the Company’s nonperforming loans at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
March 31, 2024
March 31, 2023
Number of
Number of
Loans
Balance
Loans
Balance
Commercial business
1
$
58
1
$
79
Commercial real estate
1
79
1
100
Consumer
1
36
3
86
Subtotal
3
173
5
265
SBA and USDA Government Guaranteed
1
5
6
1,587
Total
4
$
178
11
$
1,852
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At March 31, 2024, all of the Company’s nonperforming loans exclusive of the SBA and USDA government guaranteed loan are to borrowers with properties located in Southwest Washington. At March 31, 2024, 79.0% of the Company’s nonperforming loans, totaling $137,000 were individually evaluated for loss reserves. These loans have been charged down to the estimated fair market value of the collateral less selling costs or carry a specific reserve to reduce the net carrying value. There were no reserves associated with these nonperforming loans that were individually evaluated at March 31, 2024. At March 31, 2024, the largest single nonperforming loan was a commercial real estate loan for $79,000.
The following table sets forth information regarding the Company’s nonperforming assets at the dates indicated (in thousands):
March 31, 2024
March 31, 2023
Loans accounted for on a non-accrual basis:
Commercial business (1)
$
58
$
97
Commercial real estate
79
100
Consumer
36
86
Total
173
283
Accruing loans which are contractually past due 90 days or more (2)
5
1,569
Total nonperforming loans
178
1,852
Real estate owned (“REO”)
—
—
Total nonperforming assets
$
178
$
1,852
Foregone interest on non-accrual loans
$
10
$
14
(1) Includes $18,000 of SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans at March 31, 2023.
(2) Consists entirely of SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans at both March 31, 2024 and 2023.
The following tables set forth information regarding the Company’s nonperforming assets by loan type and geographical area at the dates indicated (in thousands):
Southwest
Washington
Other
Total
March 31, 2024
Commercial business
$
58
$
—
$
58
Commercial real estate
79
—
79
Consumer
36
—
36
Subtotal
173
—
173
SBA and USDA Government Guaranteed
—
5
5
Total nonperforming assets
$
173
$
5
$
178
March 31, 2023
Commercial business
$
79
$
—
$
79
Commercial real estate
100
—
100
Consumer
86
—
86
Subtotal
265
—
265
SBA and USDA Government Guaranteed
—
1,587
1,587
Total nonperforming assets
$
265
$
1,587
$
1,852
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At March 31, 2024 and 2023, loans delinquent 30 – 89 days were 0.17% and 0.20% of total loans, respectively.. There were no CRE loans 30 – 89 days past at March 31, 2024 or March 31, 2023. At March 31, 2024, CRE loans represent the largest portion of our loan portfolio at 57.0% of total loans and commercial business loans represent 22.4% of total loans.
In accordance with the Company’s policy guidelines, unsecured loans are generally charged-off when no payments have been received for three consecutive months unless an alternative action plan is in effect. Consumer installment loans delinquent six months or more that have not received at least 75% of their required monthly payment in the last 90 days are charged-off. In addition, loans discharged in bankruptcy proceedings are charged-off. Loans under bankruptcy protection with no payments received for four consecutive months are charged-off. The outstanding balance of a secured loan that is in excess of the net realizable value is generally charged-off if no payments are received for four to five consecutive months. However, charge-offs are postponed if alternative proposals to restructure, obtain additional guarantors, obtain additional assets as collateral or a potential sale of the underlying collateral would result in full repayment of the outstanding loan balance. Once any other potential sources of repayment are exhausted, the impaired portion of the loan is charged-off. Regardless of whether a loan is unsecured or collateralized, once an amount is determined to be a confirmed loan loss it is promptly charged-off.
Asset Classification. Federal regulations provide for the classification of lower quality loans and other assets (such as other real estate owned and repossessed property), debt and equity securities, as substandard, doubtful or loss. An asset is considered substandard if it is inadequately protected by the current net worth and pay capacity of the borrower or of any collateral pledged. Substandard assets have a well-defined weakness and include those characterized by the distinct possibility that the Company will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. Assets classified as doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified substandard with the additional characteristic that the weaknesses present make collection or liquidation in full highly questionable and improbable, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values. Assets classified as loss are those considered uncollectible and of such little value that their continuance as assets without the establishment of a specific loss reserve is not warranted.
When the Company classifies problem assets as either substandard or doubtful, we may determine that the loan is impaired and establish a specific allowance in an amount we deem prudent to address the risk specifically or we may allow the loss to be addressed in the general allowance. General allowances represent loss allowances which have been established to recognize the inherent risk associated with lending activities, but which, unlike specific allowances, have not been specifically allocated to particular problem assets. When a problem asset is classified by us as a loss, we are required to charge off the asset in the period in which it is deemed uncollectible.
The aggregate amount of the Company’s classified loans (comprised entirely of substandard loans), general loss allowances, specific loss allowances and net recoveries were as follows at the dates indicated (in thousands):
At or For the Year
Ended March 31,
2024
2023
Classified loans
$
723
$
2,647
General loss allowances
15,364
15,303
Specific loss allowances
—
6
Net recoveries
(13)
(36)
All loans on non-accrual status as of March 31, 2024 were categorized as classified loans. Classified loans at March 31, 2024 were comprised of two commercial business loans totaling $58,000, two commercial real estate loans totaling $599,000, two multi-family real estate loans totaling $29,000 and one one-to-four family real estate loan for $36,000. The net decrease in classified loans is primarily attributed to the payoff of one commercial real estate loan for $1.5 million during fiscal 2024.
ACL. The Company maintains an ACL to provide for expected credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio consistent with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) guidelines. The adequacy of the ACL is evaluated monthly to maintain levels sufficient to provide for expected credit losses existing at the balance sheet date. For additional discussion of the Company’s methodology for assessing the appropriate level of the ACL see Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Estimates.”
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The Company recorded no provision or recapture of credit losses for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 compared to a provision for loan losses of $750,000 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. This was primarily due to credit upgrades, payoffs of higher credit risk loans, updates to economic forecasts, changes in loan portfolio balances, composition, and characteristics.
At March 31, 2024, the ACL was $15.4 million, or 1.50% of total loans, compared to $15.3 million, or 1.52% of total loans at March 31, 2023. Net recoveries totaled $13,000 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared to $36,000 for the prior fiscal year. The coverage ratio of ACL to nonperforming loans was 8631.46% at March 31, 2024 compared to 826.62% at March 31, 2023. The Company’s general valuation allowance to pooled or “collectively evaluated” loans was 1.50% and 1.52% at March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Criticized loans, which are comprised of watch and special mention loans, increased $17.6 million to $36.7 million at March 31, 2024 from $19.1 million at March 31, 2023. The net increase in criticized loans is mainly attributed to the downgrade of five commercial real estate loans totaling $15.0 million, the largest of which was $5.3 million, and one commercial business loan for $2.5 million. Two of the downgraded commercial real estate loans totaling $8.0 million, including the previously mentioned $5.3 million loan, were to a related borrower. The remaining four loans downgraded in fiscal 2024 totaling $7.9 million were to another related borrower. The $7.9 million includes the previously mentioned $2.5 million commercial business loan along with a $3.8 million commercial real estate loan. The criticized loan balance at March 31, 2024 includes a $15.6 million commercial real estate loan that was downgraded to special mention in fiscal year 2023. The increases in the criticized loans balance at March 31, 2024 compared to March 31, 2023 were partially offset by normal paydowns, payoffs and grade changes totaling $1.9 million.
Classified loans decreased $1.9 million to $723,000 at March 31, 2024 compared to $2.6 million at March 31, 2023. The decrease in classified loans is mainly due to the payoff of a $1.5 million commercial real estate loan that was classified at March 31, 2023.
Management considers the ACL to be adequate at March 31, 2024 to cover expected credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio based on the assessment of various factors affecting the loan portfolio, and the Company believes it has established its existing ACL in accordance with GAAP. However, a decline in national and local economic conditions (including a possible recession and continued inflationary pressures), results of examinations by the Company’s banking regulators, or other factors could result in a material increase in the ACL and may adversely affect the Company’s future financial condition and results of operations. In addition, because future events affecting borrowers and collateral cannot be predicted with certainty, there can be no assurance that the existing ACL will be adequate or that substantial increases will not be necessary should the quality of any loans deteriorate or should collateral values decline as a result of the factors discussed elsewhere in this document.
The following table sets forth the breakdown of the ACL by loan category as of the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
At March 31,
2024
2023
Loan Category
Allowance
Loan Category
Allowance
as a Percent
as a Percent
as a Percent
as a Percent
of Total
of Loan
of Total
of Loan
Amount
Loans
Category
Amount
Loans
Category
Commercial and construction:
Commercial business
$
5,280
22.40
%
2.30
%
$
3,123
23.08
%
1.34
%
Commercial real estate
7,391
56.98
1.27
8,894
55.95
1.58
Land
106
0.56
1.86
93
0.64
1.44
Multi-family
367
6.91
0.52
798
5.54
1.43
Real estate construction
636
3.57
1.74
764
4.73
1.60
Consumer:
Real estate one-to-four family
1,557
9.41
1.62
1,087
9.88
1.09
Other installment
27
0.17
1.55
40
0.18
2.24
Unallocated
—
—
—
510
—
—
Total allowance for credit losses - loans
$
15,364
100.00
%
1.50
%
$
15,309
100.00
%
1.52
%
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The following table shows certain credit ratios at and for the periods indicated and each component of the ratio’s calculations.
At or For the Year Ended March 31,
2024
2023
2022
ACL/ALLL as a percentage of total loans outstanding at period end
1.50
%
1.52
%
1.47
%
ACL/ALLL
$
15,364
$
15,309
$
14,523
Total loans outstanding
1,024,013
1,008,856
990,408
Non-accrual loans as a percentage of total loans outstanding at period end
0.02
%
0.03
%
0.03
%
Total non-accrual loans
$
173
$
283
$
291
Total loans outstanding
1,024,013
1,008,856
990,408
ACL/ALLL as a percentage of non-accrual loans at period end
8,880.92
%
5,409.54
%
4,990.72
%
ACL/ALLL
$
15,364
$
15,309
$
14,523
Total non-accrual loans
173
283
291
Net charge-offs/(recoveries) during period to average loans outstanding:
Commercial business:
—
%
—
%
0.03
%
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)
$
—
$
—
$
69
Average loans receivable, net
239,433
233,884
225,677
Commercial real estate:
—
%
—
%
—
%
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)
$
—
$
—
$
—
Average loans receivable, net
563,023
568,999
559,275
Land:
—
%
—
%
—
%
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)
$
—
$
—
$
—
Average loans receivable, net
6,692
8,486
13,498
Multi-family:
—
%
—
%
—
%
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)
$
—
$
—
$
—
Average loans receivable, net
60,412
57,548
48,651
Real estate construction:
—
%
—
%
—
%
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)
$
—
$
—
$
—
Average loans receivable, net
43,864
38,214
16,828
Consumer:
(0.01)
%
(0.04)
%
(0.06)
%
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)
$
(13)
$
(36)
$
(39)
Average loans receivable, net
97,996
99,914
70,813
Total loans:
—
%
—
%
—
%
Total net recoveries/(recoveries)
$
(13)
$
(36)
$
30
Total average loans receivable, net
1,011,420
1,007,045
934,742
Investment Activities
The Board sets the investment policy of the Company. The Company’s investment objectives are: to provide and maintain liquidity within regulatory guidelines; to maintain a balance of high quality, diversified investments to minimize risk; to provide collateral for pledging requirements; to serve as a balance to earnings; and to optimize returns. The policy permits investment in various types of liquid assets (generally debt and asset-backed securities) permissible under applicable regulations, which includes U.S. Treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies, “bank qualified” municipal bonds, certain certificates of deposit of insured banks, repurchase agreements, federal funds, real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICS”) and mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), but does not permit investment in non-investment grade bonds. The policy also dictates the criteria for classifying investment securities into one of three categories: held to maturity, available for sale or trading. At March 31, 2024, no investment securities were held for trading purposes. At March 31, 2024, the Company’s investment portfolio consisted of solely debt securities and no equity securities. See Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Estimates.”
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Table of Contents
The Company primarily purchases agency securities and a combination of MBS backed by government agencies (FHLMC, Fannie Mae (“FNMA”), SBA or Ginnie Mae (“GNMA”)). FHLMC and FNMA securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, while SBA and GNMA securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. At March 31, 2024, the Company owned no privately issued MBS. Our REMICS are MBS issued by FHLMC, FNMA and GNMA and our CRE MBS are issued by FNMA. The Company does not believe that it has any exposure to sub-prime lending in its investment securities portfolio. See Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional information.
The following table sets forth the investment securities portfolio and carrying values at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
At March 31,
2024
2023
Carrying
Percent of
Carrying
Percent of
Value
Portfolio
Value
Portfolio
Available for sale (at estimated fair value):
Municipal securities
$
35,136
9.43
%
$
40,261
8.84
%
Agency securities
43,577
11.69
85,907
18.87
REMICs
25,665
6.89
28,877
6.34
Residential MBS
12,551
3.37
15,471
3.40
Other MBS
26,267
7.05
40,983
9.00
143,196
38.43
211,499
46.45
Held to maturity (at amortized cost):
Municipal securities
10,321
2.77
10,344
2.27
Agency securities
54,123
14.52
53,941
11.85
REMICs
31,752
8.52
35,186
7.73
Residential MBS
112,834
30.27
123,773
27.18
Other MBS
20,480
5.49
20,599
4.52
229,510
61.57
243,843
53.55
Total investment securities
$
372,706
100.00
%
$
455,342
100.00
%
The following table sets forth the maturities and weighted average yields in the securities portfolio at March 31, 2024 (dollars in thousands):
After One Year
After Five Years
One Year or Less
Through Five Years
Through Ten Years
After Ten Years
Weighted
Weighted
Weighted
Weighted
Average
Average
Average
Average
Amount
Yield (1)
Amount
Yield (1)
Amount
Yield (1)
Amount
Yield (1)
Available for sale:
Municipal securities
$
4,176
4.76
%
$
2,564
2.35
%
$
9,988
2.51
%
$
18,408
2.03
%
Agency securities
14,738
3.33
26,247
1.12
2,592
1.60
—
—
REMICS
—
—
—
—
639
2.28
25,026
1.73
Residential MBS
—
—
1,614
2.19
4,867
1.82
6,070
3.36
Other MBS
278
3.47
5,059
1.80
13,952
1.84
6,978
3.14
Total available for sale
$
19,192
3.64
%
$
35,484
1.35
%
$
32,038
2.03
%
$
56,482
2.15
%
Held to maturity:
Municipal securities
$
—
—
%
$
—
—
%
$
—
—
%
$
10,321
2.34
%
Agency securities
11,900
2.22
36,217
1.59
2,964
1.76
3,042
0.80
REMICS
—
—
—
—
—
—
31,752
1.77
Residential MBS
—
—
—
—
2,081
1.21
110,753
1.77
Other MBS
—
—
3,231
1.95
15,235
1.48
2,014
1.33
Total held to maturity
$
11,900
2.22
%
$
39,448
1.62
%
$
20,280
1.49
%
$
157,882
1.78
%
(1) The weighted average yields are calculated by multiplying each amortized cost value by its yield and dividing the sum of these results by the total amortized cost values. Yields on tax-exempt investments are not calculated on a fully tax equivalent basis.
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Management reviews investment securities quarterly to determine if an ACL is required, taking into consideration current market conditions, the extent and nature of changes in estimated fair value, issuer rating changes and trends, financial condition of the underlying issuers, current analysts’ evaluations, the Company’s ability and intent to hold investments until a recovery of estimated fair value, which may be maturity, as well as other factors. There was no ACL and OTTI recorded for investment securities for the years ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. See Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for additional information regarding investment securities.
Deposit Activities and Other Sources of Funds
General. Deposits, loan repayments and loan sales are the major sources of the Company’s funds for lending and other investment purposes. Loan repayments are a relatively stable source of funds, while deposit inflows and outflows and loan prepayments are significantly influenced by general interest rates and money market conditions. Borrowings may be used on a short-term basis to compensate for reductions in the availability of funds from other sources. They may also be used on a longer-term basis for general business purposes.
Deposit Accounts. The Company attracts deposits from within its primary market area by offering a broad selection of deposit instruments, including demand deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal (“NOW”) accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit and retirement savings plans. The Company has focused on building customer relationship deposits which include both business and consumer depositors. Deposit account terms vary according to, among other factors, the minimum balance required, the time periods the funds must remain on deposit and the interest rate. In determining the terms of its deposit accounts, the Company considers the rates offered by its competition, profitability to the Company, matching deposit and loan products and customer preferences and concerns.
The following table sets forth the average balances and interest rates of deposit accounts held by the Company at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
Year Ended March 31,
2024
2023
2022
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
Balance
Rate
Balance
Rate
Balance
Rate
Non-interest-bearing demand
$
376,694
0.00
%
$
480,029
0.00
%
$
476,203
0.00
%
Interest-bearing checking
243,904
0.32
286,627
0.03
279,053
0.03
Savings accounts
217,538
0.06
308,840
0.07
318,885
0.08
Money market accounts
233,749
1.22
266,795
0.16
272,161
0.06
Certificates of deposit
157,126
2.87
103,484
0.75
117,391
0.80
Total
$
1,229,011
0.67
%
$
1,445,775
0.10
%
$
1,463,693
0.10
%
Deposit accounts totaled $1.2 billion at March 31, 2024 compared to $1.3 billion at March 31, 2023. The Company did not have any wholesale-brokered deposits at March 31, 2024 and 2023. The Company continues to focus on core deposits and growth generated by customer relationships as opposed to obtaining deposits through the wholesale markets, although the Company continued to experience competition for customer deposits within its market area during fiscal year 2024. Core branch deposits (comprised of demand, savings, interest checking accounts and certificates of deposit, excluding wholesale-brokered deposits, trust account deposits, Lawyer Trust Accounts (“IOLTA”), public funds, and internet-based deposits) at March 31, 2024 decreased $26.9 million since March 31, 2023 due to deposit pricing pressures in our market and customers seeking higher yielding investment alternatives. At March 31, 2024, the Company had $39.6 million, or 3.22% of total deposits, in Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”) and Insured Cash Sweep (“ICS”) deposits, which were gathered from customers within the Company’s primary market-area. CDARS and ICS deposits allow customers access to FDIC insurance on deposits exceeding the $250,000 FDIC insurance limit.
At March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company also had $13.2 million and $21.3 million, respectively, in deposits from public entities located in the States of Washington and Oregon, all of which were fully covered by FDIC insurance or secured by pledged collateral.
The Company is enrolled in an internet deposit listing service. Under this listing service, the Company may post certificates of deposit rates on an internet site where institutional investors have the ability to deposit funds with the Company. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not have any deposits through this listing service as the Company chose not to utilize these
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internet-based deposits. Although the Company did not originate any internet based deposits during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, the Company may do so in the future consistent with its asset/liability objectives.
Deposit growth remains a key strategic focus for the Company and our ability to achieve deposit growth, particularly in core deposits, is subject to many risk factors including the effects of competitive pricing pressures, changing customer deposit behavior, and increasing or decreasing interest rate environments. Adverse developments with respect to any of these risk factors could limit the Company’s ability to attract and retain deposits and could have a material negative impact on the Company’s future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
As of March 31, 2024 and 2023, approximately $297.2 million and $225.7 million, respectively, of our deposit portfolio was uninsured. The uninsured amounts are estimates based on the methodologies and assumptions used for the Bank’s regulatory reporting requirements. The following table presents the maturity period and amount of certificates of deposit greater than $250,000 at March 31, 2024 (dollars in thousands):
Maturity Period
Amount
Three months or less
$
22,405
Over three through six months
16,283
Over six through 12 months
14,860
Over 12 months
2,125
Total
$
55,673
For more information, see also Note 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Borrowings. The Company relies upon advances from the FHLB and borrowings from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (“FRB”), as needed, to supplement its supply of lendable funds and to meet deposit withdrawal requirements. Advances from the FHLB and borrowings from the FRB are typically secured by the Bank’s commercial business loans, commercial real estate loans, one-to-four family real estate loans, and pledged securities. At March 31, 2024, the Bank had FHLB advances totaling $88.3 million and no FRB borrowings compared to $123.8 million in FHLB advances and no FRB borrowings at March 31, 2023.
The FHLB functions as a central reserve bank providing credit for member financial institutions. As a member, the Bank is required to own capital stock in the FHLB and is authorized to apply for advances on the security of such stock and certain of its mortgage loans and other assets (primarily securities which are obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S.) provided certain standards related to credit-worthiness have been met. The FHLB determines specific lines of credit for each member institution and the Bank has a line of credit with the FHLB equal to 45% of its total assets to the extent the Bank provides qualifying collateral and holds sufficient FHLB stock. At March 31, 2024, the Bank had an available credit capacity of $714.8 million, subject to sufficient collateral and stock investment.
The Bank also has a borrowing arrangement with the FRB with an available credit facility of $284.5 million, subject to pledged collateral, as of March 31, 2024. The following table sets forth certain information concerning the Company’s borrowings for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):
Year Ended March 31,
2024
2023
2022
Maximum amounts of FHLB advances outstanding at any month end
$
180,454
$
123,754
$
—
Average FHLB advances outstanding
146,555
21,045
3
Weighted average rate on FHLB advances
5.40
%
4.88
%
0.31
%
Maximum amounts of FRB borrowings outstanding at any month end
$
—
$
—
$
—
Average FRB borrowings outstanding
10
13
3
Weighted average rate on FRB borrowings
5.40
%
4.62
%
0.25
%
At March 31, 2024, the Company had three wholly-owned subsidiary grantor trusts totaling $27.0 million that were established for the purpose of issuing trust preferred securities and common securities. The trust preferred securities accrue and pay distributions periodically at specified annual rates as provided in each trust agreement. The trusts used the net proceeds from each of the offerings to purchase a like amount of junior subordinated debentures (the “Debentures”) of the Company. The Debentures are the sole assets of the trusts. The Company’s obligations under the Debentures and related documents, taken together, constitute a full and unconditional guarantee by the Company of the obligations of the trusts. The trust preferred securities are mandatorily
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redeemable upon maturity of the Debentures or upon earlier redemption as provided in the indentures. The Company has the right to redeem the Debentures in whole or in part on or after specific dates, at a redemption price specified in the indentures governing the Debentures plus any accrued but unpaid interest to the redemption date. The Company also has the right to defer the payment of interest on each of the Debentures for a period not to exceed 20 consecutive quarters, provided that the deferral period does not extend beyond the stated maturity. During such deferral period, distributions on the corresponding trust preferred securities will also be deferred and the Company may not pay cash dividends to the holders of shares of the Company’s common stock. The common securities issued by the grantor trusts are held by the Company, and the Company’s investment in the common securities of $836,000 at both March 31, 2024 and 2023 is included in prepaid expenses and other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets included in the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K. For more information, see also Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Taxation
For details regarding the Company’s taxes, see Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Employees and Human Capital
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had 226 full-time equivalent employees, none of whom are represented by a collective bargaining unit. The Company believes its relationship with its employees is good.
To attract and retain talent, we strive to create an inclusive, safe and healthy workplace, with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by competitive compensation and benefits programs. Our workforce is comprised of approximately 66.8% women and 33.2% men, with 58.0% of our management roles held by women and 42.0% by men. The average tenure of our employees is 7.4 years. The ethnicity of our workforce was 80.9% White, 5.8% Asian, 5.8% Hispanic or Latinx, 2.5% African American or Black, 2.1% two or more races, 1.7% American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 1.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Benefit programs include quarterly or annual incentive opportunities, a Company sponsored Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”), a Company-matched 401(k) Plan, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, and employee assistance programs including educational reimbursement opportunities.
The Company recognizes that the skills and knowledge of its employees are critical to the success of the organization, and promotes training and continuing education as an ongoing function for its employees. The Bank’s compliance training program provides required annual training courses to assure that all employees know the rules applicable to their jobs.
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Corporate Information
The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 900 Washington Street, Vancouver, Washington 98660. Its telephone number is (360) 693-6650. The Company maintains a website with the address www.riverviewbank.com. The information contained on the Company’s website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Other than an investor’s own internet access charges, the Company makes available free of charge through its website the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after it has electronically filed such material with, or furnished such material to, the SEC.
Subsidiary Activities
Riverview has one operating subsidiary, the Bank. The Bank has two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Riverview Services and the Trust Company.
Riverview Services acts as a trustee for deeds of trust on mortgage loans granted by the Bank and receives a reconveyance fee for each deed of trust. Riverview Services had net income of $12,000 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and total assets of $1.3 million at March 31, 2024. Riverview Services’ operations are included in the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
The Trust Company is an asset management company providing trust, estate planning and investment management services. The Trust Company had net income of $2.0 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and total assets of $10.8 million at March 31, 2024. The Trust Company earns fees on the management of assets held in fiduciary or agency capacity. At March 31, 2024, total assets under management were $961.8 million. The Trust Company’s operations are included in the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
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Information about our Executive Officers . The following table sets forth certain information regarding the executive officers of the Company and its subsidiaries:
Name
Age (1)
Position
Daniel D. Cox
46
Acting President/Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer
David Lam
47
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Robert Benke
54
Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer
Michael Sventek
60
Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer
Evan Sowers
46
President and Chief Executive Officer of Riverview Trust Company
(1) At March 31, 2024
Daniel D. Cox is Acting President/Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Mr. Cox joined the Bank in August 2002 and spent five years as a commercial lender and progressed through the credit administration function, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. Mr. Cox holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a major emphasis in Finance from Washington State University and was an Honor Roll graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School. Mr. Cox is an active mentor in the local schools and was the Past Treasurer and Endowment Chair for the Washougal Schools Foundation and Past Board Member of Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce.
David Lam is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, positions he has held since July 2017. Prior to July 2017, Mr. Lam served as Senior Vice President and Controller of the Bank since 2008. He is responsible for accounting, SEC reporting and treasury functions for the Bank and the Company. Prior to joining Riverview, Mr. Lam spent ten years working in the public accounting sector advancing to the level of audit manager. Mr. Lam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from Oregon State University. Mr. Lam is a certified public accountant (CPA), holds a chartered global management accountant designation and is a member of both the American Institute of CPAs and Oregon Society of CPAs.
Robert Benke is Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of the Bank. Previously, Mr. Benke was Senior Vice President/Senior Credit Administrator, a position he has held since March 2016. Mr. Benke joined Riverview in July 2004 and spent five years as a commercial lender and progressed through the credit administration function starting in 2012 most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Credit Administration. He is responsible for credit administration related to the Bank’s commercial, and consumer loan activities. He holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Washington State University, a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Whitman College, and is a 2015 graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School. Mr. Benke is an active board member of the Washington State University – Vancouver MAP Program.
Michael Sventek is Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of the Bank. Mr. Sventek has over 32 years of experience in community banking, having most recently served as Commercial Banking Market Director for Umpqua Bank. Prior to that, he served as Commercial Banking President for BBVA USA. Throughout his career, Mr. Sventek served as a highly visible finance leader for community banks and brings a vast amount of experience in commercial banking and lending. Mr. Sventek graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Engineering from Northern Arizona University and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School.
Evan Sowers is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Trust Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank. Mr. Sowers joined the Trust Company in 2022, after having spent twenty-two years working in trusts and investments. Mr. Sowers was managing director of private banking and wealth management and led the region for a large trust company in the Midwest. Mr. Sowers holds an MBA in Finance, Accounting and Investment Banking from Washington University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri.
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REGULATION
General.
On April 28, 2021, the Bank converted from a federally chartered savings bank to a Washington state-chartered commercial bank. As a Washington state-chartered commercial bank, the Bank’s regulators are the WDFI and the FDIC, rather than the OCC. The Company converted from a Savings and Loan Holding Company to a Bank Holding Company and the Federal Reserve remained its primary federal regulator.
The following is a brief description of certain laws and regulations which are applicable to the Company and the Bank. The description of these laws and regulations, as well as descriptions of laws and regulations contained elsewhere herein, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable laws and regulations.
Legislation is introduced from time to time in the United States Congress (“Congress”) or the Washington State Legislature that may affect the Company’s and Bank’s operations. In addition, the regulations governing the Company and the Bank may be amended from time to time by the WDFI, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve or the SEC, as appropriate. Any such legislation or regulatory changes in the future could have an adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. We cannot predict whether any such changes may occur.
The WDFI and FDIC have extensive enforcement authority over all Washington state-chartered commercial banks, including the Bank. The Federal Reserve has the same type of authority over Riverview.
Regulation and Supervision of the Bank
General. As a state-chartered commercial bank, the Bank is subject to applicable provisions of Washington state law and regulations of the WDFI in addition to federal law and regulations of the FDIC applicable to state banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System. State law and regulations govern the Bank’s ability to take deposits and pay interest, to make loans on or invest in residential and other real estate, to make consumer loans, to invest in securities, to offer various banking services to its customers and to establish branch offices. Under state law, commercial banks in Washington also generally have all of the powers that national banks have under federal laws and regulations. The Bank is subject to periodic examination by and reporting requirements of the WDFI and FDIC.
Capital Requirements. Federally insured financial institutions, such as the Bank and their holding companies, are required to maintain a minimum level of regulatory capital. The Bank is subject to capital regulations adopted by the FDIC, which establish minimum required ratios for a common equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) capital to risk-based assets ratio, a Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio, a total capital to risk-based assets ratio and a Tier 1 capital to total assets leverage ratio. The capital standards require the maintenance of the following minimum capital ratios: (i) a CET1 capital ratio of 4.5%; (ii) a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6%; (iii) a total capital ratio of 8%; and (iv) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4%. Consolidated regulatory capital requirements identical to those applicable to subsidiary banks generally apply to bank holding companies. However, the Federal Reserve has provided a “Small Bank Holding Company” exception to its consolidated capital requirements, and bank holding companies with less than $3.0 billion of consolidated assets are not subject to the consolidated holding company capital requirements unless otherwise directed by the Federal Reserve.
The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (“EGRRCPA”), enacted in May 2018, required the federal banking agencies, including the FDIC, to establish for institutions with assets of less than $10 billion a “community bank leverage ratio” or “CBLR” of between 8 to 10%. Institutions with capital meeting or exceeding the ratio and otherwise complying with the specified requirements (including off-balance sheet exposures of 25% or less of total assets and trading assets and liabilities of 5% or less of total assets) and electing the alternative framework are considered to comply with the applicable regulatory capital requirements, including the risk-based requirements. The CBLR was established at 9% Tier 1 capital to total average assets, effective January 1, 2020. A qualifying institution may opt in and out of the community bank leverage ratio framework on its quarterly call report. An institution that temporarily ceases to meet any qualifying criteria is provided with a two- quarter grace period to again achieve compliance. Failure to meet the qualifying criteria within the grace period or maintain a leverage ratio of 8% or greater requires the institution to comply with the generally applicable capital requirements. The Bank has not elected to use the CBLR framework as of March 31, 2024.
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Certain changes in what constitutes regulatory capital, including the phasing out of certain instruments as qualifying capital, are subject to transition periods, most of which have expired. The Bank does not have any such instruments. Because of the Bank’s asset size, the Bank elected to take a one-time option to permanently opt-out of the inclusion of unrealized gains and losses on available for sale debt and equity securities in its capital calculations.
The Bank also must maintain a capital conservation buffer consisting of additional CET1 capital greater than 2.5% of risk-weighted assets above the required minimum risk-based capital levels in order to avoid limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses.
In order to be considered well-capitalized under the prompt corrective action regulations described below, the Bank must maintain a CET1 risk-based ratio of 6.5%, a Tier 1 risk-based ratio of 8%, a total risk-based capital ratio of 10% and a leverage ratio of 5%, and the Bank must not be subject to an individualized order, directive or agreement under which its primary federal banking regulator requires it to maintain a specific capital level. As of March 31, 2024, the Bank met the requirements to be “well capitalized” and met the fully phased-in capital conservation buffer requirement. For a complete description of the Bank’s required and actual capital levels on March 31, 2024, see Note 12 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
On April 1, 2023, the company adopted a new accounting standard for GAAP referred to as Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) which requires FDIC-insured institutions and their holding companies (banking organizations) to recognize credit losses expected over the life of certain financial assets. CECL covers a broader range of assets than the prior method of recognizing credit losses and generally results in earlier recognition of credit losses. Upon adoption of CECL, a banking organization must record a one-time adjustment to its credit loss allowances as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of credit loss allowances under the previous methodology and the amount required under CECL. For a banking organization, implementation of CECL may reduce retained earnings, and affect other items, in a manner that reduces its regulatory capital. The Company recorded a one-time adjustment to its allowance for credit losses of $42,000 with the adoption of CECL.
The federal banking regulators (the Federal Reserve, the OCC and the FDIC) have adopted a rule that gives a banking organization the option to phase in over a three-year period the day-one adverse effects of CECL on its regulatory capital. The Company elected this option.
Prompt Corrective Action. Federal statutes establish a supervisory framework for FDIC-insured institutions based on five capital categories: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. An institution’s category generally depends upon where its capital levels are in relation to relevant capital measures, which include risk-based capital measures, a leverage ratio capital measure, and certain other factors. An institution that is not well capitalized is subject to certain restrictions on brokered deposits, including restrictions on the rates it can offer on its deposits generally. Any institution which is neither well capitalized nor adequately capitalized is considered under- capitalized. The previously referenced final rule establishing an elective “community bank leverage ratio” regulatory capital framework provides that a qualifying institution whose capital exceeds the CBLR and opts to use that framework will be considered “well capitalized” for purposes of prompt corrective action.
Undercapitalized institutions are subject to certain prompt corrective action requirements, regulatory controls and restrictions which become more extensive as an institution becomes more severely undercapitalized. Failure by the Bank to comply with applicable capital requirements would, if unremedied, result in progressively more severe restrictions on its activities and lead to enforcement actions, including, but not limited to, the issuance of a capital directive to ensure the maintenance of required capital levels and, ultimately, the appointment of the FDIC as receiver or conservator. Banking regulators will take prompt corrective action with respect to depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. Additionally, approval of any regulatory application filed for their review may be dependent on compliance with capital requirements.
Federal Home Loan Bank System. The Bank is a member of the FHLB, which is one of 11 regional Federal Home Loan Banks that administer the home financing credit function of savings institutions, each of which serves as a reserve or central bank for its members within its assigned region. The FHLB is funded primarily from proceeds derived from the sale of consolidated obligations of the FHLB System. Loans or advances are made to members in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Board of Directors of the FHLB, which are subject to the oversight of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. All advances from the FHLB are required to be fully secured by sufficient collateral as determined by the FHLB. In addition, all long-term advances are required to provide funds for residential home financing. See Business – “Deposit Activities and Other Sources of
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Funds – Borrowings.” As a member, the Bank is required to purchase and maintain stock in the FHLB. At March 31, 2024, the Bank held $4.9 million in FHLB stock, which is comprised of $953,000 of membership stock and $4.0 million of activity stock from borrowing activities. At March 31, 2024, the Bank is in compliance with FHLB stock requirements. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, the Bank redeemed $964,000 of FHLB membership stock at par due to the decrease in the Bank’s consolidated assets at December 31, 2023 as compared to December 31, 2022 along with a reduction of capital stock requirement percentage from 0.12% to 0.06% of the Bank’s consolidated assets.
The FHLB continues to contribute to low- and moderately-priced housing programs through direct loans or interest subsidies on advances targeted for community investment and low- and moderate-income housing projects. These contributions have adversely affected the level of FHLB dividends paid and could continue to do so in the future. These contributions could also have an adverse effect on the value of FHLB stock in the future. A reduction in the value of the Bank’s FHLB stock may result in a decrease in net income and possibly capital.
Insurance of Accounts and Regulation by the FDIC. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to $250,000 per separately insured deposit ownership right or category by the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) of the FDIC. As insurer, the FDIC imposes deposit insurance premiums and is authorized to conduct examinations of, and to require reporting by, FDIC-insured institutions. The FDIC assesses deposit insurance premiums quarterly on each FDIC-insured institution applied to its deposit base, which is their average consolidated total assets minus its Tier 1 capital. No institution may pay a dividend if it is in default on its federal deposit insurance assessment. Total base assessment rates currently range from 2.5 to 32 basis points subject to certain adjustments for institutions considered a “Small Bank” like the Bank.
Extraordinary growth in insured deposits during the first and second quarters of 2020 caused the DIF reserve ratio to decline below the statutory minimum of 1.35 percent as of June 30, 2020. In September 2020, the FDIC Board of Directors adopted a Restoration Plan to restore the reserve ratio to at least 1.35 percent within eight years, absent extraordinary circumstances, as required by the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The Restoration Plan maintained the assessment rate schedules in place at the time and required the FDIC to update its analysis and projections for the deposit insurance fund balance and reserve ratio at least semiannually. In the semiannual update for the Restoration Plan in June 2022, the FDIC projected that the reserve ratio was at risk of not reaching the statutory minimum of 1.35 percent by September 30, 2028, the statutory deadline to restore the reserve ratio. Based on this update, the FDIC Board approved an Amended Restoration Plan, and concurrently proposed an increase in initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules uniformly by two basis points, applicable to all insured depository institutions. In October 2022, the FDIC Board finalized the increase with an effective date of January 1, 2023, applicable to the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. The revised assessment rate schedules are intended to increase the likelihood that the reserve ratio of the DIF reaches the statutory minimum level of 1.35 percent by September 30, 2028. Revised assessment rate schedules will remain in effect unless and until the reserve ratio meets or exceeds two percent, absent further action by the FDIC Board. A significant increase in insurance premiums or a special assessment levied by the FDIC could likely have an adverse effect on the operating expenses and results of operations of the Bank. There can be no prediction as to what changes in insurance assessment rates may be made in the future. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, the Bank’s FDIC deposit insurance premiums totaled $708,000.
The FDIC also may prohibit any insured institution from engaging in any activity the FDIC determines by regulation or order to pose a serious risk to the DIF. The FDIC also has the authority to take enforcement actions against banks and savings associations. Management is not aware of any existing circumstances which would result in termination of the Bank’s deposit insurance.
Activities and Investments of Insured State-Chartered Financial Institutions. Federal law generally limits the activities and equity investments of FDIC-insured, state-chartered banks to those that are permissible for national banks. An insured state bank is not prohibited from, among other things, (1) acquiring or retaining a majority interest in a subsidiary, (2) investing as a limited partner in a partnership the sole purpose of which is direct or indirect investment in the acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of a qualified housing project, provided that such limited partnership investments may not exceed 2% of the bank’s total assets, (3) acquiring up to 10% of the voting stock of a company that solely provides or reinsures directors’, trustees’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage or bankers’ blanket bond group insurance coverage for insured depository institutions and (4) acquiring or retaining the voting shares of a depository institution owned by another FDIC-insured institution if certain requirements are met.
Washington State has enacted a law regarding financial institution parity. Primarily, the law affords Washington state-chartered commercial banks the same powers as Washington state-chartered savings banks and provides that Washington state-chartered commercial banks may exercise any of the powers that the Federal Reserve has determined to be closely related to the business of banking and the powers of national banks, subject to the approval of the Director of the WDFI in certain situations. Finally, the law provides additional flexibility for Washington state-chartered commercial and savings banks with respect to interest rates on
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loans and other extensions of credit. Specifically, they may charge the maximum interest rate allowable for loans and other extensions of credit by federally-chartered financial institutions to Washington residents.
Transactions with Affiliates. Riverview and the Bank are separate and distinct legal entities. The Bank is an affiliate of Riverview and any non-bank subsidiary of Riverview, federal laws strictly limit the ability of banks to engage in certain transactions with their affiliates. Transactions deemed to be a “covered transaction” under Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act between a bank and an affiliate are limited to 10% of a bank’s capital and surplus and, with respect to all affiliates, to an aggregate of 20% of a bank’s capital and surplus. Further, covered transactions that are loans and extensions of credit generally are required to be secured by eligible collateral in specified amounts. Federal law also requires that covered transactions and certain other transactions listed in Section 23B of the Federal Reserve Act between a bank and its affiliates be on terms as favorable to a bank as transactions with non-affiliates.
Community Reinvestment Act. The Bank is subject to the provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (“CRA”), which require the appropriate federal bank regulatory agency to assess a bank’s performance under the CRA in meeting the credit needs of the community serviced by the Bank, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The regulatory agency’s assessment of the Bank’s record is made available to the public. Further, a bank’s CRA performance must be considered in connection with a bank’s application, to among other things, establish a new branch office that will accept deposits, relocate an existing office or merge or consolidate with, or acquire the assets or assume the liabilities of, a federally regulated financial institution. An unsatisfactory rating may be the basis for denial of certain applications. The Bank received a “satisfactory” rating during its most recent CRA examination.
On October 24, 2023, the FDIC and other federal banking agencies issued a final rule to strengthen and modernize the CRA regulations. The changes are designed to encourage banks to expand access to credit, investment, and banking services in low- and moderate-income communities, adapt to changes in the banking industry, including mobile and internet banking, provide greater clarity and consistency in the application of the CRA regulations and tailor CRA evaluations and data collection to bank size and type. The final rule establishes a revised regulatory framework for the CRA that, like the current framework, is based on bank asset size and business model. Under the final rule, banks (such as the Bank) with assets of at least $600 million as of December 31 in both of the prior two calendar years and less than $2 billion as of December 31 in either of the prior two calendar years will be an “intermediate bank.” Intermediate banks will be evaluated under the new Retail Lending Test, and either the current rule’s community development test or, at the Bank’s option, the new Community Development Financing Test. The applicability date for the majority of the provisions in the CRA regulations is January 1, 2026, and additional requirements will be applicable on January 1, 2027.
Dividends. The amount of dividends payable by the Bank to Riverview depends upon the Bank’s earnings and capital position, and is limited by federal and state laws, regulations and policies. Under Washington law, the Bank may not declare or pay a cash dividend on its capital stock if it would cause its net worth to be reduced below (1) the amount required for liquidation accounts or (2) the net worth requirements, if any, imposed by the Director of the WDFI. In addition, dividends may not be declared or paid if the Bank is in default in payment of any assessments due to the FDIC. Dividends on the Bank’s capital stock may not be paid in an aggregate amount greater than the aggregate retained earnings of the Bank, without the approval of the Director of the WDFI.
The amount of dividends actually paid during any one period is affected by the Bank’s policy of maintaining a strong capital position. Federal law further restricts dividends payable by an institution that does not meet the capital conservation buffer requirement and provides that no insured depository institution may pay a cash dividend if it would cause the institution to be “undercapitalized,” as defined in the prompt corrective action regulations. Moreover, the federal bank regulatory agencies also have the general authority to limit the dividends paid by insured banks if such payments are deemed to constitute an unsafe and unsound practice.
Standards for Safety and Soundness. Each federal banking agency, including the FDIC, has adopted guidelines establishing general standards relating to internal controls, information and internal audit systems; loan documentation; credit underwriting; interest rate risk exposure; asset growth; asset quality; earnings; and compensation, fees and benefits. In general, the guidelines require, among other things, appropriate systems and practices to identify and manage the risks and exposures specified in the guidelines. The guidelines prohibit excessive compensation as an unsafe and unsound practice and describe compensation as excessive when the amounts paid are unreasonable or disproportionate to the services performed by an executive officer, employee, director, or principal shareholder. If the FDIC determines that an institution fails to meet any of these guidelines, it may
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require an institution to submit to the FDIC an acceptable plan to achieve compliance. Management of the Bank is not aware of any conditions relating to these safety and soundness standards which would require submission of a plan of compliance.
Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve requires all depository institutions to maintain reserves at specified levels against their transaction accounts, primarily checking accounts. At March 31, 2024, the Bank was not required to maintain any reserve balances.
The Bank is authorized to borrow from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s “discount window.” An eligible institution need not exhaust other sources of funds before going to the discount window, nor are there restrictions on the purposes for which the institution can use primary credit. At March 31, 2024, the Bank had no outstanding borrowings from the Federal Reserve.
Commercial Real Estate Lending Concentrations . The federal banking agencies have issued guidance on sound risk management practices for concentrations in commercial real estate lending. The particular focus is on exposure to commercial real estate loans that are dependent on the cash flow from the real estate held as collateral and that are likely to be sensitive to conditions in the commercial real estate market (as opposed to real estate collateral held as a secondary source of repayment or as an abundance of caution). The purpose of the guidance is not to limit a bank’s commercial real estate lending but to guide banks in developing risk management practices and capital levels commensurate with the level and nature of real estate concentrations. The guidance directs the FDIC and other federal bank regulatory agencies to focus their supervisory resources on institutions that may have significant commercial real estate loan concentration risk. A bank that has experienced rapid growth in commercial real estate lending, has notable exposure to a specific type of commercial real estate loan, or is approaching or exceeding the following supervisory criteria may be identified for further supervisory analysis with respect to real estate concentration risk:
● Total reported loans for construction, land development and other land represent 100% or more of the bank’s capital; or
● Total commercial real estate loans (as defined in the guidance) represent 300% or more of the bank’s total capital or the outstanding balance of the bank’s commercial real estate loan portfolio has increased 50% or more during the prior 36 months.
The guidance provides that the strength of an institution’s lending and risk management practices with respect to such concentrations will be taken into account in supervisory guidance on evaluation of capital adequacy.
Environmental Issues Associated with Real Estate Lending. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), is a federal statute that generally imposes strict liability on all prior and present “owners and operators” of sites containing hazardous waste. However, Congress acted to protect secured creditors by providing that the term “owner and operator” excludes a person whose ownership is limited to protecting its security interest in the site. Since the enactment of the CERCLA, this “secured creditor exemption” has been the subject of judicial interpretations which have left open the possibility that lenders could be liable for cleanup costs on contaminated property that they hold as collateral for a loan. To the extent that legal uncertainty exists in this area, all creditors, including the Bank, that have made loans secured by properties with potentially hazardous waste contamination (such as petroleum contamination) could be subject to liability for cleanup costs, which could substantially exceed the value of the collateral property.
Anti-Money Laundering and Customer Identification. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”) was signed into law on October 26, 2001. The USA PATRIOT Act and the Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money laundering and terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These rules require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers seeking to open new financial accounts, and, effective in 2018, the beneficial owners of accounts. Bank regulators are directed to consider a holding company’s effectiveness in combating money laundering when ruling on Bank Holding Company Act and Bank Merger Act applications.
Privacy Standards and Cybersecurity. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 modernized the financial services industry by establishing a comprehensive framework to permit affiliations among commercial banks, insurance companies, securities firms and other financial service providers. Federal banking agencies, including the FDIC, have adopted guidelines for establishing information security standards and cybersecurity programs for implementing safeguards under the supervision of the board of directors. These guidelines, along with related regulatory materials, increasingly focus on risk management and processes related to information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial services.
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These regulations require the Bank to disclose its privacy policy, including informing consumers of its information sharing practices and informing consumers of their rights to opt out of certain practices. In addition, Washington State and other federal and state cybersecurity and data privacy laws and regulations may expose the Bank to risk and result in certain risk management costs. In addition, on November 18, 2021, the federal banking agencies announced the adoption of a final rule providing for new notification requirements for banking organizations and their service providers for significant cybersecurity incidents. Specifically, the new rule requires a banking organization to notify its primary federal regulator as soon as possible, and no later than 36 hours after, the banking organization determines that a “computer-security incident” rising to the level of a “notification incident” has occurred. Notification is required for incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the viability of a banking organization’s operations, its ability to deliver banking products and services, or the stability of the financial sector. Service providers are required under the rule to notify affected banking organization customers as soon as possible when the provider determines that it has experienced a computer-security incident that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect the banking organization’s customers for four or more hours. Compliance with the new rule was required by May 1, 2022. Non-compliance with federal or similar state privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations could lead to substantial regulatory imposed fines and penalties, damages from private causes of action and/or reputational harm.
In July 2023, the SEC adopted rules requiring registrants to disclose material cybersecurity incidents they experience and to disclose on an annual basis material information regarding their cybersecurity risk management, strategy, and governance. The new rules require registrants to disclose on Form 8-K any cybersecurity incident they determine to be material and to describe the material aspects of the incident's nature, scope, and timing, as well as its material impact or reasonably likely material impact on the registrant.
Other Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) and empowered it to exercise broad regulatory, supervisory and enforcement authority with respect to both new and existing consumer financial protection laws. The Bank is subject to consumer protection regulations issued by the CFPB, but as a financial institution with assets of less than $10 billion, the Bank is generally subject to supervision and enforcement by the FDIC with respect to its compliance with federal consumer financial protection laws and CFPB regulations.
The Bank is subject to a broad array of federal and state consumer protection laws and regulations that govern almost every aspect of its business relationships with consumers. While not exhaustive, these laws and regulations include the Truth-in-Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Right to Financial Privacy Act, the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act, the Consumer Leasing Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Homeowners Protection Act, the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, laws governing flood insurance, laws governing consumer protections in connection with the sale of insurance, federal and state laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive business practices and various regulations that implement some or all of the foregoing. These laws and regulations mandate certain disclosure requirements and regulate the manner in which financial institutions must deal with customers when taking deposits, making loans, collecting loans and providing other services. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations can subject the Bank to various penalties, including but not limited to, enforcement actions, injunctions, fines, civil liability, criminal penalties, punitive damages and the loss of certain contractual rights.
Regulation and Supervision of Riverview Bancorp, Inc.
General. Riverview as sole shareholder of the Bank, is a bank holding company registered with the Federal Reserve. Bank holding companies are subject to comprehensive regulation by the Federal Reserve under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHCA”), and the regulations of the Federal Reserve. Accordingly, Riverview is required to file semi-annual reports with the Federal Reserve and provide additional information as the Federal Reserve may require. The Federal Reserve may examine Riverview, and any of its subsidiaries, and charge Riverview for the cost of the examination. The Federal Reserve also has extensive enforcement authority over bank holding companies, including, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, to issue cease and desist or removal orders and to require that a holding company divest subsidiaries (including its bank subsidiaries). In general, enforcement actions may be initiated for violations of law and regulations and unsafe or unsound practices. Riverview, as a public company, is also required to file certain reports and otherwise comply with the rules and regulations of the SEC. See “Federal Securities Laws” below.
The Bank Holding Company Act. Under the BHCA, Riverview is supervised by the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has a policy that a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary bank
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and may not conduct its operations in an unsafe or unsound manner. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act and earlier Federal Reserve policy provide that a bank holding company should serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary bank by having the ability to provide financial assistance to its subsidiary bank during periods of financial distress to the bank. A bank holding company’s failure to meet its obligation to serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary bank will generally be considered by the Federal Reserve to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice or a violation of the Federal Reserve’s regulations or both. No regulations have yet been proposed by the Federal Reserve to implement the source of strength provisions required by the Dodd-Frank Act. Riverview and any subsidiaries that it may control are considered “affiliates” within the meaning of the Federal Reserve Act, and transactions between the Bank and affiliates are subject to numerous restrictions. With some exceptions, Riverview and its subsidiaries are prohibited from tying the provision of various services, such as extensions of credit, to other services offered by Riverview or by its affiliates.
Acquisitions. The BHCA prohibits a bank holding company, with certain exceptions, from acquiring ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company that is not a bank or bank holding company and from engaging in activities other than those of banking, managing or controlling banks, or providing services for its subsidiaries. Under the BHCA, the Federal Reserve may approve the ownership of shares by a bank holding company in any company, the activities of which the Federal Reserve has determined to be so closely related to the business of banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. These activities include: operating a savings institution, mortgage company, finance company, credit card company or factoring company; performing certain data processing operations; providing certain investment and financial advice; underwriting and acting as an insurance agent for certain types of credit-related insurance; leasing property on a full-payout, non-operating basis; selling money orders, travelers’ checks and U.S. Savings Bonds; real estate and personal property appraising; providing tax planning and preparation services; and, subject to certain limitations, providing securities brokerage services for customers. The Federal Reserve must approve the acquisition (or acquisition of control) of a bank or other FDIC-insured depository institution by a bank holding company, and the appropriate federal banking regulator must approve a bank’s acquisition (or acquisition of control) of another bank or other FDIC-insured institution.
Acquisition of Control of a Bank Holding Company. Under federal law, a notice or application must be submitted to the appropriate federal banking regulator if any person (including a company), or group acting in concert, seeks to acquire “control” of a bank holding company. An acquisition of control can occur upon the acquisition of 10% or more of the voting stock of a bank holding company or as otherwise defined by federal regulations. In considering such a notice or application, the Federal Reserve takes into consideration certain factors, including the financial and managerial resources of the acquirer and the anti-trust effects of the acquisition. Any company that acquires control becomes subject to regulation as a bank holding company. Depending on circumstances, a notice or application may be required to be filed with appropriate state banking regulators and may be subject to their approval or non-objection.
Regulatory Capital Requirements. As discussed above, pursuant to the “Small Bank Holding Company” exception, effective August 30, 2018, bank holding companies with less than $3 billion in consolidated assets were generally no longer subject to the Federal Reserve’s capital regulations, which are generally the same as the capital regulations applicable to the Bank. At the time of this change, Riverview was considered “well capitalized” as defined for a bank holding company with a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or more and a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or more, and was not subject to an individualized order, directive or agreement under which the Federal Reserve requires it to maintain a specific capital level.
Restrictions on Dividends. The Federal Reserve has issued a policy statement on the payment of cash dividends by bank holding companies which expresses its view that a bank holding company must maintain an adequate capital position and generally should not pay cash dividends unless the company’s net income for the past year is sufficient to fully fund the cash dividends and that the prospective rate of earnings appears consistent with the company’s capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. The Federal Reserve policy statement also indicates that it would be inappropriate for a company experiencing serious financial problems to borrow funds to pay dividends. Under Washington corporate law, Riverview generally may not pay dividends if after that payment it would not be able to pay its liabilities as they become due in the usual course of business, or its total assets would be less than its total liabilities. The capital conservation buffer requirement may also limit or preclude dividends payable by the Company. For additional information, see Item 1.A. “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Regulatory and Compliance Matters – Non-compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, Bank Secrecy Act, or other laws and regulations could result in fines or sanctions and limit our ability to get regulatory approval of acquisitions” in this report.
Stock Repurchases. A bank holding company, except for certain “well-capitalized” and highly rated bank holding companies, is required to give the Federal Reserve prior written notice of any purchase or redemption of its outstanding equity securities if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding twelve months, is equal to 10% or more of its consolidated net worth. The Federal Reserve may
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disapprove such a purchase or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice or would violate any law, regulation, Federal Reserve order or any condition imposed by, or written agreement with, the Federal Reserve.
Federal Securities Laws. Riverview’s common stock is registered with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”). The Company is subject to information, proxy solicitation, insider trading restrictions and other requirements under the Exchange Act.
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