COLUMBIA BANKING SYSTEM, INC.COLB
COLUMBIA BANKING SYSTEM, INC. Commitments Disclosure
Commitments and Contingencies and Related-Party Transactions
Financial Instruments with Off-Balance-Sheet Risk — The Company's financial statements do not reflect various commitments and contingent liabilities that arise in the normal course of the Bank's business and involve elements of credit, liquidity, and interest rate risk.
The following table presents a summary of the Bank's commitments and contingent liabilities:
(in millions) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | |||||||||
| Commitments to extend credit | $ | 11,927 | $ | 10,078 | |||||||
| Forward sales commitments | $ | 74 | $ | 77 | |||||||
| Commitments to originate residential mortgage loans held for sale | $ | 39 | $ | 46 | |||||||
| Standby letters of credit | $ | 427 | $ | 216 | |||||||
The Bank is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet credit risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. These instruments involve elements of credit and interest-rate risk similar to the risk involved in on-balance sheet items. The contract or notional amounts of these instruments reflect the extent of the Bank's exposure in particular classes of financial instruments.
The Bank's exposure to credit loss in the event of non-performance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit, and financial guarantees written, is represented by the contractual notional amount of those instruments. The Bank uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instruments.
Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any covenant or condition established in the applicable contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. While most standby letters of credit are not utilized, a significant portion of such utilization is on an immediate payment basis. The Bank evaluates each customer's creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained, if it is deemed necessary by the Bank upon extension of credit, is based on management's credit evaluation of the counterparty. Collateral varies but may include cash, accounts receivable, inventory, premises and equipment and income-producing commercial properties.
Standby letters of credit and written financial guarantees are conditional commitments issued by the Bank to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. These guarantees are primarily issued to support public and private borrowing arrangements, including international trade finance, commercial paper, bond financing, insured premium financing, and similar transactions. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities to customers. The Bank holds cash, marketable securities, or real estate as collateral supporting those commitments for which collateral is deemed necessary. There were no financial guarantees in connection with standby letters of credit that the Bank was required to perform on during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $400 million of standby letters of credit expire within one year, and $27 million expire thereafter. During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Bank recorded approximately $5 million and $3 million, respectively, in fees associated with standby letters of credit.
Residential mortgage loans sold into the secondary market are sold with limited recourse against the Company, meaning that the Company may be obligated to repurchase or otherwise reimburse the investor for incurred losses on any loans that suffer an early payment default, are not underwritten in accordance with investor guidelines or are determined to have pre-closing borrower misrepresentations.
Legal Proceedings and Regulatory Matters—The Company is subject to litigation in court and arbitral proceedings, as well as proceedings, investigations, examinations, and other actions brought or considered by governmental and self-regulatory agencies. The Company is party to various pending and threatened claims and legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business activities, some of which involve claims for substantial or uncertain amounts.
In September 2023, 34 related real estate investment entities (the "iCap Entities") that maintained their primary deposit accounts with the Bank filed jointly-administered Chapter 11 bankruptcies in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington. In pleadings filed in the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington on behalf of investors who claimed losses of approximately $290 million, the Bank was identified as a party against which claims may be brought in connection with the iCap Entities' alleged operation of a Ponzi scheme prior to the bankruptcy proceedings described above. On September 26, 2025, the co-trustees of the iCap Trust, a liquidating trust created by the Second Modified Second Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Liquidation of the iCap Entities, filed suit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington alleging aiding and abetting claims against the Bank associated with the provision of banking services to the bankrupt iCap Entities. The suit was filed on behalf of 488 investors with claims totaling approximately $90 million. Remaining investors may pursue their claims separately. The Bank intends to vigorously defend against any and all claims.
As previously disclosed, in 2023 the Bank was informed by one of its technology service providers (the "Vendor") that a widely reported security incident involving MOVEit, a filesharing software used globally by government agencies, enterprise corporations, and financial institutions, resulted in the unauthorized acquisition by a third party of the names and social security numbers or tax identification numbers of certain of the Bank's consumer and small business customers (the "Vendor Incident"). On behalf of the Bank, the Vendor notified affected customers (approximately 429,000), and the Bank and Vendor notified applicable federal and state regulators regarding the Vendor Incident. Subsequently, the Bank was named in a number of putative class action lawsuits related to the Vendor Incident. The lawsuits collectively allege claims for negligence, negligence per se, breach of contract, breach of implied contract, breach of third-party beneficiary contract, breach of fiduciary duty, invasion of privacy, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, and violation of certain state statutes. Given the large number of federal cases throughout the United States (including those involving the Bank), on October 4, 2023 the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation initiated a multidistrict litigation ("MDL") to consolidate such cases – In Re: MOVEit Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, MDL No. 3083 – in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (MDL No. 1:23-md-03083-ADB-PGL). The Bank has engaged defense counsel and intends to vigorously defend against these lawsuits and any similar or related lawsuits or claims. The Bank has notified relevant insurance carriers and business counterparties and continues to reserve all of its relevant rights to indemnity, defense, contribution, and other relief in connection with these matters.
At least quarterly, liabilities and contingencies are assessed in connection with all outstanding or new legal matters, utilizing the most recent information available. If it is determined that a loss from a matter is probable and that the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, an accrual for the loss is established. Once established, each accrual is adjusted as appropriate to reflect any subsequent developments in the specific legal matter. It is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or even possible. It is also inherently difficult to estimate the amount of any loss and there may be matters for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible but not currently estimable. Actual losses may be in excess of any established accrual or the range of reasonably possible loss. Management's estimate will change from time to time. For matters where a loss is not probable, or the amount of the loss cannot be estimated, no accrual is established. The Company has $1 million accrued related to legal matters as of December 31, 2025, which is recorded as a component of other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The resolution and the outcome of legal claims are unpredictable, exacerbated by factors including the following: damages sought are unsubstantiated or indeterminate; it is unclear whether a case brought as a class action will be allowed to proceed on that basis; discovery or motion practice is not complete; the proceeding is not yet in its final stages; the matters present legal uncertainties; there are significant facts in dispute; there are a large number of parties, including multiple defendants; or there is a wide range of potential results. Any estimate or determination relating to the future resolution of legal and regulatory matters is uncertain and involves significant judgment. The Company is usually unable to determine whether a favorable or unfavorable outcome is remote, reasonably likely or probable, or to estimate the amount or range of a probable or reasonably likely loss until relatively late in the process.
Although there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome of a specific legal matter, the Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims asserted against us in our currently outstanding legal matters, and the Company intends to continue to vigorously defend ourselves. The Company will consider settlement of legal matters when, in management's judgment, it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.
Based on information currently available, advice of counsel, available insurance coverage, and established reserves, the Company believes that the eventual outcome of the actions against us will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements. However, it is possible that the ultimate resolution of a matter, if unfavorable, may be material to the Company's results of operations for any particular reporting period.
Concentrations of Credit Risk—The Bank grants real estate mortgage, real estate construction, commercial, agricultural and installment loans and leases to customers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. In management's judgment, a concentration exists in real estate-related loans, which represented approximately 76% and 75% of the Bank's loan and lease portfolio as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. CRE concentrations are managed to ensure geographic and business diversity, primarily in our footprint. The multifamily portfolio, including construction, represented approximately 24% and 19% of the total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The office portfolio represented approximately 8% of the total loan portfolio as of both December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. Although management believes such concentrations have no more than the normal risk of collectability, a substantial decline in the economy in general, material increases in interest rates, changes in tax policies, tightening credit or refinancing markets, or a decline in real estate values in the Bank's primary market areas in particular, could have an adverse impact on the repayment of these loans. Personal and business incomes, proceeds from the sale of real property, or proceeds from refinancing represent the primary sources of repayment for a majority of these loans.
The Bank recognizes the credit risks inherent in dealing with other depository institutions. Accordingly, to prevent excessive exposure to any single correspondent, the Bank has established general standards for selecting correspondent banks as well as internal limits for allowable exposure to any single correspondent. In addition, the Bank has an investment policy that sets forth limitations that apply to all investments with respect to credit rating and concentrations with an issuer.
Related-Party Transactions— In the ordinary course of business, the Bank has made loans to related parties, including its directors and executive officers (and their associated and affiliated companies). All such loans have been made in accordance with regulatory requirements, are on substantially the same terms and underwriting as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with unrelated persons, and do not involve higher than normal risk of collectability. As of December 31, 2025, the Bank had $1 million in related-party loans outstanding. As of December 31, 2024, the Bank had no material related-party transactions requiring disclosure.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 26, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 25, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 27, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 24, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 25, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 26, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 27, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 28, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 1, 2018 | |
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.