EXHIBIT 99
Safe Harbor Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act")
provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements to encourage companies
to provide prospective information about their companies, so long as those
statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful
cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those discussed in the statement. Peoples
Financial Corporation ("PFC") desires to take advantage of the "safe harbor"
provisions of the Act. Certain information, particularly information regarding
future economic performance and finances and plans and objectives of management,
contained or incorporated by reference in PFC's Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB
for the quarter ended December 31, 1998, is forward-looking. In some cases,
information regarding certain important factors that could cause actual results
of operations or outcomes of other events to differ materially from any such
forward-looking statement appear together with such statement. In addition,
forward-looking statements are subject to other risks and uncertainties
affecting the financial institutions industry, including, but not limited to,
the following:
Interest Rate Risk
PFC's operating results are dependent to a significant degree on its
net interest income, which is the difference between interest income from loans,
investments and other interest-earning assets and interest expense on deposits,
borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities. The interest income and
interest expense of PFC change as the interest rates on interest-earning assets
and interest-bearing liabilities change. Interest rates may change because of
general economic conditions, the policies of various regulatory authorities and
other factors beyond PFC's control. In a rising interest rate environment, loans
tend to prepay slowly and new loans at higher rates increase slowly, while
interest paid on deposits increases rapidly because the terms to maturity of
deposits tend to be shorter than the terms to maturity or prepayment of loans.
Such differences in the adjustment of interest rates on assets and liabilities
may negatively affect PFC's income.
Possible Inadequacy of the Allowance for Loan Losses
PFC maintains an allowance for loan losses based upon a number of
relevant factors, including, but not limited to, trends in the level of
nonperforming assets and classified loans, current and anticipated economic
conditions in the primary lending area, past loss experience, possible losses
arising from specific problem loans and changes in the composition of the loan
portfolio. While the Board of Directors of PFC believes that it uses the best
information available to determine the allowance for loan losses, unforeseen
market conditions could result in material adjustments, and net earnings could
be significantly adversely affected if circumstances differ substantially from
the assumptions used in making the final determination.
Loans not secured by one- to four-family residential real estate are
generally considered to involve greater risk of loss than loans secured by one-
to four-family residential real estate due, in part, to the effects of general
economic conditions. The repayment of multifamily residential and nonresidential
real estate loans generally depends upon the cash flow from the operation of the
property, which may be negatively affected by national and local economic
conditions. Construction loans may also be negatively affected by such economic
conditions, particularly loans made to developers who do not have a buyer for a
property before the loan is made. The risk of default on consumer loans
increases during periods of recession, high unemployment and other adverse
economic conditions. When consumers have trouble paying their bills, they are
more likely to pay mortgage loans than consumer loans. In addition, the
collateral securing such loans, if any, may decrease in value more rapidly than
the outstanding balance of the loan.
Competition
Peoples Federal Savings and Loan Association of Massillon ("Peoples Federal")
competes for deposits with other savings associations, commercial banks and
credit unions and issuers of commercial paper and other securities, such as
shares in money market mutual funds. The primary factors in competing for
deposits are interest rates and convenience of office location. In making loans,
Peoples Federal competes with other savings associations, commercial banks,
consumer finance companies, credit unions, leasing companies, mortgage companies
and other lenders. Competition is affected by, among other things, the general
availability of lendable funds, general and local economic conditions, current
interest rate levels and other factors which are not readily predictable. The
size of financial institutions competing with Peoples Federal is likely to
increase as a result of changes in statutes and regulations eliminating various
restrictions on interstate and inter-industry branching and acquisitions. Such
increased competition may have an adverse effect upon PFC.
Legislation and Regulation that may Adversely Affect PFC's Earnings
Peoples Federal is subject to extensive regulation by the Office of
Thrift Supervision (the "OTS") and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(the "FDIC") and is periodically examined by such regulatory agencies to test
compliance with various regulatory requirements. As a savings and loan holding
company, PFC is also subject to regulation and examination by the OTS. Such
supervision and regulation of Peoples Federal and PFC are intended primarily for
the protection of depositors and not for the maximization of shareholder value
and may affect the ability of the company to engage in various business
activities. The assessments, filing fees and other costs associated with
reports, examinations and other regulatory matters are significant and may have
an adverse effect on PFC's net earnings.
The FDIC is authorized to establish separate annual assessment rates
for deposit insurance of members of the Bank Insurance fund (the "BIF") and the
Savings Association Insurance Fund (the "SAIF"). The FDIC has established a
risk-based assessment system for both SAIF and BIF members. Under such system,
assessments may vary depending on the risk the institution poses to its deposit
insurance fund. Such risk level is determined by reference to the institution's
capital level and the FDIC's level of supervisory concern about the institution.
The recapitalization plan also provides for the merger of the SAIF and
BIF effective January 1, 1999, assuming there are no savings associations under
federal law. Under separate proposed legislation, Congress is considering the
elimination of the federal thrift charter and the separate federal regulation of
thrifts. As a result, Peoples Federal would have to convert to a different
financial institution charter. In addition, Peoples Federal would be regulated
under federal law as a bank and would, therefore, become subject to the more
restrictive activity limitations imposed on national banks. Moreover, PFC might
become subject to more restrictive holding company requirements, including
activity limits and capital requirements similar to those imposed on Peoples
Federal. PFC cannot predict the impact of the conversion of Peoples Federal to,
or regulation of Peoples Federal as, a bank until the legislation requiring such
change is enacted.