Similarly, the Bank’s customers are likely to experience varying effects from both the individual and business tax provisions of the Tax Act. For example, changes to tax deductibility of business interest expense could impact business customer borrowing. Such effects, whether positive or negative, may have a corresponding impact on our business and the economy as a whole.
Government measures to regulate the financial industry could materially affect our businesses, financial condition or results of operations.
As a financial institution, we are heavily regulated at the state and federal levels. Banking regulations generally are intended to protect depositors, not investors, and regulators have broad interpretive and enforcement powers beyond our control that may change rapidly and unpredictably and could influence our earnings and growth. Future changes in the laws or regulations or their interpretations or enforcement could be materially adverse to us and our shareholders.
Further, as a result of the financial crisis and related global economic downturn that began in 2008, we have faced, and expect to continue to face, increased public and legislative scrutiny as well as stricter and more comprehensive regulation of our financial services practices. In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law. Many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act are subject both to further rulemaking and the discretion of applicable regulatory bodies. Although we cannot predict the full effect of the Dodd-Frank Act on our operations, it, as well as the future rules implementing its reforms, could impose significant additional costs on us, limit the products we offer, limit our ability to pursue business opportunities in an efficient manner, require us to increase our regulatory capital, impact the values of assets that we hold, significantly reduce our revenues or otherwise materially and adversely affect our businesses, financial condition, or results of operations. The ultimate impact of the final rules on our businesses and results of operations, however, will depend on regulatory interpretation and rulemaking, as well as the success of our actions to mitigate the negative earnings impact of certain provisions.
Combining the Company and Great State Bank may be more difficult, costly or time-consuming than we expect.
The success of the merger with Great State Bank will depend, in part, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits and estimated cost savings from combining the businesses of the Company and Great State Bank. However, to realize these anticipated benefits and cost savings, we must successfully combine the businesses of the Company and Great State Bank. If we are not able to achieve these objectives, the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected.
After the completion of the merger, we have integrated Great State Bank’s business into our own. The success of the merger will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to our ability to:
| • | | timely and successfully integrate the operations of the Company and Great State Bank; |
| • | | retain key employees of the Company and Great State Bank, and retain and attract qualified personnel to, the combined company; and |
| • | | maintain existing relationships with customers, suppliers and vendors of the Company and Great State Bank. |
It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of ongoing business or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with clients, customers, depositors and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger.
The Bank may be required to transition from the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) index in the future.
The Bank has certain variable-rate loans indexed to LIBOR to calculate the loan interest rate. The United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, has announced that the continued availability of the LIBOR on the current basis is not guaranteed after 2021. It is impossible to predict whether and to what extent banks will continue to provide LIBOR submissions to the administrator of LIBOR or whether any additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. At this time, no consensus exists as to what rate or rates may become acceptable alternatives to LIBOR, and it is impossible to predict the effect of any such alternatives on the value of LIBOR-based variable-rate loans, as well as LIBOR-based securities, subordinated notes, trust preferred securities, or other securities or financial arrangements. The implementation of a substitute index or indices for the calculation of interest rates under the Bank’s loan agreements with borrowers or other financial arrangements may cause the Bank to incur significant expenses in effecting the transition, may result in reduced loan balances if borrowers do not accept the substitute index or indices, and may result in disputes or litigation with customers or other counter-parties over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the substitute index or indices, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Bank’s results of operations.
Changes in accounting standards could impact reported earnings and capital.
The authorities that promulgate accounting standards, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”), the SEC, and other regulatory authorities, periodically change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. These changes are difficult to predict and can materially impact how the Company records and reports its financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, the Company could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in the restatement of financial statements for prior periods. Such changes could also impact the capital levels of the Company and the Bank, or require the Company to incur additional personnel or technology costs. Most notably, new guidance on the calculation of credit reserves using current expected credit losses, referred to as CECL, was finalized in June, 2016. The standard will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2020. To implement the new standard, the Company will incur costs related to data collection and documentation, technology and training. For additional information, see “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in Note 1 of the consolidated financial statements. Although the Company is currently unable to reasonably estimate the impact of the new standard on its financial statements, adoption of the new standard could necessitate, among other things, higher loan loss reserve levels, and the Company expects to recognize aone-time cumulative effect adjustment to the allowance for loan losses during the quarter in which the standard becomes effective. If the Company is required to materially increase the level of the allowance for loan losses or incurs additional expenses to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses, such changes could adversely affect the Company’s capital levels, financial condition and results of operations.
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