Mechanics Bancorp Class A (MCHB) Risk Analysis

We use a variety of estimates in our accounting policies and methods, including complex financial models designed to value certain of our assets and liabilities, including our allowance for credit losses and MSRs. These models are complex and use specific judgment-based assumptions about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Different assumptions in these models could result in significant changes in valuation, which in turn could affect earnings or result in significant changes in the recorded amount of assets and liabilities reported on the balance sheet. The assumptions used may be impacted by numerous factors, including economic conditions, consumer behavior, changes in interest rates and changes in collateral values. A failure to make appropriate assumptions in these models could have a negative impact on our liquidity, financial position, results of operations and capital position.

Our internal controls over financial reporting are intended to ensure we maintain accurate records, promote the accurate and timely reporting of our financial information, maintain adequate control over our assets, and prevent and detect unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets. Effective internal and disclosure controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports, effectively prevent fraud, and operate successfully as a public company. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our reputation and operating results may be harmed. In addition to our internal controls, we use an enterprise risk management framework in an effort to achieve an appropriate balance between risk and return, with established processes and procedures intended to identify, measure, monitor, report, analyze and control our primary risks, including liquidity risk, credit risk, price risk, interest rate risk, operational risk, including cybersecurity risks, legal and compliance risk, strategic risk and reputational risk. We also maintain a compliance program to identify, measure, assess and report on our adherence to applicable laws, policies and procedures. Our controls and programs may not effectively mitigate all risk and limit losses in our business. In addition, as we make strategic shifts in our business, we implement new systems and processes. If our change management processes are not sound and adequate resources are not deployed to support these implementations and changes, we may experience additional internal control deficiencies that could expose the Company to operating losses or cause us to fail to appropriately anticipate or identify new risks related to such shifts in the business. Any failure to maintain effective controls or timely implement any necessary improvement of our internal and disclosure controls in the future could create losses, cause us to incur additional costs or fail to meet our reporting obligations. Failing to maintain an effective risk management framework or compliance program could also expose us to losses, adverse impacts to our financial position, results of operations and capital position, or regulatory criticism or restrictions.

HomeStreet, Inc. is a separate legal entity from the Bank, which is the primary source of funds available to HomeStreet Inc. to service its debt, fund its operations, pay dividends to shareholders, repurchase shares and otherwise satisfy its obligations. The availability of dividends from the Bank is limited by various statutes and regulations, capital rules regarding requirements to maintain a "well capitalized" ratio at the Bank, as well as by our policy of retaining a significant portion of our earnings to support the Bank's operations. For additional information on these restrictions, see "Item 1 Business" in this 10-K. If the Bank cannot pay dividends to HomeStreet Inc., HomeStreet, Inc. may be limited in its ability to service its debt, fund its operations, repurchase shares and pay dividends to its shareholders.

Residential mortgage lending is subject to substantial volatility due to changes in interest rates, a significant lack of housing inventory in our principal markets, and other market forces beyond our control. Increases in interest rates have and in the future may materially and adversely affect our future loan origination volume and margins. During 2023, primarily as a result of the significant increase in interest rates, our mortgage origination volume decreased by 42% when compared to 2022. Decreases in the availability of housing inventory may reduce demand and adversely impact our future loan origination volume. Decreases in the value of the collateral securing our outstanding loans may increase rates of borrower default which would adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and capital position.

We make certain representations and warranties to third party purchasers of our loans, including GSEs, about the loans and the manner in which they were originated, including adherence to strict origination guidelines for loans originated for sale to GSEs. Our sale agreements generally require us to either repurchase loans if we have breached any of these representations or warranties, which may result in recording a loss and/or bearing any subsequent loss on the loan, and/or pay monetary penalties. We may not be able to recover our losses from a borrower or other third party in the event of such a breach of representation or warranty due to a lack of remedies or lack of financial resources of the borrower, and we may be required to bear the full amount of the related loss. We also originate, purchase, sell and service loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration ("FHA") and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA"), and we certify that such loans have met their requirements and guidelines. We are subject to audits of our processes, procedures and documentation of such loans, and any violations of the guidelines can result in monetary penalties, which could be significant if there are systemic violations, as well as indemnification requirements or restrictions on participation in the program. If we experience increased repurchase and indemnity demands on loans that we have sold or that we sell from our portfolios in the future, or if we are assessed significant penalties for violations of origination guidelines, our liquidity, financial condition, results of operations and capital position may be adversely affected.

A substantial portion of our loans are secured by real property, including a portfolio of commercial real estate ("CRE") loans. Our real estate secured lending is generally sensitive to national, regional and local economic conditions, making loss levels difficult to predict. Declines in real estate sales and prices, significant increases in interest rates, unforeseen natural disasters and a decline in prevailing economic conditions may result in higher than expected loan delinquencies, foreclosures, problem loans, other real estate owned ("OREO"), net charge-offs and provisions for credit and OREO losses. If real estate market values decline significantly, as they did in the 2008 to 2011 recession, the collateral for our loans may provide less security and reduce our ability to recover the principal, interest and costs due on defaulted loans. Such declines may have a greater effect on our earnings and capital than on the earnings and capital of financial institutions whose loan portfolios are more diversified, and as a result, we have faced and we could face in the future reduced liquidity, constraints on capital resources, increased obligations to investors to whom we sell mortgage loans, declining income on mortgage servicing fees and a related decrease in the value of MSRs, and declining values on certain securities we hold in our investment portfolio.

We must maintain sufficient funds to respond to the needs of depositors and borrowers. As a part of our liquidity management, we use a number of funding sources in addition to deposit growth and repayments and maturities of loans and investments, including Federal Home Loan Bank advances, borrowings from the Federal Reserve, proceeds from the sale of loans, federal funds purchased, brokered certificates of deposit and issuance of equity or debt securities. Adverse operating results or changes in industry conditions could lead to difficulty or an inability to access these funding sources and could make our existing funds more volatile. Our financial flexibility may be materially constrained if we are unable to maintain our access to funding or if adequate financing is not available to accommodate future growth at acceptable interest rates. When interest rates change, the cost of our funding may change at a different rate than our interest income, which may have a negative impact on our net interest income and, in turn, our results of operations, financial condition and capital position. 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 results of operations, financial condition and capital position would be adversely affected. Further, the volatility inherent in some of these funding sources, particularly brokered deposits, may increase our exposure to liquidity risk.