UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended:
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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Emerging Growth Company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No
As of June 30, 2022, the aggregate market value of the shares of common stock outstanding of the registrant was $
The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 22, 2023 was
Documents Incorporated by Reference
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 1, 2023 are incorporated by reference into Part III.
CROSS REFERENCE INDEX
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
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Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections |
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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management, and Related Stockholder Matters |
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Certifications |
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For the purpose of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the words “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” are used to refer to New York Community Bancorp, Inc. and our consolidated subsidiary, Flagstar Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”).
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING LANGUAGE
This report, like many written and oral communications presented by New York Community Bancorp, Inc. and our authorized officers, may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding our prospective performance and strategies within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are including this statement for purposes of said safe harbor provisions.
Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies, and expectations of the Company, are generally identified by use of the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “strive,” “try,” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” or similar expressions. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, and expectations as reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that they will be achieved or realized.
Our ability to predict results or the actual effects of our plans and strategies is inherently uncertain. Accordingly, actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this report.
There are a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause actual conditions, events, or results to differ significantly from those described in our forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:
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In addition, the timing and occurrence or non-occurrence of events may be subject to circumstances beyond our control.
Furthermore, on an ongoing basis, we evaluate opportunities to expand through mergers and acquisitions and opportunities for strategic combinations with other banking organizations. Our evaluation of such opportunities involves discussions with other parties, due diligence, and negotiations. As a result, we may decide to enter into definitive arrangements regarding such opportunities at any time.
In addition to the risks and challenges described above, these types of transactions involve a number of other risks and challenges, including:
3
See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this annual report and in our other SEC filings for a further discussion of important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements.
Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our expectations only as of the date of this report. We do not assume any obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.
4
GLOSSARY
BARGAIN PURCHASE GAIN
The amount by which the fair value of assets purchased exceeds the fair value of liabilities assumed and consideration given.
BASIS POINT
Throughout this filing, the year-over-year changes that occur in certain financial measures are reported in terms of basis points. Each basis point is equal to one hundredth of a percentage point, or 0.01 percent.
BOOK VALUE PER COMMON SHARE
Book value per common share refers to the amount of common stockholders’ equity attributable to each outstanding share of common stock, and is calculated by dividing total stockholders’ equity less preferred stock at the end of a period, by the number of shares outstanding at the same date.
BROKERED DEPOSITS
Refers to funds obtained, directly or indirectly, by or through deposit brokers that are then deposited into one or more deposit accounts at a bank.
CHARGE-OFF
Refers to the amount of a loan balance that has been written off against the allowance for credit losses.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LOAN
A mortgage loan secured by either an income-producing property owned by an investor and leased primarily for commercial purposes or, to a lesser extent, an owner-occupied building used for business purposes. The CRE loans in our portfolio are typically secured by either office buildings, retail shopping centers, light industrial centers with multiple tenants, or mixed-use properties.
COST OF FUNDS
The interest expense associated with interest-bearing liabilities, typically expressed as a ratio of interest expense to the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities for a given period.
CRE CONCENTRATION RATIO
Refers to the sum of multi-family, non-owner occupied CRE, and acquisition, development, and construction (“ADC”) loans divided by total risk-based capital.
DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE RATIO
An indication of a borrower’s ability to repay a loan, the DSCR generally measures the cash flows available to a borrower over the course of a year as a percentage of the annual interest and principal payments owed during that time.
DERIVATIVE
A term used to define a broad base of financial instruments, including swaps, options, and futures contracts, whose value is based upon, or derived from, an underlying rate, price, or index (such as interest rates, foreign currency, commodities, or prices of other financial instruments such as stocks or bonds).
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EFFICIENCY RATIO
Measures total operating expenses as a percentage of the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.
GOODWILL
Refers to the difference between the purchase price and the fair value of an acquired company’s assets, net of the liabilities assumed. Goodwill is reflected as an asset on the balance sheet and is tested at least annually for impairment.
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Refers to a group of financial services corporations that were created by the United States Congress to enhance the availability, and reduce the cost of, credit to certain targeted borrowing sectors, including home finance. The GSEs include, but are not limited to, the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), and the Federal Home Loan Banks (the “FHLBs”).
GSE OBLIGATIONS
Refers to GSE mortgage-related securities (both certificates and collateralized mortgage obligations) and GSE debentures.
INTEREST RATE SENSITIVITY
Refers to the likelihood that the interest earned on assets and the interest paid on liabilities will change as a result of fluctuations in market interest rates.
INTEREST RATE SPREAD
The difference between the yield earned on average interest-earning assets and the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities.
LOAN-TO-VALUE RATIO
Measures the balance of a loan as a percentage of the appraised value of the underlying property.
MULTI-FAMILY LOAN
A mortgage loan secured by a rental or cooperative apartment building with more than four units.
NET INTEREST INCOME
The difference between the interest income generated by loans and securities and the interest expense produced by deposits and borrowed funds.
NET INTEREST MARGIN
Measures net interest income as a percentage of average interest-earning assets.
NON-ACCRUAL LOAN
A loan generally is classified as a “non-accrual” loan when it is 90 days or more past due or when it is deemed to be impaired because we no longer expect to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. When a loan is placed on non-accrual status, we cease the accrual of interest owed, and previously accrued interest is reversed and charged against interest income. A loan generally is returned to accrual status when the loan is current and we have reasonable assurance that the loan will be fully collectible.
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NON-PERFORMING LOANS AND ASSETS
Non-performing loans consist of non-accrual loans and loans that are 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest. Non-performing assets consist of non-performing loans, OREO and other repossessed assets.
OREO AND OTHER REPOSSESSED ASSETS
Includes real estate owned by the Company which was acquired either through foreclosure or default. Repossessed assets are similar, except they are not real estate-related assets.
RENT-REGULATED APARTMENTS
In New York City, where the vast majority of the properties securing our multi-family loans are located, the amount of rent that tenants may be charged on the apartments in certain buildings is restricted under rent-stabilization laws. Rent-stabilized apartments are generally located in buildings with six or more units that were built between February 1947 and January 1974. Rent-regulated apartments tend to be more affordable to live in because of the applicable regulations, and buildings with a preponderance of such rent-regulated apartments are therefore less likely to experience vacancies in times of economic adversity.
TROUBLED DEBT RESTRUCTURING
A loan for which the terms have been modified resulting in a concession, and for which the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties.
WHOLESALE BORROWINGS
Refers to advances drawn by the Bank against its line(s) of credit with the FHLBs, their repurchase agreements with the FHLBs and various brokerage firms, and federal funds purchased.
YIELD
The interest income associated with interest-earning assets, typically expressed as a ratio of interest income to the average balance of interest-earning assets for a given period.
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
ACL—Allowance for Credit Losses |
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FHLB-NY—Federal Home Loan Bank of New York |
ADC—Acquisition, development, and construction loan |
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FOAL—Fallout-Adjusted Locks |
ALCO—Asset and Liability Management Committee |
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FOMC—Federal Open Market Committee |
AMT—Alternative minimum tax |
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FRB—Federal Reserve Board |
AOCL—Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
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FRB-NY—Federal Reserve Bank of New York |
ASC—Accounting Standards Codification |
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Freddie Mac—Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation |
ASU—Accounting Standards Update |
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FTEs—Full-time equivalent employees |
BaaS—Banking as a Service |
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GAAP—U.S. generally accepted accounting principles |
BOLI—Bank-owned life insurance |
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GLBA—The Gramm Leach Bliley Act |
BP—Basis point(s) |
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GNMA—Government National Mortgage Association |
CARES Act – Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act |
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GSE—Government-sponsored enterprises |
C&I—Commercial and industrial loan |
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HOLA—Home Owners Loan Act |
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CDs—Certificates of deposit |
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HPI—Housing Price Index |
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CECL—Current Expected Credit Loss |
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LGG - Loans with government guarantees |
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CFPB—Consumer Financial Protection Bureau |
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LHFS—Loans Held-for-Sale |
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CMOs—Collateralized mortgage obligations |
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LIBOR—London Interbank Offered Rate |
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CMT—Constant maturity treasury rate |
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LTV—Loan-to-value ratio |
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CPI—Consumer Price Index |
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MBS—Mortgage-backed securities |
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CPR—Constant prepayment rate |
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MSRs—Mortgage servicing rights |
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CRA—Community Reinvestment Act |
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NIM—Net interest margin |
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CRE—Commercial real estate loan |
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NOL—Net operating loss |
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DIF—Deposit Insurance Fund |
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NPAs—Non-performing assets |
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DFA—Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act |
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NPLs—Non-performing loans |
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DSCR - Debt service coverage ratio |
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NPV—Net Portfolio Value |
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EAR—Earnings at Risk |
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NYSE—New York Stock Exchange |
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EPS—Earnings per common share |
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OCC—Office of the Comptroller of the Currency |
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ERM—Enterprise Risk Management |
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OFAC—Office of Foreign Assets Control |
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ESOP—Employee Stock Ownership Plan |
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OREO—Other real estate owned |
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EVE—Economic Value of Equity at Risk |
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OTTI—Other-than-temporary impairment |
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Fannie Mae—Federal National Mortgage Association |
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PAA - Purchase accounting adjustments |
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FASB—Financial Accounting Standards Board |
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PPP—Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration |
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FCA—the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority |
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ROU—Right of use asset |
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FDI Act—Federal Deposit Insurance Act |
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SEC—U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
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FDIC—Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation |
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SIFI—Systemically Important Financial Institution |
FHA—Federal Housing Administration |
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SOFR—Secured Overnight Financing Rate |
FHFA—Federal Housing Finance Agency |
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TDR—Troubled debt restructurings |
FHLB—Federal Home Loan Bank |
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TILA-RESPA—Truth in Lending ACT-Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act |
8
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
New York Community Bancorp, Inc., (on a stand-alone basis, the “Parent Company” or, collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) is the bank holding company for Flagstar Bank, N.A. (hereinafter referred to as the “Bank”). The Company went public in 1993 and has grown organically and through a series of accretive mergers and acquisitions, culminating in its recent acquisition of Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. (“Flagstar” or “Flagstar Bancorp”), which closed on December 1, 2022. Effective as of December 1, 2022, in connection with the Parent Company’s acquisition of Flagstar Bancorp, (i) Flagstar Bank, FSB converted to a national bank to be known as “Flagstar Bank, N.A.” and (ii) New York Community Bank was merged with and into Flagstar Bank N.A., with Flagstar Bank N.A. continuing as the surviving entity.
New York Community Bancorp, Inc. has market-leading positions in several national businesses, including multi-family lending, mortgage originations and servicing, and warehouse lending. The Company is the second-largest multi-family portfolio lender in the country and the leading multi-family portfolio lender in the New York City market area, where it specializes in rent-regulated, non-luxury apartment buildings. Flagstar Mortgage is the 8th largest bank originator of residential mortgages for the 12-months ended December 31, 2022, while we are the industry’s 6th largest sub-servicer of mortgage loans nationwide, servicing 1.4 million accounts with $346 billion in unpaid principal balances as of December 31, 2022. Additionally, the Company is the 2nd largest mortgage warehouse lender nationally based on total commitments.
Online Information about the Company and the Bank
We serve our customers through our website: www.myNYCB.com. In addition to providing our customers with 24-hour access to their accounts, and information regarding our products and services, hours of service, and locations, the website provides extensive information about the Company for the investment community. Earnings releases, dividend announcements, and other press releases are posted upon issuance to the Investor Relations portion of the website, which can be found at www.ir.myNYCB.com.
In addition, our filings with the SEC (including our annual report on Form 10-K; our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q; and our current reports on Form 8-K), and all amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are available without charge, and are posted to the Investor Relations portion of our website. The website also provides information regarding our Board of Directors and management team, as well as certain Board Committee charters and our corporate governance policies. The content of our website shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.
Our Market
Flagstar Bank, N.A. operates 395 branches across nine states, including strong footholds in the Northeast and Midwest and has exposure to high growth markets in the Southeast and on the West Coast. Flagstar Mortgage operates nationally through a wholesale network of approximately 3,000 third-party mortgage originators.
The market for the loans we produce varies, depending on the type of loan. For example, the vast majority of our multi-family loans are collateralized by rental apartment buildings in New York City, while the majority of the properties collateralizing our CRE and ADC loans are located in the Northeast and Midwest. Our specialty finance loans and leases are generally made to large corporate obligors that participate in stable industries nationwide and our warehouse loans are made to mortgage lenders across the country.
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Competition for Deposits
We compete for deposits and customers by placing an emphasis on convenience and service and, from time to time, by offering specific products at competitive rates. In addition to our 395 branches, we have 524 ATM locations that operate 24 hours a day. Our customers also have 24-hour access to their accounts through our mobile banking app, online through our website, www.myNYCB.com, or through our bank-by-phone service. We also offer certain money market accounts, certificates of deposit and checking accounts through a dedicated website: www.myBankingDirect.com.
In addition to checking and savings accounts, retirement accounts, and CDs for both businesses and consumers, we offer a suite of cash management products to address the needs of small and mid-size businesses and professional associations. We also compete by complementing our broad selection of traditional banking products with an extensive menu of non-deposit investment products and insurance through a relationship with a third-party broker dealer and insurance agency.
Our ability to attract and retain deposits is not only a function of short-term interest rates and industry consolidation, but also the competitiveness of the rates being offered by other financial institutions within our marketplace, including credit unions, on-line banks, and brokerage firms. Additionally, financial technology companies, also referred to as FinTechs, are providing nontraditional, but increasingly strong competition for deposits and customers.
Competition for deposits is also influenced by several internal factors, including the opportunity to assume or acquire deposits through business combinations; the cash flows produced through loan and securities repayments and sales; and the availability of attractively priced wholesale funds. In addition, the degree to which we seek to compete for deposits is influenced by the liquidity needed to fund our loan production and other outstanding commitments.
Competition for Commercial and Consumer Loans and Servicing
Our success as a lender is substantially tied to the economic health of the markets where we lend. Local economic conditions have a significant impact on loan demand, the value of the collateral securing our credits, and the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans.
The competition we face for loans also varies with the type of loan we are originating. In New York City, where the majority of the buildings collateralizing our multi-family loans are located, we compete for such loans on the basis of timely service and the expertise that stems from being a specialist in this lending niche. In addition to the money center, regional, and local banks we compete with in this market, we compete with insurance companies and other types of lenders. Certain of the banks we compete with sell the loans they produce to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Our ability to compete for CRE loans depends on the same factors that impact our ability to compete for multi-family credits, and the degree to which other CRE lenders choose to offer loan products similar to ours.
Competition for our specialty finance loans, which consist primarily of asset-based, equipment financing, and dealer floor plan loans, is driven by a variety of factors, including prevailing economic conditions and the level of interest rates. Moreover, since a majority of our customers in this category are mid-to-large size publicly traded companies, we also face competition for financing from the capital markets. In addition, the majority of specialty finance loans that we originate are sourced from larger financial institutions who have many customers for these loans. Some of these customers are larger and have more capital and liquidity than the Company.
While we continue to originate ADC and C&I loans for investment, such loans represent a small portion of our loan portfolio as compared to multi-family, CRE loans, and specialty finance loans.
From a lending perspective, we compete with many institutions including commercial banks, national mortgage lenders, local savings banks, financial technology companies, credit unions and commercial lenders offering mortgage loans and other consumer loans.
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In servicing, we compete primarily against non-bank servicers. The subservicing market in which we operate is also highly competitive and we face competition related to subservicing pricing and service delivery. We compete by offering quality servicing, a robust risk and compliance infrastructure and a model where our mortgage business allows for recapture services to replenish loans for subservicing clients.
Monetary Policy
The Company and the Bank are affected by fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government, including those of the FRB which regulates the national money supply in order to mitigate recessionary and inflationary pressures. Among the techniques available to the FRB are engaging in open market transactions of U.S. Government securities, changing the discount rate and changing reserve requirements against bank deposits. These techniques are used in varying combinations to influence the overall growth of bank loans, investments, and deposits. Their use may also affect interest rates charged on loans and paid on deposits. The effect of government policies on the earnings of the Company and the Bank cannot be predicted.
Environmental Issues
We encounter certain environmental risks in our lending activities and other operations. The existence of hazardous materials may make it unattractive for a lender to foreclose on the properties securing its loans. In addition, under certain conditions, lenders may become liable for the costs of cleaning up hazardous materials found on such properties. We attempt to mitigate such environmental risks by requiring either that a borrower purchase environmental insurance or that an appropriate environmental site assessment be completed as part of our underwriting review on the initial granting of CRE and ADC loans, regardless of location, and of any out-of-state multi-family loans we may produce. Depending on the results of an assessment, appropriate measures are taken to address the identified risks. In addition, we order an updated environmental analysis prior to foreclosing on such properties, and typically hold foreclosed multi-family, CRE, and ADC properties in subsidiaries.
Our attention to environmental risks also applies to the properties and facilities that house our bank operations. Prior to acquiring a large-scale property, a Phase 1 Environmental Property Assessment is typically performed by a licensed professional engineer to determine the integrity of, and/or the potential risk associated with, the facility and the property on which it is built. Properties and facilities of a smaller scale are evaluated by qualified in-house assessors, as well as by industry experts in environmental testing and remediation. This two-pronged approach identifies potential risks associated with asbestos-containing material, above and underground storage tanks, radon, electrical transformers (which may contain PCBs), ground water flow, storm and sanitary discharge, and mold, among other environmental risks. These processes assist us in mitigating environmental risk by enabling us to identify and address potential issues, including by avoiding taking ownership or control of contaminated properties.
Subsidiary Activities
We conduct business primarily through our wholly-owned bank subsidiary, Flagstar Bank, N.A. The Bank has formed, or acquired through merger transactions, 33 active subsidiary corporations. Of these, 21 are direct subsidiaries of the Bank and 12 are subsidiaries of Bank-owned entities.
The 21 direct subsidiaries of the Bank are:
Name |
Jurisdiction of Organization |
Purpose |
100 Duffy Realty, LLC |
New York |
Owns a building containing back-office and a branch. |
Beta Investments, Inc. |
Delaware |
Holding company for Omega Commercial Mortgage Corp. and Long Island Commercial Capital Corp. |
BSR 1400 Corp. |
New York |
Organized to own interests in real estate. |
Ferry Development Holding Company |
Delaware |
Formed to hold and manage investment portfolios for the Company. |
NYCB Specialty Finance Company, LLC |
Delaware |
Originates asset-based, equipment financing, and dealer-floor plan loans. |
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NYB Realty Holding Company, LLC |
New York |
Holding company for subsidiaries owning an interest in real estate. |
NYCB Insurance Agency, Inc. |
New York |
Sells non-deposit investment products. |
Pacific Urban Renewal, Inc. |
New Jersey |
Owns a branch building. |
Synergy Capital Investments, Inc. |
New Jersey |
Formed to hold and manage investment portfolios for the Company. |
NYCB Mortgage Company, LLC |
Delaware |
Holding company for Walnut Realty Holding Company, LLC. |
Woodhaven Investments, LLC |
Delaware |
Holding company for Ironbound Investment Company, LLC. and 1400 Corp. |
Flagstar REO, LLC |
Delaware |
Formed to hold real estate from foreclosed loans |
Flagstar Mortgage Securities, LLC |
Delaware |
Formed to hold mortgage loans sold into private securitizations |
Flagstar Real Estate Holdings, Inc. |
Michigan |
Holding company for REIT investment in MSRs |
REIT Holding Co #1, Inc. |
Michigan |
Holding company for REIT investments in mortgage loans |
REIT Holding Co #2, Inc. |
Michigan |
Holding company for REIT investment in commercial real estate loans |
Propshop Mortgage, LLC |
Delaware |
Joint venture mortgage company developing specialized mortgage technology |
Flagstar Investment, LLC |
Michigan |
Formed to invest in low income housing investments |
Flagstar Opportunities, LLC |
Michigan |
Formed to invest in low income housing investments |
Grass Lake Insurance Agency, Inc. |
Michigan |
Licensed insurance agency |
FSB-Optimum Investment Fund I LLC |
Michigan |
Formed to invest in businesses with New Markets Tax Credits |
The 12 subsidiaries of Bank-owned entities are:
Name |
Jurisdiction of Organization |
Purpose |
1400 Corp. |
New York |
Holding company for Roslyn Real Estate Asset Corp. |
Ironbound Investment Company, LLC. |
Florida |
Organized for the purpose of investing in mortgage-related assets. |
Long Island Commercial Capital Corporation |
New York |
A REIT organized for the purpose of investing in mortgage-related assets. |
Omega Commercial Mortgage Corp. |
Delaware |
A REIT organized for the purpose of investing in mortgage-related assets. |
Prospect Realty Holding Company, LLC |
New York |
Owns a back-office building. |
Rational Real Estate II, LLC |
New York |
Formerly Owned a back-office building. |
Roslyn Real Estate Asset Corp. |
Delaware |
A REIT organized for the purpose of investing in mortgage-related assets. |
Walnut Realty Holding Company, LLC |
Delaware |
Owns two back-office buildings. |
Long Lake REIT |
Maryland |
Formed to own excess servicing rights assets |
Long Lake MSR, Inc. |
Maryland |
Licensed to own MSRs |
REIT #1, Inc. |
Michigan |
A REIT organized for the purposes of investing in mortgage loans |
REIT #2, Inc. |
Michigan |
A REIT organized for the purposes of investing in commercial real estate loans |
NYB Realty Holding Company, LLC owns interests in 10 additional active entities organized as indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries to own interests in various real estate properties.
The Parent Company owns special business trusts that were formed for the purpose of issuing capital and common securities and investing the proceeds thereof in the junior subordinated debentures issued by the Company.
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See Note 12, “Borrowed Funds,” in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” for a further discussion of the Company’s special business trusts. The Parent Company also has one non-banking subsidiary that was established in connection with the acquisition of Atlantic Bank of New York and two non-banking subsidiaries that were acquired in connection with the Flagstar acquisition.
Human Capital Management
At December 31, 2022, our workforce included 7,497 employees. None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement and we believe our employee relations to be in good standing.
We believe our employees are among our most significant resources and that our employees are critical to our continued success. We focus significant attention on attracting and retaining talented and experienced individuals to manage and support our operations. We pay our employees competitively and offer a broad range of benefits, both of which we believe are competitive with our industry peers and with other firms in the locations in which we do business. Our employees receive salaries that are subject to annual review and periodic benchmarking. Our benefits program includes a 401(k) Plan with an employer matching contribution, healthcare and other insurance benefits, flexible spending accounts and paid time off. Many of our employees are also eligible to participate in the Company’s equity award program and the Company's annual incentive program.
We are proud to strive to maintain a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the demographics of the communities in which we do business. Our company recognizes that the talents of a diverse workforce are a key competitive advantage. To increase diversity within our talent pool, we work with key stakeholders in our business locations to deepen our understanding of the local labor market and better position the organization to recruit and retain talent within under-represented communities.
We strive to create and foster a supportive environment for all of our employees, and we are proud to share our business success with individuals whose cultural and personal differences support an innovative and productive workplace. Approximately two-thirds of our workforce is female and nearly half of our workforce have diverse ethnic backgrounds. Our policies and practices reflect our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
A diverse workforce is critical to our long-term success. We strive to build and leverage a diverse, inclusive and engaged workforce that inspires all individuals to work together towards a common goal of superior business results by embracing the unique needs and objectives of our customers and community. We strive to achieve this by hiring great people who represent the talents, experiences, background and diversity of the communities we serve. Our commitment is reflected in the policies that govern our workforce, such as our Diversity Pledge and our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy, and is evidenced in our recruiting strategies, diversity and inclusion training and Employee resource groups, which are key to our efforts. Our Employee resource groups provide our associates access to coaching, mentoring and professional development. As of December 31, 2022, our efforts have been focused on the following eleven employee resource groups which we intend to expand across our recently combined Company: African American, Asian-Indian, Environmental, Hispanic/Latino, Interfaith, LGBTQ, Military Veterans, Native American, People with Disabilities, Women and Young Professionals.
Our management teams and all of our employees are expected to exhibit and promote honest, ethical and respectful conduct in the workplace. All of our employees must adhere to a code of conduct that sets standards for appropriate behavior and all employees are required to complete annual training that focuses on preventing, identifying, reporting and stopping any type of unlawful discrimination.
Federal, State, and Local Taxation
The Company is subject to federal, state, and local income taxes. See the discussion of "Income Taxes" in Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies."
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Regulation and Supervision
The following is a brief summary of certain statutes and regulations that significantly affect the Company and its subsidiaries. A number of other statutes and regulations may affect the Company and the Bank but are not discussed in the following paragraphs.
General
The Bank is a national banking association, subject to federal regulation and oversight by the OCC. The activities of the Bank are limited to those specifically authorized under the National Bank Act and related interpretations of the OCC. The OCC has authority to bring an enforcement action against the Bank for unsafe or unsound banking practices, which could include limiting the Bank’s ability to conduct otherwise permissible activities, or imposing corrective capital or managerial requirements on the bank. We are also subject to regulation and examination by the FDIC, which insures the deposits of the Bank to the extent permitted by law and the requirements established by the Federal Reserve. The Bank is also subject to the supervision of the CFPB, which regulates the offering and provision of consumer financial products or services under federal consumer financial laws. The OCC, FDIC and the CFPB may take regulatory enforcement actions if we do not operate in accordance with applicable regulations, policies and directives. Proceedings may be instituted against us, or any "institution-affiliated party", such as a director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person, who engages in unsafe and unsound practices, including violations of applicable laws and regulations. The FDIC has additional authority to terminate insurance of accounts, if after notice and hearing, we are found to have engaged in unsafe and unsound practices, including violations of applicable laws and regulations. The federal system of regulation and supervision establishes a comprehensive framework of activities in which to operate and is primarily intended for the protection of depositors and the FDIC's DIF rather than our shareholders.
As a bank holding company, we are required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Federal Reserve. We are required to file certain reports, and we are subject to examination by, and the enforcement authority of, the Federal Reserve. Under the federal securities laws, we are also subject to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Any change to laws and regulations, whether by the Regulatory Agencies or Congress, could have a materially adverse impact on our operations.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Enacted in July 2010, the DFA significantly changed the bank regulatory structure and will continue to affect, into the immediate future, the lending and investment activities and general operations of depository institutions and their holding companies. The DFA is complex and comprehensive legislation that impacts practically all aspects of a banking organization, and represents a significant overhaul of many aspects of the regulation of the financial services industry.
The New York Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019
In 2019, the New York State Legislature passed the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 impacting about one million rent-regulated apartment units. Among other things, the new legislation: (i) curtails rent increases from material capital improvements and Individual Apartment Improvements; (ii) all but eliminates the ability for apartments to exit rent regulation; (iii) does away with vacancy decontrol and high income deregulation; and (iv) repealed the 20 percent vacancy bonus. While it will take several years for its full impact to be known, the legislation generally limits a landlord’s ability to increase rents on rent-regulated apartments and makes it more difficult to convert rent regulated apartments to market rent apartments.
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Capital Requirements
In 2013, the FRB and the FDIC approved revisions to their capital adequacy guidelines and prompt corrective action rules to implement the revised standards of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, commonly called Basel III, and to address relevant provisions of the DFA. Basel III generally refers to two consultative documents released by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in December 2009. The Basel III rules generally refer to the rules adopted by U.S. banking regulators in December 2010 to align U.S. bank capital requirements with Basel III and with the related loss absorbency rules they issued in January 2011, which include significant changes to bank capital, leverage, and liquidity requirements.
The Basel III rules include new risk-based capital and leverage ratios, which became effective January 1, 2015, and revised the definition of what constitutes “capital” for the purposes of calculating those ratios. Under Basel III, the Company and the Bank are required to maintain minimum capital in accordance with the following ratios: (i) a common equity tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5 percent; (ii) a tier 1 capital ratio of 6 percent (increased from 4 percent); (iii) a total capital ratio of 8 percent (unchanged from the prior rules); and (iv) a tier 1 leverage ratio of 4 percent.
In addition, the Basel III rules assign higher risk weights to certain assets, such as the 150 percent risk weighting assigned to exposures that are more than 90 days past due or are on non-accrual status, and to certain CRE facilities that finance the acquisition, development, or construction of real property. Basel III also eliminate the inclusion of certain instruments, such as trust preferred securities, from tier 1 capital. In addition, tier 2 capital is no longer limited to the amount of tier 1 capital included in total capital. Mortgage servicing rights, certain deferred tax assets, and investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries over designated percentages of common stock are required, subject to limitation, to be deducted from capital. Finally, tier 1 capital includes accumulated other comprehensive income, which includes all unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities.
Basel III also established a “capital conservation buffer” (consisting entirely of common equity tier 1 capital) that is 2.5 percent above the new regulatory minimum capital requirements. This resulted in an increase in the minimum common equity tier 1, tier 1, and total capital ratios to 7.0 percent, 8.5 percent, and 10.5 percent, respectively. The capital conservation buffer is now at its fully phased-in level of 2.5 percent. An institution can be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital levels fall below these amounts. Basel III also establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that can be utilized for such capital distributions.
On September 17, 2019, the FRB, the FDIC, and the OCC issued a final rule designed to reduce regulatory burden by simplifying several requirements in the agencies’ regulatory capital rule. Most aspects of the rule apply only to banking organizations that are not subject to the “advanced approaches” in the capital rule, which are generally firms with less than $250 billion in total consolidated assets and less than $10 billion in total foreign exposure. The rule simplifies and clarifies a number of the more complex aspects of the existing capital rule. Specifically, the rule simplifies the capital treatment for certain mortgage servicing assets, certain deferred tax assets, investments in the capital instruments of unconsolidated financial institutions, and minority interests.
Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”) requires, among other things, that federal bank regulatory authorities take “prompt corrective action” with respect to institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. For such purposes, the law establishes five capital tiers: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, and critically undercapitalized. The five capital tiers are described in more detail below. Under the prompt corrective action regulations, an institution that fails to remain “well capitalized” becomes subject to a series of restrictions that increase in severity as its capital condition weakens. Such restrictions may include a prohibition on capital distributions, restrictions on asset growth, or restrictions on the ability to receive regulatory approval of applications. The FDICIA also provides for enhanced supervision authority over undercapitalized institutions, including authority for the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the institution.
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As a result of the Basel III rules, new definitions of the relevant measures for the five capital categories took effect on January 1, 2015. An institution is deemed to be “well capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10 percent or greater, a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8 percent or greater, a common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.5 percent or greater, and a tier 1 leverage ratio of 5 percent or greater, and is not subject to a regulatory order, agreement, or directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure.
An institution is deemed to be “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8 percent or greater, a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6 percent or greater, a common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4.5 percent or greater, and a tier 1 leverage ratio of 4 percent or greater.
An institution is deemed to be “undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8 percent, a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6 percent, a common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.5 percent, or a tier 1 leverage ratio of less than 4 percent. An institution is deemed to be “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6 percent, a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4 percent, a common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 3 percent, or a tier 1 leverage ratio of less than 3 percent. An institution is deemed to be “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets that is equal to or less than 2 percent.
“Undercapitalized” institutions are subject to growth, capital distribution (including dividend), and other limitations, and are required to submit a capital restoration plan. An institution’s compliance with such a plan is required to be guaranteed by any company that controls the undercapitalized institution in an amount equal to the lesser of 5 percent of the bank’s total assets when deemed undercapitalized or the amount necessary to achieve the status of adequately capitalized. If an undercapitalized institution fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is “significantly undercapitalized.” Significantly undercapitalized institutions are subject to one or more additional restrictions including, but not limited to, an order by the FDIC to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized; requirements to reduce total assets, cease receipt of deposits from correspondent banks, or dismiss directors or officers; and restrictions on interest rates paid on deposits, compensation of executive officers, and capital distributions by the parent holding company.
Beginning 60 days after becoming “critically undercapitalized,” critically undercapitalized institutions also may not make any payment of principal or interest on certain subordinated debt, extend credit for a highly leveraged transaction, or enter into any material transaction outside the ordinary course of business. In addition, subject to a narrow exception, the appointment of a receiver is required for a critically undercapitalized institution within 270 days after it obtains such status.
Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory, and possibly additional discretionary, actions by regulators that could have a material effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements. For additional information, see the Capital section of the MD&A and Note 21 - Capital. As of December 31, 2022, each of the Bank’s capital ratios exceeded those required for an institution to be considered “well capitalized” under these regulations.
Stress Testing
Stress Testing for Category IV U.S. Banking Organizations
In 2019, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Board”) finalized a framework that sorts large banking organizations into one of four categories of prudential standards based on their risk profiles (the “tailoring rule”). The most stringent prudential standards apply under Category I (defined as U.S. Global Systemically Important Banks and their depository institution subsidiaries), and the least stringent prudential standards apply under Category IV (defined as U.S. banking organizations with $100 billion or more but less than $250 billion in total assets and have less than $75 billion in cross-jurisdictional activity, weighted short-term wholesale funding, nonbank assets, or off-balance sheet exposure).
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In January 2021, the Board finalized a rule to update capital planning requirements for large banks to be consistent with the tailoring rule. The Board's capital planning requirements for large banks help ensure they plan for and determine their capital needs under a range of different scenarios. The rule removes the company-run stress test requirement for banking organizations subject to Category IV standards. Therefore, banking organizations subject to Category IV standards are not required to calculate forward-looking projections of capital under scenarios provided by the Board.
The rule also aligns the frequency of the calculation of the stress capital buffer requirement with the frequency of the supervisory stress test (that is, both would occur every other year for banking organizations subject to Category IV standards). The rule allows a banking organization subject to Category IV standards to elect to participate in the supervisory stress test in a year in which the banking organization would not otherwise be subject to the supervisory stress test, and to receive an updated stress capital buffer requirement in that year.
Standards for Safety and Soundness
Federal law requires each federal banking agency to prescribe, for the depository institutions under its jurisdiction, standards that relate to, among other things, internal controls; information and audit systems; loan documentation; credit underwriting; the monitoring of interest rate risk; asset growth; compensation; fees and benefits; and such other operational and managerial standards as the agency deems appropriate. The federal banking agencies adopted final regulations and Interagency Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safety and Soundness (the “Guidelines”) to implement these safety and soundness standards. The Guidelines set forth the safety and soundness standards that the federal banking agencies use to identify and address problems at insured depository institutions before capital becomes impaired. If the appropriate federal banking agency determines that an institution fails to meet any standard prescribed by the Guidelines, the agency may require the institution to provide it with an acceptable plan to achieve compliance with the standard, as required by the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended, (the “FDI Act”).
FDIC, OCC, and FRB Regulations
The discussion that follows pertains to FDIC, OCC, and FRB regulations other than those already discussed on the preceding pages.
Additional Regulations
The following pertains to regulations other than those already discussed on the preceding pages.
Real Estate Lending Standards
The FDIC and the other federal banking agencies have adopted regulations that prescribe standards for extensions of credit that (i) are secured by real estate, or (ii) are made for the purpose of financing construction or improvements on real estate. The FDIC regulations require each institution to establish and maintain written internal real estate lending standards that are consistent with safe and sound banking practices, and appropriate to the size of the institution and the nature and scope of its real estate lending activities. The standards also must be consistent with accompanying FDIC Guidelines, which include loan-to-value limitations for the different types of real estate loans. Institutions are also permitted to make a limited amount of loans that do not conform to the proposed loan-to-value limitations as long as such exceptions are reviewed and justified appropriately. The FDIC Guidelines also list a number of lending situations in which exceptions to the loan-to-value standards are justified.
The FDIC, the OCC, and the FRB (collectively, the “Federal Banking Agencies”) also have issued joint guidance entitled “Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices” (the “CRE Guidance”). The CRE Guidance, which addresses land development, construction, and certain multi-family loans, as well as CRE loans, does not establish specific lending limits but, rather, reinforces and enhances the Federal Banking Agencies’ existing regulations and guidelines for such lending and portfolio management. Specifically, the CRE Guidance provides that a bank has a concentration in CRE lending if (1) total reported loans for construction, land development, and other land represent 100 percent or more of total risk-based capital; or (2) total reported loans secured by multi-family properties, non-farm non-residential properties (excluding those that are owner-occupied), and loans for construction, land development, and other land represent 300 percent or more of total risk-based capital. If a concentration is present, management must employ heightened risk management practices that address key
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elements, including board and management oversight and strategic planning, portfolio management, development of underwriting standards, risk assessment and monitoring through market analysis and stress testing, and maintenance of increased capital levels as needed to support the level of CRE lending.
On December 13, 2019, the Federal Banking Agencies issued a final rule, which became effective on April 1, 2020, to modify the agencies’ capital rules for high volatility CRE (“HVCRE”) exposures, as required by the EGRRCPA. The final rule revises the definition of HVCRE exposure to make it consistent with the statutory definition of the term included in Section 214 of the EGRRCPA, which excludes any loan made before January 1, 2015. The revised HVCRE exposure definition differs from the previous definition primarily in two ways. First, the previous definition applied to loans that financed ADC activities, whereas the new definition only applies to loans that “primarily” finance ADC activities and that are secured by land or improved real estate. This change excludes multipurpose credit facilities that primarily finance the purchase of equipment or other non-ADC activities. Second, the new definition permits the full appraised value of borrower-contributed land (less the total amount of any liens on the real property securing the HVCRE exposure) to count toward the 15 percent capital contribution of the real property’s appraised “as completed” value, which is one of the criteria for an exemption from the heightened risk weight. The final rule includes a grandfathering provision, which will provide banking organizations with the option to maintain their current capital treatment for ADC loans originated on or after January 1, 2015, and before April 1, 2020. Banking organizations also will have the option to reevaluate any or all of their ADC loans originated on or after January 1, 2015, using the revised HVCRE exposure definition.
Dividend Limitations
The Parent Company is a separate legal entity from the Bank and must provide for its own liquidity. In addition to operating expenses and any share repurchases, the Parent Company is responsible for paying any dividends declared to the Company’s shareholders. As a Delaware corporation, the Parent Company is able to pay dividends either from surplus or, in case there is no surplus, from net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year.
Various legal restrictions limit the extent to which the Company’s subsidiary bank can supply funds to the Parent Company and its non-bank subsidiaries. The Bank would require the approval of the OCC if the dividends it declares in any calendar year were to exceed the total of its respective net profits for that year combined with its respective retained net profits for the preceding two calendar years, less any required transfer to paid-in capital. The term “net profits” is defined as net income for a given period less any dividends paid during that period. As a result of our acquisition of Flagstar, we are also required to seek regulatory approval from the OCC for the payment of any dividend to the Parent Company through at least the period ending November 1, 2024. In 2022, dividends of $335 million were paid by the Bank to the Parent Company. At December 31, 2022, the Bank could have paid additional dividends of $615 million to the Parent Company without regulatory approval.
Investment Activities
National bank investment activities are governed by the National Bank Act and OCC regulations which, consistent with safe and sound banking practices, prescribe standards under which national banks may purchase, sell, deal in, underwrite, and hold securities. The types of investment activities that are permissible for national banks, and the calculation of limits for investments in such covered securities, are set forth in regulations promulgated by the OCC (12 CFR Part 1), as further described in the OCC’s Investment Securities Policy Statement (OCC Bulletin 1998-20). A national bank must adhere to safe and sound banking practices and the specific requirements of the OCC's regulations in conducting such investment activities. A bank must consider, as appropriate, the interest rate, credit, liquidity, price, foreign exchange, transaction, compliance, strategic, and reputation risks presented by a proposed activity, and the particular activities undertaken by the bank must be appropriate for that bank. If the OCC determines for safety and soundness reasons that a bank should calculate its investment limits more frequently than required by the OCC's Investment Securities regulations, the OCC may provide written notice to the bank directing the bank to calculate its investment limitations at a more frequent interval, and the bank must thereafter calculate its investment limits at that interval until further notice from the OCC.
The GLBA and FDIC regulations also impose certain quantitative and qualitative restrictions on such activities and on a bank’s dealings with a subsidiary that engages in specified activities.
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Enforcement
The FDIC has extensive enforcement authority over insured banks, including the Bank. This enforcement authority includes, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, to issue cease and desist orders, and to remove directors and officers. In general, these enforcement actions may be initiated in response to violations of laws and regulations and unsafe or unsound practices.
Insurance of Deposit Accounts
The deposits of the Bank are insured up to applicable limits by the DIF. The maximum deposit insurance provided by the FDIC per account owner is $250,000 for all types of accounts.
Under the FDIC’s risk-based assessment system, insured institutions are assigned to one of four risk categories based upon supervisory evaluations, regulatory capital level, and certain other factors, with less risky institutions paying lower assessments based on the assigned risk levels. An institution’s assessment rate depends upon the category to which it is assigned and certain other factors. Assessment rates range from 1.5 to 40 basis points of the institution’s assessment base, which is calculated as average total assets minus average tangible equity. No institution may pay a dividend if in default of the federal deposit insurance assessment. Deposit insurance assessments are based on total average assets, excluding PPP loans, less average tangible common equity. The FDIC has authority to increase insurance assessments. Management cannot predict what insurance assessments rates will be in the future.
Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that an institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order, or condition imposed by the FDIC. Management does not know of any practice, condition, or violation that would lead to termination of the deposit insurance for the Bank.
Holding Company Regulations
Federal Regulation. The Company is currently subject to examination, regulation, and periodic reporting under the BHCA, as administered by the FRB.
Acquisition, Activities and Change in Control. The Company may only conduct, or acquire control of companies engaged in activities permissible for a bank holding company pursuant to the BHCA. Further, we generally are required to obtain Federal Reserve approval before acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of any voting shares of another bank, bank holding company, savings associations or savings and loan holding company if we would own or control more than 5 percent of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities of that entity. Additionally, we are prohibited from acquiring control of a depository institution that is not federally insured or retaining control for more than one year after the date that institution becomes uninsured.
We may not be acquired unless the transaction is approved by the Federal Reserve. In addition, the GLBA generally restricts a company from acquiring us if that company is engaged directly or indirectly in activities that are not permissible for a bank holding company or financial holding company.
Capital Requirements. The Company and the Bank are currently subject to the regulatory capital framework and guidelines reached by Basel III as adopted by the OCC and Federal Reserve. The OCC and Federal Reserve have risk-based capital adequacy guidelines intended to measure capital adequacy with regard to a banking organization’s balance sheet, including off-balance sheet exposures such as unused portions of loan commitments, letters of credit and recourse arrangements. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory, and possibly additional discretionary, actions by regulators that could have a material effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements. For additional information, see the Capital section of the MD&A and Note 21 -Capital.
Holding Company Limitations on Capital Distributions. Our ability to make any capital distributions to our stockholders, including dividends and share repurchases, is subject to the oversight of the Federal Reserve and contingent upon their non-objection to such planned distributions which typically considers our capital adequacy, comprehensiveness and effectiveness of capital planning and the prudence of the proposed capital action.
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Acquisition of the Holding Company
Federal Restrictions
Under the Federal Change in Bank Control Act (“CIBCA”), a notice must be submitted to the FRB if any person (including a company), or group acting in concert, seeks to acquire 10 percent or more of the Company’s shares of outstanding common stock, unless the FRB has found that the acquisition will not result in a change in control of the Company. Under the CIBCA, the FRB generally has 60 days within which to act on such notices, taking into consideration certain factors, including the financial and managerial resources of the acquirer; the convenience and needs of the communities served by the Company, the Bank; and the anti-trust effects of the acquisition. Under the BHCA, any company would be required to obtain approval from the FRB before it may obtain “control” of the Company within the meaning of the BHCA. Control generally is defined to mean the ownership or power to vote 25 percent or more of any class of voting securities of the Company, the ability to control in any manner the election of a majority of the Company’s directors, or the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of the Company. Under the BHCA, an existing bank holding company would be required to obtain the FRB’s approval before acquiring more than 5 percent of the Company’s voting stock. See “Holding Company Regulation” earlier in this report.
Banking Regulation
Limitation on Capital Distributions. The OCC and FRB regulate all capital distributions made by the Bank, directly or indirectly, to the holding company, including dividend payments. An application to the OCC by the Bank may be required based on a number of factors including whether the Bank would not be at least adequately capitalized following the distribution or if the total amount of all capital distributions (including each proposed capital distribution) for the applicable calendar year exceeds net income for that year to date plus the retained net income for the preceding two years. As a result of our acquisition of Flagstar, we are required to seek regulatory approval from the OCC for the payment of any dividend to the Parent Company through at least the period ending November 1, 2024, which could restrict our ability to pay the common stock dividend.
Transactions with Affiliates
Under current federal law, transactions between depository institutions and their affiliates are governed by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and the FRB’s Regulation W promulgated thereunder. Generally, Section 23A limits the extent to which the institution or its subsidiaries may engage in “covered transactions” with any one affiliate to an amount equal to 10 percent of the institution’s capital stock and surplus, and contains an aggregate limit on all such transactions with all affiliates to an amount equal to 20 percent of such capital stock and surplus. Section 23A also establishes specific collateral requirements for loans or extensions of credit to, or guarantees or acceptances on letters of credit issued on behalf of, an affiliate. Section 23B requires that covered transactions and a broad list of other specified transactions be on terms substantially the same as, or at least as favorable to, the institution or its subsidiaries as similar transactions with non-affiliates.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 generally prohibits loans by the Company to its executive officers and directors. However, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act contains a specific exemption for loans made by an institution to its executive officers and directors in compliance with other federal banking laws. Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act, and FRB Regulation O adopted thereunder, govern loans by a bank to directors, executive officers, and principal stockholders.
Community Reinvestment Act
Federal Regulation
Under the CRA, as implemented by OCC regulations, an institution has a continuing and affirmative obligation consistent with its safe and sound operation to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low and moderate income neighborhoods. The CRA generally does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions, nor does it limit an institution’s discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community, consistent with the CRA. However, institutions are rated on their performance in meeting the needs of their communities. Performance is tested in three areas: (1) lending, to
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evaluate the institution’s record of making loans in its assessment areas; (2) investment, to evaluate the institution’s record of investing in community development projects, affordable housing, and programs benefiting low- or moderate-income individuals and businesses; and (3) service, to evaluate the institution’s delivery of services through its branches, ATMs and other offices. The CRA requires each federal banking agency, in connection with its examination of a financial institution, to assess and assign one of four ratings to the institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of the community and to take such record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by the institution, including applications for charters, branches and other deposit facilities, relocations, mergers, consolidations, acquisitions of assets or assumptions of liabilities, and bank holding company and savings and loan holding company acquisitions. The CRA also requires that all institutions make public disclosure of their CRA ratings.
Community Pledge Agreement with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition
On January 24, 2022, the Company and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition ("NCRC") announced the Company's commitment to provide $28 billion in loans, investments, and other financial support to communities and people of color, low- and moderate-income ("LMI") families and communities, and small businesses. The Company's Community Pledge Agreement was developed with NCRC and its members in conjunction with the Company's merger with Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. The agreement includes $22 billion in community lending and affordable housing commitments and $6 billion of residential mortgage originations to underserved and LMI borrowers, and in LMI and majority-minority neighborhoods over a five-year period. NYCB will also provide $542 million in loans to small businesses with less than $1 million in revenues and in LMI and majority-minority communities; $16.5 million in philanthropic support to nonprofit organizations that meet the needs of LMI and majority-minority communities and individuals; greater access to banking products and services; and the continuation of NYCB's responsible multi-family lending practices.
Bank Secrecy and Anti-Money Laundering
The Bank is subject to the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) and other anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, commonly referred to as the “USA PATRIOT Act” or the “Patriot Act”. The BSA requires all financial institutions to, among other things, establish a risk-based system of internal controls reasonably designed to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The BSA includes various record keeping and reporting requirements such as cash transaction and suspicious activity reporting as well as due diligence requirements. The Bank is also required to comply with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, nationals, individuals, entities and others. The USA PATRIOT Act contains prohibitions against specified financial transactions and account relationships, as well as enhanced due diligence standards intended to prevent the use of the United States financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. The Patriot Act requires banks and other depository institutions, brokers, dealers and certain other businesses involved in the transfer of money to establish anti-money laundering programs, including employee training and independent audit requirements meeting minimum standards specified by the Patriot Act, to follow standards for customer identification and maintenance of customer identification records, and to compare customer lists against lists of suspected terrorists, terrorist organizations and money launderers. The Patriot Act also requires federal bank regulators to evaluate the effectiveness of an applicant in combating money laundering in determining whether to approve a proposed bank acquisition.
We have developed and operate an enterprise-wide anti-money laundering program designed to enable us to comply with all applicable anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws and regulations. Our anti-money laundering program is also designed to prevent our products from being used to facilitate business in certain countries or territories, or with certain individuals or entities, including those on designated lists promulgated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls and other U.S. and non-U.S. sanctions authorities. Our anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance programs include policies, procedures, reporting protocols, and internal controls designed to identify, monitor, manage, and mitigate the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing. These controls include procedures and processes to detect and report potentially suspicious transactions, perform consumer due diligence, respond to requests from law enforcement, and meet all recordkeeping and reporting requirements related to particular transactions involving currency or monetary instruments. Our programs are designed to address these legal and regulatory requirements and to assist in managing risk associated with money laundering and terrorist financing.
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Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation
The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, foreign nationals, and others. These are typically known as the “OFAC” rules, based on their administration by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control. The OFAC-administered sanctions targeting countries take many different forms. Generally, however, they contain one or more of the following elements: (i) restrictions on trade with, or investment in, a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from, and exports to, a sanctioned country and prohibitions on “U.S. persons” engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and (ii) a blocking of assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the sanctioned country have an interest, by prohibiting transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons). Blocked assets (e.g., property and bank deposits) cannot be paid out, withdrawn, set off, or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences.
Data Privacy
Federal and state law contains extensive consumer privacy protection provisions. The GLBA requires financial institutions to periodically disclose their privacy practices and policies relating to sharing such information and enable retail customers to opt out of the Company’s ability to share certain information with affiliates and non-affiliates for marketing and/or non-marketing purposes, or to contact customers with marketing offers. The GLBA also requires financial institutions to implement a comprehensive information security program that includes administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to ensure the security and confidentiality of customer records and information, and imposes certain limitations on the ability to share consumers’ nonpublic personal information with non-affiliated third-parties. Privacy requirements, including notice and opt out requirements, under the GLBA and the FCRA are enforced by the FTC and by the CFPB through UDAAP laws and regulations, and are a standard component of CFPB examinations. State entities also may initiate actions for alleged violations of privacy or security requirements under state law.
Furthermore, an increasing number of state, federal, and international jurisdictions have enacted, or are considering enacting, privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which became effective on January 1, 2020, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which regulates the collection, control, sharing, disclosure and use and other processing of personal information of data subjects in the EU and the European Economic Area. The CCPA gives residents of California expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used, and also provides for civil penalties for violations and private rights of action for data breaches. Meanwhile, the GDPR provides data subjects with greater control over the collection and use of their personal information (such as the “right to be forgotten”) and has specific requirements relating to cross-border transfers of personal information to certain jurisdictions, including to the United States, with fines for noncompliance of up to the greater of 20 million euros or up to 4 percent of the annual global revenue of the noncompliant company. In addition, California approved a new privacy law in 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which significantly modifies the CCPA, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain personal information and creating a new state agency to oversee implementation and enforcement efforts.
Cybersecurity
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (the “CISA”) is intended to improve cybersecurity in the U.S. through sharing of information about security threats between the U.S. government and private sector organizations, including financial institutions such as the Company. The CISA also authorizes companies to monitor their own systems, notwithstanding any other provision of law, and allows companies to carry out defensive measures on their own systems from potential cyber-attacks.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted to address, among other things, corporate governance, auditing and accounting, executive compensation, and enhanced and timely disclosure of corporate information. As directed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are required to certify that our quarterly and annual reports do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact. The rules adopted by the SEC
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under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act have several requirements, including having those Officers certify that they are responsible for establishing, maintaining and regularly evaluating the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting; that they have made certain disclosures to our auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors about our internal control over financial reporting; and they have included information in our quarterly and annual reports about their evaluation and whether there have been changes in our internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that could materially affect internal control over financial reporting.
Federal Home Loan Bank System
The Bank is a member of the FHLB-NY. As a member of the FHLB-NY, the Bank is required to acquire and hold shares of FHLB-NY capital stock. At December 31, 2022 the Bank held $762 million of FHLB-NY stock and, as a result of the Flagstar acquisition, $329 million of FHLB-Indianapolis shares.
Federal Securities Law
The Company’s common stock and certain other securities listed on the cover page of this report are registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Company is subject to the information and proxy solicitation requirements, insider trading restrictions, and other requirements under the Exchange Act.
Consumer Protection Regulations
The activities of the Company’s banking subsidiary, including its lending and deposit gathering activities, is subject to a variety of consumer laws and regulations designed to protect consumers. These laws and regulations mandate certain disclosure requirements, and regulate the manner in which financial institutions must deal with clients and monitor account activity when taking deposits from, making loans to, or engaging in other types of transactions with, such clients. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could lead to substantial penalties, operating restrictions, and reputational damage to the financial institution.
Applicable consumer protection laws, and their implementing regulations, include, but may not be limited to, the DFA, Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z), Truth in Savings Act (Regulation DD), Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B), Electronic Funds Transfer Act (Regulation E), Fair Housing Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (Regulation C), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Regulation F), Fair Credit Reporting Act (Regulation V), as amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Expedited Funds Availability (Regulation CC), Reserve Requirements (Regulation D), Insider Transactions (Regulation O), Privacy of Consumer Information (Regulation P), Margin Stock Loans (Regulation U), Right To Financial Privacy Act, Flood Disaster Protection Act, Homeowners Protection Act, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Regulation X), Telephone Consumer Protection Act, CAN-SPAM Act, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the Military Lending Act, and the Homeownership Counseling Act. Additionally, we are subject to Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, and Section 1031 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which prohibits unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices (“UDAAP”) in connection with any consumer financial product or service
In addition, the Bank and its subsidiaries are subject to certain state laws and regulations designed to protect consumers. Many states have consumer protection laws analogous to, or in addition to, the federal laws listed above, such as usury laws, state debt collection practices laws, and requirements regarding loan disclosures and terms, credit discrimination, credit reporting, money transmission, recordkeeping, and unfair or deceptive business practices.
Certain states have adopted laws regulating and requiring licensing, registration, notice filing, or other approval for parties that engage in certain activity regarding consumer finance transactions. Furthermore, certain states and localities have adopted laws requiring licensing, registration, notice filing, or other approval for consumer debt collection or servicing, and/or purchasing or selling consumer loans. The licensing statutes vary from state to state and prescribe different requirements, including but not limited to: restrictions on loan origination and servicing practices (including limits on the type, amount, and manner of our fees), interest rate limits, disclosure requirements, periodic examination requirements, surety bond and minimum specified net worth requirements, periodic financial reporting requirements, notification requirements for changes in principal officers, stock ownership or corporate control, restrictions on advertising, and requirements that loan forms be submitted for review. We may also be subject
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to supervision and examination by applicable state regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions in which we may offer consumer financial products or services.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Bank is subject to oversight by the CFPB within the Federal Reserve System. The CFPB was established under the DFA to implement and enforce rules and regulations under certain federal consumer protection laws with respect to the conduct of providers of certain consumer financial products and services. The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer financial laws that apply to all banks, including, among other things, the authority to prohibit acts and practices that are deemed to be unfair, deceptive, or abusive. Abusive acts or practices are defined as those that (1) materially interfere with a consumer’s ability to understand a term or condition of a consumer financial product or service, or (2) take unreasonable advantage of a consumer’s (a) lack of understanding on the part of the consumer of the material risks, costs, or conditions of the product or service; (b) the inability of the consumer to protect his/her own interest in selecting or using a financial product or service; or (c) the reasonable reliance by the consumer on a financial institution to act in the interests of the consumer.
The CFPB has exclusive examination and primary enforcement authority with respect to compliance with federal consumer financial protection laws and regulations by institutions under its supervision and is authorized, individually or jointly with the federal banking agencies, to conduct investigations to determine whether any person is, or has, engaged in conduct that violates such laws or regulations. The CFPB has the authority to investigate possible violations of federal consumer financial law, hold hearings, and commence civil litigation. The CFPB can issue cease-and-desist orders against banks and other entities that violate consumer financial laws. The CFPB also may institute a civil action against an entity in violation of federal consumer financial law in order to impose a civil penalty or an injunction. The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over all banks with more than $10 billion in assets, as well as certain of their affiliates.
The CFPB is also authorized to collect fines and provide consumer restitution in the event of violations, engage in consumer financial education, track consumer complaints, request data and promote the availability of financial services to underserved consumers and communities. The CFPB is authorized to pursue administrative proceedings or litigation for violations of federal consumer financial laws. In these proceedings, the CFPB can obtain cease and desist orders (which can include orders for restitution or rescission of contracts, as well as other kinds of affirmative relief) and monetary penalties which, for 2022, range from $6,323 per day for minor violations of federal consumer financial laws (including the CFPB’s own rules) to $31,616 per day for reckless violations and $1,264,622 per day for knowing violations. The CFPB monetary penalty amounts are adjusted annually for inflation. Also, where a company has violated Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act or CFPB regulations under Title X, the Dodd-Frank Act empowers state attorneys general and state regulators to bring civil actions for the kind of cease and desist orders available to the CFPB (but not for civil penalties).
In May 2022, the CFPB issued an Interpretive Rule to clarify the authority of states to enforce federal consumer financial protections laws under the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (“CFPA”). Specifically, the CFPB confirmed that (1) states can enforce the CFPA, including the provision making it unlawful for covered persons or service providers to violate any provision of federal consumer financial protection law; (2) the enforcement authority of states under section 1042 of the CFPA is generally not subject to certain limits applicable to the CFPB’s enforcement authority, such that States may be able to bring actions against a broader cross-section of companies than the CFPB; and (3) state attorneys general and regulators may bring (or continue to pursue) actions under their CFPA authority even if the CFPB is pursuing a concurrent action against the same entity. See CFPB Interpretive Rule regarding Section 1042 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (87 FR 31940, May 26, 2022).
Supervision and Regulation of Mortgage Banking Operations
Our mortgage banking business is subject to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), the Federal Housing Administration, the Veterans’ Administration (“VA”) and Fannie Mae with respect to originating, processing, selling and servicing mortgage loans. Those rules and regulations, among other things, prohibit discrimination and establish underwriting guidelines, which include provisions for inspections and appraisals, require credit reports on prospective borrowers, and fix maximum loan amounts. Lenders are required annually to submit audited financial statements to Fannie Mae, FHA and VA. Each of these regulatory entities has its
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own financial requirements. We are also subject to examination by Fannie Mae, FHA and VA to assure compliance with the applicable regulations, policies and procedures. Mortgage origination activities are subject to, among others, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Fair Credit Report Act, the National Flood Insurance Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and related regulations that prohibit discrimination and require the disclosure of certain basic information to mortgagors concerning credit terms and settlement costs. Our mortgage banking operations are also affected by various state and local laws and regulations and the requirements of various private mortgage investors.
Enterprise Risk Management
The Company’s and the Bank’s Boards of Directors are actively engaged in the process of overseeing the efforts made by the Enterprise Risk Management department to identify, measure, monitor, mitigate, and report risk. The Company has established an ERM program that reinforces a strong risk culture to support sound risk management practices. The Board is responsible for the approval and oversight of the ERM program and framework.
ERM is responsible for setting and aligning the Company’s Risk Appetite Policy with the goals and objectives set forth in the budget, and the strategic and capital plans. Internal controls and ongoing monitoring processes capture and address heightened risks that threaten the Company’s ability to achieve our goals and objectives, including the recognition of safety and soundness concerns and consumer protection. Additionally, ERM monitors key risk indicators against the established risk warning levels and limits, as well as elevated risks identified by the Chief Risk Officer.
Recent Events
Declaration of Dividend on Common Shares
On January 24, 2023, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Company’s common stock of $0.17 per share. The dividend was payable on February 16, 2023 to common stockholders of record as of February 6, 2023.
Mortgage Restructuring
Legacy Flagstar proactively rightsized its mortgage operation throughout 2022 to adjust for market conditions. The mortgage business is cyclical by nature and challenging conditions are expected to continue throughout 2023. To better reflect demand and align to where our brand strength and familiarity lies, the distributed retail channel will reduce coverage by 69% and shift to a branch footprint only-model.
We expect that these actions will optimize our mortgage business and improve profitability during the current mortgage down cycle, while still allowing us to participate in the upside once the interest rate cycle becomes favorable. This allows us to maintain a retail presence within our nine-state footprint, leverages our marketing and branding spend, and reduces risk. More importantly, it leaves our position within the mortgage industry intact. We remain one of the largest bank originators, the 6th largest sub-servicer in the country, and the 2nd largest warehouse lender. Moreover, it allows us to continue to lend in all six channels and maintain our commitment to the correspondent and broker business.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
There are various risks and uncertainties that are inherent to our business. Primary among these are (1) interest rate risk, which arises from movements in interest rates; (2) credit risk, which arises from an obligor’s failure to meet the terms of any contract with a bank or to otherwise perform as agreed; (3) risks related to our financial statements; (4) liquidity risk, which arises from a bank’s inability to meet its obligations when they come due without incurring unacceptable losses; (5) legal/compliance risk, which arises from violations of, or non-conformance with, laws, rules, regulations, prescribed practices, or ethical standards; (6) market risk, which arises from changes in the value of portfolios of financial instruments; (7) strategic risk, which is the risk of loss arising from the execution of our strategic initiatives and business strategies, including our acquisition and integration of other companies we acquire, as well as inadequate or failed internal processes, people, and systems; (8) operational risk, which arises from problems with service or product delivery; and (9) reputational risk, which arises from negative public opinion resulting in a significant decline in stockholder value.
Following is a discussion of the material risks and uncertainties that could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and the value of our shares. The failure to properly identify, monitor, and mitigate any of the below referenced risks, could result in increased regulatory risk and could potentially have an adverse impact on the Company. Additional risks that are not currently known to us, or that we currently believe to be immaterial, also may have a material effect on our financial condition and results of operations. This report is qualified in its entirety by those risk factors.
Interest Rate Risks
Changes in interest rates could reduce our net interest income and negatively impact the value of our loans, securities, and other assets. This could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, financial condition, results of operations, and capital.
The cost of our deposits and short-term wholesale borrowings is largely based on short-term interest rates, the level of which is driven by the FOMC of the FRB. However, the yields generated by our loans and securities are typically driven by intermediate-term interest rates, which are set by the bond market and generally vary from day to day. The level of our net interest income is therefore influenced by movements in such interest rates, and the pace at which such movements occur. If the interest rates on our interest-bearing liabilities increase at a faster pace than the interest rates on our interest-earning assets, the result could be a reduction in net interest income and, with it, a reduction in our earnings. Our net interest income and earnings would be similarly impacted were the interest rates on our interest-earning assets to decline more quickly than the interest rates on our interest-bearing liabilities. In addition, such changes in interest rates could affect our ability to originate loans and attract and retain deposits; the fair values of our securities and other financial assets; the fair values of our liabilities; and the average lives of our loan and securities portfolios. Changes in interest rates also could have an effect on loan refinancing activity, which, in turn, would impact the amount of prepayment income we receive on our multi-family and CRE loans. Because prepayment income is recorded as interest income, the extent to which it increases or decreases during any given period could have a significant impact on the level of net interest income and net income we generate during that time. Also, changes in interest rates could have an effect on the slope of the yield curve. If the yield curve were to invert or become flat, our net interest income and net interest margin could contract, adversely affecting our net income and cash flows, and the value of our assets. Moreover, higher inflation could lead to fluctuations in the value of our assets and liabilities and off-balance sheet exposures, and could result in lower equity market valuations of financial services companies.
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Changes to and replacement of the LIBOR Benchmark Interest Rate may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The Company has certain loans, interest rate swap agreements, investment securities, and debt obligations whose interest rate is indexed to LIBOR. In 2017, the FCA, which is responsible for regulating LIBOR, announced that the publication of LIBOR is not guaranteed beyond 2021. In December 2020, the administrator of LIBOR announced its intention to (i) cease the publication of the one-week and two-month U.S. dollar LIBOR after December 31, 2021, and (ii) cease the publication of all other tenors of U.S. dollar LIBOR (one, three, six, and 12-month LIBOR) after June 30, 2023, and on March 15, 2021, announced that it will permanently cease to publish most LIBOR settings beginning on January 1, 2022 and cease to publish the overnight, one-month, three-month, six-month, and 12-month U.S. dollar LIBOR settings on July 1, 2023. Accordingly, the FCA has stated that it does not intend to persuade or compel banks to submit to LIBOR after such respective dates. Until such time, however, FCA panel banks have agreed to continue to support LIBOR. In October 2021, the Federal bank regulatory agencies issued a Joint Statement on Managing the LIBOR Transition that offered their regulatory expectations and outlined potential supervisory and enforcement consequences for banks that fail to adequately plan for and implement the transition away from LIBOR. The failure to properly transition away from LIBOR may result in increased supervisory scrutiny. The implementation of a substitute index for the calculation of interest rates under the Company's loan agreements may result in disputes or litigation with counterparties over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the substitute index, which would have an adverse effect on the Company's results of operations. Even when robust fallback language is included, there can be no assurances that the replacement rate plus any spread adjustment will be economically equivalent to LIBOR, which could result in a lower interest rate being paid to the Company on such assets.
The Alternative Reference Rates Committee (a group of private-market participants convened by the FRB and the FRB-NY) has identified SOFR as the recommended alternative to LIBOR. The use of SOFR as a substitute for LIBOR is voluntary and may not be suitable for all market participants. SOFR is calculated and observed differently than LIBOR. Given the manner in which SOFR is calculated, it is likely to be lower than LIBOR and is less likely to correlate with the funding costs of financial institutions. Market practices related to SOFR calculation conventions continue to develop and may vary. Inconsistent calculation conventions among financial products may expose is to increased basic rate and resultant costs. Other alternatives to LIBOR also exist, but, because of the difference in how those alternatives are constructed, they may diverge significantly from LIBOR in a range of situations and market conditions.
Credit Risk
Our allowance for credit losses might not be sufficient to cover our actual losses, which would adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition to mitigating credit risk through our underwriting processes, we attempt to mitigate such risk through the establishment of an allowance for credit losses. The process of determining whether or not the allowance is sufficient to cover potential credit losses is based on the current expected credit loss model or CECL. This methodology is described in detail under “Critical Accounting Estimates” in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this report. CECL may result in greater volatility in the level of the ACL, depending on various assumptions and factors used in this model. If the judgments and assumptions we make with regard to the allowance are incorrect, our allowance for losses on such loans might not be sufficient, and an additional provision for credit losses might need to be made. Depending on the amount of such loan loss provisions, the adverse impact on our earnings could be material. In addition, growth in our loan portfolio may require us to increase the allowance for credit losses on such loans by making additional provisions, which would reduce our net income. Furthermore, bank regulators have the authority to require us to make provisions for credit losses or otherwise recognize loan charge-offs following their periodic review of our loan portfolio, our underwriting procedures, and our allowance for losses on such loans. Any increase in the loan loss allowance or in loan charge-offs as required by such regulatory authorities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our concentration in multi-family loans and CRE loans could expose us to increased lending risks and related loan losses.
At December 31, 2022, $38.1 billion or 55 percent of our total loans and leases, held for investment portfolio consisted of multi-family loans and $8.5 billion or 12 percent consisted of CRE loans. These types of loans generally expose a lender to greater risk of non-payment and loss than one-to-four family residential mortgage loans because
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repayment of the loans often depends on the successful operation of the properties and the sale of such properties securing the loans. Such loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers compared to one-to-four family residential loans. Also, many of our borrowers have more than one of these types of loans outstanding. Consequently, an adverse development with respect to one loan or one credit relationship can expose us to a significantly greater risk of loss compared to an adverse development with respect to a one-to-four family residential real estate loan. In addition, if loans that are collateralized by real estate become troubled and the value of the real estate has been significantly impaired, then we may not be able to recover the full contractual amount of principal and interest that we anticipated at the time we originated the loan, which could cause us to increase our provision for loan losses and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
Our New York State multi-family loan portfolio could be adversely impacted by changes in legislation or regulation which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
On June 14, 2019, the New York State legislature passed the New York Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. This legislation represents the most extensive reform of New York State’s rent laws in several decades and generally limits a landlord’s ability to increase rents on rent regulated apartments and makes it more difficult to convert rent regulated apartments to market rate apartments. As a result, the value of the collateral located in New York State securing the Company’s multi-family loans or the future net operating income of such properties could potentially become impaired which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. To date, the Company has not experienced any material negative impacts as a result of this legislation.
Economic weakness in the New York City metropolitan region, where the majority of the properties collateralizing our multi-family, CRE, and ADC loans, and the majority of the businesses collateralizing our other C&I loans, are located could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our business depends significantly on general economic conditions in the New York City metropolitan region, where the majority of the buildings and properties securing the multi-family, CRE, and ADC loans we originate for investment and the businesses of the customers to whom we make our other C&I loans are located. Accordingly, the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans, and the value of the collateral securing such loans, may be significantly affected by economic conditions in this region, including changes in the local real estate market. A significant decline in general economic conditions caused by inflation, recession, unemployment, acts of terrorism, extreme weather, or other factors beyond our control, could therefore have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, because multi-family and CRE loans represent the majority of the loans in our portfolio, a decline in tenant occupancy or rents due to such factors, or for other reasons, such as new legislation, could adversely impact the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans on a timely basis, which could have a negative impact on our net income. Furthermore, economic or market turmoil could occur in the near or long term. This could negatively affect our business, our financial condition, and our results of operations, as well as our ability to maintain or increase the level of cash dividends we currently pay to our stockholders.
Financial Statements Risk
Our accounting estimates and risk management processes rely on analytical and forecasting models.
The processes we use to estimate expected losses and to measure the fair value of financial instruments, as well as the processes used to estimate the effects of changing interest rates and other market measures on our financial condition and results of operations, depends upon the use of analytical and forecasting models. These models reflect assumptions that may not be accurate, particularly in times of market stress or other unforeseen circumstances. Even if these assumptions are adequate, the models may prove to be inadequate or inaccurate because of other flaws in their design or their implementation. If the models that we use for interest rate risk and asset-liability management are inadequate, we may incur increased or unexpected losses upon changes in market interest rates or other market measures. If the models that we use for determining our expected losses are inadequate, the allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to support future charge-offs. If the models that we use to measure the fair value of financial instruments are inadequate, the fair value of such financial instruments may fluctuate unexpectedly or may not accurately reflect what we could realize upon sale or settlement of such financial instruments. Any such failure in our analytical or forecasting models could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Impairment in the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
At December 31, 2022, goodwill and other intangible assets totaled $2.7 billion. Goodwill and our other intangible assets are reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. A significant decline in expected future cash flows, a material change in interest rates, a significant adverse change in the business climate, slower growth rates, or a significant or sustained decline in the price of our common stock may necessitate taking charges in the future related to the impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets. The amount of any impairment charge could be significant and could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Liquidity Risks
Failure to maintain an adequate level of liquidity could result in an inability to fulfill our financial obligations and also could subject us to material reputational and compliance risk.
Our primary sources of liquidity are the retail and institutional deposits we gather or acquire in connection with acquisitions, and the brokered deposits we accept; borrowed funds, primarily in the form of wholesale borrowings from the FHLB-NY and various Wall Street brokerage firms; cash flows generated through the repayment and sale of loans; and cash flows generated through the repayment and sale of securities. In addition, and depending on current market conditions, we have the ability to access the capital markets from time to time to generate additional liquidity. Deposit flows, calls of investment securities and wholesale borrowings, and the prepayment of loans and mortgage-related securities are strongly influenced by such external factors as the direction of interest rates, whether actual or perceived; local and national economic conditions; and competition for deposits and loans in the markets we serve. The withdrawal of more deposits than we anticipate could have an adverse impact on our profitability as this source of funding, if not replaced by similar deposit funding, would need to be replaced with wholesale funding, the sale of interest-earning assets, or a combination of the two. The replacement of deposit funding with wholesale funding could cause our overall cost of funds to increase, which would reduce our net interest income and results of operations. A decline in interest-earning assets would also lower our net interest income and results of operations.
In addition, large-scale withdrawals of brokered or institutional deposits could require us to pay significantly higher interest rates on our retail deposits or on other wholesale funding sources, which would have an adverse impact on our net interest income and net income. Furthermore, changes to the FHLB-NY’s underwriting guidelines for wholesale borrowings or lending policies may limit or restrict our ability to borrow, and therefore could have a significant adverse impact on our liquidity. A decline in available funding could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, and meet our expenses, or to fulfill such obligations as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands. A downgrade of the credit ratings of the Company and the Bank could also adversely affect our access to liquidity and capital, and could significantly increase our cost of funds, trigger additional collateral or funding requirements, and decrease the number of investors and counterparties willing to lend to us or to purchase our securities. This could affect our growth, profitability, and financial condition, including our liquidity.
If we were to defer payments on our trust preferred capital debt securities or were in default under the related indentures, we would be prohibited from paying dividends or distributions on our common stock.
The terms of our outstanding trust preferred capital debt securities prohibit us from (1) declaring or paying any dividends or distributions on our capital stock, including our common stock; or (2) purchasing, acquiring, or making a liquidation payment on such stock, under the following circumstances: (a) if an event of default has occurred and is continuing under the applicable indenture; (b) if we are in default with respect to a payment under the guarantee of the related trust preferred securities; or (c) if we have given notice of our election to defer interest payments but the related deferral period has not yet commenced, or a deferral period is continuing. In addition, without notice to, or consent from, the holders of our common stock, we may issue additional series of trust preferred capital debt securities with similar terms, or enter into other financing agreements, that limit our ability to pay dividends on our common stock.
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Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock are discretionary and noncumulative, and may not be paid if such payment will result in our failure to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock are discretionary and noncumulative. If our Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee of the Board) does not authorize and declare a dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock for any dividend period, holders of the depositary shares will not be entitled to receive any dividend for that dividend period, and the unpaid dividend will cease to accrue and be payable. We have no obligation to pay dividends accrued for a dividend period after the dividend payment date for that period if our Board of Directors (or any duly authorized committee thereof) has not declared a dividend before the related dividend payment date, whether or not dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock or any other series of our preferred stock or our common stock are declared for any future dividend period. Additionally, under the FRB’s capital rules, dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock may only be paid out of our net income, retained earnings, or surplus related to other additional tier 1 capital instruments. If the non-payment of dividends on Series A Preferred Stock for any dividend period would cause the Company to fail to comply with any applicable law or regulation, or any agreement we may enter into with our regulators from time to time, then we would not be able to declare or pay a dividend for such dividend period. In such a case, holders of the depositary shares will not be entitled to receive any dividend for that dividend period, and the unpaid dividend will cease to accrue and be payable.
Legal/Compliance Risks
Inability to fulfill minimum capital requirements could limit our ability to conduct or expand our business, pay a dividend, or result in termination of our FDIC deposit insurance, and thus impact our financial condition, our results of operations, and the market value of our stock.
We are subject to the comprehensive, consolidated supervision and regulation set forth by the FRB. Such regulation includes, among other matters, the level of leverage and risk-based capital ratios we are required to maintain. Depending on general economic conditions, changes in our capital position could have a materially adverse impact on our financial condition and risk profile, and also could limit our ability to grow through acquisitions or otherwise. Compliance with regulatory capital requirements may limit our ability to engage in operations that require the intensive use of capital and therefore could adversely affect our ability to maintain our current level of business or expand. Furthermore, it is possible that future regulatory changes could result in more stringent capital or liquidity requirements, including increases in the levels of regulatory capital we are required to maintain and changes in the way capital or liquidity is measured for regulatory purposes, either of which could adversely affect our business and our ability to expand. For example, federal banking regulations adopted under Basel III standards require bank holding companies and banks to undertake significant activities to demonstrate compliance with higher capital requirements. Any additional requirements to increase our capital ratios or liquidity could necessitate our liquidating certain assets, perhaps on terms that are unfavorable to us or that are contrary to our business plans. In addition, such requirements could also compel us to issue additional securities, thus diluting the value of our common stock. In addition, failure to meet established capital requirements could result in the FRB placing limitations or conditions on our activities and further restricting the commencement of new activities. The failure to meet applicable capital guidelines could subject us to a variety of enforcement remedies available to the federal regulatory authorities, including limiting our ability to pay dividends; issuing a directive to increase our capital; and terminating our FDIC deposit insurance.
Our results of operations could be materially affected by further changes in bank regulation, or by our ability to comply with certain existing laws, rules, and regulations governing our industry.
We are subject to regulation, supervision, and examination by the following entities: (1) the OCC; (2) the FDIC; (3) the FRB-NY; and (4) the CFPB, as well as state licensing restrictions and limitations regarding certain consumer finance products. Such regulation and supervision govern the activities in which a bank holding company and its banking subsidiaries may engage, and are intended primarily for the protection of the DIF, the banking system in general, and bank customers, rather than for the benefit of a company’s stockholders. These regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities, including with respect to the imposition of restrictions on the operation of a bank or a bank holding company, the imposition of significant fines, the ability to delay or deny merger or other regulatory applications, the classification of assets by a bank, and the adequacy of a bank’s allowance for loan losses, among other matters. Failure to comply (or to ensure that our agents and third-party service providers comply) with laws, regulations, or policies, including our failure to obtain any necessary state or local licenses, could result in enforcement actions or sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil money penalties, and/or reputational damage, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
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condition, or results of operations. Penalties for such violations may also include: revocation of licenses; fines and other monetary penalties; civil and criminal liability; substantially reduced payments by borrowers; modification of the original terms of loans, permanent forgiveness of debt, or inability to, directly or indirectly, collect all or a part of the principal of or interest on loans provided by the Bank. Changes in such regulation and supervision, or changes in regulation or enforcement by such authorities, whether in the form of policy, regulations, legislation, rules, orders, enforcement actions, ratings, or decisions, could have a material impact on the Company, our subsidiary bank and other affiliates, and our operations. In addition, failure of the Company or the Bank to comply with such regulations could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and capital. See “Regulation and Supervision” in Part I, Item 1, “Business” earlier in this filing for a detailed description of the federal, state, and local regulations to which the Company and the Bank are subject.
Noncompliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations could result in material financial loss.
The BSA and the USA Patriot Act contain anti-money laundering and financial transparency provisions intended to detect and prevent the use of the U.S. financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. The BSA, as amended by the USA Patriot Act, requires depository institutions to undertake activities including maintaining an anti-money laundering program, verifying the identity of clients, monitoring for and reporting suspicious transactions, reporting on cash transactions above a certain threshold, and responding to requests for information by regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies. FINCEN, a unit of the U.S. Treasury Department that administers the BSA, is authorized to impose significant civil monetary penalties for violations of these requirements. If our BSA policies, procedures and systems are deemed to be deficient, or the BSA policies, procedures and systems of the financial institutions that we acquire in the future are deficient, we would be subject to reputational risk and potential liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including our acquisition plans, which would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Failure to comply with OFAC regulations could result in legal and reputational risks.
The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, foreign nationals, and other potentially exposed persons. These are typically referred to as the "OFAC" rules, given their administration by the United States Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences.
Our enterprise risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating the risks to which we are subject, based upon the size, scope, and complexity of the Company.
As a financial institution, we are subject to a number of risks, including interest rate, credit, liquidity, legal/compliance, market, strategic, operational, and reputational. Our ERM framework is designed to minimize the risks to which we are subject, as well as any losses stemming from such risks. Although we seek to identify, measure, monitor, report, and control our exposure to such risks, and employ a broad and diverse set of risk monitoring and mitigation techniques in the process, those techniques are inherently limited because they cannot anticipate the existence or development of risks that are currently unknown and unanticipated. For example, economic and market conditions, heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny of the financial services industry, and increases in the overall complexity of our operations, among other developments, have resulted in the creation of a variety of risks that were previously unknown and unanticipated, highlighting the intrinsic limitations of our risk monitoring and mitigation techniques. As a result, the further development of previously unknown or unanticipated risks may result in our incurring losses in the future that could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, an ineffective ERM framework, as well as other risk factors, could result in a material increase in our FDIC insurance premiums.
If federal, state, or local tax authorities were to determine that we did not adequately provide for our taxes, our income tax expense could be increased, adversely affecting our earnings.
The amount of income taxes we are required to pay on our earnings is based on federal, state, and local legislation and regulations. We provide for current and deferred taxes in our financial statements, based on our results of operations, business activity, legal structure, interpretation of tax statutes, assessment of risk of adjustment upon audit, and application of financial accounting standards. We may take tax return filing positions for which the final determination of tax is uncertain, and our net income and earnings per share could be reduced if a federal, state, or local authority were to assess additional taxes that have not been provided for in our consolidated financial statements.
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In addition, there can be no assurance that we will achieve our anticipated effective tax rate. Unanticipated changes in tax laws or related regulatory or judicial guidance, or an audit assessment that denies previously recognized tax benefits, could result in our recording tax expenses that materially reduce our net income.
We are subject to numerous laws designed to protect consumers, including the Community Reinvestment Act fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to a wide variety of sanctions.
The CRA requires the Federal Reserve to assess our performance in meeting the credit needs of the communities we serve, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. If the Federal Reserve determines that we need to improve our performance or are in substantial non-compliance with CRA requirements, various adverse regulatory consequences may ensue. In addition, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The CFPB, the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. The CFPB is also authorized to prescribe rules applicable to any covered person or service provider, identifying and prohibiting acts or practices that are “unfair, deceptive, or abusive” in connection with any transaction with a consumer for a consumer financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service. A successful regulatory challenge to an institution’s performance under the CRA, fair lending laws or regulations, or consumer lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity, restrictions on expansion, and restrictions on entering new business lines. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, state attorneys general have indicated that they intend to take a more active role in enforcing consumer protection laws, including through use of Dodd-Frank Act provisions that authorize state attorneys general to enforce certain provisions of federal consumer financial laws and obtain civil money penalties and other relief available to the CFPB. If we become subject to such investigation, the required response could result in substantial costs and a diversion of the attention and resources of our management.
Market Risks
A decline in economic conditions could adversely affect the value of the loans we originate and the securities in which we invest.
Declines in real estate values and an increase in the financial stress on borrowers stemming from high unemployment or other adverse economic conditions, could negatively affect our borrowers and, in turn, the repayment of the loans in our portfolio. Deterioration in economic conditions also could subject us and our industry to increased regulatory scrutiny, and could result in an increase in loan delinquencies, an increase in problem assets and foreclosures, and a decline in the value of the collateral for our loans, which could reduce our customers’ borrowing power. Deterioration in local economic conditions could drive the level of loan losses beyond the level we have provided for in our loan loss allowance; this, in turn, could necessitate an increase in our provisions for loan losses, which would reduce our earnings and capital. Furthermore, declines in the value of our investment securities could result in our having to record losses based on the other-than-temporary impairment of securities, which would reduce our earnings and also could reduce our capital. In addition, continued economic weakness could reduce the demand for our products and services, which would adversely impact our liquidity and the revenues we produce.
Higher inflation could have a negative impact on our financial results and operations.
Inflation can negatively impact the Company by increasing our labor costs, through higher wages and higher interest rates, which may negatively affect the market value of securities on our balance sheet, higher interest expenses on our deposits, especially CDs, and a higher cost of our borrowings. Additionally, higher inflation levels could lead to higher oil and gas prices, which may negatively impact the net operating income on the properties which we lend on and could impair a borrower's ability to repay their mortgage.