Eastern Bankshares, Inc.

Previous wording

•Increases in interest rates have had and in the future may have a material adverse effect on many areas of our business, including net interest income, the earnings and volume of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and loan delinquency, and increases in interest rates may have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Current wording

•Increases in interest rates have had and in the future could have a material adverse effect on many areas of our business, including net interest income, the earnings and volume of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and loan delinquency, and increases in interest rates may have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Previous wording

•The geographic concentration of our loan portfolio and lending activities in eastern Massachusetts and southern and coastal New Hampshire makes us vulnerable to a downturn in our local economy.

Current wording

•The geographic concentration of our loan portfolio and lending activities in eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, and Rhode Island makes us vulnerable to a downturn in our local economy.

Previous wording

•The fair value of our investments, including our securities portfolio, has declined due to increases in interest rates beginning in March 2022 and may decline further in the future. Unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, in the estimated fair value of the available-for-sale portfolio is recorded as other comprehensive income, which has the effect of reducing our shareholders’ equity and therefore our tangible book value per share, which is a metric many investors in our common stock consider.

Current wording

•The fair value of our investments, including our securities portfolio, has declined due to increases in interest rates beginning in March 2022 and could decline further in the future due to increases in interest rates. Unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, in the estimated fair value of the available-for-sale portfolio is recorded as other comprehensive income, which has the effect of reducing our shareholders’ equity and therefore our tangible book value per share, which is a metric many investors in our common stock consider.

Previous wording

There are various risks associated with our acquisition growth strategy, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Current wording

There are various risks associated with acquisitions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Previous wording

•We may be unsuccessful in realizing the expected benefits of the Cambridge acquisition or other acquired businesses, including failure to retain key employees or customers, incurrence of unexpected difficulty or expense in integrating operations, technologies or customers, assumption of significant (and potentially unknown) liabilities, and inexperience with the products and/or geographies offered by the acquired business, all of which could divert our management’s attention and/or negatively impact our financial results.

Current wording

•We may be unsuccessful in realizing the expected benefits of the HarborOne acquisition or other acquired businesses, including failure to retain key employees or customers, incurrence of unexpected difficulty or expense in integrating operations, technologies or customers, assumption of significant (and potentially unknown) liabilities, and inexperience with the products and/or geographies offered by the acquired business, all of which could divert our management’s attention and/or negatively impact our financial results.

Previous wording

•When we acquire a business, a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition may be allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired determines the amount of the purchase price that is allocated to goodwill acquired. Under current accounting guidance, if we determine that goodwill or intangible assets are impaired, we would be required to write down the value of these assets.

Current wording

•When we acquire a business, a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition typically is allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired determines the amount of the purchase price that is allocated to goodwill acquired. Under current accounting guidance, if we determine that goodwill or intangible assets are impaired, we would be required to write down the value of these assets.

Previous wording

The Company may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of Cambridge or other acquired businesses, particularly if the integration of the acquired businesses is more difficult than expected.

Current wording

The Company may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of HarborOne or other acquired businesses, particularly if the integration of the acquired businesses is more difficult than expected.

Previous wording

The Company may fail to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of Cambridge or other acquired businesses if the integration process takes longer or is more costly than expected. Furthermore, any number of unanticipated adverse occurrences for either the acquired business or the Company may cause us to fail to realize some or all of the expected benefits. The integration process, which is ongoing for Cambridge, could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of each company’s ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that could adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with clients, customers, depositors and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger. Each of these issues might adversely affect the Company during the transition period, resulting in adverse effects on the Company following the merger. Additionally, our assumptions regarding the fair value of assets being acquired or projections of future benefits following the merger could prove to be inaccurate. As a result, revenues may be lower than expected or costs may be higher than expected and the overall benefits of the merger may not be as great as anticipated, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects.

Current wording

The Company may fail to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of HarborOne or other acquired businesses if the integration process takes longer or is more costly than expected. Furthermore, any number of unanticipated adverse occurrences for either the acquired business or the Company may cause us to fail to realize some or all of the expected benefits. The integration process, which is ongoing for HarborOne, could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that could adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with clients, customers, depositors and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger. Each of these issues might adversely affect the Company during the transition period, resulting in adverse effects on the Company following the merger. Additionally, our assumptions regarding the fair value of assets being acquired or projections of future benefits following the merger could prove to be inaccurate. As a result, revenues may be lower than expected or costs may be higher than expected and the overall benefits of the merger may not be as great as anticipated, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects.

Previous wording

The Company may be unsuccessful in retaining our personnel or the personnel of the company we acquire.

Current wording

The Company may be unsuccessful in retaining personnel.

Previous wording

The success of any merger or other acquisition that we pursue will depend in part on the Company’s ability to retain the talents and dedication of key employees currently employed by the Company and employees who join the Company from the acquired company. If the Company is unable to retain key employees, including management, who are critical to the successful integration and future operations of the combined company, the Company could face disruptions in its operations, loss of existing customers, loss of key information, expertise or know-how and unanticipated additional recruitment costs. In addition, if key employees terminate their employment, the Company’s business activities may be adversely affected, and management’s attention may be diverted from successfully integrating the Company and the acquired company to hiring suitable replacements, all of which may cause the Company’s business to suffer. In addition, the Company may not be able to locate or retain suitable replacements for any key employees who leave the combined company.

Current wording

The success of the acquisition of HarborOne or other previously acquired companies depends in part on the Company’s ability to retain key employees currently employed by the Company and employees who join the Company from the acquired company. If the Company is unable to retain key employees, including management, who are critical to the successful integration and future operations of the combined company, the Company could face disruptions in its business and operations, loss of existing customers, loss of key information and, expertise and unanticipated additional recruitment costs. In addition, if key employees terminate their employment, management’s attention may be diverted from successfully integrating the acquired company to hiring suitable replacements, all of which may cause the Company’s business to suffer.

Previous wording

The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur costs related to the acquisition and integration of Cambridge and other businesses.

Current wording

The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur costs related to the acquisition and integration of HarborOne and other businesses.

Previous wording

The Company routinely incurs significant, non-recurring costs when it agrees to acquire other businesses. In addition, the Company incurs integration costs following the completion of acquisitions as it integrates the acquired business, including facilities and systems consolidation costs and employment-related costs. The Company may also incur additional costs to retain key employees of the Company and the acquired business. There can be no assurances that the expected benefits and efficiencies related to the integration of the acquired businesses will be realized to offset these transaction and integration costs over time.

Current wording

The Company incurs significant, non-recurring costs when it agrees to acquire other businesses. In addition, the Company incurs integration costs following the completion of acquisitions as it integrates the acquired business, including facilities and systems consolidation costs and employment-related costs. The Company may also incur additional costs to retain key employees. There can be no assurances that the expected benefits and efficiencies related to the integration of the acquired businesses will be realized to offset these transaction and integration costs over time.

Previous wording

Regulatory approvals related to proposed business acquisitions may not be received, may take longer to receive than expected, or may impose burdensome conditions, which could impose additional costs and could delay or prevent completion of the acquisition.

Current wording

Regulatory approvals required for future business acquisitions, if any, may not be received, may take longer to receive than expected, or may impose burdensome conditions, which could impose additional costs and could delay or prevent completion of the acquisition.

Previous wording

Before a merger or other acquisition may be completed, certain approvals or consents must be obtained from various bank regulatory and other authorities of the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. These governmental entities, including the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, the Massachusetts Division of Banks and the New Hampshire Banking Department, may impose conditions on the completion of the transaction or require changes to the terms of the transaction, require divestitures or place restrictions on our conduct after the completion of the transaction. Any such conditions or changes could have the effect of delaying completion of the transaction or imposing additional costs on or limiting the revenues of the Company following the completion of the transaction, any of which might have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Current wording

Before a merger or other acquisition may be completed, certain approvals or consents must be obtained from various bank regulatory and other authorities of the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. These governmental entities, including the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, the Massachusetts Division of Banks, the New Hampshire Banking Department, and Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, may impose conditions on the completion of the transaction or require changes to the terms of the transaction, require divestitures or place restrictions on our conduct after the completion of the transaction. Any such conditions or changes could have the effect of delaying completion of the transaction or imposing additional costs on or limiting the revenues of the Company following the completion of the transaction, any of which might have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Previous wording

To the extent that we acquire other companies, our business may be negatively impacted by certain risks inherent with such acquisitions.

Current wording

Though we are not focused on acquisitions, if in the future we acquire other companies, our business may be negatively impacted by certain risks inherent with such acquisitions.

Previous wording

A significant component of our business strategy is to grow through acquisitions of other financial institutions or business lines as opportunities arise. Although we have been successful with this strategy in the past, we may not be able to grow our business in the future through acquisitions for a number of reasons, including:

Current wording

A significant component of our historic growth has been through acquisitions of other financial institutions or business lines. We may not be able to grow our business in the future through acquisitions for a number of reasons, including:

Previous wording

•Competition with other prospective buyers resulting in our inability to complete an acquisition or in our paying a substantial premium over the fair value of the net assets of the acquired business;

Current wording

•Competition with other prospective buyers resulting in our inability to undertake an acquisition at an acceptable price or in our paying a substantial premium over the fair value of the net assets of the acquired business;

Previous wording

•Potential difficulties and/or unexpected expenses relating to the integration of the operations, technologies, products and the key employees of the acquired business, resulting in the diversion of resources from the operation of our existing business;

Current wording

•Potential difficulties relating to the integration of the operations, technologies, products and the key employees or management of the acquired business, resulting in the diversion of resources from the operation of our existing business;

Previous wording

•Acquisitions of new lines of business may present risks that are different in kind or degree compared to those that we are accustomed to managing, requiring us to implement new or enhance existing procedures and controls and diverting resources from the operation of our existing business;

Current wording

•Acquisitions of new lines of business may present risks that are different from those that we are accustomed to managing, requiring us to implement new or enhanced procedures and controls and diverting resources from the operation of our existing business;

Previous wording

•Assumption of or potential exposure to significant liabilities of the acquired business, some of which may be unknown or contingent at the time of acquisition, including, without limitation, liabilities for regulatory and compliance issues;

Current wording

•Assumption of or potential exposure to significant liabilities of the acquired business, some of which may be unknown or contingent at the time of acquisition;

Previous wording

At December 31, 2024, our allowance for loan losses was $229.0 million, or 1.29% of total loans, compared to $149.0 million, or 1.07% of total loans, at December 31, 2023. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for many of our loans. If our assumptions in determining the amount of allowance for loan losses are incorrect, or if delinquencies or non-performing loans increase, our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, which would require additions to our allowance, which could materially decrease our net income.

Current wording

At December 31, 2025, our allowance for loan losses was $331.8 million, or 1.44% of total loans, compared to $229.0 million, or 1.29% of total loans, at December 31, 2024. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for many of our loans. If our assumptions in determining the amount of allowance for loan losses are incorrect, or if delinquencies or non-performing loans increase, our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, which would require additions to our allowance, which could materially decrease our net income.

Previous wording

We primarily serve individuals, businesses and municipalities located in eastern and central Massachusetts, including the greater Boston metropolitan area, southern New Hampshire, including its coastal region, and northern Rhode Island. At December 31, 2024, approximately $13.0 billion, or 91.4% of our total loans secured by real estate were secured by real estate located in this market area. Therefore, our success is largely dependent on the economic conditions, including employment levels, population growth, income levels, savings trends and government policies, in this market area. Weaker economic conditions caused by recessions, unemployment, inflation, a decline in real estate values or other factors beyond our control may adversely affect the ability of our borrowers to service their debt obligations and could result in higher loan and lease losses and lower net income for us.

Current wording

We primarily serve individuals, businesses and municipalities located in eastern and central Massachusetts, including the greater Boston metropolitan area, southern New Hampshire, including its coastal region, and Rhode Island. At December 31, 2025, approximately $16.7 billion, or 89.6% of our total loans secured by real estate were secured by real estate located in this market area. Therefore, our success is largely dependent on the economic conditions, including employment levels, population growth, income levels, savings trends and government policies, in this market area. Weaker economic conditions caused by recessions, unemployment, inflation, a decline in real estate values or other factors beyond our control may adversely affect the ability of our borrowers to service their debt obligations and could result in higher loan and lease losses and lower net income for us.

Previous wording

We face continuing and growing security risks to our information data bases, including information we maintain relating to our customers.

Current wording

We face continuing and growing security risks to our information systems including information we maintain relating to our customers.

Previous wording

We are subject to certain operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors, inadequate or failed internal processes, customer or employee fraud and catastrophic failures resulting from terrorist acts or natural disasters. We rely on electronic communications and information systems to conduct our business and to store sensitive data, including financial information regarding customers. Our electronic communications and information systems infrastructure, as well as the systems infrastructures of the vendors we use, are inherently vulnerable to unauthorized access, human error, computer viruses, denial-of-service attacks, malicious code, spam attacks, phishing, ransomware or other forms of social engineering and other events that could impact the security, reliability, confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems or those of our vendors. Financial services institutions and companies engaged in data processing have reported breaches in the security of their websites or other systems, some of which have involved sophisticated and targeted attacks intended to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems, often through the introduction of computer viruses or malware, cyber-attacks and other means. Denial of service attacks have been launched against a number of large financial services institutions. Hacking and identity theft risks, in particular, could cause serious reputational harm. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks. Although to date we have not experienced any material losses relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses in the future. No matter how well designed or implemented our controls are, we will not be able to anticipate all security breaches of these types, and we may not be able to implement effective preventive measures against such security breaches in a timely manner. A failure or circumvention of our security systems could have a material adverse effect on our business operations and financial condition.

Current wording

We are subject to certain operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors, inadequate or failed internal processes, customer or employee fraud and catastrophic failures resulting from terrorist acts or natural disasters. We rely on electronic communications and information systems to conduct our business and to store sensitive data, including financial information regarding customers. Our electronic communications and information systems infrastructure, as well as the systems infrastructures of the vendors we use, may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, human error, computer viruses, denial-of-service attacks, malicious code, spam attacks, phishing, ransomware or other forms of social engineering and other events that could impact the security, reliability, confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems or those of our vendors. Financial services institutions and companies engaged in data processing have reported breaches in the security of their systems, some of which have involved sophisticated and targeted attacks intended to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems. Denial of service attacks have been launched against a number of large financial services institutions. Hacking and identity theft risks, in particular, could cause serious reputational harm. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks. For example, a type of artificial intelligence program (AI) known as “Agentic AI” has further exacerbated risks by allowing bad actors to more easily use sophisticated and iterative methods of facilitating fraud through the creation of synthetic identities and “deepfake” images and documentation. Although to date we have not experienced any material losses relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses in the future. No matter how well designed or implemented our controls are, we will not be able to anticipate all security breaches of these types, and we may not be able to implement effective preventive measures against such security breaches in a timely manner. A failure or circumvention of our security systems could have a material adverse effect on our business operations and financial condition.

Previous wording

We regularly assess and test our security systems and disaster preparedness, including back-up systems, but the risks are substantially escalating. We are not able to fully protect against these events given the rapid evolution of new vulnerabilities, the complex and distributed nature of our systems, our interdependence on the systems of other companies and the increased sophistication of potential attack vectors and methods against our systems. As a result, cybersecurity and the continued enhancement of our controls and processes to protect our systems, data and networks from attacks, unauthorized access or significant damage remain a priority. Accordingly, we may be required to expend additional resources to enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or exposures. Any breach of our system security could result in disruption of our operations, unauthorized access to confidential customer information, significant regulatory costs, such as enforcement actions and/or the imposition of civil money penalties, litigation exposure and other possible damages, loss or liability. Such costs or losses could exceed the amount of available insurance coverage, if any, and would adversely affect our earnings. Also, any failure to prevent a security breach or to quickly and effectively deal with such a breach could cause reputational harm, negatively impact customer confidence, undermine our ability to attract and keep customers, and possibly result in regulatory sanctions.

Current wording

We regularly assess and test our security systems and disaster preparedness, including back-up systems, but the risks are continually escalating. We may not be able to fully protect against these events given the rapid evolution of new vulnerabilities, the complex and distributed nature of our systems, our interdependence on the systems of other companies and the increased sophistication of potential attack vectors and methods against our systems. As a result, cybersecurity and the continued enhancement of our controls and processes to protect our systems, data and networks from attacks, unauthorized access or significant damage remain a priority. Accordingly, we may be required to expend additional resources to enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or exposures. Any breach of our system security could result in disruption of our operations, unauthorized access to confidential customer information, significant regulatory costs, such as enforcement actions and/or the imposition of civil money penalties, litigation exposure and other possible damages, loss or liability. Such costs or losses could exceed the amount of available insurance coverage, if any, and would adversely affect our earnings. Also, any failure to prevent a security breach or to quickly and effectively deal with such a breach could cause reputational harm, negatively impact customer confidence, undermine our ability to attract and keep customers, and possibly result in regulatory sanctions.

Previous wording

Competition with non-banks, including technology companies, to provide financial products and services is intensifying. In particular, the activity of fintechs has grown significantly over recent years and is expected to continue to grow. Fintechs have and may continue to offer bank or bank-like products. The federal and state bank regulatory agencies have demonstrated a willingness to charter non-traditional bank charter applicants, such as fintechs, which increases competition in the industry. In addition, other fintechs have partnered with existing banks to allow them to offer deposit products to their customers under current and proposed interagency guidelines on third party relationships. Regulatory changes, such as revisions to the FDIC’s rules on brokered deposits intended to reflect recent technological changes and innovations, may also make it easier for fintechs to partner with banks and offer deposit products. In addition to fintechs, the large technology companies have begun to make efforts toward providing financial services directly to their customers and are expected to continue to explore new ways to do so. Many of these companies, including our competitors, have fewer regulatory constraints, and some have lower cost structures, in part due to lack of physical locations and regulatory compliance costs. Some of these companies also have greater resources to invest in technological improvements than we currently have.

Current wording

Competition with non-banks, including technology companies, to provide financial products and services is intensifying. In particular, the activity of fintechs has grown significantly over recent years and is expected to continue to grow. Fintechs have and may continue to offer bank or bank-like products. Federal and state bank regulatory agencies have demonstrated a willingness to permit non-traditional bank charters for fintechs, which increases competition in the industry. In addition, other fintechs, through commercials relationships with existing banks, offer deposit-like products to their customers under current and proposed interagency guidelines on third party relationships. In addition, large technology companies have begun to make efforts toward providing financial services directly to their customers and are expected to continue to explore new ways to do so. Many of these companies have fewer regulatory constraints, and some have lower cost structures, in part due to the lack of physical locations and regulatory compliance costs. Some of these companies also have greater resources to invest in technological improvements than we currently have.

Previous wording

In addition to external competition, the financial services industry, including the banking sector, is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition, new, unexpected technological changes could have a disruptive effect on the way banks offer products and services. We believe our success depends, to a great extent, on our ability to use technology to offer products and services that provide convenience to customers and to create additional efficiencies in our operations. However, we may not be able to, among other things, keep up with the rapid pace of technological changes, effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. As a result, our ability to compete effectively to attract or retain new business may be impaired, and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.

Current wording

In addition to external competition, as described below, the financial services industry, including the banking sector, is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. New, unexpected technological changes could have a disruptive effect on the way banks offer products and services. We believe our success depends on our ability to use technology to offer products and services that provide convenience to customers and to create additional efficiencies in our operations. However, we may not be able to keep up with the rapid pace of technological changes or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. As a result, our ability to compete effectively to attract or retain new business may be impaired, and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.

Previous wording

We invest significant resources in information technology system enhancements in order to provide functionality and security at an appropriate level. We may not be able to successfully implement and integrate future system enhancements, or such implementations could be delayed materially, which could adversely impact the ability to provide timely and accurate financial information in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, which in turn could result in sanctions from regulatory authorities. Such sanctions could include fines and suspension of trading in our stock, among others. In addition, future system enhancements could have higher than expected costs and/or result in operating inefficiencies, which could increase the costs associated with the implementation as well as ongoing operations.

Current wording

We invest significant resources in information technology system enhancements in order to provide functionality and security at an appropriate level. We may not be able to successfully implement and integrate future system enhancements, or such implementations could be delayed materially, or could become obsolete quickly due to the increasing rates of technological innovation, which could adversely impact our ability to meet our legal and regulatory requirements, which could result in regulatory fines. In addition, future system enhancements could have higher than expected costs and/or result in operating inefficiencies, which could increase implementation and ongoing operational costs.

Previous wording

Failure to optimize system enhancements that are implemented in the future could result in impairment charges that adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations and could result in significant costs to remediate or replace the defective components. In addition, we may incur significant training, licensing, maintenance, consulting and amortization expenses during and after systems implementations, and any such costs may continue for an extended period of time.

Current wording

Failure to optimize future system enhancements could result in impairment charges that adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may incur significant training, licensing, maintenance, consulting and amortization expenses during and after systems enhancements or implementations.

Previous wording

Third-party vendors provide key components of our business infrastructure, including certain data processing and information services. Third parties may transmit confidential, propriety information on our behalf. Although we require third-party providers to maintain certain levels of information security, such providers may remain vulnerable to operational and technology vulnerabilities, including cyber-attacks, security breaches, unauthorized access, breaches, fraud, phishing attacks, misuse, computer viruses, or other malicious attacks, which could result in unauthorized access, misuse, loss or destruction of data, an interruption in service or other similar events that may impact our business. Although we may contractually limit liability in connection with attacks against third-party providers, we remain exposed to the risk of loss associated with such vendors. In addition, a number of our vendors are large national entities with dominant market presence in their respective fields. Their services could prove difficult to replace in a timely manner if a failure or other service interruption were to occur. We cannot predict the costs or time that would be required to find an alternative service provider. Failures of certain vendors to provide contracted services could adversely affect our ability to deliver products and services to customers and cause us to incur significant expenses.

Current wording

Third-party vendors provide key components of our business infrastructure, including certain data processing and information services. Third parties may transmit confidential, propriety information on our behalf. Although we require third-party providers to maintain certain levels of information security, such providers may remain vulnerable to operational and technology vulnerabilities, including cyber-attacks, security breaches, unauthorized access, breaches, fraud, phishing attacks, misuse, computer viruses, or other malicious attacks, which could result in unauthorized access, misuse, loss or destruction of data, an interruption in service or other similar events that may impact our business. Although we may contractually limit liability in connection with attacks against third-party providers, we remain exposed to the risk of loss associated with such vendors. In addition, a number of our vendors are large national entities with dominant market presence in their respective fields. Their services could prove difficult to replace in a timely manner if a failure or other service interruption were to occur. We cannot predict the costs or time that would be required to find an alternative service provider. Failures of certain vendors to provide contracted services could adversely affect our ability to deliver products and services to customers and cause us to incur significant expenses. We also expect our third-party service providers to increasingly incorporate AI capabilities into their product offerings; our third-party risk management framework may be inadequate to fully mitigate the associated risks.

Previous wording

An important goal of our strategic plan is expanding our profitable loan and deposit market share through both organic growth and opportunistic strategic transactions. (For a more complete discussion of our strategic plan, please see the“Business” section included in Part I, Item 1 in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.) It is possible that one or more factors, including factors outside of our control, may hinder or prevent us from achieving our growth objectives. Our key assumptions include:

Current wording

An important goal of our strategic plan is expanding our profitable loan and deposit market share through organic growth and if appropriate, opportunistic transactions. (For a more complete discussion of our strategic plan, please see the “Business” section included in Part I, Item 1 in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.) It is possible that one or more factors, including factors outside of our control, may hinder or prevent us from achieving our growth objectives. Our key assumptions include:

Previous wording

Despite recent challenges within the banking sector, we expect to experience growth in the amount of our assets, the level of our deposits and the scale of our operations. Achieving our growth targets requires us to attract customers that currently bank at other financial institutions in our market, thereby increasing our share of the market. Our ability to successfully grow will depend on a variety of factors, including our customers’ ability to meet their obligations to us, our ability to attract and retain experienced bankers, the continued availability of desirable business opportunities, the competitive responses from other financial institutions in our market areas and our ability to manage our growth. Growth opportunities may not be available, or we may not be able to manage our growth successfully. If we do not manage our growth effectively, our financial condition and operating results could be negatively affected.

Current wording

We expect to experience growth in the amount of our assets, the level of our deposits and the scale of our operations. Achieving our growth targets requires us to attract customers that currently bank at other financial institutions in our market, thereby increasing our share of the market. Our ability to successfully grow will depend on a variety of factors, including our customers’ ability to meet their obligations to us, our ability to attract and retain experienced bankers, the continued availability of desirable business opportunities, the competitive responses from other financial institutions in our market areas and our ability to manage our growth. Growth opportunities may not be available, or we may not be able to manage our growth successfully. If we do not manage our growth effectively, our financial condition and operating results could be negatively affected.

Previous wording

A cornerstone of our strategic plan involves retaining as well as hiring highly skilled and qualified personnel. Accordingly, our ability to implement our strategic plan and our future success depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled and qualified personnel, including our senior management and other key employees and directors. The failure to attract or retain, including as a result of an untimely death or illness of key personnel, or ability to replace a sufficient number of appropriately skilled and key personnel, could place us at a significant competitive disadvantage and prevent us from successfully implementing our strategy, which could impair our ability to implement our strategic plan successfully, achieve our performance targets and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

A cornerstone of our strategic plan involves retaining as well as hiring highly skilled and qualified personnel. Accordingly, our ability to implement our strategic plan and our future success depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled and qualified personnel, including our senior management and other key employees and directors. The failure to attract or retain, including as a result of an untimely death or illness of key personnel, or ability to replace a sufficient number of appropriately skilled key personnel, could place us at a significant competitive disadvantage and prevent us from successfully implementing our strategy, which could impair our ability to implement our strategic plan successfully, achieve our performance targets and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

Limitations on the manner in which regulated financial institutions, such as us, can compensate their officers and employees may make it more difficult for such institutions to compete for talent with financial institutions and other companies not subject to these or similar limitations. If we are unable to compete effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected, perhaps materially.

Current wording

Limitations on the manner in which regulated financial institutions like us can compensate their officers and employees may make it more difficult for such institutions to compete for talent with financial institutions and other companies not subject to these or similar limitations. If we are unable to compete effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected, perhaps materially.

Previous wording

Our commercial loan portfolio, including those secured by commercial real estate, comprised $12.2 billion, or 68.8% of our total loans at December 31, 2024. Commercial loans generally carry larger balances and involve a higher risk of nonpayment or late payment than residential mortgage loans. Most of the commercial and industrial loans are secured by borrower business assets such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment and other fixed assets. Compared to real estate, these types of collateral are more difficult to monitor, harder to value, may depreciate more rapidly and may not be as readily saleable if repossessed. Repayment of commercial and industrial loans is largely dependent on the business and financial condition of borrowers. Business cash flows are dependent on the demand for the products and services offered by the borrower’s business. Such demand may be reduced when economic conditions are weak or when the products and services offered are viewed as less valuable than those offered by competitors. In addition, some of our commercial real estate loans are not fully amortizing and contain large balloon payments upon maturity. These balloon payments may require the borrower to either sell or refinance the underlying property in order to make the balloon payment, which may increase the risk of default or non-payment. In addition, because of the risks associated with commercial loans, including the economic stress in our market due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the increasing prevalence of hybrid and remote work, and a higher interest rate environment than existed when loans were first originated, we may experience higher rates of default than if the portfolio were more heavily weighted toward residential mortgage loans. Higher rates of default could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Further, if we foreclose on commercial collateral, our holding period for the collateral may be longer than for one- to four-family residential real estate loans because there are fewer potential purchasers of the collateral, which can result in substantial holding costs. In addition, vacancies, deferred maintenance, repairs and market stigma can result in prospective buyers expecting sale price concessions to offset their real or perceived economic losses for the time it takes them to return the property to profitability.

Current wording

Our commercial loan portfolio, including those secured by commercial real estate, comprised $15.9 billion, or 68.7% of our total loans at December 31, 2025. Commercial loans generally carry larger balances and involve a higher risk of nonpayment or late payment than residential mortgage loans. Most of the commercial and industrial loans are secured by borrower business assets such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment and other fixed assets. Compared to real estate, these types of collateral are more difficult to monitor, harder to value, may depreciate more rapidly and may not be as readily saleable if repossessed. Repayment of commercial and industrial loans is largely dependent on the business and financial condition of borrowers. Business cash flows are dependent on the demand for the products and services offered by the borrower’s business. Such demand may be reduced when economic conditions are weak or when the products and services offered are viewed as less valuable than those offered by competitors. In addition, some of our commercial real estate loans are not fully amortizing and contain large balloon payments upon maturity. These balloon payments may require the borrower to either sell or refinance the underlying property in order to make the balloon payment, which may increase the risk of default or non-payment. In addition, because of the risks associated with commercial loans, including the continued prevalence of hybrid and remote work, and a higher interest rate environment than existed when loans were first originated, as well as changes in the law or regulations that could increase credit risk, such as a proposed ballot initiative in Massachusetts that would cap annual rent increases, we may experience higher rates of default than if the portfolio were more heavily weighted toward residential mortgage loans. Higher rates of default could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Further, if we foreclose on commercial collateral, our holding period for the collateral may be longer than for one- to four-family residential real estate loans because there are fewer potential purchasers of the collateral, which can result in substantial holding costs. In addition, vacancies, deferred maintenance, repairs and market stigma can result in prospective buyers expecting sale price concessions to offset their real or perceived economic losses for the time it takes them to return the property to profitability.

Previous wording

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate, and we could become subject to environmental liabilities with respect to one or more of these properties. At December 31, 2024, $14.3 billion, or 80.4% of our total loans, comprised loans secured by real estate. If we foreclose on and take title to properties securing defaulted loans, we may be exposed to environmental liability risk such as remediation costs, personal injury and property damage, and civil fines and criminal penalties, regardless of when the hazardous conditions or toxic substances first affected the property, and we may be limited in our ability to use or sell the affected property or in our remedies against the prior owner or other responsible parties. Although management has implemented policies and procedures to mitigate this risk, they may not be sufficient in all instances to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate, and we could become subject to environmental liabilities with respect to one or more of these properties. At December 31, 2025, $18.6 billion, or 80.6% of our total loans, comprised loans secured by real estate. If we foreclose on and take title to properties securing defaulted loans, we may be exposed to environmental liability risk such as remediation costs, personal injury and property damage, and civil fines and criminal penalties, regardless of when the hazardous conditions or toxic substances first affected the property, and we may be limited in our ability to use or sell the affected property or in our remedies against the prior owner or other responsible parties. Although management has implemented policies and procedures to mitigate this risk, they may not be sufficient in all instances to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

At December 31, 2024, loans secured by one- to four-family residential real estate were $5.5 billion, or 31.2% of total loans. Loans secured by one- to four-family residential real estate include residential real estate mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit and investment real estate loans secured by one- to four-family residential properties. At December 31, 2024, $236.1 million of one- to four-family residential real estate loans were part of the commercial loan portfolio. One- to four-family residential mortgage lending is generally sensitive to regional and local economic conditions that significantly impact the ability of borrowers to meet their loan payment obligations. Declines in real estate values could cause some of our residential mortgages to be inadequately collateralized, which would expose us to a greater risk of loss. Residential loans with relatively high combined loan-to-value ratios are more sensitive to declining property values than those with lower combined loan-to-value ratios and, therefore, may experience a higher incidence of default and severity of losses. In addition, if the borrowers sell their homes, they may be unable to repay their loans in full from the sale proceeds. For home equity loans and lines of credit, we may be unsuccessful in recovering all or a portion of our loan proceeds in the event of default. For these reasons, we may experience higher rates of delinquencies, default and losses on our home equity loans, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

At December 31, 2025, loans secured by one- to four-family residential real estate were $7.2 billion, or 31.4% of total loans. Loans secured by one- to four-family residential real estate include residential real estate mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit and investment real estate loans secured by one- to four-family residential properties. At December 31, 2025, $254.9 million of one- to four-family residential real estate loans were part of the commercial loan portfolio. One- to four-family residential mortgage lending is generally sensitive to regional and local economic conditions that significantly impact the ability of borrowers to meet their loan payment obligations. Declines in real estate values could cause some of our residential mortgages to be inadequately collateralized, which would expose us to a greater risk of loss. Residential loans with relatively high combined loan-to-value ratios are more sensitive to declining property values than those with lower combined loan-to-value ratios and, therefore, may experience a higher incidence of default and severity of losses. In addition, if the borrowers sell their homes, they may be unable to repay their loans in full from the sale proceeds. For home equity loans and lines of credit, we may be unsuccessful in recovering all or a portion of our loan proceeds in the event of default. For these reasons, we may experience higher rates of delinquencies, default and losses on our home equity loans, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

We routinely purchase loan participations. Although we underwrite these loan participations consistent with our general underwriting criteria, loan participations may have a higher risk of loss than loans we originate because we rely on the lead lender to disclose relevant financial information on a timely basis. Moreover, our decision regarding the classification of a loan participation and loan loss provisions associated with a loan participation is made in part based upon information provided by the lead lender and/or our regulators. A lead lender also may not monitor a participation loan in the same manner as we would for loans that we originate. At December 31, 2024, we held loan participation interests in commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, commercial construction and business banking loans totaling $2.1 billion.

Current wording

We routinely purchase loan participations. Although we underwrite these loan participations consistent with our general underwriting criteria, loan participations may have a higher risk of loss than loans we originate because we rely on the lead lender to disclose relevant financial information on a timely basis. Moreover, our decision regarding the classification of a loan participation and loan loss provisions associated with a loan participation is made in part based upon information provided by the lead lender and/or our regulators. A lead lender also may not monitor a participation loan in the same manner as we would for loans that we originate. At December 31, 2025, we held loan participation interests in commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, commercial construction and business banking loans totaling $3.3 billion.

Previous wording

When we acquire a business, a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition may be allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired determines the amount of the purchase price that is allocated to goodwill acquired. As of December 31, 2024, goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets were $1.1 billion. Under current accounting guidance, if we determine that goodwill or intangible assets are impaired, we would be required to write down the value of these assets. We conduct an annual review to determine whether goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets are impaired. We conduct a quarterly review for indicators of impairment of goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. Our management recently completed these reviews and concluded that no impairment charge was necessary for the year ended December 31, 2024. We cannot provide assurance whether we will be required to take an impairment charge in the future. Any impairment charge would have a negative effect on our shareholders’ equity and financial results and may cause a decline in our stock price.

Current wording

When we acquire a business, a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition may be allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired determines the amount of the purchase price that is allocated to goodwill acquired. As of December 31, 2025, goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets were $1.3 billion. Under current accounting guidance, if we determine that goodwill or intangible assets are impaired, we would be required to write down the value of these assets. We conduct an annual review to determine whether goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets are impaired. We conduct a quarterly review for indicators of impairment of goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. Our management recently completed these reviews and concluded that no impairment charge was necessary for the year ended December 31, 2025. We cannot provide assurance whether we will be required to take an impairment charge in the future. Any impairment charge would have a negative effect on our shareholders’ equity and financial results and may cause a decline in our stock price.

Previous wording

From time to time, we are named as a defendant or are otherwise involved in various legal proceedings, including class actions and other litigation or disputes with third parties. There is no assurance that litigation with private parties will not increase in the future. Actions against us may result in judgments, settlements, fines, penalties or other results adverse to us, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or cause serious reputational harm to us. As a participant in the financial services industry, it is likely that we could experience a high level of litigation related to our businesses and operations. There could be substantial cost and management diversion in such litigation and proceedings, and any adverse determination could have a materially adverse effect on our business, brand or image, or our financial condition and results of our operations.

Current wording

From time to time, we are named as a defendant or are otherwise involved in various legal proceedings, including class actions and other litigation or disputes with third parties. There is no assurance that litigation with private parties will not increase in the future. Actions against us may result in judgments, settlements, fines, penalties or other results adverse to us, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or cause serious reputational harm to us. As a participant in the financial services industry, it is likely that we could experience a high level of litigation related to our businesses and operations. There could be substantial cost and management diversion in such litigation and proceedings, and any adverse determination could have a materially adverse effect on our business, reputation or brand, or our financial condition and results of our operations.