INDEPENDENT BANK CORP

The Company’s effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2024 is lower as compared to the year ago period primarily due to lower pre-tax income as well as increased tax benefits from low income housing tax credits. The effective tax rates in the table above are lower than the blended statutory tax rates due to the impact of discrete items, including tax benefits related to low income housing tax credits and equity compensation, as well as certain tax preference assets such as life insurance policies, tax exempt bonds, and federal tax credits.

The Company invests in various low income housing projects, which are real estate limited partnerships that acquire, develop, own and operate low and moderate-income housing developments. As a limited partner in these operating partnerships, the Company will receive tax credits and tax deductions for losses incurred by the underlying properties. The investments are accounted for using the proportional amortization method and will be amortized over various periods through 2040, which represents the period that the tax credits and other tax benefits will be utilized. The total committed investment in these partnerships is $237.3 million, of which $176.8 million had been funded as of March 31, 2024. It is expected that the limited partnership investments will generate a net tax benefit of approximately $4.4 million for the fiscal year 2024 and a total of $34.9 million over the remaining life of the investments from the combination of the tax credits and operating losses.

Risk Management

The Board of Directors has approved an Enterprise Risk Management Policy and Risk Appetite Statement to state the Company’s goals and objectives in identifying, measuring, and managing the risks associated with the Company’s current and near future anticipated size and complexity. Management is responsible for comprehensive enterprise risk management, and continually strives to adopt and implement practices that strike an appropriate balance between risk and reward and permit the achievement of strategic goals in a controlled environment.

The Company has implemented the “three lines of defense” enterprise risk management framework. The first line of defense are the executives in charge of business units, operational areas, and corporate functions who, sometimes assisted by management committees, teams, and working groups, own and manage risks. The second line of defense monitors and provides risk management advice across all risk domains, and is comprised of the enterprise risk management department, with oversight from the Chief Risk Officer. The third line of defense is independent assurance performed by the Chief Internal Auditor, who reports to the Audit Committee of the Company's Board of Directors, and by the Company's internal audit department.

The Board of Directors, with the assistance of its Risk Committee, oversees management’s enterprise risk management practices. As risks must be taken to create value, the Board of Directors has approved a Risk Appetite Statement that defines the acceptable residual risk tolerances for the Company and the nine major risk types identified as having the potential to create significant adverse impacts on the Company, such as financial losses, reputational damage, legal or regulatory actions, failure to achieve strategic objectives, diminished customer experience, and/or cultural erosion. The nine major risk categories identified by the Company and addressed in the Risk Appetite Statement are strategic and emerging risk, culture risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk, operational risk, reputation risk, compliance risk, and technology risk, each of which is discussed below.

Strategic and Emerging Risk Strategic and emerging risk is the risk arising from adverse strategic or business decisions, misalignment of strategic direction with the Company’s mission and values, failure to execute strategies or tactics, or an inadequate adaptation or lack of responsiveness to industry and/or operating environment changes. Management seeks to mitigate strategic risk through strategic planning, frequent executive review of strategic plan progress, monitoring of competitors and technology, assessment of new products, new branches, and new business initiatives, customer advocacy, and crisis management planning.

Culture Risk Culture risk is the risk arising from failed leadership and/or ineffective colleague engagement and workplace management that causes the Company to lose sight of core values and, through acts or omissions, damage the relationship-based culture that has been one of the foundations of the Company’s consistent success. Management seeks to mitigate culture risk through effective employee relations, leadership that encourages continuous improvement, cultural development and reinforcement of core values, communication of clear ethical and behavioral standards, consistent enforcement of policies and programs, discipline of misbehavior, alignment of incentives and compensation, and by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk arising from the failure of a borrower or a counterparty to a contract to make payments as agreed, and includes the risks arising from inadequate collateral and mismanagement of loan concentrations. While the collateral securing loans may be sufficient in some cases to recover the amount due, in other cases the Company may experience significant credit losses that could have an adverse effect on its operating results. The Company makes assumptions and judgments about the collectability of its loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of its borrowers and counterparties and the value of collateral for the repayment of loans. For further discussion regarding the credit risk and the credit quality of the Company’s loan portfolio, see Note 3, “Loans, Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I. Item 1 of this Report.

Liquidity Risk Liquidity risk is the risk arising from the Company being unable to meet obligations when due. Liquidity risk includes the inability to access funding sources or manage fluctuations in available funding levels. Liquidity risk also results from a failure to recognize or address market condition changes that affect the ability to liquidate assets quickly with minimal value loss.

The Company’s primary sources of funds are deposits, borrowings, and the amortization, prepayment, and maturities of loans and securities. The Bank utilizes its extensive branch network to access retail customers who provide a base of in-market core deposits. These funds are principally comprised of demand deposits, interest checking accounts, savings accounts, and money market accounts. Interest rates, economic conditions, and competitive factors greatly influence deposit levels.

The Company’s primary measure of short-term liquidity is the Total Basic Surplus/Deficit as a percentage of assets. This ratio, which is an analysis of the relationship between liquid assets plus available FHLB funding, less short-term liabilities relative to total assets, was within policy limits at March 31, 2024. The Total Basic Surplus/Deficit measure is affected primarily by changes in deposits, securities and short-term investments, loans, and borrowings. An increase in deposits, without a corresponding increase in nonliquid assets, will improve the Total Basic Surplus/Deficit measure, whereas, an increase in loans, with no increase in deposits, will decrease the measure. Other factors affecting the Total Basic Surplus/Deficit include FHLB collateral requirements, securities portfolio changes, and the mix of deposits.

The Company prioritizes core deposits as a primary funding source and continues to maintain a variety of available liquidity sources, including FHLB advances, and Federal Reserve borrowing capacity. These funding sources serve as a contingent source of liquidity and, when profitable lending and investment opportunities exist, the Company may access them to provide the liquidity needed to grow the balance sheet. The amount and type of assets that the Company has available to pledge affects the Company's FHLB and Federal Reserve borrowing capacity. For example, a prime one-to-four family residential loan may provide 75 cents of borrowing capacity for every $1.00 pledged, whereas a pledged commercial loan may increase borrowing capacity in a lower amount. The Company’s lending decisions, therefore, can also affect its liquidity position.

The Company may also have the ability to raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or unsecured debt privately or publicly and has done so in the past. Additionally, the Company is able to enter into repurchase agreements or acquire brokered deposits at its discretion. The availability and cost of equity or debt on an unsecured basis is dependent on many factors, including the Company’s financial position, the market environment, and the Company’s credit rating. The Company monitors the factors that could affect its ability to raise liquidity through these channels.