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indb-20241231

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number: 1-9047

Independent Bank Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Office Address: 2036 Washington Street, Hanover, MA 02339

Mailing Address: 288 Union Street, Rockland, MA 02370

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(781)878-6100

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each Class Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share INDB NASDAQ

Global Select Market

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yesx No o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes oNox

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for 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. Yesx No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yesx No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. o

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No x

As of June 30, 2024, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing price of such stock on June 30, 2024 was approximately $2,136,728,988.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. February 24, 2025 - 42,605,296

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated into Part III, Items 10-14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The definitive proxy statement relating to the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be filed within 120 days of December 31, 2024.

INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.

2024 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page #

Part I

Item 1. Business 5

General 5

Market Area and Competition 5

Lending Activities 6

Sources of Funds 9

Regulation 10

Human Capital 14

Available Information 16

Item 1A. Risk Factors 17

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 28

Item 1C. Cybersecurity 28

Item 2. Properties 29

Item 3. Legal Proceedings 29

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 29

Part II

Item 6. [RESERVED] 31

Table 1 - Selected Financial Data 41

Table 2 - Securities Portfolio Composition 42

Table 3 - Securities Portfolio, Weighted Average Yields 43

Table 4 - Aggregate Book Value and Market Value of Select Securities 43

Table 5 - Closed Residential Real Estate Loans 44

Table 6 - Residential Mortgage Loan Sales 44

Table 7 - Mortgage Servicing Asset 45

Table 8 - Loan Portfolio Composition 45

Table 9 - Scheduled Contractual Loan Amortization 46

Table 10 - Nonperforming Assets 48

Table 11 - Activity in Nonperforming Assets 48

Table 12 - Summary Net Charge-Offs to Average Loans Outstanding 50

Table 13 - Summary of Allocation of Allowance for Credit Losses 51

Table 14 - Maturities of Uninsured Time Deposits 53

Table 15 - Assets Under Administration 53

Table 16 - Summary of Results of Operations 54

Table 17 - Average Balance, Interest Earned/Paid & Average Yields 55

Table 18 - Volume Rate Analysis 57

Table 19 - Noninterest Income 58

Table 20 - Noninterest Expense 59

Table 21 - Tax Provision and Applicable Tax Rates 60

Table 22 - Sources of Liquidity 62

Table 23 - Interest Rate Sensitivity 63

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 67

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 68

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 68

INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.

Consolidated Balance Sheets 70

Consolidated Statements of Income 71

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 72

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 73

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 74

Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 76

Note 2 - Securities 86

Note 3 - Loans, Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality 91

Note 4 - Bank Premises and Equipment 102

Note 5 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets 102

Note 6 - Deposits 104

Note 7 - Borrowings 104

Note 8 - Stock Based Compensation 106

Note 9 - Derivatives and Hedging Activities 109

Note 10 - Income Taxes 116

Note 11 - Low Income Housing Project Investments 119

Note 12 - Employee Benefit Plans 119

Note 13 - Fair Value Measurements 124

Note 14 - Revenue Recognition 131

Note 15 - Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) 134

Note 17 - Commitments and Contingencies 137

Note 18 - Regulatory Matters 137

Note 19 - Parent Company Financial Statements 139

Note 20 - Transactions with Related Parties 142

Note 21 - Segment Information 142

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 143

Item 9B. Other Information 145

Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 145

Part III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 145

Item 11. Executive Compensation 145

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 146

Part IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 146

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Report”), including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and elsewhere, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about new and existing programs and products, acquisitions, relationships, opportunities, taxation, technology, market conditions and economic expectations. These statements may be identified by forward-looking terminology such as “should,” “could,” “will,” “may,” “expect,” “believe,” “forecast,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and our actual results may differ from such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:

•adverse economic conditions in the regional and local economies within the New England region and the Company’s market area;

•events impacting the financial services industry, including high profile bank failures, and any resulting decreased confidence in banks among depositors, investors, and other counterparties, as well as competition for deposit and significant disruption, volatility and depressed valuations of equity and other securities of banks in the capital markets;

•the effects to the Company of an increasingly competitive labor market, including the possibility that the Company will have to devote significant resources to attract and retain qualified personnel;

•the instability or volatility in financial markets and unfavorable domestic or global general economic, political or business conditions, whether caused by geopolitical concerns, including the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the conflict in Israel and surrounding areas and the possible expansion of such conflicts, political and policy changes or uncertainties associated with the new U.S. presidential administration, changes in U.S. and international trade policies, or other factors, and the potential impact of such factors on the Company and its customers, including the potential for decreases in deposits and loan demand, unanticipated loan delinquencies, loss of collateral and decreased service revenues;

•unanticipated loan delinquencies, loss of collateral, decreased service revenues, and other potential negative effects on the Company’s local economies or the Company's business caused by adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, public health crises or other external events and any actions taken by governmental authorities in response to any such events;

•adverse changes or volatility in the local real estate market;

•changes in interest rates and any resulting impact on interest earning assets and/or interest bearing liabilities, the level of voluntary prepayments on loans and the receipt of payments on mortgage-backed securities, decreased loan demand or increased difficulty in the ability of borrowers to repay variable rate loans;

•failure to consummate or any delay in consummating the acquisition of Enterprise, including as a result of any failure to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals, to obtain Enterprise shareholder approval or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all;

•risks related to the Company’s pending acquisition of Enterprise and acquisitions generally, including disruption to current plans and operations; difficulties in customer and employee retention; fees, expenses and charges related to these transactions being significantly higher than anticipated; unforeseen integration issues or impairment of goodwill and/or other intangibles; and the Company’s inability to achieve expected revenues, cost savings, synergies, and other benefits at levels or within the timeframes originally anticipated;

•the effect of laws, regulations, new requirements or expectations, or additional regulatory oversight in the highly regulated financial services industry, including as a result of intensified regulatory scrutiny in the aftermath of regional bank failures and the resulting need to invest in technology to meet heightened regulatory expectations, increased costs of compliance or required adjustments to strategy;

•changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;

•higher than expected tax expense, including as a result of failure to comply with general tax laws and changes in tax laws;

•increased competition in the Company’s market areas, including competition that could impact deposit gathering, retention of deposits and the cost of deposits, increased competition due to the demand for innovative products and service offerings, and competition from non-depository institutions which may be subject to fewer regulatory constraints and lower cost structures;

•a deterioration in the conditions of the securities markets;

•a deterioration of the credit rating for U.S. long-term sovereign debt or uncertainties surrounding the federal budget;

•inability to adapt to changes in information technology, including changes to industry accepted delivery models driven by a migration to the internet as a means of service delivery, including any inability to effectively implement new technology-driven products, such as artificial intelligence;

•electronic or other fraudulent activity within the financial services industry, especially in the commercial banking sector;

•adverse changes in consumer spending and savings habits;

•the effect of laws and regulations regarding the financial services industry, including the need to invest in technology to meet heightened regulatory expectations or introduction of new requirements or expectations resulting in increased costs of compliance or required adjustments to strategy;

•changes in laws and regulations (including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities and insurance) generally applicable to the Company’s business and the associated costs of such changes;

•the Company’s potential judgments, claims, damages, penalties, fines and reputational damage resulting from pending or future litigation and regulatory and government actions;

•changes in accounting policies, practices and standards, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and other accounting standard setters;

•operational risks related to the Company and its customers’ reliance on information technology; cyber threats, attacks, intrusions, and fraud; and outages or other issues impacting the Company or its third party service providers which could lead to interruptions or disruptions of the Company’s operating systems, including systems that are customer facing, and adversely impact the Company’s business;

•any unexpected material adverse changes in the Company’s operations or earnings; and

•the other risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Part I. Item 1A and elsewhere in this Report.

Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether in response to new information, future events or otherwise. Any public statements or disclosures made by the Company following the date of this Report which modify or impact any of the forward-looking statements contained in this Report will be deemed to modify or supersede such statements in this Report.

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General

Independent Bank Corp. (the “Company”) is a state chartered, federally registered bank holding company headquartered in Rockland, Massachusetts that was incorporated under Massachusetts law in 1985. The Company is the sole stockholder of Rockland Trust Company (“Rockland Trust” or the “Bank”), a Massachusetts trust company chartered in 1907. The Bank provides a wide range of banking, investment and financial services, operating with over 120 retail branches, as well as a network of commercial and residential lending centers, and investment management offices primarily in Eastern Massachusetts, Worcester County, and Rhode Island. Rockland Trust also offers a full suite of mobile, online, and telephone banking services. At December 31, 2024, the Company had total assets of $19.4 billion, total deposits of $15.3 billion, and stockholders’ equity of $3.0 billion.

Subsidiaries

At December 31, 2024, Independent Bank Corp.’s consolidated subsidiaries included the Company’s banking subsidiary, Rockland Trust, which is the Company’s only reportable operating segment. Rockland Trust had the following wholly-owned corporate subsidiaries:

•Six Massachusetts security corporations, namely Rockland Borrowing Collateral Securities Corp., Rockland Deposit Collateral Securities Corp., Taunton Avenue Securities Corp., Goddard Ave Securities Corp., MFLR Securities Corporation, and B.H. Security Corporation;

•RTC LIHTC Investments LLC and Rockland MHEF Fund LLC, established to invest primarily in Massachusetts-based low-income housing tax credit projects;

•Rockland Trust Phoenix LLC, formed for the purpose of holding, maintaining, and disposing of certain foreclosed properties;

•Bright Rock Capital Management LLC, which was established to act as a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940; and

•Compass Exchange Advisors LLC, which was established to provide like-kind exchange services pursuant to section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The like-kind exchange services provided in connection with this entity ceased during 2023.

In addition,the Company is currently the sponsor of Independent Capital Trust V, a Delaware statutory trust; Central Bancorp Capital Trust I, a Delaware statutory trust; and Central Bancorp Statutory Trust II, a Connecticut statutory trust, each of which was formed to issue trust preferred securities. These statutory trusts are not included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Market Area and Competition

The Bank contends with considerable competition both in generating loans and attracting deposits. The Bank’s competition for generating loans is primarily from other commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, mortgage banking companies, finance companies, online lenders or online banks, and other institutional lenders. Competitive factors considered for loan generation include interest rates, terms offered, loan fees charged, loan products offered, services provided, and geographic locations and a simplified application process.

In attracting deposits, the Bank’s primary competitors are savings banks, commercial and co-operative banks, credit unions, internet banks, as well as other nonbank institutions that offer financial alternatives such as brokerage firms and insurance companies. Competitive factors considered in attracting and retaining deposits include deposit and investment products and their respective rates of return, brand awareness, liquidity, and risk, among other factors, such as convenient branch locations and hours of operation, personalized customer service, online and mobile access to accounts and automated teller machines.

The Bank’s market area is attractive and entry into the market area by financial institutions previously not competing there has occurred and may continue to occur, which could impact the Bank’s growth or profitability. The Bank’s primary footprint for branch presence and deposit gathering is generally comprised of Eastern Massachusetts and Worcester County.

Lending Activities

The Bank’s gross loan portfolio (loans before allowance for credit losses) amounted to $14.5 billion on December 31, 2024, or 74.9% of total assets. The Bank’s borrowers primarily consist of small-to-upper middle market sized businesses and consumers. Substantially all of the Bank’s commercial, consumer real estate, and other consumer loan portfolios consist of loans made to residents of and businesses located in the Bank’s market area.Themajority of the real estate loans in the Bank’s loan portfolio are secured by properties located within this market area.

Although the Bank analyzes the creditworthiness of its borrowers, the risk of deterioration in the ability of borrowers to repay their loans in accordance with their existing loan agreements is inherent in any lending function. Loans are approved based upon a hierarchy of authority, predicated upon the size of the loan, quality of collateral and perceived level of risk. Levels within the hierarchy of lending authorities range from individual lenders to the Company’s Loan Approval Committee. In accordance with federal and state banking law, the Bank is permitted, with certain exceptions, to make loans and commitments to any one borrower, including related entities, in the aggregate amount of not more than 20% of the Bank’s stockholders’ equity, or $593.2 million at December 31, 2024, which is the Bank’s legal lending limit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Bank has established a more restrictive limit, which may only be exceeded with the approval of the Board of Directors (the “Board”). There were no borrowers whose total indebtedness in aggregate exceeded the Bank’s self-imposed restrictive limit. The Bank’s largest relationship as of December 31, 2024 consisted of 11 loans with an aggregate exposure of $157.8 million.

Loan Portfolio The following table shows the balance of the gross average loan portfolio by category, the percentage of the gross average loan portfolio, and the percentage of total interest income that the loans generated, by category, for the fiscal years indicated:

(Dollars in thousands)

Commercial Loans Commercial loans consist of commercial real estate loans, commercial construction loans, commercial and industrial loans, and small business loans (which generally consist of loans to businesses with commercial credit needs of less than or equal to $750,000). The Bank offers secured and unsecured commercial loans for business purposes. Commercial loans may be structured as term loans or as revolving/nonrevolving lines of credit, and include overdraft protection and letters of credit. Secured loans may be collateralized by either owner or nonowner-occupied commercial mortgages or other assets.

The Bank’s commercial real estate portfolio, inclusive of commercial construction, is the Bank’s largest loan type concentration. The Bank believes this portfolio is well diversified with loans secured by a variety of property types, such as nonowner-occupied commercial real estate, retail, office, industrial, warehouse, industrial development bonds and other special purpose properties, such as hotels, motels, nursing homes, restaurants, churches, and recreational facilities. The portfolio also includes loans secured by certain residential-related property types including multi-family apartment buildings, residential development tracts and condominiums. Although terms vary, commercial real estate loans typically are underwritten with maturities up to ten years. These loans generally have amortization periods of 20 to 30 years. It is the Bank’s general practice to obtain personal guarantees from the principals of the borrower on commercial real estate loans. Additionally, the Bank typically obtains financial statements from commercial real estate borrowers at least annually or as deemed appropriate based on size and risk associated with the loans. Construction loans within this category present a degree of risk and may be affected by a variety of factors, such as adverse changes in interest rates and the borrower’s ability to control costs and adhere to time schedules. Development of commercial real estate projects also may be subject to numerous land use and environmental issues. The payment experience on nonowner-occupied commercial real estate projects is typically dependent on the successful operation of the real estate project, which can be significantly impacted by supply and demand conditions within the markets

for commercial, retail, office, industrial/warehouse and multi-family tenancy. The current environment has created additional considerations over office exposure as the development of hybrid work environments has reduced and may continue to reduce demand for large office spaces and as a result has reduced and may potentially continue to reduce the valuation of collateral to loans within this property type. The current environment has created additional considerations over office exposure as the development of hybrid work environments has reduced and may continue to reduce demand for large office spaces and as a result has reduced and may potentially continue to reduce the valuation of collateral to loans within this property type. Amongst other actions, management is actively monitoring upcoming maturities within this subset of loans.

The following pie chart shows the diversification of the commercial real estate portfolio as of December 31, 2024:

* Inclusive of commercial construction balances

Select Statistics Regarding the Commercial Real Estate Portfolio

(Dollars in thousands)

Average loan size $ 1,939

Largest individual commercial real estate mortgage outstanding $ 60,609

Commercial real estate nonperforming loans/commercial real estate loans 0.99 %

Commercial and industrial loans consist of both term loans and revolving or non-revolving lines of credit. Term loans generally have a repayment schedule of five years or less and are collateralized by equipment, machinery or other business assets. In addition, the Bank generally obtains personal guarantees from the principal owners of the borrower for its commercial and industrial loans. Lines of credit, including asset-based lines, are typically collateralized by accounts receivable, inventory, or both, as well as other business assets. Commercial lines of credit and asset-based lines generally are reviewed on an annual basis and usually require either a borrowing base formula or reflect varying levels of repayment of principal during the course of a year. Additionally, other commercial term loans are typically secured by machinery and equipment, and/or owner occupied commercial real estate. To limit the risk within this portfolio, the loans are made across a diverse set of industry groups. The following pie chart shows the diversification of the commercial and industrial portfolio as of December 31, 2024:

Select Statistics Regarding the Commercial and Industrial Portfolio

(Dollars in thousands)

Average loan size (excluding floor plan tranches) $ 558

Largest individual commercial and industrial loan outstanding $ 46,614

Consumer Loans The Bank’s consumer portfolio consists of real estate loans comprised of residential mortgages and home equity loans and lines, all secured by one-to-four family residential properties, as well as other consumer loans. Residential mortgages are offered in amounts based on up to 97% of the lesser of the appraised value of the residential property securing the loan or the purchase price, and generally require borrowers to obtain private mortgage insurance when the amount of the loan exceeds 80% of the value of the property.The Bank’s residential real estate loans are generally originated under terms, conditions and documentation which permit sale in the secondary market.In order to protect the properties securing its residential and other real estate loans, the Bank requires title insurance protecting the priority of its mortgage lien, as well as fire, extended casualty, and flood insurance, when necessary.Independent appraisers assess properties securing all of the Bank’s first mortgage real estate loans, as required by regulatory standards.Home equity loans and lines may be secured by a first or second mortgage on the borrower’s residence, second home or residential investment properties. The Bank will typically originate home equity loans and lines in an amount up to 75% of the value, as determined by an appraisal, hybrid valuation method or automated valuation method, reduced for any loans outstanding that are secured by such collateral.Other consumer

loans primarily consistof investment management secured lines of credit, installment loans and overdraft protection lines.The consumer real estate loan portfolio at December 31, 2024 was as follows:

Select Statistics Regarding the Consumer Portfolio

(Dollars in thousands)

Average loan size $ 116

Largest individual consumer loan outstanding $ 5,290

Consumer nonperforming loans/consumer loans 0.35 %

Sources of Funds

The Bank’s primary sources of funds are derived from deposits and to a lesser extent, borrowings as well as the amortization, prepayment, and maturities of loans and securities.

Deposits obtained through the Bank’s branch banking network have traditionally been the principal source of the Bank’s funds for use in lending and for other general business purposes. The Bank has built a stable base of in-market core deposits from consumers, businesses, and municipalities. The Bank offers a range of demand deposits, interest checking, money market accounts, savings accounts, and time certificates of deposit, including free checking accounts with no minimum balance and no monthly fees. Interest rates on deposits are based on factors that include loan demand, deposit maturities, alternative costs of funds, and interest rates offered by competing financial institutions in the Bank’s market area. The Bank believes it has been able to attract and maintain satisfactory levels of deposits based on the level of service it provides to its customers, the convenience of its banking locations, its electronic banking options, and its interest rates, all of which are generally competitive with those of competing financial institutions.

Rockland Trust’s 123 branch locations feature expanded use of video-tellers, and are supplemented by internet and mobile banking services as well as automated teller machine (“ATM”) cards and debit cards which may be used to conduct various banking transactions at ATMs maintained at each of the Bank’s full-service offices and 55 additional remote ATM locations. The ATM cards and debit cards also allow customers access to a variety of national and international ATM networks. The Bank’s mobile banking services give customers the ability to use a variety of mobile devices to check balances, track account activity, pay bills, search transactions, and set up alerts for text or e-mail messages for changes in their account.

Customers can also transfer funds between Rockland Trust accounts, deposit checks into their account, and identify the nearest branch or ATM directly from their mobile device. Rockland Trust also offers person-to-person payment capabilities, allowing for simple and secure funds transfers between most banks and credit unions.

Regulation

The following discussion sets forth certain material elements of the regulatory framework applicable to bank holding companies and their subsidiaries and provides certain specific information relevant to the Company. To the extent that the following information describes statutory and regulatory provisions, it is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutory and regulatory provisions. A change in applicable statutes, regulations or regulatory policy may have a material effect on the Company’s business. The Company expects that the new U.S. presidential administration will seek to implement a regulatory reform agenda that is significantly different than that of the prior administration, impacting the rulemaking, supervision, examination and enforcement priorities of the federal banking agencies, which could, in turn, have a material effect on the Company’s business. The laws and regulations governing the Company and the Bank that are described in the following discussion generally have been promulgated to offer protection to customers, including depositors and borrowers and not for the purpose of protecting shareholders.

General The Company is registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”), and as such is subject to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Rockland Trust is subject to regulation and examination by the Commissioner of Banks of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the “Commissioner”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).

The Bank Holding Company Act The BHCA prohibits the Company from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of 5% or more of any class of voting shares of any bank, or increasing such ownership or control of any bank, without prior approval of the Federal Reserve. The BHCA also prohibits the Company from, with certain exceptions, acquiring 5% or more of any class of voting shares of any company that is not a bank and from engaging in any business other than banking or managing or controlling banks.

Under the BHCA, the Federal Reserve is authorized to approve the ownership by the Company of shares in any company, the activities of which the Federal Reserve has determined to be so closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. The Federal Reserve has, by regulation, determined that some activities are closely related to banking within the meaning of the BHCA. These activities include, but are not limited to, operating a mortgage company, finance company, credit card company, factoring company, trust company or savings association; performing data processing operations; providing some securities brokerage services; acting as an investment or financial adviser; acting as an insurance agent for types of credit-related insurance; engaging in insurance underwriting under limited circumstances; leasing personal property on a full-payout, nonoperating basis; providing tax planning and preparation services; operating a collection agency and a credit bureau; and providing consumer financial counseling and courier services. The Federal Reserve also has determined that other activities, including real estate brokerage and syndication, land development, property management and, except under limited circumstances, underwriting of life insurance not related to credit transactions, are not closely related to banking and are not a proper incident thereto.

Capital Requirements The Federal Reserve has established rules covering a capital framework for U.S. banking organizations, referred to herein as the “Rules.” The FDIC has adopted substantially identical rules.

Under the Rules, the minimum capital ratios for the Company and the Bank are as follows:

• 4.5% Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) to risk-weighted assets.

• 6.0% Tier 1 capital (i.e., CET1 plus Additional Tier 1) to risk-weighted assets.

• 8.0% Total capital (i.e., Tier 1 plus Tier 2) to risk-weighted assets.

• 4.0% Tier 1 leverage capital ratio.

The Rules also require the Company and the Bank to maintain a “capital conservation buffer” in an amount greater than 2.5%, on top of the minimum risk-weighted asset ratios. The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking institutions that meet the minimum capital requirements of 4.5%, 6.0% and 8.0% for CET1, Tier 1 and Total capital, respectively, but fall below the capital conservation buffer, will face constraints on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments to executive officers based on the amount of the shortfall. The capital conservation buffer effectively increases the minimum CET1 capital ratio to 7.0%, the minimum Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio to 8.5%, and the minimum total risk-based capital ratio to 10.5%, for banking organizations seeking to avoid the limitations on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments to executive officers. The Company and the Bank maintain all capital ratios above the required capital conservation buffer of 2.5%.

Pursuant to Section 38 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the “FDI Act”), federal banking agencies are required to take “prompt corrective action” if an insured depository institution fails to meet certain capital adequacy standards. The following table summarizes the minimum capital levels under the Rules:

Bank Holding Company

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to Changes in Interest Rates

Changes in interest rates and other factors could adversely impact the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. The Company’s ability to make a profit, like that of most financial institutions, substantially depends upon its net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income earned on interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and the interest expense paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. However, certain assets and liabilities may react differently to changes in market interest rates. Further, interest rates on some types of assets and liabilities may fluctuate prior to changes in broader market interest rates, while rates on other types of assets and liabilities may lag behind. Any substantial, unexpected, or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Factors such as inflation, recession, unemployment, money supply, global disorder, instability in domestic and foreign financial markets, political uncertainty, and other factors beyond the Company’s control, may affect interest rates. Changes in market interest rates also affect the level of voluntary prepayments on loans and the receipt of payments on mortgage-backed securities, which can impact the expected timing of receipt of proceeds. Particularly in a decreasing interest rate environment, prepayments may result in proceeds having to be reinvested at a lower rate than the loan or mortgage-backed security being prepaid. Conversely, in a period of rising interest rates, the interest income earned on the Company’s assets may not increase as rapidly as the interest that the Company pays on its liabilities. Additionally, increases in interest rates may decrease loan demand or make it more difficult for borrowers to repay variable rate loans.

Although inflation has slowed since the levels experienced in recent years, possible inflationary pressures and any increases in market interest rates could cause the value of investment securities, particularly those with longer maturities, to decrease, although this effect can be less pronounced for floating rate instruments. In addition, inflation generally increases the cost of goods and services the Company uses in business operations, such as electricity and other utilities, which increases the Company’s non-interest expenses. Furthermore, the Company’s customers are also affected by inflation and the rising costs of goods and services used in their households and businesses, which could have a negative impact on their deposits and/or ability to repay their loans or other obligations increasing the Company’s credit risk. The inflationary outlook in the United States is currently uncertain. If inflationary pressures do not significantly subside, sustained higher interest rates by the Federal Reserve may be needed to tame persistent inflationary price pressures, which could push down asset prices and weaken economic activity.

Economic growth may slow down and the national or global economy may experience downturns, including recessionary periods.Market disruption, including potential disruption resulting from inflation, tariffs and global supply chain interruption, government and central bank policy actions designed to counteract the effects of recession, changes in investor expectations regarding compensation for market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk and changing economic data could impact both the volatility and magnitude of the directional movements of interest rates. Additionally, potential sovereign debt defaults or actions taken by U.S. government to avoid exceeding the debt ceiling may severely impact global and domestic economies and may lead to significantly tighter liquidity and impact the availability of credit.Although the Company pursues an asset/liability management strategy designed to manage its risk arising from changes in interest rates, the Company’s strategy may not be fully effective, or may be effective in part, and changes in market interest rates can have a material adverse effect on the Company’s profitability.

Risks Related to Recent Events Impacting the Financial Services Industry

Events impacting the financial services industry may result in decreased confidence in banks among depositors, investors and other counterparties, as well as competition for deposits and significant disruption, volatility and depressed valuations of equity and other securities of banks in the capital markets. Certain events impacting the financial services industry, including recent bank failures, have had, and may continue to have, an adverse impact on the market price and volatility of the Company’s common stock. Moreover, these events have resulted in, and may continue to result in, increased regulatory scrutiny and expectations, and could lead to further changes to laws or regulations applicable to the Company, which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business and result in increased costs necessary to comply with any such changes. Additionally, the cost of resolving recent bank failures may prompt the FDIC to increase its premiums above the current levels or result in additional special assessments. Any of the above factors could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to the Company’s Lending Activities

If the Company experiences credit losses at a level higher than anticipated in the Company’s models, its earnings could materially decrease. The Company’s loan customers may not repay loans according to their terms, and the collateral securing the payment of loans may be insufficient to assure repayment or cover losses. If loan customers fail to repay loans according to the terms of the loans, the Company may experience significant credit losses that could have a material adverse effect on its operating results and capital ratios. The Company makes various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of its loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of borrowers, the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of loans, and the enforce ability of its loan documents. In determining the amount of the allowance for credit losses, the Company, in addition to assessing the collectability of its loan portfolio, relies on an evaluation of economic conditions, which involves a high level of subjectivity, as well as significant estimates of current credit risks and trends using existing qualitative and quantitative information and reasonable supportable forecasts of future economic conditions, all of which may undergo frequent and material changes. If the assumptions underlying the determination of its allowance for credit losses prove to be incorrect, the current allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in the Company’s loan portfolio and an adjustment may be necessary to allow for different economic conditions or adverse developments in its loan portfolio. A problem with one or more loans could require the Company to significantly increase the level of its allowance for credit losses. In addition, federal and state regulators periodically review the Company’s allowance for credit losses and may require it to increase its allowance for credit losses or recognize further loan charge-offs, based on judgments different than those of management. Material additions to the allowance would materially decrease the Company’s net income and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

A significant amount of the Company’s loans are concentrated in the Bank’s geographic footprint and adverse conditions in this geographic footprint could negatively impact its results of operations. Substantially all of the loans the Company originates are secured by properties located in, or are made to businesses that operate in, Massachusetts and the broader New England area. Because of the current concentration of the Company’s loan origination activities in its geographic footprint, in the event of adverse economic conditions impacting the region (including, but not limited to, increased unemployment, downward pressure on the value of residential or commercial real estate, or political or business developments that may affect the ability of property owners and businesses to make payments of principal and interest on the underlying loans in the Bank’s geographic footprint), the Company would likely experience higher rates of loss and delinquency on its loans than if its loan portfolio were more geographically diversified, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

A significant portion of the Company’s loan portfolio is secured by real estate, and events that negatively impact the real estate market could adversely affect the Company’s asset quality and the profitability of loans secured by real property and increase the number of defaults and the level of losses within the Company’s loan portfolio. The real estate collateral securing the Company’s loans provides an alternate source of repayment in the event of default by the borrower. Should real estate values deteriorate during the time the credit is extended, the Company is potentially exposed to greater losses. A downturn in the real estate market in the Company’s primary market areas could result in an increase in the number of borrowers who default on loans and a reduction in the value of the collateral securing loans, which in turn could have an adverse effect on the Company’s profitability and asset quality. Further, if the Company is required to liquidate collateral securing a loan to satisfy the related debt during a period of reduced real estate values, the Company may experience higher credit losses than expected and its earnings and shareholders’ equity could be adversely affected. Any declines in real estate prices in the Company’s primary markets may also result in increases in delinquencies and losses in its loan portfolios. Unanticipated decreases in real estate prices coupled with events, such as a prolonged economic downturn and elevated levels of unemployment could drive credit losses beyond the level provided for in the Company’s allowance for credit losses. If this occurs, the Company’s earnings could be adversely affected.

The Company’s emphasis on originating commercial loans may increase lending risks. At December 31, 2024, 74.9% of the Company’s loan portfolio consisted of commercial loans. The Company’s commercial loan portfolio includes commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial construction loans, and small business banking loans. Commercial and industrial loans may expose the Company to additional risks since their underwriting is typically based on the borrower’s ability to make repayments from the cash flow of its business and may be secured by non-real estate collateral that may depreciate over time, or by owner-occupied real estate, the value of which is subject to market fluctuations and may deteriorate over the life of the loan. Commercial real estate loans and small business loans generally expose the Company to greater risk of non-payment and loss than residential mortgage loans because repayment of the loans typically

depends on the successful operation of the property and the continuity of tenant rental payments. Commercial real estate loans also typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers compared to residential mortgage loans. Factors such as increased prevalence of remote or hybrid work arrangements and consumer preference for online shopping have led and continue to lead to a decreased demand for office and retail space creating increased property vacancies and declining rent growth, which could impact the value of the future cash flow and value of the involved property that serves as loan collateral.Such trends could ultimately result in a shrinkage of the commercial real estate market, which could materially impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition and possibly the Company’s long-term business strategy because commercial real estate loans are currently the Company’s largest loan category. Commercial construction loans are generally considered to involve a higher degree of credit risk than long-term financing on owner-occupied residential real estate. Risk of loss on a construction loan depends largely upon the accuracy of the initial estimate of the property’s value at completion of construction as compared to estimated costs. Changes in economic conditions that are outside of the control of the borrower and lender could impact the value of the future cash flow and value of the underlying loan collateral.

The Company may experience losses and expenses if security interests granted for loans are not enforceable. When the Bank makes loans, it sometimes obtains liens, such as real estate mortgages or other asset pledges, to provide the Bank with one or more security interests in collateral. If there is a loan default the Bank may seek to foreclose upon collateral and enforce the security interests to obtain repayment and eliminate or mitigate the Company’s loss. Drafting errors, granting errors, recording errors, other defects or imperfections in the security interests granted to the Bank and/or changes in law may render liens granted to the Bank unenforceable. The Company may incur losses or expenses if security interests granted to the Bank are not properly perfected or are otherwise unenforceable.

Risks Related to Legal, Regulatory and Policy Matters

The Company operates in a highly regulated environment and may be adversely impacted by changes in industry practices, laws, regulations, and accounting standards. Any change in the industry practices, laws, regulations or accounting standards and failure by the Company to comply with such changes, or a change in regulators’ supervisory policies or examination procedures, whether by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Banks, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, other state or federal regulators, the U.S. Congress, or the Massachusetts legislature could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. In addition, personnel changes at such regulatory agencies may result in differing interpretations of existing rules and guidelines, including more stringent enforcement and more severe penalties. Any such changes may lead to increased costs of compliance as well an increased risk of formal or informal regulatory actions. Additionally, aspects of current or proposed regulatory or legislative changes to laws applicable in the financial services industry, including the adoption of new rules or more aggressive examination and enforcement by the Company’s regulators over its overdraft protection practices, have led certain banking organizations to modify their overdraft protection programs, including the imposition of overdraft transaction fees. These competitive pressures from the Company’s peers could cause the Company to modify its program and practices in ways that may negatively impact the profitability of the Company’s business activities and expose it to increased business and compliance costs, which, in turn could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

The costs of compliance with fair lending laws or negative outcomes with respect to challenges of the Company’s compliance with such laws, inclusive of laws impacting banks exceeding $10 billion in total assets, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations or could damage the Company’s reputation. TheCRA, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose non-discriminatory lending and other requirements on financial institutions. The U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies, including the FDIC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. A successful challenge to an institution’s performance under the CRA and other fair lending laws and regulations could result in, among other sanctions, the required payment of damages and civil monetary penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on acquisitions and restrictions on expansion. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. The costs of defending, and any adverse outcome from, any challenge with respect to the Company’s compliance with fair lending laws could damage the Company’s reputation or could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

The impact of changes to the Internal Revenue Code or federal, state or local taxes may adversely affect the Company’s financial results or business. The Company is subject to changes in tax law which could impact the Company’s effective tax rate. Changes in U.S. federal, state and local tax law, interpretation of existing tax law, or adverse determinations by tax authorities, could increase the Company’s tax burden or otherwise adversely affect the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. The Company’s results of operations may be impacted by changes resulting from different political philosophies governing individual and corporate taxation, as well as regulation, which may result from the policies of the new

U.S. presidential administration. For example, changes to tax laws and regulations, including various provisions of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), which will expire in 2025 if not extended, may negatively impact the Company’s effective income tax rate, financial results, or the amount of any tax assets or liabilities. Tax law changes may or may not be retroactive to previous periods and could negatively affect the current and future financial performance of the Company. Changes in enacted tax rates are recognized when promulgated and therefore could have a material impact on the Company’s results.

Claims and litigation could result in losses and damage to the Company’s reputation. From time to time as part of the Company’s normal course of business, customers, bankruptcy trustees, former customers, contractual counterparties, third parties and former employees make claims and take legal action against the Company based on its alleged actions or inactions. If such claims and legal actions are not resolved in a manner favorable to the Company, they may result in financial liability and/or adversely affect the market perception of the Company and its products and services. This may also impact customer demand for the Company’s products and services. Any material financial liability or reputational damage could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in U.S. trade policies and other global political factors beyond the Company’s control, including the imposition of tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, or other sanctions, may adversely impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. There have been, and may be in the future, changes and discussions with respect to U.S. and international trade policies, legislation, treaties and tariffs, embargoes, sanctions and other trade restrictions. Tariffs, retaliatory tariffs or other trade restrictions on products and materials that customers import or export, including tariffs imposed by the new U.S. presidential administration, or a trade war or other related governmental actions related to tariffs, international trade agreements or policies or other trade restrictions have the potential to negatively impact the Company’s and/or the Bank's customers' costs, demand for the Bank's customers' products, and/or the U.S. economy or certain sectors thereof and, thus, could adversely impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, to the extent changes in the global political environment, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the conflict in Israel and surrounding areas and the possible expansion of such conflicts, have had and may continue to have a negative impact on the global economy, including the financial services industry generally and, as a result, the Company and the markets in which the Company operates, the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely impacted in the future.

The Companymay not be able to detect money laundering and other illegal or improper activities fully or on a timely basis, which could expose it to additional liability and could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company is required to comply with anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism and other laws and regulations in the United States. These laws and regulations require the Company, among other things, to adopt and enforce “know-your-customer” policies and procedures and to report suspicious and large transactions to applicable regulatory authorities. These laws and regulations have become increasingly complex and detailed, require improved systems and sophisticated monitoring and compliance personnel and have become the subject of enhanced government supervision.

The policies and procedures the Company has adopted for the purposes of detecting and preventing the use of its banking network for money laundering and related activities may not completely eliminate instances in which the Company’s platforms may be used by customers to engage in money laundering and other illegal or improper activities. To the extent the Company fails to fully comply with applicable laws and regulations, banking agencies have the authority to impose fines and other penalties on the Company. In addition, the Company’s business and reputation could suffer if customers use its banking network for money laundering or illegal or improper purposes.

Risks Related to the Company’s Strategic Activities

Failure to consummate, or any delay in consummating, the acquisition of Enterprise Bancorp, Inc. for any reason could negatively impact the future business and financial results of the Company. On December 9, 2024, the Company announced its entry into a definitive agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) under which the Company will acquire Enterprise Bancorp, Inc. (“Enterprise”) and Rockland Trust Company will acquire Enterprise Bank and Trust Company (the “Merger”). Completion of the Merger is subject to various closing conditions, including, among others, (i) the receipt of the requisite approval of Enterprise’s shareholders of the Merger Agreement, (ii) the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Massachusetts Commissioner of Banks, in each case without the imposition of a “Materially Burdensome Regulatory Condition” as defined in the Merger Agreement, (iii) the absence of any order, injunction, decree or other legal restraint preventing the completion of the Merger or making it illegal, and (iv) the listing of the shares of the Company’s common stock issuable pursuant to the Merger on Nasdaq, subject to official notice of issuance. Each party’s obligation to complete the Merger is also subject to additional customary conditions, including the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the

other party, subject to certain exceptions, and the performance in all material respects by each party of its obligations under the Merger Agreement.

The Merger Agreement provides certain termination rights for both the Company and Enterprise, including that a termination fee of $22,488,000 will be payable by Enterprise in connection with the termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances.

If the Merger is not completed for any reason, the business of the Company may be adversely affected and, without realizing any of the benefits of having completed the Merger, the Company could be subject to a number of risks. In this regard, the Company faces risks and uncertainties due both to the pendency of the Merger and the potential failure to consummate the merger, including:

•the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement;

•the risk that Enterprise’s shareholders may not adopt and approve the Merger Agreement;

•the risk that the necessary regulatory approvals may not be obtained or may be obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated;

•delays in closing the Merger or other risks that any of the closing conditions to the Merger may not be satisfied in a timely manner;

•the diversion of management’s time and resources from ongoing business operations due to issues relating to the Merger;

•material adverse changes in the Company’s or Enterprise’s operations or earnings; and

•potential litigation in connection with the Merger.

In addition, the Company has incurred and will incur substantial expenses in connection with the negotiation and completion of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. If the Merger is not consummated, the Company could have to recognize these and other expenses without realizing the expected benefits of the Merger.

Acquisitions, including the Merger, may be more difficult, costly or time consuming than expected, and the expected benefits of such acquisitions may not be realized. While focusing on organic growth, the Company’s strategy also includes, in part, growth through opportunistic whole or partial acquisitions of other banks, branches, financial institutions, or related businesses. The Company may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates or complete such acquisitions in the future. Competition for acquisitions can be highly competitive, and the Company may not be able to acquire other institutions on acceptable terms. Any possible acquisition may be subject to regulatory approval, and there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain any such approval in a timely manner or at all. Acquisitions may also result in potential dilution of stockholder value or possible future impairment of goodwill and other intangibles.

In addition, fees, expenses and charges associated with any acquisition transaction may be higher than anticipated. Costs or difficulties relating to integration matters might be greater than expected and the Company may be unable to realize expected cost savings and synergies from its acquisitions, such as the Merger, in the amounts and in the timeframe anticipated. For example, it is possible that any integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of the Company’s ongoing business or diversion of management’s attention from other business activities or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect the combined company’s ability to maintain relationships with customers and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits and cost savings of a merger. The loss of key employees could adversely affect the Company’s ability to successfully conduct its business in the markets in which an acquired company operates, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial results and the value of its common stock.

Further, following any acquisition, the combined company’s actual cost savings and revenue enhancements, if any, cannot be quantified in advance. Any actual cost savings or revenue enhancements will depend on future expense levels and operating results, the timing of certain events and general industry, regulatory and business conditions. In addition, the Company may not be successful in mitigating deposit erosion or loan quality deterioration at acquired institutions. Many of these events will be beyond the control of the combined company. With respect to the Merger, the Company’s belief that cost savings and revenue enhancements are achievable is a forward-looking statement that is inherently uncertain.

The Company may not realize the value of strategic investments and strategic initiatives that it pursues and such investments and initiatives could divert resources or introduce unforeseen risks to the Company’s business. The Company may execute strategic initiatives or make other strategic investments in businesses, products, technologies or platforms to enhance or grow its business. These strategic initiatives and investments may introduce new costs or liabilities which could impact the Company’s ability to grow or maintain acceptable performance. The Company may be unable to

integrate systems, personnel or technologies from its strategic investments and initiatives. Strategic investments and initiatives may also present unforeseen legal, regulatory or other challenges that the Company may not be able to manage effectively. The planning and integration of a strategic investment or initiative may shift employee time and other resources which could impair the Company’s ability to focus on its core business. New strategic investments and strategic initiatives may not perform as expected due to lack of acceptance by customers or employees, higher than forecasted costs or losses, lengthy transition periods, synergies or savings not being realized and a variety of other factors. This may result in a delay or unrealized benefit, or in some cases, increased costs or other unforeseen risks to the Company’s business.

Risks Related to Financial and Accounting Matters

The Company’s securities portfolio performance in difficult market conditions could have adverse effects on the Company’s results of operations. Under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), the Company measures expected credit losses on its securities portfolios in accordance with the CECL methodology, taking into consideration quantitative and qualitative factors such as current market conditions, the extent and nature of changes in fair value, issuer rating changes and trends, volatility of earnings, current analysts’ evaluations, the Company’s ability and intent to hold investments until a recovery of amortized cost, as well as other factors. Adverse developments with respect to one or more of these factors could require the Company to recognize an allowance for credit losses, with the credit related portion of the reduction in the value required to be recognized as a charge to the Company’s earnings. Market volatility can make it extremely challenging to accurately value certain securities the Company holds. Subsequent periodic valuations of securities, taking into consideration then prevailing factors, may result in changes to valuations. Significant negative changes to valuations could result in the recognition of an allowance for credit losses within the Company’s securities portfolio, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

Impairment of goodwill and/or intangible assets could require charges to earnings, which could result in a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations. Goodwill arises when the Company acquires a business for an amount greater than the net fair value of the assets of the acquired business. The Bank has recognized goodwill as an asset on the balance sheet in connection with several acquisitions. Goodwill is an intangible asset. When an intangible asset is determined to have an indefinite useful life, it is not amortized, and instead is evaluated for impairment. The Company conducts goodwill impairment tests annually, or more frequently if necessary. The Company evaluates goodwill using a combined qualitative and quantitative impairment approach. A significant and sustained decline in the Company’s stock price and market capitalization, a significant decline in the Company’s expected future cash flows, a significant adverse change in the business climate, slower growth rates or other factors could result in a finding of impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets. If the Company were to conclude that a future write-down of goodwill or other intangible assets is necessary, then the Company would record the appropriate charge to earnings, which could have material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

Deterioration in the performance or financial position of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) of Boston might restrict the FHLB of Boston’s ability to meet the funding needs of its members, cause a suspension of its dividend, and cause its stock to be determined to be impaired. When necessary, components of the Bank’s liquidity needs are met through its access to funding pursuant to its membership in the FHLB of Boston. The FHLB of Boston is a cooperative that provides services to its member banking institutions. The primary reason for joining the FHLB of Boston is to obtain funding. The purchase of stock in the FHLB of Boston is a requirement for a member to gain access to funding. Any deterioration in the FHLB of Boston’s performance or financial condition may affect the Company’s ability to access funding and/or require the Company to deem the required investment in FHLB of Boston stock to be impaired. If the Company is not able to access funding, it may not be able to meet its liquidity needs, which could have an adverse effect on its results of operations or financial condition. Similarly, if the Company deems all or part of its investment in FHLB of Boston stock impaired, such action could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

Reductions in the value of the Company’s deferred tax assets could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations. A deferred tax asset is created by the tax effect of the differences between an asset’s book value and its tax basis. The Company assesses its deferred tax assets periodically to determine the likelihood of the Company’s ability to realize available benefits. These assessments consider the performance of the associated business and its ability to generate future taxable income. If the information available to the Company at the time of assessment indicates there is a greater than 50% chance that the Company will not realize the deferred tax asset benefit, the Company is required to establish a valuation allowance for the deferred tax asset and reduce its future deferred tax assets to the amount the Company believes could be realized. Recording such a valuation allowance could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition. Additionally, the deferred tax assets are determined using effective tax rates expected to apply to the Company’s taxable income in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

Accordingly, a change in statutory tax rates may result in a decrease or increase to the Company’s deferred tax assets. A decrease in the Company’s deferred tax assets could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

Some of the Company’s accounting policies require the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the value of the Company’s assets and liabilities and results of operations and if actual events differ from the Company’s estimates and assumptions, the Company’s results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Certain accounting policies require the use of estimates and assumptions that may affect the value of the Company’s assets and liabilities and results of operations. The Company identified the accounting policies regarding the allowance for credit losses, security valuations and allowance for credit losses, valuation of goodwill, and income taxes to be critical because these policies require management to make difficult, subjective and complex judgments, estimates and assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain. Under each of these policies, it is possible that materially different values and results of operations would be reported under different conditions, different judgments, or different estimates or assumptions. Further, as new information becomes available, the Company may make a determination to refine or change its judgments, estimates and assumptions, any of which could materially adversely affect the value of the Company’s assets and liabilities or its results of operations.

From time to time, the FASB and the SEC change applicable guidance governing the form and content of the Company’s financial statements. In addition, accounting standard setters and those who interpret GAAP, such as the FASB, SEC, and banking regulators, may change or even reverse their previous interpretations or positions on how these standards should be applied. Such changes are expected to continue, and may accelerate. Changes in GAAP and current interpretations are beyond the Company’s control, can be hard to predict and could materially impact how the Company reports its financial results and condition. In certain cases, the Company could be required to apply new or revised guidance retroactively or apply existing guidance differently (also retroactively), which may result in the Company restating prior period financial statements for material amounts. Additionally, significant changes to GAAP may require costly technology changes, additional training and personnel, and other expenses that could materially adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

Changes in debt and equity markets or economic downturns could affect the level of assets under administration and the demand for other fee-based services. Economic downturns could affect the volume of income earned from and demand for fee-based services. Revenues from the investment management business depend in large part on the level of assets under administration. Market volatility that results in customers liquidating investments, as well as lower asset values, can reduce the level of assets under administration and decrease the Company’s investment management revenues, which could materially adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

Risks Related to Information Security and Technology

The need to mitigate against and react to cyber-security risks, and electronic fraud risks require significant resources, andanysystem failure, a cyber-security attack or electronic fraud could subject the Company to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other liabilities. The risk of electronic fraudulent activity within the financial services industry, especially in the commercial banking sector, due to cyber-attacks (crime committed through or involving the internet, such as phishing, hacking, denial of service attacks, stealing information, unauthorized intrusions into internal systems or the systems of the Company’s third-party vendors) continues to increase and could adversely impact the Company’s operations or damage its reputation. The Company’s information technology infrastructure and systems may be vulnerable to cyber-terrorism, computer viruses, damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or a similar catastrophic event, system or third-party software failures and other intentional or unintentional interference, fraud, and other unauthorized attempts to access or interfere with the systems.

Information security risks exist because of the proliferation of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as sophistication and level of activity of perpetrators of cyber-attacks. Many financial institutions and service providers to financial institutions have reported significant breaches in the security of their websites or other systems, some of which have involved sophisticated and targeted attacks intended to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, deny service, or sabotage systems, often through the introduction of computer viruses or malware, cyber-attacks and other means. The Company has seen attempts to gain unauthorized access to its systems and expects such attempts will continue, and may intensify, in the future. Although to date the Company has not experienced any material losses relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses in the future.

The Company expects risk exposure to cyber-attacks will remain elevated or increase in the future due to, among other things, the increasing size and prominence of the Company in the financial services industry, its expansion of internet and mobile banking tools and products based on customer needs, and its increasing use of operational software hosted on the

Internet as more and more software solutions used in the Company’s operations migrate from solutions hosted within the Company’s firewalls to internet-hosted solutions at third-party locations.

To help manage the Company’s cyber-risks, when entering a new vendor relationship, the Company reviews and assesses the cyber-security risk of third-party service providers. A successful cyber-security attack on one of the Company’s third-party service providers could disrupt operations, adversely affect the Company’s business, or result in the disclosure or misuse of the Company’s confidential information, including customer confidential information. There can be no assurance that the precautions the Company takes to seek to manage cyber risk related to third-party service providers will be effective or prevent a cyber-attack that could expose the Company to significant operational costs and damages or reputational harm. Although the Company maintains an insurance policy covering these sorts of cyber risks, there can be no assurance that this policy will afford coverage for all possible losses or would be adequate to cover all financial losses, damages, and penalties, including lost revenues, should the Company experience any system failure or cyber-attack in one or more Company or third-party systems.

The Company’s risk-based technology and systems or the personnel who monitor such technology and systems may not identify and/or prevent or effectively mitigate successful cyber-attacks when they occur. Significant operational costs and damages or reputational harm may occur if the Company fails to identify and prevent or effectively mitigate, or there is a delay in identifying, a cyber-attack on its systems or those of its third-party service providers. Any breach, damage or failure that causes an interruption in operations could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations due to the time and money needed to correct the issue. Computer break-ins, phishing and other disruptions could also jeopardize the security of information stored in and transmitted through the Company computer systems and network infrastructure, which may result in litigation or significant liability to the Company and may cause existing and potential customers to refrain from doing business with the Company. Finally, depending on the type of incident, banking regulators may impose restrictions on the Company’s business and consumer laws may require reimbursement of customer losses.

The Company continually encounters technological change. The failure to understand and adapt to these changes could negatively impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.Financial services industries continually experience rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services, such as artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, and similar tools and technologies that collect, aggregate, analyze or generate data or other materials or content. These new technologies may be superior to, or render obsolete, the technologies currently used in the Company’s products and services.

An effective use of technology can increase efficiency, enable financial institutions to better serve customers, and reduce costs. Additionally, as a result of the shift toward remote banking, the Company’s customers have become more reliant on, and their expectations have increased with respect to, new technology-driven products and services. In addition, technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for “non-banks” to offer traditional bank products and services using innovative technological platforms such as fintech and blockchain. These “digital banks” may be able to achieve economies of scale and offer better pricing than the Company offers for banking products and services, and they may have fewer regulatory burdens than traditional banks such as the Company. However, some modern technologies needed to compete effectively result in incremental operating costs and capital investments. The Company’s future success depends in part upon its ability to continue to address the needs of its customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in operations. Many of the Company’s competitors, because of their larger size and available capital, have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. The Company may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to its customers within the same time frame as its large competitors or within the time frame expected by its customers. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could lead to loss of customers and could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business and, in turn, its financial condition and results of operations.

The Company is subject to laws regarding the privacy, information security and protection of personal information and any violation of these laws or an incident involving personal, confidential, or proprietary information of individuals could damage the Company’s reputation and otherwise adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and financial condition. The Company regularly collects, processes, transmits and stores confidential information regarding its customers and employees. In some cases, this confidential or proprietary information is collected, compiled, processed, transmitted or stored by third parties on the Company’s behalf. Legislation and regulation governing the privacy and protection of personal information of individuals (including customers, employees, suppliers and other third parties) have been evolving, expanding and increasing in complexity in recent years, and although the Company makes and will continue to make reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that the Company will not be subject to regulatory action or monetary penalties in the event of an incident.

For example, the Company is subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act which, among other things: (i) imposes certain limitations on the ability to share nonpublic personal information about customers with nonaffiliated third parties; (ii) requires that the Company provide certain disclosures to customers about its information collection, sharing and security practices and afford customers the right to “opt out” of any information sharing by us with nonaffiliated third parties (with certain exceptions); and (iii) requires that the Company develop, implement and maintain a written comprehensive information security program containing appropriate safeguards based on its size and complexity, the nature and scope of its activities, and the sensitivity of customer information processed by the Company, as well as plans for responding to data security breaches. Various state and federal banking regulators and states have also enacted data security breach notification requirements with varying levels of individual, consumer, regulatory or law enforcement notification in certain circumstances in the event of a security breach. Ensuring that the collection, use, transfer, and storage of personal information by the Company complies with all applicable laws and regulations can increase costs. Furthermore, the Company may not be able to ensure that all its customers, suppliers, counterparties and other third parties have appropriate controls in place to protect the confidentiality of information exchanged with them, particularly where such information is transmitted by electronic means. If personal, confidential, or proprietary information of customers or others were to be mishandled or misused, the Company could be exposed to litigation or regulatory sanctions under personal information laws and regulations. Concerns regarding the effectiveness of the Company’s measures to safeguard personal information, or even the perception that such measures are inadequate, could cause the Company to lose customers or potential customers and thereby reduce revenues. Accordingly, any failure or perceived failure to comply with applicable privacy or data protection laws and regulations may subject the Company to inquiries, examinations and investigations that could result in requirements to modify or cease certain operations or practices or in significant liabilities, fines or penalties, and could damage the Company’s reputation and otherwise adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

The Company’s controls and procedures may be inadequate, and failure to comply with controls and procedures or related regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. The Company faces the risk that the design of its controls and procedures, including those designed to mitigate the risk of fraud by employees or outside third parties, may be inadequate or be circumvented, thereby causing delays or failures in detection of errors or inaccuracies in data and information. The Company regularly reviews and updates the Company’s internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any system of controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system are met. Any failure or circumvention of the Company’s controls and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, while the Company maintains a control framework designed to monitor service provider risks, including those relating to internet vulnerability fraud and operational errors of employees, the failure of a service provider to perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements could be disruptive to the Company’s operations, which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations, and the Company’s (or the service provider’s) business continuity plans, risk management processes and procedures or security systems may not adequately mitigate such risk.

Risks Related to Liquidity

The Company may be unable to adequately manage its liquidity risk, which could affect its ability to meet its obligations as they become due, capitalize on growth opportunities, or pay dividends on its common stock. Liquidity risk refers to managing the Company’s liquidity so that it can meet its obligations as the obligations become due, opportunistically capitalize on potential growth opportunities as they arise, or pay dividends on its common stock. The Company’s liquidity arises from its ability to liquidate assets or obtain adequate funding on a timely basis, at a reasonable cost and within acceptable risk tolerances. Liquidity is required to fund various obligations, including credit commitments to borrowers, mortgage and other loan originations, withdrawals by depositors, repayment of borrowings, dividends to shareholders, operating expenses and capital expenditures. The Company’s liquidity is derived primarily from funding obtained from the FHLB of Boston; retail deposit growth and retention; principal and interest payments on loans; principal and interest payments on investment securities the Company issues; sale, maturity and prepayment of investment securities the Company holds; net cash provided from operations; and access to other funding sources. Any substantial, unexpected or prolonged changes in the level or cost of liquidity could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. Factors that could detrimentally impact the Company’s access to liquidity sources include a decrease in the level of business activity as a result of a downturn in the markets in which the Company’s loans are concentrated or an adverse regulatory action against the Company.The Company’s ability to borrow could also be impaired by factors that are not specific to the Company, such as a disruption in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about prospects for the financial services industry generally.

Risks Related to Environmental and Social Matters

The Company is subject to environmental liability risk associated with lending activities which could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations. A significant portion of the Company’s loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, the Company may foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous or toxic substances are found, the Company may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may require the Company to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit the Company’s ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase the Company’s exposure to environmental liability. Environmental reviews conducted prior to originating certain commercial real estate loans, as well as before initiating any foreclosure action on real property, as required by Company policies and procedures, may not detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

Responses to climate change could adversely affect the Company’s business and performance, including indirectly through impacts on its customers. Concerns over the long-term impacts of climate change have led and could continue to lead to governmental efforts in certain regions of the world to mitigate those impacts. Consumers and businesses also may change their behavior on their own as a result of these concerns. The Company and its customers will need to respond to new laws and regulations as well as consumer and business preferences resulting from climate change concerns. The Company and its customers may face cost increases, asset value reductions, operating process changes, and the like. Impacts to the Company could include a drop in demand for its products and services, particularly in certain sectors. In addition, the Company could face reductions in creditworthiness on the part of some customers or in the value of assets securing loans.

Environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) risks could adversely affect the Company’s reputation, business and performance and the trading price of its common stock. The Company may face scrutiny from some investors, customers, regulators and other stakeholders related to its ESG practices. Some investors, investor advocacy groups and investment funds are focused on ESG practices, especially as they relate to the environment, climate change, diversity and inclusion, workplace conduct and human capital management. These stakeholders often have differing priorities and expectations regarding ESG issues, and in some cases conflicting priorities. In addition, “anti-ESG” sentiment is gaining momentum across the U.S., with several states and Congress having proposed or enacted “anti-ESG” policies, legislation, or initiatives or issued related legal opinions, and the new U.S. presidential administration having recently issued an executive order opposing diversity equity and inclusion (“DEI”) initiatives in the private sector.

The subjective nature of methods used by various ESG stakeholders to assess a company with respect to ESG criteria could result in erroneous perceptions or a misrepresentation of our actual ESG policies and practices. Organizations that provide ratings information to investors on ESG matters may also assign unfavorable ratings to the Company.

Failure to adapt to or comply with changing investor or stakeholder expectations and standards on ESG could negatively impact our reputation, our ability to do business with certain customers, vendors, suppliers or other third parties, the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees and our stock price. The Company could also face negative publicity or reputational harm based on the identity of those with whom we choose to do business. Any of the foregoing could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Risks Related to the Company’s Business and Industry Generally

The Company’s business depends on maintaining the trust and confidence of customers and other market participants, and the Company’s reputation is critical to its business. The Company’s ability to originate and maintain accounts and business is highly dependent upon the perceptions of borrowers and deposit holders and other external perceptions of the Company’s business practices and financial health. The Company’s reputation is vulnerable to threats that can be difficult or impossible to control, and costly or impossible to remediate. Regulatory inquiries, actual or alleged incidents of employee misconduct and rumors, among other things, can substantially damage the Company’s reputation, even if the inquiries, allegations, or rumors are baseless or satisfactorily addressed. Adverse perceptions regarding the Company’s reputation in the consumer, commercial and funding markets could result in difficulties in generating and maintaining accounts and business, as well as in financing accounts and the Company’s business. Further, adverse perceptions can result in decreases in the levels of deposits that customers and potential customers choose to maintain with the Company, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

If the Company’s risk management framework does not effectively identify or mitigate the Company’s risks, the Company could suffer unexpected losses and its results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The Company’s risk management framework seeks to mitigate risk and appropriately balance risk and return. The Company has established processes and procedures intended to identify, measure, monitor and report the types of risk to which it is subject, including strategic and emerging risk, culture risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market and interest rate risk, operations risk, reputation risk, compliance risk, and technology and cyber risk. The Company seeks to monitor and control its risk exposure through a framework of policies, procedures and reporting requirements. Management of the Company’s risks in some cases depends upon the use of analytical and/or forecasting models, which, in turn, rely on assumptions and estimates. If the models used to mitigate these risks are inadequate, or the assumptions or estimates are inaccurate or otherwise flawed, the Company may fail to adequately protect against risks and may incur losses. In addition, there may be risks that exist, or that develop in the future, that the Company has not appropriately anticipated, identified or mitigated, which could lead to unexpected losses and the Company’s results of operations or financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

The Company has strong competition within its market area which may constrain the Company’s ability to grow and achieve profitability. The Company faces significant competition both in attracting deposits and in the origination of loans. See “Market Area and Competition” in Item 1. Business of this Report. Mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions within the Company’s market area may occur, which could add more competitive pressure as the Company would be competing with the resultant larger financial institutions with greater financial resources on a combined basis. Additionally, the Company’s market share and income may be adversely affected by its inability to successfully compete against larger and more diverse financial service providers. If the Company is unable to compete effectively, it may lose market share or fail to maintain its market share, and income generated from loans, deposits, and other financial products may decline.

The success of the Company is dependent on the Company’s ability to attract, hire and retain certain key personnel. The Company’s business is complex and specialized and performance is largely dependent on the knowledge, talents and efforts of highly skilled individuals. The Company relies on key personnel to manage and operate its business, including major revenue producing functions, such as loan and deposit generation. The loss of key personnel could adversely affect the Company’s ability to maintain and manage these functions effectively, which could negatively affect the Company’s net income. In addition, loss of key personnel could result in increased recruiting and hiring expenses or failure to attract talented key personnel, which could adversely impact the Company’s net income. The Company’s continued ability to compete effectively depends on its ability to attract new talented employees and to retain and motivate its existing key employees. Competition for the best people in the Company’s markets and businesses can be intense, and the Company may not be able to hire people or to retain them, in particular due to an increasingly competitive labor market. The labor market continues to experience elevated levels of turnover and the Company has been impacted by an extremely competitive labor market, including increased competition for talent across all aspects of the Company’s business, as well as increased competition with non-traditional competitors, such as fintech companies. Employers are offering increased compensation and opportunities to work with greater flexibility, including remote and hybrid work environments, on a permanent basis. These can be important factors in a current employee’s decision to leave the Company as well as in a prospective employee’s decision to join the Company. As competition for skilled professionals remains intense, the Company may have to devote significant resources to attract and retain qualified personnel, which could negatively impact earnings, and the Company cannot guarantee that all of its key personnel will remain with the Company.

Natural disasters, severe weather, public health crises or other catastrophic or man-made events could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business or results of operations. The nature and level of such natural disasters, public health crises, pandemics or epidemics, or man-made events, including political events such as war, civil unrest or terrorist attacks, and other catastrophic events cannot be predicted. Additionally, the Company’s market area includes coastal regions that are susceptible to adverse weather conditions and natural disasters which cannot be predicted and may be exacerbated by global climate change, including, but not to limited to, rain storms, hurricanes, blizzards and nor’easters and related flooding and wind damage. Such events can disrupt operations, result in damage to properties and negatively affect the local economies in the markets where the Company operates. The Company’s borrowers may suffer property damage, experience interruption of their businesses or lose their jobs, which may negatively impact the ability of these borrowers to make deposits with the Company or repay their loans or negatively impact values of collateral securing loans, any of which could result in losses and increased provisions for credit losses. Additionally, the occurrence of these events could harm the Company’s operations thorough interference with communications, including the interruption or loss of its computer systems which could prevent the gathering of deposits, originating loans and processing and controlling business flow, as well as through the destruction of facilities and operational, financial and management information systems, and could cause us to incur significant costs to repair any resulting damage to the Company’s property or business relationships.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity threats pose a risk to the Company, as crimes committed through or involving the internet, such as phishing, hacking, denial of service attacks, stealing information, unauthorized intrusions into the Company’s internal systems or the systems of the Company’s third-party vendors could adversely impact the Company’s operations or damage its reputation.The Bank manages cybersecurity threats proactively and maintains robust controls to protect its critical systems and data by investing in secure, reliable, and resilient technology infrastructure, fostering a culture of technology risk awareness, and continuously improving its technology risk management practices.The Company’s process for monitoring and mitigating cybersecurity risk is designed in conjunction with its overall Enterprise Risk Management Policy.The Company’s Information Security Program follows ISO 27002, an international standard for information security controls, as well as references to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Information Examination Handbook, and other regulatory guidance and industry standards.

The Company has several processes in place to oversee and identify these risks, such as the Information Technology Risk Governance Committee (“ITRGC”), which is responsible for oversight of information technology (“IT”) and information security (“IS”) risk.This committee oversees the establishment and revision of IT and IS key risk and key performance indicators and ongoing monitoring of these metrics. The Company’s Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) is responsible for cybersecurity initiatives at the Company, including identifying and managing security risks, and escalating elevated risks with the Chief Risk Officer (“CRO”) where applicable. Together, the CISO and the CRO report on emerging and existing threats and mitigation strategies to the Board, which has oversight of cybersecurity risk, on a semi-annual basis, or more frequently, if needed.The CISO has over 30 years of information security experience, with experienced team members that come from a wide range of industries and possess substantial knowledge and expertise in how to manage information security and cybersecurity risks.Additionally, the team of employees supporting the CISO maintain education and certification requirements necessary to fulfill their responsibilities.

The Company has deployed a layered security approach to identify, measure, monitor and control information technology risks.The Company also maintains a documented Incident Management Standard and Technology and Cyber Incident Response Plan.These documents address the detection, mitigation, and remediation of cybersecurity incidents, and include appropriate timely incident escalations to be followed during an incident, up to and including executive leadership, management committees and depending on incident severity, the Board, or a Board committee.The volume, severity, and root case of security incidents are reported on at monthly management committees.The Company will regularly engage independent third parties to assist in its cybersecurity preparedness, including but not limited to vulnerability scan assessments, secure code scan reviews, and cybersecurity incident response simulations.The Company’s internal audit department also performs annual cybersecurity penetration testing over the Company’s internal and external networks.Additionally, for third party related technologies, the Company’s Third-Party Risk Management Program (“TPRM”) is involved with onboarding all vendors, including ongoing monitoring of higher risk vendor relationships. TPRM documents the Company’s view of applicable third-party vendors assessing the vendor’s technological capability to provide products and/or services in a viable and risk adverse manner.

In an effort to mitigate risks related to cybersecurity threats, the Company has also designed and implemented required training for all employees, including training on the Company’s security and privacy policies, which are mandatory as part of the onboarding process, with refresher trainings required annually thereafter.Additionally, the Company conducts regular phishing simulation tests throughout the year to keep employees alert, spread awareness and ensure that employees have the knowledge and resources necessary to report suspicious activity.

While the Company has seen attempts to gain access to its systems, and expects such attacks to continue, or possibly intensify in the future, the Company has not experienced any material losses relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches as of December 31, 2024.As a protective measure, the Company maintains insurance coverage for cybersecurity incidents experienced by the Company, or by one or more of the Company’s third-party providers, however such insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover all losses incurred.As of the date of this Report, no risks from cybersecurity

threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. For further discussion surrounding risks from cybersecurity threats, refer to the section captioned “Risks Related to Information Security and Technology” within Part I. Item 1A of this Report.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

At December 31, 2024, the Bank conducted its business from its main retail branch located at 288 Union Street, Rockland, Massachusetts, 121 retail branches and one mobile branch located within Eastern Massachusetts as well as in Worcester County. In addition to its main office, the Bank leased 73 of its branches and owned the remaining 49 branches. In addition to these branch locations, the Bank had 55 remote ATM locations, all of which are leased.

The Bank’s executive administration offices are located in Hanover, Massachusetts while the remaining administrative and operations locations are housed in several different campuses. Additionally, the Bank operates a number of commercial banking and mortgage lending centers, as well as investment management offices not associated with a branch location throughout the Bank’s footprint.

For additional information regarding the Bank’s premises and equipment and lease obligations, see Notes 4, “Bank Premises and Equipment” and 16 “Leases,”respectively, within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

At December 31, 2024, Rockland Trust was involved in pending lawsuits that arose in the ordinary course of business. Management has reviewed these pending lawsuits with legal counsel and has taken into consideration the view of counsel as to their outcome. In the opinion of management, the final disposition of such pending lawsuits is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

(a.) Independent Bank Corp.’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol INDB. The Company declared aggregate cash dividends of $2.28 and $2.20 per share in 2024 and in 2023, respectively. The ratio of dividends paid to earnings in 2024 and 2023 was 50.08% and 40.92%, respectively.

Payment of dividends by the Company on its common stock is subject to various regulatory restrictions and guidelines. Since substantially all of the funds available for the payment of dividends are derived from the Bank, future dividends will depend on the earnings of the Bank, its financial condition, its need for funds, applicable governmental policies and regulations, and other such matters as the Board of Directors deems appropriate. Management believes that the Bank will continue to generate adequate earnings to continue to pay comparable common dividends on a quarterly basis.

As of February 24, 2025, there were 42,605,296 shares of common stock outstanding which were held by approximately 3,846 holders of record. The number of record-holders may not reflect the number of persons or entities holding stock in nominee name through banks, brokerage firms, and other nominees. The closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2024, the last trading day of the year, was $64.19.

Comparative Stock Performance Graph

The stock performance graph below and associated table compare the cumulative total shareholder return of the Company’s common stock from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2024 to the cumulative total return of the NASDAQ Composite Index (U.S. Companies), the KBW NASDAQ Bank Index, and the KBW NASDAQ Regional Banking Index. The lines in the graph and the numbers in the table below represent yearly index levels derived from compounded daily returns that

include reinvestment or retention of all dividends. If the yearly interval, based on the last day of a fiscal year, was not a trading day, the preceding trading day was used. The index value for all of the series was set to 100.00 on December 31, 2019 (which assumes that $100.00 was invested in each of the series on December 31, 2019).

The following information in this Item 5 of this Report is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under the Exchange Act or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act and will not be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into such a filing. The stock price performance shown on the stock performance graph and associated table below is not necessarily indicative of future price performance. Information used in the graph and table was obtained from a third-party provider, a source believed to be reliable, but the Company is not responsible for any errors or omissions in such information.

The following chart depicts the total return performance of the Company:

(b.) Not applicable

(c.) The following table sets forth information regarding the Company’s repurchases of its common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2024:

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

October 1 to October 31, 2024 — $ — — $ —

November 1 to November 30, 2024 — — — $ —

(1) These shares were surrendered in connection with the vesting of equity compensation grants to satisfy related tax withholding obligations.

The Company completed its previously announced stock buyback plan during the first quarter of 2024, and there were no active repurchase plans as of December 31, 2024.

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The Company is a state chartered, federally registered bank holding company, incorporated in 1985. The Company is the sole stockholder of Rockland Trust, a Massachusetts trust company chartered in 1907. For a full list of corporate entities see Item 1 “Business — General.”

All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain amounts in prior year financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation, including the following:

•the Company reclassified its portfolio of loans secured by owner-occupied commercial real estate to the commercial and industrial loan category to more appropriately reflect the variation in the management and underlying risk profile of such loans compared with investor-owned commercial real estate loans; and

•the Company combined the presentation of “Software maintenance” and “Subscriptions” costs into “Software and subscriptions” costs within Non-interest expense within the Consolidated Statements of Income. Previously, “Subscriptions” costs were included within “Other noninterest expenses”.

The following should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes.

Executive Level Overview

Management evaluates the Company’s operating results and financial condition using measures that include net income, earnings per share, return on assets and equity, return on tangible common equity, net interest margin, tangible book value per share, asset quality indicators, and many others. These metrics are used by management to make key decisions regarding the Company’s balance sheet, liquidity, interest rate sensitivity, and capital resources and assist with identifying opportunities for improving the Company’s financial position or operating results. The Company focuses on organic growth, but will also consider growth through acquisition. Any potential acquisition opportunities are evaluated for the potential to provide a satisfactory financial return as well as other criteria (ease of integration, synergies, geographical location).

On December 9, 2024, the Company announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement with Enterprise Bancorp, Inc. (“Enterprise”), which is currently expected to close in the second half of 2025. The closing of the Enterprise acquisition is subject to certain conditions including approval of the transaction by Enterprise shareholders, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions.

2024 Results

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $192.1 million, or $4.52 on a diluted earnings per share basis, as compared to $239.5 million, or $5.42, on a diluted earnings per share basis for the year ended December 31, 2023, representing decreases of 19.8% and 16.6%, respectively. Financial results for 2024 also reflected pre-tax merger-related costs of $1.9 million associated with the Company’s pending acquisition of Enterprise. Excluding these merger-related costs and the related tax effects, full year 2024 operating net income was $193.4 million, or $4.55, on a diluted earnings per share basis. No such adjustments were included in the Company’s full year 2023 results. See “Non-GAAP Measures” below for a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures.

Full year 2024 results reflected the following key drivers:

•Net interest margin compression of 26 basis points as compared to the full year 2023;

•Loan growth of 1.6%;

•Deposit growth of 3.0%;

•Provision for credit loss primarily impacted by loss exposure in the commercial portfolios;

•Strong fee income; with wealth assets under administration surpassing the $7.0 billion mark;

•Focused expense management; and

•Strong capital levels, with tangible book value growth of $2.83 for the year.

Interest-Earning Assets

The results depicted in the following table reflect the trend of the Company’s interest-earning assets over the past five years and reflect a longer term overall strategy that typically emphasizes loan growth commensurate with overall economic growth. Compared to the prior year, the composition of interest-earning assets at December 31, 2024 primarily reflects growth in the residential real estate and commercial loan portfolios, as well as decreased securities balances reflecting paydowns, calls and maturities. The following table summarizes the Company’s average interest-earning assets for each year presented:

Management strives to be disciplined about loan pricing and considers interest rate sensitivity when generating loan assets. In addition, management takes a disciplined approach to credit underwriting, seeking to avoid undue credit risk and credit losses.

Funding and the Net Interest Margin

The Company’s overall sources of funding reflect strong business and retail deposit growth with a management emphasis on core deposit growth to fund loans. In conjunction with deposit growth, total borrowings decreased by $517.0 million at December 31, 2024 as compared to December 31, 2023, driven by a reduction in Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings, along with the full redemption of $50.0 million in subordinated debentures during the first quarter of 2024. For further details surrounding the Company’s liquidity risks and related strategy, see “Risk Management – Liquidity Risk” section below within Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations within this Report. The following chart shows the period end balances of the Company’s funding sources for each of the trailing five years:

The Company’s ratio of core deposits to total deposits decreased during 2023 and 2024, primarily attributable to the broader industry demand shift from core deposits to higher yielding time deposits. The following chart shows the percentage of core deposits to total deposits for the trailing five years:

(1) The percentage of core deposits to total deposits presented above is inclusive of reciprocal money market deposits collected through the Company’s participation in the IntraFi Network.

The following table shows the net interest margin and cost of deposits trends for the trailing five year period, reflecting the 2024 impact from overall increases in deposit rates and the correlating direct impact on net interest margin:

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income is primarily comprised of deposit account fees, interchange and ATM fees, investment management fees and mortgage banking income. The following chart shows the components of noninterest income over the past five years:

Expense Control

Management seeks to take a balanced approach to noninterest expense control by monitoring ongoing operating expenses while making needed capital expenditures and prudently investing in growth initiatives. The Company’s primary expenses arise from Rockland Trust’s employee salaries and benefits, as well as expenses associated with buildings and equipment.

The following chart depicts the Company’s efficiency ratio on a GAAP basis (calculated by dividing noninterest expense by the sum of noninterest income and net interest income), as well as the Company’s efficiency ratio on a non-GAAP operating basis, (calculated by dividing noninterest expense, excluding certain noncore items, by the sum of noninterest income, excluding certain noncore items, and net interest income) over the past five years:

*See “Non-GAAP Measures” below for a reconciliation to GAAP financial measures.

Capital

The Company’s approach with respect to revenue and expense is designed to promote long-term earnings growth, which in turn contributes to capital growth. Capital balances during 2024 were impacted primarily by earnings retention, dividends, changes in other comprehensive income, and opportunistic share repurchases. The following chart shows the Company’s book value and tangible book value per share over the past five years:

*See “Non-GAAP Measures” below for a reconciliation to GAAP financial measures.

Cash dividends declared by the Company increased from an aggregate of $2.20 per share in 2023 to $2.28 per share in 2024, representing an increase of 3.6%. During the first quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased 532,266 shares of its common stock for $31.0 million at an average price per share of $58.22, marking the completion of a $100 million buyback program announced in October 2023.

Non-GAAP Measures

When management assesses the Company’s financial performance for purposes of making day-to-day and strategic decisions, it does so based upon the performance of its core banking business, which is primarily derived from the combination of net interest income and noninterest or fee income, reduced by operating expenses, the provision for credit losses, and the impact of income taxes and other noncore items shown in the table that follows. There are items that impact the Company’s results that management believes are unrelated to its core banking business such as gains or losses on the sales of securities, merger and acquisition expenses, provision for credit losses on acquired portfolios, loss on extinguishment of debt, impairment and other items. Management, therefore, excludes items management considers to be noncore when computing the Company’s non-GAAP operating earnings and operating EPS, noninterest income on an operating basis and efficiency ratio on an operating basis. Management believes excluding these items facilitates greater visibility into the Company’s core banking business and underlying trends that may, to some extent, be obscured by inclusion of such items.

INDB US Equity

INDB · 10-K · period ended 2024-12-31

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

INDB US Equity☆

INDB · 10-K · period ended 2024-12-31

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

INDB US Equity