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Risk Factors Dashboard

Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.

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Risk Factors - CZWI

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The risks described below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks that we do not yet know of or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our future business operations. If any of the events or circumstances described in the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such cases, the trading price of our common stock could decline.

RISKS RELATED TO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

Our business may be adversely affected by conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions generally. We operate primarily in the Wisconsin and Minnesota markets. As a result, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows are significantly impacted by changes in the economic conditions in those areas. In addition, our business is susceptible to broader economic trends within the United States economy. Economic conditions have a significant impact on the demand for our products and services, as well as the ability of our customers to repay loans, the value of the collateral securing loans and the stability of our deposit funding sources.

Inflation may have an adverse impact on our business and on our customers. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. The annual inflation rate as of December 2024 was 2.9% measured by consumer price index. Furthermore, our customers are also affected by inflation and the rising costs of goods and services used in their households and businesses, which could have a negative impact on their ability to repay their loans with us or the willingness of businesses to take loans with us.

Geopolitical tensions, including current or anticipated impact of military conflicts, could adversely affect general economic industry conditions. Adverse economic conditions may result from a variety of factors including domestic and global economic and political developments, including civil unrest, terrorism, foreign investment restrictions, various political or military action, such as the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia and corresponding sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries or the conflict in Israel and the surrounding areas, geopolitical events (including China-Taiwan and U.S.-China relations), and new or evolving legal and regulatory requirements on business investment, hiring, migration, labor supply and global supply chains.

Our loans include commercial and agricultural loans, which include loans secured by real estate as well as loans secured by personal property. Commercial real estate lending, including agricultural loans, typically involves higher loan principal amounts and the repayment of these loans is generally largely dependent on the successful operation of the property or the business conducted on the property securing the loan. Commercial real estate loans may be more adversely affected by conditions in the real estate markets or in the general economy. Agricultural operating loans carry significant risks as they may involve larger balances concentrated with a single borrower or group of related borrowers. In addition, repayment of such loans depends on the successful operation or management of the farm property securing the loan for which an operating loan is utilized. Farming operations may be affected by factors outside of the borrower’s control, including adverse weather conditions, such as drought, hail or floods that can severely limit crop yields and declines in market prices for agricultural products. Furthermore, severe weather events such as catastrophic fire, tornado, or

other events could impact the markets that we serve and adversely impact our customers, such as hindering our borrowers’ ability to timely repay their loans and diminish the value of the collateral held by us. Although the Bank manages lending risks through its underwriting and credit administration policies, no assurance can be given that such risks will not materialize, in which event, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and business prospects could be materially adversely affected.

Future pandemics (including new variants of COVID-19), could materially affect our results of operations, financial position and/or liquidity. COVID-19 presented, and any future pandemics (including new variants of COVID-19) could present, the following risks, among others: inflation; increased unemployment levels; disruptions in global supply chains and financial markets; adverse legislative or regulatory actions; operational disruptions; increased general and administrative expenses; financial market disruption; and an economic downturn. These risks could materially and adversely impact our results of operations, financial position and/or liquidity.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

We rely on network and information systems and other technologies, and, as a result, we are subject to various Cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity refers to the combination of technologies, processes and procedures established to protect information technology systems and data from unauthorized access, attack, or damage. Our business involves the storage and transmission of customers’ personal information. While we have internal policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of a failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems, as well as contracts and service agreements with applicable outside vendors, we cannot be assured that any such failures, interruptions or security breaches will not occur or, if they do, that they will be addressed adequately. Any failure or interruption of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our loan, deposit, general ledger and other systems. We rely on the secure processing, storage and transmission of confidential and other information on our computer systems and networks. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential client or customer information, whether through a breach of our computer systems or otherwise, could severely harm our business. Although we have implemented measures to prevent security breaches, cyber incidents and other security threats, our facilities and systems, and those of third party service providers, may be vulnerable to security breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, programming and/or human error, or other similar events that could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Although, to date, we have not experienced any material losses relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses in the future. Additionally, the techniques used by cyber criminals change frequently, may not be recognized until launched (or may evade detection for considerable time), can be initiated from a variety of sources, and may increase in frequency and effectiveness by the use of artificial intelligence. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. Our ability to maintain, timely update and replace systems can become more challenging as the speed, frequency, volume, interconnectivity and complexity of the information on these systems increases. Furthermore, the storage and transmission of such data is regulated at the federal and state level. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations or experience a data security breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, whether by us or our vendors, our reputation could be damaged, possibly resulting in lost future business, and we could be subject to fines, penalties, administrative orders and other legal risks as a result of a breach or non-compliance. Additionally risks could arise in connection with any failure, or perceived failure, to timely or sufficiently update or expand our privacy notices and policies to be fully compliant with quickly evolving state privacy requirements, and any failure to sufficiently respond to, or respond in a sufficiently timely manner to, consumer rights and other requests exercised under such state privacy laws, in each case to the extent they are applicable to us.

The impact of larger or similar-sized financial institutions encountering financial difficulties may adversely affect the Company's business, earnings and financial condition.

The Company is exposed to the risk that when a peer financial institution experiences financial difficulties, there could be an adverse impact on the regional banking industry and the business environment in which it operates. The bank failures of Silicon Valley Bank in California, Signature Bank in New York, and First Republic Bank in California during the first and second quarters of 2023 have caused a degree of concern and uncertainty in the investor community and among bank customers generally. Uncertainty may be compounded by the reach and depth of media attention and its ability to disseminate concerns about these types of events. This public uncertainty and concern could potentially affect the Bank despite its relatively high percentage of deposits (82% as of December 31, 2024) that are either insured or collateralized and its balance sheet liquidity

and collateralized borrowing capacity being well in excess of the uninsured deposit balances. While the Company does not believe that the circumstances of these three banks' failures are indicators of broader issues with the banking system, the failures may reduce customer confidence, affect sources of funding and liquidity, increase regulatory requirements and costs, adversely affect financial markets and/or have a negative reputational ramification for the banking industry, including the Company. The Company will continue to monitor the ongoing events concerning these three banks as well as any future potential bank failures and volatility within the banking industry generally, together with any responsive measures taken by the banking regulators to mitigate or manage potential turmoil in the banking industry.

We are subject to interest rate risk. Through our banking subsidiary, the Bank, our profitability depends in large part on our net interest income, which is the difference between interest earned from interest earning assets, such as loans and mortgage-backed securities, and interest paid on interest bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. The rates of interest we earn on assets and pay on liabilities generally are established contractually for a period of time. Market interest rates change over time due to many factors that are beyond our control, including but not limited to: general economic conditions and government policy decisions, especially policies of the Federal Reserve Bank. The risk associated with changes in interest rates and our ability to adapt to these changes is known as interest rate risk. In particular, reduced interest rates negatively impact our results of operations.

We are subject to lending risk. There are inherent risks associated with our lending activities. These risks include the impact of changes in interest rates and changes in the economic conditions in the markets we serve, as well as those across the United States. Our exposure to lending risk is managed through the use of consistent underwriting standards, and we avoid highly leveraged transactions as well as excessive industry and other concentrations, but there can be no assurance that our risk mitigation measures will be effective in avoiding undue credit risk. An increase in interest rates or weakening economic conditions (such as high levels of unemployment) could further adversely impact the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, or could substantially weaken the value of collateral securing those loans. Downward pressure on real estate values could increase the potential for problem loans and thus have a direct impact on our consolidated results of operations. In addition, we may purchase real estate, or we may foreclose on and take title to real estate. Although we exercise prudent due diligence when making loans, we could be subject to environmental liabilities with respect to these properties.

Changes in the fair value or ratings downgrades of our securities may reduce our stockholders’ equity, net earnings, or regulatory capital ratios. The estimated fair value of our AFS securities portfolio may increase or decrease depending on market conditions. Our AFS securities portfolio is comprised of fixed-rate, and to a lesser extent, floating rate securities. We increase or decrease stockholders’ equity by the amount of the change in unrealized gain or loss (the difference between the estimated fair value and amortized cost) of our AFS securities portfolio, net of the related tax benefit or provision, under the category of accumulated other comprehensive income/loss. Therefore, a decline in the estimated fair value of this portfolio due to interest rate changes will result in a decline in our reported stockholders’ equity, as well as our book value per common share and tangible book value per common share. This decrease will occur even though the securities are not sold. In the case of debt securities, if these securities are never sold, the decrease will be recovered over the life of the securities.

We conduct a periodic review and evaluation of our securities portfolio to determine if the decline in the fair value of any security below its cost basis is due to credit impairment. Factors which we consider in our analysis include, but are not limited to, the severity and duration of the decline in fair value of the security, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, whether the decline appears to be related to issuer conditions or general market or industry conditions, our intent and ability to retain the security for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value and the likelihood of any near-term fair value recovery. We generally view changes in fair value caused by changes in interest rates as temporary, which is consistent with our experience. If we deem such decline to be due to credit impairment, an allowance for credit losses(“ACL”) will be established.

The capital that we are required to maintain for regulatory purposes is impacted by, among other factors, the securities ratings on our portfolio. Therefore, ratings downgrades on our securities may also have a material adverse effect on our risk-based regulatory capital levels.

Factors considered by the Company in evaluating the overall adequacy of the allowance include historical net loan losses, the level and composition of nonaccrual, past due and modifications, trends in volumes and terms of loans, effects of changes in risk selection and underwriting standards or lending practices, lending staff changes, concentrations of credit, industry conditions and the current economic conditions in the region

where the Company operates. The Company estimates the appropriate level of allowance for credit losses by evaluating loans collectively on a pooled basis when similar risk characteristics exist, and on an individual basis when management determines that a loan does not share similar risk characteristics with other loans. In evaluating our impaired loans, we assess repayment expectations and determine collateral values based on all information that is available to us. However, we must often make subjective decisions based on our assumption about the creditworthiness of the borrowers and the values of collateral securing these loans.

Deterioration in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, identification of additional problem loans, and other factors, both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in our allowance for credit losses.

Competition may affect our results. Competition in the banking and financial services industry is intense. Our profitability depends upon our continued ability to compete in our primary market area. We face strong competition in originating loans, in seeking deposits and in offering other banking services. We compete with commercial banks, trust companies, mortgage banking firms, credit unions, finance companies, mutual funds, insurance companies and brokerage and investment banking firms. Our market area is also served by commercial banks and savings associations that are substantially larger than us in terms of deposits and loans, have greater human and financial resources, and may offer certain services that we do not or cannot provide. This competitive climate can make it difficult to establish, maintain and retain relationships with new and existing customers and can lower the rate we are able to charge on loans, increase the rates we must offer on deposits, and affect our charges for other services. Those factors can, in turn, adversely affect our results of operations and profitability.

Customers may decide not to use banks to complete their financial transactions, which could result in a loss of income to us. Technology and other changes are allowing customers to complete financial transactions that historically have involved banks at one or both ends of the transaction. For example, customers can now pay bills and transfer funds directly without going through a bank. The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries, known as disintermediation, could result in the loss of fee income, as well as the loss of customer deposits.

We are a community bank and our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the success of our business and the failure to do so may materially adversely affect our performance. We are a community bank, and our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. A key component of our business strategy is to rely on our reputation for customer service and knowledge of local markets to expand our presence by capturing new business opportunities from existing and prospective customers in our market area and contiguous areas. As such, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. This is done, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities we serve, delivering superior service to our customers and caring about our customers and associates. If our reputation is negatively affected by the actions of our employees, by our inability to conduct our operations in a manner that is appealing to current or prospective customers, or otherwise, our business and, therefore, our operating results may be materially adversely affected. Additionally, we are subject to reputational risk associated with environmental, social and governance, issues – including different perspectives on the meaning of these issues. Such differing perspectives may expose us to increased scrutiny and criticism.

Our success depends, in part, on our ability to adapt our products and services to evolving industry standards and customer demands. We face increasing pressure to provide products and services at lower prices, which can reduce our net interest margin and revenues from our fee-based products and services. In addition, the widespread adoption of new technologies, including internet and mobile banking services, could require us to make substantial expenditures to modify or adapt our existing products and services. Also, these and other capital investments in our business may not produce expected growth in earnings anticipated at the time of the expenditure. We may not be successful in introducing new products and services, achieving market acceptance of our products and services, or developing and maintaining loyal customers, which in turn, could adversely affect our results of operations and profitability.

We could experience an unexpected inability to obtain needed liquidity. Liquidity measures the ability to meet current and future cash flow needs as they become due. The liquidity of a financial institution reflects its ability to meet loan requests, to accommodate possible outflows in deposits, and to take advantage of interest rate market opportunities. The ability of a

financial institution to meet its current financial obligations is a function of its balance sheet structure, its ability to liquidate assets and its access to alternative sources of funds. We seek to ensure our funding needs are met by maintaining an appropriate level of liquidity through asset/liability management. If we become unable to obtain funds when needed, it could have a material adverse effect on our business and, in turn, our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, it could limit our ability to take advantage of what we believe to be good market opportunities for expanding our loan portfolio.

Future growth, operating results or regulatory requirements may require us to raise additional capital but that capital may not be available. We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations.

Furthermore, our strategy includes growth through acquisition. Such expansion may also require us to raise additional capital which will depend on conditions in the capital markets, which are outside of our control, and on our financial performance. Accordingly, we cannot be assured of our ability to raise capital when needed or on favorable terms. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed or if we are subject to material unfavorable terms for such capital, we may be subject to increased regulatory supervision and the imposition of restrictions on our growth and business. These actions could negatively impact our ability to operate or further expand our operations and may result in increases in operating expenses and reductions in revenues that could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to attract or retain key people. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain key people. We depend on the talents and leadership of our executive team, including Stephen M. Bianchi, our Chief Executive Officer, and James S. Broucek, our Chief Financial Officer. Competition for the best people in most activities engaged in by us can be intense, and we may not be able to hire people or retain them. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of our key personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business because of their skills, knowledge of our local markets, years of industry experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

We continually encounter technological change. The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology driven by new or modified 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 depends, 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, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We 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. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse impact on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

Our business may be adversely affected by an increasing prevalence of fraud and other financial crimes. As a bank, we are susceptible to fraudulent activity that may be committed against us or our customers which may result in financial losses or increased costs to us or our customers, disclosure or misuse of our information or our customers' information, misappropriation of assets, privacy breaches against our customers, litigation or damage to our reputation. Such fraudulent activity may take many forms, including check fraud, electronic fraud, wire fraud, phishing, social engineering and other dishonest acts. Consistent with industry trends, we have also experienced an increase in attempted electronic fraudulent activity in recent periods. Given such increase in electronic fraudulent activity and the growing level of use of electronic, internet-based and networked systems to conduct business directly or indirectly with our clients, certain fraud losses may not be avoidable regardless of the preventative and detection systems in place. Nationally, reported incidents of fraud and other financial crimes have increased. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent such losses, there can be no assurance that such losses will not occur.

Our internal controls and procedures may fail or be circumvented. Management regularly reviews and updates our internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any system of controls, however well-designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable assurances that the objectives of the system are met. Any (a) failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures, (b) failure to adequately address any internal control deficiencies, or (c) failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material effect on our business, consolidated financial condition and results of operations. See Item 9A “Controls and Procedures” for further discussion of our internal controls.

Our growth strategy includes selectively acquiring businesses through acquisitions of other banks, and our ability to consummate these acquisitions on economically advantageous terms acceptable to us in the future is unknown. Our growth strategy includes acquisitions of other banks that serve customers or markets we find desirable. The market for acquisitions remains highly competitive, and we may be unable to find satisfactory acquisition candidates in the future that fit our acquisition and growth strategy. This competition could increase prices for potential acquisitions that we believe are attractive. Any such acquisitions could be funded through cash from operations, the issuance of equity and/or the incurrence of additional indebtedness, which amount may be material, or a combination thereof. Any acquisition could be dilutive to our earnings and

stockholders’ equity per share of our common stock. Also, acquisitions are subject to various regulatory approvals. Regulatory approval is required for acquisitions we seek to consummate. Among other things, our regulators consider our capital, liquidity, profitability, regulatory compliance and levels of goodwill and intangibles when considering acquisition and expansion proposals. If we are unable to find suitable acquisition candidates, this component of our growth strategy may be lost.

Acquisition and expansion activities may disrupt our business, dilute existing stockholders and adversely affect our operating results. We seek to expand through acquisition and are evaluating potential acquisitions and expansion opportunities in the normal course of our business. We cannot assure you that we will be able to adequately or profitably manage the ongoing integration of any future acquisitions. Acquiring other banks or financial service companies, as well as other geographic and product expansion activities, involve various risks including:

•risks of unknown or contingent liabilities;

•unanticipated costs and delays;

•risks that acquired new businesses do not perform consistent with our growth and profitability expectations;

•risks of entering new markets or product areas where we have limited experience;

•risks that growth will strain our infrastructure, staff, internal controls and management, which may require additional personnel, time and expenditures;

•exposure to potential asset quality issues with acquired institutions;

•difficulties, expenses and delays of integrating the operations and personnel of acquired institutions, and start-up delays and costs of other expansion activities;

•potential disruptions to our business;

•possible loss of key employees and customers of acquired institutions;

•potential short-term decreases in profitability; and

•diversion of our management’s time and attention from our existing operations and business.

Our ability to pay dividends depends primarily on dividends from our banking subsidiary, the Bank, which is subject to regulatory and other limitations. We are a bank holding company and our operations are conducted primarily by our banking subsidiary, the Bank. Since we receive substantially all of our revenue from dividends from the Bank, our ability to pay dividends on our common stock depends on our receipt of dividends from the Bank.

The Company is a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank. As a bank holding company, the Company is subject to certain restrictions on its ability to pay dividends under applicable banking laws and regulations. Federal bank regulators are authorized to determine under certain circumstances relating to the financial condition of a bank holding company or a bank that the payment of dividends would be an unsafe or unsound practice and to prohibit payment thereof. In particular, federal bank regulators have stated that paying dividends that deplete a banking organization’s capital base to an inadequate level would be an unsafe and unsound banking practice and that banking organizations should generally pay dividends only out of current operating earnings.

The ability of the Bank to pay dividends to us is also subject to its profitability, financial condition, capital expenditures and other cash flow requirements. The Bank may not be able to generate adequate cash flow to pay us dividends in the future. The Company’s ability to pay dividends is also subject to the terms of its Subordinated Note Purchase Agreements dated August 27, 2020 and March 11, 2022 and Business Note Agreement dated June 26, 2019 each of which prohibits the Company from declaring or paying dividends while an event of default has occurred and is continuing under each respective agreement. The Company has pledged 100% of Bank stock as collateral for the loan and credit facilities provided for by the Business Note Agreement. The inability to receive dividends from the Bank could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Furthermore, holders of our common stock are only entitled to receive the dividends as our Board of Directors may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Although we have historically paid cash dividends on our common stock, we are not required to do so and our Board of Directors could reduce or eliminate our common stock dividend in the future. This could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Our shares of common stock are thinly traded and our stock price may be more volatile. Because our common stock is thinly traded, its market price may fluctuate significantly more than the stock market in general or the stock prices of similar companies, which are exchanged, listed or quoted on the NASDAQ Stock Market. There are approximately 9.6 million shares of our common stock held by nonaffiliates as of March 13, 2025. Thus, our common stock will be less liquid than the stock of

companies with broader public ownership, and as a result, the trading prices for our shares of common stock may be more volatile, which may make it difficult for investors to resell shares at the volume, prices and times desired. Among other things, trading of a relatively small volume of our common stock may have a greater impact on the trading price of our stock than would be the case if our public float were larger.

Climate change manifesting as physical or transition risks could adversely affect our operations, businesses, and customers. There is an increasing concern over the risks of climate change and related environmental sustainability matters. The physical risks of climate change include discrete events, such as flooding and wildfires, and longer-term shifts in climate patterns, such as extreme heat, and more frequent and prolonged drought. Under medium or longer-term scenarios, such events, if uninterrupted or unaddressed, could disrupt our operations or those of our customers or third parties on which we rely, including through direct damage to assets and indirect impacts from supply chain disruption and market volatility. Additionally, transitioning to a low-carbon economy may entail extensive policy, legal, technology and market initiatives. Transition risks, including changes in consumer preferences and additional regulatory requirements or supervisory expectations or taxes, could increase our expenses and undermine our strategies. In addition, our reputation and client relationships may be damaged as a result of our practices related to climate change, including our involvement, or our customers’ involvement, in certain industries or projects, in the absence of mitigation and/or transition measures, associated with causing or exacerbating climate change, as well as any decisions we make to continue to conduct or change our activities in response to considerations relating to climate change.

REGULATORY AND COMPLIANCE RISKS

We operate in a highly regulated environment, and are subject to changes, which could increase our cost structure or have other negative impacts on our operations. The banking industry is extensively regulated at the federal and state levels. Insured depository institutions and their holding companies are subject to comprehensive regulation and supervision by financial regulatory authorities covering all aspects of their organization, management and operations. We are also subject to regulation by the SEC. Our compliance with these regulations, including compliance with regulatory commitments, is costly. Regulation includes, among other things, capital and reserve requirements, the level of deposit insurance premiums assessed, permissible investments and lines of business, mergers and acquisitions, restrictions on transactions with insiders and affiliates, anti-money laundering regulations, dividend limitations, community reinvestment requirements, limitations on products and services offered, loan limits, geographical limits, and consumer credit regulations. The system of supervision and regulation applicable to us establishes a comprehensive framework for our operations and is intended primarily for the protection of the DIF, our depositors and the public, rather than our stockholders. The election of a new President together with changes in the membership of Congress, including change in control of the Senate, will likely lead to changes in the laws or policies applicable to us and the agencies that regulate us. Further, some of the laws and regulations finalized in the prior administration that are applicable to financial institutions are subject to ongoing litigation creating further uncertainty. Additionally, different approaches to regulation by different jurisdictions, including potentially conflicting state-level regulation, could increase compliance costs or risks of non-compliance. Any change in such regulation and oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, new regulations or legislation, or additional deposit insurance premiums could have a material impact on our operations. Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations or policies could result in sanction by regulatory agencies, civil monetary penalties, and/or damage to our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any change in government regulation could have a material adverse effect on our business or our ability to pay dividends.

Federal law restricts the amount of voting stock of a bank holding company or a bank, that a person or group may acquire, without the prior approval of banking regulators. Under the federal Change in Bank Control Act and the regulations thereunder, a person or group must give advance notice to the Federal Reserve before acquiring control of any bank holding company, such as the Company, and the OCC before acquiring control of any national bank, such as the Bank. Under the BHCA and Federal Reserve guidance thereunder, a person or group will be presumed to control a bank holding company if they acquire a certain percentage of the bank holding company or if one or more other control factors are present. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve clarified and codified the Federal Reserve’s standards for determining whether one company has control over another. As the percentage of ownership increases, fewer indicia of control are permitted without falling outside of the presumption of non-control. These indicia of control include nonvoting equity ownership, director representation, management interlocks, business relationship and restrictive contractual covenants. Under the final rule, investors can hold up to 24.9% of the voting securities and up to 33% of the total equity of a company without necessarily being deemed to have a controlling influence. The overall effect of the BHCA is to make it more difficult to acquire a bank holding company and a bank by tender offer or similar means than it might be to acquire control of another type of corporation. Consequently, stockholders of the Company may be less likely to benefit from the rapid increases in stock prices that may result from tender offers or similar efforts to acquire control of other non-bank companies. Investors should be aware of these requirements when acquiring shares of our stock.

Our reporting obligations as a public company are costly. Reporting requirements of a public company change depending on the reporting classification in which the Company falls as of the end of its second quarter of each fiscal year. The Company is currently a “smaller reporting company” which allows us to provide certain simplified and scaled disclosures in our filings. We will remain a smaller reporting company for so long as the market value of the Company’s common stock held by non-affiliates as of the end of its most recently completed second fiscal quarter is less than $250 million, or as of the same period the Company’s annual revenues are less than $100 million and its public float is less than $700 million. In addition, the Company is currently considered a “non-accelerated filer” and will maintain that status for so long as the Company’s annual revenues are less than $100 million, and its public float is more than $75 million but less than $700 million. Section 404(b) requires that an independent registered public accounting firm provide an attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and the operating effectiveness of these controls, making the public reporting process more costly.

Changes in federal or state tax laws could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our business, financial condition and results of operations are impacted by tax policy implemented at the federal and state level. We cannot predict whether any other tax legislation will be enacted in the future or whether any such changes to existing federal or state tax law would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines. Our financial performance is impacted by accounting principles, policies and guidelines. Some of these policies require the use of estimates and assumptions that may affect the value of our assets or liabilities and financial results. Some of our accounting policies are critical because they require management to make subjective and complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain and because it is likely that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions. If such estimates or assumptions underlying our financial statements are incorrect, we may experience material losses.

From time to time, the FASB and the SEC change the financial accounting and reporting standards or the interpretation of those standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. These changes are beyond our control, can be difficult to predict and could materially impact how we report our financial condition and results of operations. Changes in these standards are continuously occurring, and given recent economic conditions, more drastic changes may occur. The implementation of such changes could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

CYBERSECURITY

We maintain an information security program and governance framework that are designed to protect our information systems against operational risks related to cybersecurity.

Risk Management and Strategy

Cyber risk management is a critical component of our risk management framework. Processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks arising from cybersecurity threats are integrated in our policies and procedures, including our enterprise risk appetite, risk assessment, risk treatment, risk acceptance or exceptions, and third party risk management policies.

Our cybersecurity program (“Cybersecurity Program”) provides a framework for compliance with applicable cybersecurity and data protection laws. Our program is designed to ensure the security and confidentiality of customer information, protect against known or evolving threats to the security or integrity of customer records and personal information and protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information. We work with our regulators to ensure that these policies are adequately designed to appropriately safeguard personal information. We use a variety of processes and technologies to monitor for and identify cybersecurity threats, including vulnerabilities scans, endpoint and network monitoring software, and email scanning software. We also have a Cyber Incident Response Policy and detailed plans. We conduct annual cybersecurity risk assessments which drive strategic decisions. Employees are required to abide by our cybersecurity and data protection policies. We maintain a corporate cyber risk insurance policy as part of our cybersecurity risk strategy that is reviewed annually.

To date, the Company has not experienced a material cybersecurity incident.

Governance

Cybersecurity and data protection are important for the Company to maintain the trust of our customers, team members and stakeholders. Overseen by the Board of Directors and its Risk Committee, we regularly review, and as appropriate, adapt our Cybersecurity Program to an evolving landscape of emerging threats, evaluate effectiveness of key security controls, and assess cybersecurity best practices.

The Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) and the Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) are key management roles responsible for assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. The CISO reports to the Risk Committee and is responsible for implementing and maintaining our enterprise cybersecurity organization. The CISO will maintain an Incident Response Plan. The CISO ensures that the Incident Response Plan is tested annually and will present testing results to the Risk Committee. The CISO and/or its delegate will share applicable threat information to ensure Board members and staff are informed on the evolving threat environment. The CISO is responsible for ensuring the Board of Directors and staff are trained annually on cybersecurity and information security awareness. Additionally, the CISO ensures staff is adequately trained on Incident Response Plan procedures. The CISO will ensure security incidents are logged and maintained. The CTO provides our Cybersecurity Program with the technical and functional resources to achieve its strategic goals and objectives, and partners and collaborates with the CISO.

The Risk Committee is responsible for overseeing the Company’s management of cybersecurity risk, including oversight into appropriate risk mitigation, strategies, processes, systems, and controls. The CISO has regular and direct communication with the Risk Committee, providing a written cybersecurity report to the Risk Committee and a written cybersecurity report and briefing to the full Board on an annual basis (more frequently as necessary), in order to inform the Risk Committee of the state of the Company’s Cybersecurity Program. These reports cover, but are not limited to, the Company’s cybersecurity posture, overall status of the Company’s compliance with the Cybersecurity Program, threat environment, material cybersecurity risks and events, Cybersecurity Program improvements and effectiveness, and other material matters related to the Cybersecurity Program.

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