11. Preferred Stock

On August 11, 2011, pursuant to the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF), the Company issued and sold to the US Treasury 21,000 shares of its Senior Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E (Series E Preferred Stock) for the aggregate proceeds of $21 million. The SBLF is a voluntary program sponsored by the US Treasury that encourages small business lending by providing capital to qualified community banks at favorable rates. The initial interest rate on the Series E Preferred Stock has been initially set at 5% per annum and may be decreased to as low as 1% per annum if growth thresholds are met for qualified outstanding small business loans. The Company used the proceeds from the Series E Preferred Stock issued to the US Treasury to repurchase all 21,000 shares of its outstanding preferred shares previously issued to the US Treasury under the TARP Capital Purchase Program.

The Series E Preferred Stock has an aggregate liquidation preference of approximately $21 million and qualifies as Tier 1 Capital for regulatory purposes. The terms of the Series E Preferred Stock provide for the payment of non-cumulative dividends on a quarterly basis. The dividend rate, as a percentage of the liquidation amount, may fluctuate while the Series E Preferred Stock is outstanding based upon changes in the level of "qualified small business lending" ("QSBL") by the Bank from its average level of QSBL at each of the four quarter ends leading up to June 30, 2010 (the "Baseline") as follows:


DIVIDEND PERIOD ANNUALIZED		ANNUALIZED DIVIDEND RATE
BEGINNING	ENDING	ANNUALIZED DIVIDEND RATE
August 11, 2011	December 31, 2011	5.0%
January 1, 2012	December 31, 2013	1.0% to 5.0%
January 1, 2014	February 7, 2016	1.0% to 7.0%⁽¹⁾
February 8, 2016	Redemption	9.0%⁽²⁾

(1)

Between January 1, 2014 and February 7, 2016, the dividend rate was fixed at a rate in such range based upon the level of percentage change in QSBL between September 30, 2013 and the Baseline.

(2)

Beginning on February 8, 2016, the dividend rate will be fixed at nine percent (9%) per annum.

As of September 30, 2013, the Company had increased its QSBL to a level that reduced the dividend rate to 1%. Accordingly, this 1% rate will continue through February 7, 2016.

As long as shares of Series E Preferred Stock remain outstanding, we may not pay dividends to our common shareholders (nor may we repurchase or redeem any shares of our common stock) during any quarter in which we fail to declare and pay dividends on the Series E Preferred Stock and for the next three quarters following such failure. In addition, under the terms of the Series E Preferred Stock, we may only declare and pay dividends on our common stock (or repurchase shares of our common stock), if, after payment of such dividend, the dollar amount of our Tier 1 capital would be at least ninety percent (90%) of Tier 1 capital as of June 30, 2011, excluding any charge-offs and redemptions of the Series E Preferred Stock (the "Tier 1 Dividend Threshold"). The Tier 1 Dividend Threshold is subject to reduction, beginning January 1, 2014, based upon the extent by which, if at all, the QSBL at September 30, 2013 has increased over the Baseline.

We may redeem the Series E Preferred Stock at any time at our option, at a redemption price of 100% of the liquidation amount plus accrued but unpaid dividends, subject to the approval of our federal banking regulator.