OHIO VALLEY BANC CORP

Organizational History and Subsidiaries

Ohio Valley Banc Corp. (“Ohio Valley” or the “Company”) is an Ohio corporation registered as a financial holding company pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHC Act”). Ohio Valley was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio on January 8, 1992 and began conducting business on October 23, 1992. The principal executive offices of Ohio Valley are located at 420 Third Avenue, Gallipolis, Ohio 45631. Ohio Valley’s common shares are listed on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “OVBC.” Ohio Valley has one banking subsidiary, The Ohio Valley Bank Company (the “Bank”). The Bank has one wholly-owned subsidiary, Ohio Valley REO, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company (“Ohio Valley REO”), to which the Bank transfers certain real estate acquired by the Bank through foreclosure for sale by Ohio Valley REO. Ohio Valley also owns two nonbank subsidiaries, Loan Central, Inc., which engages in lending (“Loan Central”), and Ohio Valley Financial Services Agency, LLC, which is used to facilitate the receipt of commissions on insurance sold by the Bank and Loan Central (“Ohio Valley Financial Services”). Ohio Valley also owns one wholly-owned subsidiary trust formed solely to issue a trust preferred security. Ohio Valley and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as the “Company.” Ohio Valley’s financial service operations are considered by management to be aggregated in one reportable segment: banking.

Interested readers can access Ohio Valley’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), through Ohio Valley’s Internet website atwww.ovbc.com (this uniform resource locator, or URL, is an inactive textual reference only and is not intended to incorporate the information contained on Ohio Valley’s website into this Annual Report on Form 10-K). These reports can be accessed free of charge through a link to The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC’s website from Ohio Valley’s website as soon as reasonably practicable after Ohio Valley electronically files such materials with, or furnishes them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Business of Ohio Valley

As a financial holding company registered under the BHC Act, Ohio Valley’s primary business is community banking. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, Ohio Valley’s consolidated assets approximated to$1,503,412,000 and $1,352,135,000, while total shareholders’ equity approximated to $150,328,000 and $144,007,000 for the same periods, respectively.

Ohio Valley’s financial holding company status allows it to engage in certain non-banking activities, such as securities underwriting and dealing activities, insurance agency and underwriting activities and merchant banking/equity investment activities. Ohio Valley presently has an insurance agency, Ohio Valley Financial Services, which is used to facilitate the receipt of commissions on insurance sold by the Bank and Loan Central. In July 2014, Ohio Valley formed a nonbank subsidiary, OVBC Captive, Inc. (the “Captive”), which was engaged in the business of providing commercial property and various liability insurance to the Company and related entities. However, in December 2023, Ohio Valley discontinued the Captive’s operations as a result of proposed IRS regulations that adversely affect the taxation of small captives. Management will consider opportunities to engage in additional nonbanking activities as they arise.

Business of Bank Subsidiary

A substantial portion of Ohio Valley’s revenue is derived from cash dividends paid by the Bank. The Bank presently has seventeen offices located in Ohio and West Virginia and all but one offer automatic teller machines (“ATMs”). Twelve of these offices also offer drive-up services. The Bank accounted for substantially all of Ohio Valley’s consolidated assets at December 31, 2024 and 2023.

The Bank is primarily engaged in commercial and retail banking. The Bank is a full-service financial institution offering a blend of commercial and consumer banking services within southeastern Ohio as well as western West Virginia. The banking services offered by the Bank include the acceptance of deposits in checking, savings, time and money market accounts; the making and servicing of personal and commercial loans; and the making of construction and real estate loans. The Bank also offers individual retirement accounts, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers and other standard banking products and services. As part of its lending function, the Bank offers credit card services. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). The Bank is also a member of the Promontory Interfinancial Network and participates in their Certificate of Deposit Account Registry program, which provides customers with the ability to secure FDIC insurance on balances in excess of the standard limitations. In addition to originating loans, the Bank invests in United States government and agency obligations, interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions, and other investments permitted by applicable law.

The Bank began offering trust services in 1981. The trust department acts as trustee under wills, trusts and profit sharing plans, as executor and administrator of estates, and as guardian for estates of minors and incompetents. In addition, the trust department performs a variety of investment and security services where the Bank acts as an agent on behalf of the client. Trust services are available to all customers of the Bank.

The Bank also offers Internet banking to its customers, allowing customers to check personal account balances, receive information about transactions within their accounts, make transfers between accounts, stop payment on a check, and reorder checks all from their own computer. Customers may also pay bills online and can make payments to virtually any business or individual. Furthermore, the Bank offers other financial management online services, such as cash management and news updates related to repossession auctions, current rates, and general bank news.

The Bank offers Tax Refund Advance Loans (“TALs”) to Loan Central tax customers. A TAL represents a short-term loan offered by the Bank to tax preparation customers of Loan Central. After Loan Central prepares a customer’s tax return, the customer is offered the opportunity to have immediate access to a portion of the anticipated tax refund by entering into a TAL with the Bank. As part of the process, the tax customer completes a loan application and authorizes the expected tax refund to be deposited with the Bank once it is issued by the IRS. Once the Bank receives the tax refund, the refund is used to repay the TAL and Loan Central’s tax preparation fees, then the remainder of the refund is remitted to Loan Central’s tax customer.

In April 2021, the Bank formed a subsidiary, Race Day Mortgage, Inc. (“Race Day”), which served as an online-only consumer direct mortgage banking company. Race Day was created to help fill the demand for home ownership in areas beyond the Bank’s primary markets. However, in December 2023, Ohio Valley discontinued Race Day’s operations as a result of low loan demand, poor employee retention, and lack of profitability.

Business of Loan Central

Loan Central is engaged in consumer finance, offering smaller balance personal and mortgage loans generally to individuals with higher credit risk history. Loan Central’s line of business also includes seasonal tax preparation services as part of the TAL lending activity discussed above. Loan Central presently has six offices, all located within southeastern Ohio.

Business of Financial Services Subsidiaries

Ohio Valley Financial Services is a licensed insurance agency that is used to facilitate the receipt of commissions on insurance sold by the Bank and Loan Central. Ohio Valley Financial Services is licensed by the State of Ohio Department of Insurance.

Variable Interest Entities

Ohio Valley owns one special purpose entity, Ohio Valley Statutory Trust III, which has issued $8,500,000 in trust preferred securities. Ohio Valley has issued a like amount of subordinated debentures to the Trust in exchange for the proceeds of the issuance of the trust preferred securities. Ohio Valley used the proceeds to provide additional capital to the Bank to support growth. Further detail on Ohio Valley Statutory Trust III is located in Ohio Valley’s 2024 Annual Report to Shareholders under “Note J – Subordinated Debentures and Trust Preferred Securities,” in the notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Financial Information

Financial information regarding the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 and results of operations for the last two fiscal years are contained in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

Lending Activities

The Company’s loan portfolio increased $89,925,000 to finish at $1,061,825,000 in 2024. The increase in total loans came primarily from both the Company’s residential real estate and commercial loan portfolios. The loan portfolio is comprised of commercial (commercial real estate and commercial and industrial), residential real estate and consumer loans, including credit card and home equity loans. During 2024, residential real estate loans increased $54,030,000, or 16.9%, while commercial loans increased $51,235,000, or 10.7%, partially offset by a $15,340,000, or 8.9%, decrease in consumer loans, as compared to 2023. Residential real estate loan growth was largely impacted by higher short-term adjustable-rate mortgage loan balances. Commercial loan growth was impacted primarily by an increase in new commercial real estate loan originations during 2024. The decline in consumer loans was largely impacted by decreases in automobile and other consumer loan balances during 2024. Consolidated interest and fee revenue from loans accounted for 73.02% and 73.59% of total consolidated revenues in 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company’s market area for lending is primarily located in southeastern Ohio and portions of western West Virginia. The Company believes that there is no significant concentration of loans to borrowers engaged in the same or similar industries and does not have any loans to foreign entities.

Residential Real Estate Loans

The Company’s residential real estate loans consist primarily of one- to four-family residential mortgages and carry many of the same customer and industry risks as the commercial loan portfolio. Real estate loans to consumers are secured primarily by a first lien mortgage or deed of trust with evidence of title in favor of the Bank. The Company also requires proof of hazard insurance, required at the time of closing, with the Bank or Loan Central named as the mortgagee and as loss payee. The Company generally requires the amount of a residential real estate loan be no more than 80% of the purchase price or the appraisal value (whichever is the lesser) of the real estate securing the loan, unless private mortgage insurance is obtained by the borrower for the percentage exceeding 80%. These loans generally range from one-year adjustable to thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages. Residential real estate loans also consist of the Company’s warehouse lending activity. Warehouse lending consists of a line of credit provided by the Bank to another mortgage lender that makes loans for the purchase of one- to four-family residential real estate properties. The mortgage lender eventually sells the loans and repays the Bank. The Company’s market area for real estate lending is primarily located in southeastern Ohio and portions of western West Virginia. The Bank continues to sell a portion of its new fixed-rate real estate loan originations to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation to enhance customer service and loan pricing. Secondary market sales of these real estate loans, which have fixed rates with fifteen- to thirty-year terms, have assisted in meeting the consumer preference for long-term fixed-rate loans as well as minimized the Bank’s exposure to interest rate risk.

Commercial Loans

The Company’s commercial loan portfolio consists of loans to corporate borrowers primarily in small to mid-sized industrial and commercial companies that include service, retail and wholesale merchants. Collateral securing these loans includes equipment, inventory, stock, commercial real estate and rental property. Commercial loans are considered to have a higher level of risk compared to other types of loans (i.e., single-family residential mortgages, installment loans and credit card loans), although care is taken to minimize these risks. Numerous risk factors impact this portfolio, such as the economy, new technology, labor rates, cash flow, financial structure and asset quality. The payment experience on commercial loans is dependent on adequate cash flows from the business to service both interest and principal due. Thus, commercial loans may be more sensitive to adverse conditions in the economy generally or adverse conditions in a specific industry. The Company diversifies risk within this portfolio by closely monitoring industry concentrations and portfolios to ensure that it does not exceed established lending guidelines. Underwriting standards require a comprehensive credit analysis and independent evaluation of virtually all larger balance commercial loans prior to approval. The Bank’s loan committee will review and approve all new commercial loan originations that exceed the loan officer group’s highest lending limit according to the following thresholds: up to $1,000,000 unsecured, up to $5,000,000 secured, and up to $5,000,000 aggregate. The Executive Committee of the Bank’s Board of Directors will review and approve all new commercial loan originations that exceed the Bank’s loan committee thresholds up to the legal lending limit of the Bank.

Consumer Loans

Consumer loans are secured by automobiles, mobile homes, recreational vehicles and other personal property. Personal loans and unsecured credit card receivables are also included as consumer loans. The Company makes installment credit available to customers in their primary market area of southeastern Ohio and portions of western West Virginia. Credit approval for consumer loans requires demonstration of sufficient income to repay principal and interest due, stability of employment, a positive credit record and sufficient collateral for secured loans. The Company monitors the risk associated with these types of loans by monitoring factors such as portfolio growth, lending policies and economic conditions. Underwriting standards are continually evaluated and modified based upon these factors. A qualified compliance officer is responsible for monitoring the performance of his or her respective consumer portfolio and updating loan personnel. The Company makes credit life insurance and health and accident insurance available to all qualified borrowers, thus reducing their risk of loss when their income is terminated or interrupted. The Company reviews its respective consumer loan portfolios monthly to charge off loans which do not meet applicable standards. Credit card accounts are administered in accordance with the same standards as those applied to other consumer loans. Consumer loans generally involve more risk as to collectability than mortgage loans because of the type and nature of collateral and, in certain instances, the absence of collateral. As a result, consumer lending collections are dependent upon the borrower’s continued financial stability and are adversely affected by job loss, divorce or personal bankruptcy and by adverse economic conditions. Also included in the category of consumer loans are home equity loans. Home equity lines of credit are generally made as second mortgages and charged a variable interest rate. Home equity lines are written with ten-year terms but are reviewed annually. The Company’s consumer loans also consist of seasonal TALs offered by the Bank during the tax season.

Underwriting Standards

The Company’s underwriting guidelines and standards are updated periodically and are presented to the Board of Directors of the holding company for approval. The purposes of the standards and guidelines are to grant loans on a sound and collectible basis; to invest available funds in a safe, profitable manner; to serve the legitimate credit needs of the Company’s primary market areas; and to ensure that all loan applicants receive fair and equal treatment in the lending process. It is the intent of the underwriting guidelines and standards to: minimize losses by carefully investigating the credit history of each applicant, verify the source of repayment and the ability of the applicant to repay, collateralize those loans in which collateral is deemed to be required, exercise care in the documentation of the application, review, approval, and origination process, and administer a comprehensive loan collection program. The above guidelines are adhered to and subject to the experience, background and personal judgment of the loan officer assigned to the loan application. A loan officer may grant, with justification, a loan with variances from the underwriting guidelines and standards. However, a loan officer may not exceed his or her respective lending authority without obtaining the prior, proper approval from a superior.

Investment Activities

The Company’s investment policy stresses the management of the investment securities portfolio, which includes both securities held to maturity and securities available for sale, to maximize the return over the long-term in a manner that is consistent with good banking practices and relative safety of principal. The Company’s investment portfolio is comprised of United States Government, sponsored entity, and mortgage-backed securities, as well as obligations of state and political subdivisions. Revenues from interest and dividends on securities accounted for 7.17% and 5.59% of total consolidated revenues in 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company currently does not engage in trading account activity.

Funding Activities

Sources of funds for loan and investment activities include “core deposits.” Core deposits include demand deposits, savings, money market, NOW accounts, and certificates of deposit less than $250,000. The Company will also utilize certificates of deposit and money market deposits from wholesale markets, when necessary, to support growth in assets. Short- and long-term advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank have also been a significant source of funding. Further funding has come from one trust preferred securities offering through Ohio Valley Statutory Trust III, totaling $8,500,000. Ohio Valley used the proceeds to provide additional capital to the Bank to support growth.

Electronic Refund Check / Electronic Refund Deposit Activities

The Company began its participation in a tax refund service in 2006 by serving as a facilitator for the clearing of tax refunds for a single tax refund product provider. An agreement between the Bank and the original provider required the Bank to process electronic refund checks ("ERCs") and electronic refund deposits ("ERDs") presented for payment on behalf of taxpayers containing taxpayer refunds. The Bank, in turn, would receive a fee paid by the provider for each transaction that was processed by the Bank. In 2015, the agreement between the Bank and the original provider, which had a term ending December 31, 2019, was assumed by MetaBank. MetaBank ceased utilizing the services of the Bank at the end of 2018, resulting in a significant decline in ERC/ERD fee income in 2019 and 2020 for the Bank. On March 10, 2020, the Bank announced that it had entered into a new agreement with a third-party to process future ERCs and ERDs. The new agreement provides that the Bank will process refunds for five tax seasons, which began with the 2021 tax season and will extend through the 2025 tax season.

Competition

Competition among providers of financial products and services continues to increase, with consumers having the opportunity to select from a growing variety of traditional and nontraditional alternatives. The principal factors of competition for the Company’s banking business are the rates of interest charged for loans, the rates of interest paid for deposits, the fees charged for services and the availability and quality of services. The market area for the Bank is concentrated primarily in the Gallia, Meigs, Jackson, Vinton, Pike and Lawrence Counties of Ohio, as well as the Mason and Cabell Counties of West Virginia. Some additional business originates from the surrounding Ohio counties of Scioto, Athens and Ross. Competition for deposits and loans comes primarily from local banks and savings associations, although some competition is also experienced from local credit unions and insurance companies. The Company also competes with non-financial institutions that offer financial products and services. Some of the Company’s competitors are not subject to the same level of regulation and oversight that is required of banks and bank holding companies. As a result, some of these competitors may have lower cost structures.

Loan Central’s market presence further strengthens the Company’s ability to compete in the Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence and Pike Counties by serving a consumer base that may not meet the Bank’s credit standards. Loan Central also operates in Scioto and Ross counties of Ohio, which are outside the Bank’s primary market area. With the exception of TALs related to Loan Central’s tax preparation activities and the Bank’s refund advance activities, the Company’s business is not seasonal, nor is it dependent upon a single or small group of customers.

Historically, larger regional institutions, with substantially greater resources, have been generating a growing market presence. Yet, in recent years, the financial industry continues to consolidate, which affects competition by eliminating some regional and local institutions, while strengthening the acquiring companies. Many financial institutions have experienced significant challenges as a result of the prior economic crisis, which resulted in bank failures and significant intervention from the United States Government.

Overall, the Company believes it is able to compete effectively in both current and newer markets. There can be no assurance, however, that our ability to market products and services successfully or to obtain adequate yield on our loans will not be impacted by the nature of the competition that now exists or may later develop.

Supervision and Regulation

The following is a summary of certain statutes and regulations affecting Ohio Valley as well as the Bank, Loan Central, and Ohio Valley Financial Services. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to such statutes and regulations. The regulation of financial holding companies and their subsidiaries is intended primarily for the protection of consumers, depositors, borrowers, the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) and the banking system as a whole, and not for the protection of shareholders. Applicable laws and regulations restrict permissible activities and investments and require actions to protect loan, deposit, brokerage, fiduciary and other customers, as well as the DIF. They also may restrict Ohio Valley’s ability to repurchase its common shares or to receive dividends from the Bank and impose capital adequacy and liquidity requirements.

Regulation of Financial Holding Company

Ohio Valley is subject to the requirements of the BHC Act and to the reporting requirements of, and examination and regulation by, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve Board”). The Federal Reserve Board has extensive enforcement authority over bank holding companies, including, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, issue cease and desist or removal orders, and require that a bank holding company divest subsidiaries (including its banking subsidiaries). In general, the Federal Reserve Board may initiate enforcement action for violations of laws and regulations and unsafe or unsound practices.

A bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial strength to each subsidiary bank and to commit resources to support those subsidiary banks. The Federal Reserve Board may require a bank holding company to contribute additional capital to an undercapitalized subsidiary bank and may disapprove of the payment of dividends to the shareholders of the bank holding company if the Federal Reserve Board believes the payment would be an unsafe or unsound practice. The Federal Reserve Board also requires bank holding companies to provide advance notification of planned dividends under certain circumstances.

The BHC Act requires the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board in any case where a bank holding company proposes to:

Holding Company Activities

Ohio Valley is a financial holding company, which permits it to engage in activities beyond those permitted for traditional bank holding companies. A qualifying bank holding company may elect to become a financial holding company and thereby affiliate with securities firms and insurance companies and engage in other activities that are financial in nature and not otherwise permissible for a bank holding company, if: (i) the holding company is "well managed" and "well capitalized" and (ii) each of its subsidiary banks (a) is well capitalized under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 prompt corrective action provisions, (b) is well managed, and (c) has at least a "satisfactory" rating under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, as amended (“CRA”). No regulatory approval is required for a financial holding company to acquire a company, other than a bank or savings association, engaged in activities that are financial in nature or incidental to activities that are financial in nature, as determined by the Federal Reserve Board.

Financial holding companies may engage in a wide variety of financial activities, including any activity that the Federal Reserve Board and the Treasury Department consider financial in nature or incidental to financial activities, and any activity that the Federal Reserve Board determines complementary to a financial activity and which does not pose a substantial safety and soundness risk. These activities include securities underwriting, dealing, and market making activities, sponsoring mutual funds and investment companies, insurance and underwriting activities and merchant banking activities. Because it has authority to engage in a broad array of financial activities, a financial holding company may have several affiliates that are functionally regulated by financial regulators other than the Federal Reserve Board, such as the SEC and state insurance regulators.

If a financial holding company or a subsidiary bank fails to meet the requirements for the holding company to remain a financial holding company, the financial holding company must enter into a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Board within 45 days to comply with all applicable capital and management requirements. Until the Federal Reserve Board determines that the holding company and its subsidiary banks meet the requirements, the Federal Reserve Board may impose additional limitations or conditions on the conduct or activities of the financial holding company or any affiliate that the Federal Reserve Board finds to be appropriate or consistent with federal banking laws. If the deficiencies are not corrected within 180 days, the financial holding company may be required to divest ownership or control of all banking subsidiaries. If restrictions are imposed on the activities of the holding company, such restrictions may not be made publicly available pursuant to confidentiality regulations of the banking regulators.

Loan Central is supervised and regulated by the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions (“ODFI”). Ohio Valley Financial Services is supervised and regulated by the Ohio Department of Insurance. The insurance laws and regulations applicable to insurance agencies, including Ohio Valley Financial Services, require education and licensing of individual agents and agencies, require reports and impose business conduct rules.

Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act

On May 25, 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (“Regulatory Relief Act”) was enacted, which repealed or modified certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, as amended (“Dodd-Frank Act”), and eased regulations on all but the largest banks (those with consolidated assets in excess of $250 billion). Bank holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $100 billion, including Ohio Valley, are no longer subject to enhanced prudential standards. The Regulatory Relief Act also relieves bank holding companies and banks with consolidated assets of less than $100 billion, including Ohio Valley, from certain record-keeping, reporting and disclosure requirements. Certain other regulatory requirements applied only to banks with assets in excess of $50 billion and so did not apply to the Company even before the enactment of the Regulatory Relief Act.

Regulation of Ohio State Chartered Banks

As an Ohio state-chartered bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (“FRB”), the Bank is supervised and regulated primarily by the ODFI and the Federal Reserve Board. The Bank is also subject to the regulations of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), which has broad authority to adopt and enforce consumer protection regulations.

The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC, and the Bank is subject to the applicable provisions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”) and certain regulations of the FDIC.

Various requirements and restrictions under the laws of the United States, the State of Ohio and the State of West Virginia affect the operations of the Bank, including requirements to maintain reserves against deposits, restrictions on the nature and amount of loans that may be made and the interest that may be charged thereon, restrictions relating to investments and other activities, limitations on credit exposure to correspondent banks, limitations on activities based on capital and surplus, limitations on payment of dividends, limitations on branching and increasingly extensive consumer protection laws and regulations.

Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations

Banks are subject to regular examination to ensure compliance with federal statutes and regulations applicable to their business, including consumer protection statutes and implementing regulations. The Dodd-Frank Act established the CFPB, which has extensive regulatory and enforcement powers over consumer financial products and services. The CFPB has adopted numerous rules with respect to consumer protection laws and has commenced related enforcement actions. The following are just a few of the consumer protection laws applicable to the Bank:

The banking regulators also use their authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act to take supervisory or enforcement action with respect to unfair or deceptive acts or practices by banks that may not necessarily fall within the scope of specific banking or consumer finance law.

On July 22, 2020, the CFPB issued a final small dollar loan rule related to payday, vehicle title and certain high cost installment loans (the “Small Dollar Rule”) that modified a former rule that was issued in November 2013. Specifically, the Small Dollar Rule revokes provisions contained in the 2013 rule that: (i) provide that it is an unfair and abusive practice for a lender to make a covered short-term or longer-term balloon-payment loan, including payday and vehicle title loans, without reasonably determining that consumers have the ability to repay those loans according to their terms; (ii) prescribe mandatory underwriting requirements for making the ability-to-repay determination; (iii) exempt certain loans from mandatory underwriting requirements; and (iv) establish related definitions, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements. The compliance date of the Small Dollar Rule is March 30, 2025.

Further, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued interagency guidance on May 20, 2020, to encourage banks, savings associations, and credit unions to offer responsible small-dollar loans to customers for consumer and small business purposes. The Small Dollar Rule did not have a material effect on Ohio Valley’s financial condition or results of operations on a consolidated basis in 2024 and 2023.

Federal Reserve System

The Federal Reserve Board requires all depository institutions to maintain reserves at specified levels against their transaction accounts, primarily checking accounts. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve Board reduced reserve requirement ratios to 0% effective on March 26, 2020, to support lending to households and businesses. The reserve requirement ratio remained at 0% as of December 31, 2024.

Capital Requirements

Financial institutions and their holding companies are required to maintain capital as a way of absorbing losses that can, as well as losses that cannot, be predicted. The Federal Reserve Board has adopted risk-based capital guidelines for financial holding companies as well as state banks that are members of a Federal Reserve Bank. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) and the FDIC have adopted risk-based capital guidelines for national banks and state non-member banks, respectively. The guidelines provide a systematic analytical framework which makes regulatory capital requirements sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banking organizations, takes off-balance sheet exposures expressly into account in evaluating capital adequacy and incentivizes holding liquid, low-risk assets. Capital levels as measured by these standards are also used to categorize financial institutions for purposes of certain prompt corrective action regulatory provisions.

Capital rules applicable to smaller banking organizations (the “Basel III Capital Rules”), which also implement certain of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, became effective commencing on January 1, 2015. Compliance with the new minimum capital requirements was required effective January 1, 2015, while a new capital conservation buffer and deductions from common equity capital phased in from January 1, 2016, through January 1, 2019, and most deductions from common equity tier 1 capital phased in from January 1, 2015, through January 1, 2019.

The Basel III Capital Rules include (i) a minimum common equity tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%, (ii) a minimum tier 1 capital ratio of 6.0%, (iii) a minimum total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0%, and (iv) a minimum tier 1 leverage ratio of 4.0%.

Common equity for the common equity tier 1 capital ratio includes common stock (plus related surplus) and retained earnings, plus limited amounts of minority interests in the form of common stock, less the majority of certain regulatory deductions.

Tier 1 capital includes common equity as defined for the common equity tier 1 capital ratio, plus certain non-cumulative preferred stock and related surplus, cumulative preferred stock and related surplus and trust preferred securities that have been grandfathered (but which are not otherwise permitted), and limited amounts of minority interests in the form of additional tier 1 capital instruments, less certain deductions.

Tier 2 capital, which can be included in the total capital ratio, includes certain capital instruments (such as subordinated debt) and limited amounts of the allowance for credit losses, subject to specified eligibility criteria, less applicable deductions.

The deductions from common equity tier 1 capital include goodwill and other intangibles, certain deferred tax assets, mortgage-servicing assets above certain levels, gains on sale in connection with a securitization, investments in a banking organization’s own capital instruments and investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions (above certain levels).

Under the guidelines, capital is compared to the relative risk included in the balance sheet. To derive the risk included in the balance sheet, one of several risk weights is applied to different balance sheet and off-balance sheet assets, primarily based on the relative credit risk of the counterparty. The capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings and other factors.

The Basel III Capital Rules also place restrictions on the payment of capital distributions, including dividends, and certain discretionary bonus payments to executive officers if the company does not hold a capital conservation buffer of greater than 2.5% composed of common equity tier 1 capital above its minimum risk-based capital requirements, or if its eligible retained income is negative in that quarter and its capital conservation buffer ratio was less than 2.5% at the beginning of the quarter.

In December 2019, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule to address regulatory treatment of credit loss allowances under CECL. The rule revised the federal banking agencies’ regulatory capital rules to identify which credit loss allowances under the CECL model are eligible for inclusion in regulatory capital and to provide banking organizations the option to phase in over three years the day-one adverse effects on regulatory capital that may result from the adoption of the CECL model. Concurrent with the enactment of the CARES Act, federal banking agencies issued an interim final rule that delayed the estimated impact on regulatory capital resulting from the adoption of CECL. The interim final rule provided banking organizations that implemented CECL prior to the end of 2020 the option to delay for two years the estimated impact of CECL on regulatory capital relative to regulatory capital determined under the prior incurred loss methodology, followed by a three-year transition period to phase out the aggregate amount of capital benefit provided during the initial two-year delay. On August 26, 2020, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule that made certain technical changes to the interim final rule, including expanding the pool of eligible institutions. The changes in the final rule applied only to those banking organizations that elected the CECL transition relief provided for under the rule. The Company adopted the CECL model effective January 1, 2023.

Federal banking regulators have established regulations governing prompt corrective action to resolve capital deficient banks. Under these regulations, institutions that become undercapitalized become subject to mandatory regulatory scrutiny and limitations, which increase as capital continues to decrease. Each such institution is also required to file a capital plan with its primary federal regulator, and its holding company must guarantee the capital shortfall up to 5% of the assets of the capital deficient institution at the time it becomes undercapitalized.

In accordance with the Basel III Capital Rules, in order to be “well-capitalized” under the prompt corrective action guidelines, a bank must have a common equity tier 1 capital ratio of at least 6.5%, a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10.0%, a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 8.0% and a leverage ratio of at least 5.0%, and the bank must not be subject to any written agreement, order, capital directive or prompt corrective action directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level or any capital measure. At December 31, 2024, the Bank met the capital ratio requirements to be deemed “well-capitalized” according to the guidelines described above.

A bank with a capital level that might qualify for well capitalized or adequately capitalized status may nevertheless be treated as though the bank is in the next lower capital category if the bank’s primary federal banking supervisory authority determines that an unsafe or unsound condition or practice warrants that treatment. A bank’s operations can be significantly affected by its capital classification under the prompt corrective action rules. For example, a bank that is not well capitalized generally is prohibited from accepting brokered deposits and offering interest rates on deposits higher than the prevailing rate in its market without advance regulatory approval. These deposit-funding limitations can have an adverse effect on the bank’s liquidity. At each successively lower capital category, an insured depository institution is subject to additional restrictions. Undercapitalized banks are required to take specified actions to increase their capital or otherwise decrease the risks to the DIF. Bank regulatory agencies generally are required to appoint a receiver or conservator within 90 days after a bank becomes critically undercapitalized with a leverage ratio of less than 2.0%. The FDIA provides that a federal bank regulatory authority may require a bank holding company to divest itself of an undercapitalized bank subsidiary if the agency determines that divestiture will improve the bank’s financial condition and prospects.

Regulations of the Federal Reserve Board generally require a financial holding company to maintain total risk-based capital of 10.0% and tier 1 risk-based capital of 6.0%. If, however, a bank holding company satisfies the requirements of the Federal Reserve Board’s Small Bank Holding Company and Small Savings and Loan Holding Company Policy Statement (the “SBHCP”), the holding company is not required to meet the consolidated capital requirements. As amended effective in September 2018, the SBHCP requires that the holding company have assets of less than $3 billion, that it meet certain qualitative requirements, and that all of the holding company’s bank subsidiaries meet all bank capital requirements. As of December 31, 2024, Ohio Valley was deemed to meet the SBHCP requirements and so was not required to meet consolidated capital requirements at the holding company level.

Limits on Dividends

The ability of a bank holding company to obtain funds for the payment of dividends and for other cash requirements is largely dependent on the amount of dividends that may be declared by its subsidiary banks and other subsidiaries. The Federal Reserve Board also expects Ohio Valley to serve as a source of strength to the Bank, which may require it to retain capital for further investments in the Bank, rather than for dividends for shareholders of Ohio Valley. The Bank may not pay dividends to Ohio Valley if, after paying such dividends, it would fail to meet the required capital levels. Dividends are also subject to limitations if the Company or the Bank fails to hold the required capital conservation buffer. The Bank must have the approval of its regulatory authorities if a dividend in any year would cause the total dividends for that year to exceed the sum of its current year’s net profits and retained net profits for the preceding two years, less required transfers to surplus. Under Ohio law, the Bank may pay a dividend from surplus only with the approval of its shareholders and the approval of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Payment of dividends by the Bank may be restricted at any time at the discretion of its regulatory authorities, if they deem such dividends to constitute an unsafe and/or unsound banking practice or if necessary to maintain adequate capital for the Bank. These provisions could have the effect of limiting Ohio Valley’s ability to pay dividends on its outstanding common shares.

In addition, Federal Reserve Board policy requires Ohio Valley to provide notice to the FRB in advance of the payment of a dividend to Ohio Valley’s shareholders under certain circumstances, and the FRB may disapprove of such dividend payment if the FRB determines the payment would be an unsafe or unsound practice.

Dividend restrictions are also listed within the provisions of Ohio Valley’s trust preferred security arrangements. Under the provisions of these agreements, the interest payable on the trust preferred securities is deferred for up to five years and any such deferral would not be considered a default. During any period of deferral, Ohio Valley would be precluded from declaring or paying dividends to its shareholders or repurchasing any of its common stock.

Deposit Insurance Assessments

The FDIC is an independent federal agency which insures deposits, up to prescribed statutory limits, of federally-insured banks and savings associations and safeguards the safety and soundness of the financial institution industry. The deposits of the Bank are insured up to statutorily prescribed limits by the FDIC, generally up to a maximum of $250,000 per separately insured depositor.

As insurer, the FDIC is authorized to conduct examinations of and to require reporting by insured institutions, including the Bank, to prohibit any insured institution from engaging in any activity the FDIC determines by regulation or order to pose a threat to the DIF, and to take enforcement actions against insured institutions. The FDIC may terminate insurance of deposits of any institution if it finds that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC or other regulatory agency.

The FDIA requires the FDIC's Board of Directors to set a target or Designated Reserve Ratio (“DRR”) for the DIF annually. The DRR is the total of the DIF divided by the total estimated insured deposits of the industry. Under the long-range plan, the FDIC set the DRR at 2.0% and set a schedule of assessment rates that would progressively decrease when the DRR reached 2.0% and 2.5%. The FDIC views the 2.0% DRR as a long-term goal and the minimum level needed to withstand future crises of the magnitude of past crises. Extraordinary growth in insured deposits during the first and second quarters of 2020 caused the DRR to decline below the statutory minimum of 1.35% as of June 30, 2020. In September 2020, the FDIC Board of Directors (“FDIC Board”) adopted a restoration plan to restore the DRR to at least 1.35% by 2028, absent extraordinary circumstances, as required by the FDIA. The restoration plan maintained the assessment rate schedules in place at the time and required the FDIC to update its analysis and projections for the DIF balance and DRR at least semiannually. In the semiannual update for the restoration plan in June 2022, the FDIC projected that the DRR was at risk of not reaching the statutory minimum of 1.35% by September 30, 2028, the statutory deadline to restore the DRR. Based on this update, the FDIC Board approved an amended restoration plan, and concurrently proposed an increase in initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules uniformly by two basis points, applicable to all insured depository institutions. In October 2022, the FDIC Board finalized the increase with an effective date of January 1, 2023, applicable to the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. The revised assessment rate schedules are intended to increase the likelihood that the DRR reaches the statutory minimum level of 1.35% by September 30, 2028. In the FDIC’s most recent semiannual update for the amended restoration plan in October 2024, the FDIC noted the reserve ratio increased 6 basis points from 1.15% as of December 31, 2023, to 1.21% as of June 30, 2024. The FDIC staff projected that the reserve ratio remains on track to reach the statutory minimum of 1.35% ahead of the deadline of September 30, 2028. As a result, the FDIC staff recommended no changes to the amended restoration plan and all scheduled assessment rates were maintained.

Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that the insured institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition enacted or imposed by the bank's regulatory agency. Notice would be given to all depositors before the deposit insurance was terminated.

Community Reinvestment Act

The CRA requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under the CRA, each depository institution is required to help meet the credit needs of its market areas by, among other things, providing credit or other financial assistance to low and moderate-income individuals and communities. Depository institutions are periodically examined for compliance with the CRA. As of its most recent evaluation, the Bank was assigned an overall CRA rating of “Outstanding.”

On October 24, 2023, the federal banking agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board, issued a final rule designed to strengthen and modernize the regulations implementing the CRA. The changes are designed to encourage banks to expand access to credit, investment and banking services in low- and moderate-income communities, adapt to changes in the banking industry, including mobile and internet banking, provide greater clarity and consistency in the application of the CRA regulations, and tailor CRA evaluations and data collection to bank size and type. The applicability date for the majority of the changes to the CRA regulations is January 1, 2026, and additional requirements will be applicable on January 1, 2027. Ohio Valley cannot predict the impact the changes to the CRA will have on its operations at this time.

Customer Privacy Protections

The Bank is subject to regulations limiting the ability of financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to nonaffiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to a nonaffiliated party.

Patriot Act

The Uniting and Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorist Act of 2001, as amended (the “Patriot Act”), and related regulations require regulated financial institutions to establish a program specifying procedures for obtaining identifying information from customers seeking to open new accounts and establish enhanced due diligence policies, procedures and controls designed to detect and report suspicious activity.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (the “AMLA”), which amends the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (the “BSA”), was enacted in January 2021. The AMLA is intended to be a comprehensive reform and modernization to U.S. bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws. Among other things, it codifies a risk-based approach to anti-money laundering compliance for financial institutions; requires the development of standards for evaluating technology and internal processes for BSA compliance; expands enforcement-related and investigation-related authority, including increasing available sanctions for certain BSA violations and instituting BSA whistleblower initiatives and protections.

The Company has established policies and procedures to comply with the requirements of the Patriot Act and the AMLA.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation

The United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries and regimes, under authority of various laws, including designated foreign countries, nationals and others. OFAC publishes lists of specially designated targets and countries. Ohio Valley is responsible for, among other things, blocking accounts of, and transactions with, such targets and countries, prohibiting unlicensed trade and financial transactions with them and reporting blocked transactions after their occurrence. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious financial, legal and reputational consequences, including causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required. Regulatory authorities have imposed cease and desist orders and civil money penalties against institutions found to be violating these obligations.