Company: MFAN
Filing Date: 2025-04-18
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001140361-25-014577
Chunk: 0

Company: MFA FINANCIAL, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-04-18
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 0
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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 14A (Rule 14a-101) Information Required in Proxy Statement SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

| Filed by the Registrant ☒ |     | Filed by a Party other than the Registrant☐ |

| Check the appropriate box: |     |                                                                                 |
| ☐                          |     | Preliminary Proxy Statement                                                     |
| ☐                          |     | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
| ☒                          |     | Definitive Proxy Statement                                                      |
| ☐                          |     | Definitive Additional Materials                                                 |
| ☐                          |     | Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12                                     |

MFA FINANCIAL, INC. (Name of registrant as specified in its charter) (Name of person(s) filing proxy statement, if other than the registrant)

| Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): |     |                                                                                                     |
| ☒                                                  |     | No fee required.                                                                                    |
| ☐                                                  |     | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.                                                     |
| ☐                                                  |     | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11 |

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| One Vanderbilt Avenue    
 48th Floor               
 New York, New York 10017 |

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders Date: June 3, 2025 Time: 2:00 p.m. ET Place: Virtual meeting over the Internet at the Web address identified below YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please vote as soon as possible. It is extremely important that your shares be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting.

To Our Stockholders You are cordially invited to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of MFA Financial, Inc., a Maryland corporation (“MFA,” “we” or “our”), on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This year the Annual Meeting is being held for the following purposes:

| To consider and vote on the election of