Note 13  Commitments, Contingencies and Concentrations of Credit Risk

 

In the normal course of business, the Company has outstanding commitments and contingent liabilities, such as standby and commercial letters of credit, unused portions of lines of credit and commitments to extend various types of credit. Commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit generally do not exceed one year.

 

These financial instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit risk in excess of the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements. The commitment or contract amount of these financial instruments is an indicator of the Company’s level of involvement in each type of instrument as well as the exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument.

 

The Company controls the credit risk of these financial instruments through credit approvals, limits and monitoring procedures. To minimize potential credit risk, the Company generally requires collateral and other credit-related terms and conditions from the client. In the opinion of management, the financial condition of the Company will not be materially affected by the final outcome of these commitments and contingent liabilities. A substantial portion of the Bank’s loans are secured by real estate located in New Jersey and New York. Accordingly, the collectability of a substantial portion of the loan portfolio of the Bank is susceptible to changes in the metropolitan New York real estate market.

 

The following table provides a summary of financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk as of December 31, 2025 and 2024:

 

  

2025

  

2024

 
  

Fixed

  

Variable

  

Fixed

  

Variable

 
  

(dollars in thousands)

 

Commitments under commercial loans and lines of credit

 $101,841  $997,861  $100,430  $647,652 

Home equity and other revolving lines of credit

  33   91,069   17   41,349 

Outstanding commercial mortgage loan commitments

  20,708   273,143   24,139   321,771 

Standby letters of credit

  152   21,203   190   41,276 

Overdraft protection lines

  1,644   1,098   640   178 

Total

 $124,378  $1,384,374  $125,416  $1,052,226 

 

The Company is subject to claims and lawsuits that arise in the ordinary course of business. Based upon the information currently available in connection with such claims, it is the opinion of management that the disposition or ultimate determination of such claims will not have a material adverse impact on the consolidated financial position, results of operations, or liquidity of the Company.

 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 24, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 21, 2025
2023Feb 23, 2024
2022Feb 24, 2023
2021Feb 25, 2022
2020Mar 1, 2021
2019Mar 2, 2020
2018Feb 28, 2019
2017Mar 6, 2018
2016Mar 10, 2017
2015Mar 4, 2016

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.