First Commonwealth Financial Corporation, a financial holding company, provides various consumer and commercial banking products and services in the United States.
The company’s operating subsidiaries include First Commonwealth Bank (FCB or the bank), First Commonwealth Insurance Agency, Inc. (FCIA) and FRAMAL. The company provides a diversified array of consumer and commercial banking services through its bank subsidiary, FCB. The company also provides trust and wealth management services thro...
First Commonwealth Financial Corporation, a financial holding company, provides various consumer and commercial banking products and services in the United States.
The company’s operating subsidiaries include First Commonwealth Bank (FCB or the bank), First Commonwealth Insurance Agency, Inc. (FCIA) and FRAMAL. The company provides a diversified array of consumer and commercial banking services through its bank subsidiary, FCB. The company also provides trust and wealth management services through FCB and offers insurance products through FCIA.
The company has community banking offices in 30 counties throughout western and central Pennsylvania and throughout Ohio, as well as commercial lending operations in Canton, Columbus, Canfield, Hudson and Independence, Ohio. The bank also operates a network of automated teller machines, or ATMs, at various branch offices and offsite locations. All of the company’s ATMs are part of the NYCE and MasterCard/Cirrus networks, both of which operate nationwide. The bank is also a member of the Allpoint ATM network, which allows surcharge-free access to various ATMs and the Freedom ATM Alliance, which affords cardholders surcharge-free access to a network of ATMs in over 50 counties in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and Ohio.
Loan Portfolio
The company’s loan portfolio includes several categories of loans that are discussed in detail below.
Commercial, Financial, Agricultural and Other
Commercial, financial, agricultural and other loans represent term loans used to acquire business assets or revolving lines of credit used to finance working capital. These loans are generally secured by a first lien position on the borrower’s business assets as a secondary source of repayment. The type and amount of the collateral varies depending on the amount and terms of the loan, but generally may include accounts receivable, inventory, equipment or other assets. Loans also may be supported by personal guarantees from the principals of the commercial loan borrowers.
Commercial loans are underwritten for credit-worthiness based on the borrowers’ financial information, cash flow, net worth, prior loan performance, existing debt levels, type of business and the industry in which it operates. Advance rates on commercial loans are generally collateral-dependent and are determined based on the type of equipment, the mix of inventory and the quality of receivables.
Commercial Real Estate
Commercial real estate loans represent term loans secured by owner-occupied and non-owner occupied properties. Commercial real estate loans are underwritten based on an evaluation of each borrower’s cash flow as the principal source of loan repayment, and are generally secured by a first lien on the property as a secondary source of repayment.
For loans secured by commercial real estate, at origination the company obtains current and independent appraisals from licensed or certified appraisers to assess the value of the underlying collateral.
Real Estate Construction
Real estate construction represents financing for real estate development. The underwriting process for these loans is designed to confirm that the project will be economically feasible and financially viable upon completion and is generally conducted as though the company would be providing permanent financing for the project. Development and construction loans are secured by the properties under development or construction, and personal guarantees are typically obtained as a secondary repayment source.
Construction loans to residential builders are generally made for the construction of residential homes for which a binding sales contract exists and for which the prospective buyers have been pre-qualified for permanent mortgage financing by either third-party lenders or the company.
Residential construction loans to individuals generally provide for the payment of interest only during the construction phase. At the end of the construction phase, substantially all of the company’s loans automatically convert to permanent mortgage loans and can either be retained in its loan portfolio or sold on the secondary market.
Residential Real Estate
Residential real estate loans include first lien mortgages used by the borrower to purchase or refinance a principal residence and home equity loans and lines of credit secured by residential real estate.
The residential real estate portfolio includes both conforming and non-conforming mortgage loans. Conforming mortgage loans represent loans originated in accordance with underwriting standards set forth by the government-sponsored entities, including the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Government National Mortgage Association, which serve as the primary purchasers of loans sold in the secondary mortgage market by mortgage lenders. These loans are generally collateralized by one-to-four-family residential real estate, have loan-to-collateral value ratios of 80% or less (or have mortgage insurance to insure down to 80%), and are made to borrowers in good credit standing.
Home equity lines of credit and other home equity loans are originated by the company for typically up to 90% of the appraised value, less the amount of any existing prior liens on the property. Additionally, the Company’s credit policy requires borrower FICO scores of not less than 680 and a debt-to-income ratio of not more than 45%.
Loans to Individuals
The loans to individuals category includes consumer installment loans, personal lines of credit, consumer credit cards and indirect automobile and recreational vehicle loans. Collision insurance policies are required on all automobile loans. The company also makes other consumer loans, which may or may not be secured. The terms of secured consumer loans generally depend upon the nature of the underlying collateral.
Deposits
Deposits are the company’s primary source of funds to support its revenue-generating assets. The company offers traditional deposit products to businesses and other customers with a variety of rates and terms. Deposits at the company’s bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the FDIC) up to statutory limits.
Investment Portfolio
As of December 31, 2024, the company’s investment portfolio included obligations of U.S. government agencies, such as mortgage-backed securities—residential and mortgage-backed securities—commercial; obligations of U.S. government-sponsored enterprises, such as mortgage-backed securities—residential and other government-sponsored enterprises; obligations of states and political subdivisions; and corporate securities.
Supervision and Regulation
First Commonwealth is registered as a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the BHC Act), and is subject to supervision and regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the FRB).
Under the BHC Act, First Commonwealth is subject to examination by the FRB and is required to file periodic reports and other information of its operations with the FRB. FRB policy and federal law require bank holding companies to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to their subsidiary banks. First Commonwealth is expected to commit resources to support FCB, including at times when First Commonwealth may not be in a financial position to provide such resources
Transactions between FCB, on the one hand, and First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and its other subsidiaries, on the other hand, are regulated under federal banking laws. The Federal Reserve Act imposes quantitative and qualitative requirements and collateral requirements on covered transactions by FCB with, or for the benefit of, its affiliates, and generally requires those transactions to be on terms at least as favorable to FCB as if the transaction were conducted with an unaffiliated third party. First Commonwealth is also under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and various state securities commissions for matters relating to the offer and sale of its securities and is subject to the SEC rules and regulations relating to periodic reporting, proxy solicitation and insider trading.
FCB is a state bank chartered under the Pennsylvania Banking Code and is not a member of the FRB. As such, FCB is subject to the supervision of, and is regularly examined by, both the FDIC and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and is required to furnish quarterly reports to both agencies. The approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the FDIC is also required for FCB to establish additional branch offices or merge with or acquire another banking institution.
The company is subject to a number of federal and state consumer protection laws that extensively govern its relationship with its customers. These laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Service Members Civil Relief Act and these laws’ respective state-law counterparts, as well as state usury laws and laws regarding unfair and deceptive acts and practices. Deposits of FCB are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC and are subject to deposit insurance assessments to maintain the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF).
History
First Commonwealth Financial Corporation was founded in 1934.