NOTE 12. MINIMUM REGULATORY CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS

The Bank is subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possibly additional discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Company must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of their assets, liabilities and certain off-balance-sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings, and other factors. Prompt corrective action provisions are not applicable to bank holding companies.

The regulations require minimum ratios of total capital, common equity Tier 1 capital and Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets and a minimum leverage ratio for all banking organizations as set forth in the following table. Additionally, community banking institutions must maintain a capital conservation buffer of common equity Tier 1 capital in an amount greater than 2.5% of total risk-weighted assets to avoid being subject to limitations on capital distributions and discretionary bonuses. At December 31, 2025, we exceeded each of the applicable regulatory capital requirements including the capital conservation buffer.

As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the most recent notification from the FDIC categorized the Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To remain categorized as well capitalized, the Bank must maintain minimum Total Risk-Based Capital, Common Equity Tier 1 Risk-based, Tier 1 Risk-based, and Tier 1 Leverage Ratios as set forth in the following table. There are no conditions or events since the notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category.

The Bank may not declare or pay a dividend if the total of all dividends declared during the calendar year, including the proposed dividend, exceeds the sum of the Bank’s net income during the current calendar year and the retained net income of the prior two calendar years, unless the dividend has been approved by the FDIC and the Massachusetts Division of Banks.