10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Financial Instruments with off-balance sheet risk:

In the normal course of business there are various legal proceedings, commitments, and contingent liabilities which are not reflected in the consolidated financial statements. Management does not anticipate any material losses as a result of these transactions and activities. They include, among other things, commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. The maximum exposure to credit loss, which represents the possibility of sustaining a loss due to the failure of the other parties to a financial instrument to perform according to the terms of the contract, is represented by the contractual amount of these instruments. QNB uses the same lending standards and policies in making credit commitments as it does for on-balance sheet instruments. The activity is controlled through credit approvals, control limits, and monitoring procedures. QNB applies the resulting loss factors under the allowance for credit losses on loans to its unused commitments, assuming: additional funding for commercial lines up to the average line usage for non-pass rated lines with no current usage; and, additional funding up to the average line usage for retail lines with no current usage. This resulted in an allowance for credit losses on unused commitments of $85,000 at June 30, 2025 and $87,000 at December 31, 2024, which is included in other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require the payment of a fee. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. QNB evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee the financial or performance obligation of a customer to a third party. QNB’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instruments. Standby letters of credit of $18,202,000 will expire within one year. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending other loan commitments. The Company requires collateral and personal guarantees supporting these letters of credit as deemed necessary. Management believes that the proceeds obtained through a liquidation of such collateral and the enforcement of personal guarantees would be sufficient to cover the maximum potential amount of future payments required under the corresponding guarantees. The amount of the liability as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 for guarantees under standby letters of credit issued is not material.

The amount of collateral obtained for letters of credit and commitments to extend credit is based on management’s credit evaluation of the customer. Collateral varies, but may include real estate, accounts receivable, marketable securities, pledged deposits, inventory or equipment.

Other commitments:

QNB has committed to various operating leases for several of their branch and office facilities. Some of these leases include specific provisions relating to rent increases. Some of the leases contain renewal options to extend the initial terms of the lease for periods ranging from five to ten years and certain leases allow for multiple extensions. There were no lease renewals during the six months ended June 30, 2025.