The Bank’s legal headquarters is located at 4 Brandywine Avenue, Downingtown, Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2005, the Bank had total assets of $472.6 million, total deposits of $339.9 million and total stockholders’ equity of $39.2 million. The Bank’s business is not seasonal in nature. The FDIC, to the extent provided by law, insures its deposits. At December 31, 2005, the Bank had 132 full-time employees and 20 part-time employees.
The Bank derives its income principally from interest charged on loans and, to a lesser extent, interest earned on investments and fees received in connection with the origination of loans and for other services. The Bank’s principal expenses are interest expense on deposits and borrowings and operating expenses. Funds for activities are provided principally by operating revenues, deposit growth and the repayment of outstanding loans and investments.
The Bank encounters vigorous competition from a number of sources, including other commercial banks, thrift institutions, other financial institutions and financial intermediaries. In addition to commercial banks, Federal and state savings and loan associations, savings banks, credit unions and industrial savings banks actively compete in the Bank’s market area to provide a wide variety of banking services. Mortgage banking firms, real estate investment trusts, finance companies, insurance companies, leasing companies and brokerage companies, financial affiliates of industrial companies and certain government agencies provide additional competition for loans and for certain financial services. The Bank also competes for interest-bearing funds with a number of other financial intermediaries, which offer a diverse range of investment alternatives, including brokerage firms and mutual fund companies.
Supervision and Regulation - Registrant
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - On July 30, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), which imposed significant additional requirements and restrictions on publicly-held companies, such as the Registrant. These provisions include new requirements governing the composition and responsibilities of audit committees, financial disclosures and reporting and restrictions on personal loans to directors and officers. Sarbanes-Oxley, inter alia, now mandates chief executive and chief financial officer certifications of periodic financial reports, additional financial disclosures concerning off-balance sheet items, and speedier transaction reporting requirements for executive officers, directors and 10% shareholders. Rules promulgated and to be promulgated by the SEC pursuant to Sarbanes-Oxley impose substantial reporting and compliance obligations on management and boards of directors, and new obligations and restrictions have been placed on auditors and audit committees that is intended to enhance their independence from management. In addition, penalties for non-compliance with the federal securities laws are heightened. While the Registrant has and will incur significant additional expense complying with Sarbanes Oxley requirements, the Registrant does not anticipate this legislation to have any other material adverse impact on the Registrant.
Federal Banking Laws
The Registrant is subject to a number of complex Federal banking laws, most notably the provisions of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“Bank Holding Company Act”) and the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978 (“Change in Control Act”), and to supervision by the Federal Reserve Board.
Bank Holding Company Act - Financial Holding Companies
The Bank Holding Company Act requires a “company” (including the Registrant) to secure the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board before it owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than five percent (5%) of the voting shares or substantially all of the assets of any bank. It also prohibits acquisition by any “company” (including the Registrant) of more than five percent (5%) of the voting shares of, or interest in, or all or substantially all of the assets of, any bank located outside of the state in which a current bank subsidiary is located unless such acquisition is specifically authorized by laws of the state in which such bank is located. A “bank holding company” (including the Registrant) is prohibited from engaging in or acquiring direct or indirect control of more than five percent (5%) of the voting shares of any company engaged in non-banking activities unless the Federal Reserve Board, by order or regulation, has found such activities to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. In making this determination, the Federal Reserve Board considers whether the performance of these activities by a bank holding company would offer benefits to the public that outweigh possible adverse effects. Applications under the Bank Holding Company Act and the Change in Control Act are subject to review, based upon the record of compliance of the applicant with the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (“CRA”). See further discussion below.
The Registrant is required to file an annual report with the Federal Reserve Board and any additional information that the Federal Reserve Board may require pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act. The Federal Reserve Board may also make examinations of the Registrant and any or all of its subsidiaries. Further, under Section 106 of the 1970 amendments to the Bank Holding Company Act and the Federal Reserve Board’s regulations, a bank holding company and its subsidiaries are prohibited from engaging in certain tie-in arrangements in connection with any extension of credit or provision of credit or provision of any property or services. The so-called “anti-tie-in” provisions state generally that a bank may not extend credit, lease, sell property or furnish any service to a customer on the condition that the customer provide additional credit or service to the bank, to its bank holding company or to any other subsidiary of its bank holding company or on the condition that the customer not obtain other credit or service from a competitor of the bank, its bank holding company or any subsidiary of its bank holding company.
Permitted Non-Banking Activities. The Federal Reserve Board permits bank holding companies to engage in non-banking activities so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. A number of activities are authorized by Federal Reserve Board regulation, while other activities require prior Federal Reserve Board approval. The types of permissible activities are subject to change by the Federal Reserve Board. Recent revisions to the Bank Holding Company Act contained in the Federal Gramm-Leach Bliley Act of 1999 permit certain eligible bank holding companies to qualify as “financial holding companies” and thereupon engage in a wider variety of financial services such as securities and insurance activities.
Gramm-Leach Bliley Act of 1999 (“GLB”). This law repeals certain restrictions on bank and securities firm affiliations, and allows bank holding companies to elect to be treated as a “financial holding company” that can engage in approved “financial activities,” including insurance, securities underwriting and merchant banking. Banks without holding companies can engage in many of these new financial activities through a “financial subsidiary.” The law also mandates functional regulation of bank securities activities. Banks’ exemption from broker-dealer regulation would be limited to, for example, trust, safekeeping, custodian, shareholder and employee benefit plans, sweep accounts, private placements (under certain conditions), self-directed IRAs, third party networking arrangements to offer brokerage services to bank customers, and the like. It also requires banks that advise mutual funds to register as investment advisers. The legislation provides for state regulation of insurance, subject to certain specified state preemption standards. It establishes which insurance products banks and bank subsidiaries may provide as principal or underwriter, and prohibits bank underwriting of title insurance, but also preempts state laws interfering with affiliations. GLB prohibits approval of new de novo thrift charter applications by commercial entities and limits sales of existing so-called “unitary” thrifts to commercial entities. The law bars banks, savings and loans, credit unions, securities firms and insurance companies, as well as other “financial institutions,” from disclosing customer account numbers or access codes to unaffiliated third parties for telemarketing or other direct marketing purposes, and enables customers of financial institutions to “opt out” of having their personal financial information shared with unaffiliated third parties, subject to exceptions related to the processing of customer transactions and joint financial services marketing arrangements with third parties, as long as the institution discloses the activity to its customers and requires the third party to keep the information confidential. It requires policies on privacy and disclosure of information to be disclosed annually, requires federal regulators to adopt comprehensive regulations for ensuring the security and confidentiality of consumers’ personal information, and allows state laws to give consumers greater privacy protections. The GLB is likely to increase the competition the Bank faces, and this increased competition is likely to come from a wider variety of non-banking competitors as well as banks.
Change in Bank Control Act
Under the Change in Control Act, no person, acting directly or indirectly or through or in concert with one or more other persons, may acquire “control” of any Federally insured depository institution unless the appropriate Federal banking agency has been given 60 days prior written notice of the proposed acquisition and within that period has not issued a notice disapproving of the proposed acquisition or has issued written notice of its intent not to disapprove the action. The period for the agency’s disapproval may be extended by the agency. Upon receiving such notice, the Federal agency is required to provide a copy to the appropriate state regulatory agency, if the institution of which control is to be acquired is state chartered, and the Federal agency is obligated to give due consideration to the views and recommendations of the state agency. Upon receiving a notice, the Federal agency is also required to conduct an investigation of each person involved in the proposed acquisition. Notice of such proposal is to be published and public comment solicited thereon. A proposal may be disapproved by the Federal agency if the proposal would have anticompetitive effects, if the proposal would jeopardize the financial stability of the institution to be acquired or prejudice the interests of its depositors, if the competence, experience or integrity of any acquiring person or proposed management personnel indicates that it would not be in the interest of depositors or the public to permit such person to control the institution, if any acquiring person fails to furnish the Federal agency with all information required by the agency, or if the Federal agency determines that the proposed transaction would result in an adverse effect on a deposit insurance fund. In addition, the Change in Control Act requires that, whenever any Federally insured depository institution makes a loan or loans secured, or to be secured, by 25% or more of the outstanding voting stock of a Federally insured depository institution, the president or chief executive officer of the lending bank must promptly report such fact to the appropriate Federal banking agency regulating the institution whose stock secures the loan or loans.
Pennsylvania Banking Laws
Under the Pennsylvania Banking Code of 1965, as amended (“PA Code”), the Registrant is permitted to control an unlimited number of banks, subject to prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board as more fully described above. The PA Code authorizes reciprocal interstate banking without any geographic limitation. Reciprocity between states exists when a foreign state’s law authorizes Pennsylvania bank holding companies to acquire banks or bank holding companies located in that state on terms and conditions substantially no more restrictive than those applicable to such an acquisition by a bank holding company located in that state. Interstate ownership of banks in Pennsylvania with banks in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, New York and other states is currently authorized. However, state laws still restrict de novo formations of branches in other states. Pennsylvania law also provides Pennsylvania state chartered institutions elective parity with the power of national banks, federal thrifts, and state-chartered institutions in other states as authorized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“Competing Institutions”). In some cases, this may give state chartered institutions broader powers than national banks such as the Bank, and may increase competition the Bank faces from other banking institutions.
Environmental Laws
The Registrant, the Bank and the Bank’s customers are subject in the course of their activities to a growing number of Federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. Neither the Registrant nor the Bank anticipates that compliance with environmental laws and regulations will have any material effect on capital expenditures, earnings, or on its competitive positions.
Supervision and Regulation - Bank
The operations of the Bank are subject to Federal and State statutes applicable to banks chartered under the banking laws of the United States, to members of the Federal Reserve System and to banks whose deposits are insured by the FDIC. Bank operations are also subject to regulations of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”), the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC.
The primary supervisory authority of the Bank is the OCC, who regularly examines the Bank. The OCC has the authority to prevent a national bank from engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice in conducting its business.
Federal and state banking laws and regulations govern, among other things, the scope of a bank’s business, the investments a bank may make, the reserves against deposits a bank must maintain, loans a bank makes and collateral it takes, the activities of a bank with respect to mergers and consolidations and the establishment of branches. All nationally and state-chartered banks in Pennsylvania are permitted to maintain branch offices in any county of the state. National bank branches may be established only after approval by the OCC. It is the general policy of the OCC to approve applications to establish and operate domestic branches, including ATMs and other automated devices that take deposits, provided that approval would not violate applicable Federal or state laws regarding the establishment of such branches. The OCC reserves the right to deny an application or grant approval subject to conditions if (1) there are significant supervisory concerns with respect to the applicant or affiliated organizations, (2) in accordance with CRA, the applicant’s record of helping meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low and moderate income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operation, is less than satisfactory, or (3) any financial or other business arrangement, direct or indirect, involving the proposed branch or device and bank “insiders” (directors, officers, employees and 10% or greater shareholders) involves terms and conditions more favorable to the insiders than would be available in a comparable transaction with unrelated parties.
The Bank, as a subsidiary of a bank holding company, is subject to certain restrictions imposed by the Federal Reserve Act on any extensions of credit to the bank holding company or its subsidiaries, on investments in the stock or other securities of the bank holding company or its subsidiaries and on taking such stock or securities as collateral for loans. The Federal Reserve Act and Federal Reserve Board regulations also place certain limitations and reporting requirements on extensions of credit by a bank to principal shareholders of its parent holding company, among others, and to related interests of such principal shareholders. In addition, such legislation and regulations may affect the terms upon which any person becoming a principal shareholder of a holding company may obtain credit from banks with which the subsidiary bank maintains a correspondent relationship.
Prompt Corrective Action. Federal banking law mandates certain “prompt corrective actions” which Federal banking agencies are required to take, and certain actions which they have discretion to take, based upon the capital category into which a Federally regulated depository institution falls. Regulations have been adopted by Federal bank regulatory agencies setting forth detailed procedures and criteria for implementing prompt corrective action in the case of any institution, which is not adequately capitalized. Under the rules, an institution will be deemed to be “adequately capitalized” or better if it exceeds the minimum Federal regulatory capital requirements. However, it will be deemed “undercapitalized” if it fails to meet the minimum capital requirements, “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio that is less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio that is less than 3.0%, or a leverage ratio that is less than 3.0%, and “critically undercapitalized” if the institution has a ratio of tangible equity to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0%. The rules require an undercapitalized institution to file a written capital restoration plan, along with a performance guaranty by its holding company or a third party. In addition, an undercapitalized institution becomes subject to certain automatic restrictions including a prohibition on the payment of dividends, a limitation on asset growth and expansion, and in certain cases, a limitation on the payment of bonuses or raises to senior executive officers, and a prohibition on the payment of certain “management fees” to any “controlling person”. Institutions that are classified as undercapitalized are also subject to certain additional supervisory actions, including increased reporting burdens and regulatory monitoring, a limitation on the institution’s ability to make acquisitions, open new branch offices, or engage in new lines of business, obligations to raise additional capital, restrictions on transactions with affiliates, and restrictions on interest rates paid by the institution on deposits. In certain cases, bank regulatory agencies may require replacement of senior executive officers or directors, or sale of the institution to a willing purchaser. If an institution is deemed to be “critically undercapitalized” and continues in that category for four quarters, the statute requires, with certain narrowly limited exceptions, that the institution be placed in receivership.
Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, the OCC possesses the power to prohibit institutions regulated by it, such as the Bank, from engaging in any activity that would be an unsafe and unsound banking practice and in violation of the law. Moreover, Federal law enactments have expanded the circumstances under which officers or directors of a bank may be removed by the institution’s Federal supervisory agency; restricted and further regulated lending by a bank to its executive officers, directors, principal shareholders or related interests thereof; and restricted management personnel of a bank from serving as directors or in other management positions with certain depository institutions whose assets exceed a specified amount or which have an office within a specified geographic area; and restricted management personnel from borrowing from another institution that has a correspondent relationship with their bank.
Capital Rules . Pursuant to The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (“FIRREA”) and the laws it amended, the Federal banking agencies have issued certain “risk-based capital” guidelines, which supplemented existing capital requirements. In addition, the OCC imposes certain “leverage” requirements on national banks such as the Bank. Banking regulators have authority to require higher minimum capital ratios for an individual bank or bank holding company in view of its circumstances.
The risk-based guidelines require all banks and bank holding companies to maintain two “risk-weighted asset” ratios. The first is a minimum ratio of total capital (“Tier 1” and “Tier 2” capital) to risk-weighted assets equal to 8.00%; the second is a minimum ratio of “Tier 1” capital to risk-weighted assets equal to 4.00%. Assets are assigned to five risk categories, with higher levels of capital being required for the categories perceived as representing greater risk. In making the calculation, certain intangible assets must be deducted from the capital base. The risk-based capital rules are designed to make regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banks and bank holding companies and to minimize disincentives for holding liquid assets.
The risk-based capital rules also account for interest rate risk. Institutions with interest rate risk exposure above a normal level, would be required to hold extra capital in proportion to that risk. A bank’s exposure to declines in the economic value of its capital due to changes in interest rates is a factor that the banking agencies will consider in evaluating a bank’s capital adequacy. The rule does not codify an explicit minimum capital charge for interest rate risk. The Bank currently monitors and manages its assets and liabilities for interest rate risk, and management believes that the interest rate risk rules, which have been implemented and proposed will not materially adversely affect the Bank’s operations.
The OCC’s “leverage” ratio rules require national banks which are rated the highest by the OCC in the composite areas of capital, asset quality, management, earnings and liquidity to maintain a ratio of “Tier 1” capital to “adjusted total assets” (equal to the bank’s average total assets as stated in its most recent quarterly Call Report filed with the OCC, minus end-of-quarter intangible assets that are deducted from Tier 1 capital) of not less than 3.00%. For banks which are not the most highly rated, the minimum “leverage” ratio will range from 4.00% to 5.00%, or higher at the discretion of the OCC, and is required to be at a level commensurate with the nature of the riskiness of the bank’s condition and activities.
For purposes of the capital requirements, “Tier 1” or “core” capital is defined to include common stockholders’ equity and certain non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus. “Tier 2” or “qualifying supplementary” capital is defined to include a bank’s allowance for credit losses up to 1.25% of risk-weighted assets, plus certain types of preferred stock and related surplus, certain “hybrid capital instruments” and certain term subordinated debt instruments.
Management does not anticipate that the foregoing capital rules will have a material effect on the Registrant’s business and capital plans.
Deposit Insurance Assessments . All Federally insured depository institutions pay special assessments toward the funding of interest payments on FICO bonds, which were issued in 1989 to fund the savings and loan bailout. The special assessments are calculated on a deposit-by-deposit basis. The FDIC sets the Financing Corporation assessment rate every quarter. Currently, the special assessment rate is 1.32 basis points on all assessable deposits.
The FDIC sets deposit insurance assessment rates on a semiannual basis. The FDIC has authority to impose or change the assessment rates within its discretion to maintain the deposit insurance fund’s reserve ratio at the required levels. While the required ratio was designated at 1.25% prior to 2006, the Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 (the “Reform Act”) changes the designated ratio to a required range, giving the FDIC authority to establish the reserve level within that range. For further information, please refer to “Deposit Insurance Reform Act” on page 8.
An institution’s semiannual deposit insurance assessment is computed primarily by multiplying its “average assessment base” (generally, total insurable domestic deposits) for the prior semiannual period by one-half the annual assessment rate applicable to that institution depending upon its risk category, which is based principally on two measures of risk. These measures involve capital and supervisory factors.
For the capital measure, institutions are assigned semiannually to one of three capital groups according to their levels of supervisory capital as reported on their Call Reports: “well capitalized” (group 1), “adequately capitalized” (group 2) and “undercapitalized” (group 3). The capital ratio standards for classifying an institution in one of these three groups are total risk-based capital ratio (10 percent or greater for group 1, and between 8 and 10 percent for group 2), the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio (6 percent or greater for group 1, and between 4 and 6 percent for group 2), and the leverage capital ratio (5 percent or greater for group 1, between 4 and 5 percent for group 2). Management believes that the Bank has met the definition of “well capitalized” for regulatory purposes on December 31, 1999 and thereafter.
Within each capital group, institutions are assigned to one of three supervisory risk subgroups ─ subgroup A, B, or C, depending upon an assessment of the institution’s perceived risk based upon the results of its most recent examination and other information available to regulators. Subgroup A will consist of financially sound institutions with only a few minor weaknesses. Subgroup B will consist of institutions that demonstrate weaknesses, which, if not corrected, could result in significant deterioration of the institution and increased risk of loss to the deposit insurance fund. Subgroup C will consist of institutions that pose a substantial probability of loss to the deposit insurance fund unless effective corrective action is taken. Thus, there are nine possible classifications to which varying assessment rates are applicable. The regulation generally prohibits institutions from disclosing their subgroup assignments or assessment risk classifications without FDIC authorization.
Interstate Banking. Federal law permits interstate bank mergers and acquisitions. Limited branch purchases are still subject to state laws. Pennsylvania law permits out-of-state banking institutions to establish branches in Pennsylvania with the approval of the Pennsylvania Banking Department, provided the law of the state where the banking institution is located would permit a Pennsylvania banking institution to establish and maintain a branch in that state on substantially similar terms and conditions. It also permits Pennsylvania banking institutions to maintain branches in other states. Bank management anticipates that interstate banking will continue to increase competitive pressures in the Bank’s market by permitting entry of additional competitors, but management is of the opinion that this will not have a material impact upon the anticipated results of operations of the Bank.
Bank Secrecy Act and OFAC. Under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), the Bank is required to report to the Internal Revenue Service, currency transactions of more than $10,000 or multiple transactions of which the Bank is aware in any one day that aggregate in excess of $10,000. Civil and criminal penalties are provided under the BSA for failure to file a required report, for failure to supply information required by the BSA or for filing a false or fraudulent report. The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorism-sponsoring jurisdictions and organizations, and international narcotics traffickers based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals. OFAC acts under presidential wartime and national emergency powers and authority granted by specific legislation to impose controls on transactions and freeze foreign assets under U.S. jurisdiction. Acting under authority delegated from the Secretary of the Treasury, OFAC promulgates, develops, and administers the sanctions under its statutes and executive orders. OFAC requirements are separate and distinct from the BSA, but both OFAC requirements and the BSA share a common national security goal. Because institutions and regulators view compliance with OFAC sanctions as related to BSA compliance obligations, supervisory examination for OFAC compliance is typically connected to examination of an institution's BSA compliance. Examiners focus on a banking organization's compliance processes and evaluate the sufficiency of a banking organization's implementation of policies, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with OFAC regulations.
USA PATRIOT Act . The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (together with its implementing regulations, the “Patriot Act”), designed to deny terrorists and others the ability to obtain access to the United States financial system, has significant implications for banks and other financial institutions. It requires the Registrant and its subsidiary to implement new policies and procedures or amend existing policies and procedures with respect to, anti-money laundering, compliance, suspicious activity and currency transaction reporting and due diligence on customers, as well as related matters. The Patriot Act permits and in some cases requires information sharing for counter-terrorist purposes between federal law enforcement agencies and financial institutions, as well as among financial institutions, and it requires federal banking agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of an institution in combating money laundering activities, both in ongoing examinations and in connection with applications for regulatory approval.
The Registrant has and will incur significant additional expense complying with BSA, OFAC and Patriot Act requirements. The Registrant’s management has identified weaknesses in the Bank’s BSA, OFAC and Patriot Act compliance program (the “BSA compliance program”) and is still assessing the impact of the identified weaknesses. As a result, Registrant’s management cannot assure investors that the Bank is compliant with BSA in all respects, but the Registrant’s management has committed to a focused program in 2006 to strengthen its BSA compliance program.
Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005. The Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 (the “Reform Act”) established a new Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) and merges the Bank Insurance Fund (“BIF”) and the Savings Association Insurance Fund (“SAIF”) into it. The Reform Act replaced the previous 1.25% “designated reserve ratio” for the BIF and SAIF with a reserve ratio range of 1.15% to 1.4% of estimated insured deposits, subject to specified factors and annual redetermination by the FDIC. It requires the FDIC to set assessments as it determines appropriate, including a maximum base rate for assessments at one basis point for insured depository institutions in the lowest-risk category. The FDIC is required to establish and implement a DIF restoration plan whenever its reserve ratio is projected to fall, or actually falls, below the minimum reserve ratio. The Reform Act prescribes requirements for such plans, notably restoration to the minimum required reserve level within ten years. Whenever the actual reserve ratio exceeds the prescribed range, the Reform Act requires the FDIC to refund assessments to assessed institutions. In addition, the Reform Act provides for a one-time credit to assessed institutions based upon the December 31, 1996, assessment base of each eligible depository institution, as compared to the combined aggregate assessment base of all such institutions, but restricts the amount of such credit for depository institutions that exhibit financial, operational, or compliance weakness, including undercapitalization. For institutions that fail to pay assessments, the Reform Act increases penalties from $100 to 1% of assessments per day for the failure of a depository institution assessed more than $10,000 to make timely assessment payments. The Reform Act also amended the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to provide increased deposit insurance coverage for certain retirement accounts, increasing the coverage from $100,000 to $250,000 on those accounts. As of the date of this report, the BIF and SAIF have not yet been merged into the DIF, but the FDIC had announced its intention to complete the merger by March 31. The Reform Act requires the FDIC to adopt implementing regulations for the other features of the Reform Act within 270 days after the Reform Act’s adoption.
Other Laws and Regulations. The Bank is subject to a variety of consumer protection laws, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act adopted as part of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the regulations adopted hereunder. In the aggregate, compliance with these consumer protection laws and regulations involves substantial expense and administrative time on the part of the Bank and the Registrant.
Legislation and Regulatory Changes . From time to time, legislation is enacted which has the effect of increasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities and/or affecting the competitive balance between banks and other financial institutions. Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of banks, bank holding companies and other financial institutions are frequently made in Congress, and before various bank regulatory agencies. No prediction can be made as to the likelihood of any major changes or the impact such changes might have on the Registrant and its subsidiary Bank.
Effect of Government Monetary Policies. The earnings of the Registrant are and will be affected by domestic economic conditions and the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States Government and its agencies (particularly the Federal Reserve Board). The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board have had and will likely continue to have, an important impact on the operating results of commercial banks through its power to implement national monetary policy in order, among other things, to curb inflation or combat a recession. The Federal Reserve Board has a major effect upon the levels of bank loans, investments and deposits through its open market operations in United States Government securities and through its regulation of, among other things, the discount rate on borrowing of member banks and the reserve requirements against member bank deposits. It is not possible to predict the nature and impact of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies.
Financial Information About Geographical Areas
All of the Registrant’s revenues are attributable to customers located in the United States, and primarily from customers located in Southeastern Pennsylvania. All of Registrant’s assets are located in the United States and in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Registrant has no activities in foreign countries and hence no risks attendant to foreign operations.
Available Information
Registrant files reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The public may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 450 fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC Internet site’s address is http://www.sec.gov . The Registrant maintains a corporate website at www.dnbfirst.com . We will provide printed copies of our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports at no charge upon written request. Requests should be made to DNB Financial Corporation, 4 Brandywine Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335, Attention: Bruce E. Moroney, Chief Financial Officer.
Bank Secrecy Act and OFAC. Under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), the Bank is required to report to the Internal Revenue Service, currency transactions of more than $10,000 or multiple transactions of which the Bank is aware in any one day that aggregate in excess of $10,000. Civil and criminal penalties are provided under the BSA for failure to file a required report, for failure to supply information required by the BSA or for filing a false or fraudulent report. The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorism-sponsoring jurisdictions and organizations, and international narcotics traffickers based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals. OFAC acts under presidential wartime and national emergency powers and authority granted by specific legislation to impose controls on transactions and freeze foreign assets under U.S. jurisdiction. Acting under authority delegated from the Secretary of the Treasury, OFAC promulgates, develops, and administers the sanctions under its statutes and executive orders. OFAC requirements are separate and distinct from the BSA, but both OFAC requirements and the BSA share a common national security goal. Because institutions and regulators view compliance with OFAC sanctions as related to BSA compliance obligations, supervisory examination for OFAC compliance is typically connected to examination of an institution's BSA compliance. Examiners focus on a banking organization's compliance processes and evaluate the sufficiency of a banking organization's implementation of policies, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with OFAC regulations.
USA PATRIOT Act . The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (together with its implementing regulations, the “Patriot Act”), designed to deny terrorists and others the ability to obtain access to the United States financial system, has significant implications for banks and other financial institutions. It requires the Registrant and its subsidiary to implement new policies and procedures or amend existing policies and procedures with respect to, anti-money laundering, compliance, suspicious activity and currency transaction reporting and due diligence on customers, as well as related matters. The Patriot Act permits and in some cases requires information sharing for counter-terrorist purposes between federal law enforcement agencies and financial institutions, as well as among financial institutions, and it requires federal banking agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of an institution in combating money laundering activities, both in ongoing examinations and in connection with applications for regulatory approval.
The Registrant has and will incur significant additional expense complying with BSA, OFAC and Patriot Act requirements. The Registrant’s management has identified weaknesses in the Bank’s BSA, OFAC and Patriot Act compliance program (the “BSA compliance program”) and is still assessing the impact of the identified weaknesses. As a result, Registrant’s management cannot assure investors that the Bank is compliant with BSA in all respects, but the Registrant’s management has committed to a focused program in 2006 to strengthen its BSA compliance program.
Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005. The Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 (the “Reform Act”) established a new Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) and merges the Bank Insurance Fund (“BIF”) and the Savings Association Insurance Fund (“SAIF”) into it. The Reform Act replaced the previous 1.25% “designated reserve ratio” for the BIF and SAIF with a reserve ratio range of 1.15% to 1.4% of estimated insured deposits, subject to specified factors and annual redetermination by the FDIC. It requires the FDIC to set assessments as it determines appropriate, including a maximum base rate for assessments at one basis point for insured depository institutions in the lowest-risk category. The FDIC is required to establish and implement a DIF restoration plan whenever its reserve ratio is projected to fall, or actually falls, below the minimum reserve ratio. The Reform Act prescribes requirements for such plans, notably restoration to the minimum required reserve level within ten years. Whenever the actual reserve ratio exceeds the prescribed range, the Reform Act requires the FDIC to refund assessments to assessed institutions. In addition, the Reform Act provides for a one-time credit to assessed institutions based upon the December 31, 1996, assessment base of each eligible depository institution, as compared to the combined aggregate assessment base of all such institutions, but restricts the amount of such credit for depository institutions that exhibit financial, operational, or compliance weakness, including undercapitalization. For institutions that fail to pay assessments, the Reform Act increases penalties from $100 to 1% of assessments per day for the failure of a depository institution assessed more than $10,000 to make timely assessment payments. The Reform Act also amended the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to provide increased deposit insurance coverage for certain retirement accounts, increasing the coverage from $100,000 to $250,000 on those accounts. As of the date of this report, the BIF and SAIF have not yet been merged into the DIF, but the FDIC had announced its intention to complete the merger by March 31. The Reform Act requires the FDIC to adopt implementing regulations for the other features of the Reform Act within 270 days after the Reform Act’s adoption.
Other Laws and Regulations. The Bank is subject to a variety of consumer protection laws, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act adopted as part of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the regulations adopted hereunder. In the aggregate, compliance with these consumer protection laws and regulations involves substantial expense and administrative time on the part of the Bank and the Registrant.
Legislation and Regulatory Changes . From time to time, legislation is enacted which has the effect of increasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities and/or affecting the competitive balance between banks and other financial institutions. Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of banks, bank holding companies and other financial institutions are frequently made in Congress, and before various bank regulatory agencies. No prediction can be made as to the likelihood of any major changes or the impact such changes might have on the Registrant and its subsidiary Bank.
Effect of Government Monetary Policies. The earnings of the Registrant are and will be affected by domestic economic conditions and the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States Government and its agencies (particularly the Federal Reserve Board). The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board have had and will likely continue to have, an important impact on the operating results of commercial banks through its power to implement national monetary policy in order, among other things, to curb inflation or combat a recession. The Federal Reserve Board has a major effect upon the levels of bank loans, investments and deposits through its open market operations in United States Government securities and through its regulation of, among other things, the discount rate on borrowing of member banks and the reserve requirements against member bank deposits. It is not possible to predict the nature and impact of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies.
Financial Information About Geographical Areas
All of the Registrant’s revenues are attributable to customers located in the United States, and primarily from customers located in Southeastern Pennsylvania. All of Registrant’s assets are located in the United States and in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Registrant has no activities in foreign countries and hence no risks attendant to foreign operations.
Available Information
Registrant files reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The public may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 450 fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC Internet site’s address is http://www.sec.gov . The Registrant maintains a corporate website at www.dnbfirst.com . We will provide printed copies of our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports at no charge upon written request. Requests should be made to DNB Financial Corporation, 4 Brandywine Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335, Attention: Bruce E. Moroney, Chief Financial Officer.
