The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of
operations should be read in conjunction with our historical financial
statements and the related notes thereto contained in this Report. Some of the
information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in
this Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for
our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. You should review the sections titled "Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" for a discussion of
forward-looking statements and important factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the
forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.
                                       53
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Overview

We are a bank holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Our commercial community banking activities are operated through Open Bank, our banking subsidiary. We offer commercial banking services to small and medium-sized businesses, their owners and retail customers primarily in the Korean-American community.



Our results of operations depend primarily on our net interest income. We drive
our income from interest received on our loan portfolio and the fee income we
receive in connection with our deposits, and the sale and service of SBA loans.
Our major operating expenses are the interest we pay on deposits, the salaries
and related benefits we pay our management and staff, and the rent we pay on our
leased properties. We rely primarily on locally-generated deposits, mostly from
the Korean-American market within California, to fund our loan activities. We
currently operate eight branches in Los Angeles County and Orange County,
California, one branch in Santa Clara County, California, and one branch in
Carrollton, Texas. We have four loan production offices in Pleasanton,
California, Atlanta, Georgia, Aurora, Colorado, and Lynnwood, Washington.

The following significant items are of note as of or for the periods presented:

As of December 31, 2022 compared to as of 2021

•Total assets were $2.09 billion, an increase of $367.8 million, or 21.3%, from $1.73 billion.

•Gross loans were $1.68 billion, an increase of $364.3 million, or 27.7%, from $1.31 billion.

•Total deposits were $1.89 billion, an increase of $351.7 million, or 22.9%, from $1.53 billion.

•Shareholders' equity was $176.9 million, an increase of $11.7 million, or 7.1%, from $165.2 million.

For the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 2021

•Net income was $33.3 million or $2.14 per diluted common share, an increase of $4.5 million, or 15.5%, from $28.8 million or $1.88 per diluted common share.

•Net interest income increased to $76.9 million, an increase of $15.9 million, or 26.0%, from $61.0 million.

For the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 2020

•Net income was $28.8 million or $1.88 per diluted common share, an increase of $15.7 million, or 119.7%, from $13.1 million or $0.85 per diluted common share.

•Net interest income increased to $61.0 million, an increase of $15.7 million, or 34.5%, from $45.4 million.



Selected Financial Data
                                       54
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                                                                  As of or For the Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands, except share and per share
data)                                                         2022                   2021                  2020
Income Statement Data:
Interest income                                        $       88,212           $     64,158          $     53,656
Interest expense                                               11,301                  3,132                 8,292
Net interest income                                            76,911                 61,026                45,364
Provision for loan losses                                       2,976                    522                 5,961
Noninterest income                                             17,619                 16,017                10,771
Noninterest expense                                            44,830                 35,865                31,940
Income before income taxes                                     46,724                 40,656                18,234
Income tax expense                                             13,414                 11,816                 5,107
Net income                                                     33,310                 28,840                13,127
Per Share Data:
Basic income per share                                 $         2.15           $       1.89          $       0.85
Diluted income per share                               $         2.14           $       1.88          $       0.85
Book value per share                                   $        11.59           $      10.92          $       9.55
Shares of common stock outstanding                         15,270,344             15,137,808            15,016,700
Performance Ratios:
Return on average assets                                         1.74  %                1.83  %               1.03  %
Return on average equity                                        19.57  %               18.90  %               9.35  %
Yield on total loans                                             5.25   %               4.94  %               4.91  %
Yield on average earning assets                                  4.79   %               4.23  %               4.40  %
Cost of average interest bearing liabilities                     1.22   %               0.42  %               1.18  %
Cost of deposits                                                 0.65   %               0.22  %               0.75  %
Net interest margin                                              4.18   %               4.02  %               3.72  %
Efficiency ratio (1)                                            47.42   %              46.55  %              56.90  %
Balance Sheet Data:
Gross loans receivable                                 $    1,678,292           $  1,314,019          $  1,099,736
Loans held for sale                                            44,335                 89,428                26,659
Allowance for loan losses                                      19,241                 16,123                15,352
Total assets                                                2,094,497              1,726,691             1,366,826
Deposits                                                    1,885,771              1,534,066             1,200,090
Shareholders' equity                                          176,916                165,222               143,366
Asset Quality Data:
Net charge-offs to average gross loans
receivable                                                       0.00   %               0.02  %               0.00  %
Nonperforming loans to gross loans receivable                    0.18   %               0.24  %               0.09  %
Allowance for loan losses to nonperforming loans               624.51   %             503.84  %            1558.58  %
Allowance for loan losses to gross loans
receivable                                                       1.15   %               1.23  %               1.40  %
Balance Sheet and Capital Ratios:
Gross loans receivable to deposits                              89.00   %              85.66  %              91.64  %
Noninterest-bearing deposits to deposits                        37.20   %              50.50  %              43.56  %
Average equity to average total assets                           8.88   %               9.71  %              11.06  %
Leverage ratio                                                   9.38   %               9.58  %              10.55  %
Common equity tier 1 ratio                                      11.87   %              12.42  %              13.56  %
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio                                 11.87   %              12.42  %              13.56  %
Total risk-based capital ratio                                  13.06   %              13.66  %              14.81  %


(1) Represent noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.


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Loan Payment Deferrals Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic



In early 2020, we began providing payment deferrals of up to 12 months for our
commercial and consumer borrowers who had been adversely impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic and had not been delinquent over 30 days on payments at the
time of the borrowers' deferral requests. For the loans modified under this
program, in accordance with the provisions of Section 4013 of the CARES Act and
the interagency statement issued by bank regulatory agencies, we elected to not
apply troubled debt structuring classification to borrowers who were current as
of December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2022, we had no loan in deferment
status, compared to total outstanding loans remaining in deferment status of
$5.0 million, or 0.4% of the total portfolio, as of December 31, 2021.


Paycheck Protection Program



Beginning in April 2020, we accepted applications under the PPP administered by
the SBA under the CARES Act, as amended by the Economic Aid Act enacted on
December 27, 2020 and have originated loans to qualified small businesses. Under
the terms of the program, loans funded through the PPP are eligible to be
forgiven if certain requirements are met, including using the funds for certain
costs relating to payroll, healthcare and qualifying mortgage interest, rent and
utility payments. To the extent not forgiven, loans are subject to terms of the
program. Since the PPP's inception through December 31, 2022, we have funded
$154.5 million, and $154.0 million of principal forgiveness has been provided on
qualifying PPP loans. As of December 31, 2022, there were unamortized net
deferred fees and unaccreted discounts of $8 thousand to be recognized over the
estimated life of the loan as a yield adjustment on the loans. If a loan is paid
off or forgiven by the SBA prior to its projected estimated life, the remaining
unamortized deferred fees will be recognized as interest income in that period.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates



Our accounting and reporting policies conform to accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and conform to general
practices within the industry in which we operate. To prepare financial
statements in conformity with GAAP, management makes estimates, assumptions and
judgments based on available information. These estimates, assumptions and
judgments affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and
accompanying notes. These estimates, assumptions and judgments are based on
information available as of the date of the financial statements and, as this
information changes, actual results could differ from the estimates, assumptions
and judgments reflected in the financial statement. In particular, management
has identified several accounting policies that, due to the estimates,
assumptions and judgments inherent in those policies, are critical in
understanding our financial statements.

The following is a discussion of the critical accounting policies and
significant estimates that require us to make complex and subjective judgments.
Additional information about these policies can be found in the "Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting
Policies."

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses ("ALL") is a valuation allowance for probable
incurred credit losses. Loan losses are charged against the ALL when management
believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent
recoveries, if any, are credited to the ALL. Management estimates the ALL
balance required using past loan loss experience, the nature and volume of the
portfolio, information about specific borrower situations and estimated
collateral values, economic conditions, and other factors. Allocations of the
ALL may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for
any loan that, in management's judgment, should be charged off.

The ALL is maintained at a level that management believes is appropriate to
provide for known and inherent incurred loan losses as of the date of the
Consolidated Balance Sheets and we have established methodologies for the
determination of its adequacy. The methodologies are set forth in a formal
policy and take into consideration the need for an overall general valuation
allowance as well as specific allowances that are determined on an individual
loan basis.

The evaluation is inherently subjective, as it requires estimates that are
susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available. While
management uses available information to recognize losses on loans, changes in
economic or other conditions may necessitate revision of the estimate in future
periods.

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Results of Operations

Net Income



We reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 of $33.3 million,
compared to net income of $28.8 million for the same period of 2021. The
increase was primarily due to a $15.9 million increase in net interest income,
partially offset by a $9.0 million increase in noninterest expense and a $2.5
million increase in provision for loan losses.

We reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $28.8 million,
compared to net income of $13.1 million for the same period of 2020. The
increase was primarily due to a $15.7 million increase in net interest income
and $5.4 million decrease in provision for loan losses, partially offset by a
$6.7 million increase in provision for income taxes.

                                                                    Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)                         2022             Change             2021             Change             2020
Interest income                       $ 88,212          $ 24,054          $ 64,158          $ 10,502          $ 53,656
Interest expense                        11,301             8,169             3,132            (5,160)            8,292
Net interest income                     76,911            15,885            61,026            15,662            45,364
Provision for (reversal of)
loan losses                              2,976             2,454               522            (5,439)            5,961
Noninterest income                      17,619             1,602            16,017             5,246            10,771
Noninterest expense                     44,830             8,965            35,865             3,925            31,940
Income before income tax
expense                                 46,724             6,068            40,656            22,422            18,234
Income tax expense                      13,414             1,598            11,816             6,709             5,107
Net income                            $ 33,310          $  4,470          $ 28,840          $ 15,713          $ 13,127



Net Interest Income

The management of interest income and expense is fundamental to our financial
performance. Net interest income, the difference between interest income and
interest expense, is the largest component of the Company's total revenue.
Management closely monitors both total net interest income and the net interest
margin (net interest income divided by average earning assets). We seek to
maximize net interest income without exposing the Company to an excessive level
of interest rate risk through our asset and liability policies. Interest rate
risk is managed by monitoring the pricing, maturity and repricing options of all
classes of interest-bearing assets and liabilities. Our net interest margin is
also adversely impacted by the reversal of interest on nonaccrual loans and the
reinvestment of loan payoffs into lower yielding investment securities and other
short-term investments.


                                       57

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The following table presents, for the periods indicated, information about: (i)
weighted average balances, the total dollar amount of interest income from
interest-earning assets and the resultant average yields, (ii) average balances,
the total dollar amount of interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities and
the resultant average rates, (iii) net interest income, (iv) the interest rate
spread, and (v) the net interest margin.
                                                                                        Year Ended December 31,
                                                                   2022                                                             2021
                                         Average                    Interest             Yield /              Average            Interest             Yield /
($ in thousands)                         Balance                    and Fees              Rate                Balance            and Fees              Rate
Interest-earning assets:
Interest-bearing deposits in
other banks                           $    79,482                  $  1,399                  1.76  %       $   132,090          $    170                  0.13  %
Federal funds sold and other
investments (1)                            11,810                       598                  5.06               10,755               455                  4.23
Available-for-sale debt
securities                                170,479                     3,351                  1.97              108,346             1,085                  1.00
Total investments                         261,771                     5,348                  2.04              251,191             1,710                  0.68
Commercial real estate loans              777,776                    37,861                  4.87              672,045            30,645                  4.56
SBA loans                                 321,757                    24,073                  7.48              355,114            21,760                  6.13
Commercial and industrial loans           142,630                     7,217                  5.06              114,628             4,463                  3.89
Home mortgage loans                       334,984                    13,660                  4.08              122,465             5,520                  4.51
Consumer & other loans                      1,071                        53                  4.95                1,095                60                  5.51
Loans (2)                               1,578,218     1,578,218      82,864                  5.25            1,265,347            62,448                  4.94
Total interest-earning assets           1,839,989                    88,212                  4.79            1,516,538            64,158                  4.23
Noninterest-earning assets                 76,883                                                               55,201
Total assets                          $ 1,916,872                                                          $ 1,571,739

Interest-bearing liabilities:
Money market deposits and
others                                $   475,414                  $  5,305                  1.12  %       $   362,900          $  1,134                  0.31  %
Time deposits                             445,169                     5,905                  1.33              378,585             1,998                  0.53
Total interest-bearing deposits           920,583                    11,210                  1.22              741,485             3,132                  0.42
Borrowings                                  2,089                        91                  4.36                1,988                 -                     -
Total interest-bearing
liabilities                               922,672                    11,301                  1.22              743,473             3,132                  0.42
Noninterest-bearing
liabilities:
Noninterest-bearing deposits              796,175                                                              656,130
Other noninterest-bearing
liabilities                                27,829                                                               19,558
Total noninterest-bearing
liabilities                               824,004                                                              675,688
Shareholders' equity                      170,196                                                              152,578
Total liabilities and
shareholders' equity                  $ 1,916,872                                                          $ 1,571,739

Net interest income / interest
rate spreads                                                       $ 76,911                  3.57  %                            $ 61,026                  3.81  %
Net interest margin                                                                          4.18  %                                                      4.02  %

Cost of deposits                                                                             0.65  %                                                      0.22  %
Cost of funds                                                                                0.66  %                                                      0.22  %


(1)Includes income and average balances for Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") and
Pacific Coast Bankers Bank ("PCBB") stock, CRA qualified mutual fund, term
federal funds, interest-earning time deposits and other miscellaneous
interest-earning assets.
(2)  Average loan balances include non-accrual loans and loans held for sale.


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                                                                                    Year Ended December 31,
                                                               2021                                                         2020
                                         Average            Interest             Yield /              Average            Interest             Yield /
($ in thousands)                         Balance            and Fees              Rate                Balance            and Fees              Rate
Interest-earning assets:
Interest-bearing deposits in
other banks                           $   132,090          $    170                  0.13  %       $    81,997          $    281                  0.34  %
Federal funds sold and other
investments (1)                            10,755               455                  4.23                9,853               369                  3.74
Available-for-sale debt
securities                                108,346             1,085                  1.00               73,410             1,177                  1.60
Total investments                         251,191             1,710                  0.68              165,260             1,827                  1.10
Commercial real estate loans              672,045            30,645                  4.56              636,809            30,616                  4.81
SBA loans                                 355,114            20,760                  6.13              200,110            11,231                  5.61
Commercial and industrial loans           114,628             4,463                  3.89               93,490             3,887                  4.16
Home mortgage loans                       122,465             5,520                  4.51              122,195             5,977                  4.89
Consumer & other loans                      1,095                60                  5.51                2,102               118                  5.61
Loans (2)                               1,265,347            61,448                  4.94            1,054,706            51,829                  4.94
Total interest-earning assets           1,516,538            63,158                  4.23            1,219,966            53,656                  4.40
Noninterest-earning assets                 55,201                                                       49,224
Total assets                          $ 1,571,739                                                  $ 1,269,190

Interest-bearing liabilities:
Money market deposits and
others                                $   362,900          $  1,134                  0.31  %       $   307,316          $  2,174                  0.71  %
Time deposits                             378,585             1,998                  0.53              391,667             6,118                  1.56
Total interest-bearing deposits           741,485             3,132                  0.42              698,983             8,292                  1.19
Borrowings                                  1,988                 -                     -                5,505                 -                     -
Total interest-bearing
liabilities                               743,473             3,132                  0.42              704,488             8,292                  1.18
Noninterest-bearing
liabilities:
Noninterest-bearing deposits              656,130                                                      406,401
Other noninterest-bearing
liabilities                                19,558                                                       17,889
Total noninterest-bearing
liabilities                               675,688                                                      424,290
Shareholders' equity                      152,578                                                      140,412
Total liabilities and
shareholders' equity                  $ 1,571,739                                                  $ 1,269,190

Net interest income / interest
rate spreads                                               $ 60,026                  3.81  %                            $ 45,364                  3.22  %
Net interest margin                                                                  4.02  %                                                      3.72  %

Cost of deposits                                                                     0.22  %                                                      0.75  %
Cost of funds                                                                        0.22  %                                                      0.75  %


(1)Includes income and average balances for Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") and
Pacific Coast Bankers Bank ("PCBB") stock, CRA qualified mutual fund, term
federal funds, interest-earning time deposits and other miscellaneous
interest-earning assets.
(2)  Average loan balances include non-accrual loans and loans held for sale.
                                       59
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Increases and decreases in interest income and interest expense result from
changes in average balances (volume) of interest-earning assets and
interest-bearing liabilities, as well as changes in average interest rates. The
following tables set forth the effects of changing rates and volumes on our net
interest income during the period shown. Information is provided with respect to
(i) effects on interest income attributable to changes in volume (change in
volume multiplied by prior rate) and (ii) effects on interest income
attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior volume).
Change applicable to both volume and rate have been allocated to volume and rate
ratably.

                                                                        Year Ended December 31,
                                                                              2022 vs 2021
                                                                 Increases (Decreases) Due to Change in
($ in thousands)                                           Volume                  Rate                  Total
Interest-earning assets:
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks             $          (497)         $      1,726          $      1,229
Federal funds sold and other investments                          78                    65                   143
Available-for-sale debt securities                               923                 1,343                 2,266
Total investments                                                504                 3,134                 3,638
Commercial real estate loans                                   4,983                 2,233                 7,216
SBA loans                                                     (3,276)                5,589                 2,313
Commercial and industrial loans                                  734                 2,020                 2,754
Home mortgage loans                                            8,602                  (462)                8,140
Consumer & other loans                                            (1)                   (6)                   (7)
Total loans                                                   11,042                 9,374                20,416
Total interest-earning assets                                 11,546                12,508                24,054
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Money market deposits and others                               1,159                 3,012                 4,171
Time deposits                                                    669                 3,238                 3,907
Total interest-bearing deposits                                1,828                 6,250                 8,078
Borrowings                                                         2                    89                    91
Total interest-bearing liabilities                             1,830                 6,339                 8,169
Net interest income                                  $         9,716          $      6,169          $     15,885



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                                                                        Year Ended December 31,
                                                                             2021 vs 2020
                                                                Increases (Decreases) Due to Change in
($ in thousands)                                          Volume                  Rate                  Total
Interest-earning assets:
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks             $          118          $       (229)         $       (111)
Federal funds sold and other investments                         49                    37                    86
Available-for-sale debt securities                              444                  (536)                  (92)
Total investments                                               611                  (728)                 (117)
Commercial real estate loans                                  1,650                (1,622)                   28
SBA loans                                                     8,959                 1,569                10,528
Commercial and industrial loans                                 851                  (275)                  576
Home mortgage loans                                              13                  (469)                 (456)
Consumer & other loans                                          (56)                   (1)                  (57)
Total loans                                                  11,417                  (798)               10,619
Total interest-earning assets                                12,028                (1,526)               10,502
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Money market deposits and others                                261                (1,301)               (1,040)
Time deposits                                                  (162)               (3,958)               (4,120)
Total interest-bearing deposits                                  99                (5,259)               (5,160)
Borrowings                                                        -                     -                     -
Total interest-bearing liabilities                               99                (5,259)               (5,160)
Net interest income                                  $       11,929          $      3,733          $     15,662



2022 Compared to 2021

Net interest income increased $15.9 million, or 26.0%, to $76.9 million for the
year ended December 31, 2022 from $61.0 million for the same period of 2021,
primarily due to higher interest income on loans. A $20.4 million increase in
interest income on loans for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared with the
same period of 2021, was primarily due to higher average loan balance from loan
growth in home mortgage loans, commercial real estate loans, and C&I loans and
rate increases in SBA loans, C&I loans and commercial real estate loans.

Average yield on interesting-bearing deposits in other banks was 1.76% for the
year ended December 31, 2022, a 163 basis point increase from 0.13% for the same
period of 2021, primarily due to the Federal Reserve's rate increases. Average
yield on available-for-sale debt securities was 1.97% for the year ended
December 31, 2022, a 97 basis point increase from 1.00% for the same period of
2021, primarily due to purchases of securities that earn higher yields than
existing investment portfolio.

Average loan yield was 5.25% for the year ended December 31, 2022, a 31 basis
point increase from 4.94% for the same period of 2021. The increase was
primarily due to higher average loan balance from loan growth of $212.5 million,
$105.7 million and $28.0 million in home mortgage loans, commercial real estate
loans, and C&I loans, respectively, and rate increases of 135 basis points in
SBA loans, 117 basis points in C&I loans, and 31 basis points in commercial real
estate loans.

Average cost of interest-bearing deposits was 1.22% for the year ended
December 31, 2022, an 80 basis point increase from 0.42% for the same period of
2021, primarily due to the Federal Reserve's rate increases. Average cost of
deposits was 0.65% for the year ended December 31, 2022, a 43 basis point
increase from 0.22% for the same period of 2021, primarily due to the Federal
Reserve's rate increases, partially offset by higher average balance of
noninterest-bearing deposits.

Net interest margin was 4.18% for the year ended December 31, 2022, a 16 basis
point increase from 4.02% for the same period of 2021, primarily due to a 56
basis point increase in average yield on interest-earning assets.
                                       61
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2021 Compared to 2020



Net interest income for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $61.0 million
compared to $45.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of
$15.7 million, or 34.5%. This increase was primarily due to a $10.5 million
increase in interest income from SBA loans, a $155.0 million increase in average
SBA loan balance and a $5.2 million decrease in interest expense.

Total interest income was $64.2 million in 2021, compared to $53.7 million in
2020, an increase of $10.5 million, or 19.6%. This increase was primarily due to
an increase in interest earned on SBA loans.

Interest and fees on loans was $62.4 million in 2021, compared to $51.8 million
in 2020, an increase of $10.6 million, or 20.5%. This increase in interest
income on loans was primarily due to a $155.0 million increase in average loan
balance resulting from the purchase of loan portfolio from the Hana Small
Business Lending, ("Hana") and PPP originations.

Interest income on total investments was $1.7 million in 2021, compared to $1.8
million in 2020. Interest income on securities available for sale decreased $92
thousand, or 7.8%, to $1.1 million in 2021, compared to $1.2 million in 2020.
The decrease was primarily due to a 60 basis point decrease in the average
yield, partially offset by a 52.0% increase in the average balance of securities
available for sale. Interest income on federal funds sold and other investments
decreased $25 thousand, or 3.8%, to $625 thousand in 2021 from $650 thousand in
2020, due to a 27 basis point decrease in the average yield on the federal funds
sold and other investments, partially offset by a 55.5% increase in the average
balance of federal funds sold and other investments held by the Company.

Total interest expense was $3.1 million in 2021, compared to $8.3 million in
2020, a decrease of $5.2 million, or 62.2%. The decrease was primarily due to a
77 basis point decrease in the average rate paid on interest-bearing deposits as
a result of the downward adjustments of the Company's rates paid on
interest-bearing deposits in response to the rate decreases by the Federal
Reserve. The average balance of interest-bearing liabilities increased $39.0
million to $743.5 million at December 31, 2021 from $704.5 million at December
31, 2020.

Provision for Loan Losses



Credit risk is inherent in the business of making loans. We establish an
allowance for loan losses through charges to earnings, which are shown in the
statements of operations as the provision for loan losses. Specifically
identifiable and quantifiable known losses are promptly charged off against the
allowance. The provision for loan losses is determined by conducting a quarterly
evaluation of the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses and charging the
shortfall or excess, if any, to the current quarter's expense. This has the
effect of creating variability in the amount and frequency of charges to
earnings. The provision for loan losses and level of allowance for each period
are dependent upon many factors, including loan growth, net charge-offs, changes
in the composition of the loan portfolio, delinquencies, management's assessment
of the quality of the loan portfolio, the valuation of problem loans and the
general economic conditions in our market area.

2022 Compared to 2021



The provision for loan losses was $3.0 million for the year ended December 31,
2022, compared to $522 thousand for the same period of 2021. The changes in
quantitative reserves from loan growth in real estate and home mortgage loans
accounted for an increase of $5.8 million in the provision for loan losses for
the year ended December 31, 2022. The changes in quantitative reserves included
a $205 thousand decrease in the provision for accrued interest receivables on
deferred loans. The changes in qualitative factors, primarily due to
improvements in economic conditions and commercial real estate concentration,
accounted for a decrease of $2.8 million in the provision for loan losses for
the year ended December 31, 2022.

2021 Compared to 2020



The provision for loan losses was $522 thousand for the year ended December 31,
2021, compared to $6.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Management
evaluated the qualitative and quantitative factors on all loan types to reflect
the COVID-19 pandemic's prolonged potential adverse impacts on national, state,
and local economic and business conditions. The changes in qualitative factors
accounted for a decrease of $1.1 million, and the changes in quantitative
factors accounted for an increase of $1.5 million in the provision for loan
losses for the year ended December 31, 2021.
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The changes in quantitative factors included a $439 thousand decrease in the provision for accrued interest receivables on deferred loans.

The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of gross loans was 1.15% and 1.23% as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Noninterest Income



While interest income remains the largest single component of total revenues,
noninterest income is also an important component. A portion of our noninterest
income is associated with SBA lending activity, consisting of gains on the sale
of loans sold in the secondary market and servicing income from loans sold with
servicing retained. Other sources of noninterest income include service charges
on deposit.

2022 Compared to 2021

The following table sets forth the various components of our noninterest income for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:


                                                             Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)                                  2022          2021        $ Change      % Change
Noninterest income:
Service charges on deposit                     $  1,675      $  1,562      $    113          7.2  %
Loan servicing fees, net of amortization          2,416         1,953           463         23.7
Gain on sale of loans                            12,285        11,313           972          8.6
Other income                                      1,243         1,189            54          4.5
Total noninterest income                       $ 17,619      $ 16,017      $  1,602         10.0  %

Noninterest income for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $17.6 million, an increase of $1.6 million, or 10.0%, compared to $16.0 million for the same period of 2021.



Loan servicing fees, net of amortization, were $2.4 million, for the year ended
December 31, 2022, compared to $2.0 million for the same period of 2021. The
increase was primarily due to an increase in loan servicing portfolio and lower
amortization of loan servicing fees as a result of lower SBA loan payoffs. Our
total SBA loan servicing portfolio was $702.1 million as of December 31, 2022,
compared to $667.0 as of the same period of 2021.

Gain on sale of loans was $12.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022,
compared to $11.3 million for the same period of 2021, an increase of $1.0
million or 8.6%. The increase was primarily due to higher sales volume partially
offset by lower average premium on loan sales. We sold $181.9 million of SBA
loans with an average premium of 7.45% for the year ended December 31, 2022,
compared to a sale of $110.3 million of SBA loans with an average premium of
11.04% in the same period of 2021.


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2021 Compared to 2020

The following table sets forth the various components of our noninterest income for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:


                                                             Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)                                  2021          2020        $ Change      % Change
Noninterest income:
Service charges on deposit                     $  1,562      $  1,431      $    131          9.2  %
Loan servicing fees, net of amortization          1,953         1,856            97          5.2
Gain on sale of loans                            11,313         6,092         5,221         85.7
Other income                                      1,189         1,392          (203)       (14.6)
Total noninterest income                       $ 16,017      $ 10,771      $  5,246         48.7  %



Noninterest income for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $16.0 million, an
increase of $5.2 million, or 48.7%, compared to $10.8 million for the year ended
December 31, 2020.

Income from service charges on deposit accounts was $1.6 million for 2021,
compared to $1.4 million for 2020, an increase of $131 thousand, or 9.2%. The
increase was primarily due to higher account analysis charges and wire
transaction fees, partially offset by lower overdraft charges in the year ended
December 31, 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.

Total gain on sale of loans was $11.3 million in the year ended December 31,
2021, compared to $6.1 million for the same period of 2020, an increase of $5.2
million or 85.7%. Gain on sale of SBA loans totaled $11.0 million in the year
ended December 31, 2021, compared to $5.9 million for the same period of 2020.
We sold $110.3 million of SBA loans with an average premium of 11.0% in the year
ended December 31, 2021, compared to the sale of $85.0 million of SBA loans with
an average premium of 8.8% in the same period of 2020. We originated $304.9
million of SBA loans, including $88.1 million of SBA PPP loans, in 2021,
compared to $204.1 million of SBA loans, including $66.3 million of SBA PPP
loans, in 2020. Gain on sale of other loans for both periods were immaterial.

Other income for 2021 were $1.2 million, compared to $1.4 million for 2020, a
decrease of $203 thousand, or 14.6%. The decrease was primarily due to a $187
thousand decrease in fair value of equity investment in a mutual fund that the
Company invested for CRA purposes.
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Noninterest Expense

2022 Compared to 2021

The following table sets forth the major components of our noninterest expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:


                                                               Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)                                    2022          2021        $ Change      % Change
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and employee benefits                   $ 27,189      $ 21,253      $  5,936         27.9  %
Occupancy and equipment                             5,964         5,213           751         14.4
Data processing and communication                   2,085         2,000            85          4.3
Professional fees                                   1,620         1,192           428         35.9
FDIC insurance and regulatory assessments             813           583           230         39.5
Promotion and advertising                             543           684          (141)       (20.6)
Directors' fees                                       682           593            89         15.0
Foundation donation and other contributions         3,393         2,890           503         17.4
Other expenses                                      2,541         1,457         1,084         74.4
Total noninterest expense                        $ 44,830      $ 35,865      $  8,965         25.0  %

Noninterest expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $44.8 million, compared with $35.9 million for the same period of 2021, an increase of $9.0 million, or 25.0%.



Salaries and employee benefits expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 was
$27.2 million, compared to $21.3 million for the same period of 2021, an
increase of $5.9 million, or 27.9%. The increase was primarily due to increased
salaries as a result of additional employees to support continued growth of the
Company. The average number of full-time equivalent employees was 207.2 in 2022
compared to 181.5 in 2021.

Professional fees for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $1.6 million, compared to $1.2 million for the same period of 2021, an increase of $428 thousand, or 35.9%. The increase was primarily due to increases in accounting fees and other consulting fees.



Occupancy and equipment expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $6.0
million, compared to $5.2 million for the same period of 2021, an increase of
$751 thousand, or 14.4%. The increase was primarily due to a new branch opened
in the first quarter of 2022 and increased equipment expense to support our
continued growth.

Foundation donation and other contributions for the year ended December 31, 2022
were $3.4 million, compared to $2.9 million for the same period of 2021, an
increase of $503 thousand, or 17.4%. The increase was primarily due to higher
donation accruals for Open Stewardship Foundation as a result of higher net
income.

Other expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $2.5 million, compared
to $1.5 million for the same period of 2021, an increase of $1.1 million, or
74.4%. The increase were primarily due to an increase in business development
expense.

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2021 Compared to 2020

The following table sets forth the major components of our noninterest expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:


                                                               Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)                                    2021          2020        $ Change      % Change
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and employee benefits                   $ 21,253      $ 20,041      $  1,212          6.0  %
Occupancy and equipment                             5,213         4,974           239          4.8
Data processing and communication                   2,000         1,682           318         18.9
Professional fees                                   1,192         1,101            91          8.3
FDIC insurance and regulatory assessments             583           449           134         29.8
Promotion and advertising                             684           467           217         46.5
Directors' fees                                       593           700          (107)       (15.3)
Foundation donation and other contributions         2,890         1,335         1,555        116.5
Other expenses                                      1,457         1,191           266         22.3
Total noninterest expense                        $ 35,865      $ 31,940      $  3,925         12.3  %



Salaries and employee benefits expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 was
$21.3 million, compared to $20.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020,
an increase of $1.2 million, or 6.0%. The increase was primarily due to a $1.3
million increase from an increase in the number of employees to support
continued growth and a $1.3 million increase in employee incentives for higher
SBA loan originations and sales in 2021, partially offset by a $1.3 million
increase in deferred loan origination costs. The average number of full-time
equivalent employees was 181.5 in 2021 compared to 171.3 in 2020. The increase
in deferred loan costs was primarily attributable to the origination of 1,979
new SBA PPP Loans, in the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to 983 new SBA
PPP loans in the year ended December 31, 2020.

Data processing and communication expense for 2021 was $2.0 million, compared to
$1.7 million for 2020, an increase of $318 thousand, or 18.9%. This increase was
primarily to support balance sheet growth.

Our aggregate donations to the Foundation and other charitable and community
contributions for 2021 were $2.9 million, compared to $1.3 million for 2020, an
increase of $1.6 million, or 116.5%. The increase was primarily due to higher
donation accruals for Open Stewardship Foundation as a result of higher net
income.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense was $13.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $11.8 million for the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to higher tax provision as a result of higher net income. Effective tax rates were 28.7% and 29.1% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.



Some items of income and expense are recognized in different years for tax
purposes than when applying GAAP, leading to timing differences between our
actual tax liability and the amount accrued for liability based on book income.
These temporary differences comprise the "deferred" portion of our tax expense
or benefit, which accumulates on our books as a deferred tax asset or deferred
tax liability, until such time as they reverse.

Realization of deferred tax assets is primarily dependent upon us generating
sufficient future taxable income to obtain benefit from the reversal of net
deductible temporary differences, along with the utilization of tax credit carry
forwards and the net operating loss carry forwards for Federal and California
state income tax purposes. The amount of deferred tax assets considered
realizable is subject to adjustment in future periods based on estimates of
future taxable income. Under GAAP a valuation allowance is required to be
recognized if it is "more likely than not" that the deferred tax assets will not
be realized. The determination of the realizability of the deferred tax assets
is highly subjective and dependent upon judgment concerning management's
evaluation of both positive and negative evidence, including forecasts of future
income, cumulative losses, applicable tax planning strategies, and assessments
of current and future economic and business conditions.
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We recognized net deferred tax assets of $14.3 million and $8.4 million as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

After consideration of the matters in the preceding paragraph, we have determined that it is more likely than not that net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 will be fully realized in future years.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Investment Portfolio



The securities portfolio is the second largest component of our interest earning
assets, and the structure and composition of this portfolio is important to an
analysis of our financial condition. The portfolio serves the following
purposes: (i) it provides a source of pledged assets for securing certain
deposits and borrowed funds, as may be required by law or by specific agreement
with a depositor or lender; (ii) it provides liquidity to even out cash flows
from the loan and deposit activities of customers; (iii) it can be used as an
interest rate risk management tool, because it provides a large base of assets,
the maturity and interest rate characteristics of which can be changed more
readily than the loan portfolio to better match changes in the deposit base and
our other funding sources; and (iv) it is an alternative interest-earning use of
funds when loan demand is weak or when deposits grow more rapidly than loans.

We classify our securities as either available-for-sale or held-to-maturity at
the time of purchase. Accounting guidance requires available-for-sale securities
to be marked to fair value with an offset to accumulated other comprehensive
income (loss), a component of shareholders' equity. Monthly adjustments are made
to reflect changes in the fair value of our available-for-sale securities.

All securities in our investment portfolio were classified as available-for-sale
as of December 31, 2022. There were no held-to-maturity or trading securities in
our investment portfolio as of December 31, 2022. All available-for-sale
securities are carried at fair value and consist of U.S. government agencies or
sponsored agency securities.

Securities available-for-sale increased $59.4 million, or 39.5%, to $209.8
million at December 31, 2022 from $150.4 million at December 31, 2021, primarily
due to purchases of $115.8 million, partially offset by principal paydowns of
$32.2 million and an increase in unrealized loss of $23.6 million for the year
ended December 31, 2022. No issuer of the available-for-sale securities, other
than U.S. Government and its agencies, comprised more than ten percent of our
shareholders' equity as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.


The following table summarizes the fair value of the available-for-sale securities portfolio as of the dates presented.


                                                         December 31, 2022                                             December 31, 2021
                                         Amortized                              Unrealized          Amortized
($ in thousands)                            Cost            Fair Value             Loss                Cost            Fair Value           Unrealized Loss
U.S. Government agencies or
sponsored agency securities:
Residential mortgage-backed
securities                              $  55,189          $   49,764          $   (5,425)         $  37,555          $   37,412          $           (143)
Residential collateralized
mortgage obligations                      179,953             160,045             (19,908)           114,588             113,032                    

(1,556)


Total available-for-sale debt
securities                              $ 235,142          $  209,809          $  (25,333)         $ 152,143          $  150,444          $         (1,699)


Certain securities have fair values less than amortized cost and, therefore,
contain unrealized losses. At December 31, 2022, we evaluated the securities
which had an unrealized loss for other than temporary impairment ("OTTI") and
determined all decline in value to be temporary. We anticipate full recovery of
amortized cost with respect to these securities by maturity, or sooner in the
event of a more favorable market interest rate environment. We do not intend to
sell these securities and it is not more likely than not that we will be
required to sell them before recovery of the amortized cost basis, which may be
at maturity.


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The following table sets forth certain information regarding contractual
maturities and the weighted average yields of our investment securities as of
the dates presented. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities
if borrowers have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call
or prepayment penalties.
                                                                                                                    December 31, 2022
                                               Due in One Year or Less     

Due after One Year Through Five Years Due after Five Years Through Ten Years

               Due after Ten Years
                                           Amortized             Weighted              Amortized              Weighted              Amortized              Weighted             Amortized            Weighted
($ in thousands)                             Cost              Average Yield              Cost              Average Yield              Cost              Average Yield            Cost             Average Yield
U.S. Government agencies or
sponsored agency securities:
Residential mortgage-backed
securities                              $          -                     -  %       $         933                  2.25  %       $       1,631                  2.10  %       $   52,625                  2.27  %
Residential collateralized
mortgage obligations                               -                     -                    366                  1.81                    615                  2.11             178,972                  2.79
Total available-for-sale debt
securities                              $          -                     -  %       $       1,299                  2.13  %       $       2,246                  2.10  %       $  231,597                  2.67  %

We have not used interest rate swaps or other derivative instruments to hedge fixed rate loans or securities to otherwise mitigate interest rate risk.

Loans



Our loans represent the largest portion of our earning assets, substantially
greater than the securities portfolio or any other asset category, and the
quality and diversification of the loan portfolio is an important consideration
when reviewing our financial condition.

On May 24, 2021, the Company completed the purchase of the Hana's loan portfolio
and paid approximately $97.6 million that included loans of $100.0 million at a
fair value discount of $8.9 million, servicing assets of $6.1 million and
accrued interest receivable of $398 thousand.


The following table summarizes the consideration paid for the loan portfolio and
the amounts of assets purchased:
($ in thousands)
Consideration
Cash                                                        $  97,631

Recognized amounts of identifiable assets purchased: Loans (1)

$ 100,003
Loan discounts                                                 (8,867)
Accrued interest receivable                                       398
Servicing assets                                                6,097
Total recognized identifiable assets                        $  97,631

(1) Consists of $92.2 million of SBA loans, $6.9 million PPP loans and $919 thousand of real estate loans.


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The loan distribution table that follows sets forth our gross loans outstanding, and the percentage distribution in each category as of the dates indicated:


                                                          December 31, 2022                                      December 31, 2021
($ in thousands)                                  Amount                   % of Total                    Amount                   % of Total
Commercial real estate                     $         842,208                        50.1  %       $         701,450                        53.3  %
SBA loan - real estate                               221,340                        13.2                    220,099                        16.8
SBA loan - non-real estate                            13,377                         0.8                     55,759                         4.2
Commercial and industrial                            116,951                         7.0                    162,543                        12.4
Home mortgage                                        482,949                        28.8                    173,303                        13.2
Consumer                                               1,467                         0.1                        865                         0.1
Gross loans receivable                             1,678,292                       100.0  %               1,314,019                       100.0  %
Allowance for loan losses                            (19,241)                                               (16,123)
Loans receivable, net (1)                  $       1,659,051                                      $       1,297,896

(1) Includes net deferred loan fees or costs, unamortized premiums and unaccreted discounts of $160 thousand and $7.0 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.



Gross loans increased $364.3 million, or 27.7%, to $1.68 billion as of
December 31, 2022, compared to $1.31 billion as of December 31, 2021. The
increase was primarily attributable to new loan production of $661.8 million and
home mortgage loan purchases of $225.1 million, partially offset by loan payoffs
and paydowns of $254.8 million and SBA loan sales of $182.3 million.


The following tables presents the contractual loan maturities by loan category
and the contractual distribution of loans to changes in interest rates as of
December 31, 20221 and 2021:
                                                                                                  December 31, 2022
                                                                                    Due after One Year Through Five
                                           Due in One Year or Less                               Years                             Due after Five Years
                                                                                                         Adjustable                               Adjustable
($ in thousands)                     Fixed Rate            Adjustable Rate           Fixed Rate             Rate              Fixed Rate             Rate                Total
Commercial real estate            $      27,735          $         33,894   

$ 387,902 $ 116,088 $ 248,812 $ 27,777 $ 842,208 SBA loans-real estate

                         -                         -                    -                  34                    -             221,306              221,340
SBA loan-non- real estate                     -                        75                  442               3,964                    -               8,896               13,377
Commercial and industrial                 8,905                    27,917                1,611              28,082               31,185              19,251              116,951
Home mortgage                                 -                         -                    -                   -              465,749              17,200              482,949
Consumer                                      -                     1,136                    -                 331                    -                   -                1,467
Gross loans                       $      36,640          $         63,022          $   389,955          $  148,499          $   745,746          $  294,430          $ 1,678,292


                                                                                                 December 31, 2021
                                                                                  Due after One Year Through Five
                                          Due in One Year or Less                              Years                             Due after Five Years
                                                              Adjustable                               Adjustable                               Adjustable
($ in thousands)                       Fixed Rate                Rate              Fixed Rate             Rate              Fixed Rate             Rate                Total
Commercial real estate            $     32,142               $   64,919

$ 317,631 $ 116,053 $ 132,727 $ 37,978 $ 701,450 SBA loans-real estate

                        -                        -                    -                  42                  395             219,662              220,099
SBA loan-non- real estate                  612                      128               39,995               5,147                    -               9,877               55,759
Commercial and industrial               13,886                   66,111                  193              43,207               22,885              16,261              162,543
Home mortgage                                -                        -                    -                   -              154,864              18,439              173,303
Consumer                                     -                      216                    -                 649                    -                   -                  865
Gross loans                       $     46,640               $  131,374

$ 357,819 $ 165,098 $ 310,871 $ 302,217 $ 1,314,019




Our loan portfolio is concentrated in commercial real estate with the remaining
balances in SBA loans (unguaranteed portion and PPP loans), home mortgage and
commercial (primarily manufacturing, wholesale, and services oriented entities).
We do not have any material concentrations by industry or group of industries in
the loan portfolio.
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However, 92.1% of our gross loans were secured by real property as of December 31, 2022, compared to 83.3% as of December 31, 2021.



Loans - Commercial Real Estate: We have established concentration limits in the
loan portfolio for commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial
loans, and unsecured lending, among others. All loan types are within
established limits. We use underwriting guidelines to assess the borrowers'
historical cash flow to determine debt service, and we further stress test the
debt service under higher interest rate scenarios. Financial and performance
covenants are used in commercial lending agreements to allow us to react to a
borrower's deteriorating financial condition, should that occur.

Commercial real estate loans include owner-occupied and non-occupied commercial
real estate. We originate both fixed and adjustable rate loans. Adjustable rate
loans are based on the Wall Street Journal prime rate. Our commercial real
estate loan portfolio totaled $842.2 million at December 31, 2022 compared to
$701.5 million at December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we
originated $200.1 million of commercial real estate loans. As of December 31,
2022, approximately 78.9% of the commercial real estate portfolio consisted of
fixed-rate loans. Our policy maximum loan-to-value, or LTV, is 70% for
commercial real estate loans. As of December 31, 2022, our average loan to value
for commercial real estate loans was 51%.

Loans - SBA Loans: We are designated as an SBA Preferred Lender under the SBA
Preferred Lender Program. We offer mostly SBA 7(a) variable-rate loans. We
generally sell the 75% guaranteed portion of the SBA loans that we originate.
Our SBA loans are typically made to small-sized manufacturing, wholesale,
retail, hotel/motel and service businesses for working capital needs or business
expansions. SBA loans have maturities up to 25 years. Typically, non-real estate
secured loans mature in less than 10 years. Collateral may also include
inventory, accounts receivable and equipment, and may include personal
guarantees. Our unguaranteed SBA loans collateralized by real estate are
monitored by collateral type and included in our commercial real estate
Concentration Guidance.

As of December 31, 2022, our SBA portfolio totaled $234.7 million, including
$442 thousand of SBA PPP loans, compared to $275.9 million, including $40.6
million of SBA PPP loans as of December 31, 2021. We originated $192.1 million
for the year ended December 31, 2022. We sold SBA loans of $181.9 million with
7.45% average premium and $110.3 million with 11.04% average premium during the
years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

From our total SBA loan portfolio, $221.3 million is secured by real estate and $13.4 million is unsecured or secured by business assets as of December 31, 2022.

Loans - Commercial and Industrial: Commercial and industrial loans totaled $117.0 million as of December 31, 2022, compared to $162.5 million as of December 31, 2021. We originated $115.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Loans - Home Mortgage: We originate mainly non-qualified, alternative documentation single-family home mortgage loans ("home mortgage") primarily through our retail branch network and our correspondent lender network. The primary loan product is a five-year or seven-year hybrid adjustable rate mortgage, which reprices after five years to a selected SOFR plus certain spreads. We also purchase residential mortgage loans from third party mortgage originators based on the review of their underwriting and file quality as opportunities arise.



Home mortgage loans totaled $482.9 million as of December 31, 2022, compared to
$173.3 million as of December 31, 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we
originated $150.2 million of home mortgage loans and purchased $185.8 million of
home mortgage loans from third party mortgage originators.
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Loan Servicing

As of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, we serviced $702.1 million, $667.0 million and $388.8 million, respectively, of SBA loans for others. Activity for loan servicing rights was as follows:


                                                                Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)                                            2022          2021         2020
Beginning balance                                        $ 12,720      $  7,360      $ 7,024
Additions from loans sold with servicing retained           4,424         2,799        2,073
Additions from purchase of servicing rights                     -         6,097            -
Amortized to expense                                       (4,385)       (3,536)      (1,737)
Ending balance                                           $ 12,759      $ 12,720      $ 7,360

Loan servicing rights are reported on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and reported net of amortization.

Allowance for Loan Losses



The allowance for loan losses is an estimate of probable incurred losses in the
loan portfolio. Loans are charged-off against the allowance when management
believes a loan balance is uncollectible. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are
credited to the allowance for loan losses. Management's methodology for
estimating the allowance balance consists of several key elements, which include
specific allowances on individual impaired loans and the formula driven
allowances on pools of loans with similar risk characteristics. Allocations of
the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is
available for any loan that, in management's judgment, should be charged-off.

The allowance for loan losses is determined on a quarterly basis and reflects
management's estimate of probable incurred credit losses inherent in the loan
portfolio. We also rely on internal and external loan review procedures to
further assess individual loans and loan pools, and economic data for overall
industry and geographic trends. The computation includes element of judgment and
high levels of subjectivity.

A loan is considered impaired when it is probable that we will be unable to
collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan
agreement. Impaired loans include loans on non-accrual status and performing
restructured loans. Income from loans on non-accrual status is recognized to the
extent cash is received and when the loan's principal balance is deemed
collectible. Depending on a particular loan's circumstances, we measure
impairment of a loan based upon either the present value of expected future cash
flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate, the loan's observable
market price, or the fair value of the collateral less estimated costs to sell
if the loan is collateral dependent. A loan is considered collateral dependent
when repayment of the loan is based solely on the liquidation of the collateral.
Fair value, where possible, is determined by independent appraisals, typically
on an annual basis. Between appraisal periods, the fair value may be adjusted
based on specific events, such as if deterioration of quality of the collateral
comes to our attention as part of our problem loan monitoring process, or if
discussions with the borrower lead us to believe the last appraised value no
longer reflects the actual market value for the collateral. The impairment
amount on a collateral-dependent loan is charged-off to the allowance if deemed
not collectible and the impairment amount on a loan that is not
collateral-dependent is set up as a specific reserve.

In cases where a borrower experiences financial difficulties and we make certain
concessionary modifications to contractual terms, the loan is classified as a
troubled debt restructuring. These concessions may include a reduction of the
interest rate, principal or accrued interest, extension of the maturity date or
other actions intended to minimize potential losses. Loans restructured at a
rate equal to or greater than that of a new loan with comparable risk at the
time the loan is modified may be excluded from restructured loan disclosures in
years subsequent to the restructuring if the loans are in compliance with their
modified terms. A restructured loan is considered impaired despite its accrual
status and a specific reserve is calculated based on the present value of
expected cash flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate or the fair
value of the collateral less estimated costs to sell if the loan is collateral
dependent. Interest income on impaired loans is accrued as earned, unless the
loan is placed on non-accrual status.

The allowance for loan losses was $19.2 million at December 31, 2022, compared
to $16.1 million at December 31, 2021. The provision for loan losses was $3.0
million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $522 thousand
for the same period in 2021. The $3.0 million in provision for loan losses was
primarily due to an increase of $5.8 million in quantitative reserves from loan
growth in real estate and home mortgage loans, partially
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offset by a decrease of $2.8 million in qualitative assessments of our loan portfolio. The changes in qualitative factors were primarily due to improvements in economic conditions and commercial real estate concentration.



In determining the allowance and the related provision for loan losses, we
consider three principal elements: (i) valuation allowances based upon probable
losses identified during the review of impaired commercial and industrial,
commercial real estate, construction and land development loans; (ii)
allocations, by loan classes, on loan portfolios based on historical loan loss
experience and qualitative factors; and (iii) review of the credit discounts in
relationship to the valuation allowance calculated for purchased loans.
Provisions for loan losses are charged to operations to record changes to the
total allowance to a level deemed appropriate by us.

It is the policy of management to maintain the allowance for loan losses at a
level adequate for risks inherent in the loan portfolio. The FDIC and the DFPI
also review the allowance for loan losses as an integral part of their
examination process. Based on information currently available, management
believes that our allowance for loan losses is adequate. However, the loan
portfolio can be adversely affected if California economic conditions and the
real estate market in our market area were to weaken. The effect of such events,
although uncertain at this time, could result in an increase in the level of
nonperforming loans and increased loan losses, which could adversely affect our
future growth and profitability. No assurance of the ultimate level of credit
losses can be given with any certainty.

Analysis of the Allowance for Loan Losses

The following table provides an analysis of the allowance for loan losses, provision for loan losses and net charge-offs, by category, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020:

Year Ended December 31, 2022


                                                           (Reversal)
($ in thousands)                       Beginning          Provision (1)          Charge-offs           Recoveries             Ending
Commercial real estate               $    8,150          $     (1,199)         $          -          $         -          $     6,951
SBA loans-real estate                     2,022                  (409)                  (14)                   8                1,607
SBA loan-non- real estate                   199                    66                  (127)                  69                  207
Commercial and industrial                 2,848                (1,205)                    -                    -                1,643
Home mortgage                             2,891                 5,935                     -                    -                8,826
Consumer                                     13                    (7)                    -                    1                    7
Total                                $   16,123          $      3,181          $       (141)         $        78          $    19,241
Gross loans (2)                                                                                                           $ 1,678,292
Allowance for loan losses to
gross loans                                                                                                                      1.15  %
Average loans (2)                                                                                                         $ 1,509,067
Net (recoveries) charge-offs
to average gross loans                                                                                                           0.00  %



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Year Ended December 31, 2021


                                                            (Reversal)
($ in thousands)                       Beginning          Provision (1)           Charge-offs           Recoveries              Ending
Commercial real estate               $    8,505          $        (355)

$ - $ - $ 8,150 SBA loans-real estate

                     1,802                    279                   (59)                    -                2,022
SBA loan-non- real estate                   278                     54                  (136)                    3                  199
Commercial and industrial                 2,563                    285                     -                     -                2,848
Home mortgage                             2,185                    706                     -                     -                2,891
Consumer                                     19                    (10)                    -                     4                   13
Total                                $   15,352          $         959          $       (195)         $          7          $    16,123
Gross loans (2)                                                                                                             $ 1,314,019
Allowance for loan losses to
gross loans                                                                                                                        1.23  %
Average loans (2)                                                                                                           $ 1,200,367
Net (recoveries) charge-offs
to average gross loans                                                                                                             0.02  %



                                                                         

Year Ended December 31, 2020


                                                              Provision
($ in thousands)                       Beginning            (Reversal)(1)            Charge-offs           Recoveries             Ending
Commercial real estate               $    6,000          $          2,505          $          -          $         -          $     8,505
SBA loans-real estate                       939                       863                     -                    -                1,802
SBA loan-non- real estate                   121                       174                   (45)                  28                  278
Commercial and industrial                 1,289                     1,274                     -                    -                2,563
Home mortgage                             1,667                       518                     -                    -                2,185
Consumer                                     34                       (16)                    -                    1                   19
Total                                $   10,050          $          5,318          $        (45)         $        29          $    15,352
Gross loans (2)                                                                                                               $ 1,099,736
Allowance for loan losses to
gross loans                                                                                                                          1.40  %
Average loans (2)                                                                                                             $ 1,038,387
Net (recoveries) charge-offs
to average gross loans                                                                                                               0.00  %


(1)Excludes (reversal of) provision for uncollectible accrued interest receivable of $(205) thousand, $(438) thousand, and $643 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. (2)Excludes loans held for sale.

The following table presents an allocation of the allowance for loan losses by portfolio as of December 31, 2022 and 2021:


                                        December 31, 2022                     December 31, 2021
($ in thousands)                      Amount           % to Total           Amount           % to Total
Commercial real estate          $          6,951           36.1  %    $          8,150           50.5  %
SBA loans-real estate                      1,607            8.4                  2,022           12.5
SBA loan-non- real estate                    207            1.1                    199            1.2
Commercial and industrial                  1,643            8.5                  2,848           17.7
Home mortgage                              8,826           45.9                  2,891           17.9
Consumer                                       7              -                     13            0.1
Total                           $         19,241          100.0  %    $         16,123          100.0  %


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Nonperforming Assets



Loans are considered delinquent when principal or interest payments are past due
30 days or more. Delinquent loans may remain on accrual status between 30 days
and 90 days past due. Loans on which the accrual of interest has been
discontinued are designated as non-accrual loans. Typically, the accrual of
interest on loans is discontinued when principal or interest payments are 90
days past due or when, in the opinion of management, there is a reasonable doubt
as to collectability in the normal course of business. When loans are placed on
non-accrual status, all interest previously accrued, but not collected, is
reversed against current period interest income. Income on non-accrual loans is
subsequently recognized only to the extent that cash is received, and the loan's
principal balance is deemed collectible. Loans are restored to accrual status
when loans become well-secured and management believes full collectability of
principal and interest is probable.

Nonperforming loans include loans that are 90 days past due and still accruing, loans accounted for on a non-accrual basis and accruing restructured loans. Nonperforming assets consist of nonperforming loans plus OREO.



Nonperforming loans were $3.1 million at December 31, 2022, compared to $3.2
million at December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, nonaccrual loans
of $1.0 million and $1.0 million, respectively were the guaranteed portion of
SBA loans.


Real estate we acquire as a result of foreclosure or by deed-in-lieu of
foreclosure is classified as OREO until sold, and is initially recorded at fair
value less costs to sell when acquired, establishing a new cost basis. We had no
OREO as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.


The following table sets forth the allocation of our nonperforming assets among
our different asset categories as of the dates indicated. Nonperforming loans
include non-accrual loans, loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing
interest, and loans modified under troubled debt restructurings.
                                                               December 31,
($ in thousands)                                            2022          2021
Nonaccrual loans                                         $ 2,639       $ 3,000
Past due loans 90 days or more and still accruing            442           

200


Accruing troubled debt restructured loans                      -             -
Total nonperforming loans                                  3,081         3,200
Other real estate owned                                        -             -
Total nonperforming assets                               $ 3,081       $ 3,200
Nonperforming loans to gross loans                          0.18  %       0.24  %
Nonperforming assets to total assets                        0.15  %       0.19  %
Allowance for loan losses to nonperforming loans             625  %        

504 %

Deposits and Other Sources of Funds



We gather deposits primarily through our branch locations. We offer a variety of
deposit products including demand deposits accounts, interest-bearing products,
savings accounts and certificate of deposits. We dedicate continuing effort into
gathering noninterest demand deposits accounts through marketing to our existing
and new loan customers, customer referrals, our marketing staff and various
involvement with community networks.


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The following table show the composition of deposits by type as of the dates
presented:
                                                                                                      As of December 31,
                                                                  2022                                       2021                                       2020
($ in thousands)                                      Amount               Percent               Amount               Percent               Amount               Percent
Noninterest-bearing demand                        $   701,584                  37.2  %       $   774,754                  50.5  %       $   522,754                  43.6  %
Interest-bearing:
Money market and others                               526,321                  27.9              380,226                  24.8              328,323                  27.4
Time deposits (more than $250,000)                    356,197                  18.9              207,288                  13.5              200,210                  16.7
Time deposits ($250,000 or less)                      301,669                  16.0              171,798                  11.2              148,803                  12.4
Total interest-bearing                              1,184,187                  62.8              759,312                  49.5              677,336                  56.4
Total deposits                                    $ 1,885,771                 100.0  %       $ 1,534,066                 100.0  %       $ 1,200,090                 100.0  %



The following tables set forth the maturity of time deposits as of December 31,
2022:
                                                                Maturity Within:
                                       Three         Three to        Six to 12        After
($ in thousands)                      Months        Six Months        Months        12 Months        Total
Time deposits (more than $250)      $  82,676      $    26,156      $ 245,076      $   2,289      $ 356,197
Time deposits ($250 or less)           36,551           50,759        189,324         25,035        301,669
Total time deposits                 $ 119,227      $    76,915      $ 434,400      $  27,324      $ 657,866


Other than deposits, we also utilized FHLB advances as a supplementary funding
source to finance our operations. The advances from the FHLB are collateralized
by residential and commercial real estate loans. As of December 31, 2022 and
2021, we had maximum borrowing capacity from the FHLB of $582.8 million and
$417.6 million, respectively. We had no borrowing from FHLB as of December 31,
2022 and 2021.

Liquidity and Capital Recourses



Liquidity refers to the measure of our ability to meet the cash flow
requirements of depositors and borrowers, while at the same time meeting our
operating, capital and strategic cash flow needs, all at a reasonable cost. We
continuously monitor our liquidity position to ensure that assets and
liabilities are managed in a manner that will meet all short-term and long-term
cash requirements. We manage our liquidity position to meet the daily cash flow
needs of customers, while maintaining an appropriate balance between assets and
liabilities to meet the return on investment objectives of our shareholders. Our
short-term and long-term liquidity requirements are primarily met through cash
flow from operations, redeployment of prepaying and maturing balances in our
loan and investment portfolios, and increases in customer deposits. Other
alternative sources of funds will supplement these primary sources to the extent
necessary to meet additional liquidity requirements on either a short-term or
long-term basis.


Deposits are the primarily funding source for the Bank. Deposits provide a
stable source of funding and reduce the Company's reliance on the wholesale
funding markets. The following table presents the loan and deposit balances, the
loans-to-deposit ratios, and deposits as a percentage of total liabilities as of
dates presented:
                                                 As of December 31,
($ in thousands)                               2022              2021
Deposits                                  $ 1,885,771       $ 1,534,066
Deposits as a % of total liabilities             98.3  %           98.2  %
Loans, net                                $ 1,659,051       $ 1,297,896
Loans-to-deposits ratio                          88.0  %           84.6  %


In addition to deposits, the Company has access to various sources of wholesale
funding, as well as borrowing capacity at the FHLB, Federal Reserve, and
correspondent banks to sustain an adequate liquid asset portfolio, meet daily
cash demands and allow management flexibility to execute the business strategy.
Economic conditions and the stability of
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capital markets impact the access to and the cost of wholesale funding. The access to capital markets is also affected by the ratings received from various credit rating agencies.



We had $100.0 million of unsecured federal funds lines with no amounts advanced
as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. In addition, on such dates we had lines of
credit from the Federal Reserve discount window of $175.6 million and
$141.6 million.. The Federal Reserve discount window lines were collateralized
by a pool of commercial real estate loans and commercial and industrial loans
totaling $254.7 million and $240.6 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021,
respectively. We did not have any borrowings outstanding with the Federal
Reserve as of December 31, 2022 or 2021, and our borrowing capacity is limited
only by eligible collateral.

Based on the values of loans pledged as collateral, we had $440.4 million of
additional borrowing availability with the FHLB as of December 31, 2022. We also
maintain relationships in the capital markets with brokers to issue certificates
of deposit and money market accounts.

The Company maintains liquidity in the form of cash and cash equivalents, and
unencumbered high-quality and liquid AFS debt securities. The following table
presents the Company's liquid assets as of dates presented:
                                     As of December 31,
($ in thousands)                    2022           2021
Cash and cash equivalents        $  82,972      $ 115,459
AFS debt securities                209,809        150,444
Total liquid assets              $ 292,781      $ 265,903


The following tables summarizes short- and long-term material cash requirements
as of December 31, 2022, which we believe that we will be able to fund these
obligations through cash generated from our operations and available alternative
sources of funds:
                                                                            

Material Cash Requirements


                                   Within              One to               Three to            After Five           Indeterminable
($ in thousands)                  One Year           Three Years           Five Years             Years               maturity (1)               Total
Deposits (2)                    $ 630,543          $     26,822          $       501          $         -          $      1,227,905          $ 1,885,771
Operating lease
commitments                         2,467                 4,077                3,857                3,473                         -               13,874
Commitments to fund
investment for Low Income
Housing Tax Credit                  3,793                 4,437                   45                  362                       111                8,748
Total contractual
obligations                     $ 636,803          $     35,336          $     4,403          $     3,835          $      1,228,016          $ 1,908,393

(1)Includes deposits with no defined maturity, such as noninterest-bearing demand, savings and money market. (2)Excludes accrued interest.



In addition to contractual obligations, other commitments of the Company impact
liquidity. These include unused commitments to extend credit, standby letters of
credit and commercial letters of credit. Since many of these commitments expire
without being drawn upon, and each customer must continue to meet the conditions
established in the contract, the total amount of these commercial commitments
does not necessarily represent the future cash requirements of the Company. The
Company's liquidity sources have been, and are expected to be, sufficient to
meet the cash requirements of its lending activities, Information about the
Company's loan commitments, standby letters of credit and commercial letters of
credit is provided in Note 10. Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated
Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.

Capital Requirements



We are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the
federal and state banking regulators. Failure to meet regulatory capital
requirements may result in certain mandatory and possible additional
discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct
material effect on our financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines
and the regulatory framework for "prompt corrective action", we must meet
specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of our assets,
liabilities and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory
accounting policies. The capital amounts and classifications are subject to
qualitative judgments by the federal banking regulators regarding components,
risk weightings and other factors. Qualitative measures established by
regulation
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to ensure capital adequacy required us to maintain minimum amounts and various
ratios of CET1 capital, Tier 1 capital and total capital to risk-weighted assets
and of Tier 1 capital to average consolidated assets, referred to as the
"leverage ratio."
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The table below also summarizes the capital requirements applicable to us and
the Bank in order to be considered "well-capitalized" from a regulatory
perspective, as well as our and the Bank's capital ratios as of December 31,
2022 and 2021. The Bank exceeded all regulatory capital requirements under the
Basel III Capital Rules and were considered to be "well-capitalized" as of the
dates reflected in the table below. As of December 31, 2022, the FDIC
categorized us as well-capitalized under the prompt corrective action framework.
There have been no conditions or events since December 31, 2022 that management
believes would change this classification.

                                                                                                                                                                         Regulatory Capital Ratio
                                                                                 Regulatory Capital Ratio                 Minimum to be Considered "Well           Requirements, including fully phased
As of December 31, 2022                       Actual (1)                               Requirements                                Capitalized"                       in Capital Conservation Buffer
($ in thousands)                      Amount              Ratio                 Amount                Ratio                 Amount                 Ratio                Amount                Ratio
Total capital (to
risk-weighted assets)
Consolidated                       $ 213,862                13.06  %                     N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 211,981                12.94  %       $      131,020               8.00  %       $       163,775               10.00  %       $     171,964                10.50  %
Tier 1 capital (to
risk-weighted assets)
Consolidated                         194,358                11.87  %                     N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 192,477                11.75  %               98,265               6.00                  131,020                8.00                139,209                 8.50
CET1 capital (to
risk-weighted assets)
Consolidated                         194,358                11.87  %                     N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 192,477                11.75  %               73,699               4.50                  106,454                6.50                114,642                 7.00
Tier 1 leverage (to average
assets)
Consolidated                         194,358                 9.38  %                     N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 192,477                 9.29  %               82,836               4.00                  103,545                5.00                 82,836                 4.00

(1) The capital requirements are only applicable to the Bank, and the Company's ratios are included for comparison purpose.



                                                                                                                                                                         Regulatory Capital Ratio
                                                                                 Regulatory Capital Ratio                 Minimum to be Considered "Well           Requirements, including fully phased
As of December 31, 2021                       Actual (1)                               Requirements                                Capitalized"                       in Capital Conservation Buffer
($ in thousands)                      Amount              Ratio                 Amount                Ratio                 Amount                 Ratio                Amount                Ratio
Total capital (to
risk-weighted assets)
Consolidated                       $ 182,439                13.66  %                     N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 179,882                13.47          $      106,857               8.00  %       $       133,572               10.00  %       $     140,250                10.50  %
Tier 1 capital (to
risk-weighted assets)
Consolidated                         165,944                12.42                        N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 163,387                12.23                  80,143               6.00                  106,857                8.00                113,536                 8.50
CET1 capital (to
risk-weighted assets)
Consolidated                         165,944                12.42                        N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 163,387                12.23                  60,107               4.50                   86,822                6.50                 93,500                 7.00
Tier 1 leverage (to average
assets)
Consolidated                         165,944                 9.58                        N/A                N/A                      N/A                 N/A                    N/A                  N/A
Bank                                 163,387                 9.44                  69,266               4.00                   86,582                5.00                 69,266                 4.00

(1) The capital requirements are only applicable to the Bank, and the Company's ratios are included for comparison purpose.


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