Bank Of The Jame Financial (BOTJ) Risk Factors

Our investment securities portfolio is a significant component of our total earning assets. Turmoil in the financial markets could impair the market value of our investment portfolio, which could adversely affect our net income and possibly our capital. In an effort combat inflation, the Federal reserve raised rates in 2022. Interest rates increased rapidly. On December 31, 2021, the Fed funds target rate was 0% to 0.25%. By June 30, 2022, the target rate stood at 1.5% to 1.75% and by December 31, 2022 the rate was 4.25% to 4.5%. By December 31, 2023, the target rate had increased to 5.25% to 5.5% where it currently remains. These increases generally had an adverse impact on the value of our securities available-for-sale portfolio. From time to time, we hold as investments certain securities that have unrealized losses. As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2023, we had unrealized losses in our available-for-sale securities portfolio net of taxes of $26,781,000 and $21,615,000, respectively. While we currently maintain substantial liquidity which supports our intent and ability to hold these investments until they mature, or until there is a market price recovery, if we were to cease to have the ability and intent to hold these investments until maturity or if the market prices do not recover, and we were to sell these securities at a loss, it could adversely affect our net income and thereby our capital.

The Company may also be subject to disruptions of its systems arising from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control (including, for example, computer viruses or electrical or telecommunications outages), which may give rise to losses in service to customers and to financial loss or liability. The Company is further exposed to the risk that its external vendors may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations (or will be subject to the same risk of fraud or operational errors by their respective employees as is the Company) and to the risk that the Company's (or its vendors') business continuity and data security systems prove to be inadequate.

The FDIC insures deposits at FDIC-insured depository institutions, such as the Bank, up to applicable limits. The amount of a particular institution's deposit insurance assessment is based on that institution's risk classification under an FDIC risk-based assessment system. An institution's risk classification is assigned based on its capital levels and the level of supervisory concern the institution poses to its regulators. Bank failures significantly depleted the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Fund and reduced the ratio of reserves to insured deposits. As a result of recent economic conditions and the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Reform Act, banks are now assessed deposit insurance premiums based on the bank's average consolidated total assets, and the FDIC has modified certain risk-based adjustments, which increase or decrease a bank's overall assessment rate. This has resulted in increases to the deposit insurance assessment rates, and thus raised deposit premiums for many insured depository institutions. If these increases are insufficient for the Deposit Insurance Fund to meet its funding requirements, further special assessments or increases in deposit insurance premiums may be required. We are generally unable to control the amount of premiums that we are required to pay for FDIC insurance. If there are additional bank or financial institution failures, we may be required to pay even higher FDIC premiums than the recently increased levels. Any future additional assessments, increases or required prepayments in FDIC insurance premiums could reduce our profitability, may limit our ability to pursue certain business opportunities or otherwise negatively impact our operations.

The banking and financial services industry is highly competitive. We compete as a financial intermediary with other commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, finance companies, mutual funds, insurance companies and brokerage and investment banking firms soliciting business from residents of and businesses located in the Virginia localities where the Bank has a presence, surrounding areas and elsewhere. Many of these competing institutions have nationwide or regional operations and have greater resources than we have. We also face competition from local community institutions. Many of our competitors enjoy competitive advantages, including greater name recognition, financial resources, a wider geographic presence or more accessible branch office locations, the ability to offer additional services, greater marketing resources, more favorable pricing alternatives for loans and deposits and lower origination and operating costs. We are also subject to lower lending limits than our larger competitors. Our profitability depends upon our continued ability to successfully compete in our market areas. Increased deposit competition could increase our cost of funds and could adversely affect our ability to generate the funds necessary for our lending operations. If we must raise interest rates paid on deposits or lower interest rates charged on our loans, our net interest margin and profitability could be adversely affected. Competition could result in a decrease in loans we originate and could negatively affect our ability to grow and our results of operations. Technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for non-banks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks, such as automatic transfer and automatic payment systems. Many of our competitors have fewer regulatory constraints and may have lower cost structures. Additionally, due to their size, many competitors may be able to achieve economies of scale and, as a result, may offer a broader range of products and services as well as better pricing for those products and services.

As a community bank, our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. As such, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. This is done, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities we serve, delivering superior service to our customers and caring about our customers and associates. Negative publicity can result from our actual or alleged conduct in any number of activities, including lending practices, corporate governance, acquisitions and actions taken or threatened by government regulators and community organizations in response to those activities. If our reputation is negatively affected by the actions of our employees or otherwise, there may be an adverse effect on our ability to keep and attract customers, and we might be exposed to litigation and regulatory action. Any of such events could harm our business, and, therefore, our operating results may be materially adversely affected. As a financial services company with a high profile in our market area, we are inherently exposed to this risk. While we take steps to minimize reputation risk in dealing with customers and other constituencies, we will continue to face additional challenges maintaining our reputation with respect to customers of the Bank in our current primary market area in Region 2000 and in establishing our reputation in new market areas.

We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer-relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan and other systems. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of the failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems, there can be no assurance that any such failures, interruptions or security breaches will not occur; or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. The occurrence of any failures, interruptions or security breaches of our information systems could disrupt our business, increase our costs, result in the disclosure of confidential client information, damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability; any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Our computer systems, software and networks have been and will continue to be vulnerable to unauthorized access, loss or destruction of data (including confidential client information), account takeovers, unavailability of service, computer viruses or other malicious code, cyber-attacks and other events. These threats may derive from human error, fraud or malice on the part of employees or third parties, or may result from accidental technological failure. Information security risks for financial institutions such as ours have generally increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of new technologies, the use of the Internet and digital technologies to conduct financial transactions, and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, activists and other external parties. Some of our operations rely on the secure processing, transmission and storage of confidential information in our computer systems and networks. Our business relies on our digital technologies, computer and email systems, software and networks to conduct its operations. In addition, to access our products and services, our customers may use personal smartphones, tablets, personal computers and other mobile devices that are beyond our control systems. Although we have information security procedures and controls in place, our technologies, systems, networks and our customers' devices may become the target of cyber-attacks or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of our or our customers' confidential, proprietary and other information, or otherwise disrupt our or our customers' or other third parties' business operations. Although we maintain safeguards to protect against these risks, we have suffered losses in the past and there can be no assurance that we will not suffer losses in the future that may be material in amount or nature.

The market for financial services, including banking services and consumer finance services, is increasingly affected by advances in technology, including developments in telecommunications, data processing, computers, automation, Internet-based banking and telebanking. Our ability to compete successfully in our markets may depend on the extent to which we are able to exploit such technological changes. However, we can provide no assurance that we will be able to properly or timely anticipate or implement such technologies or properly train our staff to use such technologies. Any failure to adapt to new technologies could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results. In addition, the financial services industry is undergoing rapid technological changes, with new technology-driven products and services being frequently introduced.  The changes could cause our customers to use these new services and products rather than the Bank.  For example, financial technology (or "fintech") companies that rely on technology to provide financial services such as peer-to-peer platforms, blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies have the potential to disrupt the financial services industry and change the way banks do business.  Fintech companies are subject to limited regulation.  We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in competing against products, which could impair our growth and profitability.