tmp-20211231
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
________________________________________________
FORM 10-K
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021
For the transition period from ______to ______
Commission File Number 1-12709
Tompkins Financial Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
118 E. Seneca Street, P.O. Box 460, Ithaca, NY
(Address of principal executive offices)
14851
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (888) 503-5753
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock ($.10 Par Value Per Share) TMP NYSE American
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 Securities Act. Yes ☐No☒.
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 ☐No☒.
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. Yes ☐No☒.
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 (S232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☒ No ☐.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a nonaccelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer", "accelerated filer", "nonaccelerated filer", "smaller reporting company", and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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. ☐
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 (15 U.S.C. 7262(b))by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒.
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates was $931.7 million on June 30, 2021, based on the closing sales price of a share of the registrant’s common stock, $.10 par value (the “Common Stock”), as reported on the NYSE American, on such date.
The number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of February 28, 2022, was 14,584,596 shares.
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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to its 2022 Annual Meeting of stockholders, to be held on May 10, 2022, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K where indicated.
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TOMPKINS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
Annual Report on Form 10-K
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021
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PART I Page
Item 1. Business 1
Item 1A. Risk Factors 13
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 23
Item 2. Properties 23
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 23
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 23
Information About Our Executive Officers 24
PART II
Item 6. Reserved 28
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 55
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 58
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 129
Item 9B. Other Information 129
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 129
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance 130
Item 11. Executive Compensation 130
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 131
Part IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 131
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PART I
Item 1. Business
The disclosures set forth in this Item 1. Business are qualified by the section captioned “Forward-Looking Statements” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this Report and other cautionary statements set forth elsewhere in this Report.
General
Tompkins Financial Corporation (“Tompkins” or the “Company”) is headquartered in Ithaca, New York and is registered as a financial holding company with the Federal Reserve Board under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. At December 31, 2021, the Company’s subsidiaries included four wholly-owned banking subsidiaries, Tompkins Trust Company (the “Trust Company”), The Bank of Castile (DBA Tompkins Bank of Castile), Mahopac Bank (DBA Tompkins Mahopac Bank), and VIST Bank (DBA Tompkins VIST Bank).Effective January 1, 2022, the Company’s four wholly-owned banking subsidiaries were combined into one bank, with The Bank of Castile, Mahopac Bank, and VIST Bank merging with and into the Trust Company with the Trust Company as the surviving institution. Immediately following the merger, the Trust Company changed its name to "Tompkins Community Bank."
The Company is a locally oriented, community-based financial services organization that offers a full array of products and services, including commercial and consumer banking, leasing, trust and investment management, financial planning and wealth management, and insurance.Banking services consist primarily of attracting deposits from the areas served by the Company’s 63banking offices (43 offices in New York and 20 offices in Pennsylvania), and using those deposits to originate a variety of commercial loans, agricultural loans, consumer loans, real estate loans, and leases in those same areas. The Company has a wholly-owned insurance agency subsidiary, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc. (“Tompkins Insurance”). Tompkins Community Bank provides a full array of trust and investment services under the Tompkins Financial Advisors brand, including investment management, trust and estate, financial and tax planning as well as life, disability and long-term care insurance services. The Company’s principal offices are located at 118 E. Seneca St., P.O. Box 460, Ithaca, New York, 14850, and its telephone number is (888) 503-5753. The Company’s common stock is traded on the NYSE American under the symbol “TMP.”
Tompkins was organized in 1995, under the laws of the State of New York, as a bank holding company for the Trust Company, a commercial bank that has operated in Ithaca, New York and surrounding communities since 1836.
The Tompkins strategy centers around its core values and a commitment to delivering long-term value to our clients, communities, and shareholders. A key strategic initiative for the Company is a focus on responsible and sustainable growth, including initiatives to grow organically through our current businesses, as well as through possible acquisitions of financial institutions, branches, and financial services businesses. As such, the Company has acquired, and from time to time considers acquiring, banks, thrift institutions, branch offices of banks or thrift institutions, or other businesses that would complement the Company’s business or its geographic reach. The Company generally targets merger or acquisition partners that are culturally similar and have experienced management and possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability through financial management, economies of scale and expanded services. The Company has pursued acquisition opportunities in the past, and continues to review new opportunities.
The Company also has defined strategic initiatives around digital delivery of services to meet the changing needs of client expectations, while maintaining our commitment to excellence in the delivery of personal service when self-serve options are unable to meet the needs of our clients. Our strategy includes a focus on building a scalable foundation based on a continuous improvement approach necessary for our long term success. This foundation will include investments in automation, analytics and security to drive ongoing consistency, efficiency, and security in our operations. We also recognize the need to develop and acquire talent that is well prepared to succeed in our changing industry. Initiatives in this area include a focus on characteristics such as collaboration, innovation and agility, while also promoting and embracing diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workforce.
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Narrative Description of Business
The Company has identified three business segments, consisting of banking, insurance and wealth management.
Banking services consist primarily of attracting deposits from the areas served by the Company’s banking subsidiary and using those deposits to originate a variety of commercial loans, agricultural loans, consumer loans, real estate loans, and leases in those same areas. The Company’s lending function is managed within the guidelines of a comprehensive Board of Directors-approved lending policy. Policies and procedures are reviewed on a regular basis. Reporting systems are in place to provide management with ongoing information related to loan production, loan quality, concentrations of credit, loan delinquencies and nonperforming and potential problem loans. The Company has an independent third party loan review process that reviews and validates the risk identification and assessment made by the lenders and credit personnel. The results of these reviews are presented to the Board of Directors of the Company’s banking subsidiary, and the Company’s Audit and Examining Committee.
The Company’s principal expenses are interest on deposits, interest on borrowings, and operating and general administrative expenses, as well as provisions for credit loss expenses. Funding sources, other than deposits, include borrowings, securities sold under agreements to repurchase, and cash flow from lending and investing activities. The Company’s principal source of revenue is interest income on loans and securities.
The Company maintains a portfolio of securities such as U.S. Treasury securities, obligations of U.S. government agencies and U.S. government sponsored entities, obligations of states and political subdivisions thereof, and equity securities. Management typically invests in securities with short to intermediate average lives in order to better match the interest rate sensitivities of its assets and liabilities. Investment decisions are made within policy guidelines established by the Company’s Board of Directors. The investment policy is based on the asset/liability management goals of the Company, and is monitored by the Company’s Asset/Liability Management Committee. The intent of the policy is to establish a portfolio of high quality diversified securities, which optimizes net interest income within safety and liquidity limits deemed acceptable by the Asset/Liability Management Committee.
The Company has operated its insurance agency subsidiary, Tompkins Insurance, since 2001. Insurance services include property and casualty insurance, employee benefit consulting, life, long-term care and disability insurance. Tompkins Insurance is headquartered in Batavia, New York. Over the years, Tompkins Insurance has acquired smaller insurance agencies in the market areas served by Tompkins Community Bank and successfully consolidated them into Tompkins Insurance. Tompkins Insurance offers services to customers of Tompkins Community Bank by sharing offices with Tompkins Community Bank. In addition to these shared offices, Tompkins Insurance has five stand-alone offices in Western New York, and one stand-alone office in Tompkins County, New York.
Wealth management services consist of investment management, trust and estate, financial and tax planning as well as life, disability and long-term care insurance services. Wealth management services are provided under the trade name Tompkins Financial Advisors. Tompkins Financial Advisors has office locations, and services are available, at certain of Tompkins Community Bank's branch locations.
Subsidiaries
Tompkins Community Bank
At December 31, 2021, the Company’s subsidiaries included four wholly-owned banking subsidiaries, the Trust Company, The Bank of Castile (DBA Tompkins Bank of Castile), Mahopac Bank (DBA Tompkins Mahopac Bank), and VIST Bank (DBA Tompkins VIST Bank).Effective January 1, 2022, the Company’s four wholly-owned banking subsidiaries were combined into one bank, with The Bank of Castile, Mahopac Bank, and VIST Bank merging with and into the Trust Company with the Trust Company as the surviving institution. Immediately following the merger, the Trust Company changed its name to "Tompkins Community Bank." Tompkins Community Bank operates 63 branches, 43 branches in New York, and 20 located in Pennsylvania. Tompkins has operated in Ithaca, New York and surrounding communities since 1836.
Tompkins Community Bank provides wealth management services through Tompkins Financial Advisors (“TFA”), a division of Tompkins Community Bank. As of December 31, 2021, Tompkins Community Bank had consolidated total assets of $7.8 billion, consolidated total loans of $5.1 billion, and consolidated total deposits of $6.8 billion.A description of markets served by Tompkins Community Bank are included below:
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Tompkins Central New York ("CNY")
We operate 13 branches in our CNY market, with the largest market area being Tompkins County, which has a population of approximately 102,000. Education plays a significant role in the Tompkins County economy with Cornell University and Ithaca College being two of the county’s major employers. Tompkins Community Bank has a full-service office in Cortland, New York and a full-service office in Auburn, New York. Both of these offices are located in counties contiguous to Tompkins County. Tompkins Community Bank also has a full service branch in Fayetteville, New York which is located in Onondaga County. As of December 31, 2021, our CNY market accounted for total assets of $2.5 billion, total loans of $1.4 billion and total deposits of $2.1 billion.
Tompkins Western New York ("WNY")
We operate 16 banking offices in our WNY market, in towns situated in and around the areas commonly known as the Genesee Valley region of New York State. The main business office for WNY is located in Batavia, New York and is shared with Tompkins Insurance. Our WNY market is a six-county market, much of which is rural in nature, but also includes Monroe County (population approximately 744,000), where the city of Rochester is located, and Erie County (population approximately 917,000) located near Buffalo, New York. The population of the counties in our WNY market, other than Monroe and Erie, is approximately 198,000. As of December 31, 2021, our WNY market accounted for total assets of $1.9 billion, total loans of $1.3 billion and total deposits of $1.7 billion.
Tompkins Hudson Valley New York ("HV")
We operate 14 banking offices in our HV market. The 14 banking offices include 5 full-service offices in Putnam County, New York, 3 full-service offices in Dutchess County, New York, and 6 full-service offices in Westchester County, New York. Putnam County has a population of approximately 97,000 and is about 60 miles north of Manhattan. Dutchess County has a population of approximately 295,000, and Westchester County has a population of approximately 966,000. As of December 31, 2021, our HV market accounted for total assets of $1.6 billion, total loans of $1.1 billion and total deposits of $1.3 billion.
Tompkins Pennsylvania ("PA")
PA operates 20 banking offices in Pennsylvania, including one limited-service office. The 20 banking offices include 12 offices in Berks County, 5 offices in Montgomery County, 1 office in Philadelphia County, 1 office in Delaware County and 1 office in Schuylkill County. The population of the counties served by PA is Philadelphia: 1.6 million, Montgomery: 839,000, Delaware: 570,000, Berks: 422,000 and Schuylkill: 140,000. The main office is located in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2021, our PA market accounted for total assets of $1.9 billion, total loans of $1.3 billion and total deposits of $1.7 billion.
Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc.
Tompkins Insurance is headquartered in Batavia, New York.Insurance services include property and casualty insurance, employee benefit consulting, and life, long-term care and disability insurance. Over the years, Tompkins Insurance has acquired smaller insurance agencies in the market areas served by Tompkins Community Bank and successfully consolidated them into Tompkins Insurance. Tompkins Insurance offers services to customers of the Tompkins Community Bank by sharing offices with in Western New York, Central New York and Pennsylvania. In addition to these shared offices, Tompkins Insurance has five stand-alone offices in Western New York.
Competition
Competition for commercial banking and other financial services is strong in the Company’s market areas. In one or more aspects of its business, Tompkins Community Bank competes with other commercial banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, finance companies, internet-based financial services companies, mutual funds, insurance companies, brokerage and investment banking companies, and other financial intermediaries. Some of these competitors have substantially greater resources and lending capabilities and may offer services that the Company does not currently provide. In addition, many of the Company’s non-bank competitors are not subject to the same extensive Federal regulations that govern financial holding companies and Federally-insured banks.
Competition among financial institutions is based upon interest rates offered on deposit accounts, interest rates charged on loans and other credit and service charges, the quality and scope of the services rendered, the convenience of facilities and services, and, in the case of loans to commercial borrowers, relative lending limits. Management believes that a community-based financial organization is better positioned to establish personalized financial relationships with both commercial customers and individual households. The Company’s community commitment and involvement in its primary market areas, as well as its
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commitment to quality and personalized financial services, are factors that contribute to the Company’s competitiveness. Management believes that Tompkins Community Bank can compete successfully in its primary market areas by making prudent lending decisions quickly and more efficiently than its competitors, without compromising asset quality or profitability. In addition, the Company focuses on providing unparalleled customer service, which includes offering a strong suite of products and services, including products that are accessible to our customers through digital means. Although management feels that this business model has caused the Company to grow its customer base in recent years and allows it to compete effectively in the markets it serves, we cannot assure you that such factors will result in future success.
Supervision and Regulation
Regulatory Agencies
As a registered financial holding company, the Company is regulated under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 as amended (“BHC Act”), and is subject to examination and comprehensive regulation by the Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”). The Company is also subject to the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and is subject to disclosure and regulatory requirements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Company's activities, or those of its subsidiary bank, Tompkins Community Bank, are also subject to regulation under the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act (which governs disclosures of credit terms to consumer borrowers), the Truth-in-Savings Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (which governs the manner in which consumer debts may be collected by collection agencies), the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (which requires financial institutions to provide certain information about home mortgage and refinanced loans), the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts and practices in or affecting commerce), the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, as well as other federal, state and local laws. The Company’s common stock is traded on the NYSE American under the Symbol “TMP” and as a result the Company is subject to the rules of the NYSE American for listed companies.
Tompkins Community Bank is subject to examination and comprehensive regulation by various regulatory authorities, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), and the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYSDFS”). Each of these agencies issue regulations and requires the filing of reports describing the activities and financial condition of the entities under its jurisdiction. Likewise, such agencies conduct examinations on a recurring basis to evaluate the safety and soundness of the institutions, and to test compliance with various regulatory requirements, including: consumer protection, privacy, fair lending, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, sales of non-deposit investments, electronic data processing, and trust department activities.
The Company’s insurance subsidiary is subject to examination and regulation by the NYSDFS and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
The Company’s wealth management subsidiary is subject to examination and regulation by various regulatory agencies. The trust division of Tompkins Community Bank is subject to examination and comprehensive regulation by the FDIC and NYSDFS.
Federal Home Loan Bank System
The Federal Home Loan Banks (the FHLBs) are a group of cooperatives that lending institutions use to finance housing and economic development in local communities. We are a member of the FHLB of New York ("FHLBNY"). FHLB members are required to maintain a minimum investment in capital stock of the applicable FHLB. The board of directors of the FHLBNY may increase the minimum investment requirements in the event it has concluded that additional capital is required to allow it to meet its own regulatory capital requirements. Any increase in the minimum investment requirements outside of specified ranges requires the approval of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Because the extent of any obligation to increase our investment in the FHLBNY depends entirely upon the occurrence of a future event, the amount of any future investment in the capital stock of the FHLBNY is not determinable.
Regulatory Reform
Various legislation, some of which may be extensive and comprehensive in nature, is introduced in Congress and New York's legislature from time to time. Such legislation may change applicable statues and the operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways. We cannot determine the ultimate effect that future legislation or implementing regulations would have upon our financial condition or upon our results of operations or the result of operations of any of our subsidiaries.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) by way of example, contains a comprehensive set of provisions designed to govern the practices and oversight of financial institutions and other
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participants in the financial markets. The Dodd-Frank Act made extensive changes in the regulation of financial institutions and their holding companies. Some of the changes brought about by the Dodd-Frank Act have been modified by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (the "Regulatory Relief Act"), signed into law on May 24, 2018.
Debit-Card Interchange Fees
FRB regulations mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act limit interchange fees on debit cards to a maximum of 21 cents per transaction plus 5 basis points of the transaction amount. Issuers that, together with their affiliates, have less than $10 billion in assets, such as the Company, are exempt from the debit card interchange fee standards. However, FRB regulations prohibit all card issuers, including Tompkins Community Bank, from restricting the number of networks over which electronic debit transactions may be processed to fewer than two unaffiliated networks, or inhibiting a merchant's ability to direct the routing of the electronic debit transaction over any network that the card issuer has enabled to process them.
Volcker Rule
The Dodd-Frank Act required the federal financial regulatory agencies to adopt rules that prohibit banks and their affiliates from engaging in proprietary trading and investing in certain covered funds. The statutory provision is commonly called the “Volcker Rule,” and is not applicable to depository institutions and their holding companies whose total assets do not exceed $10 billion. As of December 31, 2021, the Company's total assets on a consolidated basis did not exceed $10 billion.
Federal Bank Holding Company Regulation
We are a bank holding company subject to regulation under the BHC Act and the examination and reporting requirements of the FRB. In general, the BHC Act limits the business of bank holding companies to banking, managing or controlling banks and other activities that the FRB has determined to be so closely related to banking. In addition, we have elected to be treated as a financial holding company under the BHC Act and therefore may engage in any activity, or acquire and retain the shares of a company engaged in any activity, that is either (i) financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity (as determined by the FRB in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury) or (ii) complementary to a financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally (as solely determined by the FRB), without prior approval of the FRB.
If a bank holding company elects to be treated as a financial holding company, as we have, (i) the bank holding company and all of its depository institution subsidiaries must be “well-capitalized” and “well-managed,” as defined in the FRB's Regulation Y and (ii) the bank holding company must file a declaration with the FRB that it elects to be a “financial holding company,” which we have done. To maintain financial holding company status, a financial holding company and all of its depository institution subsidiaries must be “well capitalized” and “well managed.” A depository institution subsidiary is considered to be “well capitalized” if it satisfies the requirements for this status discussed in the section captioned “Capital Adequacy and Prompt Corrective Action,” below. A depository institution subsidiary is considered “well managed” if it received a composite rating and management rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination. A financial holding company’s status will also depend upon it maintaining its status as “well capitalized” and “well managed” under applicable FRB regulations. If a financial holding company ceases to meet these capital and management requirements, the FRB’s regulations provide that the financial holding company must enter into an agreement with the FRB to comply with all applicable capital and management requirements. Until the financial holding company returns to compliance, the FRB may impose limitations or conditions on the conduct of its activities, and the company may not commence any of the broader financial activities permissible for financial holding companies or acquire a company engaged in such financial activities without prior approval of the FRB. If the company does not return to compliance within 180 days, the FRB may require divestiture of the holding company’s depository institutions. Bank holding companies and banks must also be “well-capitalized” and “well-managed” in order to acquire banks located outside their home state.
In order for a financial holding company to commence any new activity permitted by the BHC Act or to acquire a company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHC Act, each insured depository institution subsidiary of the financial holding company must have received a rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”). See the section captioned “Community Reinvestment Act”, below.
The FRB has the power to order any bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any activity or to terminate its ownership or control of any subsidiary when the FRB has reasonable grounds to believe that continuation of such activity or such ownership or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness, safety or stability of any bank subsidiary of the bank holding company.
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Share Repurchases and Dividends
The ability of the Company to pay dividends on or to repurchase its common stock, and the ability of the Bank to pay dividends to the Company, may be restricted due to several factors including: (a) applicable federal and state corporate law and banking codes, (b) covenants contained in our subordinated debentures and borrowing agreements, and (c) the regulatory authority of the FRB, the FDIC, and the NYSDFS. Our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders or to repurchase shares of our common stock is subject to the restrictions set forth in applicable corporate laws.
Notification to the FRB is required prior to our declaring and paying a cash dividend to our stockholders during any period in which our quarterly and/or cumulative twelve‐month net earnings are insufficient to fund the dividend amount, among other requirements. Under such circumstances, we may not pay a dividend should the FRB object until such time as we receive approval from the FRB or no longer need to provide notice under applicable regulations. In addition, prior approval of the FRB may be required in certain circumstances prior to our repurchasing shares of our common stock.
In connection with the decision regarding dividends and share repurchase programs, our Board will take into account general business conditions, our financial results, projected cash flows, capital requirements, contractual, legal and regulatory restrictions on the payment of dividends by Tompkins Community Bank to the Company and such other factors as deemed relevant. We can provide no assurance that we will continue to declare dividends on a quarterly basis, or otherwise, or to repurchase shares of our common stock. The declaration of dividends by the Company is subject to the discretion of our Board.
The Company's primary source of liquidity is the receipt of cash dividends from Tompkins Community Bank. Various statutes and regulations limit the availability of cash dividends from Tompkins Community Bank and the dividends paid by Tompkins Community Bank are regulated by the NYSDFS and the FDIC under their general supervisory authority as it relates to a bank''s capital requirements. Tompkins Community Bank may declare a dividend without the approval of the NYSDFS and FDIC as long as the total dividends declared in a calendar year do not exceed the net income for the current fiscal year, plus the retained net income for the prior two fiscal years,.
Transactions with Affiliates and Other Related Parties
Transactions between Tompkins Community Bank and its affiliates are regulated under federal banking law. Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Federal Reserve Act and its implementing regulations. found at Regulation W, a bank may enter into "covered transactions" with its affiliates if the aggregate amount of the covered transactions with any single affiliate does not exceed 10 percent of the bank's capital stock and surplus or 20 percent of the bank's capital stock and surplus for covered transactions with all affiliates. Covered transactions include, among other things, extension of credit, the investment in securities, the purchase of assets, the acceptance of collateral or the issuance of a guaranty. The Dodd-Frank Act significantly expanded the coverage and scope of the limitations on affiliate transactions within a banking organization. Additionally, most transactions that a bank engages in with an affiliate, including where an affiliate performs a service for the bank, must be on similar terms and conditions as the bank would agree to with a non-affiliate.
Tompkins Community Bank's authority to extend credit to its directors, executive officers and 10% shareholders (collectively, "Reg O Insiders"), as well as to entities controlled by such persons, is governed by the requirements of Sections 22(g) and 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation O as promulgated by the FRB. Among other things, these provisions require that extensions of credit to Reg O Insiders (i) be made on terms that are substantially the same as, and follow credit underwriting procedures that are not less stringent than, those prevailing for comparable transactions with persons or entities that are not Reg O Insiders (or their related parties), and that do not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features; and (ii) not exceed certain limitations on the amount of credit extended to such persons, individually and in the aggregate, which limits are based, in part, on the amount of the bank’s capital. In addition, extensions of credit in excess of certain limits must be approved by the bank’s board of directors. Additional restrictions apply to extensions of credit to executive officers of Tompkins Community Bank.
Mergers and Acquisitions
The BHC Act, the Bank Merger Act, the Change in Bank Control Act and other federal and state statutes regulate acquisitions of interests in commercial banks. The BHC Act requires the prior approval of the FRB for the direct or indirect acquisition by a bank holding company of more than 5.0% of the voting shares of a commercial bank or its parent holding company and for a person, other than a bank holding company, to acquire 25% or more of any class of voting securities of a bank or bank holding company. Under the Bank Merger Act, the prior approval of the appropriate bank regulatory agencies is required for a member bank to merge with another bank or purchase the assets or assume the deposits of another bank. In reviewing applications seeking approval of merger and acquisition transactions, the bank regulatory authorities will consider, among other things, the competitive effect and public benefits of the transactions, the capital position of the combined organization, the risks to the stability of the U.S. banking or financial system, the applicant’s performance record under the CRA (see the section captioned
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“Community Reinvestment Act” included elsewhere in this item) and fair housing laws and the effectiveness of the subject organizations in combating money laundering activities.
Source of Strength Doctrine
The Dodd-Frank Act requires bank holding companies to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to their subsidiary banks. Under this requirement, Tompkins is expected to commit resources to support Tompkins Community Bank, including at times when it may not be advantageous for Tompkins to do so. Any capital loans by a bank holding company to a subsidiary bank are subordinated in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary banks. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to priority of payment.
Capital Adequacy and Prompt Corrective Action
Bank holding companies and banks are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by state and federal agencies. These agencies may establish higher minimum requirements if, for example, a banking organization previously has received special attention or has a high susceptibility to interest rate risk. Risk-based capital requirements determine the adequacy of capital based on the risk inherent in various classes of assets and off-balance sheet items. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve must apply consolidated capital requirements to depository institution holding companies that are no less stringent than those currently applied to depository institutions. The Dodd-Frank Act additionally requires capital requirements to be counter-cyclical so that the required amount of capital increases in times of economic expansion and decreases in times of economic contraction, consistent with safety and soundness.
Under federal regulations, bank holding companies and banks must meet certain risk-based capital requirements. Effective as of January 1, 2015, the Basel III final capital framework, among other things, (i) introduces as a new capital measure “Common Equity Tier 1” (“CET1”), (ii) specifies that Tier 1 capital consists of CET1 and “Additional Tier 1 capital” instruments meeting specified requirements, (iii) defines CET1 narrowly by requiring that most adjustments to regulatory capital measures be made to CET1 and not to the other components of capital and (iv) expands the scope of the adjustments as compared to existing regulations.
Beginning January 1, 2016, financial institutions were required to maintain a minimum “capital conservation buffer” to avoid restrictions on capital distributions such as dividends and equity repurchases and other payments such as discretionary bonuses to executive officers. The minimum capital conservation buffer, has been phased in over a four year transition period with minimum buffers of 0.625%, 1.25%, 1.875%, and 2.50% during 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively.
As fully phased in on January 1, 2019, the Basel III Capital Rules require Tompkins to maintain (i) a minimum ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets of 4.5%, plus a 2.5% capital conservation buffer (resulting in a minimum ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets of 7.0%), (ii) a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk- weighted assets of 6.0%, plus the capital conservation buffer (resulting in a minimum Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.5%), (iii) a minimum ratio of Total capital (that is, Tier 1 plus Tier 2) to risk-weighted assets of 8.0%, plus the capital conservation buffer (resulting in a minimum total capital ratio of 10.5%), and (iv) a minimum leverage ratio of 4.0%, calculated as the ratio of Tier 1 capital to average assets. Banking institutions that fail to meet the effective minimum ratios once the capital conservation buffer is taken into account, as detailed above, will be subject to constraints on capital distributions, including dividends and share repurchases, and certain discretionary executive compensation. The severity of the constraints depends on the amount of the shortfall and the institution’s “eligible retained income” (that is, the greater of (i) net income for the preceding four quarters, net of distributions and associated tax effects not reflected in net income and (ii) average net income over the preceding four quarters).
The Basel III Capital Rules also provide for a “countercyclical capital buffer” that is applicable to only certain covered institutions and is not expected to apply to Tompkins for the foreseeable future.
The Basel III Capital Rules imposed stricter regulatory capital deductions from and adjustments to capital, with most deductions and adjustments taken against CET1 capital. These include, for example, the requirement that (i) mortgage servicing assets, net of associated deferred tax liabilities; (ii) deferred tax assets, which cannot be realized through net operating loss carrybacks, net of any relative valuation allowances and net of deferred tax liabilities; and (iii) significant investments (i.e. 10% or greater ownership) in unconsolidated financial institutions be deducted from CET1 to the extent that any one such category exceeds 10% of CET1 or all such categories in the aggregate exceed 15% of CET1. Implementation of the deductions and other adjustments to CET1 began on January 1, 2015. The deductions were phased-in over a four-year period, beginning on January 1, 2015 and concluding on January 1, 2019.
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Under the Basel III Capital Rules, the effect of certain accumulated other comprehensive items are not excluded, which could result in significant variations in the level of capital depending upon the impact of interest rate fluctuations on the fair value of the Company’s securities portfolio. Contained within the rule was a one-time option to permanently opt-out of the inclusion of accumulated other comprehensive income in the capital calculation based upon asset size. Tompkins decided to opt out of this requirement in January 2015.
The Basel III Capital Rules also required the phase-out of certain hybrid securities, such as trust preferred securities, as Tier 1 capital of bank holding companies. However, because the trust preferred securities held by Tompkins were issued prior to May 19, 2010, and because Tompkins’ total consolidated assets were less than $15.0 billion as of December 31, 2009, these trust preferred securities are permanently grandfathered under the final rule and may continue to be included as Tier 1 capital.
In February 2019, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued a final rule (the “2019 CECL Rule”) that revised certain capital regulations to account for changes to credit loss accounting under U.S. GAAP. The 2019 CECL Rule included a transition option that allows banking organizations to phase in, over a three-year period, the day-one adverse effects of adopting a new accounting standard related to the measurement of current expected credit losses (“CECL”) on their regulatory capital ratios (three-year transition option). In March 2020, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued an interim final rule that maintains the three-year transition option of the 2019 CECL Rule and also provides banking organizations that were required under U.S. GAAP (as of January 2020) to implement CECL before the end of 2020 the option to delay for two years an estimate of the effect of CECL on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology’s effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period (five-year transition option). We elected to adopt the five-year transition option; however as of the year ending December 31, 2021, the Company did not maintain a positive modified transition amount and therefore made no adjustment to CET1 for CECL's impact. For the preceding year ending December 31, 2020, a CECL transitional amount totaling $1.6 million was added back to CET1 as of December 31, 2020. The 2020 CECL transitional amount includes a $2.0 million decrease related to the cumulative effect of adopting CECL and a $3.6 million increase related to the estimated incremental effect of CECL since adoption.
Section 38 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”) requires federal banking agencies to take “prompt corrective action” (“PCA”) should an insured depository institution fail to meet certain capital adequacy standards. If an insured depository institution is classified in one of the undercapitalized categories, it is required to submit a capital restoration plan to the appropriate federal banking agency and the holding company must guarantee the performance of that plan. Based upon its capital levels, a bank that is classified as well- capitalized, adequately capitalized or undercapitalized, may be treated as though it were in the next lower capital category if the appropriate federal banking agency, after notice and opportunity for hearing, determines that an unsafe or unsound condition or an unsafe or unsound practice, warrants such treatment.
With respect to Tompkins Community Bank, the Basel III Capital Rules revised the PCA regulations, by: (i) introducing a CET1 ratio requirement at each PCA category (other than critically undercapitalized), with the required CET1 ratio being 6.5% for well-capitalized status; (ii) increasing the minimum Tier 1 capital ratio requirement for each category, with the minimum Tier 1 capital ratio for well-capitalized status being 8% (as compared to 6%); and (iii) eliminating the provision that permitted a bank with a composite supervisory rating of 1 and a 3% leverage ratio to be considered adequately capitalized. The Basel III Capital Rules did not change the total risk-based capital requirement for any PCA category. Additionally, bank holding companies and insured depository institutions may also be subject to potential enforcement actions of varying levels of severity for unsafe or unsound practices in conducting their business or for violation of any law, rule, regulation, condition imposed in writing by federal banking agencies or term of a written agreement with such agency. The Company is in compliance, and management believes that the Company will continue to be in compliance, with the targeted capital ratios as such requirements are phased in.
For further information concerning the regulatory capital requirements, actual capital amounts and the ratios of Tompkins and Tompkins Community Bank, see the discussion in “Note 20 - Regulations and Supervision” in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Report.
Deposit Insurance
Substantially all of the deposits of Tompkins Community Bank's deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) of the FDIC and are subject to deposit insurance assessments to maintain the DIF. The Dodd-Frank Act permanently increased the maximum amount of deposit insurance to $250,000 per deposit category, per depositor, per institution retroactive to January 1, 2008.
Tompkins Community Bank pays deposit insurance premiums to the FDIC based on assessment rates established by the FDIC. The assessment rates are based upon asset size and other risks the institution poses to the Deposit Insurance Fund, or DIF.
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Under this assessment system, risk is defined and measured using an institution’s supervisory ratings with other risk measures, including financial ratios.
In October 2010, the FDIC adopted a new Restoration Plan for the DIF to ensure that the fund reserve ratio reached 1.35% by September 30, 2020, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act. On April 26, 2016, the FDIC adopted a rule amending pricing for deposit insurance for institutions with less than $10 billion in assets effective the quarter after the fund reserve ratio reached 1.15%. The fund reserve ratio reached 1.15% effective as of June 30, 2016. The Dodd-Frank Act required the FDIC to offset the effect of increasing the reserve ratio on insured depository institutions with total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion. In September 2018, the reserve ratio reached 1.36%, at which time banks with assets of less than $10 billion were awarded assessment credits for their portion of their assessments that contributed to the growth in the reserve ratio from 1.15% to 1.35%. When the reserve ratio reached 1.40% in June 2019, the FDIC applied these credits to assessment invoices for banks with assets of less than $10 billion. In 2019 and 2020, the Company's subsidiary banks applied credits of $1.5 million and $121,000, respectively, in the aggregate, to offset deposit insurance expense.
On June 26, 2020, the FDIC adopted a Final Rule to mitigate the effect on deposit insurance assessments resulting from an insured institution’s participation as a lender in the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (PPPLF), and the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMLF). The regulation provides adjustments to remove the effects of participating in PPP, PPPLF, and MMLF on the assessment rate calculation, and an offset to assessments attributable to the MMLF and PPP assessment base increases.
Under the FDIA, the FDIC may terminate deposit insurance upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe and unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC.
FDIC insurance expense totaled $2.8 million, $2.4 million, $733,000 in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase in expense between 2020 and 2019 was due to the deposit insurance credits mentioned above, which were recognized mainly in 2019.
Depositor Preference
The FDIA provides that, in the event of the “liquidation or other resolution” of an insured depository institution, such as Tompkins Community Bank, the claims of depositors of the institution, including the claims of the FDIC, as subrogee of the insured depositors, and certain claims for administrative expenses of the FDIC as receiver, will have priority over other general unsecured claims against the institution. If an insured depository institution fails, insured and uninsured depositors, along with the FDIC, will have priority in payment ahead of unsecured, non-deposit creditors, including the parent bank holding company, with respect to any extensions of credit they have made to such insured depository institutions, as well as the shareholders of the parent bank holding company, who are unlikely to recover in the event a bank holding company's sole bank subsidiary fails.
Community Reinvestment Act
The CRA and the regulations issued thereunder are intended to encourage banks to help meet the credit needs of their entire service area, including low and moderate income neighborhoods, consistent with the safe and sound operations of such banks. These regulations also provide for regulatory assessment of a bank’s record in meeting the needs of its service area when considering applications to establish branches, merger applications and applications to acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of another bank. As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s subsidiary banks all had ratings of satisfactory or better.
In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury issued a memorandum to the federal banking regulators with recommended changes to the CRA’s implementing regulations to reduce their complexity and associated burden on banks. In December 2019, the OCC and FDIC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking intended to (i) clarify which activities qualify for CRA credit; (ii) update where activities count for CRA credit; (iii) create a more transparent and objective method for measuring CRA performance; and (iv) provide for more transparent, consistent, and timely CRA-related data collection, recordkeeping, and reporting. However, the Federal Reserve did not join the proposed rulemaking. In May 2020, the OCC issued its final CRA rule, effective October 1, 2020. The FDIC has not finalized the revisions to its CRA rule. In September 2020, the Federal Reserve Board issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“ANPR”) that invites public comment on an approach to modernize the regulations that implement the CRA by strengthening, clarifying, and tailoring them to reflect the current banking landscape and better meet the core purpose of the CRA. The ANPR seeks feedback on ways to evaluate how banks meet the needs of low- and moderate-income communities and address in equities in credit access. As of this issuance, the FRB has not moved forward in the reulemaking process. In July 2021, the FRB, FDIC, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued an interagency statement committing to joint agency action on CRA. This may signal the additional regulatory action on this issue will be forthcoming in 2022. As such, we will continue to evaluate the impact of any changes to the
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regulations implementing the CRA and their impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and/or liquidity, which cannot be predicted at this time. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of any changes to the regulations implementing the CRA.
Federal Securities Laws
The common stock of the Company is registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Therefore, the Company is subject to the reporting, information disclosure, proxy solicitation and other requirements imposed on public companies by the SEC under the Exchange Act. Additionally, Company insiders are subject to security trading limitations and are required to file insider ownership reports with the SEC. The SEC and NYSE American have adopted regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”) and the Dodd-Frank Act that apply to the Company as an exchange-traded, public company, which seek to improve corporate governance, accounting, and reporting requirements, provide enhanced penalties for financial reporting improprieties and improve the reliability of disclosures in SEC filings. For example, the Sarbanes-Oxley requirements include: (1) requirements for audit committees, including independence and financial expertise; (2) certification of financial statements by the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the reporting company; (3) standards for auditors and regulation of audits; (4) disclosure and reporting requirements for the reporting company and directors and executive officers; and (5) a range of civil and criminal penalties for fraud and other violations of securities laws.
Anti-Money Laundering and the USA Patriot Act
The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”), the Bank Secrecy Act, the Money Laundering Control Act, and other federal laws, collectively impose obligations on all financial institutions, including the Company, to implement policies, procedures and controls which are reasonably designed to detect and report instances of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with all of the relevant laws or regulations, could have serious legal and reputational consequences for the institution, including causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required.
The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (“AMLA”), which amends the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (“BSA”), was enacted in January 2021. The AMLA is intended to be a comprehensive reform and modernization to U.S. bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws. Among other things, it codifies a risk-based approach to anti-money laundering compliance for financial institutions; requires the development of standards for evaluating technology and internal processes for BSA compliance; and expands enforcement- and investigation-related authority, including increasing available sanctions for certain BSA violations and instituting BSA whistleblower incentives and protections.
Financial Privacy
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (“GLBA”) requires that financial institutions implement comprehensive written information security programs that include administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect consumer information. Under the GLBA, federal banking regulators adopted rules that limit the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to non-affiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies and certain security breaches to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to a non-affiliated third party. These provisions affect, among other things, how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors.
Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation
The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, designated nationals and others. These are known as the “OFAC” rules based on their administration by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). The OFAC-administered sanctions targeting designated countries take many different forms. Generally, however, they contain one or more of the following elements: (i) restrictions on trade with or investment in a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from and exports to a sanctioned country and prohibitions on “U.S. persons” engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and (ii) a blocking of assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the sanctioned country have an interest, by prohibiting transfers of property subject to a U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons). These sanctions that are applicable to countries and individuals also are imposed against some non-governmental organizations, associations, or other criminal networks. Blocked assets (e.g., property and bank deposits) cannot be paid out, withdrawn, set off or transferred in any manner without a
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license from OFAC. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal, strategic and reputational consequences, and result in civil money penalties against the Company and Tompkins Community Bank..
Consumer Protection Laws
In connection with its lending and leasing activities, Tompkins Community Bank is subject to a number of federal and state laws designed to protect borrowers and promote lending. These consumer financial laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003, Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, and similar laws at the state level. Tompkins Community Bank's failure to comply with any of the consumer financial laws can result in civil actions, regulatory enforcement action by the federal banking agencies and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act established a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) with broad powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rule-making authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks and savings institutions, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over all banks and savings institutions with more than $10 billion in assets. Tompkins Community Bank is required to comply with the rules of the CFPB; however, these rules are generally enforced by our primary regulator, the FDIC.
Cybersecurity
The Company is also subject to data security standards and privacy and data breach notice requirements as established by federal and state regulators. Federal banking agencies, through the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, have adopted guidelines to encourage financial institutions to address cybersecurity risks and identify, assess and mitigate these risks, both internally and at critical third party service providers. For example, federal banking regulators have highlighted that financial institutions should establish several lines of defense and design their risk management processes to address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials. Further, financial institutions are expected to maintain sufficient business continuity planning processes designed to facilitate a recovery, resumption and maintenance of the institution’s operations after a cyber-attack.
In November 2021, the federal banking agencies adopted new rules requiring banking organizations to notify their primary regulator within 36 hours of becoming aware of a “computer-security incident” or a “notification incident.” The new rules also require bank service providers to notify their banking organization customers when it becomes aware of similar incidents. Compliance with the new rules is required by May 1, 2022.
Additionally, the Company must comply with a NYSDFS rule entitled “Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies,” which became effective March 1, 2017, subject to a phase-in period, concluding in 2019. This NYSDFS rule requires financial services companies, including Tompkins, to maintain a cybersecurity program designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the company’s information systems, establish cybersecurity policies and procedures, identify persons responsible for implementing and enforcing the cybersecurity program and cybersecurity policies and procedures, and conduct periodic risk assessments of its information systems. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for a discussion of risks related to cybersecurity.
Incentive Compensation
The Dodd-Frank Act required the federal bank regulatory agencies and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines prohibiting incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities, such as the Company, having at least $1 billion in total assets that encourage inappropriate risks by providing an executive officer, employee, director or principal shareholder with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits or that could lead to material financial loss to the entity. In addition, these regulators must establish regulations or guidelines requiring enhanced disclosure to regulators of incentive-based compensation arrangements. The agencies proposed such regulations in May 2016, which have not been finalized. If these or other regulations are adopted in a form similar to that initially proposed, they will impose limitations on the manner in which the Company may structure compensation for its executives. Given the uncertainty at this time whether or when a final rule will be adopted, management cannot determine the potential impact on the Company.
Additionally, the FRB, OCC and FDIC have issued comprehensive final guidance on incentive compensation policies intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of banking organizations do not undermine the safety and soundness of such organizations by encouraging excessive risk-taking. The guidance, which covers all employees that have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of an organization, either individually or as part of a group, is based upon the key principles that a banking organization’s incentive compensation arrangements should (i) provide incentives that do not encourage risk-
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taking beyond the organization’s ability to effectively identify and manage risks, (ii) be compatible with effective internal controls and risk management, and (iii) be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the organization’s board of directors. Management believes the current and past compensation practices of the Company do not encourage excessive risk taking or undermine the safety and soundness of the organization.
The FRB reviews, as part of the regular, risk-focused examination process, the incentive compensation arrangements of banking organizations, such as the Company, that are not “large, complex banking organizations.” The findings of the supervisory initiatives are included in reports of examination and deficiencies can lead to limitations on the Company’s abilities and even enforcement actions.
The Company is also subject to the NYSDFS rule “Guidance on Incentive Compensation Arrangements,” which directs all New York state regulated banks (including the Tompkins Community Bank) to ensure that any employee incentive arrangements do not encourage inappropriate risk-taking or improper sales practices. Under this guidance, incentive compensation based on employee performance indicators may only be paid if the bank has effective risk management, oversight and control systems in place. We believe the Company is compliant with all applicable state and federal regulation regarding incentive compensation
Other Governmental Initiatives
From time to time, various legislative and regulatory initiatives are introduced in Congress and state legislatures, as well as by regulatory authorities. These initiatives may include proposals to expand or contract the powers of bank holding companies and depository institutions, proposals to change the financial institution regulatory environment, or proposals that affect public companies generally. Such legislation could change banking laws and the operating environment of Tompkins in substantial, but unpredictable ways. We cannot predict whether any such legislation will be enacted, and, if enacted, the effect that it, or any implementing regulations would have on our financial condition or results of operations.
As described in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - COVID-19 Pandemic and Recent Events, federal, state and local governments have taken a variety of actions in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ("Appropriations Act") and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Among other impacts on the Company, these actions require lenders to offer loan payment deferrals, forbearance and other relief to certain borrowers (e.g., waiving late payment and other fees), under certain circumstances. These actions also affected the accounting treatment of certain loan modifications made for borrowers experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Employees and Human Capital
At Tompkins, our culture is underpinned by our core values, including “a commitment to our employees.” As of December 31, 2021, the Company had 1,074 total employees, which included 969 full-time employees and 105 part-time and temporary employees. Of the Company’s total employees, 850 are employed by one of our four subsidiary banks, 58 employees are in our wealth management subsidiary (Tompkins Financial Advisors), and 166 employees are in our insurance subsidiary (Tompkins Insurance). Our entire organization relies on our Shared Services division, which provides administrative and operational support to all of our subsidiaries.
On January 1, 2022, the Company consolidated the four banks under one charter and the banking affiliate is now known as Tompkins Community Bank. Employees of Tompkins Financial Advisors and our Shared Services group are part of Tompkins Community Bank. Because our Shared Services group is part of Tompkins Community Bank, these employees are included in the bank employee count listed above. No employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company believes its employee relations are excellent.
Our Company’s demand for qualified candidates at all levels of our organization grows as the Company’s business grows. While we do not formally track time-to-fill, our centralized Talent Acquisition Team is reporting that it is more challenging to recruit and retain talent. We are also mindful of macroeconomic factors such as inflation and low unemployment, and we routinely undertake a salary review to confirm that our salary structure is aligned with the market. During 2021 we made upward adjustments to the lower quartile of our wage structure in response to these factors. While not a material cost to the Company, this structural adjustment was an important component of our overall talent strategy. Notably, these adjustments were in addition to our normal annual merit process, which applies to our entire workforce.
A key component of our recruitment and retention strategy is to offer employees at all levels the opportunity to participate in the Company’s success. The Company maintains a Profit Sharing plan for all employees who meet minimum service requirements. As of December 31, 2021, 73% of all employees received a profit sharing contribution during 2021. We also offer incentive and/or equity compensation plans or programs to employees at many levels of our Company and, as of
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December 31, 2021, 59% of all employees had an opportunity to earn supplemental compensation reflective of their position and overall contributions towards the Company’s strategic objectives. Another important tool in our recruiting and retention strategy was the implementation of a remote or hybrid scheduling option for the majority of team members. Today over half of our employees have taken advantage of this opportunity.
The Company continues to broaden the scope of its talent development initiatives across our geographically diverse footprint in order to sustain a value-driven and growth-oriented environment where employees can perform at their peak and the next generation of leaders are prepared to lead. The Company offers an array of programs and continuing education dedicated to strengthen employee engagement, personal accountability, productivity, and emotional well-being including customized programs, growth-focused coaching sessions, career-path roadmaps, curated learning resources and tuition assistance. We continued our practice of providing these programs in a virtual learning environment as part of our business continuity efforts. The Company also has a robust talent review and succession process. Significant time is spent at the Senior Leadership and Management level identifying and providing development for potential successors.
The Company strives to promote a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging. Our enterprise-wide Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Action Team ("DIB") focuses on initiatives and events that recognize and engage our employees, and strengthens our employees’ sense of belonging within our organization. Our DIBs Change Agent members play an important role in recommending educational opportunities, celebrating cultural events, and serving on a variety of teams that enhance our employee engagement. Local DIBs have been established in each of our regions to support the larger corporate team and to engage in activities that raise awareness, educate, empower and expand community outreach on the critical topic of Social Justice.
In response to the continued COVID-19 pandemic, the Company continued to ensure business continuity, and to support the well-being of our employees. We implemented a number of strategies to de-densify our buildings and reduce the risk of exposure to our team members, clients and visitors.
Available Information
The Company maintains a website at www.tompkinsfinancial.com. The Company makes available free of charge through its website its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, its proxy statements related to its shareholders’ meetings, and amendments to these reports or statements, filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files such material with, or furnishes such material to, the SEC. Copies of these reports are also available at no charge to any person who requests them, with such requests directed to Tompkins Financial Corporation, Investor Relations Department, P.O. Box 460, Ithaca, New York 14851, telephone no. (888) 503-5753. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including material filed by the Company, at www.sec.gov. The information contained on the Company's website is provided for the information of the reader and it is not intended to be active links. The Company is not including the information contained on the Company’s website as a part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or into any other report filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Company.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our Company's success depends on management's ability to identify and manage the risks inherent in our financial services business. These risks include credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, model risk, compliance and legal risk, and strategic and reputation risk. We list below the material risk factors we face. Any of these risks could result in a material adverse impact on our business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity, and cash flow, or may cause our results to vary materially from recent results, or from the results implied by any forward-looking statements made by us.
Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread have had, and likely will continue to have, a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations.The nature and extent of such effects will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and are difficult to predict.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant economic stress in the United States, including in the regional and local geographic markets that we serve. While COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available in the United States emergence of variants and the continued fluctuation of rates of transmission both nationally and in our primary geographic market areas make the duration and long-term impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on our business difficult to predict. The extent to which
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COVID-19 and measures taken in response thereto impact our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and are difficult to predict. COVID-19, and governmental/regulatory measures taken in response thereto, have had and are likely to continue to have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is increasing cyber-security risks.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has introduced additional risk to our information systems and security procedures, controls and policies as a result of employees, contractors and other corporate partners working remotely. As a result of the increased remote workforce, we must increasingly rely on information technology systems that are outside our direct control, and these systems are also vulnerable to cyber-based attacks and security breaches. In addition, since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an increase in attacks by cyber criminals on businesses and individuals, utilizing interest in pandemic-related information and the fear and uncertainty caused by the pandemic to increase phishing, malware, and other cybersecurity attacks designed to trick victims into transferring sensitive data or funds, steal credentials or deploy malware that compromises information systems. If one of our employees were to fall victim to one of these attacks, or our information technology systems are compromised, our operations could be disrupted, or we may suffer financial loss, reputational loss, loss of customer business or other critical assets, or become exposed to regulatory fines and intervention or civil litigation.
Risks Related to the Company’s Business
The Company has consolidated its bank subsidiaries, which may result in significant implementation costs in 2022.
Effective January 1, 2022, the Company consolidated its banking subsidiaries into the Trust Company. The ongoing transition and implementation cost associated with this consolidation may be significant in 2022, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operation for 2022.
The Company is subject to increased business risk because the Company has a significant concentration of commercial real estate and commercial business loans, repayment of which is often dependent on the cash flows of the borrower.
The Company offers different types of commercial loans to a variety of businesses, and we believe commercial loans will continue to comprise a significant concentration of our loan portfolio in 2022 and beyond. Real estate lending is generally considered to be collateral-based lending with loan amounts based on predetermined loan-to-collateral values. As such, declines in real estate valuations in the Company’s market area would lower the value of the collateral securing these loans. Additionally, the Company has experienced, and expects to continue experiencing, increased competition in commercial real estate lending. This increased competition may inhibit the Company's ability to generate additional commercial real estate loans or maintain its current inventory of commercial real estate loans. The Company’s commercial business loans are made based primarily on the cash flow and creditworthiness of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower, with liquidation of the underlying real estate collateral being viewed as the primary source of repayment in the event of borrower default. The borrowers’ cash flow may be difficult to predict, and collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. Although commercial business loans are often collateralized by equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, or other business assets, the liquidation of collateral in the event of default is often an insufficient source of repayment. As of December 31, 2021, commercial and commercial real estate loans totaled $3.5 billion or 69.4% of total loans.
The Company’s agricultural loans are often dependent upon the health of the agricultural industry in the location of the borrower, and the ability of the borrower to repay may be affected by many factors outside of the borrower’s control.
As part of the Company’s commercial business lending activities, the Company originates agricultural loans, consisting of agricultural real estate loans and agricultural operating loans. As of December 31, 2021, $295.1 million or 5.8% of the Company’s total loan portfolio consisted of agriculturally-related loans, including $196.0 million in agricultural real estate loans and $99.2 million in agricultural operating loans. Payments on agricultural loans are dependent on the profitable operation or management of the related farm property. The success of the farm may be affected by many factors outside the control of the borrower, including adverse weather conditions that prevent the planting of a crop or limit crop yields (such as hail, drought and floods), loss of livestock due to disease or other factors, declines in market prices for agricultural products and the impact of governmental regulations and subsidies (including changes in price supports and environmental regulations). Many farms are dependent upon a limited number of key individuals whose injury or death may significantly affect the successful operation of the farm. If the cash flow from a farming operation is diminished, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. While agricultural operating loans are generally secured by a blanket lien on the farm’s operating assets, any repossessed collateral in respect of a defaulted loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding balance.
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Additionally, the profitable operation or management of the related farm properties, and the value thereof, is impacted by changes in U.S. government trade policies. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, the U.S. government implemented tariffs on certain products, and certain countries or entities, such as Mexico, Canada, China and the European Union, have issued or continue to threaten retaliatory tariffs against products from the United States, including agricultural products. Tariffs, retaliatory tariffs or other trade restrictions on products and materials that farm properties related to our agriculturally-related loans import or export could cause the costs of such farm operations and management to increase, could cause the price of products from such farm operations to increase, could cause demand for such products to decrease and could cause the margins on such products to decrease. Such potential adverse effects on related farm property operations and management could reduce the related farm properties’ revenues, financial results and ability to service debt, which, in turn, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, to the extent changes in the political environment have a negative impact on us or on the markets in which we operate, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely impacted in the future.
Declines in asset values may result in impairment charges and may adversely affect the value of the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
A majority of the Company’s investment portfolio is comprised of securities which are collateralized by residential mortgages. These residential mortgage-backed securities include securities of U.S. government agencies, U.S. government-sponsored entities, and private-label collateralized mortgage obligations. The Company’s securities portfolio also includes obligations of U.S. government-sponsored entities, obligations of states and political subdivisions thereof, U.S. corporate debt securities and equity securities. A more detailed discussion of the investment portfolio, including types of securities held, the carrying and fair values, and contractual maturities is provided in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Report. Gains or losses on these instruments may have a direct impact on the results of operations, including higher or lower income and earnings, unless we adequately hedge our positions. The fair value of investments may be affected by factors other than the underlying performance of the issuer or composition of the obligations themselves, such as rating downgrades, adverse changes in the business climate, a lack of liquidity for resale of certain investment securities and changes in interest rates. For example, decreases in interest rates and increases in mortgage prepayment speeds, which are influenced by interest rates and other factors, could adversely impact the value of our securities collateralized by residential mortgages, causing a significant acceleration of purchase premium amortization on our mortgage portfolio because a decline in long-term interest rates shortens the expected lives of the securities. Conversely, increases in interest rates may result in a decrease in residential mortgage loan originations and mortgage prepayment speeds, directly impacting the value of these securities collateralized by residential mortgages. Management evaluates investment securities for expected credit losses impairment at least on a quarterly basis, and more frequently when economic or market concerns warrant such evaluation.Any impairment that is not credit related is recognized in other comprehensive income, net of applicable taxes.Credit-related impairment is recognized as an allowance for credit losses on the statement of condition, limited to the amount by which the amortized cost basis exceeds the fair value, with a corresponding adjustment to earnings.
A decline in the value of our goodwill and other intangible assets could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had $96.1 million of goodwill and other intangible assets. The Company is required to test its goodwill and intangible assets for impairment on a periodic basis. A significant decline in the Company’s expected future cash flows, a significant adverse change in business climate, slower growth rates or a significant and sustained decline in the price of the Company’s common stock, may necessitate our taking charges in the future related to the impairment of the Company’s goodwill and intangible assets. If we make an impairment determination in a future reporting period, the Company’s earnings and the book value of these intangible assets would be reduced by the amount of the impairment. Further, a goodwill impairment charge could significantly restrict the ability of our banking subsidiary to make dividend payments to us without prior regulatory approval, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
The Company may be adversely affected by the soundness of other financial institutions.
Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships. The Company has exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and routinely executes transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry. The most important counterparty for the Company, in terms of liquidity, is the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (“FHLBNY”). The Company also has a relationship with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (“FHLBPITT”). The Company uses FHLBNY as its primary source of overnight funds and also has long-term advances and
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repurchase agreements with FHLBNY. The Company has placed sufficient collateral in the form of commercial and residential real estate loans at FHLBNY. In addition, the Company is required to hold stock in FHLBNY and FHLBPITT. The amount of borrowed funds and repurchase agreements with the FHLBNY and FHLBPITT, and the amount of FHLBNY and FHLBPITT stock held by the Company, at its most recent fiscal year-end are discussed in Part II, Item 8 of this Report on Form 10-K.
There are 11 branches of the FHLB, including New York and Pittsburgh. The FHLBNY and the FHLBPITT are jointly and severally liable along with the other Federal Home Loan Banks for the consolidated obligations issued on behalf of the Federal Home Loan Banks through the Office of Finance. Dividends on, redemption of, or repurchase of shares of the FHLBNY’s or FHLBPITT’s capital stock cannot occur unless the principal and interest due on all consolidated obligations have been paid in full. If another Federal Home Loan Bank were to default on its obligation to pay principal or interest on any consolidated obligations, the Federal Home Loan Finance Agency (the “Finance Agency”) may allocate the outstanding liability among one or more of the remaining Federal Home Loan Banks on a pro rata basis or on any other basis the Finance Agency may determine. As a result, the FHLBNY’s or FHLBPITT’s ability to pay dividends on, to redeem, or to repurchase shares of capital stock could be affected by the financial condition of one or more of the other Federal Home Loan Banks. Any such adverse effects on the FHLBNY or FHLBPITT could adversely affect our liquidity, the value of our investment in FHLBNY or FHLBPITT common stock, and could negatively impact our results of operations.
Systemic weakness in the FHLB could result in higher costs of FHLB borrowings, reduced value of FHLB stock, and increased demand for alternative sources of liquidity that are more expensive, such as brokered time deposits, the discount window at the Federal Reserve, or lines of credit with correspondent banks. Any of these scenarios could adversely affect our liquidity, the value of our investment in FHLB common stock and our financial condition.
The Company relies on cash dividends from its subsidiaries to fund its operations, and payment of those dividends could be discontinued at any time.
The Company is a financial holding company whose principal assets and sources of income are its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company is a separate and distinct legal entity from its subsidiaries, and therefore the Company relies primarily on dividends from its banking and other subsidiaries to meet its obligations and to provide funds for the payment of dividends to the Company’s shareholders, to the extent declared by the Company’s board of directors. Various federal and state laws and regulations limit the amount of dividends that a bank may pay to its parent company and impose regulatory capital and liquidity requirements on the Company and its banking subsidiary. Further, as a holding company, the Company’s right to participate in a distribution of assets upon the liquidation or reorganization of a subsidiary is subject to the prior claims of the subsidiary’s creditors (including, in the case of the Company’s banking subsidiary, the bank's depositors). If the Company were unable to receive dividends from its subsidiaries it would materially and adversely affect the Company’s liquidity and its ability to service its debt, pay its other obligations, or pay cash dividends on its common stock.
The Company’s business may be adversely affected by general economic conditions in local and national markets, the possibility of the economy’s return to recessionary conditions and the possibility of further turmoil or volatility in the financial markets.
General economic conditions impact the banking and financial services industry. The U.S. and global economies have experienced volatility in recent years and may continue to do so for the foreseeable future. There can be no assurance that economic conditions will not deteriorate. Unfavorable or uncertain economic conditions can be caused by many macro and micro factors, including declines in economic growth, business activity or investor or business confidence, limitations on the availability or increases in the cost of credit and capital, increases in inflation or interest rates, the timing and impact of changing governmental policies and other factors. The Company is particularly affected by U.S. domestic economic conditions, including U.S. interest rates, the unemployment rate, housing prices, the level of consumer confidence, changes in consumer spending, the number of personal bankruptcies and other factors. A decline in U.S. domestic business and economic conditions, without rapid recovery, could have adverse effects on our business, including the following:
•consumer and business confidence levels could be lowered and cause declines in credit usage, adverse changes in payment patterns, decreases in demand for loans or other financial products and services and decreases in deposits or investments in accounts with Company;
•the Company’s ability to assess the creditworthiness of its customers may be impaired if the models and approaches the Company uses to select, manage and underwrite its customers become less predictive of future behaviors;
•demand for and income received from the Company's fee-based services, including investment services and insurance commissions and fees, could decline, the cost to the Company to provide any or all products and services could
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increase, and the levels of assets under management could materially impact revenues from our trust and wealth management businesses; and
•the credit quality or value of loans and other assets or collateral securing loans may decrease.
Our business is concentrated in and largely dependent upon the continued growth and welfare of the general geographic markets in which we operate.
Our operations are heavily concentrated in the New York State and, to a lesser extent, Pennsylvania and, as a result, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows are significantly impacted by changes in the economic conditions in those areas. Therefore, the Company’s financial performance generally, and in particular, the ability of borrowers to pay interest on and repay the principal of outstanding loans and the value of collateral securing these loans, is highly dependent upon the business environment in the markets where the Company operates, particularly New York State and Pennsylvania. Our success depends to a significant extent upon the business activity, population, income levels, deposits and real estate activity in these markets. Although our clients’ business and financial interests may extend well beyond these markets, adverse economic conditions that affect these markets could disproportionately reduce our growth rate, affect the ability of our clients to repay their loans to us, affect the value of collateral underlying loans and generally affect our financial condition and results of operations. Because of our geographic concentration, we are less able than other regional or national financial institutions to diversify our credit risks across multiple markets. For additional information on our market area, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” of this Report on Form 10-K.
Our insurance agency subsidiary’s commission revenues are based on premiums set by insurers and any decreases in these premium rates could adversely affect our operations and revenues.
Our insurance agency subsidiary, Tompkins Insurance, derives the bulk of its revenue from commissions paid by insurance underwriters on the sale of insurance products to clients. Tompkins Insurance does not determine the insurance premiums on which its commissions are based. Insurance premiums are cyclical in nature and may vary widely based on market conditions. As a result, insurance brokerage revenues and profitability can be volatile. Revenue from insurance commissions and fees could be negatively affected by fluctuations in insurance premiums and other factors beyond the Company’s control, including changes in laws and regulations impacting the healthcare and insurance markets. In addition, there have been and may continue to be various trends in the insurance industry toward alternative insurance markets including, among other things, increased use of self-insurance, captives, and risk retention groups. Even if Tompkins Insurance is able to participate in these activities, it is unlikely to realize revenues and profitability as favorable as those realized from our traditional brokerage activities. We cannot predict the timing or extent of future changes in premiums and thus commissions. As a result, we cannot predict the effect that future premium rates will have on our operations. Decreases in premium rates could adversely affect our operations and revenues.
The Company’s business and financial performance are impacted significantly by market interest rates and movements in those rates. The monetary, tax and other policies of governmental agencies, including the Federal Reserve, have a significant impact on interest rates and overall financial market performance over which the Company has no control and which the Company may not be able to anticipate adequately.
As a result of the high percentage of the Company’s assets and liabilities that are in the form of interest-bearing or interest-related instruments, changes in interest rates, in the shape of the yield curve or in spreads between different market interest rates, can have a material effect on the Company’s business and profitability and the value of the Company’s assets and liabilities. For example, changes in interest rates or interest rate spreads may:
•affect the difference between the interest that the Company earns on assets and the interest that the Company pays on liabilities, which impacts the Company's overall net interest income and profitability.
•adversely affect the ability of borrowers to meet obligations under variable or adjustable rate loans and other debt instruments, which in turn, affects the Company's loss rates on those assets.
•decrease the demand for interest rate-based products and services, including loans and deposits.
•affect prepayment rates on the Company's loans and securities, which could adversely affect the Company's earnings, financial condition and cash flow.
The monetary, tax and other policies of the Federal government and its agencies, including the Federal Reserve, have a significant impact on interest rates and overall financial market performance. These governmental policies can thus affect the activities and results of operations of banking organizations such as the Company. An important function of the Federal Reserve is to regulate the national supply of bank credit and certain interest rates. The actions of the Federal Reserve influence the rates of interest that the Company charges on loans and that the Company pays on borrowings and interest-bearing deposits
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and can also affect the value of the Company’s on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet financial instruments. Also, due to the impact on rates for short-term funding, the Federal Reserve’s policies influence, to a significant extent, the Company’s cost of such funding. The Company cannot predict the nature or timing of future changes in monetary, tax and other policies or the effect that they may have on the Company’s business activities, financial condition and results of operations.
For information about how the Company manages its interest rate risk, refer to Part II, Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” of this Report.
The Company may be adversely impacted by the transition from LIBOR as a reference rate.
On March 5, 2021, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced that (i) 24 LIBOR settings would cease to exist immediately after December 31, 2021 (all seven euro LIBOR settings; all seven Swiss franc LIBOR settings; the Spot Next, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month Japanese yen LIBOR settings; the overnight, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month sterling LIBOR settings; and the 1-week and 2-month US dollar LIBOR settings); (ii) the 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month US LIBOR settings would cease to exist after June 30, 2023; and (iii) the FCA would consult on whether the remaining nine LIBOR settings should continue to be published on a synthetic basis for a certain period using the FCA’s proposed new powers that the UK government is legislating to grant to them. Central banks and regulators in a number of major jurisdictions (for example, United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Switzerland and Japan) have convened working groups to find, and implement the transition to, suitable replacements for interbank offered rates. To identify a successor rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”), a U.S.-based group convened by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was formed. The ARRC has identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as its preferred alternative rate for LIBOR. SOFR is a measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight, collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-backed repurchase transactions. SOFR is different from LIBOR in that it is a backward looking secured rate rather than a forward looking unsecured rate. These differences could lead to a greater disconnect between our costs to raise funds for SOFR as compared to LIBOR. For cash products and loans, the ARRC has also recommended Term SOFR, which is a forward looking SOFR based on SOFR futures and may in part reduce differences between SOFR and LIBOR. On July 29, 2021, the ARRC formally recommended SOFR as its preferred alternative replacement rate for LIBOR.
These are operational issues which may create a delay in the transition to SOFR or other substitute indices, leading to uncertainty across the industry. The implementation of a substitute index or indices for the calculation of interest rates under our loan agreements with our borrowers may incur significant expenses in effecting the transition, may result in reduced loan balances if borrowers do not accept the substitute index or indices, and may result in disputes or litigation with customers over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the substitute index or indices, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. These reforms may cause LIBOR to cease to exist, new methods of calculating LIBOR to established or the establishment of multiple alternative reference rate(s). These consequences cannot be entirely predicted and could have an adverse impact on the market value for or value of LIBOR-linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us. US Banking Regulation requires banks to stop originating new products using LIBOR by December 31, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, we no longer originate new loans or their products using any LIBOR index.
Our funding sources may prove insufficient to replace deposits and support our future growth.
We must maintain sufficient cash flow and liquid assets to satisfy current and future financial obligations, including demand for loans and deposit withdrawals, funding operating costs, and for other corporate purposes. As a part of our liquidity management, we use a number of funding sources in addition to core deposit growth and repayments and maturities of loans and investments. As we continue to grow, we are likely to become more dependent on these sources, which may include various short-term and long-term wholesale borrowings, including Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase, brokered certificates of deposit, proceeds from the sale of loans, and borrowings from the FHLBNY and FHLBPITT and others. We also maintain available lines of credit with the FHLBNY and FHLBPITT that are secured by loans. Adverse operating results or changes in industry conditions could make it difficult or impossible for us to access these additional funding sources and could make our existing funds more volatile. Our financial flexibility could be materially constrained if we are unable to maintain access to funding or if adequate financing is not available to accommodate future growth at acceptable interest rates. If we are required to rely more heavily on more expensive funding sources to support future growth, our revenues may not increase proportionately to cover our costs. In that case, our operating margins and profitability would be adversely affected. Further, the volatility inherent in some of these funding sources, particularly including brokered deposits, may increase our exposure to liquidity risk. Any interruption in these sources of liquidity when needed could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow or regulatory capital levels. In addition, reduced liquidity could result from circumstances beyond our control, such as general market disruptions or operational problems that
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affect us or third parties. Management’s efforts to closely monitor our liquidity position for compliance with internal policies may not be successful or sufficient to deal with dramatic or unanticipated reductions in liquidity.
The Company is or may become involved in lawsuits, legal proceedings, information-gathering requests, and investigations by governmental agencies or other parties that may lead to adverse consequences.
The Company’s primary business of financial services involves substantial risk of legal liability. The Company and its subsidiaries are, from time to time, named or threatened to be named as defendants in various lawsuits arising from their respective business activities, including activities of companies they have acquired. In addition, from time to time, the Company is, or may become, the subject of governmental and self-regulatory agency information-gathering requests, reviews, investigations and proceedings and other forms of regulatory inquiry, including by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC and law enforcement authorities. The results of such proceedings could lead to delays in or prohibition to acquire other companies, significant penalties, including monetary penalties, damages, adverse judgments, settlements, fines, injunctions, restrictions on the way in which the Company conducts its business, or reputational harm.
Although the Company establishes accruals for legal proceedings when information related to the loss contingencies represented by those matters indicates both that a loss is probable and that the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company does not have accruals for all legal proceedings where it faces a risk of loss. In addition, due to the inherent subjectivity of the assessments and unpredictability of the outcome of legal proceedings, amounts accrued may not represent the ultimate loss to the Company from the legal proceedings in question. Thus, the Company’s ultimate losses may be higher than the amounts accrued for legal loss contingencies, which could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Climate change could have a material negative impact on the Company and clients.
The Company’s business, as well as the operations and activities of our clients, could be negatively impacted by climate change. Climate change presents both immediate and long-term risks to the Company and its clients, and these risks are expected to increase over time. Climate change presents multi-faceted risks, including: operational risk from the physical effects of climate events on the Company and its clients’ facilities and other assets; credit risk from borrowers with significant exposure to climate risk; transition risks associated with the transition to a less carbon- dependent economy; and reputational risk from stakeholder concerns about our practices related to climate change, the Company’s carbon footprint, and the Company’s business relationships with clients who operate in carbon-intensive industries.
Federal and state banking regulators and supervisory authorities, investors, and other stakeholders have increasingly viewed financial institutions as important in helping to address the risks related to climate change both directly and with respect to their clients, which may result in financial institutions coming under increased pressure regarding the disclosure and management of their climate risks and related lending and investment activities. Given that climate change could impose systemic risks upon the financial sector, either via disruptions in economic activity resulting from the physical impacts of climate change or changes in policies as the economy transitions to a less carbon-intensive environment, the Company may face regulatory risk of increasing focus on the Company’s resilience to climate-related risks, including in the context of stress testing for various climate stress scenarios. Ongoing legislative or regulatory uncertainties and changes regarding climate risk management and practices may result in higher regulatory, compliance, credit, and reputational risks and costs.
With the increased importance and focus on climate change, we are making efforts to enhance our governance of climate change-related risks and integrate climate considerations into our risk governance framework. Nonetheless, the risks associated with climate change are rapidly changing and evolving in an escalating fashion, making them difficult to assess due to limited data and other uncertainties. We could experience increased expenses resulting from strategic planning, litigation, and technology and market changes, and reputational harm as a result of negative public sentiment, regulatory scrutiny, and reduced investor and stakeholder confidence due to our response to climate change and our climate change strategy, which, in turn, could have a material negative impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The Company operates in a highly regulated environment and may be adversely impacted by current or future laws and regulations due to increased compliance costs, potential fines for noncompliance, and restrictions on our ability to offer products or buy or sell businesses.
The Company is subject to extensive state and federal laws and regulations, supervision and legislation that affect how it conducts its business. The majority of these laws and regulations are for the protection of consumers, depositors and the deposit insurance funds. The regulations influence such things as the Company’s lending practices, capital structure, investment
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practices, and dividend policy. The Dodd-Frank Act, which established the CFPB, and enacted other reforms, has had, and will continue to have, a significant effect on the entire financial services industry. Compliance with these regulations and other initiatives negatively impacts revenue and increases the cost of doing business on an ongoing basis. New regulatory requirements or changes to existing requirements could necessitate changes to the Company’s businesses, result in increased compliance costs and affect the profitability of such businesses. Refer to “Supervision and Regulation” in Part I, Item 1 - “Business” of this Report on Form 10‐K for additional information on material laws and regulations impacting the Company’s business.
Additionally, banking regulators are authorized to take supervisory actions that may restrict or limit a financial institution's activities. Regulatory restrictions on our activities could adversely affect our costs and revenues, and may impair our ability to execute our strategic plans. In addition, if our regulators identify a compliance failure, we may be assessed a fine, prohibited from completing a strategic acquisition or divestiture, or subject to other actions imposed by the regulatory authorities. The recent regulatory activity and increased scrutiny have resulted, and may continue to result, in increases in our costs of doing business, and could result in decreased revenues and net income, reduce our ability to effectively compete to attract and retain customers, or make it less attractive for us to continue providing certain products and services. Any future changes in federal or state law and regulations, as well as the interpretations and implementations, or modifications or repeals, of such laws and regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The Company could be subject to environmental risks and associated costs on real estate properties owned by the Company, real estate properties that collateralize the Company’s loans or real estate properties that the Company obtains title to.
The Company owns various properties used in the operation of its business. In addition, from time to time, the Company forecloses on properties or may be deemed to become involved in the management of its borrowers’ properties. The Company could be subject to environmental liabilities imposed by applicable federal and state laws with respect to any of these properties. For example, we may be held liable to a government entity or to third parties for property damage, personal injury, investigation and clean-up costs incurred by these parties in connection with environmental contamination, or may be required to clean up hazardous or toxic substances, or chemical releases, at a property, or may be subject to common law claims by third parties for damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the property. Additionally, a significant portion of our loan portfolio at December 31, 2020 was secured by real estate and, if the real estate securing our assets is subject to environmental liability, our collateral position may be substantially weakened. Any such environmental liabilities imposed on the Company could have a material adverse impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations.
The Company may be exposed to regulatory sanctions or liability if we do not timely detect and report money laundering or other illegal activities.
We are required to comply with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws. These laws and regulations require us, among things, to enact policies and procedures to confirm the identity of our customers, and to report suspicious transactions to regulatory agencies. These laws and regulations are complex and require costly, sophisticated monitoring systems and qualified personnel. The policies and procedures that we have adopted in order to detect and prevent such illegal transactions may not be successful in eliminating all instances of such transactions. To the extent we fail to fully comply with applicable laws and regulations, we face the possibility of fines or other penalties, such as restrictions on our business activities, and we may also suffer reputational harm, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Refer to “Supervision and Regulation” in Part I, Item 1 - “Business” of this Report on Form 10‐K for additional information on anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws impacting the Company’s business.
We will be subject to heightened regulatory requirements if we exceed $10 billion in total consolidated assets.
Based on our historical growth rates and current size, it is possible that our total assets could exceed $10 billion dollars in the future. Our total consolidated assets on December 31, 2021 were $7.8 billion. The Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations impose enhanced supervisory requirements on bank holding companies with more than $10 billion in total consolidated assets.
In addition to the additional regulatory requirements that we will become subject to upon crossing this asset threshold, federal financial regulators may require the Company to, or the Company may proactively, take actions to prepare for compliance with such increased regulations before we exceed $10 billion in total consolidated assets. We may, therefore, incur significant
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compliance costs in an effort to ensure compliance before we reach $10 billion in total consolidated assets. These additional compliance costs, if they occur, may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Company may be adversely affected by fraud.
As a financial institution, the Company is inherently exposed to operational risk in the form of theft and other fraudulent activity by employees, customers and other third parties targeting the Company and/or the Company’s customers or data. Such activity may take many forms, including check fraud, electronic fraud, wire fraud, phishing, social engineering and other dishonest acts. Although the Company devotes substantial resources to maintaining effective policies and internal controls to identify and prevent such incidents, given the increasing sophistication of possible perpetrators, the Company may experience financial losses or reputational harm as a result of fraud. Fraudulent activity could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business requires the collection and retention of large volumes of sensitive data, which is subject to extensive regulation and oversight and exposes our business to additional risks.
In our ordinary course of business, we collect and retain large volumes of customer data, including personally identifiable information in various information systems that we maintain and in those maintained by third parties with whom we contract to provide data services. We also maintain important internal Company data such as personally identifiable information about our employees and information relating to our operations. Our customers and employees have been, and will continue to be, targeted by cybersecurity threats attempting to misappropriate passwords, bank account information or other personal information. Our attempts to mitigate these threats may not be successful as cybercrimes are complex and continue to evolve. Publicized information concerning security and cyber-related problems could cause us to incur reputational harm and discourage our customers from using our electronic or web-based applications or solutions, which could harm their utility as a means of conducting commercial transactions.
Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in breach attempts or other disruptions are constantly evolving and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not to be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures. A security breach or other significant disruption of our information systems or those related to our customers, merchants and our third party vendors, including as a result of cyber-attacks, could (i) disrupt the proper functioning of our internal, or our third-party vendors’, networks and systems and therefore our operations and/or those of certain of our customers; (ii) result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours or our customers; (iii) result in a violation of applicable privacy, data breach and other laws, subjecting us to additional regulatory scrutiny and expose the us to civil litigation, governmental fines and possible financial liability; (iv) require significant management attention and resources to remedy the damages that result; or (v) harm our reputation or cause a decrease in the number of customers that choose to do business with us. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A breach of information or other technological security, including as a result of cyber-attacks, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In the ordinary course of business we rely on electronic communications and information systems, both internal and provided by external third parties, to conduct our operations and to store, process, and/or transmit sensitive data on a variety of computing platforms and networks and over the Internet. We cannot be certain that all of our systems, or third-party systems upon which we rely, are free from vulnerability to attack or other technological difficulties or failures. Information security breaches and cybersecurity-related incidents may include attempts to access information, including customer and company information, malicious code, computer viruses, phishing, denial of service attacks and other means of intrusion that could result in unauthorized access, misuse, loss or destruction of data (including confidential customer or employee information), account takeovers, unavailability of service or other events. These types of threats may derive from human error, fraud or malice on the part of external or internal parties, or may result from accidental technological failure. Further, to access our products and services our customers may use computers and mobile devices that are beyond our security control systems. If information security is breached or difficulties or failures occur, despite the controls we and our third party vendors have instituted, information may be lost or misappropriated, resulting in financial loss or costs, reputational harm or damages and litigation, regulatory investigation costs or remediation costs to us or others. While we maintain specific “cyber” insurance coverage, which would apply in the event of many breach scenarios, the amount of coverage may not be adequate in any particular case. Furthermore, because cyber threat scenarios are inherently difficult to predict and can take many forms, some breaches may not
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be covered under our cyber insurance coverage. Any of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attack or cyber intrusion, has significantly increased, in part due to the expansion of new technologies, the increased use of the Internet and mobile services and the increased intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world. The threat from cyber-attacks is severe, attacks are sophisticated and increasing in volume, and attackers respond rapidly to changes in defensive measures. Our systems and those of our customers and third-party service providers are under constant threat and it is possible that we could experience a significant event in the future. Our technologies, systems, networks and software, and those of other financial institutions have been, and are likely to continue to be, the target of cybersecurity threats and attacks, which may range from uncoordinated individual attempts to sophisticated and targeted measures directed at us. Risks and exposures related to cybersecurity attacks are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future due to the rapidly evolving nature and sophistication of these threats as well as the expanding use of Internet banking, mobile banking and other technology-based products and services by us and our customers. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities.
The Company is subject to risks presented by acquisitions, which, if realized, could negatively affect our results of operations and financial condition.
The Company’s strategic initiatives include diversification within its markets, growth of its fee-based businesses, and growth internally and through acquisitions of financial institutions, branches, and financial services businesses. As such, the Company has acquired, and from time to time considers acquiring, banks, thrift institutions, branch offices of banks or thrift institutions, or other businesses within markets currently served by the Company or in other locations that would complement the Company’s business or its geographic reach. Any future acquisitions will be accompanied by the risks commonly encountered in acquisitions. These risks include: the difficulty of integrating operations and personnel, the potential disruption of our ongoing business, the inability of management to realize or maximize anticipated financial and strategic positions, increased operating costs, the inability to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies, the difficulty and cost of obtaining adequate financing, the potential for litigation risk, the potential loss of members of a key executive management group, the potential reputational damage and the impairment of relationships with employees and customers as a result of changes in ownership and management. Further, the asset quality or other financial characteristics of an acquired company may deteriorate after the acquisition agreement is signed or after the acquisition closes. We cannot provide any assurance that we will be successful in overcoming these risks or any other problems encountered in connection with acquisitions and any of these risks, if realized, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
The Company's operations may be adversely affected if its external vendors do not perform as expected or if its access to third-party services is interrupted.
The Company relies on certain external vendors to provide products and services necessary to maintain the day-to-day operations of the Company. Some of the products and services provided by vendors include key components of our business infrastructure including data processing and storage and internet connections and network access, among other products and services. Accordingly, the Company’s operations are exposed to the risk that these vendors will not perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements or under service level agreements. The failure of an external vendor to perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements or under service level agreements, because of changes in the vendor’s organizational structure, financial condition, support for existing products and services or strategic focus or for any other reason, could disrupt the Company’s operations. If we are unable to find alternative sources for our vendors’ services and products quickly and cost-effectively, the failures of our vendors could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business and, in turn, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Additionally, our information technology and telecommunications systems interface with and depend on third-party systems, we could experience service denials if demand for such services exceeds capacity or such third-party systems fail or experience interruptions. If sustained or repeated, a system failure or service denial could result in a deterioration of our ability to process new and renewal loans, gather deposits and provide customer service, compromise our ability to operate effectively, damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business and subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
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General Risks
Our success depends on our ability to offer our customers an evolving suite of products and services, and we may not be able to effectively manage the risks inherent in the development of financial products and services.
We continually monitor our suite of products and services, and prioritize new offerings based on our determination of customer demand, within regulatory parameters for financial products. We may invest significant time and resources in new products which become obsolete, or do not generate the revenues we had anticipated, or which are ultimately deemed unacceptable by regulatory authorities. As we expand the range and complexity of our products and services, we are exposed to increasingly complex risks, including potential fraud, and our employees and risk management systems may not be adequate to mitigate such risks effectively. Our failure to effectively identify and manage these risks and uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
The Company’s executive offices are located at 118 East Seneca Street in Ithaca. Tompkins Community Bank has 63 branch offices, of which 29 are owned and 34 are leased at market rents. The Company’s insurance subsidiary has 6 stand-alone offices, of which 3 are owned by the Company and 3 are leased at market rents. The Company’s wealth management and financial planning division has 2 offices which are leased at a market rent, and shares other locations within branches of Tompkins Community Bank. Management believes the current facilities are suitable for their present and intended purposes. For additional information about the Company’s facilities, including rental expenses, see “Note 6 Premises and Equipment” in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Report.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
The Company is subject to various claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of conducting business. As of December 31, 2021, management, after consultation with legal counsel, does not anticipate that the aggregate ultimate liability arising out of litigation pending or threatened against the Company or its subsidiaries will be material to the Company’s consolidated financial position. On at least a quarterly basis, the Company assesses its liabilities and contingencies in connection with such legal proceedings. Although the Company does not believe that the outcome of pending litigation will be material to the Company’s consolidated financial position, it cannot rule out the possibility that such outcomes will be material to the consolidated results of operations for a particular reporting period in the future.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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Information About Our Executive Officers
The information concerning the Company’s executive officers is provided below as of March 1, 2022.
Name Age Title Year Joined Company
Stephen S. Romaine 57 President and CEO January 2000
David S. Boyce 55 Executive Vice President January 2001
David M. DeMilia 46 Executive Vice President April 2008
Alyssa H. Fontaine 41 Executive Vice President & General Counsel January 2016
Scott L. Gruber 65 Executive Vice President April 2013
Gregory J. Hartz 61 Executive Vice President August 2002
Brian A. Howard 57 Executive Vice President July 2016
John M. McKenna 54 Executive Vice President April 2009
Susan M. Valenti 66 Executive Vice President of Corporate Marketing March 2012
Business Experience of the Executive Officers:
Stephen S. Romaine was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective January 1, 2007. From 2003 through 2006, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mahopac Bank. Mr. Romaine currently serves on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and the New York Bankers Association.
David S. Boyce has been employed by the Company since January 2001 and was promoted to Executive Vice President in April 2004. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Tompkins Insurance in 2002. He has been employed by Tompkins Insurance and a predecessor company to Tompkins Insurance for 33 years.
David M. DeMilia joined Tompkins Mahopac Bank in April 2008 as a regional vice president, providing commercial banking services in Westchester County. In 2014, he was promoted to senior vice president before becoming Tompkins Mahopac Bank’s senior commercial loan officer in October 2018. In June 2021, he was appointed president and CEO of Tompkins Mahopac Bank, overseeing Tompkins’ activities in the Hudson Valley region.
Francis M. Fetsko has been employed by the Company since 1996, and has served as Chief Financial Officer since December 2000. He also serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Tompkins Community Bank. In July 2003, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and he assumed the additional role of Chief Operating Officer in April 2012.
Alyssa H. Fontaine joined the Company in January 2016 as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. She had previously been a partner in the corporate/securities practice group of Harris Beach PLLC, a regional law firm which she joined in 2006. Ms. Fontaine serves on the American Bankers Association General Counsels Committee.
Scott L. Gruber has been employed by the Company since April 2013 and was appointed President & COO of VIST Bank and Executive Vice President of the Company effective April 30, 2013. He was appointed President & CEO of VIST Bank effective January 1, 2014. Before joining VIST Bank, Mr. Gruber spent 16 years at National Penn Bank, most recently as Group Executive Vice President, where he led the Corporate Banking team. Mr. Gruber has announced his retirement from the Company and will be retiring during the second quarter of 2022.
Gregory J. Hartz has been employed by the Company since 2002 and was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Tompkins Trust Company and Executive Vice President of the Company effective January 1, 2007. Mr. Hartz is past Chair of the Independent Bankers Association of New York State.
Brian A. Howard has been employed by the Company since July 2016 and was appointed President of Tompkins Financial Advisors and Executive Vice President of the Company effective July 25, 2016. Prior to joining Tompkins, he served as a Senior Vice President, Market Manager for Key Bank covering the Central New York region from May 2012 to July 2016, where he oversaw the bank’s full service wealth management division for high net worth clients.
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John M. McKenna has been employed by the Company since April 2009. He was appointed President and CEO of The Bank of Castile effective January 1, 2015. From 2009 to 2014, Mr. McKenna was a senior vice president at The Bank of Castile, concentrating in commercial lending. Mr. McKenna previously served on the New York Bankers Association Political Action Committee (NYBA PAC).
Susan M. Valenti joined Tompkins in March of 2012 as Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing. She was promoted to Executive Vice President of the Company in June 2014.
Bonita N. Lindberg joined Tompkins in December 2015 as Senior Vice President, Director of Human Resources. Before joining the Company, Ms. Lindberg served as Director of Human Resources at Cortland Regional Medical Center (2014 - 2015); prior to that she served as the Director of Organizational Development at Albany International Corporation. Ms. Lindberg serves on the HR Conference Committee for New York Bankers Association.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Price and Dividend Information
The Company’s common stock is traded under the symbol “TMP” on the NYSE American. As of February 22, 2022, there are approximately 2,823 holders of shares of our common stock.
While the Company has a long history of paying cash dividends on shares of its common stock, the Company's ability to pay dividends is generally limited to earnings from the prior year, although retained earnings and dividends from its subsidiaries may also be used to pay dividends under certain circumstances. The Company's primary source of funds to pay for shareholder dividends is receipt of dividends from its subsidiaries. Future dividend payments to the Company by its subsidiaries will be dependent on a number of factors, including earnings and the financial condition of each subsidiary, and are subject to regulatory limitations discussed in "Supervision and Regulation" in Part I, Item 1 of this Report.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table reflects all Company repurchases, including those made pursuant to publicly announced plans or programs, during the quarter ended December 31, 2021.
Period (a) (b) (c) (d)
Included above are 1,233 shares purchased in October 2021, at an average cost of $83.04, and 592 shares purchased in November 2021, at an average cost of $84.91, by the trustee of the rabbi trust established by the Company under the Company’s Stock Retainer Plan For Eligible Directors of Tompkins Financial Corporation and Participating Subsidiaries, which were part of the director deferred compensation under that plan. In addition, the table includes 25,782 shares delivered to the Company in November 2021 at an average cost of $83.67 to satisfy mandatory tax withholding requirements upon vesting of restricted stock under the Company's 2009 and 2019 Equity Plans.
On January 30, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase plan (the “2020 Repurchase Plan”) for the repurchase of up to 400,000 shares of the Company’s common stock over the 24 months following adoption of the plan. Shares may be repurchased from time to time under the 2020 Repurchase Plan in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, and the repurchase program may be suspended, modified or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time for any reason. Under the 2020 Repurchase Plan, the Company had repurchased 400,000 shares through September 30, 2021, at an average cost of $75.99.
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On October 22, 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase plan (the “2021 Repurchase Plan”) for the repurchase of up to 400,000 shares of the Company’s common stock over the 24 months following adoption of the plan. Shares may be repurchased from time to time under the 2021 Repurchase Plan in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, and the repurchase program may be suspended, modified or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time for any reason. Under the 2021 Repurchase Plan, the Company had repurchased 32,203 shares through December 31, 2021, at an average cost of $80.65.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Performance Graph
The following graph compares the Company’s cumulative total stockholder return over the five-year period from December 31, 2016 through December 31, 2021, with (1) the total return for the NASDAQ Composite and (2) the total return for S&P U.S. BMI Banks index. The graph assumes $100.00 was invested on December 31, 2016, in the Company’s common stock and the comparison groups and assumes the reinvestment of all cash dividends prior to any tax effect and retention of all stock dividends.
In accordance with and to the extent permitted by applicable law or regulation, the information set forth below under the heading “Performance Graph” shall not be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act or Exchange Act and shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the Company specifically requests that such information be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporates it by reference into such filings. The performance graph represents past performance and should not be considered an indication of future performance.
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Period Ending
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
The Company has adopted certain provisions within the amendments to Regulation S-K that eliminate tabular presentation of unaudited quarterly financial information. There have been no material retrospective changes to financial statements for any of the quarters within the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following analysis is intended to provide the reader with a further understanding of the consolidated financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its operating subsidiaries for the periods shown. This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with other sections of this Report on Form 10-K, including Part I, “Item 1. Business,” and Part II, “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” A detailed discussion comparing 2020 and 2019 results is incorporated herein by reference to Item 7 of the Company's 2020 annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 1, 2021.
Overview
Tompkins Financial Corporation (“Tompkins” or the “Company”) is headquartered in Ithaca, New York and is registered as a Financial Holding Company with the Federal Reserve Board under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Company is a locally oriented, community-based financial services organization that offers a full array of products and services, including commercial and consumer banking, leasing, trust and investment management, financial planning and wealth management, and insurance services.At December 31, 2021, the Company’s subsidiaries included: four wholly-owned banking subsidiaries, Tompkins Trust Company (the “Trust Company”), The Bank of Castile (DBA Tompkins Bank of Castile), Mahopac Bank (DBA Tompkins Mahopac Bank), and VIST Bank (DBA Tompkins VIST Bank). Effective January 1, 2022, the Company’s four wholly-owned banking subsidiaries were combined into one bank, with The Bank of Castile, Mahopac Bank, and VIST Bank merging with and into the Trust Company with the Trust Company as the surviving institution. Following the merger, the Trust Company changed its name to "Tompkins Community Bank." The Company also has a wholly-owned insurance agency subsidiary, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc. (“Tompkins Insurance”). Tompkins Community Bank provides a full array of trust and investment services under the Tompkins Financial Advisors brand, including investment management, trust and estate, financial and tax planning as well as life, disability and long-term care insurance services. The Company’s principal offices are located at 118 E. Seneca Street, Ithaca, NY, 14850, and its telephone number is (888) 503-5753. The Company’s common stock is traded on the NYSE American under the Symbol “TMP.”
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements contained in this Report that are not statements of historical fact may include forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may be identified by use of such words as "may", "will", "estimate", "intend", "continue", "believe", "expect", "plan", or "anticipate", the negative and other variations of these terms and other similar words. Examples of forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the asset quality of the Company's loan portfolios; the level of the Company's allowance for credit losses; whether, when and how borrowers will repay deferred amounts and resume scheduled payments; the sufficiency of liquidity sources; the Company's exposure to changes in interest rates, and to new, changed, or extended government/regulatory expectations; the impact of changes in accounting standards; and trends, plans, prospects, growth and strategies. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and are subject to certain uncertainties and factors relating to the Company’s operations and economic environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company, that could cause actual results of the Company to differ materially from those expressed and/or implied by forward-looking statements and historical performance. The following factors, in addition to those listed as Risk Factors in Item 1A are among those that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements: changes in general economic, market and regulatory conditions; the severity and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and the impact of the outbreak (including the government’s response to the outbreak) on economic
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and financial markets and our borrowers, potential regulatory actions, and modifications to our operations, products, and services relating thereto; disruptions in our and our customers’ operations and loss of revenue due to pandemics, epidemics, widespread health emergencies, government-imposed travel/business restrictions, or outbreaks of infectious diseases such as the COVID-19, and the associated adverse impact on our financial position, liquidity, and our customers’ abilities or willingness to repay their obligations to us or willingness to obtain financial services products from the Company; a decision to amend or modify the terms under which our customers are obligated to repay amounts owed to us; the development of an interest rate environment that may adversely affect the Company’s interest rate spread, other income or cash flow anticipated from the Company’s operations, investment and/or lending activities; changes in laws and regulations affecting banks, bank holding companies and/or financial holding companies, such as the Dodd-Frank Act and Basel III and the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act; legislative and regulatory changes in response to COVID-19 with which we and our subsidiaries must comply, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") and the Appropriation Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and federal, state and local government mandates; technological developments and changes; the ability to continue to introduce competitive new products and services on a timely, cost-effective basis; governmental and public policy changes, including environmental regulation; reliance on large customers; changes in business prospects that could impact goodwill and other intangible assets; fluctuations in market interest rates; uncertainties arising from national and global events, including the potential impact of widespread protests, civil unrest, and political uncertainty on the economy and the financial services industry; and financial resources in the amounts, at the times and on the terms required to support the Company’s future businesses.
Critical Accounting Policies
The accounting and reporting policies followed by the Company conform, in all material respects, to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and to general practices within the financial services industry. In the course of normal business activity, management must select and apply many accounting policies and methodologies and make estimates and assumptions that lead to the financial results presented in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. There are uncertainties inherent in making these estimates and assumptions, which could materially affect the Company’s results of operations and financial position.
Management considers accounting estimates to be critical to reported financial results if (i) the accounting estimates require management to make assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain, and (ii) different estimates that management reasonably could have used for the accounting estimate in the current period, or changes in the accounting estimate that are reasonably likely to occur from period to period, could have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. Management considers the accounting policies relating to the allowance for credit losses (“allowance”, or “ACL”), and the review of the securities portfolio for other-than-temporary impairment to be critical accounting policies because of the uncertainty and subjectivity involved in these policies and the material effect that estimates related to these areas can have on the Company’s results of operations.
The Company’s methodology for estimating the allowance considers available relevant information about the collectability of cash flows, including information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Refer to “Allowance for Credit Losses” below, "Note 4 - Allowance for Credit Losses", and "Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
For information on the Company's significant accounting policies and to gain a greater understanding of how the Company’s financial performance is reported, refer to "Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The Company's significant accounting policies conform with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and are described in Note 1 of Notes to Financial Statements. In applying those accounting policies, management of the Company is required to exercise judgment in determining many of the methodologies, assumptions and estimates to be utilized. Certain critical accounting estimates are more dependent on such judgment and in some cases may contribute to volatility in the Company's reported financial performance should the assumptions and estimates used change over time due to changes in circumstances. The more significant area in which management of the Company apply critical assumptions and estimates include the following:
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