NEW YORK COMMUNITY BANCORP INC
For the period ended Jun 30, 2024. Filed Aug 9, 2024.
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Jun 30, 2024 · Filed Aug 9, 2024
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Item 4. Controls and Procedures
| Item 4. | Controls and Procedures |
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Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision, and with the participation, of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, our management evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b), as adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of June 30, 2024 because of the material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting described below. Notwithstanding the material weaknesses, based on additional analyses and other procedures performed, management concluded that the financial statements included in this report fairly present in all material respects our financial position, results of operations, capital position, and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Per Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e), disclosure controls and procedures are the controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Material Weaknesses in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses identified relate to the fact that we did not design or maintain an effective control environment commensurate with our financial reporting requirements. This deficiency in our control environment contributed to the following material weaknesses related to control activities and information and communication within our internal control over financial reporting:
Control environment: Our Board of Directors did not exercise sufficient oversight responsibilities which led to us lacking a sufficient complement of qualified leadership resources to conduct effective risk assessment and monitoring activities.
Risk assessment: We lacked effective periodic risk assessment processes to identify and timely respond to emerging risks in certain financial reporting processes and related internal controls, including internal loan review that were responsive to changes in the business operations and regulatory and economic environments in which the Company operates.
Monitoring: Our recurring monitoring activities over process level control activities, including internal loan review were not operating effectively.
Control activities: We did not sufficiently maintain effective control activities related to internal loan review. Specifically, our internal loan review processes lacked an appropriate framework to ensure that ratings were consistently accurate, timely, and appropriately challenged. These ineffective controls impact the Company’s ability to accurately disclose loan rating classifications, identify problem loans, and ultimately the recognition of the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases.
These control deficiencies create a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement to the consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis, and therefore we concluded that the deficiencies represent material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of June 30, 2024.
Remediation Status of Reported Material Weaknesses
The Company is continuing to actively work to remediate the material weaknesses described above, including assessing the need for additional remediation steps and implementing additional measures to remediate the underlying causes that gave rise to the material weaknesses, including governance and oversight to ensure an effective control environment.
To address the material weakness in our control environment, we have taken the following actions:
Appointed several new members to the Board of Directors with extensive experience as financial experts in our industry and backgrounds in risk management, including a new Lead Independent Director, a new Chairman of the Audit Committee and a new Chairman of the Risk Assessment Committee.
While we believe our actions will be effective in remediating the material weakness in our control environment. The material weakness in our control environment will not be considered remediated until the applicable remedial processes and procedures have been in place for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded, through testing, that our efforts have been effective. Accordingly, the material weakness in our control environment was not remediated as of June 30, 2024.
To address the material weakness in our risk assessment processes, we have taken or are in the process of taking the following actions:
Appointed a new Chief Risk Officer, a new Chief Credit Officer and we undertook a process that is currently underway of identifying and appointing a new Director of Internal Loan Review with prior large bank commercial loan experience.
We are evaluating the current depth and breadth of our internal loan review program to determine necessary changes to the scoping approach and the risk assessment and identification processes.
While we expect to continue to make significant progress towards remediation of the material weakness in our risk assessment processes during 2024. We are also continuing to assess the need for additional remediation steps. Accordingly, the material weakness in our risk assessment process was not remediated as of June 30, 2024.
To address the material weakness in our monitoring activities, we have taken the following actions:
Increased the frequency and nature of reporting from our internal loan review team and first line business units to the Risk Assessment Committee to support the Board of Director's risk oversight role.
While we expect to continue to make significant progress towards remediation of the material weakness in our monitoring activities during 2024. We are also continuing to assess the need for additional remediation steps. Accordingly, the material weakness in our monitoring activities was not remediated as of June 30, 2024.
To address the material weakness related to internal loan review control activities, we have taken or are in the process of taking the following actions:
Expanding the use of independent credit analysis and reducing the Company's reliance on tools and analysis prepared by our lines of business.
Improving the Credit Review team's ability and stature within the organization to independently challenge risk rating scorecard model methodologies and results.
Assessing the adequacy of staffing levels and expertise within the Company’s internal loan review practices, considering, among other things, the size, complexity, and risk profile of the Company's loan portfolio and while in the hiring process are utilizing third parties to increase independent credit review capacity to deal with emerging risk and the pace of change in our portfolio.
Providing additional risk rating process training for all employees involved in the lending process.
While we expect to continue to make significant progress towards remediation of the material weakness related to our loan review control activities during 2024, we are unable to confirm at this time a specific date for remediation. We are also continuing to assess the need for additional remediation steps. Accordingly, the material weakness related to our loan review control activities was not remediated as of June 30, 2024.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Except for the actions noted above related to remediation of the Company's material weaknesses, there have not been any changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the fiscal quarter to which this report relates that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
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