(16)COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

In the normal course of business, there are outstanding commitments, contingent liabilities and other financial instruments that are not reflected in the consolidated financial statements. These include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit, which are some of the instruments used by the Company to meet the financing needs of its customers. These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

The Company’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instruments for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual notional amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance-sheet instruments.

The following is a summary of the commitments to extend credit at December 31, 2025 and 2024:

(In thousands)

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

2024

Loan commitments:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Fixed rate

$

2,383

$

5,302

Adjustable rate

 

18,814

 

11,233

Standby letters of credit

 

308

 

2,078

Undisbursed commercial and personal lines of credit

 

39,007

 

34,727

Undisbursed portion of construction loans in process

 

32,820

 

22,516

Undisbursed portion of home equity lines of credit

 

86,932

 

79,000

Total commitments

$

180,264

$

154,856

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Certain commitments 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. The Company evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral or other security obtained, if deemed necessary by the Company upon extension of credit, varies and is based on management’s credit evaluation. Collateral held varies but may include deposits held in financial institutions; U.S. Treasury securities; other marketable securities; accounts receivable; inventory; property and equipment; personal residences; income-producing commercial properties and land under development. Personal guarantees are also obtained to provide added security for certain commitments.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. Those guarantees are primarily issued to guarantee the installation of real property improvements 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 Company holds collateral and obtains personal guarantees supporting those commitments for which collateral or other security is deemed necessary.

The Company has not been obligated to perform on any financial guarantees and has incurred no losses on its commitments in 2025 or 2024.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 31, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 31, 2025
2023Mar 29, 2024
2022Mar 22, 2023
2021Mar 14, 2022
2020Mar 15, 2021
2019Mar 16, 2020
2018Mar 13, 2019
2017Mar 12, 2018
2016Mar 14, 2017
2015Mar 29, 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.