SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 10-K

[X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
    SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                  For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 1999

                                       OR

[ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR
    15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
    For the transaction period from ___________________ to ____________________

                         Commission File Number: 0-25233

                             PROVIDENT BANCORP, INC.
              ----------------------------------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

          Federal                                      06-1537499
- --------------------------------         ---------------------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction of          (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
Incorporation or Organization)

400 Rella Boulevard, Montebello, New York                             10901
- ------------------------------------------                          ----------
 (Address of Principal Executive Office)                            (Zip Code)

                                 (914) 369-8040
               ---------------------------------------------------
               (Registrant's Telephone Number including area code)

           Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

                                      None

           Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

                     Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share
                     ---------------------------------------
                                (Title of Class)

         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  twelve  months (or for such shorter  period that the
Registrant  was  required  to file  reports)  and (2) has been  subject  to such
requirements for the past 90 days. YES [ X ] NO [ ]

         Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent  filers  pursuant to
Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained  herein,  and will not be contained,
to the best of  Registrant's  knowledge,  in  definitive  proxy  or  information
statements  incorporated  by  reference  in Part  III of this  Form  10-K or any
amendments to this Form 10-K. ______

     As of  September  30,  1999,  there were issued and  outstanding  8,280,000
shares of the Registrant's common stock. The aggregate value of the voting stock
held by non-affiliates  of the Registrant,  computed by reference to the closing
price of the common stock as of November 30, 1999, was $63,273,000.

                       DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

1.   Sections  of Annual  Report  to  Stockholders  for the  fiscal  year  ended
     September 30, 1999 (Parts II and IV).

2.   Proxy  Statement for the Annual  Meeting of  Stockholders  (Part III) to be
     held in February 2000.

                                       1

                                     PART I

ITEM 1.  Business

Provident Bancorp, Inc.

         Provident Bancorp,  Inc. (the "Company") was organized at the direction
of the Board of  Directors  of  Provident  Bank (the  "Bank") for the purpose of
acting as the stock holding  company of the Bank.  The Company's  assets consist
primarily of all outstanding  capital stock of the Bank, and cash and securities
of $12.3 million  representing  a portion of the net proceeds from the Company's
stock  offering  completed  January 7, 1999.  At September  30, 1999,  3,864,000
shares of the Company's  common stock,  par value $0.10 per share,  were held by
the public,  and  4,416,000  shares were held by  Provident  Bancorp,  MHC,  the
Company's  parent mutual holding  company (the "Mutual  Holding  Company").  The
Company's  principal  business is  overseeing  and directing the business of the
Bank and investing the net stock offering proceeds retained by it.

         The Company's office is located at 400 Rella Boulevard, Montebello, New
York 10901. Its telephone number is (914) 369-8040.

Provident Bank

         The Bank was organized in 1888 as a New  York-chartered  mutual savings
and loan  association,  adopted a federal mutual charter in 1986 and reorganized
into the stock form of ownership in 1999 as part of its reorganization  into the
mutual holding company structure. The Bank's deposits are insured by the Savings
Association  Insurance Fund ("SAIF"),  as  administered  by the Federal  Deposit
Insurance  Corporation  ("FDIC"), up to the maximum amount permitted by law. The
Bank is engaged  primarily  in the  business  of offering  various  FDIC-insured
savings and demand  deposits to  customers  through  its  thirteen  full-service
offices, and using those deposits, together with funds generated from operations
and borrowings, to originate one- to four-family residential and commercial real
estate loans, consumer loans,  construction loans and commercial business loans.
The Bank also invests in investment securities and mortgage-backed securities.

         The  Bank's  executive  office  is  located  at  400  Rella  Boulevard,
Montebello, New York 10901. Its telephone number is (914) 369-8040.

Provident Bancorp, MHC

         The Mutual  Holding  Company was formed in January  1999 as part of the
Bank's mutual holding  company  reorganization.  The Mutual  Holding  Company is
chartered under federal law and owns 53.33% of the  outstanding  common stock of
the  Company.  The  Mutual  Holding  Company  does not  engage  in any  business
activities  other than  owning the common  stock of the  Company,  investing  in
liquid assets and contributing to local charities.

         The Mutual Holding  Company's office is located at 400 Rella Boulevard,
Montebello, New York 10901. Its telephone number is (914) 369-8040.

Forward-Looking Statements

         In addition to  historical  information,  this annual  report  contains
forward-looking  statements.  For this purpose,  any statements contained herein
(including  documents  incorporated herein by reference) that are not statements
of  historical  fact may be deemed  to be  forward-looking  statements.  Without
limiting the foregoing, the words "believe",  "anticipates",  "plans", "expects"
and similar  expressions  are intended to identify  forward-looking  statements.
There are a number of important  factors that could cause the  Company's  actual
results to differ  materially from those  contemplated  by such  forward-looking
statements.  These important factors include, without limitation,  the Company's

                                       2

continued  ability to originate  quality loans,  fluctuations in interest rates,
real  estate  conditions  in the  Company's  lending  areas,  general  and local
economic  conditions,  unanticipated Year 2000 issues,  the Company's  continued
ability to attract and retain deposits,  the Company's ability to control costs,
and  the  effect  of  new  accounting  pronouncements  and  changing  regulatory
requirements.  The Company  undertakes  no  obligation  to publicly  release the
results of any revisions to those  forward-looking  statements which may be made
to reflect  events or  circumstances  after the date  hereof or to  reflect  the
occurrence of unanticipated events.

Market Area

         The Bank is an  independent  community  bank  offering a broad range of
customer-focused  services as an alternative to money center banks in its market
area.  At September  30, 1999,  the Bank operated  eleven  full-service  banking
offices,  including one full-service supermarket branch, in Rockland County, New
York. In the weeks before and after September 30, 1999, the Bank also opened and
now operates two full-service  supermarket  branches in Orange County, New York,
bringing the total number of branch offices to thirteen in the two counties. The
Bank's  primary market for deposits is currently  concentrated  around the areas
where its full-service  banking offices are located.  The Bank's primary lending
area  also  has  been  historically  concentrated  in  Rockland  and  contiguous
counties.

         Rockland  County is a suburban  market  with a broad  employment  base.
Rockland County also serves as a bedroom  community for nearby New York City and
other  suburban  areas  including  Westchester  County and  northern New Jersey.
Neighboring Orange County, where the Bank has opened its two newest branches, is
one of the two  fastest  growing  counties  in New  York  State.  The  favorable
economic environment in the New York metropolitan area has led to an increase in
residential and commercial construction activity in recent years.

         The economy of the Bank's primary market areas is based on a mixture of
service,  manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade. Other employment is provided
by a variety of industries and state and local governments. The diversity of the
employment base is evidenced by its many major employers. Additionally, Rockland
and Orange Counties have numerous small employers.

Lending Activities

         General.  Historically,  the principal lending activity of the Bank has
been the origination of fixed-rate and  adjustable-rate  mortgage  ("ARM") loans
collateralized by one- to four-family residential real estate located within its
primary  market area.  The Bank also  originates  commercial  real estate loans,
commercial  business loans and construction loans  (collectively  referred to as
the "commercial loan portfolio"),  as well as consumer loans such as home equity
lines of credit and homeowner  loans. The Bank retains most of the loans that it
originates,  although  from  time  to  time  it may  sell  longer-term  one-  to
four-family residential real estate loans.

                                        3

         Loan  Portfolio  Composition.   The  following  table  sets  forth  the
composition of the Bank's loan portfolio by type of loan at the dates indicated.


                                                                                        September 30,
                                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              1999                1998                1997               1996
                                                       ------------------  ------------------  -----------------   -----------------
                                                         Amount   Percent    Amount  Percent    Amount   Percent    Amount   Percent
                                                       ---------  -------  --------- -------   --------- -------   --------- -------
                                                                                  (Dollars in Thousands)

                                                                                                      
One- to four-family residential mortgage loans.......  $ 344,731    60.2%  $ 290,334   62.0%   $ 241,886   59.3%   $ 219,827   59.0%
                                                       ---------   -----   ---------  -----    ---------  -----    ---------  -----

Commercial real estate loans.........................    110,382    19.3      71,149   15.1       62,910   15.4      66,145    17.7
Commercial business loans............................     30,768     5.4      24,372    5.2       18,433    4.5      15,268     4.1
Construction loans...................................     19,147     3.3      20,049    4.3       23,475    5.7      16,074     4.3
                                                       ---------   -----   ---------  -----    ---------  -----    ---------  -----
  Total commercial loans.............................    160,297    28.0     115,570   24.6      104,818   25.6      97,487    26.1
                                                       ---------   -----   ---------  -----    ---------  -----    ---------  -----

Home equity lines of credit..........................     25,380     4.4      26,462    5.7       31,671    7.8      31,511     8.5
Homeowner loans......................................     34,852     6.1      27,208    5.8       19,160    4.7      13,035     3.5
Other consumer loans.................................      7,463     1.3       8,999    1.9       10,741    2.6      10,984     2.9
                                                       ---------   -----   ---------  -----    ---------  -----    ---------  -----
  Total consumer loans...............................     67,695    11.8      62,669   13.4       61,572   15.1      55,530    14.9
                                                       ---------   -----   ---------  -----    ---------  -----    ---------  -----

Total loans..........................................    572,723   100.0%    468,573  100.0%     408,276  100.0%    372,844   100.0%
                                                                   =====              =====               =====               =====
Allowance for loan losses............................     (6,202)             (4,906)             (3,779)            (3,357)
                                                       ---------           ---------           ----------          ---------

Total loans, net.....................................  $ 566,521           $ 463,667           $ 404,497           $ 369,487
                                                       =========           =========           =========           =========


                                                            September 30,
                                                         ------------------
                                                                1995
                                                         ------------------
                                                           Amount   Percent
                                                         ---------  -------
                                                       (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                               
One- to four-family residential mortgage loans.......    $ 199,017    59.2%
                                                         ---------   -----

Commercial real estate loans.........................       66,820    20.0
Commercial business loans............................       11,160     3.3
Construction loans...................................        6,228     1.9
                                                         ---------  ------
  Total commercial loans.............................       84,208    25.2
                                                         ---------  ------

Home equity lines of credit..........................       31,771     9.5
Homeowner loans......................................       10,433     3.1
Other consumer loans.................................        9,990     3.0
                                                         ---------  ------
  Total consumer loans...............................       52,194    15.6
                                                         ---------  ------

Total loans..........................................      335,419   100.0%
                                                                     =====
Allowance for loan losses............................       (3,472)
                                                         ---------

Total loans, net.....................................    $ 331,947
                                                         =========

                                       4

         Loan Maturity Schedule.  The following table summarizes the contractual
maturities  of the Bank's loan  portfolio  at  September  30,  1999.  Loans with
adjustable or  renegotiable  interest  rates are shown as maturing at the end of
the contractual term of the loan. The table reflects the entire unpaid principal
balance of a loan  maturing in the period that  includes the final  payment date
and,  accordingly,  does not give  effect  to  periodic  principal  payments  or
possible prepayments.


                                  One- to Four-Family       Commercial Real Estate       Construction (2)     Commercial Business
                                  -----------------------   -----------------------   ---------------------   --------------------
                                                 Weighted                  Weighted                Weighted              Weighted
                                                 Average                   Average                 Average               Average
                                    Amount        Rate        Amount         Rate       Amount       Rate      Amount      Rate
                                  ----------     ------     -----------    -------    -----------  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                                        (Dollars in Thousands)
Due During the Years Ending
September 30,
- -----------------------------
                                                                                                   
2000 (1).....................     $    142       8.83%      $  5,016       8.44%      $ 11,971      8.46%     $ 18,566     8.58%
2001.........................          427       8.91          9,571       8.26          1,726      9.01         1,307     8.62
2002.........................          826       8.11          1,257       8.47          1,199      9.86         2,263     8.45
2003 and 2004................        2,436       7.93         15,553       8.33            373      7.75         5,638     8.38
2005 to 2009.................       34,450       7.29         43,276       8.37          3,602      7.50         2,225     8.72
2010 to 2024.................      195,768       7.15         35,709       8.04            249      9.25           437     9.38
2025 and following...........      110,682       7.20            ---        ---             27      8.50           332     9.24
                                  --------       ----       --------       ----       --------      ----      --------     ----
  Total .....................     $344,731       7.19%      $110,382       8.25%      $ 19,147      8.41%     $ 30,768     8.56%
                                  ========       ====       ========       ====       ========      ====      ========     ====



                                        Consumer                Total
                                  --------------------  ---------------------
                                             Weighted                Weighted
                                             Average                 Average
                                   Amount      Rate      Amount        Rate
                                  ---------  ---------  ---------    --------
                                            (Dollars in Thousands)
Due During the Years Ending
September 30,
- -----------------------------
                                                           
2000 (1).....................     $  1,874    10.78%    $ 37,569       8.60%
2001.........................        2,686    10.70       15,717       8.83
2002.........................        4,005    10.39        9,550       9.33
2003 and 2004................       16,733     8.54       40,733       8.40
2005 to 2009.................       27,874     8.51      111,427       8.03
2010 to 2024.................       14,218     8.42      246,381       7.36
2025 and following...........          305    11.55      111,346       7.22
                                  --------    -----     --------       ----
  Total .....................     $ 67,695     8.77%    $572,723       7.72%
                                  ========    =====     ========       ====


- -------------------------------
(1) Includes demand loans, loans having no stated maturity, and overdraft loans.
(2) Includes land loans.

                                       5

         The  following  table  sets  forth the  dollar  amounts  of fixed-  and
adjustable-rate  loans at September  30, 1999 that are  contractually  due after
September 30, 2000.


                                                                       Due After September 30, 2000
                                                               ------------------------------------------
                                                                  Fixed        Adjustable        Total
                                                               -----------    -----------     -----------
                                                                             (In Thousands)
                                                                                     
One- to four-family residential mortgage loans............     $   263,479    $    81,110     $   344,589
                                                               -----------    -----------     -----------

Commercial real estate loans..............................          44,850         60,516         105,366
Commercial business loans.................................           8,009          4,193          12,202
Construction loans........................................           3,838          3,338           7,176
                                                               -----------    -----------     -----------
         Total commercial loans...........................          56,697         68,047         124,744
                                                               -----------    -----------     -----------

Consumer loans............................................          41,260         24,561          65,821
                                                               -----------    -----------     -----------

         Total loans......................................     $   361,436    $   173,718     $   535,154
                                                               ===========    ===========     ===========


         One- to Four-family  Real Estate  Lending.  The Bank's primary  lending
activity is the  origination of one- to four-family  residential  mortgage loans
secured by properties located in the Bank's primary market area. The Bank offers
conforming  and  non-conforming,   fixed-rate  and  adjustable-rate  residential
mortgage  loans  with  maturities  of up to 30 years and  maximum  loan  amounts
generally of up to $600,000.

         The Bank currently offers both fixed- and adjustable-rate  conventional
mortgage  loans  with  terms of 10 to 30 years  that are fully  amortizing  with
monthly or bi-weekly loan payments.  One- to  four-family  residential  mortgage
loans are  generally  underwritten  according  to  Fannie  Mae and  Freddie  Mac
guidelines,  and loans  that  conform  to such  guidelines  are  referred  to as
"conforming loans." The Bank generally  originates both fixed-rate and ARM loans
in amounts up to the maximum conforming loan limits as established by Fannie Mae
and  Freddie  Mac  secondary  mortgage  market  standards,  which are  currently
$240,000  for  single-family  homes.  Private  mortgage  insurance  is generally
required initially for loans with  loan-to-value  ratios in excess of 80%. Loans
in excess of  conforming  loan limits,  in amounts of up to  $600,000,  are also
underwritten  to both  Fannie Mae and  Freddie  Mac  secondary  mortgage  market
standards.  These  loans are  eligible  for sale to various  conduit  firms that
specialize in the purchase of such non-conforming  loans, although most of these
loans are retained in the Bank's loan portfolio.

         The Bank's  bi-weekly  one- to four-family  residential  mortgage loans
result in significantly  shorter repayment  schedules than conventional  monthly
mortgage loans. The accelerated  repayment schedule that accompanies a bi-weekly
mortgage loan results in lower total interest payments and a more rapid increase
in home equity.  Bi-weekly  mortgage  loans are also repaid through an automatic
deduction from the  borrower's  savings or checking  account,  which enables the
Bank to  avoid  the cost of  processing  payments.  As of  September  30,  1999,
bi-weekly  loans totaled $98.4 million or 28.5% of the Bank's  residential  loan
portfolio.

         Fixed-rate  mortgage loans  originated by the Bank include  due-on-sale
clauses which provide that the loan is immediately  due and payable in the event
the borrower  transfers  ownership of the property.  Due-on-sale  clauses are an
important  means of adjusting  the yields on the Bank's  fixed-rate  residential
loan portfolio, and the Bank generally exercises its rights under these clauses.

         The Bank actively monitors its interest rate risk position to determine
the desirable level of investment in fixed-rate  mortgages.  Depending on market
interest  rates and the Bank's  capital  and  liquidity  position,  the Bank may
retain  all  of  its  newly  originated   longer  term  fixed-rate,   fixed-term
residential  mortgage loans or may decide to sell all or a portion of such loans
in the secondary  mortgage market to government  sponsored  enterprises  such as
Fannie  Mae and  Freddie  Mac.  As a matter  of  policy,  the Bank  retains  the
servicing  rights on all loans sold to  generate  fee income and  reinforce  its
commitment to customer service.  For the year ended September 30, 1999, the Bank
sold mortgage loans  totaling $14.1 million  compared with $17.2 million for the
year ended  September 30, 1998.  As of September  30, 1999 and 1998,  the Bank's
portfolio  of loans  serviced  for  others  totaled  $109.0  million  and $120.7
million, respectively.

                                       6

         The  Bank  currently  offers  several  ARM  loan  products  secured  by
residential  properties  with  rates that  adjust  every six months to one year,
after an initial fixed-rate period ranging from six months to seven years. After
the  initial  term,  the  interest  rate on these  loans is reset  based  upon a
contractual   spread  or  margin  above  the  average  yield  on  U.S.  Treasury
securities, adjusted to a constant maturity of six months to one year (the "U.S.
Treasury Constant  Maturity Index"),  as published weekly by the Federal Reserve
Board. ARM loans are generally subject to limitations on interest rate increases
of 2% per adjustment period, and an aggregate  adjustment of 6% over the life of
the loan. ARM loans require that any payment adjustment  resulting from a change
in  the  interest  rate  on the  ARM  loan  be  sufficient  to  result  in  full
amortization  of the loan by the end of the loan term,  and thus,  do not permit
any of the increased  payment to be added to the  principal  amount of the loan,
commonly referred to as negative amortization. At September 30, 1999, the Bank's
ARM portfolio  included  $14.2 million in loans which re-price every six months,
$29.7  million  in  one-year  ARMs and $37.1  million  in loans  with an initial
fixed-rate period ranging from three to seven years.

         The  retention  of ARM  loans,  as  opposed  to long  term,  fixed-rate
residential mortgage loans, in the Bank's portfolio helps reduce its exposure to
interest rate risk.  However,  ARM loans  generally pose different  credit risks
than fixed-rate loans primarily  because the underlying debt service payments of
the borrowers rise as interest rates rise,  thereby increasing the potential for
default.  In order to minimize this risk,  borrowers of one- to four-family  one
year ARM loans are  qualified  at the rate  which  would be in effect  after the
first interest rate adjustment, if that rate is higher than the initial rate.

         While one- to four-family  residential  loans  typically are originated
with 15 to 30 year terms,  such loans,  whether  fixed-rate  or ARMs,  generally
remain  outstanding  in the Bank's  loan  portfolio  for  substantially  shorter
periods of time because  borrowers  must prepay their loans in full upon sale of
the property  pledged as security or upon  refinancing the loan.  Thus,  average
loan maturity is a function of, among other  factors,  the level of purchase and
sale activity in the Bank's primary lending market,  prevailing  market interest
rates, and the interest rates payable on outstanding loans.

         The Bank  requires  title  insurance on all of its one- to  four-family
mortgage  loans,  and also  requires  that fire and extended  coverage  casualty
insurance (and, if appropriate,  flood  insurance) be maintained in an amount at
least  equal to the lesser of the loan  balance or the  replacement  cost of the
improvements. Loans with initial loan-to-value ratios in excess of 80% must have
private mortgage insurance,  although occasional  exceptions may be made. Nearly
all   residential   loans  must  have  a  mortgage  escrow  account  from  which
disbursements are made for real estate taxes and for hazard and flood insurance.

         Commercial Real Estate  Lending.  The Bank originates real estate loans
secured  predominantly  by first liens on  commercial  real estate and apartment
buildings.   The   commercial   real   estate   properties   are   predominantly
non-residential  properties such as office buildings,  shopping centers,  retail
strip centers, industrial and warehouse properties and, to a lesser extent, more
specialized  properties  such  as  churches,  mobile  home  parks,  restaurants,
motel/hotels  and auto  dealerships.  The Bank may, from time to time,  purchase
commercial  real estate loan  participations.  Loans secured by commercial  real
estate  totaled $110.4 million or 19.3% of the Bank's total loan portfolio as of
September 30, 1999, and consisted of 208 loans  outstanding with an average loan
balance of approximately  $531,000.  Substantially  all of the Bank's commercial
real estate loans were secured by properties located in its primary market area.

         As part of the Bank's ongoing interest rate risk  management,  the Bank
offers adjustable-rate  commercial real estate loans. The initial interest rates
on a substantial portion of these loans adjust after an initial five year period
to new market rates that  generally  range  between 200 to 350 basis points over
the  then-current  five  year  U.S.  Treasury  or FHLB  rates.  More  typically,
commercial  real estate  loans may have a term of  approximately  5 to 10 years,
with an amortization schedule of approximately 20 to 25 years, and may be repaid
subject to certain penalties.  Fixed rate loans for a term of 15 to 20 years may
also be made, from time to time.

         In the underwriting of commercial real estate loans, the Bank generally
lends up to 70% of the property's appraised value on apartment buildings,  up to
70% of the  property's  appraised  value on commercial  properties  that are not
owner-occupied,  and up to 75% of the property's  appraised  value on commercial
properties that are owner-occupied.  Decisions to lend are based on the economic
viability of the property and the creditworthiness of the borrower. In

                                       7

evaluating a commercial  real estate loan,  the Bank  emphasizes  primarily  the
ratio of net cash flow to debt service for the property,  generally  requiring a
ratio of at least  110%,  computed  after  deduction  for a vacancy  factor  and
property  expenses  deemed  appropriate  by the Bank.  In  addition,  a personal
guarantee  of the  loan is  generally  required  from  the  principal(s)  of the
borrower.  On all real estate loans, the Bank requires title insurance  insuring
the priority of its lien, fire and extended  coverage  casualty  insurance,  and
flood  insurance,  if  appropriate,  in order to  protect  the  Bank's  security
interest in the underlying property.

         Commercial  real estate loans generally carry higher interest rates and
have shorter terms than those on one- to four-family residential mortgage loans.
Commercial real estate loans,  however,  entail  significant  additional  credit
risks  compared  to one- to  four-family  residential  mortgage  loans,  as they
typically  involve large loan  balances  concentrated  with single  borrowers or
groups of related  borrowers.  In  addition,  the  payment  experience  on loans
secured by income  producing  properties  typically  depends  on the  successful
operation  of the  related  real  estate  project  and thus may be  subject to a
greater  extent to  adverse  conditions  in the real  estate  market  and in the
economy generally.

         Construction  Loans. The Bank originates  acquisition,  development and
construction  loans to builders in its market area. This portfolio totaled $19.1
million, or 3.3% of total loans, at September 30, 1999.

         Acquisition  loans  are  made  to help  finance  the  purchase  of land
intended for further development,  including single-family houses,  multi-family
housing,  and commercial  income  property.  In some cases, the Bank may make an
acquisition  loan before the borrower has received  approval to develop the land
as  planned.  Loans for the  acquisition  of land are  generally  limited to the
Bank's most creditworthy  customers. In general, the maximum loan-to-value ratio
for a land acquisition  loan is 50% of the appraised value of the property.  The
Bank also makes  development  loans to  builders  in its market  area to finance
improvements to real estate,  consisting  mostly of single-family  subdivisions,
typically to finance the cost of utilities, roads and sewers. Builders generally
rely on the sale of single family homes to repay development loans,  although in
some  cases the  improved  building  lots may be sold to  another  builder.  The
maximum  loan-to-value  ratio for these loans is generally  60% of the appraised
value  of the  property.  Advances  are  made  in  accordance  with  a  schedule
reflecting the cost of improvements.

         The Bank also  grants  construction  loans to area  builders,  often in
conjunction with development  loans.  These loans finance the cost of completing
homes on the improved property. The loans are generally limited to the lesser of
70% of the appraised  value of the property or the actual cost of  improvements.
In the case of single-family construction,  the Bank limits the number of houses
it  will  finance  that  are  not  under  contract  for  sale.  As  part  of its
underwriting process for construction loans on income producing properties, such
as apartment buildings and commercial rental properties,  the Bank considers the
likelihood of leasing the property at the expected  rental amount,  and the time
to achieve sufficient occupancy levels. The Bank generally requires a percentage
of  the  building  to be  leased  prior  to  granting  a  construction  loan  on
income-producing property.

         Advances on  construction  loans are made in accordance with a schedule
reflecting the cost of construction.  The Bank's policy is to confirm,  prior to
each advance,  that the construction has been completed properly as evidenced by
an inspection  report issued by an appraiser or engineer  hired by the Bank. The
Bank also  confirms  that its lien  priority  remains in force before  advancing
funds.  Repayment of construction loans on residential  subdivisions is normally
expected from the sale of units to individual purchasers.  In the case of income
producing property,  repayment is usually expected from permanent financing upon
completion of construction.  The Bank commits to provide the permanent  mortgage
financing on most of its construction loans on income-producing property.

         Acquisition,  development and construction  lending exposes the Bank to
greater  credit  risk  than  permanent  mortgage  financing.  The  repayment  of
acquisition,  development  and  construction  loans depends upon the sale of the
property  to third  parties or the  availability  of  permanent  financing  upon
completion of all improvements.  In the event the Bank makes an acquisition loan
on property that is not yet approved for the planned  development,  there is the
risk that  approvals  will not be granted or will be delayed.  These  events may
adversely  affect  the  borrower  and  the  collateral  value  of the  property.
Development  and  construction  loans  also  expose  the Bank to the  risk  that
improvements will not be completed on time in accordance with specifications and
projected  costs.  In addition,  the ultimate sale or rental of the property may
not occur as anticipated.

                                       8

         Commercial   Business  Loans.  The  Bank  currently  offers  commercial
business  loans to customers  in its market  area,  some of which are secured in
part by additional real estate  collateral.  In an effort to expand its customer
account relationships and develop a broader base of more interest rate sensitive
assets,  the Bank makes various types of secured and unsecured  commercial loans
for the purpose of financing equipment acquisition,  expansion,  working capital
and other general  business  purposes.  The terms of these loans generally range
from less than one year to seven  years.  The loans are either  negotiated  on a
fixed-rate  basis or carry  adjustable  interest rates indexed to a lending rate
which is determined internally, or a short-term market rate index. The Bank may,
from  time  to  time,  purchase  commercial  business  loan  participations.  At
September 30, 1999, the Bank had 285 commercial  business loans outstanding with
an aggregate balance of $30.8 million,  or 5.4% of the total loan portfolio.  As
of  September  30,  1999,  the  average  commercial  business  loan  balance was
approximately $108,000.

         Commercial credit decisions are based upon a complete credit assessment
of the loan applicant.  A determination is made as to the applicant's ability to
repay in accordance with the proposed terms as well as an overall  assessment of
the risks  involved.  An  investigation  is made of the  applicant  to determine
character  and capacity to manage.  Personal  guarantees of the  principals  are
generally  required.  In  addition  to an  evaluation  of the  loan  applicant's
financial  statements,  a determination is made of the probable  adequacy of the
primary and secondary sources of repayment to be relied upon in the transaction.
Credit agency reports of the  applicant's  credit history as well as bank checks
and  trade   investigations   supplement   the   analysis  of  the   applicant's
creditworthiness.  Collateral  supporting a secured transaction is also analyzed
to  determine  its  marketability  and  liquidity.   Commercial  business  loans
generally  bear higher  interest  rates than  residential  loans,  but they also
involve a higher risk of default since their repayment is generally dependent on
the successful operation of the borrower's business.

         Consumer  Loans.  The Bank  originates  a variety of consumer and other
loans,  including  homeowner  loans,  home equity lines of credit,  new and used
automobile loans, and personal unsecured loans, including fixed-rate installment
loans and  prime  rate  variable  lines-of-credit.  As of  September  30,  1999,
consumer loans totaled $67.7 million, or 11.8% of the total loan portfolio.

         At September 30, 1999, the largest group of consumer loans consisted of
$60.2 million of loans secured by junior liens on  residential  properties.  The
Bank  offers  fixed-rate,  fixed-term  second  mortgage  loans,  referred  to as
"homeowner loans," and  adjustable-rate  home equity lines of credit.  Homeowner
loans are offered in amounts up to 100% of the  appraised  value of the property
(including prior liens) with a maximum loan amount of $75,000. Home equity loans
are  generally  offered  in  amounts  up to 75% of the  appraised  value  of the
property  including prior liens,  with a maximum loan amount of $200,000.  As of
September 30, 1999,  homeowner loans totaled $34.9 million or 6.1% of the Bank's
total loan  portfolio.  The  disbursed  portion of home  equity  lines of credit
totaled $25.4 million,  or 4.4% of the Bank's total loan  portfolio,  with $54.8
million remaining undisbursed.

         Other consumer loans include personal loans and loans secured by new or
used automobiles. As of September 30, 1999, these loans totaled $7.5 million, or
1.3% of the Bank's total loan portfolio.  The Bank originates  automobile  loans
directly to its  customers  and has no  outstanding  agreement  with  automobile
dealerships to generate  indirect loans. The maximum term for an automobile loan
is  generally  60 months for a new car,  and 36 to 48 months for a used car. The
Bank will  generally  lend up to 100% of the purchase price of a new car, and up
to 90% of the lesser of the purchase price or the National  Automobile  Dealers'
Association  book  rate for a used  car.  The Bank  requires  all  borrowers  to
maintain collision insurance on automobiles  securing loans in excess of $5,000,
with the Bank  listed as loss payee.  Personal  loans also  include  secured and
unsecured installment loans.  Unsecured installment loans generally have shorter
terms than secured consumer loans, and generally have higher interest rates than
rates charged on secured installment loans with comparable terms.

         The  Bank's  procedures  for  underwriting  consumer  loans  include an
assessment  of an  applicant's  credit  history and the ability to meet existing
obligations  and  payments  on  the  proposed  loan.   Although  an  applicant's
creditworthiness  is a primary  consideration,  the  underwriting  process  also
includes a comparison of the value of the  collateral  security,  if any, to the
proposed loan amount.

                                       9

         Consumer loans generally entail greater risk than residential  mortgage
loans,  particularly in the case of consumer loans that are unsecured or secured
by assets that tend to depreciate rapidly,  such as automobiles.  In such cases,
repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate
source of repayment for the outstanding loan and the remaining  deficiency often
does not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower. In
addition,  the repayment of consumer loans depends on the  borrower's  continued
financial  stability,  as their  repayment  is more likely than a single  family
mortgage loan to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal
bankruptcy.  Furthermore,  the  application  of various  federal  and state laws
(including  bankruptcy  and  insolvency  laws) may limit the amount  that can be
recovered on such loans.

         Loan  Originations,  Purchases,  Sales  and  Servicing.  While the Bank
originates both fixed-rate and  adjustable-rate  loans,  its ability to generate
each type of loan depends upon borrower demand,  market interest rates, borrower
preference  for fixed-  versus  adjustable-rate  loans,  and the interest  rates
offered on each type of loan by other  lenders in the Bank's  market area.  This
includes  competing banks,  savings banks,  credit unions,  and mortgage banking
companies,  as well as life insurance  companies,  and Wall Street conduits that
also actively compete for local commercial real estate loans.  Loan originations
are  derived  from a number  of  sources,  including  branch  office  personnel,
existing customers, borrowers, builders, attorneys, real estate broker referrals
and walk-in customers.

         The  Bank's  loan  origination  and  sales  activity  may be  adversely
affected  by a rising  interest  rate  environment  that  typically  results  in
decreased  loan demand.  Accordingly,  the volume of loan  originations  and the
profitability  of  this  activity  can  vary  from  period  to  period.  One- to
four-family  residential  mortgage loans are generally  underwritten  to current
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac seller/servicer guidelines. One- to four-family loans
are also closed on  standard  Fannie  Mae/Freddie  Mac  documents  and sales are
conducted  using standard Fannie  Mae/Freddie Mac purchase  contracts and master
commitments as applicable.  One- to four-family  mortgage loans may be sold both
to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on a non-recourse basis whereby foreclosure losses
are generally the responsibility of either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and not the
Bank.

         The Bank is a qualified  loan  servicer for both Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac.  The Bank's  policy has been to retain the  servicing  rights for all loans
sold, and to continue to collect payments on the loans, maintain tax escrows and
applicable  fire  and  flood  insurance  coverage,   and  supervise  foreclosure
proceedings if necessary. The Bank retains a portion of the interest paid by the
borrower on the loans as consideration for its servicing activities.

                                       10

         The following table sets forth the loan origination, sale and repayment
activities of the Bank for the periods indicated. The Bank has not purchased any
loans in recent years.


                                                                               Year Ended September 30,
                                                                         -----------------------------------
                                                                           1999         1998          1997
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------
                                                                                    (In Thousands)
                                                                                          
Unpaid principal balances at beginning of year.......................    $ 468,573    $ 408,276    $ 372,844
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------
Originations by Type
  Adjustable-rate:
     One- to four-family.............................................       17,563       14,976       11,299
     Commercial real estate..........................................       17,540        9,025        8,257
Commercial business..................................................       20,616       19,593        8,140
     Construction....................................................       16,941       12,529       14,240
     Consumer........................................................       12,510       11,587       14,166
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------
       Total adjustable-rate.........................................       85,170       67,710       56,102
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------
  Fixed-rate:
     One- to four-family.............................................      100,873       93,493       33,214
     Commercial real estate..........................................       22,244        8,161          710
     Commercial business.............................................        4,584        3,209        4,788
     Construction....................................................           --           --        1,002
     Consumer........................................................       21,213       20,100       16,954
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------
       Total fixed-rate..............................................      148,914      124,963       56,668
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------

     Total loans originated..........................................      234,084      192,673      112,770

Sales................................................................      (13,804)     (17,003)        (243)
Principal repayments.................................................     (115,525)    (114,166)     (75,744)
Net charge-offs......................................................         (294)        (610)        (636)
Transfers to real estate owned.......................................         (311)        (597)        (715)
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------
Unpaid principal balances at end of year.............................      572,723      468,573      408,276

Allowance for loan losses............................................       (6,202)      (4,906)      (3,779)
                                                                         ---------    ---------    ---------

Net loans at end of year.............................................    $ 566,521    $ 463,667    $ 404,497
                                                                         =========    =========    =========


         Loan Approval  Authority and Underwriting.  The Bank has four levels of
lending  authority:  the Board of Directors,  the Director Loan  Committee,  the
Management  Loan  Committee,  and  individual  loan  officers.  The Board grants
lending authority to the Director Loan Committee, the majority of the members of
which are Directors.  The Director Loan Committee in turn may grant authority to
the  Management  Loan  Committee  and  individual  loan  officers.  In addition,
designated members of management may grant authority to individual loan officers
up to  specified  limits.  The  lending  activities  of the Bank are  subject to
written  policies   established  by  the  Board.  These  policies  are  reviewed
periodically.

         The Director  Loan  Committee  may approve  loans of up to a maximum of
$3.2  million in the  aggregate  to any one  borrower  and  related  entities in
accordance with the Bank's  loans-to-one  borrower policy.  Loans exceeding $3.2
million  in the  aggregate  require  approval  of the  Board of  Directors.  The
Management Loan Committee may approve loans of up to an aggregate of $650,000 to
any one borrower and related  borrowers.  Two loan officers with sufficient loan
authority  acting  together  may  approve  loans  up to  $350,000.  The  maximum
individual authority to approve an unsecured loan is $50,000.

         The  Bank has  established  a risk  rating  system  for its  commercial
business  loans,  commercial  real  estate  loans,  and  construction  loans  to
builders.  The risk rating system assesses a variety of factors to rank the risk
of  default  and  risk of loss  associated  with the  loan.  These  ratings  are
performed by commercial credit personnel who do not have responsibility for loan
originations.  The Bank  determines its maximum loans to one borrower based upon
the rating of the loan. The large majority of loans fall into three  categories.
The maximum for the best rated borrowers is $7.5

                                       11

million,  for the next group of  borrowers  is $5.5  million,  and for the third
group is $3.5 million. Sublimits apply based on reliance on any single property,
and for commercial loans.

         In connection  with its  residential  and commercial real estate loans,
the Bank requires property  appraisals  performed by independent  appraisers who
are approved by the Board.  Appraisals are then reviewed by the appropriate loan
underwriting  areas of the Bank. The Bank also requires title insurance,  hazard
insurance and, if indicated,  flood insurance on property  securing its mortgage
loans.  For  consumer  loans under  $50,000,  such as equity lines of credit and
homeowner loans, title insurance is not required.

         Loan  Origination  Fees and Costs.  In addition  to interest  earned on
loans,  the Bank also receives loan  origination  fees.  Such fees vary with the
volume and type of loans and commitments made, and competitive conditions in the
mortgage markets, which in turn respond to the demand and availability of money.
The Bank defers loan  origination  fees and costs, and amortizes such amounts as
an  adjustment  to yield  over  the  term of the loan by use of the  level-yield
method.  Deferred loan origination costs (net of deferred fees) were $838,000 at
September 30, 1999.

         To the extent  that  originated  loans are sold on or after  January 1,
1997,  Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 125, "Accounting
for  Transfers  and  Servicing  of  Financial  Assets  and   Extinguishments  of
Liabilities,"  requires the Bank to capitalize a mortgage servicing asset at the
time of the sale.  In the year ended  September  30, 1999,  the Bank  recognized
$139,000 in income upon  capitalization of originated  mortgage servicing rights
for  loans  sold  on a  servicing-retained  basis.  The  capitalized  amount  is
amortized  thereafter  (over the period of estimated net servicing  income) as a
reduction of servicing fee income.  The  unamortized  amount is fully charged to
income when loans are prepaid. Asset recognition of servicing rights on sales of
originated loans was not permitted under accounting standards in effect prior to
SFAS No. 125, when the Bank sold the majority of the loans it presently services
for others.  Originated  mortgage  servicing  rights with an  amortized  cost of
$255,000 are included in other  assets at September  30, 1999.  See also Notes 1
and 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

         Loans-to-One  Borrower.  Savings  associations  are subject to the same
loans-to-one  borrower limits as those applicable to national banks, which under
current regulations  restrict loans to one borrower to an amount equal to 15% of
unimpaired net worth on an unsecured  basis,  and an additional  amount equal to
10% of  unimpaired  net  worth  if the loan is  secured  by  readily  marketable
collateral (generally,  financial instruments and bullion, but not real estate).
The Bank  monitors  its  credit  limits  by  relationship  and by  total  credit
exposure,  including  the unused  portion of credit made  available by the Bank,
such as unadvanced  amounts on construction loans and unused lines of credit. At
September  30, 1999,  the five largest  aggregate  amounts  loaned to individual
borrowers  by the Bank  (including  any unused lines of credit) were as follows:
$7.2 million,  consisting of mortgage-secured financing; $7.0 million consisting
of mortgage secured and unsecured financing; $6.9 million secured by a mortgage;
$5.3 million,  consisting of mortgage-secured and unsecured financing;  and $5.1
million, secured by marketable securities.  All of the loans discussed above are
performing in accordance with their terms.

Delinquent Loans, Other Real Estate Owned and Classified Assets

         Collection Procedures.  A computer generated late notice is sent by the
17th day of the month  requesting  the payment due plus the late charge that was
assessed.  After the late notices  have been mailed,  accounts are assigned to a
collector  for  follow-up to  determine  reasons for  delinquency  and to review
payment  options.  Additional  system-generated  collection  letters are sent to
customers  every  10  days.  Notwithstanding  ongoing  collection  efforts,  all
consumer loans are fully charged-off after 120 days.

         Loans  Past Due and  Non-performing  Assets.  Loans are  reviewed  on a
regular basis.  Loans are placed on non-accrual  status when either principal or
interest  is 90 days or  more  past  due.  In  addition,  loans  are  placed  on
non-accrual  status  when,  in the opinion of  management,  there is  sufficient
reason to  question  the  borrower's  ability to  continue  to meet  contractual
principal or interest  payment  obligations.  Interest accrued and unpaid at the
time a loan is placed on a non-accrual  status is reversed from interest income.
Interest  payments  received on  non-accrual  loans are not recognized as income
unless warranted based on the borrower's financial condition and payment record.
At

                                       12

September 30, 1999, the Bank had non-accrual loans of $4.6 million. The ratio of
non-performing loans to total loans was 0.82% at September 30, 1999.

         Real estate  acquired as a result of  foreclosure or by deed in lieu of
foreclosure  is classified as real estate owned ("REO") until such time as it is
sold.  When real estate is acquired  through  foreclosure  or by deed in lieu of
foreclosure, it is recorded at its fair value, less estimated costs of disposal.
If the fair value of the property is less than the loan balance,  the difference
is charged  against the  allowance for loan losses.  At September 30, 1999,  the
Bank had REO of $403,000.  The Bank had total non-performing assets (non-accrual
loans and REO) of $5.0  million  and a ratio of  non-performing  assets to total
assets of 0.62% at September 30, 1999.

         The following table sets forth certain  information with respect to the
Bank's loan portfolio delinquencies at the dates indicated.


                                                    Loans Delinquent For
                                        ------------------------------------------
                                             60-89 Days           90 Days and Over            Total
                                        ------------------      ------------------    --------------------
                                        Number      Amount      Number      Amount    Number        Amount
                                        ------      ------      ------      ------    ------        ------
                                                               (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                 
At September 30, 1999
    One- to four-family...............    15       $  1,834        37      $  2,839     52         $  4,673
    Commercial real estate............     1             45         4         1,133      5            1,178
    Commercial business...............   ---            ---         2           208      2              208
    Construction......................   ---            ---         1            27      1               27
    Consumer..........................    21            432        23           429     44              861
                                        ----       --------     -----      --------   ----         --------
     Total............................    37       $  2,311        67      $  4,636    104         $  6,947
                                        ====       ========     =====      ========   ====         ========
At September 30, 1998
    One- to four-family...............     9       $    719        33      $  2,965     42         $  3,684
    Commercial real estate............     2            261         2           871      4            1,132
    Commercial business...............   ---            ---         7           368      7              368
    Construction......................   ---            ---         3         1,256      3            1,256
    Consumer..........................    15            264        14           647     29              911
                                        ----       --------     -----      --------   ----         --------
     Total............................    26       $  1,244        59      $  6,107     85         $  7,351
                                        ====       ========     =====      ========   ====         ========
At September 30, 1997
    One- to four-family...............    11       $  1,245        28      $  2,549     39         $  3,794
    Commercial real estate............     2            204         4         1,375      6            1,579
    Commercial business...............     4             98         7           243     11              341
    Construction......................     C              C         2           276      2              276
    Consumer .........................     5             87        23           234     28              321
                                        ----       --------     -----      --------   ----         --------
     Total............................    22       $  1,634        64      $  4,677     86         $  6,311
                                        ====       ========     =====      ========   ====         ========


                                       13

         Non-Performing  Assets.  The table  below  sets forth the  amounts  and
categories of the Bank's non-performing  assets at the dates indicated.  At each
date presented,  the Bank had no troubled debt restructurings (loans for which a
portion of  interest  or  principal  has been  forgiven  and loans  modified  at
interest rates materially less than current market rates).


                                                                            September 30,
                                                        ---------------------------------------------------
                                                          1999       1998       1997       1996       1995
                                                        -------   --------   --------   --------   --------
                                                                        (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                    
Non-accrual loans:
  One- to four-family..............................     $ 2,839   $  2,965   $  2,549   $  2,731   $  1,972
  Commercial real estate...........................       1,133        871      1,375      2,087      3,346
  Commercial business..............................         208        368        243        109        654
  Construction.....................................          27      1,256        276        920        209
  Consumer.........................................         429        647        234        503        421
                                                        -------   --------   --------   --------   --------
   Total non-performing loans......................       4,636      6,107      4,677      6,350      6,602
                                                        -------   --------   --------   --------   --------

Real estate owned:
  One- to four-family..............................         403         92        186        347         50
  Commercial real estate...........................         ---        274        ---        960        160
                                                        -------   --------   --------   --------   --------
   Total real estate owned.........................         403        366        186      1,307        210
                                                        -------   --------   --------   --------   --------

Total non-performing assets........................     $ 5,039   $  6,473   $  4,863   $  7,657   $  6,812
                                                        =======   ========   ========   ========   ========

Ratios:
  Non-performing loans to total loans..............        0.82%      1.32%      1.16%      1.72%      1.99%
  Non-performing assets to total assets............        0.62       0.94       0.75       1.21       1.29


         For the year ended September 30, 1999, gross interest income that would
have been recorded had the  non-accrual  loans at the end of the period remained
on accrual status  throughout the period  amounted to $395,000.  Interest income
actually recognized on such loans totaled $131,000.

         Classification  of  Assets.   The  Bank's  policies,   consistent  with
regulatory guidelines,  provide for the classification of loans and other assets
that are considered to be of lesser quality as  substandard,  doubtful,  or loss
assets.  An asset is considered  substandard if it is inadequately  protected by
the  current net worth and paying  capacity of the obligor or of the  collateral
pledged, if any.  Substandard assets include those characterized by the distinct
possibility  that  the  savings  institution  will  sustain  some  loss  if  the
deficiencies  are not corrected.  Assets  classified as doubtful have all of the
weaknesses   inherent   in  those   classified   substandard   with  the   added
characteristic  that the  weaknesses  present make  collection or liquidation in
full, on the basis of currently existing facts,  conditions,  and values, highly
questionable  and  improbable.  Assets  classified as loss are those  considered
uncollectible  and of such little value that their  continuance as assets is not
warranted.  Assets  that do not  expose the Bank to risk  sufficient  to warrant
classification in one of the aforementioned  categories,  but which possess some
weaknesses,  are required to be designated as special mention by management.  As
of September 30, 1999, the Bank had $4.6 million of assets designated as special
mention.

         When the Bank classifies assets as either  substandard or doubtful,  it
allots for analytical purposes a portion of general valuation allowances or loss
reserves  to such assets as deemed  prudent by  management.  General  allowances
represent loss allowances  that have been  established to recognize the inherent
risk  associated with lending  activities,  but which have not been allocated to
particular  problem assets.  When the Bank classifies problem assets as loss, it
is required either to establish a specific allowance for losses equal to 100% of
the amount of the assets so classified, or to charge-off such amount. The Bank's
determination  as to the  classification  of its  assets  and the  amount of its
valuation allowance is subject to review by its regulatory  agencies,  which can
order the  establishment  of additional loss  allowances.  Management  regularly
reviews the Bank's  asset  portfolio  to  determine  whether any assets  require
classification  in  accordance  with  applicable  regulations.  On the  basis of
management's  review of the Bank's  assets at  September  30,  1999,  classified
assets consisted of substandard assets of $4.2 million (loans receivable of $3.8
million and REO of $403,000) and doubtful assets (loans receivable) of $271,000.
There were no assets classified as loss at September 30, 1999.

                                       14

         Allowance  for Loan Losses.  The Bank provides for loan losses based on
the allowance  method.  Accordingly,  all loan losses are charged to the related
allowance and all recoveries are credited to it.  Additions to the allowance for
loan losses are provided by charges to income based on various factors which, in
management's  judgment,  deserve  current  recognition  in  estimating  probable
losses. Management regularly reviews the loan portfolio and makes provisions for
loan losses in order to maintain the adequacy of the  allowance for loan losses.
The  allowance  for loan losses  consists of amounts  specifically  allocated to
non-performing  loans and potential problem loans (if any) as well as allowances
determined for each major loan category.  Loan categories such as  single-family
residential mortgages and consumer loans are generally evaluated on an aggregate
or "pool" basis by applying loss factors to the current  balances of the various
loan  categories.  The loss factors are  determined  by  management  based on an
evaluation of historical loss experience, delinquency trends, volume and type of
lending conducted,  and the impact of current economic  conditions in the Bank's
market  area.  While  management  uses the best  information  available  to make
evaluations,  future adjustments to the allowance may be necessary if conditions
differ substantially from the assumptions used in making the evaluations.

         In addition,  various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their
examination  process,  periodically review the Bank's allowance for loan losses.
Such agencies may require the Bank to recognize additions to the allowance based
on  their  judgments  of  information  available  to them at the  time of  their
examination.

         At September 30, 1999,  the allowance for loan losses was $6.2 million,
which equaled 1.10% of net loans and 133.78% of  non-performing  loans.  For the
years ended  September  30,  1999,  1998 and 1997,  the Bank  recorded  net loan
charge-offs of $294,000, $610,000 and $636,000,  respectively, as a reduction of
the allowance for loan losses. Provisions for loan losses added to the allowance
were $1.6 million, $1.7 million and $1.1 million during the respective periods.

         The  following  table sets forth  activity in the Bank's  allowance for
loan losses for the years indicated.


                                                                        Years Ended September 30,
                                                            1999       1998       1997       1996       1995
                                                          -------    -------    -------   --------   --------
                                                                          (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                      
Balance at beginning of year...........................   $ 4,906    $ 3,779    $ 3,357   $  3,472   $  2,837
                                                          -------    -------    -------   --------   --------

Charge-offs:

  One- to four-family..................................        (9)       (13)      (114)       (33)       (85)
  Commercial real estate...............................       ---        (87)      (301)      (840)         -
  Commercial business..................................      (567)       (10)      (173)         -          -
  Construction.........................................       ---       (355)         -          -          -
  Consumer.............................................      (346)      (200)      (171)      (203)       (67)
                                                          -------    -------    -------   --------   --------
    Total charge-offs..................................      (922)      (665)      (759)    (1,076)      (152)
                                                          -------    -------    -------   --------   --------
Recoveries:
  One- to four-family..................................       ---        ---         42          3          -
  Commercial real estate...............................       101        ---        ---        ---        ---
  Commercial business..................................       194        ---          -          -          -
  Construction.........................................       286          2         32         14          -
  Consumer.............................................        47         53         49         33         27
                                                          -------    -------    -------   --------   --------
    Total recoveries...................................       628         55        123         50         27
                                                          -------    -------    -------   --------   --------

Net charge-offs........................................      (294)      (610)      (636)    (1,026)      (125)
Provision for loan losses..............................     1,590      1,737      1,058        911        760
                                                          -------    -------    -------   --------   --------
Balance at end of year.................................     6,202      4,906    $ 3,779   $  3,357   $  3,472
                                                          =======    =======    =======   ========   ========

Ratios:
  Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding.........      0.06%      0.14%      0.17%      0.29%      0.04%
  Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans....    133.78      80.33      80.80      52.87      52.59
  Allowance for loan losses to total loans, net .......      1.10       1.06       0.93       0.91       1.05


                                       15

         Allocation of Allowance for Loan Losses. The following tables set forth
the  allowance  for loan  losses  allocated  by loan  category,  the total  loan
balances by category,  and the percent of loans in each  category to total loans
at the dates indicated. The allowance for loan losses allocated to each category
is not  necessarily  indicative of future losses in any particular  category and
does not restrict the use of the allowance to absorb losses in other categories.


                                                                           September 30,
                           --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          1999                                 1998                                 1997
                           ------------------------------       -------------------------------      ------------------------------
                                                   Percent                                Percent                            Percent
                                                  of Loans                               of Loans                           of Loans
                                          Loan     in Each                    Loan        in Each                   Loan     in Each
                                        Balances  Category                   Balances    Category                 Balances  Category
                           Loan Loss       by     to Total      Loan Loss      by        to Total    Loan Loss       by     to Total
                           Allowance    Category    Loans       Allowance    Category     Loans      Allowance    Category    Loans
                           ---------    --------    -----       ---------    --------     -----      ---------    --------    -----
                                                                        (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                                   
One- to four-family ...... $  2,091     $344,731     60.2%      $  1,320     $290,334      62.0%     $    734     $241,886     59.3%
Commercial real estate ...    2,416      110,382     19.3          1,976       71,149      15.1         1,431       62,910     15.4
Commercial business ......      254       30,768      5.4            376       24,372       5.2           443       18,433      4.5
Construction .............      614       19,147      3.3            301       20,049       4.3           389       23,475      5.7
Consumer .................      827       67,695     11.8            933       62,669      13.4           782       61,572     15.1
                           --------     --------    -----       --------     --------     -----      --------     --------    -----

   Total.................. $  6,202     $572,723    100.0%      $  4,906     $468,573     100.0%     $  3,779     $408,276    100.0%
                           ========     ========    =====       ========     ========     =====      ========     ========    =====



                                                      September 30,
                           --------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          1996                                 1995
                           ------------------------------       -------------------------------
                                                   Percent                                Percent
                                                  of Loans                               of Loans
                                          Loan     in Each                    Loan        in Each
                                        Balances  Category                   Balances    Category
                           Loan Loss       by     to Total      Loan Loss      by        to Total
                           Allowance    Category    Loans       Allowance    Category     Loans
                           ---------    --------    -----       ---------    --------     -----
                                                 (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                        
One- to four-family ...... $    756     $219,827     59.0%      $    696     $199,017      59.3%
Commercial real estate ...    1,247       66,145     17.7          1,377       66,820      19.9
Commercial business ......      536       15,268      4.1            536       11,160       3.3
Construction .............      389       16,074      4.3            389        6,228       1.9
Consumer .................      429       55,530     14.9            474       52,194      15.6
                           --------     --------    -----       --------     --------     -----

   Total.................. $  3,357     $372,844    100.0%      $  3,472     $335,419     100.0%
                           ========     ========    =====       ========     ========     =====


                                       16

Securities Activities

         The Company's securities  investment policy is established by the Board
of Directors.  This policy dictates that investment decisions will be made based
on the safety of the investment, liquidity requirements, potential returns, cash
flow targets,  and consistency with the Company's  interest rate risk management
strategy.   The  Board's   asset/liability   committee  oversees  the  Company's
investment  program and evaluates on an ongoing  basis the Company's  investment
policy and  objectives.  The chief  financial  officer,  or the chief  financial
officer  acting with the chief  executive  officer,  is  responsible  for making
securities  portfolio  decisions in accordance with  established  policies.  The
Company's chief financial officer and chief executive officer have the authority
to purchase and sell securities  within specific  guidelines  established by the
investment  policy.  In addition,  all  transactions are reviewed by the Board's
asset/liability committee at least quarterly.

         The Company's current policies  generally limit securities  investments
to U.S.  Government and U.S. Agency  securities,  municipal bonds, and corporate
debt  obligations,  as well as  investments  in  preferred  and common  stock of
government agencies such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHLB (federal agency
securities).  Securities  in these  categories  are  classified  as  "investment
securities"  for  financial   reporting   purposes.   The  policy  also  permits
investments in mortgage-backed  securities,  including  pass-through  securities
issued  and  guaranteed  by Fannie  Mae,  Freddie  Mac and Ginnie Mae as well as
collateralized  mortgage  obligations  ("CMOs")  issued or backed by  securities
issued  by  these  government  agencies.   Also  permitted  are  investments  in
securities   issued  or  backed  by  the  Small  Business   Administration   and
asset-backed  securities  collateralized by auto loans, credit card receivables,
and home equity and home  improvement  loans. The Company's  current  investment
strategy uses a risk management approach of diversified  investing in fixed-rate
securities   with   short-   to   intermediate-term   maturities,   as  well  as
adjustable-rate  securities,  which  may have a  longer  term to  maturity.  The
emphasis of this approach is to increase overall  investment  securities  yields
while managing interest rate risk. To accomplish these  objectives,  the Company
focuses on investments in mortgage-backed securities and CMOs. In addition, U.S.
Government and other non-amortizing  securities are used for call protection and
liquidity.

         SFAS No. 115 requires the Company to designate  its  securities as held
to maturity,  available for sale, or trading, depending on the Company's ability
and intent.  Available for sale securities are carried at fair value, while held
to maturity  securities are carried at amortized cost. The Company does not have
a trading portfolio.

         As of September 30, 1999, the Company's  overall  securities  portfolio
had a  carrying  value of $205.2  million.  In  accordance  with  SFAS No.  115,
securities with a fair value of $148.4 million,  or 18.2% of total assets,  were
classified as available for sale,  while  securities with an amortized cost of $
56.8 million, or 6.9% of total assets, were classified as held to maturity.  The
estimated fair value of these held to maturity  securities at September 30, 1999
was $56.5 million, which was $303,000 less than their amortized cost.

         Government  Securities.  At September 30, 1999,  the Company held $61.9
million, or 7.6% of total assets, in government securities, consisting primarily
of U.S.  Treasury and agency  obligations with short- to medium-term  maturities
(one to five years), of which $58.9 million was classified as available for sale
and $3.0  million was  classified  as held to maturity.  While these  securities
generally  provide lower yields than other  investments such as  mortgage-backed
securities, the Company's current investment strategy is to maintain investments
in such  instruments  to the  extent  appropriate  for  liquidity  purposes,  as
collateral for borrowings, and for prepayment protection.

         Corporate Bonds and Other Debt  Securities.  At September 30, 1999, the
Company  held  $23.7  million in  corporate  debt  securities,  all of which was
classified as available for sale.  Although  corporate  bonds may offer a higher
yield than that of a U.S.  Treasury or agency  security of comparable  duration,
corporate bonds also may have a higher risk of default due to adverse changes in
the  creditworthiness  of the issuer. In recognition of this potential risk, the
Company's  policy limits  investments in corporate  bonds to securities with ten
years or less and rated "A" or  better  by at least  one  nationally  recognized
rating agency, and to a total investment of no more than $2.0 million per issuer
and a total portfolio limit of $40.0 million. At September 30, 1999, the Company
held $11.2 million in bonds issued by

                                       17

states and  political  subdivisions,  of which $10.8  million was  classified as
available for sale and $415,000 was  classified  as held to maturity.  The bonds
are not rated.

         Equity  Securities.   At  September  30,  1999,  the  Company's  equity
securities  portfolio  totaled  $3.2  million,  all of which was  classified  as
available for sale,  and consisted of preferred  stock issued by Freddie Mac and
Fannie Mae, and certain other equity investments.  The Company benefits from its
investment  in common and  preferred  stock due to a tax  deduction  the Company
receives with regard to dividends paid by domestic  corporate  issuers on equity
securities held by other corporate  entities,  such as the Company.  The Company
also held $6.2 million of common stock in the FHLB of New York that must be held
as a condition of membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

         Mortgage-Backed   Securities.  The  Company  purchases  mortgage-backed
securities in order to: (i) generate positive interest rate spreads with minimal
administrative  expense;  (ii) lower  credit risk as a result of the  guarantees
provided  by  Freddie  Mac,  Fannie  Mae and  Ginnie  Mae;  and  (iii)  increase
liquidity. The Company invests primarily in mortgage-backed securities issued or
sponsored  by Fannie Mae,  Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae. The Company also invests
to a lesser extent in securities backed by the Small Business Administration, or
agencies of the U.S. Government.

         Mortgage-backed securities are created by pooling mortgages and issuing
a security collateralized by the pool of mortgages with an interest rate that is
less  than  the  interest  rate  on the  underlying  mortgages.  Mortgage-backed
securities   typically   represent  a  participation   interest  in  a  pool  of
single-family  or  multi-family  mortgages,   although  most  of  the  Company's
mortgage-backed  securities  investments  are  collateralized  by  single-family
mortgages.  The issuers of such securities  (generally U.S.  Government agencies
and government  sponsored  enterprises,  including  Fannie Mae,  Freddie Mac and
Ginnie  Mae)  pool  and  resell  the  participation  interests  in the  form  of
securities  to  investors,  such as the Company,  and  guarantee  the payment of
principal and interest to these investors.  Mortgage-backed securities generally
yield less than the loans that underlie such  securities  because of the cost of
payment   guarantees,   credit   enhancements   and  servicing  fees.   However,
mortgage-backed  securities  are usually  more liquid than  individual  mortgage
loans and may be used to  collateralize  certain  liabilities and obligations of
the  Company.  Investments  in  mortgage-backed  securities  involve a risk that
actual  prepayments  will be greater than the  estimated  life of the  security,
which may require adjustments to the amortization of any premium or accretion of
any discount  relating to such  instruments,  thereby  reducing the net yield on
such securities. There is also reinvestment risk associated with cash flows from
and  redemptions  of such  securities.  In  addition,  the market  value of such
securities may be adversely  affected by changes in interest rates.  The Company
reviews prepayment  estimates for its mortgage-backed  securities at purchase to
ensure that  prepayment  assumptions  are reasonable  considering the underlying
collateral  for the  securities  at issue and  current  interest  rates,  and to
determine the yield and  estimated  maturity of the  mortgage-backed  securities
portfolio.

         At  September  30, 1999,  the  Company's  mortgage-backed  pass-through
securities portfolio totaled $74.2 million, of which $26.5 million was available
for  sale  and  $47.7  million  was  held  to  maturity.  Although  the  average
contractual maturity of the aggregate  mortgage-backed  securities portfolio was
approximately 15 years, the actual maturity of a mortgage-backed security may be
less than its stated  contractual  maturity due to prepayments of the underlying
mortgages.  Prepayments that are faster than anticipated may shorten the life of
the security and may result in a loss of any  premiums  paid and thereby  reduce
the net yield on such securities.  Although  prepayments of underlying mortgages
depend  on many  factors,  the  difference  between  the  interest  rates on the
underlying mortgages and the prevailing mortgage interest rates generally is the
most  significant  determinant  of the rate of  prepayments.  During  periods of
declining  mortgage  interest  rates,   refinancing   generally   increases  and
accelerates the prepayment of the underlying mortgages and the related security.
Under such  circumstances,  the  Company  may be subject  to  reinvestment  risk
because,  to the extent that the  mortgage-backed  securities prepay faster than
anticipated,  the  Company  may not be able to  reinvest  the  proceeds  of such
repayments and  prepayments  at a comparable  rate of return.  Conversely,  in a
rising interest rate environment prepayments may decline,  thereby extending the
estimated  life of the  security  and  depriving  the  Company of the ability to
reinvest cash flows at the increased rates of interest.

         CMOs  and  REMICs.   In  addition   to   mortgage-backed   pass-through
securities,  the Company invests in CMOs or collateralized mortgage obligations,
including REMICs.  This portfolio is limited to CMOs and REMICs backed by Fannie
Mae  and  Freddie  Mac.  CMOs  are  a  type  of  debt   security   issued  by  a
special-purpose entity that aggregates pools

                                       18

of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities and creates different classes of CMO
securities  with varying  maturities and  amortization  schedules,  as well as a
residual interest,  with each class possessing  different risk  characteristics.
The cash  flows  from the  underlying  collateral  are  generally  divided  into
"tranches" or classes whereby  tranches have descending  priorities with respect
to the  distribution  of  principal  and interest  repayment  of the  underlying
mortgages   and   mortgage-backed   securities,   as  opposed  to   pass-through
mortgage-backed  securities  where  cash flows are  distributed  pro rata to all
security holders. In contrast to mortgage-backed securities from which cash flow
is received (and hence,  prepayment  risk is shared) pro rata by all  securities
holders,  the  cash  flow  from  the  mortgages  or  mortgage-backed  securities
underlying CMOs is paid in accordance with a predetermined priority to investors
holding various tranches of such securities or obligations. A particular tranche
of CMOs may, therefore, carry prepayment risk that differs from that of both the
underlying  collateral  and other  tranches.  Investments in CMOs involve a risk
that  actual  prepayments  will  differ  from those  estimated  in  pricing  the
security,  which may result in adjustments to the net yield on such  securities.
Additionally,  the market value of such securities may be adversely  affected by
changes in market  interest  rates.  Management  believes  these  securities may
represent attractive  alternatives relative to other investments due to the wide
variety of maturity, repayment and interest rate options available.

         The Company's practice is to limit fixed-rate CMO investments primarily
in the  early to  intermediate  tranches,  which  have the  greatest  cash  flow
stability.  Floating  rate CMOs are  purchased  with  emphasis  on the  relative
trade-offs  between life rate caps,  prepayment  risk, and interest  rates.  The
Company's  current  policy with respect to CMOs limits  investments  to non-high
risk  securities  unless  approval  is given by the  Board of  Directors  and an
analysis is provided on how a high-risk  CMO will  improve the overall  interest
rate  risk of the  Company.  High-risk  CMOs are  defined  as  those  securities
exhibiting  significantly greater volatility of estimated average life and price
relative to interest rates compared to 30-year, fixed-rate securities.

Available for Sale Portfolio

         As of  September  30,  1999,  securities  with a fair  value of  $148.4
million,  or 18.2% of total  assets,  were  classified  as  available  for sale.
Investment  securities,  consisting of U.S.  Government  and agency  securities,
municipal  bonds,  and corporate  debt  obligations  as well as  investments  in
preferred  and common stock,  made up $96.6 million of this total,  or 11.8 % of
total assets, with mortgage-backed securities totaling $51.8 million, or 6.4% of
total assets.

                                       19

         The  following  table  sets  forth  the  composition  of the  Company's
available for sale portfolio at the dates indicated.


                                                                        September 30,
                                               ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      1999                  1998                  1997
                                               -------------------   -------------------  --------------------
                                               Amortized    Fair     Amortized    Fair     Amortized    Fair
                                                 Cost       Value      Cost       Value      Cost       Value
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
                                                                   (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                   
Investment Securities:
    U.S. Government securities..............   $31,657    $31,507    $26,119   $ 26,547   $ 27,273   $ 27,387
    Federal agency obligations..............    27,966     27,407     17,028     17,278     15,993     15,948
    Corporate debt securities ..............    24,201     23,667      1,999      1,997      3,007      3,005
    State and municipal securities..........    11,700     10,808        ---        ---        ---        ---
    Equity securities.......................     3,175      3,236      2,017      2,249      2,017      2,177
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
    Total investment securities available
      for sale .............................    98,699     96,625     47,163     48,071     48,290     48,517
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------

Mortgage-Backed Securities:
       Pass-through securities:
        Fannie Mae..........................    16,053     15,930     10,726     10,907     13,172     13,335
        Freddie Mac ........................     3,252      3,306      5,052      5,210      7,364      7,571
        Other ..............................     7,163      7,252      3,167      3,185      4,584      4,567
       CMOs and REMICs......................    25,625     25,274     30,358     30,610     10,665     10,680
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
    Total mortgage-backed securities
      available for sale ...................    52,093     51,762     49,303     49,912     35,785     36,153
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------

    Total available for sale securities.....   $150,792   $148,387   $96,466   $ 97,983   $ 84,075   $ 84,670
                                               ========   ========   =======   ========   ========   ========


         At September 30, 1999, the Company's  available for sale U. S. Treasury
securities  portfolio  totaled $31.5  million,  or 3.9% of total  assets.  These
securities had maturities of less than five years, with a weighted average yield
of 4.86%. At September 30, 1999, the federal agency  securities in the Company's
available for sale portfolio totaled $27.4 million, or 3.4% of total assets, and
had maturities of less than five years,  with a weighted average yield of 6.07%.
The  agency  securities   portfolio  includes  both  non-callable  and  callable
debentures. The agency debentures are callable on a quarterly basis following an
initial  holding period of from twelve to twenty-four  months.  At September 30,
1999,  the state and municipal  securities  in the Company's  available for sale
portfolio  totaled  $10.8  million,  or 1.3% of total  assets,  and had weighted
average  maturity of  approximately  10 years,  with a weighted average tax-free
yield of 4.35%.  Available  for sale  corporate  debt  securities  totaled $23.7
million at  September  30,  1999,  while equity  securities  available  for sale
totaled $3.2 million.

         At September 30, 1999,  $26.5  million of the  Company's  available for
sale  mortgage-backed  securities  consisted of pass-through  securities,  which
totaled 3.3% of total assets. At the same date, the Company's available for sale
CMO portfolio totaled $25.3 million,  or 3.1% of total assets,  and consisted of
CMOs issued by government  sponsored agencies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
with a weighted  average yield of 5.99%.  The Company owns both  fixed-rate  and
floating-rate  CMOs.  The Company's CMO portfolio at September 30, 1999 included
securities of $24.0 million  (principally  available  for sale  securities)  for
which the underlying mortgage collateral had contractual  maturities of over ten
years.  However, as with  mortgage-backed  pass-through  securities,  the actual
maturity  of a CMO may be less  than  its  stated  contractual  maturity  due to
prepayments of the underlying mortgages.



                                       20

Held to Maturity Portfolio

         As of September 30, 1999,  securities  with an amortized  cost of $56.8
million,  or  7.0% of  total  assets,  were  classified  as  held  to  maturity.
Investment  securities,  consisting of U.S.  Government  and agency  securities,
municipal  bonds,  and corporate debt  obligations  made up $3.4 million of this
total,  or 0.4% of  total  assets.  Mortgage-backed  securities  totaling  $53.4
million, or 6.6% of total assets, made up the remainder of this portfolio.

         The following table sets forth the composition of the Company's held to
maturity portfolio at the dates indicated.


                                                                        September 30,
                                               ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      1999                  1998                  1997
                                               -------------------   -------------------  --------------------
                                               Amortized    Fair     Amortized    Fair     Amortized    Fair
                                                 Cost       Value      Cost       Value      Cost       Value
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
                                                                   (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                   

Investment Securities:

  U.S. Government securities................   $   ---    $   ---    $ 8,988   $  9,011   $  8,952   $  8,913
  Federal agency obligations................     2,987      2,953      9,481      9,544     12,521     12,457
  State and municipal and other securities..       415        415        707        707        722        721
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
    Total investment securities held to
      maturity .............................     3,402      3,368     19,176     19,262     22,195     22,091
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------

Mortgage-Backed Securities:
  Pass-through securities:
    Ginnie Mae..............................     5,106      5,140      6,526      6,616      7,971      8,114
    Fannie Mae..............................    18,116     17,786     26,117     26,349     29,674     29,565
    Freddie Mac.............................    22,014     21,900     33,014     33,639     49,158     49,497
    Other...................................     2,453      2,499      2,171      2,264      2,222      2,282
  CMOs and REMICs...........................     5,691      5,786     11,398     11,542     15,046     15,166
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
    Total mortgage-backed securities held
      to maturity ..........................    53,380     53,111     79,226    80,410     104,071    104,624
                                               -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------

Total held to maturity securities...........   $56,782    $56,479    $98,402    $99,672   $126,266   $126,715
                                               =======    =======    =======    =======   ========   ========


         At September 30, 1999, the federal  agency  securities in the Company's
held to maturity  portfolio totaled $3.0 million,  or 0.4% of total assets,  and
had maturities of less than five years,  with a weighted average yield of 6.05%.
The  agency  securities   portfolio  includes  both  non-callable  and  callable
debentures. The agency debentures are callable on a quarterly basis following an
initial holding period of from twelve to twenty-four months.

         At September 30, 1999, the Company's  held to maturity  mortgage-backed
pass-through  securities  portfolio totaled $47.7 million, of which $2.0 million
had a weighted  average  yield of 5.53% and  contractual  maturities  within one
year;  $7.4  million  had a  weighted  average  yield of 5.99%  and  contractual
maturities  within five years;  $14.8  million had a weighted  average  yield of
6.69% and contractual  maturities of five to ten years;  and $21.0 million had a
weighted average yield of 7.10% and contractual maturities of over ten years.

         At September 30, 1999,  $5.7 million of the CMO  portfolio,  or 0.7% of
total assets,  was classified as  held-to-maturity.  The estimated fair value of
the  Company's  held-to-maturity  CMO  portfolio at September  30, 1999 was $5.8
million, or $95,000 more than the amortized cost.

                                       21

         The composition and maturities of the investment  securities  portfolio
(debt securities) and the mortgage-backed  securities portfolio at September 30,
1999 are  summarized in the following  table.  Maturities are based on the final
contractual  payment  dates,  and do not  reflect the impact of  prepayments  or
redemptions that may occur.


                                                          More than One Year    More than Five Years
                                     One Year or Less     through Five Years     through Ten Years    More than Ten Years
                                    -------------------   -------------------   -------------------  ---------------------
                                               Weighted              Weighted              Weighted              Weighted
                                    Amortized   Average   Amortized   Average   Amortized   Average  Amortized   Average
                                      Cost       Yield      Cost       Yield      Cost      Yield      Cost       Yield
                                    --------   --------   --------   --------   --------  ---------  ---------  ---------
                                                                   (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                        
Available for Sale:
Mortgage-Backed Securities
     Freddie Mac ................   $   ---        ---%   $   749       7.32%   $    69       8.79%  $  2,434       6.78%
     Fannie Mae..................       521       6.43        592       6.59      5,265       6.20      9,675       6.55
     CMOs and REMICs.............       ---        ---        ---        ---      6,964       6.13     18,661       5.93
     Other.......................       ---        ---        ---        ---      4,732       6.32      2,431       5.97
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................       521       6.43      1,341       7.00     17,030       6.21     33,201       6.18
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
Investment Securities
     U.S. Gov't and agency
       securities ...............    10,124       6.37     49,499       5.24        ---        ---        ---        ---
     State and municipal
       securities ...............       ---        ---        ---        ---      4,711       3.99      6,989       4.60
     Corporate debt securities...     2,006       5.03     10,062       6.09     12,133       6.75        ---        ---
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................    12,130       6.14     59,561       5.38     16,844       5.98      6,989       4.60
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
   Total available for sale......   $12,651       6.16%   $60,902       5.42%   $33,874       6.10%  $ 40,190       5.90%
                                    =======    =======    =======    =======    =======   ========   ========   ========
Held to Maturity:
Mortgage-Backed Securities
     Freddie Mac ................   $   ---        ---%   $ 1,333       6.21%   $ 8,983       6.66%  $ 11,698       7.04%
     Fannie Mae..................     1,999       5.53      6,096       5.94      4,730       6.41      5,291       6.67
     Ginnie Mae..................       ---        ---          6       7.31      1,052       8.30      4,048       7.85
     CMOs and REMICs.............       ---        ---        ---        ---        ---        ---      5,691       6.32
     Other.......................       ---        ---        ---        ---         28      11.50      2,425       7.35
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................     1,999       5.53      7,435       5.99     14,793       6.70     29,153       6.97
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
Investment Securities
     U.S. Gov't and agency
       securities ...............       ---        ---      2,987       6.05        ---        ---        ---        ---
     State and municipal
       securities ...............       ---        ---         25       7.75        ---        ---        390       6.75
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................       ---        ---      3,012       6.06        ---        ---        390       6.75
                                    -------    -------    -------    -------    -------   --------   --------   --------
   Total held to maturity........   $ 1,999       5.53%   $10,447       6.01%   $14,793       6.70%  $ 29,543       6.97%
                                    =======    =======    =======    =======    =======   ========   ========   ========


                                            Total Securities
                                      -------------------------------
                                                             Weighted
                                      Amortized    Fair      Average
                                        Cost       Value      Yield
                                      ---------  ---------  ---------
                                          (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                   
Available for Sale:
Mortgage-Backed Securities
     Freddie Mac ................     $  3,252   $  3,307       6.95%
     Fannie Mae..................       16,053     15,930       6.43
     CMOs and REMICs.............       25,629     25,273       5.99
     Other.......................        7,163      7,252       6.20
                                      --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................       52,093     51,762       6.21
                                      --------   --------   --------
Investment Securities
     U.S. Gov't and agency
       securities ...............       59,623     58,914       5.43
     State and municipal
       securities ...............       11,700     10,808       4.35
     Corporate debt securities...       24,201     23,667       6.33
                                      --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................       95,524     93,389       5.23
                                      --------   --------   --------
   Total available for sale......     $147,617   $145,151       5.77%
                                      ========   ========   ========
Held to Maturity:
Mortgage-Backed Securities
     Freddie Mac ................     $ 22,014   $ 21,900       6.83%
     Fannie Mae..................       18,116     17,786       6.23
     Ginnie Mae..................        5,106      5,140       7.94
     CMOs and REMICs.............        5,691      5,786       6.32
     Other.......................        2,453      2,499       7.39
                                      --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................       53,380     53,111       6.71
                                      --------   --------   --------
Investment Securities
     U.S. Gov't and agency
       securities ...............        2,987      2,953       6.05
     State and municipal
       securities ...............          415        415       6.81
                                      --------   --------   --------
       Total ....................        3,402      3,368       6.14
                                      --------   --------   --------
   Total held to maturity........     $ 56,782   $ 56,479       6.67%
                                      ========   ========   ========


                                       22

Sources of Funds

         General. Deposits,  repayments and prepayments of loans and securities,
proceeds from sales of loans and securities,  proceeds from maturing  securities
and cash flows from operations,  are the primary sources of the Bank's funds for
use in lending,  investing and for other general  purposes.  To a lesser extent,
the Bank uses borrowed funds (primarily FHLB advances) to fund its operations.

         Deposits. The Bank offers a variety of deposit accounts with a range of
interest rates and terms. Its deposit accounts consist of savings accounts,  NOW
accounts,   checking  accounts,   money  market  accounts,   club  accounts  and
certificates  of deposit.  It offers  certificates  of deposit with  balances in
excess of $100,000, as well as IRAs and other qualified plan accounts.  The Bank
provides commercial checking accounts for small to moderately-sized  businesses,
as well as low-cost checking account services for low-income customers.

         At September 30, 1999,  the Bank's  deposits  totaled  $586.6  million.
Interest-bearing  deposits  totaled $526.8  million,  and  non-interest  bearing
demand deposits  totaled $59.8 million.  NOW,  savings and money market deposits
totaled $289.0 million at September 30, 1999.  Also at that date, the Bank had a
total of $237.8 million in certificates of deposit,  of which $197.4 million had
maturities of one year or less.  Although the Bank has a significant  portion of
its  deposits  in  shorter-term  certificates  of deposit,  management  monitors
activity on these  accounts and,  based on historical  experience and the Bank's
current  pricing  strategy,  believes  it will  retain a large  portion  of such
accounts upon maturity.

         The flow of deposits is influenced  significantly  by general  economic
conditions,  changes  in money  market  rates,  prevailing  interest  rates  and
competition.  The Bank's deposits are obtained  predominantly  from the areas in
which its branch offices are located. It relies primarily on competitive pricing
of its deposit products,  customer service and long-standing  relationships with
customers to attract and retain these deposits;  however,  market interest rates
and rates offered by competing financial  institutions  significantly affect the
Bank's ability to attract and retain deposits.  The Bank uses traditional  means
of  advertising  its deposit  products,  including  radio and print  media,  and
generally  does not  solicit  deposits  from  outside  its  market  area.  While
certificates  of deposit in excess of $100,000 are accepted by the Bank, and may
be subject to preferential  rates, it does not actively solicit such deposits as
they are more difficult to retain than core deposits. Historically, the Bank has
not used brokers to obtain deposits.

         The following  table sets forth the  distribution of the Bank's deposit
accounts, by account type, at the dates indicated.


                                                                     September 30,
                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        1999                             1998                             1997
                           ---------------------------     ----------------------------     ----------------------------
                                               Weighted                          Weighted                        Weighted
                                                Average                           Average                         Average
                            Amount    Percent    Rate       Amount     Percent     Rate      Amount    Percent      Rate
                           --------   ------     -----     --------    ------     -----     --------   ------      -----
                                                                (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                        
Demand deposits

Retail ...............     $ 35,701      6.1%      ---%    $ 31,045       5.4%      ---%    $ 32,104      5.9%       ---%
Commercial ...........       24,147      4.1       ---       19,285       3.4       ---       17,117      3.1        ---
                           --------   ------     -----     --------    ------     -----     --------   ------      -----
Total demand deposits        59,848     10.2       ---       50,330       8.8       ---       49,221      9.0        ---
NOW deposits..........       47,129      8.0      1.01       41,738       7.3      1.22       32,985      6.0       1.25
Savings deposits......      161,809     27.6      2.02      155,934      27.2      1.99      153,171     28.0       2.25
Money market deposits.       80,033     13.6      2.75       76,010      13.3      2.65       75,339     13.8       2.96
                           --------   ------     -----     --------    ------     -----     --------   ------      -----
                            348,819     59.4      1.70      324,012      56.6      1.74      310,716     56.8       1.96
Certificates of deposit     237,821     40.6      4.82      249,162      43.4      5.15      236,130     43.2       5.31
                           --------   ------     -----     --------    ------     -----     --------   ------      -----

  Total deposits.......    $586,640    100.0%     2.97%    $573,174     100.0%     3.22%    $546,846    100.0%      3.40%
                           ========   ======     =====     ========    ======     =====     ========   ======      =====


                                       23

         The following  table sets forth,  by interest rate ranges,  information
concerning the Bank's certificates of deposit at the dates indicated.


                                                 At September 30, 1999
                           -----------------------------------------------------------------------------          Total at
                                                  Period to Maturity                                            September 30,
                           -----------------------------------------------------------------------------    ---------------------
                           Less than   One to     Two to         More than                     Percent
 Interest Rate Range       One Year   Two Years  Three Years    Three Years       Total        of Total       1998        1997
 -------------------       -------- -----------  -----------    -----------     ----------   -----------    -------     ---------
                                                        (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                                
4.00% and below..........  $ 11,195   $    79     $   ---         $ 2,745        $ 14,019         5.9%     $  1,003     $    716
4.01% to 5.00%...........   120,081    12,151       1,272           1,876         135,380        56.9       103,713       68,707
5.01% to 6.00%...........    56,155    16,207       3,944           1,583          77,889        32.8       123,044      151,729
6.01% to 7.00%...........     6,627       122         248              29           7,026         2.9        17,943        9,557
7.01% and above..........     3,315        77         115             ---           3,507         1.5         3,459        5,421
                           --------   -------     -------         -------        --------      ------      --------     --------

   Total.................  $197,373   $28,636     $ 5,579         $ 6,233        $237,821       100.0%     $249,162     $236,130
                           ========   =======     =======         =======        ========      ======      ========     ========


         The following table sets forth the amount of the Bank's certificates of
deposit by time remaining until maturity as of September 30, 1999.


                                                                                Maturity
                                                            -----------------------------------------------
                                                            3 Months   Over 3 to 6   Over 6 to 12   Over 12
                                                            or Less    Months        Months         Months      Total
                                                            -------    -------       -------        -------    -------
                                                                                  (In Thousands)
                                                                                                
Certificates of deposit less than $100,000.............     $59,309    $46,954       $68,755        $35,523    $210,541
Certificates of deposit of $100,000 or more (1)........       8,331      5,968         8,056          4,925      27,280
                                                            -------    -------       -------        -------    --------
   Total of certificates of deposit....................     $67,640    $52,922       $76,811        $40,448    $237,821
                                                            =======    =======       =======        =======    ========


- -----------------------
(1) The weighted average interest rates for these accounts,  by maturity period,
    are 4.40% for 3 months or less;  4.77% for 3 to 6 months;  5.31% for 6 to 12
    months;  and 4.90% for over 12 months. The overall weighted average interest
    rate for accounts of $100,000 or more was 4.84%.

         Borrowings.  At  September  30,  1999,  the Bank had $117.8  million of
borrowings,  of which $115.5 million  consisted of FHLB advances.  FHLB advances
were $38.6  million as of September  30, 1998 and $24.0  million as of September
30,  1997.  At  September  30,  1999,  the Bank had  access to  additional  FHLB
borrowings of up to $128.9 million.

         The  following  table sets forth  information  concerning  balances and
interest  rates on the Bank's  FHLB  advances  at the dates and for the  periods
indicated.


                                                                              Years Ended September 30,
                                                                        ----------------------------------
                                                                          1999        1998          1997
                                                                        --------     -------       -------
                                                                              (Dollars in Thousands)
                                                                                          
Balance at end of year............................................      $115,515     $38,646       $24,000
Average balance during year.......................................        74,319      28,817        23,730
Maximum outstanding at any month end..............................       118,526      38,646        38,000
Weighted average interest rate at end of year.....................          5.60%       5.97%         6.69%
Average interest rate during year.................................          5.53%       5.96%         6.27%


                                       24

Subsidiary Activities

         Provest  Services  Corp.  I is a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of the Bank
holding an investment in a limited partnership which operates an assisted-living
facility.  A  percentage  of  the  units  in the  facility  are  for  low-income
individuals.  Provest Services Corp. II is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank
which has engaged a third-party  provider to sell  annuities and mutual funds to
the Bank's  customers.  Through  September  30, 1999,  the  activities  of these
subsidiaries  have  had  an  insignificant  effect  on the  Bank's  consolidated
financial  condition and results of  operations.  During  fiscal 1999,  the Bank
established  Provident  REIT,  Inc., a wholly-owned  subsidiary in the form of a
real estate  investment  trust  ("REIT").  The REIT holds both  residential  and
commercial real estate loans.

Competition

         The Bank faces  significant  competition in both originating  loans and
attracting deposits.  The New York metropolitan area has a high concentration of
financial institutions,  most of whom are significantly larger institutions that
have greater financial resources than the Bank, and all of which are competitors
of the  Bank  to  varying  degrees.  The  Bank's  competition  for  loans  comes
principally from commercial banks,  savings banks,  mortgage banking  companies,
credit unions and insurance companies and other financial service companies. Its
most direct  competition  for deposits  has  historically  come from  commercial
banks,  savings banks and credit unions.  The Bank faces additional  competition
for deposits from  non-depository  competitors such as the mutual fund industry,
securities and brokerage firms and insurance companies.  Further competition may
arise as restrictions on the interstate operations of financial institutions are
removed.

Employees

         As of September 30, 1999,  the Bank had 211 full-time  employees and 38
part-time  employees.   The  employees  are  not  represented  by  a  collective
bargaining unit and the Bank considers its relationship with its employees to be
good.

REGULATION

General

         As a  federally  chartered,  SAIF-insured  savings  bank,  the  Bank is
subject to examination,  supervision and extensive regulation by the OTS and the
FDIC. This regulation and supervision  establishes a comprehensive  framework of
activities in which an institution can engage and is intended  primarily for the
protection of the  insurance  fund and  depositors.  The Bank also is subject to
regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal
Reserve Board") governing reserves to be maintained against deposits and certain
other  matters.  The  OTS  examines  the  Bank  and  prepares  reports  for  the
consideration  of the Bank's Board of Directors.  The FDIC also has  examination
authority over the Bank in its role as the administrator of the SAIF. The Bank's
relationship  with its  depositors  and  borrowers  also is regulated to a great
extent by both  federal  and  state  laws,  especially  in such  matters  as the
ownership of savings  accounts  and the form and content of the Bank's  mortgage
documents. Any change in such regulation, whether by the FDIC, OTS, or Congress,
could  have a  material  adverse  impact on the  Company  and the Bank and their
operations.

Federal Regulation of Savings Institutions

         Business  Activities.   The  activities  of  savings  institutions  are
governed by the Home  Owners'  Loan Act, as amended (the "HOLA") and, in certain
respects,  the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the "FDI Act") and the regulations
issued by the agencies to implement these  statutes.  These laws and regulations
delineate the nature and extent of the  activities in which savings  association
may engage. The description of statutory  provisions and regulations  applicable
to  savings  associations  set forth  herein  does not  purport to be a complete
description of such statutes and regulations and their effect on the Bank.

                                       25

         Loans  to One  Borrower.  Under  the  HOLA,  savings  institutions  are
generally  subject to the  national  bank limits on loans to a single or related
group  of  borrowers.  Generally,  this  limit is 15% of the  Bank's  unimpaired
capital and surplus,  and an additional 10% of unimpaired capital and surplus if
such loan is  secured  by  readily-marketable  collateral,  which is  defined to
include certain  financial  instruments  and bullion.  The OTS by regulation has
amended the loans to one borrower rule to permit  savings  associations  meeting
certain requirements to extend loans to one borrower in additional amounts under
circumstances  limited  essentially to loans to develop or complete  residential
housing units.

         Qualified  Thrift  Lender   Requirement.   The  HOLA  requires  savings
institutions to be qualified thrift lenders  ("QTL").  To be a QTL, the Bank can
either  satisfy the QTL test,  or the  Domestic  Building  and Loan  Association
("DBLA")  Test of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986,  as amended (the  "Code").
Under the QTL test,  a savings  bank is required to maintain at least 65% of its
"portfolio  assets" (total assets less (i) specified  liquid assets up to 20% of
total  assets,  (ii)  intangibles,  including  goodwill,  and (iii) the value of
property used to conduct business) in certain  "qualified  thrift  investments,"
primarily  residential  mortgages  and related  investments,  including  certain
mortgage-backed  and related  securities on a monthly basis in 9 out of every 12
months.  Under the DBLA test, an  institution  must meet a "business  operations
test" and a "60% of assets  test." The  business  operations  test  requires the
business of a DBLA to consist  primarily of acquiring  the savings of the public
and investing in loans.  An institution  meets the public  savings  requirements
when it meets one of two conditions: (i) the institution acquires its savings in
conformity with OTS rules and regulations; or (ii) the general public holds more
than 75% of its  deposits,  withdrawable  shares,  and  other  obligations.  The
general public may not include family or related  business groups or persons who
are officers or directors of the institution.

         The 60% of assets test  requires  that at least 60% of a DBLA's  assets
must consist of assets that thrifts  normally  hold,  except for consumer  loans
that are not educational loans. The DBLA test does not include,  as the QTL test
does to a limited or optional  extent,  mortgage loans  originated and sold into
the secondary market and subsidiary investments. A savings bank that fails to be
a  QTL  must  either  convert  to  a  bank  charter  or  operate  under  certain
restrictions. As of September 30, 1999, the Bank met the QTL test.

         Limitations   on  Capital   Distributions.   OTS   regulations   impose
limitations upon all capital distributions by savings institutions, such as cash
dividends,  payments to repurchase or otherwise acquire its shares,  payments to
stockholders of another institution in a cash-out merger and other distributions
charged  against  capital.  A "well  capitalized"  institution  can, after prior
notice but without the approval of the OTS, make capital  distributions during a
calendar  year in an amount  up to 100  percent  of its net  income  during  the
calendar year,  plus its retained net income for the preceding two years.  As of
September 30, 1999, the Bank was a "well-capitalized" institution.

         In addition,  OTS  regulations  require the Mutual  Holding  Company to
notify the OTS of any proposed waiver of its right to receive  dividends.  It is
the OTS' recent  practice to review  dividend  waiver  notices on a case-by-case
basis, and, in general, not object to any such waiver if: (i) the mutual holding
company's board of directors determines that such waiver is consistent with such
directors' fiduciary duties to the mutual holding company's members; (ii) for as
long as the savings  association  subsidiary is controlled by the mutual holding
company, the dollar amount of dividends waived by the mutual holding company are
considered as a restriction on the retained earnings of the savings association,
which restriction,  if material, is disclosed in the public financial statements
of the savings  association  as a note to the  financial  statements;  (iii) the
amount of any dividend  waived by the mutual  holding  company is available  for
declaration  as a  dividend  solely  to the  mutual  holding  company,  and,  in
accordance  with SFAS No. 5, where the savings  association  determines that the
payment  of  such  dividend  to the  mutual  holding  company  is  probable,  an
appropriate  dollar  amount is recorded as a  liability;  (iv) the amount of any
waived  dividend is  considered  as having been paid by the savings  association
(and  the  savings   association's   capital  ratios  adjusted  accordingly)  in
evaluating any proposed dividend under OTS capital distribution regulations; and
(v) in the  event  the  mutual  holding  company  converts  to stock  form,  the
appraisal  submitted to the OTS in connection  with the  conversion  application
takes into account the aggregate  amount of the  dividends  waived by the mutual
holding company.

         Liquidity. The Bank is required to maintain an average daily balance of
specified  liquid assets equal to a monthly average of not less than a specified
percentage  (currently  4%)  of  its  net  withdrawable  deposit  accounts  plus
borrowings  payable in one year or less.  Monetary  penalties may be imposed for
failure to meet these liquidity requirements. The Bank's average liquidity ratio
at September 30, 1999 exceeded the then applicable requirements.

         Community  Reinvestment Act and Fair Lending Laws. Savings associations
share a responsibility under the Community  Reinvestment Act ("CRA") and related
regulations  of the OTS to help  meet the  credit  needs  of their  communities,
including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.  In addition, the Equal Credit
Opportunity  Act and the Fair Housing Act  (together,  the "Fair Lending  Laws")
prohibit lenders from  discriminating in their lending practices on the basis of
characteristics  specified in those statutes. An institution's failure to comply
with  the  provisions  of  CRA  could,  at  a  minimum,   result  in  regulatory
restrictions  on its  activities,  and failure to complete with the Fair Lending
Laws

                                       26

could  result  in  enforcement  actions  by the OTS,  as well as  other  federal
regulatory  agencies  and the  Department  of  Justice.  The  Bank  received  an
outstanding  CRA rating  under the  current CRA  regulations  in its most recent
federal examination by the OTS.

         Transactions  with  Affiliates.  The  Bank's  authority  to  engage  in
transactions  with  related  parties or  "affiliates"  (i.e.,  any company  that
controls or is under common control with an  institution,  including the Company
and any  nonsavings  institution  subsidiaries)  or to  make  loans  to  certain
insiders, is limited by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act ("FRA").
Section 23A limits the  aggregate  amount of  transactions  with any  individual
affiliate to 10% of the capital and surplus of the savings  institution and also
limits the aggregate  amount of  transactions  with all affiliates to 20% of the
savings institution's capital and surplus.  Certain transactions with affiliates
are required to be secured by collateral in an amount and of a type described in
Section 23A and the purchase of low quality assets from  affiliates is generally
prohibited.  Section 23B provides  that certain  transactions  with  affiliates,
including loans and asset purchases,  must be on terms and under  circumstances,
including  credit  standards,  that  are  substantially  the same or at least as
favorable to the  institution  as those  prevailing  at the time for  comparable
transactions with nonaffiliated companies.

         Enforcement.  Under  the  FDI  Act,  the OTS  has  primary  enforcement
responsibility  over  savings  institutions  and  has  the  authority  to  bring
enforcement  action  against  all   "institution-related   parties,"   including
stockholders,  and  attorneys,  appraisers  and  accountants  who  knowingly  or
recklessly participate in wrongful action likely to have an adverse effect on an
insured institution.  Formal enforcement action may range from the issuance of a
capital  directive  or cease and  desist  order to removal  of  officers  and/or
directors of the institutions, receivership,  conservatorship or the termination
of deposit  insurance.  Civil  penalties  cover a wide range of  violations  and
actions, and range up to $25,000 per day, unless a finding of reckless disregard
is made, in which case penalties may be as high as $1 million per day. Under the
FDI Act,  the FDIC has the  authority  to  recommend to the Director of OTS that
enforcement action be taken with respect to a particular savings institution. If
action is not taken by the Director,  the FDIC has authority to take such action
under certain circumstances.

         Standards for Safety and  Soundness.  The FDI Act requires each federal
banking agency to prescribe for all insured  depository  institutions  standards
relating to, among other  things,  internal  controls,  information  systems and
audit  systems,  loan  documentation,  credit  underwriting,  interest rate risk
exposure, asset growth, compensation,  and such other operational and managerial
standards as the agency deems appropriate.  The federal banking agencies adopted
Interagency   Guidelines   Prescribing   Standards   for  Safety  and  Soundness
("Guidelines")  to implement the safety and soundness  standards  required under
the FDI Act. 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. The Guidelines address
internal  controls and  information  systems;  internal  audit  systems;  credit
underwriting; loan documentation; interest rate risk exposure; asset growth; and
compensation,  fees and benefits.  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 submit to the agency an
acceptable plan to achieve compliance with the standard,  as required by the FDI
Act. If an institution  fails to meet these standards,  the appropriate  federal
banking agency may require the institution to submit a compliance plan.

         Capital  Requirements.  The OTS  capital  regulations  require  savings
institutions to meet three capital standards:  a 4% tier 1 core capital ratio, a
4% tier 1  risk-based  ratio,  and an 8%  total  risk-based  ratio.  Tier 1 core
capital  is defined  as common  stockholders'  equity  less  investments  in and
advances to "nonincludable" subsidiaries,  goodwill and other intangible assets,
nonqualifying  equity  instruments and disallowed  servicing  assets,  and other
disallowed assets; plus accumulated losses (gains) on certain available-for-sale
securities and cash flow hedges (net of taxes),  qualifying  intangible  assets,
minority   interest  in  includable   consolidated   subsidiaries,   and  mutual
institutions' nonwithdrawable deposit accounts. Adjusted total assets is defined
as total assets less assets of "nonincludable" subsidiaries,  goodwill and other
intangible assets and disallowed  servicing assets and other disallowed  assets;
plus  accumulated  losses (gains) on certain  available-for  sale securities and
cash flow hedges, and qualifying  intangible assets. Total risk-based capital is
defined  as  tier  1  (core)  capital  plus  45%  of  net  unrealized  gains  on
available-for-sale equity securities, qualifying

                                       27

subordinated  debt  and  redeemable  preferred  stock,   capital   certificates,
nonwithdrawable  deposit  accounts  not included in core  capital,  other equity
instruments  and allowances for loan and lease losses;  less equity  investments
and other  assets  required to be deducted,  low-level  recourse  deduction  and
capital reduction for interest-rate risk exposure.

         In  determining  the  amount  of  risk-weighted   assets,  all  assets,
including certain  off-balance sheet assets,  are multiplied by a risk-weight of
0% to 100%, as assigned by the OTS capital regulation based on the risks the OTS
believes are inherent in the type of asset.

         At  September  30,  1999,  the Bank  exceeded  each of the OTS  capital
requirements as summarized below:


                                                                                          To Be Well Capitalized
                                                                      For Capital         Under Prompt Corrective
                                               Actual               Adequacy Purposes         Action Provisions
                                        ---------------------     ----------------------    ---------------------
                                        Amount      Ratio (1)     Amount       Ratio (1)    Amount       Ratio(1)
                                        ------      ---------     ------       ---------    ------       --------
                                                                                         
  Tangible capital..................  $  76,894        9.6%     $  12,069         1.5%    $     ---         ---%
  Tier I core capital...............     76,894        9.6         32,184         4.0        40,230         5.0
  Tier I risk-based capital.........     76,894       15.9            ---         ---        28,986         6.0
  Total risk-based capital..........     82,935       17.2         38,648         8.0        48,310        10.0


- --------------------
(1)  Core capital is calculated  on the basis of a percentage of total  adjusted
     assets;  risk-based  capital  levels  are  calculated  on  the  basis  of a
     percentage of risk-weighted assets.

         Prompt Corrective  Regulatory  Action.  Under the OTS Prompt Corrective
Action  regulations,  the OTS is required to take  certain  supervisory  actions
against  undercapitalized  institutions,  the severity of which depends upon the
institution's  degree of capitalization.  Generally,  a savings institution that
has total  risk-based  capital of less than 8.0% or a leverage ratio or a Tier 1
core capital ratio that is less than 4.0% is considered to be  undercapitalized.
A savings  institution  that has total  risk-based  capital of less than 6.0%, a
Tier 1 core risk-based  capital ratio of less than 3.0% or a leverage ratio that
is less than 3.0% is considered to be  "significantly  undercapitalized,"  and a
savings institution that has a tangible capital to assets ratio equal to or less
than 2.0% is deemed to be  "critically  undercapitalized."  Subject  to a narrow
exception,   the  banking  regulator  is  required  to  appoint  a  receiver  or
conservator  for an  institution  that  is  "critically  undercapitalized."  The
regulation also provides that a capital  restoration plan must be filed with the
OTS  within  45  days of the  date an  institution  receives  notice  that it is
"undercapitalized,"     "significantly    undercapitalized"    or    "critically
undercapitalized."  In addition,  numerous mandatory  supervisory actions become
immediately  applicable  to the  institution,  including,  but not  limited  to,
restrictions  on  growth,  investment  activities,  capital  distributions,  and
affiliate  transactions.  The  OTS  may  also  take  any  one  of  a  number  of
discretionary supervisory actions, including the issuance of a capital directive
and the replacement of senior executive officers and directors.

         At September 30, 1999, the Bank was categorized as "well  capitalized,"
meaning that the Bank's total  risk-based  capital ratio exceeded 10.0%,  Tier I
risk-based  capital ratio exceeded 6.0%,  leverage  capital ratio exceeded 5.0%,
and the Bank was not subject to a  regulatory  order,  agreement or directive to
meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure.

                                       28

         Insurance  of  Deposit  Accounts.  The FDIC has  adopted  a  risk-based
deposit insurance  assessment  system. The FDIC assigns an institution to one of
three capital categories based on the institution's financial information, as of
the  reporting  period  ending  seven  months  before  the  assessment   period,
consisting  of  (1)  well  capitalized,   (2)  adequately   capitalized  or  (3)
undercapitalized, and one of three supervisory subcategories within each capital
group. The supervisory  subgroup to which an institution is assigned is based on
a  supervisory  evaluation  provided  to the FDIC by the  institution's  primary
federal  regulator and  information  which the FDIC determines to be relevant to
the  institution's  financial  condition  and  the  risk  posed  to the  deposit
insurance  funds.  An  institution's  assessment  rate  depends  on the  capital
category  and  supervisory  category  to  which  it is  assigned.  The  FDIC  is
authorized to raise the assessment rates in certain circumstances.  The FDIC has
exercised  this  authority  several  times in the past and may  raise  insurance
premiums  in the future.  If such action is taken by the FDIC,  it could have an
adverse effect on the earnings of the Bank.

Federal Home Loan Bank System

         The Bank, as a federal  association,  is required to be a member of the
FHLB System,  which consists of 12 regional  FHLBs.  The FHLB provides a central
credit facility primarily for member institutions.  The Bank, as a member of the
FHLB of New York,  is required  to acquire  and hold shares of capital  stock in
that FHLB in an amount at least equal to 1% of the aggregate principal amount of
its unpaid residential  mortgage loans and similar  obligations at the beginning
of each year, or 1/20 of its advances  (borrowings) from the FHLB,  whichever is
greater.  As of  September  30,  1999,  the Bank  was in  compliance  with  this
requirement.  The FHLBs are  required  to provide  funds for the  resolution  of
insolvent thrifts and to contribute funds for affordable housing programs. These
requirements  could reduce the amount of  dividends  that the FHLBs pay to their
members and could also result in the FHLBs imposing a higher rate of interest on
advances to their members.

Federal Reserve System

         The Federal Reserve Board regulations  require savings  institutions to
maintain   noninterest-earning   reserves  against  their  transaction  accounts
(primarily NOW and regular checking  accounts).  At September 30, 1999, the Bank
was in compliance with these reserve  requirements.  The balances  maintained to
meet  the  reserve  requirements  imposed  by the FRB  may be  used  to  satisfy
liquidity requirements imposed by the OTS.

Financial Modernization Legislation

         On November 12, 1999,  President Clinton signed the  Gramm-Leach-Bliley
Act, which will be effective on March 11, 2000, and will expand the  permissible
activities of bank holding companies like Financial.  Upon the effective date of
the  legislation,  the Company will be  permitted to own and control  depository
institutions  and to  engage  in  activities  that are  financial  in  nature or
incidental to financial  activities,  or activities that are  complementary to a
financial  activity  and do not  pose  a  substantial  risk  to the  safety  and
soundness of depository  institutions  or the financial  system  generally.  The
legislation  identifies  certain  activities  that are deemed to be financial in
nature,  including nonbanking  activities currently permissible for bank holding
companies  to engage in both within and outside  the United  States,  as well as
insurance and securities underwriting and merchant banking activities.

         In order to take  advantage of this new  authority,  a savings and loan
holding company's depositary  institution  subsidiaries must be well capitalized
and well managed and have at least a satisfactory  record of  performance  under
the Community Reinvestment Act. The Bank currently meets these requirements.  No
prior regulatory notice would be required to acquire a company engaging in these
activities or to commence  these  activities  directly or  indirectly  through a
subsidiary.

Holding Company Regulation

         General.  The Mutual Holding Company and the Company are nondiversified
mutual  savings and loan holding  companies  within the meaning of the HOLA.  As
such, the Mutual Holding Company and the Company are registered with the OTS and
are  subject  to  OTS  regulations,   examinations,  supervision  and  reporting
requirements.  In addition,  the OTS has  enforcement  authority over the Mutual
Holding  Company and the Company and any  nonsavings  institution  subsidiaries.
Among  other  things,  this  authority  permits  the OTS to restrict or prohibit
activities  that are determined to be a serious risk to the  subsidiary  savings
institution. As federal corporations, the Company and the Mutual Holding Company
are generally not subject to state business organizations law.

         Permitted  Activities.  Pursuant  to Section  10(o) of the HOLA and OTS
regulations  and policy,  a Mutual  Holding  Company  and a federally  chartered
mid-tier  holding  company  such as the  Company  may  engage  in the  following
activities: (I) investing in the stock of a savings association;  (ii) acquiring
a mutual  association  through  the  merger of such  association  into a savings
association subsidiary of such holding company or an interim savings association
subsidiary  of such holding  company;  (iii)  merging with or acquiring  another
holding  company,  one of whose  subsidiaries  is a  savings  association;  (iv)
investing in a corporation, the capital stock of which is available for purchase
by a savings  association  under federal law or under the law of any state where
the subsidiary savings association or associations share their home offices; (v)
furnishing  or  performing   management   services  for  a  savings  association
subsidiary of such company;  (vi) holding,  managing or liquidating assets owned
or acquired from a savings subsidiary

                                       29

of such  company;  (vii)  holding or managing  properties  used or occupied by a
savings association  subsidiary of such company properties used or occupied by a
savings association  subsidiary of such company;  (viii) acting as trustee under
deeds of trust;  (ix) any other activity (A) that the Federal  Reserve Board, by
regulation,  has determined to be permissible  for bank holding  companies under
Section 4(c) of the Bank Holding  Company Act of 1956,  unless the Director,  by
regulation,  prohibits or limits any such  activity for savings and loan holding
companies;  or (B) in which  multiple  savings and loan holding  companies  were
authorized  (by  regulation)  to  directly  engage  on  March 5,  1987;  and (x)
purchasing,  holding,  or  disposing  of stock  acquired  in  connection  with a
qualified  stock issuance if the purchase of such stock by such savings and loan
holding  company  is  approved  by the  Director.  If a Mutual  Holding  Company
acquires or merges with another holding company, the holding company acquired or
the holding company resulting from such merger or acquisition may only invest in
assets and  engage in  activities  listed in (I)  through  (x) above,  and has a
period of two  years to cease any  nonconforming  activities  and  divest of any
nonconforming investments.

         The HOLA  prohibits a savings and loan holding  company,  including the
Company and the Mutual Holding Company,  directly or indirectly,  or through one
or more  subsidiaries,  from acquiring  another  savings  institution or holding
company  thereof,  without prior written  approval of the OTS. It also prohibits
the  acquisition  or retention  of, with certain  exceptions,  more than 5% of a
nonsubsidiary  savings  institution,  a  nonsubsidiary  holding  company,  or  a
nonsubsidiary  company  engaged in activities  other than those permitted by the
HOLA; or acquiring or retaining  control of an institution that is not federally
insured.  In evaluating  applications  by holding  companies to acquire  savings
institutions,  the OTS must  consider the financial  and  managerial  resources,
future  prospects  of the company and  institution  involved,  the effect of the
acquisition on the risk to the insurance  fund, the convenience and needs of the
community and competitive factors.

         The OTS is prohibited from approving any acquisition  that would result
in a multiple savings and loan holding company controlling savings  institutions
in  more  than  one  state,  subject  to two  exceptions:  (I) the  approval  of
interstate supervisory  acquisitions by savings and loan holding companies,  and
(ii) the  acquisition  of a savings  institution in another state if the laws of
the  state  of  the  target  savings   institution   specifically   permit  such
acquisitions.  The states  vary in the extent to which  they  permit  interstate
savings and loan holding company acquisitions.

         Waivers of Dividends by the Mutual  Holding  Company.  OTS  regulations
require the Mutual Holding  Company to notify the OTS of any proposed  waiver of
its right to receive  dividends.  The OTS reviews  dividend  waiver notices on a
case-by-case basis, and, in general,  does not object to any such waiver if: (I)
the Mutual Holding  Company's board of directors  determines that such waiver is
consistent with such directors' fiduciary duties to the Mutual Holding Company's
members; (ii) for as long as the savings association subsidiary is controlled by
the Mutual Holding Company,  the dollar amount of dividends waived by the Mutual
Holding Company are considered as a restriction to the retained  earnings of the
savings association,  which restriction, if material, is disclosed in the public
financial  statements  of the  savings  association  as a note to the  financial
statements;  (iii) the  amount of any  dividend  waived  by the  Mutual  Holding
Company is available for  declaration as a dividend solely to the Mutual Holding
Company,  and,  in  accordance  with SFAS No. 5, where the  savings  association
determines  that the payment of such dividend to the Mutual  Holding  Company is
probable,  an  appropriate  dollar  amount is recorded as a liability;  (iv) the
amount of any waived  dividend is  considered as having been paid by the savings
association in evaluating any proposed  dividend under OTS capital  distribution
regulations;  and (v) in the event the Mutual Holding Company  converts to stock
form,  the  appraisal  submitted to the OTS in  connection  with the  conversion
application  takes into account the aggregate  amount of the dividends waived by
the Mutual Holding Company.

         Conversion of the Mutual Holding Company to Stock Form. OTS regulations
permit the Mutual Holding Company to undertake a conversion from mutual to stock
form  ("Conversion  Transaction").  In a  Conversion  Transaction  a new holding
company  would be formed  as the  successor  to the  Company  (the "New  Holding
Company"),  the Mutual  Holding  Company's  corporate  existence  would end, and
certain  customers  of the  Bank  would  receive  the  right  to  subscribe  for
additional shares of the New Holding Company. In a Conversion Transaction,  each
share of common stock ("Common Stock") held by stockholders of the Company other
than the Mutual Holding Company ("Minority Stockholders") would be automatically
converted into a number of shares of common stock of the New

                                       30

Holding  Company  determined  pursuant an exchange ratio that ensures that after
the Conversion Transaction,  subject to the dividend waiver adjustment described
below and any  adjustment  to reflect the receipt of cash in lieu of  fractional
shares,  the  percentage  of the to-be  outstanding  shares  of the New  Holding
Company issued to Minority Stockholders in exchange for their Common Stock would
be equal to the  percentage  of the  outstanding  shares of Common Stock held by
Minority Stockholders immediately prior to the Conversion Transaction. The total
number of shares held by Minority Stockholders after the Conversion  Transaction
would also be affected by any  purchases by such  persons in the  offering  that
would be conducted as part of the Conversion Transaction.

         The dividend  waiver  adjustment  would  decrease the percentage of the
to-be  outstanding  shares of common stock of the New Holding  Company issued to
Minority  Stockholders  in exchange  for their shares of Common Stock to reflect
(I) the aggregate  amount of dividends  waived by the Mutual Holding Company and
(ii) assets other than Common Stock held by the Mutual Holding Company. Pursuant
to the dividend  waiver  adjustment,  the  percentage  of the to-be  outstanding
shares of the New Holding  Company issued to Minority  Stockholders  in exchange
for  their  shares  of  Common  Stock  would be equal to the  percentage  of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock held by Minority Stockholders multiplied by a
dividend waiver  fraction.  The dividend waiver fraction is equal to the product
of  (a)  a  fraction,   of  which  the  numerator  is  equal  to  the  Company's
stockholders'  equity  at  the  time  of the  Conversion  Transaction  less  the
aggregate  amount of  dividends  waived by the Mutual  Holding  Company  and the
denominator  is equal to the Company's  stockholders'  equity at the time of the
Conversion  Transaction,  and (b) a fraction, of which the numerator is equal to
the appraised pro forma market value of the New Holding  Company minus the value
of the  Mutual  Holding  Company's  assets  other  than  Common  Stock  and  the
denominator is equal to the pro forma market value of the New Holding Company.

Federal Securities Law

         The common stock of the Company is registered  with the  Securities and
Exchange  Commission  ("SEC")  under the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 (the
"Exchange Act"). The Company is subject to the information,  proxy solicitation,
insider  trading  restrictions  and  other  requirements  of the SEC  under  the
Exchange  Act.  Common stock of the Company  held by persons who are  affiliates
(generally  officers,  directors and principal  stockholders) of the Company may
not be resold  without  registration  or unless sold in accordance  with certain
resale  restrictions.  If the Company meets specified current public information
requirements,  each  affiliate  of the  Company  is able  to sell in the  public
market,  without  registration,  a limited  number of shares in any  three-month
period.

ITEM 2.  Properties
- -------------------

Properties

         In the weeks before and after September 30, 1999,  Provident opened its
first two branches in Orange County,  extending its market area from its base of
11 conveniently  located branches in Rockland County.  Currently the Bank leases
eight premises,  including its headquarters  location,  from third parties under
terms and  conditions  considered by the management to be favorable to the Bank.
In addition, the Bank owns six premises.

Following is a list of Bank locations:

Corporate Office and Commercial Lending Group

400 Rella Boulevard                               38-40 New Main Street
Montebello, NY 10901                              Haverstraw, NY 10927
(914) 369-8040                                    (914) 942-3880

Rockland County:

44 W. Route 59                                    375 Rt. 303 at Kings Highway
Nanuet, NY 10954                                  Orangeburg, NY 10962
(914) 627-6180                                    (914) 398-4810

                                       31

148 Rt. 9W                                        196 Rt. 59
Stony Point, NY 10980                             Suffern, NY 10901
(914) 942-3890                                    (914) 369-8360

179 South Main Street                             1633 Rt. 202
New City, NY 10956                                Pomona, NY 10970
(914) 639-7750                                    (914) 364-5690

72 West Eckerson Rd.                              Orange County:
Spring Valley, NY 10977
(914) 426-7230                                    125 Dolson Avenue
                                                  (In the ShopRite Supermarket)*
1 Lake Road West                                  Middletown, NY 10940
Congers, NY 19020                                 (914)-342-5777
(914) 267-2180
                                                  153 Rt. 94
71 Lafayette Avenue                               (In the ShopRite Supermarket)
Suffern, NY 10901                                 Warwick, NY 10990
(914) 369-8350                                    (914) 986-9540

26 North Middletown Rd.                           * Opened in October, 1999
(In the ShopRite Supermarket)
Pearl River, NY 10965
(914) 627-6170


ITEM 3. Legal Proceedings
- -------------------------

         The Bank is a defendant in a lawsuit,  Patrick  Gawrysiak a/k/a Patrick
Gray v.  Provident  Bank,  brought by a  prospective  purchaser of REO property,
alleging breach of contract,  negligence,  consumer fraud and civil  conspiracy.
The plaintiff  brought the lawsuit in the Superior  Court of New Jersey,  Bergen
County Law Division, and is seeking compensatory damages of $500,000,  exemplary
damages of $1.0 million,  "nominal" damages of $1.0 million and punitive damages
of $1.0 million.  The Bank retained counsel and vigorously  contested the claim.
On  September  24,  1999,  the Bank's  motion for summary  judgment  was granted
dismissing  the  lawsuit  for  lack of  personal  jurisdiction  over  the  Bank.
Plaintiff has filed a notice of appeal of that decision. Management continues to
believe the underlying  claim is baseless and intends to vigorously  contest the
plaintiff's appeal.

         The Company is not  involved  in any other  pending  legal  proceedings
other  than  routine  legal  proceedings  occurring  in the  ordinary  course of
business  which,  in the  aggregate,  involved  amounts  which are  believed  by
management to be immaterial  to the  financial  condition and  operations of the
Company.

ITEM 4.  Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
- ------------------------------------------------------------

         No matters were submitted to a vote of  stockholders  during the fourth
quarter of the year under report.

                                     PART II

ITEM 5. Market for Company's Common Stock and Related Security Holder Matters

         The "Common Stock and Related  Matters" section of the Company's Annual
Report to Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

                                       32

ITEM 6. Selected Financial Data
- -------------------------------

         The  "Selected  Consolidated  Financial and Other Data" section for the
year ended September 30, 1999 is filed as part of the Company's Annual Report to
Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
        Results of Operations
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

         The  "Management's  Discussion and Analysis of Financial  Condition and
Results of Operations" section of the Company's Annual Report to Stockholders is
incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
- -------------------------------------------------------------------

         The  information  required  by this item is set forth under the caption
"Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis of Financial  Condition  and Results of
Operations" in the Annual Report to Stockholders which is incorporated herein by
reference.

ITEM 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
- ----------------------------------------------------

         The financial  statements  contained in the Company's  Annual Report to
Stockholders are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and
        Financial Disclosure
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------

         None

                                    PART III

ITEM 10. Directors and Executive Officers of the Company
- --------------------------------------------------------

         The "Proposal  1-Election of Directors"  section of the Company's Proxy
Statement  for  the  Company's  Annual  Meeting  of  Stockholders  to be held in
February 2000 (the "Proxy Statement") is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 11. Executive Compensation
- -------------------------------

         The "Proposal  I-Election of Directors"  section of the Proxy Statement
is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

         The "Proposal  I-Election of Directors"  section of the Proxy Statement
is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
- -------------------------------------------------------

         The  "Transactions  with Certain Related  Persons" section of the Proxy
Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

                                       33

                                     PART IV

ITEM 14. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

         (a)(1)  Financial Statements

         The exhibits and financial  statement schedules filed as a part of this
Form 10-K are as follows:

                  (A)      Independent Auditors' Report

                  (B)      Consolidated Statements of Condition

                  (C)      Consolidated Statements of Income

                  (D)      Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders'
                           Equity

                  (E)      Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

                  (F)      Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

         (a)(2)  Financial Statement Schedules

         All  financial  statement  schedules  have been omitted as the required
         information  is  inapplicable  or has  been  included  in the  Notes to
         Consolidated Financial Statements.

         (b)      Reports on Form 8-K

                  None.

         (c)      Exhibits

         3.1      Stock  Holding  Company  Charter of  Provident  Bancorp,  Inc.
                  (incorporated   herein   by   reference   to   the   Company's
                  Registration  Statement on Form S-1, file No.  333-63593  (the
                  "S-1"))

         3.2      Bylaws of  Provident  Bancorp,  Inc.  (incorporated  herein by
                  reference to the S-1)

         4        Form  of  Stock   Certificate  of  Provident   Bancorp,   Inc.
                  (incorporated herein by reference to the S-1)

         10.1     Form of Employee Stock Ownership Plan (incorporated  herein by
                  reference to the S-1)

         10.2     Employment   Agreement  with  George   Strayton,   as  amended
                  (incorporated herein by reference to the S-1)

         10.3     Form of Employment Agreement (incorporated herein by reference
                  to the S-1)

         10.4     Deferred  Compensation   Agreement   (incorporated  herein  by
                  reference to the S-1)

         10.5     Supplemental    Executive    Retirement   Plan,   as   amended
                  (incorporated herein by reference to the S-1)

         10.6     Management Incentive Program (incorporated herein by reference
                  to the S-1)

                                       34

         10.7     1996 Long-Term  Incentive Plan for Officers and Directors,  as
                  amended (incorporated herein by reference to the S-1)

         13       Annual Report to Stockholders

         21       Subsidiaries of the Company

         27       EDGAR Financial Data Schedule


                                       35


                                   Signatures

         Pursuant to the  requirements of Section 13 of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934,  the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                      Provident Bancorp, Inc.

Date: December 23, 1999               By: \s\ George Strayton
                                          --------------------
                                          George Strayton

                                          President, Chief Executive Officer and
                                          Director

         Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange of 1934, this
report  has  been  signed  below  by the  following  persons  on  behalf  of the
Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


                                                             
By:    \s\ George Strayton                                      By:     \s\ Katherine Dering
        ----------------------------------                             ----------------------------------
         George Strayton                                               Katherine Dering
         President, Chief Executive Officer and                        Chief Financial Officer and Senior
         Director                                                      Vice President

Date:  December 23, 1999                                        Date:   December 23, 1999

By:      \s\ William F. Helmer                                  By:     \s\ Dennis L. Coyle
        ----------------------------------                             ----------------------------------
       William F. Helmer                                               Dennis L. Coyle, Vice Chairman
       Chairman of the Board

Date:  December 23, 1999                                        Date:   December 23, 1999

By:      \s\ Murray L. Korn                                     By:      \s\ Donald T. McNelis
        ----------------------------------                             ----------------------------------
       Murray L. Korn, Director                                        Donald T. McNelis, Director

Date:  December 23, 1999                                        Date:   December 23, 1999

By:      \s\ Richard A. Nozell                                  By:      \s\ William R. Sichol, Jr.
        ----------------------------------                             ----------------------------------
       Richard A. Nozell, Director                                     William R. Sichol, Jr., Director

Date:  December 23, 1999                                        Date:   December 23, 1999

By:                                                             By:       \s\ F. Gary Zeh
        ----------------------------------                             ----------------------------------
       Wilbur C. Ward, Director                                        F. Gary Zeh, Director

                                                                Date:   December 23, 1999



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