This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains, and other periodic and current reports, press releases and other public stockholder communications of BankFinancial Corporation may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which involve significant risks and uncertainties.amended. Forward-looking statements may include statements relating to our future plans, strategies and expectations, as well as our future revenues, expenses, earnings, losses, financial performance, financial condition, asset quality metrics and future prospects. Forward looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “continue,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “preliminary,” “project,” “plan,” or similar expressions. Forward looking statements speak only as of the date made.  They are frequently based on assumptions that may or may not materialize, and are subject to numerous uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements. We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are including this statement for the purpose of invoking these safe harbor provisions.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or projected and which could materially and adversely affect our operating results, financial condition or future prospects include, but are not limited to: (i) less than anticipated loan and lease growth due to intense competition for loans and leases, particularly in terms of pricing and credit underwriting; or a dearth of borrowers who meet our underwriting standards, or the coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") pandemic and the related adverse local and national economic consequences; (ii) the impact of re-pricing and competitors’ pricing initiatives on loan and deposit products; (iii) interest rate movements and their impact on the economy, customer behavior and our net interest margin; (iv) adverse economic conditions in general, or specific events such as athe COVID-19 pandemic or terrorism, and in the markets in which we lend that could result in increased delinquencies in our loan portfolio or a decline in the value of our investment securities and the collateral for our loans; (v) declines in real estate values that adversely impact the value of our loan collateral, other real estate owned ("OREO"), asset dispositions and the level of borrower equity in their investments; (vi) borrowers that experience legal or financial difficulties that we do not currently foresee; (vii) results of supervisory monitoring or examinations by regulatory authorities, including the possibility that a regulatory authority could, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for loan losses or adversely change our loan classifications, write-down assets, reduce credit concentrations or maintain specific capital levels; (viii) changes, disruptions or illiquidity in national or global financial markets; (ix) the credit risks of lending activities, including risks that could cause changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and charge-offs or changes in estimates relating to the computation of our allowance for loan losses; (x) monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board; (xi) factors affecting our ability to access deposits or cost-effective funding, and the impact of competitors' pricing initiatives on our deposit products; (xii) legislative or regulatory changes that have an adverse impact on our products, services, operations and operating expenses; (xiii) higher federal deposit insurance premiums; (xiv) higher than expected overhead, infrastructure and compliance costs; (xv) changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines; (xvi) the effects of any federal government shutdown; and (xvii) privacy and cybersecurity risks, including the risks of business interruption and the compromise of confidential customer information resulting from intrusions.

These risks and uncertainties, as well astogether with the Risk Factors and other information set forth in Item 1A below, should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement in the future, or to reflect circumstances and events that occur after the date on which the forward-looking statement was made.

BankFinancial Corporation, a Maryland corporation headquartered in Burr Ridge, Illinois (the “Company”), became the owner of all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of BankFinancial, F.S.B. (the “Bank”) in 2005, when we consummated a plan of conversion and reorganization that the Bank and its predecessor holding companies, BankFinancial MHC, Inc. and BankFinancial Corporation, a federal corporation, adopted on August 25,in 2004. BankFinancial Corporation, the Maryland corporation, was organized in 2004 to facilitate the mutual-to-stock conversion and to become the holding company for the Bank upon its completion.

Following the approval of applications that the Company filed with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bank filed with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”), the Company became a bank holding company and the Bank became a national bank on November 30,in 2016. As a result of the Bank’s conversion from a federal savings bank charter to a national bank charter, the Bank changed its name from BankFinancial, F.S.B. to BankFinancial, National Association.

We manage our operations as one unit, and thus do not have separate operating segments. Our chief operating decision-makers use consolidated results to make operating and strategic decisions.

The Bank is a full-service, national bank principally engaged in the business of commercial, family and personal banking. The Bank offers our customers a broad range of loan, deposit, trust and other financial products and services through 19 full-service Illinois based banking offices located in Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will Counties, Illinois and through our Internet Branch, www.bankfinancial.com.

The Bank’s primary business is making loans and accepting deposits. The Bank also offers our customers a variety of financial products and services that are related or ancillary to loans and deposits, including cash management, funds transfers, bill payment and other online and mobile banking transactions, automated teller machines, safe deposit boxes, trust services, wealth management, and general insurance agency services.

The Bank’s primary lending area consists of the counties where our branch offices are located, and contiguous counties in the State of Illinois. In 2019, we derivedIllinois, as well as six commercial credit origination and customer service offices for the most significant portionCommercial Finance, Commercial Real Estate and Equipment Finance Divisions of our revenues from these geographic areas. However, we also engage in multi-family lending activities in selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas outside our primary lending area and engage in healthcare lending and commercial equipment finance activities on a nationwide basis.

We originate deposits predominantly from the areas where our branch offices are located. We rely on our favorable locations, customer service, competitive pricing, our Internet Branch and related deposit services such as cash management to attract and retain these deposits. While we accept certificates of deposit in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) deposit insurance limits, we generally do not solicit such deposits because they are more difficult to retain than core deposits and at times are more costly than wholesale deposits.

Lending Activities

Our loan portfolio consists primarily of multi-family real estate, nonresidential real estate, construction and land loans, commercial loans and commercial leases, which collectively represented $1.117 billion,$966.5 million, or 95.1%95.7%, of our gross loan portfolio of $1.175$1.010 billion at December 31, 2019.2020. At December 31, 2019, $563.82020, $452.2 million, or 48.0%44.8%, of our loan portfolio consisted of multi-family mortgage loans; $134.7$108.7 million, or 11.5%10.8%, of our loan portfolio consisted of nonresidential real estate loans; $145.7and $405.1 million, or 12.4%40.1%, of our loan portfolio consisted of commercial loans;loans and $272.6leases.  At December 31, 2020,  $41.7 million, or 23.2%, of our loan portfolio consisted of commercial leases. $55.8 million, or 4.7%4.1%, of our loan portfolio consisted of one-to-four family residential mortgage loans, of which $10.8$8.3 million, or 0.9%0.8%, were loans to investors secured by non-owner occupied residential properties, including home equity loans and lines of credit.

Our deposit accounts consist principally of savings accounts, NOW accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and IRAs and other retirement accounts. We provide commercial checking accounts and related services such as cash management.treasury services. We also provide low-cost checking account services. We rely on our favorable locations, customer service, competitive pricing, our Internet Branch and related deposit services such as cash management to attract and retain deposit accounts.

At December 31, 2019,2020, our deposits totaled $1.285$1.394 billion. Interest-bearing deposits totaled $1.074$1.067 billion, or 83.6%76.6% of total deposits, and noninterest-bearing demand deposits totaled $210.8$326.2 million, or 16.4%23.4% of total deposits. Savings, money market and NOW account deposits totaled $672.0$814.4 million, or 52.3%58.4% of total deposits, and certificates of deposit totaled $402.0$253.0 million, or 31.3%18.2% of total deposits, of which $335.9$188.0 million had maturities of one year or less.

The Bank provides trust and financial planning services through our Trust Department. The Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Financial Assurance Services, Inc. (“Financial Assurance”), sells property and casualty insurance and other insurance products on an agency basis. For the year ended December 31, 2019,2020, Financial Assurance recorded a net lossincome of $89,000.$33,000. At December 31, 2019,2020, Financial Assurance had twoone full-time employees.employee. The Bank’s other wholly-owned subsidiary, BFIN Asset Recovery Company, LLC (formerly BF Asset Recovery Corporation), holds title to and sells certain Bank-owned real estate acquired through foreclosure and collection actions, and recorded a net loss of $120,000$8,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The website for the Company and the Bank is www.bankfinancial.com. Information on this website does not constitute part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company makes available, free of charge, its Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, its Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after such forms are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Copies of these documents are available to stockholders at the website for the Company and the Bank, www.bankfinancial.com, under “Investor Relations,” and through the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

We face significant competition in originating loans and attracting deposits. The Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area and many of the other geographic markets in which we operate generally have a high concentration of financial institutions, many of which are significantly larger institutions that have greater financial resources than we have, and many of which are our competitors to varying degrees. Our competition for loans and leases comes principally from commercial banks, savings banks, mortgage banking companies, the U.S. Government, credit unions, leasing companies, insurance companies, real estate conduits and other companies that provide financial services to businesses and individuals. Our most direct competition for deposits has historically come from commercial banks, savings banks and credit unions. We face additional competition for deposits from online financial institutions and non-depository competitors such as the mutual fund industry, securities and brokerage firms and insurance companies.

We seek to meet this competition by emphasizing personalized service and efficient decision-making tailored to individual needs. We do not rely on any individual, group or entity for a material portion of our loans or our deposits.

At December 31, 2019,2020, the Bank had 198188 full-time employees and 4442 part-time employees. TheOur employees are not represented by a collective bargaining unit and we consider our working relationship with our employees to be good.

The Bank converted from a federal savings bank charter tois a national bank, charter. As a national bank, the Bank is regulated and supervised primarily by the OCC. The Bank is also subject to regulation by the FDIC in more limited circumstances because the Bank’s deposits are insured by the FDIC. This regulatory and supervisory structure establishes a comprehensive framework of the activities in which a depository institution may engage and is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund, depositors and the banking system. Under this system of federal regulation, depository institutions are periodically examined to ensure that they satisfy applicable standards with respect to their capital adequacy, assets, management, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity to market interest rates. The OCC examines the Bank and prepares reports for the consideration of its Board of Directors on any identified deficiencies, if any. After completing an examination, the OCC issues a report of examination and assigns a rating (known as an institution’s CAMELS rating). Under federal law and regulations, an institution may not disclose the contents of its reports of examination or its CAMELS ratings to the public.

The Bank is a member of, and owns stock in, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (“FHLB”) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“FRB”) has limited regulatory jurisdiction over the Bank with regard to reserves it must maintain against deposits, check processing and certain other matters. The Bank’s relationship with its depositors and borrowers also is regulated in some respects by both federal and state laws, especially in matters concerning the ownership of deposit accounts, and the form and content of the Bank’s consumer loan documents.

The Company is a bank holding company within the meaning of federal law. As such, it is subject to supervision and examination by the FRB. The Company was previously a savings and loan holding company but became a bank holding company in connection with the Bank’s conversion to a national bank charter in 2016.

There can be no assurance that laws, rules and regulations, and regulatory policies will not change in the future. Such changes could make compliance more difficult or expensive or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. Any change in the laws or regulations, or in regulatory policy, whether by the OCC, the FDIC, the FRB, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) or the United States ("U.S.") Congress could have a material adverse impact on the Company, the Bank and their respective operations.

The following summary of laws and regulations applicable to the Bank and Company is not intended to be exhaustive and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the actual laws and regulations involved.

Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications. On March 22, 2020, the federal banking agencies issued an interagency statement to provide additional guidance to financial institutions who are working with borrowers affected by the coronavirus (“COVID-19”). The statement provided that agencies will not criticize institutions for working with borrowers and will not direct supervised institutions to automatically categorize all COVID-19 related loan modifications as troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”). The agencies have confirmed with staff of the Financial Accounting Standards Board that short-term modifications made on a good faith basis in response to COVID-19 to borrowers who were current prior to any relief, are not TDRs. This includes short-term (e.g., six months) modifications such as payment deferrals, fee waivers, extensions of repayment terms, or other delays in payment that are insignificant. Borrowers considered current are those that are less than 30 days past due on their contractual payments at the time a modification program is implemented.

The statement further provided that working with borrowers that are current on existing loans, either individually or as part of a program for creditworthy borrowers who are experiencing short-term financial or operational problems as a result of COVID-19, generally would not be considered TDRs. For modification programs designed to provide temporary relief for current borrowers affected by COVID-19, financial institutions may presume that borrowers that are current on payments are not experiencing financial difficulties at the time of the modification for purposes of determining TDR status, and thus no further TDR analysis is required for each loan modification in the program.

The statement indicated that the agencies’ examiners will exercise judgment in reviewing loan modifications, including TDRs, and will not automatically adversely risk rate credits that are affected by COVID-19, including those considered TDRs.

In addition, the statement noted that efforts to work with borrowers of one- to-four family residential mortgages, where the loans are prudently underwritten, and not past due or carried on non-accrual status, will not result in the loans being considered restructured or modified for the purposes of their risk-based capital rules. With regard to loans not otherwise reportable as past due, financial institutions are not expected to designate loans with deferrals granted due to COVID-19 as past due because of the deferral.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). The CARES Act, which became law on March 27, 2020, provided over $2 trillion to combat COVID-19 and stimulate the economy. The law had several provisions relevant to financial institutions, including:

The Paycheck Protection Program.  The CARES Act provides approximately $350 billion to fund loans to eligible small businesses through the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) 7(a) loan guaranty program. These loans will be 100% federally guaranteed (principal and interest) through December 31, 2020 (which date was subsequently extended). An eligible business can apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan up to 2.5 times its average monthly “payroll costs" limited to a loan amount of $10.0 million. The proceeds of the loan can be used for payroll (excluding individual employee compensation over $100,000 per year), mortgage, interest, rent, insurance, utilities and other qualifying expenses. PPP loans will have: (a) an interest rate of 1.0%, (b) a two-year loan term to maturity; and (c) principal and interest payments deferred for six months from the date of disbursement. The SBA will guarantee 100% of the PPP loans made to eligible borrowers. The entire principal amount of the borrower’s PPP loan, including any accrued interest, is eligible to be reduced by the loan forgiveness amount under the PPP so long as employee and compensation levels of the business are maintained and 75% of the loan proceeds are used for payroll expenses, with the remaining 25% of the loan proceeds used for other qualifying expenses.

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. On December 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 was signed into law, which also contains provisions that could directly impact financial institutions, including extending the authority granted to banks under the CARES Act to elect to temporarily suspend the requirements under U.S. GAAP for loan modifications related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The act directs financial regulators to support community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions and directs Congress to re-appropriate $429 billion in unobligated CARES Act funds. The PPP, which was originally established under the CARES Act, was also extended under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021.

Federal Banking Regulation

Business Activities. As a national bank, the Bank derives its lending and investment powers from the National Bank Act, as amended, and the regulations of the OCC. Under these laws and regulations, the Bank may invest in mortgage loans secured by residential and nonresidential real estate, commercial business and consumer loans and leases, certain types of securities and certain other loans and assets. Unlike federal savings banks, national banks are not generally subject to specified percentage of assets on various types of lending. The Bank may also establish subsidiaries that engage in activities permitted for the Bank as well as certain other activities.

Capital Requirements.   Federal regulations require FDIC-insured depository institutions, including national banks, to meet several minimum capital standards: a common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio of 4.5%, a Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio of 6.0%, a total capital to risk-based assets of 8% and a 4% Tier 1 capital to total assets leverage ratio. The existing capital requirements were effective January 1, 2015 and are the result of a final rule implementing regulatory amendments based on recommendations of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and certain requirements of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”).

For purposes of the regulatory capital requirements, common equity Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common equity Tier 1 and Additional Tier 1 capital. Additional Tier 1 capital generally includes certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries. Total capital includes Tier 1 capital (common equity Tier 1 capital plus Additional Tier 1 capital) and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital is comprised of capital instruments and related surplus meeting specified requirements, and may include cumulative preferred stock and long-term perpetual preferred stock, mandatory convertible securities, intermediate preferred stock and subordinated debt. Also included in Tier 2 capital is the allowance for loan and lease losses limited to a maximum of 1.25% of risk-weighted assets and, for institutions that have exercised an opt-out election regarding the treatment of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”), up to 45% of net unrealized gains on available-for-sale equity securities with readily determinable fair market values. Institutions that have not exercised the AOCI opt-out have AOCI incorporated into common equity Tier 1 capital (including unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities). Calculation of all types of regulatory capital is subject to deductions and adjustments specified in the regulations.

In determining the amount of risk-weighted assets a bank has for purposes of calculating risk-based capital ratios, assets, including certain off-balance-sheet assets (e.g., recourse obligations, direct credit substitutes, residual interests) are multiplied by a risk weight factor assigned by the regulations based on the risks believed inherent in the type of asset. Higher levels of capital are required for asset categories believed to present greater risk. For example, a risk weight of 0% is assigned to cash and U.S. government securities, a risk weight of 50% is generally assigned to prudently underwritten first lien one-to-four family residential mortgages and certain qualifying multi-family mortgage loans, a risk weight of 100% is assigned to commercial, commercial real estate and consumer loans, a risk weight of 150% is assigned to certain past due loans and high volatility commercial real estate loans, and a risk weight of between 0% to 600% is assigned to permissible equity interests, depending on certain specified factors.

In addition to establishing the minimum regulatory capital requirements, the regulations limit capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments to management if the institution does not hold a “capital conservation buffer” consisting of 2.5% of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets above the amount necessary to meet its minimum risk-based capital requirements. The capital conservation buffer requirement was fully implemented at 2.5% on January 1, 2019.

At December 31, 2019,2020, the Bank’s capital exceeded all applicable regulatory requirements, the Bank was considered well-capitalized and it had an appropriate capital conservation buffer.

The Company and the Bank each have adopted Regulatory Capital Plans that provide that the Bank will maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 7.5% and a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10.5%. The capital ratios set forth in the Regulatory Capital Plans will be adjusted if and as necessary. In accordance with the Regulatory Capital Plans, neither the Company nor the Bank will pursue any acquisition or growth opportunity, declare any dividend or conduct any stock repurchase that would cause the Bank's total risk-based capital ratio and/or its Tier 1 leverage ratio to fall below the established capital levels. In addition, in accordance with its Regulatory Capital Plan, the Company expects it will continue to maintain its ability to serve as a source of financial strength to the Bank by holding a combination of cash, liquid assets and credit availability equal to at least $5.0 million of cash or liquid assets for that purpose.

Legislation enacted in May 2018 required the federal banking agencies, including the OCC, to establish a “community bank leverage ratio” of between 88% to 10% of average total consolidated assets for qualifying institutions with assets of less than $10 billion of assets. The OCC has adopted a final rule that established 9% as the community bank leverage ratio, effective March 31,

The CARES Act lowered the community bank leverage ratio to 8%, with federal regulation making the reduced ratio effective April 23, 2020.  Another rule was issued to transition back to the 9% community bank leverage ratio by increasing the ratio to 8.5% for calendar year 2021 and to 9% thereafter.

Loans-to-One-Borrower. A national bank generally may not make a loan or extend credit to a single or related group of borrowers in excess of 15% of unimpaired capital and surplus. An additional amount may be loaned, equal to 10% of unimpaired capital and surplus, if the loan is secured by readily marketable collateral, which generally does not include real estate. As of December 31, 2019,2020, the Bank was in compliance with the loans-to-one-borrowerloan-to-one-borrower limitations.

Dividends. Federal law and OCC regulations govern cash dividends by a national bank. A national bank is authorized to pay such dividends from undivided profits but must receive prior OCC approval if the total amount of dividends (including the proposed dividend) exceeds its net income in that year and the prior two years less dividends previously paid. A national bank may not pay a dividend if itthe dividend does not comply with applicable regulatory capital requirements and may be further limited in payment of cash dividends if it does not maintain the capital conservation buffer described previously.

Community Reinvestment Act and Fair Lending Laws. All national banks have a responsibility under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) and related federal regulations to help meet the credit needs of their communities, including low- and moderate- income neighborhoods. In connection with its examination of a national bank, the OCC is required to evaluate and rate the bank’s record of compliance with the CRA. In addition, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act prohibit lenders from discriminating in their lending practices based on the characteristics specified in those statutes. A national bank’s failure to comply with the provisions of the CRA could, at a minimum, result in regulatory restrictions on certain of its activities such as branching or mergers. The failure to comply with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act could result in enforcement actions by the OCC, as well as other federal regulatory agencies and the Department of Justice.

In June 2020, the OCC issued a final rule clarifying and expanding the activities that qualify for CRA credit and, according to the agency, seeking to create a more consistent and objective method for evaluating CRA performance.  The final rule was effective October 1, 2020, but compliance with the revised requirements is not mandatory until January 1, 2024 for institutions of the Bank’s asset size.

The Bank’s CRA performance has been rated as “Outstanding”“Outstanding,” the highest possible CRA rating, in each of the nine CRA performance evaluations that have been conducted by itsthe Bank’s primary federal regulatory agencyregulator  since 1998.

Transactions with Related Parties. A national bank’s authority to engage in transactions with its “affiliates” is limited by OCC regulations and by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and its implementing regulation, Regulation W. The term “affiliates” for these purposes generally means any company that controls or is under common control with an insured depository institution, although operating subsidiaries of national banks are generally not considered affiliates for the purposes of Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act. The Company is an affiliate of the Bank. In general, transactions with affiliates must be on terms that are at least as favorable to the national bank as comparable transactions with non-affiliates. In addition, certain types of these transactions are restricted to an aggregate percentage of the bank’s capital. Collateral in specified amounts must be provided by affiliates in order to receive loans or other forms of credit from the bank.

The Bank’s authority to extend credit to its directors, executive officers and 10% stockholders, as well as to entities controlled by such persons, is currently governed by the requirements of Sections 22(g) and 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation O of the FRB. These provisions generally require that extensions of credit to insiders generally be made on terms that are substantially the same as, and follow credit underwriting procedures that are not less stringent than, those prevailing for comparable transactions with unaffiliated persons and not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features (subject to an exception for lending programs open to employees generally). In addition, there are limitations on the amount of credit extended to such persons, individually and in the aggregate based on a percentage of the Bank’s capital. Extensions of credit in excess of specified limits must receive the prior approval of the Bank’s Board of Directors. Extensions of credit to executive officers are subject to additional restrictions. The Bank does not extend new credit to executive officers or members of the Board of Directors.

Enforcement. The OCC has primary enforcement responsibility over national banks. This includes authority to bring enforcement actions against the Bank, its directors, officers and employees and all “institution-affiliated parties,” including stockholders, attorneys, appraisers and accountants who knowingly or recklessly participate in wrongful action likely to have an adverse effect on an insured institution. Formal enforcement action may range from the issuance of a capital directive or cease and desist order to the removal of officers and/or directors, receivership, conservatorship or the termination of deposit insurance. Civil monetary penalties cover a wide range of violations of laws and actions,regulations, unsafe and unsound practices and certain other actions.  The maximum penalties that can be assessed are generally based on the type and severity of the violation, unsafe and unsound practice or other action, and are adjusted annually for inflation.  Civil monetary penalties for violations of the National Bank Act currently range upfrom $10,366  to $25,000$51,827 per day, unless a finding of reckless disregard is made, in which case penaltiesthe civil monetary penalty may be as high as $1 million$2,073,133 per day. The FDIC has authority to recommend to the OCC that an enforcement action be taken with respect to a particular insured bank. If action is not taken by the OCC, the FDIC has authority to take action under specified circumstances.

Standards for Safety and Soundness. Federal law requires each federal banking agency to prescribe certain standards for insured depository institutions under its jurisdiction. The federal banking agencies adopted Interagency Guidelines Prescribing Standards for Safety and Soundness to implement the safety and soundness standards required under federal law. The guidelines set forth the standards that the federal banking agencies use to identify and address problems at insured depository institutions before capital becomes impaired. The guidelines address matters such as internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, credit

Prompt Corrective Action Regulations. Federal law requires that federal bank regulators take “prompt corrective action” with respect to institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. For this purpose, the law establishes five capital categories: well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. The applicable OCC regulations were amended to incorporate the previously mentioned increased regulatory capital standards that were effective January 1, 2015. Under the amended regulations, an institution is deemed to be “well-capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 6.5% or greater. An institution is “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 4.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 4.5% or greater. An institution is “undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 4.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 4.5%. An institution is deemed to be “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 3.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 3.0%. An institution is considered to be “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0%.

The regulations provide that a capital restoration plan must be filed with the OCC within 45 days of the date a national bank receives notice that it is “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized.” Any holding company for the bank required to submit a capital restoration plan must guarantee the lesser of an amount equal to 5.0% of the bank’s assets at the time it was notified or deemed to be undercapitalized by the OCC, or the amount necessary to restore the bank to adequately capitalized status. This guarantee remains in place until the OCC notifies the bank that it has maintained adequately capitalized status for each of four consecutive calendar quarters, and the OCC has the authority to require payment and collect payment under the guarantee. Various restrictions, including as to growth and capital distributions, also apply to “undercapitalized” institutions. If an “undercapitalized” institution fails to submit an acceptable capital plan, it is treated as “significantly undercapitalized.” “Significantly undercapitalized” institutions must comply with one or more additional restrictions including, but not limited to, an order by the OCC to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized, a requirement to reduce total assets, cease receipt of deposits from correspondent banks, or dismiss officers or directors and restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, compensation of executive officers and capital distributions by the parent holding company. Critically undercapitalized institutions are subject to the appointment of a receiver or conservator. The OCC may also take any one of a number of discretionary supervisory actions against undercapitalized institutions, including the issuance of a capital directive.

At December 31, 2019,2020, the Bank met the criteria for being considered “well-capitalized.” The previously referenced final rule establishing an elective “community bank leverage ratio” regulatory capital requirement provides that a qualifying institution whose capital exceeds the community bank leverage ratio and opts to use that framework will be considered “well-capitalized” for purposes of prompt corrective action.

Insurance of Deposit Accounts. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the FDIC. Deposit accounts in the Bank are insured up to $250,000 for each separately insured depositor.

The FDIC charges insured depository institutions premiums to maintain the Deposit Insurance Fund.  Until July 1, 2016, insured depositoryUnder the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s risk-based assessment system, institutions were assigned a risk category based on supervisory evaluations, regulatory capital levels and certain other factors. An institution’s rate depended upon the risk category to which it is assigned and certain adjustments specified by FDIC regulations. Institutions deemed less risky of failure pay lower FDIC assessments. The Dodd-Frank Act required the FDIC to revise its procedures to base its assessments upon each insured institution’s total assets less tangible equity instead of deposits. The FDIC finalized a rule, effective April 1, 2011, that set the assessment range at 2.5 to 45 basis points of total assets less tangible equity.

The FDIC has authority to increase insurance assessments. A significant increase in insurance premiums would likely have an adverse effect on the operating expenses and results of operations of the Bank. The Bank cannot predict what its insurance assessment rates will be in the future.

An insured institution’s deposit insurance may be terminated by the FDIC upon an administrative finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or regulatory condition imposed in writing. The management of the Bank does not know of any practice, condition or violation that might lead to termination of deposit insurance.

Prohibitions Against Tying Arrangements. National banks are prohibited, subject to some exceptions, from extending credit to or offering any other service, or fixing or varying the consideration for such extension of credit or service, on the condition that the customer obtain some additional service from the institution or its affiliates or not obtain services of a competitor of the institution.

Federal Reserve System. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System, which consists of 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks. As a member of the Federal Reserve System, the Bank is required to acquire and hold shares of capital stock in its regional Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, in specified amounts. The Bank is also required to maintain noninterest-earning reserves against its transaction accounts, such as negotiable order of withdrawal and regular checking accounts. The balances maintained to meet the reserve requirements may be used to satisfy liquidity requirements imposed by the OCC’s regulations. As of December 31, 2019,2020, the Bank was in compliance with all of these requirements. The FRB also provides a backup source of funding to depository institutions through the regional Federal Reserve Banks pursuant to section 10B of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation A. In general, eligible depository institutions have access to three types of discount window credit-primary credit, secondary credit, and seasonal credit. All discount window loans must be collateralized to the satisfaction of the lending regional Federal Reserve Bank.

Federal Home Loan Bank System. The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which consists of 11 regional Federal Home Loan Banks. The Federal Home Loan Bank System provides a central credit facility primarily for member institutions. As a member of the FHLB, the Bank is required to acquire and hold shares of capital stock in the FHLB in specified amounts. As of December 31, 2019,2020, the Bank was in compliance with this requirement.

The USA PATRIOT Act and the Bank Secrecy Act require financial institutions to develop programs to detect and report money-laundering and terrorist activities, as well as suspicious activities. The USA PATRIOT Act also gives the federal government powers to address terrorist threats through enhanced domestic security measures, expanded surveillance powers, increased information sharing and broadened anti-money laundering requirements. The federal banking agencies are required to take into consideration the effectiveness of controls designed to combat money-laundering activities in determining whether to approve a merger or other acquisition application of a member institution. Accordingly, if we engage in a merger or other acquisition, our controls designed to combat money laundering would be considered as part of the application process. In addition, non-compliance with these laws and regulations could result in fines, penalties and other enforcement measures. We have developed policies, procedures and systems designed to comply with these laws and regulations.

The Company, as a company controlling a national bank, is a bank holding company subject to regulation and supervision by, and reporting to, the FRB. The FRB has enforcement authority over the Company and any nonbank subsidiaries. Among other things, this authority permits the FRB to restrict or prohibit activities that are determined to be a risk to the Bank.

The Company's activities are limited to the activities permissible for bank holding companies, which generally include activities deemed by the FRB to be closely related or a proper incident to banking or managing or controlling banks. A bank holding company that meets certain criteria may elect to be regulated as a financial holding company and thereby engage in a broader array of financial activities, such as underwriting equity securities and insurance. The Company has not, up to now, elected to be regulated as a financial holding company.

Federal law prohibits a bank holding company from acquiring, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of a class of voting securities of, or all or substantially all of the assets of, another bank or bank holding company, without prior written approval of the FRB. In evaluating applications by bank holding companies to acquire banks, the FRB considers, among other things, the financial and

Capital. Bank holding companies with greater than $3 billion in total consolidated assets are subject to consolidated regulatory capital requirements. The asset threshold was previously $1 billion, which applied to the Company, but federal legislation required the FRB to raise the threshold to $3 billion. That change became effective on August 30, 2018. As a result, holding companies ofsuch as the Company with less than $3 billion of assets are not subject to consolidated capital requirements unless otherwise advised by the FRB.

Source of Strength Doctrine. The “source of strength doctrine” requires bank holding companies to provide assistance to their subsidiary depository institutions in the event the subsidiary depository institution experiences financial difficulty. The FRB has issued regulations requiring that all bank holding companies serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to their subsidiary depository institutions. In that regard,To facilitate its ability to serve as a source of strength for the Bank, the Company has made certain commitments inadopted a Regulatory Capital Plan, as described earlier under "Federal Bank Regulation: Capital Requirements".

Capital Distributions. The FRB has issued a policy statement regarding the payment of dividends by bank holding companies. In general, the policy provides that dividends should be paid only out of current earnings and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention by the holding company appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall supervisory financial condition. Separate regulatory guidance provides for prior consultation with Federal Reserve Bank supervisory staff concerning dividends in certain circumstances, such as where the company’s net income for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid over that period, is insufficient to fully fund the dividend or the company’s overall rate orof earnings retention is inconsistent with the company’s capital needs and overall financial condition. The ability of a bank holding company to pay dividends may be restricted if a subsidiary bank becomes undercapitalized. FRB regulatory guidance also indicates that a bank holding company should inform Federal Reserve Bank staff prior to redeeming or repurchasing common stock or perpetual preferred stock if the bank holding company is experiencing financial weaknesses or the repurchase or redemption would result in a net reduction, at the end of a quarter, in the amount of such equity instruments outstanding compared with the beginning of the quarter in which the redemption or repurchase occurred. FRB regulations require prior approval for a bank holding company to redeem equity securities if the gross consideration, when combined with net consideration paid for all such redemptions during the preceding 12 months, will equal 10% or more of the holding company’s consolidated net worth. There is an exception for bank holding companies that meet specified qualitative criteria. These regulatory policies may affect the ability of the Company to pay dividends, repurchase shares of its common stock or otherwise engage in capital distributions.

Under the Change in Bank Control Act, no person may acquire control of a bank holding company such as the Company unless the FRB has been given 60 days’ prior written notice and has not issued a notice disapproving the proposed acquisition, taking into consideration certain factors, including the financial and managerial resources of the acquiror and the competitive effects of the acquisition. Control, as defined under federal law, means ownership, control of or holding irrevocable proxies representing more than 25% of any class of voting stock, control in any manner of the election of a majority of the company’s directors, or a determination by the regulator that the acquiror has the power to direct, or directly or indirectly to exercise a controlling influence over, the management or policies of the institution.  Acquisition of more than 10% of any class of

There is a bank holding company’s voting stock constitutes a rebuttable presumption of control upon the acquisition of 10% or more of a class of voting stock if the holding company involved has its shares registered under the regulations under certain circumstances including where, as isSecurities Exchange Act of 1934, or, of the case with the Company, the issuer has securitiesholding company involved does not have its shares registered under Section 12the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, if no other persons will own, control or hold the Exchange Act.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted in response to public concerns regarding corporate accountability in connection with certain accounting scandals. The stated goals of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are to increase corporate responsibility, to provide for enhanced penalties for accounting and auditing improprieties at publicly traded companies, and to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures pursuant to the securities laws. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act generally applies to all companies that file or are required to file periodic reports with the SEC, under the Exchange Act.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act includes specific additional disclosure requirements, requires the SEC and national securities exchanges to adopt extensive additional disclosure, corporate governance and other related rules, and mandates further studies of certain issues by the SEC.

The Company’s common stock is registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act. The Company is subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading restrictions and other requirements of the Exchange Act.

An investment in our securities is subject to risks inherent in our business and the industry in which we operate. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below and all other information included in this report. The risks described below may adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition to these risks and the other risks and uncertainties described in Item 1, “Business–Forward Looking Statements,” and Item 7, “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” there may be additional risks and uncertainties that are not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results. The value or market price of our securities could decline due to any of these identified or other risks. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods.

Risks Related to Competitive Matters 

Our future growth and success will depend on our ability to compete effectively in a highly competitive environment

We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors. Our future growth and success will depend on our ability to compete effectively in this highly competitive environment. To date, our competitive strategies have focused on attracting deposits in our local markets, and growing our loan and lease portfolio by emphasizing specific commercial loan and lease products in which we have significant experience and expertise, identifying and targeting markets in which we believe we can effectively compete with larger institutions and other competitors, and offering competitive pricing to commercial borrowers with appropriate risk profiles. We compete for loans, leases, deposits and other financial services with other commercial banks, thrifts, credit unions, brokerage houses, mutual funds, insurance companies, real estate conduits, mortgage brokers and specialized finance companies. Many of our competitors offer products and services that we do not offer, and some offer loan structures and have underwriting standards that are not as restrictive as our required loan structures and underwriting standards. Some larger competitors have substantially greater resources and lending limits, name recognition and market presence that benefits them in attracting business. In addition, larger competitors may be able to price loans, leases and deposits more aggressively than we do, and because of their larger capital bases, their underwriting practices for smaller loans may be subject to less regulatory scrutiny than they would be for smaller banks. Newer competitors may be more aggressive in pricing loans, leases and deposits in order to increase their market share. Some of the financial institutions and financial services organizations with which we compete are not subject to the extensive regulations or taxation imposed on national banks and their holding companies. As a result, these nonbank competitors have certain advantages over us in accessing funding and in providing various financial services.

Our financial condition and results of operations are significantly affected by changes in market interest rates because our assets, primarily loans and leases, and our liabilities, primarily deposits, are monetary in nature. Our results of operations depend substantially on our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income that we earn on our interest-earning assets and the interest expense that we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities. Market interest rates are affected by many factors beyond our control, including inflation, recession, unemployment, money supply, domestic and international events, and changes in the U.S. and other financial markets. Our net interest income is affected not only by the level and direction of interest rates, but also by the shape of the yield curve and relationships between interest sensitive instruments and key driver rates, including credit risk spreads, and by balance sheet growth, customer loan and deposit preferences and the timing of changes in these variables which themselves are impacted by changes in market interest rates. As a result, changes in market interest rates, and especially a decline in interest rates, can significantly affect our net interest income as well as the fair market valuation of our assets and liabilities, particularly if they occur more quickly or to a greater extent than anticipated.

While we take measures intended to manage the risks from changes in market interest rates, we cannot control or accurately predict changes in market rates of interest, loan prepayments or payoffs, deposit attrition due to those changes in interest rates, or be sure that our protective measures are adequate. If the interest rates paid on deposits and other interest-bearing liabilities increase at a faster rate than the interest rates received on loans and other interest-earning assets, our net interest income, and therefore earnings, could be adversely affected.  We would also incur a higher cost of funds to retain our deposits in a rising interest rate environment. While the higher payment amounts we would receive on adjustable-rate or variable-rate loans in a rising interest rate environment may increase our interest income, some borrowers may be unable to afford the higher payment amounts, and this could result in a higher rate of default. Rising interest rates also may reduce the demand for loans and the value of fixed-rate investment securities.

Risks Related to our Business Strategy

New lines of business or new products and services may change our market risk profile, requiring changes to risk and pricing models.

From time to time, we may seek to implement new lines of business, particularly in our Equipment Finance, Commercial Finance and Treasury Services operations, or offer new products and services within existing lines of business in our current markets or new markets. There are substantial portionrisks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where credit risks may be volatile due to changing economic conditions.  In developing and marketing new lines of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate. Our commercial real estate loan portfolio generally consists of multi-family mortgage loans originatedbusiness and/or new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. As occurred in selected geographic markets and nonresidential real estate loans originated in the Chicago market. At December 31, 2019, our loan portfolio included $563.8 million in multi-family mortgage loans, or 48.0% of total loans, and $105.1 million in non-owner occupied nonresidential real estate loans, or 8.9% of total loans. These commercial real estate loans represented 393.3% of the Bank’s $170.2 million total risk-based capital at December 31, 2019, and thus are considered a concentration of credit for regulatory purposes. Concentrations of credit are pools of loans whose collective performance has the potential to affect a bank negatively even if each individual transaction within the pool is soundly underwritten. When loans in a pool are sensitive2020 due to the same economic, financial, or businessCOVID-19 pandemic with respect to certain Equipment Finance products, initial timetables for the introduction and development that sensitivity, if triggered, could cause the sum of the transactions to perform as if it were a single, large exposure. As such, concentrations of credit add a dimension of risk that compounds the risk inherent in individual loans.

Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The continuing impacts of the novel COVID-19 outbreak, and associated governmental responses, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business. The Cityextent and duration of Chicagosuch impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, including when COVID-19 can be controlled and abated and when and how the economy may be reopened.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the State of Illinois are experiencing significant financial difficulties, including material pension funding shortfalls. These issuesrelated adverse local and national economic consequences, we could impact the economic vitalitybe subject to any of the Cityfollowing risks, any of Chicago and the State of Illinois and the businesses operating there, encourage businesses to leave the City of Chicago or the State of Illinois, and discourage new employers from starting or moving businesses to there. These issues could also result in delays in the payment of accounts receivable owed to borrowers that conduct business with the State of Illinois and Medicaid payments to nursing homes and other healthcare providers in Illinois, and impair their ability to repay their loans when due.

Moreover, our allowance for loan losses was $7.6 million, which represented 0.65% of total loansfuture success and 901.06% of nonperforming loans as of that date. In determiningprofitability substantially depends on the amountmanagement skills of our allowanceexecutive officers and directors, many of whom have held officer and director positions with us for loan losses, we rely on internalmany years. The unanticipated loss or unavailability of key employees due to the pandemic could harm our ability to operate our business or execute our business strategy. We may not be successful in finding and external loan reviews, our historical experience and our evaluationintegrating suitable replacements or successors in the event of economic conditions, among other factors. In addition, we make various estimates and assumptions about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the valuekey employee loss or unavailability.

Any one or a combination of the real estate and other assets, if any, serving as collateral for the repayment offactors identified above could negatively impact our loans. We also make judgments concerning our legal positions and the priority of our liens and interests in contested legal or bankruptcy proceedings, and at times, we may lack sufficient information to establish adequate specific reserves for loans involved in such proceedings. We base these estimates, assumptions and judgments on information that we consider reliable, but if an estimate, assumption or judgment that we make ultimately proves to be incorrect, additional provisions to our allowance for loan losses may become necessary. In addition, as an integral part of their supervisory and/or examination process, the OCC periodically reviews the methodology for and the sufficiency of the allowance for loan losses. The OCC has the authority to require us to recognize additions to the allowance based on their inclusion, exclusion or modification of risk factors or differences in judgments of information available to them at the time of their examination.

Risks Related to as Current Expected Credit Loss, or CECL, will require financial institutions to determine periodic estimates of lifetime expected credit losses on loans, and recognize the expected credit losses as allowances for loan losses.  This will change the current method of providing allowances for loan losses that are probable, which may require us to increase our allowance for loan losses, and to greatly increase the types of data we will need to collect and review to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses. Accordingly, regardless of any actual changes to the composition or performance of our loan portfolio, the new accounting standard may require an increase in our allowance for loan losses or expenses incurred to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses, and may therefore have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Communications and information systems are essential to the conduct of our business, as we use such systems to manage our customer relationships, general ledger and virtually all other aspects of our business. We depend on the secure processing, storage and transmission of confidential and other information in our data processing systems, computers, networks and communications systems. Although we take numerous protective measures and otherwise endeavor to protect and maintain the privacy and security of confidential data, these systems may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, other malicious code, cyber-attacks, cyber-theft and other events that could have a security impact. If one or more of such events were to occur, this potentially could jeopardize confidential and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our systems or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our or our customers' operations. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to litigation and financial losses that are not fully covered by our insurance. Security breaches involving our network or Internet banking systems could expose us to possible liability and deter customers from using our systems. We rely on specific software and hardware systems to provide the security and authentication necessary to protect our network and Internet banking systems from compromises or breaches of our security measures. These precautions may not fully protect our systems from compromises or breaches of our security measures that could result in damage to our reputation and our business. Although we perform most data processing functions internally, we outsource certain services to third parties. If our third-party providers encounter operational difficulties or security breaches, it could affect our ability to adequately process and account for customer transactions, which could significantly affect our business operations.

We rely on numerous external vendors to provide us with products and services necessary to maintain our day-to-day operations. Accordingly, our operations are exposed to risk that these vendors will not perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements. The failure of an external vendor to perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements because of changes in the vendor's organizational structure, financial condition, support for existing products and services or strategic focus or for any other reason, could be disruptive to our operations, which in turn could have a material negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We also could be adversely affected to the extent such an agreement is not renewed by the third-party vendor or is renewed on terms less favorable to us.

We have become increasingly dependent on communications, data processing and other information technology systems to manage and conduct our business and support our day-to-day banking, investment, and trust activities, some of which are provided through third-parties. If we or our third-party vendors encounter difficulties or become the subject of a cyber-attack on or other breach of their operational systems, data or infrastructure, or if we have difficulty communicating with any such third-party system, our business and operations could suffer. Any failure or disruption to our systems, or those of a third-party vendor, could impede our transaction processing, service delivery, customer relationship management, data processing, financial reporting or risk management. Although we take ongoing monitoring, detection, and prevention measures and perform penetration testing and periodic risk assessments, our computer systems, software and networks and those of our third-party vendors may be or become vulnerable to unauthorized access, loss or destruction of data (including confidential client information), account takeovers, unavailability of service, computer viruses, denial of service attacks, malicious social engineering or other malicious code, or cyber-attacks beyond what we can reasonably anticipate and such events could result in material loss. If any of our financial, accounting or other data processing systems fail or have other significant shortcomings, we could be materially adversely affected. Security breaches in our online banking systems could also have an adverse effect on our reputation and could subject us to possible liability. Additionally, we could suffer disruptions to our systems or damage to our network infrastructure from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control, such as electrical or telecommunications outages, natural disasters, widespread health emergencies or pandemics, or events arising from local or larger scale political events, including terrorist acts. There can be no assurance that our policies, procedures and protective measures designed to prevent or limit the effect of a failure, interruption or security breach, or the policies, procedures and protective measures of our third-party vendors, will be effective. If significant failure, interruption or security breaches do occur in our processing systems or those of our third-party providers, we could suffer damage to our reputation, a loss of customer business, additional regulatory scrutiny, or exposure to civil litigation, additional costs and possible financial liability. In addition, our business is highly dependent on our ability to process, record and monitor, on a continuous basis, a large number of transactions. To do so, we are dependent on our employees and therefore, the potential for operational risk exposure exists throughout our organization, including losses resulting from human error. We could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our employees cause a significant operational breakdown or failure. If we fail to maintain

Employee errors or omissions, particularly with respect to information security controls, and employee and customer misconduct could subject us to financial losses or regulatory sanctions and seriously harm our reputation. Our loans to businesses and individuals and our deposit relationships and related transactions are also subject to exposure to the risk of loss due to fraud and other financial crimes. Misconduct by our employees could include hidingconcealing unauthorized activities from us, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of our customers or improper use of confidential information. It is not always possible to prevent employee errors and misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. Employee errors could also subject us to financial claims for negligence. We have not experienced any material financial losses from employee errors, misconduct or fraud. However, if our internal controls fail to prevent or promptly detect an occurrence, or if any resulting loss is not insured or exceeds applicable insurance limits, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

If our enterprise risk management framework is not effective at mitigating risk and loss to us, we could suffer unexpected losses and our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our enterprise risk management framework seeks to achieve an appropriate balance between risk and return, which is critical to optimizing stockholder value. We have established processes and procedures intended to identify, measure, monitor, report and analyze the types of risk to which we are subject, including credit, liquidity, operational, regulatory compliance and reputational. However, as with any risk management framework, there are inherent limitations to our risk management strategies as there may exist, or develop in the future, risks that we have not appropriately anticipated or identified. If our risk management framework proves ineffective, we could suffer unexpected losses and our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

The financial services industry is undergoing rapid technological changes, with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve customers and to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We also may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers.

In the event that historically have involved banks through alternative methods. For example, the wide acceptance of Internet-based commerce has resulted in a number of alternative payment processing systems and lending platforms in which banks play only minor roles. Customers can now maintain funds in prepaid debit cards or digital currencies, and pay bills and transfer funds directly without the direct assistance of banks. The diminishing role of banks as financial intermediaries has resulted and could continueour loan customers do not repay their loans according to result in the loss of fee income, as well as the loss of customer depositstheir terms, and the related income generated from those deposits. The losscollateral securing the repayment of these revenue streamsloans is insufficient to cover any remaining loan balance, including expenses of collecting the loan and managing and liquidating the potential loss of lower cost deposits as a source of fundscollateral, we could experience significant loan losses or increase our provision for loan losses or both, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. At December 31, 2020, our allowance for loan losses was $7.8 million, which represented 0.77% of total loans and 634.81% of nonperforming loans as of that date. In determining the amount of our allowance for loan losses, we rely on internal and external loan reviews, our historical experience and our evaluation of economic conditions, among other factors. In addition, we make various estimates and assumptions about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets, if any, serving as collateral for the repayment of our loans. We also make judgments concerning our legal positions and the priority of our liens and security interests in contested legal or bankruptcy proceedings, and at times, we may lack sufficient information to establish adequate specific reserves for loans involved in such proceedings. We base these estimates, assumptions and judgments on information that we consider reliable, but if an estimate, assumption or judgment that we make ultimately proves to be incorrect, additional provisions to our allowance for loan losses may become necessary. In addition, our emphasis on loan and lease growth and on increasing our portfolios of commercial business loans, as well as any future credit deterioration, including as a result of COVID-19, could require us to increase our allowance for loan losses in the future. In addition, as an integral part of their supervisory and/or examination process, the OCC periodically reviews the methodology for and the sufficiency of the allowance for loan losses. The OCC has the authority to require us to recognize additions to the allowance based on their inclusion, exclusion or modification of risk factors or differences in judgments of information available to them at the time of their examination.

We extend credit to businesses pursuant to the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). We are subject to additional credit and compliance risks related to our participation in the Paycheck Protection Program

The CARES Act included the PPP as a loan program administered through the SBA. On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 extended the PPP through March 31, 2021. Under the PPP, small businesses and other entities and individuals can apply for loans from existing SBA lenders and other approved regulated lenders that enroll in the program, subject to detailed qualifications and eligibility criteria.

Because of the short timeframe between the passing of the CARES Act and implementation of the PPP, some of the rules and guidance relating to PPP were issued after lenders began processing PPP applications. Also, there was and continues to be uncertainty in the laws, rules and guidance relating to the PPP. Since the opening of the PPP, several banks have been subject to litigation regarding the procedures used in processing PPP applications, and several banks have been subject to litigation regarding the payment of fees to agents that assisted borrowers in obtaining PPP loans. In addition, some banks and borrowers have received negative media attention associated with PPP loans. Although we believe that we have administered the PPP in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations and guidance, we may be exposed to litigation risk and negative media attention related to our participation in the PPP. If any such litigation is not resolved in in our favor, it may result in significant financial liability to us or adversely affect our reputation. In addition, litigation can be costly, regardless of its outcome. Any financial liability, litigation costs or reputational damage caused by PPP-related litigation or media attention could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Risks Related to Laws and Regulations

New or changing tax, accounting, and regulatory rules and interpretations could have a significant impact on our strategic initiatives, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition

The banking services industry is extensively regulated. In addition to regulation by our banking regulators, we also are directly subject to the requirements of entities that set and interpret the accounting standards such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and indirectly subject to the actions and interpretations of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which establishes auditing and related professional practice standards for registered public accounting firms and inspects registered firms to assess their compliance with certain laws, rules, and professional standards in public company audits. These regulations, along with the currently existing tax, accounting, securities, insurance, and monetary laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations, control the methods by which financial institutions and their holding companies conduct business, engage in strategic and tax planning and implement strategic initiatives, and govern financial reporting and disclosures. These laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations are constantly evolving and may change significantly over time, particularly during periods in which the composition of the U.S. Congress and the leadership of regulatory agencies and public sector boards change due to the outcomes of national elections.

We could become subject to more stringent capital requirements, which could adversely impact our return on equity, require us to raise additional capital, or constrain us from paying dividends or repurchasing shares

Federal regulations establish minimum capital requirements for insured depository institutions, including minimum risk-based capital and leverage ratios, and define “capital” for calculating these ratios. The minimum capital requirements are: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%; (ii) a Tier 1 to risk-based assets capital ratio of 6% (increased from 4%); (iii) a total capital ratio of 8% (unchanged from current rules); and (iv) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4%. Unrealized gains and losses on certain “available-for-sale” securities holdings are to be included for purposes of calculating regulatory capital requirements unless a one-time opt-out was exercised. The Bank exercised this one-time opt-out option.

The regulations also establish a “capital conservation buffer” of 2.5% and the following minimum ratios: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 7%, (ii) a Tier 1 to risk-based assets capital ratio of 8.5%, and (iii) a total capital ratio of 10.5%. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount. These limitations will establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that can be utilized for such actions.

At December 31, 2020, the Bank has met all of these requirements, including the full 2.5% capital conservation buffer.

The application of these more stringent capital requirements could, among other things, result in lower returns on equity, require the raising of additional capital, and result in regulatory actions if we were to be unable to comply with such requirements. Furthermore, the imposition of liquidity requirements in connection with the implementation of Basel III could result in our having to lengthen the term of our funding, restructure our business models, and/or increase our holdings of liquid assets. Implementation of changes to asset risk weightings for risk-based capital calculations, items included or deducted in calculating regulatory capital and/or additional capital conservation buffers could result in management modifying its business strategy, and could limit our ability to make distributions, including paying out dividends or buying back shares. Specifically, the Bank’s ability to pay dividends will be limited if it does not have the capital conservation buffer required by the capital rules, which may limit our ability to pay dividends to stockholders. See “Supervision and Regulation-Federal Banking Regulation-Capital Requirements.”

Non-compliance with USA PATRIOT Act, Bank Secrecy Act, or other laws and regulations could result in fines or sanctions

Financial institutions are required under the USA PATRIOT and Bank Secrecy Acts to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money-laundering and terrorist activities. Financial institutions are also obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network if such activities are detected. These rules also require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers seeking to open new financial accounts. Failure or the inability to comply with these regulations could result in fines or penalties, curtailment of expansion opportunities, intervention or sanctions by regulators and costly litigation or expensive additional controls and systems. During the last few years, several banking institutions have received large fines for non-compliance with these laws and regulations. In addition, the U.S. Government has previously imposed laws and regulations relating to residential and consumer lending activities that create significant new compliance burdens and financial risks. We have developed policies and continue to augment procedures and systems designed to assist in compliance with these laws and regulations, but these policies may not be effective to provide such compliance.

Monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations

In addition to being affected by general economic conditions, our earnings and growth are affected by the policies of the Federal Reserve Board. An important function of the Federal Reserve Board is to regulate the money supply and credit conditions. Among the instruments used by the Federal Reserve Board to implement these objectives are open market purchases and sales of U.S. government securities, adjustments of the discount rate and changes in banks’ reserve requirements against bank deposits. These instruments are used in varying combinations to influence overall economic growth and the distribution of credit, bank loans, investments and deposits. Their use also affects interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits.

The monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board have had a significant effect on the operating results.