Risk Factors Dashboard
Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.
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We assume and manage a certain degree of risk in order to conduct our business. In addition to the risk factors described below, other risks and uncertainties not specifically mentioned, or that are currently known to, or deemed by, management to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our financial position, results of operation and/or cash flows. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described below together with all of the other information included in this Form 10-K. If any of the circumstances described in the following risk factors actually occur, the value of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Macroeconomic Conditions
Our business may be adversely affected by downturns in the national economy and the regional economies on which we depend.
As of June 30, 2025, approximately 64% of our real estate loans were secured by collateral and made to borrowers located in Southern California, with the balance located predominantly throughout the rest of California. Accordingly, our financial performance is closely tied to economic conditions in these areas. A downturn in local or regional economic conditions, as a result of inflation, rising interest rates, unemployment, recessions, natural disasters, or other adverse events, could materially affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Changes in U.S. immigration policies, particularly those that could lead to mass deportations, may disrupt key industries in our region such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. These disruptions could exacerbate labor shortages, reduce productivity, and cause financial instability among affected businesses, impairing the repayment abilities of borrowers in these sectors.
Global geopolitical tensions, including international conflicts, sanctions, trade disputes, and tariffs, could further disrupt manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation in our markets, leading to higher costs, reduced investment, supply chain delays, and lower credit demand. Such instability may also increase cybersecurity threats, including those from state-sponsored actors, heightening operational and reputational risk.
A deterioration in economic conditions in our market areas could result in:
● | a decline in the value of collateral for loans may in turn reduce customers' borrowing power, and the value of assets and collateral associated with existing loans; |
Because our loan portfolio is more geographically concentrated than those of larger financial institutions, adverse changes in California’s economy, including those tied to immigration policy shifts, may have a greater impact on our earnings and capital. Any deterioration in real estate markets could significantly affect borrowers’ repayment capabilities and collateral values. Real estate values are influenced by a range of factors, including economic conditions, regulatory changes, natural disasters (such as fires, droughts, earthquakes, and flooding), and trade-related issues affecting construction costs and
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material availability. If we must liquidate a significant amount of collateral during a period of reduced real estate values, our financial condition and profitability could be adversely affected. If we are required to liquidate a significant amount of collateral during a period of reduced real estate values, our financial condition and profitability could be adversely affected.
Monetary policy, inflation, deflation, and other external economic factors could adversely impact our financial performance and operations.
Our financial condition and results of operations are affected by credit policies of monetary authorities, particularly the FRB. Actions by monetary and fiscal authorities, including the FRB, could lead to inflation, deflation, or other economic phenomena that could adversely affect our financial performance. Higher U.S. tariffs on imported goods could exacerbate inflationary pressures by increasing the cost of goods and materials for businesses and consumers. This may particularly affect small to medium-sized businesses, as they are less able to leverage economies of scale to mitigate cost pressures compared to larger businesses. Consequently, our business customers may experience increased financial strain, reducing their ability to repay loans and adversely impacting our results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, a prolonged period of inflation could cause wages and other costs to us to increase, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, a prolonged period of inflation could cause wages and other costs to the Corporation to increase, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Virtually all of our assets and liabilities are monetary in nature, and as a result, interest rates tend to have a more significant impact on our performance than general levels of inflation or deflation. Any claims asserted against us in the future by one of our loan purchasers may result in liabilities or legal expenses that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. However, interest rates do not necessarily move in the same direction or magnitude as the prices of goods and services, creating additional uncertainty in the economic environment.
Risks Related to our Lending Activities
Our business may be adversely affected by credit risk associated with residential property.
At June 30, 2025, $544.4 million, or 52% of our loans held for investment, were secured by single-family residential real property. This type of lending is generally sensitive to regional and local economic conditions that may significantly impact the ability of borrowers to meet their loan payment obligations, making loss levels difficult to predict. Jumbo single-family loans which do not conform to secondary market mortgage requirements for our market areas are not immediately saleable in the secondary market and may expose us to increased risk because of their larger balances. Higher market interest rates, recessionary conditions or declines in the volume of single-family real estate sales and/or the sales prices as well as elevated unemployment rates, may result in higher than expected loan delinquencies or problem assets, and a decline in demand for our products and services. These potential negative events may cause us to incur losses, adversely affect our capital and liquidity and damage our financial condition and business operations.
A few of our legacy residential mortgage loans are secured by properties in which the borrowers have little or no equity because either we originated a first mortgage with an 80% loan-to-value ratio and a concurrent second mortgage for a combined loan-to-value ratio of up to 100% or because of a decline in home values in our market areas. Residential loans with high loan-to-value ratios will be more sensitive to declining property values than those with lower combined loan-to-value ratios and therefore may experience a higher incidence of default and severity of losses.
Our multi-family and commercial real estate loans involve higher principal amounts than other loans and repayment of these loans may be dependent on factors outside our control or the control of our borrowers.
We originate multi-family and commercial real estate loans for individuals and businesses for various purposes, which are secured by residential and non-residential properties. At June 30, 2025, we had $496.2 million or 48% of total loans held for investment in multi-family and commercial real estate loans. These loans typically involve higher principal amounts than other types of loans and some of our commercial borrowers have more than one loan outstanding with us. Consequently, an adverse development with respect to one loan or one credit relationship can expose us to a significantly greater risk of loss compared to an adverse development with respect to a single-family residential loan. Repayment on these loans typically is dependent upon income generated, or expected to be generated, by the property securing the loan in amounts sufficient to cover operating expenses and debt service, which may be adversely affected by changes in the economy or local market conditions. Repayment on these loans typically is dependent upon income generated, or expected to be generated, by the property securing the loan 38 Table of Contentsin amounts sufficient to cover operating expenses and debt service, which may be adversely affected by changes in the economy or local market conditions. For example, if the cash flow from the borrower's project is reduced as a result of leases not being obtained or renewed, the borrower's ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Multi-family and commercial real estate loans also expose a lender to greater credit risk than loans secured by single-family residential real estate because the collateral securing these loans typically cannot be sold as easily as single-family residential real estate. In addition, many of our multi-family and commercial real estate loans are not fully amortizing and contain large balloon
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payments upon maturity, which would require the borrower to either sell or refinance the underlying property to make the balloon payment at maturity, thus increasing the risk of default or non-payment.
A secondary market for many types of multi-family and commercial real estate loans is not readily liquid, so we have less opportunity to mitigate credit risk by selling part or all of our interest in these loans. As a result of these characteristics, if we foreclose on a multi-family or commercial real estate loan, our holding period for the collateral typically is longer than for a single-family residential mortgage loan because there are fewer potential purchasers of the collateral. Accordingly, charge-offs on multi-family and commercial real estate loans may be larger on a per loan basis than those incurred within the single-family residential loan portfolio.
We occasionally purchase loans in bulk or “pools.” We may experience lower yields or losses on loan “pools” because the assumptions we use when purchasing loans in bulk may not prove correct.
In order to achieve our loan growth objectives and/or improve earnings, we may purchase loans, either individually, through participations, or in bulk. We did not purchase any loans in fiscal 2025 and 2024. When we determine the purchase price we are willing to pay to purchase loans in bulk, management makes certain assumptions about, among other things, how fast borrowers will prepay their loans, the real estate market, our ability to collect on loans successfully and, if necessary, our ability to dispose of any real estate that may be acquired through foreclosure. In addition, when we purchase loans, we perform certain due diligence procedures and typically require customary limited indemnities. To the extent that our underlying assumptions prove to be inaccurate or the basis for those assumptions change, the purchase price paid for “pools” of loans may prove to have been excessive, resulting in a lower yield or a loss of some or all of the loan principal. For example, if we purchase pools of loans at a premium and some of the loans are prepaid before we modeled, we will earn less interest income on the purchase than expected. Our success in growing our loan portfolio through purchases of loan “pools” depends on our ability to price loan “pools” properly and on the general economic conditions within the geographic areas where the underlying properties of the purchased loans are located.
Acquiring loans through bulk purchases may involve acquiring loans of a type or in geographic areas where management may not have substantial prior experience. We may be exposed to a greater risk of loss to the extent that bulk purchases contain such loans.
Our allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to absorb losses in our loan portfolio.
Our business relies significantly on the creditworthiness of our customers. To account for potential defaults and nonperformance in our loan portfolio, we maintain an ACL on loans using the CECL methodology. This allowance represents management's best estimate of the lifetime expected credit losses in our loan portfolio. The amount of this allowance is determined by management through periodic reviews and consideration of several factors, including, but not limited to:
● | our collective allowance, for loans evaluated on a pool basis with similar risk characteristics based on our and peer life of loan historical loss experience, certain qualitative factors consisting of macroeconomic conditions and external factors as regulatory requirements, and reasonable and supportable forecasts relating to management’s expectations of future events; and |
● | our individual allowance, for evaluation of individual loans that do not share similar risk characteristics based on the present value of the expected future cash flows or the fair value of the underlying collateral, less selling costs. |
The determination of the appropriate ACL involves a significant degree of subjectivity, relying on substantial estimates of both current credit risks and future trends, all of which are subject to potential material changes. Inaccuracies in our estimations could lead to an insufficient ACL, necessitating increases through provisions for credit losses, adversely impacting our recorded net income.
Included in our single-family residential loan portfolio, which comprised 52% of our total loan portfolio at June 30, 2025, were $16.9 million or 2% of total loans held for investment that were non-traditional single-family loans, which include negative amortization and more than 30-year amortization loans, stated income loans and low FICO score loans, all of which have a higher risk of default and loss than conforming residential mortgage loans. Additionally, as we acknowledge the potential impact of significant portfolio growth, new loan products, and refinancing activities, these actions may result in portfolios consisting of unseasoned loans that may not perform as anticipated, elevating the risk of an inadequate
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allowance to absorb losses without additional provisions. A material decrease in the credit quality of our loan portfolio, significant changes in the risk profile of markets, industries, or customer groups, or inadequacy in the ACL could have a materially adverse impact on our business, financial condition, liquidity, capital, and results of operations.
Wildfires in California, including those that began in January 2025 and more recent events in other regions of the state, present ongoing risks to our loan portfolio. Borrowers in affected areas may experience financial hardship, which could increase loan defaults, reduce repayment capacity, and impair collateral values. Inadequate insurance coverage or denied claims may further limit recovery efforts. In addition, local economic disruptions, such as business closures and job losses, may adversely affect borrowers’ ability to meet financial obligations. Given the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires associated with climate change, we may be required to increase our allowance for loan losses. While we regularly evaluate the adequacy of our allowance, there can be no assurance that it will be sufficient to cover actual losses resulting from wildfire-related events.
Bank regulatory agencies also periodically review our ACL and may require an increase in the provision for credit losses or the recognition of further loan charge-offs, based on their judgment about information available to them at the time of their examination.
If charge-offs in future periods exceed the ACL, we may need additional provisions to increase the ACL. Any increases in the ACL will result in a decrease in net income and, most likely, capital, and may have a material negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital.
Non-performing assets take significant time to resolve and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition and could result in further losses in the future.
Non-performing assets, consisting of non-performing loans and real estate acquired through foreclosure, adversely affect our earnings in various ways. We reverse accrued interest on non-performing loans and do not record interest income on foreclosed assets. Additionally, non-performing loans increase our loan administration costs, including increased costs related to the improvement, maintenance and repairs of the foreclosed assets. Additionally, non-performing loans increase our loan administration costs and costs also increase due to the improvement, maintenance and repairs of the foreclosed assets. Upon foreclosure or similar proceedings, we record the repossessed asset at the estimated fair value, less costs to sell, which may result in a write-down or loss. A significant increase in the level of non-performing assets from current levels would also increase our risk profile and may impact the capital levels our regulators believe are appropriate in light of the increased risk profile. While we attempt to reduce problem assets through various means such as collection efforts, asset sales, workouts and modifications, a decline in the value of the underlying collateral or in the borrower’s performance or financial condition could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the resolution of non-performing assets often requires a significant time commitment from management, diverting their attention from other aspects of our operations.
Risks Related to Market and Interest Rate Changes
Fluctuating interest rates can adversely affect our profitability.
Our earnings and cash flows are largely dependent upon our net interest income, which is significantly affected by interest rates. Interest rates are highly sensitive to factors beyond our control, such as general economic conditions and policies set by governmental and regulatory bodies, particularly the FRB. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the FRB. Increases in interest rates could reduce our net interest income, weaken the housing market by reducing refinancing activity and home purchases, and negatively affect the broader U.S. economy, potentially leading to slower economic growth or recessionary conditions.
We principally manage interest rate risk by managing our volume and mix of our earning assets and funding liabilities. If we are unable to manage interest rate risk effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially affected.
A sustained increase in market interest rates could adversely affect our earnings. As is the case with many financial institutions, we attempt to increase our proportion of deposits comprising either no or relatively low interest-bearing accounts, which has been challenging over the last couple of years. At June 30, 2025, we had $278.3 million in time deposits that mature within one year, $83.6 million in noninterest-bearing checking accounts and $492.9 million in interest-bearing checking, savings and money market accounts. At June 30, 2024, we had $245.7 million in time 40 Table of Contentsdeposits that mature within one year, $95.6 million in noninterest-bearing checking accounts and $518.8 million in interest-bearing checking, savings and money market accounts. We would incur a higher cost of funds to retain these deposits in a
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rising interest rate environment. Earnings could also be adversely affected if the interest rates received on loans and other investments fall more quickly than the interest rates paid on deposits and borrowings.
In addition, most of our mortgage loans have adjustable interest rates. As a result, these loans may experience a higher rate of default in a rising interest rate environment.
Changes in interest rates also affect the value of our securities portfolio available for sale. Generally, the fair value of fixed-rate securities fluctuates inversely with changes in interest rates. Unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity, net of tax. Decreases in the fair value of securities available for sale resulting from increases in interest rates could have an adverse effect on stockholders’ equity.
While we employ asset and liability management strategies to mitigate interest rate risk, unexpected, substantial, or prolonged rate changes could materially affect our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, our interest rate risk models and assumptions may not fully capture the impact of actual rate changes on our balance sheet or projected operating results. For additional information concerning the effect of interest rates on our loan portfolio, see Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” of this Form 10-K.
Certain hedging strategies that we may use to manage investment in mortgage servicing assets, mortgage loans held for sale and interest rate lock commitments may be ineffective to offset any adverse changes in the fair value of these assets due to changes in interest rates and market liquidity.
We may use derivative instruments to economically hedge mortgage servicing assets, mortgage loans held for sale and interest rate lock commitments to offset changes in fair value resulting from changing interest rate environments. Our hedging strategies are susceptible to prepayment risk, basis risk, market volatility and changes in the shape of the yield curve, among other factors. In addition, hedging strategies rely on assumptions and projections regarding assets and general market factors. If these assumptions and projections prove to be incorrect or our hedging strategies do not adequately mitigate the impact of changes in interest rates, we may incur losses that would adversely impact earnings.
We may incur losses on our securities portfolio as a result of changes in interest rates.
Factors beyond our control can significantly impact the fair value of securities within our portfolio, potentially leading to adverse changes in their value. These factors include, but are not limited to, actions taken by rating agencies regarding the securities, defaults by the issuer, adverse events affecting either the issuer or the underlying securities, and shifts in market interest rates along with continued instability in the capital markets. These influences could result in impairments that are not just temporary, leading to realized and/or unrealized losses in future periods. Such developments could also lead to declines in other comprehensive income, thereby potentially affecting our business, financial condition, and results of operations in a significant manner. We evaluate individual investment securities quarterly for expected credit losses based on ASC 326, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses,” since the adoption on July 1, 2023. The process usually requires complex, subjective judgments about the future financial performance and liquidity of the issuer and any collateral underlying the security to assess the probability of receiving all contractual principal and interest payments on the security. We evaluate individual investment securities quarterly for expected credit losses based on Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 326, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses,” since the adoption on July 1, 2023. The process usually requires complex, subjective judgments about the future financial performance and liquidity of the issuer and any collateral underlying the security to assess the probability of receiving all contractual principal and interest payments on the security. Despite our efforts to evaluate these factors, there can be no assurance that the declines in market value will not result in credit losses on these assets. Such credit losses could lead to accounting charges that might materially impact our net income and capital levels.
Risks Related to Regulatory, Legal and Compliance Matters
We are subject to an extensive body of accounting rules and best practices. Periodic changes to such rules may change the treatment and recognition of critical financial line items and affect our profitability.
Our business operations are significantly influenced by the extensive body of accounting regulations in the United States, which are subject to periodic updates and changes. Regulatory bodies, including the FASB and the SEC, periodically issue new guidance or alter existing accounting rules and reporting requirements, which can substantially impact the preparation and reporting of our financial statements. These changes may require us to adopt new accounting standards, leading to potential adjustments in how we report our financial position, performance, and risk exposures. Additionally, such
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regulatory changes could necessitate retrospective application, which might result in the restatement of prior period financial statements.
One such significant change in fiscal 2024 was the implementation of the CECL model, which we adopted on July 1, 2023. Under the CECL model, financial assets carried at amortized cost, such as loans held for investment and held-to-maturity debt securities, are presented at the net amount expected to be collected. This forward-looking approach in estimating expected credit losses contrasts starkly with the prior, "incurred loss" model, which delays recognition until a loss is probable. CECL mandates considering historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable forecasts affecting collectability, leading to periodic adjustments of financial asset values. However, this forward-looking methodology, reliant on macroeconomic variables, introduces the potential for increased earnings volatility due to unexpected changes in these indicators between periods. An additional consequence of CECL is an accounting asymmetry between loan-related income, recognized periodically based on the effective interest method, and credit losses, recognized upfront at origination. This asymmetry might create the perception of reduced profitability during loan expansion periods due to the immediate recognition of expected credit losses. Conversely, periods with stable or declining loan levels might seem relatively more profitable as income accrues gradually for loans where losses had been previously recognized.
Non-compliance with the USA Patriot Act, Bank Secrecy Act, or other laws and regulations could result in fines or sanctions and limit our ability to get regulatory approval of acquisitions.
The USA Patriot and Bank Secrecy Acts require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money laundering and terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These rules require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers seeking to open new financial accounts. Additionally, any perceived or actual failure to prevent money laundering or terrorist financing activities could significantly damage our reputation. These outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.
If our enterprise risk management framework is not effective at mitigating risk and loss, we could suffer unexpected losses and our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Our enterprise risk management framework seeks to achieve an appropriate balance between risk and return, which is critical to optimizing stockholder value. We have established processes and procedures intended to identify, measure, monitor, report, analyze, and control the types of risk to which we are subject to. These risks include, among others, liquidity, credit, market, interest rate, operational, legal and compliance, and reputational risk. Our framework also includes financial or other modeling methodologies that involve management assumptions and judgment. We also maintain a compliance program to identify, measure, assess, and report on our adherence to applicable laws, policies, and procedures. While we assess and improve these programs on an ongoing basis, there can be no assurance that our risk management or compliance programs, along with other related controls, will effectively mitigate risk under all circumstances, or that it will adequately mitigate any risk or loss to us. However, as with any risk management framework, there are inherent limitations to our risk management strategies as they may exist, or develop in the future, including risks that we have not appropriately anticipated or identified. If our risk management framework proves ineffective, we could suffer unexpected losses and our business, financial condition, results of operations or growth prospects could be materially adversely affected. We may also be subject to potentially adverse regulatory consequences.
Climate change and related legislative and regulatory initiatives may materially affect our business and results of operations.
The effects of climate change continue to raise significant concerns about the state of the environment. However, under the current administration, federal policy has shifted to reduce emphasis on climate change initiatives and environmental regulations. This includes scaling back federal involvement in international agreements like the Paris Agreement and easing regulatory pressures on businesses, including banks, to address climate-related risks. Legislative and regulatory proposals aimed at combating climate change may face increased scrutiny or reduced priority under this administration.
The lack of empirical data regarding the financial and credit risks posed by climate change still makes it difficult to predict its specific impact on our financial condition and results of operations. However, the physical effects of climate change,
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such as more frequent and severe weather disasters, could directly affect us. For instance, such events may damage real property securing loans in our portfolios or reduce the value of that collateral. If our borrowers' insurance is insufficient to cover these losses or if insurance becomes unavailable, the value of the collateral securing our loans could be negatively affected, potentially impacting our financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, climate change may adversely affect regional and local economic activity, harming our customers and the communities in which we operate. Regardless of changes in federal policy, the effects of climate change and their unknown long-term impacts could still have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our litigation related costs may increase.
We are subject to a variety of legal proceedings that have arisen in the ordinary course of the Bank's business. Our involvement in litigation may increase significantly. The expenses of some legal proceedings will adversely affect our results of operations until they are resolved. Further, there can be no assurance that loan workouts and other activities will not expose us to additional legal actions, including lender liability or environmental claims.
Risks Related to Cybersecurity, Data and Fraud
We are subject to certain risks in connection with our use of technology.
Our security measures may not be sufficient to mitigate the risk of a cyber attack. Communications and information systems are essential to the conduct of our business, as we use such systems to manage our customer relationships, our general ledger and virtually all other aspects of our business. Our operations rely on the secure processing, storage, and transmission of confidential and other information in our computer systems and networks. Although we take protective measures and endeavor to modify them as circumstances warrant, the security of our computer systems, software, and networks may be vulnerable to breaches, fraudulent or unauthorized access, denial or degradation of service attacks, misuse, computer viruses, malware or other malicious code and cyber-attacks that could have a security impact. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to litigation and financial losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through any insurance maintained by us. We could also suffer significant reputational damage.
Further, our cardholders use their debit and credit cards to make purchases from third parties or through third party processing services. As such, we are subject to risk from data breaches of such third party’s information systems or their payment processors. Such a data security breach could compromise our customer’s account information. The payment methods that we offer also subject us to potential fraud and theft by criminals, who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, seeking to obtain unauthorized access to or exploit weaknesses that may exist in the payment systems. If we fail to comply with applicable rules or requirements for the payment methods we accept, or if payment-related data is compromised due to a breach or misuse of data, we may be liable for losses associated with reimbursing our customers for such fraudulent transactions on customers’ card accounts, as well as costs incurred by payment card issuing banks and other third parties or may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees, or our ability to accept or facilitate certain types of payments may be impaired. We may also incur other costs related to data security breaches, such as replacing cards associated with compromised card accounts or credit monitoring services. We may also incur other costs related to data security breaches, such as replacing cards 43 Table of Contentsassociated with compromised card accounts or credit monitoring services. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in certain payment types, which may result in a shift to other payment types or potential changes to our payment systems that may result in higher costs.
Breaches of information security may also occur through intentional or unintentional acts by those having access to our systems, our customers’ or counterparties’ confidential information, including employees. We are continuously working to install new, and upgrade our existing, information technology systems and provide employee awareness training around ransomware, phishing, malware, and other cyber risks to further protect the Corporation against cyber risks and security breaches.
There continues to be a rise in electronic fraudulent activity, security breaches and cyber-attacks within the financial services industry, especially in the commercial banking sector due to cyber criminals targeting commercial bank accounts. We are regularly the target of attempted cyber and other security threats and must continuously monitor and develop our information technology networks and infrastructure to prevent, detect, address and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses and other events that could have a security impact. Insider or employee cyber and security threats
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are increasingly a concern for companies, including ours. We are not aware that we have experienced any material misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential or personally identifiable information as a result of a cyber-security breach or other act, however, some of our customers may have been affected by these breaches, which could increase their risks of identity theft, debit and card fraud and other fraudulent activity that could involve their accounts with us.
Security breaches in our internet banking activities could further expose us to possible liability and damage our reputation. Increases in criminal activity levels and sophistication, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries, vulnerabilities in third party technologies (including browsers and operating systems) or other developments could result in a compromise or breach of the technology, processes and controls that we use to prevent fraudulent transactions and to protect data about us, our customers and underlying transactions. Any compromise of our security could deter customers from using our internet banking services that involve the transmission of confidential information. We rely on internet security systems to provide the security and authentication necessary to effect secure transmission of data. Although we have developed and continue to invest in systems and processes that are designed to detect and prevent security breaches and cyber-attacks and periodically test our security, these precautions may not protect our systems from compromises or breaches of our security measures, and could result in losses to us or our customers, our loss of business and/or customers, damage to our reputation, the incurrence of additional expenses, disruption to our business, our inability to grow our online services or other businesses, additional regulatory scrutiny or penalties, or our exposure to civil litigation and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our security measures may not protect us from system failures or interruptions. While we have established policies and procedures to prevent or limit the impact of systems failures and interruptions, there can be no assurance that such events will not occur or that they will be adequately addressed if they do. In addition, we outsource certain aspects of our data processing and other operational functions to certain third-party providers. While we select our third-party vendors carefully, we do not control their actions. If our third-party providers encounter difficulties including those resulting from breakdowns or other disruptions in communication services provided by a vendor, failure of a vendor to handle current or higher transaction volumes, cyber-attacks and security breaches or if we otherwise have difficulty in communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for transactions could be affected, and our ability to deliver products and services to our customers and otherwise conduct business operations could be adversely impacted. Replacing these third-party vendors could also entail significant delays and expense. Threats to information security also exist in the processing of customer information through various other vendors and their personnel. We cannot ensure that such breaches, failures or interruptions will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed by us or the third parties on which we rely. We may not be insured against all types of losses as a result of third party failures and insurance coverage may be inadequate to cover all losses resulting from breaches, system failures or other disruptions. If any of our third-party service providers experience financial, operational or technological difficulties, or if there is any other disruption in our relationships with them, we may be required to identify alternative sources of such services, and we cannot assure that we could negotiate terms that are as favorable to us, or could obtain services with similar functionality as found in our existing systems without the need to expend substantial resources, if at all. Further, the occurrence of any systems failure or interruption could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and business, could subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or could expose us to legal liability. Further, the occurrence of any systems failure or interruption could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and 44 Table of Contentsbusiness, could subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or could expose us to legal liability. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our business may be adversely affected by an increasing prevalence of fraud and other financial crimes.
We are susceptible to fraudulent activity that may be committed against us or our customers, which may result in financial losses or increased costs to us or our customers, disclosure or misuse of our information or our customer’s information, misappropriation of assets, privacy breaches against our customers, litigation or damage to our reputation. Such fraudulent activity may take many forms, including check fraud, electronic fraud, wire fraud, phishing, social engineering and other dishonest acts. Nationally, reported incidents of fraud and other financial crimes have increased. We have also experienced losses due to apparent fraud and other financial crimes. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent such losses, there can be no assurance that such losses will not occur.
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Risks Related to Our Business and Industry Generally
Ineffective liquidity management could adversely affect our financial results and condition.
Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on a number of different sources in order to meet our potential liquidity demands. Our primary sources of liquidity are increases in deposit accounts, cash flows from loan payments and our securities portfolio. Borrowings also provide us with a source of funds to meet liquidity demands. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings or other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities on terms acceptable to us could be impaired by factors that affect us specifically, or the financial services industry or economy in general. Factors that could detrimentally impact our access to liquidity sources include a decrease in the level of our business activity as a result of a downturn in the California markets in which our loans are concentrated, negative operating results, or adverse regulatory action against us. Our ability to borrow could also be impaired by factors that are not specific to us, such as a disruption in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry or deterioration in credit markets. Any decline in available funding in amounts adequate to finance our activities on acceptable terms could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses, or fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources” of this Form 10-K.
We rely on other companies to provide key components of our business infrastructure.
We rely on numerous external vendors to provide products and services necessary for our day-to-day operations. Accordingly, our operations are exposed to risk that these vendors will not perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements. Accordingly, our operations are exposed to the risk that these vendors will not perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements. If a vendor fails to meet its contractual obligations due to changes in its organizational structure, financial condition, support for existing products and services, strategic focus, or any other reason, our operations could be disrupted, potentially causing a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, as we acknowledge the potential impact of significant portfolio growth, new loan products, and refinancing activities, these actions may result in portfolios consisting of unseasoned loans that may not perform as anticipated, elevating the risk of an inadequate allowance to absorb losses without additional provisions. Furthermore, we could be adversely affected if a vendor agreement is not renewed or is renewed on terms less favorable to us. Regulatory agencies also require financial institutions to remain accountable for all aspects of vendor performance, including activities delegated to third parties. Additionally, disruptions or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems supporting our business and customers, or cyber-attacks or security breaches involving networks, systems, or devices used by our customers to access our products and services, could result in customer attrition, regulatory fines or penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or compensation costs, and increased compliance expenses. Any of these outcomes could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Managing reputational risk is important to attracting and maintaining customers, investors and employees.
Threats to our reputation can come from many sources, including adverse sentiment about financial institutions generally, unethical practices, employee misconduct, failure to deliver minimum standards of service or quality, compliance deficiencies, and questionable or fraudulent activities of our customers. We have policies and procedures in place to protect our reputation and promote ethical conduct, but these policies and procedures may not be fully effective. We have policies and procedures in place to protect 45 Table of Contentsour reputation and promote ethical conduct, but these policies and procedures may not be fully effective. Negative publicity regarding our business, employees, or customers, with or without merit, may result in the loss of customers, investors and employees, costly litigation, a decline in revenues and increased governmental regulation.
Our growth or future losses may require us to raise additional capital in the future, but that capital may not be available when it is needed or the cost of that capital may be exceedingly high.
We are required by federal regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and on our financial condition and performance. Accordingly, we cannot make assurances that we will be able to raise additional capital if needed on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations could be materially impaired and our financial condition and liquidity could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any additional capital we obtain may dilute the interests of existing holders of our common stock. Further, if we are unable to raise additional capital when required by our bank regulators, we may be subject to adverse regulatory action.
43
The financial services market is undergoing rapid technological changes, and if we are unable to stay current with those changes, we will not be able to effectively compete.
The financial services market is undergoing rapid changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to keep pace with the technological changes and to use technology to satisfy and grow customer demand for our products and services and to create additional efficiencies in our operations. We expect that we will need to make substantial investments in our technology and information systems to compete effectively and to stay current with technological changes. Some of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements and will be able to invest more heavily in developing and adopting new technologies, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. As a result, our ability to effectively compete to retain or acquire new business may be impaired, and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.
Earthquakes, fires, mudslides and other natural disasters in our primary market area may result in material losses because of damage to collateral properties and borrowers' inability to repay loans.
Since our geographic concentration is in California, we are subject to earthquakes, fires, mudslides, droughts and other natural disasters. A major earthquake or other natural disaster may disrupt our business operations for an indefinite period of time and could result in material losses, although we have not experienced any losses in many years as a result of earthquake damage or other natural disaster. Although we are in an earthquake prone area, we and other lenders in the market area may not require earthquake insurance as a condition of making a loan. In addition to possibly sustaining damage to our own properties, if there is a major earthquake, fire, mudslide, or other natural disaster, we face the risk that many of our borrowers may experience uninsured property losses, or sustained job interruption and/or loss which may materially impair their ability to meet the terms of their loan obligations.
Any breach of representations and warranties made by us to our loan purchasers or credit default on our loan sales may require us to repurchase or substitute such loans we have sold.
We have previously engaged in bulk loan sales pursuant to agreements that generally require us to repurchase or substitute loans in the event of a breach of a representation or warranty made by us to the loan purchaser. Any misrepresentation during the mortgage loan origination process or, in some cases, upon any fraud or early payment default on such mortgage loans, may require us to repurchase or substitute loans. Any claims asserted against us in the future by one of our loan purchasers may result in liabilities or legal expenses that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. During fiscal 2025 and 2024, the Bank did not repurchase any loans. Additionally, the Bank did not have any claims or settlements for previously sold loans during fiscal 2025 and 2024.
Having net deferred tax asset or liability, the full value of which we may not be able to realize.
We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. At June 30, 2025, the net deferred tax liability was approximately $832,000, as opposed to the net deferred tax asset of $606,000 at the prior fiscal year end. At June 30, 2024, the net deferred tax asset was approximately $606,000, an increase from $218,000 at the prior fiscal year end. The net deferred tax asset or liability results primarily from (1) deferred loan costs, (2) provision for credit losses recorded for financial reporting purposes, which were in the past significantly larger than net loan charge-offs deducted for tax reporting purposes and (3) deferred compensation, among others. The net deferred tax asset results primarily from (1) deferred loan costs, (2) provisions for credit losses recorded for financial reporting purposes, which were in the past significantly larger than net loan charge-offs deducted for tax reporting proposes and (3) deferred compensation, among others.
We regularly review our deferred tax assets for recoverability based on our history of earnings, expectations for future earnings and expected timing of reversals of temporary differences. Realization of deferred tax assets ultimately depends on the existence of sufficient taxable income, including taxable income in prior carryback years, as well as future taxable income. We believe the recorded net deferred tax liability at June 30, 2025 is fully realizable based on our expected future earnings; however, expected future earnings may not be realized, which could impact the deductibility of our deferred tax assets. We believe the recorded net deferred tax asset at June 30, 2024 is fully realizable based on our expected future earnings; however, expected future earnings may not be realized, which could impact our deferred tax assets.
44
Regulatory changes to diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) and environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices could impact our reputation, compliance costs, and operations.
In March 2025, the federal government issued an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” rescinding prior directives that promoted DEI initiatives, including Executive Order 11246 applicable to federal contractors. This order signals a shift in regulatory priorities, directing agencies to scrutinize DEI practices for consistency with federal nondiscrimination laws. The evolving regulatory environment may materially affect financial institutions, though the scope and enforcement approach remain uncertain.
As a financial services provider, we face ongoing scrutiny from regulators, investors, and the public regarding ESG and DEI commitments. Changes in federal policy may prompt reassessment of our employment practices, vendor policies, training programs, and disclosures. Institutions engaged in government contracting or federal programs could face increased compliance risks. Any required changes to our DEI or ESG strategies, could increase operational complexity and legal exposure. Moreover, some states continue to enforce affirmative action or diversity reporting requirements, adding compliance challenges.
Failure to adapt effectively to these shifting requirements could lead to reputational harm, regulatory investigations, litigation, or limitations on federal program participation. Conversely, reducing DEI commitments could negatively affect our reputation with investors, ratings agencies, employees, and communities. ESG ratings downgrades may also impact our cost of capital and access to funding. Given the unsettled regulatory landscape, we continuously monitor developments and strive to align our practices with legal obligations and stakeholder expectations. However, uncertainty remains, and misalignment could adversely affect our brand, employee morale, client relationships, and financial results.
We rely on dividends from the Bank for substantially all of our revenue at the holding company level.
We are an entity separate and distinct from our principal subsidiary, the Bank, and derive substantially all of our revenue at the holding company level in the form of dividends from that subsidiary. Accordingly, we are, and will continue to be, dependent upon dividends from the Bank to pay the principal of and interest on our indebtedness, to satisfy our other cash needs, to pay for share buybacks and to pay dividends on our common stock. The Bank's ability to pay dividends is subject to its ability to earn net income and to meet certain regulatory requirements. In the event the Bank is unable to pay dividends to us, we may not be able to pay dividends on our common stock or conduct share buybacks. Also, our right to participate in a distribution of assets upon a subsidiary's liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of the subsidiary's creditors. In fiscal 2025 and 2024, the Bank paid cash dividends to its holding company totaling $9.0 million and $7.0 million, respectively.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Managing technology risks, including cybersecurity risks, is a fundamental part of the Corporation’s risk management framework and processes.
45
The Corporation’s Board of Directors, including the
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