Company: NECB
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-034190
Chunk: 33

Company: NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc./MD/
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 33
---
 of the discussion. Transactions With Related Persons The Sarbanes-Oxley Act generally prohibits loans by the Bank to its executive officers and directors. However, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act contains a specific exemption from such prohibition for loans by the Bank to its executive officers and directors in compliance with federal banking regulations. Federal regulations require that all loans or extensions of credit to executive officers and directors of insured institutions must be made on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with other persons and must not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features. The Bank is therefore prohibited from making any new loans or extensions of credit to executive officers and directors at different rates or terms than those offered to the general public. Notwithstanding this rule, federal regulations permit the Bank to make loans to executive officers and directors at reduced interest rates if the loan is made under a benefit program generally available to all other employees and does not give preference to any executive officer or director over any other employee. In accordance with banking regulations, the Board of Directors reviews all loans made to a director or executive officer in an amount that, when aggregated with the amount of all other loans to such person and his or her related interests, exceed the greater of $25,000 or 5% of the Company’s capital and surplus (up to a maximum of $500,000) and such loan must be approved in advance by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors. Additionally, pursuant to the Company’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, all executive officers and directors of the Company must disclose any existing or emerging conflicts of interest to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Such potential conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) the Company conducting business with or competing against an organization in which a family member of an executive officer or director has an ownership or employment interest; and (ii) the ownership of more than 1% of the outstanding securities (or that represents more than 5% of the total assets of the employee and/or family member) of any business entity that does business with or is in competition with the Company. NorthEast Community Bank had no loans to related parties at December 31, 2024. Other Transactions. Joel Morgenthau is an attorney with Morritt, Hock & Hamroff, LLP, a law firm that provides construction loan closing services to borrowers of NorthEast Community Bank who choose to use the