MUNCY COLUMBIA FINANCIAL Corp
For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Mar 12, 2024.
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FY2023 · Filed Mar 12, 2024
Contents
Item 1. Business
General
On April 18, 2023, CCFNB Bancorp, Inc. (“CCFNB”) and Muncy Bank Financial, Inc. (“MBF”) jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement to combine the two companies in a strategic merger of equals. Effective November 11, 2023, the merger was completed. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, (i) MBF merged with and into CCFNB, with CCFNB being the surviving entity, and (ii) The Muncy Bank & Trust Company merged with and into CCFNB’s wholly-owned banking subsidiary, First Columbia Bank & Trust Co. (“First Columbia Bank”), with First Columbia Bank being the surviving bank (the “Mergers”). In connection with the Mergers, CCFNB changed its name to Muncy Columbia Financial Corporation (the “Corporation”) and First Columbia Bank changed its name to Journey Bank (the “Bank”). Total purchase consideration was $55.1 million, including 1,488,960 shares of the Corporation’s common stock issued with a value of $55,092,000 and cash of $9,000 paid for fractional shares. Holders of MBF common stock prior to the consummation of the merger held approximately 41.7% of the Corporation’s common stock outstanding immediately following the merger.
The Corporation is a registered financial holding company, bank holding company, and Pennsylvania business corporation, headquartered in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The Corporation has one wholly-owned bank subsidiary which is the Bank. A substantial part of the Corporation’s business consists of the management and supervision of the Bank. The Corporation’s principal source of income is dividends paid by the Bank. At December 31, 2023, the Corporation had approximately:
$1.6 billion in total assets;
$1.1 billion in gross loans;
$1.2 billion in deposits; and
$154 million in stockholders’ equity.
The Bank is a state-chartered, nonmember bank, whose deposits are insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). The Bank is a full-service commercial bank providing a range of services and products, including time and demand deposit accounts, consumer, commercial and mortgage loans to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in its Northcentral Pennsylvania market area. The Bank also operates a full-service trust department and offers brokerage services through a third-party networking agreement. At December 31, 2023, the Bank had twenty-two branch banking offices which are located in the Pennsylvania counties of Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour and Northumberland.
The Corporation considers its branch banking offices to be a single operating segment, because these branches have similar:
economic characteristics,
products and services,
operating processes,
delivery systems,
customer bases, and
regulatory oversight.
The Corporation has not operated any other reportable operating segments in the 2-year period ended December 31, 2023. The Corporation has combined financial information for our third-party brokerage operation with our financial information because this operation does not meet the quantitative threshold for a reporting operating segment.
As of December 31, 2023, the Corporation had 270 employees on a full-time equivalent basis. The Corporation and the Bank are not parties to any collective bargaining agreement and employee relations are considered to be good.
The Bank
The Bank’s legal headquarters are located at 232 East Street, Bloomsburg, Columbia County, Pennsylvania 17815. The Bank is a locally managed community bank that seeks to provide personal attention and professional financial assistance to its customers. The Bank serves the needs of individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. The Bank’s business philosophy includes offering direct access to its President and other officers and providing friendly, informed and courteous service, local and timely decision making, flexible and reasonable operating procedures and consistently-applied credit policies.
Regulation and Supervision
The Corporation and the Bank operate in a highly regulated industry and are subject to a variety of statutes, regulations, and policies, as well as ongoing regulatory supervision and review. Significant federal statutes that apply to the Corporation and the Bank include the Gramm Leach Bliley Act (“GLB Act”), the Bank Holding Company Act (“BHCA”), the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), the USA Patriot Act, the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The Bank is subject primarily to the provisions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and, as a state-chartered financial institution, to the Pennsylvania Banking Code of 1965. In general, these statutes, regulations promulgated in accordance with these statutes, and interpretations of the statutes and regulations by the banking regulatory agencies establish the eligible business activities of the Corporation and the Bank, certain acquisition and merger restrictions, limitations on intercompany transactions, such as loans and dividends, and capital adequacy requirements, among other things. These laws, regulations and policies are subject to frequent change and the Corporation takes measures to comply with applicable requirements. The following summarizes some of the more significant provisions of these laws as they relate to the Corporation and the Bank. To the extent that the following information describes statutory or regulatory provisions, it is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutory provisions. Any change in applicable law or regulation may have a material effect on the business and prospects of the Corporation and the Bank.
Financial and Bank Holding Company Activities
As a financial holding company, the Corporation may engage in, and acquire companies engaged in, activities that are considered “financial in nature”, as defined by the GLB Act and Federal Reserve Board interpretations. These activities include, among other things, securities underwriting, dealing and market-making, sponsoring mutual funds and investment companies, insurance underwriting and agency activities, and merchant banking. If any banking subsidiary of the Corporation ceases to be “well capitalized” or “well managed” under applicable regulatory standards, the Federal Reserve Board may, among other things, place limitations on the Corporation’s ability to conduct the broader financial activities permissible for financial holding companies or, if the deficiencies persist, require the Corporation to divest the banking subsidiary. In addition, if any banking subsidiary of the Corporation receives a Community Reinvestment Act rating of less than satisfactory, the Corporation would be prohibited from engaging in any additional activities other than those permissible for bank holding companies that are not financial holding companies. The Corporation may engage directly or indirectly in activities considered financial in nature, either de novo or by acquisition, as long as it gives the Federal Reserve Board after-the-fact notice of the new activities.
Interstate Banking and Branching
The federal banking agencies are generally authorized to approve interstate bank merger transactions. The Dodd-Frank Act amended federal banking law to permit banks to establish de novo branches in other states to the same extent as a bank chartered by that state would be so permitted. The interstate banking and branching provisions of the federal banking laws would permit the Bank to merge with banks in other states and branch into other states and would also permit banks from other states to acquire banks in the Bank’s market area and to establish de novo branches in the Bank’s market area.
Control Acquisitions
The Change in Bank Control Act prohibits a person or group of persons from acquiring “control” of a bank holding company, unless the Federal Reserve Board has been notified and has not objected to the transaction.
Under a rebuttable presumption established by the Federal Reserve Board, the acquisition of 10% or more of a class of voting stock of a bank holding company with a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act would, under the circumstances set forth in the presumption, constitute acquisition of control of the bank holding company. In addition, a company is required to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board under the Bank Holding Company Act before acquiring 25% (5% in the case of an acquirer that is a bank holding company) or more of any class of outstanding voting stock of a bank holding company, or otherwise obtaining control or a “controlling influence” over that bank holding company.
Liability for Banking Subsidiaries
Under Federal Reserve Board policy, a bank holding company is expected to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to each of its subsidiary banks and to commit resources to their support. This support may be required at times when the bank holding company may not have the resources to provide it. Similarly, under the cross-guarantee provisions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, the FDIC can hold any FDIC-insured depository institution liable for any loss suffered or anticipated by the FDIC in connection with (1) the “default” of a commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institution; or (2) any assistance provided by the FDIC to a commonly controlled FDIC-insured depository institution “in danger of default”.
Capital Requirements
The federal banking agencies approved final capital rules in July 2013 that substantially amend the existing capital rules for banks and bank holding companies. The new rules reflect, in part, certain standards initially adopted by the Basel Committee on Banking and Supervision in December 2010 (commonly known as Basel III), as well as requirements contemplated by the Dodd-Frank Act.
The new rules include a new minimum ratio of common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 4.5% and a common equity tier 1 capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets, raise the minimum ratio of tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets from 4% to 6% and include a minimum leverage ratio of 4%. The new rules implement strict eligibility criteria for regulatory capital instruments and improve the methodology for calculating risk-weighted assets to enhance risk sensitivity.
During 2018, the FRB raised the threshold of its “Small Bank Holding Company” exemption to the application of consolidated capital requirements for qualifying small bank holding companies from $1 billion to $3 billion of consolidated assets. Consequently, qualifying bank holding companies having less than $3 billion of consolidated assets are not subject to the consolidated capital requirements unless otherwise directed by the FRB. As of December 31, 2023, the Corporation qualifies as a small bank holding company and is therefore not subject to the consolidated capital requirements.
Additional information concerning the Corporation and the Bank with respect to capital requirements is incorporated by reference from Note 14, “Regulatory Matters”, of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included under Item 8 of this report, and from the “Capital Resources” section of the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Consolidated Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, included under Item 7 of this report.
FDICIA
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), and the regulations promulgated under FDICIA, among other things, established five capital categories for insured depository institutions – well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized – and requires federal bank regulatory agencies to implement systems for “prompt corrective action” for insured depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements based on these categories. Unless a bank is well capitalized, it is subject to restrictions on its ability to offer brokered deposits and on certain other aspects of its operations. An undercapitalized bank must develop a capital restoration plan and its parent bank holding company must guarantee the bank’s compliance with the plan up to the lesser of 5% of the bank’s assets at the time it became undercapitalized and the amount needed to comply with the plan. As of December 31, 2023, the Bank was considered well capitalized based on the guidelines implemented by the bank’s regulatory agencies.
Dividend and Share Repurchase Restrictions
The Corporation is a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank. The Corporation’s revenues (on a parent company only basis) and its ability to pay dividends to its shareholders, or repurchase shares from its shareholders, are almost entirely dependent upon the receipt of dividends from the Bank. The right of the Corporation, and consequently the rights of its creditors and shareholders to participate in any distribution of the assets or earnings of any subsidiary through the payment of such dividends or otherwise is necessarily subject to the prior claims of creditors of the subsidiary (including depositors) except to the extent that claims of the Corporation, in its capacity as a creditor, may be recognized. Additionally, the ability of the Bank to pay dividends to the Corporation is subject to Pennsylvania state law and various regulatory restrictions.
The declaration of cash dividends on the Corporation’s common stock, or the repurchase of shares of its common stock, is at the discretion of its board of directors, and any decision to declare a dividend, or repurchase shares, is based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, earnings, prospects, financial condition, regulatory capital levels, applicable covenants under any credit agreements, notes and other contractual restrictions, Pennsylvania law, federal bank regulatory law, and other factors deemed relevant.
Deposit or Preference Statute
In the “liquidation or other resolution” of an institution by any receiver, U.S. federal law provides that deposits and certain claims for administrative expenses and employee compensation against the insured depository institution would be afforded a priority over the general unsecured claims against that institution, including federal funds and letters of credit.
Other Federal Laws and Regulations
The Corporation’s operations are subject to additional federal laws and regulations applicable to financial institutions, including, without limitation:
Privacy provisions of the GLB Act and related regulations, which require us to maintain privacy policies intended to safeguard customer financial information, to disclose the policies to our customers and to allow customers to “opt out” of having their financial service providers disclose their confidential financial information to non-affiliated third parties, subject to certain exceptions;
Right to Financial Privacy Act, which imposes a duty to maintain confidentiality of consumer financial records and prescribes procedures for complying with administrative subpoenas of financial records;
Consumer protection rules for the sale of insurance products by depository institutions, adopted pursuant to the requirements of the GLB Act; and
USA Patriot Act, which requires financial institutions to take certain actions to help prevent, detect and prosecute international money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
On July 30, 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act represents a comprehensive revision of laws affecting corporate governance, accounting obligations and corporate reporting. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is applicable to all companies, such as the Corporation, with equity securities registered or that file reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In particular, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act established: (i) new requirements for audit committees, including independence, expertise, and responsibilities; (ii) additional responsibilities regarding financial statements for the chief executive officer and chief financial officer; (iii) new standards for auditors and regulation of audits; (iv) increased disclosure and reporting obligations for the company and its directors and executive officers; and (v) new and increased civil and criminal penalties for violations of the securities laws. Many of the provisions were effective immediately while other provisions became effective over a period of time and are subject to rulemaking by the SEC.
FDIC Insurance and Assessments
Under the FDIC’s risk-based assessment system, deposit insurance assessments are based on each insured institution’s total assets less tangible equity, thereby basing deposit insurance assessments on an institution’s total liabilities, not only insured deposits. A bank’s assessment is calculated by multiplying its individual assessment rate by its assessment base (average consolidated total assets less average tangible equity), determined quarterly. Banks with assets less than $10 billion, such as the Bank, are assigned an individual rate based on a formula using financial data and the bank’s CAMELS (capital adequacy, assets, management capability, earnings, liquidity, and sensitivity) ratings.
At December 31, 2023, the Bank was considered in the lowest risk category, for deposit insurance assessments and paid an annual assessment rate of 0.0005 basis points on the assessment base of average consolidated total assets less the average tangible equity during the assessment period.
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
On July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law. The Dodd-Frank Act is intended to affect a fundamental restructuring of federal banking regulation. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act creates a new Financial Stability Oversight Council to identify systemic risks in the financial system and gives federal regulators new authority to take control of and liquidate financial firms. The Dodd-Frank Act additionally creates a new independent federal regulator to administer federal consumer protection laws. To date, the following provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act are considered to be of the greatest significance to the Corporation:
expands the authority of the FRB to examine bank holding companies and their subsidiaries, including insured depository institutions;
requires a bank holding company to be well capitalized and well managed to receive approval of an interstate bank acquisition;
provides mortgage reform provisions regarding a customer’s ability to pay and making more loans subject to provisions for higher-cost loans and new disclosures;
created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) that has rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks and has broad powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws;
made permanent the $250,000 limit for federal deposit insurance at all insured depository institutions;
includes additional corporate governance and executive compensation requirements on companies subject to the Exchange Act;
permits FDIC-insured banks to pay interest on business demand deposits;
requires that holding companies and other companies that directly or indirectly control an insured depository institution serve as a source of financial strength;
created the Financial Stability Oversight Council with authority to identify institutions and practices that might pose a systemic risk; and
permits national and state banks to establish interstate branches to the same extent as the branch host state allows establishment of in-state branches.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Consumer Lending Regulation. The Dodd-Frank Act created the CFPB, which is granted broad rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement powers under various federal consumer financial protection laws, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Consumer Financial Privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and certain other statutes. The CFPB has examination and primary enforcement authority with respect to depository institutions with $10 billion or more in assets. Smaller institutions are subject to rules promulgated by the CFPB but continue to be examined and supervised by federal banking regulators for consumer compliance purposes. The CFPB has authority to prevent unfair, deceptive or abusive practices in connection with the offering of consumer financial products. For example, the Dodd-Frank Act authorizes the CFPB to establish certain minimum standards for the origination of residential mortgages including, in certain circumstances, a determination of the borrower’s ability to repay. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act allows certain borrowers to raise certain defenses to foreclosure if they receive any loan other than a “qualified mortgage” as defined by the CFPB. The Dodd-Frank Act permits states to adopt consumer protection laws and standards that are more stringent than those adopted at the federal level and, in certain circumstances, permits state attorneys general to enforce compliance with both the state and federal laws and regulations.
The CFPB’s rulemaking, examination and enforcement authority has and will continue to significantly affect financial institutions offering consumer financial products and services, including the Corporation and the Bank. These regulatory activities may limit the types of financial services and products the Bank may offer, which in turn may reduce the Corporation’s revenues.
Community Reinvestment Act
The Community Reinvestment Act requires the FDIC to evaluate the Bank’s performance in helping to meet the credit needs of the entire community it serves, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound banking operations, and to take this record into consideration when evaluating certain applications, such as applications to establish, relocate or close branch offices and applications in connection with mergers and other acquisition transactions. On October 23, 2023, the FDIC and the other federal banking agencies approved changes to their CRA regulations, replacing the existing tests with four new tests and associated performance metrics. The new CRA regulations will become effective on January 1, 2026. The Bank achieved a rating of “outstanding” on its most recent CRA examination dated December 5, 2022.
Environmental
The Corporation has no material ongoing costs related to compliance with federal, state, or local environmental laws. From time to time, the Bank originates loans with special environmental considerations. The Bank’s Lending Policy outlines polies and procedures related to loans with special environmental considerations, including the need to obtain Phase I/II Environmental Assessments. Generally, the cost of these assessments is covered by the borrower.
Future Legislation
Changes to the laws and regulations to which the Corporation and the Bank are subject can affect the operating environment of both the Corporation and the Bank in substantial and unpredictable ways. The Corporation cannot accurately predict whether those changes in laws and regulations will occur, and, if those changes occur, the ultimate effect they would have upon the financial condition or results of operations of the Corporation. This is also true of federal legislation particularly given the current volatile environment.
Human Capital Resources
We recognize the importance of human capital resources as a cornerstone of our business. The Corporation’s key human capital management objectives are to attract and retain highly qualified individuals that fit our values and culture. The Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
*** Available Information***
The Corporation files reports, proxy and information statements and other information electronically with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website address ishttps://www.sec.gov. The Corporation makes its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments thereto available through its website athttps://www.journeybank.com. The information contained on our website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference in, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These reports may also be obtained free of charge as soon as practicable after filing or furnishing them to the SEC upon request by sending an email toinvestorrelations@journeybank.com. Information may also be obtained via written request to Muncy Columbia Financial Corporation, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, 232 East Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.