UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_____________________

FORM 10-K

____________________

(Mark One):

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

or

For the transition period from ________ to ________

Commission File No. 0-28364

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NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

_____________________

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (570) 253-1455

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    ☐  YES    ☒  NO

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    ☐  YES    ☒  NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    ☒  YES    ☐  NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    ☒  YES    ☐  NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    ☐  Yes    ☒  No

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the closing price of the registrant’s Common Stock as of June 30, 2024, $25.38 per share, was $187.3 million based on 7,380,160 shares of Common Stock held by non-affiliates on that date. Solely for purposes of this calculation, shares held by directors, executive officers and greater than 10% stockholders are treated as shares held by affiliates.

As of March 1, 2025, there were 9,262,592 shares outstanding of the registrant’s Common Stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

Table of Contents

PART I

Forward Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect” and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

statements of our goals, intentions and expectations;

statements regarding our business plans, prospects, growth and operating strategies;

statements regarding the quality of our loan and investment portfolios; and

estimates of our risks and future costs and benefits.

These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change.  We are under no duty to and do not take any obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements:

general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas, that are worse than expected;

changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses;

our ability to access cost-effective funding;

fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions;

demand for loans and deposits in our market area;

our ability to implement changes in our business strategies;

competition among depository and other financial institutions;

inflation and changes in the interest rate environment that reduce our margins and yields, or reduce the fair value of financial instruments or reduce the origination levels in our lending business, or increase the level of defaults, losses and prepayments on loans we have made and make whether held in portfolio or sold in the secondary markets;

adverse changes in the securities markets;

changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including changes in regulatory fees and capital requirements;

changes in monetary or fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board;

our ability to manage market risk, credit risk and operational risk in the current economic conditions;

our ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities;

our ability to successfully integrate any assets, liabilities, customers, systems and management personnel we have acquired or may acquire into our operations and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames and any goodwill charges related thereto;

an increase in the Pennsylvania Bank Shares Tax to which our bank subsidiary’s capital stock is currently subject, or imposition of any additional taxes on the capital stock of us or our bank subsidiary;

changes in consumer demand, borrowing and savings habits

the ability of third-party providers to perform their obligations to us;

the ability of the U.S. Government to manage federal debt limits;

cyber-attacks, computer viruses and other technological risks that may breach the security of our websites or other systems to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information and destroy data or disable our systems;

technological changes that may be more difficult or expensive than expected;

changes in the financial condition, results of operations or future prospects of issuers of securities that we own;

volatility in the securities markets;

disruptions due to flooding, severe weather, or other natural disasters or Acts of God;

acts of war, terrorism, or global military conflict; and

other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and operational factors affecting our operations, pricing products and services described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements.

Item 1. Business.

General

Norwood Financial Corp (the “Company”), a Pennsylvania corporation, was incorporated in 1995 to become the holding company for Wayne Bank (the “Bank”). The Company is a registered bank holding company subject to regulation and supervision by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve”). As of December 31, 2024, the Company had total consolidated assets of $2.317 billion, consolidated deposits of $1.859 billion, and consolidated stockholders’ equity of $213.5 million. The Company’s ratio of average equity to average assets was 8.26%, 8.14%, and 8.87% for fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Wayne Bank is a Pennsylvania chartered bank and trust company headquartered in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The Bank was originally chartered on February 17, 1870, as Wayne County Savings Bank and changed its name to Wayne County Bank and Trust in December 1943. In September 1993, the Bank adopted the name Wayne Bank. The Bank’s deposits are currently insured to applicable limits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and the Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) of Pittsburgh. The Bank is regulated and examined by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (“Department”) and the FDIC. The Bank is an independent community bank with sixteen offices in Northeastern Pennsylvania and fourteen offices in Delaware, Sullivan, Ontario, Otsego and Yates Counties, New York.

The Bank offers a wide variety of personal and business credit services and trust and investment products and real estate settlement services to the consumers, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities in each of the communities that the Bank serves. The Bank primarily serves the northeastern Pennsylvania counties of Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna and Luzerne and, to a much lesser extent, Susquehanna County in addition to the New York counties of Delaware, Sullivan, Ontario, Otsego and Yates. In addition, the Bank operates automated teller machines at thirty branch facilities plus one machine at an off-site location.

The Company’s main office is located at 717 Main Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania and its main telephone number is (570) 253-1455. The Company maintains a website at wayne.bank. Information on our website should not be treated as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company makes copies of its Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed through a link on its website to the SEC’s website.

Completed Acquisitions

UpState New York Bancorp, Inc. On July 7, 2020, the Company completed the acquisition of UpState New York Bancorp, Inc. (“UpState”), and its wholly owned subsidiary, USNY Bank (“USNY Bank”). The acquisition was completed when UpState was merged with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving corporation of the merger and USNY Bank was merged with and into Wayne Bank, with Wayne Bank as the surviving entity. At the time of completion of the acquisition, USNY Bank conducted its business from two Bank of the Finger Lakes offices in Geneva and Penn Yan, New York, and two Bank of Cooperstown offices in Cooperstown and Oneonta, New York.

In the merger, shareholders of UpState elected to receive for each share of UpState common stock they owned, either 0.9390 shares of the Company’s common stock or $33.33 in cash, or a combination of both. All shareholder elections were subject to the allocation and proration procedures set forth in the Merger Agreement which were intended to ensure that 90% of the shares of UpState would be exchanged for the Company’s common stock and 10% of the shares of UpState would be exchanged for cash. In addition, under the terms of the Merger Agreement, UpState shareholders received an additional $0.67 per share in cash for each share of UpState common stock held. In the aggregate, the merger consideration paid to UpState shareholders consisted of approximately $8,845,198 in cash and 1,865,738 shares of the Company’s common stock.

Delaware Bancshares, Inc. On July 31, 2016, the Company completed the acquisition of Delaware Bancshares, Inc. (“Delaware”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Bank of Delaware County (“NBDC”). At the time of acquisition, Delaware had approximately $375.6 million in assets and 12 banking offices in Delaware and Sullivan Counties, New York. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated March 10, 2016, by and among the Company, Wayne Bank, Delaware and NBDC (the “Delaware Agreement”), Delaware was merged with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving corporation of the merger (the “Merger”) and NBDC was merged with and into Wayne Bank immediately thereafter. At the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding share of the common stock of Delaware was converted, at the election of the holder but subject to the limitations and allocation and proration provisions set forth in the Delaware Agreement, into either $16.68 in cash or 0.6221 of a share of the Company’s

common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the “Common Stock”). In the aggregate, the merger consideration paid to Delaware shareholders consisted of approximately $3,860,000 in cash and 431,605 shares of the Common Stock.

North Penn Bancorp, Inc.

On May 31, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of North Penn Bancorp, Inc. (“North Penn”) and its wholly owned subsidiary, North Penn Bank. At the time of acquisition, North Penn had approximately $158.9 million in assets and four banking offices in Lackawanna and Monroe Counties, Pennsylvania. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Company, Wayne Bank, and North Penn, North Penn was merged with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving corporation of the merger (the “Merger”) and North Penn Bank was merged with and into Wayne Bank immediately thereafter. At the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding share of the common stock of North Penn was converted, at the election of the holder but subject to the limitations and allocation and proration provisions set forth in the Merger Agreement, into either $19.12 in cash or 0.6829 of a share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the “Common Stock”). In the aggregate, the merger consideration paid to North Penn shareholders consisted of approximately $10,648,000 in cash and 530,994 shares of the Common Stock.

Competition

The competition for deposit products comes from other insured financial institutions such as commercial banks, thrift institutions, credit unions, and multi-state regional banks in the Company’s market area of Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, Pennsylvania and Delaware, Sullivan, Ontario, Otsego and Yates Counties, New York as well as from on-line banks. Based on data compiled by the FDIC as of June 30, 2024 (the latest date for which such data is available), the Bank had the third largest share of FDIC-insured deposits in Wayne County with approximately 21.54%, the second largest share in Pike County with 18.85%, seventh largest share in Monroe County with 3.64%, the eleventh largest share in Lackawanna County with 1.17% and the seventeenth largest share in Luzerne County with 0.33%. At June 30, 2024, the Bank had the largest share of FDIC-insured deposits in Delaware County, New York, with 32.0% and the fourth largest share in Sullivan County, New York, with 9.53%. The Bank’s market share in Ontario, Otsego and Yates Counties were 3.82%, 17.36% and 13.21%, respectively. This data does not reflect deposits held by credit unions with which the Bank also competes. Deposit competition also includes a number of insurance products sold by local agents and investment products such as mutual funds and other securities sold by local and regional brokers. Loan competition varies depending upon market conditions and comes from other insured financial institutions such as commercial banks, thrift institutions, credit unions, multi-state regional banks, and mortgage bankers.

Personnel

As of December 31, 2024, the Bank had 264 full-time and seven part-time employees. None of the Bank’s employees are represented by a collective bargaining group.

Trust Activities

The Bank operates a Wealth Management/Trust Department which provides estate planning, investment management and financial planning to customers for which it is generally compensated based on a percentage of assets under management. As of December 31, 2024, the Bank had $205.1 million of assets under management compared to $192.4 million as of December 31, 2023. The increase reflects growth and improved market valuations during 2024, such as stock market performance which can affect the value of a customer’s investment portfolio.

Subsidiary Activities

The Bank, a Pennsylvania chartered bank, is the only wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Norwood Investment Corp. (“NIC”), a Pennsylvania corporation incorporated in 1996 and a Pennsylvania licensed insurance agency, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank. NIC’s business is annuity and mutual fund sales and discount brokerage activities primarily to customers of the Bank. The annuities, mutual funds and other investment products are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency. They are not deposits, obligations of, or guaranteed by any bank. Until February 16, 2018, securities were offered through Invest Financial, a registered broker/dealer. Effective February 16, 2018, the broker/dealer relationship transitioned to LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”) as a result of the sale of Invest to LPL in 2017. LPL is a registered broker/dealer and a member of FINRA and the SIPC. NIC generated gross revenues for the Company of $407,000 and $296,000 in 2024 and 2023, respectively, which is included in Other Income.

WCB Realty Corp., a Pennsylvania corporation, is a wholly owned real estate subsidiary of the Bank whose principal asset is the administrative offices of the Company, which also includes the Main Office of the Bank.

WTRO Properties Inc. (“WTRO”), a Pennsylvania corporation, is a wholly owned real estate subsidiary of the Bank established to hold title to certain real estate upon which the Bank has foreclosed. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the outstanding balance of foreclosed properties on which WTRO held title totaled $0 and $0, respectively.

Regulation

Set forth below is a brief description of certain laws which relate to the regulation of the Company and the Bank. The description does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to applicable laws and regulations.

Regulation of the Company

General. The Company, as a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHCA”), is subject to regulation and supervision by the Federal Reserve. The Company is required to file periodic reports of its operations with, and is subject to examination by, the Federal Reserve. This regulation and oversight is generally intended to ensure that the Company limits its activities to those allowed by law and that it operates in a safe and sound manner without endangering the financial health of its subsidiary bank.

Under the BHCA, the Company generally must obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve before it may acquire control of another bank or bank holding company, merge or consolidate with another bank holding company, acquire all or substantially all of the assets of another bank or bank holding company, or acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of any voting shares of any bank or bank holding company if, after such acquisition, the Company would directly or indirectly own or control more than 5% of such shares.

Federal statutes impose restrictions on the ability of a bank holding company and its nonbank subsidiaries to obtain extensions of credit from its subsidiary bank, on the subsidiary bank’s investments in the stock or securities of the holding company, and on the subsidiary bank’s taking of the holding company’s stock or securities as collateral for loans to any borrower. A bank holding company and its subsidiaries are also prevented from engaging in certain tying arrangements in connection with any extension of credit, lease or sale of property, or furnishing of services by the subsidiary bank.

Source of Strength Doctrine. Under the Bank Holding Company Act, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks and may not conduct its operations in an unsafe or unsound manner. Under this source of strength doctrine, a bank holding company should stand ready to use available resources to provide adequate capital to its subsidiary banks during periods of financial stress or adversity and should maintain the financial flexibility and capital-raising capacity to obtain additional resources for assisting its subsidiary banks. A bank holding company’s failure to meet its obligations to serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks will generally be considered by the Federal Reserve to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice or a violation of the Federal Reserve regulations, or both.

Non-Banking Activities. The business activities of the Company, as a bank holding company, are restricted by the BHCA. Under the BHCA and the Federal Reserve’s bank holding company regulations, a bank holding company generally may only engage in, or acquire or control voting securities or assets of a company engaged in, (1) banking or managing or controlling banks and other subsidiaries authorized under the BHCA and (2) any business activity the Federal Reserve has determined to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks to be a proper incident thereto. These include any incidental activities necessary to carry on those activities, as well as a lengthy list of activities that the Federal Reserve has determined to be so closely related to the business of banking as to be a proper incident thereto.

In addition to the above authority, bank holding companies that qualify and elect to be treated as “financial holding companies” may engage in a broad range of additional activities that are (i) financial in nature or incidental to such financial activities or (ii) complementary to a financial activity and do not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally. These activities include securities underwriting and dealing, insurance agency and underwriting, and making merchant banking investments. The Company has not made an election to be deemed a financial holding company.

Regulatory Capital Requirements. The Federal Reserve has adopted regulatory capital rules pursuant to which it assesses the adequacy of capital in examining and supervising a bank holding company and in analyzing applications to it under the BHCA. The Federal Reserve’s capital rules are similar to those imposed on the Bank by the FDIC. See “Regulation of the Bank-Regulatory Capital Requirements.” The Federal Reserve’s Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement, however, exempts from the regulatory capital requirements bank holding companies with less than $3.0 billion in consolidated assets that are not engaged in significant non-banking or off-balance sheet activities and that do not have a material amount of debt or equity securities registered with the SEC. As long as their bank subsidiaries are well capitalized, such bank holding companies need only maintain a pro forma debt to equity ratio of less than 1.0 in order to pay dividends and repurchase stock and to be eligible for expedited treatment on applications.

Regulation of the Bank

General. As a Pennsylvania chartered, FDIC-insured commercial bank which is not a member of the Federal Reserve System, the Bank is subject to extensive regulation and examination by the Department and by the FDIC, which insures its deposits to the maximum extent permitted by law. The federal and state laws and regulations applicable to banks regulate, among other things, the scope of their business, their investments, the reserves required to be kept against deposits, the timing of the availability of deposited funds and the nature and amount of and collateral for certain loans. The laws and regulations governing the Bank generally have been promulgated to protect depositors and not for the purpose of protecting stockholders. This regulatory structure also gives the federal and state banking agencies extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies with respect to the classification of assets and the establishment of adequate loan loss reserves for regulatory purposes. Any change in such regulation, whether by the Department, the FDIC or the United States Congress, could have a material impact on the Company, the Bank and their operations.

Pennsylvania Banking Law. The Pennsylvania Banking Code (“Banking Code”) contains detailed provisions governing the organization, location of offices, rights and responsibilities of directors, officers, and employees, as well as corporate powers, savings and investment operations and other aspects of the Bank and its affairs. The Banking Code delegates extensive rule-making power and administrative discretion to the Department so that the supervision and regulation of state-chartered banks may be flexible and readily responsive to changes in economic conditions and in savings and lending practices.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”), however, prohibits state-chartered banks from making new investments, loans, or becoming involved in activities as principal and equity investments which are not permitted for national banks unless (1) the FDIC determines the activity or investment does not pose a significant risk of loss to the Deposit Insurance Fund and (2) the bank meets all applicable capital requirements. Accordingly, the additional operating authority provided to the Bank by the Banking Code is significantly restricted by the FDIA.

Interstate Banking. Wayne Bank operates branches in Pennsylvania and New York. Under the federal Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act (the “Riegle-Neal Act”), an insured state bank that establishes a branch in another state may conduct any activity at such branch that is permissible under the laws of its home state to the extent that such activity is permissible either for a bank chartered by the host state or for a branch of an out-of-state national bank in the host state. The laws of the host state, including laws regarding community reinvestment, consumer protection, fair lending and branching within the host state, apply to any branch of an out-of-state bank to the same extent as such laws apply to a branch of an out-of-state national bank. The Riegle-Neal Act prohibits out-of-state banks from using their interstate branches primarily for purposes of deposit production. If a federal banking regulator reasonably determines from available information that an out-of-state bank’s level of lending in a host state is less than half the loan-to-deposit ratio for all banks in the host state, the regulator may order the closure of the out-of-state branches or prohibit the opening of new branches in the host state unless the out-of-state bank has an acceptable plan or can give reasonable assurances that it will reasonably help meet the credit needs of the communities served in the host state.

Federal Deposit Insurance. The Bank’s deposits are insured to applicable limits by the FDIC. The general maximum deposit insurance amount is $250,000.

The Bank is subject to deposit insurance assessments established by the FDIC to maintain the DIF.  Under the FDIC’s risk-based assessment system, banks that are deemed to be less risky pay lower assessments. Assessment rates for small institutions (those with less than $10 billion in assets) are based on an institution’s weighted average CAMELS component ratings and certain financial ratios and are applied to the institution’s assessment base, which equals its average total assets minus its average tangible equity. 

In October 2022, the FDIC adopted a final rule that increased the initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules uniformly by 2 basis points beginning with the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. The increased assessment is expected to improve the likelihood that the DIF reserve ratio would reach the statutory minimum of 1.35% by the statutory deadline of September 30, 2028, consistent with the FDIC’s amended restoration plan. The FDIC assessment rates effective January 1, 2023 (which are subject to certain adjustments) range from 5 to 18 basis points for institutions with CAMELS composite ratings of 1 or 2, 8 to 32 basis points for those with a CAMELS composite score of 3, and 18 to 32 basis points for those with CAMELS composite scores of 4 or 5.

Regulatory Capital Requirements. The Bank is required to comply with applicable capital adequacy rules adopted by the FDIC and other federal bank regulatory agencies (the “Basel III Capital Rules”). The Basel III Capital Rules apply to all depository institutions as well as to all top-tier bank and savings and loan holding companies that are not subject to the Federal Reserve Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement.

Under the Basel III Capital Rules, banks are required to meet four minimum capital standards: (1) a “Tier 1” or “core” capital leverage ratio equal to at least 4% of total adjusted assets; (2) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio equal to 4.5% of risk-weighted assets; (3) a Tier 1 risk-based ratio equal to 6% of risk-weighted assets; and (4) a total capital ratio equal to 8% of total risk-weighted assets. Common equity Tier 1 capital is defined as common stock instruments, retained earnings, any common equity Tier 1 minority interest and, unless the bank has made an “opt-out” election, accumulated other comprehensive income, net of goodwill and certain other intangible assets. Tier 1 or core capital is defined as common equity Tier 1 capital plus certain qualifying subordinated interests and grandfathered capital instruments. Total capital consists of Tier 1 capital plus Tier 2 or supplementary capital items, which include allowances for loan losses in an amount of up to 1.25% of risk-weighted assets, qualifying subordinated instruments and certain grandfathered capital instruments. An institution’s risk-based capital requirements are measured against risk-weighted assets, which equal the sum of each on-balance-sheet asset and the credit-equivalent amount of each off-balance-sheet item after being multiplied by an assigned risk weight. Risk weightings range from 0% for cash to 100% for property acquired through foreclosure, commercial loans, and certain other assets to 150% for exposures that are more than 90 days past due or are on nonaccrual status and certain commercial real estate facilities that finance the acquisition, development or construction of real property.

In addition to the above minimum requirements, the Basel III Capital Rules require banks and covered financial institution holding companies to maintain a capital conservation buffer of at least 2.5% of risk-weighted assets over and above the minimum risk-based capital requirements. Institutions that do not maintain the required capital buffer will become subject to progressively more stringent limitations on the percentage of earnings that can be paid out in dividends or used for stock repurchases and on the payment of discretionary bonuses to senior executive management. The capital buffer requirement effectively raises the minimum required risk-based capital ratios to 7% for Common Equity Tier 1 Capital, 8.5% for Tier 1 Capital and 10.5% for Total Capital on a fully phased-in basis.

In assessing an institution’s capital adequacy, the FDIC takes into consideration not only these numeric factors but also qualitative factors, and has the authority to establish higher capital requirements for individual institutions where necessary.

The Bank is also subject to minimum capital requirements imposed by the Department on Pennsylvania-chartered depository institutions. Under the Department’s capital requirements, a Pennsylvania bank or savings bank must maintain a minimum leverage ratio of Tier 1 capital (as defined under the FDIC’s capital regulations) to total assets of 4%. In addition, the Department has the supervisory discretion to require higher leverage ratio for any institutions based on the institution’s substandard performance in any of a number of areas. The Bank was in compliance with both the FDIC and the Pennsylvania capital requirements in effect as of December 31, 2024.

Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action. Under applicable federal statutes, the federal bank regulatory agencies are required to take “prompt corrective action” with respect to institutions that do not meet specified minimum capital requirements. For these purposes, the law establishes five capital categories: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. Under the FDIC’s prompt corrective action regulations, an institution is deemed to be “well capitalized” if it has a Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital Ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.5% or better and a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater.

An institution is “adequately capitalized” if it has a Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital Ratio of 6.0% or greater, a Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 4.5% or better and a Leverage Ratio of 4.0% or greater. An institution is “undercapitalized” if it has a Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio of less than 8.0%, a Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 4.5% or a Leverage Ratio of less than 4.0%. An institution is deemed to be “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital Ratio of less than 4.0%, a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 3.0% or a Leverage Ratio of less than 3.0%. An institution is considered to be “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0%

The prompt corrective action regulations provide for the imposition of a variety of requirements and limitations on institutions that fail to meet the above capital requirements. In particular, the FDIC may require any state non-member bank that is not “adequately capitalized” to take certain action to increase its capital ratios. If the non-member bank’s capital is significantly below the minimum required levels of capital or if it is unsuccessful in increasing its capital ratios, the bank’s activities may be restricted.

At December 31, 2024, the Bank qualified as “well capitalized” under the prompt corrective action rules.

Affiliate Transaction Restrictions. Federal laws strictly limit the ability of banks to engage in transactions with their affiliates, including their bank holding companies. In particular, loans by a subsidiary bank and its parent company or the nonbank subsidiaries of the bank holding company are limited to 10% of a bank subsidiary’s capital and surplus and, with respect to such parent company and all such nonbank subsidiaries, to an aggregate of 20% of the bank subsidiary’s capital and surplus. Further, loans and other extensions of credit generally are required to be secured by eligible collateral in specified amounts. Transactions with non-affiliates may be treated

as transactions with an affiliate to the extent that proceeds from the transaction are used to benefit the affiliate. Federal law also requires that all transactions between a bank and its affiliates be on terms at least as favorable to the bank as transactions with non-affiliates.

Loans to One Borrower. Under Pennsylvania law, commercial banks have, subject to certain exemptions, lending limits to one borrower in an amount equal to 15% of the institution’s capital accounts. An institution’s capital account includes the aggregate of all capital, surplus, undivided profits, capital securities and general reserves for loan losses. Pursuant to the national bank parity provisions of the Pennsylvania Banking Code, the Bank may also lend up to the maximum amounts permissible for national banks, which are allowed to make loans to one borrower of up to 25% of capital and surplus in certain circumstances. As of December 31, 2024, the Bank’s loans-to-one-borrower limitation was $35.4 million and the Bank was in compliance with such limitation.

Federal Home Loan Bank System. The Bank is a member of the FHLB of Pittsburgh, which is one of 11 regional FHLBs. Each FHLB serves as a reserve or central bank for its members within its assigned region. It is funded primarily from funds deposited by member institutions and proceeds from the sale of consolidated obligations of the FHLB System. It makes loans to members (i.e., advances) in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Board of Directors of the FHLB.

As a member, the Bank is required to purchase and maintain restricted stock in the FHLB of Pittsburgh in an amount equal to the greater of 1% of its aggregate unpaid residential mortgage loans, home purchase contracts or similar obligations at the beginning of each year or 5% of the Bank’s outstanding advances from the FHLB. At December 31, 2024, the Bank was in compliance with this requirement.

Restrictions on Dividends. The Pennsylvania Banking Code states, in part, that dividends may be declared and paid only out of accumulated net earnings and may not be declared or paid unless surplus (retained earnings) is at least equal to contributed capital. The Bank has not declared or paid any dividends which cause the Bank’s retained earnings to be reduced below the amount required. Finally, dividends may not be declared or paid if the Bank is in default in payment of any assessment due the FDIC.

The Federal Reserve has issued a policy statement on the payment of cash dividends by bank holding companies, which expresses the Federal Reserve’s view that a bank holding company should pay cash dividends only to the extent that the holding company’s net income for the past year is sufficient to cover both the cash dividends and a rate of earnings retention that is consistent with the holding company’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. The Federal Reserve also indicated that it would be inappropriate for a company experiencing serious financial problems to borrow funds to pay dividends. In addition, the Federal Reserve’s guidance states that a bank holding company should consult with its regional Federal Reserve Bank in advance of declaring or paying a dividend that exceeds earnings for the period for which the dividend is being paid or that could result in a material adverse change to the organization’s capital structure. Finally, under the federal prompt corrective action regulations, the Federal Reserve may prohibit a bank holding company from paying any dividends if the holding company’s bank subsidiary is classified as “undercapitalized.”

Community Reinvestment. All insured depository institutions have a responsibility under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (the “CRA”) and federal regulations thereunder to help meet the credit needs of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. In connection with its examination of the Bank, the FDIC is required to assess our record of meeting the credit needs of our entire community. The CRA requires the Bank’s record of compliance with the CRA to be taken into account in the evaluation of applications by the Bank or the Company for approval of an expansionary proposal, such as a merger or other acquisition of another bank or the opening of a new branch office. The Bank received a “satisfactory” CRA rating in its most recent CRA performance evaluation by the FDIC in July 2022.

In May 2022, the FDIC and the other federal bank regulatory agencies issued a joint proposal to modernize the regulations implementing the CRA, which would change both the process and substantive tests that the regulators use to assess the record of each bank in fulfilling its obligation to the community. The regulatory agencies stated that the proposal is intended to achieve the following objectives: (i) expand access to credit, investment and basic banking services in low- and moderate-income communities, (ii) adapt to changes in the banking industry, including internet and mobile banking, (iii) provide greater clarity, consistency and transparency in the application of the regulations and (iv) tailor performance standards to account for differences in bank size, business model, and local conditions. The Company will evaluate the impact of the proposal’s potential changes to the regulations implementing the CRA and their impact to our financial condition and/or results of operations, which cannot be predicted at this time.

Bank Secrecy Act / Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The Bank is subject to the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020. These laws and regulations require the Bank to implement policies, procedures, and controls to detect, prevent, and report money laundering and terrorist financing and to verify the identity of their customers. Violations of these requirements can result in substantial civil and criminal sanctions. In addition, provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act require the federal bank regulatory agencies to consider the effectiveness of a bank’s anti-money laundering activities when reviewing mergers and acquisitions.

Privacy Regulations and Cybersecurity. Federal regulations generally require that the Bank disclose its privacy policy, including identifying with whom it shares a customer’s “non-public personal information,” to customers at the time of establishing the customer relationship and annually thereafter. In addition, the Bank is required to provide its customers with the ability to “opt-out” of having their personal information shared with unaffiliated third parties and not to disclose account numbers or access codes to non-affiliated third parties for marketing purposes. The Bank currently has a privacy protection policy in place and believes that such policy is in compliance with the regulations.

In November 2021, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued a final rule requiring banking organizations to notify their primary federal regulator as soon as possible and no later than 36 hours of determining that a “computer-security incident” that rises to the level of a “notification incident,” as those terms are defined in the final rule, has occurred. A notification incident is a “computer-security incident” that has materially disrupted or degraded, or is reasonably likely to materially disrupt or degrade, the banking organization’s ability to deliver services to a material portion of its customer base, jeopardize the viability of key operations of the banking organization, or impact the stability of the financial sector. The final rule also requires bank service providers to notify any affected bank to or on behalf of which the service provider provides services “as soon as possible” after determining that it has experienced an incident that materially disrupts or degrades, or is reasonably likely to materially disrupt or degrade, covered services provided to such bank for four or more hours

Incentive Compensation. The FDIC and the Federal Reserve review, as part of their regular, risk-focused examinations, the incentive compensation arrangements of banking organizations. These reviews are tailored to each organization based on the scope and complexity of the organization’s activities and the prevalence of incentive compensation arrangements. Deficiencies are incorporated into the organization’s supervisory ratings, which can affect the organization’s ability to make acquisitions and take other actions. Enforcement actions may be taken against a banking organization if its incentive compensation arrangements, or related risk-management control or governance processes, pose a risk to the organization’s safety and soundness and the organization is not taking prompt and effective measures to correct the deficiencies.

In 2010, the FDIC and the other federal bank regulatory agencies issued comprehensive guidance on incentive compensation policies intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of banking organizations do not undermine the safety and soundness of such organizations by encouraging excessive risk-taking. The guidance, which covers all employees that have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of an organization, is based upon the principles that a banking organization’s incentive compensation arrangements should (i) provide incentives that do not encourage risk-taking beyond the organization’s ability to effectively identify and manage risks, (ii) be compatible with effective internal controls and risk management, and (iii) be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the organization’s board of directors.

In 2016, the U.S. financial regulators, including the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and the SEC, proposed revised rules on incentive-based payment arrangements at financial institutions having at least $1 billion in total assets. These proposed rules have not been finalized.

In October 2023, the Nasdaq, adopted listing standards requiring listed companies to adopt policies providing for the recovery or “clawback” of excess incentive-based compensation earned by current or former executive officers during the three fiscal years preceding the date the listed company determines an accounting restatement is required. The Company adopted a clawback policy compliant with the new Nasdaq listing standard, effective October 2, 2023.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Not applicable.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

Incident Response Policy

The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the risks from cybersecurity threats. Each month, the Board is presented with the executive overview of the Cybersecurity Continuous Monitoring Review Report (“Report”) prepared by the Company’s third-party chief information security officer. The Board of Directors reviews the Report each month and, if warranted, directs senior management of the Company to take necessary and appropriate actions in accordance with the IR Policy (as defined below).

In the post-incident phase, the Bank analyzes the root cause of the incident, identifies any changes that need to be made to policies, procedures, training, documentation, and technology to protect against similar incidents in the future, and institutes a plan to implement them. In addition, the Bank undertakes any additional communication with the necessary parties and the public, if appropriate, and the Bank’s legal representatives, insurance provider, law-enforcement authorities, and regulatory bodies as appropriate to fully address the impact of the incident, and fully documents the entire incident.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, the risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected the Company, its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.

Item 2. Properties.

The Bank operates from its main office located at 717 Main Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania and twenty-nine additional branch offices in Northeastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York. The Bank’s total investment in office property and equipment is $41.3 million with a net book value of $19.7 million as of December 31, 2024. The Bank currently operates automated teller machines at all of its community office facilities, as well as one off-site ATM. The Bank leases nine of its locations.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

On February 20, 2024, the Company was notified of a Complaint (the “Complaint”) entitled Ian Werkmeister vs. Wayne Bank, filed on February 12, 2024 in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania seeking class action status. The Plaintiff is seeking monetary recovery and other relief on behalf of themselves and one or more putative classes of other individuals similarly situated. The Complaint arises out of a widely reported data security incident involving MOVEit, a file sharing software used globally by government agencies, enterprise corporations, and financial institutions. In October of 2023, Wayne Bank was notified by its third-party information service provider of a cyber-incident that involved unauthorized access to Wayne Bank customer information in one of the vendor’s file transfer applications. The incident involved vulnerabilities discovered in MOVEit Transfer, a file transfer software used by the Bank’s vendor to support services provided by the vendor to Wayne Bank and its related institutions. MOVEit is a commonly used secure Managed File Transfer software, which supports file transfer activities used by thousands of organizations around the world, including government agencies and major financial firms. The vulnerability discovered in MOVEit did not involve any of Wayne Bank’s internal systems and did not impact the Bank’s ability to service its customers.

The MOVEit cases have since been transferred and consolidated in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (the “Court”) and are now entitled MOVEit Customer Data Security Breach Litigation. On July 23, 2024, on behalf of all of the Defendants (including the Company) in this case, an omnibus Motion to Dismiss the cases for lack of Article III standing pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was filed with the Court. A hearing on this motion was held on October 9, 2024. On December 12, 2024, Judge Burroughs denied the defendants’ Rule 12(b)(1) motion in large part. The Court has ordered that a bellwether process be used to test claims and defenses. Because Wayne Bank is not a bellwether defendant, its obligations will be much lessened but will include, among other things, modest discovery.

The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims asserted in the Complaint and intends to vigorously defend itself against such Complaint. While we continue to measure the impact of this cyber-incident, including certain remediation expenses

and other potential liabilities, we do not currently believe this incident will have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, or financial results.

Other than the foregoing, neither the Company nor its subsidiaries are involved in any other pending legal proceedings, other than routine legal matters occurring in the ordinary course of business, which in the aggregate involve amounts which are believed by management to be immaterial to the consolidated financial condition or results of operations of the Company.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

(a)Market Information

STOCK LISTING

Norwood Financial Corp stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol NWFL. As of December 31, 2024, there were approximately 1,220 registered stockholders based on the records of our transfer agent. Certain shares of the Company are held in “street” name and accordingly, the number of beneficial owners of such shares is not known or included in the foregoing number.

The following firms are known to make a market in the Company’s stock:

TRANSFER AGENT

Computershare provides Transfer Agent services for the Company. Stockholders who may have questions regarding their stock ownership should contact the Transfer Agent at 800-662-7232, by regular mail at P.O. Box 43006, Providence, RI 02940-3006, or by overnight delivery at 150 Royall St, Suite 101, Canton, MA 02021.

DIVIDEND CALENDAR

Dividends on the Company’s common stock, if approved by the Board of Directors, are customarily paid on or about February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1. The Company’s ability to pay dividends may also depend on the receipt of dividends from the Bank, which is subject to a variety of limitations under state and federal banking regulations regarding the payment of dividends. For discussion of the regulatory limitations applicable to the payment of dividends, see “Item 1. Business-Regulation.”

AUTOMATIC DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

The Plan, open to all shareholders, provides the opportunity to have dividends automatically reinvested into the Company’s common stock. Participants in the Plan may also elect to make cash contributions to purchase additional shares of common stock. Stockholders of the Company may contact the transfer agent for additional information.

(b)Use of Proceeds. Not applicable.

(c)Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities. Set forth below is information regarding the Company’s stock repurchases during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

Item 6. [Reserved]

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations.

Introduction

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis and related financial data are presented to assist in the understanding and evaluation of the financial condition and results of operations for the Company and the Bank, as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. This section should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related footnotes.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations were significantly impacted by two transactions. On December 23, 2024, the Company completed the underwritten public offering and sale of 1,150,000 shares of its common stock at $26.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $28 million (the “Offering”). Immediately subsequent to the Offering, the Company utilized a portion of the net proceeds from the Offering to reposition a substantial portion of the Company’s available-for-sale debt securities portfolio. The Company undertook the repositioning transactions with the objective of increasing the profitability of its investment portfolio, improving liquidity, strengthening its capital position and supporting future growth. Please see “Financial Condition—Securities” below for more information on the repositioning transactions.

Critical Accounting Policies

Note 2 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements lists significant accounting policies used in the development and presentation of its financial statements. This discussion and analysis, the significant accounting policies, and other financial statement disclosures identify and address key variables and other qualitative and quantitative factors that are necessary for an understanding and evaluation of the Company and its results of operations.

Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses and the determination of goodwill impairment. Please refer to the discussion of the allowance for credit losses calculation under “Allowance for Credit Losses and Non-performing Assets” in the “Financial Condition” section.

In connection with the acquisition of North Penn in 2011, we recorded goodwill in the amount of $9.7 million, representing the excess of amounts paid over the fair value of the net assets of the institution acquired at the date of acquisition. In connection with the acquisition of Delaware in 2016, we recorded goodwill in the amount of $1.6 million, representing the excess of amounts paid over the fair value of the net assets of the institution acquired at the date of acquisition. In connection with the acquisition of UpState in July 2020, we recorded goodwill in the amount of $17.9 million, representing the excess of amounts paid over the fair value of the net assets of the institution acquired at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is tested annually and deemed impaired when the carrying value of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value.

OVERVIEW

The following table provides an overview of selected financial data:

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Total Assets

Total assets as of December 31, 2024 were $2.317 billion compared to $2.201 billion as of year-end 2023, an increase of $116.4 million. The increase in total assets was primarily attributable to a $109.1 million increase in loans receivable.

Loans Receivable

As of December 31, 2024, loans receivable totaled $1.714 billion compared to $1.604 billion as of year-end 2023, an increase of $110.2 million due primarily to a $43.5 million increase in consumer loans and an increase of $41.7 million in commercial real estate loans. Residential real estate loans increased $14.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2024.

The Bank’s loan products include loans for personal and business use. Personal lending includes mortgage lending to finance principal residences and, to a lesser extent, second home dwellings. The Bank’s loan products include fixed-rate mortgage products with terms up to 30 years which may be sold in the secondary market through the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) or the FHLB, or held in the Bank’s portfolio to the extent consistent with our asset/liability management strategies. Fixed-rate home equity loans are originated on terms up to 180 months. Home equity lines of credit tied to the prime rate are also offered. The Bank also offers indirect dealer financing of automobiles (new and used), boats, and recreational vehicles through a limited network of dealers in Northeast Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York. At December 31, 2024, there were $293.0 million of indirect loans in the consumer loan portfolio.

Commercial loans and commercial mortgages are provided to local small and mid-sized businesses at a variety of terms and rate structures. Commercial lending activities include lines of credit, revolving credit, term loans, mortgages, various forms of secured lending and a limited amount of letter of credit facilities. The rate structure may be fixed, immediately repricing tied to the prime rate or adjustable at set intervals. Also included in commercial loans are municipal finance lending in which the Bank has been active in recent years. Municipal lending includes both general obligations of local taxing authorities and revenue obligations of specific revenue producing projects such as sewer authorities and educational units. At December 31, 2024, the Bank had approximately $156.2 million in loans on commercial rentals, as well as $114.7 million of loans outstanding on residential rentals, which are its largest lending concentrations.

The Bank’s construction lending has primarily involved lending for commercial construction projects and for single-family residences. All loans for the construction of speculative sale homes have a loan-to-value ratio of not more than 80%. For both commercial and single-family projects, loan proceeds are disbursed during the construction phase according to a draw schedule based on the stage of completion. Construction projects are inspected by contracted inspectors or bank personnel. Construction loans are underwritten on the basis of the estimated value of the property as completed. For commercial projects, the Bank typically also provides the permanent financing after the construction period, as a commercial mortgage.

The Bank also, from time to time, originates loans secured by undeveloped land. Land loans granted to individuals have a term of up to five years. Land loans granted to developers may have an interest only period during development. The substantial majority of land loans have a loan-to-value ratio not exceeding 75%. The Bank has limited its exposure to land loans but may expand its lending on raw land, as market conditions allow, to qualified borrowers experienced in the development and sale of raw land.

Loans involving construction financing and loans on raw land have a higher level of risk than loans for the purchase of existing homes since collateral values, land values, development costs and construction costs can only be estimated at the time the loan is approved. The Bank has sought to minimize its risk in construction lending and in lending for the purchase of raw land by offering such financing primarily to builders and developers to whom the Bank has loaned funds in the past and to persons who have previous experience in such projects. The Bank also limits construction lending and loans on raw land to its market area, with which management is familiar.

Adjustable-rate loans decrease the risks associated with changes in interest rates by periodically repricing, but involve other risks because as interest rates increase, the underlying payments by the borrower increase, thus increasing the potential for payment default. At the same time, the marketability of the underlying collateral may be adversely affected by higher interest rates. Upward adjustment of the contractual interest rate may also be limited by the maximum periodic interest rate adjustment permitted in certain adjustable-rate mortgage loan documents, and, therefore is potentially limited in effectiveness during periods of rapidly rising interest rates. These risks have not had an adverse effect on the Bank.

Consumer lending, including indirect financing, provides benefits to the Bank’s asset/liability management program by reducing the Bank’s exposure to interest rate changes, due to their generally shorter terms. Such loans may entail additional credit risks compared to owner-occupied residential mortgage lending especially when unsecured or secured by collateral such as automobiles that depreciate rapidly.

Commercial lending including real-estate related loans entail significant additional risks when compared with residential real estate and consumer lending. For example, commercial loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. The payment experience on such loans typically is dependent on the successful operation of the project and these risks can be significantly impacted by the cash flow of the borrowers and market conditions for commercial office, retail, and warehouse space. In periods of decreasing cash flows, the commercial borrower may permit a lapse in general maintenance of the property causing the value of the underlying collateral to deteriorate. The liquidation of commercial property is often more costly and may involve more time to sell than residential real estate. The Bank offsets such factors with requiring more owner equity, a lower loan to value ratio and by obtaining the personal guaranties of the principals. In addition, a majority of the Bank’s commercial real estate portfolio is owner-occupied property.

Commercial loans and leases are considered to have a higher degree of credit risk than secured real estate lending. The repayment of unsecured commercial business loans is wholly dependent on the success of the borrower’s business, while secured commercial business loans may be secured by collateral that may not be readily marketable in the event of default. Municipal financing includes lending to local taxing authorities and revenue-producing projects. Such loans may constitute the general obligation of the taxing authority or may rely on a specific revenue source which is responsible for the repayment of the debt. General obligations are considered to carry a lower level of risk than other loan types since they are backed by the full faith and credit of the taxing authority. Revenue obligations are backed solely by revenues generated by the project financed and repayment may be affected by the success of the project.

Due to the type and nature of the collateral, consumer lending generally involves more credit risk when compared with residential real estate lending. Consumer lending collections are typically dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and thus, are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness and personal bankruptcy. In most cases, any repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan will not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance. The remaining deficiency is usually turned over to a collection agency.

There are additional risks associated with indirect lending since we must rely on the dealer to provide accurate information to us and accurate disclosures to the borrowers. These loans are principally done on a non-recourse basis. We seek to mitigate these risks by only dealing with dealers with whom we have a long-standing relationship.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) prohibits lenders from making residential mortgages unless the lender makes a reasonable and good faith determination that the borrower has a reasonable ability to repay the mortgage loan according to its terms. A borrower may recover statutory damages equal to all finance charges and fees paid within three years of a violation of the ability-to-repay rule and may raise a violation as a defense to foreclosure at any time. As authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) has adopted regulations defining “qualified mortgages” that are presumed to comply with the Dodd-Frank Act’s ability-to-repay rules. Under the CFPB regulations, qualified mortgages must satisfy the following criteria: (i) no negative amortization, interest-only payments, balloon payments, or term greater than 30 years; (ii) no points or fees in excess of 3% of the loan amount for loans over $100,000; (iii) borrower’s income and assets are verified and documented; and (iv) the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio generally may not exceed 43%. Qualified mortgages are conclusively presumed to comply with the ability-to-pay rule unless the mortgage is a “higher cost” mortgage, in which case the presumption is rebuttable. Under the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 2018, residential mortgages originated for portfolio by insured depository institutions, like the Bank, with less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets will be treated as qualified mortgages; provided that the mortgage terms do not include interest-only payments or negative amortization, total points and fees do not exceed 3% of the loan amount, prepayment penalties are not in excess of those permitted for qualified mortgages under Regulation Z and the lender has considered and documented the debt, income and financial resources of the borrower.

The Bank has established various lending limits for its officers and also maintains an Officer Loan Committee to approve higher loan amounts. The Officer Loan Committee is comprised of the President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Lending Officer and other Bank officers. The Officer Loan Committee has the authority to approve all loans up to set limits based on the type of loan and the collateral. Requests in excess of these limits must be submitted to the Directors’ Loan Committee or Board of Directors for approval. Additionally, the President and Chief Executive Officer, and the Chief Lending Officer and other officers have the authority to approve secured and unsecured loans up to amounts approved by the Board of Directors and maintained in the Bank’s Loan Policy. Notwithstanding individual lending authority, certain loan policy exceptions must be submitted to the Officer Loan Committee for approval.

Hazard insurance coverage is required on all properties securing loans made by the Bank. Flood insurance is also required, when applicable.

Loan applicants are notified of the credit decision by letter. If the loan is approved, the loan commitment specifies the terms and conditions of the proposed loan including the amount, interest rate, amortization term, a brief description of the required collateral, and the required insurance coverage. The borrower must provide proof of fire, flood (if applicable) and casualty insurance on the property serving as collateral and title insurance, and these applicable insurances must be maintained during the full term of the loan.

The following table sets forth maturities and interest rate sensitivity for selected categories of loans as of December 31, 2024. Scheduled repayments are reported in the maturity category in which payment is due. Demand loans, loans having no stated schedule of repayments and no stated maturity and overdrafts are reported as due in one year or less.

allowance for CREDIT Losses

The allowance for credit losses totaled $19,843,000 as of December 31, 2024, and represented 1.16% of total loans receivable compared to $18,968,000 and 1.18% of total loans as of year-end 2023. Net charge-offs for 2024 totaled $1,671,000 and represented 0.10% of average loans compared to $6,078,000 and 0.39% of average loans in 2023.

Management reviews the loan portfolio on a quarterly basis using a defined, consistently applied process in order to make appropriate and timely adjustments to the allowance for credit losses. When information confirms all or part of specific loans to be uncollectible, these amounts are promptly charged off against the allowance.

The Company has limited exposure to higher-risk loans. The Company does not originate option ARM products, interest only loans, sub-prime loans or loans with initial teaser rates in its residential real estate portfolio. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $19,070,000 million of junior lien home equity loans. For the year ended December 31, 2024, there were $0 of charge-offs in this portfolio, with recoveries of $41,000 in 2024.

Loan concentrations are considered to exist when there are amounts loaned to a number of borrowers engaged in similar activities that would cause them to be similarly impacted by economic or other conditions. Our lending activity is heavily concentrated in the geographic market areas we serve. At December 31, 2024, the Company had no concentrations of loans in any one industry exceeding 10% of its total loan portfolio. An industry for this purpose is defined as a group of businesses that are engaged in similar activities and have similar economic characteristics that would cause their ability to meet contractual obligations to be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions.

Banking regulators have established guidelines of less than 100% of tier 1 capital plus allowance for credit losses in construction lending and less than 300% of tier 1 capital plus allowance for credit losses in commercial real estate lending that management monitors as part of the risk management process. The construction concentration ratio is a percentage of the outstanding construction and land development loans to total tier 1 capital plus allowance for credit losses. The commercial real estate concentration ratio is a percentage of the outstanding balance of non-owner occupied commercial real estate, multifamily, and construction and land development loans to tier 1 capital plus allowance for credit losses. Management strives to operate within the thresholds set forth above.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $716.9 million of commercial real estate loans, which represented 41.8% of total loans outstanding. Non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans totaled $189.8 million, or 11.1% of total loans outstanding and 87.2% of regulatory capital requirements. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $53.0 million of construction loans, which represented 3.1% of total loans outstanding and 24.4% of regulatory capital requirements.

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company considered its concentration of credit risk to be acceptable. As of December 31, 2024, the highest concentrations are in commercial rentals and the residential rentals category, with loans outstanding of $156.2 million, or 9.1% of loans outstanding, to commercial rentals, and $114.7 million, or 6.7% of loans outstanding, to residential rentals. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recognized charge offs of $0 on commercial rentals and $0 on residential rentals. The Company recognized charge offs of $6,000 on commercial rentals and $44,000 on residential rentals in 2023.

The following table sets forth information with respect to the Bank’s allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2024 and 2023: