16. Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments:

The Company is a party to financial instruments with off balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and lines of credit. The instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and market risks in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated financial statements.

The Company’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the counterparty to the financial instrument for loan commitments and lines of credit is represented by the contractual amounts of these instruments.

Commitments to extend credit amounted to $435.2 million at a weighted average rate of 7.07% at December 31, 2025. Included in these commitments were $136.4 million of fixed-rate commitments at a weighted average rate of 7.07% and $298.8 million of adjustable-rate commitments with a weighted average rate of 7.07%, as of December 31, 2025. Since generally all loan commitments are expected to be drawn upon, the total loan commitments approximate future cash requirements, whereas the amounts of lines of credit may not be indicative of the Company’s future cash requirements. The loan commitments generally expire in 90 days, while construction loan lines of credit mature within eighteen months and home equity lines of credit mature within ten years. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance-sheet instruments.

Commitments to extend credit are legally binding agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates and require payment of a fee. The Company evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis. Collateral held consists primarily of real estate.

The Bank collateralized a portion of its deposits with letters of credit issued by FHLB-NY. At December 31, 2025 and 2024 there were $1,543.4 million and $1,405.7 million, respectively, of letters of credit outstanding. The letters of credit are collateralized by mortgage loans pledged by the Bank.

The Company has purchase obligations running through 2027 totaling $10.3 million and $13.3 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, which are primarily related to contracts with data processing, loan servicing and check processing services provided by third-party vendors. During each year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company purchased $8.4 million of services provided by third-party vendors.

The Company’s future non-cancellable purchase obligations, which were not recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2025, are as follows:

Year ended December 31:

(In thousands)

2026

$

9,897

2027

 

400

Total

$

10,297

The Trusts issued capital securities with a par value of $61.9 million in June and July 2007. The Holding Company has guaranteed the payment of the Trusts’ obligations under these capital securities.

Contingencies:

The Company is a defendant in various lawsuits. Management of the Company, after consultation with outside legal counsel, believes that the resolution of these various matters will not result in any material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 6, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 11, 2025
2023Mar 15, 2024
2022Mar 14, 2023
2021Mar 7, 2022
2020Mar 16, 2021
2019Mar 2, 2020
2018Mar 1, 2019
2017Mar 1, 2018
2016Mar 13, 2017
2015Mar 15, 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.