NOTE 15 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk

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. These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the financial statements. The Company’s exposure to credit loss in the event of non-performance by the counterparty to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit is represented by the contractual 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 off-balance-sheet financial instruments whose contract amounts represent credit risk, are outstanding (in thousands):

At December 31, 2025

At December 31, 2024

Fixed

Variable

Fixed

Variable

  ​ ​ ​

Rate

  ​ ​ ​

Rate

  ​ ​ ​

Rate

  ​ ​ ​

Rate

Unused loan commitments

$

113,438

$

486,517

$

108,561

$

586,821

Standby and commercial letters of credit

26,388

31,920

$

139,826

$

486,517

$

140,481

$

586,821

A commitment to extend credit is a legally binding agreement to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. These commitments do not necessarily represent future cash requirements and generally expire within two years. At December 31, 2025, the interest rates for the Company’s commitments ranged from 3.3% to 9.5% for its fixed rate loan commitments and 4.8% to 10.3% for its variable rate loan commitments. At December 31, 2024, the interest rates for the Company’s commitments ranged from 3.0% to 9.3% for its fixed rate loan commitments and 6.3% to 11.5% for its variable rate loan commitments. The amount of collateral obtained, if any, by the Company upon extension of credit is based on management’s credit evaluation of the borrower. Collateral held varies but may include mortgages on commercial and residential real estate, security interests in business assets, equipment, deposit accounts with the Company or other financial institutions and securities.

The Company’s stand-by letters of credit amounted to $26.4 million and $31.9 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company’s stand-by letters of credit are collateralized by interest-bearing accounts of $21.8 million and $36.2 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Legal and Regulatory Proceedings

The Bank entered into (i) an Order to Cease and Desist and Order of Assessment of a Civil Money Penalty Issued Upon Consent with the FRB (the “FRB Consent Order”), effective October 16, 2023, and (ii) a Consent Order with the NYDFS (the “NYDFS Consent Order”), effective October 18, 2023. The FRB Consent Order and NYDFS Consent Order constitute

separate consensual resolutions with each of the FRB and the NYDFS with respect to their investigations, each of which is now closed as a result of such order.

In the third quarter of 2024, the Company recorded a $10.0 million regulatory reserve in connection with an investigation by the Attorney General of the State of Washington that was resolved in the fourth quarter of 2024. Additional enforcement or other actions arising out of the prepaid debit card program in question, along with any other matters arising out of the foregoing program, could have a materially adverse effect on the Company and the Bank’s assets, business, cash flows, financial condition, liquidity, prospects and/or results of operations. Since 2020, the Bank has been actively working to enhance its processes and procedures so as to more effectively and efficiently address the issues identified in the course of these investigations.

In addition to the matters described above, the Company is subject to various other pending and threatened legal actions relating to the conduct of its business activities, as well as inquiries and investigations from regulators. While the future outcome of litigation or regulatory matters cannot be determined at this time, in the opinion of management, as of December 31, 2025, the aggregate liability, if any, arising out of any such other pending or threatened matters are not expected to be material to the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 20, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 28, 2025
2023Feb 28, 2024
2022Feb 28, 2023
2021Mar 10, 2022
2020Mar 8, 2021

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.