unsecured, the majority are secured by non-real estate collateral, such as equipment, vehicles, accounts receivable and inventory. Commercial real estate loans in the aggregate amount of $65,271,000 and $64,853,000 represented 35.2% and 37.3% of The Quakertown National Bank’s gross loan portfolio at December 31, 2000 and 1999, respectively, while construction loans, including commercial and residential, totaled $380,000 and $258,000 for the same periods. Commercial real estate loans include all loans collateralized at least in part by commercial real estate, but may not be for the expressed purpose of conducting commercial real estate transactions. Construction, commercial and industrial, and commercial real estate lending generally entails significant additional risk as compared with residential mortgage lending. These loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. Consumer Loans. The Quakertown National Bank’s consumer loan portfolio totaled $6,708,000 and $6,005,000 at December 31, 2000 and 1999, respectively. Consumer loans represented 3.6% and 3.5% of The Quakertown National Bank’s total gross loans at December 31, 2000 and 1999, respectively. Consumer loans include automobile loans, student loans and other consumer type credit not secured by real estate. INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES At December 31, 2000 and 1999, QNB Corp.’s investment portfolio, on a consolidated basis, aggregated $157,227,000 and $145,911,000. The portfolios consisted primarily of United States government and federal agency obligations, mortgage-backed securities, and state and municipal securities. Subject to applicable limits The Quakertown National Bank is also permitted to invest in corporate bonds and QNB Corp. is permitted to invest in equity securities. The Quakertown National Bank accounts for its investments based on Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities.” The Quakertown National Bank records investment securities available-for-sale at market value with the unrealized holding gain or loss, net of taxes, included in shareholders’ equity. The Quakertown National Bank records investment securities held-to-maturity at amortized cost. At December 31, 2000 and 1999, the balance of the available-for-sale portfolio was $114,245,000 and $97,609,000 and the balance of the held-to-maturity portfolio was $42,982,000 and $48,302,000, respectively. The Quakertown National Bank views its investment portfolio as a secondary source of liquidity and stable earnings. The Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, or either of them, together with one other member of the asset/liability committee, make decisions concerning the selection of investments for The Quakertown National Bank’s portfolio. The Quakertown National Bank also has an investment committee that meets monthly to review the investment portfolio and future investment strategies. The Quakertown National Bank’s investment policy, as approved by the Board of Directors, dictates the maturity and types of investments for The Quakertown National Bank. The Quakertown National Bank’s strategy has been to invest in: |