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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
-------------------------
FORM 10-K
FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 or 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Mark One)
[x] ANNUAL REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934.
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2001
OR
[x] TRANSITIONAL REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934.
For the transition period from to
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Commission File No. 0-25859
1st STATE BANCORP, INC.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
VIRGINIA 56-2130744
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(State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization) Identification No.)
445 S. MAIN STREET, BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 27215
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (336) 227-8861
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common stock, par value $.01 per share
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(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports
required by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for
the past 90 days. Yes X No
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Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item
405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K. [ ]
As of December 18, 2001, the aggregate market value of the 1,837,266 shares
of Common Stock of the registrant issued and outstanding held by non-affiliates
on such date was approximately $38.4 million based on the closing sale price of
$20.92 per share of the registrant's Common Stock as listed on the Nasdaq
National Market. For purposes of this calculation, it is assumed that directors,
executive officers and beneficial owners of more than 5% of the registrant's
outstanding voting stock are affiliates.
Number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of December 18, 2001:
3,289,607
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The following lists the documents incorporated by reference and the Part of
the Form 10-K into which the document is incorporated:
1. Portions of the Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year
ended September 30, 2001. (Parts II and IV)
2. Portions of Proxy Statement for 2002 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
(Part III)
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
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GENERAL
1st State Bancorp, Inc. We organized 1st State Bancorp, Inc. (the
"Company") in November 1998 to be the holding company for 1st State Bank,
Burlington, North Carolina (the "Bank"), following the Bank's conversion from
mutual to stock form (the "Stock Conversion"), and then as a bank holding
company of 1st State Bank following its conversion from a North
Carolina-chartered savings bank to a North Carolina commercial bank (the "Bank
Conversion"). 1st State Bancorp acquired all the outstanding stock of 1st State
Bank in connection with the Stock Conversion on April 23, 1999. Prior to that
time, the Company did not own assets or conduct operations. Portions of this
discussion as of dates and for periods prior to April 23, 1999 relate to the
financial condition and results of operations of 1st State Bank. 1st State
Bancorp is primarily engaged in the business of directing, planning and
coordinating the business activities of 1st State Bank. In the future, 1st State
Bancorp may conduct operations or acquire or organize other operating
subsidiaries, including other financial institutions, though we have no current
plans in this regard. Currently, 1st State Bancorp does not maintain offices
separate from those of 1st State Bank nor employ any persons other than its
officers who are not separately compensated for their service.
1st State Bank. Founded in 1914, 1st State Bank is a community and customer
oriented North Carolina-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Burlington,
North Carolina. We have seven full service offices located in north central
North Carolina on the Interstate 85 corridor between the Piedmont Triad and
Research Triangle Park. We conduct most of our business in Alamance County,
North Carolina.
Our business consists principally of attracting deposits from the general
public and investing these funds in loans secured by single-family residential
and commercial real estate, secured and unsecured commercial loans and consumer
loans. Our profitability depends primarily on our net interest income, which is
the difference between the income we receive on our loan and investment
securities portfolios and our cost of funds, which consists of the interest we
pay on deposits and borrowed funds. We also earn income from miscellaneous fees
related to our loans and deposits, mortgage banking income and commissions from
sales of annuities and mutual funds.
MARKET AREA
We conduct most of our business in Alamance County in north central North
Carolina, located on the Interstate 85 corridor between the Piedmont Triad and
Research Triangle. Historically, the Alamance County economy has been heavily
dependent on the textile industry. During the past 20 years, the economy has
diversified to some extent, with increasing employment in the areas of
insurance, banking, manufacturing and services. Major employers in the area
include LabCorp, Burlington Industries, Alamance County Schools, Glen Raven
Mills and Alamance Health Services. Nevertheless, the economy in Alamance County
continues to be heavily dependent on the textile industry.
2
LENDING ACTIVITIES
Loan Portfolio Composition. At September 30, 2001, our gross loan portfolio
totaled $232.8 million and represented 69.1% of total assets. The following
table sets forth information relating to the composition of our loan portfolio
by type of loan at the dates indicated. At September 30, 2001, we had no
concentrations of loans exceeding 10% of gross loans other than as disclosed
below. Excluded from this table are mortgage loans held for sale, which are
presented separately on our consolidated balance sheets and in "Selected
Consolidated Financial Information and Other Data" in the Annual Report to
Stockholders for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2001 (the "Annual Report").
At September 30,
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
------------------- ------------------- -------------------
Amount % Amount % Amount %
------ ----- ------ ----- ------ -----
(Dollars in thousands)
Real estate loans:
Single-family residential............... $ 86,886 37.33% $ 97,989 41.27% $ 90,883 44.06%
Commercial.............................. 40,957 17.60 46,525 19.59 40,816 19.79
Home equity............................. 22,167 9.52 21,225 8.94 18,888 9.16
Construction............................ 19,230 8.26 21,991 9.26 16,496 8.00
--------- ----- --------- ------ --------- -----
Total real estate loans............. 169,240 72.71 187,730 79.06 167,083 81.01
Commercial................................ 56,938 24.46 42,949 18.09 32,502 15.76
Consumer.................................. 6,583 2.83 6,782 2.85 6,658 3.23
--------- ----- --------- ------ --------- -----
232,761 100.00% 237,461 100.00% 206,243 100.00%
--------- ====== --------- ====== --------- ======
Less:
Loans in process........................ (6,573) (9,972) (7,289)
Deferred fees and discounts............. (291) (358) (208)
Allowance for loan losses............... (3,612) (3,536) (3,454)
--------- --------- ---------
Total................................. $ 222,285 $ 223,595 $ 195,292
========= ========= =========
At September 30,
-----------------------------------------
1998 1997
---------------- -----------------
Amount % Amount %
------ ----- ------ -----
(Dollars in thousands)
Real estate loans:
Single-family residential............... $100,891 48.84% $ 108,400 53.76%
Commercial.............................. 38,763 18.76 34,333 17.02
Home equity............................. 16,877 8.17 18,141 8.99
Construction............................ 18,572 8.99 12,582 6.24
-------- ----- -------- -----
Total real estate loans............. 175,103 84.76 173,456 86.01
Commercial................................ 25,190 12.19 22,870 11.34
Consumer.................................. 6,310 3.05 5,354 2.65
-------- ----- -------- -----
206,603 100.00% 201,680 100.00%
-------- ====== -------- ======
Less:
Loans in process........................ (6,446) (1,660)
Deferred fees and discounts............. (147) (144)
Allowance for loan losses............... (3,228) (2,754)
-------- --------
Total................................. $196,782 $197,122
======== ========
3
Loan Maturity Schedule. The following table sets forth certain information
at September 30, 2001 regarding the dollar amount of loans maturing in our
portfolio based on their contractual terms to maturity, including scheduled
repayments of principal. Demand loans, loans having no stated schedule of
repayments, such as lines of credit, and overdrafts are reported as due in one
year or less. The table does not include any estimate of prepayments which
significantly shorten the average life of mortgage loans and may cause our
repayment experience to differ from that shown below.
Due After 1
Due During Through Due After
the Year Ending 5 Years After 5 Years After
September 30, 2001 September 30, 2001 September 30, 2001 Total
------------------ ------------------ ------------------ -----
(In thousands)
Real estate loans:
Single-family residential......... $ 3,214 $ 6,671 $ 77,001 $ 86,886
Commercial........................ 5,436 17,596 17,925 40,957
Home equity....................... 358 2,413 19,396 22,167
Construction...................... 9,568 3,015 74 12,657
Commercial.......................... 29,969 20,804 6,165 56,938
Consumer............................ 2,217 4,031 335 6,583
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------
Total....................... $ 50,762 $ 54,530 $ 120,896 $ 226,188
=========== =========== =========== ==========
The following table sets forth at September 30, 2001, the dollar amount of
all loans due one year or more after September 30, 2001 which have predetermined
interest rates and have floating or adjustable interest rates.
Predetermined Floating or
Rate Adjustable Rates Total
------------- ---------------- ---------
(In thousands)
Real estate loans:
Single-family residential........................ $ 56,344 $ 27,328 $ 83,672
Commercial....................................... 18,650 16,871 35,521
Home equity...................................... 1,532 20,277 21,809
Construction..................................... 280 2,809 3,089
Commercial......................................... 6,488 20,481 26,969
Consumer .......................................... 4,333 33 4,366
----------- ---------- ----------
Total.......................................... $ 87,627 $ 87,799 $ 175,426
=========== ========== ==========
Scheduled contractual principal repayments of loans do not reflect the
actual life of the loans. The average life of loans can be substantially less
than their contractual terms because of prepayments. In addition, due-on-sale
clauses on loans generally give us the right to declare a loan immediately due
and payable in the event that, among other things, the borrower sells the real
property subject to the mortgage and the loan is not repaid. The average life of
mortgage loans tends to increase when current mortgage loan market rates are
substantially higher than rates on existing mortgage loans and, conversely,
decrease when current mortgage loan market rates are substantially lower than
rates on existing mortgage loans.
Originations, Purchases and Sales of Loans. We generally have authority to
originate and purchase loans secured by real estate located throughout the
United States. Consistent with our emphasis on being a community-oriented
financial institution, we concentrate our lending activities in Alamance County.
4
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to our loan
origination, purchase and sale activity for the periods indicated.
Year Ended September 30,
-----------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
------ ------ ------
(In thousands)
Loans originated:
Real estate loans:
Single-family residential................................. $ 54,284 $ 27,124 $ 54,309
Commercial................................................ 4,735 8,105 9,358
Home equity............................................... 11,855 8,738 12,088
Construction.............................................. 13,393 12,383 12,039
---------- --------- ---------
Total real estate loans.................................. 84,267 56,350 87,794
Commercial.................................................. 36,147 28,257 19,291
Consumer.................................................... 6,918 6,457 6,744
---------- --------- ---------
Total loans originated................................... $ 127,332 $ 91,064 $ 113,829
========== ========= =========
Loans purchased:
Real estate loans........................................... $ 345 $ 80 $ 270
Other loans................................................. -- 6 36
---------- --------- ---------
Total loans purchased.................................... $ 345 $ 86 $ 306
========== ========= =========
Loans sold: (1)............................................... $ 48,150 $ 19,001 $ 40,407
========== ========= =========
- ------------------
(1) All loans sold were whole loans.
We obtain our loan originations from a number of sources, including
referrals from depositors, borrowers and realtors, repeat customers, advertising
and calling officers, as well as walk-in customers. We also advertise in local
media and participate in various community organizations and events. Real estate
loans are originated by our loan officers. All of our loan officers are salaried
and are eligible to receive commissions for loans originated. We accept loan
applications at our offices and do not originate loans on an indirect basis such
as through arrangements with automobile dealers. In all cases, we have final
approval of the application. Historically, we have purchased limited quantities
of loans. During the years ended September 30, 2001, 2000 and 1999, virtually
all loans purchased were small participation interests in multi-family
residential real estate loans to finance low income housing.
In recent years, and particularly during the years ended September 30, 2001
and 2000, we have sold an increasing amount of fixed-rate, single-family
mortgage loans that we originated. During the years ended September 30, 2001,
2000 and 1999, we sold $48.2 million, $19.0 million and $40.4 million,
respectively, of such loans. Typically, in the current low interest rate
environment, we have been selling fixed-rate, single-family mortgage loans with
terms of 15 years or more except in cases where the interest rate is sufficient
to compensate us for the risk of retaining a long-term, fixed-rate loan in our
portfolio. Most loans have been sold to private purchasers with servicing
released. In addition, we sell a smaller amount of loans in the secondary market
to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. We retain servicing on loans sold
to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.
Loan Underwriting Policies. We have established written, non-discriminatory
underwriting standards and loan origination procedures. We obtain detailed loan
applications to determine the borrower's ability to repay, and verify the more
significant items on these applications through the use of credit reports,
financial statements and confirmations. Individual officers have been granted
authority by the board of directors to approve mortgage, consumer and commercial
loans up to varying specified dollar amounts, depending upon the type of loan. A
loan committee consisting of our President, Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer, senior credit officer and head of mortgage lending has
authority to approve any loan in an amount exceeding individual lending
authorities where our total loans to that borrower would not exceed $350,000.
Our executive committee, which consists of the Chairman of the Board, the
President, two additional board members that serve on a permanent basis and one
board member selected on a rotating basis that serves for a three-month period,
has authority to approve any loan where
5
our total loans to that borrower would not exceed $1.0 million. Loans above that
amount may not be made unless approved by the full board of directors. These
authorities are based on aggregate borrowings of an individual or entity. On a
monthly basis, the Executive Committee reviews the actions taken by the loan
committee and the full board of directors reviews the actions taken by the
Executive Committee.
Applications for single-family real estate loans are underwritten and
closed in accordance with the standards of Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation. Generally, upon receipt of a loan application from a prospective
borrower, we order a credit report and verifications to confirm specific
information relating to the loan applicant's employment, income and credit
standing. If a proposed loan is to be secured by a mortgage on real estate, we
usually obtain an appraisal of the real estate from an appraiser approved by us
and licensed by the State of North Carolina. Except when we become aware of a
particular risk of environmental contamination, we generally do not obtain a
formal environmental report on real estate at the time a loan is made.
Our policy is to record a lien on the real estate securing a loan and to
obtain title insurance which insures that the property is free of prior
encumbrances and other possible title defects. Borrowers must also obtain hazard
insurance policies prior to closing and, when the property is in a flood plain
as designated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, pay flood
insurance policy premiums.
On single-family residential mortgage loans, we make a loan commitment of
between 30 and 60 days for each loan approved. If the borrower desires a longer
commitment, we may extend the commitment for good cause. We guarantee the
interest rate for the commitment period.
We are permitted to lend up to 95% of the lesser of the appraised value or
the purchase price of the real property securing a mortgage loan. However, if
the amount of a residential loan originated or refinanced exceeds 80% of the
appraised value, our policy generally is to obtain private mortgage insurance at
the borrower's expense on that portion of the principal amount of the loan that
exceeds 80% of the appraised value of the property. We will make a single-family
residential mortgage loan with up to a 95% loan-to-value ratio if the required
private mortgage insurance is obtained. We generally limit the loan-to-value
ratio on commercial real estate mortgage loans to 80%, although the
loan-to-value ratio on commercial real estate loans in limited circumstances has
been as high as 85%. We limit the loan-to-value ratio on multi-family
residential real estate loans to 80%.
Under applicable law, with certain limited exceptions, loans and extensions
of credit by a financial institution to a person outstanding at one time and not
fully secured by collateral having a market value at least equal to the amount
of the loan or extension of credit shall not exceed 15% of net worth plus the
general loan loss reserve. Loans and extensions of credit fully secured by
readily marketable collateral may comprise an additional 10% of net worth.
Applicable law additionally authorizes financial institutions to make loans to
one borrower, for any purpose:
o in an amount not to exceed $500,000;
o in an amount not to exceed the lesser of $30,000,000 or 30% of net
worth to develop residential housing, provided (a) the purchase price
of each single-family dwelling in the development does not exceed
$500,000 and (b) the aggregate amount of loans made under this
authority does not exceed 150% of net worth; or
o loans to finance the sale of real property in satisfaction of debts
previously contracted in good faith, not to exceed 50% of net worth.
Under these limits, our loans to one borrower were limited to $9.0 million
at September 30, 2001. At that date, we had no lending relationships in excess
of the loans-to-one-borrower limit. At September 30, 2001, our ten largest
lending relationships ranged in size from $3.8 million to $7.1 million.
Single-Family Residential Real Estate Lending. We historically have been
and continue to be an originator of single-family, residential real estate loans
in our market area. At September 30, 2001, single-family, residential mortgage
loans, excluding home equity loans, totaled $86.9 million, or 37.3% of our gross
loan portfolio.
6
We originate fixed-rate mortgage loans at competitive interest rates. At
September 30, 2001, $58.3 million, or 25.0%, of our gross loan portfolio was
comprised of fixed-rate, single-family mortgage loans. Generally, in the current
interest rate environment, we have been retaining fixed-rate mortgages with
maturities of ten years or less while fixed-rate loans with longer maturities
may be retained in the portfolio or sold in the secondary market.
We also offer adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans. The
adjustable-rate loans we currently offer have interest rates which adjust every
one, three or five years from the closing date of the loan or on an annual basis
commencing after an initial fixed-rate period of three or five years in
accordance with a designated index, plus a stipulated margin. The primary index
we utilize is the weekly average yield on the one year U.S. Treasury securities
adjusted to a constant comparable maturity equal to the loan adjustment period,
as made available by the Federal Reserve Board (the "Treasury Rate"). The
maximum adjustment on the bulk of our loans is 2% per adjustment period with a
maximum aggregate adjustment of 6% over the life of the loan. We offer
adjustable-rate mortgage loans that provide for initial rates of interest
slightly below the rates that would prevail when the index used for repricing is
applied, i.e., "teaser" rates. All of our adjustable-rate loans require that any
payment adjustment resulting from a change in the interest rate of an
adjustable-rate loan be sufficient to result in full amortization of the loan by
the end of the loan term and, thus, do not permit any of the increased payment
to be added to the principal amount of the loan, or so-called negative
amortization. At September 30, 2001, $28.6 million, or 12.3%, of our
single-family residential mortgage loans were adjustable-rate loans.
The retention of adjustable-rate loans in our portfolio helps reduce our
exposure to increases or decreases in prevailing market interest rates. However,
there are unquantifiable credit risks resulting from potential increases in
costs to borrowers in the event of upward repricing of adjustable-rate loans. It
is possible that during periods of rising interest rates, the risk of default on
adjustable-rate loans may increase due to increases in interest costs to
borrowers. Further, although adjustable-rate loans allow us to increase the
sensitivity of our interest-earning assets to changes in interest rates, the
extent of this interest sensitivity is limited by the initial fixed-rate period
before the first adjustment and the lifetime interest rate adjustment
limitations. Accordingly, yields on our adjustable-rate loans may not fully
adjust to compensate for increases in our cost of funds.
Commercial Real Estate Lending. Our commercial real estate loan portfolio
includes loans secured by small office buildings, commercial and industrial
buildings and small apartment buildings. These loans generally range in size
from $100,000 to $3.1 million. At September 30, 2001, our commercial real estate
loans totaled $41.0 million, which amounted to 17.6%, of our gross loan
portfolio. We originate commercial real estate loans for terms of up to 15 years
and with interest rates that adjust daily based on our prime rate plus a
negotiated margin typically up to 1% or that carry predetermined rates fixed for
one, three or five years.
Commercial real estate lending entails significant additional risks as
compared with single-family residential property lending. Commercial real estate
loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of
related borrowers. The payment experience on such loans typically is dependent
on the successful operation of the real estate project, retail establishment,
apartment building or business. These risks can be significantly affected by
supply and demand conditions in the market for office, retail and residential
space, and, as such, may be subject to a greater extent to adverse conditions in
the economy generally. To minimize these risks, we generally originate loans
secured by collateral located in our market area or to borrowers with which we
have prior experience or who are otherwise known to us. It has been our policy
to obtain annual financial statements of the business of the borrower or the
project for which commercial real estate loans are made. In addition, in the
case of commercial mortgage loans made to a partnership or a corporation, we
seek, whenever possible, to obtain personal guarantees and annual financial
statements of the principals of the partnership or corporation.
Home Equity Loans. At September 30, 2001, we had approximately $22.2
million in home equity line of credit loans, representing approximately 9.5% of
our gross loan portfolio. Our home equity lines of credit generally have
adjustable interest rates tied to our prime interest rate plus a margin. Home
equity lines of credit must be repaid in 15 years or less and require monthly
interest payments. Home equity lines of credit generally are secured by
subordinate liens against residential real property. We require that fire and
extended coverage casualty insurance and, if appropriate, flood insurance, be
maintained in an amount at least sufficient to cover the loan. Home equity loans
generally are limited so that the amount of such loans, along with any senior
indebtedness, does not exceed 80% of the value of the real estate security.
7
Construction Lending. We offer residential and commercial construction
loans, with a significant portion of such loans originated to date being for the
construction of owner-occupied, single-family dwellings in our market area.
Residential construction loans are offered primarily to individuals building
their primary or secondary residence, as well as to selected local developers to
build single-family dwellings. In addition, on occasion, we make acquisition and
development loans to local developers to acquire and develop land for sale to
builders who will construct single-family residences. At September 30, 2001,
$19.2 million, or 8.3%, of our gross loan portfolio consisted of construction
loans.
Generally, we originate loans to owner/occupants for the construction of
owner-occupied, single-family residential properties in connection with the
permanent loan on the property, and these loans have a construction term of six
to 12 months. Loans are offered on an adjustable-rate basis. Interest rates on
residential construction loans made to the owner/occupant have interest rates
during the construction period equal to our prime rate. Upon completion of
construction, the loan is converted into a one-year adjustable-rate loan, and
the owner may lock in a fixed-rate loan at any time during the one-year period.
We make construction loans to builders on either a pre-sold or speculative
basis. However, we limit the number of outstanding loans on unsold homes under
construction to individual builders, with the amount dependent on the financial
strength of the builder, the present exposure of the builder, the location of
the property and prior sales of homes in the development. At September 30, 2001,
speculative construction loans amounted to $10.1 million. At September 30, 2001,
the largest exposure to one borrower for speculative construction was $2.8
million. Interest rates on residential construction loans to builders are
typically set at our prime rate plus a margin typically up to 1% and adjust with
changes in the prime rate, and are made for terms of up to 24 months.
Interest rates on commercial construction loans are based on the prime rate
plus a negotiated margin typically up to 1%, and adjust with changes in our
prime rate, and are made for terms of up to 24 months, with construction terms
generally not exceeding 12 months.
We make acquisition and development loans at a rate that adjusts daily,
based on our prime rate plus a negotiated margin, for terms of up to three
years. Interest only is paid during the term of the loan, and the principal
balance of the loan is paid down as developed lots are sold to builders. At
September 30, 2001, $6.1 million of our gross loan portfolio consisted of
acquisition and development loans. We had 11 such loans. All acquisition and
development loans were performing in accordance with their terms at such date.
Prior to making a commitment to fund a construction loan, we require an
appraisal of the property by appraisers approved by our board of directors. We
also review and inspect each project at the commencement of construction and
periodically during the term of the construction loan. We may charge a
construction fee and/or an inspection fee on construction loans. Advances are
made on a percentage of completed basis.
We consider construction financing generally to involve a higher degree of
risk of loss than long-term financing on improved, occupied real estate. Risk of
loss on a construction loan is dependent largely upon the accuracy of the
initial estimate of the property's value at completion of construction or
development and the estimated cost, including interest, of construction. During
the construction phase, a number of factors could result in delays and cost
overruns. If the estimate of construction costs proves to be inaccurate and the
borrower is unable to meet our requirements of putting up additional funds to
cover extra costs or change orders, then we will demand that the loan be paid
off and, if necessary, institute foreclosure proceedings or refinance the loan.
If the estimate of value proves to be inaccurate, the collateral may not have
sufficient value to assure full repayment. We have sought to minimize this risk
by limiting construction lending to borrowers based in Alamance County and who
satisfy all credit requirements and whose loans satisfy all other underwriting
standards which would apply to our permanent mortgage loan financing for the
subject property. On loans to builders, we work only with selected builders with
whom we have experience and carefully monitor the creditworthiness of the
builders.
Commercial Lending. We originate commercial loans to small and medium sized
businesses in our market area. Our commercial borrowers are generally small
businesses engaged in manufacturing, distribution or retailing, or professionals
in healthcare, accounting and law. Commercial loans generally are made to
finance the purchase of inventory, new or used equipment or commercial vehicles
and for short-term working capital. Such loans generally are secured by
equipment and inventory, and, if possible, cross-collateralized by a real estate
mortgage, although
8
commercial loans are sometimes granted on an unsecured basis. Commercial loans
generally are made for terms of five years or less, depending on the purpose of
the loan and the collateral, with loans to finance operating expenses made for
one year or less, with interest rates that adjust at least annually at a rate
equal to our prime rate plus a margin typically up to 2%. Generally, we make
commercial loans in amounts ranging between $50,000 and $1.0 million. At
September 30, 2001, commercial loans totaled $56.9 million, or 24.5%, of our
gross loan portfolio.
We underwrite commercial loans on the basis of the borrower's cash flow and
ability to service the debt from earnings rather than on the basis of underlying
collateral value, and we seek to structure such loans to have more than one
source of repayment. The borrower is required to provide us with sufficient
information to allow us to make our lending determination. In most instances,
this information consists of at least two years of financial statements, a
statement of projected cash flows, current financial information on any
guarantor and any additional information on the collateral. For loans with
maturities exceeding one year, we require that borrowers and guarantors provide
updated financial information at least annually throughout the term of the loan.
Our commercial loans may be structured as term loans or as lines of credit.
Commercial term loans are generally made to finance the purchase of assets and
have maturities of five years or less. Commercial lines of credit are typically
made for the purpose of providing working capital and are usually reviewed on an
annual basis but may be called on demand. We also offer standby letters of
credit for commercial borrowers. Standby letters of credit are written for a
maximum term of one year.
Commercial loans are often larger and may involve greater risk than other
types of lending. Because payments on commercial loans are often dependent on
successful operation of the business involved, repayment of such loans may be
subject to a greater extent to adverse conditions in the economy. We seek to
minimize these risks through our underwriting guidelines, which require that the
loan be supported by adequate cash flow of the borrower, profitability of the
business, collateral and personal guarantees of the individuals in the business.
In addition, we limit this type of lending to our market area and to borrowers
with which we have prior experience or who are otherwise well known to us.
Consumer Lending. In recent years, we have gradually increased our
portfolio of consumer loans. Our consumer loans include automobile loans,
savings account loans, unsecured lines of credit and miscellaneous other
consumer loans, including unsecured loans. At September 30, 2001, our consumer
loans totaled $6.6 million, or 2.8%, of our gross loan portfolio.
We generally underwrite automobile loans in amounts up to 80% of the lesser
of the purchase price of the automobile or, with respect to used automobiles,
the loan value as published by the National Automobile Dealers Association. The
terms of most such loans do not exceed 60 months. We require that the vehicles
be insured and that we be listed as loss payee on the insurance policy.
We make savings account loans for up to 90% of the depositor's savings
account balance. The interest rate is normally 2.5% above the annual percentage
yield paid on the savings account. The account must be pledged as collateral to
secure the loan. Interest generally is paid on a monthly basis.
Consumer lending affords us the opportunity to earn yields higher than
those obtainable on single-family residential lending. However, consumer loans
entail greater risk than do residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case
of loans which are unsecured, as is the case with lines of credit, or secured by
rapidly depreciable assets such as automobiles. Repossessed collateral for a
defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the
outstanding loan balance as a result of the greater likelihood of damage, loss
or depreciation. The remaining deficiency often does not warrant further
substantial collection efforts against the borrower. In addition, consumer loan
collections are dependent on the borrower's continuing financial stability, and
thus are more likely to be adversely affected by events such as job loss,
divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy. Further, the application of various
state and federal laws, including federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency
law, may limit the amount which may be recovered. In underwriting consumer
loans, we consider the borrower's credit history, an analysis of the borrower's
income and ability to repay the loan, and the value of the collateral.
Loan Fees and Servicing. We receive fees in connection with late payments
and for miscellaneous services related to our loans and deposits. We also charge
fees in connection with loan originations. These fees can consist
9
of origination, discount, application, construction and/or commitment fees,
depending on the type of loan. We generally do not service loans for others
except for mortgage loans we originate and sell with servicing retained.
Mortgage servicing rights were not material for any of the periods presented.
Nonperforming Loans and Other Problem Assets. We continually monitor our
loan portfolio to anticipate and address potential and actual delinquencies.
When a borrower fails to make a payment on a loan, we take immediate steps to
have the delinquency cured and the loan restored to current status. Loans which
are delinquent more than 15 days incur a late fee of 4% of the monthly payment
of principal and interest due. As a matter of policy, we will contact the
borrower after the loan has been delinquent 15 days. If payment is not promptly
received, we contact the borrower again, and we try to formulate an affirmative
plan to cure the delinquency. Generally, after any loan is delinquent 45 days or
more, we send a default letter to the borrower. If the default is not cured
after 30 days, we commence formal legal proceedings to collect amounts owed.
Generally we charge off, or reserve through an allowance for uncollected
interest account, interest on loans, including impaired loans, that are
contractually 90 days or more past due. The allowance for uncollected interest
is established by a charge to interest income equal to all interest previously
accrued. In certain circumstances, interest on loans that are contractually 90
days or more past due is not charged off or reserved through an allowance for
uncollected interest account when we believe that the loan is both well secured
and in the process of collection. If amounts are received on loans for which the
accrual of interest has been discontinued, we decide whether payments received
should be recorded as a reduction of the principal balance or as interest income
depending on our analysis of the collectibility of principal. The loan is
returned to accrual status when we believe the borrower has demonstrated the
ability to make periodic interest and principal payments on a timely basis.
We classify real estate acquired as a result of foreclosure as real estate
acquired in settlement of loans until such time as it is sold and is recorded at
the lower of the estimated fair value of the underlying real estate, less costs
to sell the property, or the carrying amount of the loan. Subsequent costs
directly related to development and improvement of property are capitalized,
whereas costs related to holding the property are expensed. We charge any
required write-down of the loan to its fair value less estimated selling costs
upon foreclosure against the allowance for loan losses. See Note 1 of Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements.
The following table sets forth information with respect to our
nonperforming assets at the dates indicated. At the dates shown, we had no
restructured loans within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 114, as amended.
At September 30,
------------------------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
(Dollars in thousands)
Loans accounted for on a nonaccrual
basis (1).................................. $ 878 $ 2,893 $ 366 $ 263 $ 259
======== ========= ========= ======== ========
Accruing loans which are contractually past
due 90 days or more........................ $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ --
======== ========= ========= ======== =========
Total nonperforming loans................ $ 878 $ 2,893 $ 366 $ 263 $ 259
======== ========= ========= ======== =========
Total loans.................................. $225,897 $ 227,131 $ 198,746 $200,010 $ 199,876
======== ========= ========= ======== =========
Percentage of total loans.................... 0.39% 1.27% 0.18% 0.13% 0.13%
======== ========= ========= ========= ==========
Other nonperforming assets (2)............... $ 1,981 $ -- $ -- $ -- $ --
======== ========= ========= ======== =========
Loans modified in troubled debt
restructuring.............................. $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ --
======== ========= ========= ======== =========
___________
(1) Payments received on a nonaccrual loan are either applied to the
outstanding principal balance or recorded as interest income, depending on
management's assessment of the collectibility of the loan.
(2) Other nonperforming assets consist of property acquired through foreclosure
or repossession.
During the year ended September 30, 2001, gross interest income of $86,000
would have been recorded on loans accounted for on a nonaccrual basis if the
loans had been current throughout the year. Interest on such loans included in
income during the year ended September 30, 2001 amounted to $38,000.
10
At September 30, 2001 there were no loans which are not currently
classified as nonaccrual, 90 days past due or restructured, but where known
information about possible credit problems of borrowers causes management to
have serious concerns as to the ability of the borrowers to comply with present
loan repayment terms and may result in disclosure as nonaccrual, 90 days past
due or restructured. See "-- Classified Assets" for information regarding
classified assets.
At September 30, 2001, we had $878,000 of nonaccrual loans, which consisted
of 11 one-to-four family mortgage loans, two commercial loans and two consumer
loans. At September 30, 2001, real estate owned totaled $2.0 million. Within
real estate owned is a 53 unit apartment complex in Burlington, North Carolina
with a carrying value of $1.9 million. A local property management firm has been
engaged to rent and manage the complex while it is owned by the Bank. The Bank
is taking steps to liquidate the real estate owned properties.
At September 30, 2001, we had impaired loans with two unrelated borrowers
of $2.5 million of which $433,000 was on nonaccrual status. The related
allowance for loan losses on these loans was $45,000. The average carrying value
of impaired loans was $1.8 million for the year ended September 30, 2001. These
loans are primarily secured by real estate properties in Alamance County.
Classified Assets. Regulations require that we classify our assets on a
regular basis. In addition, in connection with examinations of insured
institutions, examiners have authority to identify problem assets and if
appropriate, classify them in their reports of examination. There are three
regulatory classifications for problem assets: "substandard," "doubtful" and
"loss." Substandard assets have one or more defined weaknesses and are
characterized by the distinct possibility that the insured institution will
sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. Doubtful assets have
the weaknesses of substandard assets with the additional characteristic that the
weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently
existing facts, conditions and values, questionable, and there is a high
possibility of loss. An asset classified as loss is considered uncollectible and
of such little value that continuance as an asset of the institution is not
warranted. Assets classified as substandard or doubtful require a financial
institution to establish general allowances for loan losses. If an asset or
portion thereof is classified as loss, a financial institution must either
establish a specific allowance for loan losses in the amount of the portion of
the asset classified loss, or charge off such amount. 1st State Bank regularly
reviews its assets to determine whether any assets require classification or
re-classification. At September 30, 2001, we had $3.6 million in classified
assets, consisting of $1.6 million in substandard loans and $2.0 million in
other real estate owned.
In addition to regulatory classifications, we also classify as special
mention and watch assets that are currently performing in accordance with their
contractual terms but may be classified or nonperforming assets in the future.
At September 30, 2001, we have identified approximately $4.5 million in assets
classified as special mention and $32.9 million as watch. Included in the total
of watch list assets are five loans with an aggregate outstanding balance of
$4.2 million at September 30, 2001 to a company affiliated with one of our
directors. In addition, the director has the ability to borrow an additional
$207,000 from us under a line of credit. All the loans are secured by a first
lien on all assets, including accounts receivable, inventory, equipment,
furniture and real property occupied by the borrower. In addition, the director
and his spouse have personally guaranteed repayment of the loans. At September
30, 2001, such loans were current with respect to their payment terms and,
except for the waiver of certain debt covenants by the Bank, were performing in
accordance with the related loan agreements. Based on an analysis of the
borrower's current financial statements received in November 2001, management
has concerns that the borrower may have difficulty in complying with the present
loan repayment terms on an ongoing basis. Accordingly, this loan may become an
impaired loan in future periods. Management will continue to closely monitor the
performance of these loans in future periods.
Allowance for Loan Losses. We maintain the allowance for losses on loans at
a level we believe to be adequate to absorb probable losses in the portfolio.
Our determination of the adequacy of the allowance is based on an evaluation of
the portfolio, past loss experience, current economic conditions, volume, growth
and composition of the portfolio, and other relevant factors. The allowance is
increased by provisions for loan losses which are charged against income.
Although we believe we use the best information available to make
determinations with respect to the allowance for losses and believe such
allowances are adequate, future adjustments may be necessary if economic
conditions differ substantially from the economic conditions in the assumptions
used in making the initial
11
determinations. We anticipate that our allowance for loan losses will increase
in the future as we implement the board of directors' strategy of continuing
existing lines of business while gradually expanding commercial and consumer
lending, which loans generally entail greater risks than single-family
residential mortgage loans.
We charge provisions for loan losses to earnings to maintain the total
allowance for loan losses at a level we consider adequate to provide for
probable loan losses, based on prior loss experience, volume and type of lending
we conduct, industry standards and past due loans in our loan portfolio. Our
policies require the review of assets on a regular basis, and we appropriately
classify loans as well as other assets if warranted. We believe we use the best
information available to make a determination with respect to the allowance for
loan losses, recognizing that future adjustments may be necessary depending upon
a change in economic conditions. The provision for loan losses was $240,000,
charge-offs were $168,000 and recoveries were $4,000 for the year ended
September 30, 2001 compared with a provision of $240,000, charge-offs of
$164,000 and recoveries of $6,000 for the year ended September 30, 2000.
Nonperforming loans at September 30, 2001 and 2000 were $878,000 and $2.9
million, respectively. The decrease in non-performing loans resulted from an
increase in other real estate owned.
The allowance for loan losses was $3.6 million at September 30, 2001 and
$3.5 million at September 30, 2000 which we think is adequate to absorb probable
losses in the loan portfolio. As a result of our continued shift toward higher
risk commercial, consumer and home equity loans as well as the decline in the
local and regional economy, the ratio of the allowance for loan losses to total
loans, net of loans in process and deferred loan fees was 1.60% at September 30,
2001 compared to 1.56% at September 30, 2000. While management uses the best
information available to make evaluations, future adjustments to the allowance
may be necessary based on changes in economic and other conditions.
Additionally, various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their
examination process, periodically review the Company's allowance for loan
losses. Such agencies may require the recognition of adjustments to the
allowance for loan losses based on their judgments of information available to
them at the time of their examinations.
Banking regulatory agencies, including the FDIC, have adopted a policy
statement regarding maintenance of an adequate allowance for loan and lease
losses and an effective loan review system. This policy includes an arithmetic
formula for checking the reasonableness of an institution's allowance for loan
loss estimate compared to the average loss experience of the industry as a
whole. Examiners will generally review an institution's allowance for loan
losses and compare it against the sum of:
o 50% of the portfolio that is classified doubtful;
o 15% of the portfolio that is classified as substandard; and
o for the portions of the portfolio that have not been classified,
including those loans designated as special mention, estimated credit
losses over the upcoming 12 months given the facts and circumstances
as of the evaluation date.
This amount is considered neither a "floor" nor a "safe harbor" of the level of
allowance for loan losses an institution should maintain, but examiners will
view a shortfall relative to the amount as an indication that they should review
management's policy on allocating these allowances to determine whether it is
reasonable based on all relevant factors.
We have our own allowance for loan loss model which is similar to the FDIC
model but uses different factors and assumptions to arrive at an estimate of the
allowance for loan losses under accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America. Our model indicated that the allowance for loan losses
was adequate at September 30, 2001.
12
The following table sets forth an analysis of our allowance for loan losses
for the periods indicated.
Year Ended September 30,
-------------------------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at beginning of period............... $ 3,536 $ 3,454 $ 3,228 $ 2,754 $ 2,496
---------- --------- --------- --------- ----------
Loans charged off:
Commercial real estate.................... 125 -- -- -- --
1-4 family residential.................... 19 159 -- -- --
Consumer.................................. 24 5 23 4 7
---------- --------- --------- --------- ----------
Total.................................. 168 164 23 4 7
Recoveries................................... 4 6 4 1 4
---------- --------- --------- --------- ----------
Net loans charged off........................ 164 158 19 3 3
---------- --------- --------- --------- ----------
Provision for loan losses.................... 240 240 245 477 261
---------- --------- --------- --------- ----------
Balance at end of period..................... $ 3,612 $ 3,536 $ 3,454 $ 3,228 $ 2,754
========== ========= ========= ========= ==========
Average loans outstanding.................... $ 229,058 $ 219,381 $ 198,603 $ 199,203 $ 186,413
========== ========= ========= ========= ==========
Ratio of net loans charged off to average
loans outstanding during the period........ 0.0716% 0.0720% 0.0096% 0.0015% 0.0016%
========= ======== ======== ======== ==========
13
The following table allocates the allowance for loan losses by loan
category at the dates indicated. The allocation of the allowance to each
category is not necessarily indicative of future losses and does not restrict
the use of the allowance to absorb losses in any category.
At September 30,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
---------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
Percent of Percent of Percent of
Loans in Loans in Loans in
Category to Category to Category to
Amount Total Loans Amount Total Loans Amount Total Loans
------ ----------- ------ ----------- ------ -----------
(Dollars in thousands)
Real estate mortgage:
Single-family residential............. $ 253 37.33% $ 320 41.27% $ 559 44.06%
Commercial............................ 932 17.60 1,084 19.59 934 19.79
Home equity........................... 131 9.52 179 8.94 244 9.16
Construction.......................... 231 8.26 213 9.26 275 8.00
Commercial.............................. 1,970 24.46 1,616 18.09 1,273 15.76
Consumer................................ 95 2.83 124 2.85 169 3.23
--------- ----- --------- ----- -------- -----
Total allowance for loan losses..... $ 3,612 100.00% $ 3,536 100.00% $ 3,454 100.00%
========= ====== ========= ====== ======== ======
At September 30,
------------------------------------------------
1998 1997
-------------------- ----------------------
Percent of Percent of
Loans in Loans in
Category to Category to
Amount Total Loans Amount Total Loans
------ ------------ ------ -----------
(Dollars in thousands)
Real estate mortgage:
Single-family residential............. $ 400 48.84% $ 376 53.76%
Commercial............................ 898 18.76 854 17.02
Home equity........................... 319 8.17 318 8.99
Construction.......................... 458 8.99 380 6.24
Commercial.............................. 815 12.19 540 11.34
Consumer................................ 338 3.05 286 2.65
--------- ------ -------- ------
Total allowance for loan losses..... $ 3,228 100.00% $ 2,754 100.00%
========= ====== ======== ======
14
INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES
General. Interest income from investment securities generally provides our
second largest source of income after interest on loans. Our board of directors
has authorized investment in U.S. Government and agency securities, state
government obligations, municipal securities, obligations of the FHLB,
mortgage-backed securities issued by Federal National Mortgage Association, the
Government National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation. Our objective is to use these investments to reduce interest rate
risk, enhance yields on assets and provide liquidity. At September 30, 2001, the
amortized cost of our investment securities portfolio amounted to $66.9 million,
which included $64.8 million of U.S. Government and agency securities, $1.2
million of North Carolina management bonds, $830,000 of mortgage-backed
securities and $19,000 of collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMO's"). At that
date, we had an unrealized gain of $510,000, net of deferred taxes, with respect
to our investment securities classified as available for sale.
The board of directors has established an investment policy that sets forth
investment and aggregate investment limitations and credit quality parameters of
each class of investment security. Securities purchases are subject to the
oversight of our Executive Committee. The President has authority to make
specific investment decisions within the parameters determined by the board of
directors.
Pursuant to Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 115, we had
securities with an aggregate cost of $54.7 million and an approximate fair value
of $55.5 million at September 30, 2001 classified as available for sale. The
impact on our financial statements was an after-tax increase in stockholders'
equity of approximately $510,000 as of September 30, 2001. The net unrealized
gains at September 30, 2001 in our portfolio of investment securities and
mortgage-backed securities were due to decreases in interest rates after we
bought the securities. Upon acquisition, we classify securities as to our
intent. Securities designated as "held to maturity" are those assets which we
have the ability and intent to hold to maturity. The held to maturity investment
portfolio is not used for speculative purposes and is carried at amortized cost.
Securities designated as "available for sale" are those assets which we may not
hold to maturity and thus are carried at fair value with unrealized gains or
losses, net of tax effect, recognized in stockholders' equity.
At September 30, 2001, we had $54.6 million of U.S. Government and agency
securities classified as available for sale, which carry unrealized after-tax
gains of $470,000, and $11.0 million of U.S. Government and agency securities
classified as held to maturity. We attempt to maintain a high degree of
liquidity in our investment securities portfolio by choosing those securities
that are readily marketable. As of September 30, 2001, the estimated weighted
average life of our U.S. Government and agency securities was approximately 5.8
years, and the average yield on our portfolio of U.S. Government and agency
securities was 6.01%. In addition, at September 30, 2001, we had $1.7 million of
FHLB of Atlanta stock.
Mortgage-Backed Securities. Included in our portfolio of investment
securities are mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-backed securities represent
a participation interest in a pool of single-family or multi-family mortgages,
the principal and interest payments on which are passed from the mortgage
originators through intermediaries that pool and repackage the participation
interest in the form of securities to investors. Such intermediaries may include
quasi-governmental agencies such as Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation,
Federal National Mortgage Association and Government National Mortgage
Association which guarantee the payment of principal and interest to investors.
Mortgage-backed securities generally increase the quality of our assets by
virtue of the guarantees that back them, are more liquid than individual
mortgage loans and may be used to collateralize borrowings or other obligations.
The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation is a public corporation
chartered by the U.S. Government and owned by the 12 FHLBs and federally insured
savings institutions. The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation issues
participation certificates backed principally by conventional mortgage loans.
The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation guarantees the timely payment of
interest and the ultimate return of principal on participation certificates. The
Federal National Mortgage Association is a private corporation chartered by the
U.S. Congress with a mandate to establish a secondary market for mortgage loans.
The Federal National Mortgage Association guarantees the timely payment of
principal and interest on Federal National Mortgage Association securities.
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and Federal National Mortgage Association
securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, but
because the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
15
and the Federal National Mortgage Association are U.S. Government-sponsored
enterprises, these securities are considered to be among the highest quality
investments with minimal credit risks.
The Government National Mortgage Association is a government agency within
the Department of Housing and Urban Development which is intended to help
finance government-assisted housing programs. Government National Mortgage
Association securities are backed by FHA-insured and VA-guaranteed loans, and
the timely payment of principal and interest on Government National Mortgage
Association securities is guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage
Association and backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Because the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National
Mortgage Association and the Government National Mortgage Association were
established to provide support for low- and middle-income housing, there are
limits to the maximum size of loans that qualify for these programs. The limit
for Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation currently is $300,700.
Mortgage-backed securities typically are issued with stated principal
amounts, and the securities are backed by pools of mortgages that have loans
with interest rates that are within a range and having varying maturities. The
underlying pool of mortgages can be composed of either fixed-rate or
adjustable-rate loans. As a result, the risk characteristics of the underlying
pool of mortgages, whether fixed-rate or adjustable-rate, as well as prepayment
risk, are passed on to the certificate holder. The life of a mortgage-backed
pass-through security thus approximates the life of the underlying mortgages.
Mortgage-backed securities generally yield less than the loans which
underlie such securities because of their payment guarantees or credit
enhancements which offer nominal credit risk. In addition, mortgage-backed
securities are more liquid than individual mortgage loans and may be used to
collateralize borrowings in the event that we determined to utilize borrowings
as a source of funds. Mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the
Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation generally are weighted at no more than 20% for risk-based capital
purposes, compared to a weight of 50% to 100% for residential loans. See
"Regulation -- Depository Institution Regulation -- Capital Requirements" as to
how we assign a risk weight to assets under the risk-based capital regulations.
Our mortgage-backed securities portfolio consists primarily of seasoned
fixed-rate, mortgage-backed securities. We make these investments in order to
manage cash flow, diversify assets, obtain yield and to satisfy certain
requirements for favorable tax treatment.
At September 30, 2001, the weighted average contractual maturity of our
mortgage-backed securities, all of which carried fixed rates, was approximately
14.3 years. The actual maturity of a mortgage-backed security varies, depending
on when the mortgagors prepay or repay the underlying mortgages. Prepayments of
the underlying mortgages may shorten the life of the investment, thereby
adversely affecting its yield to maturity and the related market value of the
mortgage-backed security. The yield is based upon the interest income and the
amortization of the premium or accretion of the discount related to the
mortgage-backed security. Premiums and discounts on mortgage-backed securities
are amortized or accreted over the estimated term of the securities using a
level yield method. The prepayment assumptions used to determine the
amortization period for premiums and discounts can significantly affect the
yield of the mortgage-backed security, and we review these assumptions
periodically to reflect the actual prepayment. The actual prepayments of the
underlying mortgages depend on many factors, including the type of mortgage, the
coupon rate, the age of the mortgages, the geographical location of the
underlying real estate collateralizing the mortgages and general levels of
market interest rates. The difference between the interest rates on the
underlying mortgages and the prevailing mortgage interest rates is an important
determinant in the rate of prepayments. During periods of falling mortgage
interest rates, prepayments generally increase, and, conversely, during periods
of rising mortgage interest rates, prepayments generally decrease. If the coupon
rate of the underlying mortgage significantly exceeds the prevailing market
interest rates offered for mortgage loans, refinancing generally increases and
accelerates the prepayment of the underlying mortgages.
At September 30, 2001, mortgage-backed securities with an amortized cost of
$830,000 and a carrying value of $895,000 were held as available for sale. No
mortgage-backed securities were classified as held to maturity. Mortgage-backed
securities classified as available for sale are carried at fair value.
Unrealized gains and losses on available for sale mortgage-backed securities are
recognized as direct increases or decreases in
16
stockholders' equity, net of applicable income taxes. See Notes 1 and 3 of the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of our accounting
policies. At September 30, 2001, our mortgage-backed securities had a weighted
average yield of 8.90%.
The following table sets forth the carrying value of our investment
securities portfolio at the dates indicated.
At September 30,
---------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
------ ------ -------
(In thousands)
Securities available for sale:
U.S. government and agency securities...................... $ 54,632 $ 4,841 $ 5,867
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation..................... 227 319 477
Government National Mortgage Association................... 668 751 833
Marketable equity securities (1)........................... -- 3,841 3,859
--------- ---------- ---------
Total.................................................. $ 55,527 $ 9,752 $ 11,036
========= ========== =========
Securities held to maturity:
U.S. government and agency securities...................... $ 10,986 $ 67,179 $ 81,160
Other...................................................... 1,164 -- 3,000
CMOs....................................................... 19 53 68
--------- ---------- ---------
Total................................................... $ 12,169 $ 67,232 $ 84,228
========= ========== =========
- -----------
(1) Consists of investments in two mutual funds which were sold during fiscal
2001.
17
The following table sets forth the scheduled maturities, carrying values,
amortized cost and average yields for our investment securities and
mortgage-backed securities portfolio at September 30, 2001.
One Year or Less One to Five Years Five to Ten Years More than Ten Years
----------------- ------------------ ----------------- -------------------
Carrying Average Carrying Average Carrying Average Carrying Average
Value Yield Value Yield Value Yield Value Yield
------ ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
(Dollars in thousands)
Securities available for sale:
U.S. government and agency
securities.................. $ 504 4.05% $3,376 5.53% $50,752 6.03% $ -- -- %
Mortgage-backed securities..... -- -- 7 6.02 58 9.87 830 8.86
------ ------ ------- ------
Total..................... $ 504 4.05 $3,383 5.53 $50,810 6.03 $ 830 8.86
====== ====== ======= ======
Securities held to maturity:
U.S. government and agency
securities.................. $1,000 6.00 $6,986 6.19 $ 3,000 6.17 $ -- --
CMOs........................... -- -- -- -- -- -- 19 4.61
Municipal bonds................ -- -- 503 3.33 204 4.20 457 4.51
------ ------ ------- ------
Total..................... $1,000 6.00 $7,489 6.00 $ 3,204 6.05 $ 476 4.51
====== ====== ======= ======
Total Investment Portfolio
-------------------------------
Carrying Market Average
Value Value Yield
-------- ------ --------
(Dollars in thousands)
Securities available for sale:
U.S. government and agency
securities.................. $54,632 $54,632 5.98%
Mortgage-backed securities..... 895 895 8.90
------- -------
Total..................... $55,527 $55,527 6.03
======= =======
Securities held to maturity:
U.S. government and agency
securities.................. $10,986 $11,310 6.17
CMOs........................... 19 19 4.61
Municipal bonds................ 1,164 1,166 3.95
--------- -------
Total..................... $12,169 $12,495 5.95
========= =======
18
DEPOSIT ACTIVITY AND OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDS
General. Deposits are our primary source of funds for lending, investment
activities and general operational purposes. In addition to deposits, we derive
funds from loan principal and interest repayments, maturities of investment
securities and interest payments thereon. Although loan repayments are a
relatively stable source of funds, deposit inflows and outflows are
significantly influenced by general interest rates and money market conditions.
Borrowings may be used on a short-term basis to compensate for reductions in the
availability of funds, or on a longer term basis for general operational
purposes. We have access to FHLB of Atlanta advances.
Deposits. We attract deposits principally from within Alamance County by
offering a variety of deposit instruments, including checking accounts, money
market accounts, passbook and statement savings accounts, Individual Retirement
Accounts, and certificates of deposit which range in maturity from seven days to
five years. Deposit terms vary according to the minimum balance required, the
length of time the funds must remain on deposit and the interest rate.
Maturities, terms, service fees and withdrawal penalties for our deposit
accounts are established by us on a periodic basis. We review our deposit
pricing on a weekly basis. In determining the characteristics of our deposit
accounts, we consider the rates offered by competing institutions, lending and
liquidity requirements, growth goals and applicable regulations. We believe we
price our deposits comparably to rates offered by our competitors. We do not
accept brokered deposits.
We compete for deposits with other institutions in our market area by
offering competitively priced deposit instruments that are tailored to the needs
of our customers. Additionally, we seek to meet customers' needs by providing
convenient customer service to the community, efficient staff and convenient
hours of service. Substantially all of our depositors are North Carolina
residents. To provide additional convenience, we participate in the STAR and
CIRRUS Automatic Teller Machine networks at locations throughout the world,
through which customers can gain access to their accounts at any time. To better
serve our customers, we have installed automatic teller machines at six office
locations.
19
Our deposits at September 30, 2001 consisted of the various types of
programs described below.
Weighted
Average
Interest Minimum Minimum Balance (in Percentage of
Rate Term Category Amount Thousands) Total Deposits
- -------- ------- -------- -------- ----------- --------------
0.00% None Noninterest-bearing checking accounts $ 100 $ 10,985 4.42%
0.92 None NOW accounts 300 29,946 12.06
3.03 None Savings accounts 100 26,120 10.52
2.07 None Money market accounts 1,000 21,631 8.71
Certificates of Deposit
-----------------------
3.70 3 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 507 0.20
4.06 6 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 9,831 3.96
3.98 7 months (1) Fixed-term, fixed-rate 5,000 46,997 18.92
4.49 9 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 848 0.34
4.56 10 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 5,000 2,857 1.15
4.58 12 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 25,957 10.45
6.04 15 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 5,000 37,112 14.94
3.87 18 months Floating rate individual
retirement account 50 834 0.34
5.71 18 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 2,658 1.07
4.11 20 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 34 0.01
5.38 24 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 6,011 2.42
5.55 30 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 5,783 2.33
5.37 36 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 2,462 0.99
5.47 48 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 3,171 1.28
5.48 60 months Fixed-term, fixed-rate 500 14,355 5.78
3.20 7 to 365 days Fixed-term, fixed-rate 100,000 271 0.11
---------- -----
$ 248,370 100.00%
========== ======
____________
(1) These certificates of deposit do not carry a penalty for early withdrawal.
As a result, we believe that should interest rates increase materially
after September 30, 2001, borrowers may withdraw funds invested in these
certificates prior to maturity, causing our cost of funds to increase.
20
The following table sets forth the distribution of our deposit accounts at
the dates indicated and the change in dollar amount of deposits in the various
types of accounts we offer between the dates indicated.
Balance at Balance at Balance at
September 30, % of Increase September 30, % of Increase September 30, % of
2001 Deposits (Decrease) 2000 Deposits (Decrease) 1999 Deposits
------------- -------- ---------- ------------ ------- ---------- ----------- --------
(Dollars in thousands)
Noninterest-bearing demand....$ 10,985 4.42% $ (906) $ 11,891 4.67% $ 3,671 $ 8,219 3.51%
Interest-bearing checking..... 29,946 12.06 723 29,223 11.49 3,130 26,094 11.15
Money market accounts......... 21,631 8.71 2,559 19,072 7.50 4,302 14,770 6.31
Passbook and savings.......... 26,120 10.52 190 25,930 10.19 (1,346) 27,276 11.65
Certificates of deposit....... 159,688 64.29 (8,601) 168,289 66.15 10,553 157,736 67.38
--------- ------ -------- -------- ------ ------- -------- ------
$ 248,370 100.00% $ (6,035) $254,405 100.00% $20,310 $234,095 100.00%
========= ====== ======== ======== ====== ======= ======== ======
21
The following table sets forth the average balances and average interest
rates based on daily balances for various types of deposits at the dates
indicated for each category of deposits presented.
Year Ended September 30,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
------------------- ------------------ -------------------
Average Average Average Average Average Average
Balance Rate Balance Rate Balance Rate
------- -------- ------- -------- ------- --------
(Dollars in thousands)
Noninterest-bearing demand.............. $ 13,170 0.00% $ 9,040 0.00% $ 9,282 0.00%
Interest-bearing checking............... 30,041 0.85 28,268 1.73 27,026 1.86
Money market accounts................... 21,184 4.52 15,470 4.11 14,306 3.47
Passbook and savings.................... 26,580 2.25 26,654 2.37 35,220 2.47
Certificates of deposit................. 167,481 5.59 159,773 5.26 153,811 4.99
--------- -------- ---------
Total............................... $ 258,456 4.32 $239,205 4.25 $ 239,645 3.98
========= ======== =========
The following table sets forth our time deposits classified by rates at the
dates indicated.
At September 30,
--------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
----- ------ ------
(In thousands)
Rate
- ----
2.00 - 3.99%................................................ $ 45,066 $ -- $ 116
4.00 - 5.99%................................................ 80,465 105,266 154,076
6.00 - 7.99%................................................ 34,024 62,900 3,443
8.00 - 9.99%................................................ 133 123 101
--------- ---------- ---------
$ 159,688 $ 168,289 $ 157,736
========= ========== =========
The following table sets forth the amount and maturities of our time deposits at
September 30, 2001.
Amount Due
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less Than After
Rate One Year 1-2 Years 2-3 Years 3 Years Total
- ---- -------- --------- --------- ------- -----
(In thousands)
2.00 - 3.99%................... $ 41,755 $ 3,311 $ -- $ -- $ 45,066
4.00 - 5.99%................... 63,240 10,330 2,519 4,376 80,465
6.00 - 7.99%................... 28,232 1,724 1,780 2,288 34,024
8.00 - 9.99%................... -- 133 -- -- 133
--------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
$ 133,227 $ 15,498 $ 4,299 $ 6,664 $ 159,688
========= ========== ========== ========== ==========
The following table indicates the amount of our certificates of deposit of
$100,000 or more by time remaining until maturity as of September 30, 2001. At
that date, such deposits represented 15.1% of total deposits and had a weighted
average rate of 4.88%.
Certificates
Maturity Period of Deposit
---------------- -----------
(In thousands)
Three months or less....................... $ 11,063
Over three through six months.............. 12,546
Over six through 12 months................. 10,679
Over 12 months............................. 3,195
----------
Total................................ $ 37,483
==========
22
We estimate that more than $34.1 million of certificates of deposit in
amounts of $100,000 or more maturing within one year of September 30, 2001 were
held by our retail and commercial customers, while the remainder of such
deposits were from schools, municipalities and other public entities and were
obtained through competitive rate bidding. We believe certificates of deposits
held by our retail and commercial customers are more likely to be renewed upon
maturity than certificates of deposit obtained through competitive bidding.
The following table sets forth our savings activities for the periods
indicated.
Year Ended September 30,
-----------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
----- ------ ------
(In thousands)
Net increase (decrease) before interest credited.............. $ (15,271) $ 11,831 $ (10,124)
Interest credited............................................. 9,236 8,479 8,525
--------- -------- ---------
Net (decrease) increase in deposits....................... $ (6,035) $ 20,310 $ (1,599)
========= ======== =========
Borrowings. Savings deposits historically have been the primary source of
funds for our lending, investments and general operating activities. We are
authorized, however, to use advances from the FHLB of Atlanta to supplement our
supply of lendable funds and to meet deposit withdrawal requirements. The FHLB
of Atlanta functions as a central reserve bank providing credit for member
financial institutions. As a member of the FHLB system, we are required to own
stock in the FHLB of Atlanta and are authorized to apply for advances. Advances
are obtained pursuant to several different programs, each of which has its own
interest rate and range of maturities. We have a blanket agreement for advances
with the FHLB under which we may borrow up to 16% of assets subject to normal
collateral and underwriting requirements. Advances from the FHLB of Atlanta are
secured by our stock in the FHLB of Atlanta and other eligible assets.
In February 1998, we obtained $20.0 million in fixed-rate FHLB of Atlanta
advances. These advances were structured with maturities estimated to coincide
with the expected repricing of $20.0 million of loans. Through this strategy, we
were able to establish a positive interest rate spread on the $20.0 million of
assets and FHLB of Atlanta advances. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis
- -- Asset/Liability Management" for a more complete discussion of this strategy.
The following table sets forth certain information regarding our short-term
borrowings at the dates and for the periods indicated:
At or for the
Year Ended September 30,
-----------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
------ ------ ------
(Dollars in thousands)
Amounts outstanding at end of period:
FHLB advances............................................. $ 20,000 $ 20,000 $ 22,000
Weighted average rate paid on:
FHLB advances............................................. 5.50% 5.55% 5.42%
For the Year
Ended September 30,
------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
----- ------ ------
(In thousands)
Maximum amount of borrowings outstanding at any month end:
FHLB advances............................................. $ 25,000 $ 33,000 $ 22,000
23
For the Year
Ended September 30,
------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999
------ ------ ------
(Dollars in thousands)
Average amounts outstanding:
FHLB advances............................................. $ 20,521 $ 25,467 $ 20,044
Approximate weighted average rate paid on: (1)
FHLB advances............................................. 5.42% 5.65% 5.49%
___________
(1) Based on month-end balances.
SUBSIDIARY ACTIVITIES
In prior years, we had one subsidiary, First Capital Services, Inc., a
North Carolina corporation ("First Capital"), that engaged in sales of
annuities, mutual funds and insurance products on an agency basis. In September
1997, that corporation transferred its assets and liabilities to a newly formed
North Carolina limited liability company, First Capital Services Company, LLC
(the "LLC"), and the corporation was dissolved. 1st State Bank is the sole
member of the LLC, and since the transfer of assets and liabilities, the LLC has
conducted the activities previously conducted by First Capital. We earned
$391,000, $399,000 and $326,000 on a pre-tax basis from the activities of the
LLC and First Capital during the years ended September 30, 2001, 2000 and 1999,
respectively.
COMPETITION
We face strong competition in originating real estate, commercial business
and consumer loans and in attracting deposits. We compete for real estate and
other loans principally on the basis of interest rates, the types of loans we
originate, the deposit products we offer and the quality of services we provide
to our customers. We also compete by offering products which are tailored to the
local community. Our competition in originating real estate loans comes
primarily from savings institutions, commercial banks, mortgage bankers and
mortgage brokers. Commercial banks, credit unions and finance companies provide
vigorous competition in consumer lending. Competition may increase as a result
of the continuing reduction of restrictions on the interstate operations of
financial institutions.
We attract our deposits through our branch offices primarily from the local
communities. Consequently, competition for deposits is principally from savings
institutions, commercial banks, credit unions and brokers in our primary market
area. We compete for deposits and loans by offering what we believe to be a
variety of deposit accounts at competitive rates, convenient business hours, a
commitment to outstanding customer service and a well-trained staff. We believe
we have developed strong relationships with local realtors and the community in
general.
We consider our primary market area for gathering deposits and originating
loans to be Alamance County in north central North Carolina, which is the county
in which our offices are located. Based on data provided by a private marketing
firm, we estimate that at June 30, 2000, we had 14.8% of deposits held by all
banks and savings institutions in our market area.
EMPLOYEES
As of September 30, 2001, we had 68 full-time and 17 part-time employees,
none of whom were represented by a collective bargaining agreement. We believe
that our relationship with our employees is good.
24
DEPOSITORY INSTITUTION REGULATION
General. We are a North Carolina-chartered commercial bank and a member of
the FHLB of Atlanta, and our deposits are insured by the FDIC through the
Savings Association Insurance Fund administered by the FDIC. 1st State Bank is
subject to supervision, examination and regulation by the North Carolina Banking
Commission and the FDIC and to North Carolina and federal statutory and
regulatory provisions governing such matters as capital standards, mergers,
subsidiary investments and establishment of branch offices. We are also subject
to the FDIC's authority to conduct special examinations. 1st State Bank is
required to file reports with the North Carolina Banking Commission and the FDIC
concerning its activities and financial condition and is required to obtain
regulatory approvals prior to entering into certain transactions, including
mergers with, or acquisitions of, other depository institutions.
As a federally insured depository institution, 1st State Bank is subject to
various regulations promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board, including
Regulation B (Equal Credit Opportunity), Regulation D (Reserve Requirements),
Regulation E (Electronic Fund Transfers), Regulation Z (Truth in Lending),
Regulation CC (Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks) and Regulation DD
(Truth in Savings).
The system of regulation and supervision applicable to us establishes a
comprehensive framework for our operations and is intended primarily for the
protection of the FDIC and our depositors. Changes in the regulatory framework
could have a material effect on us and our operations.
Financial Modernization Legislation. On November 12, 1999, President
Clinton signed legislation which could have a far-reaching impact on the
financial services industry. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley ("G-L-B") Act authorizes
affiliations between banking, securities and insurance firms and authorizes bank
holding companies and national banks to engage in a variety of new financial
activities. Among the new activities that will be permitted to bank holding
companies are securities and insurance brokerage, securities underwriting,
insurance underwriting and merchant banking. The Federal Reserve Board, in
consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, may approve additional
financial activities. The G-L-B Act, however, prohibits future acquisitions of
existing unitary savings and loan holding companies, like the Company, by firms
which are engaged in commercial activities and limits the permissible activities
of unitary holding companies formed after May 4, 1999.
The G-L-B Act imposes new requirements on financial institutions with
respect to customer privacy. The G-L-B Act generally prohibits disclosure of
customer information to non-affiliated third parties unless the customer has
been given the opportunity to object and has not objected to such disclosure.
Financial institutions are further required to disclose their privacy policies
to customers annually. Financial institutions, however, will be required to
comply with state law if it is more protective of customer privacy than the
G-L-B Act. The privacy provisions became effective in July 2001.
The G-L-B Act contains significant revisions to the FHLB System. The G-L-B
Act imposes new capital requirements on the FHLBs and authorizes them to issue
two classes of stock with differing dividend rates and redemption requirements.
The G-L-B Act deletes the current requirement that the FHLBs annually contribute
$300 million to pay interest on certain government obligations in favor of a 20%
of net earnings formula. The G-L-B Act expands the permissible uses of FHLB
advances by community financial institutions (under $500 million in assets) to
include funding loans to small businesses, small farms and small
agri-businesses.
The G-L-B Act contains a variety of other provisions including a
prohibition against ATM surcharges unless the customer has first been provided
notice of the imposition and amount of the fee. The G-L-B Act reduces the
frequency of Community Reinvestment Act examinations for smaller institutions
and imposes certain reporting requirements on depository institutions that make
payments to non-governmental entities in connection with the Community
Reinvestment Act. The G-L-B Act also eliminated the SAIF special reserve.
The Company is unable to predict the impact of the G-L-B Act on its
operations at this time. Although the G-L-B Act reduces the range of companies
with which may acquire control of the Company, it may facilitate affiliations
with companies in the financial services industry.
25
Capital Requirements. The Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC have
established guidelines with respect to the maintenance of appropriate levels of
capital by bank holding companies with consolidated assets of $150 million or
more and state non-member banks, respectively. The regulations impose two sets
of capital adequacy requirements: minimum leverage rules, which require bank
holding companies and state non-member banks to maintain a specified minimum
ratio of capital to total assets, and risk-based capital rules, which require
the maintenance of specified minimum ratios of capital to "risk-weighted"
assets. The regulations of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve Board require bank
holding companies and state non-member banks, respectively, to maintain a
minimum leverage ratio of "Tier 1 capital" to total assets of 3%. Although
setting a minimum 3% leverage ratio, the capital regulations state that only the
strongest bank holding companies and banks, with composite examination ratings
of 1 under the rating system used by the federal bank regulators, would be
permitted to operate at or near such minimum level of capital. All other bank
holding companies and banks are expected to maintain a leverage ratio of at
least Tier 1 capital to total assets of not less than 4%. Tier 1 capital is the
sum of common stockholders' equity, certain perpetual preferred stock, which
must be noncumulative with respect to banks, including any related surplus, and
minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries; minus all intangible assets
other than certain purchased mortgage servicing rights and purchased credit card
receivables, identified losses and investments in certain subsidiaries.
As a Savings Association Insurance Fund of the FDIC-insured,
state-chartered bank, we must also deduct from Tier 1 capital an amount equal to
our investments in, and extensions of credit to, subsidiaries engaged in
activities that are not permissible for national banks, other than debt and
equity investments in subsidiaries engaged in activities undertaken as agent for
customers or in mortgage banking activities or in subsidiary depository
institutions or their holding companies. Any bank or bank holding companies
experiencing or anticipating significant growth would be expected to maintain
capital well above the minimum levels. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board
has indicated that whenever appropriate, and in particular when a bank holding
company is undertaking expansion, seeking to engage in new activities or
otherwise facing unusual or abnormal risks, it will consider, on a case-by-case
basis, the level of an organization's ratio of tangible Tier 1 capital to total
assets in making an overall assessment of capital.
In addition to the leverage ratio, the regulations of the Federal Reserve
Board and the FDIC require bank holding companies and state-chartered nonmember
banks to maintain a minimum ratio of qualifying total capital to risk-weighted
assets of at least 8% of which at least 4% must be Tier 1 capital. Qualifying
total capital consists of Tier 1 capital plus Tier 2 or "supplementary" capital
items which include allowances for loan losses in an amount of up to 1.25% of
risk-weighted assets, cumulative preferred stock and preferred stock with a
maturity of 20 years or more, certain other capital instruments and up to 45% of
unrealized gains on equity securities. The includable amount of Tier 2 capital
cannot exceed the institution's Tier 1 capital. Qualifying total capital is
further reduced by the amount of the bank's investments in banking and finance
subsidiaries that are not consolidated for regulatory capital purposes,
reciprocal cross-holdings of capital securities issued by other banks and
certain other deductions. The risk-based capital regulations assign balance
sheet assets and the credit equivalent amounts of certain off-balance sheet
items to one of four broad risk weight categories. The aggregate dollar amount
of each category is multiplied by the risk weight assigned to that category
based principally on the degree of credit risk associated with the obligor. The
sum of these weighted values equals the bank holding company or the bank's
risk-weighted assets.
The federal bank regulators, including the Federal Reserve Board and the
FDIC, have revised their risk-based capital requirements to ensure that such
requirements provide for explicit consideration of interest rate risk. Under the
rule, a bank's interest rate risk exposure would be quantified using either the
measurement system set forth in the rule or the bank's internal model for
measuring such exposure, if such model is determined to be adequate by the
bank's examiner. If the dollar amount of a bank's interest rate risk exposure,
as measured under either measurement system, exceeds 1% of the bank's total
assets, the bank would be required under the rule to hold additional capital
equal to the dollar amount of the excess. We believe that the interest rate risk
component does not have a material effect on our capital. Further, the FDIC has
adopted a regulation that provides that the FDIC may take into account whether a
bank has significant risks from concentrations of credit or non-traditional
activities in determining the adequacy of its capital. We have not been advised
that we will be required to maintain any additional capital under this
regulation. The interest rate risk component does not apply to bank holding
companies on a consolidated basis.
26
In addition to FDIC regulatory capital requirements, the North Carolina
Commissioner of Banks requires us to have adequate capitalization which is
determined based upon each bank's particular set of circumstances. We are
subject to the North Carolina Bank Commissioner's capital surplus regulation
which requires commercial banks to maintain a capital surplus of at least 50% of
common capital. Common capital is defined as the total of the par value of
shares times the number of shares outstanding.
At September 30, 2001, we complied with each of the capital requirements of
the FDIC and the North Carolina Banking Commission.
Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action. Under the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation Improvement Act ("FDICIA"), the federal banking regulators are
required to take prompt corrective action if an insured depository institution
fails to satisfy certain minimum capital requirements, including a leverage
limit, a risk-based capital requirement, and any other measure deemed
appropriate by the federal banking regulators for measuring the capital adequacy
of an insured depository institution. All institutions, regardless of their
capital levels, are restricted from making any capital distribution or paying
any management fees if the institution would thereafter fail to satisfy the
minimum levels for any of its capital requirements. An institution that fails to
meet the minimum level for any relevant capital measure (an "undercapitalized
institution") may be: (i) subject to increased monitoring by the appropriate
federal banking regulator; (ii) required to submit an acceptable capital
restoration plan within 45 days; (iii) subject to asset growth limits; and (iv)
required to obtain prior regulatory approval for acquisitions, branching and new
lines of businesses. The capital restoration plan must include a guarantee by
the institution's holding company that the institution will comply with the plan
until it has been adequately capitalized on average for four consecutive
quarters, under which the holding company would be liable up to the lesser of 5%
of the institution's total assets or the amount necessary to bring the
institution into capital compliance as of the date it failed to comply with its
capital restoration plan. A "significantly undercapitalized" institution, as
well as any undercapitalized institution that does not submit an acceptable
capital restoration plan, may be subject to regulatory demands for
recapitalization, broader application of restrictions on transactions with
affiliates, limitations on interest rates paid on deposits, asset growth and
other activities, possible replacement of directors and officers, and
restrictions on capital distributions by any bank holding company controlling
the institution. Any company controlling the institution may also be required to
divest the institution or the institution could be required to divest
subsidiaries. The senior executive officers of a significantly undercapitalized
institution may not receive bonuses or increases in compensation without prior
approval and the institution is prohibited from making payments of principal or
interest on its subordinated debt. In their discretion, the federal banking
regulators may also impose the foregoing sanctions on an undercapitalized
institution if the regulators determine that such actions are necessary to carry
out the purposes of the prompt corrective provisions. If an institution's ratio
of tangible capital to total assets falls below the "critical capital level"
established by the appropriate federal banking regulator, the institution will
be subject to conservatorship or receivership within specified time periods.
Under the implementing regulations, the federal banking regulators,
including the FDIC, generally measure an institution's capital adequacy on the
basis of its total risk-based capital ratio (the ratio of its total capital to
risk-weighted assets), Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio (the ratio of its core
capital to risk-weighted assets) and leverage ratio (the ratio of its core
capital to adjusted total assets). The following table shows the capital ratios
required for the various prompt corrective action categories.
Adequately Significantly
Well Capitalized Capitalized Undercapitalized Undercapitalized
---------------- ----------- ----------------- ----------------
Total risk-based
capital ratio 10.0% or more 8.0% or more Less than 8.0% Less than 6.0%
Tier 1 risk-based
capital ratio 6.0% or more 4.0% or more Less than 4.0% Less than 3.0%
Leverage ratio 5.0% or more 4.0% or more * Less than 4.0% * Less than 3.0%
- -----------
* 3.0% if institution has a composite 1 CAMELS rating.
A "critically undercapitalized" savings institution is defined as an institution
that has a ratio of "tangible equity" to total assets of less than 2.0%.
Tangible equity is defined as core capital plus cumulative perpetual preferred
stock (and related surplus) less all intangibles other than qualifying
supervisory goodwill and certain purchased mortgage
27
servicing rights. The FDIC may reclassify a well capitalized savings institution
as adequately capitalized and may require an adequately capitalized or
undercapitalized institution to comply with the supervisory actions applicable
to institutions in the next lower capital category (but may not reclassify a
significantly undercapitalized institution as critically undercapitalized) if
the FDIC determines, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, that the
institution is in an unsafe or unsound condition or that the institution has
received and not corrected a less-than-satisfactory rating for any CAMELS rating
category.
The Bank meets the definition of "well-capitalized" under the FDIC's prompt
corrective action regulations.
Safety and Soundness Guidelines. Under FDICIA, as amended by the Riegle
Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 (the "CDRI Act"),
each federal banking agency was required to establish safety and soundness
standards for institutions under its authority. The interagency guidelines
require depository institutions to maintain internal controls and information
systems and internal audit systems that are appropriate for the size, nature and
scope of the institution's business. The guidelines also establish certain basic
standards for loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate risk
exposure, and asset growth. The guidelines further provide that depository
institutions should maintain safeguards to prevent the payment of compensation,
fees and benefits that are excessive or that could lead to material financial
loss, and should take into account factors such as comparable compensation
practices at comparable institutions. If the appropriate federal banking agency
determines that a depository institution is not in compliance with the safety
and soundness guidelines, it may require the institution to submit an acceptable
plan to achieve compliance with the guidelines. A depository institution must
submit an acceptable compliance plan to its primary federal regulator within 30
days of receipt of a request for such a plan. Failure to submit or implement a
compliance plan may subject the institution to regulatory sanctions. Management
believes that 1st State Bank meets all the standards adopted in the interagency
guidelines.
Community Reinvestment Act. 1st State Bank, like other financial
institutions, is subject to the Community Reinvestment Act ("CRA"). The purpose
of the CRA is to encourage financial institutions to help meet the credit needs
of their entire communities, including the needs of low- and moderate-income
neighborhoods. During our last compliance examination, we received a
"satisfactory" rating for CRA compliance.
The federal banking regulatory agencies have implemented an evaluation
system that rates institutions based on their actual performance in meeting
community credit needs. Under the regulations, a bank will first be evaluated
and rated under three categories: a lending test, an investment test and a
service test. For each of these three tests, the bank will be given a rating of
either "outstanding," "high satisfactory," "low satisfactory," "needs to
improve," or "substantial non-compliance." A set of criteria for each rating has
been developed and is included in the regulation. If an institution disagrees
with a particular rating, the institution has the burden of rebutting the
presumption by clearly establishing that the quantitative measures do not
accurately present its actual performance, or that demographics, competitive
conditions or economic or legal limitations peculiar to its service area should
be considered. The ratings received under the three tests will be used to
determine the overall composite CRA rating. The composite ratings currently
given are: "outstanding," "satisfactory," "needs to improve" or "substantial
non-compliance."
Our CRA rating would be a factor considered by the Federal Reserve Board
and the FDIC in considering applications to acquire branches or to acquire or
combine with other financial institutions and take other actions and, if such
rating was less than "satisfactory," could result in the denial of such
applications.
Federal Home Loan Bank System. The FHLB System consists of 12 district
FHLBs subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Housing Finance Board
("FHFB"). The FHLBs provide a central credit facility primarily for member
institutions. As a member of the FHLB of Atlanta, we are required to acquire and
hold shares of capital stock in the FHLB of Atlanta in an amount at least equal
to 1% of the aggregate unpaid principal of home mortgage loans, home purchase
contracts, and similar obligations at the beginning of each year, or 1/20 of
advances from the FHLB of Atlanta, whichever is greater. We were in compliance
with this requirement with investment in FHLB of Atlanta stock at September 30,
2001 of $1.7 million. The FHLB of Atlanta serves as a reserve or central bank
for its member institutions within its assigned district. It is funded primarily
from proceeds derived from the sale of consolidated obligations of the FHLB
System. It offers advances to members in accordance with policies and procedures
established by the FHFB and the board of directors of the FHLB of Atlanta.
Long-term advances may only be made for the purpose of providing funds for
residential housing finance, small businesses, small farms
28
and small agri-businesses. At September 30, 2001, we had $20.0 million in
advances outstanding from the FHLB of Atlanta.
Reserves. Under Federal Reserve Board regulations, we must maintain average
daily reserves against transaction accounts. Reserves equal to 3% must be
maintained on transaction accounts of up to $42.8 million, plus 10% on the
remainder. This percentage is subject to adjustment by the Federal Reserve
Board. Because required reserves must be maintained in the form of vault cash or
in a non-interest bearing account at a Federal Reserve Bank, the effect of the
reserve requirement is to reduce the amount of the institution's
interest-earning assets. As of September 30, 2001, we met our reserve
requirements.
We are also subject to the reserve requirements of North Carolina
commercial banks. North Carolina law requires state non-member banks to
maintain, at all times, a reserve fund in an amount set by regulation of the
North Carolina Banking Commission. As of September 30, 2001, we met our reserve
requirements.
Deposit Insurance. We are required to pay assessments based on a percentage
of insured deposits to the FDIC for insurance of our deposits by the Savings
Association Insurance Fund of the FDIC. Under the FDIC's risk-based deposit
insurance assessment system, the assessment rate for an insured depository
institution depends on the assessment risk classification assigned to the
institution by the FDIC, which is determined by the institution's capital level
and supervisory evaluations. Based on the data reported to regulators for the
date closest to the last day of the seventh month preceding the semi-annual
assessment period, institutions are assigned to one of three capital groups --
well capitalized, adequately capitalized or undercapitalized -- using the same
percentage criteria as in the prompt corrective action regulations. See "--
Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action" for definitions and percentage criteria for
the capital group categories. Within each capital group, institutions are
assigned to one of three subgroups on the basis of supervisory evaluations by
the institution's primary supervisory authority and such other information as
the FDIC determines to be relevant to the institution's financial condition and
the risk posed to the deposit insurance fund. Subgroup A consists of financially
sound institutions with only a few minor weaknesses. Subgroup B consists of
institutions that demonstrate weaknesses which, if not corrected, could result
in significant deterioration of the institution and increased risk of loss to
the deposit insurance fund. Subgroup C consists of institutions that pose a
substantial probability of loss to the deposit insurance fund unless effective
corrective action is taken.
The assessment rate for SAIF members ranges from zero for well capitalized
institutions in Subgroup A to 0.27% of deposits for undercapitalized
institutions in Subgroup C. Both Bank Insurance Fund of the FDIC and Savings
Association Insurance Fund of the FDIC members are assessed an amount for the
Financing Corporation Bond payments. Bank Insurance Fund of the FDIC members are
assessed approximately 1.3 basis points while the Savings Association Insurance
Fund of the FDIC rate is approximately 6.4 basis points until January 1, 2000.
At that time, Bank Insurance Fund of the FDIC and Savings Association Insurance
Fund of the FDIC members will begin pro rata sharing of the payment at an
expected rate of 2.43 basis points.
Liquidity Requirements. FDIC policy requires that banks maintain an average
daily balance of liquid assets in an amount which it deems adequate to protect
safety and soundness of the bank. Liquid assets include cash, certain time
deposits, bankers' acceptances and specified United States government, state, or
federal agency obligations. The FDIC currently has no specific level which it
requires.
North Carolina banks must maintain a reserve fund in an amount and/or ratio
set by the North Carolina Banking Commission to account for the level of
liquidity necessary to assure the safety and soundness of the State banking
system. At September 30, 2001, our liquidity ratio exceeded the North Carolina
regulations.
Dividend Restrictions. Under FDIC regulations, we are prohibited from
making any capital distributions if after making the distribution, we would
have:
o a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8%;
o a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4%; or
o a leverage ratio of less than 4%.
29
Our earnings appropriated to bad debt reserves and deducted for Federal
income tax purposes are not available for payment of cash dividends or other
distributions to stockholders without payment of taxes at the then current tax
rate on the amount of earnings removed from the pre-1988 reserves for such
distributions. We intend to make full use of this favorable tax treatment and do
not contemplate use of any earnings in a manner which would create federal tax
liabilities.
We may not pay dividends on our capital stock if our regulatory capital
would thereby be reduced below the amount then required for the liquidation
account established for the benefit of certain depositors at the time of the
conversion.
1st State Bancorp is subject to limitations on dividends imposed by the
Federal Reserve Board.
Transactions with Related Parties. Transactions between a state non-member
bank and any affiliate are governed by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal
Reserve Act. An affiliate of a state non-member bank is any company or entity
which controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the state
non-member bank. In a holding company context, the parent holding company of a
state non-member bank, such as 1st State Bancorp, and any companies which are
controlled by the parent holding company are affiliates of the savings
institution or state non-member bank. Generally, Sections 23A and 23B (i) limit
the extent to which an institution or its subsidiaries may engage in "covered
transactions" with any one affiliate to an amount equal to 10% of such
institution's capital stock and surplus, and contain an aggregate limit on all
such transactions with all affiliates to an amount equal to 20% of such capital
stock and surplus, and (ii) require that all such transactions be on terms
substantially the same, or at least as favorable, to the institution or
subsidiary as those provided to a non-affiliate. The term "covered transaction"
includes the making of loans, purchase of assets, issuance of a guarantee and
similar other types of transactions. In addition to the restrictions imposed by
Sections 23A and 23B, no state non-member bank may (i) loan or otherwise extend
credit to an affiliate, except for any affiliate which engages only in
activities which are permissible for bank holding companies, or (ii) purchase or
invest in any stocks, bonds, debentures, notes or similar obligations of any
affiliate, except for affiliates which are subsidiaries of the state non-member
bank.
Loans to Directors, Executive Officers and Principal Stockholders. State
non-member banks also are subject to the restrictions contained in Section 22(h)
of the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Reserve Board's Regulation O
thereunder on loans to executive officers, directors and principal stockholders.
Under Section 22(h), loans to a director, executive officer and to a greater
than 10% stockholder of a state non-member bank and certain affiliated interests
of such persons, may not exceed, together with all other outstanding loans to
such person and affiliated interests, the institution's loans-to-one-borrower
limit and all loans to such persons may not exceed the institution's unimpaired
capital and unimpaired surplus. Section 22(h) also prohibits loans, above
amounts prescribed by the appropriate federal banking agency, to directors,
executive officers and greater than 10% stockholders of a depository
institution, and their respective affiliates, unless such loan is approved in
advance by a majority of the board of directors of the institution with any
"interested" director not participating in the voting. Regulation O prescribes
the loan amount, which includes all other outstanding loans to such person, as
to which such prior board of director approval is required as being the greater
of $25,000 or 5% of capital and surplus up to $500,000. Further, Section 22(h)
requires that loans to directors, executive officers and principal stockholders
be made on terms substantially the same as offered in comparable transactions to
other persons. Section 22(h) also generally prohibits a depository institution
from paying the overdrafts of any of its executive officers or directors.
State non-member banks also are subject to the requirements and
restrictions of Section 22(g) of the Federal Reserve Act on loans to executive
officers. Section 22(g) of the Federal Reserve Act requires loans to executive
officers of depository institutions not be made on terms more favorable than
those afforded to other borrowers, requires approval by the board of directors
of a depository institution for such extensions of credit to executive officers
of the institution, and imposes reporting requirements for and additional
restrictions on the type, amount and terms of credits to such officers. In
addition, Section 106 of the BHCA prohibits extensions of credit to executive
officers, directors, and greater than 10% stockholders of a depository
institution by any other institution which has a correspondent banking
relationship with the institution, unless such extension of credit is on
substantially the same terms as those prevailing at the time for comparable
transactions with other persons and does not involve more than the normal risk
of repayment or present other unfavorable features.
30
Additionally, North Carolina statutes set forth restrictions on loans to
executive officers of state-chartered banks, which provide that no bank may
extend credit to any of its executive officers nor a firm or partnership of
which such executive officers is a member, nor a company in which such executive
officer owns a controlling interest, unless the extension of credit is made on
substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those
prevailing at the time for comparable transactions by the bank with persons who
are not employed by the bank, and provided further that the extension of credit
does not involve more than the normal risk of repayment.
Restrictions on Certain Activities. State-chartered banks with deposits
insured by the FDIC are generally prohibited from engaging in activities and
investments that are not permissible for a national bank. The foregoing
limitation, however, does not prohibit FDIC-insured state banks from acquiring
or retaining an equity investment in a subsidiary in which the bank is a
majority owner. State chartered banks are also prohibited from engaging as a
principal in any type of activity that is not permissible for a national bank.
Further subsidiaries of state chartered, FDIC-insured state banks may not engage
as a principal in any type of activity that is not permissible for a subsidiary
of a national bank, unless in either case, the FDIC determines that the activity
would pose no significant risk to the appropriate deposit insurance fund and the
bank is, and continues to be, in compliance with applicable capital standards.
The FDIC has adopted regulations to clarify the foregoing restrictions on
activities of FDIC-insured state-chartered banks and their subsidiaries. Under
the regulations, the term "activity" refers to the conduct of business by an
insured state bank and includes acquiring or retaining any investment other than
an equity investment as defined by regulation. An activity permissible for a
national bank includes any activity expressly authorized for national banks by
statute or recognized as permissible in regulations, official circulars,
bulletins, orders or written interpretations issued by the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency. In its regulations, the FDIC indicates that it will
not permit state banks to directly engage in commercial ventures or directly or
indirectly engage in any insurance underwriting activity other than to the
extent such activities are permissible for a national bank or a national bank
subsidiary or except for certain other limited forms of insurance underwriting
permitted under the regulations. FDIC regulations permit state banks that meet
applicable minimum capital requirements to engage as principal in certain
activities that are not permissible to national banks including guaranteeing
obligations of others, activities which the Federal Reserve Board has found by
regulation or order to be closely related to banking and certain securities
activities conducted through subsidiaries.
REGULATION OF 1ST STATE BANCORP, INC.
General. 1st State Bancorp, as the sole shareholder of 1st State Bank, is a
bank holding company and is registered as such with the Federal Reserve Board.
Bank holding companies are subject to comprehensive regulation by the Federal
Reserve Board under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the
"BHCA"), and the regulations of the Federal Reserve Board. As a bank holding
company, 1st State Bancorp is required to file with the Federal Reserve Board
annual reports and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may
require, and is subject to regular examinations by the Federal Reserve Board.
The Federal Reserve Board also has extensive enforcement authority over bank
holding companies, including, among other things, the ability to assess civil
money penalties, to issue cease and desist or removal orders and to require that
a holding company divest subsidiaries, including its bank subsidiaries. In
general, enforcement actions may be initiated for violations of law and
regulations and unsafe or unsound practices. 1st State Bancorp is also required
to file certain reports with, and comply with the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the federal securities laws.
Under the BHCA, a bank holding company must obtain Federal Reserve Board
approval before:
o acquiring, directly or indirectly, ownership or control of any voting
shares of another bank or bank holding company if, after such
acquisition, it would own or control more than 5% of such shares,
unless it already owns or controls the majority of such shares;
o acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of another bank or
bank holding company; or
o merging or consolidating with another bank holding company.
31
Satisfactory financial condition, particularly with respect to capital adequacy,
and a satisfactory CRA rating generally are prerequisites to obtaining federal
regulatory approval to make acquisitions.
The BHCA also prohibits a bank holding company, with certain exceptions,
from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the
voting shares of any company which is not a bank or bank holding company, or
from engaging directly or indirectly in activities other than those of banking,
managing or controlling banks, or providing services for its subsidiaries. The
principal exceptions to these prohibitions involve certain non bank activities
which, by statute or by Federal Reserve Board regulation or order, have been
identified as activities closely related to the business of banking or managing
or controlling banks. The list of activities permitted by the Federal Reserve
Board includes, among other things:
o operating a savings institution, mortgage company, finance company,
credit card company or factoring company;
o performing certain data processing operations;
o providing certain investment and financial advice;
o underwriting and acting as an insurance agent for certain types of
credit-related insurance;
o leasing property on a full-payout, non-operating basis;
o selling money orders, travelers' checks and United States Savings
Bonds;
o real estate and personal property appraising;
o providing tax planning and preparation services; and,
o subject to certain limitations, providing securities brokerage
services for customers.
Presently, we have no plans to engage in any of these activities.
Acquisition of Bank Holding Companies and Banks. Under the BHCA, any
company must obtain approval of the Federal Reserve Board prior to acquiring
control of 1st State Bancorp or 1st State Bank. For purposes of the BHCA,
"control" is defined as ownership of more than 25% of any class of voting
securities of 1st State Bancorp or 1st State Bank, the ability to control the
election of a majority of the directors, or the exercise of a controlling
influence over management or policies of 1st State Bancorp or 1st State Bank. In
addition, the Change in Bank Control Act and the related regulations of the
Federal Reserve Board require any person or persons acting in concert to file a
written notice with the Federal Reserve Board before such person or persons may
acquire control of 1st State Bancorp or 1st State Bank. The Change in Bank
Control Act defines "control" as the power, directly or indirectly, to vote 25%
or more of any voting securities or to direct the management or policies of a
bank holding company or an insured bank.
The Federal Reserve Board has adopted guidelines regarding the capital
adequacy of bank holding companies, which require bank holding companies to
maintain specified minimum ratios of capital to total assets and capital to
risk-weighted assets.
Interstate Banking. The Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching
Efficiency Act of 1994 (the "Riegle-Neal Act") was enacted to ease restrictions
on interstate banking. Effective September 29, 1995, the Act allows the Federal
Reserve Board to approve an application of an adequately capitalized and
adequately managed bank holding company to acquire control of, or acquire all or
substantially all of the assets of, a bank located in a state other than the
holding company's home state, without regard to whether the transaction is
prohibited by the laws of any state. The Federal Reserve Board may not approve
the acquisition of a bank that has not been in existence for a minimum of five
years, regardless of a longer minimum period specified by the law of the host
state. The Riegle-Neal Act also prohibits the Federal Reserve Board from
approving an application if the applicant and its
32
depository institution affiliates control or would control more than 10% of the
insured deposits in the United States or 30%, or more of the deposits in the
target bank's home state or in any state in which the target bank maintains a
branch. The Riegle-Neal Act does not affect a state's authority to limit the
percentage of total insured deposits in the state which may be held or
controlled by a bank or bank holding company to the extent such limitation does
not discriminate against out-of-state banks or bank holding companies.
Individual states may also waive the 30% statewide concentration limit contained
in the Riegle-Neal Act.
Additionally, the federal banking agencies are authorized to approve
interstate merger transactions without regard to whether such transaction is
prohibited by the law of any state, unless the home state of one of the banks
has opted out of the Riegle-Neal Act by adopting a law, which applies equally to
all out-of-state banks and expressly prohibits merger transactions involving
out-of-state banks. Interstate acquisitions of branches will be permitted only
if the law of the state in which the branch is located permits such
acquisitions. Interstate mergers and branch acquisitions are subject to the
nationwide and statewide insured deposit concentration amounts described above.
North Carolina has enacted legislation permitting interstate banking
transactions.
The Riegle-Neal Act authorizes the FDIC to approve interstate branching de
novo by state banks only in states which specifically allow for such branching.
Pursuant to the Riegle-Neal Act, the appropriate federal banking agencies have
adopted regulations which prohibit any out-of-state bank from using the
interstate branching authority primarily for the purpose of deposit production.
These regulations include guidelines to ensure that interstate branches operated
by an out-of-state bank in a host state are reasonably helping to meet the
credit needs of the communities which they serve.
Dividends. The Federal Reserve Board has issued a policy statement on the
payment of cash dividends by bank holding companies, which expresses the Federal
Reserve Board's view that a bank holding company should pay cash dividends only
to the extent that the company's net income for the past year is sufficient to
cover both the cash dividends and a rate of earning retention that is consistent
with the company's capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition.
The Federal Reserve Board also indicated that it would be inappropriate for a
company experiencing serious financial problems to borrow funds to pay
dividends. Furthermore, under the prompt corrective action regulations adopted
by the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Reserve Board may prohibit a bank
holding company from paying any dividends if the holding company's bank
subsidiary is classified as "undercapitalized". For a definition of
"undercapitalized" institution, see "-- Depository Institution Regulation --
Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action."
Bank holding companies are required to give the Federal Reserve Board prior
written notice of any purchase or redemption of its outstanding equity
securities if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when
combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions
during the preceding 12 months, is equal to 10% or more of the their
consolidated net worth. The Federal Reserve Board may disapprove such a purchase
or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe or
unsound practice or would violate any law, regulation, Federal Reserve Board
order, directive, or any condition imposed by, or written agreement with, the
Federal Reserve Board. Bank holding companies whose capital ratios exceed the
thresholds for well capitalized banks on a consolidated basis are exempt from
the foregoing requirement if they were rated composite 1 or 2 in their most
recent inspection and are not the subject of any unresolved supervisory issues.
33
TAXATION
GENERAL
1st State Bancorp and 1st State Bank file a federal income tax return based
on a fiscal year ending September 30. They file separate returns.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION
Financial institutions such as 1st State Bank are subject to the provisions
of the Internal Revenue Code in the same general manner as other corporations.
Through tax years beginning before December 31, 1995, institutions such as 1st
State Bank which met certain definitional tests and other conditions prescribed
by the Internal Revenue Code benefitted from certain favorable provisions
regarding their deductions from taxable income for annual additions to their bad
debt reserve. For purposes of the bad debt reserve deduction, loans are
separated into "qualifying real property loans," which generally are loans
secured by interests in certain real property, and "nonqualifying loans", which
are all other loans. The bad debt reserve deduction with respect to
nonqualifying loans must be based on actual loss experience. The amount of the
bad debt reserve deduction with respect to qualifying real property loans may be
based upon actual loss experience (the "experience method") or a percentage of
taxable income determined without regard to such deduction (the "percentage of
taxable income method"). Under the experience method, the bad debt deduction for
an addition to the reserve for qualifying real property loans was an amount
determined under a formula based generally on the bad debts actually sustained
by a savings institution over a period of years. Under the percentage of taxable
income method, the bad debt reserve deduction for qualifying real property loans
was computed as 8% of a savings institution's taxable income, with certain
adjustments. We generally elected to use the method which has resulted in the
greatest deductions for federal income tax purposes in any given year.
Legislation that is effective for tax years beginning after December 31,
1995 requires institutions to recapture into taxable income over a six taxable
year period the portion of the tax loan reserve that exceeds the pre-1988 tax
loan loss reserve. As a result of changes in the law, institutions were required
to change to either the reserve method or the specific charge-off method that
applied to banks.
We are not required to provide a deferred tax liability for the tax effect
of additions to the tax bad debt reserve through 1987, the base year. Retained
income at September 30, 1998 includes approximately $4.2 million for which no
provision for federal income tax has been made. These amounts represent
allocations of income to bad debt deductions for tax purposes only. Reduction of
such amounts for purposes other than tax bad debt losses could create income for
tax purposes in certain remote instances, which would be subject to the then
current corporate income tax rate.
Our federal income tax returns have not been audited since 1993.
For additional information on our policies regarding tax and accounting
matters, see our consolidated financial statements and related notes in the
Annual Report filed as Exhibit 13 in this document.
STATE INCOME TAXATION
Under North Carolina law, the corporate income tax currently is 6.90% of
federal taxable income as computed under the Internal Revenue Code, subject to
certain prescribed adjustments. In addition, for tax years beginning in 1991,
1992, 1993 and 1994, corporate taxpayers were required to pay a surtax equal to
4%, 3%, 2% and 1%, respectively, of the state income tax otherwise payable. An
annual state franchise tax is imposed at a rate of .15% applied to the greatest
of the institution's (i) capital stock, surplus and undivided profits, (ii)
investment in tangible property in North Carolina, or (iii) appraised valuation
of property in North Carolina.
For additional information regarding taxation, see Notes 1 and 11 of the
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, which you can find in the Annual
Report.
34
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
- -------------------
The following table sets forth the location and certain additional
information regarding our offices at September 30, 2001.
Book Value at Deposits at
Year Owned or September 30, Approximate September 30,
Opened Leased 2001 (1) Square Footage 2001
------ ------ ---------- -------------- -------
(Dollars in thousands)
MAIN OFFICE:
445 S. Main Street 1988 Owned $ 3,628 33,700 $ 100,590
Burlington, NC 27215
BRANCH OFFICES:
2294 N. Church Street 1984 Leased (2) 249 2,600 24,072
Burlington, NC 27215
503 Huffman Mill Road 1982 Owned 347 2,600 42,905
Burlington, NC 27215
102 S. 5th Street 1973 Owned 50 2,000 25,263
Mebane, NC 27302
211 N. Main Street 1974 Owned 119 2,700 30,734
Graham, NC 27253
3466 S. Church Street 1996 Owned 1,391 4,000 20,093
Burlington, NC 27215
1203 S. Main Street 2000 Owned 1,477 4,000 4,713
Graham, NC 27253
- ----------
(1) Land and building only.
(2) Land is leased. Lease expires on July 5, 2009, with options to extend for
three five-year periods.
The book value of our investment in premises and equipment was $8.4 million
at September 30, 2001. See Note 7 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
elsewhere in this document.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
- -------------------------
From time to time, we are a party to various legal proceedings incident to
its business. There currently are no legal proceedings to which we are a party,
or to which any of our property was subject, which were expected to result in a
material loss. There are no pending regulatory proceedings to which we are a
party or to which any of our properties is subject which are expected to result
in a material loss.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.
- ----------------------------------------------------------
Not applicable.
35
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDERS'
MATTERS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained under the sections captioned "Market Information"
in the Company's Annual Report to Stockholders for the Fiscal Year Ended
September 30, 2001 (the "Annual Report") filed as Exhibit 13 hereto is
incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
- --------------------------------
The information contained in the table captioned "Selected Consolidated
Financial and Other Data" on page 3 in the Annual Report is incorporated herein
by reference.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained in the section captioned "Management's Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" on pages 5
through 18 in the Annual Report is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained under the sections captioned "Market Risk" on
page 8 in the Annual Report is incorporated herein be reference.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
- ----------------------------------------------------
The Consolidated Financial Statements, Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements, Independent Auditors' Report and Selected Financial Data contained
on pages 19 through 57 in the Annual Report, which are listed under Item 14
herein, are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not applicable.
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
- ------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained under the sections captioned "Proposal I --
Election of Directors" and "Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance" in the Company's definitive proxy statement for the Company's 2002
Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Proxy Statement") is incorporated herein by
reference.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
- --------------------------------
The information contained under the sections captioned "Proposal I --
Election of Directors -- Executive Compensation," in the Proxy Statement is
incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS. Information required
by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the section
captioned "Voting Securities and Security Ownership" in the Proxy
Statement.
36
(b) SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT. Information required by this item is
incorporated herein by reference to the sections captioned "Voting
Securities and Security Ownership" and "Proposal I -- Election of
Directors" in the Proxy Statement.
(c) CHANGES IN CONTROL. Management of the Company knows of no
arrangements, including any pledge by any person of securities of the
Company, the operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a
change in control of the registrant.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
- --------------------------------------------------------
The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference
to the section captioned "Proposal I -- Election of Directors -- Transactions
with Management" in the Proxy Statement.
PART IV
ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) LIST OF DOCUMENTS FILED AS PART OF THIS REPORT
----------------------------------------------
(1) Financial Statements. The following consolidated financial statements
are incorporated by reference from Item 8 hereof (see Exhibit 13):
Independent Auditors' Report
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2001 and 2000
Consolidated Statements of Income for the Years Ended September 30,
2001, 2000 and 1999
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity and Comprehensive
Income for the Years Ended September 30, 2001, 2000 and 1999
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended September
30, 2001, 2000 and 1999
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(2) Financial Statement Schedules. All schedules for which provision is
made in the applicable accounting regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission are omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are
required or because the required information is included in the consolidated
financial statements and related notes thereto.
(3) Exhibits. The following is a list of exhibits filed as part of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K and is also the Exhibit Index.
No. Description
--- -----------
3.1 Articles of Incorporation of 1st State Bancorp, Inc. (Incorporated herein by reference from
Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-68091))
3.2 Bylaws of 1st State Bancorp, Inc. (Incorporated herein by reference to the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2000)
4 Form of Common Stock Certificate of 1st State Bancorp, Inc. (Incorporated herein by reference
from Exhibit 4 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A))
10.1 1st State Bancorp, Inc. 2000 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (Incorporated herein by reference
to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2000) +
10.2 1st State Bancorp, Inc. Management Recognition Plan (Incorporated herein by reference to the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2000) +
10.3 Employment Agreements by and between 1st State Bank and James C. McGill, A. Christine Baker and
Fairfax C. Reynolds (Incorporated herein by reference from Exhibit 10.3 to the Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-68091)) +
37
10.4 Form of Guaranty Agreement by and between 1st State Bancorp, Inc. and James C. McGill, A.
Christine Baker and Fairfax C. Reynolds (Incorporated herein by reference from Exhibit 10.4 to
the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-68091)) +
10.5 1st State Bank Deferred Compensation Plan (Incorporated herein
by reference from Exhibit 10.5 to the Company's Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-68091)) +
13 Annual Report to Stockholders
21 Subsidiaries of the Registrant
23 Consent of KPMG LLP
----------
+ Management contract or compensation plan or arrangement.
(b) REPORTS ON FORM 8-K. None.
-------------------
(c) EXHIBITS. The exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are
--------
either filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or incorporated by
reference herein.
(d) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULES EXCLUDED FROM ANNUAL REPORT. There
---------------------------------------------------------------
are no other financial statements and financial statement schedules which were
excluded from the Annual Report to Stockholders pursuant to Rule 14a-3(b) which
are required to be included herein.
38
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
1ST STATE BANCORP, INC.
December 27, 2001 By: /s/ James C. McGill
---------------------------------
James C. McGill
President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this
report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
/s/ James C. McGill December 27, 2001
- -----------------------------------------------------
James C. McGill
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ A. Christine Baker December 27, 2001
- -----------------------------------------------------
A. Christine Baker
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer, Secretary and Treasurer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Richard C. Keziah December 27, 2001
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Richard C. Keziah
Chairman of the Board
/s/ James A. Barnwell, Jr. December 27, 2001
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James A. Barnwell, Jr.
Director
/s/ Bernie C. Bean December 27, 2001
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Bernie C. Bean
Director
/s/ Ernest A. Koury, Jr. December 27, 2001
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Ernest A. Koury, Jr.
Director
/s/ James G. McClure December 27, 2001
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James G. McClure
Director
/s/ T. Scott Quakenbush December 27, 2001
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T. Scott Quakenbush
Director
/s/ Richard H. Shirley December 27, 2001
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Richard H. Shirley
Director
/s/ Virgil L. Stadler December 27, 2001
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Virgil L. Stadler
Director