Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A.
RISK FACTORS
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, please refer to United’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 for disclosures with respect to United’s risk factors which could materially affect United’s business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K are not the only risks facing United. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to United or that United currently deems to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect United’s business, financial condition and/or operating results.
The following risk factor supplements the “Risk Factors” section in Item 1A of United’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021:
Our Needs to Improve rating under The Community Reinvestment Act may restrict our operations and limit our ability to pursue certain strategic opportunities.
United Bank (the “Bank”), the wholly-owned bank subsidiary of United, has received a Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) Performance Evaluation from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (the “FRB”) with a rating of “Needs to Improve.” Based on its performance on the individual components of the CRA exam, the Bank received a rating of “Satisfactory.” These individual components were a “High Satisfactory” rating for the Lending Test, an “Outstanding” rating for the Investment Test and a “High Satisfactory” rating for the Service Test. The Bank’s final overall rating, however, was downgraded to “Needs to Improve” as a result of a Fair Housing Act violation cited in the Washington DC Metropolitan Statistical Area following a FRB fair lending examination of the Bank and its wholly-owned subsidiary, George Mason Mortgage, LLC. This matter is also the subject of an investigation by the Department of Justice. The FRB Performance Evaluation states that “Bank management has taken action to address the deficiencies and committed to taking further voluntary corrective actions to prevent further violations.”
A “Needs to Improve” rating results in restrictions on certain expansionary activities, including certain mergers and acquisitions and the establishment of bank branches.
These restrictions will remain in place until the FRB issues a higher CRA rating following a subsequent CRA examination. The next CRA examination commenced in October 2022. The precise timing of the completion of that examination and any results therefrom will not be known until later.
89
Table of Contents
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.