EXHIBIT 99.1
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Safe Harbor Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
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The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act")
provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements to encourage
companies to provide prospective information about their companies, so long
as those statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by
meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the
statement. First Federal Bancorp, Inc. ("Bancorp") desires to take
advantage of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Act. Certain information,
particularly information regarding future economic performance and finances
and plans and objectives of management, contained or incorporated by
reference in Bancorp's Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended
March 31, 1999, is forward-looking. In some cases, information regarding
certain important factors that could cause actual results of operations or
outcomes of other events to differ materially from any such forward-looking
statement appear together with such statement. In addition, forward-looking
statements are subject to other risks and uncertainties affecting the
financial institutions industry, including, but not limited to, the
following:
Interest Rate Risk
Bancorp's operating results are dependent to a significant degree on
its net interest income, which is the difference between interest income
from loans, investments and other interest-earning assets and interest
expense on deposits, borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities. The
interest income and interest expense of Bancorp change as the interest rates
on interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities change.
Interest rates may change because of general economic conditions, the
policies of various regulatory authorities and other factors beyond
Bancorp's control. In a rising interest rate environment, loans tend to
prepay slowly and new loans at higher rates increase slowly, while interest
paid on deposits increases rapidly because the terms to maturity of deposits
tend to be shorter than the terms to maturity or prepayment of loans. Such
differences in the adjustment of interest rates on assets and liabilities
may negatively affect Bancorp's income.
Possible Inadequacy of the Allowance for Loan Losses
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Bancorp maintains an allowance for loan losses based upon a number of
relevant factors, including, but not limited to, trends in the level of
nonperforming assets and classified loans, current and anticipated economic
conditions in the primary lending area, past loss experience, possible
losses arising from specific problem loans and changes in the composition of
the loan portfolio. While the Board of Directors of Bancorp believes that
it uses the best information available to determine the allowance for loan
losses, unforeseen market conditions could result in material adjustments,
and net earnings could be significantly adversely affected if circumstances
differ substantially from the assumptions used in making the final
determination.
Loans not secured by one- to four-family residential real estate are
generally considered to involve greater risk of loss than loans secured by
one- to four-family residential real estate due, in part, to the effects of
general economic conditions. The repayment of multifamily residential and
nonresidential real estate loans generally depends upon the cash flow from
the operation of the property, which may be negatively affected by national
and local economic conditions. Construction loans may also be negatively
affected by such economic conditions, particularly loans made to developers
who do not have a buyer for a property before the loan is made. The risk of
default on consumer loans increases during periods of recession, high
unemployment and other adverse economic conditions. When consumers have
trouble paying their bills, they are more likely to pay mortgage loans than
consumer loans. In addition, the collateral securing such loans, if any,
may decrease in value more rapidly than the outstanding balance of the loan.
Competition
First Federal Savings Bank of Eastern Ohio ("First Federal") competes
for deposits with other savings associations, commercial banks and credit
unions and issuers of commercial paper and other securities, such as shares
in money market mutual funds. The primary factors in competing for deposits
are interest rates and convenience of office location. In making loans,
First Federal competes with other savings associations, commercial banks,
consumer finance companies, credit unions, leasing companies, mortgage
companies and other lenders. Competition is affected by, among other
things, the general availability of lendable funds, general and local
economic conditions, current interest rate levels and other factors that are
not readily predictable. The size of financial institutions competing with
First Federal is likely to increase as a result of changes in statutes and
regulations eliminating various restrictions on interstate and inter-
industry branching and acquisitions. Such increased competition may have an
adverse effect upon Bancorp.
Legislation and Regulation that may Adversely Affect Bancorp's Earnings
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First Federal is subject to extensive regulation by the Office of
Thrift Supervision (the "OTS") and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(the "FDIC") and is periodically examined by such regulatory agencies to
test compliance with various regulatory requirements. As a savings and loan
holding company, Bancorp is also subject to regulation and examination by
the OTS. Such supervision and regulation of First Federal and Bancorp are
intended primarily for the protection of depositors and not for the
maximization of shareholder value and may affect the ability of the company
to engage in various business activities. The assessments, filing fees and
other costs associated with reports, examinations and other regulatory
matters are significant and may have an adverse effect on Bancorp's net
earnings.
The FDIC is authorized to establish separate annual assessment rates
for deposit insurance of members of the Bank Insurance Fund (the "BIF") and
the Savings Association Insurance Fund (the "SAIF"). The FDIC has
established a risk-based assessment system for both SAIF and BIF members.
Under such system, assessments may vary depending on the risk the
institution poses to its deposit insurance fund. Such risk level is
determined by reference to the institution's capital level and the FDIC's
level of supervisory concern about the institution.
For several years, Congress has been considering various changes to
the bank and savings association charters, the activities in which banks and
savings associations and their holding companies and subsidiaries may engage
and the authority of various regulatory authorities over the financial
institutions and their holding companies and subsidiaries. Bancorp cannot
predict at this time whether and when Congress will actually adopt such
"financial modernization legislation" or in what form it will be adopted.
It is expected, however, that the range of activities in which banks and
their affiliated companies may engage will be expanded, and it is possible
that the range of activities in which Bancorp and First Federal may engage
will be restricted. It is not anticipated that the current activities of
Bancorp or First Federal will be materially affected by any such
legislation.
Legislation to recapitalize the SAIF, which was enacted in 1996,
provided that the SAIF and the Bank Insurance Fund (the "BIF") would be
merged if the federal savings association charter was eliminated. Although
the elimination of the federal savings association charter has not occurred
and is not now expected in the near future, Congress is still discussing the
merger of the SAIF and the BIF. Although the merger could be expected to
change the deposit insurance premiums paid by First Federal, the effect on
First Federal and Bancorp cannot be predicted at this time.